Bau
"Bau? Oh, Bau... yes. Lovely country, if you can get to it. Honestly I had forgotten all about the place until you mentioned it. It's only been around for three-quarters of a century you see, so its practically a baby by national standards." Finn MacCaul, Travelling MerchantNestled in the southernmost reaches of the Horns of the World amidst tundra, thick pine forest, and snow is the small, isolated nation of Bau. Formerly thralls of the Akhi, the Bau earned their independence at the end of The Last War in the Treaty of Unkombe, and are now getting their feet under them as they learn to manage a new nation.
Demography and Population
Bau is a relatively small nation that houses only 4.7 million people, most of which live in small towns, villages, or farmsteads. The majority of these settlements are clustered around the Bauna Peninsula, with only a handful of mining towns and lumber mills south of the Gulf of Fiora. As of 72 ARF, Bau's population is rising, largely due to the influx of refugees coming to the nation from Moki'Seh.Technological Level
Bau is in a strange place technologically speaking. Historically, they had very little access to technology as very rarely did new innovations make it through the Akhi empire and into their lands. In the modern era however, refugees fleeing Moki'Seh due to the nation's instability have brought with them technological innovations far beyond what the Bau would normally have access to. This propelled them forward substantially, and though their ability to produce these technologies is still limited, their access to them is far beyond where one would expect them to be.Magical Level
The Bau inherited a small propensity for fire magic from their former leaders, a necessary thing in the frigid wastes and peaks of the southern parts of their nation. They also have become skilled with preservation enchantments, allowing them to keep artifacts in pristine condition for long periods of time. Other than these two things, the Bau have little skill or interest in The Aether.Culture
by MidJourneyAI
An Isolated Melting Pot
Despite its relatively isolated location, Bau has a surprising degree of genetic diversity among its population. The reason for this is largely due to the fact that when Bau was still part of the Akhi Empire it was used as a land of prisoners and exiles, meaning anyone who transgressed Akhi law from across their empire had a chance to be sent to Bau. These prisoners and exiles eventually formed communities to take care of one another, and relationships between members of these communities lead to children with widely varied genetic makeups. This phenomenon is exacerbated further in the modern era as refugees from Moki'Seh add even more diversity to the gene pool of Bau.A Culture of Collectors
Because of Bau's poor economy and largely non-existent exports, many families in Bau tend to hold on to every scrap they can for the sake of survival. This leads to a people that collect everything from old newspapers to canned food to ancient magical artifacts. The Bau are not stingy with access to these items however. Because of the nation's commitment to the health of the collective, most of these collections are housed in special sprawling structures that anyone in the community can access. These structures are called to as 'Olandus', and are half way between museums and libraries. Additionally, because of their commitment to historical preservation and their skill with preservation enchantments, the Bau capital, Unua, was chosen to house the The Great Ioran Archive in the aftermath of The Last War. This grand structure houses many important historical documents from throughout Ioran history, and is considered the largest and most comprehensive historical record in the world.Religion and Philosophy
Historically, most Bau families were composed of individuals deemed unfit to be a part of Akhi families or criminals exiled to Bau lands. Though this fostered a disdain for traditional Akhi family structure, the principle of caring for a large group of people remained prevalent in the minds of the people of Bau. This lead to the development of Kalu Nuahna, a faith based on the idea that everyone in Bau was part of one great extended family. Followers of Kalu Nuahna are expected to treat everyone from Bau as if they were family, but to never abide those who sought to harm their family. Despite this attitude, there are still rules in place surrounding what is and is not acceptable as far as relationships between individuals go. Romantic relationships between people who are blood related are still strongly looked down upon.Food
Food in Bau tends towards simplicity over style, and often features hearty and filling ingredients like potatoes, yams, oats, cream, barley, rice, and mushrooms. Communal porridges, soups, and stews are often served at large events, though these dishes are largely vegetarian as meat is hard to come by in the nation. On special occasions or when money allows, meals will generally feature beef, goat, and mutton. Popular fruits and vegetables include beets, carrots, onion, cloudberries, blackberries, and cabbage and dishes are spiced with pepper, garlic, mustard, and the water from pickled cucumbers. Desserts are often made from buckwheat or other grains, and are topped with honey, jam, or sour cream. The most popular drinks in Bau are water and tea, though alcoholic drinks like mead and wine are often consumed regardless of age. Vodka is the most prevalent alcoholic drink, but given its alcohol content is reserved for individuals 16 or older. Pubs, breweries, and taverns are common sights in Bau settlements, and are often packed to the walls at night with people singing, dancing, and eating. Most food in Bau comes from farms within the nation, mostly on the Baunu Peninsula, though some more exotic ingredients are imported from Akhi and Lavonza.Fashion
Bau fashion tends to favor practicality over style and, like the fashion of Nyota and Akhi, is not gendered in any way. Most Bau clothing is loosely cut and neutrally colored to allow for layering, and few items feature any kind of significant embellishments. Fur, wool, and leather are common materials for Bau fashion, and hardware is most commonly made from steel, iron, or silver. Jewelry other than simple pendants or cloak clasps are rarely seen in Bau.Art
Most Bau have little time to commit to art, but those who do tend to work primarily in sculpture, painting, calligraphy, and pottery. Most Bau homes are sparsely decorated artistically speaking, with only a few pieces passed down through the generations adorning the walls and tables. However, while very few people in Bau are artists by trade, many take up artistic hobbies to pass the time, and there are many whittlers, small scale sculptors, knitters, and flower arrangers among the Bau citizenry.Architecture
