Süminthur

 Pronunciation: SOO-mihn-thur

Adjective: Süminth (SOO-mihnth)

Capital: Erennur

Major Islands:

     Süminthur: 7,644 sq mi (19,798 sq km) [Connecticut plus Delaware] 

Population: ~500,000

Government: Monarchy

Economy: Not a heck of a lot, honestly. Süminthur is largely uninvolved in international trade for a variety of reasons, starting with the lack of physical infrastructure, going through lingering economic effects of the Litanaean Great War, and ending with the tariffs Miln inflicts on what trade they do have.

Which isn't to say they don't have any economic contact with the outside world at all. When Süminthur does export goods, it's almost always luxuries unique to the island - pearls, gemstones, exotic furs and plants from Thuanur - or works of craftmanship that have yet to be rivaled by anything produced outside the beligerent nation. Often it's a combination of the two; beautifully carved furniture made of ebony black wood, or breath-takingly delicate jewelry set with opals and  jade.

On the other end of the scale, Suminthur imports various odds and ends from the rest of Litanaea - Chō weapons are probably the most notable, but Afrennen tea and linen, Thevan clothing, Milanese manufactured goods, and Sarantican knickknacks all make their way onto the island in one way or another.

There is a persistent, if yet-to-be-proven rumor that Süminthur serves as a port-of-call for eurite raiders looking to dispose of their ill-gotten goods.

Politics: Relatively simple compared to the rest of Litanaea. A single absolute monarch has only the occasional noble or peasant (and sometimes both) uprising to contend with. Of course, it takes five or six politicians'-worth of savvy to keep everybody relatively happy and played off against one another, seeing as the central government only has as much power as it can talk the people into giving it. The very, very independently-minded people, that is.

Religion: None. Süminthur is amazingly secular, at least on paper. Most of the population worships something, although it is a hodge-podge of beliefs, and its citizens are liable to swear by just about anything.

Culture: If nations were people, Süminthur would be the crazy survivalist who spends his time alternately shooting things, and ranting about how the government (or aliens, or possibly both) is trying to take away his rights. While the other nations largely leave Chō alone because of their superb weaponry and fierce maneuvers, those same nations leave Süminthur alone because the Süminth are certifiable to the last man, woman, and child. Fiercely independent and gloriously proud to be so, they have been conquered three times in their long history. Each time, the conquering nation decided that controlling the luxuries coming out of Süminthur was not worth the price of having to rule its people.

In feel, the small island nation is more laid back than any of its fellows. Less concerned with conquering its neighbors or developing the latest and greatest technologies, Süminthur's population is single-mindedly focussed on pursuing their individual freedoms and protecting those same freedoms from oppression.

Social Systems: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Claude Helvetius might as well have been talking about Süminthur. The social systems and relationships are as varied as the people, and the right to make those choices is fiercely supported by the citizens, even if they might sometimes dearly wish that their fellow Süminth would make less offensive choices. Or at least only make them in private.

Climate: The mountainous Süminthur makes for a chillier climate than the latitudinally similar Miln Island, but it otherwise makes for decently arable land, largely forested. Thuanur itself is a bit of an anomaly, being a small little chunk of equatorial rainforest, complete with an annual rainfall measured in feet, lovely hot and humid weather, and a plethora of diverse plant and animal life. This 'misplaced climate' zone extends for several miles beyond the island's borders in a roughly circular pattern. Luckily, Süminthur's other satellite island is not affected by any abnormal climatological features.

History: Süminthur has always been pretty well left alone by the majority of Litanaea's nations, with a few notable exceptions. There have been a few trade contacts in the past from Sarantican isles or what are now Milanese territories. At one point, the kingdom that controlled eastern Miln Island made the hop over to Süminthur and soundly defeated the smaller island's armed forces. They then learned the hard way that one truly can govern only with the peoples' consent. Guerilla attacks turned even routine patrols into grueling death marches and ambushes at every turn. It took less than three years to drive them out of Süminthur, the kingdom's attention drawn away by young Miln's imperialistic leanings.

Miln itself tried the same invasion tactics twice during its history with Süminthur, each time more successful than the last, but both times it was akin to holding a bobcat in a burlap sack. The first time saw the Milanese army driven off within a year, while the second attempt took the Süminth a full decade to throw off, culminating with a godtouched's death throes sending a wall of fire screaming west across the Fox Sea, searing the tip of Miln Island's eastern peninsula to the ground. That it took the lion's share of the Empire's navy with it was the nail in the coffin of Miln's ambitions on Süminthur.

At one point, some years later, they had a thriving alliance with the as-yet-unconquered Icefox Island, and many of their young men died in defense of that island and ensuing guerilla actions against both Miln and Afrene. Their last of their outnumbered navy was lost buying time for refugees to flee to Süminthur, and the irony of their merchants requiring Milanese escorts on some of their trade routes is not lost on Süminth historians. While recent decades have repaired many of the ill tempers between them and Litanaea's various nations (although it has yet to alleviate their knee-jerk suspicions), it is rumored that, should Icefox rise up again, Süminthur would be right there alongside them.

GodTouched: Süminthur is one of the more open nations with regards to godtouched, and popular gossip would have it largely just to piss off Miln. They have a very simple and strict law regarding actually using one's touch, though: don't. Of course, the relatively weak central government is never going to be allowed to acquire the clout necessary to put away godtouched as soon as they start acting up, so while they are quick to mobilize military units upon hearing of such individuals, the time frames and individualistic personalities involved usually mean that it is left to the people to deal with them. Citizen police form themselves up and 'deal' with the godtouched in some manner. The most popular method is the "We don't want your kind around here" speech and forced exile. Your mileage, of course, may vary. In Süminthur, it may vary greatly.

     *Erennur (eh-REN-ner) – X

     Anglinur (AANG-lih-ner) – X

     Sylvannur (sill-VAN-ner) – X

     Thuanur (thoo-AA-ner) – X

     Valennur (val-EN-ner) – X