[center][b]Nation Sheet[/b] WIP [b][u]Nation's Name[/u][/b] The Virian Empire --- [b][u]Nation's History[/u][/b] (WIP) The Virian Empire is an old nation that traces its roots back to an even older empire. In the ancient days over 3316 years ago it is said that there was a great power in the northern most reaches of the world and some records of its presence still exist, great temples and ruined cities scattered through the wastes and now scarcely inhabitable land that is now known as the Voldophate of Alster. After the fall of this old empire in a cataclysm that is said to have smote the capital city and utterly destroyed it a group of the nobility and priesthood from the old empire, gathered around the one remaining heir to the imperial throne fled south fearing further assault from above in a great migration that would take them through many lands before they at last came to the land that would become Viria. Within the Crown Spires, a massive mountain range these refugees thought they would be secure, the land was a natural fortress and perhaps here they could hold off even the assaults from the hateful light above. The dark rituals and ancient customs were held to with the same iron determination that had once been the trademark of the old empire and the natives of the land were awed by this dread majesty that these foriegners had about them. In the Listhenic faith it is said that the Listians or Shadowed Spawn cowed the heathens with the last displays of their ancient magic and so convinced the natives of their divinity. Whatever truly happened When the dust settled within the Crown Spires the Listian people, purest remnant of the old empire in the north ruled over the humans of their realm. Fearing another strike from above the Shadowed Spawn kept their new empire confined within the desert mountains, generations carving out great fortress cities in the mountains and constructing the greatest fortress city of all, a city that came to be named Trenalkd. But in time the old territorial aspirations reared their heads again and the legions in service to the Shadowed Spawn marched forth. More deserts fall in time and so too would the city states of Kvesh to the far south. --- [b][u]Religion[/b][/u] (WIP) Viria cannot be understood without first understanding the religion that is its framework. The primary religion in Viria is the Listhenic faith, named after the chief god in the pantheon that is venerated by it. The list of Deities is included below. Gods- Listhen, The DreadFather, The Lord of Darkness and Shadow, He Who Brings Night- The first of the Primal Gods and the principle deity of the Listhenic faith it is said that he created the world along with his sister Luriel and that she betrayed him. But she did not prevail and he remains, ruling over all of creation save the sun and its hated light that burns. Listhen is most frequently depicted as a massive man who brings the darkness in his wake, like all of the gods of Listhenism he is frequently shown with skin of inhuman pallor, eyes the color the darkest night and hair of the same color, rather than the normal shadow, his is depicted to grow out from around him, a darkness that blots out the light. He is also depicted with an ancient crown upon his head, one that looks rather similar to the crown of the old Virian Imperatorious' and wields the ancient sword Lurisswring (Roughly translated to Lightbreaker) with which he struck down Luriel. Avarinne, Lady of Sorrows and Beauty, She Who Weeps For The World, The Bride of Listhen- It is said that all rain that falls upon the world is in fact her tears, sent to quench the burning earth and to offer rejuvenation and respite from the terrible heat of the sun. Avarinne is most frequently depicted as a woman of extreme beauty, with pale skin, silvered hair that hangs down in long tresses, eyes the color of the night itself and a face that while beautiful is marred by the lines of the constant tears that she sheds in an effort to ease the sufferings of the world. Zaltias, Lord of Trickery, Guile, and Intellect, First son of Listhen and Avarinne- It is said that Zaltias is the patron of the clever, of those who seek to better themselves through their wits. It is said that when his father was struck down it was Zaltias who created the illusions that allowed him to escape and return to cast down Luriel. Zaltias is most frequently depicted as a man wearing the traditional attire for men of the Virian faith, Raza, Lady of Vengeance, War, and Sacrifice, the daughter of Listhen and Avarinne- It is said that Raza is the living embodiment of war and vengeance, one who is willing to make any sacrifice to bring to the wicked the punishment and retribution that they so richly deserve. It is said that in the fight to imprison Aloraster, she made the greatest sacrifice made by one of the Listhenic gods, giving up her flawless physical form to lure the eternally ravenous god into the prison that had been constructed for it. Depictions of Raza show nothing of her features, a woman clad in layers of thin silver fabric, hands covered by layers of it as well and gripping the twin Lroist (Sickle like weapons) that she wields, with a face covered by a flawless blank mask made of porcelain that reveals nothing of what lurks behind it. Raza is the Goddess worshiped by those who seek vengeance as well a popular goddess to pray to before battles or the onset of war. Lothar, The Lord of Chains, Death, and Law, He who Gathers Souls, Second son of Listhen and Avarinne- It is said that to Lothar all souls of those who have failed in life are given. Those who have not followed the righteous path, or those who have worshipped or aligned themselves with the hateful light of Luriel and the sun are given over to him to torture until the end of days when their torment shall at last