The nations of this area are bathed in equitorial heat. The northenmost
are of tropical climate, but most are sub-tropical. The prevailing winds
run NW to SE. The list below is only for nations that will probably be
involved in the adventure.
Nation list: (from N to S then W and E)
| On the Nelan Continent
Hooniscali Navoo Swao Heriba Soix Huicos Cheroke Cooscatilan |
Seren Islands
Letleana Selen Seren Towi Skelem Sensen Pirate Island |
On the Wolfan Continent
Nenna Zoona Moosikala Lumitna Erkam Homal |
Navoo (Nah-'Voo)
This nation is dominated by the great Ice Mounain range that occupies
the center of the nation. The king maintains a road that runs W to E and
has a "right of way" that continues to the W. coast of Nelan through the
Ingos/Hooniscali border. This king is strong and fair and has no ambitions
other than to ensure the best life for his people. To achieve this aim,
he is willing to sacrafice the well being of the population for a time.
However, even with a general mobilization, he can not raise a navy or support
a standing army sufficient to ward off the pirate attacks.
Swao (Sa-'wa-oh)
This is a swampy nation with miles of beautiful coastline and shares
the best bay in the world with Navoo and Hooniscali. They are planing a
war against Navoo to take over their bay coastline. They are using the
pirates as a dodge to explain their military escallation. The king of Swao
is devious and mendatious. He is adept at using subtrafuge and blackmail
to maintain his power.
Heriba ('Her-be-ah)
This nation sports a gigantic lake from which tons of fish are harvested.
The rich merchants of this area are heavily taxed by their King to support
a large force of mercenaries from Soix.
Soix (So-'eeks)
This nation is land locked and owes its existance to the extreamly
rocky land it occupies. It's neighbors do not want anything Soix has to
offer at present. It's mercinaries are well known for their savageness
in battle and their ruthlessness in occupation. This is run by the head
of their military who oversees all mercinary operations as well as commandering
a large standing army from which the mercinary forces are mustered.
Huicos ('We-Kos)
This is one of the contenders for the most powerful nation in the Seren
Sea area. It has a long coast line, but it has few ports. The interior
hosts a high, long range of mountains that run N to S. These people use
a Republican system of government and in many ways is the most advanced
country around. However, the government has been suborned by pirates who
have joined with the local theives union to form a strong "syndicate" or
crime organization. The goal of this group (becides profit) is to prevent
forceful encounters with the pirate forces.
Cheroke (Chair-'oh-Kee)
This nation is mostly a mixture of planes and low hills. The people
here are mostly hunter/farmer types and the government is de-centralized.
There is no leader over the tribal heads, but the tribes will join together
to fight anyone attempting to grab their land. They are excellent gurilla
fighters and although they never use poison on each other, they willingly
do so when fighting outsiders. They are well practiced in cavelry actions
and stage "coup" battles with each other as sport and a way of testing
their young fighters.
Cooscatilan (Coo-'scat-ih-lan)
This a collection of nation states that are constanly intregueing for
the throne. Almost no governing is ever done except for protecting it's
nationhood which the people of this nation do well. The pirates have infiltrated
this power structure by blackmail and decept. A pirate prince has been
successfully maskarading as a nobleman for 12 years and has prevented the
nation from entering the fight against the pirates despite the citizens
outcrying.
Selen (Sell-'en)
This country is run by a king who is elected by the tribes of the island.
They have a happy life and get on with the pirates by welcoming them for
trade of wine and food without having much to offer in the way of treasure
that the pirates know of.
Seren (Sear-'en)
Seren is the "Big Brouther" of Selen and is organized along the same
lines. Selen and Seren rejoice in competitions between them and these occasionally
heated and have resulted in a few wars. These wars are about counting coups
and not counting bodies.
Towi
This small island is home to the farie races. But instead of their
character being european, they are polonesian in nature. They have no government
and don't trade with anyone on their own island. They may occasionally
be seen on Skelem when the do trade.
Skelem (Skel-'em)
This small island is almost completely desert except for the NW tip
where a small but beautiful tribe live as fisherpeople.
Sensen (sehn-sehn)
This island is similar to Seren, but has been heavily influenced by
their longtime occupation by Homal.
Pirate Island (Tookya Island)
This tiny island is home to the most well organized pirate band in
history. They have turned the island into a fortress and from here they
spread their death and destruction to all the costal kindoms of the area.
