Congratulations on achieving your required votes! Now that prospective lieges may begin to extend offers, I would like to throw my name into the hat and extend you an invitation to the lands of Wysteria.
After over 150 years – two years in real life – of history as part of the Kingdom of Ertia, I and a group of adventurers set off in search of our own lands. The result is Wysteria, a great land in the making. Accompanied by my stalwart vassal Count Merry, and joined by the excellent Biakko O’Kleefe, we have taken great strides and would love for you to join us!
With the goal of one day becoming a powerful realm, fast progress is being made. Great progress is being made on the under-construction capital city of Gallen, the up-and-coming seat of the government and economic hub of the realm; meanwhile, the plains are home to Biakko's fast expanding town of Chester-le-Ford and, farther off, Merry's burgeoning county. The land itself is suited to a multifaceted realm, with nearby biomes including plateaux, deserts, beaches, plains, savannah, swampland, and, last but not least, large expanses of ice plains and wintry taiga. With Merry, Biakko, and myself nearby, Wysteria offers both close support and vast stretches of unexplored land to make your own. It is a land where anyone can pursue their goals and have a hand in the beginnings of a new history.
To address your goals specifically, I would love to help you on your way to becoming a travelling Merchant/Contractor, and I think that you could do well by beginning your work in Wysteria. Wysteria and its peoples have a long affiliation with the economic side of Hermertia and the relationships that develop through trade; as I've mentioned, I am Guidmaster of the Merchant's Guild and, as such, the city of Gallen is home to the main Guild Hall (branches of which continue to spread across the Empire). If you wanted to attain the rank of Count and set out independently, I would love to work with you to build up a strong start for your business; for example, you could develop a county centered around a main branch of your business. While counties are often towns or population centers, this doesn't have to be the case; they are merely small regions devoted to a main purpose. In your case, I could totally see a county comprised, say, of a flagship business, warehouse, you name it. Additionally, I would be happy to help support your business: a number of innovative techniques, particularly in mining, have propelled Wysteria to great economic standing; our Beacon mines are well-know. Just idle thoughts, but I'm excited at the idea of working with you!
If you’re interested, I’ve included a few pictures of Wysteria and its environs:
A map of the lands of Hermertia, with Wysteria’s location circled. Both a good ways off from neighbors and close to the center of the East, Wysteria’s location allows for unimpeded expansion while remaining in the thick of international business; we maintain strong ties with Ertia (not far to the north of us) and are a mere 10-minute travel via the fully complete Nether Lines to the Imperial Isle and Mount Empire, the future Capital City of the Empire.
A shot of Gallen’s dock’s : complete with two cranes, market stalls, and ore processing, the city is well on track to becoming a trading hub. Special facilities have also been created to host fishing derbies in the future – these are spur-of-the-moment contests we have to see who can fish the best loot in a short period of time, and they are a blast! Also seen are the walls of Gallen; the city sports a commanding view, perched on top of a plateau.
A map of Wysteria made using Amidst, a Minecraft mapping program. This shows off the variety of our lands: in a small region, newcomers have access to locations in many different biomes. (Gallen is located in the grey area in the bay). Whatever environment might be deemed best for a business can be traveled to in short order.
The Merchant's Guild Main Hall in the foreground. The deep black of the polished andesite used in its construction contrasts with the gleaming white that makes up the walls of the rest of the buildings in Gallen's Commercial District.
If you’re interested, don’t hesitate to shoot me a pm with questions or post them here! Good luck in choosing!
I promise you should you choose me as your liege I'll be nothing but giving, helpful, and a huge jokester. I wish you the best no matter your choice and I can't wait to see you at some point in your journey, good luck!