Nanitic Commonwealth

The Nanitic Commonwealth is a nation on the continent of Elyria, located on the northern peninsula of the Varenfair Gulf. A nation of seafarers, miners and inventors, the Nanitic people pride themselves in productivity and modernity. The capital of the Commonwealth is Mighladur, the largest city on Elyria. It sprawls along a wide section of the Whiterise Peaks and effectively merges with the port city of Thirncliffe which oversees most of the Commonwealth's trade.

Geography
The Commonwealth sprawls the entire peninsula of Nanitia, from the southern fields upwards to the far reaches of the Whiterise Peaks. The mountainous peninsula is not well suited to agriculture, thus it is traditionally a poor region, though there are very deep ore deposits. From the mountainous peninsula a string of islands (Thirn Isles) stretches southwards. The islands are volcanic in nature, and the southernmost violin-shaped one, Wegathland, is said to host the volcano home of the forge god Wegathus.

Thirncoast
&rarr; Main article: Thirncoast.

Located on the eastern and oceanic coast of Nanitia (bordering the Varusian Ocean) Thirncoast is marked by an almost tropical and occasionally swampy jungle.


 * Thirncliff: The main port of Nanitia, connecting it to the world beyond. The port hosts a large armada of the Royal Navy, oversees the colonial possessions of the Commonwealth and the export of the many goods produced.
 * Mighladur: A sprawling, underground metropolis that serves as the royal capital containing the royal congress and the royal palace. Great crowded factories, manufacturing goods and refining the raw ores brought from across the nation and Elyria, provide jobs for the lower and middle classes. Chimneys built through the mountain lead to massive smog clouds seen in the sky above the Whiterise Peaks.

Thirn Isles
&rarr; Main article: Thirn Isles.

A wet and boggy archipelago just southeast of the Nanitic mainland. Several islands host small to medium settlements that fortify Nanitic domination of the Varusian Ocean over the Republic of Afari.


 * Kinburn: A strange pirate town found on the northern side of the Montroot Isle, which would rather be forgotten by the Crown. It is ruled by Lance Bloodkith, a former privateer of the Commonwealth who was granted the town following his remarkable impact on their war against the Republic of Afari. They are mostly left to their own devices because the Commonwealth prefers pretending it doesnt exist, for unknown reasons. This makes the town a haven for outlaws of all sorts, only 300 miles off the coast of Mighladur.
 * Fort Montroot: A military fort on the southern side of Montroot Isle which offers repair services for Nanitic vessels and as a hub from which their vessels can launch and secure the Thirncoast from enemy ships. Over past decades the island has largely been avoided by shipping routes and has thus lost much of it's economical strength.
 * Blackwell: A large colonial town on Thirn Langwood with a well-sized port to serve as a connecting point between Nanitia and its colonial possessions. Blackwell is the primary Nanitian port outside of Mighladur and King's Gate.

Northern Nanitia

 * &rarr; Main article: Northern Nanitia.

Northern Nanitia has a semi-arid landscape that houses almost no villages or other signs of civilization. Settlements built along the western side of the Whiterise Peaks produce various rare ores that are then transported to Mighladur.


 * Queen's Gate: A large citadel of the Royal Army that prevents unwanted entrance into Nanitia. Whilst it has seen better days as funding has shifted from the Army to the Navy, it still remains a formidable fortress.
 * Nirgund: Founded on a discovered gold vein in the third century, the town has shrunken greatly since the supply of gold has diminished.
 * Demmond: A town half underground that lies just northwest of Mighladur and produces the largest supply of iron in the world.

Southern Fields of Nanitia
&rarr; Main article: Fields of Nanitia.

The Fields of Nanitia are dry lands that house heavily mechanized agriculture only possible with great technological advancements in a land otherwise infertile.


 * Daghton: Similar to Nirgund, the settlement was founded when gold was discovered. Although the gold has since run out, the settlement also contains some of the only surface level deposits of a handful of rare elements that prove very useful in manufacturing. The Broodfist clan made their fortune here.
 * Thirn Ghoriham: The central hub for the agriculture of the Fields, all of the produce is brought here before being packaged and transported to Mighladur and across Nanitia.
 * Standahr: A mining town all in all, Standahr is only known for their export of emeralds from their mines. The town is isolated and xenophobic, unusually so for the Commonwealth.
 * Khalm: The only major mainland settlement of the Commonwealth that does not have a majority of Nanitic inhabitants. A large number of Drowadian refugees have fled to Khalm and made it a reflection of their homeland.
 * King's Gate: The part of the Royal Navy designed for warfare inside of the Gulf sits at dock in this enormous, raging citadel. Considered undefeatable by most modern military theorists, any admiral dreads the thought of having to assault or even pass by the King's Gate. Due to it's location, many trade vessels passing by seek respite at some of the exterior towns around the Gate.

