PREFACE
The island of Balion, and its inhabitants the patriotic Balish people, have for long been the bastion of the sea. They are masters of sailing long distances atop massive ships, unparalleled in their might to repel foreign invaders. While it is a kingdom never touched by foreign invaders, its people have turned to direct their mischief among themselves - bloody civil wars and velvet plots alike have made Balish politics ruthless, more so than Calradia's. Balion is an analogue to England.
Land
Rolling and fertile plains and smooth windswept moorlands are staple vistas of Balion. Its northern reaches become sparser and turns into endless ice sheets, a sight not seen anywhere, not even in craggy Jumne. The island itself is a fair distance apart from the Calrad continent, separated by the Wrinkled Sea roughly the length of distance between Praven and Tulga.
The northern fringes are popular landing points for Jumnish sea raiders, often targets of from the Balish fleet in attempting to purge pirates from their waters. Admirals often employ unorthodox tactics, such as "burning the ice" which involves lighting bonfires to collapse ice caves with men still inside. It is not uncommon to consider the navy as a purely anti-piracy tool rather than a military asset.
The more densely populated southern coast features rich oaken forests and frequent rains. Limestone white cliffs dot the beaches, a picturesque environment the rich vie to build manors on. The common land however is unremarkable, often with gray skies and water puddles on the mud roads.
Though not nearly bustling trading hub of rare goods, Balion has a small amount of potentially tradable goods to be found. A prosperous whaling and seal hunting economy is present on the northern expanses, as long as the merchant wishes to dodge sea raiders. Various species of endemic birds used for feathered clothing. Rarer kinds of stoats are found here, incomparable to those found in Swadia. Though as a grumpy denizen of Langston would tell you, there is no shortage of gulls in Balion.
Apart from castles, coastal forts and dotting villages, Balion has four cities: the capital Dunsbry, Langston, river-cut Vaughent and the northern Foxmark; ruled respectively by King Allistair Stoutford, the elusive Lady Cecily Seraphweed, the elderly Lord Conney "Doveburrows" Tatton and the stout Lord Meurig Derfel. What a handful.
History
Balion dated the beginning of foreign settlers from the mainland the same time the Empire began its formation. The Vlandians and Sturgians began assimilating as the years went by and the native peoples of the island were slowly faded into almost nothing, their last remnants present in the rugged northern-most inhabitants of present-day Balion.
The isles withstood the Empire though not without a fight. As until this day some shipwrecks bearing ancient treasures are found on shallow waters, both powers fought each other though in the end the Empire decided to forsake the logistical nightmare of a naval invasion. As the Calradic Empire crumbled, Balion saw an opportunity to tap into and become a rising trading power, relatively more prosperous than the newly formed kingdoms, and attracting people from all over to its lands.
While they braved a foreign superpower, Balion's cultural unity made it easy for someone to unite the land. A small landholder by the name of Elteroch with support from both lady rulers of Langston and Vaughent (unsurprisingly, many unsavoury theories detail how he won their favour) had placed upon his head a crown and declared King of Balion. His heroic role in sinking a 200-ship transport navy heading to their shores quickly won him the support of the people, and soon the other nobles followed suit. The House of Galejay then ruled 300 years before our calendar began, and the small plot of Elder Rock quickly became one of the mightiest keeps in the island.
In true Balish fashion, uncountable narratives of intrigue both subtle and bloody went on for more than a thousand years. In 143, a shipwreck caused the crown to fall on a six-year old and almost resulted in the realm being shattered. In 670, the wooden keep of snowy Foxmark nearly was destroyed in fiery blazes. In the eve of 900, a tragedy nearly wiped out all the sons of the reigning monarch, resulting in him sentencing his brother to prompt execution. It is a matter of much debate how many of those were truly accidents or rather the fruition of mischievous plots.
Reaching current time, by the year 1050 the increasingly more centralizing King Frederick incurred the wrath of many of his vassals who saw themselves victims of tyranny. A mostly bloodless revolution ensued and House Galejay saw itself powerless and Elder Rock fell into disgrace. The Lord Garrick of Dunsbry instead took power, chosen so for being the one to first plunge the sword into the king's heart, both literally and figuratively. Since the rebellion counted almost all the powerful rulers of Balion, peace had quickly established itself again and the lords given more independence.
Lady Cecily Seraphweed of Langston is the talk of the realm. Only four years ago she survived three brothers before her father giving up the ghost, adding another member to the thin list of female rulers. Albeit short as of now, her rulership is marked by the downfall of opponents, strengthened footing for her political goals and a bastard son one could only guess the father. Controversial, many may badmouth but few can do anything against the sharpwitted Lady, specially as her other equals seem to care more about birds and bees.
