WIP, but want to get something out so I can start collabing [color=purple][center][h3]Kingdom of the Perkones[/h3][/center][/color] [center][img]https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640x360/p023l1v9.jpg[/img][/center] =-=General Information=-= [u][b]Capital:[/b][/u] None [b][u]Demonym:[/u][/b] Perkoni [b][u]Language:[/u][/b] Perkoni language [b][u]Religion:[/u][/b] Perkonic Paganism [b][u]Government:[/u][/b] Tribal coalition under a High King [b][u]Population:[/u][/b] 3,500,000 Races [hider] [b]The Perkoni (Elflike Beastfolk)[/b] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/3ed9bbe7fbdb5b42da5ebd28a269dacd/tumblr_oyjeklTYAn1waotako1_1280.png[/img] The Perkones are a species that has unclear origins. It is assumed that they are native to the mountains of their homeland, and are proposed as a more primitive sister species to elves, with more animalistic traits in the form of their catlike ears, sharp teeth, strictly carnivorous diet, and retention of tails. [b]The Westmen (Human)[/b] [img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5f/0f/94/5f0f94d843fe2e4cd6f7bae5d21866e0.jpg[/img] After the conquest of Westfield by the Ruhsoi, the humans who remained in Perkoni controlled territory, called Irġiel tal-Punent in their own language, coalesed into clan units occupying an unclear position within the Ruhsoi tribe. Existing within Perkoni society, these humans adopted aspects of the Ruhsoi culture, mixed into their Lounattar heritage. Like the Perkoni, they are cannibalistic and participate in sentient sacrifices, and retain elements of Lounattar culture, though they would no longer be recognizable to the modern people of El'Akim. As Humans and Perkoni are incapable of producing offspring together, Ruhsoi and Westmen were incapable of creating lasting tribal alliances, and the two groups were never able to fully integrate, which was used as leverage by Blaisa in the conquest of the Ruhsoi, offering the Westmen proper tribe status should they ally with her. In her victory, the Westmen now occupy a unique position as a human tribe within the Perkoni political structure. [b]Forchite Elves[/b] [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/wiki-magia/images/7/74/Blonde_elf.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20181007175234[/img] Forchite Elves were the original inhabitants of the Great Fork, settling the area between the two rivers in the time of Muha, divinding into agricultural city states. The cities were conquered by the Perkoni. As Perkoni and Elves are able to produce fertile offspring, the Forchite Elves were incorporated into the Perkoni tribal structure, and now constitute distinct clans within several major tribes. The assimilation of the Forchites has been near total, with their only defining cultural traits being their preference for artisan work and the small numbers of speakers of the Fork Elvish language. [/hider] History [hider] [b]Pre and Proto-History[/b] Felinoid humanoids are not unheard of, but the exact origins of the Perkoni, or populations ancestral to them is entirely unclear. Tales from eastern cultures seem to make reference to cannibalistic peoples inhabiting eastern mountain ranges. At some point, these peoples were expelled, and no further references to them appear. Later historical documents make reference to a group of felinoid beastmen, assumed to either be the Perkoni themselves, or populations that were ancestral to them, arriving from the east. These people settled in the area between the [i]x[/i] and [i]y[/i] rivers, quickly overrunning and forcing pre-existing populations to either flee or be eradicated. These lands became infamous as the origin of raiders and pirates navigating the rivers. The first documented reports of the Cannabis plant being present in the west appear at this time as well. [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/faerunian/images/6/66/Catfolk.png/revision/latest?cb=20141003081243[/img] [sub]The dreaded Proto-Perkoni, the beastmen who migrated from the mountains.