Administrative divisions of Rajnlokem
Hafnja
Hafnja is located to the West. Though they originate from Rodera, they are independent; Hafnja is a kingdom. The first king was the second son of the Roderan emperor of the time, who was given a fleet as compensation for not having access to the throne.
Kyrron en Dwegre, "Kyrron the Warrior" sailed with his fleet to Rajnlokem and established his kingdom there.
The title of king is transmitted hereditarily. The current Hafnjan king is
Kjártaþ en Gerptes, "Kjártaþ the Fearsome".
Their society is greatly influenced by their religion. People are divided among clades, that roughly correspond to religious movements. They have a rich pantheon, and depending on birthplace, job, wealth and social status, one could had access to different clades. The rules are complex, and I will detail them in another post, but farmers e.g. worship Farkjá, god of rain and Hjera, goddess of fertility, love and forgiveness. Soldiers on the other hand won't need the blessings of those gods in their career/lives, and will instead regard gods such as Rajnlok, god of war and destruction, or Wýrkeþ, god of conquest, pride and domination. The Roderan religion is complex and I will of course explicit it in as much detail as I can later.
Fján
Fján used to be part of Hafnja, but became independent after a civil war. After generations of mistreating the Soo ta Aangii populations, Hafnja slowly started getting frowned upon by its easternmost cities, which were in contact with the natives. At first, they tried to end the brutality diplomatically, but the king of the time refused to stop enslaving the "savages", claiming they were needed in the farms and mines of the country, and to free them would have negative consequences on the economy. Seeing as it wouldn't work, the Fjánians made a call to arms: they trained, with the help of the local division of the Cavalry (the army of the king on Rajnlokem) and prepared for a revolution. Many peace-loving Soo ta Aangii even agreed to take part in the revolution, granted they would not have to kill. The many raids on mines and farms to free the slaves, as well as the property damage caused by the Soo ta Aangii who agreed to help considerably weakened Hafnja and allowed Fján to gain its independence.
The independence of Fján was followed by societal changes in its cities, but also among the Soo ta Aangii who accepted their help. Some tribes slowly abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and, with the help of their new ally, built cities (see next map). In Fján, the caste system that Hafnja still uses, and was imported from Rodera, was considerably simplified. The leader is elected, chosen from a small group of intellectuals, by the most competent castes (agriculturers, miners and other members of the "populace" cannot vote). Not a democracy
per se, but much better and less oppressive than the ruthless Hafnjan regime.
Soo ta Aangii territory
It originally covered all of the island save for the Ces'em mountains, home of the K'anerhtóh. They were pushed off East after the invasion. The South of the island is largely uninhabited because of the lack of forests. While the South would be great for fishermen, the Soo ta Aangii are vegetarians and do not hunt nor fish, thus could not survive there.
With the help of Fján, they built several cities and villages. Fján was also their source of inspiration for their political organisation; they had lived as independent, nomadic tribes for centuries, and, because of their religious beliefs, had no concept of hierarchy. Their newly founded government is also tightly connected to that of their neighbour.
Major cities and places of Rajnlokem
Hafnja
Hafnja is the capital city of the Kingdom of Hafnja. It is a massive fortified city, in which the king and his family reside. A huge avenue that leads to the royal castle was built, and hosts a military parade each year. The city is enclosed within tall, stone fortifications that prevent intruders from walking in. Fields are located outside the walls and surround the fort. Westwards, a stone road leads to the port that welcomes travellers. Hafnja has the biggest university of the country and the most prominent intellectuals have studied there; some of them serve as advisers to the king.
Dúnkar and Leþeð are two commercial centres. Merchants from the villages surrounding them often travel there to purchase and sell goods. They aren't fortified but they are properly guarded by the Cavalry; the present day king, Kjártaþ, has sent two of his sons to rule over them, to ensure they remain loyal to the throne (and avoiding another incident like Fján).
Fyskín is the commercial harbour of the country, and by far its richest city. Nearby are mines, and the best goldsmiths of the island have moved to Fyskín in order to sell the product of their craftsmanship. The situation there in regards to the Soo ta Aangii situation is controversial, as slaves have been freed by their masters and have become full-fledged citizens, to the great dismay of many Hafnjans out of Fyskín. Its relative isolation from the capital makes a military intervention rather difficult, besides the fact most of the Cavalry is protecting Dúnkar and Leþeð, as well as the border between Hafnja and Fján.
