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Toscano

A farm in the south of Toscana.

Toscana, or officially the Republic of Toscana, was a country (or, to be more precise, a empire) on the western part of the Continent. It shared and borders with Gallica, Alpina and Aslava in the north and Arrida in the south. It also bordered the Constant Sea in the west and the Sea of Rostov in the east.  

Etymology[]

The name Toscana is clearly based on Toscana, which is a region in Italy. In the middle-ages, Italy was divided amongst many different small states, and the Grand-Duchy of Tuscany (Toscana) was one of them. 

History[]

Although it was said that it once conquered some uncivilized tribes living in the north, in the area bordering Gallica, Magyara and Alpina, and incorporated them into the Republic. The Toscanan Army now uses these tribal warriors as lightly armoured scouts.

Toscana had a rich history of the Rovo Empire based of the city of Rovo. Founded in 902 B.C.E, the Golden Age was under Coltonus the Great 665-622 BCE. He conquered Carthago (which would become Arrida years later), Graca, Turkoye, Perza, Dacia, Araluen, Picta, Celtica, Mountains of Rain and Night, Hibernia, Gallica, and Alpina. The Empire fell in 189 CE when the Teutons sacked and destroyed Rovo and overran the Empire. Because of Coltonus, Toscan influence is strong in the realm and due of its vast territories, the Toscan accent is broad, but is thus made easier for non-Toscans to imitate.

For all the strength, however, the forces of Toscana were swiftly overcome and trampled by the Temujai as they began their first invasion of the west. The Temujai, fortunately, did not overcome the entire empire, to focused on seizing the lands of Gallica, which they could then use to capture the more-southern nations such as Iberion and Helleno, as well as perhaps progressing on across the sea, and instead only occupied the empire's northmost territories before their sudden retreat in the wake of Sha'shan Mat'lik's death.

The Toscans are famous for being a nation of great inventiveness and progress in the arts of medicine, technology and transport, and, due to being a major source of trade, the markets overflow with exotic contraptions from across the known world. Examples include an early version of a stethoscope brought by Geoffrey to Araluen and yo-yos. The Toscans also introduced one of their most greatly-beloved games, chariot races, to the rest of the western hemisphere and almost any city or major town established by the Toscans could be identified by the hippodrome always built, where Toscans, during days of rest and times of merrymaking always hosted a chariot race in celebration. Theatre was another of the most loved forms of entertainment for Toscans and, like races, acts and plays were held often during celebrations for all to watch. Toscan settlements were built with greater defences donated to the more high-ranking households (eg the palace of the town's appointed leader), with different layers being accordance to the citizens ranks, beginning on the outskirts where the poorest or criminal part of the town resided, then going on to orderly rows of houses, manufactories and shops built from marble-adorned stone or mortar that were the residences of the common folk (labourers, minor traders, commoners, shop owners, etc) before finally centralising in the manor house and offices of the town governor and the large homes of wealthy and influential citizens such as rich traders and government officials. The houses of commoners in the Empire are typically constructed of wooden supports that are covered by terracotta tiles, though, in the case of more successful careers, the houses are ornately adorned. In the case of port towns, open jetties are constructed from water stones, jutting out of natural harbours.

The theatres of Toscana are traditionally built into the side of hills for their nature shape, which was needed for good acoustics. However, many times has history shown that when it comes to humour, Toscans pride is notoriously stronger. Toscan chariots are beautifully-constructed creations, three-sides of its platform enclosed by a railing that curves upwards at its front in a sweeping design. The space between the railing and light pine planking that floor it are constructed from plaited cane, chosen, as Hal assumed, to save weight, all-important in the racing vehicle. From the chariot front, a yoke pole — typically hewn from a solid wood such as ebony — juts from the front, breaking at its tip in a T-shaped crosspiece that is fitted with leather harnesses (the number of which depends on the number of horses). Like the yoke, Toscan chariots typically race on wields of ebony wood, chosen for its strength and local sources, are forged with four thick spokes, all beautifully fitted with intricate carvings that fit into a thick, heavy rim that is selected for strength over lightweight construction. The wheel rims are also fitted with iron tyre bindings. Chariots, however, also require a team of horses that can only be deployed after months of training, least they gallop at their own pace instead of as a unit.

Toscana is one of the nations that subscribe to the Silisian Council and often utilise the international organization when officially transferring large sums of money to different countries (e.g. ransoms, pay-offs, etc). The Toscans, like Araluen, also utilize carrier pigeons that carry messages to locations both inside and outside the Empire's borders. The carrier service was once, however, put at the risk of dissolving after, in response to enemies of the state taming falcons to attack pigeons and capture the messages they bore, the Toscans attempted to train ravens, though the operation was eventually given up due to, according to Halt, ravens' "talking to much".

