Brillé (Bree-yuh)
The City Without Coin
The Mystery of Brillé
Brillé is a nation birthed in the early years of written history, long before the dark age of Ettermiddag. Brille has withstood the weathering of time thanks to its devout citizens, its incredible walls, and increasingly rigorous isolationism. Since their formal isolation from the outside world sometime during Ettermiddag, little information has moved in or out. While spies have been sent both ways of their walls, it is hard to say much about the society aside from the broad knowledge about their ancient history and modern government.
Known History
The lionfolk of Brillé may hold their contemporary mysteries, but we know plenty about their storied history. Usually found in elvish or Kalan are records about their existence before Ettermiddag. Unfortunately, since this was a millennia ago, there's no way of knowing if the information translates to today.
The nation is known to have three walls, which were initially constructed as monuments to their diety, J'tsan ; it was believed that their patron god would protect them through these walls.
Years after the nation's birth, it would be the legendary and cruel Tut Maut who gained the use of fire magic in the name of Brillé, much like his other Epiket counterparts. It was through the divine tragedy brought on by magic in the form of The Mountainfold that fire magic would be banned in Brillé, though its stigmatization would come later than the other nations of Renad.
While Maut Tira was known to have ascended his father to the throne, the majority of the lineage beyond that point (or before) is lost. The likelihood of the bloodline still being intact and in power is slim to none, but the family name "Maut" is known to remain alive in the country.
As for their belief system, they were known to be a conservative land up until the arrival of J'bar, who is often regarded as a trickster god incarnate, while others claim him to be a prophet. It wasn't until The Mountainfold that J'bar would disappear, and the nation would resume its conservative roots.
Modern Knowledge
While joint efforts from Kala and Nim have been made to learn of the inner machinations of the nation, little information has been revealed. By estimations, the population is rather large and follows a rigid caste system, with members of different castes being socially isolated from others. In recent years, paranoia in the populace has skyrocketed, as it seems the government has taken to squashing foreign ideas that have popped up over the years.
Perhaps the most notable pieces of information have been learned in the last thirty years. For example, rumors claim that the nation has banned the use of coin. The reasons are unknown, but it has been extrapolated that issues with the nation's accounting led to the abandonment. Whether this drastic action helped is unknown, as the nation has not accrued any publicized foreign debt.
In recent years, the nation has been known to open its borders sparingly, allowing outsiders to immigrate. Why such an isolated nation would want this is unknown, but it's sure to cause ideological issues within the country, and many theorize that this migration is the cause of their government's paranoia. Regardless, the idea of losing all of one's debt for a nation without coin or tax collectors has been appealing to many who have sought security behind the nation's walls. Modern census analysis shows that while the majority of those immigrating to Brillé are J'barri from the nation of Roja, there is a portion of elves and humans entering the country.
"The lionfolk, 'J'barri,' as they say... have scarce appeal. Savage folk from a savage land, though that shouldn't be a surprise given their history; however, among the savagefolk stands one people that celebrate their foul appeal as a gift: Brillé. To cower behind walls and citizens and ideas of false gods. I dare say, I shall scarcely go there myself, lest I become savage as well!"
Brillé has one valuable asset to outnumber all other nations of Renad: people. It's estimated citizen base is over one million, dwarfing the numbers seen in Kala and Roja. However, its isolationist nature means it is technologically inferior to surrounding nations. The land of Brillé, while fantastic for cultivation, leaves little else to be desired. With limited sources of metals, the country has been reusing its dwindling assets since Ettermiddag. Much of its coin is theorized to have been used in producing new facilities, and its general population possesses equipment most would consider outdated.
After The Mountainfold, Brillé would eventually abandon its proclivity toward fire magic while replacing it with various forms of blood magic, such as divination or healing. The nation would use this to recoup the inevitable losses in labor and fight off the coming famine and diseases resulting from the Mountainfold.
Ecosystem
Nature
The Ecosystem of Brillé is dominated by savannas. Home to vervet monkies, some of the world's most poisonous snakes, small predacious cats, and the wild Paramont. Given its biome, fires are commonplace within the nation and often necessary, but there are few recorded sightings of what the ecosystems behind the walls of Lire and Kehfri may look like, as no spy has breached the inner walls. Rain in the land is rare, but the walls are so towering that they form a rain shadow on the south side of Tirni., ensuring that the farmers on the inside can properly cultivate their land without fear of fires in certain regions. According to some legends, there may still be extant lions within the country's walls though this is often discounted as a foolish notion, given all other lion species went extinct during Ettermiddag. Within Tirni, most of the trees on the southern portion have been razed, and recovered paintings indicate that Lire may have no trees at all.
Civilization
While Brillé has a large population, most people are crammed into the vast space behind and outside Tirni. It is said that within the wall of Lire, one can walk for miles without seeing a road, sign, canal, or person. As a result, Brillé is much less "civilized" than its large walls insinuate, leaving plenty of room for nature to bloom.
The farmers of Brillé are said to be the most distant from nature by J'barri standards. They scarcely hunt, choosing to cultivate and gather rather than follow their innate J'barri instincts; by the same token, those who possess higher positions in the government prefer not to act "unseemly." Ironically, even though the nation holds the most outdated ideals, they are considered further from their true nature than any of their cousins across Renad.
Demographics
99% J'barri
Infrastructure
Brille, as spies say, is frozen in time. It has modern amenities (windmills, canals, dirt roads, shipyards), but ones which look hundreds of years behind modern standards or advancements.
Districts
J'tsan Tirne
Tirni is the outer wall of Brillé. It separates the lowest members of the caste system from both the outer world, and the "middle class" lifestyle within Lire.J'tsan Lire
Lire is the second wall, which divides those of middle-class living standards from the lower class on the outside and the regal folk within Kehfri.J'tsan Kehfri
Kehfri, originally constructed under the name J'bar Kehfri, means "heart of J'tsan." It is the inner wall that houses the regal palace to house the highest of the country's clergy, politicians, generals, and their extended families.Architecture
Buildings are mostly made of clay and wood. Buildings over two stories are rare.
All art Generated with Midjourney*
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