Chessandis

Name - The People's Empire of Chessandis

Government Style - Authoritarian Oligarchy

Flag - The flag is red, with a yellow dragon emblem.

Currency - True-Coins

Capital - Chessiach

Geography - Chessandis is a collection of islands in the South-East, that are very mountainous. The main island, commonly referred to simple as Chessandis, is ringed all along it's western border by high mountains, with valleys and lowlands sweeping down the other side. Chessandis tends to have a drier climate in areas not directly by the sea and is subject to wind storms during the winter months. The areas near the oceans have a jungle like climate. Overall the country is warmer than those further north.

History - Chessandis is a country marked with misfortune that has led it to the position it is today. The first kingdom to united all of the island and islands was the Chessandian Kingdom, which rose as the Iraygion Empire crumbled. Heavily using military mages, Chessandis managed to conquer huge swathes of the Svaartenskald, southern Vortalina, Kalanossa and Scarl. Then, in an event known as the First Cataclysm, the capital and surrounding lands were decimated due to a magical disaster of unknown origins and all territory gained outside the islands was lost in the chaos. The country rebuilt itself to a shadow of it's former glory as a republic. This too was doomed - the Second Cataclysm was a long civil war marked by famine and drought. The republic ended and the People's Empire was formed, with much stricter rule. One of the first decrees of this new leadership was a brutal extermination and exile of all mages, as well as a rapid industrialization to make the backwards nation catch up to the others. The government blamed mages for both previous disasters and believed that magic had no place in their vision of the nation.

Today - Chessandis experienced a few years ago what many inside the country call the Third Cataclysm - a disastrous farce of a war with Selemond. Chessandis attempted to impose it's will on Selemond and seize trade routes. They also started to kidnap Selemondians as slaves and blatantly attacked Scarl, which had protection treaties with Selemond. The ensuing war lasted on a couple of months and ended with the Selemondians burning the capital before leaving and a governmental change in Chessandis. The new government still wishes for power but is now seeking it at a slower pace, testing the political climate on the mainland. They are interested in the moves that Dalisor will make - they hope that war will grip the continent so that they will have a chance to make a move on it and rebuild their empire, the reclamation of Svaartenskald a first goal. They are sending emissaries to the northern nations to see what can be accomplished.

Chessandis is considered backwards culturally by some nations - they still openly permit slavery, using their own nationals but preferring to kidnap others for this - Svaartenskald is particularly plagued by slaver ships, with Vortalina and particularly Scarl beginning to encounter them as well. Magic is absolutely forbidden in Chessandis, even more so than in Dalisor - it is whispered children are scanned for magic at birth and are either killed or dropped off on the continent and that they are attempting to "breed out" magic in their populace. The Chessandis government is firm in this law, believing magic to be dangerous and archaic. They point to the success their nation has had in their rapidly developing technology - the factories in Chessandis are growing and fueling a booming industrial sector. Also, Chessandis argues that their nation has the best systems to care for all their citizens - they simply build what is needed, with hospitals, food supplies and residential blocks springing up every day. Culturally backwards may be a matter of opinion, but technologically and industrially Chessandis can match any of the continent nations.