Qadar's Stand
Tonight is the Stellanox; the Corvus Constallation will peer over the peaks of Mount Vestige and bless us with its magnificence. The ceramic streets roar with life as families bring their children out to watch astronomers set up grand telescopes around the bronze statue of Qadar. The branching rivers, usually the city's main line of transport, is congested with dozens of idle gondolas selling confections to boat-hopping kids. Even the stalwart guards along the city walls are visibly giddy in their posts. Then, the sound of grinding metal, and the lively crowd pipes down to a murmur before falling silent completely. Within Qadar's golden palms the Astral Compass turns to point East, its shell scraping against the statue. On the horizon, Corvus's first star has made it over the peaks, and the crowd cheers.
Structure
StarGazers
Qadar's Stand was built upon and is governed based on the doctrine of Astromancy; an ancient practice which dates back to the days of the hero Qadar himself. It is said that Qadar consulted the skies in his decision making, reading the stars as if it were a tome. While Qadar left no scripture detailing his methods and rituals, his contemporaries were taught the basics and later learned to adopt it themselves. Modern day StarGazers, now the ruling council of Qadar's Stand, has the task of deducing judgements from the movement of heavenly bodies. Aiding them is their most sacred relic, the Astral Compas, a gift handed from Qadar which points to positions at the sky seemingly at random. The people of Qadar's stand regard StarGazers as messengers of the heavens and the head of the council, currently Sage Seer Miralda, a figure of divine authority. Arms of Qadar
A ruling authority in their own right, the Arms of Qadar is the predominant military might throughout the western coast of Muria. The Arms of Qadar holds firm command over the West Seas, making them a key player in enabling maritime trade and transport routes. The Grand Admiral, Captain Lorenzo Polt, often quarrels with Izeran commanders, rebuffing their attempts at abusing Qadar's Stand's command over the Manggalan Seas for Izeran agendas. Izera's navy has even clashed with the Arms in the past, but even Izera's larger fleet could not compete with that of the Arms. Aside from their skilled sailors and mastery of celestial navigation, the key to the Arm's might lies in their secret weapon: cannons of flame which sets alight not only enemy ships, but the very waters of the sea itself.
Qadar's Stand was built upon and is governed based on the doctrine of Astromancy; an ancient practice which dates back to the days of the hero Qadar himself. It is said that Qadar consulted the skies in his decision making, reading the stars as if it were a tome. While Qadar left no scripture detailing his methods and rituals, his contemporaries were taught the basics and later learned to adopt it themselves. Modern day StarGazers, now the ruling council of Qadar's Stand, has the task of deducing judgements from the movement of heavenly bodies. Aiding them is their most sacred relic, the Astral Compas, a gift handed from Qadar which points to positions at the sky seemingly at random. The people of Qadar's stand regard StarGazers as messengers of the heavens and the head of the council, currently Sage Seer Miralda, a figure of divine authority. Arms of Qadar
A ruling authority in their own right, the Arms of Qadar is the predominant military might throughout the western coast of Muria. The Arms of Qadar holds firm command over the West Seas, making them a key player in enabling maritime trade and transport routes. The Grand Admiral, Captain Lorenzo Polt, often quarrels with Izeran commanders, rebuffing their attempts at abusing Qadar's Stand's command over the Manggalan Seas for Izeran agendas. Izera's navy has even clashed with the Arms in the past, but even Izera's larger fleet could not compete with that of the Arms. Aside from their skilled sailors and mastery of celestial navigation, the key to the Arm's might lies in their secret weapon: cannons of flame which sets alight not only enemy ships, but the very waters of the sea itself.
Culture
The citizens of Qadar's Stand are a proud people with a strong sense of national identity. They eagerly contribute to local festivities, be it observing celestial events, celebrating Qadar's various accomplishments, or the more mundane group fishing trips. They are confident in the might of their city, believing themselves to be descendants of the mythical hero Qadar who once single handedly defended the city from endless waves of arcane abominations.
