Okay, here we go....
Name of nation: Azurei
Name of leader: Kaija Tezusha
Brief introduction to leader: Known to her subjects as Kaija-Sol (with the sol suffix denoting her role as a matriarch), she is ancient among Azurei standards (approximately 300 years, the normal elf lifespan being something close to a 150-200 years. They are NOT immortal) and is thus experienced and wise. She also has a temper. She concerns herself very little with the opinions of other races and nations, except when it directly influences her or her people. She is not considered to be a gentle ruler, but is not altogether evil and merely just leads with a firm hand. Her word is law in Azurei. She keeps a council of five other sub-rulers (called Sota) that see to the needs of each individual district of Azurei. And, in general, they all understand the notion that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Others:
Ridahne Torzinei: A poor woman from the Atakhara district, overseen by Khaltira-Sol, she makes her living either at sea in the fishing trade, or out in the Dust Sea, hunting, searching for resources of value (usually silver), or occasionally guiding the inexperienced or the foreign through the dangers of the vast desert wasteland that makes up a large portion of Azurei's landmass. Was formerly a soldier in the service of her Sota, but after a bold act of defiance, she was dishonorably removed from the ranks. She is fire incarnate--a creature of passion and determination.
Hadian Torzinei: Ridahne's older brother. If she is fire, he is stone. Of the two, he is more even-keel, perhaps even somewhat cold in comparison, though tends to be the more reasonable one of the two. He is a fisherman, and when he is not away at sea, he is working the docks...or trying to keep his sister out of trouble. The two have been orphaned due to unfortunate accidents out at sea, and for a very long time, Hadian has been the force holding what remained of their family together.
Ajoran Te'kajih: The right-hand guard of Kaija-Sol. He is her arm, he is her sword, and if need be, he carries authority when speaking with others, though he usually defers to the will of his Sota-Sol. He is considered the best swordsman in Azurei, which is no small feat. When he was younger, he served alongside Ridahne and the two had a long-standing romance. This became complicated, however, when Ridahne betrayed her Sota and was thus forbidden to marry him. They have since grown apart, though not completely. Their current relationship is bittersweet, tangled, complicated, and uncertain.
Culture: The Azurei are warriors, first and foremost. They don't necessarily go out looking for wars to start, but they ARE the type to finish them. They are HIGHLY protective of their borders and don't like the idea of other nations encroaching on their space, or trying to dictate their ways. But if made an ally, they are a fierce one. Their army, like their nation, is small. But what they lack in numbers they make up for in skill and in stealth. The most dangerous asset their army has are assassins, especially utilized when a war could be won by taking out a few key figures rather than an ongoing siege, since they are ill-equipped for the latter. Their loyalties, however, are not steadfast through time. Kaija-Sol is a firm entity and if climates between nations change, so will their loyalties, unless their allies make good effort to keep them at their side. Respect is something that must be earned, but also maintained.
They are a matriarchal culture, and women do not take the back-seat of the homestead like some other cultures. They believe firmly that if women have the ability to bring life into the world, they must also be capable of taking it out. Many are trained as warriors, and most, if not all, know how to handle themselves reasonably well. They are encouraged to be outspoken and spirited. Men are seen as protectors and defenders, and often providers as well. While women are thought of as precise and elegant, men are viewed as strong, steadfast, and bold. There is a general, unspoken understanding that both men and women have different roles in society, but both are equally as important and integral to the other's success.
Generally, Azurei value strength, loyalty to their own, honesty (this is a big one), and the honing of skills--whatever those may be. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well. They have a deep respect for nature, as their very survival in a desert climate teeters on a delicate balance, and nothing is guaranteed. They can be, however, described by foreigners as loud, occasionally uncomfortably expressive, aloof, maybe a tad uncivilized or uncouth, abrasive, and generally stubborn. Tattoos and body art are a large part of their culture.
Religion: Speaking of tats, while they find inky adornment to be attractive and honorably traditional, the tattoos on their faces are sort of in a different league. Called an Ojih, the unique patterns of indigo, black, and white on their faces denote many things about a person, like their family origin, military rank or status as a civilian, high honor, and deep dishonor. Each one is like a record of that person's life. The Azurei believe that, if one chooses to take the Ojih, they gain entrance into the afterlife. However, what someone's marks say about them will determine what kind of place they will end up in said afterlife. If someone chooses not to take the Ojih, they forfeit any entrance into any sort of afterlife, and will simply cease.
It is extremely extremely frowned upon (horrific, even) to falsify an Ojih, either permanently or temporarily. Likewise, to willingly maim someone's Ojih is a gruesome, chilling crime that most would consider to be the worst thing someone can do, for it essentially erases that person's being, and, having a false, broken, or incomplete Ojih, their spirit is doomed to neither cease nor move on, and instead they linger in agony somewhere in between. It is believed that natural phenomenons like storms, dust devils, the ocean's rage, and the howling wind are all incarnations of the spirits of those 'in between'.
Attitude to magic: It's integral to their understanding of the world. Spirits are magic, in their eyes. Magic is sort of what knits the universe together. However, it's extremely rare for an Azurei to be particularly adept at using it. Most have some inclination of extremely basic elemental magic, but Azurei has never been considered to be a nation of mages.
Brief history: I'll save this section for when I start to talk relationships with other nations, I think?
Military: Taja: the elite, or the guardians of the Sota or the Sota-Sol. They are only ever men. Eija, however, are more the general military and can be men or women. Taja have superiority and authority over them at all times. Their military is small and not conventionally powerful (they don't have the resources to lay siege to a city, for example) but they are efficient. They rely on stealth, infiltration, and assassination rather than brute force.
Government: The Sota-Sol is the main ruler, and she is supported by a council of 5 lesser rulers called Sota. They are like governors of smaller sections of Azurei. Each one of these women are guarded by a handful of elite soldiers, Taja. They are always male. The Sota-Sol's rule is absolute and treason is a crime taken very seriously.
Main sources of income: They are a coastal hub for trade and make a lot of their money off of the fishing industry, exporting silver, and also crafting with silver.
Current goal: I'm not sure yet. Generally they like to protect what they have, so maybe that's been threatened?
