Barony of Rumare



One of the cradles of Griffonian civilisation, Rumare is considered by many as a paradise on earth, with its scenic beaches, beautiful landscapes, ancient architecture and interesting history. This reputation as an idyllic retreat has only been reinforced in recent years as seemingly only Rumare was capable of avoiding the bloodshed and violence of the Empire's collapse. Despite this, it has suffered from the Ruindad, the centuries-long erosion of its native culture, language, and traditions under the rule of the Imperials, and this process has continued even after its independence. However, the recent coronation of Baron Alaric Dawnbreaker, an ambitious ex-mercenary, has enkindled the hope that Rumare's cultural decline may be halted, or even reversed entirely.

Lore
Rumare once stretched from the iconic island in the middle of Lake Rumare that the Barony currently rules to the coastal areas of Griffonstone, the Stone Highlands and Wohnitz, then known as Eincartef. The ancient Rumareans were the first to worship Arcturius, and many still resent the Imperials for the "theft" of their native god.

However, over the centuries, the native Rumarean lands have experienced a decline in culture that its inhabitants term the Ruindad. Whether through Imperial coercion or merely immigration and trans-national trade, the language and culture of Rumare has been degraded to the point where only 30% of Rumareans speak the tongue of their forefathers, and even the most optimistic academics predict it is but matter of time until Rumarean culture goes truly extinct and the Ruiniad is complete. However, many Rumareans both on the island and in Griffonstone still dream undoing this decline, and recently, a terrorist organization known as the Free Rumarean Army has arisen to fight for the liberation of the Rumarean people.

The island of Rumare has been ruled for generations by the benevolent claws of the Dawnbreaker family, who are matrilineally descended from the Groverian dynasty of Emperors and Kings of Griffonstone. The recently deceased Baron Recimir was venerated by many as an upstanding leader of the small nation, as he not only protected his Barony from the turmoil of the Griffonian Revolution but also attempted to reverse Rumare's cultural degredation. His death has shaken the small country to the core, and many now turn to his newly-crowned heir, Alaric. An infamous mercenary, bandit, and outlaw who made a name for himself in the violence following the Griffonian Revolution while supporting his homeland with covert donations of money and equipment, Alaric now seeks to fulfill the dream of his father and preserve the Rumarean culture, whether by trying to save what is left, or going forth to liberate old Rumare.

Starting Situation
From a first glance, Rumare appears to be completely nonviable as a nation, as it starts off with only a single island province, 150K population, 8K manpower, 2 factories, and no resources, while it is surrounded by significantly stronger nations. However, this poor start hides that Rumare has incredible potential for growth, as its focus trees allow the player to significantly build up their industry, population, and military, as well as gain valuable Oil and Steel production.

Rumare starts with only one infantry division and no airplanes, but it holds a very defensible position, as the only way to invade it is to cross the strait from Wohnitz in the Kingdom of Griffonstone. It is also the perfect place to host an airstrip and a RADAR station, allowing the player to project power across all of South-Central Griffonia.

The player can decide via focus tree whether or not to attempt to reclaim Rumare's foreign cores held by Griffonstone or settle for what they already have and play defensively.

Threats and Opportunities

 *  Kingdom of Griffonstone - The holder of Rumare's foreign claims, Griffonstone is the primary target of any player who seeks to restore Rumare's ancestral lands.On the surface, it appears to be a nigh-insurmountable foe, as even if the player takes all of the military focuses, the Rumarean army will not be able to match the number of divisions fielded by Griffonstone. Fortunately, the player has two advantages to even the odds. After taking a set of focuses in the Supremacy path, the player will be able to spend PP to supply the Free Rumare Army, and when the player declares war on Griffonstone, additional divisions will rise up in ethnically Rumarean territory to aid the player. In addition, the player does not need to capitulate Griffonstone to emerge from the war victorious, as the player will receive a decision to peace out Griffonstone when they take Wohnitz and the Stone Highlands. The optimal strategy for the war is to overwhelm Griffonstone's garrison and capture Rumare's cores as soon as possible before Griffonstone can bring the rest of their army to fight the player. Afterwards, Griffonstone will no longer be a threat to the player, and the player will be able to develop their newly acquired lands.
 * Griffonian Empire - A claimant to not only Rumare's ancestral lands in Griffonstone but to the island of Rumare itself, the Griffonian Empire is the greatest long-term threat to Rumare's independence. It will almost inevitably attack Rumare in the late game, and Rumare must prepare for the coming storm, preferably by finding an ally such as Wingbardy.
 * Kingdom of Wingbardy - Rumare can join Wingbardy as a fellow member of the Karthinian Pact. Otherwise Wingbardy may justify war on Rumare over their claims on Griffinstone. Take note not to get dragged into a war with Equestria once Wingbardy inevitably demands the Commonwealth of New Mareland.

