City-State of Merya (Meh-ree-uh)

Connecting Najha with Radhaputni and Chientzu, the land bridge known as The Asseri Strait Is known for it's slave trade and arid landscapes. The land is divided by two city-states with the eastern one being the city-state of Merya.
The area belonging to the city state of Merya has a dry weather, with jagged mountains making it harder to pass through the Asseri strait. Nonetheless, every year, caravans pass by, slowly but steadily, zigzaging through the landscape, first passing through Merya and, before continuing to Lonys.
The Meryans and their neighbours have perfected the trade of a commodity shun by many but still used immensely on some states: slavery. The biggest slave markets can be found in these cities, but each one has different ways of getting them.
In addition to slave trade, pottery, jewelery and carpentry are businesses that the Meryans have perfected over the years. They mainly import obsidian, lapis lazuli, pebbles and wood, in particular cedar. Resin is also a sought-after commodity, especially by the upper classes. Its masons and jewelers are skilled at working with alabaster, ivory, iron, gold, silver, carnelian and lapis lazuli.
Merya is one of the oldest cities of the human world and their soldiers have perfected the use of handaxes to an extent they can terrorize foes with a clean hit, so they can be easily captured and eventually sold in the large slave markets that are spread through Meryan territory.
Aside from their elite axemen, known as Vultures of Merya, the city-state's military strength focuses on an organized infantry capable of forming phalanxes and equipped mainly with spears and reinforced leather shields. Their cavalry is mainly the use a two to four-wheeled cabin powered by four onagers as cavalry. These primitive chariots carry soldiers equipped with battle axes and spears.
Due to the intense heat most of the year, the city-state soldiers and warriors avoid wearing heavy armor, prefering some extra mobility.
Both Asseri city-states spread their religion and tradition through small cilindrical stones, no bigger than a forearm, called "Nam-Sub". These stones are spread througout the region, each having a prayer, incantation or teaching. Priests are known as "En" while high priests as "Ensi". Priestesses have their own hierarchy and are known as "Nin".
Meryans, just like their neighbours, are extremely zealous folk, worshipping their gods, the Asseri Pantheon, blindly. In Merya, the most worshipped god is Inana, the goddess of love and war.
Contrary to Lonys, a theocratic Republic, the Meryans have a clear monarchy, with their king seen as a figure of worship, a demi-god between mortals with the title of warrior king.
Agriculture also has a strong impact on the nations of the region and these are highly dependent on the main river of the Asseri Strait, Tehphrat, that passes through both cities and it's flooding is crucial to the farming of these nations. The river and it's floods has helped both states to develop their irrigation systems, with canals built to allow the water to spread to more urban areas, while reservoirs help keep the water reserves in times of need.
Besides their basic farming, where Merya mainly grows barley, peas, lentils, wheat, dates, onions, garlic, lettuce, leeks and mustard, they breed sheep, goats, cattle and pigs. Cattle are used as pack animals and horses are used for transport, mainly donkeys and onagers. In addition, its hunters are skilled against gazelles and pheasants and the river, very rich in marine fauna, is used extensively to feed the population.
These people love music and it is present in the daily life of its inhabitants, being used not only in the day-to-day life of the population, through festivals, but also very present in religion, accompanied by chants. The most popular musical instrument among the Meryans is the lyre.
Both Lonysians and Meryans speak Asseri, the language of the Asseri Strait, and one of the oldest languages in the world. Due to it's remote location, the language has barely seen any changes since it's conception, Being so different from other languages, makes it also harder to learn, but that won't stop the most curious ones.
Meryans are a conservative society, emphasizing tradition, and live under a set of laws guarded by their codes of law, carved on impressive obelisks, which are scattered in the main squares of their settlements.
Social classes are divided between free citizens and slaves, but also between men and women. Below the “lu-gal”, term used for the king, there are the free citizens, “lu”, and the slaves. These in turn are divided into “arad”, male slaves, and “geme”, female slaves. The “geme” are mainly used as weavers, millers and potters. A son of a “lu” is called “dumu-nita” until he gets married. An unmarried free woman, “múnus”, while underage is considered “dumumi”. A wife is known as “dam” and a widow “numasu”. Widows are encouraged to remarry.
A bit like its rival and neighbor, Merya is known for the imposing and massive walls and gates that surround it, ensuring the safety of its inhabitants. Outside these massive walls, a well-structured complex of farms and irrigation ensure the subsistence of its people.
The zone covering the Teh'Phrat River is sparse in trees and ores. Because of this, this culture bets on an architecture where its buildings are built essentially with flat-convex mud bricks. With its most prestigious buildings such as temples and palaces being built with the help of the most recognized ores.
Unique to the Meryans is their penchant to build massively wide temple towers known as ziggurats, meaning mount of god. Meryan priests and kings go inside them to ask for the Gods' blessings. citizens believe the Gods live inside these towers. They usually build special temples for the Gods on the top of these. Foreign scholars believe that the builders might place a bed inside this special temple in which the Gods can sleep. Outside the ziggurat, they attached a staircase of approximately 100 steps, which they believe the Gods could use to climb down to earth.
Ziggurats are made of mud bricks and are built near temples located in the center of each city. They standd as high as 80 feet, extend as wide as 200 feet, and could can be seen from 20 miles away. Because ziggurats have several levels, hundreds of people are required to build each one. Inside, the ziggurats are decorated with zigzag and triangle patterns on the walls and columns.
Locals of Asseri Strait are usually between 1.50 and 1.80 meters tall. Men tend to have a tanned skin tone, due to the intense sun in the region. Their hair is always in dark tones and they like to wear elaborate beards, forming them into straws and interconnected by gold rings. These wear colorful and golden robes. The women likewise have a tanned skin tone and wear light, golden garments.

