Republic of Gemric

In general it is best to describe Gemiri government as a complex dance between the Grand Council and the Primarch, overlain with the scheming and intrigues of the Merchant Houses and nobility, with the Council of the Republic serving as a cheering or jeering crowd, a barometer for public opinion. The actual functions and limitations of the various levels and offices of government seem to overlap and change in convoluted ways, making it difficult for foreigners to understand or influence Gemiri politics in any meaningful way. Merely understanding who is actually running the country is almost impossible and the Gemiri prefer it this way.Gemric generally wins wars through clever stratagems, diplomacy, and economic influence rather than the power of its arms. Gemiri retreats are often simply setups for complex traps. Gemric’s scientific advantage means that it is able to exploit certain technological edges, such as the use of observation balloons to direct armies or even to scout for large warships. Navigation technology is unmatched, allowing them to operate in areas where magic is unreliable. As a result, the Gemir tend to lose a lot of battles while still winning their wars.

Gemric’s navy is well-known for its success in wartime. Their sailing vessels are large, fast, and well armed, carrying more guns than most vessels are willing to risk, due to the danger of explosions. Gemiri ships tend to prefer to stand off and use fire and maneuver to defeat their foes, rather than the more common boarding actions favored by the Keller Imperial Navy’s war galleys. Though the Gemiri Navy is no match for the Empire’s fleet of war galleys in the confines of the Keller Sea, on the open ocean, no one can match them for speed and range. The navy is often used to support land campaigns by transporting troops to coastal regions where they can be deployed far behind the main fighting.

In contrast to the navy, Gemiri land forces are not renowned for their martial prowess. In fact, they are infamous for their lack of staying power in a pitched battle. In some ways, Gemiri armies act more like mercenary armies, unwilling to risk destruction by holding a position, preferring instead a swift, orderly retreat to a better position or a prepared stratagem. For offensive striking power, Gemiri forces usually field a mixture of pikes and crossbows, which are often described as the “national weapon”. There are also numbers of guns and artillery deployed, to help offset the slightly lower number of mages in the Gemiri military. Gemric often hires outside forces as mercenaries - many Hallecks make their way into Gemiri service, earning a better living as foot soldiers than would be possible as serfs. Several elite units are composed entirely of Noladen warriors, hired from the Northlands.

Religion and Culture

Gemric is less religious than most Keller nations, not even recognizing the primacy of the Aurintuli cult. In Gemric, individual deities may or may not have a church, but they are all considered to be roughly equal to one another. The various cults have limited temporal influence, and the rulers tend to be relatively secular in outlook. Worship is still given to the Keller deities, but it is much more a personal or family matter than a state matter. Foreign gods are tolerated, so long as their dogma is not inimical to the Gemiri state, and are often assumed to simply be foreign manifestations of existing Keller deities. This pantheistic outlook is referred to as the “Reformed Keller Church” by its adherents, or as the “Reform Heresy” by its opponents. There is still religious strife in Gemric, but it is nearly all local. The northwestern corner of Gemric is strongly Selectionist, and periodically attempts to rebel once every few generations.

Gemiri culture is largely centered on the acquisition of profit, power, and influence. Loyalty is limited primarily to the family, but competition is regarded as natural and is encouraged. As an offshoot of the Gemiri lust for profit and influence is an appreciation of intellect, information, and rhetoric. The Gemiri recognize that knowledge is power, and respect scholarly and scientific pursuits, especially those that can be quickly applied in useful ways. If a person is not inclined towards ruthlessness, questing for knowledge is considered an acceptable alternative. It is not quite as “manly” as some occupations, but it is valued nonetheless.

Culturally, there is a strong sense of “Buyer Beware”, in that a customer is expected to know his product and to have done his research - it is not the seller’s responsibility. This ruthless mercantilism can be seen in some of the better known Gemiri proverbs, such as “Let others keep their reputation. You keep their gold”, or “A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience”. Deceit and trickery are all seen as part of the game, to be expected, and an honest broker is regarded as a fool. Nevertheless, because the Gemiri value their customers, they will usually offer a good product at an outrageous price.

