#finnerich

[serpentface]

Detail of the cauldron from this post, used to collect the blood of sacrificed oxen. The Faith of the Seven Faced God conceptualizes sacrifice as a tool of creation that ensures the perpetuation of natural cycles and God's continued connection to the world.

This vessel depicts the seven faces of God. 'Faces' are interpreted as aspects of a single being, though in practice are often worshipped as if they were individual gods. Visible here is the Serpent Face (royalty, divination, the divine mysteries), Skimmer-Woman face (good luck, protector of sailors and fishermen, breaker of the evil eye), and the Moonface (the moons, fertility of people, animals, crops, sacrifice).

The vessel is of Finnerich make, and shows evidence of syncretism between the religion of the conquered Finns and the recently adopted Faith of the Seven Faced God. The animal bodies with human faces are typical of depictions of pre-conquest Finn deities. The eared serpents forming the handle are generic design motifs to most Wardi sensibilities, but are spitting images of the Finn cosmic serpent god Nesharith. The visual motif of the circle connected by a line from the heart to the feet is also typical in Finn art as a means of representing the mortal soul.

[serpentface]

Interview Question for Etsushir:

What was the vibe like as a foot soldier during the suppression of the North Finn Rebellion? Did it feel doomed from the start or did it only fall apart once the Odomache was assaulted and killed?

[serpentface]

An interaction between Kulyos, the legendary founding hero of the collective Hill Tribes, and the wildfolk witch Bernike, as depicted in folklore.

The collective Hill Tribes all descended from a single population (informally called Kulyites) who migrated south across the Viper seaway from what is now Finnerich, prior to their written history. Here, they found themselves in a new landscape and in both conflict and cooperation with its preexisting inhabitants (a broad collection of tribes, many of which would eventually coalesce into the Wardi and Wogan peoples).

The detail of why this ancestral group fled their homeland depends on the specific tradition. In some cases, it’s a cultural non-issue- they’re here now, have been for hundreds of years, and will be here for hundreds more. In other cases, they describe a local war, a famine, barbarian invaders from the northwest (likely Dain-speakers, possibly a distant leg of the first Burri empire, maybe both), or a combination of all three. All sources agree that cattle and horses were brought on ships with the migrants, though they differ on whether they already had a khait riding tradition or if this (or khait themselves) were adopted from the native population.

The Kulyites were small in number and had neither the power to gain territory by force or negotiation, thus having to settle in some of the few uninhabited territories, the rocky highlands of the northwest. These were difficult lands, far from ideal for farming and grazing, and much of the founding mythology surrounds the first Kulyites learning the ways of this new land and how to thrive where no one had before.

It is said that this original group was led by a young chieftain named Kulyos (this name comes directly from the word 'kulys', the thick mountain plant with yellow flowers seen here, which is important in the regional diet for its fruits and use in tea, and as a symbol of hardiness). He is credited with leading his people to their current lands, establishing many of their core traditions and ways of life, and settling conflicts with the local mountain spirits, thus allowing for his descendants to live there to this day.

Kulyos is very likely to be a based on a real person (possibly the actual chieftain of the original Kulyites, but more likely one of their sons or grandsons), but the details of his life are lost, his history interwoven with myth and allegory. He is usually characterized as well humored and supremely wily, a good leader and beloved by his people, overcoming most challenges with cunning and cooperation rather than brute force. He is wise in the ways of the mountain gods and spirits, and often escapes trouble by means of proper respect to the gods and calculated (if risky) dealings with spirits. He is a mostly venerable figure, but often cast as comically flawed (notably, being lecherous and prone to lying).

One of the most popular and widespread legends is his theft of the wildfolk witch Bernike’s deer and magic cloak.

---

Bernike was the greatest sorcerer of all the Wildfolk, unmatched in power and likened to a god. Her secret was her feather cloak, obtained in a pact with the storm goddess Ariakh and made from the goddess' very own black feathers. Ariakh agreed to provide Bernike with great power in return for routine sacrifice of fine livestock which her sons, the winds, would tend among the clouds. (This likely references practices of some of the proto-Wardi, who may have venerated a form of Ariakh in similar ways). The other condition was that all of Bernike’s magic arts would be contained within the feather cloak, making her powerless without this artifact (this would prevent her from challenging the goddess herself- being made from her body, it could not be used against her).