Zoona (zoo-na)
This nation has pretensions far beyond its means and power. The king
is very ambitious and is willing to sacrafice his people and their well
being to expand his kindom. Unfortunatly, he is a bumbler and egotist who
surrounds himself with yes men. This state is an hereditary oligarchy that
has held power for 220 years withing the same family. The continuation
of this rule beyond the present king is open to question.
Moosikala (moo-sic-'kal-ah)
Moosikala is a rich, prosperous nation who chaffs under the fearsome
power the pirates exersize on the coast. Ruled as a plutocracy,
the High Council is unable to take action against the pirates as they can
not raise the money to outfit ships to oppose them. The pirates are careful
to loot slightly less in a year than it would take to maintain a standing
navy.
Lumitna (loo-'mit-nah)
Although the humans who live along the coast have joined with the Elves
of the interior mountains, it is an uneasy peace. The joint tri-umverate
that rules does little and talks much. Despite this ineffectual arrangement,
the nation as a hole is happy and prosperous as the humans and elves get
along well enough and trade freely between them. The humans are ruled by
a King, but the Elves are ruled by a republician
system of tribal leaders elected to represent the entire tribe at the twice
yearly Meeting of the Elders.
Erkam ('erk-am)
This small nation is dominated by religion and is a theocracy.
Their rules are strict and the most common punnishment is bannishment.
This is like an old puritan colony with its witch trials and persicutions
of other religions.
Homal (ho-'mal)
This is the coldest of all the nations of the Seren Sea and takes the
prevailing winds head on. It is ravenged by tornados and monsoons and is
home to a strong group of migratory tribes who move inland in the winter
and return to the coast after the spring tornados have gone. The military
rules here and conditions of life for those not in power here are pathetic.
Manditory armed service for all males from 20 to 25 and trial by military
courts ensures the power will continue to rest in the General of the army.
Collegium: This is government by an elite
group of people, each of whom has approximately the same amount of power.
The members within the group determine how members are replaced and whether
the group should be expanded. Again, the tone of government with this system
can vary based on the individuals involved.
Example: A collegium of 12 people governs a mid-sized town. Each member
of the collegium is recognized as a wise and intelligent member of the
community. Each member has the same authority and might be assigned the
task of looking after a certain section of the town or a certain area of
the town™s operation. All decisions and rules are made by vote of the collegium.
Player characters in a town with this form of government might find themselves
part of the collegium or could be asked by the collegium to perform various
tasks.
Gerontocracy: This is rule by elderly
men and women. The gerontocracy could consist of a council made up of town
residents who are older than a certain age (perhaps 60 for humans, probably
much higher for demihumans), or it could be a government where the elders
in the community elect a leader from among themselves. This form of leadership
could exist because the residents of the community believe that the eldest
members possess the most wisdom and the most life experience, and are therefore
the best to govern.
Example: The leader of a town is an elderly man elected by all the
town residents who are of old ageŠat least 60 for humans, 67 for halflings,
83 for half-elves, 133 for gnomes, 167 for dwarves, and 233 for elves.
The leader establishes town policies and seeks the advice of the town™s
other elderly residents. The older people in town receive more benefits
and are taxed less heavily than the younger residents. Player characters
in this environment, especially those of young age, could be frustrated
with the atmosphere and might become involved in a movement to reform the
government or to get representation for younger individuals.
Magocracy: Wizards, particularly mages,
are the leaders in a community with this form of government. The mages,
who vested themselves with political power believing that their great intelligence
makes them fit rulers, establish rules and regulations and enforce themŠif
need be, through the use of spells.
Example: The three highest-level mages in a city decide all of the
city™s policies and use their spells and magic items to keep the population
in line. The mages are fair, attempt to treat each resident equally, and
are usually open to new ideas. The city is well defended, with flying patrols
and magical traps, and the citizens seem content. Player characters might
enjoy a good relationship with this government and might be among the appointed
officials. Or the PCs could be the rulers™ iuchampions,lh performing tasks
for the ruling mages.
Militocracy: The leaders of the community™s
military forces are in charge, and the residents are governed by the military.
There are likely many laws, and they are rigidly enforced. In a city with
such a government, residents could be required to serve for a period of
time in the military.This form of government could be a variation of a
dictatorship, if there is one supreme military leader, or an oligarchy
(see below), if ultimate power is shared by more than one high-ranking
soldier.
