Families rarely have more than ten children, though mankind has always encouraged having as many as possible. It's a survival trait- to reproduce is to live on within your children, to pass on your genes and create a legacy. It was the ultimate goal in many of our ancestors' lives, and why we are here today.

Mein vati said that when the world was created, Gott made Land, Sea, and Sky apart from his living creatures. They were a different breed of survivor, one that represented the bulk of his creation. From them sprang Earth and from Earth came her continents. She was married to Fate, and Fate deemed the future as Gott told him to. Out of nothingness and dust Gott created the creatures and populated the earth with his people, in his image, the humans.

As time passed, the continents that were once united began to split and turn as the Devil put sin and corruption in their hearts. They moved across their mother's surface in splits and cracks. Land and Sea then gave birth to the islands; Sea and Sky put weather into Earth's atmosphere.

From the humans and their evolution bred the first civilizations, no matter how primitive. They were the first countries and tribes. As humans evolved, so did we. We met others of our kind and as time passed or of Fate's meddling, invisible hands, we intermarried, we had flings.

Mein vati and mutti are among the first generations of our kind. They are Meiers and passed their names and beings and appearances to us, their children. From Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons they sprang, moving north to where we reside now. They roam the lands and I know not if they are living or dead or faded now. But where they make love come me and my siblings.

Twenty-five of us.

Gott has blessed us since the beginning, and the Devil sought to split and break us.

We are familie.

In our culture, women are as important as men- their names and words are revered just as much, though they care for the houses and the children more than the soil of Earth. Our blood mixed them into powerful, fierce, dependable fighters. This blood ties us together, our familie and our spirit for fighting. For we fight for every inch, for every breath of our being. It has always been this way. Our disputes may be petty and our grudges run deep, and we love some more than we love the others. But we stand together as we always have for thousands of years.

It is always in our blood.

We will unite when the time calls for it. But we cannot stand alone without a leader, and that is where the Beilschmidts step in.

Out of twenty-five of us, only six were born girls. Sons are warriors, and in that day, the call for war was almost daily. We were needed and we were called from the womb by Fate. Those six, however, were never enough for all the wives the Beilschmidts needed.

The Beilschmidts hold power over us- we cannot unite without them. We cannot survive without them. We are no longer countries with the power in our own hands, to run free. That is the way Fate wants it to be.

I begin our long story as the eldest of the familie. I am the firstborn, the first child, a boy. I am a Meier.

I am Wilhelm, personification of Bavaria.

I never knew mein mutti or vati, only pinpricks of memory. But that is already more than the rest of them combined. Their spirits roam and do not rest. Being the eldest is a lonely occupation, with no one to share it with. It is responsibility and guilt at the same time. This is why when I look at all the happy siblings, the ones with twins, or the ones married off or for love, a deep heartache stirs within. I am alone and I have stayed that way since the beginning of my life.

Germania, or Günther Beilschmidt, took me in as a young teenager. I had survived that long on my own, and his arrival was late and unwelcome. But his training accelerated my country, and it was his promise and duty as a nation to raise our family. In return, his sons would have wives.

But there were only six to choose from, six lonely girls protected by bruders that Germania had himself trained.

Gott had given me tousled, nearly unmanageable blond hair and sharp cobalt blue eyes. Mein familie has a wide range of identities, and we may not always resemble each other.

Gott, twenty five.

Before we can move on, you must meet them.

Born after me was Saxony, the wild card. Dominik. He is a playboy and a spender, a flirtatious and stubbornly handsome young man. He was touched by Germania for a long time, urging him to keep his hair long. He is wild, with long blond hair and tricky jasper eyes. He is unreasonable, uncontrollable, except by quiet Anhalt. Many believe they're twins, but they are simply closely grown, like ivy that hangs and drapes over each other, climbing higher and higher with each other's' aid alone.

Then there is Hesse, a scarred boy. Christoph. He is like me, quiet and reserved, but a brilliant leader. His hair is blond and hangs long, but in a ponytail. A long scar stretches from his right temple down to his lip- an accident made by one of our younger siblings. His cool, calm gray eyes are expected for one that looks after the youngest siblings. I know I can rely on him, always.

Thüringia, or Maximillian, was born close to Christoph, very shortly after. He is the fourth sibling, one that is content in being forgotten. He and Christoph are a perfect pair to leave management to. They are just as close in relationship in as birth, and I thank Gott daily for their presences. His eyes rival those of the Kirklands, a lovely spring green under his dark blond hair. He cuts it so it is free, hanging at the nape of his neck, just as his heart wishes.

The first real set of twins in the familie are Florian and Ralf. They are as close as can be and as far as can be from each other, being able to fight each other and get along before you can distinguish which they were doing at first. They represent Baden-Württemberg. Florian is Baden, and Ralf is Württemberg. As twins, they do not resemble each other at all. Florian is a honey-blond, with his hair cut like Maximillian's, but with dark ruby eyes. The first out of us to be distinctly different. Ralf is dark haired, a shade between chestnut and ink, with soft violet eyes. If their personalities were their eye colors, they could not be more different. Startlingly, Florian is quiet, and Ralf is the one with a more violent personality. They keep to themselves mostly, and I rarely have to worry or think about them.

The next siblings, number seven and eight, are the first girls in our familie. They happen to be twins as well- mutti was exceptionally lucky in her pregnancies. North Rhine and Westphalia are famous for their skills of seduction as well as their rich, beautiful territories. I must say, though, they are wild when it comes to self-judgment.

I blame that on Dominik, of course.

