Military & religious section need work. Other than that, it's just minor stuff. Still require a celestial servant and relics. [hider=The Sukhrabid Dynasty of Eudaz] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/uiTIbLQ.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/0xn5doA.jpg[/img][/center] [i]The Sukhrabid Dynasty is a Yuwanist dynasty of Proto-Lamashi origin. The Sukhrabids trace their ancestry to the Proto-Lamashi warlords who fought against the Red Pantheon rebellions and settled in Eudaz. These Proto-Lamashi Eudazeans brought Yuwanism to the region, marrying it to the dominant Edukeshan culture. The Sukhrabids are also credited with uniting the various tribes on the Eudazean periphery, replacing worship of the dead gods with that of Yuwan.[/i] [hr] [h3]NATIONAL INFORMATION[/h3] [center][img] https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/005/996/593/large/stefan-stankovic-indian-palace-final.jpg?1495361203[/img] [i]Zurqar Palace, powerbase of the Sukhrabid Dynasty and the capital of Eudaz.[/i][/center] -[b]Population[/b]: 23 million (legal residents, according to census) -[b]Faction[/b]: Yuwanism -[b]Capital[/b]: Zurqar -[b]Government Type[/b]: Theocratic Monarchy -[b]Government Description[/b]: The Sukhrabid Dynasty governs through a system of checks and balances. At the pinnacle of its hierarchy is the Potentate, who exercises total power over the state. His rule is legitimized by his bloodline: a descendant of the Proto-Lamashi warlords that first brought Yuwanism to Eudaz, and those that defeated the adherents of the Old Pantheon's dead gods. Below the Potentate is a system of bureaucracy and departments put in place to prevent fraud and ensure transparency. Most importantly, this 'safety net' ensures decisions are not made that circumvent the Potentate's approval. Every office is managed by a deputy, who reports directly to the Potentate and keeps records of all actions of the state's officials. The Potentate keeps his ministers under control by encouraging a competitive environment among his bureaucrats. This has led to a meritocratic society, rather than one based on heritage. Officials are pressured to govern in the best interest of their leader and the state, rather than their own. -[b]Head of State[/b]: Potentate Baraz II -[b]Currency[/b]: Tuman -[b]Language[/b]: The Sukhrabids speak an old Lamashi dialect, incorporating loanwords from Gushawar and Old Edukar. All administrative work is done in Eudazean Lamashi, and fluency is required for anyone wishing to work in a political capacity. It’s taught in most universities and is spoken by a majority of Eudaz’s young, educated population. Many native Edukesh Eudazeans continue to use Old Edukar at home or in a personal capacity. With some hurdles, a speaker of Old Edukar can converse with a speaker of Uudhinite Edukar. Pure Gushawar is heard farther in Eudaz’s eastern regions. [h3]UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE INFORMATION[/h3] WIP [h3]GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION[/h3] Map WIP -[b]Major Locations of Interest[/b]: [list] [*][b]Zurqar[/b]: The capital of Eudaz and powerbase of the Sukhrabids. This sprawling metropolis has always been the seat of Eudaz's rulers, from the ancient Edukeshans to its Sukhrabid overlords. As a result, it boasts an array of cosmopolitan features in its architecture and culture. Eudazeans can buy goods from the far east from vendors on streets hundreds of thousands years old. Zurqar Palace, namesake of the capital province, sits at the epicenter of the city, a tangle of spires and domes that reach to the sky. Servant homunculi roost among the towers and can be seen darting from the palace to other parts of the city and back. Zurqar also hosts the headquarters of the Ebon Circle, Eudaz's most prominent coven of wizards. Within the confines of their halls, they conduct clandestine rituals and weave spells in Yuwan's name.[/list] [list] [*][b]Sarnassa[/b]: [/list] WIP [list] [*][b]Caburh[/b]: [/list] WIP [list] [*][i]More to come.[/i][/list] [h3]RACIAL INFORMATION[/h3] -[b]Majority race[/b]: [list] [*][b]Humans[/b]: The Sukhrabids are descended from Proto-Lamashi warlords, and so bear physical similarities to the modern ruling class in Lamash. However, they did not inherit the same magical blessings following the Astralmachy. Intermingling with the Edukesh peoples has diversified their genetic pool. The native Edukesh Eudazeans are ethnically related to the Uudhinites and Ouroborasians, all having a common Edukeshan background. This archetype is known for dark hair and olive-skin. Modern Eudazeans place little emphasis on race, concerned moreso with nationality and tribal affiliation. Other ethnicities are also common, most of them being Yuwanist peoples. Gushawari populations are numerous in the east. Refugees from Ouroborasia and Aberys have settled in Eudaz throughout the last few centuries. Justinian minorities and Red God worshipers can be found in small numbers. The latter usually hides away from public eye.