General Description: A small, liberal monarchical kingdom on the borders between the larger northern states, it has one major city and a small but interesting population.
Location/Boundaries: Sienova lies on the East side of the Vaalsberg/Eisling Mountains. They hold the northern (Forli) pass through the mountains, a trade route that is very important to all of the surrounding states. They have long been established in this location and none of their borders are disputed. The capital city of Sienova is Pavia, which lies in the defensible foothills of the mountains on the Tarano river. It is the major town in the south. In the hills at the northern border lies its sister city of Treni.
Government: A hereditary monarchy. The king (occasionally a queen) is a fairly absolute ruler, though he does have a council of advisors whose advice carries the weight of tradition. The royal family has always been fairly informal, with rulers routinely making themselves available to their citizens and listening to their criticisms and advice.
Laws/Legal System: The laws of Sienova are based on those of both Achaea and Gallacia. Their judicial system and the types of punishment used are basically Achaean, though it differs in not focusing so much on civil law suits as Achaean law does. The emphasis is on criminal law. Mutually agreed upon arbitration is usually used to settle civil conflicts.
Social Classes/Status: Sienova is small, and familiarity breeds contempt. The contempt in this case is for rules and regulations. Generally, anyone in Sienova with something interesting to say will be heard out. Of the important people at court, just as many of them are scholars or artists (often foreign) as are hereditary nobles (though many people are both, of course). Status is based more on such things as how popular one's ideas are, how fashionable one's dress is, or how many romantic songs one knows. This means that status can change in a moment's notice. The nobility might find this more distressing, if it wasn't just as likely to change back. In Sienova, about all that is required for status (and possibly wealth) is creativity, eloquence and luck.
Cities/People: The one major city (and Sienova's capital) lies amidst the breathtaking mountain scenery at the east end of the Forli pass. It is built primarily of stone and tile and is both well fortified and well designed. The city can claim to never have fallen in a siege, though during the past centuries, several powers have tried at different times. The other towns of Sienova follow the same basic plan as the capital and are likewise primarily built of stone and tile. The capital is renowned throughout the northern continent for its beauty and its roof-top gardens. The people of Sienova are a mixture of many different stocks. Their language (also spoken in some of the neighboring states) seems descended from that of the Old Empire, without the Sea-raider or Gallic influence that Kingdom speech shows. The people themselves tend to be a mixture of Western, Gallic and Achaean stock.
Military: The country keeps a small but highly trained and very well equipped (and well paid) force at ready. They drill continually and are always vigilant in their guarding of the pass. This not only means that it would be difficult for an invader to take, it ensures that the Sienovese route is one of the safest in the world to travel. The Sienovese army is known not only for its skill but also for its flamboyant uniform and the impeccable politeness with which they treat travellers. One of the hallmarks of the Sienovese force is their use of the newest reliable technology. Gunpowder weapons of various sorts, including cannon, matchlock small arms, and even wheelocks, are becoming fairly common.
Education: There is a brief term of mandatory education required of all citizens at some age (preferably before adolescence). This lasts only a couple of winters and is similar to that found in the Marches or Achaea. There are Achaean universities close enough to Sienova that it has no real need of one itself, and has not yet established one. The capital is still considered a center of informal education, however, where both men and women can meet at various private salons (as well as at court) and discuss everything from politics to metaphysics.
Technology: On the cutting edge. Situated as it is along one of the north's biggest trade routes, Sienova has access to just about anything they want. They do not so much invent the ideas themselves (being given more to impractical dreaming) as hire the best craftsmen from the surrounding lands to ship or locally manufacture what the Sienovese need.
Production & Industry: Sienova has several industries. Being in such a prime location as well as being a liberal state without Achaea's reputation for law suits, many foreigners have come there to set up shop. There are also local industries quarrying and exporting fine marbles and other stone, manufacturing high quality ceramics and jewelry, and weaving and the working of cloth into highly sought-after prints and designs. The Sienovese also raise and export animals, including some unusual ones like falcons, a type of ferret preferred in noble households for pest control, song birds, and sheep dogs. They raise sheep and goats as well and grow vegetables, grapes, dates, olives, and cedar (used for safely storing fabrics as well as for beautiful furniture in general). They also do small-scale (surface) mining of gold and silver, but much of their wealth comes simply from their control over all the trade through the northern pass. One of their most unusual exports is ice, which forms in certain oddly cold high mountain caves. This product is shipped in great blocks to Achaea, where it demands a high price.
Foreign Relations: Sienova has good relations with Achaea, Gallacia, the Kingdom, and the Marches. They make not only themselves difficult to conquer, but they do such a good job of maintaining the pass that the surrounding lands consider them indispensable. Though they and their king have a reputation for being a bit silly and overly interested in fashion and music, both the Sienovese and their monarch are more cunning than they appear and are good at getting the best deal they can without anyone ever realizing it. The royal family has a reputation for charm at least as deserved as the Gallic Queen's. The only close neighbor that causes Sienova any trouble is a small adjacent state whose royal family occasionally tries to press an ancient and unsubstantiated claim to the Sienovese throne.
Religion: There is no state religion. Members of the Reform Church, the Church of Light, followers of the Gallic pantheon, and the Achaean sea god all coexist with minimal friction in Sienova. The royal family currently seems most inclined to follow the Gallic religion, but this varies from generation to generation depending on the family members and whom has recently married into the clan (the King married a Gallic "duchess," a cousin of Queen Maeve, nearly twenty years ago. They have several children, both male and female).
Magick: The Sienovese are fascinated by magick. They go out of their way to learn about it and see it in action. Often the magicians who go to Sienova to perform are charlatans, but this doesn't much bother the Sienovese. As long as they put on a good show, fake mages are just as entertaining and far safer than the real thing. Fortune telling and divination with cards and such are quite popular as well. The king and his agents do keep a quiet eye on those who actually do have power, though there are no actual magick-related laws or restrictions "on the books." A display of obviously real magick is just as likely to terrify the uneducated here as it is anywhere, and the magicks appreciated by the court definitely lean towards the aesthetic and prosaic.