Belmar
"The war solved no problem. Its effects, both immediate and indirect, were either negative or disastrous. Morally subversive, economically destructive, socially degrading, confused in its causes, devious in its course, futile in its result, it is the outstanding example... of meaningless conflict"
- C. V. Wegdwood
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Overview
Belmar is a generally pleasant and summery world in the Tyrolean Starzone with three inhabited continents separated by wide turquoise seas. It is largely controlled by the Belmarian Empire, a state that was established over a millennium ago by refugees fleeing out of the destruction of neighboring Tyrol shortly before the closure of the starways. Although blessed with a mild climate, Belmar has been devastated over the past fifty years by several cataclysmic wars and a lengthy period of military anarchy that have left the planet's population decimated and its environment deeply scarred. This long series of domestic troubles was followed by a number of ill-advised and ill-fated foreign campaigns launched shortly after the reopening of the starways by the then rump empire that nearly saw Belmar overtaken by triumphant rebel forces backed by off-world interests.
The destruction of the Belmarian Empire, which had reached the nadir of its fortunes, and the installment of a foreign puppet regime over Belmar as a whole was averted when the death of the regent Fredrick II in 1004 was followed by the ascension of King William III to the throne of the Royal Imperial stronghold of Carthinia-Pomerania. Rallying around their new and capable leader, the empire's armies were able to, with the aid of mercenary forces and a bit of luck, launch a counter attack and eventually overcome their weakened and increasingly disunited enemies completely. The occupation of the rebel capital and the exposure of collaboration between elements of the renegade Deldan Senate and foreign powers allowed for the signing of a peace settlement that for the first time in almost fifty years saw the whole of the empire at least nominally united again.
That is not to say that the Belmarian Empire that has emerged from the long crisis is nearly as centralized or as strong as the one that entered into it; The northern continent, which escaped the worst of the wars under the leadership of the self proclaimed independent city of Rehrersburg, won recognition in the peace settlement of its complete autonomy with only vague commitments to the notion of a unified planetary defense. In the west, the former rebel provinces united in the Republic of Deldan have once again been brought under the empire's flag and authority, but they have managed to retain for now no small amount of autonomy on a local level and the process of reunification will be a long one. In the east, much of the loyalist stronghold of Carthinia-Pomerania remains in ruins and the task of rebuilding its broken cities will take many more years.
But the Belmarian Empire is once again an empire, and not the broken and tired remnant of one it was when it entered into the thousandth year of the New Era. And for the first time since the death of Fredrick II's older brother, it has an emperor. In a solemn ceremony in the ancient capital of Mala Nedelja, King William III took up the long neglected Imperial Crown as Emperor Francis William IV. For now at least it appears that Belmar's further decline has been, if not reversed, at least for a time delayed.
The Old Empire
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Technology and Magic
Engineering: 500
Chemistry: 500
Physics: 500
Biology: 400
Psychology: 400
Creation: 0
Destruction: 0
Matter: 0
Mental: 100
Movement: 0
Infrastructure
Industry: 77+0
Wealth: 96
Research: 15
Ether: 75
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Advantages
Elite Armed Forces
The Belmarian fleets and armies are well trained, well-equipped, and battle-hardened. Though not exactly the most well-regarded military out there, they're man for man some of the best soldiers and spacers in the west.
Diplomatic
For whatever reason, Belmarians have proven to be pretty capable at navigating the maze of cultures and powers they've found out beyond their world with the reopening of the star ways. Loosely state sponsored Belmarian adventurers and travelers can be found out across much of known space attempting to make deals to the advantage of their homeworld.
Large Population
Although not that large compared to other powers, the population of Royal Belmar in the postwar years was generally far larger than the remaining infrastructure was able to comfortably support.
Space Cadets
There is a cluster of large stations and other orbital facilities high above Belmar, built over the last few decades to replace those that were destroyed during the Great War.
Disadvantages
Lord of All
Emperor Francis William IV presently has no heir, his death would send the empire into chaos and perhaps undo all the work accomplished over the past several years.
Angry Population
The empire's government is doing better in the polls with the armed forces and the wider population these days, but in turn a considerable portion of the powerful old nobility is restive. Can't please everyone.
