History is WIP, and I'm going to come back and flesh out the Culture and Army tabs more so that they make a bit more sense. But for now I think it's ready to submit. [hider=Raspana] Name of Nation: Raspana (Denonym: Raspian) Capital: The Deep Basin Species: Human Majority. Though other species are not looked down upon, many outsiders (Humans included) find it hard to completely join the Raspian communities due to their strict and often times confusing adherence to their religion, a pivotal part in being fully accepted to Raspian life. [hider=Culture and Society:] The people of Rapana are easily dismissed by other nations as a rabid bunch of fanatical cave-dwelling spiritualists. Their fervent following of their religion coupled with their emphasis on the strongest amongst them taking positions of power and authority within their culture makes it easy to write them off as just another uncivilized groups of people scraping by an existence in the Dead Sands that loosely claim to be a nation. However, the truth of Raspian society is far more complex, and indeed confusing, than it appears. Raspian culture, though placing an emphasis on the strong, does not place an emphasis on solely being strong. Leaders of Raspana are chosen not only for their physical prowess but indeed for their intelligence, their ability to read the Dead Sands, and their devotion to Strihasni. In this way leaders fill a position akin to warrior-monks or scholar generals. Raspian importance in strength and wisdom has nurtured a deeply rooted warrior culture in the people. When coupled with their devotion to Strihasni, Raspian’s are an almost zealous warrior people, willing to throw themselves into the enemy despite the odds for fear of bringing shame to their people. [u]Kin Groups[/u] Society itself is based out of a multi-leveled system of allegiances and alliances. These groups are not to be confused with Raspian versions of literal villages and towns, they are familial and societal units. The smallest of these groups consisting of 10-25 individuals known as Kin Groups, these groups are the smallest and most tightly knit of the groups of Raspians and form all other larger groups. It is in this level that several families work together to survive, worship, learn, and train in combat. Often children are married out of and into Kin Groups to advance friendships, forgive wrongs, and gain alliances of other Kin Groups. However, allegiance of another Kin Group may be by cultural standards, bought through large sums of water. Following Kin Groups are Unions. Unions consist of anywhere from 5-10 Kin Groups that have become aligned or indebted to one another and generally make up the smallest of settlements within Raspana. These groups are bound through marriages, oaths, and religious duties to one another and act as solid cores for larger Raspian settlements and even military formations. Communes follow Unions, consisting standardly of anywhere from 25-50 Unions that swear to one another for all things related to life and survival. They make up the populations of medium sized settlements. Few commune locations are known to outsiders of the Dead Sands. Following Communes are Collections. Nominally consisting of anywhere from 20-30 Unions, Collections make up the largest of settlements within Raspana. Several Collections form the core of industry and society within Raspana. Though fourteen Collections exist within Raspana, only a handfuls locations are actually known to non-Raspians. [u]Urbs[/u] Urbs are what Raspian’s call their villages, towns, and cities. There is no linguistic distinction between the smallest Urb consisting of only the smallest Kin Group and an underground city such as the Deep Basin which is among the largest of Collections of Raspians with a population of well over 325,000. Urbs are a series of tunnels, caverns, and domes that Raspians call home. Branching off of the myriad tunnels are normally smaller familial chambers, workshops, farms and other assorted spaces. In Urbs large enough, domes may be dugout to create houses more akin to those seen on the surface of other nations, to plant large amounts of crops, or even grow trees. In urbs as large as the Deep Basin, several massive domes some almost half a kilometer in diameter are dugout of the earth to create large, multi stepped cities beneath the sand. Many smaller Urbs are self sufficient in terms of food and water but rely on larger urbs for goods that cannot be created in house while many larger urbs rely on the smaller and medium sized urbs to supply things such as food and water to subsist. In this way, though not all Kin Groups, Unions, Communes and Collections are technically aligned with one another, Raspians are wholly reliant on each other for their survival. In this way, several hundred years prior, the scattered groups of Raspians agreed to unite to form Raspana. [u]Religion - Strihasni[/u] Among one of the most important aspects of life in Raspana is their religion, Strihasni, a religion almost entirely based in the need for survival in