Subtlety is prized above martial prowess, so a slighted Gemir is more likely to ruin the offender’s life than to simply call him out. Nevertheless, a dueling culture does exist within the major cities, where swordsmen with light, fast blades settle affairs of honor. Gemiri are not thought of as powerful fighters in a standup fight, but they are feared for their cunning - it is assumed that a Gemiri fighter has several tricks up his sleeve, whether he does or not. As mentioned, Gemiri civilians who go armed usually wear light, thin swords intended for thrusting rather than slashing. The warm, humid climate in most of Gemric limits the amount of armor worn by civilians, and Gemiri swordsmanship relies on speed and precision rather than power or strength. In areas where heavier armor is worn, these techniques are simply not as useful.

Gemric places less emphasis on the use of magic than many Keller cultures; this is due in part to the fact that a large portion of the region is magically unstable. Gemiri scholars believe that this may be due to the presence of magical disturbances on the Cratersea. This means that Gemric has been forced to rely on science more heavily than magic - magic is difficult to cast here, and the vast majority of magic items simply will not function here. Magical creatures still inhabit Gemric, as there is enough mana to support them, even the “Salamander Curse”. The magical environment is beneficial in some ways, since conventional armies are less able to use their war mages to effect on Gemiri territory. It also means that Gemiri mages tend to be very, very skilled at their specialization, but narrow in focus. Outside of Gemric, this makes them extremely dangerous.

The Savage Trade

The "Savage Trade" refers to the circuitous route that Keller ships must travel in order to reach the Savage Lands and return bearing the valuable cargoes that have made some groups, especially the nation of Gemric, so very wealthy. The Savage Trade is largely monopolized by the Republic of Gemric. Internally, the trade is further monopolized through a licensing system called the "Closed Ports" System. Taxes and license fees paid by the merchant houses are a big part of the Gemiri state revenue.

The "Closed Ports" system is protected from external competitors like the Ascendant Keller Empire by the Gemiri Navy. If a Gemiri naval vessel encounters a non-Gemiri ship in the Savage Lands, it may assume it is a pirate and attack immediately; any obviously Keller Imperial vessel is prone to this sort of treatment. If the Gemiri opt to board and inspect the ship, any sign of carrying contraband results in the cargo being seized and the vessel being impounded or sunk outright. Non-hostile ships on legitimate business may or may not have trouble. The distances and expenses involved mean that there is little chance of encountering the Gemiri Navy beyond Port Federigo. There are usually a few ships based at Port Federigo, but only one is kept on station, while the others patrol or refit.

Internally, the "Closed Ports" system is limited by law to three particularly powerful Great Houses out of the dozen or so Trading Houses. These three houses have been granted license by the Grand Council to conduct trade through the Savage Lands. This limits the spice trade to House Alidosi, House Morosini, and House Pallavicino, allowing them to control this massive source of wealth. Each of these Great Houses controls a major trading port.

• House Alidosi - This feared and respected merchant clan dominates the towns in the Gemir Delta region and the national capital, probably the single most powerful Trading House in Gemric. Many of its scions are officers in the navy, ensuring that Alidosi ships are protected above any others.

• House Morosini - This old and prestigious great house controls ports just upstream on the Tunstall River from the capital. It dominates spice trade with the western nations of the Keller Lands. This also allows House Morosini access to the lands beyond, such as the wealthy and decadent Pershamon Empire.

• House Pallavicino - This cosmopolitan clan owns the ports on the mouth of the Rossdain River. This lets them dominate the spice and slave trade with the Keller Sea region and the central states of the Keller Lands. Despite being enemies with the Keller Empire, business never slows. Pallavicino makes heavy use of Halleck mercenaries to protect its interests.

Goods carried under this system are first gathered at Port Federigo, inspected and logged by government officials, and then loaded onto the ships that make the run back to civilization. Where possible, these large galleons travel in convoys. While other Gemiri merchant houses may contract to provide services - intra-island trade within the Savage Lands, shipping mundane supplies and passengers to and from the colonies, and so forth, only the three Great Houses may carry the luxury goods covered under the "Closed Ports" system - spices, alchemical components, precious metals, and slaves. Other merchant houses occasionally circumvent the monopoly through covert trading; the rewards are considerable, but the risks are equally great. The journey is over ten thousand miles long, and can take several months even under the ideal conditions described below. Even with the use of weather magic, divination, and similar enchantments, the trip can still take much longer, and many ships never return at all.