Otteun
| Government |
|---|
| Militocracy |
| Capital |
| Midtal |
| Cities |
| Botunn, Martell, Rasstul |
| Major Worship |
| Beory, Pholtus, Ulaa, Zargos |
| Climate |
|---|
| Cool |
| Exports |
| Copper, fruit, horses, mercenaries, potatoes, pottery, vegetables |
| Imports |
| Cheese, cotton, grain, leather, weapons, woodcraft |
Centered around the Tal River, this country is widely considered to be the most powerful in the world right now. The inhabitants of the country are stoic and industrious people, said to be descendants of the Mount Grabb mountain folk.
Their large standing army (the Ott) has been keeping a wary eye on Kasar all these centuries and the military has taken full control of government. There is no national ruling body other than the Chief Council, not to be confused with the Council of Chiefs, which is a meeting of the same people but on military matters. Locally, government is left to civilians most of the time though the army vets anyone wanting to participate and they set the agenda with edicts from above.
The rulers of the country are always quick to say that commoners pay no tax at all in Otteun. What they are less quick to say is that the wages in the country are low and people have to work long and hard to make enough to survive on. And those that do get taxed, business owners, landholders, etc, they pay quite a bit; and the majority of that goes to military spending. Also of note is that the army owns most of the farms in the country. These incredibly large farms (paffars) are worked by local peasants.
The army has become a caste to itself in Otteun and they have placed themselves outside of society for quite a bit. They have their own laws, most live in permanent army camps (either attached to cities or towns to themselves), their children go to military academies. Yes, they have kept the country safe from any foreign invaders, but it's also true that no one has tried to invade since the forming of the country. They also like to claim that they keep the cities safe and this is true enough, for the richer neighborhoods. Army patrols aren't all that common a sight for those struggling to make ends meet.
History
At the end of the Kasarian Conflict there was much uncertainty about the true motives of Kasar, especially among their direct neighbors. Would they really be content to receive their levy every year or was there another war in the offing?
Before the Collapse there had been anywhere between ten and twenty countries and fiefdoms in the area between what is now Kasar and Dolac. Right after the Kasarian Conflict there were fourteen, some of them hit harder than others but most had come through relatively unscathed and with comparatively low levies; as the conflict went on, the new levies increased a lot.
A fear of Kasar united them all and old differences were soon forgot. At first six nations decided to band together, also due to the influx of dwarves from the Godfall, who were viewed with much suspicion. Laws were changed so as to be able to support a large army, and usually to the detriment of civil liberties, as limited as they already were. Trade and production picked up a lot and soon a number of the other nations joined, spurred on by this economic miracle. The original rulers were more and more sidelined over the decades and centuries, always with the same excuse; that an army this size could only be led centrally. The last three nations eventually joined but it is fair to say they were not given a choice at this point.
At the time some jealous voices claim that those original fourteen countries were hardly hit at all, paid little tribute, and had in all but name been an ally of Kasar. There is no actual proof for all of this though the fact remains that after the Kasarian Conflict, Otteun emerged as one of the most powerful new nations.