the Dead Sands. The worship of Strihasni is largely focused around the cycle of the moon, the desert, and for obvious reasons, water. Omens and prophecy focused around the moon and the desert play huge roles in the daily lives of every Raspian and water is given reverence on a level to be fit to a god. Omens themselves shape much of daily life for Raspians at all times, but are far more important when traveling the Dead Sands. The way winds sway the sands, the shadows touch off the dunes, or animals go about their business all hold some form of omen to a Raspian in the Dead Sands. Though superstition plays a large role in these omens, many outsiders that are astute enough have been known to talk about these omens as literal signs of impending sandstorms, increasingly hot sun, and other such true and entirely predictable phenomena. Raspian reverence of water is a well known facet of their daily lives. With water conservation at the core of this reverence, it is no wonder that the Raspian’s have been able to survive and indeed thrive in the Dead Sands. [/hider] [hider=History:] WIP [/hider] [hider=Territorial Claims:] Just give me that PHAT desert area. [/hider] [hider=Economy:] [u]Sanguine[/u] In the deep deserts there are a hundred things that could go wrong, and a hundred more ways to die. But this doesn’t stop one of the largest sources of income for Raspana from being collected, Sanguine. Sanguine is a refined powder made of milled down molted Sand Worm scales. It is found most usually around and inside of a Sand Worms den. The process of collecting Sanguine is inherently dangerous, as Sand Worms themselves are highly territorial and hostile to any trespass of their turf. Additionally Sand Worms molt once every 2-3 months, and as such there is not always a guarantee that upon entering a Sand Worms Den there will be molted scales to collect. Once collected the molted scales are brought back to mills where they are milled down into a fine powder. This powder has a strong psychedelic action that when used in large amounts leads to euphoric hallucinations and in the proper amounts, is said to greatly expand one's consciousness. It is this effect that has made Sanguine a popular export to the rich and powerful of nations across the land, whether they seek its effects to tackle great feats of thought or to simply enjoy their wealth and power to the fullest, the people of Raspana don’t care as long as they are paid in proper tender. [u]Other Industry/Craft[/u] Textile Industry- Raspana is along with its main export of Sanguine, known for its textile crafts. Specific objects of considerable worth to other nations are the almost legendary all-weather cloaks that can be easily made to camouflage the wearer, elegantly patterned rugs, silk scarves, dresses, shawls, or any other sort of imaginable piece of clothing, Raspian weavers claim to be among the best in the entire land and are more than willing to back up their claims with a properly commissioned piece of finery. Guides- Raspians offer their skills as navigators out to anyone with the coin to pay. Sand- It’s just sand. But they’ll try and sell it to you. [/hider] [hider=Army:] Raspana does not have a true standing army when compared to the likes of the Empire of Arqantay or Akumori. But in place of a full-time army, the people of Raspana are all trained in the ways of combat in the desert from the moment they are able to hold the smallest of daggers. Once old enough Raspians are added to formations of units made up of their Kin Groups and organized similarly though not identical to the standing armies of other nations despite the fact they only come together when called upon by Raspana to do so. Raspana’s army specializes in defensive combat. Using the Dead Sands as their greatest ally in war, Raspian units function as light infantry, conducting raids on supply lines, encampments, and ambushes on smaller forces when the chances present themselves.Raspana is known to let the desert wear down larger forces until their chances are more even. [/hider] [hider=Navy:] Raspana does not possess a navy of any mention, indeed their only means of battle on the water are converted river craft of small and medium sizes. [/hider] [hider=Traits:] [u]Sanguine Seas[/u] Sanguine, a rare psychedelic, is found among the dunes of the Dead Sands. Collected and refined for export by the people of Raspana. (Unique slot in Development) [/hider] [hider=Foreign Relations:] Surabhumi - Trade [/hider] [hider=Rolls:] Land Area: 12 Land Fertility: 18 (8 + 8) Development: 15 (19 - 4) Land Power: 16 Naval Power: 1 (5 - 4) Economy: 10 (6 + 4) Magical Reserves: 12 (9 + 3) Magical Sophistication: 15 (17 - 2)[/hider] [hider=Tech Trees] [img]https://i.imgur.com/sbqjYlQ.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/v3dLtGu.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Mdq6jOs.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/mvIuWw9.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/iMmJGbr.png[/img] [/hider] [hider=Other:] None for now [/hider] [/hider]