Name of your Sovereign: Royal Protector Rosa de Andrade-Alonzo
Name of your Nation: Graņif
Fluff: It is no secret that Graņif´s capitol holds most of the kingdom's wealth, urban population and power. Nearly all other cities in the realm are mere hamlets in comparison, save for the key trade cities along Graņif's coasts and trade routes. Indeed, until recently, Graņif had merely been a city-state and its ruler a mere dux. This was not because of its poverty however. The climate of Graņif was perfect for the growing of crops and Graņif was known as one of the premier sources of olives and grapes in all the known world. However, it was not until the development of the 'Esteemed Corporations of Trade" that Graņif truly became powerful. Sponsored by the houses de Andrade and de Alonzo, as well as minor allies, these Corporations were able to turn Graņif from a breadbasket to a grand centre of trade. Since then, Graņif, or at least the Trade Corporations, have continued to prosper. The now merged house of de Andrade-Alonzo has also been able to secure the majority of the royal elections for the last few centuries and there are even talks of making the position hereditary. Culturally, the Graņifi are thought of as passionate and easygoing. That such a people have produced good merchants has been surprise to many.
Geographically, Graņif is a realm composed mainly of hills, mountains and interspersed plateaus. Its southern territories is bordered by the sea and nearly half of the total population lives by the coast. Graņif has a Mediterranean climate.
Religiously, the Graņif for the most part are henotheists known as the 'Way of Infinite Truth' , worshipping the 'Infinite One/The Greatest/The Sublime Eye/The August Creator" and other epitaphs, while understanding that other deities may exist. "Infinite One" is usually preferred. The Graņifi believe that God is in everything and that the sapient mind of the Creator is asleep and continues to sleep. Some even believe that all of creation is merely this god's dream. Regardless of the specifics, all adherents partake in a mystical view on their religion, believing that one can connect to their God by engaging in ritualistic activities. Usually, this involves the consumption of certain substances, dances, stories, songs, reading, memorisation and a great deal many other things. Ritual sacrifice is wholly absent from the faith, as followers believe that their god does not desire the spilling of blood merely to honour him.
The clergy of the faith are called emun(pl. emuns). Ideally, this position falls on the wisest and most pious individuals in a community. This said, it is not uncommon for children to inherit the position or for popular individuals to be publicly acclaimed as emuns. Regardless, emuns are responsible for leading the community in the faith's spiritual life, as well as advising them on secular matters so that they may please their god. While important fixtures of the community, emuns rarely hold much influence by themselves. Indeed, it is the atashki clergy who are able to command the religious laity. Monastery-monks, the atashki reside in their secluded worship-complexes, supposedly attempting to isolate themselves from the evils of the world. Overtime, some monasteries have become extremely influential due to educating officials, advising locals on better agricultural techniques, selling good quality products or simply because its members tend to be related to many families. Most obvious however is that the atashki are the closest authority most rural communities have, with the ruling nobility, patricians and Royal Protector all focused either on their provincial manors or in the cities. The atashki are simply the nearest figures of importance and the peasantry respect them for this fact.
Government: Theoretically, Graņif is conglomeration of fiefs ruled by nobility that elect a single dux for life who is responsible for national defence and foreign relations. Over time, the dux has been replaced with a Royal Protector, bypassing the ban on declaring a kingship. In the modern day, the Royal Protector retains their previous roles, but also has influence over infrastructure, trade, justice, manufacturing, the national fleet and other matters that would have been inconceivable in centuries past. However, this is tempered by the fact that the Four Estates (Nobility, Commons, Corporations, Monasteries) have their own spheres of influence in the realm. As such while the Protector is theoretically in charge of paying the postal service in a city, it would not be odd for the royal post to be defunct in the area, having long been taken over by the local monastery.
While no proper parliament exists, a sort of impromptu council does take place. Graņif City contains within it the the high representatives of three Estates, with the Commons of course having none. These include the Executive Secretary (Trade Corporations), the Qutb (Monasteries) and the Keeper of Rights (Nobility). While the influence of these positions ebb and flow over time (the Secretary often has little power himself while the Qutb is sometimes the head of their religion), all are able to quickly convene between themselves and the Protector due to the closeness of each of their palaces.
Interesting trivia: Graņifi architecture, ironically enough, specialises in cheap materials and elaborate decoration to match the more gaudy styles of other realms. While the Royal Protector is the elected ruler of the land, the Trade Corporations and monk-clergy of the realm also share much of the country's influence. Of course, lesser merchants and nobility also have some power, meaning that the position of Royal Protector is dependent on its relations with the estates to carry out their rule.
The Royal Protector: Rosa is 30 years of age and a recent widow. Her late husband fathered her a son and two daughters. As of this year, she only has her youngest daughter Catalina, who has 2 years to her name. Rosa, like her uncle who preceded her, is a ruler entrenched in the idea of a scholar-monarch. While of course having the administrative and diplomatic skills afforded by her position, it is no secret that Rosa aspires to turn the capitol into a centre of learning, just as her ancestors turned it into a centre of trade.
Focus: Economy