Structure of the Government
The Uruk nation is the only one of the five to place itself entirely in the hands of democracy. Every government leader from the village Reeves, to the nation’s Governor is elected. The Governor serves as the head of state and government, as well as the nation’s representative on the Belltower council. Also elected is the Deputy Governor who serves as lieutenant to the Governor and is his or her replacement should any ill occur. The Governor presides over the Grand Hall, a legislative house made up of the nation’s Reeves. The Reeves are elected as the leaders of individual villages, as well as town councillors in the larger settlements. Like the Governor, Reeves have a Deputy who serves as their second, and will often take their place during Grand Hall meetings, either in the village, or sitting and casting votes in the Grand Hall.
Each village has three elected Councillors who advise the Reeve on village matters and can overrule a Reeve’s decision by a unanimous vote if the situation demands. Larger settlements are instead led by a Mayor, who serves in the same capacity as the Reeve of a village. Each town is divided into three districts that function just like a village, with a Reeve and three Councillors, while the Reeves in turn serve as councillors to the Mayor and can likewise overrule his or her decisions through a unanimous vote (perhaps complicated by the fact that any of their votes can be overruled by their Councillors). Like the other leadership positions the Mayor has a Deputy, but the Mayor has no legislative duties outside of their town like the Reeves do.
Elections are held every five years for all elected positions. In all, there are twenty-four Reeves (including the Reeve of the destroyed village of Dample), four mayors, and one governor, with deputies for each of those positions. If the people express unhappiness with any person in power, a referendum can be called in the relevant constituency and the person unseated by a simple two-thirds majority; this process of impeachment, however, is rarely invoked. There are no term limits on any position.
Geography
The geography of the Uruk nation is largely defined by landforms that mark its borders. The most significant is the Cliff that forms a horseshoe around much of the nation to the north, west, and south. Depending on the location, the Cliff ranges in height from 100 to nearly 200 feet tall, being tallest in the north. The three rivers in the nation all enter Uruk territory by means of waterfalls plummeting down the cliff-face; the Cliffside River flows directly alongside the Cliff for much of its length between Fracture Falls and the Narsund; the Lipping Rivers enters at Amel Falls and then flows into Scoll Bay; and the Torrent River crashes into Rottel Bay at the gap between the Uruk and Elben Nations. Rottel Bay continues south from Tallfalls, separating the uruks from their elben allies. Finally, in the south, North Circling and the Narsund separate the Uruk nation from Perry Island and the Alfar Nation.
Scoll Bay, which cuts the nation in two, is bounded on the north side by a smaller cliff that rises about 60 feet above the water; the cliff-face is broken by a small inlet at Farthing. The nation falls into two geographical areas north and south of Scoll Bay. The southern region is primarily grassland and prairie, with only the occasional stand of blackwoods or pines. The coast in the south is simple and unfettered by stones or prominences. The north half of the country is different entirely, sedges cling to small patches of the inhospitable rocky terrain and small grove of trees are somewhat more common than in the south. Some grassland can be found nearer the coast before the jagged rocks return in full force at the water’s edge. The north sits on a plateau that rises some 60 or 70 feet higher than the southern grasslands.
Industry
Just as the land is divided into north and south, so is the Uruk nation’s industry. The south is more concerned with food production; farms dot the countryside from Rackholl past Wigby to Hagen. There is also a great deal of herding in this area, primarily reindeer but some horse breeding as well. There is a fair amount of fishing operated out of Rackholl, and Dample was a fishing village before its destruction. Drossen is effectively a part of the larger community of Ambergate, and a great deal of trade moves through the area. One of the elben-uruk alliance’s two military encampments, Eddershot, sits on the Alfar border and is their western command post.
The north, on the other hand, is largely concerned with resources rather than food. Lipton is home to a quarry that supplies a great deal of the Bay’s stone. Mining abounds as well as mines in Broots, Sunders, and Oster supply nearly all of the iron in the Bay. The mine in Carsett is a source of gold, as well as a small amount of silver and electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver. Folsham is the industrial heart of the north, housing the metalworks and manufacturing capabilities of the nation, as well as a militia training barracks, while Colvey has shipyards where engineers have been developing heavy cannons for their naval vessels. The only places concerned with food in the north are Galvesdon and Farthing, both practicing farming and fishing, though Galvesdon focuses on the former and Farthing the latter.
Possible Adventure Hooks
The Cliff, being a significant geographical barrier, might seem to protect the Uruk nation from the varkers that live above, but that is not the whole story. Because it seems to protect them, the uruks might be led to ignore any potential threat from above. A clever varker Ardri might organize the construction of winches or elevators to invade down the Cliff, or previously unknown caves might provide hidden but easy routes down into civilized territory.
Continuing with caves, the mines of the north could lead to stories. Mysterious creatures might come up from below to attack the workers, or even venture further, laying waste to a nearby village. Alternatively, a newly discovered vein of unknown ore might be found and your adventurers hired to transport a sample to Folsham or to the Academy Grounds in Garstang for analysis.
Finally, adventure could occur relating to the nation’s politics. Grand Hall votes might be beset with intrigue and backroom deals; adventurers could be hired as security for a Deputy Reeve who is refusing to bow to pressure and now fears for his life. Elections could also be a source of excitement, and infiltrators from the alfar-hodekin alliance might use the uruk’s tolerance of diversity against them.
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