Post by Helluinriel on Jul 20, 2009 17:01:30 GMT -5
Iden--
The large central country that used to cover the entire continent before the outer provinces rebelled and gained their independence. It is widely regarded as the center of culture (and education?) on the continent.
Malach: The capital of Iden, and former capital of the Idani Empire. The old capital building is rumored to date back to the time of angels, for those people who believe such superstitions. This city is situated at the confluence of the (two rivers).
Pallas: Home of Iden's renowned University, the center of Knowledge, Arts, and Sciences on the continent.
Task: A small city on the golden northwestern plains of Iden, known both for its preponderance of great poets and as the location of the high temple for the Angel of Belief.
Ra'isse-- Located in directly south of Iden (in yellow), Ra'isse is a warlike survivalist culture entrenched in the southern mountains of the same name. Over the centuries, Ra'isse has expanded its borders to include rich plains areas to its East and West, from which the country gets most of its food.
Government: Oligarchical, with succession determined by a combination of patrimony and merit. Eldest sons inherit, but if they die no further provision is made-- it's case-by-case. The nobility of Ra'isse form a loose-knit feudal system in the central mountains, each ruling from an ancient underground fortress built to enhance the prestige of one ancient Ra'issine warlord or another. Having a city named after one is the ultimate honor, and each such stronghold is governed by a council of ten citizens who are said to have best lived up to the name of the city's founding hero (descent from said hero helps, but it's not a guarantee by any stretch). Ra'isse recognizes a King, but he's treated as the first of rough equals, and must prove fit to lead if he wishes to keep the job.
Economy: Split mainly into slaves, raids, and mining. Slaves have been a part of Ra'isse's power structure for hundreds of years, and provide most of the nation's food as well as a booming textile industry, which enjoys great success thanks to convenient water power and prime locations for livestock. Raids into other countries, mostly to the south, often make modest contributions. The mountainous center of the country contains some of the best ores in the world in sizable quantities, particularly iron, copper, lead, and gold. Ra'isse imports mostly luxury goods, especially wood, pottery, cut gems, and glass products.
Religion: Angels are worshiped as individuals who will help you if you have their favor. The angels are not worshiped equally, instead many people and cities have favorite angels who they believe help them especially. The individual angels revered in the different cities vary, but some of the favorites of the culture include Time and Justice.
Cultural notes:
--Compulsory military service for men.
--Xenophobic attitude towards outsiders, particularly in the center of the country.
-- Rough gender equality, but emphatic gender roles.
-- tends to view other "civilized" countries as opulent.
Kerrimac--
Blue country to the north of Iden. Contains the seat of the Faith.
Government: In name a democracy, but the real leader of the country is the leader of the Faith.
Eiseth
Blue country to the southwest. Eiseth is much less a proper country than a rolling expanse of endless plains which contains a culture composed of nomads, merchants, thieves, (i.e. disreputable merchants), ranchers, and almost anyone else who finds what they need by traveling. Eiseth is an old country that had its social and religious roots even back when the Idani first made contact with them millennia ago. Consider what the Rohirrim would be like as gypsies, and you have some idea of what Eiseth's like.
Government: almost none, it's not easy when 95% of your population has no permanent address. There is an administrative/market/social site which is organized by the greatest of Eiseth's family-clans, a place called Nerandash (translated into the common tongue as "The Gathering"). The test to be admitted to Nerandash is simple-- you have to find out where it is by word of mouth.
Anyone from Eiseth will tell you that things are run largely "just by common sense," which belies a complex and ancient system of precedents and common law that most clan patrons have locked in their memories as part of the nation's oral tradition. That notwithstanding, family heads (fathers) bear legal authority over and responsibility for their family, in the eyes of the leader of their clan.
Economy: Eiseth survives on trade. They're excellent craftsmen, even though they have few natural raw materials. They ranch extensively and sell livestock, as well as boasting a thriving foreign gambling industry along its water borders-- the river Eiseth to the northeast and the sea coast to the southwest. They import ores from Rai'sse and make some of the finest jewelry on the continent, though not for cheap. Their porcelain and ceramics are famous, and they also can make hefty profits on their horses, even if they rarely do-- to sell (or buy) an Eisethine horse without a clan leader's permission can get you into trouble.
Religion: Eiseth had its own religion before Iden conquered it, and Eisethine people have mostly taken the parts of the Faith that gel with their own sense and cheerfully ignored the rest. This isn't to say they won't acknowledge it as true-- most people will still earnestly identify themselves as members of the Faith-- but at the same time they see other perspectives on the Faith to be extremely and needlessly strict. If a clan patron feels like celebrating the annual fertility festival for Life ten times in a year in place of some of the other festivals, no one blinks an eye (though maybe some tongues would begin to wag after a while).
Culture: This is an odd sock drawer, and there's more to come here, hopefully tomorrow.