[/sub] At this early period, the Perkoni do not produce any documents detailing their own history, being seemingly illiterate at this time. Rather, all proto-history about them is told through the eyes of their neighbors, who paint a picture of a purely savage people living at the periphery of civilization. [b]Early History[/b] The first 600 years of Perkonic history are extremely vague. The earliest written documents are in an alphabetic system seemingly created from scratch, though only used for either King lists dating back to around 2A 100, or for documenting livestock and slaves. Written prayers to the spirits are found buried under trees, written on hemp paper. Shortly after their arrival, according to oral traditions, the Perkoni split into 3 major clans, the Feletsi, the Bofes, and the Ruhsoi. The Feletsi largely settled in the forklands proper, integrating with the Elves to the greatest extent, while the Bofes and Ruhsoi moved east. The Bofes split, with a smaller clan, the Siluri, adopting a more agricultural lifestyle, remaining by the Floodplains, while the pastoral Bofes continued to the pastures eastward. Offshoots of the Feletsi and Siluri would coalesce on the other side of the territory, along the southern river floodplains, joining into the Finnoi, while the Ruhsoi would continue the most eastward of all the tribes. At this time, the Ruhsoi were under the leadership of a powerful king named Malgos, who had, through a great cattle raid, which was put to paper as an epic poem later, in which the Ruhsoi stole the cattle of all 5 of the other tribes, Malgos came across the pastures of the land known as the Westfield. Westfield was under the control of El'Akim. Malgos, inspired by the success of his cattle raid, crossed the border to begin raiding and settling in Westfield. The Mass migration of the Perkoni earned resistance from the Lounattar, eventually forcing the King of El'Akim, Joshua, to meet Malgos in battle at Stony Brook, where the Ruhsoi crushed their enemy. Legend says that Malgos himself dealt the fatal blow to Joshua, ripping his enchanted sword from his hand, but the Spirits, infuriated with Malgos' hubris, denied him the chance to slay his enemy and consume his liver, with the King escaping from Malgos, but dying from his wounds later, and Malgos being bitten by a mosquito in the heat of battle, infecting him with a fever that would too kill him shortly after his return home. Malgos left behind 5 sons, however, only 2 are known to have lived. The first was his eldest son, Cassius, who had his younger brothers killed to secure his place as Malgos' sucessor. The Second was his 3rd son, Calatos, who fled upon discovering his brother's plan to have him killed after slaying an attempted assassin, but managed to steal the Enchanted sword of their father before his escape. Calatos found asylum among the Feletsi, where the King tasked him with slaying a horror, which he managed to do with his sword. The sword was then offered by Calatos to the king in exchange for marriage to his daughter, which was granted, and Calatos was made a chief for his actions. Around 2A 350, proto-history as told by oral traditions end, and the king lists began to evolve into written histories tracing back the lineage of kings and how they fit into the Tribal History. These poems, part history, part genealogy, are littered with mythology and thus serve little to give an accurate picture of the Perkoni, but give insight into their view of the world and their place within it. The poems do confirm that nearly all Perkonic tribes believe in a mass migration to their current homeland from the east, in line with the earliest references to them. [b]The Great Servile War and the end of Ruhsoi Hegemony[/b] [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/f/f8/Lehko_Habhoka_%28Famitsu%29.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100303043735[/img] [sub]Dumnovalos, leader of the Slave Rebellion, and an example of the Meso-Perkoni of the mid-second era, showing the appearance of strong elven features and the adoption of elven styles of dress.[/sub] By the time of the mid-second era, the Perkoni were extensively intermixed with elves due to the extensive practice of keeping elves as sex slaves and concubines, to the point that much of their beastly features such as fur and more catlike facial features gave way to elf-like faces. These so-called "Meso-Perkoni" quickly became the dominant species in the lands controlled by the tribes, with the elves being reduced to a minority, relegated to a few clans. So too did the Perkoni begin to adopt more elven behaviors, with a transition from pastoralism to agriculturalism being widespread even in the lands of traditionally nomadic tribes such as the Ruhsoi and Bofes. The production of wine and mead became a major industry for the Perkoni at this time, and the Perkoni began to exchange their "barbarian" clothing of pants and tunics for "civilized" elven gowns and kimonos. The Forchite language, taught to kings and shamans by elven slave tutors, became a second tongue for educated Perkones. At the same time, the Lounattar population of the Westfield, through influence of the Meso-Perkoni and intermarriage with elves, began to adopt elements of Perkoni and Forchite culture, diverging from their brethren in El'Akim into a new culture, the horsemen known