[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/G9e5Tca.png?2[/img][/centre]

[centre][u][i]Name of Nation[/i][/u] 
The United and God-given [i]Righachd[/i] of Sidara (shortened: Sidara, the Sidarid Isles, the UGR, Seihdhara, the [i]Righachd[/i])

[u][i]Government[/i][/u] 
Unitary Parliamentary Elective Monarchy

[u][i]Capital[/i][/u] 
Glenmagar

[u][i]Species[/i][/u] 
Human[/centre]

[list][*][hider=Historical Snapshots][centre][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4645798]See Here[/url] for Detailed History

[img]https://i.imgur.com/bevVxHk.jpg?1[/img]

[i]Men! Wull ye follow me?[/i][/centre]

[list][*]~8,500 BCE[indent]First human habitation.[/indent]
[*]~4,000-3,500 BCE[indent]Dwellings, farming, animal domestication, fishing, waterfaring vessels, ritual burial, polytheistic religion, tribalism, [url=http://www.specialx.net/specialxdotnet/burntbones_images/Stonehenge1.jpg]stone circles[/url] all present.[/indent]
[*]~2,000 BCE-1000 BCE[indent]The bronze age arrives in Sidara around 2000 BCE, and hillforts begin appearing from around 1,500 BCE. Clan hillfort settlements become an established part of Sidarid culture and society by 1,000 BCE.[/indent]
[*]~900-400 BCE[indent]The onset of the Iron Age. Age of forts and defended farmsteads, as well as quarrelsome clan confederations, petty tribal kingdoms, and the quick rise and fall of clan warlords.[/indent]
[*]403 BCE[indent]Morghul Dominion aka the [i]ap Morig[/i] invade Sidara alongside their lumbering, [i]Alluidh[/i]-riding green minions - the [i]ap Gynurk[/i] (ancient orcs).[/indent]
[*]393-7 BCE[indent]The period of Sidarid subjugation to the [i]ap Morig[/i]. By 10 BCE the power of the [i]ap Morig[/i] had largely waned, and their last strongholds fell to Sidarid clans in 7 BCE. Now the [i]ap Morig[/i] occupy a position directly opposed to the gods in the Sidarid weltanschauung, and are the manifestations of all things evil.[/indent]
[*]4-20 CE[indent]Sidara would not be free from foreign presence for long, the first incursions by proto-Anvegadians begin around this time, and various Anvegadian coastal settlements begin cropping up.[/indent]
[*]17 CE[indent]The first landing of Kratorian settler-explorers in Sidara, resulting from a growing rivalry on the mainland between Kratoria and the Anvegadian realms. A small Kratorian presence is established.[/indent]
[*]40 CE[indent]Anvegad is united for the first time and the Anvegad Empire is established.[/indent]
[*]46 CE[indent]First full-scale invasion of Sidara by Anvegad. The Sidarids resist, but the Anvegad ultimately gain a larger foothold.[/indent]
[*]50-310 CE[indent]Kratorian and Anvegadian conquests expand rapidly. Independent elements continued to exist. Clan risings common in conquered areas.[/indent]
[*]109 CE[indent]The Rape at Byc.
Massacre of group of [i]Wyndyn[/i] on Isle a’Cheimbyc during a period of general persecution of [i]Wyndyn[/i] by the invaders.[/indent]
[*]136-138 CE[indent]The [i]Treiwynd[/i] Rising against invaders. Practised human sacrifice. Crushed brutally.[/indent]
[*]314-29 CE[indent]Griffri the Bear of Clan ap-Filigin campaigns against the invaders.[/indent]
[*]330-456 CE[indent]Anvegad and Kratoria effectively abandon their Sidarid holdings. Isles back in clan hands by 456 CE.[/indent]
[*]457-1066 CE[indent]Free period sees rise of various realms. Mosy influential are the Confederacy of Esher, the Haiho Kingdom, and the Clans of Aujvint.[/indent]
[*]954 CE[indent]The bardic order, the [i]Cumannfil[/i], is formed.[/indent]
[*]1066 CE[indent]Emperor Roland of Anvegad invades Sidarid Isles.[/indent]
[*]1066-70 CE[indent]Clan Esher and the Esheran Confederation resist Anvegad but are defeated.[/indent]
[*]1071-80 CE[indent]Emperor Roland continues and completes conquest of the Isles.[/indent]
[*]1127-34 CE[indent]Mad Galam's Rebellion.[/indent]
[*]1134 CE[indent]Mad Galam slain at Galam's Stand.[/indent]
[*]1243 CE[indent]The Blood-head rising, headed by Flame-blessed Aimhirghin of Clan Esher.[/indent]
[*]1451 CE[indent]Across the seas, Etresna (which would become a thorn in the Anvegadian side) unites.[/indent]
[*]1453-62 CE[indent]Great Southern War between Etresna and Kratorian Imperium.[/indent]
[*]1494-1559 CE[indent]Period of instability culminating in rebellion in 1559 spear-headed by the Blood-heads. Blood-head leader, Roinseach of Clan Esher (a descendant of Flame-blessed Aimhirghin) becomes a rallying figure.[/indent]
[*]1592 CE[indent]After three decades of war, Sidara is declared free and a [i]Duthchas[/i] (great council of all the clans of Sidara) declares Roinseach rightful [i]Bhaenrhig[/i] (Queen). The United and God-given [i]Righachd[/i] of Sidara is established. Anvegad switches to a naval blockade to contain the threat.[/indent]
[*]1593-5 CE[indent]Episode of the Malcontents.
[i]Bhaenrhig[/i] Roinseach is forced to deal with malcontents who had not cast their votes for her at the [i]Duthchas[/i]. [i]Duthchas[/i] becomes official advisory body representing the clans. In time, the [i]Duthchas[/i] becomes a directly elected parliament. An ancient ritual, called the [i]Hyscadal[/i] (‘the Bull’s Vision’), is reinstated after to solidify the [i]Bhaenrhig's[/i] position and bolster her legitimacy.[/indent]
[*]1613-18 CE[indent]First Anvego-Sidarid War. Ends in effective stalemate. Both sides claim victory.[/indent]
[*]1626 CE[indent]Crisis of 1626 -- sinking of the [i]Teginaed[/i]  Sidara's first attempt to construct a purpose-built ship-of-the-line.[/indent]
[*]1651 CE[indent]The Great Decree of 1651 issued fixing every clan's clan-lands into permanent, untransferrable property of the clan. All land not delineated as clan-land become crown land.[/indent]
[*]1667-71 CE[indent]Second Anvego-Sidarid War.
[i]Rhig[/i] Cadfael slain and Aenfys, his infant son installed as new [i]Rhig[/i] and made to agree to a treaty of vassalage.[/indent]
[*]1684-1725 CE[indent]Tensions as Sidara attempts to secretly militarise in order to break off Anvegadian overlordship.[/indent]
[*]1726-30 CE[indent]Third Anvego-Sidarid War. Sidara regains complete independence.[/indent]
[*]1801-4 CE[indent]The Etramaden invasion of Kratoria is initiated and eventually repelled by the Kratorians with heavy losses on both sides. The ensuing peace treaty saw Etresna agree to discontinue imperial ambitions in the north. And so the mountain-nation turns its eyes towards the crumbling Anvegad and its southern neighbours.[/indent]
[*]1817 CE[indent]The Great Game between Sidara, Anvegad, and Etresna begins.[/indent]
[*]1833 CE[indent]The Glenmagar Conference to discuss Great Game tensions and negotiate a spheres of influence agreement fails.[/indent]
[*]1834-59 CE[indent]Etresna initiates a more aggressive policy of expansion to dominate and gain power over the various nations in the region. Anvegad and Sidara pursue their own policies to counter-act the power that had risen in the east.[/indent]
[*]1860-66 CE[indent]By 1859, Great Game tensions come to a head and a three-way war breaks out between Etresna, Anvegad, and Sidara. The war swiftly devolves into an anti-Sidarid coalition that sees the [i]Righachd[/i] soundly defeated.[/indent]
[*]1910 CE[indent]Present[/indent][/list][/hider]

[*][hider=Territory Claims] [hider=Her Grace's Core Holdings, Dominions, Protectorates, and Other Territories]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/aZhkW9Z.png[/img]
[/hider][/hider]

[*][hider=Economy] Economy - 16+1 (17) - Your economy is well-off, and a majority of what needs to be funded is.
Production - 11+4 (15) - Your nation is doing well for itself, with excellent production in both farming and manufacturing and good resource exploitation.

[indent]The [i]Righachd's[/i] economy has been going strong and stable for many years now. Its economy experienced a meteoric rise over the later half of the eighteenth-century, essentially dragging the [i]Righachd[/i] from the heavily agrarian economy it was to the industrialised economy of the present. 
The long-established clan structure of Sidarid society meant that companies owned and run by clans were quick to crop up in the late eighteenth-century. Communal in nature, these clan companies form the firm foundation of the Sidarid economy. Confident and optimistic, these pioneering companies have been very effective in producing trailblazers whose innovations have ensured that industry has continued to expand all over the realm - indeed, established clan companies grow from strength to strength as they expand their expertise into new areas, carrying themselves up on the back of innovative thinking, pioneering technology, and daring business-plans.
With government incentives and designations of the best crown lands for farming purposes, the [i]Righachd[/i] has managed to maintain food autarky - limited land space has resulted in creativity and efficiency in the use of land with the goal of maximising production. The successes of the [i]Righachd[/i] in this department are all too clear - it is an exporter of both grown foodstuff and meat. Iron ore is plentiful, and Sidarid metalsmiths - and the product of its metalworks factories in general - are renown the world over. Being an island nation with one of the most powerful navies in the world, it has been able to secure its trade routes despite the ever-present threat of the Anvegadian Navy.[/indent][/hider]

[*][hider=Technology] Tech - 14+4 (18) - Your nation is effectively fully modern, and innovative to boot. It is likely the trendsetter in multiple categories.

[indent]The [i]Righachd[/i] stands proudly as one of the world's premier technological engines, its innovative and progressively-minded people a boon in and of themselves. This is greatly due to the traditional Sidarid education system instilling within the populace from an early age the importance of innovation and independence - innovation strengthens the nation, and it brings wealth and glory to the innovator, which inspires far greater progressiveness and willingness amongst people to be daring in their endeavours. But these are no mere adventuring experimenters, for those do not create a stable and regimented progression that can keep the [i]Righachd[/i] as a whole at the forefront of technological advancement. Much of the time these are clan-members working with others in an organised and strategic manner to produce and refine innovations which would be immediately field-tested by a clan company, judged promising or not on the basis of its success, and either refined and expanded or dropped depending on the results. 
The government, for its part, funds research facilities at various universities across the country, as well as being patron to numerous Societies that seek to expand knowledge in various areas (whether it is the National Society of Antiquitarian and Archeological Exploration, the Royal Society of Linguistics, or Her Grace's Aeroflight Society).
This has meant that even as the population produces natural innovators who can become very successful in their own right, innovation and scientific advancement has effectively been institutionalised and honed into a communal effort across the board.
The various [i]Arwyndyn[/i] holy orders, which have long-established independent universities, form a separate stream. Traditionally more interested in magickal, religious, and esoteric learning, the [i]Arwyndyn[/i] have nevertheless engaged in some very interesting research and development projects over the past century. Joint research with mainstream universities have led to breakthroughs in areas ranging from military technology to whether usage of pesticide is morally justifiable according to Sidarid religion. [i]Arwynd[/i] scholarly journals are amongst the oldest in Sidara and have led to scholarly journals becoming a staple of the modern Sidarid academic scene. However, despite their greater interaction with society through these publications and joint research projects, the [i]Arwyndyn[/i] remain very secretive and reclusive, and there is doubtlessly much that they know and have not deigned to share.[/indent][/hider]

[*][hider=Culture][centre][u]Ideals[/u] 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Untx3Mu.jpg?1[/img]

