Ra'akar

The Empire of Sand and Sun

Welcome to Ra'akar, land of Sandstone and Gold. This highly religious nation values its age old traditions nearly as much as it values its people. However, in recent times, this nation has been forced into poverty by the Golden Empire, with most of the populus being on the brink of starvation. So lets dive into this wounded nation, and explore the rich history hiding within the sandstorms of the Desert of Fire.

Structure

At the center of the Ra'akaran government lies the Council, a group of 30 goverment officials who act as both lawmakers and judges. They handle that of country wide issues, and because of the size of the modern Ra'akaran nation, they can also get away with dealing with some more human sized issues, like declaring verdicts on cases of treason, mass murder, and in general any major crimes are placed before them at some point in their juriscitional lifespans. Below them lie the Judges, people who decide how and where the law is applied, on a person to person basis. Below even that lies the Golden Guard, or just the Guards, who police the policies and make sure people who break them find their way to justice.

Culture

The culture of Ra'akar revolves around ideas of connectivity, and what they perceive as the flow of time and how it effects choices. Every choice is a split in the river of life, leading to the next layer of time. And once you have made your choice, the path you have taken cannot be retraced. The government relects this, with at times quite harsh punishment for those who commit crimes against Ra'akar. However this concept does not only represent the negatives in life, as people in Ra'akar will often talk of the webs of life, or a manefestation of the paths one have walked, and how they cross and intermingle with others, ultimatly connecting everyone in a web of connections, good and bad. In some people this concept can manefest as self distancing, allowing their choices to take the path of least resistence, and thus causing isolation, and others making choices purpously to draw in people, valueing the complexity of the web they weave in their relations and the purpose they put behind their life.

Public Agenda

To care for its citizens and aquire more base resourses to allow for lesser relience upon exterior trading.

Assets

Fire Sandstone, Lots of Metal, especially Gold, Powerful Sandstorm and Sunfire Magics and tech around them.

History

Ra'akar, like most modern civilizations, began as a group of similarly cultured nomadic tribes learning to settle together as a civilization. Ra'akar, however, does not possess large amounts of basic resourses in their capital, the Desert of Fire, with it being almost completely infertile in 90% of the island. So, the tribes remained nomadic until the surrounding nations began to settle, and those who had settled on the border of Ra'akar began to regularly interact with those within the borders, allowing for the spread of concepts like farming, fishing, and other necesities for civilization. This allowed Ra'akar to settle into nationhood quietly, slowly developing a system of government over many, many years. At this point people who identify as Ra'akaran can be found as far as the borders of the Calidonian Plateau, and the border between the two hatchling nations is more of a grey area the size of The Great Plains. Eventually, this grey zone, along with oposing beliefs and political ideals, leads to slowly rising tensions over many decades. This would cause an unavoidable war between Calidor and Ra'akar, and the end result of this would be Ra'akar being geopolitically trapped within the Desert of Fire, only able to trade with the Verdent Isles and Yakala safely en masse. Ra'akar, in deseperation for resourses, would attempt a failed annexation of Yakala, futher weakening them and their manpower. The lack of resourses would cause mass starvation, and greatly weaken the size and power of this nation over the coming years. This is where we now find Ra'akar in the modern day, broken and trapped, a fragment of its former glory.

Demography and Population

The population of Ra'akar has a strict chokehold upon it, with the lack of basic resourses forcing them into this state of constant starvation and poverty, especially with the massive military losses in recent years. Because of these factors, the majority of all Ra'akarans live in the city of Ra'akar, with naught but small settlements in the surrounding areas, more trade posts than cities. In Ra'akar, making it to 40 is an accomplisment, and living to and beyond 80 being seen as a blessing only presented to the few and the wise.

Territories

Ra'akar is a nation bound to its ancestral homeland by force. While they hold the land they live in dear, the geopolitical climate forcing them to stay within the borders of the Desert of Fire also prefent them from obtaining enough basic resourses to sustane the growth of the nation.

