Make the Nation part 9 - resources and industries

It's been a while coming, but here is the next part in the make the nation activity. after the last round of suggestions, I've added to the history and come up with some culture, which revolves around cannibalism - lovely! But don't let that dissuade you - Cisnerians are no base savages. In fact they are a nation that is rapidly embracing industrialization, yet clings to a older, more feral religion that has been forgotten by most:

Cisneria is a land whose culture is dominated by seven disparate noble Clans, noted for their heraldic emblems, each of which depicts a bestial aspect of their deity, the scion Thereon, who exists in defiance of the Undying Machine of the east.

    In truth, these noble Clans can trace their roots back to a larger, now forgotten arboreal culture that dominated the region around the Sea of Adum in the Fourth Age, when the climate was more forgiving, and Elyden was dominated by large empires and kingdoms inherited from well-established ethnicities and cultures that are all today largely lost. 

    Today its people claim to be descended from Thereon, purportedly a scion of the Demiurge Arimaspi, who they worship in a corrupted form. The Clans are ruled by shapers who claim direct lineage to this scion and whose shaping embodies physical aspects attributed to the emblems of their Clans.

    Its religion is perhaps most famed and maligned amongst outsiders for its practice of sacramental cannibalism, which has a long history, dating back to various corroborated accounts of the scion Thereon hunting fellow scions and feasting on their flesh, believing the act would pass their abilities on to him. He was apprehended by his father Arimaspi, and eaten in punishment, an act which his descendents would remember to this day, causing them to disown Arimaspi and elevate Thereon to the status of martyr, after which he eventually became a deity to the people of Cisneria. Cannibalism naturally became a part of Cisnerian culture, given the prominent role it played in their deity’s life. 

    Cannibalism exists in various forms within Cisneria, though increasingly there are those who are looking down on it and want to move away from what they think are antiquated beliefs.

    Most commonly it is seen in the consumption of family members who die of old age, as well as the mother and father eating the bodies of miscarried children. Eating the vessel is said to bring one closer to the spirit of the deceased, forming a close bond or connection. Most extended families have amongst their members a shaman, spiritualist or occultists who oversees these cannibalistic rituals and later commune with the spirits of dead family members, passing on information and keeping the living and dead updated with the goings on in their respective worlds.

    In calendar-based rituals, willing sacrifices are made on important religious festivals and the bodies are consumed raw during mass, and their bones are clad in elaborate jewelled armour and they are placed in open crypts within their clans, where their families, who are honoured by the sacrifice, may commune with them at any time.

    The kingdom of Cisneria is seen as a backwards place by foreign nations, in no small part due to what are considered its primitive religious customs, and its recent move towards industrialisation, which isa cause of debate in the kingdom. Its lack of coastal territories means that it is beholden to neighbouring nations to acquire trade-goods it is in need of, though luckily the Black Mountains that make up its western-most territories are a source of many metals and ores.

    This turn towards industrialisation is a contentious issue amongst many of the elder rulers of the clans, who use the example of Almagest and Korachan as what can happen to people when they turn to the natural world as a means of exploitation. 

    Each Clan has a representative member in the ruling council that watches over a Child-Monarch, who was appointed by the previous Child-Monarch at the end of their term. These representatives spend their days acting as regents on behalf of the young ruler who takes office at the tender age of 7, and try to sway the decisions of the Child-Monarch as it becomes older and can make its own decisions. The representatives intentions are usually self-serving,intended to increase the power and station of their own clan at the detriment of the others. 

     At the end  of its 10-year term the Child-Monarch selects a new ruler and a new clan to be the dominant clan, which will guide the future 10-years of politics and culture in Cisneria. The chosen aspect will see the associated Clan ascend in importance for the next decade, as it becomes the ruling clan, until another patron is chosen by the next monarch upon reaching the age of 17.

    Though the newly-appointed monarch need not belong to the corresponding clan, tradition dictates that these be the same. The new Child-Monarch is chosen  from children who turned 10 that spring and then disappears into the Black Mountains to seek enlightenment, becoming a saint of the pantheon. As a result of this, most pregnancies are planned, so that the child is born as close to the Spring Equinox as possible. Though it is not strictly the case, most monarchs are chosen from healthy babes - either male or female - who are born on the equinox itself.

    The current child-Monarch is Arran Sonnelsson, and he is 15, rapidly approaching the age when he is expected to choose an aspect of Thereon. Tarran belongs to Clan Hommal.

    There is much politicking in the capital, and the clans each devotes great time and resources in the hopes of swaying the decisions of the monarch - both in the choice of successor, as well as the aspect under whose auspices the kingdom will be ruled.

    The people of Cisneria propagate myths and misinformation that dominates foreign impressions of their land. This includes the belief that their rulers are skinshapers, who can shift into the forms of beasts.

The seven emblems, and the corresponding clans are:

• Bermion the sabre-toothed deer, who embodies speed, and is a guardian to mothers.
• Dislma the white owl, who embodies efficiency and beauty, and is a guardian to women and hunters.
• Gystar the black bear, who embodies perseverance and hunger, and is a guardian to men.
• Hommal the polar fox, who embodies cunning, and is a guardian to politicians.
• Krakyr the white wolf, who embodies community and patience, and is a guardian to soldiers.
• Krislor the hog, who embodies resourcefulness, and is the guardian of workers.
• Skulfur the giant elk, who embodies hard work, and is the guardian of farmers.

Thanks to Impesio, who was the main contributor to the last part of the process. 

So that's what we have so far, and with that as a good basis for the character and culture of the region, we can now look towards something more tangible - resources and industries. I'm attaching a map of what I have done so far so that you can mark it with any resources or industries of choice you think suit the region. 

Remember Cisneria is only now entering its industrial age so it will not have much in the form of modern industries, though the black mountains to the west can be rich in resources, though not too rich as otherwise it may be a target to larger more powerful nations looking for resources as their own as used up.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Have fun!