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The Empire of Minstrel Description: The History of Minstrel is one filled with swinging gusts of wind, peaceful melodies and fearful songs of destruction, war, and inner turmoil. Throughout its long, tumultous history, Minstrel has established dominance throught its culture, arts, cuisine, or military might. The excellence of its land and the tenacity of its people being the seed of it all; one the people take pride in: A feat they like to call it given that the nation is surrounded by threats. The country is famous for advancement with naval technologies, given its large and beautiful coast line, as well as being known for its desserts, breads, and arts such as paintings and music. Be it truth or a lie made from the pride of the people; many claim that Minstrel is one of the oldest nations in the world of Earthland. Localization: Minstrel is located within a shell of mountainous rings layered out around each other before a wide space of open land for its territory. Minstrel is located slightly off center to the continent of Ishgar. It shares a land border with Joya and Desierto to its East, Caelum to its west over a body of water, and Fiore, Bosco, and Stella to its North over a body of water. Politics: In the political climate of Minstrel. The ‘game’ is always played as they like to call it. A political social system based and bred on the power of one. The ruler reigning supreme with people under them that can have minor influence over their territory but ultimately heed the call and bend the knee to whatever the head says and does: Emperor Bonaparte, tired of the game, abolished all noble titles. Hoewever, far from ending the game, it simply changed the titles with which it's played. Lower positions may have power, responsibilities even to play their roles within the system being pulled, but in the end it doesn’t even matter. The head, lives. The ultimate goal is the survival, success, and protection of the Empire, for some that is just the ruler’s family and power, for others, such as Emperor Bonaparte, a man who perfectly embodies this principle: He began as an artillery commander, and made a name for himself with his strategic genius. The nation that he holds in his hands and rules. It is all his after all. So law and order are supreme, with the good of ‘majority’ (people or the King) is the end goal. Such a life leads to tricks and games, fighting for position, connection, friendly relations. All for an iron throne high above their heads staring down at them in glee. Be it weaving through the slick words of nobility, alluring temptations or tricks from foreign nations, usurping bandits, rival factions, or hungry pirates, natural enemies of the world such as (non)-magical beasts/creatures, otherworldly warriors or entities, or the nature of Earthland itself. The Minstrel Empire has remained. Altering leaders in time carrying on each stage and era to the current rule of Emperor Bonaparte. His supporters love him, and for the ones that do not, they respect and fear him knowing their place. Under his strings, leading their nation forward as time comes. On the international stage, Minstrel is a force to be feared, challenged only by the Boscosi military might or Caelese naval superiority. It shares land borders with Joya and Desierto, both of which are formidable foes, while also being quite exposed at sea. The gulf is shared between Fiore and Stella while Minstrel is also in close proximity with Caelum. Given its location, it is not due to a small or unfocused effort that it has managed to retain its glory and individuality through collaboration, covert operations or through agreements after wars of widely varying necessity. Through it all, Ministrel has kept its people safe. Minstrel is a member of the Magic Council, who treats mages fairly and respectively. Any mages Minstrel recognizes as Dark Mages, however, are treated harshly, and if captured are summarily tried and executed, their defiant power seen as a threat to the Emperor and public peace. This harshness, however, doesn't apply to Mages labeled as such by foreign nations. Economy: As a country smack down in the middle of others, trade and resourcefulness are the key to the game of the nation. A boon of raw goods, refined machines or man made crafting, animals, food, and even manpower. If a nation has a need that Minstrel can pull, there will be a price tag for it as long as it is within reason. Although, such a high movement of supplies out does not mean the nation is dependent on others. With the vast land and wealth held onto the nation, it has done well thrive on a self sufficient economy. Many of the common folk find some way to provide a source of money, due to innovation, service, artistic creation, or entertainment. Jacks of all trades for the most parts, and few masters but still greatly respectable in quality. Besides their cuisine, wine making, fashion and art of course. Culture: Minstrel is a Country born of winners and doers. Victors tell the tale as it goes and decide who was good and who was bad. Just and corrupt. Right and wrong. A layer of distrust in all history is held due to this, given that who can really know what was what so many centuries ago if they were not there? Either way, strength, pride, and beauty are held in the hearts of the people. Nothing to fear besides fear itself and thus one is always careful about the potential of everyone and everything. Less a snake or blade sneaks up unknowingly. Minstrel is thus filled with tales of horror and grace, beauty and ugliness, peace and war. People in Minstrel try to be aware of many things that are occurring within other Countries, and things that other Countries do not know of. Numbers, fears, issues, successes. Information, is information; and accurate information is life. Such a mindset leads them to never wanting to be let behind the curve, holding on tradition as a sense of pride, but when finding a just and good source of progression, they skillfully and carefully make their moves. It is all about what one can do, not who they are, for the most part. Due to such, even among the oldest generations for the most part, the status of women, men, and even children are treated the same once they have reached a certain level of prestige. Although there is a hungry welcoming of difference as long as it can be used, it does not stop a core of conservatism being present. Honor and dignity, pride, family, freedom, rule of law not men, peace in readied strength, and economic supremacy. As long as those happen all is well. In contrast with their conservativeness, the Minstreli citizens value culture, education, craftsmanship. Everything created in Minstrel is simply a cut above, or at least, thats what it's citizens thrive for in every waking hour. They take in well learned people from abroad, welcome them into their culture, language, and way of life, and learn from them in turn. Graceful and polite, the people of Minstrel value elegance, particulary among the upper classes, so much the very word Minstreli is often associated with it. Religion: The vast majority of Minstreli follow the Church of Illumin, and its influence permeates every layer of Minstrelian life: Even those who profess to different or no faiths. There is no real escape from its imprint on the nation, something made even harder by the egotistical pride of the nation who likes to claim the religion was started within their nation. That said, worshippers of other religions do exist commonly, other religions are respected, if sometimes treated as second class to the dominant Illuminian faith. They are tools for the supreme after all. Either way, immigrants, outside groups, natives all are loved children of Illumin as it is said, even if they do not accept it. Some reject the hierarchy of the Church, others see the Church and Illumin personally choosing each ruler of the nation that comes. If you choose to not follow Illumin, you are not an outsider, but you are not an insider either… Language: The country's official Language is Minstrese, although that does nothing to stop the overflowing of languages in the nation. Many dialects have been created, through need or force due to the origin conquering of pre-Minstrel to current day. Leading all parts of the nation to speak it as its main language, while having mixed versions as well as the roots and history of other languages. Such a skill has come useful as it has gotten to the point of the time that you can essentially find at least one person within Minstrel who knows the language of another Earthland country like the back of their hand. Minstrelese descendes from the ancient language of the Sevese Empire, to which family it belongs, alongside the Fiorian language. Locations
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