Resource Poor
There's just not that much in the way of resources in Royal Belmar's territories.
Barren World
It's not really lifeless, but Belmar's agriculture is still in tatters and huge portions of the planet's surface are still poisoned from apocalyptic opening battles of the Great War fifty years ago.
Slow Population Growth
No one's really much for having kids these days. Maybe not too surprising given how bad things have been over the past half century.
Factious World
Royal Belmar uneasily shares its planet with Deldan, now nominally returned to the empire, and the northern country of Rehrersburg.
Climate
Generally temperate.
Geography
Southeastern Continent
The Southeastern Continent became the main stronghold of the present Belmarian Empire following the devastation of its mainland territories during the early phases of the Great War. Much of the empire's remaining population and infrastructure are concentrated along its western coastline, but the always inhospitable interior remains mostly uninhabited.
Carthinia (Super; Intervening Ocean)
Population: 16,000,000
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Connections: Novi Pazar (North)
Formerly an almost irrelevant backwater, the coastal kingdom of Carthinia has over the past few decades become one of the most important regions on Belmar. Because of its strategic unimportance, it was spared the worst of the Great War's devastation and following the end of the conflict it became a destination for many of the millions of refugees fleeing the chaotic mainland. The remnants of the empire's government followed, moving the capital to the Carthinian city of Aldanburg. Most of the region's population is concentrated around Aldanburg, with satellite cities up and down the coastline and nestled amongst the temperate rainforests further inland between the coast and the desolate highlands beyond.
Novi Pazar (Difficult – Forested Hills; Intervening Ocean)
Population: 3,272,800
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Connections: Carthinia (South)
The sparsely inhabited hills rising to the north of the Carthinian coastal plain were colonized by refugees from the mainland following the Great War who founded the city of Novi Pazar and a number of smaller ramshackle towns and cities.
Central Continent
The Central Continent is the cradle of Belmarian civilization; it was here that the refugees fleeing out of the ruin of Tyrol landed and began the long process of building establishing a new nation for themselves. It took the brunt of the damage caused by the Great War, most of its cities are half-ruined shadows of their former selves and huge swathes of land are little more than dead wastelands. Presently the eastern regions of the continent are under the control of the government in Aldanburg, while the west is ruled from Deldan City on one of the large islands just off the western coast.
Eastern Pomerania (Open)
Population: 6,500,000
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Connections: Western Pomerania (West); Morava (Southwest)
The Kingdom of Pomerania is the cradle of Belmarian civilization, centered around the ancient city of Mala Nedelja where the Belmarian Empire was established and then ruled from for nearly a thousand years. Eastern Pomerania was protected from the worst of the Great War by shields and fortifications that have fallen into disrepair, but even these defenses could not spare it from the anarchy and famine that followed in the wake of the conflict. Its population is much reduced, and many of the grand palaces and ministries sit abandoned. There is some hope though that following the end of the War of Belmarian Succession that the government of the reunited empire will locate some of its operations here rather than in Aldanburg or Deldan City
Western Pomerania (Open)
Population: 4,000,000
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Connections: Eastern Pomerania (East); Deldan (West); Morava (South)
Western Pomerania is more rural than the more urbanized eastern portion of the kingdom, and has recovered somewhat better than the plains to the south. It's home to vineyards and orchards in varying states of repair and no shortage of abandoned palaces whose owners have either died in the wars or fled to the safety of Carthinia or the Orbitals.
Morava (Open)
Population: 6,000,000
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Connections: Western Pomerania (North); Eastern Pomerania (Northeast); Deldan (West); Lodomeria (South)
The central region of Morava saw the worst fighting of the Great War and then the main battles of the War of Belmarian Succession. Beyond the suburbs of the fortified city of Kolonia there's little left but dead towns and scorched wastelands.
Lodomeria (Difficult – Forested Hills)
Population: 3,000,000
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Connections: Deldan (West); Morava (North)
Lodomeria and the Keranburg Peninsula, like Morava to the north, never really recovered from the Great War. Most of the city of Keranburg was still in ruins when it was for a time occupied by Deldan forces during the War of Belmarian Succession.