Nistra

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Nistra is the last surviving fragment of Axonia, the great empire of old. The mountainous realm is home to many peoples, all ruled with iron fist by the Great Despot.

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Nistra, the so-called Council of Peoples, is a dominantly human country that consist of 4 distinct nations under the rule of the iron fist Great Despot. Located at the west of Aldor near Aldwynn, led both Nistrian Despotate and Kingdom of Aldor in a constant war and skirmishes across the border.

Geography and Economy

Geographically Nistra are only bordered by 2 countries that is the Fjall clans up at the North and Aldor at the East while their West and South borders the vast sea. Nistra is described as mountainous place, especially the north part bordering Fjall dealing with their frequent raids across the border. Meanwhile the south and west part of the Despotate are filled with line of coastal leading Nistra to be one of the great nation of seafarers and traders. There's also an island at the south-west of Nistra that is under the rule of the Nistrian Despotate.

The east part of Nistra that borders Aldor is usually the place where skirmishes or even great wars were fought between them for decades or even longer. After many wars they fought, both Aldor and Nistra have adapted and learny their respective weapons, armors or warfare tactics.

After the civil war in Aldor, some of Nistrian traders now can comfortably open their business in Brynn. This furthermore boost the exchange in products and armaments between the two rivaling countries. Nistrian traders usually bring their many unique shields and weapons, such as their famous Flame Flask, but also their many textile products like cloths and woolen threads. In return Nistrian traders buy many commodities such as timber and grain or wine that may hard to grow on their mountainous and coastal areas. Economically, Nistra has quite many coastal cities that passed by the Azure Thread route because most traders won't go to Nistra by land from Aldor because the danger and risk of banditry or sudden skirmishes on their border.

Government and Religion

Just like their name, Nistrian Despotate is ruled by single person titled as The Great Despot. Because of that, Nistra is a country that filled with many cities with only 1 capital state that is the Hieropolis where The Great Despot lives and rules. Most notable cities of Nistra usually spread across the coastal and the island of Nistra, where only two cities (Biest and Reshvan) are still thriving at the inland of Nistra.

The Great Despot ruling Nistra with iron fist and strict tradition. Everyone that dare to defy The Great Despot usually executed on the spot or thrown into dungeons to be punished far more brutal than mercy of death. This old tradition of Despotate are nurtured until this day to preserve their lineage as the last and the true successor of the Ancient Axonian Empire. But with how diverse the Nistrian people are nowadays, separated by their own customs and many migrations, only the minorities of Ksifits people are the true descendant of Axonian that mostly consist of nobility, high clergy, and great Despot candidates.

Because of their diversity, Nistrian people have many ways to worship The Host. The main teaching of Nistrian Hieronism dogma or usually called the Path of Tradition coming back from the Axonian era are taught across the coastal area of Nistra to the East near their border. But some areas notably the inland area are more keen to follow their Aldorian neighbor teaching of Gnostic Hieronism. Meanwhile the north-west of Nistra follow the Northern Hieronism or Path of Stoicism mainly because of numerous Chervenians people that have ties with the distant land of Skadia.

History and Culture

Nistra has a long history back to the era of the Ancient Axonian Empire, this is shown on their every aspect of life trying to preserve of their Axonian origin. From the government policy, their way to worship The Host. their armaments, their warfares, their cuisines, everything is kept as similar as possible with how the Axonian did. This preservation of tradition might be seen as a way to make them still connected with their Axonian lineage but also as a status symbol as the true successor of Axonian Empire who kept the tradition until this day.

Modern Nistra nowadays filled with four major tribes of different people who have their customs and way of life that have their own individual rights and privileges.

The most numerous people are Chervenians. The language they speak is reminiscent of some of the dialects of distant Skadia, but unlike Skadians these men and women are significantly more jovial and easy-going. The majority of Chervenians are peasants and farmers. There are few of them among the nobility, so they often have to compete for influence with other peoples' much wealthier noble families.

Then there are Marrs, who were lucky enough to settle along the shores of the Southern Sea, making their residence in the coastal cities - that's their main difference from Chervenians, whom they share close similarities with. They often become merchants and all sorts of craftsmen - by law, Marrs are relieved of numerous taxes and fees, so plying these trades grants them plenty of opportunities for profit.

Zeineshes are a nation of warriors, hailing all the way from ancient nomads who inhabited the local plains. Nowadays, the only thing hinting at their uncivilized ancestry is the unique language they speak - otherwise, it's hard to distinguish them from other peoples of Nistra, whom they've been trading, marrying, and sharing traditions with for centuries. But even though Zeineshes blended in to the point of abandoning the freedom of the steppe and becoming sedentary farmers, they still form the core of the Great Despot's cavalry, as no one can rival their skill in horse husbandry and riding.

And lastly, Ksifits - the direct descendants of ancient Axonians. A large portion of the nobility, city magistrates, high clergy, and even the Great Despot himself come from Ksifit bloodlines - ever since the days of the Late Autocracy, they've been benefiting the most from the Nistrian order of things.

Even with the iron fist Great Despotate, some noble Marrs, Zeineshes, and Chervenians still adoring their clothing with their respective traditional folk patterns to show defiant on the ruling Ksifits minority.

