Palan

Official Name	Council of Palan
Capital	Wunderoro
Government	Magocracy
Population	2,277,000
Dominant Race	human
Dominant Culture	Kiswaili
Dominant religion	Faith of Ikoyo
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Palan is an oppressive magocracy in the south-west of Auseka. It is ruled by an elite class of mages and is one of the most aggressive users of magic, especially in warfare, due to being located with a high magic region. Its mundane peasant population is oppressed to the point of "voluntary" human sacrifices to fuel the more powerful enchantments.

Palan has successfully resisted both Vericum's and Njombia's attempts to dispute its border, and its flying ships are the terror of battlefields everywhere in the south. Fortunately, their range is limited and they are rarely seen east of the mountains.

Politics

The political system of Palan is as varied as the country itself. At the highest levels, an elite of very powerful mages rules the realm. A a grandmaster at the head act as the formal ruler, though the Council of Twelve is the actual government. Below the Council, the High Mages form what in other realms would be the nobility, ruling over the land and acting as lords and judges.

However, the mage nobles of Palan rarely deal with mundane and local affairs. As a result, at those levels the realm more resembles a republic, with trade guilds and influential people forming circles and lesser councils that run the government. While there is always a High Mage in charge of an individual province, city or stronghold, there is most often a rather ordinary local government working under him. Most High Mages show so little interest in mundane affairs that they might as well be figureheads.

Local politics and the caste system are also strongly influenced by Kiswaili tribal culture, though the influence is slightly less obvious than in Njombia.

Population

Palan is a very structured and hierarchical society, organised into a caste system.

Below the ruling mage nobility, the middle class of Palan is made up of the lesser mages, the guild leaders and other capable craftsmen, traders, the mundane scholars and philosophers, the priests and the officers of the military - each forming their own caste within Palan society.

Finally, the peasants, workers and a vast underclass of mobile workers drifting from job to job are grouped into several lower castes.

In the eastern parts of Palan, in the lands formerly belonging to a much larger Guera, there are still many Wild Elves in the forests, often as nomadic tribes. Very few elves live in Palan besides those tribes, and dwarves are a rarity found only in the larger cities. Gnomes, on the other hand, can be found in most cities and larger towns, and make up about 5% of the total population, and well over 10% in some places.

Magic Dominion

Palan is famous for its powerful magic, which powers its war machines as well as numerous luxurious for its ruling class. Especially in the capital and the castles and palaces of the High Mages, magically powered lights, various forms of flying transportation, permanently flowing water fountains and other wonders are all among the things it is possible to see.

These are powered by a constant influx of life energy from the peasants and prisoners. Service as a human battery is a common sentence for criminals in the realm, and prisoners of war are rarely seen again. Additionally, peasants have been brainwashed to contribute a human sacrifice, typically one child per village and year, to their lords.

As a Kiswaili region, fire magic is eschewed where possible, and its use is prohibited to all but the High Mages.

Palan is feared among its neighbours for its extensive use of magic in warfare, a feat other realms cannot match. A feature of every Palanian army is the magical banner their battle mage division carries, which serves not just as a rallying point for the army, but also as a massive mana storage for the mages. It is also a point of pride and honor and the loss of the battle standard is a disaster no army will allow to happen. It is often defended to the last man, and many legends are written about the irrational efforts to which army members go to recover a standard lost to the enemy.

Economy

With vast grasslands to the north, a long coastline, dense temperate and rainforests to the south and reaching into the mountains towards the north-east, Palan is economically independent and produces everything it consumes within itself, though not always at large quantities. Especially for metals and other mined resources, trade with Hanzatia is an important cornerstone.

Trade within Palan profits from the Courier Service, which allows reliable, quick delivery of messages and small amounts of goods throughout the realm.

This page is still incomplete and missing content or details that are planned, but have not been added yet.

Provinces

	Capital	Population	Area	Ruled by
Akingea	Mekezisi	31,000	2,316	Thobocal Richard
Batasa	Muwesema	35,200	2,244
Hokichia	Macha	36,700	1,696	Kester Brawnwood
Hokola		2,800	180	Radgety Dashiel
Kabebia		65,500	5,404	Higewa Tronson
Kabi County	Kabi	40,600	2,768
Kaderwa Territory	Kaderwa	163,000	16,456	Mazareen Okenhart
Kyono		230	72	Vivien Gildermont
Lingiria		47,000	4,040	Vivien Gildermont
Mba		7,470	468	Mazareen Okenhart
Mokia		36,000	4,224
Mugyororo Region	Mugyororo	213,900	21,584	Tostrabe Drosta
Muhukia		5,400	376	Vivien Gildermont
Mukungia		22,000	1,916
Muma County	Muma	22,800	1,748	Mazareen Okenhart
Nkotodo		5,900	416	Vivien Gildermont
Pakhia		144,000	12,760	Kester Brawnwood
Rukia	Njom	133,000	11,396	Vivien Gildermont