Yotenar

When people in the Aestaran Empire think of the Yoten Highlands they think primarily of Yotenar, the vassal country to the empire residing in those dangerous mountains.
Yotenar is known primarily for their military might, but one shouldn’t (like some do) misinterpret this as a lack of intellect on their part. The people of the Highlands have always found the need to innovate in order to survive, from how they farm, to how they navigate the steep mountain cliffs and defend their settlements, and that ingenuity has increased tenfold with the founding of the League of Inventors.
While the rumored barrenness of the land Yotenar occupies is not entirely true, the danger that is associated with travelling through it is justified. Wyverns and kobolds live in the mountains to the west and ride down to harass the towns and fields of the Yoten people. Great beasts like Behiir are known to live within the mountains and other dangerous creatures burrow under the ground. In addition, heavy storms are common and in some places constant around the Tempest Peaks.
Because of this the people rarely set up small villages or choose to live out on their own, instead staying to a few large cities or towns that set up defenses for incoming attackers with fields to feed the populous immediately around them.
This has bred a sense of comradery among the Yoten people of each settlement and between each as they all can understand the dangers they face.

Structure

The Government is ruled by a supreme leader from the capital who delegates the ruling of the other cities of the nation to other leaders who directly answer to them.
The government obeys the Empire as is expected but keeps the Ministries dealings only to the necessary acts such as taxes and trade. They are one of the only vassals of the Empire who do not allow a ministry official to sit in a place of authority on their government, something that is begrudgingly accepted by the Empire as long as the Yotenar obey imperial law, pay their taxes, and submit to their rule.

Culture

Morays

The Yoten believe it is right to work not only for your own good but for the good of the community. Unwillingness to work is seen as immoral because it hampers all of society. Inability to work to better society due to old age or disability is not seen as immoral, especially for the elderly who have worked all their lives.

Folkways

Many warriors have held on to an old custom that obligates them, when they reach old age or otherwise begin losing their ability to fight, to find their final fight. This is not done with the intent to die, to go in to a fight with the intent to die would be cowardice in their eyes. Instead, they fight with all they have. At times this may mean that they survive and must find another fight to be their last. It is seen as dishonorable to deny a fellow warrior their final battle.

Taboos

• Unemployment.
• Murder.
• Wasting of food.
• Refusing to give what you produce to the community.
• Refusing a warrior’s final battle.

Celebrations/Holidays

[TBD]

Cuisine

Hardy meals with meats and root vegetables.
Stews and meat pies.
Smoked meats.

Gender Roles

Some traditional gender roles remain, but for the most part the need for productive members of society outweigh the need to uphold gender roles. In almost all aspects all genders are seen as equal aside from child-rearing and military leadership which are seen as female and male roles respectively. Military tactics however has been heavily influenced by the church of Envau to be a female-favored role.

Words vs. Deeds

The Yoten view words as empty without deeds to back them up. Stories are just that until they are proven, tales of prowess worthless unless tested. Braggarts are often dismissed or challenged for their words, but once proven their words are seen as reliable.

Entertainment

Arena fights with captured monsters from the mountains or monsters brought in by other factions such as the Blackburn Wildflowers are popular. They also enjoy board games, especially ones that require a strategic mind. Tests of strength and sports are also popular.

Strength and Power

The Yoten respect strength and power. This is not just physical strength, but mental acuity and willpower. They work to increase their own strengths and respect those with proven strength. While viewed by many outside as brutes, it is far from the truth. The Yoten, much to the disapproval of Aestara, respect the power of wizards and other practitioners.

Social Structure

Because of the dangers of the Highlands and the sparsity of arable land, everyone within Yotunar is expected to do their part to provide for themselves and their fellow Yotens. As such, unemployment is not something that is common or accepted. Those without a job can likely find one easily among one of many employers such as farms, metalworks, mines, construction, or the military. It is also believed that any who work are entitled to a place to live, so as long as one continues to work for their people they will have a place to live and money to spend. This however does restrict the amount of Aestaran style nobility with money and property but no true profession as property is restricted to those who benefit the society.

Demography and Population

A mix of many races and species from humans to goliaths, dwarves to gnomes, and even some bugbears and hobgoblins. A very few giants have also, if not officially citizens, made their homes within the borders.