Example: The general of a small city™s militia has assumed control
of the government and is bossing the residents around just like they were
his troops. He has imposed a mandatory draft and continues to develop a
code of laws. Despite the unrest among the people, the city prospers. Its
trade, upon which numerous regulations have been imposed, flourishes, and
the people are enjoying their newfound wealth. In an adventure involving
a militocracy, the player characters could be sought out by a faction of
the populace which cannot tolerate the military regime. They are asked
to take steps to reduce the laws and regulationsŠwithout destroying the
government, because the people are pleased with their economic state.
Oligarchy: In this form of government,
power rests with a few individuals, perhaps but not necessarily members
of the same family. A government such as this is sometimes characterized
as selfish, with the rulers™ interests and desires coming before the welfare
of the people they are governing. Such a government could come about because
a previous government was overthrown or because a childless monarchdied,
leaving power in the hands of a small group of distant relatives.
Example: Twin brothers, descendants of a king, come into power. They
share rulership of a city, although each would like to be the sole ruler.
They are selfish and greedy, taxing the people and lining their own coffers
with the wealth while public needs are not attended to.
This is another situation where PCs could be champions of the people.
Pedocracy: Well-educated persons and
scholars are in charge under this system, and they establish laws which
they believe are in the best interest of those they govern. A pedocracy
might be headed by one person, or by a group of people who share authority
and responsibility. In a fantasy setting, these rulers would likely be
either wizards (mages or illusionists), because of their typically high
intelligence, or priests (clerics or druids), who generally have great
wisdomŠor perhaps a consortium of both types of characters. It is also
possible for a member of some other class to be the leader of a pedocracy,
particularly if the character has high charisma to go along with his high
intelligence or wisdom.
Example: A small city is governed by a group of scholars, whose seat
of government is a vast library. The scholars govern wisely and well, studying
the community and instituting policies that improve the people™s welfare.
They assign residents to positions and tasks based on the residents™ abilities.
And the rulers are always searching for ways to improve the city. Player
characters could be under the employ of the leaders, who frequently send
them on adventures to get information about the surrounding lands.
Plutocracy: The wealthy are the rulers
in this form of government. Their power is derived from their wealth and
holdings, and all the other residents of such a community are subject to
their decrees. This government could also fall into other categories; it
could be an oligarchy in which a few very wealthy individuals have supreme
control. Or the leadership could be in the form of a council of the wealthiest
individuals in the community, who have charged themselves with the responsibility
of running the government. A plutocracy can come into being through several
avenues; the wealthy people in a particular community could have always
enjoyed a significant amount of power, and when a leader died they assumed
his role. Or perhaps a few wealthy individuals established the community,
and because of that precedent the wealthy have always held power.
Example: A seacoast town is governed by its four wealthiest landowners.
Each landowner is in charge of a quarter of the town, and together they
decide policies and programs for the entire town. However, there is disparity
between the sections of town. One landowner favors the rich and lavishes
his share of the tax money on them; another landowner favors the merchants
and devotes his energies to bettering commerce in his quarter; the remaining
two landowners are more fair, spreading out the tax money throughout their
quarters so that all the people benefit. Player characters residing in
or visiting may be outraged by the situation and attempt to aid the populous
by becoming champions of the commoners.
Republic: This is similar to a democracy,
because it is a representative form of government. However, there can be
differences. The representatives in a republic are elected by people entitled
to vote. And those voters might only include men, the rich, or the learned.
Commoners or women might be excluded. So while ultimately power rests in
the hands of the citizens, it might not rest with all the citizens. The
representatives might rule as a group, or there might be an overall leader
elected from among the group.
Theocracy: This is a form of government
derived, or supposedly derived, from a deity. The ruler could be a person
claiming to be the direct descendant of a god or the representative of
a god, and he could claim to govern based on the deity™s wishes. The ruler
or rulers would not have to be priests (clerics or druids). The tone of
this government will be based on the personality and alignment of the ruler
or rulers, and the deity worshiped. If the deity is evil, the ruler could
have an oppressive reign marked by acts of terror and violence. However,
if the deity is good, the ruler could be understanding and beneficent,
and the people could prosper. In some theocracies the ruler might not actually
have any ties to the deity, claiming a relationship only so he could come
into political power. There are several ways for a theocracy to be established
in a community; for example, if the majority of people in a community worship
the same deity, this could set the stage for a person who claims to be
descended from the deity to step into control.
Example: A female dwarven follower of Moradin claims the god speaks
to her and gives her direction on how to help the residents of the dwarvish
town. Her power in the community grows until she is named the town leader.
If any dwarven player characters are involved with the adventuring party
in this town, they could be sent on a mission for Moradin on behalf of
the town™s leader.