The Grand Duchy of Altenland

The Grand Duchy as a Greater Faction
The Grand Duchy is a mercantile-focused Greater Faction, which seeks to enrich itself through trade and expansion. A economic powerhouse by excellence, the Duchy is mainly led by the Executive Council, a body of Lords hand picked by the Duke, to govern in his name. These Lords are the primary leaders and overseers for the Duchy, and all are rutheless people who are willing to do whatever it takes to see the Duchy ascend as the greatest nation in all of Timmeran.

Their main tools to achieve this are the Duchy's economic power and the Lords' own persuasive skills. All in the Duchy are salespeople by nature, and Altenlanders are known as master manipulators and backroom dealers. Court intrigue runs high in the Duchy, as most Lords attempt to enrich themselves at all costs, but the ATC, and by extension the Duchy, are vital to all, and the Lords will put all differences aside when it comes to expanding their dominion's influece.

History
The Grand Duchy of Altenland began as a conglomeration of fiefdoms ruled over by local lords and thanes. Several lordships were united by Lord Gillean Götha, First of his House, into a Duchy. The thanes, threatened by the creation of this larger entity rallied behind Thane Greymane to present a united front against Duke Götha. The ensuing War for the Throne ravaged the countryside, bringing devastation to the land. Thane Greymane was eventually slain at the Battle of the Sunfields, and the main Thane army was crushed. With the land united, Lord Götha was declared Grand Duke, and the Duchy was established.

The Altenland Trading Company
The economic arm of the Duchy, the Altenland Trading Company, or ATC, was formed several years after the War for the Throne. The devastation wrought on by the conflict led the Duchy to establish Crown Initiatives, which were finatial aid to help rebuild and develop the nation. The Crown Initiatives created many specialised jobs and increased the number of traders in the duchy. As the competition increased, naval trade was found to be the most profitable form of trade, due to the large overland trade times and the position of the Duchy.

Several merchants joined to form the Seafaring Trade Guild, which generated outrageous profits for investors and cushioned any losses of risky voyages among the many patrons that funded the lost ship. Eventually, the Seafaring Trade Guild was brought under the dominion of Duke Ygranmar Götha, who personally bought 52% shares of the company, as well as rescinding any and all trading permits not under control of the Trading Guild, which now had been renamed as the Altenland Trading Company.

After poor management of the company by the Duchy, the company teetered on the edge of bankruptcy, and the prices of traded goods had skyrocketed as the ATC attempted to pay it's debts through increased prices, generating widespread discontent. This came to a head in the Autumn revolution, which saw citizen revolts, funded and armed largely by disgruntled shareholders of the ATC, take the Lumiscient Palace in Eliston. The Duke was forced to sign the Autumn Accords, which saw the royalty lose all control and profits of the company and hand leadership to the Chancellor of the Exchange, as well as establish Parliament, the legislative body of the Duchy, which sees MPs voted in by landowners.

For players who might join the Duchy
The Duchy is focused on diplomacy, economic growth and expansion. Think of it as the East India Company merged with the Iron Bank. The playstyle is very Game of Thrones-esque, with intrigue, diplomacy and subterfuge as your main tools when dealing with other Factions. You are very much encouraged to pursue your own agenda and be friends with other Altenlanders as a Lord, and don't mind if you step on other Lords' toes a bit, it's all part of the character. Just remember you may be on the receiving end as well.

If you enjoy Game of Thrones' diplomacy and intrigue, colonisation, and economy focused gameplay, you'll enjoy the Grand Duchy of Altenland.

References and inspiration: Game of Thrones, The British Empire, The Portuguese Empire, The Dutch East India Company, Europa Universalis IV.