Military

The Ra'akaren military, like its people, are crippled by the severe lack of resourses, with most of the military being focused on border protection from Calidor. It is very basic, with members being tasked with any number of tasks, overlooked and ordered by Generals.

Technological Level

The nation of Ra'akar posseses the most advanced masonry and blacksmithing outside of the Teeth, along with a complete mastery over the few magics they practice. While not necessarily a jack of all trades in regards to tech, but the best at what they do.

Religion

The Church of Solkhar is the most prominent and ancient religeon within all of Ra'akar, dating back thousands of years, with carefully sculpted rituals and beliefs, shaped by the sands of time. Thus it also interweaves with the government and its laws just as it does with the individual lives of the peoples living under it. In certain areas of Ra'akar one might even find people who have only ever known the ways of Solkhar. However it is not uncommon to find those among the small coastal settlements scattering the coast of Ra'akar who worship of the Twin Gods, or even very, very rarely Nyxian or true Haelionic worship, athough not a single permanent mark of this fact exists on the island due to the scarcity and taboo nature of these religions in this highly religous nation.

Foreign Relations

The geopolitical climate is that of fire for Ra'akarans, with a vast swath of area being completely unaccepting of their kind within their borders. As a general rule, if the diretion they are in includes West in any variety, its hostile. The peoples of the north and south are some of the few peoples modern Ra'akar can call allies.

Laws

Laws within Ra'akar are usually pretty strict, as every resourse lost, or manpower downed, represents a major loss for the weakened state of this nation, as is punished as such. This can result in harsh punishments for wrongdoers, some might even say too harsh. The Golden Guards are very good at what they do, and because of the rigerous processess needed to become one, they represent a true arm of the law, 90% of the time being uncorruptable, and strong to boot.

Agriculture & Industry

Ra'akar is in a very precarios situation, in which they are granted the riches of the earth en masse, but no means to propperly trade them, and thus gain what they lack. Proper agricultural support is severly lacking within Ra'akar, with the majority of the populous relieing on carefully preserved rations year long, either imported from The Verdent Isles or fished up from the surrounding ocean.

Trade & Transport

The people of Ra'akar cannot make permanent roads within the Desert of Fire, simply because to maintain something of that nature in such a shifting enviroment is nearly impossible without great amounts of manpower devoted to it. However, what they have managed to produce is The Pillars, a system of raised sandstone pillars imbued with sun magic to produce a light glow, maintained by the sun itself, marking paths between important locations and towns. Past that it is common to utalize sandstorm magic to power Wind Sleds as a form of transport between these pillars, and often people who have lived in Ra'akar for their entire lives gain a profound understanding of the precision, power, and navigation required to navigate these paths at speeds scarce seen on Elmeron. After all, that of the Sandstorm is that of immence power and speed, properly reflected in their transportation.

Education

The people of Ra'akar are educated scarsely, but effectively. Usually Ra'akaran children will spend their days in the church, where the staff will hold lessons in exchange for the children helping to care and tend to the church. Depending on the church, this can range from daily lessons by dedicated teachers to what is effectively child labor with a sprinkling of life lessons.

Infrastructure

The people of Ra'akar spend a great deal of effort in making sure that water makes its way to the land-locked regions of its domain, however it is still very expencive to have simple nicities like a bath, or even a glass of water in certain impoverished areas. However, what Ra'akar does possess is some of the most advanced metalworking tactics known oustide of the Teeth, alongside advanced control over the specific magics they practice, however niche some may be. However, these days most manpower is focused on the preservation of life in this impoverished nation, not maintaining elite blacksmithing practices.