Bernike ruled over the highest mountain, which had a small pass critical to travel in the area, and took glee in torment of the new human additions to the region. The best grazing in the highlands was upon Bernike's foothills, and this was where the Kulyites settled. In their herding and trading, they would often have to traverse her mountain pass, and she would stop them and demand tribute (usually in form of cattle).

The reason for Bernike's demands was her herd of a hundred scimitar deer, her greatest prizes. These deer were magical in nature- strong enough to be used as mounts and plow animals, faster and more surefooted than any other hooved animal, and their milk could cure disease and impart longevity in those who partook (Bernike herself was over 5,000 years old and as spry as ever). Now that new people with cattle, khait, and horses had entered her lands, Bernike had a new source of livestock for the goddess and no longer would have to offer up her own precious herd.

She would be greedy and merciless with the settlers, demanding exorbitant offerings and inflicting them with terrible curses when they refused. The people all learned to live in fear of her, but had no other option but to submit to her demands in order to pass through her mountain.

After a few years of this, Kulyos had grown quite tired of her demands on his people, and aimed to level the playing field. He had his wife, Brunil (herself a major character in this mythos), disguise herself and take a herd of cattle and ox-drawn cart through the pass. Bernike, of course, appeared and demanded tribute- the woman would only be allowed to pass if she gave the witch her choice of two of her finest cattle, and otherwise would be turned into a biting fly. Perhaps a sparrow, if she was lucky.

Brunil sorrowfully conceded, and begged that Bernike at least be quick about making her choice. Brunil said she was on her way to her sister's wedding, down in the village to the south of the pass. The cattle were to be a gift, and she also had a cask of the finest mead with her that needed to be delivered on time for the ceremonies.

Just as planned, Bernike immediately lost interest in the cattle and instead demanded the mead. Brunil put on a great show of hesitation and sorrow, but eventually relented and allowed the sorceress to take the entire cask. Brunil was allowed to travel onward (‘my sister will be so disappointed’), while Bernike eagerly set about drinking.

Kulyos had followed his wife from a distance and now watched and waited in a copse of trees. The witch drank enough mead to kill a man before she even began to get tipsy, and drank enough to kill two more before she fell into a deep, drunken slumber.

Kulyos then crept up upon her and took the cloak from her unconscious body, donning it over his shoulders. He then approached her deer, which did not flee, recognizing the scent of their master. He mounted on back of one of the bucks, and used it to drive the rest of the herd back down the mountains.

The next morning, Bernike awoke on the hillside, finding herself without her cloak, robbed of her deer, and with a nasty hangover.

She was outraged. This was not the first time she had dealt with Kulyos, and she recognized his scent in the air. She knew exactly who had robbed her. If she were in full power, she could have hunted Kulyos down and turned him into a flea, or made him impotent, or given him dysentery with a mere wave of the hand. Without her cloak, she was powerless, having no magic at all and no more physical capability than any other small (unusually spry, 5000 year old) woman.

She finally relented and contacted Ariakh herself, expecting the goddess to be furious at the theft. Ariakh was indeed furious, but not so much at Kulyos. The man had shown nothing but the proper respect to her, and she was unwilling to punish him for his deed. It was Bernike's failure, and would be up to Bernike herself to put things right. Still, as a favor to her most devoted follower, Ariakh agreed to give Bernike one of her magical arts back to help her along- the power of shapeshifting.

Back in the village, the deer were already showing their worth. Just two bucks had been put to the plow, and they had turned a field in three hours that would have taken an oxen three days. The animals were docile towards their new owner, even letting themselves be milked, and this was the most delicious milk any had ever tasted and could be fermented into the finest of murre.

Kulyos was quite pleased with his theft, but knew this would not be the end of things, and he kept the cloak on his person day and night. He took great care of it, and left out offerings of murre to Ariakh each night that he had it in his possession, to show his continued and utmost respect for the goddess he may have insulted as a byproduct of his theft. He went about his life, always watching and waiting for Bernike's inevitable return.

And so she came, though she was crafty and subtle, and did not make herself obvious. She first took the form of a bat and attempted to fly in through his window and take the cloak as he slept, only to find herself entangled. Those familiar with the legends would know that Kulyos had already bargained with the queen of the spiders to send some of her children into his village, who had cast their webs over the windows and happily ate all the bothersome flies and mosquitoes that had previously plagued his people. Humiliated and harassed by hungry spiders, Bernike fled.

