Nations of Thea (Important Figures) - Nations of the Crescent - The Pirate Nations - Nations of Ifri
Nations of Aztaln - Nations of Khitai - Secret Societies - Heroes
Among the oldest nations on Terra today, the Crescent Empire is the center of overland trade between Theah and Khitai and the origin of most major religions in Terra. Founded when Sarmion, Anatol Ayh, Persis, Ashur, and the Tribes drove off the Vodacce in the 1200s, the various national rulers at the time established a unified Empire with Empress Aaliyah of Anatol Ayh as their first ruler and the four other national leaders as members of her harem. In its 400+ year history the Empire has created Kaffee House culture, pioneered the scientific method centuries before the revered Castillian Alchemists, created public hospitals in all of its major settlements (through taxes levied on their pirates) which feature surgeons, doctors and pharmacists on premises 24 hours a day, and manages one of the largest libraries in all of Terra.
Today the Empire is rocked by dissent and upheaval. Empress Safiye has claimed the throne from her wicked brother. Her staunchest supporter- Princess Batya of Sarmion- struggles to rebuild her land after a Numanari invasion in retaliation for the old Emperor's brutal occupation of their lands. The Imperial Bureaucracy grates at Safiye's attempts to reform the Empire's legal codes in Anatol Ayh without the support of the Jannisaries who gave so many of their lives in defense of Sarmion. Safiye's brother's lover — Shah Jalil of Persis — prepares to launch a civil war while continuing the persecution of religions in his land — unleashing demons upon loyalist and rebels alike in Persis. And the Tribes of the Eighth Sea engage in relentless internal politicking to decide who will have their support — Shah Jalil or the new Empress. And adding to all of these troubles, there are some who say the Empress' brother has been found alive within the ruins of the Eighth Sea...
Anatol Ayh (Ottoman Turkey
; Second Edition)
"Together, among the moon and stars, we will thrive."
- Empress Safiye
- Battle Rapping: An alternate form of dueling popular in Anatol Ayh, called "Kavita." Opponents debate/insult one another until there is a clear winner in the eyes of the court.
- Large Ham Title: The full title of the Crescent Emperors/Empresses is as follows: "His/Her Majesty, the victorious and successful Mani Sultana, the ruler aided by God, whose undergarment is victory, whose glory is as high as Heaven, crown of the royal head, shadow of Theus on Terra, culmination of rulership, quintessence of the book of fortune, equinoctial line of justice, perfection of the spring-tide of majesty, sea of benevolence and humility, mine of the jewels of generosity, source of the memorials of valor, manifestation of the lights of felicity, promulgator of the standards of al-Dīn, author of righteousness on the pages of time, Sultana of the two seas, ruler of east and west, protector of the holy sanctuaries, anointed successor to the Prophet of mankind, Padishah Safiye, the Lawgiver."
- Royal Harem: An integral part of any political stories in Anatol Ayh. The Empress has a coterie of male and female lovers, all vying for her favor. Some willing to kill to gain it...
- Silk Hiding Steel: Empress Safiye, newly enthroned ruler of the Crescent Empire, lived most of her life abroad, studying in Theah. When her brother took the throne, he tried to have her killed with assassins while he and his boyfriend, the Shah of Persis, began persecuting Sorcerers. Fast forward a few months and Safiye stormed the palace with her best friend's Sarmion commandos and took the Crescent Throne. Now she's undoing all of her brother's wicked laws and reforming Crescent society over the objections of some of her courtiers.
Ashur (Ottoman Syria; Second Edition)
- The Fundamentalist: Ashur is a melting pot of multiple religions- Dinists, Orthodox churchgoers, and others. The one thing they have in common is that they are all deeply faithful to their deities. Rather than killing each other over doctrinal differences, they view their fundamentalist neighbors as more goodly than other, more Secular people within the Empire.
- Good Shepherd: The Elohim, Orthodox followers of Yesu. They are pacifists, vegetarians, and nature lovers who hold trees sacred and forsake worldly possessions. Their lives are lived entirely in devotion to god and their fellow man. Even Villains in 7th Sea think twice before hurting these people because they know what the optics would be.
- The Hashshashin: Called "Climbers of the Green Mountain" in Ashur. Ashur is the smallest nation within the Empire, so they trust this order of assassins to defend them from external threats, aided by their otherworldly guardian who helps them determine targets worthy of death.
- Holy Ground: Among the people of Ashur, the city-state is viewed as particularly blessed. The Guardian of the First Garden can see all possible futures and guides the Assassins to protect the land, the Tree of Elohim was planted by Yesu, the First Prophet, and always produced enough fruit to feed everyone in Ashur whenever their enemies tried to starve them through a siege.
- The Theocracy: The three great laws of Ashur coincide with the laws of its major religions. No other laws proposed by town councils or the city's Pleroma bureaucrats may violate any of these three.
- "Murder is abhorrent. No one may kill except Assassins."
- "Respect the desires of peoples not your own."
- "It is forbidden to cut down trees."
Persis (Safavid Persia; Second Edition)
"Look back in our history and you’ll see the highest examples of nobility and Heroism crumble into centuries of misunderstanding and mistrust. We’ve made every mistake our religions warned against, in the name of our religions. I don’t know if we can save this country."
- Archmaga Şivan of Siphon
- Celestial Paragons and Archangels: One of the rebel groups is led by the prophetess Briska Naynawi. Briska receives counsel from a powerful ally- the angel Azazel, bearing the wings of a peacock. Briska and her followers travel across Persis searching for Azazel's six angel companions and shield mankind from the devils Shah Jalil unleashed.