Mernthia
&rarr; Main article: Isle of Mernthia. The Isle of Mernthia is located around 1200 miles northeast of Nanitia and is the crown's current obsession and most prized colonial possession. Mernthia is marked by a wet and hot climate, thick and lush tropical jungles, and exotic wildlife. The Tabaxi originate from this island, and have only recently found their way to mainland Elyria with the arrival of the first Nanitian explorers on the island. Much of the island and the surrounding territories is unexplored, but more and more ventures are made, particularly with the settling of Jyn Mighladur.


 * Jyn Mighladur: The single colonial city on Mernthia, 'New Mighladur' is a young and growing settlement on the western coast of the island. Many young Nanitians are lured overseas by the promise of free land and resources from the crown in exchange for continued submission to Nanitia.

Industrialization
The Nanitic economy is radically different from those of other countries due to industrialization. Rather than having most people work the fields, Nanitia has an urbanized population fed by agricultural goods imported from the fertile river valleys of central Vurolingia.

The Nanites discovered large quantities of coal, which could be used to effectively run machinery through complex mechanical processes kept secret from the outside world. Within a century this has turned the country from a backwater mountain region living off of food subsidies from the Empire to the richest and most technologically advanced of the great powers.

Massive factories may cover the land in smoke, but their enormous labour forces produce goods in quantities and quality seldom matched by the other states on the continent. Many ingredients needed to satisfy the growing demand for goods are, however, by necessity imported from other states, for instance timber from the Forests of Dryadia to build ships.

Trade
Traditionally the government had to pursue a very mercantile trade policy. Their money was draining away by the need to import food, and thus the need to prevent further loss of gold led to restrictive trade policies. The export and import of goods other than food are restricted and licensed to only a handful of powerful clans and their subsidiaries.

This restrictive policy has slowed progress and caused many furnaces of the new industrial megacities to hunger for raw materials to refine, and those that lack a license balk at not being able to sell their goods to a wider market.

Any further open market measures are opposed by the land owning aristocracy, who leech off a substantial amount of the new wealth by selling what little raw materials are produced locally for very high prices to the manufacturers. They are also able to use their ancient privileges to restrict the movement of workers from their mountain holds to the cities.

Politics
Legally the state is a Constitutional Monarchy with Queen Natalia at its head. In reality it is a plutocracy ruled by Nobles and the Rich. The monarch is a powerful figurehead, but the true power lies in the royal congress consisting of the upper classes and aristocracy. There is a drive towards liberalization and more democracy by lowering property requirements for suffrage. The society is increasingly politicized, and the people now identify with three emerging political factions.

Political Factions
Note that there are many overlaps with people from different classes sometimes sharing goals. Liberal/Radical can mean wanting more democracy but not forced redistribution of wealth. Liberal/Conservative could want more free trade but not more political participation for the lower classes. Even the Conservative/ Radical position is taken by some, arguing that the wealth should be shared more equally with everyone while power should stay with the benevolent monarch.

Dryadia
Dryadia has largely been a trading partner for Nanitia in the past decades. The racist and enslaving policies of the Matriarchy have caused outrage among a portion of the Nanitic population, but no action has been taken on this. During the times of the Vurolingian-Nanitic Alliance the Commonwealth and the Matriarchy found themselves at war, but nigh incapable of really hurting each other.

Afari
The primary rival of the Commonwealth, they have been in a trade war for over two centuries. The Royal Navy has often found itself at odds with their republican counterpart but have struggled to dominate combat in the Gulf, despite their technological and numerical superiority. The Afarians know well how to use the archipelago and shallow waters to their advantage, but are unable to penetrate past the insurmountable King's Gate and into the Varusian Ocean.

The Republic stands absolutely opposed to the ideals of Her Majesty the Queen, having shown contempt for all aristocracy and bloodborn rulership.

Vurolingia
Whilst the Vurolingian-Nanitic Defense Pact has been dissolved, relations with the Empire are still amenable. A healthy trade exists, whereby grains and other organics are imported, and some valuable metals and ores are brought back to Vurolingia in exchange. Amongst all nations, Vurolingia is the closest the Commonwealth has to an ally. Rumors have risen of a new alliance proposal that supposedly is being considered by Her Majesty the Queen and the Emperor.

Nanita would rather not remember the olden days, before industrialization, when they would be heavily reliant on Vurolingian imports and were effectively subjugated to the Empire.

Royal Army
The royal army is small and mostly deployed to the colonies to protect economic interests, and at Queen's and King's Gate. It used to be respected throughout the world as an elite force. As a poor mountain people they often served as mercenaries abroad. Their loyalty to the lords and ladies that lead them is greatly admired by others, but internally it is an embarrassment to the increasingly commoner government. Thus it is kept small enough to prevent any coup attempts by the upset aristocracy. To make up for this they are well paid and their uniforms dazzle more than their weapons.

Royal Navy
The royal navy is increasingly the true pride of the Nanites. By far the largest and strongest navy of the known world, Nanitic ships are both the most technologically advanced and the most numerous. Advancements are made at an almost daily basis, with thousands of engineers and theorists either directly employed by the Royal Navy or working independently on ideas to sell at high price.