North Rhine is Martina and Westphalia is Simone. Both have exquisite silky locks that are a shade between honey and mahogany, and they rival Francis (France) in beauty. They are identical twins, and share the same blue-violet eyes. The only difference is their tolerance for alcohol- Martina drinks a glass less than Simone before she passes out. Well, that, and their personal underthing sizes…Martina is more endowed than Simone.

Hamburg, or Marko, is number nine. His outgoing personality, dark blue eyes, and ragged dark blond hair go hand in hand with his unrestrained lifestyle. Marko has a contagious smile. He is close with Bremen, number ten, or Falke. Falke is a gentle soul with a weak stomach but light sky-blue eyes and short (er) light blond hair.

Benjamin is number eleven, and represents Anhalt. It is strange that a tiny boy can be a much older sibling than he seems, but he is orderly enough and gets himself out of trouble. He slips away like quicksilver but can control Dominik's wild nature with a single look from his emerald eyes. His messy light blond wisps of hair are usually held in place with a newsboy's cap and a gentle, honest expression.

Lower Saxony can often be mistaken for a girl, but he has an inner strength rare for one of his looks. His medium-blond hair is braided and tied off with a silk ribbon, and his eyes are a sparkling shade of ice green. His feminine looks are accompanied by a feminine name- Marcel. He gets along with all of us well, but not Dominik, which is surprising to anyone who asks. It's because of his stubborn pride for splitting away from Dominik. He is especially gentle with horses and is an excellent rider and hunter.

Marcel is best friends with his younger brother Brandenburg, or Sebastian. They are both good-looking and well-spoken. Sebastian takes after Ralf in appearance, but with more tamable hair. It is the color of pine after the rain, a glossy dark chestnut. His eyes are watery blue and he is quiet. But when Marcel and Sebastian smile, it is a beautiful, graceful thing.

Thomas and Philipp are Rhineland and Palatinate, best friends with the youngest sibling. Thomas and Philipp are well-spoken twins with a passion for politics and development. They always have small, demure smiles. Both are golden-haired with dark ocean-colored eyes.

Mecklenburg-Volpommern are twins that love having fun. Though they look nothing like each other, Ulrich and Dennis are always on the lookout for each other. Ulrich has auburn hair that sweeps out from his bright blue-green eyes, whereas Dennis has close-clipped blond hair, bangs, and light gray eyes not unlike a small cloud. Ulrich is the one with radical ideas, and Dennis is the one that supports and helps him make them come true, no matter how hard.

Finally, at number eighteen of my siblings, another girl appears. Schleswig-Holstein are sweet, loving twins. Schleswig is a girl- Karolin, with beautiful curling blond waves that she twists and turns into fashions that everyone follows. Her eyes are bright sky blue. Holstein, or Stefan, is always there to help her and support her, trailing behind with rich dark-blond hair and brown eyes bordering on red. If she needs help with taming her locks, Stefan will do it for her. I have never seen happier people. The only part that unsettles me is their inseparable love- strangely enough, they are married. With so many siblings, I guess it was bound to happen, but I am happy watching them. They deserve such happiness.

Hohenzollern, or Rikard, follows loyally behind Falke and listens to his every word. He is small but loved and protected by his older brother, a carbon copy. But once in a while he will become agitated beyond belief at Martina's constant scolding and rebuttals. They are always arguing about something or other.

Then there is Silesia- Wyn. She was born…different, with shocking silver hair and iridescent eyes. There is a scar on her cheek and a scar also in her heart, but I know not why. She was raised by Feliks (Poland) but fought many wars in her youth. She is happy, somewhat, now- she married Gilbert Beilschmidt (Prussia) of her own accord. Wyn loves him more than life itself. She is cunning and not a fighting nation, but I have always feared that she would become one. Such things come from her husband. But she gets along well with Christoph and myself, and her marriage saved me from my death long ago.

I can forgive her.

The last pair of twins, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, were born after much time passed- almost five centuries. They are different from the rest of us. Why I cannot say. Saxe-Coburg, or Viktor, is stately and polished, but inside he harbors a weak spot for his twin. He cannot live without Saxe-Gotha, or Isolde. Isolde is much like Wyn, wild in her youth, but calculating, always calculating. The pair are both blond haired and blue eyed, but Viktor has his hair in a short ponytail like Christoph, and Isolde occasionally puts her hair back with a white bandanna.

Berlin was born after Viktor and Isolde, not too long after. Monika was a grateful addition to our family, married off to Ludwig Beilschmidt (Germany.) She was always a happy child but warlike. She experienced many hardships within her early years and grew up too fast- and was married to early. My mistakes cost her childhood. Monika was raised mostly by Wyn and Gilbert, and has long straight blond hair and baby blue eyes.

The last sibling (thus far) has been Saarland, born after Monika. Klaus is close with Thomas but sometimes is jealous of Philipp because they're twins. Klaus has a lot of energy, and has dark blue eyes and dark brown hair. He's only a teenager but he's street smart and always wants to explore the world.

That's the twenty-five of us.

German states.

Meiers.

Our perception of the world may be smaller, more local, more intimate, but we are a family no matter what. Whether we speak with each other or interact can depend on anything from as small as wearing their enemy's colors to as large as a dispute. Those last longer.

My story will come later.

So, a long intro! Just so you don't get confused, I suggest taking notes but I will do character profiles later. Sorry for the delay in Undoubtedly and In Essence. They are both in the workings. It's the last couple of weeks of school and it is CHAOTIC. But I promise you they are in the workings, and they will be longer.

Haven't posted in a month ;'( But start off June and say hi to summer with the German States!

Please enjoy this 2K+ starter for a new project! Please READ AND REVIEW, follow, favorite if you like it :)

Thank you! 3