[i]Freedom. Independence. [abbr=Traditionally translates to courage and bravery on the field and standing up for justice, but over time courage and daring in all fields, including war, has become more emphasised]Valour.[/abbr] The Clan. Honour. Loyalty.[/i][/centre]
[list][*][hider=Honour & Dishonour]
[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/qXjWrCd.jpg?1[/img][/centre]
[list][*][hider=Highest Honour][indent]Personal, individual achievement - e.g. displays of valour on the battlefield, honourable conduct, new discovery, pioneering invention etc.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Highest Dishonour][indent]To sacrifice one’s freedom and independence. While knowing one's limits and surrendering or fleeing when the odds are stacked against one is no dishonour, allowing oneself to accept occupation or slavery, for it to enter one’s heart, to defend one's enslaver or cooperate with them sincerely and in that way betray one's self, nation, and clan; that is the highest dishonour. One such as this deserves contempt and death.[/indent][/hider][/list][/hider]
[*][hider=Setting][indent]Sidara boasts many mountainous highland regions, lowland vales, ancient forests full of darkness and mystery, green hills rolling on green hills, numerous rivers and lakes (known as lochs); standing freshwater volumes are simply enormous.
[color=2E2C2C]'[/color]
[indent][centre][i]Ye kin feast yer een, bit ye cannae hae[/i]
[color=2E2C2C]'[/color]
[img]https://www.argentarchives.org/files/ardyniaview6.jpg[/img][/centre]
[indent][url=http://wallfocus.com/cache/images/c/9/1/0/6/c91064df538d0f198b1bf2c942ab3222395ea995.png]Springs and Hills![/url]
[url=https://wallpaperscraft.com/image/mountains_fields_ruins_stones_construction_scotland_42445_3840x2400.jpg]Stones and Fields and Hills![/url]
[url=http://beersandbeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/beersandbeans_scotland_by-Glen-Bowman-via-Flickr.jpg]Fields of the Vales![/url]
[url=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n_UB5JCn-eE/TclJzyY0whI/AAAAAAAAoRE/23W-qa94LEI/s1600/Tour%2BScotland%2BPhotograph%2BYellow%2BField%2BNorth%2BFife.jpg]Fields of Yellow! Fields of Green![/url]
[url=https://www.socwall.com/images/wallpapers/36711-1920x1200.jpg]Fields and Hills and Lochs and Cliffs![/url]
[url=http://www.vagabondish.com/wp-content/uploads/sunset-wheat-fields-scotland-9313254857.jpg]Only the Fields of Glory Will See the Light![/url]
[url=https://i.pinimg.com/736x/cb/b8/29/cbb829290016e6b789dd6a93ff2f03ab--animal-painter-highland-cattle.jpg]Highland Cattle![/url]
[url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/49/7d/63/497d63cca162d8c2f04329dabfc93b6a.jpg]More Highland Cattle![/url]
[url=https://c.wallhere.com/photos/41/1e/glenfinnan_viaduct_landscape_mountains_mist_sun_hogwarts_express-995311.jpg!d]Trains on Bridges![/url]
[url=https://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_700,f_auto,ar_3:2,q_auto:low,c_fill/https://www.scotsman.com/webimage/1.4357427.1486373259!/image/image.jpg]Ye Mounts and Torrents![/url]
[url=http://pixdaus.com/files/items/pics/3/8/551308_9fc924f8660cd9c34a487a26d0d74d27_large.jpg]Dikes and Sunsets![/url]
[url=http://www.lovelifefun.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/12-of-the-Surreal-Places-to-See-Patagonia-Argentina.jpg]Mounts and Lochs![/url]
[url=http://i.imgur.com/tZx6VXq.jpg]Coastal Castle Ruins![/url]
[url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wiDm18dfUAM/maxresdefault.jpg]Ye Banks and Braes![/url]
[url=https://www.roughguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/20.scotland-42-32338455-1680x1050.jpg]Lochs and Hills and Forests![/url]
[url=http://www.beautiful-views.net/views/lake-reflection-mountains-sky-scotland-forest.jpg]More Lochs, Hills, and Forests![/url]
[url=https://www.visitscotland.com/cms-images/holidays/autumn-holidays/lochan-uaine-the-green-loch]Be Stunned![/url]
[url=http://www.worldfortravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Isle-of-Skye-Scotland-Beauty.jpg]Pretty Rocks and Hills on the Horizon![/url]
[url=http://www.mikereyfman.com/Photography-Wildlife-Animals/Patagonia-Wildlife-and-Horses/big/MR0101.jpg]HORSES![/url]
[url=https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K7eIdgLV0bg/U5y04oJyW5I/AAAAAAAAAwY/rijc555Mvaw/s1600/stone+henge.jpg]Stone Circles![/url]
[url=https://media.mnn.com/assets/images/2016/08/Callanish-Stones-edit.jpg]And More Stone Circles![/url]

[centre][img]https://www.argentarchives.org/files/ardyniaview1.jpg[/img][/centre][/indent][/indent][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Religion]
[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/FdQQ0n1.jpg?1[/img]

[i]A Saffron-haired Goddess of Love and War[/i][/centre]
[list][*][hider=Religion; The Gods][indent]The Sidarid religion is ancient, with the first recorded worship of a female goddess with a head of saffron dating back over four-thousand years. Worship waned somewhat during the earlier periods of foreign occupation (~400 BCE to ~450 CE), and various foreign religions took root, but there was a resurgence during the period ~500 CE to 1000 CE, followed by a far greater one during the Anvegadian occupation.

Sidarid religion is primarily polytheistic, though it also harbours elements of animism. The major gods are as follows:
[list][*]Seihdhara - Head of the Sidarid pantheon. The goddess of war and love (in all its forms from motherly love to pure lust).  Believed to be the personification of the Sidarid Isles (the name 'Sidara' is derived from 'Seihdhara', and it is not uncommon for the island realm to be referred to as 'Seihdhara').  She is also known as the [i]Iomaethair[/i] (the Bear Mother), the [i]Corcaerdhig[/i] (the Crimson Goddess), and the [i]Lasaeroi[/i] (the Flame Eternal). The bear is considered her chief sacred animal and symbol. Those born with red hair, or who develop it, are believed to have been blessed by her with general martial and sexual prowess. Indeed, the Blood-heads - a group formed to resist Anvegadian occupation and today making up Sidara's elite and most senior division - are famed for only accepting into their ranks those with red hair. Over the centuries, through the process of natural selection, red hair has become a common - almost universal – Sidarid trait. She is often associated with Elder, Hawthorn, and Birch trees, and the Mistletoe.
[*]M'Gruda - God of life, nature, animals, wealth, and the underworld. The Elm and Cedar tree are associated with him.
[*]Daegeyda - The father god and [i]de facto[/i] ruler of the gods. After Seihdhara, he is by far the most important of all the Sidarid deities - and for some, he is even more important than the fiery-haired chief-goddess. Also referred to as 'The Daegeyda', he is the god of magick, wisdom, and fertility. His talents and skills, from fighting to craftsmanship to magick, are famed to be endless. He has a magical stave that kills with a single strike from one side and restores life with a blow from the other. It is so big that it can injure more than one person at a time. His cauldron provides an endless supply of food for the gods and his fruit trees are always ready to harvest. Of his two swine, one is always roasting upon a spit while the other is always alive. He has mated with Seihdhara and other goddesses and has numerous children. 
He is famed for having slaughtered innumerable [i]ap Morig[/i], but in the middle of the war against them, a short truce was called. The [i]ap Morig[/i] decided to get rid of the Daegeyda using his weakness for porridge, his favourite food. They concocted a porridge of superhuman proportions, placing it in a massive crater. It is said that they poured in enough milk to satisfy an entire clan for one year, then added enough fat to supply all of Sidara for two years, and then put enough meal to feed Sidara for three years. For good measure, they threw in a flock of sheep, a herd of goats, and a passel of pigs. The Fomorians challenged and taunted Daegeyda to eat the porridge or die. The great god leaned over the crater in the ground, sniffed at the mixture of ingredients, put one giant finger into the mess and tasted it then, to the amazement of the [i]ap Morig[/i], ate the entire thing. Feeling tired this, he lay down to nap. Frustrated that their plan had failed, they called for a woman to tempt the Daegeyda. If he mated with her, he would die. They hid behind trees to see what would happen. Daegeyda woke briefly to see a young maiden lying beside him and, although he noticed that she was beautiful, he was still sleepy and satisfied from his meal, so he rolled over and went back to sleep. It is believed, however, that the Daegeyda has been largely dormant ever since, still sleeping off the massive meal.
[*]Mac Cugail - God of the sky, thunder, wisdom, and Seihdhara's chief consort. He is associated with the Alder tree.
[*]Ducyffel - Goddess of horses, the sea, death, and fertility. Associated with the Pine tree.
[*]H’Mrorrig - Goddess of poetry, music, spring, dance, fire, inspiration, metalworking, knowledge, and childbirth – the last of which she shares with Seihdhara. Considered the patron goddess of druids (known collectively as [i]Wyndyn[/i], sing. [i]Wynd[/i]), and she is sometimes called the [i]Wyndynobhanrhig[/i] (the Queen of Druids). Often associated with Fir, Silver Fir, Hazel, Willow, and Oak trees. She tends the cauldron of knowledge and intelligence known as [i]Naethinyb[/i].
[*]Tymhorau and Raithean – The gods of the seasons, a couple who are born in spring and are children, then becoming young lovers in summer, before becoming each a mother and a father in autumn, and finally wise elderly folk who die with the coming of winter to be reborn at the midwinter solstice, alongside the sun, and greet spring as children again. They are associated with the Yew and Holly trees.[/list]

Some minor gods include:
[list][*]Diabcuraim – Guardian god of the well of knowledge and intelligence, the [i]Naethinyb[/i]. H’Mrorrig’s husband.
[*]Theia – Goddess of marriage, marital faithfulness, and family.
[*]Eh’Myr – A minor god of catastrophe and defeat. God of Eigen’s Fort, where the Sidarids suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the Anvegadians.
[*]Feiyin - A minor goddess and believed to be High Queen of the faeries. She is a goddess of love and fertility, is associated with the moon, crops, farms, and cattle. She is considered particularly important for healers and herbalists, and is believed to be responsible for the body's life force. She is rather vengeful and displays a sadistic pleasure in punishing those who cross her - for instance, anyone who sits on her throne (which appears to normal people as a normal stone, usually located in glens or groves) is in danger of losing their wits, those who sit three times lose their wits forever. It is believed that she was raped by Aeleyl Ulom, an ancient warlord of Clan ap-Entosh. She ripped off his ear trying to protect herself from him and later had her fae soldiers trap him and bring him to her - she tortures him to this day. It is believed that she fell deeply in love with the ancient hero, Dionin, but that her love was unrequited.
[*]Aggrona - The goddess of battle and slaughter. Was defeated by Seihdhara and now serves in the chief-goddess' retinue, carrying out various duties for her.
[*]Aerameid - A herbalist goddess, she is the daughter of the physician god Diyaneht and the sister of Michlin. Like her father and brother, Aerameid was a gifted healer - causing Diyaneht to become extremely jealous of her and Michlin's talent. When Seihdhara lost her arm in battle, Diyaneht created a new one for her out of gold and iron. But Aerameid and Michlin create another arm out of living flesh. It was so lifelike that Seihdhara was able to regain her throne and position as the chief goddess, even though the injury technically made her unqualified for rulership. Jealousy eating at him, Diyaneht killed Michlin, and Aerameid grieved over her brother's grave. While doing so, she noticed hundreds of plants growing among the flowers on his grave and, realising that they had healing properties, began classifying them. It was monumental mission, for each type of herb had to be picked and sorted in accordance with its medicinal benefits. Just as she was about to finish, the jealous Diyaneht crept up behind her and scattered the herbs to the winds. Aerameid was never able to recover the herbs and so never completed her work. For this reason, the proper uses for the hundreds of healing herbs are unknown to this day, and [I]Wyndyn[/i] have has to experiment and exercise their reasoning over the ages in attempts to recreate her lost work.
[*]Drechwr - A god of victory. Was defeated by Seihdhara and is now part of her retinue.
[*]Aengillian - The stunning god of youth, young love, and beauty, known for having coyishly rejected Seihdhara's advances, angering her, before seducing her anyway. He carries a magickal sword and dons a cloak of invisibility, and his kisses take wing and fly away. Four in particular, Ceyin, Piyr, Bleyna, and Aethrar, follow him about in the form of birds wherever he goes. He is known to protect young lovers and cultivate their love.
[*]Eirwyn - God of language and eloquence. He is the brother of Daegeyda, the father god. Credited
with creating the [i]Eirwyncanan[/i] and teaching it to the [i]Arwyndyn[/i], who glorify him tremdnously even to this day.
[*]Babaedna - A goddess of mayhem, slaughter, and battlefield confusion who visits battlefields in the form of a crow and sows utter chaos. She is known to whip warriors into a battle-frenzy - sometimes their frenzy is so great that they do not know friend from foe. She forms part of Seihdhara's retinue.
[*]Bellanes - A god of light and the sun. The festival of Beltane derives its name from and honoures him.
[*]Sruthyfinn - The river goddess after whom the river Sradfynn is named. Her sacred animal is the cow. She drowned when she tried to drink from the the [i]Naethinyb[/i] so as to gain supernatural wisdom, but did not have the permission of either the H'Mrorrig or Diabcuraim. When Sruthyfinn tried to drink from the cauldron, its waters rose up and chased her towards the sea, eventually swallowing her up and leaving the goddess dead in its wake. The waters formed a river leading from the well to the sea, which was named the Sradfynn in honour of the goddess.
[*]Beryw - God of therapeutic hot springs.
[*]Braeniyn - A son of the goddess  Ducyffel and a mortal named Viryn. He grew up exceptionally fast and was of formidable strength and was such a sight that he came to be known as Beautiful Brae. When Seihdhara lost her arm and became unable to rule, the gods crowned Braeniyn chief of the gods and [i]Rhig[/i] of Sidara. Though beautiful, Braeniyn was stingy and crude, taxed the cattle and crops so that every clan and household ran short of food and drink, and more or less used the gods as his personal servants. Eirwyn, the god of language and eloquence, was forced to fetch firewood for the entire kingdom, while Daegeyda, the great father god, was put to work constructing forts and defences. 
Braeniyn would bring about his own downfall through his lack of generosity and hospitality. No sounds of music or poetry filled his halls. No feasts or celebrations were held at his court. His guests were offered meagre food and drink. One day a [i]Fili[/i] came to visit and suffered greatly. To pay the Braeniyn back, he composed Sidara's first satire. He performed this poem in front of the entire court, describing the paltry food, drink, and shelter, bringing about great shame for the monarch. Finally, the gods rebelled and brought back Seihdhara, forcing Braeniyn from the throne. It is said that it would be Braeniyn, many centuries later, who would return with the [i]ap Morig[/i] to wreak vengeance on Sidara and the gods. Though now sealed away with them in the underworld, he will rise again in the end days and a final battle will be had.[/list]

