Coraar

Within the Great Tradeaway Sea of Sedden, there is a kingdom of sea elves that is known as Coraar. Despite having a rather large surface presence, the sea elven nation has barely had its surface scratched by those who have visited, even if they've been in every corner of every surface settlement. Coraar's underwater territory is massive, mirroring the size of nations like Auburn or Kurai with ancient constructs grown into the shape of homes from coral, and more recent buildings made of brick or aluminum acquired through surface trade.
The sea elves of Iquonial were the first race to find themselves developed enough to create anything long-lasting structurally. They used their knowledge of the natural world around them to grow large structures out of coral beneath the shore along the shallow south-eastern coasts. They grew large buildings resembling observatories, using volcanic glass to make telescopes and other similar tools to judge great distances and examine the world above, as well as to record the moon and stars. The sea elves originate from the ancient dragon kingdom of Raeinock, one of the- according to archaeologists- most magical draconic kingdoms. This magical skill transferred to their slaves, and they developed a minor talent for it. When the tides came down and trapped the elves beneath the earth, the elves of what would become Coraar adapted. They used magic to allow themselves to breathe, giving them opportunities to explore that few other tribes had. In time, this magical breath would become one with their nature and the sea elves would simply begin living beneath the sea, making it their home alongside the Elapidae, Merfolk, and other various aquatic races that would find themselves their legs in this time.

Underwater relics by Liang Xing

Since the booms of Murinechire and the massive amount of trade coming through the Shelf, Coraar has begun to grow in ways many of its citizens could have never expected. They are currently going through a sudden transition in technology, moving from animal-based transportation to giant steel vessels. This has allowed the faster transport of far more people and goods beneath the water, and without the effort of taming or maintaining a beast of the ocean. Large steam power propellers push the submarines through the ocean and connect the surface cities of Coraar to the much deeper ocean settlements.
Coraar has two incredibly important cities: a culture city called Trinna, home to the original Coraan structures, and the surface capital Reyi'alu. Where Trinna is composed of only one large ancestral site, Reyi'alu is a city of magic and wonder, built on the ever-growing initial coral structures of their ancestors before them. Towering spires of magically-living hard coral structure loom above the surrounding jungles, home to the various citizens of the city. Canals cut the city into a web, with underground and underwater buildings, turning the canals into streets of their own to those who don't mind a swim.

Culture

The sea elven people put a large focus on some rather traditional draconic beliefs, like strength, efficiency, and productivity. Many various kinds of physical sport are popular beneath the waves, one of the most popular being a game called Source Lock in Seddenese. The game involves a large net, sphere of force, or other form of physical barrier being set up to create a large sphere, usually 100 feet wide, beneath the water. Then, two teams of five play to compete for the most points. The games basic rules are simple: No magic, no drawing blood, and no leaving the sphere. The first to get ten points wins. You get a point whenever the ball, which starts each round in the center, enters one of the enemy teams three rings. Each one a different size, with the largest being worth 1 point, the middle worth 3, and the smallest worth 5. They can held, moved, or placed in any way so long as they aren't being blocked off. Teams often carry them on their backs, or kick them away from incoming balls. The game is played by the casual and competitive alike, with some even coming from the surface to play, using magic to handle breathing the water better.

Territories

Unlike other nations with drawn borders, either with fences, rivers, mountains, or so on, Coraar claims the entire ocean to be it's territory. Few others contest this, and over time the various underwater civilizations beneath the waves have slowly become assimilated into Coraar. The merfolk, cecaelia, and many more have all been caught in the crossfire of this political claim, and few can do much about it.

Foreign Relations

For the most part, Coraar has remained neutral given its location when it's come to political conflicts. It's acted as a bit of a catalyst for many though when it comes to magical influence. It was the people of Coraar who first made contact with Harna, and connected them to Muria through the Shelf. Besides that though, Coraar has remained in neutrality for long time now.

"Ever flowing, like the tides."

Founding Date

1359

Type

Geopolitical, State

Alternative Names

The Land of the Sea Elves, The Underwater Empire

Demonym

Coraan

Currency

Coraar has never had it's own printed currency.

Location

Sedden

Official Languages

• Coraan
• Seddenese

Neighboring Nations

• Crustai
• The Shelf

Housing Mechanics

Demand: None
Land Quality: Wild
Possible Docks: Air, Planar, Water
Special Rules: When constructing a home in Coraar, you can build your structure in one of it's many underwater settlements. Nothing changes about the structure besides the fact that is deep below the water.