as the Westmen. Though the Ruhsoi had established themselves as dominant over the other Perkoni tribes for much of their history, the raw power of the Ruhsoi began to decline with the death of Malgos and the ascension of his son Cassius, who proved to lack the power to keep absolute Ruhsoi dominance, with the Feletsi and Finnoi breaking from the hegemony in the White War, where Cassius was paralyzed after receiving a broken neck. Cassius died two years later, with his nephew Gaisos taking over. Gaisos, seeking retribution, had the Ruhsoi carry out a massive slave raid on the Finnoi, taking back 200 slaves, among them, a young boy named Dumnovalos and his mother. Gaisos would reign for 10 years before he was killed by his sister, Slania, who was deposed by a betrayal by her royal guardsman, Virigusus, who had Slania sold into slavery, where she encountered Dumnovalos and the other slaves of a farmer. Slania, seeking a chance to restore her throne, promised Dumnovalos and his fellow slaves freedom should they help her take back her throne. Dumnovalos, who had lost his mother not long ago due to the cruelty of his master, agreed, and organized a slave revolt with Slania. After seizing their master's farm and killing him, the revolting slaves marched across the territory of the Ruhsoi, stealing horses, burning farms and massacring cattle en mass. Before eventually meeting with the usurper king and killing him, however, as Slania was killed in the war, the Ruhsoi were sent into a succession crisis without any surviving members of the Cassid dynasty. Seeing that their amnesty was lost with Slania's death, the slaves fled, taking their seized cattle and horses with them, and leaving the lands of the Ruhsoi in chaos, breaking their long established hegemony. The current tribal confederation is lead by the unifier herself, Blaisa, who has placed her tribe, the Feletsi, and her clan, the Pentiloi, at the forefront of the confederation, and begun negotiations with external groups to secure the future of the Perkoni in the face of a changing world. [/hider] Culture [hider] The Perkones live in small mobile settlements, centered around round houses created with thatched roofs. Tribes usually have two settlements, one higher in the mountains, and another lower, that they move to as the herds of sheep migrate. Their entire culture is centered around the herding of sheep and goats, which they lead between seasonal locations for grazing. The Perkones make their clothing from wool and goatskin, eat a diet consisting mostly of goat and sheep meat, and engage in ritualized sheep theft. [b][u]Childhood and Growing Up[/u][/b] Perkoni usually have 1-3 children per pregnancy. When a child is born, the father must ritually accept the children, and any that are not accepted are buried to kill them. Children are inspected for any defects or illnesses, or to see if they look too sickly. Girls are favored over boys, as the allowance of a woman to have plural marriages allows for more potential family alliances. Children are not given names for the first few years of their lives, as it is assumed that they have not yet gained the favor of the protective spirits with sacrifices, and thus are susceptible to being targeted by evil spirit attracted to their name. As they have no spiritual protection, it is assumed children are more likely to become ill and die. When the child is first able to swallow solid food, they are considered to have moved beyond babies and are now "children". The occasion is marked with the sacrifice of a slave, and the child is fed their first cannibalistic meal, which gains them the protection of the spirits by having partaken in the sacrifice. Children are also given a coin with which to symbolically "pay" for the slave. After this, Children are given a special amulet, made from a carved bone from the slave, to wear to show their status as a legal child, and that they have participated in a sacrifice to other spirits. Most children live fairly similar lives until they reach the age of 15, in which one of four paths will open up depending on their social class. [i]Marriage[/i] Among the laborer caste, 15 is the age of marriage. Marriages are typically arranged by the parents of the couple, and mostly for utilitarian reasons. As the Perkoni are matrilocal, men move into their wife's residence. This is the most important ceremony for those in the laborer caste, and from this point on they will mostly spend their time farming or crafting. [i]Military Stratification[/i] Children of the Warrior caste have the most divergent of childhoods, being separated from their families to live in castra by the age of 5, where they undergo military training. By 