Each individual clan has a clan god, who is the personification and guardian of that particular clan. It is not unusual for the clan god to be the progenitor of the clan. The major historical regions of Sidara also have patron gods, as do specific sacred locations or locations of historical import, such as places where important battles occurred (for the gods are involved in mortal affairs, and the happenings in the mortal world are a reflection of happenings in the celestial domain). For instance, the patron god of Eigen's Fort, where the Sidarids once suffered a terrible defeat, is Eh'Myr, a minor god of catastrophe and defeat. 
Forces of nature, such as the sun, the moon, the wind, forests, and so on, are sometimes worshipped as gods in non-anthropomorphic terms (the sacred mountain, Caer Seihdhar, is amongst these). Things such as trees are considered alive and to have souls and shrines may be dedicated to them even though they are not necessarily gods. Various animals - particularly the bear, the animal of Seihdhara - are held sacrosanct.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Religion; Stone Circles & Monuments and Sacred Groves][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/vAA4At1.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

Temples and religious 'buildings' are considered a foreign innovation and not authentically Sidarid. Sidarids strongly favour worshipping in nature beneath an open sky, rather than inside man-made structures of any sort – even worship within the home is frowned upon.
Sidarids have constructed stone circles or stone monuments to their gods since time immemorial, and these continue to be a staple of Sidarid religion; the only legitimately recognised man-made religious structure. These structures can become exceedingly large and complex, spreading across hills in generally circular patterns. Sacred groves or springs, which are naturally occurring sites considered sacred, are also places where worship and various rituals take place. Such sacred sites and shrines are usually tended to or presided over by a [i]Wynd[/i].[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Religion; Wynden][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/zYZuox9.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

Sidarid religion has no centralised clergy or priesthood in the sacerdotal sense. Instead, they have druids known as [i]Wynden[/i] (pl. [i]Wyndyn[/i], sing. [i]Wynd[/i])).
Due to their close association with nature, [i]Wynden[/i] are believed to be able to control the weather and shape-shift into animal form – whether this is true is uncertain and most likely stems from [i]Wynd[/i] practice of wearing animal skin or horns or feathers during rituals so as to invoke the animal’s power. 
[i]Wyndyn[/i] are a rather diverse group – young, old, men, women, rich, poor, esteemed background, or relatively humble. They have traditionally made up the most powerful class of Sidarid society, though ever since the establishment of the [i]Rigachd[/i] their traditional authority has been somewhat tempered by the sweeping powers of the directly elected [i]Duthchas[/i] with the [i]Bhaenrhig[/i] at its head. The [i]Wyndyn[/i] are free to marry – the concept of celibacy being utterly foreign and ludicrous to the Sidaric peoples. [i]Wyndyn[/i] often marry other [i]Wyndyn[/i] or clan lairds. 
The [i]Wyndyn[/i] underwent severe persecution by the Kratorians and Anvegadians during their occupation of Sidara, for they both feared and were jealous of their extensive power and influence, ability to incite rebellion, and their religious sway. Sacred sites where [i]Wyndyn[/i] generally gathered were attacked and destroyed, and many [i]Wyndyn[/i] were slaughtered. The most famous such attack was on Isle a’Cheimbyc in 109 CE against a large assembly of [i]Tweiwynden[/i], which was so brutal that the event became known as the Rape at Byc. Still, the [i]Wynden[/i] persevered and so too did the religion.

[i]Wyndyn[/i] are of three types. These are non-hierarchical; simply different types of [i]Wyndyn[/i] who carry out differing duties. The three types are:
[list][*][i]Tweiwynden[/i] – So-called ‘clan druids’.
[*][i]Arwyndyn[/i] – So-called scholarly druids, they are split into a number of holy orders.
[*][i]Machwyndyn[/i] – So-called military druids.[/list]

[i]Treiwyndyn[/i][indent]Clan [i]Wynden[/i] - known as [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] (sing. [i]Treiwynd[/i] -, whose expertise and learning is handed down from one clan [i]Treiwynd[/i] to another over generations, have the greatest interaction with people on a daily basis. [i]Treiwynd[/i] instruction, unlike that of [i]Arwyndyn[/i], is secret and takes place in caves and forests. Preserving ancient tradition, all religious learning is done orally and in no other way; [i]Treiwynd[/i] lore consists of a large number of orally transmitted ‘books’ learned by heart, and so [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] are known for their astounding feats of memorisation. It can take up to twenty years of instruction for a [i]Treiwynd[/i] to complete their studies. 
[i]Treiwyndyn[/i] are present at births to bless newborns, carry out [abbr=By reading patterns in animal entrails, tracks, or flight patterns, or by casting of lots of sacred wood. Some also receive messages from the gods and goddesses]prophetic and divination rituals and give oracles[/abbr], and are also important religious leaders in the clan hierarchy, legal authorities, adjudicators, preservers of clan tradition, lorekeepers, medical professionals, teachers to the young, and - traditionally - political advisors (indeed, the authority of [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] has been such that they have caused feuding armies to turn back and put their weapons aside in the past even against the will of clan chiefs or warlords, and a custom exists that a soldier must hand their weapon to a [i]Treiwynd[/i] on demand, even if they happened to be in the midst of battle).

[i]Treiwyndyn[/i] are generally responsible for organising and leading worship at stone circles or monuments as well as sacred groves, and also prepare and offer animal sacrifices and lead various rituals. During legal disputes, a [i]Treiwynd[/i] is nearly always the arbiter, or the leading member of a team of arbiters. They are exempted from military service and from the payment of taxes though in the past, before the emergence of the [i]Machwyndyn[/i] as specialised military [i]Wyndyn[/i], [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] generally accompanied armies (particularly if they were marching against occupation forces).

[i]Treiwyndyn[/i], unlike other [i]Wyndyn[/i], hold great immediate power on the lives of individuals, clans, and the nation itself. [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] play a critical role in the selection of a [i]Bhaenrhig[/i] through a ritual called the [i]Hyscadal[/i] (‘the Bull’s Vision’). A ritual from the Sidarid age of gods, heroes, and great [i]Rhig[/i]s who ruled the Isles from shore to shore, this ‘Great Divination Ritual of State’ was reinstated during the early reign [i]Bhaenrhig[/i] Roinseach after the Episode of the Malcontents (1593-5 CE) so as to solidify her position and bolster her legitimacy beyond challenge. Used to determine who the rightful [i]Rhig[/i] would be, the [i]Hyscadal[/i] requires a [i]Treiwynd[/i] to eat of the flesh of a freshly-slain bull before sleeping enwrapped within its yet-bloody hide so as to divine, through dreams, who the rightful [i]Rhig[/i] would be.  This ritual usually takes place in a cave on Caer Seihdhar. If the [i]Treiwynd[/i] does not have a vision, he is sewn within the bull-hide and placed under a high waterfall to aid him in having it. The [i]Treiwynd[/i] in question could theoretically see anybody in his vision, from the lowliest farmer to the most senior members of the royal house. To date, however, the visions have always revealed that the rightful monarch is a member of the royal house. It has not always been the eldest child of the reigning monarch, sometimes it has not even been a child of the monarch, but it has always been within the royal house. Following this ritual, the members of the [i]Duthchas[/i] have the opportunity to cast their votes on whether they wish to elect the one nominated by the vision. It has always been the case that the opinion of the [i]Duthchas[/i] mirrored the vision. The [i]Treiwyndyn[/i], then, have tremendous influence and immediate power.

[i]Treiwyndyn[/i] also have the capacity to strip a person of their rights, barring them from religious ceremony and all clan matters and so rendering them an outlaw without clan or purpose. The [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] must have a legitimate reason when they do this, but they are the only ones capable of doing so.[/indent]

[i]Arwyndyn[/i][indent]There are various holy orders which produce scholarly [i]Wynden[/i] - known as [i]Arwyndyn[/i] (sing. [i]Arwynd[/i]) - dedicated to study and research. They differ from the [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] in numerous ways – they, for instance, have for over two-thousand years enjoyed a rich writing tradition. The written language of [i]Arwynden[/i], known as the [i]Eirwyncanan[/i], is a secret language that differs from the written and spoken Sidarid language. It can also be spoken and, interestingly enough, signed with one’s hands (in fact, it is believed that [i]Eirwyncanan[/i] as sign language preceded both the written or spoken language). All works authored by the [i]Arwynden[/i] have traditionally been in this secret tongue, and all their written, spoken, and signed communications to one another are in it, meaning that their world is completely inaccessible to laypeople and even other [i]Wynden[/i]. Over the course of the last century this has changed somewhat as [i]Arwyndyn[/i] have elected to engage with the mainstream academic and scholarly scene through the publication of journals in Sidaric and carrying out joint research projects with mainstream universities. This, however, remains a small percentage of their output, and it is thought that there are a plethora of secret journals written in [i]Eirwyncanan[/i] that the [i]Arwyndyn[/i] make public only in [i]Arwynd[/i] circles. 

This secret language is believed to have developed during the [i]ap Morig[/i] occupation with the goal of preserving [i]Wynd[/i] and general Sidaric lore, magick & spells, law, customs, history, literature, political challenges, and so on. While it likely has done so, it has undoubtedly meant that the [i]Arwynden[/i] have become the powerful arbiters of which customs have been and will be preserved and which ones will simply be allowed to slip from communal memory. The [i]Arwynden[/i] do not have a complete monopoly in this regard, however, for their reclusiveness and general lack of participation in daily rituals – left to the [i]Treiwynden[/i] – means the latter have ample space to contest and challenge [i]Arwynd[/i] designs.

During the period of dual Kratorian and Anvegadian occupation (~0 CE to ~450 CE) [i]Wynden[/i] of all stripes were actively persecuted and active attempts were made to have their books burned. However, the [i]Arwynden[/i] of the times were not concentrated in [i]Arwyndenolthighein[/i] (sing. [i]Arwyndenolthigh[/i]; ‘Arwynden Universities/y) as they are today, and so were easily able to disperse deep into Sidara’s forests, or into the mountains, or to independent clan-lands, preserving the great majority of books. Those that were burned or somehow lost were usually rewritten by groups of [i]Arwynden[/i] who had memorised them.

Interestingly, though the [i]Arwyndyn[/i] only ever corresponded with one another in [i]Eirwyncanan[/i], not only did they (and do they) correspond with outsiders to their order in the Sidarid tongue, but during the period of occupation they also corresponded with various Kratorians and Anvegadians in the respective tongues of the latter. Such letters – many of them discovered in archives during the liberation of the Isles and since preserved by the [i]Arwyndyn[/i] – reveal deep philosophical interaction with foreign ideas and theology, as well as political commentary on the justice of the Sidarid struggle and the injustice of Kratorian and Sidarid ambitions. It is clear that [i]Arwyndyn[/i] quickly gained access to various Kratorian and Anvegadian works, mastered the respective languages, and were able to engage generals, philosophers, and theologians in written argumentation.
The second Anvegadian occupation of Sidara saw a far greater attempt to uproot the [i]Wyndyn[/i] entirely, but by that point the [i]Wyndyn[/i] had experienced over five-hundred years of uninterrupted development and strengthening, and the strategies of survival and growth of which the [i]Wyndyn[/i] availed themselves were beyond anything the Anvegadians – mighty imperial power though they were – could deal with.[/indent]

[i]Machwyndyn[/i][indent]Each military regiment has a special platoon of military [i]Wyndyn[/i] known as [i]Machwyndyn[/i] (sing. [i]Machwynd[/i]). The [i]Machwyndyn[/i] carry out various military and divination rituals, bless troops before battle, prepare battle banners and standards, and also carry out medical duties and play a role in enforcing military law and discipline (a vital duty given the tendency of Sidarid soldiers towards insubordination).[/indent][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Religion; Human Sacrifice][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/QJ7sJe9.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

Human sacrifice has been practised by Sidarids in the past, though it has been out of regular use for nearly 2,100 years. The last recorded human sacrifice appears to have occurred in 137 CE during the [i]Treiwynd[/i] Rising against Kratorian occupation. The general view is that human sacrifice was practised by a small minority of clans and never truly became a staple of Sidarid religion. Animal sacrifices, however, are generally accepted and widely practised.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Religion; Divination][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/K6rtuyD.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

[i]Wyndyn[/i] generally have the capacity to carry out prophetic, divination, or oracular rituals, gaining inspiration through dreams and various mediums. [i]Wyndyn[/i]  sometimes seclude themselves in caves or other very dark places so as to facilitate inspiration and be transported beyond their own mind so as to see into the given god or goddess’ own thoughts. This process of inspiration is all about awe and wonder, and the drive to see into the unknown so as to glimpse even a small ray of the ultimate truth.
It is thought that common people are capable of having certain forms of basic premonition through bodily sensations that tell the future. So for instance if one’s mouth is itching, it is a sign that the person will soon be kissed; if one’s ears are suddenly burning hot, someone somewhere is talking about their character.

However, when actively divining, a [i]Wyndyn[/i] (and any interested amateur) has an array of skills and techniques at their disposal, as listed below.

