Varesian Confederation

A loose confederation of neighboring city-states encompassing the lands of Varese, the Varesian Confederation is a power known for being one of the cultural centers of Estoria, as well as the center of much rivalry between the individual cities. The Confederation is practically a country in name only, each city-state operating at a high level of autonomy. The Doge of the Confederation holds only minimal power, operating as a head of state when allowed but elsewise mostly being a figurehead. As such, it is very difficult to rally the Confederation to any meaningful cause. Never in their existence has every city banded together, a civil war here or holdout there always preventing total unity. This prevents cohesion and makes the very formidable Varesian army and navy rather irrelevant, as at any given time only the ten city-states of the Ruling Council and a third of the rest will rally. Unless, of course, it is their own city in peril, in which case no expense is spared until the threat is utterly crushed. Internationally, Varesians are not well liked due to their perceived lack of real nationhood as well as a past penchant for making poor allies. Individual cities have signed contracts and betrayed them once the benefit was gone, lending the country as a whole a poor reputation. They are, however, renowned for their fine craftsmanship and fierce refusal to ever back down from a fight when it interests them. Even the most humble Varesian is prideful of his city, and whether wielding a spear or a knight’s polehammer, each man holds a stubborn love in his heart for his home.

Geography
The Varesian Confederation is perhaps the most interesting phenomenon in all of Estoria. Though the northern reaches border the southeast of Stahlheim at a mountain pass, beyond in the south is a series of closely linked islands and isles. Upheaval of the earth before written history violently changed the makeup of the land, and perhaps half of the country’s city-states exist on these isles. Some are distant and not connected to the mainland at all, while others are close enough to one another to be connected by bridges and manmade canals. This strange dichotomy is confusing at best, dividing the north and the south culturally and economically. The country has a similar climate to Almeron, though it’s winters are somewhat harsher in the north and far calmer in the south.

Economy
The Varesian economy is divided mostly by location, but also by the strength of the city-state in question. The north relies on farming, winemaking, and mining in the mountain passes. The south relies heavily on fishing and maritime trade in order to make due. The more affluent city-states tend to dominate the sea trade, boasting large fleets of trade ships with the protection required to ensure they aren’t targets of pirates. Thus, in general the northern city-states tend to be more wealthy, though the richest and most influential city-states are almost entirely found in the south. There is more of a wealth gap in the southern isles, but those few who have mastered the sea trade hold the majority of power within the Confederation and can aim the country towards their goals.

Religion
Though many things divide the Varesian city states, they are certainly united by their devoutness to Ignis. The Church of Ignis is the official religion of the Confederation, and it is one of the few things that is almost entirely uniform throughout. Near every city has a chapel, with the wealthier ones often ‘competing’ by building larger and more grand cathedrals to make their rivals look less impressive. The proximity of the Church’s own city-state, the Isle of Ignis, has ensured a close relationship between the two groups. Varesian men are the most commonly found within the ranks of the Church’s forces, more numerous even than the faithful of Lleida. Trade and gold flow well between the two, and it is a profitable relationship grounded in belief that is unlikely to change.

Culture
The Varesian people are parts stubborn, prideful, joyous, and expressive. Their native tongue is one that emphasizes emotion in language and it shows when they speak. There is a strong competitive spirit in the Varesian people, each man and woman frequently boasting and trying to prove that the city they hail from is by far the best. There is not a strong warrior history in the Confederation, but there is great praise found in bringing something into the world. Craftsmen are honored highly for their work, and those that create beauty will not want for coin in the city-states. There is also a general understanding among the city-states that money will flow, and there is far less judgement than in other lands regarding debauchery. Brothels and taverns are both exceedingly common, and no one will look down upon a man paying for a woman’s company, for he has the gold to do so in the first place. It is difficult to discern if there is a Varesian national identity at all, but these unifying factors and the general pride for each man’s home brings the Varesians closer together than even they would like to admit.