15, they are separated into specialized schools depending on their status as "commoner" or noble. This continues on for another 10 years until they are ready to get married and resettle on either their father or wife's lands once again, until needed for war. [i]Religious Education[/i] Children of the Shaman caste have lessons in writing and grammar of the Perkoni and Forchite languages, to prepare them for scribal work, and to get them familiar with the structure of the languages of the holy texts and songs. At 15, they are sequestered off into monasteries, where they are educated full time by an elder shaman who teaches them the proper rituals, songs, prayers, and such religious subjects. After 15 years, they are ready to get married and to find work among the communities of the Perkoni clans as spiritual leaders or as scribes to kings and nobles. [i]Political Education[/i] At 15, children of the kings and chiefs are typically given an education to prepare them for their future leadership roles. This education is far from standardized and at the discretion of the parents. At 20, all Perkoni are considered adults and are able to be held accountable for their following or breaking the Nafas law. [u][b]Clothing:[/b][/u] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/12cd0183e54103fb81c1a693ea909ce4/tumblr_oyjergtEhn1waotako1_1280.png[/img] A Teenage Perkoi Girl showing typical women's clothing [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSDvJCeVqSY/VBcCZtx7D_I/AAAAAAAAB2s/gKl5qfVqbr4/s1600/ffxiv_09152014_100456.png[/img] A Young Perkoni man showing typical men's clothing Clothing of the Perkones is typically made from their three main sources of cloth: hemp, sheep's wool, and cow leather. Hemp is the cheapest source, being widely available to even the poorest farmer. The cloth is considered useful, but common. Wool is second in prestige, being a common cloth, but reserved to garments such as cloaks or to blankets. Leather is the finest of the common materials. One who can afford a leather shirt would belong to the upper echelons of the tribe. The finest of all materials is the skin of certain sapient races. The skin of humans and other Perkones is considered precious and usually used for decorative purposes such as gloves, curtains, or bookbinding. The skin of elves is considered the most precious of all, and only tribal chieftains are permitted to wear garments, such as gloves or arrow quivers, made from elven skin. The Perkones are known for their love of vibrant colors, which they obtain through local plants and insects. The color red is the most common, created from the crushed shells of a type of beetle. Men and women alike wear tunics, reaching down midway past the knee. Women typically wear a woolen shawl that they wrap around their bodies and over their heads in the winter, while men tend to don hooded cloaks made of wool. Perkones generally do not wear pants save for in the winter. Women wear a traditional turban, wrapped around their head except for their ears. Shoes are made from leather, either leather from cattle, or Orcskin for the upper class. They are highly decorated, and often contain tribal markers. [b][u]Language:[/u][/b] [i]One of the savages introduced me to their local word for wine, 'finom', and for red, "russom" while attempting to trade.[/i] The Perkonic language is a fusional, highly inflected language. It has been described by outsiders as "beautiful" and "musical", despite the barbaric reputation of its speakers. [b][u]Cannabis Cultivation[/u][/b] [i]Aside from the bulbous root, the savages are fond of another peculiar plant. It is a shrub, covered in jagged leaves. They collect the leaves and seeds for food, the later producing oil for cooking. Of particular note is their harvesting of the flowers, which they burn for its intoxicating effects.[/i] Cannabis, known to the Perkoni as the Mother of the Mountains, was introduced to the west by the Perkoni shortly after their migration, and they have been cultivating it alongside the potato for all of their recorded history. It bears great cultural significance to them, and figures into much of their imagery alongside the Oak leaf. The plant is used for food, cloth, and paper, but of note to most outsiders is its use as an intoxicant. The flowers produce an intoxicating effect when burned, and as such, trade agreements to import these flowers have developed with the Perkoni, who willingly agree. [img]https://dygtyjqp7pi0m.cloudfront.net/i/13599/13820173_1.jpg?v=8CF4DE5FD689B70[/img] [sub]Perkoni smoking pipe[/sub] [b][u]Metallurgy traditions[/u][/b] [img]http://www.essential-humanities.net/img/art/merovingian-metalwork-brooch.jpg[/img] Perkoni metalworking is characterized by inlaying, usually into Gold or Copper. [b][u]Social Structure[/u][/b] [i]There does not appear to be significant differences in the lives of the men or women among the Perkones, all seem to live free lives, engaging in all the depravities of savage folk.