The next day, she took the form of a viper, perfectly camouflaged and waiting in the grass to bite him as he tended to his herds. Kulyos indeed approached, but it was his little son who came near to Bernike. No matter, she thought. She would bite his son and seize the cloak when Kulyos tended to his child's wounds. Ariakh herself was offended at the aggression towards the child, innocent of Kulyos' crime and for whom he had prayed protection, and she sent a crested eagle (a snake eater) to swoop straight overhead.

Kulyos wisely realized a serpent must be in the area, and told his son to stay still. He used his spear to part the grasses in search of it, and at the sight of snake-Bernike, pulled back to stab her. In her panic, Bernike changed shape into a gazelle and fled, thus revealing herself and losing the element of surprise. Now, Kulyos knew for sure that she was after him, and knew she would come in the form of an animal.

Bernike was not stupid, she knew she had lost her advantage. So she waited a month for him to let his guard down, and took the form of a huge, beautiful aurochs bull, trotting and bellowing among Kulyos’ cows as if looking to mate. Surely he would be tempted by such a handsome and valuable animal, and she could take the cloak from him when he got close. And it seemed to have worked, for he excitedly approached with a lasso and slung it around her neck, speaking softly and soothingly as one would to such a wild prize. But instead of trying to lead her off, he tied the other end of the rope around a tree and walked away.

Bernike waited patiently for his return, no doubt in her mind that he was simply getting assistance in leading such a powerful animal away. Instead, Kulyos came back alone, leading his own prized bull (the giant white beast, Pyliod) along with him. As soon as Pyliod caught sight of what he perceived to be a rival bull, he became enraged, and charged at Bernike. She was chased around the tree ten times before she turned into a lion to face him down. The great bull was only more enraged at the sight of a predator, and chased her ten times more (and giving her a nasty jab in the hind, she is said to still bear the scars) before she gave up, turning into a sparrow to slip the rope and flying away. (The trunk of this tree still stands today, with the frayed remnants of an ancient rope around its base).

Now, Bernike waited another month, and took the form of a beautiful young woman, barely-dressed in riverfolk garb and tempting him from the edge of a creek. This attempt would have worked, but Brunil herself, quite annoyed, interceded by chasing the girl away with her staff and giving her husband a stern reprimanding. (“I knew it was her,” Kulyos insisted. "I had a plan.")

Finally, Bernike threw subtlety to the wind and took the form of a huge king hyena, the most powerful beast in the land, and came rampaging into the village. All the people feared this great animal, and even the most powerful warriors would hesitate to approach such a beast head-on. But Kulyos had known the witch would lose her temper at some point or another from the very beginning, and had tasked all the mothers and young children in the village with weaving a great net, so wide as to hold the largest beast, and so finely woven that not even a flea could escape.

Seeing the beast approach, he called to his his three daughters to fetch the net. He stood at the center of the village as bait, running and dodging from the beast while his daughters prepared the trap between two huts. His eldest, Aylian, whistled her signal, and Kulyos ran straight for the net, diving through the small space beneath. The witch in catform was far too big for such a maneuver and barreled right into the net, and Kulyos and his daughters wrapped it around her, trapping her in its clutches.

She fought the net with everything she had, turning into everything she knew how- a great bull, a lion, a tremendous riverdrake, a giant leviathan, a tiny songbird, a mosquito, and so on, but there was nothing she could do to break through. Finally, she turned back into her original shape, a tiny, bearded old woman, and demanded Kulyos approach.

He offered her a deal. If she would swear an oath in front of Ariakh herself of nonretribution and to end her demands of tribute from his people, he would return the cloak and all but two of her precious deer (a doe and stag), and his people would leave offerings of mead and murre at her pass every year on this day to grant them safe passage. Utterly defeated (and finding this offer quite appealing, in spite of her wounded pride), Bernike agreed, and called the great goddess forth.

Ariakh descended in the form of a dragon (a legendary beast with the head of a horned serpent and body of a bird), alighting on the roof of a hut. She plucked a single, massive feather from her breast and threw it to the ground, and Kulyos and Bernike both laid hands on it and swore their oaths. A vow before a goddess would have unspeakable consequences if broken, even for such a mighty sorcerer as Bernike.

Bernike donned her cloak and took her favorite form, that of a gigantic gray eagle. She took to the sky with a fearsome screech, circling the village three times, and then led all but two of her deer, a stag and a doe, back into the mountains.

And with this, the conflict was ended.

---

These deer are said to have become a great boon to the Kulyites. The herds they produced were eventually lost to the people and none of the Hill Tribes have herded deer ever since (that's another story), but their impact lives on. Being magical animals, they could breed not only with each other, but with khait, and produced the small, hardy khait stock still used as mounts and plow animals by the people to this day.

