Sihndroma

With tropical rainforests, countless (black sand and green sand and red sand and white sand) beaches, soaring mountains, and diverse subcultures, Sihndroma’s territory expresses many of the biospheres found on Evara. This harsh but beautiful place is home to the Chariot, a volcano that sits atop the magma vein responsible for Sihnolae’s popular hot springs.

Visual Interest Board

Geography

The portion of the Ululaaʻau Momona Rainforest (called Yutakanari, the Rainforest of Riches, by Sihnolae) that extends into Sihndroma is the nation’s most valuable economic asset. Within it are plants, trees, and animals that are coveted for their medicinal, magical, and aesthetic properties. Ironwood is used to make arms and armaments. Liftwood is a key component used in the production of airships. The territory’s rainforests, while precious to the native populations, are extremely lucrative for the colonists. Of near equal importance are the coastal plains and barrier islands. The reefs, coves, lagoons, and bays along the shore teem with life and precious resources. The northernmost plains of Sihndroma experience similar harsh weather to their neighbor, Orrdia.

Religion and Politics

The political system of Sihndroma does not integrate the entire cultural area into a single governing body. Instead, it’s made up of various fiefdoms with their own leaders, who all answer to and serve under a leader, styled as His Serenity (regardless of gender identity).
Sihndromans who do not associate with the ancient ways still practice religion quite differently than most Evarans. An individual known as “His Serenity” serves as both a political leader and a mediator between Sihndromans and the Gods. His Serenity leads public group religious practices and is in charge of interpreting the messages and wishes of the Gods.
Despite His Serenity being at the top of the hierarchy, the politcs between the clan leaders greatly fluctuate in their relationships with each other and are engaged in a complex web of rivalries, vassalage, and alliances.
Historically, His Serenity identifies His own successor. Sihnolae has chosen for Him, causing a huge uproar.

Culture

• Sihndromans who identify with ancient tradition are more likely to practice covenant magic, ancestor worship, and other practices that are taboo to the Evaran pantheon.
• The dead should be respected and remembered, but their name should never again be spoken aloud after their passing.
• It is believed that land is the property of one’s ancestors. In order to reinforce the ties between the land and one’s ancestors, the dead are buried in residential compounds rather than in cemeteries.
• Elsewhere in Evara, there is a roughly 60%-30%-10% division in wealth. In Sihndroma, the division is more like 70%-5%-25% and there is a sharp contrast in the way of life of elites versus commoners.
• Elites are likely to be Sihnolaen natives or their direct descendants.
• The rich adorn themselves in chunky jewelry made of gold and jade. Commoners must substitute wood and bone for these precious materials.
• It is common for parents to save large portions of their income to give their child(ren) gold or jade jewelry as a coming of age gift.
• It is also common for residents to use vegetable dye to adorn their bodies and clothing with geometric motifs.
• Farmers practice slash and burn agriculture and residents eat primarily fish, cassava, bananas, and sweet potatoes.
  • Bow-and-arrow fishing is much more common than net- or pole-fishing.

History

Now a colony of its militant neighbor, Sihnolae, Sihndroma was once the independent nation of Ulomalomaloa. When Ulomalomaloa lost its independence, it lost its name.
Sauropsida (Lizardfolk, kobolds, tortles, yuan-ti, and nagas) founded the first nations in Ulomalomaloa during the Age of Creation. Since then, they have guarded the forests against green and black dragons, fiery creatures that emerge from the volcano, and people who would waste their natural resources. They developed agricultural practices and began to make more permanent urban centers during the Age of Conflict.
Despite the open presence of the gods, the Sauropsida of Ulomalomaloa rejected them: the gods brought more problems than their gifts were worth (In the Age of Conflict, this was largely true). Instead, they put their faith in their ancestors and metallic dragons. Shamans and druids provided spiritual guidance and linked the present to the ancestors. They constructed ziggurats, carved statues, and conquered territory for the glory of their families and for the near-immortal creatures living among them. Belief gave the ancient Ulomalomaloa power, though the gods would never confirm or deny this.
Ulomalomaloa remained unaffected by the wars during the Age of Conflict until the gods’ mortal armies needed additional resources to fuel their fight. Invaders subjugated the nation, plundering it for its rich natural resources.
In the current age, Sauropsida who adhere to the ancient customs are an ethnic minority. They are extremely hostile to outsiders and fiercely protect what they have left. Most of the native populations have integrated with others that came to the country for tourism, business, and pilgrimage in the past five hundred years. They have even emigrated to other nations themselves.

"Fire and rain nourish me"

Visiting Black Sand Beach At Waiʻānapanapa State Park In Maui by Laura and Joel

Type

Geopolitical, Colony

Demonym

Sihndroman (Sihndromans)

Government Type
Theocracy
Common Races
Dragonborn, Human, Nymph (all), Sauropsida (all)
Common Gods/Religions
Adhara, Respendent Order, Purity, Leanne, Ancestor Worship
Primary Industries
Agriculture, forestry, medicine, mining