The Constitutional Republic of Cestirmark is a founding member of the Trollsbay Concord, located in the southeast of the bay. It is known for its historic role in the creation of the Trollsbay Concord, as well as its longstanding commitment to maintaining unity within the confederation. Cestirmarker culture places heavy importance on seeking compromise for the greater good, and consequently tends to produce some of the foremost diplomats and negotiators for the Concord. Though not bereft of class and species differences, most Cestirmarkers view equality as a goal to be striven for. Tourists and locals alike assert that the local culture and natural scenery combine to make Cestirmark a place that no one wants to leave. Also of note is that Cestirmark contains the chamber where the God Fragment was first discovered, and consequently is regarded as the birthplace of the Ravelian faith.
History[]
Cestirmark was founded primarily liberal idealists, influenced by the many returning Greentide adventurers, setting out from Cestirande and surrounding territories of the Luna River in the Eastern Dameshead. Led by the visionary political theorist Varil sína Cymainé, he and many of his supporters left for Aelantir in the early 16th century after a failed attempt at liberalizing the inner workings of the state. Once they arrived, Cyril immediately set out drafting what he called the “Frame of Government,” a manifest of sorts laying out a vision for a government that held the maintenance of freedom and equality as its highest callings. Similar in content to the rejected proposal that saw him leave Cestirande, the Frame of Government was opposed at every step by the wealthy planter-nobles that held the vast share of Cestirmarker wealth. After many drafts and revisions, it was finally accepted by the Cestirmark city council in 1521. Many historians, particularly Aelantiri ones, argue that the Frame of Government should be regarded as the world’s first constitution.
Committed to their ideals of cooperation, the Cestirmarker government aimed to resolve many of its early conflicts through diplomacy. Famously, in 1574, the neighboring Tehanek tribe was offered a deal to settle a conflicting claim to "all lands west of Lancewood" in a race. A diplomat named Ser Andrel, a skilled horseman, insisted on representing the government’s interests himself, and was greatly surprised when he was introduced to the Ruinborn's "best runner". When Andrel and his mount inevitably won the race, the Tehanek cried foul and insisted on renegotiating the deal. According to government records, Andrel was brainwashed into agreeing with the Tehanek, and revoked the Cestirmarker claim on the region. When he returned, he was promptly fired, and Cestirmark went on press their western claims.
After drafting the Frame of Government, Varil began work on the next of his pet projects, the Trollsbay Concord. He started by sending letters to the other states lining the Trollsbay, but was met only with scorn and ridicule. The Cestirmarker electorate likewise failed to see the reason in his plans, leading to Varil's defeat in the 1522 election; the visionary passed away before he could see the Concord come to fruition. However, in 1595, under threat from encroaching powers on all sides, diplomats from across the Trollsbay revived the idea to finally bring the Trollsbay Concord into existence, albeit in a much more pragmatic form than what was envisioned by the then-mostly-forgotten Varil.
Relationship with Adventurers[]
Though not founded by a particularly large contingent of adventurers, Cestirmark has historically had a close relationship with adventuring companies dating back to the nation’s founding. Heavily influenced by the ideals spread by adventurers returning from the Greentide - particularly their heroic idealism, and democratic self-governance structures. Due to favorable policies, many adventuring companies throughout the ruined sea are headquartered in Cestirmark, which has contributed to a hearty economy around adventuring equipment and information brokerage.
The notable information market in turn has allowed Cestirmark to punch far above its weight class in the great game of espionage. That their nation was saved from near-certain ruin at the hands of Aelnar only due to the invasion plans being leaked by Erandil Poison-Arrow are not lost on Cestirmarker leadership, so a great deal of wealth is directed towards their intelligence services. Not only can diplomats function much better when they know exactly where they stand in negotiations, Cestirmark’s legions of spies are also quite helpful in managing the unusually frequent breakouts of eldritch cultists in their lands.
Ravelianism[]
After years of explorations, an adventuring company led by Torrieth Godspeaker finally discovered what is now known to be the God Fragment in 1585. Returning to deliver the news to the mayor of Cestirmark, the leading captain of the expedition, Vincen, was granted a charter to found his own town to the west as a base for future operations. Hearing of the news, innumerable members of the Ravelian Society flooded into the newly-founded Vincenton to join Torrieth in her study of the fragment. As more and more researchers poured into Cestirmark, the country began to take shape as a stronghold of the Ravelian Society.
When the truth of the one true God was declared in 1638 and the Ravelian church was formed, the religion exploded into the Cestirmarker cultural scene. To an outside observer, it would have appeared as if the whole population had converted overnight. Though Torrieth and her College of Veridicals left for Aranthil before long, Cestirmark remained a bastion of the Ravelian church in North Aelantir. To this day, Cestirmark has one of the highest percentages of practicing Ravelians on Halann.