Fleissland

Fleissland is one of the four constituent nations that together make up The Pious Union of the Awakened, along with King Hedrek of Tyvald, The Holy Veridian Sovereignty, and Ordengard.   Founded by the various houses of the Halfling people on the western shores of the Tychi Sea, Fleissland comprises lands that run from the Verdant Fields in the north, all along the rivers Oberast and Niederast that combine at the capital city of Grousehome to form the River Fleiss, which meanders through the lowlands to Vyberg in The Kingdom of Tyvald to the east, to the Gellenmoors, which make up the bulk of the area of Fleissland. To the west are the Cloudscraper Mountains, below which is the Dwarven realm of Ordengard.   Though it is landlocked, Fleissland is essentially the breadbasket of The Union. As the lands were divided up among the various Houses, they were all found to be eminently useful for agriculture. The forests in the northern part of the kingdom were largely cleared away, forming the Verdant Fields, which are an extensive area of rich farmlands growing a variety of fruit and vegetables in the favorable climate of the region, with a huge number of small towns and villages sprinkled throughout this heartland of The Union. If Vyberg is the model for a cosmopolitan city of the Awakened, then The Verdant Fields are the idyllic countryside, where the "native" (Beastfolk lived here previously) Halflings live side by side in harmony with Humans, Elves, and even a fair number of Dwarves. To the south lie the Gellenmoors, a wide, open prairie land here smooth, and there shaped with gently rolling hills. Much of the flatter ground has been dedicated to the growing of grains, while the rolling hills serve as pastures for huge herds of grazing animals, shepherded by both Halfling and Human riders.   Much of the bounty of these lands flow into the sprawling capital, Grousehome, at the confluence of the rivers. Much of the wealth of the Dwarven city of Hrafturn used to flow from the rivers Oberast and Niederast, and in turn the Dwarves are largely fed by shipments of produce up the road west of Grousehome. Huge flatboats head down the Fleiss from Grousehome to Vyberg, where the fruits of Fleissland feed the citizens of the capital or are loaded onto ships to be sold throughout The Union and beyond.   The vast agriculture wealth of Fleissland has afforded a comfortable life to the citizenry, and the interior location of the kingdom means it has faced far less conflict than the other three Union realms. While dynasties of rulers of Fleissland have come and gone, the relative peace that the country has experienced means that the people of the realm have little reason to second guess their leaders; after all, much of their wealth has been amassed after the formation of The Union, and so the Fleisslanders have only to deal with the expected local threats (bandits and beasts) rather than devote their funds to their own protection from outside forces. As such, taxes remain relatively low, and the government in Vyberg has plenty of reason to keep the Fleisslanders happy in order to keep them productive. In fact, so rich are the fields of Fleissland that some Union scholars estimate that it might be possible to feed a population significantly larger than that of the entire Union. Some have even suggested entering a trading partnership with The Verum Imperium, which could help secure Union safety in the Great War.   The term "House" in Fleissland has both the figurative (i.e. great noble family) and literal meanings. Being a very community-oriented society, and for their mutual protection, the wealthy Houses made their mark on the land by building huge Houses, which are essentially like sprawling taverns. Rather than ostentatious displays of wealth via clothing or jewelry, wealthy Halflings like to flex their success and positions of power through displays of pure hospitality. The best food and drink (from their own fields and breweries, typically), the best music, the best lodgings - all of these are points of pride for the Houses. Halfling towns and cities are often places where the homes, built as extensions on the Houses themselves, run into the outlying sprawling wings of the neighboring Houses. City Parks are like huge courtyards and Homestead Halls, shops, markets, and other typical locations get swallowed up by the ever-spreading dwellings until the agglomeration of buildings becomes one huge great-house with countless wings. In the northern lands, most of these are made of wood, with wealthier wings made of stone, while in the Gellenmoors brick is the most common building material, with wood and stone being the choice materials for the wings of wealthy Houses. One could easily walk from one end of Grousehome, the vastest of the Halfling cities with building-bridges straddling the rivers, to the other end without stepping out from under a roof.   Like the other early Awakened nations, the Fleisslanders had their struggles with the Beastfolk, and largely displaced them from their lands. Those who distinguished themselves in these early battles, or those pioneers who staked claims over settlements, became the heads of the great Houses, one of which has always ruled as Hartoch. The current Hartoch is Hartoch Fen Oatsheaf , a rather ambitious man.   The peace and safety enjoyed by the Fleisslanders has also resulted in a somewhat diminished role of religion in their daily lives. Though in the early days of the establishment of the settlements that would become Fleissland, worship of the Halfling Automaths was widespread and zealous, after many generations of reduced hardships, the main religion, known as The Homestead, has become more of a festival oversight committee, community center, and network of schools than a powerful faction. As a result, religions of worship for the other Awakened peoples are quite common throughout Fleissland, among both the Halfling and non-Halfling communities.