[/list] -[b]Minority race(s)[/b]: WIP [h3]RELIGION INFORMATION[/h3] [center][img]http://tomashonz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tomas_Honz_Ritual2min-1.jpg[/img] [i]Pilgrims gather to lay offerings and receive Yuwan's blessing at a remote shrine in Sarnassa.[/i][/center] -[b]State Religion[/b]: Yuwanism -[b]Patron Deities[/b]: -[b]Religion Demographics[/b]: [list] [*]87% Yuwanism [*]10% Red Pantheonism (Axohaan, Ephemem, Ishnanneh) [*]2% Justinianism [*]1% Other[/list] -[b]Holy Relics in Possession[/b]: -[b]Holy Sites under Control[/b]: -[b]Notable Magical Institutions[/b]: -[b]Religious Interpretations/Culture[/b]: Worship of Yuwan was introduced to Eudaz over a thousand years ago, after Eudeye's celestial servants failed in their rebellion. Yuwanist warlords brought with them their religion, converting the defeated masses while laying claim to their lands. In the time after the rebellion, after Eudeye had been long dead and Yitizer imprisoned, the Edukesh people had no active gods to call upon. Many gladly turned to Yuwanism to fill this void of faith. With the rest of the Old Pantheon dead, popular belief maintains that Yuwan is the [i]defacto[/i] head of the pantheon and deserves to be Materia's one true god. Because of her miraculous survival, she is thought to be the only one capable of standing against Justinian. [h3]MILITARY INFORMATION[/h3] -[b]Total Military Size[/b]: Approximately 81,000 (standing), 243,000 (in wartime) -[b]List of Heroes[/b]: -[b]Military Doctrine, Equipment, etc.[/b]: WIP -[b]Military Units[/b]: (including air cavalry and navy) [h3]DRAMATIS PERSONAE[/h3] [list] [*][b]Potentate Baraz II[/b] [*][b]Grand Vizier Behnam[/b] [*][i]More to come.[/i][/list] [h3]CULTURAL INFORMATION[/h3] -[b]History[/b]: [hider=Antiquity] [hider=The Fall of Eudeye] [img]http://i.imgur.com/IvUup4D.png[/img] [i]The Ancient Edukeshan Empire shown in grey, with Eudaz's original borders outlined.[/i] Eudaz was once part of the greater Edukeshan Empire, which encompassed a significant portion of the south-central world over 1,300 years ago. It's borders included present-day Ouroborasia and Uudhin. Chief among the deities worshiped by this civilization was Eudeye, god of prophecy. Eudeye was an ancient god, having survived many Millennial Cycles. With his patronage, the Edukeshans studied and cataloged libraries full of magical lore: millennia of ancient knowledge nearly lost to time. Besides its vast collections of wisdom, the pride of the empire was Eudeye’s own Holy City: a literal seat of his power on the material plane. This sacred capital was built on an offshore island, as Eudeye's Lodestar directed. Yitizer, a lesser god of Eudeye's pantheon, was also held in high esteem by the Edukeshans. However, his reputation would be tarnished by the goddess Yuwan. According to legend, Yitizer was framed by Yuwan for a crime he didn't commit. For this, his spirit was exiled to Ashmedairus, a barren, heavenly prison at the edge of the Celestial Plane. He was eager to prove his innocence, looking for any opportunity to redeem his name. That chance came when Yuwan usurped and killed Eudeye. Yitizer swore to avenge his old master and make Yuwan pay for her crimes. To achieve this aim, he would kindle a number of divine rebellions on the Celestial and Material Planes. In the turmoil of Eudeye's death, the Edukeshan Empire fell into religious strife. Panic at the loss of the peoples' greatest deity swept across its provinces. Some Edukeshans turned to other gods in desperation, including lesser deities and red gods formerly of Eudeye’s pantheon.[/hider] [hider=The First Rebellion] The goddess Ephemem freed Yitizer and a number of other gods from Ashemdairus. The masterless deities divided their spheres of influence on the Material Plane: Ephemem was to be Master of Moon, Ishigahnun Master of Earth, Eidolona Master of Sky and Yitizer Master of Sea. Together, they appeared to the despairing Edukeshans, making known their intentions to bring justice to Yuwan and her allies. The northernmost province of Eudaz rallied under the patronage of Ishigahnun. Following the lead of this “Shadow Pantheon,” the Edukeshans launched the First Rebellion on the material plane, approximately twelve centuries ago. They directed their attacks on neighboring kingdoms under the influences of Yuwan and Ashenlur. While mortals battled in the Material Plane, the gods followed suit in their Celestial homeland. The tide of battle fell in favor of Yuwan and