Yarai
The people of Myr call themselves the Yarai.
Basic Outline
Appearance
Brown, tanned, and olive skin is all very common in Myr. Light colored eyes in all of them are very commmon. The Yarai wear loose robes, a simple undershirt, sandals, and pants.
Common Habits
Mores
- Kings can only be tyrannical and look out for their own self interest
Folkways
- The rich usually own slaves as a sign of status
- Horses should be treated with respect, no matter the breed
- Belief that karmaic punishment will come down onto wrong-doers or their subsequent progeny; usually comes up when someone's family member is disabled in some way
- People are inherently selfish, so you need to be able to look out for your own interests in government
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History
Ashfall
The Yarai are made up of the people on the peninsula and the islands surrounding it. After the failure of agriculture due to the super volcano, the previous nation fell into chaos. People fell into roving bandit bands in order to survive the devastating waves of famine. The ruling classes tried to keep order, but didn't even have a way to keep the people that worked for them fed. The kingdom dissolved into city states where every town and city were just in it for themselves to survive. Farming towns and up river had the easiest time of it since they were able to sustain themselves even on a reduced harvest while still defending from starving bandits. Some towns endured until it was in the clear (making an excess of food) and then started to rebuild. This the promise of safety attracted people to the towns until they were all basically city states. Punctuaded by the deterioration of the roads and barely any outside influence due to the difficulty of travel during the dangerous times.
One city state, Maiyer, had the idea of the people all making group decisions for their best interests. They had decided on a military strategy of "defensive conquering" where they'd only take land if they were attacked so that the offenders wouldn't be able to attack again. It conquered slowly and eventually it got too big to do direct democracy efficiently at all. So, they let each town of a sufficient size elect a representative and they'd all meet to make decisions. This was the birth of the first republic with any real power in Helsreach.
Rise of The Republic
Some of the other city states had some power, but none were as large as Maiyer. Border conflicts would occur and they'd keep ammassing even more territory. As the skies cleared, they thrived. Roads were repaved, trade established with other nations was being restored slowly but surely. There were some strange "defensive conquerings" from some generals that conveniently put the majority of the peninsula in their hands as well as the islands out off their coasts.
Myr Asserting Itself
When the Myr Republic settled most of its internal affairs, they went on to conquer the coasts of Beshnom. They came into contact with Sirtza and battled for centuries. To learn more, read up on the history of Beshnom and Sirtza. Myr had been forced out of the region for almost 200 years, but have hired bandits to harrass the lords in the region.
Their economy is dominant in the area because of the exotic goods and crops they have. Their navy is powerful and controls the trade all around, but have been a bit pressured by the Aleirun colonies.
The Nation
Government
To even serve on the government as a representative at all you either have to have served in the military or a family member has to have been documented as having served. This effectively meant that wealthy military houses with a lot of power that were able to throw their weight around by having all of their family going into politics. Normal peasants wouldn't really have a chance because they wouldn't have the education necessary to get elected by the general public.
The leaders are called the Speakers. There's seven of them and they represent each province they're from. They handle the large decisions such as war, nation-wide taxation, laws, etc.
Each province of the nation is fairly different while one in particular is very distinct because it gets the most independence from the capitol. It's on the other side of the mountain. The provinces are allowed to do basically whatever they want as long as it's in line with nation-wide law and the people pay their taxes. This was put into place after they conquered territory on the other side of a mountain, it was basically impossible to get them to do everything they say.
Society
The politicians rule over the people, but don't have absolute power. They try to keep everything working together and live in cooperation with each province.
Rich merchants have a lot of sway in their cities and towns. Some of them are even established by the republic.
The common folk are all free and able to do what they want. A farmer could leave their farm and go and become a wanderer at any time if they wanted to.
Slaves are made so as a punishment. They aren't allowed to be treated too terribly. The slaves serve out their sentence usually to politicians and merchants.
Culture
Known for their luxurious cities and living conditions. They have beautiful architecture, delicacies are available even to the common folk, and make the finest wines in the region.
Horses are a symbol of high status and they put a huge value on them. They've bred the horses for speed, strength and intelligence.
Intelligence is a highly sought after virtue and, by extension, wit. The Yarai routinely set up plays and especially comedys in their cities and even some towns. Libraries are also set up through the help of a recently developed printing press. Some of the greatest minds find their way to Myr eventually due to the abundance of knowledge.
Military
The military is a right of passage for anyone who wants to rise in Yarai society. You can't participate in government at all unless you or a relative with a writ of proof has served for at least 5 years. If you can't serve in the military, you can't serve in the government.
To join the military, you apply to the agency within the nearest city. From there, you're trained for whatever branch you signed up for and then serve out your 2 years. Afterwards, you get a writ of service written to your name. These aren't allowed to be sold, but frequently are for a lot of money.
Their navy is much more important than their army, so they get even more respect than other officers. The navy is usually tasked with protecting Yarai waters and sometimes even serve as convoys to merchants wealthy enough to pay for the protection.
General Military Ranks
Economy
The Yarai use their superior ships to try and disrupt Aleirun/Khairae trade by collecting heavy tariffs from the foreign Aleiran. Otherwise, Khairae might do the same to them and they can't risk being put out by a growing economic power.
Merchants are generally looked down upon in Yarai society, but have been gaining increasing sway over the local military and governments. Even utilizing ships as convoys for their expeditions to Beshnom, Sirtza, and Khairae.
They generally trade exotic wines, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and hardy grain. A lot of these exotic goods are farmed on plantations on the islands on the East. Myr also brings in a lot of money from travellers eager to see the splendor of Maairi (the capital of The Republic of Myr) and the surrounding landscapes.
The Jewel in the Brush
Myr is described as one of the most beautiful places in the region. Beautiful villas and homes surrounded by exotic flowers, fruits, and art. The sun shines pleasantly all year round and the air isn't too humid. The old capital of the Kairelian Empire with its ruined architecture still stands as monuments and reminders of the greats that came before. Scholars and historians are drawn to Myr in droves because of this and the chance to go to Haiod.