[list][*][i]Rhadharc[/i][indent]‘The Sight’ is a basic psychic ability present only in females, suspected to flow through the female bloodline from mother to daughter. Though often cryptic and filled with symbolism, the oracles of those with the [i]Rhadharc[/i] are taken with absolute seriousness. [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] who possess the [i]Rhadarc[/i] play an important role in giving children their [i]Faisehd[/i] at birth.[/indent]

[*]Dreams[indent]While a dream may just be that, sometimes it is far more. As a means of divination, they can come spontaneously, be anticipated, or be induced. A person who believes they have had a prophetic dream can go to a [i]Wynd[/i] to have it interpreted. 
If a [i]Wynd[/i] is actively seeking a dream, or someone has come to them seeking to induce a prophetic dream, the dreamer can prepare by mediating, purifying themselves through fasting, and by having an animal sacrifice carried out for them. In some cases, one may enwrap themselves in the hide of the sacrificed animal (as is the case with the [i]Hyscadal[/i]). 
It is also generally good practice to carefully select the location where one decides to sleep. Sleeping in areas like sacred springs, sacred groves, stone circles or monuments – which have greater divine and magickal qualities – is more likely to produce a vision. The time of year is also of relevance, as some part of the year see a greater convergence of the spirit ream on the realm of the living. Moreover, [i]Wynden[/i] are generally aware of herbs and can produce concoctions which aid with prophetic dreams – though these can sometimes have [u]strange[/u] side-effects.[/indent]

[*]Shoulder Blade Reading[indent]While the practice of reading entrails is carried out by [i]Wyndyn[/i], reading marks in the shoulder blade of an animal, usually an ox, bear, fox, or sheep, is considered a surer way to see into the future. The lengthy ritual of preparing the bone is passed on from [i]Wynd[/i] to [i]Wynd[/i] and involves boiling the bone in a special concoction, preparing it, and then reading the marks. Marks can indicate people to be met in future, while holes and indentations could mean death or prosperity depending on their size and location.[/indent]

[*]Omens[indent]Omens are sought for nearly every activity, but are especially important when beginning a journey. The first animal one sees, its posture, what it is doing, as well as the sex, dress, and actions of the first person one meets on the way all foretell one’s chances of success or failure. 
Moreover, birds are considered especially geared towards foretelling the future. Certain sacred birds, their flight patterns, positions, calls, and other behaviour, are used to divine the future. Depending on these factors, it could mean anything from the imminent arrival of visitors to death and doom for household and clan.[/indent]

[*]Casting Lots[indent]A group of sticks (made from the sacred woods associated with the gods), or bones, or stones, are tossed and read. The resulting pattern can foretell whether a sickly person would be cured, can identify a potential spouse, or foretell the good or bad fortune of a person.[/indent]

[*]Everyday Divination[indent]There are numerous other forms of commonplace divination techniques utilised by lay people and [i]Wyndyn[/i] alike – these are usually intended to help find love. Things simple as dancing hazelnuts over the fire at Sambane, the pattern in the ashes of the fire on Embilc, or dreaming of one’s love on Beltane. Scrying, or gazing into springs, into fire, or searching for patterns in the clouds, are all common techniques. Young couples in some parts of Sidara have a practice where a shovel is positioned on top of a fire and two grains of wheat placed on it. As the shovel grows hotter the grains edge towards each other, swell, and grow. Eventually they pop off the shovel - if they do so together, the couple should marry, but if they jump separately then the couple are to go their separate ways.[/indent][/list][/indent][/hider][/list][/hider]
[*][hider=Arts; the Filim][indent][centre][img]http://www.3celts.com/index_files/menu_files/tshirt_files/harp2k_files/image300.png[/img][/centre]

Sidarid visionary poets or bards, known as [i]Filim[/i] (sing. [i]Fili[/i]) carry out some important roles somewhat unique to Sidarid society. While often mistakenly associated with [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] and their forms of magic by foreigners, [i]Filim[/i] are in fact very different. Their role is ultimately not religious, but secular.
Their duties include lorekeeping, versecraft, and the memorisation of vast numbers of traditional and contemporary poems. A [i]Fili[/i]’s formal training takes anything between seven to twelve years depending on how gifted the individual in question is. The words of [i]Filim[/i] are understood to be so powerful that they are tantamount to magick.

Amongst the functions of a [i]Fili[/i] in Sidarid culture and society is to praise or satirise. One praised can expect to be remembered as a great hero or a person of valour down through the ages, their reputation permanently enhanced. If satirised, they would be forever infamous. Satire is considered so damning that people have fallen down dead on learning that they had been satirised. Indeed, the satire of a [i]Fili[/i] is considered a weapon in itself, having often been employed by warring clans against each other in the past (and where feuds arise, it still is). The satire of a gifted [i]Fili[/i] is thus a serious curse on the one being satirised, and to run afoul of these poets is a dangerous thing indeed to a people who value reputation and honour above life. 
Ancient Sidarid tales speak of [i]Filim[/i] actually rhyming people and animals to death, and other tales speak of [i]Fili[/i] songs that induce sleep, control emotion, and cause sickness or death. 

While praise is for the living, [i]Filim[/i] are also expected to compose and recite eulogies on worthy heroes (ancient and more contemporary) and their many valorous deeds. They also memorise the genealogies of their patrons and recite poetry honouring and glorifying past and present heroes of their patron’s clan, their acts of glory, and much else about the patron themselves. 

It has traditionally been the case that those considered noble (clan chiefs or others high within the clan hierarchy, as well as those who occupy positions of power generally within a kingdom or confederation) were the butt of [i]Fili[/i] satire due to lack of generosity or hospitality, or due to giving bad advice or engaging in dishonourable conduct. Satire has thus often been a manner of holding powerful figures to account and pressuring them into abiding by customs or their own laws. Indeed, Sidarid leaders since time immemorial have been known to sometimes act against their natural inclinations out of fear of satire. This is the case more widely also, for the threat of being satirised has often ensured that everyday people abided by pledges, kept their word, and generally saw the more immediate benefits of keeping to customary ways and laws. 

Despite their immense power, [i]Filim[/i] are expected to use their tongues with responsibility. Satirising somebody without a legitimate cause is considered a serious crime carrying severe penalties – for doing damage to someone’s honour and reputation is worse even than murder in Sidarid culture and society.

In many ways, [i]Filim[/i] have been the national poets or bards of Sidara since time immemorial. The bardic order, the [i]Cumannfil[/i], was formed in the 10th century CE and spelled the first truly pan-Sidarid group to emerge that was involved and concerned with the everyday life of lay people (unlike the [i]Arwyndyn[/i] holy orders which, while being pan-Sidarid, were anything but involved with the common person). The [i]Cumannfil[/i] contributed immensely to the rejuvenation of Sidarid religion and the preservation of their ways and customs during the Avengadian occupation. Today, the [i]Cumannfil[/i] enjoys both state and private patronage and organises the annual [i]Tionilfil[/i], a national gathering of poets, musicians and - since 1784 CE - visual artists of all stripes.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=The Trosychyn][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/W8eu76J.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

The [i]Trosychyn[/i] (sing. [i]Trosych[/i]) are those exiled from their clan and clan-lands by the [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] and who have effectively become outlaws. Individuals may be outlawed in this manner for many reasons: going against the judgement or command of a [i]Treiwynd[/i] (whose word is ultimately final), breaking customary law, refusing pay a fine, and various other things. In the pre-unification period, exiled nobles who had clout often raised armies and fought their way back into society. This is no longer an option due to the overwhelming power of the modern state – to attempt to fight one’s way into society is not merely fight one’s clan, it is to fight the entire [i]Rigachd[/i].

[i]Trosychyn[/i] tend to live on the wilderness of the open crown lands between clan-lands, though in recent decades a handful have been known to abandon hopes of returning to their clan and have either established themselves in urban centres or departed Sidara altogether. Usually, those who remain on the wild-lands have an established tacit alliance with a local clan for both their protection and that of the clan. Traditionally these agreements have ensured that [i]Trosychen[/i] did not prey on the clan in question and could be called upon to fight with the clan and defend it if necessary. In the modern day, however, this is not necessary and these tacit agreements are usually struck so that the clan has someone who is already outside the law to do its dirty work for it – murder, revenge, raids, targeted killings, and so on. Being outside the law and having been denied the benefits of obeying it, the punishment of the law cannot be enforced against them by those they harm. The only way to get justice in such situations is for the aggrieved party to track down the [i]Trosychen[/i] and dispose of them personally.

While the [i]Righachd[/i] allows things of this nature on a very minor level, it is swift to respond to clan petitions for support where [i]Trosychen[/i] have become a true nuisance. The court of the [i]Bhaenrhig[/i] and the [i]Duthchas[/i] is also generally open to petitions from [i]Trosychen[/i] who wish to appeal their exile as unjust or erroneous (it is through such appeals that some [i]Trosychen[/i] have been able to establish themselves in urban centres, effectively becoming subject to the laws and customs of Clan Esher).[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=The Elderly & Children][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/R0YZrbY.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

The elderly generally occupy positions of authority amongst their descendants, viewed as progenitors and akin to chiefs. This is not a formal designation, for each clan has its one clan chief, but one’s age and the number of one’s progeny are a sign of influence and clout  (for sons and grandsons are obligated under customary Sidarid law to care for and obey their parents), and one naturally has authority over one's sept.
The elderly of the leading clan family (generally the elderly amongst a chief’s extended family) are considered clan elders and have leadership roles in the clan hierarchy, usually as members of a clan council of some kind. The leading family usually does not dominate these, however, as clan-wide elections to clan councils have become increasingly commonplace ever since Sidarid unification. It is not unusual for elderly folk to predominate these councils due to the general nature of their authority within their social relations.

The young are considered children of the clan as well as of their parents, and all have a responsibility towards them, to educate them, inculcate within them the clan's particular spirit and ways, as well as a general understanding of Sidarid ways, customs, and laws. Thus raising children is generally the equal and primary responsibility of both parents (not just the mother), followed by immediate family, and then the wider clan. 

Different Sidarid clans have different laws regarding lineage – some matrilineal and others patrilineal. Where a couple each comes from a lineage background that conflicts with the other’s, agreement regarding lineage must be arrived at and placed in the marriage contract before the marriage takes place. Lineage is particularly important for matters of inheritance (discussed below) and in ascertaining to whose parent’s side the child is primarily related (important, for instance, for knowing who must seek vengeance if a child is killed, to whom the child goes if both parents are no longer present, amongst other things). 

Due to fathers (or their equivalent if the biological father is not present) having to climb Caer Seihdhar while their pregnant wife is giving birth, so as to seek out an omen for the newborn's [i]Ainaim[/i] (soul-name), couples tend to move near the sacred mountain around the time of birth. Due to this, the various towns at the mountain's foot have become renown for their midwives and medical innovations. The best hospitals in Sidara, paving the way forward in applied medical technology while holding onto and building upon traditional medical practice, can be found there.

In accordance with general Sidarid custom, if a child is born due to rape or seduction, the responsibility for raising the child falls to the seducing or raping party. 
The father has responsibility for raising the child if the mother is dead, ill, disabled, insane, or exiled from her tribe. An unmarried mother has sole responsibility for the rearing of the child if the father is [abbr=This generally means someone who is of a clan based in a different region of Sidara]foreign[/abbr], or exiled from his tribe. If a woman is impregnated by a man with no income or lands of his own against the wishes of his parents, she is fully responsible for the child. Likewise, if a man impregnates a woman without income or lands against the wishes of her parents, he is fully responsible for the child. Where both parties are landless and without income, and where they carried out the deed against the wishes of both their parents, the child is aborted. Indeed, an unmarried pregnant woman is obliged, according to custom, to either abort or marry. Prostitutes (usually a position occupied by unmarried [i]Treiwyndyn[/i] and considered a socially important position) are the exception to this, and they – male or female – are fully responsible for their children.
Ultimately, Sidarid custom does not recognise and does not allow for ‘illegitimate’ children. All children are ultimately sons or daughters of the clan and are raised raised by it. 

Children must undergo a rite of passage, known as the [i]Galontaith Seihdhara[/i] (Journey to the Heart of Seihdhara), a six-month period in which the young person must journey through forests, mountains, and through the land of other clans, so as to make the spiritual and traditional transition into adulthood. The exact age at which this rite of passage is carried out differs by clan, though all Sidarids have generally accomplished it by the age of seventeen. This rite of passage is carried out by both males and females, and it is not unusual for a person undergoing the journey to rid themselves of their virginity along the way.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Fostering & Adoption][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/E6GFGD7.jpg?1[/img][/centre]An interesting custom and institution common to all Sidarid clans is that of foster parentage, in which children of a household within the clan are given away to another. This practice is designed primarily to tighten the links between two families, though in ancient times it may have arisen due to a family’s inability to care for a child, and payment was in fact involved. (Though impoverished families no doubt exist, today the clan structure is far more stable than in centuries past and it forms a protective net over all its members, ensuring that those who may be poor receive the aid they require; effectively a clan welfare system).

Fostering means that a child, male or female, spends some part of their childhood in the household of another family, learning a trade, how to fight, or how to govern from them. The child can be sent to the foster family at any time once they have reached the age of one year. The child returns to their blood family on completing their [i]Galontaith Seihdhara[/i].
During the period of fosterage, the foster family is responsible for the child’s education (facing heavy customary penalties if it is not imparted properly) and is responsible for any harm or injury suffered by the child.

A slightly different species of fosterage exists where a master of a craft takes students in (sometimes for payment, though this is rare). These students are essentially adopted by their masters, though they are not considered heirs. Should a master wish for their adopted student to be considered an heir, a proper adoption ritual not based on the master-student relationship needs to be carried out. Adoption of this latter variety is not too common, though kin (brothers, uncles, grandfathers, and so on) do adopt children if something happened to their parents. 

