The Kingdom of Gades
The breadbasket of New Atlantis, Gades contains the largest amount of farmland in all the ten kingdoms and is ruled by King Gadrius, the most magically gifted of the 10 Monarchs, from his castle in the capital city of Gades. Many political positions are reserved exclusively for arcane magic users; and the Nation's college of magic is located here, not the Capitol of Atlantis. Of the two kingdoms on the Island of Atlanta, Gades is the one more beset by monster attacks. To combat this, the kingdom has avoided expanding into the mountainous regions in the south and east; preferring to maintain their control over the fertile soil in the kingdom's heartland. Gades has the most structured and complex political system in the 10 Kingdoms, though outsiders are rarely treated to the inner intricacies.
Structure
The Kingdom of Gades is a dual Monarchy-Magocracy. Mages, particularly Wizards and Sorcerers, are the only ones allowed to hold high-level elected positions within the Kingdom, such as Councilmen; though all freemen are allowed to vote in such elections regardless of magical ability.
The King is the ultimate executive authority, and he maintains control of the, admittedly few, warmages and soldiers in Gades. In addition, he has a voice in both the Legislative Council, as well as among the Supreme Judges; though his word is not absolute there. King Gadrius keeps a council of advisers that he specifically forbids arcanists from being on, and fills it with heroes, priests, and businessmen so that he can remain in touch with the majority of his people.
The King's most important emissaries are his children and grandchildren, all of whom are trained in magic by the country's Archmages. They serve as Generals and Enforcers of the King, and are the ones to lead strike forces against bandits, pirates, and monsters. The armed forces of Gades are lacking in manpower, but are bolstered by the ranks of heroes that generally live in the frontier areas. When major events happen, these individuals band together under a prince or princess to provide assistance to the mages who are the real defensive power of the kingdom.
Public Agenda
Gades is currently engaged in a friendly rivalry with Autoch, the westernmost kingdom, over who will be the first to invent a way to travel across the Bottomless Ocean. Gadrian mages research High Magic in hopes of finding a way to repel or destroy the mighty krakens that prevent passage. To date they have been unsuccessful, but their research has borne fruit in other ways. Gadrian mages are in high demand by other kingdoms for their unique mastery over weather, keeping storms away from important shipping vessels.
Assets
Gades is blessed with vast amounts of open, arable land that is good for growing all sorts of produce as well as supporting livestock of various kinds. Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains are commonly grown both by smaller settlements as well as by large commercial enterprises. The amount of land being worked is such that almost fifty percent of all grown food in the Nation came from the fields of Gades.
There are a few mines in Gades, but most natural resources that come from under the ground are controlled by some of the most organized groups of intelligent monsters in the Nation, leaving Gades surprisingly metal-poor. The most commonly found ore is copper, though there are also some large iron deposits in the foothills of the eastern mountains.
The forest that separates the main farmland from the southern edge of open land near lake Ehmere is inhabited by several tribes of Sylvans, as well as a community of Dark Elves. Because of this, logging operations are tightly controlled.
Common Fruits: Oranges, Apples, Figs, Grapes
Common Vegetables: Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, Cabbages, Greens
Common Livestock: Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Pigs
Demography and Population
Gades is the most populous of the Ten Kingdoms, with ~5.1 Million citizens within it's borders. The largest population of people of Egyptian decent live here, and the second-largest settlement of Dark Elves in all The Nation is in the southern forest of Gades.
Territories
The Kingdom of Gades technically covers all the lands on the The Island of Atlanta that are south of The Great Desert. In reality, the Kingdom is confined to the southwestern half of that landmass, as the kingdom has made almost no effort to settle the mountains to the north.
Religion
The people of Gades generally worship Isis and her family as their patrons, as they are the deities responsible for providing and teaching the arts of magic to mortals. Isis' temples serve as centers of arcane knowledge and learning, and it is also customary that a priest of Isis maintain the primary schooling system of any particular settlement. In addition to Isis, worship of Persephone is widespread in Gades due to the prevalence of agricultural pursuits in the country.
Agriculture & Industry
Gades' central land is a large, fertile plain that is maintained by multiple rivers that flow from the mountains, bringing new sediment with them. The land is good for growing all sorts of plants, and the areas that are further from rivers are grasslands capable of supporting large herds of domestic animals. On the coast, these agricultural goods are processed before they are distributed to the rest of The Nation. Cheese, honey, and wine are commonly exported beside flour and other commodities. Gadrian wine is second only to that made in Azium in taste and popularity.
