Pisocenia (Piso-tschenia)
Overview
Pisocenia is one of those countries which were attacked by the demonic hordes after the creation of The Spiral.
History
Pisocenia is one of the oldest countries and the one which hasn't seen much wars. Reason for that is the entire country being a burning hell. There are no real roads, only a few oases besides small settlements and the capital of Mearis under the sun.
According to the history books the first people of Pisocenia arrived in the south of the land and founded their capital on the spot including the port of Mearis.
Mearis was quickly growing and some of the descendants of the original founders began the journey to the north to find more possible places to settle.
More and more small villages were founded and some of them were growing into small cities under the rule of the Vancant and his loyal servants, the Cantero. Each of the settlements, be it village or city, has a leader called Arith.
Since the land is very hot and dry there were only a few trees and some palm trees located at the oases. The few ships the Piscos have are heavily armed and not very fast, so they normally don't leave the port for war.
With the expansion of the realm some of the workers discovered stone and metal underneath the sand and in the mountains to the north. They built huge mines and three quarries to meet the demand of stone throughout the old and new settlements. Most of the stone was needed for fortifications and for some of the bigger buildings, first of all for the palace in Mearis.
Since the discovery of iron and gemstones far underneath the sand and in the mountains the realm flourished and the vaults were flowing over with gold, artifacts and favors written with golden ink on parchment.
With the discovery of iron and the possibilities it gave to the realm, the military grow mightier in its tactics and numbers. They replaced their copper weapons with iron swords and iron-tipped arrows and it was only the beginning. Shortly after this period mounted troops became the backbone of the armed forces with curved swords and shortbows; they were feared and respected far beyond the desert and the burning sands.
This was their advantage as the demons came with claws, screams and fire.
After the Spiral
Pisocenia was the country were one part of the demon army clashed against the swords, shields and arrows of the desert-forged troops. Even the winged ones couldn't break the moral and recieved a swift - and sometimes painful - death.
After a short recovery time the Vancant got in touch with representatives of the Electorial Congregation. They made the deal every country got: to send troops, resources and materials to the Black Fortress, so the havoc and suffering will not be repeated and the demons will be contained in the close vicinity of the Spiral.
In addition to this deal the Electorial Congregation offered the Vancant that every warrior who dares to perform the test can archieve the title of a Mortal God.
Culture & Religion
The citizens of Pisocenia are proud people. They honour the laws of hospitality; family is a huge part of Pisocenian life and the only one above the family is the Vancant.
Religious beliefs & Pantheon
The Vancant is the religious state leader of Pisocenia and is receiving council from one priest dedicated to one of the seven entities. This phanteon consists of the following gods. Each of them has at least one holy place like a temple or a shrine in every settlement.
Ilithir - God of Sun & Moon
A celestial being with two faces, which will change depending on day or night. The face during the day is very beautiful and really painful to look at, only the priests can endure the view for a few minutes.
The same applies for the face of the moon, which is as beautiful as the sun's face, but pale-ish blue with silverlines on the cheeks and dark coal eyes. It is as cool as the sun is hot and will bring good (or bad) dreams, the cool of the night, rest and peace for mind and body. This god goes with the pronoun of "They/Them".
The same applies for the face of the moon, which is as beautiful as the sun's face, but pale-ish blue with silverlines on the cheeks and dark coal eyes. It is as cool as the sun is hot and will bring good (or bad) dreams, the cool of the night, rest and peace for mind and body. This god goes with the pronoun of "They/Them".
"To look at Ilithir is like looking directly into the sun. Which they are. The sun, I mean. You can endure it for a short period of time but then you have to look away. Us priests... let's say, we can withstand the madness of looking at Ilithir for quite a time but we will go mad eventually too."
Mashara - Goddess of Wind & Fire
She is feared and loved throughout the realm. She will cause huge sandstorms or cooling breezes. She will sing you to sleep with the cracking of a campfire or will destroy your entire existence (probably only your house) in a howling firestorm. She is the Goddess of the seafarers and the Goddess next to Ilithir; the priests believe that the holy fire of Mashara will cleanse the infidel and the enemies of the Vancant and so of the realm.
"The torch of Mashara will cleanse the fields of sorrow; it will burn away the non-believers and purify their hearts if they survive. Believe in yourself and believe in the holy fire of Mashara!"
Lorgran - God of Earth & Stone
His domain are the mountains, the earth's crust, the stones in the walls of your home or in the walls of the Vancant's palace. He will bring earthquakes or secure the foundament of a building against it. He can strengthen the stone of a catapult so it will destroy enemy fortifications or he can weaken everything made out of stone.
"I'm doing my prayers everytime I'm going into the mines and when I'm coming out of them alive. Don't think Lordran would have it another way."
Elekha - God of Life & Death
They go with "they/them" and will appear in a body with skin resembling black marble which has a certain number of small and big cracks in it, filled with gold. They will speak with the voice of a man and a woman simultaneously.