Traditionally, fosterage to renowned warriors was exceptionally important in imparting traditional warrior values and proper training on young Sidarids. Today clans generally take up the responsibility of having the young trained by veteran soldiers, and the state provides different clans with various opportunities to avail themselves of military training. 
Sidarids, depending on clan, begin their training anywhere between the ages of seven and nine (continuing into active military service once they pass into adulthood) and have traditionally been expected to master, amongst other things, the following skills:- 
[list][*] Dexterity – Proven through various acts, such as juggling swords.
[*] Strength
[*] Traditional Sidarid martial arts
[*] The ‘Six Feats’ – Hurling weights, Running, Leaping, Swimming, Wrestling, and Horse Riding.
[*] The Voice – A traditional clan war-cry that differs by clan. This tends to be rather blood-curdling, Anvegadian and Kratorian chroniclers who witnessed it generally confessed that the cry was freakish. The cries of some clans are masterful imitations of the sounds various animals make, while others still are anything but naturally occurring.
[*] The ‘Three Hielanman’s Skills’ – Hunting, Fishing, and Hawking.
[*] Poetry, Music, Heraldry, Diplomatic skill etc.
[*] Rowing, Swimming, and various water-related skills
[*] Chess
[*] Weapons Handling – This includes weapons traditional and modern (e.g. rifle shooting, archery, javelin throwing, swordsmanship, sword and buckler fighting, quarterstaff handling etc.)
[*]The Spear Vault – this is a strange skill where a spear is placed in the ground point-first and the warrior uses that to vault up. This historically saw use by Sidarids when they had to swiftly mount a horse, taking a running start and using the spear as a pole to vault onto horseback.
[*] Various other games and sports (for complete list, see [i]Lignsid[/i])[/list]

At the end of the first phase of their training, before carrying out their rite of passage into adulthood, warriors have to prove their skill. It differs by clan, but examples include participating in a cattle raid from which they must return with proof of their valour – potentially the head of a cow or bull.[/indent ][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Inheritance][indent]Inheritance is a complex affair, particularly since different clans are bound to have slightly different laws and customs on inheritance. 
Generally, children have the same rights of inheritance regardless of any other considerations. So, in a patrilineal system, the son of a chief wife and the son of a lesser wife, or the child produced during a temporary marriage, have equal right to inherit. However, exiles and abandoned children who are in every way children of the clan cannot inherit. Children of prostitutes likewise cannot inherit from their non-prostitute parent.
Certain land is considered to belong to the clan rather than being personal property. It is granted by the clan to individuals and their progeny for an indefinite period. So while this land can be inherited and split between family members freely, it can never pass out of the clan’s ownership. Land which a person comes to possess, and which is not designated clan land, is considered personal property and cannot ever become clan land, which was fixed by the Great Decree of 1651 CE.

Inheritance seeps somewhat into clan succession also, though rituals and clan-wide elections, in imitation of the way the [i]Bhaenrhig[/i] is selected, have for a few centuries over-ridden customary laws of succession.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Women, Courtship, Marriage, and Divorce][indent][centre]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/m328Aku.jpg?1[/img]
[i]Three kinds o' men wha fail tae ken wummin: young men, auld men 'n' middle-aged men.[/i][/centre]

The role of women in Sidarid society is odd and often contradictory, largely due to the fact that different clans have different customs and laws regarding women. On the whole, however, women are free to own land, manage their personal finances, engage in trade and business, marry and divorce at will, and join in as combatants during war. Money earned by a married woman, as is the case with a married man, is considered to belong to both.

Women of Clan Ol Mirti established an informal ‘Women’s Code’ in the late period of Anvegad occupation – largely in response to harassment by Anvegadian men. Since then, nearly every clan has a code of this kind largely meant to keep men of foreign clans from harassing a clan’s women. 

The Code of the Women of Ol Mirti:
[list][*] Don’t blether tae mah breests; you’ll nae be meetin thaim.
[*] If ye dae blether tae thaim, you’ll be meetin mah sword. 
[*] Mah sexual preference is na.
[*] Keep this in mynd: mah fowk kin kick yer people’s bahookie any day o' th' week.
[*] It's nae th' size o' yer sword that counts, it's- na, wait… size does count.[/list]

Women have historically played important roles as active participants and leaders in major campaigns and wars, the heroic fury of Sidarid women in battle having become the subject of many epics. Indeed, Anvegadian generals and chroniclers over the ages have often expressed their awe at the primal power of these ‘savage people’s women’. 

Largely due to the importance of Seihdhara, goddess of love, clans have tended to be very open about interaction between the sexes, and pre- or extra-marital sexual encounters are normal. 
[list][*][hider=Marriage][indent][centre]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/deXWwMO.jpg?1[/img]
[i]Wid ye lik' tae be buried wi' mah fowk? 
Wid ye lik' tae donder th' tree wi' me?[/i]
[sub]– Some Sidarid marriage proposals[/sub][/centre]

Marriage is of extreme importance in Sidara. A person of marriageable age who is not yet married is looked upon strangely and can be expected to be the butt of many jokes. The first Monday of the Sidarid month Kyffel, known as ‘Chalk Monday’, is dedicated to playing tricks and pranks on single people. The custom is to creep up on them and subtly mark their back with chalk – it is best to do this in crowded places. If caught the perpetrator/s had better run! As Beltane is drawing near at this time, these pranks are meant to remind the single person of their unmarried state and spur them to marry come Beltane.

Marriages in Sidara are polygamous. This is largely due to the fact that polyamory is a central aspect of Seihdhara's nature; the goddess enjoys multiple consorts and is not in fact married to any of them. The development of the custom of marriage is attributed to the minor goddess Theia. Multiple wives and multiple husbands are not uncommon. 
Marriages are the primary form of legitimate procreation and are set up, to a great extent, for the protection of children and to clarify the rights of the husband and wife. The protection of property rights of both parties also factors in. Importantly, marriages are also a form of social capital and a way to forge alliances and cement friendships. Of course, they can most certainly be for love, but love is believed to be somewhat distinct from marriage (perhaps no where made more clear than in the fact of the goddess of love being separate from the goddess of marriage). Due to marriage’s focus on procreation, the question of same-sex marriage has never arisen, and will likely never arise, in Sidarid society. Beyond this there is no real recognition of or differentiation between hetero- and homosexual relations – sex is sex.

In this vein, Sidarids generally tend to be rather libertine. Fun and dalliances are treated light-heartedly and with innocence. However, it is best not to boast or be open about who one has slept with in cases where someone's spouse is involved, as feuds over these matters are by far the most common. It is also a general custom for women not to bear the child of any other than her official husbands – where accidental pregnancies occur, Sidarids have developed a particularly effective abortifacient which has been used since the Bronze Age; Sidarid mythology attributes its origins to the goddess Seihdhara. Where a woman has multiple husbands or extra-marital affairs, fatherhood is generally established through a [i]Treiwynd[/i] ritual. Indeed, ‘marital faithfulness’ is not measured by whether one engages in various sexual dalliances with other partners, but by whether one only allows one’s spouses to mother or father one’s children.

Funnily, the customs of many clans permit an established spouse to murder, or hurt, the new partner of their husband or wife within the first three days of marriage. A small fine may result, but this is recognised as one of their customary rights. This is in fact a growing custom, and clans that were not known to practice it have increasingly adopted it. This has led to the development of a practice where newlyweds go away somewhere together for the first few days of their marriage. 

Generally speaking, marriage partners have an obligation to take care of each other and to leave something for each other in their wills. If one’s spouse has other partners, no such obligation exists towards those.
It is custom for siblings to get married in order of seniority. This puts pressure on older brothers and sisters to marry swiftly so as not to deny their younger siblings. A way around this where an elder sibling does not wish to get married quite yet are so-called temporary marriages that last exactly one year and one day. These are often ‘trial’ marriages that lead to a more permanent union.

Sidarid customary law, with various minor variations, generally recognises the following types of marriage, in order of importance.

[list][*] A Clan union takes place where numerous members of one clan marry individuals from another clan en masse. It has occurred on a number of occasions in Sidara’s history and is generally done when two clans wish to merge or cement their alliance. The last such marriage occurred before Sidarid unification, but it is still theoretically possible.
[*] A common union takes place between partners who bring the same amount of wealth into the marriage. This is the most common form of marriage, and the spouses are considered in all ways equal ‘co-lords’ of their family.
[*] An unequal union takes place where one partner has less property than the other. The poorer spouse effectively comes under the financial protection of the richer one. It is a way for poorer individuals to marry into wealth and ensure the wealth of their progeny.
[*] A propertyless union is a marriage in which each spouse retains their property separately, rather than having it become family property. The rights of children are safeguarded and they inherit as usual.
[*] A flesh union is the mutual consent of the man and woman to share their bodies, but live under separate roofs. Again, the rights of children to inherit are safeguarded.
[*] A war union is a marriage where a defeated enemy’s spouse or spouses are abducted. This marriage is valid only as long as the abductor can hold onto the spouse or spouses. It has been practised sporadically during the odd eruption of clan feuds.
[*] A warrior’s union is a temporary and primarily sexual union contracted for no more than a night. It is often entered into by soldiers on campaign. The rights of any children that come about are protected, but if the marriage was patrilineal the father is required to formally adopt the child, otherwise the child becomes a child of the father’s clan. 
[*] A loony union occurs between feeble-minded or insane people. Considered to have been possessed by a spirit, insane people are often paired together. Insane people generally remain in the care of the clan.[/list][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Conceptions of an Ideal Spouse][indent][list][*]Fertile - As procreation is one of the primary purposes of a marriage, infertile or impotent men (jestfully referred to as ‘unarmed men’) and barren women cannot enter into a marriage. A person who discovers their spouse is infertile can immediately dissolve the marriage. Indeed, virginity is looked upon with suspicion and a defect in a potential spouse as it may suggest a lack of ability in the bedroom. Those who were or are married and have produced children are thus particularly attractive as their fertility is established.
[*]Wealthy - A person without land or income (however small) cannot marry, as they bring no wealth to the marriage.
[*]Healthy - A very fat person (measured by waste girth) also cannot marry as they are considered incapable of performing their duties, and it casts doubt as to one’s martial prowess. As a warrior people, the Sidarids are somewhat obsessed with physical prowess, and so being fat is both a disgrace and a punishable offence.
[*]Self-sacrificing and Industrious - Generally, an ideal spouse is one prepared to suffer for the sake of the marriage and future children, and industriousness in caring for one’s spouse and children are virtues.
[*]Melodious, Intelligent, Brave, and Attractive - An ideal spouse should have a pleasant speaking voice, be able to sing, and should be clever, crafty, brave, and good looking. While it is not as much of a focus for a woman, being a capable fighter is considered more of a virtue in women than in men.
[/list][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Courtship][indent]Courtship plays an important role in the marriage process for common, unequal, propertyless, flesh, and loony unions. Even though abductions, in the context of war unions, are considered a form of courtship, Sidarid marriages are generally based on consent built over a long or short period of courtship. Only a warrior’s union, if abduction is considered a form of courtship, does not have a courtship process. 

Courtship practice differs tremendously by region and clan, and those that exist are more than can be enumerated, however below are two interesting customs.

[indent]One interesting custom practiced by clans in eastern Sidara is for the person who has identified a potential spouse to go to their house accompanied by a friend and throw their cap (usually a tam o’ shanter or a tartan hat of some kind) through the door when it is opened. If the cap is thrown back by the potential spouse it means they are not interested. One should be careful not to rush in throwing the hat in case the potential spouse is not the one who opens the door – it would be awkward explaining the mistake to one’s potential mother- or father-in-law!

Another interesting custom, practised by clans on the various smaller Isles and the coastal regions of the Home Isle, is that of carving [url=http://www.whimsicalwood.com/Welsh%20Lovespoons/Resources/firstlovespoon25.jpeg]lovespoons[/url] for one’s beloved. How this absurd custom emerged and spread is not quite clear, though its practice in coastal regions suggests a link to sailors who, while journeying to far away parts of the globe, would send spoons back to their loved ones. Though sailors no longer do this and have not done so for centuries, it seems to have caught on with lovers generally.
The lovespoons are intricately decorated with things like keys (symbolising the key to the carver’s heart), wheels (symbolising the promise of industriousness and hard work) and beads (for the the number of children the carver would like).[/indent][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Common Marriage Practice][indent]It is common practice for each of the spouses-to-be to pay a discretionary amount of money to their prospective mother- and father-in-law, who then divided it with the clan chief. A base sum of money is then paid annually to one’s in-laws. 

Marriages are most commonly held during the feast of Beltane. Due to the great number of marriages that take place during the feast, it is not uncommon for couples to be married in groups.
It is also common, just before the ceremony begins, for the family of the bride to ‘kidnap’ her. The groom and his family must then pursue the ‘kidnappers’ and rescue the bride. Where the marriage is matrilineal, the roles are reversed. In some regions it is believed that whoever actually frees the kidnapped bride would themselves marry on the following Beltane.

Both brides and grooms usually wear the traditional tartan of their clan for the wedding ceremony itself. In some clans it is viewed as a sign of good fortune if the bride’s clothes are accidentally torn before the ceremony. Across the Isles, the ceremony itself takes place in the open air, often in a place of spiritual significance, such as sacred groves, near sacred springs, or at stone circles, and all those in attendance go barefooted.

Wedding vows are almost universal, but their substance differs greatly between clans. The pledge of Clan Braeg o’ MgIlsen is as follows
[indent]Ye cannae possess me, fur a'm th' sole possessor o' mah self,
but while we baith wish it 'n' th' gods decree, ah gie ye that whilk ah kin give.
You cannae command me, fur a'm free
but ah wull freely serve ye in a' they ways that ye need
and th' honeycomb wull taste sweeter comin' freely fae mah hand
I pledge tae ye that yers wull be th' name ah greet aloud in th' night
and th' een intae whilk ah smile in th' morn
I pledge tae ye th' foremaist bite o' mah meat
and th' foremaist dram fae mah cup
I pledge tae ye mah living 'n' mah dying, baith o' thaim in yer care
and tae speak nae tae strangers o' oor griefs
this is ma vow tae ye, th' pledge o' an equal tae an equal[/indent]

As the newlyweds depart the grove or circle, bagpipes are played and grain is often tossed at them in order to ensure a fruitful union. A recent custom that has spread rapidly expects both newlyweds to throw a handful of coins to children. It is believed that this simple act of generosity ensures wealth and happiness for many years.