Astromancy
Believing cosmic bodies in the skies to be gods, the people of Qadar's Stand look to the heavens for guidance and insight. Sometimes this process can seem logical, such as checking the phases of the moon before scheduling fishing trips. Most times, the process would seem like no more than fortune telling. The citizens look up to the StarGazers as the wisest amongst them, most proficient in decoding the messages of the gods above. Some even believe that mastery of Astromancy would grant nigh omniscience. In truth, over the years Astromancy has become diluted with mundane superstition. What teachings of Qadar it might once contain is all but lost to the ages. Descendants of Qadar
Despite being a relatively small state, Qadar's Stand and its people are dauntless, even in the face of the much larger Izera. Having a long history of wars and disasters spanning all the way back from the Age of Fantasia, Qadar's Stand rarely feel threatened by current events, seeing them as minor hurdles when compared to the dooms of the past. This is fueled further by a culture of story telling centered around Qadar's feats during the Fantasia Crisis. After hearing countless embellished retellings of Qadar's battles since they were little, citizens of Qadar's stand have developed unfaltering faith in the strength of Astromancy; the power they've inherited from the hero Qadar. Sailing
Even since their humble beginnings as a seaside village, Qadar's Stand has relied heavily on the sea for sustenance and travel. This has caused them to become very attuned to the sea. The people of Qadar's stand are incredibly skilled in boat making and sailing, so much so that even within the city walls they use boats to travel through rivers routed throughout the city. This prevalence of sailing activities is one cause of the Arm's strength, as even their greenest recruit would have ample experience in manning fishing vessels and navigating the seas using nothing but the stars. If nothing else, one would be hard pressed to find any Qadarian who is unable to swim. People of Faith
Citizens of Qadar's Stand are subservient to the StarGazers, believing all too easily that even the strangest decrees are guided by precognition or knowledge of some unknown secret granted by Astromancy. As a result StarGazers need not rely on any sort of enforcers to uphold their rule, as to go against them is to go against the will of the gods. There is, however, a level of disunity amongst the people as members of the StarGazers council often make differing, sometimes contradictory, decrees. This is compounded further by the Astral Compass, which in recent months has only pointed straight up. The differeing interpretations of this phenomena given by the StarGazers has divided the people into sects, each believing that other sects are lead by charlatans. With international unrest just on the horizon, Sage Seer Miralda worries that should war come, she will not have the full support of her StarGazers.
Believing cosmic bodies in the skies to be gods, the people of Qadar's Stand look to the heavens for guidance and insight. Sometimes this process can seem logical, such as checking the phases of the moon before scheduling fishing trips. Most times, the process would seem like no more than fortune telling. The citizens look up to the StarGazers as the wisest amongst them, most proficient in decoding the messages of the gods above. Some even believe that mastery of Astromancy would grant nigh omniscience. In truth, over the years Astromancy has become diluted with mundane superstition. What teachings of Qadar it might once contain is all but lost to the ages. Descendants of Qadar
Despite being a relatively small state, Qadar's Stand and its people are dauntless, even in the face of the much larger Izera. Having a long history of wars and disasters spanning all the way back from the Age of Fantasia, Qadar's Stand rarely feel threatened by current events, seeing them as minor hurdles when compared to the dooms of the past. This is fueled further by a culture of story telling centered around Qadar's feats during the Fantasia Crisis. After hearing countless embellished retellings of Qadar's battles since they were little, citizens of Qadar's stand have developed unfaltering faith in the strength of Astromancy; the power they've inherited from the hero Qadar. Sailing
Even since their humble beginnings as a seaside village, Qadar's Stand has relied heavily on the sea for sustenance and travel. This has caused them to become very attuned to the sea. The people of Qadar's stand are incredibly skilled in boat making and sailing, so much so that even within the city walls they use boats to travel through rivers routed throughout the city. This prevalence of sailing activities is one cause of the Arm's strength, as even their greenest recruit would have ample experience in manning fishing vessels and navigating the seas using nothing but the stars. If nothing else, one would be hard pressed to find any Qadarian who is unable to swim. People of Faith
Citizens of Qadar's Stand are subservient to the StarGazers, believing all too easily that even the strangest decrees are guided by precognition or knowledge of some unknown secret granted by Astromancy. As a result StarGazers need not rely on any sort of enforcers to uphold their rule, as to go against them is to go against the will of the gods. There is, however, a level of disunity amongst the people as members of the StarGazers council often make differing, sometimes contradictory, decrees. This is compounded further by the Astral Compass, which in recent months has only pointed straight up. The differeing interpretations of this phenomena given by the StarGazers has divided the people into sects, each believing that other sects are lead by charlatans. With international unrest just on the horizon, Sage Seer Miralda worries that should war come, she will not have the full support of her StarGazers.
Public Agenda
Despite being under the Izeran Federation, Qadar's Stand generally regards the federation unfavorably and often considers bureau activities within their region as infringements on their sovereignty. While Qadar's Stand has agreed to cooperate with Izera due to the ongoing Midnight Crisis and the instability of the midland region, embers of rebellion are starting to form within the populace and the government alike. Indeed, it is unlikely for the pride of Qadar's Stand to tolerate Izeran rule for much longer, and while its government has not supported the rebellion in any official capacity, there are numerous members of the council and the Arms within the ranks of the rebels.
Founding Date
4409 DA (or -104 MA)
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Government System
Theocracy
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Gold
Legislative Body
StarGazers
Location