In the years before the events of The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, Toscano had a conflict over trade with Arrida, who only the waters of the Constant Sea separate Toscana from. The Arridi had been trading in kafay with Toscanan merchants, causing many Toscans to become addicted to it, in return from the woven cloth necessary for protection against the blistering desert sun, olive oil and herds of goat and sheep needed to replenish the Arridi's own flocks. The Toscan authorities then boycotted trade from the Arridi, who's lands held great reserves of red gold and iron ore needed by the Toscan military to finance and equip their forces, with almost provoked the desert people to respond with open war. Luckily, committees of diplomats, including Wakir Seley el'then, who served as the Emrikir's representative, sent back and forth and the crisis was averted with the assistance of citizens of Araluen, a trusted ally of both Arrida and Toscana, including Diplomatic Corp member Alyss Mainwaring and Rangers Halt O'Carrick and Will Treaty. Toscana and the Arridi later achieved cordial relations and are good trade partners as of 653 C.E .[1] Toscana's relationship with Araluen is one of open friendship, with the two states trading with each other on a regular basis and young Royals are taught the dialect of the ancient Toscan. Some Toscans have even settled in Araluen and brought some of their culture and language to the island-kingdom and indeed, the anarchist Red Fox Clan seems to possess a great deal of Toscan roots from a bygone era, for they take both the title of their leader, Vulpus Rutilus ('the Red Fox') and their traditional salute from the early military of the Kingdom of Toscana, long before it became an empire. Another term of Toscan origin is that of the position of loco parentis (aka, the father of the bride), which translates to 'the parent who gives her away', a marriage custom that has become common across the known world, from Toscana itself to the Skandia capital of Hallasholm. Castle Redmont occasionally employs providores of Toscan heritage, who often work with head staff members such as Desmond. The trade of smugglers from Toscana that operate includes imported silk, lace and fine linen woven in the Empire and smuggled over to Araluen shorelines. Due to the cheaper prices of smuggled items, the smugglers have highly keen customers amongst the smaller coastal settlements, like Cresthaven.

The need for peace with Arrida was increased by the corsairs and slavers infesting the Constant Sea and attacking Arridi and Toscan merchant vessels without warning. Subsequently, with the assistance of Araluen, Toscana and Arrida also signed an agreement with the Skandians that detailed several wolfships to defend the waters between them from the roaming pirates (the Araluens' friendship with Skandia's ruler Erak Starfollower further added to the decision of electing Araluen as a neutral third-party for the peace establishment).

Before this peace between Toscana and Skandia, however, the coast of Toscana was an occasional raiding ground for Skandians, though the fearsome Sea Wolves never attacked with the commonality they did with the more popular shores of Gallica, Teutlandt and Araluen due to the power of the military that often garrison the towns to protect the unprotected people from such raiders. However, the artistry of the Toscans continues to draw raiders and greedy buccaneers and during a raid in Toscana, Erak, future Oberjarl of Skandia, "liberated" a marble fountain-statue of a naked young boy standing on the top of a basin, which was mechanically designed to "pee" water into the basin, but, to his gall, the Jarl was never able to figure out how to work.

Several decades before this, however, Toscana had already established a desert community on the fringes of Arrida's borders, which became the city of Ephesa, a major source of trade, surely amplified even more by the alliance between Arrida and Toscana herself. Instead of building the city directly by the oasis near to Ephesa, the colonists instead built underground pipelines leading into Ephesa's wells, leaving the citizens with a constant source of water, but left the oasis open to all to come and go. The reasons behind this was to create a sense of hospitality with the local nomadic tribes belonging to the Bedullin and Tualaghi, among others so as to avoid alienating them by taking control of the natives' main source of freshwater, though the Ephesans still took the opportunity to plant the bamboo needed to create supporters for the canvas sun awnings sheltering the hippodrome audience from the blistering Arridan sun. Their attempts, however, were futile, for neither the honourable Bedullin wanderers nor the blue-vialled Taulaghi raiders took kindly to the claim that they were now citizens of the Toscanan Empire and were constantly rebelling, leaving Ephesa, though successful in trade, a difficult outpost for the Empire to constantly maintain.

Genovesa

The sprawling mass of Genovesa, riddled with alleyways and passages

Despite its authority, the city of Genovesa, despite lying within (albeit on the very edges of) the borders of Toscana, maintains an independence as a city-state, governed instead by local leaders rather than the Toscan emperor. Genovesans, however, display their clear Toscana origins in their similar accent, which can be concealed by Toscan accent. Genovesa, as well as being a great source of seafaring and mapmaking trade, also serves as the headquarters of a guild of infamous mercenary assassin that lurk within the bustling crowds of farmers and citizens, traders and shop-keepers throughout the city, employing their services for the right price. The Genovesan Assassins dress in tight black leather, dull purple cloaks and similarly coloured wide-brimmed, feathered hats. Their preferred weaponry, along with poison, are crossbows and a collection of daggers hidden in dozens of places.