Main Hub

Merya

The great city of Merya, proud jewel of the Meryans, can be found divide by the great river Tehphrat, on the western side of the Asseri Strait.
The city's mostly sand colored buildings makes it blend with the arid landscape around it. It's walls rise high above the ground and thick, mostly made of mudstone, while several ziggurats can be foundd scattered throughout the city, the biggest being the lu-gal's Palace, and just above it one can find the Temple of Inana, God Patron of Merya.
The city spread wide due to it's high population, eventually occupying both margins of the great river. To help with this division, Merya built several bridges that rise above the water so that smaller river boats can pass. Most of the shores have several steps, where people can use it to dock their boats, depending on how high the river water is.
The city boasts a large market district, where squares are turned into bazaars filled with people trying to sell the most diverse types of wares, be it finished goods or raw materials.

Meryan Traits

Meryan Ethnic Proficiencies

Characters with this trait are proficient with the following: Shortbow.

Heavy Armor Restrictions

Characters with this trait can't use heavy armor.

Sect of Inana

+1 to the Spells DC check for Clerics, Warpriests, Inquisitors and Paladins of Inana. This bonus increases by 1 every 5 levels.

+1 to Heal skill checks. This bonus increases by 1 every 5 levels.

Vultures of Merya

+1 to Attack and damage rolls with hand axes. this bonus increases by 1 every 5 levels.

On successful crit with this weapon, in a 30ft radius around it, enemies become shaken for 1 rounds (Will save DC 15+1/2 character lvl). An enemy can only be affected by this once per day.

Characters with this trait can choose to cause non-lethal damage without penalties with hand axes.

Wealthy People

Characters with this trait start with double the amount of starting gold.

Shrewd Merchant

Characters with this trait can roll twice for Appraise and Profession Skill Checks and choose the higher roll.

Zealous Faith

+1 to Will saves. This bonus increases by +1 every 5 levels.

New God

Inanna, The Asseri Goddess of Love and War

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Domains: Charm, Community, Healing, Law, War.

Mysteries: Healing, Battle

Favored Weapon: hand axe

Type

Geopolitical, City-state