"Swarnnavum Shaktiyum."
—The motto of the Swarna Guild and the nation as a whole, translating to "The Power of Gold."
The Swarna Authority, also known as the Swarna Adhikaaram (സുവർണ്ണ അധികാരം) is a lush, tropical country situated on the western coast of Eqos, surrounded by dense rainforests and craggy hills. Separated from the rest of the continent by the Km’mala Peaks, the mountains act as a shield which keeps the nation safe and also provides the rain shadow that feeds their forests. The people here are a diverse mix of royals, trade unions, and working-class laborers, all of whom contribute to the nation’s thriving economy. The country’s wealth is built on the abundance of gold mines that dot the abundant forest, making it a highly sought-after destination for traders and merchants from across the continent and beyond. The Authority’s ports serve as major trading hubs leading to the western continent of Teer, whose nordic culture somewhat influences the land now after centuries of raids and trade. For much of the second era, these teerian raids on the shores of the Goldheim Rainforest (locally called the “Varkunasam Forest”) as well as the topography of the land kept the various kingdoms and guilds from unifying, that is until the third era when the Aatrii Royal House brought together significant chunks of the rainforest and unified the entire Gold Beach into a single Aatrii Kingdom. This was in opposition to the northern marches, which slowly became the Vurmark Raj in the modern day.
After significant pushback against Teer to the west and the Kingdom of Yoldra to the east, the country finally had an age of peace. However, time humbles all empires. Over the course of the past few centuries, the power of the ruling Aatrii royals dwindled slowly, until the merchant guilds took over for a short period of time with their private armies. In 3E346, the “Swarna Authority” as it is in the modern day was formed, with a political division and sharing of power between the monarchies and the corporate merchant guilds.
It is composed primarily of humans, panshera, vanara, and jungle-dwarves, along with the vedavin of Vanadweep. Many other species call it home such as birdfolk and dragonborn, but travelers beyond the ports are rare due to the harsh nature of the Goldheim Rainforest. The culture of the Swarna Authority is heavily inspired by dravidian traditions and aesthetics, and is religiously very diverse with a presence of Ashtadharma, Varkaniyyah, as well as the last bastions of the ancient Atakasi faith. The locals take great pride in their heritage, which is reflected in their ornate architecture and colorful clothing that emphasizes the nature within their country. Something that surprises most outsiders is just how strong their navy actually is, as the swarnans have developed large gunboats and protective ships for their merchant fleets. Centuries of naval warfare against Teer have steeled the locals, but their newer ships have yet to be tested against outside forces as most simply give up at the sight of thirty cannons in a broadside. In the modern day, the Authority has neutral relationships with the nations of Teer to their northwest with the exception of the Kingdom of Tórviland whose people have never raided their shores. Tórviland is actually a key trading partner for the guilds as their southernmost cities form a trade link to the eastern shores of Eteru.
The Swarna Authority is divided into several provinces, each ruled by different powers and guilds. Despite their differences, the people of the Swarna Authority share a strong sense of community and camaraderie even if they do not yet believe themselves to be a unified cultural nation-state yet. The nation’s blend of stunning natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and bustling economy make it one of the most influential nations on Abmarah, especially as their corporate interests have formed trade routes and offices across the other continents. By the modern day, the major political groups of the Swarna Authority are:
The Swarna Guild. Almost synonymous with the Swarna Authority itself, the Swarna Guild is by and far the largest and most influential faction within the Authority. With vast reserves of gold, they use their wealth to influence the gold trade across the world, ensuring that prices remain favorable to their interests. The guild also helps in unionizing miners, giving them better wages and working conditions. Their support of labor rights goes against their goals of maximizing profits on the surface, but it actually gives them greater control in the mining practices and resource trading of other countries. With their shrewd business acumen and strategic alliances, the guild has become a formidable force in the world of commerce. They influence almost all of Eqos, as well as mines across the world.
The Adike Consortium. As opposed to the Swarna Guild’s mining, the Adike Consortium (ಅಡಿಕೆ ಒಕ್ಕೂಟ) is a merchant conglomerate with a focus on the rich resources of the Goldheim Rainforest. They are known for their expertise in sustainability, tapping into the rainforest and extracting precious materials, food, lumber, medicinal plants, etc. The Consortium is committed to protecting the rainforest’s delicate ecosystem, working closely with the local tribal clans to ensure that their practices do not harm the forest. They are named after the areca or betel nut, a widespread narcotic that they cultivate. The Consortium sells jewelry, furniture, and crafts in addition to the raw materials, nuts, and fruits that they export. Many druids think that their sustainability is a lie, and that they are selling out their home in the pursuit of greed. The Consortium actually has a rather dark reputation among those that do not blindly follow their corporate propaganda and see them for the labor oppressing military force that they actually are.