[/i] Stratification among the Perkones is based on inherent caste, with little in the way of gendered differences. Men and women have more or less the same freedoms, however, a herdsman, a warrior, and a shaman vary widely in their privileges. [b][u]Sexuality, Relationships, and Marriage[/u][/b] As Nafas concerns itself with sexual behaviors rather than sexual orientation, there is no cultural hostility towards same-sex behavior or relationships in Perkoni society. Rather, it is seen as a non-issue in most cases. The Perkoni place no value in chastity and virginity, and in general allow for a free expression of sexuality provided it does not transgress bounds set by nafas. The Perkoni practice polyandrous marriage, a curious trait that developed in their prehistory. Women are permitted multiple husbands and are in fact encouraged to take multiple husbands according to Nafas. However, men may not take multiple wives, nor may those in same sex partnerships take multiple spouses as the Perkoni view these relationships as 'unproductive'. Members of the royal caste are expected to take a spouse with which they can produce an heir, regardless of their preferences. [b][u]Slavery[/u][/b] [i]The lust for slaves seems unquenchable for the savages. They conduct nearly weekly slave raids, seemingly never satisfied, always spiriting away more victims.[/i] Slavery is a very real institution among the Perkones, who routinely carry out slave raids against other tribes as well as neighboring nations. Slaves serve a variety of purposes. The most common of these is their use as farmhands. Slaves are used for maintaining cannabis crops, while the more respected maintenance of the livestock is handled by the farmer themselves. Slaves are not permitted to consume the flesh of high livestock such as cattle or goats and are fed a mixture of cannabis leaves (colloquially known as Perkoni Spinach), and meat from pigeons. Slaves have no rights, and are considered to be a form of livestock. Slavery is, to the surprise of many, not a hereditary status, but a personal one. The children of slaves are not considered slaves, but freeborn members of the tribe. Children of slaves become the immediate inheritor of their parent after the death of the current owner, superseding even the immediate family of the owner. The child of a slave also has the right to intercede upon the decisions of a slaveowner, such as forbidding a slaveowner to kill their parent, with the right to kill a slaveowner who disobeys the demand. The right of tribal membership extends to non-Perkoni who are born in the tribal lands, and as such, a small number of non-Perkoni tribals exist. [b][u]Food[/u][/b] [img]https://eetverleden.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Etruscan-food.jpg[/img] The staple food of the Perkoni is the potato, which they brought with them from the east. Along with potatoes, the Perkoni brought the cannabis plant, which they cultivate for the seeds, either eaten as they are, ground into powder, or used for making oil, or the leaves, which are colloquially known as 'Perkoni Spinach', either cooking them or using them to brew teas. Millet is cultivated for flour, which is used to create bread. As a people who are dependant upon their domesticated animals, the Perkoni diet is filled with dairy products, with goat and cow cheeses coming in a variety of preparations. Milk is extremely common as a drink. Meat is common, but mostly being that from the domesticated pigeon. Flesh from hunted beasts, such as sand rats and wolfmen is commonly eaten as well, as are slaves and war captives in cannibalistic feasts. Perkones cannot consume large quantities of sugar without becoming ill, and such have a long tradition of fermentation, being avid consumers of wine, mead, cider, and even some dairy-based alcoholic drinks. [b][u]Cannibalism[/u][/b] [img]https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/09/article-2259519-16D34A14000005DC-32_634x335.jpg[/img] [sub]Ritual utensils used for cannibalistic feasts[/sub] The most infamous practice of the Perkoni to outsiders is that of cannibalism. The Perkoni practice both cannibalism [i]sensu stricto[/i] (eating members of their own species), and cannibalism [i]sensu lato[/i] (eating members of any sapient, intelligent species). The tradition of cannibalism has a long history, seemingly predating the Perkoni themselves and originating in their