end and Listhen judges them ready to enter into the Void to dwell with him forever. Lorthar also functions as the judge of mortals, the codes of Lothar specifically detail many of the practices that must be adhered to for one to be considered righteous as well as the punishments for the breaking of various rules and various combinations of rules down to the exact detail. One of the more cruel of the gods Lothar is primarily prayed to with desire that he turn his gaze away, or allow life to continue on for a longer period of time before claiming the lives of the faithful. Lothar is often depicted as a man-shaped mass of chains, his body contained within the clothing, but leaking from the hem of the lower robes are tendrils of chains, and if one looks at the statues of Lothar, beneath the his hood is only a vaguely head shaped mass made of silver chains. Krarsis, The Lord of Smoke, Flame, and Crafting, He who will unleash the Shroud, Third son of Listhen and Avarinne- It is said that long ago when Luriel first fled to the sun Listhen took his son Krarsis aside and commanded him to create the greatest fire in the depths of the void, one day he said the smoke from it would be enough to blanket the earth and block out the hateful light forever. Krarsis, is the god of fire, smoke, and crafting, it is he who those who seek to create great works often pray too, it is he who the craftsmen and women of the Empire pray to asking that their buildings not fall in upon themselves and that he will extend his blessing to their work. He is also commonly associated with warfare as it is said that long ago he crafted the weapons of the gods including Listhen's great sword Lurisswring. It is said that the beautiful black marble of Viria was a gift given unto the world by Krarsis, so that the faithful might build truly fitting structures from which to honor the great gods. Krarsis skin in depictions differs from that of the other Listhenic gods as his skin is grey rather than white, stained with the soot from his constant fires, his eyes are black as the night though, and his hair like all save Avarinne is also black. Varis, Lord of Knowledge, Guidance, Fourth and final son of Listhen and Avarinne- It is said that Varis is the God of of knowledge and guidance, and that in the ancient days he had walked among mortals for longer than any of the others, long after most of the Listhenic gods had returned to the void such was his desire to bestow his knowledge upon the world. Many who seek guidance or aid in determining what their next move, be it in terms of whether to fight a battle, or whether to make a business deal or not. Varis typically is portrayed as a man who holds in his hands the ancient scroll known as Listhnervan (Shadow's speech) it was said that this scroll would give the answer to any question that was asked by it's holder. Religious Customs- Virians, especially those who hold to the Listhenic faith, (Most of them, as those who openly don't are disposed of) are at least openly highly religious and practice the many rituals of their religion with a great degree of zeal. It is important to note that the Virian rituals do tend to extend into everyday life and are not confined to a specific day or a single custom. There are certain foods that should not be eaten, there are certain acts which should never be done, and there are of course many rituals that must be undertaken if mistakes are made. Several of the things that should not be done include, -Allowing the hateful light of the sun to touch your skin directly. -Eating any creature that flies, as flying beings block out the hateful light. -Harming one of the Shadowed Spawn. -Commiting a profane act within a temple Some examples of purification rituals for the aforementioned offenses. -The area on which the hateful light fell must be cut and the wound left open for a night to allow the corruption of the Light to be drawn out by the healing and purifying Darkness -Purging to remove all traces of the devoured creature through the ingestion of the substance known as the Tears of Avarinne, and a sacrifice to Avarinne of an artifact of great personal value as a boon for her purifying tears. -The portion of the body that was so corrupted by the light that it would attempt to kill a Shadowed Spawn is removed. This is followed by purging and a release into the night without any clothing or shelter so that if Listhen deems you worthy of forgiveness, and only if he does you will survive. -Profane acts indicate corruption by the hateful light, purging through the ingestion of Avarrine's Tears and and a regimine of prayers and sessions spent in total darkness. Other elements that stem from their religious beliefs include their unique styles of clothing. Those who follow the Listhenic faith attempt to avoid all chance of the hateful light of the sun touching them directly. They shield themselves with layers of loose clothing and veils of cloth that prevent the sunlight from actually touching the part of the body that is nearly always exposed, the face. There are of course many different styles of attire and the selection and choices of forms of these garments is very large as the restriction is not specific about how the hateful light is to be kept from touching individuals. This extends to all aspects of life for members of the Listhenic faith. In Viria everything from military uniforms, and formal dress, to the clothing worn by the most menial laborers is constructed so as to keep the hateful light at bay. --- [b][u]Form of Government[/u][/b] Aristocratic/theocratic Oligarchy [b][u]Political Status[/u][/b] The Virian government is a theocratic monarchy. The Imperatorious, also known as the Volduph of Listhen functions as the supreme authority in the empire. The Imperatorious is an inherited position, passing from