History of Gestiguiste
For hundreds of years the barbarian tribes of the realm now know as Gestiguiste lived in a continual state of anarchy. Seeing the ripe opportunity to earn money, a hardy group of warriors banded together to form a mercenary unit. They called themselves Gestiguiste.
Initially, Gestiguiste worked for the various tribes of their homeland, usually siding with the highest bidder. This continued for many years, until Gestiguiste became hungry for a real challenge, knowing that there must be greater opportunities past their comfortable little world.
During their travels, they realized that there was a vast world beyond their homeland. Gestiguiste visited villages, cities and the capital city of their neighboring kingdom. There were shops, markets and craftsmen of all kinds. Gestiguiste simply could not believe the size of the capital city. The metropolis was expansive and the standing army was well organized, well equipped and had an overwhelming numbers of soldiers.
The members of Gestiguiste visited libraries, consulted with scholars and befriended military and government officials. They spent several years learning as much as possible about the world. Including the physical layout, the various countries and kingdoms, political structures, military tactics, technological advances, and manufacturing processes. Finally Gestiguiste headed back to their homeland, forever changed by what they had seen and learned.
They arrived back to their homeland, and found it in a state of complete anarchy. Gestiguiste called together the leaders and elders of all the tribes and told them of their travels and adventures. In the end, what was once their splintered tribal homeland became the country known as Gestiguiste!
As the years passed, Gestiguiste expanded throughout the surrounding forest, to the ocean on the East coast, where the demi-lich Zanbar Bane oppressively ruled. Gestiguiste defeated Zanbar’s troll army at great cost, and forced the lich under the seal of a stasis field. The grateful coastal cities pledged fealty to Gestiguiste, providing land, ships, equipment and brave soldiers.
Throughout their expansion, Gestiguiste gained a strong reputation for fairness, tolerance and unbridled fury in combat. Only willing towns and cities were incorporated into Gestiguiste, otherwise they could remain sovereign if desired.
Even though there is a military structure in place, outside of issues related to borders and combat, the country is democratic. This mix of government styles, with voting privileges and participation at all levels, has led to a strong country with a bustling economy and a happy population for the most part.