Kalchichi
From RPGwiki
| Kalchichi | |
|---|---|
| Populuation | 1.8 billion |
| Racial Mix | >98% Kobolds |
| Major Languages | Kalchichu |
| Major Industries | Electronics and heavy industry |
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Kalchichi is a centre of industry, technology, and military power. These three factors have formed a pyramid of success for the empire, and have fueled its rapid growth in the last two centuries.
The population of Kalchichi is largely composed of kobolds, who also accupy all positions of power and responsibility. The empires expansion has led to it absorbing several other races, but these are very much second class citizens.
[edit] In the begining
Kalchichi grew from a number kobolds holds that were hard pressed by their neighbours. These holds had actually been present in the area for a vary long time, spreading into and settling the sorounding lands as their (quite rapid) population growth demanded. In many ways this was a golden age for the kobolds, a time of peace and quiet artistic expression. While most people today think of kobolds as being a subterainian species, in this age many of them lived above ground in unprotected towns and cities. All of this changed when the Malkin started to arrive in these quiet lands, initiating the Malkin War.
[edit] The Rise of Kalchichi
Once the Malkin war came to an end, the people of Kalchichi people might have hoped for a return to the old ways. Unfortunately, this was not be. The war had soured the hearts of Kalchichi's rules and citizens, leaving them with a deep distrust of all things not kobold.
At this point Kalchichi spread across most of Xindung except for the Marabass jungle - the Shuldin were too fierce to fight on their home ground, and were content to stay there. Besides, the jungle held little worth taking.
The invaders had come from over sea, and now the kobolds looked that way too, perhaps hoping to track down and destroy the last of their attacks. The Kalchichi navy gained experience fighting across the Gateway Islands, and skirmishing with the various powers in Finrize. Although not the greatest of sailors, the industry created by Gunzer Talkchi produce enough ships to find victory in the shallow waters all the same, untill they had enough control to invade the southern lands of Finrize.
Their navy even reached the cost of Coruvain, establishing colonies there, but in the modern era they have lost control of all but Timur bay. Their other holdings have either been conquored or brock away of their own accord.
[edit] The Zaphor Triad
The history of Kalchichi has been shaped to a great degree by three kobolds, known as the Zaphor Triad. Zaphor was the kobold hold in which they lived, now the capital of Kalchichi. The members of this group are Retchan of Jiyank, Hasi Calume and Gunzer Talkchi.
Aside from their contribution to the history of Kalchichi, these three are also significant because they are all still alive, despite having lived long past the typical life expectancy for kobolds. Many reasons for this have been speculated, ranging from Retchan supplying the others with youth potions, to accusations of demonic pacts and soul selling.
Whatever the truth, without them Kalchichi would have been overwhelmed by its invaders long before it ever became an empire. Certain groups within the empire blame its current troubles on the rift which has developed between the three.
[edit] Kalchichi Today
The heatland of Kalchichi is one of the most heavily populated areas in the world, with well over one billion kobolds in residence. The habit of living underground has continued into the modern day, and many citizens claim that it is still nessessery because of nuclear weapons. Certain local authorities have funded the construction of "Deep Bunkers", area that are even further underground than the rest of the hold. These areas are usually stocked with supplies of food, water, and weapons. The architecture is, theoretically at least, able to withstand a surface atomic blast.
As the population as expanded, so have the holds. In certain areas the holds have grown to the point were the tunnels of one merge into the next, creating underground metropolises.
Heavy industry makes up the largest part of the nations economy. Having spent a long time burrowing into the earth, the kobolds have become very skilled at extracting its mineral wealth. They have iron, copper, coal, oil and gas in abundance and make liberal use of all of them.
Talkchi's economy has created a lot of wealth, and the kobolds are quick to adopt new technologies. Electronic gadgets are particularly favoured. Unlike most nations, though, mobile phones have never caught one - being underground makes getting a siganl difficult. Despite that, many kobolds carry mobile computers that function much like small laptops but are small enough to fit in a pocket, less powerfull and cheap. Most of the public phones in Kalchichi have jacks were these mobile computers, or laptops, can plug in and hook up to the internet.
Kalchichi's powerful industry has also created a lot of polution, which is begining to generate some serious issues. The nations poluation is massive, and the limited amount of good farmland left is unable to meet their needs. Consequently, most of the foodstuffs that can be bought in Kalchichi are imported from Balvase.
Here is a list of some of the more important locations in Kalchichi
[edit] Zaphor
Zaphor is the capital city of the Kalchichi empire. It is not the oldest city in the country, and it has not always been the capital. It gained this satus during the war aginst the invaders when Gilah was captured.
