Tanasi

Tanasi is a kingdom located in the region of Rumah on the southern coast of The Shattered Sea. While the kingdom has existed in one form or another for the better part of 700 years, it has found itself as a vassal to The Yuyan Dominion since 179 pSF, 211 years ago at this point. Following a tumultuous and not entirely bloodless “readjustment phase”, Tanasi has flourished under The Yuyan, growing wealthy and prosperous as The dominant force in The Shattered Sea and its trading networks.
This changed with The Starfall in 0 SF, as many people abandoned the coastal settlements of Tanasi. Shortly after The Gray Giants (see: Rungholt and The Hominid Strain) arrived, taking advantage of their now sparsely protected coastal settlements to cause havoc and carve out their own domain. These events, known to the people of Tanasi as Zamaryan Terbakar or “The Times of Burning Skies”, were the main reason for the large waves of refugees which fled from Tanasi into the surrounding lands.
For the past few years at least, Tanasi has managed to establish a tenuous peace with the invaders, allowing a modicum of stability to return to the region. The winds of change are famously fickle though, and could easily fan the flames of war yet again.
Tanasi is predominantly inhabited by members of The Wildkin Strain, specifically of the Mammalian variety. Bovines, known as “Minotaurs” make up the bulk of that population.

Territory:

Tanasi encompasses the bulk of Rumah, stretching from The Tanasi Gulf in the north to The Kasiri Hinterlands in the south, and from The Boreas Highlands in the east to The Sung River in the west. A sizable chunk of The Hutan Forest also lies under Tanasis jurisdiction. Nowadays the Bulk of Tanasis ca. 300.000 people inhabit the lush riverlands at its center, and while the hinterlands to the east were always sparsely populated, the lands around The Tanasi Gulf were only relatively recently depopulated as a consequence of the invasion from Rungholt. As part of the peace agreement with The Gray Giants, the city of Bandar Manari and the Manari Peninsula were ceded to the invaders, but no one really believes this to be a permanent arrangement.

Government:

Tanasi is a kingdom in name alone, for it is the Tuan, or merchant lords, of its great cities that hold power in truth. It was not always like this, yet as the Saranis of The Tanas Dynasty grew more and more complacent in their role, The Tuan slowly gathered influence and power. When The Yuyan offered their ultimatum and Saran Tanas Izat wished to fight, The Tuan rose up, seized power and gave into most of Yuyans Demands.
Of course there were still many loyal servants of Saran Izat, but they alone could not stand against their own backed by the might of The Yuyan. In the decades following 179 pSF, the Tuan solidified their power, hunted down the last remnants of royalist supporters and installed a puppet dynasty, which would “rule” from Tanasis capital, Bandar Saranis.
The exact governing structures set up by the Tuan, as well as the power balance between them is unknown to outsiders. Despite their rather underhanded methods of seizing power though, their rule proved mostly competent as Tanasi enjoyed a time of relative peace and prosperity that would last over 150 years, only interrupted by the invasions following The Starfall.
As of 32 SF there are 4 Tuan, as Bandar Manari was ceded to The Gray Giants, though besides their names, little else is known to outsiders: Tuan Amar Seman rules Bandar Agin
Tuan Selasa Rai rules Pagar Halan
Tuan Muna Suriani rules Bandar Kebara
Tuan Adal Rakan rules Pagar Barati
Meanwhile the current “ruler” of Tanasi, Saran Sakir Isam, has his seat in Bandar Saranis.

History:

The History of Tanasi begins around 700 pSF with a slave revolt. At the time it was common practice among the warring clans of Rumah to enslave the families of those who had been slain in battle. Such it was that he who would later become known as Tanas “The Peacemaker” would be enslaved as a child and live his early life in servitude. He was a natural leader, well liked and respected by both those above and below his station, enough to where his masters would see him as a threat and send him to war, in hopes that he would die. Alas, it was this very act that allowed Tanas to gather influence and gain the experience which he would later use to overthrow his master, and become the new ruler of the realm.
Yet at his heart Tanas was a peaceful man, one that detested violence, and such it was that once he had secured his position, he swore that neither he nor any of his blood would ever declare war again.
Tanas would conquer his neighbors not through bloodshed, but through diplomacy. His reputation preceded him, and it was thus that the people of Rumah laid down their weapons, swore servitude to “him that would bind them in shackles of peace” and the nation of Tanasi was established.
Or so the story goes at least. Truth be told, besides the single epic which describes the rise of Tanas the Peacemaker, there are little to no literary sources which back up the founding myth of Tanasi. Not that it really matters, for the people of Tanasi have undoubtedly taken the lessons of the story to heart: Battle and warfare are both frowned upon by them, for as the famous proverb goes: “He who must resort to violence has already lost.”
The Tanas Dynasty would sit upon the throne of Tanasi until the Tuan coup of 179 pSF, and you know how the story goes from there.