one descendant of the Vol Listh line of Shadowed Spawn to the closest living descendant of the previous ruler. This is not sexist and Viria has many times in the past been ruled by an Imperatoria or female Imperatorious. Beneath the Imperatorious is the council of Volduphs of which the Imperatorious or Volduph of Listhen is the titular head of as well. The Volduphs are drawn from the upper echelon of each of the Shadowed Spawn lineages. There is one Volduph to represent each of the seven deities of the Listhenic faith and they fill the roles of the heads of each of the Listhenic orders. Similarly to situation with the Imperatorious, the Volduphs can be members of either sex provided the conditions are met. The Council is the supreme authority beneath the Imperatorious and as such the Volduphs are capable of making rulings that impact almost the entirety of the empire. Their authority is strongest over the specific. Beneath the council there are the seven orders comprised of the seven shadowed spawn lineages who function as something akin to nobility throughout the nation. [b][u]Political Overview[/u][/b] Currently the political climate of Viria is quite stable. The power transfer from Vivia vol Listh II to her son upon her death went smoothly. However Scriesin vol Listh has only one child and no wife as his wife died in childbirth, putting the dynasty in a precarious position as it is never wise to depend on a single heir. He seeks a new bride. [b][u]Current Political Leader[/u][/b] Scriesin Vol Listh XIV- A middle aged ruler who just ascended to the throne barely a year ago following the death of his mother the former Imperatoria Vivia vol Listh II. He is a mostly even tempered man but in truth little is known about him as for most of his mother's reign he was content to stay out of the politics of the country as much as possible. [b][u]Notable Figures[/u][/b] Imperatorious and Voldoph of Listhen Scriesin Vol Listh XIV- Virian Emperor Vexia Vol Listh III - Daughter of Scriesin Vol Listh and heir to the throne Voldoph of Avarinne Livia Vol Av- Head of the Avarrean Order Voldoph of Zaltias Velran Vol Zal- Head of the Zaltean Order Voldoph of Raza Velara Vol Raz- Head of the Razaen Order Voldoph of Krarsis Missandrel Vol Kra- Head of the Krarsean Order Voldoph of Lothar Lirvan Vol Lo- Head of the Lothean Orderr --- [b][u]Total Population[/u][/b] Roughly 90 Million [b][u]Employed Population[/u][/b] Roughly 92% of the population is employed. [b][u]Military Population[/u][/b] 2 Million active soldiers 6 million potential reserves. 1 million in the various sects of the Razaen Order. With full mobilization for a holy war it is likely the conscripted strength could reach 20 million. However this would be difficult to maintain for long and would wreak the economics of the nation. --- [b][u]The Specie's Information[/u][/b] (Note that the religious elements come about because of their religion and are not necessarily true.) Shadowed Spawn(Listians): The Shadowed Spawn are the descendants of unions between the Listhenic gods and mortals. There are 7 Shadowed Spawn Lineages, one for each of the gods of the Listhenic faith. All Shadowed Spawn are marked by certain physical characteristics, extreme pallor and a lack of pigment in the skin and hair as well as a certain supernatural air that bestows a sense of awe and power upon those who gaze upon them. The distinctive appearance of the Shadowed Spawn makes them easily identifiable, especially among the Virians as the Virians are on the whole a race that is darker rather than possessed of such pallor. It is written that the Shadowed Spawn are the way that all Virians once were, before Luriel's hateful light was cast down upon the earth to burn them. The Shadowed Spawn are only ever to breed within their own kind, for the divine bloodlines cannot be sullied. Further rules also apply, a shadowed spawn of the Vol Listh Lineage must always be wed to a member of the Vol Av lineage. The other lineages are free to marry within each other provided the proposals meet the approval of the Volduph of Listhen as well as the Volduphs of the Orders from which they are members. All Shadowed Spawn have the blood of all seven of the Listhenic gods flowing within them. But each of the Shadowed Spawn specifically is an aspect of a single one of the gods. This integral identity is determined early on in the life of the individual in question and it is at this point that they are granted the appropriate lineage surname. Vol Listh for Listhen, Vol Av for Avarinne, Vol Zal for Zaltias, Vol Raz for Raza, Vol Loth for Lothar, Vol Kra for Krarsis, and Vol Var for Varis. Humans: Standard humans (More details on specific ethnic traits and looks to come shortly. --- [b][u]Army Overview[/u][/b] WIP [b][u]Navy Overview[/u][/b] WIP [b][u]Air Force Overview[/u][/b] WIP --- [b][u]Nation's Location[/u][/b] The area outlined in grey. [img]http://i.imgur.com/nJ0UnDD.jpg[/img] [b][u]Nation's Geography[/u][/b] Viria largely consists of rather barren expanses of arid mountains and plains that suffer under the baking heat of the cruel sun during the day and which are far more palatable at night. In recent years this land has been revealed to contain large deposits of resources such as lighter than air gasses and sizable crude oil deposits. To the south in the region once known as Kvesh, Viria becomes far lusher and this coastal area is the bread basket of the nation. The heart of Viria is the land often referred to as the Crown Spires and in the center of this maze of great mountains sits their greatest and holy city of Trenalkd. --- [b][u]Economy Overview[/u][/b] WIP (These lists are definitely not finished.) Imports: Food products, Wood, Luxury Goods other than silk Exports: Silk, Salt, Lighter than air gasses, Iron, coal, Stone, Opiates [/center]