Mythology & Lore

Cosmology Summary: In the beginning, from an abyss of eternal darkness emerged Solkhar, a deity of light, warmth, and contrast. Striking the ground with his radiant essence, he infused the land with golden veins, birthing life and color that reflected the surrounding magics. Having completed his creation, Solkhar rested on a throne of gold among his subjects for several years. However, as the world settled, remnants of darkness rose from the earth, seeking to reclaim the world for the void. To protect his creation, Solkhar engaged in a fierce Duel with the dark, binding it to a physical form. After a strenuous six-day battle, Solkhar hurled the defeated god across the land, shattering the earth. He then imprisoned the dark in the sky, intertwined with the souls of the fallen, sacrificing his own freedom in the celestial dance.
The First Golden Mark: The story begins with a great war between the tribal peoples of Yakala and Calidor, thousands of years before modern day. It is stated that in the middle of the largest battle known to this conflict, a group of Ra'akaran warriors decided that this war had gone on long enough. They waded through the battlefield, calling out for peace, but none would stop in the frezy of the battle. Eventually, this built to the leader of the Ra'akarans becoming gravely wounded, stabbed in the heart by a dagger. He responded by erupting into a golden flame, showering the surrounding area in light and warmth. It is said a deafening cry rolled out through the battlefield,"STOP!". The battlefield frozen, and standing in the center of it all was the commander, the gash in his chest now a Mark of Gold, far more full and all-encompassing than any Mark of Gold known to history, speading throughout his entire body, from his toes to his hair. It is said in that moment between life and death, he was granted a boon from Haelion, granting him life anew. He would spend the rest of his days spreading the word of this descovery for a hundred more years. The truth behind this story is unknown, and if it is real it is likely imbellished heavilly.
The Golden People: It is said that the first peoples of the world were made of pure gold, emerging from the gold created when Solkhar first purified the world of Dark. It is also said that these people later went on to spread throughout the world, mixing with other types of magic, creating the many diverse peoples that now inhabit the world. However, some remain, and these "Golden People" are hailed as omens of good will within Ra'akar, and it is said that these people are capable of magic impossible by any others in the world. Different from most all other types of people, these people are born randomly, as gifts from Solkhar. While not impossible to find lineages of gold ajasent people, these beings cannot birth other Golden people, without it being a Gift. They instead pass on the genetics that lie underneath the gilded physical apperence.

Divine Origins

The Church of Solkhar is as old as the peoples that practice it. The tribal peoples of Ra'akar have long practiced worship of this god, and thus have an intimate relationship with it. It holds many key features similar to the Holy Church of Calidor, because historically the two peoples have long interacted, and while some of these may have been negative, none the less this has resulted in a mixed culture, especially in regards to Religious practices.

Cosmological Views

In the beginning, there was naught but endless dark, but from that void came light, warmth, fire, and most importantly contrast. This contrast created the world as we know it, giving color and life to what was once endless void. This light was Solkhar. At the spot where he first struck the ground, he imbued the land with his light, and from that spot spread veins of gold, snaking their way through the earth and with it came the light of Solkar, banishing the darkness. This light molded to the earth around it, and from it was birthed life, reflecting the surrounding magics. It is said the first life was made of pure gold, made of pure Light energy made physical. Solkhar, having completed his task, rested amoung his subjects on a throne of gold on the spot at which he first descended for a several years, which would much, much later become Ra'akar.
As the world began to settle, so did what remained of the dark, which began to rise up out of the earth in an attempt to reclaim the world for the void. However, Solkhar did not wish to see his newly made domain ransacked by the dark, and so he set out to capture the dark. First, Solkhar bound the dark to a physical form in a decleration of a Duel, before fighting this newly created god for 6 days and 6 nights. This finally concluded when Solkhar grabbed the Dark by the neck and flung it all the way from the spine to what would become the Verdent Isles, shattering the land underneath. He then grasped the stunned God and flew with it into the sky, binding it in a prison of stars, trapped by the souls of the fallen. However, in order to maintain this delicate balance, Solkhar also had to bind his form to the opposite side of the sky, to balence the scales. One life for another. And so the Moon chases Solkhar across the sky, day by day, ever hoping to free themselves from their prison of stars.
A small note is that this myth is very similar to that of the Calidonian creation myth, and this is because of the simple fact that these two cultures have historically intermingled, and in reality their cultures are very similar in origin and practice, no matter how much the peoples deny that fact.

