Massalia
History: Massalia is a confederacy of eight provinces loosely united by a central monarchy. While they are regarded as notoriously easy to conquer, holding that conquest is another matter entirely, as throughout their history the Massalians have driven them all off AND kept their cultural identity intact. They refer to their nation as "the graveyard of foreigners" in matters of war and conquest, and of the seven Kingdoms, only the Frisians and the Helvatians never bothered trying to conquer them (limiting themselves to brutal raids and mercenary actions/that one time they got revenge for a betrayal, respectively).
While the old system still holds, it is far less fractious and violent than it used to be. Still, the politics in this kingdom remain very treacherous, and favor ebbs and flows in the courts constantly, as trends are introduced and cast out of favor with great alacrity. Their skills in Contests are well regarded, their tongue is considered the language of diplomacy itself, and as individual Duelists they boast some of the best in the world.
Geography: The land of Massalia is composed of multiple islands and rivers in the north, with the lines between fresh water and the ocean sometimes becoming rather blurry. The land unites and becomes more like land as one goes further and further south, until you meet the forbidding mountain range that separates it and Empuries from each other. To the north and west, it shares an aquatic border with Frisia and Demosia. And to the south and west, it shares a physical border with both Helvatia and Magnas. And to the East, over the Endless Seas, one can see the massive island of Albion staring down, and a large set of chains, walkways, massive lifts and bridges tie the shores of Massalia's easternmost islands to the Undercities of Albion, a tremendous project both made in the years following the wars.
The weather is mercurial and strongly influenced by the seas, being prone to rather nasty weather patterns in the fall and spring. The northern provinces are frequently hit by rain, while the southernmost provinces are usually mountainous and very cold. In between, it is very warm and during the summer, very hot.
Politics: The politics are more like riding a storm or training a bonfire; they are prone to constant fluctuation, they are difficult for an outsider to control, and generally attempted either by the very ambitious, the very foolish, or both. Few walk into Massalian politics and manage to come out ahead in the long run. The wise make mutually beneficial deals with them, and remind themselves that for every friend they make, they will make at least one rival or enemy.
They do have tendencies, though. About half of them are diehard Magnas Church members who believe that the present and past roads were the best. The other half believe the past and present were mistakes, think the present system should be abolished and replaced with a system that rewards all equally, regardless of status, and the chaotic state of the world is a sign of an incoming new order.
Both sides are exceedingly passionate in their views, and often have loose attachments to reality.
When there is no ruler or heir to unite the nobles or serve as a hate sink for the them, they convene and have a grand debate over who gets to be in that position. Representatives from each province offer their point of view, and the one chosen will always be nobility, never the head noble of a province, never one of the representatives, and always the one who offends everyone the least. This usually means that at any point, the ruler of the land is either weak, quite mad, both, or one hell of a schemer.
Sometimes they go full tyrant, but that usually doesn't last very long, and another convention is usually held afterwards, or even before the present rulers reign is over.
The present King, the byzantine and scheming Louis XXV, is often seen with his bodyguard and honorary court jester, King Louis the Slaking, the only one allowed to sit on the throne and make decrees while Louis XXV is not present...which given Slaking cannot speak a sensible language, means that no one can tell if Louis XXV is completely insane, a genius pretending to be mad, or an insane genius - because somehow he always ends up ahead in the political games, or at least unharmed, and there is a sizable betting pool as to whether it is from luck or planning.
The Forge of Heroes gives the nobles a reason to behave themselves lately. Seen as not only a source of pride but a snub to long-time rival Empuries, it is turning out to be a double-edged sword as one of the first to pass the Trials of the Forge was a Massalian, who proceeded to use his newfound power and status to clean his home nation of as much corruption and evil as he could personally find and reach. Since that time, the corrupt nobility that survived that purge have been trying to find ways to point every other would-be hero to another kingdom, with limited success, as heroes by their very nature go their own ways.
Economy: With a direct and long-running rivalry with Albion in the seas to their west, Massalia boasts the second strongest economy, and have been the strongest voice (uniting even their nobility for an unusually long time) in introducing a true universal currency to the Kingdoms, one that doesn't depend on the economic strength of the distant and flighty Albionese. The Massalian coin is the Mass, often called a Piece or Piece of Eight due to its worth compared to the Demik (1 Demik = 8 Mass or 1 Gold = 8 Pieces).
It should be noted that their goods are generally considered substandard and shoddily crafted by the lowest bidder. "Massalian Craftsmanship" is not a complimentary term, and if told to a Demosian's face about his own work, would either reduce him to tears at being compared so or provoke him into a berserk rage. However, they
are cheap, and they have a much wider market and appeal than would be expected because of this.
Their
concentrated military might leaves something to be desired, both due to treaties signed and internal politics leaving them with everyone wanting to be the grand general, and no one able to stand down on the topic. Their militias are actually rather good and possessing of a high morale, but they tend to falter and fail when dealing with large scale military forces, or determined hordes of tribesmen or Mons from the seas or the ice floes. Where they shine are those who have been blessed by Victini, and having political control over the Forge of Heroes.
The heroes that emerge from there grant Massalia a great deal of prestige and pride, no matter where they go, or who or what they fight. They rarely turn on Massalia itself, and when they do, they are always advocates for holding back against those who can claim to be "Victini's favored," and are often thanked by the commoners because they usually make the kingdom better in the long run. Victini has not stepped forward to contradict this claim, and therefore no one else has challenged it except for Empuries, who make the same boast.
