[center][h1][color=MediumTurquoise]Cetera-Matris[/color][/h1][/center]
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[h2][color=MediumTurquoise]Government[/color][/h2]
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The Cetera-Matris are not an actual nation, despite holding territory, but rather a mutual defense pacr sealed between the guardians of two sleeping primordials, the seldom seen icy Solnarigh and the aquatic Reighnads. The two races are the guardians for a pair of primordials who sleep securely at the heart of their respective domains, ready to awaken “when the sun freezes over and the moonlight burns like fire”.These two primordials reside beneath two elaborate temple complexes, one built in the depths of the bay of lights houses the burning moon and the other at the heart of the Frozen Cliffs mountain range is the resting place of the frozen sun. Their two cultures are theocracies, the Reighnades ruled by an order of sorcerer priestess known as the moon kissed daughters and the Solnarigh by 5 ancient elders who are permanent, statuesque, fixtures of the gateway leading to their master’s sealed chambers. 
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[h2][color=MediumTurquoise]Geography[/color][/h2]
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[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/404119434446372875/404835698395447299/Cetera-Matris.png[/img]
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The Reighnades live in 6 underwater cities/temple complexes, 5 smaller ones evenly spaced around the 6th larger one, called Primus, that houses their master. Primus is built at the bottom of a deep fissure that has geothermal vents at the bottom and acts as the capital and locus for the Reighnades power. The other 5 sit on the ocean floor and act as anchors for an enormous ritual circle that was made before the longwatch began and who’s propose the watchers dare not guess or tamper with. 

The Solnarigh meanwhile live in various small ice castles found in the most inaccessible regions of the frozen cliffs. Atop the highest mountain lies a temple known as the frozen peak, of which the holy summit is and unknown poor reflection, that houses the primordials sleeping chamber. Some of these castles link down to a tunnel system below the mountain, some of which lead to the coast and to a hidden cove south of Fidgit port where the Solnarigh keep their small navy.
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[h2][color=MediumTurquoise]Culture[/color][/h2]
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[color=lime]Reighnades:[/color] The seldom seen [url=https://imgur.com/JRQyGOb]Merfolk[/url] of the Sea of Lights are the ones who give the waters their name, as their nocturnal magical ceremonies of moon worship form spots of blood red light can be seen from the shore of the empire on the night of a full moon. The bane of fishing communities and smugglers, the Reighneads are known to attack lonely vessels to steal their cargo. The Empire really doesn’t care about this harassment, as the Fishfolk do not attack the mighty Living Ships due to the high risk of doing so. 

The Reighnades live in an incredibly religious society. All live to serve the church, from the lowlies fish farmer to the mightiest warrior and most devout priestess. The fishfolk have their duty drilled into them from a young age and are incredibly devout as a result, all most all are content with their place in life, a place generally chosen for them by the will of the clergy. Devotion is reinforced by every part of their culture, their cities are huge temple complexes, were the workers are effectively servants and the warriors divinely blessed paladins. The priests are magically gifted individuals who are trained from an early age to maintain the ancient mysterious works of their primordial progenitor. These works often involving repainting worn down runes with a special magically produced paint made partially with primordial essence infused blood, something the clergy willingly give on a regular basis. In return for this noble sacrifice the recently bleed priests live pampered lives, ostensibly to ensure their quick recovery. Some priests spend their entire lives in a perpetual cycle of bleeding and recovery, but those who hold real power and influence generally forgo the luxurious rewards to stay active and engaged with the varios subtle schemes and power plays that the highest of high priests engage in. More or less these games of subterfuge exist to occupy their time and keep them sharp incase crises does occur.

The raiders are the Reighnades with the most freedom, more than even their religiously bound leaders. They score the local region for hunting, raiding and trading opportunities, looking to bring back extra food and precious metals to their kin. The most valuable things they can aquire are corrosion proof metals, namely gold, silver and bronze. These metals supplement the mainly stone age level of technology used by the Reighnades: leather, bone, shells, teeth and stone make up the majority of their tools and structures, metal that can survive underwater are used either to add decoration to temples, as the basis for enchanted tools or statues, or as highly prized weapons that are preserved over generations and handed out ot only the most skilled warriors. 

Magically the Reighnades practice 3 schools. Ice magic learned from the Solnarigh that is often used to create tough and buoyant magical maintained weapons, structures, armor, etc. Blood magic involving using either their own or other’s blood as weapons. Finally they practice a divine magic based on a pale blue moonlight that supperheats anything it touches that is used to boil targets alive or in their limited metalsmithing.

[color=MediumTurquoise]Solnarigh:[/color] beings so rare they are thought of as myths by most, these [url=https://imgur.com/CnwdoAQ]icy beings[/url] live at the heart of the Frozen cliffs around castles made from Millennia old ice. Little is known about them by outsiders but the myths and legends of the locals, for they rarely leave their domain and when they do the elements mask their travels. Their home is thought to be the origin of the unnatural cold permeating the land and they are also whispered to be the source of the Ice Witch traditions.

Solnarigh are replacement for the harpies who originally acted as guardians, but who were too free spirited to be relied upon to stay true though the generations. As the fickle birds slowly abandoned the old ways and temples those worshipers, human, harpy and others, who remained true began to seek either a fresh source of guardians or some way to increase their own power and tranced mortality so that they could maintain an eternal vigilance. They found both in the way, the ice which tradition is an incredibly powerful and reckless form of magic, capable of great feats but also runs the potential to run wild if poorly handled. The fate of Merken fortress is one example of this instability, and the Solnarigh are another. Ice witches powers who lose control become consumed by the magic of the frozen sun and become frozen creatures known as Solnarigh. An intentional flaw in the tradition, the trap generally claims the old, the weak, the desperate or the foolhardy, all who are then lured to the frozen peak by the sirens call of the 5 elders who created the tradition. 

This hypnotic song never leaves the Solnarigh mind and it makes them willing slaves of the temple, eternal guardians of their new sleeping master. As a result of this method Solnarigh are few in number and hard to replace but make up for this in being entirely made up of incredibly durable and ancient mages. The nature of the cures however means that there are very few exceptional members among their ranks, those powerful enough or wise enough to have been great in life generally can avoid a frozen fate without even knowing it is a risk.

[color=MediumTurquoise]Pact:[/color] 
The pact that binds the two races together is ancient and is an agreement that the two will come to eachothers aid should outsiders attempt to interfere with their sleeping master's work or resting places. They also agree not to attempt to expand or do anything that might provoke any foreign powers while also ensuring that their realms stay free from foreign interest. There has been some wiggle room in this of course, the Reighnades’ raids have made them a nuisance for their terrestrial neighbours and the Solnarigh have done little to expel others from their mountains due to relying on them for fresh recruits. 
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[h2][color=MediumTurquoise]Military[/color][/h2]
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[h2][color=MediumTurquoise]Heroes[/color][/h2]
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[h2][color=MediumTurquoise]Relations[/color][/h2]
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The emerald empire have a very limited dialogue with the pact, mosty spawning from the days when they were in the series of wars that resulted in their conquest of most of Shenra when they struck a nonaggression pact with the Reighnades. Since then minor correspondence has been ongoing entirely on the terms of the Reighnades, who generally only initiate a dialogue on the surface when they send envoys to complain about things while the EE has to make do with sending dead drops down into the dark if they want to communicate. For the most part, the two stay out of eachothers way
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[h2][color=MediumTurquoise]Characters[/color][/h2]
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