Military

The military of Yotenar is comprised mainly of heavily armored and well-armed infantry supplemented by heavy artillery and siege units. Most members of the military work in other professions after their training is complete. In fact, many people choose to join the military in addition to their chosen profession.
Siege weaponry like the ballista has evolved from what most countries have into cannons. More risk than a ballista but also more powerful.
Recently a new invention has been created to equip their footmen with powerful ranged weapons powered by a fusion of alchemy and clockwork mechanisms, but these also hold a great deal of risk to the ones who use them at the moment and are used sparingly.
The Flint-box is a new invention that has also been created that allows a handheld, but expensive way of fighting in mid-range fights.
The Thundercannon was a secret project taken on by the League some years ago as a magical alternative to the hand-cannons they had been working on. While powerful in its own right, it was extremely costly to produce both monetarily and timewise. In addition, the inventor of the Thundercannon went missing after going on leave along with the only known prototype.

Stormbreakers

Elite Shock troop infantry equipped with the best gear available from the Yoten League of Inventors. Aestara has used them many times to deadly efficiency against civil uprisings and military conflicts.

Wyvern Riders

A failed idea years ago was to use the wyvern population to breed a number of mounted units to fly above the battlefield. While this was a good idea at first, it was found that the idea needs improvement as the first time they met the kobold wyvern riders of the mountains in battle there were substantial losses due to miscommunication and confusion over which side was which by the artillery on the ground.

Spine Scalers

One specialty unit of the military uses technology created by the League and extensive physical training in order to scale the mountains of the Highlands rapidly to flank enemies and scout their movements.

Technological Level

Higher than most of Harental. Because of the prominence of the League of Inventors, Yotenar produces a large amount of clockwork pieces and other mechanisms (such as lifts, cranes, etc.) that help them scale the mountains of their home with ease.

Religion

Prominent Deities include:

• Ord, god of invention and ingenuity
• Envau, god of war and strategy
• Casdia, goddess of community and family.
• Lautan, god of fury and loss.
• Valkyr, goddess of glory and death
• Reshkigal, deity of obligation and tyranny

Agriculture & Industry

Food grown by the Yoten are primarily sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, radishes, beans, peas, onions, zucchini, carrots, parsnips and rhubarb. There are also bushes and trees that grow naturally within the Highlands that are regularly tended and sometimes set up in orchards such as plums, berries and cherry bushes.
Each citizen is given the opportunity to choose their profession, but if they are found to unsatisfactory during either education or employment, or other professions are needed they may be reassigned. Though unlike most places, labor jobs are not looked down on or undesirable among the Yoten. In fact, those professions that provide for the community through production or construction are the most well respected while those that do not such as merchants are less so. For this reason it is unlikely that a merchant exists that does not produce goods of their own.

Trade & Transport

The Highlands are mostly landlocked thanks to the mountains that surround them. As such, most trade is done via caravans through the highlands out to Narel, but the Narel Trade Syndicate has made efforts to increase trade with the Yoten by establishing a trade port on the far western edge of Harental where they might reduce their trade routes from within the Inlands by passing through the mountains to the west of Storm Tower.

Education

The Yoten believe in practical education. Each child is taught the necessary information to succeed in their society including history, basic math, reading and writing. When they grow old enough to work their education narrows to the profession they are to join.

^{The crest of Yotenar, depicting their homeland, mastery of technology, and ancient legends in the use of blue lightning representing the Protector.}

Type

Geopolitical, Province

Demonym

Yoten

Government System

Technocracy

Major Exports

Iron, steel, stone, marble, wyvern and drake leather and parts, weapons and armor, Cheese (goat), Copper, Honey, Alcohol, Small clockwork pieces, cannons (to Narel only)

Major Imports

As they are unlikely to risk farming much of anything other than food with the constant risk of flooding, the Yoten import may other kinds of crops such as cotton, jute, and linen for clothing and other textiles. Wood, Fruit, Spices

Official State Religion

Old Imperial Pantheon

Location

Yoten Highlands

Controlled Territories

• Yoten Highlands

Neighboring Nations

• Aestara