Zaphor is located in the centre of the country, and sits on top of large iron, manganese, and limestone deposits. As such it has a reputation for producing high quality metal goods, including the weapons and armour that helped it survive the invaders assaults.
The hold can be split into two broad sections, Old Zaphor and New Zaphor. New Zaphor is the underground city that was built to provide shelter during the war against the inavders. This is where the vast majority of the population can be found today. It is a modern city, with beautiful arcitecture.
Old Zaphor is a ruin. It is all that remains of the city that used to exist above ground. Because Zaphor was never conquored, it retained its surface structures and dewellings for a long time, untill the end of the Alliance War, when the first ever nuclear bomb was dropped on the city, killing thousands and leaving behind a scar that has never healed.
Afterwards Old Zaphor was never repaired, and it still retains all the signs of its nuclear assault. Walls lie in ruins and the erie black shadows of the blast victims can be seen scorched onto various surfaces. Certain parts managed to collect enough fallout to still remain radioactive. The ruined Zaphor Gateway still stands in what used to be the centre of the city.
The shockwave from the blast caved in some of the higher levels of the city as well, and most of these damaged layers have been filled in to provide cushioning, in case such a thing should ever happen again.
Most of the entrances to Zaphor used today were dug after the war, and bypass Old Zaphor. Very few have reason to go there.
[edit] Gilah
Gilah sits on the coast, overlooking the Gateway islands. Before the invaders arrived Gilah was the capital, and recieved a great deal of trade from the Islands and Finrize. However, the invaders targeted it for destruction and leveled the place, cutting the kobolds off from any over sea help that might have arrived. Gilah was greatly reduced for many years, and only a fraction of the populance remained.
The site of Gilah was too good to remain unused for long, and once the invaders had been fought off, it started to recover. These days, the ports are busy once again, recieving shipments of food from Balvase and the rest of the world. With so many tasty produce passing through its streets, Gilah has developed a reputation for providing some of the finest dining there is.
Gilah has a higher proportion of above ground dewellings than other cities in Kalchichi. Many of these are hotels and hostles that cater to the needs of the nonekobolds passing through. However many of the locals also live above the soil, having become accustemed to the air after long carears spent at sea.
[edit] Political Relations
Despite its wishes otherwise, Kalchichi does not exist on its own in the world.
In the modern world Kalchichi finds itself at something of a cross roads. It's military expansion has stalled, and its vast industry has created some serious environmental problems. Fertility in its farm lands has started to fall, forcing them to inport increasing quantities of food from it over sea holdings. Certain of its citizens have pointed out that Kalchichi might not survive its own deprivation, let alone those of its enemies unless something changes.
Less immediate, but just as worrying are the political tensions. Kalchichi has stock piled quite a mountain of nuclear missiles, which it has pointed at various locations around the world. There are just as many pointing back at Kalchichi.
If it intends to survive, Kalchichi must step carefully and leave behind the xenophobic paranoia that has defined its history over the past few centuries. However, if the same rulers in place now as then, it is questionable whether they will succeed.
[edit] The Free state of Antartica
With both countries tending towards isolationism, one would expect a state of extreme disinterest to exist between the two. This is true for the most part, but rumours suggest that there has been some pretty significant deals struck between them in the past.
While it is common knowledge that Kalchichi was not the first country to create nuclear weapons - in fact they suffered from their first use - how they got hold of their own is much more open to debate.
The official line states that Kalchichi scientists developed the technology independently. Perhaps they did, bu certain conspiracy theorists claim that the Free States ethereal spies stole the plans on behalf of Kalchichi, supposedly in return for the raw materials that the Free state would need to create its own weapons of mass destruction.
Surly just paranoia.
[edit] The Descendants of Grundy
The Kalchichi government holds the golems in low regard. During the early days of their expansion, the Kobolds employed many golems to stiffen its battle lines. When the golems started to develop their own opinions Kalchichi suffered most.
The Kalchichi government still does not recognise the golems as sentient, as generally destroys the ones it gets hold off. The brotherhood is alternatively seen as either a terrorist organisation or just vermin.
[edit] The Shuldin
Despite being next door to each other, the kobolds and the Shuldin tend to ignore each other. One or two enterprising individuals have set up a limited amount of trade, supplying the Shuldin with firearms in exchange for preciouse metals.
Certain factions amongst the Kobolds have suggested trying to make better use of the Shuldin. While it might be impossible to establish any sort of aliance with them as a whole, having a pet queen spawning insectial warriors to use against Kalchichi's enemies might be quite useful. However, the countries experiences with the Brother hood of Gundy have made them cautious about employing non-kobolds for anything important.
[edit] Laschfell
These two countries are old enemies, and relations are never better than cautious. Both social outlook and a long history of conflict make any improved relationship unlikely.