Tenets of Faith

Never take the path of least resistance
Aspire to greatness, but never let it blind you
Avoid Avarice
Never abandon the light
Never aid the dark
Never betray the Golden Throne

Ethics

In regards to what is concidered good in the Ra'akaran culture, in general it is always considered good to further the goals of the nation, die for the nation, or on a smaller scale, to live ones life to its fullest possible amount, but never let your greed blind you. In regards to what is concidered a negative, that would include the taboo worship of the Moon, disrespecting the word of law and Solkhar, and the harming of beings of light, whether through stealing, abusing, threataning, or even murdering.

Worship

On a day to day basis, people will worship at their whim, when they feel the need to say a quick prayer or make a small offering before important moments. However, churches hold a very important role in society, as the people staffed within are trained as advisors, and are chosen because of their natural abilities in decision making and theraputic qualities. Most will visit the church weekly, asking for advise on the various aspects of life they need it in, be it love, work, life, or death. Churches also handle the handling of the deceased, usually in the form of Sun Fire cremation, however some families choose alternative methods to guide their essence back into the world. However, the most important of the religious tasks handled by those amoung the church is that of the ritual of the Golden Mark, with only a select few churches getting the honor of preforming this ritual.

Priesthood

Those who lead the religeon of Solkhar often possess some distinguishing features and roles. Some of these tasks include overseeing the creation of new Golden Marks, leading procession, and overseeing the maintanece of the church and the children within. Priesthood is usually reserved for those in possession of a Golden Mark, however it is not uncommon to find those in poorer areas holding priesthood without one. A step above the priests are the Chosen Few, those who work directly under the Golden Council to manage the maintanence and preservation of the Church of Solkhar and its traditions, usually composed only of people with a Golden Mark, and most people born of Gold rise to this rank at some point in their life.

Granted Divine Powers

The increased capabilities to practice Sun Fire, Sandstorm, and Gold magic, the ability to draw on the power of belief for magical rituals like that of the ritual to create a Mark of Gold, and even the manefestation of golden blood and eyes in the truelly devout.

Political Influence & Intrigue

This religion is an integral part of the government of Ra'akar, with often religious power often being synonymous with political and literal power in Ra'akaran society. Most laws and baseline concepts within the laws and culture of Ra'akar stem directly from the Church of Solkar, and without it, it would not be the same country, nor the same people within.

Sects

For the most part, the practice of Solkharan worship is the same across all of Ra'akar, however there are still some regional variation, such as the exact method of preforming the ritual of the Golden Mark, or how important the role of the church is in the education of children.

For the People

Founding Date

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

The Desert of Fire

Alternative Names

The Sandstone Capital, The Second Golden Empire, The People of the Desert of Fire, The Empire of Sand and Sun

Demonym

Ra'akaran

Ruling Organization

The Council of Gold

Leader Title

Council Member

Government System

Democracy, Direct

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Mixed economy

Gazetteer

The Desert of Fire.

Currency

Kaelt, carefully carved with Sun Fire magic with a method known only to government officials, creating striking patterns on the stone.

Kaelt by Blurple2

PiecesPieces noun :

a portion of an object or of material, produced by cutting, tearing, or breaking the whole. a piece of cheese

verb :

assemble something from individual parts. the children took turns piecing together each other's jigsaw puzzle
extend something. his coming and assisting them was like a cordial given to a dying man, which doth piece out his life
patch (something). if it be broken it must be pieced

Detected language : English

Major Imports

While the people of Ra'akar have developed skills relating to fishing and the little agriculture possible within the arid borders of their land, the people of the Verdent Isles can produce tenfold the amount capable of the arid lands encompasing Ra'akar. This, combined with the fact that Ra'akar is in possesion of mass amounts of earthly tresures, produces ideal trade conditions, and this connection is the reason Ra'akar is able to scrape. Were this last connection to shatter, who knows what would become of the people of the Desert of Fire.

Legislative Body

The Council of Gold

Judicial Body

The Judges

Executive Body

The Golden Guards

Official State Religion

The Church of Solkhar

Deities