Because of the great deal of it's northern shoreline the Toscan territories occupy, the customs and building styles of Toscana have leaked into the independent island communities scattered throughout the Constant Sea, such as Santorillos. On the minor independent community of Santorillos, for example, the majority of building roofs are covered in red clay tiles of a medio curva-like design, which originates from Toscana.

Desert Village overview 8

The ruined, looted husk that was once Ephesa

Eventually, however, it was Toscana's expansion that led to its collapse as it grew to such a size it became to unwielded to be controlled by a single capital. In accordance, Toscana was divided in two twin empires, the west ruled by the original capital, while the eastern lands were renamed Byzantos after it's capital, founded by Constantus the First. While the previous Toscan Emperor retained control of the west, ruling from the traditional city of power, Constantus built the new empire's capital of Byzantos on a strategical point that was defended three-ways by water and secure behind high walls Constantus rose. However, while Constantus's empire retained the laws, language, customs and military organisation of the original empire, Byzantos was also energetic and became a centre of trade, becoming prosperous while Toscana grew more and more venerable as its internal political corruption reduced it's prestige and influence. Subsequently, Toscana, though still influential, fell under the shadow of its younger twin, growing further and further at risk of falling to an invasion launched by it's ambitious northern neighbours. Furthermore, the beginning of the Empire of Toscana's collapse, coinciding with the continued rebellions of the Tualaghi and Bedullin tribes resulted also in Ephesa being abandoned as those that colonised it and becoming a ruined shell of its glory, ransacked by the nomads and bandits of the area.

Toscana, even after it became Empire, retains the internal politics that any kingdom possesses via the powerful families of their aristocratic upper class. These families, though subjected to the Emperors will, maintain great influence amongst the Senate, the army and the Empire as a whole, especially those that have existed since before the Toscan Kingdom became the Republic of Toscana. Many of the most successful trade businesses who's origins are rooted directly in Toscana are controlled by these dynasties and each family, much like the Senshi Clans of Nihon-Ja, also maintains their own individual crest

Governance[]

Toscana is a republic and is ruled by the Toscanan Senate. It's provinces aren't ruled by feudal lords, such as barons, but by governors who are appointed by the Senate and who can be fired whenever the Senate wishes for it. 

Culture[]

The Toscanans have an Italian culture with signs of the Roman culture in it. They speak Italian and have Italian names. 

Military[]

The Toscanan Army was divided in Toscanan Centuries, formations of a hundred men with large shields, armour, short stabbing swords (gladii) and javelins. The Century's discipline was excellent, with flawless execution of their techniques. General Sapristi, a high-ranked commander in the Army, also stated that none have found a way to defeat it in a battle on the open field, where the Toscanans could use their formations, which involved making shield walls and throwing javelins when enemies came close. However, if the soldiers would have to fight on an area where they can't use their formations, they would be more likely to lose. Unlike many nations, who maintain and small but effective standing army, Toscana, due to it's initial increase in territory, retained a vast constant force to call to arms at all times.

The Toscanan fighting techniques could be used without much training, as long as the soldiers followed up orders given by the commanders. However, though the soldiers of the Toscan lands found long and hard, even they were no match for the stampeding horseman of the Temujai as they swarmed the north of the Empire, crushing all who stood in their path, even those of this grand empire.

On the seas, Toscana also had respectable fleets protecting its trade from pirates.

The seniority of many Toscan officers can be heavily discerned from the amount of gold and silver that trim their armour and cloak fastening. Meanwhile, common Imperial soldiers typical attire include iron-nailed sandals and armour made of metal strips. These strips were hinged and laced together to allow for the maximum amount of movement during battle. Round his neck, the legionary wore a scarf to protect his skin from the metal armour. At first Toscan soldiers wore bronze helmets, but, in the wake of the realisation that bronze helmets did not provide adequate protection against the swords used by the barbarians, they were replaced by helmets made of iron.

Economy[]

  • Trade: Toscana had lively trade with Gallica, Iberion and the Arridi. Expensive and rare products from the Far East, from countries such as Indus and Nihon-Ja, were usually transported to the West by Toscanan merchants. 

Cities[]

Only three Toscanan cities have been mentioned so far:

  • Genovesa: A large coastal city-state (apparently independent of Toscan rule) on the shores of the Constant Sea. It was a major trade hub for the eastern part of this sea. The Genovesan Assassins, fierce murderers who could be hired by everyone who pays them well, also operated from this city. 
  • Palladio: This city was located on the southern part of Toscana. It was well known from the song, "Blacksmith from Palladio". 
  • Raguza: Though its position makes it technically a Toscan city, the pirate haven of Raguza on the banks of the River Dan is clearly independent of the rule of the Senate.
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