Pelosia

Pelosia is known now as a boiling kettle of intrigue and danger for anyone who carries a blade or wears armor. Anyone with the ability or appearance of the ability to fight quickly becomes embroiled in the never ending battles and feuds that tear at this land.

Capital

Holnier has become the capital of Pelosia merely by its proximity to the High Road. Whichever lord can command this city and maintain safety for passing merchants in the area gains the immediate backing of Shurrah and Elloria.

The city is built upon a hill south of the High Road. On the north side of the city looms the castle of the king. The castle has changed hands many times, and changes names as often.

Social Structure

Pelosians are notably paranoid and untrusting. Centuries of low level civil infighting broken by periods of bloody war have taught them to rely upon themselves. Almost all of the people in Pelosia are technically serfs, bonded to their local lord, though in many cases the local lord is too busy to collect taxes or fulfill his duties.

Who is a lord and who is a peasant is subject to quick change in this volatile land. Loyalty, money, and treachery have all obtained the highest throne, as well as many more minor titles.

Political Structure

The political structure in Pelosia is completely feudal and enforced through strength of arms. Vassals provide funds, equipment, and/or men in exchange for the protection of their leige lord.

Loyalty in Pelosia is a rare thing, as minor lords struggle to gain the fame and fortune they feel they rightly deserve. Peasants with enough money, wiles, or other strong attributes have the potential to become anything they want in this land, which makes it a favorite haven for many different types of people.

Currently, with the recent death of King Landryn Astell, the nation has once again been thrown into chaos. There are several very strong lords who are expected to make a play for power.

Lord Vervain is the person most will assume will take the throne. A merchant of incredible success, he made most of his fortune trading in precious metals and rare gems. By purchasing large quantities of these items in smaller areas, he was able to drive the price up, and made a tidy profit. Many suspect him of using duplicitous methods to achieve his wealth, including melting and recasting coins when market conditions are favorable. These rumors have not been proven yet. He was often seen having public disputes with King Landryn over his relatively unrestricted trading policy. He has publicly gone on record as being in favor of ad valorem tolls (based on value of goods) going into and out of the city, something strongly opposed by many other merchants and lords.

Lord Tiranis is a gentle lord in comparison. Known for showing mercy to even his strongest competitors, he has long been seen as a pushover by many of the other major lords. However, his policies have earned him the respect and gratitude of many of the minor lords, and he has gained a lot of favor in the eyes of the public for founding a rather large coliseum, The Great Battleground. He holds regular events there for a tidy sum, and is currently deeply involved with the upcoming Tournament of Warriors, a test to determine the best at battle in the lands of Darisia.

Lord Hasin, the eagle, has a more sinister reputation. He has a rather strong will, winning any battle he enters at just about any cost. His family symbol, the Eagle, is worn as a badge of courage by all the members of his household. This has made then an easy target of assassins, which doesnt seem to bother Lord Hasin at all. Known for his propensity for hiring mercenaries, he relies on unknowns to do his relatively high amount of dirty work. Those who are unsuccessful at his tasks find his penalties to be rather swift and direct, and unfortunately fatal, though those who work for him enjoy a rather rich living, as he recognizes quality and rewards it well.

Lord Ern has made most of his wealth by successful farming techniques. He has large farms of tobacco, wheat, and green beans, giving him the majority of Pelosian exports. The wealthiest of all the Lords, his dependence on the merchant system requires him to favor peace, and he does his best to ensure trouble free times for all. He is one of the more popular Lords for his efforts to bring successful musicians and artisans to the nation.

Lord Garn is another of the Lords that have considerable strength in the realm. He has made quite a fortune in the taxing of trade routes. Lord Garn also owns a sizeable estate to the east of Holnier, giving him almost completely control over merchant caravans leaving Pelosia to head in that direction. Lord Garn's wife, Patrielle, is one of the most beautiful women in the realm, and the subject of many sculptures and paintings. Her sense and choice of what is fashionable helps drive the clothing market.

Abbreviated History

The underhanded and ever-changing nature of this country is rooted in a strong tradition. After the migration from Shurrah the lords settled in the middle plains and established the nation of Pelosia. Rulership and ranking among the houses was determined by their ability to trace bloodlines back to King Guergar, first king of Shurrah.

