The Principality of Kentaire is all that remains of the once powerful Western Kingdom of Marinor. After the brief, and totally one sided battle between them and the Vir Sidus Empire, the Empress at the time, Empress Octavia Firebrand dismantled the royal line of Marinor, and installed the minor houses of Marinor as the new heads of the kingdom. The Empire forbid them from having a king or queen, but needing rulers, they elevated a Prince and Princess, and their family, that of House Viscarin shall rule the new Principality. The lands, that they were allowed, where the former kingdom of Marinor’s central region of Kentaire.
The kingdom has since created a strong economical foundation by creating merchant fleets that have made an attempt to control the seas. During the Thirty Year’s war, was the only time this was threatened when the nations of Aequor and Galenthia hired Pirates to sack and capture Kentaire Mercantile ships for their goods. This prompted Kentaire to create the Privateer Fleet, something that exists to this day, to counter the acts of the two larger kingdoms. The premise is that any Pirate, from any nation, can offer to serve the Principality for ten years. This practice continues to this day, and while Aequor and Galenthia have let this practice go, the Kentaire Privateers continue to “make safe” the waterways of the West.
Since the raising of House Viscarin to the crown of Kentaire, Kentaire has been a place of learning and forward-thinking, attempting to make up in technology what it might lack in numbers and size. The Principality likes to believe itself the most "modern" nation in the West, and thus skills such as alchemy, engineering, healing, and other scholarly pursuits are highly prized there. Kentaire is also famed for being the birthplace of the Cannon, and is still known as nation that produces the best cannons of all varieties. Unsurprisingly, their military fields a larger number of cannoneers than any nation in the West.
Kentaire is not shy about selling their technological advances to others. They tend to do so at exorbitant prices, making them quite wealthy for their size. However, despite being fairly devout adherents of the One Faith, Kentaire's willingness to barter advanced weapons of war to the other nations has caused some friction with the Church of the One Faith.
Despite their willingness to trade their weapons, Kentaire actually holds a fairly isolationist streak. They tend to guard their borders fiercely, and travelers are given strictly-delineated routes to follow when they come to the Principality on official business. Most of their trade is conducted through Four Corners rather than within their own borders, despite the fact that it would be more efficient to trade directly. This has, of course, led to all sorts of dark rumors of what's going on in those areas folks aren't allowed to wander, which are of course most likely false or grossly exaggerated. Most likely….
Ruler: Prince Mikel Viscarin
Ruling House: Viscarin
Major Houses: None
Minor Houses: Volmar, Messerli, Gruenwald
Kentaire has the West’s standard array of military. Each house has their own troops, and all are beholden to another’s banner. The Principality is proud, and holds the military traditions of Ancient Marinor, consisting of shield walls, and fast cavalry for flanking maneuvers, though since their defeat by the Vir Sidus, House Viscarin has pressed for modernization in their tactics, to include massed cannon fire.
Heavy Cavalry - Consisting of Nobles, Knights and their squires.
Light Cavalry - Commoners, armed with spears, sword or axe, and round shields in breastplate or chain.
Men at Arms - Commoners, armed with Sword or Axe, and a round shield, in breastplate or chain.
Infantry - Commoners armed with Spears and round shield and a random selection of hand held one handed weapons. Typically in lighter armor, of leather or a chain shirt. Also called Spearmen.
Archers - Commoners armed with Longbows, a hand weapon and armored in leather, they are the army’s ranged troops.
Hand Cannoneers - Not many of these exist in the houses, as hand cannons and long cannons are considered untried in battle and unreliable. They are armed with a Long Cannon, a hand weapon and leather armor. Though still uncommon, Kentaire fields more Hand Cannoneers than any other nation or city-state, and has developed fairly advanced tactics for utilizing them effectively in battle.
Militia - To further defend, and supplement the militaries of the Noble houses, each town, village and city is required to maintain a militia which can be called up to bolster the ranks of the Household’s Army. They serve as rank and file, usually as a less trained Infantry, or as Archers. Rarely as Light Cavalry. (The horses are too valuable, the commoners are not…)
Privateers - Kentaire currently has one of the largest fleets in the West thanks to the Privateers Fleet. While goods from Kentaire, and a special arrangement with Four Corners move freely, those from Aequor and Galenthia tend to stick to their waters unless flying a diplomatic flag or traveling with heavy escort. These men even go so far as to raid White Hall longships and the coastal villages of the Icenaila.
NOTE: These are all precisely what it says - Rumors. There may or may not be any truth to them whatsoever.
The Viscarins rule Kentaire with an iron fist, grinding their common folk and vassals alike under their bootheel, and everyone is too afraid to do anything about it.
Kentaire is so rich that even their common folk live like nobles.
Kentaire has hand-cannons even more advanced than those they sell to other nations. The Prince carries pistols that don't even need a slow match!
Kentaire is working on terrible weapons unlike any man has seen before. Once they're complete, Kentaire will seek its' revenge for the humiliation it suffered at the hands of the Vir Sidus all those centuries ago, starting by conquering the whole of the Civilized West!
Kentaire sells more of its' goods to the Empire of Partharia than any other nation of the West. They do business with White Hall and the Northern Barbarians, too. They're selling us out!
Kentaire has a spy network that rivals or even exceeds the al'Sylenthars of Aequor. Their main purpose is to steal alchemical and weaponmaking secrets from other nations.
The secret masters of the Syndicate all reside in Kentaire, secretly ruling the world from the mysterious city-state, keeping it in a constant state of war so they can get even more rich selling the combatants weapons!
Kentaire knows how to make Sidhe-Steel, and is stockpiling weapons of the wondrous material for a future war, as well as making armor out of it!
Kentaire is a neutral party in the affairs between Aequor and Galenthia. They sold weapons to both sides in precisely equal numbers during the Thirty Years War. They are generally non-aggressive but they do zealously protect their borders. Thus far, they seem content to be a quiet player in the West's business, and seek internal wealth without great expansion. Which is odd, because they are far and away the West's biggest arms dealer.
Contrary to rumors, Kentaire does NOT sell its' goods to White Hall, the Barbarians of the North, or known Pirates. However, their ships are favorites for raiding because despite being heavily guarded and armed, they often carry a bounty of weapons worth the risk, and so Kentaire weapons do fall into the hands of many unscrupulous or antagonistic (to the Civilized West) groups. Kentaire does, however, do brisk business with the Empire of Partharia, selling weapons to the Princes and Princesses as they war amongst themselves, though they cut off the supply quickly and scrupulously when word of Partharian raids into Galenthia or beyond reach them.
Generally, relations between Kentaire and the other nations of the Civilized West are frosty but polite politically and mutually beneficial economically. Kentaire's tendency towards secrecy is off-putting, but they do honor their contracts and occasionally members of their noble families "marry out" into the West (The Queen of Galenthia, Melisande Romante, was born of a Viscarin mother). However no matter where they marry out to, they diligently maintain their neutrality, treating each nation equally in terms of their arms trade.