Trade & Transport
Gades has a well-maintained road network that connects the various settlements of the Kingdom in a way that minimizes disruption to fields and pastures. This network becomes more sparse and roundabout the further south a traveler goes, with no official roads travelling within ten miles of the southern forest due to a treaty with the resident Dark Elves.
Education
Settlements that are large enough to have a consistent, human, youth population have dedicated schoolhouses for those children that can attend. In settlements that are large enough to be more directly governed by the Kingdom, such schooling is mandatory for all human children from the year they turn six until the age of thirteen. There are two additional, voluntary years of schooling before they come of age at fifteen. Colleges and universities accept students who are at least fifteen years old, and many will not take students who skipped the last two years of primary schooling. Those children who live in settlements too small for such a school tend to find their chances for academic advancement stymied, though placement tests are usually available for those who are intelligent enough to pass them.
It is not uncommon for races whose children develop at a similar pace to humans, such as Aven, to send their young to human primary schools; and all races are welcome in such schoolhouses as long as they are not disruptive. Races that live much longer than humans, however, tend to take longer to mature as well, and those races often develop their own, tribal, schooling systems. The academic placement tests that colleges and universities offer are truthfully in place for such beings, though they are also used to allow accomplished human students from frontier villages to attend.
It is not uncommon for races whose children develop at a similar pace to humans, such as Aven, to send their young to human primary schools; and all races are welcome in such schoolhouses as long as they are not disruptive. Races that live much longer than humans, however, tend to take longer to mature as well, and those races often develop their own, tribal, schooling systems. The academic placement tests that colleges and universities offer are truthfully in place for such beings, though they are also used to allow accomplished human students from frontier villages to attend.
Infrastructure
The road network of Gades allows for support and supplies to be routed to anywhere in the Kingdom in a matter of days, with stone bridges allowing passage over the rivers whenever needed. Meanwhile, the river system itself allows for harvests and animals ready for slaughter to be shipped downriver on barges rather than transport them overland.
The settlements that stand closest to the eastern mountains are ringed with stone walls and armed with anti-siege weapons, both of which are unnecessary for most other places in the Kingdom. Among these is The Grand Observatory, the largest university of combat magic in The Nation.
The settlements that stand closest to the eastern mountains are ringed with stone walls and armed with anti-siege weapons, both of which are unnecessary for most other places in the Kingdom. Among these is The Grand Observatory, the largest university of combat magic in The Nation.
Founding Date
1NE
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Gadrian
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Magocracy
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Larger settlements use normal Atlantean Coinage:
10 Bronze=1 Iron:
10 Iron=1 Silver:
100 Silver= 1 Gold
Smaller towns and villages usually function on a barter system, though sometimes there will be a community fund of coins for interacting with travelling heroes or mercenaries as a collective.
Major Exports
Gades exports over seventy percent the food it produces to other Kingdoms.
Major Imports
Gades imports most of its metal and wood resources from Mneussus and Diaspraea respectively due to it not having a large supply of those resources available.
Legislative Body
The Legislative Council is Gades' primary elected body. The Councilmen are elected by ballots taken in major towns and validated by magic. Only arcane magic users may run for election, and the term for office is Six Years. Different regions have their elections at different times, allowing for staggered replacements of Councilmen to facilitate transitions. The Council's primary function is to determine law as it applies to common citizens, as well as to ensure that public resources are used in the way the people want.
The Arcane Forum is a non-elected body that is filled with all arcanists of Gadrian heritage who have achieved the rank of Archmage. All such mages receive honorary membership regardless of if they choose to exercise such power. The Forum technically has over two-hundred members in its current state, though less than half of those vote on a regular basis. The Forum's primary purpose is governing the use and spread of magic, to prevent magical progress from posing a danger to society. To that end, explorations into Necromancy are forbidden; and the definition of Necromancy is constantly updated to keep it separate from the routine practices of magical healing.
Judicial Body
Each region and settlement in Gades has its own Judicial system. Usually, a jury of locals will debate the facts of a case; while a judge, who is generally a magic user capable of discerning lies, will verify the efficacy of evidence and testimonies.
In the event that accomplished magic users are accused of crimes, the Supreme Judges, a group of individuals with unnaturally high resistance to magical influence, are called upon to decide the fates of accused mages to prevent magic from obfuscating the facts. Their positions are ratified by the Council and Forum after being nominated by the King. It is common, but not universal, that the Judges will be chosen from among the ranks of mages.
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
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