Unfortunately the first king of Pelosia, Holnier, fell deathly ill before he sired an heir and two possible contenders arose for the throne. In the ensueing war both were killed as well as many others. The line of succession become completely muddied, even more so by the inbreeding common among the noble families, mostly in an effort to strengthen their claim to the throne.

The country has now regressed to a constant state of infighting and is really no more than a collection of city-states at war with each other for dominance. The only balancing factor is the influence of Pelosia's larger neighbors, Shurrah and Elloria.

These two nations are quick to support any king who maintains the safety of merchants on the High Road. It is this outside influence which has prevented the total dissolution of the nation and the periods of relative calm that have existed in recent times.

Religion

Religion is Pelosia is an potpourri of the religions of neighboring countries. The religion of Shurrah is the most widely followed and accepted, but that of Estovia has made inroads recently in those in search of discipline and freedom together, qualities which do not coexist in the Cebretine Church.

The Cebretine Church is quite proud of the large number of Pelosians who are a member of their faithful, but yet still remain skeptical of the religious climate of the country. The church is fully aware of the untrustworthiness of the people and nobility of Pelosia, and thus continue their evangelism.

The Holy Order of the Stars has made a concerted attempt at evangelizing the Pelosians without trying to be obvious about it. The Order is convinced that nations which convert to their faith will quickly fall under the sway of the Malleusseate, who is often worshipped by those who follow the order.

Culture

Many hold to the view that there is no such thing as Pelosian culture, as the nation is rather young in relationship to others. Discarding those critics for a moment, there have been a few significant artisans to come from the land of Pelosia.

The most popular artisan from Pelosia grew up in the city of Holnier. Kellor Hasernak is still regarded by many to be the best painter to have ever been born in Darisia. His paintings are rather bizarre, focusing on one object and showing it from a variety of angles and poses in the same work of art. One of his more famous paintings, "Apple", showed an apple in various forms of consumption, hanging on a tree, and the rotting core on the corner. This sort of work made him interesting, but what many think was his greatest characteristic was his willingness to speak out against public figures. He would routinely ridicule the king and other nobles, or noble culture in general. his death, with was shrouded with mystery, was believed to be at the hands of Lord Vervain, who had been spoofed one too many times.

Hasernak's protege is a young fellow who goes simply by the name Kebuzz. This mysterious painter has followed in his master's steps, painting and ridiculing the aristocracy. His work however misses some of the elegance in showing something in different forms of life, and is much more blunt and to the point. Many feel that his work is darker, showing more misery, torture, and death than life. His identity and residence is shrouded in secrecy, and none have ever met the artist themselves.

One other artisan of note is the currently wildly popular sculptor Jerod Wern. Wern's sculptures are almost solely devoted to the idea of war and conflict, often showing a figure perishing at the hands of another. Many of the victors take on beastly unwyrldly characteristics, causing many members of the Cebretine church to oppose his creations as the work of evil forces. His sculptures are quite the fad currently in the nobility of Pelosia, often fetching the quite staggering price of one to two thousand suns a piece.

While Pelosia of course has their share of musicians and poets, as well as bards and authors, none of them have achieved great fame outside of Pelosia. A common theme that critics notice in Pelosian art is the theme of conflict and death. This is hardly surprising considering the intense nature of political life there.

Economics

Economics in Pelosia are almost completely at the subsistence level. Lords tax those who work their land to raise enough to equip their knights and furnish their other needs.

The lucky few in Pelosia, particularly in Holnier, are those who somehow make a living off the trade on the High Road. This added income is often what makes or breaks a lord, or places one higher than another. The High Road has become the life pulse of this torn country, and each lord does his best to see that no troubles befall trade on his portion of the road.

Pelosia has minted coins at various times of its existence, but does not currently do so. For large transactions ingots of precious metals or the coins of other realms are used, in addition to old Pelosian coins. Shurran coins are the most popular means of exchange in the nation.

Pelosia exports some very important goods, making a large profit on wheat, green beans, and tobacco. They tend to import weapons and armor, as well as many cultural pieces, driving those prices quite high due to taxes and fees on the merchants bringing them in.

Wyrldscape is a free form play-by-post role playing game created for the enjoyment of interaction and creative writing. This compendium exists to aid those who would play in its infinite vaults. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use. All contents and information are © 2000-2003 Wyrldscape Consortium; all rights reserved.