Culture & Society:

Tanas is a nation built on trade, commerce and cooperation, and the social values of its people very much reflect that.

Legacy of Tanas:

“He who must resort to violence has already lost”, so the famous proverb goes. It is true, Tanasians are generally not all too eager to engage in violence, for the greatest profit to the benefit of all can be achieved in its absence, no altercation that ends in violence can therefore be seen as a true victory.
This is not to say that Tanasi has no warriors or soldiers. Opposed to violence as they may be, they are not naive, though the social standing of those that make violence their field of work is generally lower than it would be in other states and nations. Indeed, soldiers are viewed by many in a similar light to what positions day laborers occupy in other societies, dirty work for those with few other options, slave soldiers are also not uncommon. The most respected among them are guards and watchmen, those who wield their arms exclusively to protect.
These attitudes to war and battle, only possible through an environment of perpetual peace which Tanasi fortunately found itself in for hundreds of years, were most likely at least partially to blame for the degree to which it suffered from “The Times of Burning Skies”. Ill-prepared for a war on home soil, with soldiers of poor equipment and poor training, commanders with an outdated sense of strategy and aversion to bloodshed were no match for the warlike gray giants of Rungholt.
While the past 3 decades have served to somewhat undermine the stigma that being a warrior once held in Tanasi, old traditions die hard. It is a common stereotype in other realms that warriors from Tanasi aren’t very skilled, and the few exceptions tend to prove the rule. Those with a talent for battle usually end up leaving, making their fortune as mercenaries or adventurers in lands where their talents are more appreciated.

High Social Mobility:

It is said that in Tanasi, a pauper can become a Lord and vice versa, for it is ability and intellect that decide one’s success in life. Tanasis people believe that effort and skill should be acknowledged regardless of status, and outstanding accomplishments deserve outstanding rewards. Slaves can earn their freedom after years of work, and are indeed expected to do so within their lifetime.
Literacy rates are (comparatively) high in Tanasi, approaching 10%, and most Tanasians are expected to have at least a rudimentary understanding of basic mathematics.
The people of Tanasi have trade in their blood, and it is no surprise that being a successful merchant is seen as one of the most respectable occupations one can hold, for they who bring prosperity to their people by peaceful methods hold the lessons of Tanas in their heart.

Talented Seafarers:

While not known for their skill in battle, Tanasians are nonetheless known as some of the hardiest and most skilled seafarers on the northern continent. Capable of building a vast trade empire in spite of the harsh environment of The Shattered Sea, though the trade has somewhat declined in the past decades, for obvious reasons.

The Tigasar Saranis:

The people of Tanasi predominantly follow The Idanasha. They are specifically dedicated to a select few which they refer to as Tigasar Saranis or “The Three Great Kings”. They are known as The Prodigious Batu-Saran, The Everchanging Semasa-Saran and The Eternal Halan-Saran.
Despite its close links to The Yuyan Dominion, Yuma has failed to attract many faithful in Tanasi, with those that have converted usually residing in or close to its capital: Bandar Saranis.

Laws & Institution:

The Laws around Kashura generally don’t vary all that much from one another, murder and theft is pretty much illegal everywhere for instance, this section will therefore focus only on the noteworthy:

The Gentle Hand of Justice:

Nonviolent Crime is generally punished much less harshly in Tanasi than in other nations, though repeat offenders usually do end up as slave soldiers. The death penalty is rare, and usually reserved for violent crimes, murder, kidnapping, rape and the like.