ancestors. Cannibalism probably originated as a method of supplementing meat in their mountain diet but has since evolved into a cultural custom, and a revealed part of their heritage. The Perkoni believe that eating a being with a soul will increase the power of their own soul, and thus give them greater power in the afterlife while weakening the soul of their victim. It is believed by the Perkoni that those who are eaten will serve as slaves, or otherwise be subservient to the one who has consumed them, and thus cannibalistic meals are often tribal feasts. The source of those who are killed and eaten is from war captives and slaves. To kill and eat a free person is considered murder. Cannibalism is highly ritualized, specialized utensils, meal etiquette, and culinary terms have been developed for the consumption of sapient species. It is considered greatly taboo to eat the brain of a sapient being. It is believed that eating the brain of an intelligent lifeform will give the knowledge that the being acquired in their life, and the spirits will punish this transgression to the limits of mortal knowledge by stealing away their mind with madness and death. [/hider] Military [hider] The military of the Perkoni can be divided into three elements, that of the Epostres, the Milites, and the Levies. The first two elements, the Epostres and the Milites are drafted from the warrior caste of Perkonic society. [b]The Warrior Caste[/b] The class system of the Perkoni is divided into 4 elements: The Kings, the Shamans, the Warriors, and the Laborers. The Warriors make up the landowning class of the Perkoni society, holding onto inhereted plots of land called pagini, which are distributed to families belonging to the laborer caste, who work the land and pay tribute to the warrior clan who own the land that they work. The warrior caste involves a harsh education system where children belonging to the caste are separated from their parents at 5 years old to spend the next 20 years being trained in specialized regimens to become elite warriors of the Perkoni tribes. The first 5 years play out the same for members of the noble and common warrior caste, however, by the time that the children reach the age of 10 they are transferred to the specialized schools, the 'scola epostris' for the children of the nobility, and the 'scola militaris' for the children of the common caste. [b]The Epostres[/b] [img]https://alchetron.com/cdn/cataphract-55b93957-0f0c-4797-a979-4831f5bfa54-resize-750.jpg[/img] Before their explusion from the eastern mountains, the Perkoni had domesticated the horse and the camel for use as beasts of burden and means of travel, in the mountain valleys that they inhabited. After their explusion, the forced migration into the grasslands of the west necessitated a transition away from a pastoral life into that of more agricultural one. However, the horse and camel remained as status symbols among the nobility, and quickly the two animals became the defining features of the military nobles. According to Nafas law, only the nobility are permitted to ride a camel, and only the military nobles may ride a horse into battle. The result has been that the military nobles quickly evolved into a form of hereditary cavalry that operates as the most elite of Perkoni soldiers. The Epostres, being of wealthy extraction, are able to afford the best weapons and armor available to the Perkoni, and are heavily armored, with steel polearms being their signature weapon. They are a formidable force, even if they make up the smallest portion of the military. [b]The Milites[/b] [img]https://gamemakerstuff.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/knight-spear-platemail.jpg[/img] The Milites are the lower class of the military caste, comprising of those soldiers trained to be foot soldiers. The milites function as infantry, archers, and any other function necessary, the Milites make up about 2/5 of the army. The milites, like all soldiers, are expected to provide their own weapons and armor, and being of the middle class, they typically are able to provide all necessary equipment at decent quality. [b]The Levies[/b] Levies are the members of the laborer caste who are called to arms by their landholders. Being farmers, artisans, and generally not soldiers, they usually have little experience and are simply called in to fill the ranks. [/hider] Government [hider]How the government works and who is in charge of what, basically an explanation of how the nation runs itself and who is in charge of what province or who is responsible of what task. No government needs to be perfect, and it can be as cruel or incompetent as it needs to be for your story.