Hermea (her-MEE-uh)
Hermea is an isolated island nation in the Steaming Sea. It was uninhabited until 4552 AR, when the gold dragon Mengkare decided to use it as the site of a unique social experiment he called "the Glorious Endeavor".
The Glorious Endeavor
The Glorious Endeavor is Mengkare's attempt to perfect the human race. It is a long term project which aims to make each generation healthier, more intelligent and more talented than the last. Most of the subjects are human, but members of other races are occasionally included if they have particular skills or traits that are felt to be beneficial.Structure
Hermea is governed for the greater good. The ultimate authority and arbiter of the greater good is Mengkare himself – and every adult has signed a Contract of Citizenship recognising this fact. Below him is the 13 member Council of Enlightenment who handle the day-to-day governance of the realm. In addition, almost every citizen has some kind of official authority in their area of expertise.
Mengkare wishes the citizens to govern themselves as much as possible. This allows them to make the best use of their talents and push forward the Glorious Endeavour.
Mengkare wishes the citizens to govern themselves as much as possible. This allows them to make the best use of their talents and push forward the Glorious Endeavour.
Foreign Relations
Andoran, Druma, and Taldor have all sent ambassadors to Hermea in search of an alliance. All such overtures have been politely rejected. However, Mengkare presented each ambassador with a sliver of golden crystal. These are apparently shards of a potent artifact known as the Gold Dragon Orb.
Organised religion is banned in Hermea, which may explain some religions' opposition to the Glorious Endeavor.
The island is heavily defended, and foreigners are usually restricted to the docks in the sole major settlement, Promise. Only a handful of foreigners, a fraction of those who would like to join, are welcomed into society each year. Many disappointed applicants are turned away each year; a daring few risk Mengkare's wrath by trying to infiltrate Hermean society by stealth. This includes the Pathfinder Society, which has landed only two expeditions on the island—one led by Briff Bellows. Neither group returned.
However, there are rumours that Hermean society is not the utopia it appears. Some foreign sailors perceive an undercurrent of fear beneath the citizens' apparent contentment. There are even tales of rebels opposed to Mengkare's rule hiding out in the forests at the far side of the island. And are the charred corpses that sometimes wash up on the shores of the island really the work of pirates?
Life and society
Life in Hermea is peaceful, comfortable, and progressive, the envy of the world. It is also communal; citizens are encouraged to give and take in accordance with their needs. Abuses of the system are reported to the Council of Enlightenment.Organised religion is banned in Hermea, which may explain some religions' opposition to the Glorious Endeavor.
The island is heavily defended, and foreigners are usually restricted to the docks in the sole major settlement, Promise. Only a handful of foreigners, a fraction of those who would like to join, are welcomed into society each year. Many disappointed applicants are turned away each year; a daring few risk Mengkare's wrath by trying to infiltrate Hermean society by stealth. This includes the Pathfinder Society, which has landed only two expeditions on the island—one led by Briff Bellows. Neither group returned.
However, there are rumours that Hermean society is not the utopia it appears. Some foreign sailors perceive an undercurrent of fear beneath the citizens' apparent contentment. There are even tales of rebels opposed to Mengkare's rule hiding out in the forests at the far side of the island. And are the charred corpses that sometimes wash up on the shores of the island really the work of pirates?
Founding Date
about 4552 AR
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Hermean or Hermeans
Leader
Government System
Dictatorship
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Secular ideology
Alignment
Neutral
Comments