National Focus
Alaric's Return is the political tree and where Alaric must decide what direction his government will take in leading Rumare, and how he will seek to prevent the Ruindad from destroying Rumare's culture. Both paths will grant factories, population, and Science Base.

Save What Can Be Saved (Non-Aligned) - Alaric will decide that Rumare cannot return to what it once was and will instead focus on saving what little of Rumarean culture is left. This path is purely defensive, removing Rumare's claims on Griffonstone's territory, and will instead grant buffs to the economy, additional Land forts, a Research slot, and population growth, and will eventually replace the Ruindad debuff with the powerful Tlys y Llyn buff. In addition, it will also trigger a yearly event that grants the player +25 Political Power and +25000 Population.

'''Yma O Hyd! (Supremacy)''' - The historical path for Rumare, Alaric will decide to fight for the liberation of the Rumarean people in Griffonstone and reclaim Rumare's ancestral lands. This path has a greater focus on building up industry and military, and will eventually allow the player to declare war on Griffonstone. If the player wins the war, they will gain access to a post-war section of the tree where Alaric finishes restoring Rumarean culture, granting them the powerful Tlys y Llyn buff, a Research slot, and forts like in the Non-Aligned path, as well as powerful buffs to recruitable population, mobilization speed, surrender limit, and population growth. It will also grant them access to the second portion of the economic tree.

The Jewel of the Lake is the industrial tree and is only available once the player has decided on a path for the Political tree. It allows the player to gain production of Steel and Oil, build up their industry, gain a Research Slot, and upgrade their Science and Industrial base. However, there is a significant portion of the tree, The Reconstruction, that is only unlocked if Rumare retakes its cores in the Supremacy path, and allows Rumare to develop the lands it took from Griffonstone, granting a boost to population, Infrastructure, additional factories, and significant production of Steel and Oil. All these bonuses will allow Rumare to punch significantly above its weight, making it a surprisingly formidable opponent.

The Gwarchodlu Cenedlaethol gives the typical research bonuses with a choice between superior firepower and grand battleplan. Notable focuses include Old Friends giving 5000 Ponypower and military bonuses, Secondary Combat Roles granting 1 Supply and 1 Logistics skill to every leader, and an exclusive choice between quantity and quality of divisions with Every Soul Counts or Quality over Quantity. Note the following focuses will provide equipment and due to Rumare's small industry they can be quite helpful. The final Military focus, Nationalist Fervor, will spawn two additional militia divisions.
 * Underground Contacts will give 1.0K of Infantry Equipment I, 500 Towed Artillery, and 250 Support Equipment at a cost of 75 political power.
 * Modernize the Equipment will give 750 Infantry Equipment and a 75% research bonus for Infantry Equipment.
 * Local Armories will give 750 Infantry Equipment and a Military Factory.
 * Import Imperial Artillery Pieces will give 250 Towed Artillery and a 300% research bonus for Support Artillery.

The Wawr Airstrip is a small but useful air tree. Notably 30 fighters will be given from Acquire Fighters, 15 tactical bombers will be given from A Few Old Bombers, and a RADAR station and 300% research bonus will be given from Adopt the RADAR.

Technology
* Only if Man The Guns is absent

+Only if Man The Guns is present#

Staff and Designers
Political Advisors

Tank Designer

Ship Designer

Aircraft Designer

Materiel Designer

Industrial Concern

Theorist

Chief of Army

Chief of Navy

Chief of Airforce

Military High Command