[/hider] Religion [hider] [i]These savage people are prone to all sorts of atrocities, none the least of which their flagrant barbarity in the slaughter of not only human, elf, or orc captives to their vile gods, but their own kind as well.[/i] [i]They seem to worship trees, which they make use of for their hideous rituals. When they come across an oak tree, they wall the plant in, threatening all who do not take proper precautions with death should they violate the sacred ground.[/i] The religion of the Perkones revolves around the veneration of natural spirits. The Perkones do not have gods, in the usual sense of the word. Instead, they seem to believe that the natural forces of the world contain some kind of inherent sentience and that they must gain the favor of these forces in order for their tribe to be successful. The most common form of gaining favor with these spirits is sacrifice in their honor. The Perkones consider the act of giving up one's desire for the benefit of another to be a great act, and this lends itself into their practice of giving up personal belongings to the spirits for favor. This can be items of great material value, or food. A common sacrifice is for a tribe to slaughter and then bury a number of their sheep as a gift to the spirits. Most infamous of all, however, is the readiness to participate in the sacrifice of sapient slaves, war captives, or members of their tribes to the spirits. The usual method of doing this involves the use of the oak tree, the most sacred of all trees to the Perkones. The usual method involves simply hanging the victim from the neck on one of the tree's branches, but a special form of sacrifice involves nailing the victim to the tree through their hands and feet, and leaving them to die on the tree over the span of a few days to one week. The Oak Tree is considered the most sacred of all trees to the Perkones, and they believe that oaks are the home of the spirits. To deface or kill an oak tree is punished by death. Oak trees are typically decorated by the tribes that are aware of them, and shrines often appear at the roots of these trees for sacrifice and petition of the spirits. When an oak tree or a collection of them is found, the tribes will construct special 'gates' that require those who wish to enter to engage in a ritual of purity before they may pass, on penalty of death. [b]The Nafas System[/b] The Perkoni have an extremely complicated code of conduct in their daily lives that dictates every action in private behavior, and influences the public laws. This unwritten code is known as Nafas, and is sometimws known by outsiders as Perkonic Sacral Law. Nafas divides all behavior into 5 catagories [i]Fihtos[/i] (Holy) - These are behaviors that are considered especially virtuous. This includes sacrificing to the spirits,taking on a second husband, freeing a slave, pilgrimage to an oak grove, and other such behaviors. [b]Duenos[/b] (Good) - Behaviors and actions that are commendable and within the bounds of morality. Getting married, smoking of cannabis, participation in a cannibalistic meal, and participating in daily rites. [b]Fitoz[/b] (Of Life) - Neutral behaviors of daily life [b]Malos[/b] (Bad) [b]Nafos[/b] (Forbidden) - Activities that are forbidden under all circumstances, punished with death. Murder, Damaging and Oak Tree, Treason, and such behaviors fall into this catagory. The Westmen do not follow Nafas, which has lead to conflict between the groups. Westmen generally avoid public taboo, but do not, and are not held accountable for maintaining private taboo [/hider] Economy [hider]What resources your nation has, what kind of economy it uses, what is the lifeblood of the country itself? What are the trade and tax policies of the nation, who handles taxes, and what resources are best (or worst) exploited? Information on imports and exports will also go here.[/hider] Territory [hider]Information on your internal territory/states will go here, but it is highly encouraged (but still optional) to make your own internal realm map which provides an easy overlay for folks to read.[/hider] Terrain [hider]Lay of your nation's land and internal states, along with information on any beasts and horrors which prowl it. I've mentioned monsters and horror before, but this isn't exactly fully necessary. The more important information is on important landmarks and their relevance for the nation.[/hider] Factions [hider]Information on internal factions such as rebel groups, internal political groups, mercenary companies, secret orders, public orders, religious orders, and other relevant factions and guilds.