Nation Name:
Qanaxma Dəniz Xaqanlığı
Khaganate of the Bleeding Sea
Flag:
Region on map:
Capital:
Atasınınürəyini
Capital Population:
50,000
Other Major Settlements:
Müqəddəscəsədi
Sözdanışıqedildi
Uluev
Population:
1,000,000
Racial demographics:
94% oğul, 6% other
Social dynamics:
The Kişilər Qanaxma (Kişilər for short) have a rather open society, being tolerant of most cultures and religions. People of other cultures are perfectly welcome provided they do not treat anyone else as inferiors, and people can freely worship whatever gods they desire so long as they do not openly claim other gods as being false or lies. Honesty and honour are also central parts of Kişilər society, if you give your word you are expected to keep it; those who lie or are deceitful are considered as craven weaklings. This is one of the reasons Kişilər are considered to be a great people to befriend but a terrible people to cross. They will honour their word and any alliances, but should someone cross them they are absolutely brutal when dealing with those they see as enemies.
Kişilər society itself has several distinct groups: the nobility, clergy, and peasantry. The nobility serve as the ruling elite of the 4 Xanlıqlar that make up Qanaxma Dəniz and the clergy obviously serve as priests. However, the peasantry is simply anyone who is not a noble or a priest. This includes the poorest farmer to the wealthiest trader, and so there is no particular stigma associated with being a peasant. However, the nobility are considered above them as they believe it is their divine right to rule and members of the clergy are considered to be exceptionally wise individuals. Gender among the Kişilər is also an interesting subject; while only the men can rule as Xan, lineage is considered to pass through the wife as they are the ones actually birthing the child. Because of this, despite the 'higher' status of men in the society a child is also part of his mother's House (extended family). And as a direct result of this marriages are arranged by the Matriarch, the oldest female member of the House, and she is considered the head of the House. Together, this gives women some measure of authority in Qanaxma Dəniz despite not having any ruling power.
Fashion:
The basic garment worn by the Kişilər is a simple piece of fabric sewn into a tube shape that is tied around the waist. In the southern regions this is all that is usually worn by both men and women, while in the north coats of fur are also worn during the colder months. Generally the garment is a single colour, with blue being the most common and the off-white of undyed cloth being commonly seen among the poorest Kişilər. More colourful designs in bright colours and complicated designs are also found, but they are usually reserved for special occasions among the peasantry, while the nobility wear them on a regular basis. Jewelry is also commonly worn, with silver being the most commonly seen due to the region being rich in silver. The richer Kişilər will usually have jewelry that is studded with precious gems or made of gold.
Calendar:
The Festival of Death and Birth: this 10 day-long festival is the most important of any Kişi holiday, for it is a celebration of the birth of the Kişilər Qanaxma and a remembrance of the death of their God Ata. It involves 5 days of fasting and prayer followed by 5 days of feasting and partying.
Art:
The most well-known of the Kişilər arts is their silver smithing. Due to the abundance of silver in their lands, Kişil silver smiths have had plenty of time over the years to master their artform. Silver pieces from the region are usually incredibly well-made and intricately decorated. Golden jewelry from the area is just as well-made, but because gold is nowhere near as common as silver it is rarer and is generally not traded outside of Qanaxma Dəniz.
Law:
Law in Qanaxma Dəniz is based upon a set of tenets written down by one of the most esteemed Xaqanlığı to ever rule, who codified the traditions of the Kişilər into a set of strict tenets. Each settlement is appointed a judge who has to have completely memorized these tenets, and they see any cases brought before them and judge as they see fit.
Education:
Any sort of public education is nonexistent among the Kişilər. Those who aren't rich learn their parents' trade from an early age, and usually end up doing what their parents did. The rich however, including the nobility and wealthy peasants, can afford to hire private tutors for their children. And children in the clergy are taught by the elder priests from the day they are chosen until the day they come of age as fully-fledged priests. Because of this, only the nobility and clergy are consistently educated and literate alongside the few wealthy peasants.
Type of Government:
Qanaxma Dəniz is divided in to 4 separate xanlıqlar, each ruled over by a xan who is the eldest son of the previous xan's eldest sister. They rule with absolute authority, but are still bound by certain laws and tenets. Each xan appoints a şeyx to rule over the other settlements in their xanlıq while they themselves rule from the city's capital. A unique exception to this rule is the region known as Yeddi Qalalar, the Seven Forts; it consists of seven fortified forts built along the border with HelCore to deter major raids into Qanaxma Dəniz and is controlled by a komandan who reports directly to the land's xaqanın. The xaqanın himself is the supreme ruler of Qanaxma Dəniz, though he is still bound by laws like the xanları underneath him. The xaqanın is an elected position; when he dies all the xan gather in a single place, usually the palace of the former xaqanın, and elect one of themselves to serve as the new xaqanın.
Influence and relations:
Important People:
Elnur Xaqanın
Aslan Xan
Tural Xan
Elçin Xan
Rustam Komandan
Trading and tax:
Qanaxma Dəniz is happy to trade with anyone nearby, though trade coming in from other areas is taxed by the local şeyx. Other than that, everyone pays their taxes to the şeyx, who pays taxes to the xan, who pays a small amount of tax to the xaqanın.
Major industries:
The trade in silver and objects made of silver is a major industry in the nation, though it is closely followed by agriculture and the mining and smithing of other metals.
Major Associations:
N/A
Currency:
The currency of the Kişilər is composed of several different types of coins, all rounded with a square hole in the center. The value of the coins are based on silver, with the basic coin being mad primarily of silver. There are also gold coins, but they are exceptionally rare and most coins are copper or bronze.
