Adrestia
The Holy Ralgon Principality of Adrestia | |||
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Motto: Strength and Honor | |||
Anthem: WIP | |||
Map versions | ??? | ||
Capital | Gondolin | ||
Largest city | Gondolin | ||
Official language(s) | Draconian (official) Standard (most common) | ||
Official religion(s) | Draconic (revolves around a pantheon consisting of eleven gods) | ||
Demonym | Ralgon | ||
- Adjective | Ralgon | ||
Government | Constitutional Elective Monarchy | ||
- Prince of Adrestia | Prince Masamune Ral I | ||
- | Kazuma Hawkins, 1st Duke of Gondolin | ||
- Legislature | Parliament | ||
Establishment | Wolf Moon, 1674 AN | ||
Area | NA | ||
Population | 12,540,054 (1675 AN) | ||
Active population | NA | ||
Currency | Guilder (£) | ||
Calendar | |||
Time zone(s) | |||
Mains electricity | |||
Driving side | |||
Track gauge | |||
National website | |||
National forum | |||
National animal | Adrestian Eagle | ||
National food | |||
National drink | Green Tea | ||
National tree | Lemon tree | ||
Abbreviation | HRE |
Adrestia, formally known as The Holy Ralgon Principality of Adrestia, is a dependent constituent country of the Holy Ralgon Empire. It is currently the Ralgon Empire's largest overseas possession, and the largest one which was never used as a penal colony. The colony was founded on the back of the Great White Fleet's Imperial-sponsored effort to share Ralgon goods, ideas, and culture with the rest of the world. To the east of the Keltia continent, the Great White Fleet set up headquarters on a smaller island off the coast of what is now mainland Adrestia at some point in 1670 AN. They officially claimed the area in the name of the Holy Ralgon Empire to coincide with the 400th anniversary of their nation's unification, initially ignorant of the paradise that lay on the mainland.
As the island rapidly grew overpopulated with incoming merchants and naval vessels seeking to protect the Ralgon Empire's first major colony, major exploratory expeditions were launched to explore the much larger main island. To everyone's joy, they discovered a paradise entirely devoid of the monsters encountered back home. Civilization was non-existent, no hostile peoples or creatures inhabited the land, and the soil was exceptionally fertile, even more so than the dangerous fringes of the Great Swamp. The news traveled home of an untouched paradise, and before long throngs of privileged citizens were lining up to build what they considered to be a heaven for the best Ralgon society had to offer.
By another twist of fate, another expedition followed one of the island's many rivers to a small mountain deep in the interior. Here, the land was covered in citrus forests the likes of which the expedition's members had never seen. A city was rapidly founded on that mountain. Residences for both the island's rulers and even one for the Emperor were constructed, and the region was entirely annexed by the Ralgons by 1675. It also wasn't long before a functional city was on the rise, featuring spacious real estate for its citizens, with residency within Gondolin and its environs restricted to combat veterans, wealthy merchants, nobility, and other meritorious individuals.
Since then, Adrestia has been the subject of unprecedented development for a Ralgon possession. Mainland Adrestia as well as its surrounding islands rapidly saw the influx of major trade coming between Ralgon proper and the rest of the world, and a trade partnership with the Bassarid island colony to the south ensured that territorial disputes would not arise due to increased trade in the region. Having rapidly enriched itself, the Adrestian colonists successfully lobbied to have the colony declared a Principality, placing it out of reach of most of Ralgon's central government. Prince Masamune Ral, the Emperor's brother, was selected to hold the colony for himself and his descendants.
Thanks to the many rivers that flow in and out of Gondolin, it rapidly became an important port city, receiving primarily construction supplies and luxury goods, while most other wares stopped instead at Tranquility Base or Storm's End on the way to and from Ralgon proper. In 1676, a major intercontinental airport was built and commissioned outside of Gondolin, and it serves nonstop flights between Gondolin and Glacier City S.A.R., as well as other major USSO destinations as allowed to the Ralgons (and consequently Adrestia) by treaty.