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Kingdoms - Balna
Climate: Temprate Seasons
Known As: Balnations
Primary Lang: Common, Balnation
Capitol City: Hykinra
Ruler: King Olander
People
The people of Balna are less sophisticated than most of their neighbors. It's not that they are inherently less intelligent, they are just less involved in worldly matters than most of their neighbors.
This is as much because of their self-sufficiency and their neighobors as anything else. Although they have a long shoreline, it is mostly craggy and steep, meaning there are few natural ports and little chance of attack. Likewise, their neighbors, Hikria and Perreth are peaceful kingdoms.
The lands of Balna are fertile and the people know how to use and manage them. They also aren't afraid to ask for help and many of the forests on their eastern border are managed by foresters from Hikria.
All this makes the people of Balna fairly simple. They expect to have to work, but not too hard, to get the things they need. They are patient and very slow to anger. They tend to have a generally positive view of the world, always expecting things to work out for the best.
Some other peoples see this as further proof of their naivite. The truth though is that things in Balna usually do work out pretty well and when they don't, they at least work out well enough to make the Balnations happy.
Brief History:
Balna is a very peaceful and quiet nation. While they have tried to stay out of worldly matters, there is always someone at their doorstep wanting something. The land of Balna is the perfect farmland. 95% of Balna's trade with other kingdoms is fruits of their farming labors. From produce to fruits and dairies and meats, Balna produces the finest foods in all the world. Not only that, they also provide some of the finest cooks around. Balna's outllook was changed to this about 500 years ago, before then Balna was ruled by a tyranical Theacrotist that tried to rid the world of all but one God.
Culture
Balnation culture is based on farming and agriculture. Everything revolves around planting, growing and harvesting crops. it's not that the Balnation's are one-dimensional, they're just highly dependent on the crops and must focus on them as required.
They believe in covering their basics first, then working for luxuries. Balnations try to be prepared for things as much as possible. They are also very inclined to believe in putting in effort now against things that will bear fruit later. This takes a couple of chief forms for most Balnations. First, they are willing and able to take the long view of things, so they can make even large investments of time and energy in projects that will not pay off for a long time. Second, they aren't as reliant on short-term goals as others. Both these things give them more patience than the average person.
Ruling Structure:
Balna's ruling structure is very lax. The kingdom is broken up by farm type, and then delegates from each area meeting on a regular basis to discuss crops, herds and the shipping of any products needed. There is a small army that polices the farming areas to keep bandits and troublemakers at bay.
Economy
The Balnation economy is based entirely on being the breadbasket of the world. They grow crops and sell them for things they need. For the most part, others are able to produce superior finished goods - Balnations can make clothing, but Bistalians do it better, for example.
The only exception to this is in the making of food. Balnation chefs are in great demand and there is a shortage. Part of the shortage is caused by the unwillingness of the average Balnation to leave and part of it is caused by the usual assumptions that Balnations are stupid and will work cheap.
Along the borders, Balnation inns and eateries do a great business catering to visitors. In larger cities, the chefs have a near celebrity status. One cultural change is that cooking is more of a mixed-gender effort at least until marriage. By then, a man will either be a chef or will typically have abandoned cooking to let his wife do it.
Sub Structure:
There really is no substructure other than the various farming guilds which aren't really governing as much as advising.
Technology
Balnations are superior in terms of most farming technology although few outsiders ever notice it. Most of the time their techniques are subtle enough that only a true farmer would spot the changes and rarely does a farmer from another land have time to go visiting.
In nearly every other area of technology, they are users, not developers.
Arts
The chief art in Balna is cooking. Most villages, towns and cities will hold cooking competitions at least three times a year. At these gatherings there are many categories of competition including both flavor and presentation related events.
Some of the top chefs of Balna are also very skilled in using foods to make mock dishes, like a cake that looks just like a man or a pie that contains live birds.
Fashion
Politics
Balnations do not really engage in any sort of political discourse. They don't have much time for the kind of lies and gossip required for internal politics and they don't care enough about who their leaders are. This distrust probably began in the old days when they fell prey to a single charismatic leader.
Externally they don't care enough about other countries to worry about them.
Orders & Groups
Religion
Current Status:
Balna has made it very clear that they do not want to get involved in any type of fighting what so ever.
Outlook on other Countries:
Balnations have a very skewed look on life. They are simple folk who don't believe in fighting or war, and just can't grasp some of the concepts adopted by most the kingdoms in Aredel. Balna is also one of the least advanced kingdoms.
Playing a Balnation character
Common Roles
Adventuring Archetypes
Role-playing Hints
Creating a Balnation character
Naming Conventions
Ability Scores
Racial Abilities
Skills/Feats: (Considered trained in skils listed)Skills:
+2 to all Argiculture based rolls.
+2 to Craft (any farm based craft)
Feats:
All Balnations gain Skill Focus at 2nd level
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