Lord Conney Tatton of Vaughent is sometimes called the oldest man of Balion. This is false. At least four known men have lived beyond their 70s. Often titled "Doveburrows", incessantly burying his nose in books, spending more time in the aviary reading and writing letters rather than hearing peasant petitions and simply smiles and nods about realm affairs. Some believe that when he finally bits the dust, the matter of succession will be specially complicated, enhanced by the fact that House Tatton contains some 400 trueblood members after historically fertile men. Maker knows how many bastards they gave around.
Meurig Derfel of Foxmark would have been a perfect hardy and honrouablehonourable Swadian lord and ground soldier. Unfortunately for him, Balion has little need for ground armies. Lord Meurig then unwilling to ditch his sword for a sail or a dagger, has taken up to enterprise with his people. A popular man whose origins lie with the original inhabitants, his name is cheered in his lands while he's also competent enough to dodge political intrigue. He expresses an affinity with honeymakers and it's said his cellar is the world's biggest and filled with mead.
For three reigns Balion has since then enjoyed relative peace and tranquility under House, the people now toasting the sober and dutiful King Allistair at age 34, ruling for five years in 1243. Long live the King.
Culture
Balion has long been a Makerist kingdom, accepting the proselytizing missionaries once they first came, despite being the religion of the Empire. They have ever since been part of the Core Makerist kingdoms and rejected the Revisionists when they later appeared. Almost militant behaviour can be seen in the street, where many official holy orders and unofficial rabbles often resort to not very peaceful means to protect their values and their icons.
The Balish language stems from the Proto-Calradic language which also made the Swadian, Vaegir, Nord and Geroese languages. Isolation has slowly eroded and fine-sculpted Balish into a remarkable language of its own though it still has some things in common with its linguistic cousins.
Balish people celebrate a variety of holidays, many of them stemming from their roots in Core Makerism and other have a Nord element. The day Garrick Stoutford took the crown is celebrated and has supplanted the Galejay reunification, whose admirers are considered just slightly traitorous. Various Balish saints have their holidays as well, most of them who represent extraordinary virtues at spreading Core Makerism or defending the faith against pagan raiders at sea.
R.B.B.V. - Red by Birth, Blue by Virtue - the official Balish August Navy words. While the August Navy never waged offensive wars, it is not uncommon for independent captains to sell their services or to take a pirate's life. Balish mercenary companies are known for being earnest and efficient sailors and marines. A lot like its people, truth be told.
Balish shipmakers are not only one of the finest in the world but they also make a special kind of ship built to resist the water far north - icebreakers, as their name implies, sport massive rams on the front of their hull made specially to cut through floating ice and the pinnacle of shipbuilding.
The south is by no doubt the most densely populated region and where most of the riches and important people lie. One would be wrong, however, in calling the northern areas uncivilized as many in the south do. A relatively small amount of resent in comparison to other mainlander tensions have surged many discussions on dinner tables. The affluent southern citizens dress themselves intricately and display their considerable wealth just as much rich Calrad merchants do; meanwhile, those in the snowy north prefer more plain and warm clothes, though it might be because those who can afford it purchase land in the south.
Wattle and daub are the most common construction material for Balish domiciles, the roof either straw or dark tiles for the slightly richer. Important constructions feature sumptuous pillars and porticos and intricate details on dark granite though often criticized for being prone to water stains, moss and salt due to the frequent rains - such people are called frivolous inexperienced foreigners from uncivilized lands.
Most art is centered around, unsurprisingly, the sea, though other works often feature the northern ice sheets and religious figures. Deeply proud, they extol the virtues of the Balish people and courage in braving the Wrinkled Sea for the greater good of the kin back home. They're famous for taking embellishment liberties.
Although the general peasants go by with bread, ale and not much else, affluent citizens enjoy prime swam meat, various cheeses, and many delicacies well seasoned with expensive spices for both taste and dazzling. Citrus which has been used to fight scurvy on the waves (blimey!) has become popular amongst the nobility as well as having a slightly cheaper price makes a compelling case for the slightly less affluent to display some fortune on bowls in their living room.
Funerals of noteworthy seamen are done at sea, their bodies cremated and scattered on the waves which is a great honour. Other than that, most of other death rites mean a grave as per the traditional Core Makerist way.
Credits go to 2017 Borrisnator for the entire thing.