((Place map here))
The large central country that used to cover the entire continent before the outer provinces rebelled and gained their independence. It is widely regarded as the center of culture (and education?) on the continent.
Malach: The capital of Iden, and former capital of the Idani Empire. The old capital building is rumored to date back to the time of angels, for those people who believe such superstitions. This city is situated at the confluence of the (two rivers).
Pallas: Home of Iden's renowned University, the center of Knowledge, Arts, and Sciences on the continent.
Task: A small city on the golden northwestern plains of Iden, known both for its preponderance of great poets and as the location of the high temple for the Angel of Belief.
Ra'isse-- Located in directly south of Iden (in yellow), Ra'isse is a warlike survivalist culture entrenched in the southern mountains of the same name. Over the centuries, Ra'isse has expanded its borders to include rich plains areas to its East and West, from which the country gets most of its food.
Government: Oligarchical, with succession determined by a combination of patrimony and merit. Eldest sons inherit, but if they die no further provision is made-- it's case-by-case. The nobility of Ra'isse form a loose-knit feudal system in the central mountains, each ruling from an ancient underground fortress built to enhance the prestige of one ancient Ra'issine warlord or another. Having a city named after one is the ultimate honor, and each such stronghold is governed by a council of ten citizens who are said to have best lived up to the name of the city's founding hero (descent from said hero helps, but it's not a guarantee by any stretch). Ra'isse recognizes a King, but he's treated as the first of rough equals, and must prove fit to lead if he wishes to keep the job.
Economy: Split mainly into slaves, raids, and mining. Slaves have been a part of Ra'isse's power structure for hundreds of years, and provide most of the nation's food as well as a booming textile industry, which enjoys great success thanks to convenient water power and prime locations for livestock. Raids into other countries, mostly to the south, often make modest contributions. The mountainous center of the country contains some of the best ores in the world in sizable quantities, particularly iron, copper, lead, and gold. Ra'isse imports mostly luxury goods, especially wood, pottery, cut gems, and glass products.
Religion: Angels are worshiped as individuals who will help you if you have their favor. The angels are not worshiped equally, instead many people and cities have favorite angels who they believe help them especially. The individual angels revered in the different cities vary, but some of the favorites of the culture include Time and Justice.
Cultural notes:
--Compulsory military service for men.
--Xenophobic attitude towards outsiders, particularly in the center of the country.
-- Rough gender equality, but emphatic gender roles.
-- tends to view other "civilized" countries as opulent.
Kerrimac--
Blue country to the north of Iden. Contains the seat of the Faith.
Government: In name a democracy, but the real leader of the country is the leader of the Faith.
Eiseth
Blue country to the southwest. Eiseth is much less a proper country than a rolling expanse of endless plains which contains a culture composed of nomads, merchants, thieves, (i.e. disreputable merchants), ranchers, and almost anyone else who finds what they need by traveling. Eiseth is an old country that had its social and religious roots even back when the Idani first made contact with them millennia ago. Consider what the Rohirrim would be like as gypsies, and you have some idea of what Eiseth's like.
Government: almost none, it's not easy when 95% of your population has no permanent address. There is an administrative/market/social site which is organized by the greatest of Eiseth's family-clans, a place called Nerandash (translated into the common tongue as "The Gathering"). The test to be admitted to Nerandash is simple-- you have to find out where it is by word of mouth.
Anyone from Eiseth will tell you that things are run largely "just by common sense," which belies a complex and ancient system of precedents and common law that most clan patrons have locked in their memories as part of the nation's oral tradition. That notwithstanding, family heads (fathers) bear legal authority over and responsibility for their family, in the eyes of the leader of their clan.
Economy: Eiseth survives on trade. They're excellent craftsmen, even though they have few natural raw materials. They ranch extensively and sell livestock, as well as boasting a thriving foreign gambling industry along its water borders-- the river Eiseth to the northeast and the sea coast to the southwest. They import ores from Rai'sse and make some of the finest jewelry on the continent, though not for cheap. Their porcelain and ceramics are famous, and they also can make hefty profits on their horses, even if they rarely do-- to sell (or buy) an Eisethine horse without a clan leader's permission can get you into trouble.
Religion: Eiseth had its own religion before Iden conquered it, and Eisethine people have mostly taken the parts of the Faith that gel with their own sense and cheerfully ignored the rest. This isn't to say they won't acknowledge it as true-- most people will still earnestly identify themselves as members of the Faith-- but at the same time they see other perspectives on the Faith to be extremely and needlessly strict. If a clan patron feels like celebrating the annual fertility festival for Life ten times in a year in place of some of the other festivals, no one blinks an eye (though maybe some tongues would begin to wag after a while).
Culture: This is an odd sock drawer, and there's more to come here, hopefully tomorrow.
((Place map here))