Province of the Riverlands

The province of the Riverlands is the oldest province of the Kythiran Empire and indeed the oldest region of Minecraftia. Originating from the First Era, where it was known as the Spawnlands. As such, it holds many Minecraftian records, including the first house - although currently a ruin -, the first farm, first mine, etc.

History

The Riverlands were first inhabited by independent peoples. Minecraftia's most powerful Houses all originated from the Riverlands. These include House Viromaro, House Von Roterstein, House Dragestein, House Vinkhuys and the extinct House Hurdræber. During the Second Era, the Riverlands, being without a central government, became an attractive target for raids by the Kingdom of Helmsdeep. This eventually led to the creation of the United Federation of Provinces, a short lived unstable nation-state which attempted to unite the peoples of the Riverlands against the Kingdom of Helmsdeep.

Economy

The Riverlands economy, being a part of the Crown Provinces, is almost entirely funded by taxes from the Golden Provinces. Despite this, the Riverlands are actively being used as a tourist hotspot for people all across Minecraftia

Politics

Alcanzar, although a Golden Province, today remains without an active High-Lord, which contributes to the province's general stagnation. Officially it is ruled from the Castle of Verano by the Vinkhuys Family, but they have been missing for some time. However, de jure it is ruled by decree from the White-Gold Tower until a new High-Lord has been appointed.

Culture

The Alcanzari are a seafaring people, which originates from their days as a Helmsdeep naval base. Though the poorest of all Kythirans, they benefit from their tiny population, which allows them to more lavishly share their limited resources. This makes it so that the inhabitants of Solleria actually are relatively well-off, not in terms of wealth, but in standard of living. Most of her inhabitants either work in the Kythiran Navy or the Imperial Forestry Company. Others work as staff at the imperial summer palace Summerhal.

Their relationship with the rest of the Empire isn't as strong as it originally was. After several incidents with the Imperius Reich, the majority of foreign trade has been moved to the imperial capital of Helmira, ending the last major alternative source of income for the province. The lack of a local ruler has also been the cause of local instability. The loss of the central island of the Dødehavet Sea, which has become an Ardoraghi naval base controlled by Yrticil has heightened tensions with the Golden Province of Ardoragh.

Geography

The province of Alcanzar is due to her size quite diverse, maintaining control over the Southern Sea and all islands in it, the largest snow biome in Kythira, and the unique Red Mountain. Most of this territory remains unused however, in great contrast with the wealthy Ardoragh, which is both larger and houses a large array of towns, cities and other man-made structures.

Since Alcanzar is not protected by a great wall, as opposed to the Heartlands, Riverlands and Camuria, it instead relies on a large amount of castles, fortresses and armed towers to defend the province. This is also part of the Wolfenstein Corridor, part of the official strategy of the White-Gold Tower in case of a foreign invasion: Making an enemy force bypass the great wall by invading the southern province, and gradually weaken and stall them until enough levies have been raised to deliver a knock-out blow.

Territorial Disputes

In recent years the Imperius Reich has filed several complaints with the Minecraftia Forum and the Kythiran Empire over the Alcanzar Peninsula, a large peninsula consisting of four islands and numerous tiny islands, which splits the Narrow Sea and the Southern Sea. So far the Kythiran Empire has however rejected all these claims, and has continued to fortify and expand the peninsula.