Laurian Republic

The Laurian Republic
The Laurian Republic, also known as the Republic of Lauros, or sometimes just Lauros, is a large, powerful and long-prospering country located to the west of the Sangkovian Range. They began as a city-state (now called Old Lauros) that grew in power due to their mastery of trade, commerce and seafaring.

Modern-day Lauros is a multicultural melting pot, with citizens of varying ethnicities and religions. By cultural norms, being a "True Laurian" is more about how one behaves than where their origins are. Laurians fancy themselves as being very civilized, witty, progressive, and sociable. They delight in the arts and all things festive, and respect intellectualism and creativity.

Though the Laurians do not consider themselves a militant society, centuries of conflict and threats from the expansionist behavior of their neighbors (such as the late Valkarian Empire) have given them cause to build and maintain large and well-equipped armies and navies to protect their interests. When faced with war, Laurians are relatively slow to mobilize, but often triumph in the end via strategies that involve outwitting or tricking their opponents. Laurian commanders are among the best tacticians around, and are respected for their ability to apply Laurian philosophy to combat in a way that brings them to victory.

From the year 994 to 998, the Laurian Republic and the Valkarian Empire were engaged in the War of the Islands, but ended with a peace treaty that resulted in territorial gains for the Laurians and recognized independence of the southern provinces that were near Lauros.