A feast usually takes place immediately following the ceremony and every guest is expected to bring food for this. Donations of food or money by those who are unable to be at the ceremony are also commonplace.
During the feast, either the bride or groom can take steps to ensure marital faithfulness by disappearing midway through the feast and giving the other a drink in secret while whispering to them what is believed to be a charm. A wife may say something along the lines of
[indent]This is th' charm ah set oan ye,
A woman’s charm o' truth 'n' honour:
Ye mah plough 'n' ah yer field, 'n' we fur na yin else;
Yer bairns mines 'n' mah bairns yers, as this oor contract binds[/indent][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Divorce][indent]As marriage is essentially a contract, it can be dissolved by either party at any time, though usually there is some kind of grievance that causes it. There is no social stigma associated with divorce as it is viewed as the dissolution of a contract, like the dissolution of any business agreement. In cases where there is no particular grievance that has caused the divorce but both parties consented to the divorce, the length of the marriage becomes important in ascertaining how property is to be split. Marriages that have lasted seven years and more see all marriage property divided equally between the parties.
Where one party has not consented to the divorce, or the marriage lasted less than seven years, a team of arbiters carries out an investigation to decide how to split the wealth between them.

Marital faithlessness, defined as siring or birthing the child of one who is not one’s spouse, is sufficient grounds for divorce. Marital faithlessness does not automatically result in divorce however; the aggrieved party must halt sexual relations with the guilty one and then begin divorce proceedings. In cases like this, the aggrieved party generally leaves the marriage with all the wealth they came into it with as well as all wealth the couple accumulated over the period of the marriage. Wealth the guilty one entered the marriage into with is retained, and any wealth earned or primarily owned by the guilty party’s other spouses is not factored in.

Some clans recognise some very odd grounds for divorce, such as a spouse having bad breath. However, more common grounds are things like a spouse being obese or infertile. Not being industrious, or showing a lack of adequate concern for one’s spouse and children are also widely recognised grounds for divorce. Participating in criminal activity is also a legitimate ground for divorce, and a spouse who becomes an exile can be unilaterally divorced (the exile’s wealth is generally split between the clan, the exile’s family, and the divorcing spouse). If a spouse believes they were seduced into into marriage by trickery or magick, that can also be legitimate grounds for divorce. 

Betraying one’s spouse to their enemies is also a grounds for divorce, as is dishonouring them (this is [i]very[/i] broadly conceived and can include things like telling lies about one’s spouse, telling strangers about their personal problems and grievances, having one’s spouse satirised by a [i]Fili[/i], and so on). While marital rape is not entirely recognised, physical and mental abuse come under not evidencing sufficient concern for one’s spouse, and so can be grounds for divorce (however, in cases like this it is less likely for the abused party to initiate a divorce and more likely to take personal revenge in some way, a customary response to being injured or attacked).

In all these instances, the initial wealth of both parties is retained, but the wealth accumulated in the duration of the marriage is split in a discretionary manner by the arbiter/s. The seriousness of the grounds of divorce translates into a greater share of the accumulated wealth going to the aggrieved party.

In the case of temporary marriages lasting one year and one day, divorce takes place at the end of the determined period by placing the couple back-to-back. By then walking away from one another, thy give their consent to divorce. Each person takes their initial wealth with them, and all wealth earned in the year and day since the marriage goes to whoever actually earned it.[/indent][/hider][/list][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Festivals][indent]The Sidarids celebrate numerous festivals, many of them local or specific to a clan or region, but there are festivals that are observed across the Isles, such as those celebrating the coming of the new season – Beltane, Sambane, Embilc, and Lignsid – and those celebrating the solstices and equinoxes. 

[centre][hider=Sidarid Calendar][img]http://i.imgur.com/nU7ISrI.jpg[/img][/hider][/centre]
[list][*][hider=Sambane][indent]Celebrated on Samonos 1, Sambane marks the beginning of the winter and the Sidarid New Year, and is the festival memorialising the death of the gods Tymhorau and Raithean. Sambane is a reminder that death is the inevitable fate of all, but it death also promises rebirth come Spring. Thus, Semblane is a time to make peace with the inevitability of meeting with death in the end.

On this day, the veil between the realm of the living and that of the dead – the spirit world – is thought to be at its thinnest, and so it is believed that the spirits of the dead can be communed with better than at any other time. Ancestors are remembered and revered – doors are left unlocked so their spirits can enter, meals are prepared for those who have recently passed, and the hearth-fire is kept alight through the night so the spirits can find a place of warmth and light.

However, it is not only the spirit of ancestors that emerge on Sambane. The vengeful spirits of the evil [i]ap Morig[/i] also ride out from where they are imprisoned in the deepest pits of the underworld, searching for mortals to possess and ravage. Indeed, it is believed that the spirits of ancestors battle with the ethereal [i]ap Morig[/i], keeping them at bay from their families and clans – and they do so more earnestly the more they are honoured and revered.

Spirits, due to their nearness to the gods, also have knowledge of the future, and so Sambane is a time where divination rituals spike. There are many types, but dancing apple seeds or hazelnuts on a fire are common for those asking about love and health. Some clans have a practice where each member of a household casts a stone into the hearth-fire. If, in the morning, it is discovered to have moved in the ashes, then whoever threw it would not live to see the next Sambane.

Traditionally Sambane, marking the beginning of winter and the darkest part of the year, was also a time of preparation for the coming period of relative inactivity when clans hunker down in the ice and cold and pray they would survive winter. Though wintertime is no longer a period of complete inactivity in Sidara, clans that dwell in particularly cold and rough areas tend to buckle down and do little for the winter. 
Agriculturally, Sambane also marks the end of the growing season, and traditionally the full moon preceding it is called the “crimson moon” because herdsmen must slaughter part of their herd to be able to feed the animals through the sparse winter nights. Nowadays, while this is still done, it is not uncommon for clans to supply clans-folk with enough fodder for all of winter, and some herdsmen even take their herds and travel to warmer climes where forage is no object (indeed, there are designated crown lands dedicated to this purpose).

The hallmark of Sambane is no doubt the clan gathering to light a mighty bonfire. This is believed to dispel [i]ap Morig[/i] spirits by both attracting the spirits of ancestors and strengthening them with their warmth and light. 
Importantly, this unites the clan, ensuring camaraderie and clan identity are preserved, while also providing an opportunity to forgive old wrongs and turn a new page. Some clans have a custom of rekindling ever fire in the clan from the bonfire – this practice is more present amongst smaller clans for logistical reasons, though larger clans that insist on this tradition find some very interesting and innovative ways to see it through. Around the bonfire a festive spirit reigns, with men and women, young and old, eating seasonal foods and dancing to keep the [i]ap Morig[/i] away and aid their ancestors in holding them at bay. Small sacrifices and wishes are often thrown into the fire in the hopes of earning the favour of the gods.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Embilc][indent]Coming about on Ambanlic 1, Embilc marks the beginning of Spring, the time of ploughing the earth and seeding fields. H’Mrorrig, goddess of spring, is honoured in particular during this festival. A celebration of the strengthening light of the sun, Embilc is also a celebration of feminine mysteries – chief amongst them childbirth, of which the H’Mrorrig is goddess. Having experienced rebirth at midwinter, the gods Tymhorau and Raithean emerge as children in with the coming of Spring, and so Embilc is also a celebration of that.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Beltane][indent]Occurring on Bultaeg 1, Beltane hails the coming of Summer and light, and is the festival of life (both due to the time of year and the fertility of the earth, and life more generally); in this sense it is in many ways the exact opposite of Sambane. It is a fertility festival celebrating the maturation of the gods Tymhorau and Raithean into young lovers and their sexual union, as well as the creative energies and life born from their love-making. These energies are thought to bless the land, animals, and people, bestowing health and fertility on all.

Like Sambane, Beltane is celebrated with great bonfires and revelry. Cattle are driven between the bonfires as a way of blessing and purifying them, and many young couples daringly leap over smaller flames or dance among them to bless and purify themselves also. The daylight hours of Beltane are the most popular time of year to ‘walk the tree’ (that is, get married). 

Beltane night is spent, in emulation of the gods, in feverish love-making. It matters little whether the partners know each other, for on that night all women are Raithean incarnate and all men are Tymhorau. It is not mere sex, however, and but a blessed union. Women impregnated on Beltane night are forbidden from aborting, and the child is considered not her child, but an actual child of Tymhorau and Raithean. These Beltane-children do not inherit from their human parents and are instead placed in the care of the clan. Today the clan is able to hand Beltane-children over to the state to be cared for as the children of all of Sidara’s clans. This practice, on-going now for over a century, has resulted in the creation of one of the only truly modern clans: Clan Beltan o' Tymthean. Unlike any other clan, and due to the nature of its inception, Clan Beltan o' Tymthean does not have any designated clan-lands, but the theory is that all clan-lands also belong in some way to the Beltans. 

Different clans have differing customs with regards to the selection of the so-called ‘Beltane [i]Rhig[/i] and [i]Bhaenrhig[/i]’. Some clans choose them and have them perform a pageant before the entire clan, while bolder customs have them take up the role of Raithean and Tymhorau more literally before the entire clan. Some clans do not have this custom at all.

On Beltane, as with Sambane, the veil between the realm of the living and that of the spirits is considered to be nearly inexistent. Rather than spirits of the dead, however, it is the nature spirits that roam free on Beltane – not during the night, but during the day. While many of these spirits are believed to be benign, there are also those that are mischievous – doing things like switching the souls of newborns or beguiling people and animals so as to fool them into a limbo between the spirit realm and the realm of the living where one day is equivalent to centuries in the realm of the living. For this reason, many Sidarids use talismans to ward off mischievous spirits on and around Beltane. Sacred woods are used to light the fire as an additional ward, and offerings of wine, milk, and oats are left outside festival areas to divert and appease any mischievous spirits who might be attracted to the revelry.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Lignsid][indent]Celebrated from Lembiuod 1 to 20, Lignsid marks the end of Summer and the coming of Autumn, and is the harvest festival. In the pre-unification period, Lignsid was known for bringing many regional tribes together to celebrate for the duration of the twenty days, but today it is a national festival that brings together all Sidarid clans from across the realm. From east to west and north to south, hundreds of thousands of people pack up and make for the designated location of festivities for the year.

The festivities begin with the [i]Bhaenrhig[/i] appearing in a tartan cloak, combining all the tartans of the Sidarid clans, and cutting the first stalk of wheat, symbolic of first harvest. The cutting of the first stalk also represents the wounding of the gods Tymhorau and Raithean who will die at Sambane to be reborn again at the winter solstice and emerge as children in Spring. 

The first harvest is treated with great reverence, and the first fruits are dedicated to the gods and goddesses. With that, the festival erupts into celebration with all manner of massive sporting contests and feats of strength, different clans sending in their best and finest to compete. These annual games are said to have been instituted by the goddess Seihdhara herself and witness an enormous number of pipe bands massing together to release thunderous deliveries of traditional Sidarid music in the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival.

Sporting contests include horse racing, weight throwing, hurling, caber tossing, stone put throwing, sheaf tossing, basket-hilted claymore duelling, Sidarid hammer throwing, lazy stick tussling, various animal fighting sports, weight-over-the-bar throwing, shinty, wrestling, curling, rowing, sailing, canoeing, swimming, ba game playing, Sidarid foot with the ball, rounders, archery, rifle shooting, and Sidarid highland dancing.
It is also commonplace for clans to pitch teams of one hundred to five hundred clans-folk armed with wooden swords and shields that, once all clan teams have been sorted into one of two or three teams, engage in a massive mock battle with one another. It is commonplace for this annual mock-battle to result in injury, though it is usually nothing serious or permanent (this capacity to practice restraint and not cause as much harm as one can is considered a mark of battle-prowess by Sidarids).
Beyond these events, dancing, fighting, and other unruly behaviour characterise the feast.

Lignsid is more than an opportunity to take part in sports, however, for it has been and continues to be a time when Sidarids come together to celebrate their identity as a people and their endurance against all the forces that sought to destroy them throughout history. These assemblies are thus important for re-affirming the loyalty of all clans to the [i]Bhaenrhig[/i], the nation, and to other clans, as well as an opportunity for general socialising between clans and people who do not often cross paths. For this latter reason, Lignsid is also a very popular time to engage in temporary marriages lasting one year and one day. Marriage or not, however, Lignsid (for obvious reasons) features stupendous levels of sexual activity.

Unlike Beltane and Sambane, Lignsid is a water festival, and just as being driven between bonfires on Beltane purifies cattle, on Lignsid they are blessed by being driven through shallows or, in the case of horses, making them swim across a river. Other customs includ dressing sacred wells with flowers and the burial of flowers to signify the end of summer.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Gaef Solstice][indent]This is the longest night of the year and occurs around Seihdhos 21 every year.  Regional clans tend to gather together to celebrate this night. Many symbols of fire and light are used to encourage the sun to wax stronger once again. On this night, it is believed by Sidarids that Tymhorau and Raithean, who died at Sambane, undergo their rebirth.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Earrach Equinox][indent]This spells one of the two times of year where night and day are in equal balance, and occurs annually around Acagoil 21. However, with the passing of this day, light will begin to eclipse the darkness of night each passing day. The god and goddess Tymhorau and Raithean are both maturing from childhood, but the two have yet to marry and mate (which they will do at Beltane). Raithean journeys across Sidara, waking the land from the slumber of winter and leaving flowers where her feet touch the ground. 
For farmers, the ground has now thawed and it is time for tilling and planting to recommence – thus festivities around this time involve the blessing of tools, seeds, and fields to ensure a bountiful harvest.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Haf Solstice][indent]Midsummer occurs around Mragin 21 and is the longest day of the year. The sun is at the height of power and so are Tymhorau and Raithean. Tymhorau is the young dashing warrior, strong and virile. Raithean is with child, glowing with fertility and permeating the earth with it. Light and fire are the themes of this festival, including fire wheels being rolled down hills and into lochs, symbolising the sun’s strength. This is an auspicious time for [i]Wyndyn[/i] to gather herbs, especially magickal ones. The spirits of nature are believed to be especially active.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Fomhr Equinox][indent]Once more, night and day stand equally balanced, but this time night and darkness are waxing mighty. Tymhorau and Raithean were both wounded at Lignsid but will not perish until Sambane. Their power wanes along with the sun. The goddess, heavy with child, reflects the fruits of the harvest in her swollen belly. All around, the animal world prepares for winter and people shore up their defences and fill their stores for the cold, dark nights that lie before them. Deciduous trees erupt into dazzling colour in a final farewell before descending into winter’s dormancy. The cutting of the final sheaf of the harvest, just like the first, is held sacred. While in times past each clan had its own final sheaf, today a particular plot of land is dedicated to it and, as with the first sheaf, the [i]Bhaenrhig[/i] cuts the last. This final sheaf is plaited into a “corn dolly” in the shape of an animal or person and kept until the end of the next harvest to be burned when a new one is created.[/indent][/hider][/list][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Death][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/RQd2hI2.jpg?1[/img]

[i]A' things ur Faetid t'wards termination [/i][/centre]
Being a warrior people, the most honourable death possible for a Sidarid is death in battle. Depending on clan custom, a person who dies may be buried, cremated, or have their ashes buried. Graves contain items needed for the next world, such as weapons to engage the [i]ap Morig[/i] in battle during Sambane and to generally defend oneself on the journey to the spirit world, as well as food, wine, money, and clothing.

