Sindall
Sindall is a semi-autonomous region of the Unity Earth Sphere Alliance located along the Sword Coast. It gained its independance from Rowen shortly after the Mage Wars and became a renowned center of art and philosophy.
The people of Sindall are mostly pacifists, but do not identify as such. There is no strong national identity; the nation is largely just a loose coalition of city-states.
Independence
Sindall was never technically conquered by Rowen, but catalogued as part of that country during Eieber's Long March. Rowen armies had defended key cities in the Sindall region and had considered the land part of their nation, but the Sindallese felt otherwise. An agreement was quickly reached and Sindall became a semi-autonomous region. Its proximity to Rowen caused the countries to maintain strong economic ties, but Sindall is not governed by Rowen laws.
Culture and History
It is often said that time seems to stand still in Sindall, which is really a relatively accurate thought. The people are simple, and the country is best known for its artistic achievements.
Throughout most of the Ages of the Alliance, Sindall was governed by the Alliance and subject to most Alliance laws, but never saw more than the occasional inspector.
As high technology came to the Sword Coast around the early Second Age, Sindall was slow to adopt. Solar power for electric lighting was popular, and advanced medicines and vaccines welcome, but the majority eschewed modern imports, on grounds that Sindall had a small, widespread population with few exports and no natural resources.
Sindall lies along the Sword Coast, between the Lowland Plains and the sea. During the Mage Wars it was along strategically important route and was frequently conquered, finally gaining independence at the beginning of the Second Chaotic Period.
The capital of Sindall is the city of Sine, on the Yenisei River Delta.
By the Fourth Age, Sindall had shed much of it's sparse backwater feel, and boasted several major cities along the River Elb. Though many citizens still kept to the traditional lifestyle, Sindall was a well and truly modern civilization. Only a region known locally as "The Backwaters"(so named for being accessible only by river) remained wild and untamed. The reason was a land dispute, with Korrinth and Rowen both claiming the territory. This same region would later see total depopulation and become known as The Deadlands.
Sindall and Sine are also a region in Mage Wars RPG.
People
Sindall is one of the few regions with a distinct ethnic group. While most areas of the Greater Conitnent have seen multiple large-scale abandonments and resettlmenets, the people of Sindall have remained relatively sedentary. Their culture has thrived on the same land since the Age of Darkness. The Sindalise are renowned for their good looks, with the women especially considered some of the most beautiful on the continent. Photo studies of Sindalise women can be found in nearly every art studio the continent over.
Economy
Sindall has a long-standing stereotype as being "just a bunch of artists and farmers". This is partially true; the arts are highly valued and a significant portion of the population remain subsistence farmers. However, Sindall is also the home of a thriving tourism and manufacturing trade. Sindalise goods are not well-known because they have a cultural emphasis on quality over quantity. The average consumer, then, will be more familiar with mass-produced brands coming out of Modia, but the coinsurer knows the best goods come from Sindall.
Woodworking
Sindall is know especially for high-quality, hand-made wooden furniture, and for several unique varieties of timber cultivated in the region. Artisanal wood and metal-working are common skills, so it's no wonder some of the finest wood work comes out of the country. The people of Sindall are also excelent foresters, maintaining carful balance for their many groves of mahogany and blackwood.
