Yuanlin

Land of the Frozen Shadow
The North is a cold and unforgiving land marked by treacherous mountains and barren tundras. Its people are utilitarians who value sharp thinking and intelligence over all else.

Inhabitants

The Yuanjia humans are generally quite short and slender as a result of the sparseness of food, forming a shrewd and crafty people. A portion of the population is leucistic, possessing either partial or completely white hair and eyes, said to be a sign of divine descent. Otherwise, their hair is predominately whitish-blonde and either sleek or slightly wavy.
Clever beings known as ki-ko are also prolific in the North. The Children of Terror are bipedal, ferret-like beings that were created as errand-runners for the royal family, though their population has grown to the point where the majority of them live among the human population as messengers and craftspeople.
The snowy, barren lands are home to largely hibernal beasts. Common creatures include hares, badgers, wolfhounds, foxes, shrews, elk, and deer. Most creatures have adapted to having long, plush white fur for the winters.

Society

Yuanjia society is comprised of plotting merchants, roguish craftsfolk, quick-fingered thieves, miners, and lumberjacks. They have a keen eye for appraisal and are very stubborn in their views. The Yuanjia have a proud martial tradition, and though performers and artists are few and far between, they often incorporate swords and bladework into their creations.

Power & Leadership

Yuanlin is a mercantilist state ruled by a council of the ten most wealthy members of society at any time. These seats can be achieved through inheritance, conniving wit, or uniquely valuable skill. Bribery is not frowned upon, and it is in fact encouraged to put your money where your mouth is by showing other council members how valuable certain policies and reforms are to you.
Metus himself is rumored to preside over council meetings. The wealthiest member of the council serves as the Tradelord or Tradequeen, the face of the nation, and is responsible for the collection of taxes and the payment of staff who can then manage the national treasury and see to it that money spent on reforms by choice of the council goes to the proper place. Each council member is allowed to hire an auditor to ensure the process runs properly, though plotting and blackmail is the name of the game.
Surprisingly, the council members produce an adequate amount of honest results with their politicking- no doubt due to the Metus's violent disposal of those he deems overly unhelpful to society.

Economy

Yuanlin boasts a rich and cutthroat economy. Their primary industries are metal and pine lumber.

Culture

Yuanjia names are meant to imbue children with power. Surnames are only given as titles in recognition of great status or achievement; if distinguishing individuals as necessary, they will be known by simple descriptors (Xiya Slenderfoot, Xiya of Tipek, Xiya, Wife of Jiu, Xiya the Woodcarver, etc).
They share the Common language with Akagawa, and also speak a verbal shorthand known as Tradespeak.
Less weight is placed on law and order rather than making your own place in the world, giving criminal activities and bribery a place to thrive. Honor and morality are only enforced by the Council members who profit from it, or by vigilantes.
Although Metus is widely worshipped, there is a cult that worships the moon (Baon) that proliferates in underground societies.

Notable Locations

Aypavoc (Post-Reckoning)

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Aypavoc is a large island that sits in the middle of the Endless Expanse, a great body of water with no other coast in sight. Aypavoc and its surrounding waters have been enclosed in a barrier erected by Metus to the North, Varys to the East, Eldnyng to the South, and Fastid to the West; these Divine Beasts are trapped within their domains, as too much distance from them would cause the barrier to falter. Most believers preach that the purpose of the barrier is to keep the unspeakable dangers of the open waters away from their island home, but its hidden true purpose is to contain the impure spiritual energy of Aypavoc and prevent it from corrupting the world at large. Its waters all flow towards the deepest point, Irev's Fall, a maelstrom at the center of the fractured continent.

History

As far as Divine Beasts go, Metus is unique in that he has never made himself out to be a righteous or just creature. He simply did what he had to in order to survive, and expects those who live in his territory to do the same.
In the Lost Era, the people of the frozen North lived dangerous lives, forever at war with the wilds and with each other. Legends say that Metus once took the form of a human and lived among them to better learn the plights of the people. Instead of destroying the criminals plaguing the land, he became a king of bandits despite his slight stature, making his way through the ranks with nimble fingers and a clever tongue. From there, he encouraged others to utilize their skills and fight for what was theirs instead of cowering and waiting for a savior. Since then, the Yuanjia have valued intelligence, deal-making, and adopted a proud martial tradition, where man, woman, and child are expected to know the blade.
History of Aypavoc

Relations

Post-Wraiths, Yuanlin has been an isolationist nation where none enter or leave.
Prior to that, Yuanlin enjoyed frequent trade with Akagawa, ambivalent relations with Atonement, and largely avoided the Beastsworn . They are a very practical people, and although their wealth-based values are off-putting to those of other cultures, their skills and crafts are popular with many.

Yuanjia Characters

Metus ◈ Yu Xiuying ◈ Yu Lan