Edesenkol

Infusions: Bone
the ancient kingdom of Edesenkol, deeply infused with the essence of bone, is the most powerful and organised of the Sremic Kingdoms.

Geography:

The infusion of bone deeply defines the landforms of Edesenkol. domed hills take the shape of skulls, long lines of vertebrae-stones form natural walls, and giant ribs and legbones jut like pillars into the sky.
The land is dry and seasonal, backing in long dry seasons broken by intense rainy seasons that blossom with life. The natural dry-prairie ecosystem is characterised by browned grass cropped by herds of large grazing animals - mostly bison. however, the land is thoroughly farmed wherever possible, restricting the prairies to the more marginal lands - and even there, the land is broken up by dry-bone walls by the various homesteaders with herds being raised for meat.
Landmarks:

• Great Femur: a huge thighbone, jutting ninety metres into the sky in the centre of a bone-field in eastern Edesenkol. its cracking, in the year 0 Foreseen, is the most prophecied event in all history. the bone is covered from the ground up in prophetic questions, carved by generations of curious and pious augurs.

Flora and Fauna:

notable Flora and Fauna:

• Bone-trees: small forests survive in the wettest regions.
• Bison
• Skull-hogs: formidable beasts, with heavily-boned heads festooned with horns and fangs. deadly on the charge, and traditionally pull Edesenkol military chariots.
• Condors: vast, patient scavenger-birds that can be seen circling overhead for hours, wingspans sometimes exceeding six metres. their uncanny ability to turn up just as food becomes available, combined with their habit of flying bones to a great height to break them open on the rocks below, has led to the legend that they taught Augury to the first Augurs.

Religion and politics:

the state religion is worship of the holy king. though the position was originally held exclusively by men, there have been many female kings over time, making a token effort to appear male at the most formal of occasions. The king is a living god, descended directly from the creator of the universe, and are supposed to be the most powerful Augurs. Often, this is not the case, and other augurs advise the king.
though dynasties often change, there have been kings in a united Edesenkol, interrupted only a few times by civil war and the like, since the 1500 Less Foreseen. the records of the oldest Augur houses, however, reach back far further, with predictions reaching into the Ancient Era.
Augury, and the associated Foreseeing calendar, are both important parts of the Edesenkol Religion, as well as impacting many other parts of life.

• the current King is 10th of their name.
• Priests are the local rulers/administrators, possibly associated with the different Augur Houses?

Naming convention: instead of surnames, people are named in the form "[personal name] E [Birthplace]".
Questions:

• Was it ever conquered by Caracar? And if not, why not?
• reverse the king thing to be default queen? and current occupant is a bloke?
• does the monarchy collapse with the Cracking of the Great Femur?

Culture

Naming convention: people take their surname from their birthplace: for example, Cusisme e Rubric.
the noble sport of choice is chariot-racing.

History

• was ruled by various feuding tribal warlords in its early history, and was thought of as a savage land
• 4980 Less Foreseen: oldest remaining records of Augury from this time, though the tradition is likely older.
• Largely ignored during Caracaran Supplicancy.
• 1663-1572 Less Foreseen: rise of the state religion and unification under the first Augur-kings
• expanded, mostly to the east and south, meeting the shore of Lecris Bay and conquering Unathyr's Garden several times. territory ebbed and flowed over the centuries.

Demography and Population

the native Edesenkolic are bone-infused, having additional ossified skin-features that vary from individual and often act as a natural armour.
although not common, especially in the heartland areas, outsiders are seen within Edesenkol - most commonly traders from Srem, Unathyr's Garden, or the Caracaran lands to the west, although some enclaves of uninfused immigrants have existed within the larger territory for centuries.
Has a large slave population, mostly of non-Edesenkolic populations and mostly owned by the state.

Military

the Edesenkol army is among the most elite in the known world, and their troops stay honed even in times of peace by working as mercenaries in the rest of the Sremic Kingdoms and Caracar.

distinctive units:

• heavily-armoured foot-soldiers
• skull-hog charioteers

Religion

giving False Prophecy is illegal in Edesenkol. The Houses of Augurs are tied up with the state religion as well as the monarchy, so this is pretty strictly enforced and also a pretty big political gun to bring out when different houses disagree. Also pretty difficult to prove as prophecies are often vague and up to interpretation.Particularly interesting since the Monarch is supposed to be a master Augur, but that's rarely actually the case... So they end up committing this crime all the time, but nobody can admit it or prove it.

Foreign Relations

invading and holding Unathyr's Garden has long been the dream of Edesenkol monarchs. Time and again, their elite armies have marched through the dividing desert between the two regions and conquered part of all of the bountiful Garden; and every time, the strains of local resistance, maintaining a long supply chain through the desert, and revolt at home under the elevated tax burden always mean an eventual, ignominious retreat.
In the current era, the Garden is fractured and vulnerable, and the current king awaits The Foreseeing for confirmation to attack once again.

Agriculture & Industry

Various grains and cereal crops are raised here, along with the aforementioned herding. The most fertile lands, along the shores of Lecris Bay, produce the most food, but even the dryer interior is much more fertile than the surrounding Srem thanks to the bone infusion.
metal is relatively scarce within Edesenkol, so a considerable amount of bronze, iron and lead are imported from other lands.

Founding Date

1572 Less Foreseen

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Demonym

Edesenkol, Edesenkolic

Government System

Monarchy, Theocratic

Major Exports

• Augurs
• grain
• mercenaries and elite soldiers

Major Imports

• Metals
• textiles
• wine and other alcohols
• specialist goods

Location

Sremic Kingdoms