Galeron

Galeron (pronounced /ˈgælərɒn/) is a nation on the godworld of Diddu, on the shore of the Stony Sea. A minerally wealthy nation, Galeron is known all over the world for the quality of its jewelry. Aside from trade, however, it is a very insular nation, with little cultural interaction with other nations. This has contributed to the popularity of a number of rather absurd rumors about Galeron's people and culture, most of which have scant basis in fact.

Geography

Galeron is a long, narrow nation, located on the northeast coast of the Stony Sea, on the part that best epitomizes its name. The country's terrain is covered almost entirely with rocks and rubble, save for a small patch of swamp near the western end and some small scattered copses in the foothills. The dangerous rocks lying near the surface of the sea make navigation difficult, and prevent Galeron from being easily accessible by maritime travel. Crossing the border overland, however, is little easier; aside from the side that borders the sea, Galeron is completely surrounded by mountains. A few passes do exist through the mountains, but most of what travel does occur is done by air, either by airship or by flying organisms such as lovvels.

Government

The leader of Galeron is known as the High Lord, a hereditary position that usually passes to the oldest child of the previous ruler. Though there has been the occasional change as a ruling line died out or a usurper took the throne, the current dynasty has been in place for almost three hundred years now. The current High Lord is a small man named Lurethan the Gold, who is widely considered to be mentally unstable. Lurethan has two children, a son and a daughter, but neither has been seen in some time. Lurethan seldom speaks of them and seems completely unconcerned by their apparent disappearance, but there are serious questions about the succession if at least one of them doesn't turn up alive before Lurethan dies.

The High Lord and his ministers spend little time actually on the surface of the world, dwelling instead in an artificial shee floating far above the land called the Lordly Citadel. The Citadel is placed far enough from Diddu's surface that it escapes the effects of the mesters; in particular, almost alone of Diddu's inhabitants, at least outside the Golden Cities, the High Lord and his court and servants are not turned into metal statues during Gurunda and Derean.

Under the High Lord, Galeron is divided into twelve administrative districts, each of which is led by its own official called a Koy.

History

Galeron's existence as an independent nation goes back about twelve hundred years. Before that, the territory that was now Galeron changed hands frequently; its barren rockiness led no state to particularly value the land, and, lightly defended, it was commonly the first region to fall in border skirmishes. It came into its own with the discovery of a valuable platinum mine, which allowed its few inhabitants to accrue enough money to establish their own self-government and defend it from outsiders.

At first, Galeron was more or less a democracy, its few denizens making decisions jointly. As its population grew as more people came to take advantage of its newfound wealth, however, some of its inhabitants covered power over the others, and eventually a particularly canny trader named Coldor Sade succeeded in putting together an administration capable of asserting and holding that power. Sade would rename himself Dod the Wise and found Galeron's first ruling line, the Sadan Dynasty. When Sade's granddaughter, Ruseta the Sleek, almost had her regime overthrown by an army from the Golden City of Jet one Derean, she resolved to relocate to a place where she and her successors could be unhindered by the mestral transformations, and conceived the Lordly Citadel.

Culture

The people of Galeron are much devoted to festivals and commemorations, though the entire nation doesn't necessarily celebrate the same days. Though there are some national holidays celebrated throughout the nation, many communities have their own local festivities that are important there but unknown elsewhere. Many Galerontian travelers maintain their local traditions and commemorations even when journeying to other parts of the nation or abroad, though others do their best to learn and adopt those of the areas they travel through, or perhaps try to mix the two (with sometimes rather odd results).

Galeronians have a reputation as unflappable, never fazed by even the most bizarre occurrences. Like most such generalizations, it's an exaggeration, and certainly not universally true. Still, there does seem to be something in the Galeronian mindset, perhaps because of their exposure to such a diversity of customs within their own nation, that makes them less surprised by similar differences in the actions of others.

Trade

A good part of Galeron's income comes from the export of shellfish, harvested from the Stony Sea. It also exports fair quantities of valuable minerals; the platinum that kicked off its initial wealth has been largely expended, but it also supplemented by iron and by certain gemstones. Galeron also exports a wide variety of different crafts and manufactured goods, with different regions of the country specializing in different products. The fine jewelry from the district of Amesand, made primarily from stones and metals extracted from Galeron's own mines, is particularly famous—and lucrative.

The nation's stony ground prevents traditional farming, save on fertile patches that are few and far between, requiring Galeron to import much grain and other foodstuffs... although it does engage in some aquaculture at its shores, cultivating edible seaweeds, fish, and other seafood. Wood, too, is a major import, being likewise not readily available in quantity in Galeron itself.