Gristin

Gristin is a large island in the approximate centre of the Empire of the Isles, known in the south for its rolling green hills and foggy meadows, while in the north for various industrialized, ‘modern’ cities. Among said southern cities is Hartdon, capital city of the Empire and monument to Imperial glory.

The most populated of the Isles, Gristin is home to half its population, concentrated primarily in seven major cities: Barcaster, Dunwich, Hartdon, Keldwich, Norcaste, Raedwynton, and Thornhurst.

History
(In progress...)

Economy
For most of its history, Girstin’s economy was based in fishing and farming. However, advances in whale oil processing, along with industrial advances, have changed the nation forever: in modern day, it is dominated both financially and politically by a handful of major industrial cities, with various ports in the east having turned into whaling centres.

Outside these industrial powerhouses, however, the old ways prevail; especially in the north, which has been less receptive (or at least less altered) by the Artificer Revolution than have the more southern regions.

Beyond this, Girstin contains one major mining location, located in the northwest, and numerous attempts have been made by the Imperial government to find and expand upon other possible mines, if not only to ease their reliance on raw minerals from Fathain.

Culture
The Gristish are an overall somber people, noted elsewhere on the Isles for their stoic nature and overall humourlessness. Favouring dark, serious aesthetics, it is often said that the Grisish themselves are the only thing more depressing than the dreary weather they must endure.

Since the onset of the Artificer Revolution, Gristin has become home to wide, hierarchical class divides. Furthermore, as a side-effect of the Revolution, various formerly-obscure positions such as banking have risen to the top of the economic ladder - leading to some degree of societal upheaval as the formerly insignificant became quickly quite influential.

Outside of the industrial centres, most Gristish still live in fortified towns near centers of agricultural production. Some centres are still considered villages, barely fortified beyond a wooden wall, and consisting of buildings made entirely of wood.

Relations
The heart of the Empire, Gristin has managed to expand its influence over the Isles due primarily to its all-powerful navy, as well as being the centre of the Order of Everyman. Their control has only increased during the Artificer Revolution, and they now house institutions such as the Academy of Natural Sciences, from which the progress of the Empire (and thus the Isles themselves) flows.