Ferraria

Ferraria is an absolute monarchy controlling the northern half of the Old Continent. It is the second largest civilization in the world in terms of land area, and the largest producer of iron and iron alloy products. In the past, it was a vassal state of Republia, whom exploited its vast natural iron deposits. Eventually, Republia was repulsed from the Kingdom and it was reformed to what it was today. Historically, it's borders were contained by the drainage basin of Lake Yekar, but after the Republian occupation, it expanded to control much of the northern half of the continent.

The lands are split into eleven administrative regions, ten controlled independently by a Lord vassal to the King. The eleventh region is directly administered by the government in Ferran's Hold. Much of Ferraria's economy revolves around the mining and refinement of iron ore, which has made Ferraria very rich due to the vast quantities of the metal it produces. The metal products are traded with much of the civilized world, and is famed for its quality and cheapness. Much of iron mining is focused around the mountainous regions, with mines going miles deep into the earth. In the surrounding steppes, farms and villages litter the landscape. Coastal regions tend to be more populous, with more villages that tend to the oceans for fish. Fish and Deyber berries farmed on the steppes make up the majority of the Ferrarian diet. Along the region's major river, the River Hyrame, huge industrial foundries have been constructed to smelt and produce iron products, and a large shipyard was built on the river estuary to transport the goods away.

History
The lands now controlled by Ferraria were once occupied by the tribal ancestors of the Ferrarians. These ancestors were skilled stonecutters who built small stone keeps to protect their tribes. They frequently warred with each other for land and control of the limited game that lived in the region. They were marginal subjects of Republia, tentatively sending tributes every few years to keep some autonomy for themselves. Whenever one tribe got too powerful, Republian agents would try to intervene and break up their land back to manageable levels.

Many years ago, the founder of the Empire King Ferran the Miner found deep seams of iron beneath his ancestral keep. They excavated that entire hillside and produced some of the strongest unenchanted metal this world has ever seen. Ferran had power and wealth no man in this land had ever known before. He began producing products and started trading with other holds, and even foreign kingdoms. Ferran soon had wealth that completely eclipsed any other hold and was able to buy his freedom from Republia.

Ferran's Hold was the true power on this continent, and no other tribes could withstand him. He declared himself King, and claimed all of the land for his kingdom, whilst only holding his own small pocket of land. A period of forceful conquest followed, rival keeps and holds were given an ultimatum- submit or be destroyed. Many keeps knelt to Ferran's power, but some denied him. They were either conquered by a mercenary army paid by Ferran or 'disappeared' from history. After conquering small pocketsof land between the western mountains to the Seezhin Ocean, Ferran demanded a proper army to be formed to defend his new holdings, and a palace built in his honour. He anitcipated an attack by Republia, and was determined to keep his new lands united under one banner. But he died before the invasion began or the palace was built. He killed by his uncle, Spastian the Cowardly. Spastian tried to take Ferran's crown, but he was prevented from doing so by the laws of hereditary set out by Ferran before his death. Spastian was the Lord of a neighbouring hold, which had also discovered iron underneath their lands.

Ferran's son, Hematitus, claimed his father's land and his crown. Using the army loyal to his father, he killed his uncle in single combat, seized his lands, and then marched further. He succeeded where his father failed, taking control of all the other holds through force or diplomacy. When he finished his conquests, he finally crowned himself Atitus the Conqueror. Atitus named the lands in his father's honour, and fended off the first Republian attack against the new Ferrarian people. Ferran's greatest achievments were establishing the first civilization on the continent, writing laws and building a commercial empire. It was Atitus who spread this to lands his father dreamed of controlling, and implemented his systems with great efficiency.

A sequence of kings and a few queens followed, who set their power in stone which established Ferraria, as a nation (and later- an empire). They married the old hold lords, keeping their families in power. Huge industrial settlements were built, and people were evicted from their homes to get at the iron beneath them. Their mines rivaled the gem halls of Republia. During the reign of Feran III, or Feran the Minor, the Republic finally struck back at Ferraria, seeking to subjugate them through the use of magic and beasts. Feran the III only ruled until his third birthday, the day of which Republican agents snuck into the capital of Ferran's Hold and collapsed the very foundations holding the castle up. Red stone towers collapsed and the royal family were crushed beneath it. Simultaneously, Septagonian forces under Bastarli led an army of ogres through the Wildlands and struck at the heart of Ferrian industry. The remaining government surrendered four days after the death of the King.

The republic put Queen Netitey II in power, and Ferraria became a puppet state of the Republic. Near the end of her reign, the Republic ended its alliance with Bastarli, prompting the beast to attack them and their holdings, including Ferraria. The Republican garrison in the border pass of Ferraria was slaughtered, and so they sent all their troops on the continent to face them. When they left, the nephew of Netitey II, Acanth I, overthrew his aunt in a bloody revolution. Hundreds of Republicans left in Ferraria were rounded up and executed, as well as many collaborators.

Bastarli and the Republicans slaughtered each other during a 15 year war that left both nations crippled and penniless. Ferraria was officially granted independence once they cut off the trade of iron to the Republic and started selling it at a reduced rate to Bastarli. Acanth the First announced his intentions to never let Ferraria to be ruled over again by a foreign ruler.

Magic colleges were built around the newly built capital on the Lake, the remaining ogres were tamed to help rebuild the nation, and trade links were renewed with all foreign nations. Dockyards and navies were made a priority, but special ground troops were trained to defend the mountain passes. The great grandson of Acanth, Ferran IV, was the first King to marry a foreign Queen. His grandson, Pulus, was the last King before revolution struck. One of his advisors had traveled abroad to find dragons, and brought them back with fire and conquest.

Economy
The economy of Ferraria is centered around the mining, extraction, and refining of iron ore. Towns rose up around large mines or foundries and in recent years steel production has led to a boom in the nation economy. Iron is very cheap within the country, but a royal policy of limited exportation means the sale price of iron to foreign nations is very high. Copper and tin is also mined in Ferraria, but in much smaller quantities. Ferrarian pottery is also highly valued due to its strength and its ability to last, but no restrictions exist on exporting it, making it very cheap abroad. Stone is a byproduct of mining, making it a common building material throughout the country.

Ferraria imports most of its food, like wheat and meat, due to the lack of such things in the country itself. Wood is also surprisingly rare and has to be brought in from abroad. During the reign of king Geoth II, he tried to diversify the Ferrarian economy by importing many of the guilds found in Quentar, but the size of these guilds depended on the ability to import the required raw materials.

Monarchs
There have been many kings and a few queens over the course of the history of Ferraria. Almost all of them were descended from the the first king, Ferran the Miner, and are part of the Oboror family from by Lake Yekar. The current monarch is Pulus I.