Aatrii Royal House. Once the rulers of the city-state of Wesamala, the Aatrii royals are humans who were heavily influenced by the local panshera clans within their jurisdiction. Their name comes from the goddess Aatrii, who they regard as their protector. They once united and controlled the entire nation as their own kingdom, but now only serve as the administrative heads of Wesamala, the largest city of the entire region. They only have a small personal guard nowadays as compared to their heyday, relying on the forces of the Swarna Guild for most of their protection. The monarchy is not completely ceremonial yet, but all signs point to their influence degrading more over time. The Aatrii royals have married into the Zaaba Dynasty of Kasaaq often, strengthening the bonds between the two nations and their monarchies.
Neelakandam Dynasty. The vedavin rulers of Vanadweep island, the Neelakandam Dynasty administrates the island district of Karkeni. Brought into the Aatrii Kingdom not by force but via mutual defense against foreign raiders, the monarchy of the island faced a similar fate as the Aatriis when the merchant guilds eventually took over the nation with their resources. That being said, the Neelakandam Dynasty is much more independent from the rest of the Authority, having its own theocratic police and greater autonomy. Ruling over the homeland of their young species, the Neelakandams have been in power since the creation of their species more than eight hundred years ago, becoming the longest ruling single family on Eqos. Vanadweep is the homeland of Ashtadharma and also has a massive following of Varkaniyyah, so the Neelakandams force the guilds to treat the holy island with more reverence and respect as compared to what they do to the mainland.
Balasekara Dynasty. The bilari rulers of Keiyoor, the Balasekara Dynasty is a distinguished and old sinhalese-inspired noble family that has ruled for the past seven centuries, though it is unknown if it is the same family or successive families taking on the same name. Their house had once been independent rajas of the holy city during the days of the Varkunasam Kingdom, but now serve as regional rulers under the Swarna Authority. They are also given incredible importance within their indigenous Atakasi religion by pilgrims.
Chirutapalli Dynasty. The jungle-dwarf rulers of the city of Chirutapalli from which they get they name, the Chirutapalli Dynasty is a six hundred years old telugu-inspired noble family that now serve as regional rulers under the Swarna Authority. They blend the roles of corporation and nobility as they own the largest shipbuilding company in the entire continent, providing the Authority with much of their merchant fleet. Their powerful gunboats that protect cargo ships are a sight to behold and some of the most dangerous ships on Abmarah.
Goals
The Authority is a collection of four groups that have divided power amidst each other, and now work in unison to create the perfect environment for their mutual self-interests. The nation is incredibly capitalistic, and has become a major point of trade in the world despite being on the “edge” of the map from a central point of view. The guilds aim to expand their influence world-wide, using the near limitless resources of the forest and their vast reserves of gold to their advantage. The monarchies on the other hand maintain the law and order of the nation, with the cities of the Authority aiming to have a level of grandeur rivaling the legendary cities of Eqos such as Kasaaq or Jamre. The monarchies also try to keep their relevance in politics and not lose all standing. There is enough pushback from both the guilds and the monarchies against each other that neither side truly wins out, at least not yet.
Relationships
The Swarna Authority has had a long-standing relationship with the Kasaaqi Hukumat. The Swarna Guild has major influence over the mines of the Kav’orra Desert, and the Varkunasam Consortium has trade routes with Kasaaq going through the treacherous north-western waters of Eqos. The Kasaaqi mahaan houses have intermarried with Aatrii royals often, and there are rumors of House Zaaba having meddled with the internal politics of the Authority before.
The Authority has reached out and formed new trade connections with the Calamity Covenant, and established the presence of their guilds within their lands as one of the first major nations to accept and reach out to the confederation. While they maintain trade routes with the Lunar Collective, their relationship is largely neutral. Lunar colonization and influence has never reached as far west as the Authority, so they’ve had no reason to dislike the Collective. However, they do maintain a level of wariness when dealing with them, as they do not want to be the next target of colonization.
They have fostered a friendly relationship with the Vurmark Raj to the north, and are their largest trading partner. However, Vurmark stays on guard as they do not want to become the next monarchy that loses their power to the merchant guilds. Outside of Eqos, the Swarna Authority has good trade relations with almost all the nations of Abmarah. They have had a tense relationship with the High Kingdom of Jørdheim to the west across the Goldroot Sea due to raiding. While Jørdheim specifically has stopped raiding their shores, there is still a lot of animosity between the two nations due to historical naval disputes. In a turn of events, the swarnan economy now outshines all of Teer.
Military
There is a large standing army in the nation, composed of paid mercenaries as well as local guards. While there haven’t been teerian raids in many centuries, this army maintains the law and keeps the borders of the Authority well-guarded.
History
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