Ashenlur, once the latter slew Eidolona with the sword, Agur. Ephemem abandoned the Shadow Pantheon's cause and vanished into hiding. Yitizer and Ishigahnun were driven once again into Ashmedairus. There Yuwan trapped them both, putting an end to the First Rebellion. Without the might of their patrons, the Eudukenshans were defeated. The Ouroborasian city of Xur became the last bastion of Edukeshan resistance before giving out. Eudaz was occupied by Proto-Lamashi warlords, who converted the population to Yuwanism. In the climax of the First Rebellion, Eudeye’s Holy City fell prey to the elements without the magic of the god to sustain it. This loss bore deep in the hearts of the Edukeshans, coming to the realization that their god was truly gone.[/hider] [hider=The Coming of Axohaan] In Ashmedairus, Yitizer and Ishigahnun fought, bitter over their loss and eager to cast blame back and forth. After they exhausted themselves quarreling, Yitizer realized he could never conquer the Celestial Plane in a direct confrontation, especially not in his current state. So he decided to turn his effort to the Material Plane. Yitizer found a wizard named Ithemarun Ys, an Ouroborasian and a Yuwanist. He sought to deceive him in the form of an angel sent by Yuwan, calling himself "Axohaan" for the first time. In his guise, Yitizer convinced Ys he was Yuwan’s champion, and duty demanded he raise a Yuwanist dynasty in Ouroborasia, or the land would fall to cataclysm. Yitizer told Ys that he was sent to personally assist in this endeavor, and persuaded him to craft a homunculus-like vessel for Yitizer to inhabit in the Material Realm. Texts describe the vessel as such: [i]A golem white as salt – strong exceedingly, a man with two faces on both sides of the same head, both with great iron teeth within mouths resembling those of lions, but without eyes - the top of the head adorned with a purple jagged crown consisting of ten great horns. At the centre of the crown is a smaller eleventh horn, and this horn had two eyes of a man. This vessel was called the Prince of Salt, and Yitizer possessed it. And all who beheld him were struck with awe.[/i] Once Yitizer possessed this vessel, he was able to conjure a great spell upon Ouroborasia. He sent visions to the minds of its people, claiming, "I am Heir of Eudeye; Yitizer!" Having no more use for Ithemarun Ys, he betrayed the wizard, accusing him of a plot to usurp Ouroborasia. Ithermarun Ys’s palace was stormed by rioters and he was arrested. In his final hour, Ys sent a psychic message to his colleagues in Lamash and the rest of the Yuwanist world; warning them of the "Deceiver Angel of Yuwan, whose name is Axohaan." From then onwards, Yitizer was known to the Material Plane as Axohaan, the Salt Prince.[/hider] [hider=The Second Rebellion] With Ys disposed of, Axohaan transformed the wizard's palace into his base of operations: the Citadel of Xur. From there, he sent word to the Edukeshan people, believing that Eudeye's former followers would flock to and worship him. This was not the case, as many either refused to join or weren't able. Insulted, Axohaan raised and personally led an army to subdue the former Eudeyans that refused to follow him. In so doing, Axohaan only brought more destruction to a people that had suffered already during the First Rebellion. In the meantime, the Yuwanist kingdoms heeded Ithemarun Ys’ warning and were already mobilizing to put a stop to Axohaan's activities. Eudaz, having been converted by its Yuwanist rulers, neglected Axohaan's message and was pressed to take up arms against his offensive. By this time, its warlords had intermingled with the local Edukeshan-speaking population, taking on many of their customs and their language. To replace losses in manpower from the First Rebellion and to make up for his lack of followers, Axohaan created the Yitizites, or Ghouls. Intended to be angelic servants and warriors surpassing human abilities, these creations took on demonic reflections of Ithermarun Ys’s tortured soul. The end product was a legion of abominations, enslaved to Axohaan's will. Most of his mortal followers shunned what he had become, disillusioned by his reliance on the Ghouls and the increasingly tyrannic nature of his conquests. But a few remained - most of them diehards from Ouroborasia, possessed of a lust for vengeance and corrupted by Axohaan's influence. Again, Axohaan would lead remnants of the Edukeshans against the forces of Yuwan and Ashenlur. His Second Rebellion spanned a series of battles that saw his ghoulish armies cut swathes across Eudaz and Gushawar, who have since developed a lifelong hatred for the creatures. While legions of Ghouls kept the Yuwanist Eudazean and Gushawari armies occupied, Axohaan sent more into Drahkma. His