Cresce

Known by those who respect and depend upon it as "The Great Mother," and by those who revile and fear it as "The Great Tyrant," Cresce ['kreɪsh] stands on par with Alderode as one of the most powerful countries in Kasslyne. Westernmost on the continent, Cresce enjoys a stable, educated society that places supreme emphasis on social equality. It is the first and only country in Kasslyne with a "moneyless" economy, exercising rigid state control and social pressure to declare Greed as great a crime as murder or rape.

Government

Cresce's political system involves a matrilineal monarchy held by a succession of Queens, and a cabinet of advisers, guild masters, and ambassadors. Below the monarchy, an expansive but rigidly controlled web of state offices control Cresce's seventeen districts, producing and distributing resources among its population, assigning employment, managing housing, and settling disputes.

The current queen of Cresce is Manaraishala Sonorie, whose family has ruled Cresce for approximately 400 years. With a cultural emphasis on the Mother Goddess of the Gefendur religion, and a history that began one-thousand years earlier when the country was won in battle by the warrior-queen Crescia, it's perhaps no surprise that Cresce's is a largely matriarchal culture.

Features

Cresce's climate is temperate, verging on tropical further south. It is a rich and fertile, well-organised country with a powerful military, engineer corps, and merchant marine.

Cresce founded the West Kasslynian Alliance, a group of countries that stands allied and united against invasion and other outside military threats. To protect this alliance, Cresce's allies are frequently patrolled by the Peaceguard, who are charged with maintaining national borders against criminals and enemies of the state, providing humanitarian assistance, as well as promoting cooperation with other nations.

Cresce has a long history of strife with its northern neighbour, Alderode. The two countries hold diametrically opposed views on each others' politics, culture, values, religious practises, geography, and history, and frequently go to war with one another. While Alderode is viewed primarily as an unreasonable aggressor, Cresce is seen in a more tolerant light by most denizens of Kasslyne.