While Sidarids believe in rebirth, they believe this is optional and that one who has led a good life may elect to remain in the spirit world for as long as they pleased, even forever. If reborn, Sidarids believe one can return in any form. The spirit world is believed to be a paradise where the dead wear gowns of silver and gold, and gold bands around their waists and necks, and jewelled circlets on their brows, and they can sally forth on chariots of fire to do battle with the [i]ap Morig[/i] on Sambane, and carry out various quests in the spirit world to ensure the safety of the realm of the living.

Funeral customs that require cremation include the sacrifice of sheep and oxen so that their fat can be placed on the body. The carcasses are then placed around the dead person’s body, along with jars of honey and oil. Beloved horses, dogs, and other animals are slain and their bodies are piled on top, and the entire thing is set aflame. The dead are addressed and people wail in mourning. Once the fire is extinguished with wine, the remains are taken out and laid in a golden urn, which is then buried alongside food and weaponry inside a burial cist with a cairn or [abbr=an earthen burial mound]barrow[/abbr] over it.

Clans with customs that require the burial of the body tend to have the body washed and wrapped in a death shroud before laying it out with burning candles around it inside the home for a period of five to seven days. People visit to lament and mourn the dead person and give praise. Three days after the body is laid out, a small feast is held in their honour featuring sporting events. The body has a bowl placed on their chest into which people place food and coins for use on the journey to the next life.

On the morning of burial, a [i]Treiwynd[/i] arrives to measure the body so as to ensure their final resting place is fitted to their size. The [i]Wynd[/i] also whispers into the ear of the dead person. What it is that the [i]Wynd[/i] says is unknown, though people postulate that they whisper instructions on how to get to the spirit world. The person is then buried supine in a burial cist with their weapons and gifts, and a cairn or barrow is built over them. 

If the body of a person could not be retrieved for burial, the family of the deceased can approach a [i]Wynd[/i] for an assortment of rituals that will ensure the safe passage of the deceased’s spirit to the spirit world.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Warhounds][indent][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/yorn4U6.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

Ancient and medieval Sidarids used [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b4/b4/1d/b4b41dd37f0ab0f2b3669fd4909ec1c1.png]wolfhounds[/url], amongst the biggest, if not the biggest, [url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Irish_wolfhound.jpg/220px-Irish_wolfhound.jpg]dogs[/url] in the world, for war and hunting. Modern Sidarids still use them for these purposes – a wolfhound is a terror on the field! The other major Sidarid breed is the [url=https://www.dogweb.nl/bordercolliegfx/border_collie_painting_1.jpg]Border Collie[/url], by far the most intelligent dog breed. Used primarily as a herding dog, its extreme intelligence also makes it exceptional for various military duties.[/indent][/hider][/list][/hider]
[*][hider=Army][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/m3iE7q6.png?2[/img]

[i]Flag of HG's Army of Sidara[/i][/centre]

Army - 18 - Your army is massive, and for every soldier, there are two more to take his place. It is maintained at partial-strength year round with conscription for the rest on a wartime basis. Even at partial strength, it is more than enough to compete with other states.

Her Grace's Armed Forces; Her Grace's Army of Sidara
[indent]HG's Army of of Sidara is an enormous well-maintained professional force. During wartime, it can call up reservists - though the professional force is usually enough to deal with anything but the most dire situations. While HG's Naval Forces of Sidara are the major line of defence for the island [i]Righachd[/i], should an enemy ever succeed in landing they would find the Army of Sidara a formidable foe. Along with the Naval Forces of Sidara, they have partaken in the [i]Righachd's[/i] ongoing skirmishes and past defensive wars against Anvegadian aggression and ambitions of reconquest and are thus a critical component in the [i]Righachd's[/i] security and continued independence. Due to this, Her Grace has highlighted the importance of maintaining the size of the Army of Sidara while also expanding its capabilities in every way. For this purpose, friendship with other technologically advanced nations are to be cultivated, and acquiring functional magickal expertise from friends and through research is of utmost importance.

At present, all soldiers of the Army of Sidara use the standardised, domestically produced [i]Gilwgmul[/i] Model 1908 Rifle. ([i]Gilwgmul[/i]: lit. "God's Frown"). The rifle's innovative straight-pull bolt action allows the user to pull the bolt straight back to unlock the action and eject the spent cartridge in one motion, and push the bolt forward to chamber a round, cock the striker, and lock the action. This is as opposed to traditional bolt actions, where the user must lift the bolt handle to unlock the action before pulling the bolt back, then return it to place once more in a dual forward-down movement. The [i]Gilwgmul[/i] thus provides for a quicker rate of fire than other bolt action rifles. The rifle is roughly musket length with a free-floating barrel and boasts both extraordinary accuracy and durability - functioning just as well in cold, wet, or arid conditions. It has proven extremely successful during marine engagements and short on-land skirmishes with Anvegadian forces over the years. 
Despite the passage of many centuries, the [i]Righachd[/i] has maintained an insistent adherence to tradition - a latent patriotic zeal inspired by the nation's wars of national liberation against Anvegad. Thus Sidarid soldiers can generally be found in colourful kilts and knee-length socks, wearing tam o shanters and with dirks at their sides, true highland warriors and soldiers of the vales each and every one of them. 

While it is not an official part of the uniform, the great majority of soldiers and officers also carry [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/25/c0/fa/25c0fa1449320195ce3e9637076c63af.jpg]basket-hilt claymores[/url] (traditional claymores being far too large, unwieldy, and impractical in modern warfare). While traditional claymores saw extensive use during the resistance against the Anvegadian conquest and first war of liberation, basket-hilts saw extensive use during the first period of independence as well as the First, Second, and Third Anvego-Sidarid Wars, and all later engagements.

The Army of Sidara makes use of domestically produced regular field artillery, Gatling guns, and machine guns, and the quality of these weapons is attested to the world over.

The Army's mounted troops generally charge into battle with lances 2.97 metres long, before engaging in combat with specially designed basket-hilt cavalry claymores (these boast a curved blade). They are unarmoured and carry with them a manually operated lever-action, 12-shot repeating rifle, produced domestically, called the Catach Repeating Rifle (named after Sidarid inventor Alpin Donnan Catach). It is very effective and easy to use from horseback. They generally also retain pistols or other small firearms. Sidarid military advisors are of the view that the effectiveness of the horse's traditional role in warfare may be rather questionable in the context of modern war. The Heriran War of 1860-66, in particular, provided some evidence of this. Despite these concerns, however, cavalry regiments have been retained until more detailed investigations can be carried out.

[list][*][hider=Size and Organisation]
The [i]Bhaenrhig[/i]is the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Sidara. The Chief of the General Staff is the professional head of the Esharan Army, and is generally a five-star general (an [i]Achaidh[/i]).

HG's Army has six major branches. The first is HG's Home Guard, stationed on the Home Isles at all times. The second is HG's Expeditionary Force, which is stationed in the [i]Righachd's[/i] neighbouring allied and client states. The third is HG's Royal Legion, the fourth is HG's First Reserve Army, the fifth is HG's Second Reserve Army, and the sixth is HG's Army of Seihdhara. Each of these 'branches' is considered an 'Army' and is headed by a four-star general (a [i]Caennard[/i]).

Each 'Army' is split into three 'Corps'. Each of these is headed by a three-star [i]Saenilair[/i].

Each 'Corps' is split into three 'Divisions'. Each of these is headed by a two-star [i]Coitchean[/i].

Each 'Division' is split into four 'Brigades'. Each of these is headed by a one-star [i]Cogaidh[/i].

Each 'Brigade' is made up of three 'Regiments'. Each of these is headed by a [i]Coirneal[/i].

Each 'Regiment' is split into two 'Battalions' and two 'Companies'. A 'Battalion' is headed by a [i]Leifteanant Coirneal[/i] while a 'Company; is headed by a [i]Sgiobar[/i]. Each regiment also has a 'Platoon' of [i]Machwynden[/i], led by a [i]Leifteanant Machwynd[/i]. The numbers are as follows:

[list]
[*]Total in a Regiment: 1,535
[indent][i]Machwynd[/i] Platoon: 40
Infantry Battalion: 20 Officers, 600 Regular Infantrymen, 60 Others
Field Battery Company: 10 Officers, 150 Gunners, 5 Others 
Mountain Battery Company: 10 Officers, 150 Gunners, 5 Others
Cavalry Battalion: 20 Officers, 400 Dragoons, 65 Others[/indent]
[*]Total in a Brigade (3 Regiments): 4,605
[*]Total in a Division (4 Brigades): 18,420
[*]Total in a Corps (3 Divisions): 55,260
[*]Total in an Army (3 Corps): 165,780
[*]Total in the Army of Sidara (6 Armies): 994,680[/list]
[/hider]

[*][hider=Army Personnel][centre][img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/SirJohnLintonSimmons.jpg/300px-SirJohnLintonSimmons.jpg[/img]
The Well-born [i]Achaidh Tywsyg[/i] Tomaltach Flann (aka Flynn) of Clan Esher, Chief of the General Staff (the [i]Bhaenrhig's[/i] nephew)

[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZqHx9rg.jpg?1[/img]
The Much Honoured [i]Ceannard[/i] Chief Cormac Niall of Clan M'Hnaen, of HG's Home Guard

[img]https://i.imgur.com/khEXBV1.jpg?2[/img]
[i]Ceannard[/i] Fergus Eoghan of Clan Haiho, of HG's Expeditionary Force

[img]https://i.imgur.com/B8i48UN.jpg?3[/img]
[i]Ceannard[/i] Maelmordha Tuathel of Clan MgLachlainn, of HG's Royal Legion

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Fpqb6aB.jpg?2[/img]
[i]Ceannard[/i] Donnchadh Maon of Clan Umbruse, of HG's First Reserve Army

[img]https://i.imgur.com/dDhJU7z.jpg?2[/img]
[i]Ceannard[/i] Bearach Ailde of Clan MgGakel, of HG's Second Reserve Army

[img]https://i.imgur.com/jHgat6N.jpg?2[/img]
[i]Ceannard[/i] Ronan Suibhne of Clan Mawleh, of HG's Army of Seihdhara[/centre]
[/hider]

[*][hider=Uniform of a highland infantryman of the Army of Sidara, along with the Gilwgmul]
[centre][img]http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2008/post-2272-1227796706.jpg[/img]
Dressed in the traditional kilt and tam o' shanter, with a [url=https://www.emedals.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/_/e_8225.jpg]dirk[/url] at his side[/centre]
[/hider]

[*][hider=Dragoon]A Dragoon:
[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/BWCK3VA.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

Basket-hilt Cavalry Claymore:
[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/RkcZ97B.jpg?1[/img][/centre]

The Catach Repeating Rifle:
[centre][img]https://christopherspencer.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/spencer1.jpg[/img][/centre][/hider][/list][/indent][/hider]

[*][hider=Navy][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/eNE1fQM.png?2[/img]

[i]Flag of HG's Naval Forces of Sidara[/i][/centre] 

Navy - 19+1 (20) - Your nation rules the waves. Your merchant fleet is the best out there and your matchless navy seeps with tradition.

Her Grace's Armed Forces, Her Grace's Naval Forces of Sidara. 
[indent]One of the largest navies in the world, HG's Naval Forces of Sidara come at some seven-hundred vessels. Ship names are preceded by a series of letters which identify the ship's type. The nation's vast merchant fleets are generally communally owned by clans, though the government does dabble in trade and provides protection to all the [i]Righachd's[/i] shipping. Coastal clans, alongside any merchant fleets, tend to also possess and produce their own military-grade ships which see use as private escorts for clan shipping.