intent was to create an earthly vessel for Ishigahnun to possess, as he had done with Ys's creation. To do so, he required Drahkma's Dragon eggs. His initial push was met with fierce resistance: the combined strength of the Dragons. With direct force no longer an option, Axohaan opted for a subtle approach, as he had done with Ys. He planted visions in the Dragon Lord Karkarth's head, preying upon his insecurities and paranoia. Using this, Axohaan made a deal with Karkarth: A curse upon the Dragon eggs would bind them all to him, giving him the power to control the breeding of his kind. This would create a legitimacy of his lordship over all Dragons. In exchange for this curse, Axohaan desired three eggs. His judgment clouded, Karkarth agreed to the terms, but neglected his promise to deliver any of the eggs. At the same time, the Dragons learned of this plot and orchestrated a revolt. With Axohaan's plan ruined, he exacted vengeance on Dragonkind. His curse forced the eggs to produce miserable Kobold hatchlings instead of Dragons: Wingless, parasitic creatures doomed to reproduce like insects. This hex led to the gradual downfall and extinction of the Dragons. With no eggs to call his own, Axohaan decided to fabricate a member of their species for his ends. Like the Ghouls, his attempts ended in grotesque results. His creation was a hideous, ten-legged serpent with a set of horns. Axohaan forced a defeated Ishigahnun to possess this form as his mount, signifying his lordship over the land and the sea. Ishigahnun was now called Kiefra. The combined strength of Axohaan and Kiefra shocked the Yuwanist world. The fighting in Gushawar and Eudaz was tipping in his favor, and it seemed that defeat was inevitable.[/hider] [hider=Axohaan Defeated] Despite the odds, a glimmer of hope shone in the darkness. Yuwan and Ashenlur's generals devised a plan to lure and trap Axohaan, taking advantage of his brutish and reckless behavior. The wizards of Lamash created an extremely potent magic weapon: The Pantokrator Pike. It was imbued with Yuwan's most powerful magics, strong enough to not only destroy a material avatar, but also maim the god within. A Champion of Ashenlur texts refer to as Deustithiyll wielded this weapon, and with it destroyed Kiefra, sending Axohaan to the ground. Axohaan narrowly avoided a similar end, but disarmed Deustithiyll during the fighting. He then sought to claim the Pantokrator Pike for himself, but the weapon exploded in his grip, tearing apart his right hand. Suffering from injuries sustained during the battle, Axohaan retreated to his Citadel of Xur. Axohaan's enemies capitalized on the death of Kiefra and the wounds he'd sustained. An army encompassing races from all the world over marched and laid siege to Xur, many of its soldiers having Edukesh-Lamashi origin. After years of battles, the citadel was razed to the ground and Axohaan’s forces routed. He narrowly escaped, willing his broken body back to Ashmedairus. In the century that followed, Axohaan's influence over Edukeshan lands disintegrated and these were absorbed by Yuwanist armies. What few of Axohaan's mortal followers remained made a desperate retreat; They fled into the swamps of Ouroborasia, the steppes of Eudaz and the wastes of Uudhin, where they remain. The Second Rebellion was over.[/hider][/hider] [hider=The War in Heaven & Present Day] Four hundred years ago, Gushawari tribes on the north and eastern frontiers began to settle in Eudaz proper. The most prominent of these were the Jendiqs, who conquered other local rulers and established a dynasty that would last for one century. At their height, the Jendiqs controlled a vast area stretching from the Mibari Desert to the edge of Ouroborasia and Uudhin, and from Aberys to the westernmost provinces of Gushawar. The Jendiq Dynasty would meet its end during the cataclysm known as the War in Heaven. It shook the Yuwanist world, as Justinian came into being and murdered the entire Old Pantheon, save for Yuwan and a handful of independent Red Gods. Civilizations across Materia lost their magic, the blessings of their gods and ultimately, their faith. Justinian manifested in the west, and war engulfed the world wherever his armies went. The Jendiqs, traditionally followers of the now-deceased Ashenlur, fragmented. In their place, the descendants of Eudaz's original Proto-Lamashi warlords rose up, defeating the tribes of now-dead gods and uniting the region. These Sukhrabids would combine the cultures of their native land and Eudaz, birthing the first dynasty of Edukesh-Lamashi lineage. At its head was Potentate Sukhrab, whose descendants still rule over modern-day Eudaz.[/hider] -[b]List of Historical Grievances[/b]: WIP -[b]Relations[/b]: WIP -[b]Cultural Notes[/b]: WIP [/hider]