Slavery:

One might be surprised that a society which places so much value on individual skill would make use of slaves, though there are always jobs that no one wants to do. No matter what the Tanasians may claim, not everyone can be a genius merchant or master craftsman, so who better to fill the roles which no one would pick by choice, than those who have no choice.
Most slaves in Tanasi end up as such to punish them for their crimes, to earn back their freedom by laboring for the good of society, though it is also not unheard of for the impoverished to sell themselves into slavery. Laws regulate the rights of slaves, they must be provided for and earn a small amount of coin for their labors, enough to usually buy their freedom after 10-20 years. Punishments must be “appropriate”, though what that means exactly is left for the slave's master/mistress to interpret.

Unarmed Cities:

Weapons are banned in all major cities of Tanasi. Those who carry them must surrender them at the gates, to be retrieved upon their leaving. Weaponsmiths, fletchers and all others that create and sell weapons must conduct their business outside the city walls. The only exception to this rule are of course the peacekeepers, guards, watchmen and the like.

Major Settlements:

Bandar Agin - literally translating to “The City of Winds”, named for the harsh winds that batter it from both north and south all year round. Bandar Agin is as of 32 SF the last major port city directly on the coast of The Shattered Sea, and one of the only coastal settlements that has somewhat weathered the storm of the past 3 decades. Despite the many refugees it housed for over 2 decades, the city's population has overall declined to around 6.000, same as for the rest of coastal Tanasi. With the end of the war, trade and with that a modicum of normalcy have finally begun returning to Bandar Agin. Prayers be upon the Everchanging that the treaty may hold.
Bandar Kebara - literally translating to “The Twin City”, as it has over time grown together from two towns which once were in bitter rivalry to one another. Located right between the central riverlands and The Sung River, Bandar Kebara is the heart of the Tanasian lumber industry. Far enough inland to not have been a direct target of many of The Gray Giants raids, yet close enough to be a refuge to many of those that fled, The city has swelled in population in the recent decades to almost 9.000.
Bandar Saranis - literally translating to “The City of Great Kings”, Bandar Saranis is the capital and by most records oldest city of Tanasi. Lying on the southern shores of the great lake and in the Shadow of The Batu Mountains, Bandar Saranis is a testament to the long traditions and stability that the kingdom has prospered under for so long. Even as the Tanas Dynasty fell, and as The Gray Giants laid waste to the countryside, the capital remained untouched. As of 32 SF, the city is home to around 18.000 people.
Bandar Manari - literally translating to “The City of Howling”, named for both the countless predators that inhabit the lands surrounding it, and for the howling winds that could often be heard on The Manari Peninsula. Bandar Manari used to be one of the great cities of Tanasi and was the heart of the tin trade along The Shattered Sea, though today it lies in the hands of The Gray Giants, a peace offering to end the senseless bloodshed started by their hands. The city is currently home to around 12.000 people, almost exclusively Rungholt hominids.
Pagar Barati - literally translating to Westgate, the city marks the westernmost borders of Tanasi and serves as the entrypoint for most travelers that come to visit it by land. While many of the northern cities have greatly suffered from the past 3 decades, Pagar Barati has flourished and become the new de-facto trade capital of Tanasi, swelling in both wealth and population to around 20.000, making it the most populous city of Tanasi.
Pagar Halan - literally translating to Greengate, the city serves as the proverbial “entry point” into the “green heart” of Tanasi, the central river lands. Pagar Halan, once the trade capital of the entire kingdom, has suffered greatly in the last 3 decades. Having become the target of countless raids, the once prosperous trade city now lies impoverished and ruined. The 5.000 remaining people of Pagar Halan, a sizable chunk of which is refugees, hope that with peace, trade and prosperity may return to Greengate, history will tell whether or not their hopes will come true or not.

Tanasi

Geography:

Region: Central North - Rumah

Society:

Population: ~300.000 people
Strains: Wildkin 70%, Hominids 15%, Other ~15%
Religion: The Idanasha - The Tigasar Saranis

Politics:

Government: monarchy
Ruler: Saran Sakir Isam
Influence: minor

Commerce:

Currency:
50 Tong (Copper) = 1 Yin (Silver)
25 Yin = 1 Yuan (Gold)