[list][*][hider=Size of the Naval Forces of Sidara] 
Dreadnoughts: 30
Battlecruisers: 35
Armoured Cruisers: 50
Protected Cruisers: 65
Scout Cruisers: 20
Light Cruisers: 25
Destroyers: 200
Torpedo Boats: 120
Submarines:75
Transport Steamships: 100
Total: 720
[/hider]

[*][hider=Ranks]
[list][*][i]Leifteanant Chinard[/i] (Lt Crd) - Second in command on most ships and small shore installations. May sometimes be given command of smaller ships.
[*][i]Chinnard[/i] (Cd): A [i]Chinnard[/i] may command a light cruiser, torpedo boat, or shore installation, or may serve on a staff. More experienced [i]Chinnards[/i] may also be given command of armoured cruisers (aka frigates) and battlecruisers.
[*][i]Sgiobair[/i] (Sbr): [i]Sgiobairs[/i] with sea commands generally command ships of cruiser size or larger; the more senior the officer, the larger the ship, but ship commanders do not normally hold a higher rank than [i]Sgiobair[/i].
[*][i]Cladhach[/i] (Cldh): A one-star rank of the commander of a flotilla. A flotilla is generally composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as dreadnoughts, frigates, light cruisers, torpedo boats, submarines etc. The Naval Forces of Sidara standardise flotillas at five ships of the same class. This is generally the smallest unit of ships found operating together - the next smallest would be a solitary ship. These are generally temporary formations which break off from a larger squadron for a particular purpose.
[*][i]Mholier[/i] (Mlr): A series of ranks generally given to those who command a squadron or significant divisions of a squadron. A squadron is generally made up of thirty ships of varying classes. This series of ranks is divided as follows:
[indent][i]Cul Mholier[/i] (CMlr): A two-star rank. The most junior rank in the series, generally does not command a squadron alone, but divisions within it.
[i]Leas Mholier[/i] (LMlr): A three-star rank. Second in command of any squadron, and capable of commanding one on his own.
[i]Mholier[/i] (Mlr): A four-star rank. Generally to be found in command of a squadron.[/indent]
[*][i]Mholier[/i] of the Fleet (MlrF): A five-star rank. The most senior rank in the Naval Forces of Sidara. Commands a fleet - which is generally made up of two or more squadrons.
[*]Commander-in-Chief: Her Grace is the commander-in-chief of the Naval Forces of Sidara. There is no professional head beside her, though she generally makes decisions after considering the advice of senior naval officers. Though not an official rank, it is generally accepted that the most senior naval officer is the Laird Grand [i]Mholier[/i], a title granted by the [i]Bhaenrhig[/i].[/list][/hider]

[*][hider=Navy Personnel][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZPrpu9R.jpg[/img]
[i]Mholier[/i] Iain Frangag of Clan Gweilaerth, Laird Grand [i]Mholier[/i], [i]Mholier[/i] of the Fleet[/centre]
[/hider][/list][/indent][/hider]

[*][hider=Air Force][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/EdZOj6o.png?2[/img]

[i]Flag of HG's Aerial Warfare Corps[/i][/centre]

Airforce - 9-2 (7) - You have a few biplanes.

Her Grace's Aerial Warfare Corps
[indent]Her Grace's Government is still having research conducted into the utility of aircraft for purposes other than reconnaissance and scouting. A small Aerial Warfare Corps has been established in the meanwhile, pending a complete report.
While military aeroflight has not seen much practical progression, aeroflight theory is at a very advanced level and is all the rage amongst academics and clan company innovators alike. It appears, then, that it will be civilians rather than the state that lead the way forward when it comes to aeroflight technology.[/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Traits]Our Mother's Gift[indent]It is Sidarid tradition that while a woman is giving birth the father (or, where none is present, an uncle, grandfather, or any member of the clan) must leave and climb the sacred mountain, Caer Seihdhar, and seek an omen from Seihdhara. This omen is considered the newborn's [i]Ainaim[/i] (soul-name). For instance, if the weather happens to be stormy and the time that of night, the [i]Ainaim[/i] may be 'Light in the Night'. If an eagle flies by on a clear day, 'Eagle in Full-Sight'. These [i]Aainaimin[/i] are sacred and provide the person with direct connection with the Bear Mother. One without an [i]Ainaim[/i] is considered incomplete. Likewise, on birth every Sidarid is given a [i]Faisehd[/i], a warning or prophecy of sorts - e.g. 'you shall die within a week of killing the red-horned ram' or 'do not eat of the fruit of the cherry tree' or 'Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth' or 'Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him'. So long as one conforms with their [i]Faisehd[/i] (and a person may have more than one, as we see with Macbeth) then they are fine, having greater physical and spiritual strength. One who breaks it, however, is greatly weakened and may ultimately die. [i]'Aye, ah broke mah Faisehd laddie. Best coupon th' auld reaver lik' a true hielan man eh?'[/i][/indent]
Children of the Bear Mother[indent]The peoples of the Sidarid Isles believe the blood of the war-goddess Seihdhara runs in their veins, most potently in those whose hair is red. In war, it is their ultimate purpose to seek out glory, worthy foes to take-on in single combat, engage in valorous deed, and ultimately attain either death or victory. However, this pursuit of individual honour and acts of valour can sometimes lead to a certain propensity towards disobeying commands from above and insubordination, with acts of individual valour and glory being viewed as far more worthy than following commands to the T. [i]'Ye hielan men! Les sho they degenerates wha comes tae claim thair bides this day!'[/i][/indent]
Sdarid Ways and Sdarid Laws[indent]Sidara has no official legal system. The law of the land is custom and any disputes arising that do not fall within the remit of established customary law are dealt with via arbitration. This is in line with Sidarid insistence, in the face of any so-called reformers, on retaining their ancient ways and laws despite the onslaught of modernity. Where arbitration over novel problems fails (a very rare occurence, so much so as to now be largely hypothetical), disputes are ultimately settled through duels between the aggrieved parties so as to avoid family feuds and clan wars. This provides for very swift and cost-efficient administration of justice, and the legitimacy of custom makes for ultimately satisfied disputants (particularly since there is a feeling that the ancient ways have been preserved and authentic Sidarid ways and laws have thus persevered). However, results tend to lack predictability for novel issues or recently-established customs, and the legal system as a whole is utterly decentralised and almost impossible for foreigners to grasp (which is particularly bad for business). Moreover, the non-professional nature of arbiters means that increasingly-complicated disputes might be dealt with incorrectly. [i]'Wance upon a time thare wis... Sdarid ways 'n' Sdarid laws...'[/i][/indent]
Wisdom Immemorial[indent]In the class of scholarly druids known as [i]Arwyndyn[/i], Sidara has a true boon. They have preserved knowledge from the times of the [i]ap Morig[/i] to the present in an unbroken chain and continue to be at the forefront of scholarly research into all things (exactly how much they know is a complete mystery). When they deign to allow the light of all that they know to shine forth onto society, wondrous innovations result. However, the [i]Arwyndyn[/i] are notoriously reclusive and secretive, there perhaps being no class of people who have maintained absolute secrecy as well as they have anywhere in the world. Thus Sidara can likely never hope to reap the full fruit of their works, only the their crums. [i]'Ní féidir lyeat dció a scriosaedh. Ní fiyú é seo.'[/i][/indent]
Clan-Companies[indent]The Sidarid economy is dominated by clan companies. These behemoths, which have national and international reach, are sturdy organisation with a strong communal foundation that ensures exceptionally low labour costs (essentially free labour). Innovative and competitive, they are one of the cornerstones of Sidarid strength and a key reason behind its meteoric rise to a fully industrialised nation. However, clan companies dominate the Sidarid economy, essentially preventing lone entrepreneurs and the development of a real 'capitalist class' - whether this is good or bad remains to be seen. Moreover, and critically, the competitive nature of clan companies means that price wars, corporate warfare, and aggressive expansion into each other's niches are commonplace, doing significant damage. It is a testament to the solidity of the economy that this state of affairs has not led to complete economic collapse, and the fact that custom is the law means regulating these company conflicts is nigh impossible. The clan companies must either develop customs of cooperation and mutual respect, or their golden age will soon descend into darkness. [i]'Sae thae ur th' ship designs they Gweilaerths hae bin hiding...'[/i][/indent][/hider]
[*][hider=Rolls]
[indent]Territory - 8 - Your nation is decently sized, with room for a few cities and a decent amount of farmland.
Tech - 14+4 (18) - Your nation is effectively fully modern, and innovative to boot. It is likely the trendsetter in multiple categories.
Army - 18 - Your army is massive, and for every soldier, there are two more to take his place. It is maintained at partial-strength year round with a conscription for the rest on a wartime basis. Even at partial strength, it is more than enough to compete with other states.
Economy - 16+1 (17) - Your economy is well-off, and a majority of what needs to be funded is.
Production - 11+4 (15) - Your nation is doing well for itself, with excellent production in both farming and manufacturing and good resource exploitation.
Navy - 19+1 (20) - Your nation rules the waves. Your merchant fleet is the best out there and your matchless navy seeps with tradition.
Airforce - 9-2 (7) - You have a few biplanes.
Magic - 8-3 (5) - Like a nation that is aware of modern technology, and seeks to acquire it, yet falls far behind, your nation lags in the field, struggling to keep up, and at best keeping pace in a select field. Perhaps, were your nation to pool its resources and brainpower, you could produce one of the contraptions of more magical nations - but it would be a true national effort.
Mobilisation - 19 - It takes a few weeks to mobilize.[/indent][/hider]

[*][hider=Other]
[list][*][hider=List of Monarchs][list]
[*][i]Bhaenrhig[/i] Roinseach, (1519-1605; r.1592-1605)
[*][i]Bhaenrhig[/i] Aelwyd, (1557-1631; r.1605-31)
[*][i]Bhaenrhig[/i] Parhaigen, (1615-1666; r.1631-66)
[*][i]Rhig[/i] Cadfael, (1649-1671; r.1666-71 -- Slain in Battle)
[*][i]Rhig[/i] Aenfys, (1667-1736; r.1671-1736)
[*][i]Bhaenrhig[/i] Teygaen, (1712-81; r.1736-81)
[*][i]Rhig[/i] Sluaghadhan, (1756-1843; r.1781-1843)
[*][i]Bhaenrhig[/i] Deirdre, (1819-1864; r.1843-1864 -- Slain in Battle)
[*][i]Bhaenrhig[/i] Ros, (1838-Present; r.1864-Present)[/list][/hider]
[*][hider=Her Grace, Bhaenrhig Ros]
[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/qzcu6zY.jpg?1[/img]

Age: 72 (b.1838)[/centre]
[/hider]
[*][hider=His Grace, Rhig Ruaidhri]
[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/UKX3KhX.jpg?1[/img]

Age: 77 (b.1833)[/centre]
[/hider]
[*][hider=Styles and Titles][i]Bhaenrhig[/i]/[i]Rhig [/i]- Queen/King, when addressing the monarch
[i]Amlwyg[/i] - Heir Apparent, when addressing the heir
[i]Tywsyg[/i]/[i]Tywsygys[/i] - Prince/Princess, when addressing a member of the royal family
Chief/Laird - When addressing a clan chief
[i]Hynaf[/i]/[i]Rhaig[/i] - When addressing the heir apparent of a clan. [i]Hynaf[/i] for males, [i]Rhaig[/i] for females.
[i]Larwynd[/i] - When addressing [i]Wyndyn[/i], regardless of gender or type.
His/Her Grace - When referring to the Bhaenrhig and Rhig
The High-born - When referring to the heir
The Well-born - When referring to a member of the royal family
The Much Honoured - When referring to a clan chief/laird
The Honoured - When referring to the heir apparent of a clan
The Hallowed - When referring to a [i]Wynd[/i] of any type[/hider]
[*][hider=List of Clans and Sub-Clans][list][*]Clan Aelric
[*]Clan Agalvae
[*]Clan Agronae
[*]Clan ap-Dhugael
[*]Clan ap-Entosh
[*]Clan ap-Fhinnan
[indent]Clan ap-Fhinnan o' Iwan[/indent]
[*]Clan ap-Filigan
[indent]ap-Filigan o' th'Reaches
ap-Filigan o' Balmaen[/indent]
[*]Clan ap-Gwynnud
[indent]ap-Gwynnud o' Caernmowni
ap-Gwynnud o' Caluk
ap-Gwynnud o' Clagduff[/indent]
[*]Clan ap-Ilinray
[indent]ap-Ilinray o' Dnabree[/indent]
[*]Clan ap-MgGonnal
[*]Clan ap-MgOllman
[*]Clan ap-Olaidh
[*]Clan Aujvint
[indent]Aujvint o' th'Marshes
Laird-Aujvint[/indent]
[*]Clan Beltan o' Tymthean
[*]Clan Braeg
[indent]Braeg o' MgIlsen
Braeg o' th'Braes[/indent]
[*]Clan Connacht
[indent]Connacht o' Cornams-Crest[/indent]
[*]Clan Culquown
[*]Clan Dhaebidhe
[*]Clan Dhonnuil
[indent]Dhonnuil o' Ronnuil
MgDhonals o' Glencove[/indent]
[*]Clan Dochmar
[*]Clan Esher
[indent]Rhiglaird Esher[/indent]
[*]Clan Fhaerchar
[*]Clan Ghillmhol
[*]Clan Ghiuari
[*]Clan Grantaeg
[*]Clan Guilibraec
[*]Clan Guinn
[*]Clan Gweilaerth
[*]Clan Haiho
[*]Clan Laird Loamainn
[indent]Laird Loamainn o' Fulfraen[/indent]
[*]Clan M'Hnaen
[*]Clan Maengun
[*]Clan Mawleh
[*]Clan MgCrae
[indent]Clan MgCrae o' Raeth[/indent]
[*]Clan MgEwaen
[*]Clan MgGakel
[*]Clan MgGrregah
[indent]MgGrregah o' Galams-Stand[/indent]
[*]Clan MgIntsaer
[*]Clan MgLabrinn
[*]Clan MgLachlainn
[*]Clan Mhaeridh
[*]Clan Mwryfin (extinct)
[*]Clan Ol Mirti
[*]Clan Oq Haert
[*]Clan Rosaec
[*]Clan Sirjin
[*]Clan Umbruse
[indent]Umbruse o' Bruce[/indent][/list][/hider][/list][/hider]
[/list]