- Demon Lords and Archdevils: The persecutions of Shah Jalil left the temples sealing ancient demons unwatched. Without the religious rituals to keep their seals, the demons have been unleashed upon his nation.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: While the people of Persis always wanted independence from the Crescent Empire, Shah Jalil's persecution of Sorcerers and religious minorities in his nation has sparked outright revolts throughout the nation. There are 4 major revolutionary armies in the country. Only one group could be described as "moderate." All the others are beginning to take Rape, Pillage, and Burn to a whole new level.
- Super Registration Act: The Sihirbazların Kaydı, a set of laws introduced by Istani and Shah Jalil, required all "Devil Worshipping Sorcerers" to register with the Imperial Bureaucracy or face severe consequences. The laws helped undermine resistance to their rule from Yasnavan priests — fire worshiping banishers of demons and jinn. Even after Safiye overthrew Istani and repealed the laws, Jalil has continued to enforce them ruthlessly — leading to civil war and supernatural chaos as the Yasnavan seals on demons break.
- Uncanny Nation: Whenever Empress Safiye comes to inspect Shah Jalil's compliance with her reforms, Jalil and his State Sec spare no effort to ensure that there is no sign of rebellion, unrest, or persecution within the capital. It worked- until a poorly timed riot nearly cost them both their lives.
Sarmion (Kingdom of Israel; Second Edition)
"Sarmion forever, until world's end."
- Popular Sarmion toast
- All Jews Are Ashkenazi: Almost completely averted. Just about the only modern Ashkenazi stereotype that manages to weasel into Sarmion is the famous skill of Yachidi doctors. Historically, however, Jews in the medieval Middle East and North Africa were highly regarded in the medical field.
- Anachronism Stew: Possibly more so than any other nation in the setting, due to being a deliberate combination of ancient Judea/Canaan (with twelve tribes, a priestly caste, and the aesthetic trappings of the bronze age Near East) and modern day Israel (by being an independent, advanced nation with its own equivalent political issues), neither of which have much business existing in a 17th century setting besides it being awesome.
- Badass Israeli: Sarmion, despite the scholarly focus of its culture, is noted as being home to some of the most feared, disciplined, and skilled warriors in the world, owning in no small part to their prodigious use of magic in battle. The Crescent Empire's most elite troops have always been Sarmion commandos (known as "Chavra"), and their feats are described as combining the famous tenacity of Judean guerrilla warriors and of modern day Israel's special forces.
- Magically-Binding Contract: Chozeh uses talismans and inscriptions to invoke an ancient covenant between Eloha and His Chosen People. Both equivalents of the Jewish and Palestinian peoples receive access to it — Chozeh was given to the people of Sarmion, not any single religious group.
- Never Bring a Gun to a Knife Fight: While Sarmion does have muskets and cannons (just like everyone else) the Chavra shun them almost completely. They prefer to fight with swords, spears, slings and bows. As Sarmion embraces the everyday use of magic like few other Nations in the world, this hardly stops them from being considered some of the most feared fighters on Terra.
- Proud Scholar Race: Sarmion's medicine is perhaps the most advanced in the world, and its doctors are respected far and wide. A small enclave of the Yachidi has recently created a medical school in Eastern Eisen, guarded by Frau Posen's soldiers. Woe to the Inquisitor that thinks of harming them.
- Wizards Live Longer: Echoing biblical accounts of people living for hundreds of years, the people of Sarmion possess lifespans far beyond those of modern day humans, much less those of the rest of the fantasy Renaissance setting. Ages of well over 100 years are perfectly common and people are implied to be able to continue functioning well into the second century of their life. This is justified by the Sarmion embracing the use of magic, including their potent Chozeh healing magic, in all aspects of everyday life, combined with their mundane knowledge of medicine already being among the most advanced in the world.
Tribes of the 8th Sea (Arab Tribes; Second Edition)
"Everything of the Empire is of the Sea. All trees' roots lead back to the desert."
- Ancient tribal proverb
- Exotic Extended Marriage: By law and custom, adults among the tribes may enter marriages with up to three other consenting adults.
- Global Warming: The 8th Sea was, historically, a much wetter place (mostly marshes and savannas) that the nobles of Persis would vacation to on hunts. Something caused the land to dry and heat up. The tribes adapted to the new climate but the land has only become harsher.
- Hired Guns: The Tribes are explorers and warriors, and more than one Crescent ruler has risen to power by paying for the tribes to go to war for them. The tribes do not demand any payment to fight if the Empire is being attacked by an outside power like Vodacce or Numa.
- Mysterious Veil: Versions of the Hijab and Niqab are presented in the artwork featuring the tribes. While some wear these as religious observation, the text points out even people who do not subscribe to al-Din religion wear them within the 8th Sea. After all, they do a good job of keeping the sand out of one's face!
- Nature Spirit: Not quite the perfect description, but as al-Din has become the dominant faith of the Crescent Empire, the djinn have fled into the 8th Sea where the Tribes still venerate and fear them.
- We Help the Helpless: There is an old custom among the Tribes, where one who pitches a tent within a certain distance of another's tent is now honor-bound to be protected by the one whose tent was raised first. This custom (and others) among the tribes has seen them accepting and caring for more and more refugees from the civil war in Persis. They do so without complaint, but Sarmion's help in caring for these people has been noted by the tribal leaders.