Bernike had only sworn nonretribution and an end to the tributes from Kulyos' people, but she did not swear to never harm them again, and as such all people who claim descent from the Kulyites avoid her mountaintop to this very day (with many more legends describing the consequence to those that do not), and are always sure to bring their yearly offerings of mead and murre to ensure continued safe usage of her pass.

Bernike also only swore to end tribute from his people, and other legends involve her stopping entire invading armies from navigating her pass with (often mischievous and utterly impossible) demands of tribute, and great consequences when these demands are not met.

Bernike is an ambiguous figure in the cultural schema, being feared and respected, an annoyance in her neutrality in (or active inflaming of) conflicts between the Hill Tribes, but credited as a protector of the collective peoples of the highlands. She is often cited as one of the reasons that neither the Burri empires nor the contemporary Wardi empire have ever seized the inner highlands, and no invader ever will.

[serpentface]

Here's a heavily improved Imperial Wardin map, with a focus on climate and geography (uses the Koppen Climate Classification). This is an attempt to infuse pre-existing lore too established to retcon with a degree of realism, but there's only so much I can do.

The majority of the climate falls under the hot mediterranean and semi-arid classification, with small pockets of warm mediterranean and arid climes. The entire region experiences a rainshadow effect from the eastern Blackmane Mountain range, which blocks northeasterly winds from the eastern ocean and starkly divides the Sub-Viper landmass between its humid east and dry west.

Most of the interior is grassland, savannah, and scrub. Savannah heavily coincides with a history of human occupation and controlled burns, and is mostly based around oak. Grassland, scrub, and semi-desert dominates the semi-arid regions. Small pockets of high desert and salt flats occur in the arid zones.

A forest originally spanned much of the north, consisting of predominantly oak. This was gradually eliminated due to multiple factors- a warming climate, low intensity human intervention (hunter-gatherers and pastoralists clearing land with controlled burns), and high intensity exploitation (deforestation for timber). Additional woodlands found along the major riverways have been wholly eliminated by logging within the past several centuries.

The largest remaining span of woodland occurs within and north of the Highlands, and in the sparsely populated northeast, where a major and mostly intact oak forest stretches to the Blackmane mountains. A smaller pocket of woodland occurs in the volcanic highlands of Lobera. Other pockets remain, but are isolated and insignificant on the map.

Most of the geography is flat, divided by a range of hills that are the heavily eroded remains of an ancient mountain range. The highest peaks of this range comprise the contemporary Highlands, which have the highest elevations and coldest climate in the region. This is the only territory that regularly receives snowfall, and is the source of several major rivers. The rest of the range is too low to drastically affect the climate, save for the Red Hills east of the Cholemdi basin, whose rain shadow effect (heavily compounded by the basin's low elevation) renders this valley the hottest and driest part of the region. This range once formed a land bridge across the Viper into Finnerich (though this was prior to anatomically modern humans Existing) with its only remnants being smatterings of islands.

The province Lobera holds a small range of volcanic highlands, composed of a network of mostly dead volcanic craters. The volcano Odatoche is the only active site in the region, though has been dormant for centuries and has not had a major eruption in millenia. The other major geological feature is the Sons of Creation, which is the fabled site of God’s self-sacrifice from which the world was made. This is the eroded range of a very large impact crater, consisting of two impact rings (visible as a circular formation of hills) a ring lake, and an elevated center.

The most fertile land is found in Ephennos, owing to the presence of the Black River and its highly fertile delta (which contains the only major semi-permanent marshes outside of Highland river valleys). This is the second largest river in the region, being a confluence of two major river systems out of the Highlands (the Urbin/Erubin and Troibad/Nedachemi rivers). Erubinnos has the largest river, the Kannethod, which originates in the Blackmane mountains.

Agriculture around some of the other river systems is mostly or entirely dependent on their post-rainy season flooding. The most prominent is the Yellowtail river (flows south past Erub). In the very distant past, this was the longest river in the region, and carved out the Cholemdi basin and reached the sea. In the contemporary, it dries out long before even approaching the sea (though occasionally still floods the basin in abnormally rainy years). The Brilla river system out of the Red Hills (flows to Wardin) reaches the sea year-round, but has been known to run dry in exceptionally severe drought, and irrigation along its length depends on its flooding.

There are very few significant lakes in the region (small lakes are unmarked). The biggest is the volcanic crater lake Aganagarre in Lobera, the Yellowtail lake north of Erub, and the ring lake within the Sons of Creation.