Military:
Yığımlarının: These are the levies of the nation, being the most common with about 30,000 able to be called up should a war break out. They are not professional soldiers, and simply peasants and noblemen who train in the months where there is less work and they are forced to buy their own equipment. Generally this equipment is composed of padded cloth armour, a spear, javelins, a long knife, and a round-shield, though noblemen tend to be able to afford higher-quality equipment.
Gümüş Üzü: The 'Silver Faces' are the professional soldiers of Qanaxma Dəniz, and number 9,000 strong. They are equipped by the xanları and have far better equipment than the Yığma levies. They wear steel lamellar armour over top of iron mail, alongside a rounded shield and conical metal helmet. They are equipped with both longswords and bows, allowing them to engage at range or in melee. However, their most distinctive feature are the silver masks each wear; each Gümüş Üz's mask is different and can range from a grinning skull to a screaming demon to a peacefully smiling man.
Qizil Üzü: The final type of warriors in Qanaxma Dəniz are the 'Golden Faces'. They are equipped similarly to the Gümüş Üzü, though they have the best equipment available and are the most skilled and highly trained warriors in the xaqanlığı. For a Gümüş Üz to be chosen to be elevated to the ranks of the Qizil Üzü is considered a great honour, and there are only ever 1,000 of these warriors at a time. As one might expect, their name comes from the golden masks that each wear; each different as it is simply a golden version of the mask they wore as a Gümüş Üz.
Landscape:
The Landscape of Qanaxma Dəniz differs the further north or south one goes. In the more northern regions the land is lightly forested but the farther south one goes the hotter the land becomes. Trees become scarce and eventually the land gives way to dry, cracked desert. The terrain itself is hilly for the most part, but it gets extremely rough in the foothills adjacent to the mountains that Qanaxma Dəniz borders.
Wildlife:
The northern forests are home to flora and fauna typical of temperate forests. As one travels south it get warmer and hotter, with the wildlife transforming from that of a forest to that of a desert.
Notable places:
The only place of note is the Bleeding Sea itself, the sea that Qanaxma Dəniz is built around. It is notable because of the fact that it is blood red, completely devoid of life, drinking it can make most races mildly ill. This is because the sea is home to massive blooms of blood-red algae that have killed off any fish that once lived there and are toxic for most races to ingest.
Summary:
A loose confederation of 4 realms surrounding a blood-red sea that make most of their wealth through trade.
History:
(Optional)
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Name:
Oğul
Classification:
Sentient
Appearance:
The oğulları appear similar to humans in almost all respects, though there are a few extremely noticeable differences which set them apart. The most obvious is their radically different skin colour; it is an ashen grey that ranges from nearly white in the north to almost black in the south. In addition the oğulları are bald; it is not a case of their culture shaving their heads, but rather their entire species being completely devoid of hair on any part of their bodies. Less noticeable is their height, since while they are taller it is not by a large margin; both men and women tend to average 6 1/2 feet tall. And the final difference is that their fingernails are long and elongated into the shape of claws, though they are not much harder than a human's and cannot be used in actual combat.
Shared traits:
N/A
Natural abilities:
Immunity to the toxins of the Bleeding Sea's algae blooms
Lifespan:
Same as a human
Relations with other races:
The race itself gets along with any other race they meet well enough.
Languages:
Qanaxma Dil
Religious beliefs:
The religion of most oğulları is the religion of Qanaxma Dəniz, since they are where most are found and from where all originate. Their mythology begins with the Goddess Yaradan, floating inside Xaos, a place of nothingness and voids. Eventually Yaradan decided to tame Xaos and twists and warps it until it until the world is formed and born. Eventually she tires of her ceaseless watch, and gives birth to three sons who she tasks with watching over the world while she sleeps. These sons are named Ata, Xain, and Satqın, and for a time they carry out their mother's will. However, eventually Ata and Satqın grow tired of their simple watching the world, and wish to come to rule over it. Ata alone stayed true to his mother's wishes, and attempted to stop his brothers, and for that he was struck down and killed; the Bleeding Sea formed by his body falling to the earth and his his bleeding body. And it was from this blood that the first oğulları arose and drew breath. For a time the two betrayers ruled the world, but they eventually grew jealous of each other and desired to rule the entirety of the world themselves. And so once more they fought, though this time they fought each other. The battle raged for innumerable days, and when there seemed no end in sight, Yaradan awoke from her slumber. She was horrified by what her sons had wrought, and that they had killed one of their own. In her grief-fulled anger she threw her sons down onto the world before plucking out one of the eyes of Xain, who had been the one to physically strike down Ata with his blade. Then Yaradan imprisoned her sons, making sure that they never again tried to rule over the world and were forced to simply watch over it for eternity. Satqın in his prison became Sun while Xain became the moon, glowing less brightly because of his eye being plucked out. And once that was done Yaradan sat down and wept, her tears filling in the great holes left by her sons being thrown to Earth and forming the seas.
Preferred occupations:
N/A
Famous people:
Farid Xaqanın
Strengths:
Can drink the water of the Bleeding Sea without getting mildly ill.
Weaknesses:
N/A
Qanaxma Dəniz = Qanaxma Deniz
Atasınınürəyini = Atasininureyini
Müqəddəscəsədi = Muqeddescesedi
Sözdanışıqedildi = Sozdanisiqedildi
Oğul = Ogul
Oğulları = Ogullari
Kişilər = Kisilər
Kişil = Kisil
Xaqanın = Xaqanin
Xaqanlığı = Xaqanligi
Xanlıq = Xanliq
Xanlıqlar = Xanliqlar
Şeyx = Seyx
Yığımlarının = Yigimlarinin
Gümüş Üzü = Gumus Uzu
Qizil Üzü = Qizil Uzu
Satqın = Satqin