Like many aspects of Bau society, their architecture tends to favor simplicity and function over design. Their buildings are often made from stone, wood, or clay, with visible beams and thick highly sloped rooves to encourage the snow to slide off. Many Bau structures also have large, centrally located cooking hearths and/or fireplaces to heat the insides of their homes, though immigrants from Moki'Seh have introduced them to the idea of electric space heaters.Music
Music is a common part of day to day life in Bau. From work songs to sea shanties to pub singalongs, the Bau are always making some kind of music. Other than vocals, many Bau songs include a heavy emphasis on percussion, likely inherited from their time under Akhi rule. Besides these, they use very few instruments in their music, as it is difficult to keep them tuned in the cold weather. Modern Bau music tends towards acoustic stringed instruments, traditional drum kits, and choirs.Holidays and Festivals
Liberation Day
Celebrated on the anniversary of Bau's independence from Akhi, Liberation Day is a relatively new festival that has only started to take place over the past 76 years. Held in late summer, the Liberation Day festival often features large singalongs, a community stew, and frozen treats to help with what little summer heat they have in Bau. In larger towns, the event often ends with a large scale fireworks display put on by a group of pyromancers. Though this is one of the most popular events in Bau, many individuals originally from Moki'Seh choose not to participate given how close it is to The Day of Remembrance.Hibernation Week
During the shortest week of the year, the Bau engage in a tradition called Hibernation Week. Before the event, citizens are expected to stock up on food and supplies, and during the week, are instructed to stay inside their houses as much as possible to conserve heat. Many Bau also take this time to catch up on sleep or practice hobbies they don't normally engage in throughout the year. In modern times, those who do not have close relationships with their families have started a counterculture movement where they all gather at one communal house and spend the week drinking alcohol, eating, playing board games, reading, and watching TV.Politics
Internal Politics
Bau operates under a system of Parliamentary Democracy, where individuals from towns of a certain size are elected by the community and sent to work at the parliament in Unua, with the intention of them advancing the interests of the communities they hail from. After motions are passed by the parliament, they are sent to be approved by the nation's Prime Minister, who can choose to veto the motion if the vote was within a certain threshold. There are a handful of parties in Bau politics, which range from the Nuahnists, who believe the nation should embrace a more isolationist attitude, to the National Freedom Party, who believe that Bau should be a safe haven for all who seek to escape the ravages of The Last War. Economically speaking, Bau operates under a mixed economy. Under this system, every citizen has their basic needs provided to them by the government, but they have the ability to earn extra income through traditional vocations.International Relations
Given how young a nation Bau is, it has had few opportunities to develop strong relationships and alliances with other nations. The only major world power that Bau has any sort of close relationship with is Moki'Seh, though the citizens of Moki'Seh have mixed feelings on Bau. Some see the nation as a safe haven, free from the turmoil of their own, while others consider it backwater or even primitive compared to Moki'Seh and look down on those who have chosen to emigrate. Other than this relationship, Bau has a not uncommon amount of animosity towards Akhi, though the relationship between the two nations is slowly beginning to repair as the Akhi make reparations.History
A Land of Exiles
In the ancient past, much of the land Bau now occupies was set aside to be a land of exiles by the Akhi Empire. According to law, anyone who egregiously violated the laws of Akhi or was deemed unfit for Akhi society would be exiled to Bau, with the instruction to never again return to the land of the Akhi. This worked out fine at first, but as the Akhi began to exile more and more individuals for less and less valid reasons, the people forced to live in the lands began to congregate. Eventually, the city of Unua formed and its citizens put in a bid for freedom. The Akhi, not wanting to lose control over land that was technically theirs, offered to allow Unua and the Bau lands into their empire with the provision that they would follow the laws and edicts of the Akhi empire. In return, citizens of Unua would theoretically have voting rights within the Akhi government and would be provided with resources and food from Akhi at regular intervals. After a contentious debate amongst the citizens of Unua, it was agreed that they should take the Akhi up on their offer, and Unua officially became a vassal state of the Akhi empire.Under Akhiese Rule
During the time that Unua was under Akhi's rule, the citizens of the city were treated quite poorly and the promises of supplies and resources came far less regularly than had initially been agreed. In addition, the land was still used by the Akhi as a dumping ground for exiles and prisoners, and Unua's sprawl could only contain so many individuals. Other towns began to form, first on the outskirts of Unua's land, and later far from the city. When these cities allied with Unua in 161 AV, it was all the Akhi could do to maintain control over the budding nation. During the The Age of Regrowth the Bau lands attempted to seceded from Akhi more than once, but any attempts at military action against their owners were met with swift and decisive judgement. Relations between the two nations began to fester even more than they already had, and by the time The Last War broke out, Bau was in full blown rebellion. The Akhi, unable to contain the rebellion, abandoned any hope of controlling the Bau lands in the future. At the end of The Last War, Bau was granted freedom from Akhi in the Treaty of Unkombe.
Founding Date
1 ARF
Capital
Demonym
Baunu
Government System
Democracy, Parliamentary
Economic System
Mixed economy
Location
Neighboring Nations
Produce, Meat, Technology, Crafted Goods
Exports
Lumber, Stone
Common Physical Traits
- No common traits among citizens.
5' 7"
Average Weight
145 lbs
by MidJourneyAI
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