Great Despot of Nistra is a ruler but also a patron for their people. Every year he ensure a military parade across their capital city to show the might of Nistrian military for the common people. This parade won't be seen normal in Aldor to fraternize the noble's riches and ornate equipment to their poor townsfolk. But in Nistra this yearly parade is an usual occurrence.

Military and Weaponries

Similar on how Nistrian people keeping their culture and way of life strictly following the tradition of Ancient Axonian, their weaponries and warfare are still following the tradition no matter how ancient or how antique they were. To their Great Despot, preserving and replicating centuries-old weapons and armors is a matter of prestige to be perceived as the successor of the Great Axonian Empire. But sometimes out of necessity and numerous conflicts with neighboring Aldor, pushed them to copy others strategy or adapting new strategy towards their rivals.

Beside antique weaponries, Nistra put maces in high regard and even renowned as noble weapon. Unlike Skadia that create many bludgeons and have deep root of respect toward mace, Nistrian people see maces as the power to defeat Aldorian full-plated knights. There are so many vendors, smiths, and traders showing their unique and powerful mace that can make a dent of the most expensive Aldorian plate armor.

For defensive, scale armor is still used by many troops in Nistrian army. Dated back when Nistra's influence stretched far to the East with their full-scaled armor cataphracts. With their love in military tradition, scaled armor and scaled boots still a common sight on every Nistrian equipment.

There are several tactics that shown still effective even for current warfare standard that still practiced by Nistrian army. Some of them are well-known that even praised by their rivals to be studied, adopted, or strategically calculated for their own retaliation tactic.

• The famous square shield formation. Nistrian military deployed their heavy infantry in square formation armed with their tower shields. This formation help them to protect their first row of infantry but also the archers behind the square formation. Making them impervious to disorganized attack from Fjall raids and intimidate Aldorian commander to charge their heavy cavalry for needless death.
• Skirmishing tactic. Beside the full-plated heavy infantry from Nistra fending off rows of enemies, there are many support from the flanking light cavalry and agile archers/horse archers whittling down enemies from the back or any weak point of enemies' ranks. Trapping enemies to defend themselves from all sides.
• Flame Flask. The famous yet mysterious Nistrian Flame, created with their secret recipe by the Nistrian alchemists and engineers that not even Aldorian scholars can reproduce. Throwing these bottles of flame can set ablaze even the most armored Aldorian commander or disorganized enemies' rank who tried to avoid both the fire and also the Nistrian infantry advance.

Nistrian army are famously renown across The Continent because their training regime, their antique weaponries, and also their heavy armored soldiers. There are many elite troops that are personally trained to aid Great Despot's war across the Continent or for personal bodyguards protecting the capital cities. Current troops that Nistra known to recruit are:

• Agemon or Aegemon. The elite guardsmen of The Great Despot himself. Picked from young age and trained in Gymnasium with harsh and cruel regime to build not only their physical prowess, but also their martial and magic arts to become the perfect bodyguard. Usually armed with heavy polehammer or two-handed mace with adequate magical knowledge of Geomancy, Agemons are the heavy hitting infantry that not only good at protecting Nistrian Despotate, but also dealing heavy damage to whoever dares to defy their Despot.
• Cataphract. Heavy cavalry armed with armor from the rider to the hooves of their horses. The rider adored with countless shiny scales of armor and armed with hefty flanged mace. Cataphract will charge in wegde formation with their heavy armored mount like battering ram that even break pikemen formation. After the brutal trample from their charge, the rider will finish whoever survive the initial charge with their heavy maces.
• Nistrian Heavy Infantry. Nistrian military really believe in their infantrymen. This shows with many of their infantry are geared with many scaled armor and protection such as Nistrian shield to protect themselves and their back ranks that usually filled with light infantry or archers.
• Skirmish Light Cavalry. Beside their heavy cavalry of cataphract, Nistra also use many light cavalry to harass enemies backline or flank infantry that are preoccupied by their sturdy heavy infantry. Usually armed with shield to protect them from stray arrows.
• Skirmish Light Infantry. Nistrian military also deployed light infantry. Most notably light infantry are archer that raining arrow from the back line, or maneuvering across the battlefield to whitling down infantry numbers.
• Geomancer Mage. Even though Agemon or other high commander in Nistra learn some magic of Geomancy for bolster their defense, there are also many powerful geomancers deployed to cast runic boulder or earthquake to shatter walls, buildings, or human alike just like when Nistrian besieged the city of Aldwynn.
• Varangs. Nistra just like their neighbor Aldor, also bulk their military ranks with mercenary or anyone that put a price for their service. This mercenary can be from their Northern brigands, or the famous Varangs mercenary from Fjall clans. From hiring Varangs, Nistrian military learn the usefulness of bardiches that the Varangs brought from Skadia.

Trivia

• Nistra inspired heavily with the history of Byzantine Empire which how they proclaimed themselves as the successor of Axonian Empire which might be referenced Roman Empire.
• The many people in Nistra also transpired from Byzantine diverse ethnicity which at some point also include Slavs, Armenian, Syria, Southern Italy, Anatolia, and many more.
• Their box formation referenced Roman Empire testudo formation and square formation.

Notable Nistrians NPC/Character

• Leosthenes
• Rigo Nevic