Demographics: With eight different provinces, a coastal presence, and a relatively open nature to foreign viewpoints, Massalia boasts a surprising number of foreign cultures. 70% of its population is native, with the rest having at least one immigrant parent.
About half of the population are of the Magnas faith, which is considered an all time low, and a source of conflict within the nation. The rest either have another faith, or reject it outright. But tension with one another for one reason or another is rarely a new thing: it's just another reason to engage in Contests or Duels, which is fine with them.
Culture: Pokemon of
Beauty are the favored types of Massalia, which generally mean one of the Water, Fire or Ice types. Which is favored depends on how far north or south you are, as well as the individual tastes of the master. Even their peasantry go out of their way to try and have at least one of these, or to be friends with someone who does. With that in mind, Massalia boasts a large variety of Mon types, and people still have individual trends, tastes, and needs beyond the fashionable. One needs look no farther than their eccentric king and his own favored choice.
To the Massalian people, being of them is simply a matter of declaring yourself one, and living like one - with the same passion and pride. You might duel with a citizen, argue and fight with them, but when the nation itself is occupied by tyranny and destroyers, you are expected to oppose them, alone or with others, regardless of the risk or how long it might take. You will be challenged in this proclamation by the natives, but they won't put you through anything less than they would expect had any of them said something like that - usually.
With that out of the way, they are comprised of eight provinces all with fierce competitions and rivalry that are only downplayed in the face of a mutual threat, and sometimes not even then. Many are the times the throne has been sold to a foreign power in exchange for personal power today...although the new king would be advised to watch his back, as most of the nobles likely still have much personal power left, and they unite better in anger than they do out of loyalty...
They consider themselves to be the number one rival of Albion, and although the feeling is often returned, the two nations don't actually do a whole lot to each other that is negative...until it is time for inter-kingdom Contests or Duels, at which point the rivalry goes full throttle. With everyone else, there is generally some bit of antagonism and constant one-upmanship to varying degrees. Their depute with Empuries is intense, but on a historical level, the Massalians see it as the equivalent of a passionate fling - Albion will always be their favorite kingdom to hate.
Speaking of passion, they have quite the reputation for being intense romantics. Indeed, most of the...
*ahem*...
saucier words and terms in the United Kingdoms have Massalian origins. Their kingdom is associated with the very ideals of love and beauty, and they do what they can to encourage this perception to tourists.
The language of Massalia, in particular the dialect of Massalia's nobility, is considered the very language of diplomacy (even in Albion and Empuries, where knowing it is considered as fashionable as anywhere else) across the kingdoms...although it also has the unique quality of being able to endlessly chain vulgarities and profanities together while still being grammatically correct, making a Massalian challenge to a Duel or Contest often something to remember for years to come.
As for the eight provinces, you have Astra, Aqualon, Bolt, Centuris, Hurican of Massalia, Melte, Nova, and Pulvis.
Astra is a province that has been taken and lost by Demosian forces so often that its people are considered (as a joke) to be Demosian. The culture often does have a lot of overlap with their neighboring country, and is a blend of Massalian and Demosian views. With that in mind, they have always fought against Demosian invasion as well as any Massalian has...it just depends on the noble, and what deals he has struck with the invaders, if any.
Aqualon is located in the most isolated part of Massalia, with the lowest population, and are at the same time the breadbasket of the country. That said, they get no respect from anyone, and are regarded as stingy, hand-over-fist merchants or peasants, depending on who is talking about them.
Bolt is a mountainous rural area that produces a lot of dairy products. To a foreigner, everything here seems to end in a cliff, and spirits are often diminished by the seemingly constant coastal rain, among those who are unused to it.
Centuris is an island to the west of most of Massalia, known mostly for being a dark and dangerous forest with a high amount of crime, and a deeply rural population. Given their disposition for roughness, anger, aggression, and their history of invasion, conflict and frequent trade with Empuries, they have the same joke as Astra does in that their people are often considered Empurian. Strangely, the rainstorms don't hit them like they do Bolt, despite being an island surrounded by the Endless Sea.
Hurican of Massalia (not to be confused with Hurican of Frisia) have had the same dealings with Frisia that Astra and Centuris have had with Demosia and Empuries; the frequent joke that they are all Frisian. That their language has noticeable Frisian accents and occasional phrases does not help. Like Bolt, it is seemingly constantly raining from the coastal proximity to the Endless Sea.
Melte's people tend to have a penchant for exaggeration, tackiness, loudness and being hot-blooded. They view themselves not only as the central culture in Massalia, but also the very center of the United Kingdom of Tarien, regardless of whether the rest of the world agrees with them or not.
Nova has the same dealings with Albion that Astra, Centuris and Hurican have had - you get the joke by now, surely. They have a knack for giving evasive or highly literal answers that don't actually answer your question, to the point where in Massalia, an answer that is not an answer is called "a Nova response." Like Bolt and Hurican, it's proximity to the coastline causes it to receive a steady flow of rain year round.
Pulvis is the urban seat of power in Massalia, and the residence of the ruler most of the time. Their people tend to be rude, unfriendly and frequently in a hurry. They tend to believe the civilization of Massalia stops at the edges of the province, and that everywhere else is a secondary residence for themselves, and that those places are populated by relatives of the king's jester. In return, the rest of Massalia tends to hate them a little more than each other.
*ALL ABOARD! NEXT STOP - DEMOSIA!*
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:14, Tue 24 Oct 2017.