Iochander Ideas

Traditions
+1 Diplomatic Relations
-5 Years of Separatism

The IochandersFair Iochand has teemed with humans from time immemorial, yet its stewards, since even before great Castanor, or the Damerian Republic, have been the Creek Gnomes. The passage of centuries has seen the neighbouring Lencori tribes grow, under our influence, into a unique and beautiful culture, a synthesis of the ways of our peoples. Our language finds its way into their speech, and they flock to our theatres for comedy and drama alike. Most significantly, they have embraced our fashion: the mark of a true Iochander is their red cap, worn with pride, just like their rulers.
-0.05 Monthly Autonomy Change

The Portroy CreekThe noble Portroy flows through the heart of Iochand, and its waters sustain the realm. Beyond demarcating the boundary between the demesne of the King in the north and that of the Duke in the south, it carries the trade of Portnamm and Turnwell, the twin hubs of commerce in the realm. To the east lies the Small Country, and beyond the Westcoast. The rebirth of Aelantir brings the promise of exotic goods from afar, and they must flow through us.
+10% Ship Trade Power
+10% Trade Efficiency

The GelpalaasdSince its construction, the beautiful Gelpalaasd, or Yellow Palace, has gleamed as the crown jewel of Iochand. Designed by brilliant Gnomish architects and constructed by their diligent Iochander crews, the palace stands as a monument to the people of the realm, surrounded on all sides by the yellow flowers for which it is named. Dignitaries and nobles from near and far speak of the extravagant balls of the Gelpalaasd, kaleidoscopic affairs of entertainment and decadence, ensconced in the yellow fabric of the palace decor.
+2 Diplomatic Reputation

The Sildthol SevenThe reavers showed no mercy upon their arrival in Cannor, and Iochand suffered the same fate as many realms. Before long, the savage northmen had crushed many of the forces the kingdom could muster, and the people would not rise to aid the realm. The great thinkers and strategists of the royal court toiled fruitlessly over impossible plans to rebuild the army, until insight suddenly struck in an unexpected place. The court jester suggested something more familiar to the people, a simple comedic stage play, to be shown all across the kingdom. \nThe Sildthol Seven follows the story of a ragtag band of Iochanders, three gnomes and three humans, led by the halfling captain Arnol Bravefoot. Stationed in a backwater outpost in the County of Sildthol, they are first to discover a company of reavers, intending a surprise attack while the King's army fought in the north. Stuck between a reaver and a hard place, they wage a campaign of guerilla warfare with tricks, traps, and illusion, leveraging their wits against the bumbling and brutish northmen. The production was a runaway success, and countless Iochanders enlisted in the King's army, energised by new dreams of fun and glory. The popularity of the play did not fade over time, and has been adapted to every medium from bard song to bedtime story, inspiring each new generation to defend Iochand.
+15% Manpower Recovery Speed

University of PortnammThe devastation of the Dragonwake destroyed all but two branches of the Gommo, one on the isle of Nimscodd, and the other in Portnamm, the oldest and most important city of the kingdom. The Gommo branch retained its independence from the crown, and the passage of centuries saw it grow into the University of Portnamm, expanding from artificery alone to include a broader curriculum born of the culture of our people. Actors and authors come from far and wide to learn the dramatic arts, and behind the curtain stagehands study the science of pyrotechnics and stage effects, pushing Iochander theatre to new heights of creativity. In the countryside's idyllic fields, scholars experiment with dazzling new innovations of artificery, ever striving to further augment Iochand's agricultural output and keep the kingdom on the cutting edge.
-5% Technology Cost

The Royal Jester of IochandThe jesters of the realms of Cannor enjoy the "Jester's Privilege," granting them the right to speak freely, and even mock their ruler. Iochander's masked Royal Jester, the Naar, remains a position of great prestige within the court, but it is not entertainment alone the sovereigns seek. The Royal Jester's mask remains the same, but with each encounter, the voice changes, the mannerisms shift, and courtiers are never sure of whether the figure with whom they were speaking was a different act, or a different jester. Both have been true at different times, for the Royal Jester’s greatest role is that of the spymaster of Iochand, overseeing a network of spies harvested from the capable ranks of the kingdom's many troupes of actors.
+20% Foreign Spy Detection
+20% Spy Network Construction

The Greencap EliteThe red cap of the gnome, ever present throughout recorded history, is popular with the Iochander Lencori to the extent that it became part of our military uniform, and the sight of our ranks of red capped soldiers, heights varying wildly, identifies our regiments at a glance. While the kingdom's boorish foes may mock our timeless Gnomish fashion, the appearance of a green-capped soldier chills them to the bone. The gallant Greencaps, a company of elite warriors, armed to the teeth, and drilled into a lethal machine, stand as leaders amongst the rank and file, using their experience to outwit and outlast the enemies of Iochand, and striking fear into all who oppose them.\n But then again, not everything in Iochand is based on a true story. The Greencaps are not an elite order, or even a formal component of the army. In truth, the green caps are given to soldiers with experience in the performing arts, and rotate through the regiments, the wearer tasked with the honour of entertaining their comrades by telling tales of past glory, improvising ruthless mockery of their foes, and staying their hearts with songs of hope. The reputation of the green cap is no secret to its wearers, and they take pride in maintaining the great deception, in hopes that the doubts of the enemy may become opportunities for clever tactics, leaving them as clueless as they are defeated.
+15% Morale of Armies

Ambition
-10% Construction Cost