[/hider] Characters [hider] [b]The Triumvirate[/b] Blaisa's brutal subjugation of the Perkoni Tribes was not the work of one woman, but of an intricate network of alliances, schemes, and partnerships upon which the war could be built. The Triumvirate consists of Blaisa and her two most trusted allies. Quintus, the leader of the Siluri tribe and Blaisa's first ally, and Livia, a human freed slave, who rose to be the most senior general of Blaisa's forces. While Blaisa now holds the title of High Queen, Quintus and Livia serve as her Consols. [hider=The Triumvirate] [b]Blaisa the Silent[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/nu8v3CK.jpg[/img] Blaisa Pentila was born into a family of minor nobility within the tribe Feletsi. Her father, Drusus, was part of the tribe Pentiloi, claiming descent from the great king Malgos, who defeated the armies of El'Akim in the past, by way of his third son who settled among the Feletsi. Blaisa was the youngest of her siblings, as well as the smallest. The runt of the family contracted an illness in her infancy that left the girl with a permanent stutter, from whence she was given her name of Blaisa, meaning "stutterer". Seeing the stutter as indicative of some kind of mental retardation, Blaisa was scorned and hated by her family, who forbade her to speak in public, out of shame for her perceved condition. In fact, Blaisa was far from dimwitted, and from a young age immersed herself in the study of history. Little would anyone suspect this unassuming bookworm to be the future High Queen of the Perkoni. Drusus filled a position in the council of the King of the Feletsi. An ineffectual ruler, Drusus and a handful of the councilmen wished to overthrow him. When their plan was discovered, the councilmembers and their clans were destroyed. While Drusus and his family were killed, Blaisa, who was seen as a harmless idiot, was spared. Blaisa fled to the lands of the Silur tribe, gaining favor with the Siluri king, Quintus, who became the first of Blaisa's allies. Blaisa, then a mear 16 years old, explained her case to Quintus. Her, being the sole survivior of Drusus' lineage, maintained a claim over the Kingship of the Feletsi. With backing from Quintus, she could press her claim, and ally the Feletsi and Siluri against the powerful Ruhsoi, who were harassing Siluric territory with slave raids. [b]Quintus[/b] [img]https://i.redd.it/p0f05vtu9tbz.png[/img] Quintus has had an interesting history as Blaisa's first ally. Taking a chance on a strange girl with a claim to her people's throne, desperate times caused him to take the risk. They payoff has far exceeded what he imagined. Now he holds power alongside the first High Queen of the Perkoni. Quintus originated as the king of the moderately sized, but politically weak tribe known as the Siluri. The Siluri were in an uneasy truce with the Feletsi, but facing regular cattle and slave raids by the Ruhsoi to the east. The luck of the Siluri was changed when they got word of a civil war erupting within the Feletsi over kingship and found a refugee from the Feletsi migrating into their territory. The girl, only 15 years old, was named Blaisa, afflicted with a terrible stutter, but holding a distinguished pedigree as a descendant of Malgos. Blaisa, who now had spent 5 years working as the steward of King Quintus, negotiated for the Siluri to back her claim for Kingship over the Feletsi, and to kill the then King in favor of a Malogid king. Quintus hesitated, while he had employed Blaisa as his steward for years since her arrival, now, the chance came to put a permanent end to the threat posed by the Feletsi, and gain an ally to wage war against the Ruhsoi. Blaisa's success in the war, and her quick consolidation of power among the Feletsi, impressed Quintus, who offered an alliance between the Feletsi and Siluri. This alliance would lay the foundations of future unification. [b]Livia[/b] [img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a4/7d/42/a47d420b1942324cf8a15cdf5181b40f.jpg[/img] When Blaisa and Quintus defeated the Bofes, they found a human slave among the defeated. Quintus proposed selling her along with other found slaves, but when Blaisa proposed a price for her, the slave objected, demanding that her price was too low and insulting, and her cost would be triple what Blaisa had proposed. Blaisa debated the economics with her, and was so impressed and amused by the Slave, that she took her as her own personal slave instead. That slave was Livia. Livia was captured in a raid as a child, and grew up as a slave among the Bofes, raising cattle. Little attention was paid to Livia, as her status as a slave led many to see her as a non-issue. However, Livia was busy educating herself by candlelight after her work was done. [/hider] [/hider]