Denthir

''"The ashes of an Empire, blessed by the sun, shall reignite and thrive, and be loved by everyone. What was lost, my children, Denthir will retake. And the corpses of our foes in our sun will bake." - ''Bolon the Prophet at his execution.

''"The Denthirans are convinced they're owed our lands. They're convinced they'd be liberating us. I sometimes wonder if they forgot that we fought a war to be rid of them?" - ''Bornean Stadtholder Dirch of Cinia, at the 20th Nivan Summit.

Description
Denthir, which styles itself the Denthiran Empire, is a heavily aristocratic and diminished nation-state situated in the middle of the Tatrian Continent. Their government, an elective monarchy with an aristocratic parliament, is seated in the so-called "Imperial Capital". Its culture is dominated by classism, where peasants and merchants "rent" the lands on which they live from aristocrats who demand taxes and shares from their subjects. However, the current 'Empress', one Denain La'nathis, has heavily reduced aristocratic privilege in order to induce a sense of nationalism and revanchism in her people, reminding them of what was lost in the Great Schism that saw the lands of Bornea, Prithus and Synghgarth lost. However, regaining these lands may not be all that necessary - Denthir Proper is full of fertile farmlands, plenty of useable mines along the mountains in the south, and rich sources of cotton, silk and sugar. Were it not for the corrupt and inefficient aristocratic court, Denthir would likely already have prospered on its own. But this is changing quickly, and a Denthiran resurgence may be on the horizon.

Races
The aristocracy of Denthir primarily consists of High-Elves, but also a few Humans and Dwarves. The general population is even more diverse than that of Varnia, as the old Denthiran Empire was home to all manners of races. Refugees of all kinds fled to the Denthiran heartland to continue the only life they'd ever known, leaving Denthir the most diverse nation state in all Kranos.

Culture
Denthiran people, not to be confused with their feudal lords, are often seen as burglars and thieves by foreigners. This stems from the tragic reality that most Denthirans had to resort to illegitimate measures to acquire essentials for their families due to the previously crushing exploitation they were subjected to by the nobility. They are, however, also known to have a knack for catching those who might steal from them.

Domestically, Denthirans view themselves as pragmatic problem-solvers. Following the fall of the Empire, they have had to adapt extensively, and their treasured chivalry is slowly returning as Sun Empress Denain rebuilds the nation. While foreigners would not believe it, honour is a valued trait in Denthiran society.

As always, this does not define your character should they be from here - it is merely a description of how people around your character behave on average. Not all or even any people around your character need adhere to these norms, either - it is entirely up to you.

History
Denthir's history is long and complicated, and is best summarised as absolutely feudal. Knights and nobles feuded for centuries until, at an unspecified point, a significant amount of them united under the legendary King Denthir - the nation's namesake - who was said to have conquered the rest of the continent in less than ten years. His death left no heirs, however, which left all of the supporting noble houses in disagreement over who might succeed him. Thus, the elective monarchy was implemented. This would ensure that there was always some sort of political status quo and that only the most influential could rule. In the beginning, this worked well. But after two centuries, the peoples of Bornea, Prithus and Synghgarth were fed up with aristocratic exploitation of their lands. They formed what is still known as the "Trinity", a defensive alliance, and declared independence from Denthir. This started a war that would later be known as "The Great Schism of Denthir". Bornea had soon pushed its border down to the river Dir, Prithus established an unbreakable frontline by the northern mountains and the rivers outside Castle Valir, and Synghgarth, with Varnian aid, almost pushed their border past Fort D'elain and Ath'quann Castle, both of which are very close to the Imperial Capital. Denthir eventually signed a peace treaty recognising the sovereignty of all three nations, thus giving up more than two thirds of their territory in less than a day. Aristocrats from the now independent lands were sent packing to make due with settling already claimed lands in Denthir Proper as exiles and were refused the privilege of seats in the aristocratic government, which became increasingly inefficient and unsupportive of the elected Sun Empress. It has long seemed like Denthir will not last, and some muse that it may be more beneficial for its population to be divided up between the three new independent states of Tatria - after all, they prosper while Denthirans suffered for long.

However, things are changing under the leadership of the current Sun Empress, Denain La'nathis. Her efforts to streamline governmental procedures have paid off, and she is slowly but surely managing to create a common cause between aristocrats and serfs - mostly by promising the eventual end of serfdom, total elevation of all citizens of Denthir Proper to nobility once the resurgence is complete, and a life of luxury for all once possible. As unachievable as this sounds, Denain's economic reforms have already lead to the elevation of 1/3 of the peasantry to nobility and luxurious lifestyles. As you might imagine, the Denthiran population has never been this motivated, and it shows. Interestingly, there are many who call for the reinstitution of the hereditary monarchy to ensure that Denain, who is often called "The Salvation of Denthir", and her offspring will rule Denthir forevermore.

A Beacon of Aristocracy
While aristocracy and serfdom as it was became the main reason why the Denthiran Empire fractured, modern Denthiran aristocracy is actually the reason why it is strong. The sheer number of families claiming some degree of nobility ensures access to a highly motivated noble workforce that will do almost anything to be elevated in status. This includes military service, administrative duties, policing, and more. As aristocracy has also become an attainable goal for the peasantry following Denain's incredibly popular reforms, even the lowest of people are highly motivated to do their part and contribute to their nation's progress in hopes of one day being uplifted.

Bountiful Lands
Denthir's future power will not only rely on its people. It will likely be built on a foundation of strategic exploitation of their incredibly rich lands. Denthir Proper has beautiful farmlands that never falter, deep and rich mines that never seem to run dry, expansive and seemingly inexhaustible quarries... I could go on. It was difficult to take advantage of these things in the past, but the new Denthir is rectifying this and has achieved major economic revival as a result. The standard of living in Denthir is higher than ever before, perhaps even outmatching other nations despite Denthir's cataclysmic decline just one century ago.

Cavalry Armies
The most notable strength of Denthir lies with their immense numbers of knights. The term knight is not applied loosely here, either. We are honestly talking about whole armies of heavily armored, armed to the teeth, extremely well-trained mounted combatants. The ancient Denthiran cavalry charges were the stuff of legends, and as Denain's reforms swell the numbers of knights within modern Denthir, it becomes increasingly likely that legend will become reality once more.