They wear a white toga which shows on the left side under a slightly translucent part of the fabric a female breast and on the right side the male part. The rest of the body is hidden underneath the toga's fabric. As a weapon and walking stick they carry a staff with a glowing amber at the top of it.
Their hair is long and braided in the colour of the night sky.
They wear a white toga which shows on the left side under a slightly translucent part of the fabric a female breast and on the right side the male part. The rest of the body is hidden underneath the toga's fabric. As a weapon and walking stick they carry a staff with a glowing amber at the top of it.
Their hair is long and braided in the colour of the night sky.
"I saw them once. They are beautiful. Beautiful in a way you describe the horrors of war and the wonders of birth beautiful."
Dirtha - Goddess of Hearth & Home
She is described as a buxom older lady with a bright and wide smile, long brown hair (sometimes braided) and not as tall as the other entities, most of the time accompanied by a grey cat with green eyes.
Dirtha is the protector of the home in addition to Lorgran and will make your meal delicious and healthy as long as it contains the right ingredients, which means no chocolate in your stew. Even military supplies will be a little bit healthier and more nutritious then other supplies not from Pisocenia.
Dirtha is the protector of the home in addition to Lorgran and will make your meal delicious and healthy as long as it contains the right ingredients, which means no chocolate in your stew. Even military supplies will be a little bit healthier and more nutritious then other supplies not from Pisocenia.
"No, that is not how I cook. Or my mother or her mother. It is the grace of Dirtha. She is the grandmother of us all. That is way the meals graced by her are so good and full of love."
Leila - Goddess of Fertility
She is a voluptuous woman of average height with long reddish brown hair, big brown eyes, soft and caring hands and a lovely, sweet and soft voice. She cares for the women under her protection and will ensure health, a pleasant pregnancy and a safe childbirth including aftercare. She is also the Goddess of aggriculture (which also includes your sweet little garden).
Despite that she is the Goddess of Fertility she won't engage in sexual intercourse with mortals as she can't bear children with them, only with other celestial beings.
Despite that she is the Goddess of Fertility she won't engage in sexual intercourse with mortals as she can't bear children with them, only with other celestial beings.
"No, I couldn't seduce her. I tried many times and she only gave me this weary smile and shook her head. I don't think a man could resist her beautiful bosom or her hips or her eyes, but she... I don't think she would ever lay with a mortal. I don't know why I think that, it is, what it is. But my crops are healthier than ever so that is something, I guess?"
Kamhandur - God of War & Knowledge
He is a tall man with a narrow face, grey eyes and short, curly black hair. He also has a beard which covers his cheeks and chin, trimmed to a few milimeters length with sharp edges. His weapons are a spear, a short sword and a feather (probably from a Sphinx as the legend goes). His domain are the libraries and the military encampments where he will puts his knowledge about warfare to use so the troops can protect the libraries. He is the patron of scholars and knowledge-seekers without remorse as long as they seek for new knowledge, he doesn't care about the goal or the intentions of the seeker.
"We shouldn't anger him. He could swipe us away like a fly or could write something in his script for us which will drive us mad. Let us just do as he says and we will be fine."
Culture
The Pisocenians are a proud culture with strong warriors & strong women, proud to be in this hellish land and to win the battle against it day after day.
Most of the citizens care for the settlement in their own way. Some cultivate flowers and crops, others produce clay for everyday pottery, others mortar for new buildings and fixing fortififactions or the rare life support systems with their pumps and water bassins. Mearis is one of them and there is a need for good mortar and engineers to fix & rebuilt the broken things underneath the surface of the city.
The people of Pisocenia are lively and (mostly) happy in their everyday lifes. They express themselves in music, pottery, crafts of all nature like oil paintings, small statues of the Vancant or the gods and sometimes just small images of their family.
Most of the crafted goods are not really expensive, but there are some masters of the cinraft who can and will be contracted by the settlements leader or the Vancant himself.
The export with the highest demand is - besides some very interesting spices - high-class ceramic pottery, especially sets for hot drinks like teas, coffee or cocoa. Because of the scarcity of wood the creation and burning of ceramic is a privilege only wealthy customers can achive.
Normally the poorer part of the population would use air-dried pottery or wooden dishes and everyday objects, metal & iron being the exception. Sometimes leatherware came into handy and some of the more clever citizens created a cooking station with parts of a mirror and the sunlight.
Handcrafted pottery were the privilege of the middle class and only the upper class could afford ceramic pottery.
Clothing is a little bit different. With the huge fields of cotton and the next to endless supply of water deep under the surface - brougth to light with huge pumps and buckets - cotton is a cheap resource in Pisocenia and even afforadble for the poorer citizens.
Linen another resource used for crafting clothes. It is imported from the lands north from Pisocenia and affordable for the better suited population or for some of the organisations, e.g. the Guild of the Belly Dancers, known for colourful costumes and inspiring dances.
A huge range of instruments are used to accompany the belly dancer's performance like hand pans, flutes made out of stone and bone, ocarinas and string instruments.
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