Politics
Politics in the Confederation are near impossible for natives to understand, let alone outsiders. There are several hundred city-states, each with their own customs, laws, leader, and military. The country’s capital changes every year to appease the city-states, and the head of state has next to no power. They are capable of making decrees, but they are seen as suggestions and not any sort of mandate to be followed. Elsewise they simply serve as a de jure figurehead, allowing other nations someone with which to discuss treaties and trade with the multi-faceted Confederation. The closest thing to a legislative body is the Ruling Council, a group of the ten oldest and most powerful city-states who advise the head of state and form the bulk of any sort of Varesian military. There are frequent wars in the Confederation, small city-states going to war to improve their lot and larger ones going to war to increase their prestige. There are countless alliances and grudges, impossible to decipher without an adept native or a politician with more wit and patience than most. The Confederation is a web with thousands of interlocking strands, and only a select few know how they all fit together.

Military
The Varesian military is as varied as the Confederation itself, equal parts elite, poor, expansive, weak, aggressive, defensive: There are far too many city-states each with their own goals and ideas of how to defend themselves to aptly describe it. If there is one thing shared, however, it is a great sense of pride each soldier holds for their own city. It can never be said that Varesian soldiers are not brave or eager if they believe their cause will serve their city, and Varesian militias are known to be far more eager and well-equipped than most. The closest thing to a common theme among the city-states is a focus on well-trained and equipped militias, using spears and shields to quickly assemble a defensive force so that even if true warriors are absent the fight shall not be an easy one for the enemy. Varesian knights are not considered the most chivalrous by any means, but are well respected fighters in their own right. They tend to prefer pole-hammers and other weapons efficient at breaking through armor, and their own armor is generally exquisitely crafted. Mercenary companies are the most common in the Confederation, where well-trained(and more importantly, cohesive) units of soldiers are valued more highly than large sums of gold. Soldiers for hire can make a fortune in the Confederation and are considered to be skilled warriors due to the amount of action they see, though they can hardly be considered very loyal to any specific cause. The Varesian navy would be the strongest the world has ever seen if it ever fully united, but even with only the Ruling Council contributing ships it is rivaled currently only by Lleida. The Confederation's only force controlled entirely by the Doge are the Flameguards, an order dedicated to fighting the undead.

History
The people of the Varesian Confederation have long occupied the lands of Varese, their history a long and bloody one. Those indigenous to these lands once existed coherently under a single King, though the Legions of the Verilius Imperium sought more land and made Varese one of their first conquests. For centuries it thrived under the rule of the Imperium, the nation's natural resources and position lending themselves to forming a vital part of the Emperor's territories. A catastrophic event now known only as the Maelstrom occurred sometime during the Forgotten Era, all written records of it vanished from the world. It ripped apart the south of Varese, turning unbroken land with arable soil and vast quantities of natural resources to thousands of scattered isles. It ended the lives of tens of thousands and greatly weakened the Imperium's hold on Varese. Years of attempts to rebuild what was lost in the south failed, with the more wealthy north facing riots from the impoverished south and the whole nation crying for independence. As the Imperium began to face problems on all sides, the Emperor eventually gave up and abandoned the lands fully, taking what he could and re-establishing a border between the two nations.

Over the next several decades Varese faced much change and very little leadership, transforming its political landscape to what it is now. Individual city-states ruled the land and preyed on weaker ones, each man knowing loyalty only to where he hailed from. It took much turmoil and clamor for reform before the Varesian Confederation was formed, uniting the city-states together. The influence of the Imperium can still be seen throughout the entire Confederation. Whether it be in highways, language, architecture, or art, the Veriliusi footprint still remains.

Recent Events
The Confederation is an ever-changing landscape. Though there has been no shift on such a grand scale as Lorenthal’s transition into the Commonwealth, there are frequent shifts in inter-city alliances, where money is flowing, and how relations with other countries are formed. There has been a recent recruiting drive by the Church of Ignis in the city-states, seeing a large amount of young men leaving their homes to fight for the Church in its war against the Kretingan Order. This exodus has impacted the economy and the usual inter-city wars, leading to a hike in prices for sellsword companies that are in higher demand as viable soldiers leave to serve Ignis. The Ruling Council have also contributed a total of five ships each towards the objective of starting trade in the New Lands, a risky endeavour that they hope will pay off tenfold. Elsewise, little threatens the convoluted Varesian city-states, though the slightest shift might have unforeseen consequences.