Fján
Fján is the political and economic centre of the district. This is where decisions are made. It was intended to be the residence of the king's family and as such is also fortified. However, it was taken over by the revolutionaries before the royal family could settle there. The Ruler of Fján has no nobility title and is not refered to as "king", but simply as the Ruler (eþ Brókt). He is elected from the thinkers of the district, who have studied in the university of Fján (considerably smaller than that of Hafnja). The Ruler also has a military councelor, which is
a contrario a title earned through merit. Fján is much greener than Hafnja, which was built with practicality in mind: trees and flowers were planted inside of the city walls. Near the Eastern gate is a park in which the many Soo ta Aangii inhabitants gather for their religious rituals.
Greþta is Fján's military HQ. It is a grey, unappealing city whose fortifications were built after the Separation. Though they are welcome inside, the Soo ta Aangii are reluctant to traverse the Greþtan gates. Those who do live in the city are those who have exchanged their peaceful ways for a military training, in hopes that they can avenge their ancestors and their fellow tribesmen who were murdered and brutalised. It is surrounded by fields that are used to feed its population.
Soo ta Aangii territory
Kaelaa is the capital city of the territory. It is their biggest city, as well as their political and military centre. The Kaelaan government works in unison with the Fjánian government, and though they legally are separate political entites, slowly work towards unification. Many Soo ta Aangii continue living as nomads in the forests but those who embraced progress settled in Kaelaa and the other cities. They refer to themselves as
Soo ta Kete, people of the city, as opposed to the
Soo ta Aangii, people of the forests, the traditionalists who stayed true to their religion. Kaelaa is not fortified but it is guarded by both Soo ta Kete and Fjánian troops.
Ane'an is a citadel that was built by Fján. It is in Soo ta Aangii territory but obeys to Fján. It serves as a wall to prevent Hafnjan troops from entering Soo ta Aangii territory and attacking defenseless tribes and settlements. It is not actually a city but civilians do live inside its walls, mostly farmers.
Kete ta Ilmii and Kete ta Peeng are two tribal settlements. Ilmii and Peeng are two tribes that embraced sedentarism but nevertheless refused to take arms. They are both villages of around 100 people, and although they are under the rule of Kaelaa, they govern themselves by means of direct democracy. They were taught farming, and share the product of their labour equally, collectivist style. They are, religiously and socially, in between the traditionalistic Soo ta Aangii and the completely reformed Soo ta Kete, in some sort of transition state between the two.
Ces'em mountains
Omhersán is the capital city of the K'anerhtóh state. This is where their Citadel was carved in a cliff, inside of which live the two Rulers. The K'anerhtóh state is an oligarchy: the two rulers, a man and woman, share the same amount of power, though they take care of different matters. They are elected separately among the nobility. They do not have to marry; they can both have their own family, but because they will spend most of their lives together, it is not uncommon for them to do so. Omhersán is fortified and is by far the largest city, being host to nearly three quarters of the total K'anerhtóh population. This is also where they built their university and schools.
Hecam and Rhakti are two smaller cities. Being located lower, in plains, where agriculture is actually possible, they are responsible for the production of food of the state. They do not have schools or universities, and those who wish to pursue an education (and who can afford it) must move to Omhersán to do so. They are not fortified or defended, but they are guarded by the K'anerhtóh army who enforces the law. Traditionally, the first-born of the male Ruler "inherits" Hecam, and the first-born of the female Ruler inherits Rhakti. If they are married, they get to decide who will supervise which city. Their role is to make sure rulings passed in the capital make their way to the cities, so that the law is uniformly regarded everywhere.
Eret'a and Phemherh T'em are religious centres. They are not cities but sacred destinations for pilgrimages. Eret'a is the oldest construction made by the ancestors of the K'anerhtóh that still stands to this day, and to get there is extremely difficult, both because of the distance and because of the terrain in the mountains, coupled with the harsh weather. Phemherh T'em is the peak of the Ces'em mountains and is equally difficult to get to. A temple was built there from which it is possible to see Omhersán.