[serpentface]

Stavis Amanti, the reigning monarch of the Wardi Empire during the great drought, decked out in traveling regalia and perpetually frazzled.

He and his dynasty are facing some major public opinion issues in the wake of a disastrous war against the rebelling tributary state of Finnerich and an unprecedented drought and famine.

Stavis oversaw a second invasion of Finnerich, in attempt to assist the imperial loyalist Finn monarchy in civil war against dissenting Northern Finns. This invasion was a catastrophic failure, and resulted in much of Finnerich's conquered territory being liberated and Imperial Wardin being humiliated.

One of the most crushing elements of the defeat was the killing of the Odomache (the high priestess of the Odonii order, spiritual leader and de-facto commander of the Imperial Wardi military, and believed to be a physical incarnation of God). The Odomache does not usually participate in combat directly, but was sent into the thick of battle as an attempted show of power. She was captured and killed and her corpse was defiled, an act deeply significant to those in the Wardi faith- the sanctity of her body is directly connected with the sovereignty and sanctity of the imperial entity.

This was proven to imperial Wardi observers when the rainy season that year failed, as did each rainy season over the next five years. The region is mostly reliant on seasonal flooding for its agriculture, and with flooding either being inadequate or wholly absent, this drought resulted in an extreme famine. This is interpreted as a result of The Face Of God Itself being defiled, and God being severed from Its lands.

Five years into the drought, the political landscape of the Wardi empire is in shambles. The city-state of Erub is experiencing a localized collapse as the Yellowtail river runs dry. Godsmouth and Lobera are in borderline open rebellion, calling for the ousting of the Amanti dynasty. Public opinion of the royal family is at rock bottom. The key unifying factor of Imperial Wardin (which is culturally diverse and composed of relatively powerful and distinct city-states) is its shared state religion, and the royal family is increasingly seen as impious, weak, and a foreign element (as effectively a remnant of the former eastern Burri empire). Pre-existing tensions between the monarchy and the priesthoods are exacerbated, with much of the Imperial Wardi public now calling for the overthrow of the monarchy (in favor of, essentially, an imperialist theocracy).

Much of the population is starving. All the usual dry season sacrifices have failed to restore the cycle of sacrifice and rebirth, and no new Odomache has been crowned. It's in this context that the great pilgrimage occurs under Stavis Amanti's command, with the goal of performing a reenactment of creation via the mass sacrifice of seven great beasts (aspects of God) and the incarnation of a new Odomache. It is hoped that this will restore God's connection with its lands and end the drought.

While this is (for most involved) a sincerely believed religious conviction, it is absolutely a desperate power play as well. The trek of the royal family, hundreds of soldiers and military elites, and the two most powerful priesthoods (the Galenii and Odonii) is a display of unity between the three fractured core powers of Imperial Wardin.

This is itself exceptionally fraught. Not only are the leaders of barely unified factions stuck together on a road-trip, but this trip is essentially a military march, taking place largely through conquered tributary lands. The pilgrimage contains the king, the prince, the king-sister, about three hundred soldiers, dozens of Odonii and Galenii, hundreds of servants and associated laborers, and a couple hundred khait and oxen. Such a movement requires a tremendous amount of resources to sustain.

Imperial Wardi culture involves a spirit of charity (particularly towards the Galenii priesthood) which is being heavily banked on to keep this hungry march afloat. In practice, a lot of commoners aren’t too thrilled by soldiers marching into their towns and demanding tribute in the midst of a devastating famine. Particularly given that much of the pilgrimage path is through conquered and heavily exploited tributary lands.

Needless to say this is not the best PR move for the Amanti dynasty and things go to shit.

Stavis himself is not a particularly cruel or stupid man (BIG CAVEAT: he is the head of an imperialist state), but was crowned amid growing internal conflict (after a long stretch of relative stability during his father's reign) and is overwhelmed by complex political situations and prone to hasty and dramatic maneuvers. He is heavily distrustful of the Odonii priesthood (which is functionally more in control of the military than he is), and is maneuvering to have his personal friend Faiza Haidamane mantled as the new Odomache, in hopes of maintaining loyal ties and not being replaced by, like, a god-emperor.

That being said, he is a true believer in the pilgrimage and is really, really, really hoping that getting all those cows and stuff to that place is gonna make all the raiding (and occasional massacres) of his own civilians to feed his pilgrim-army work out.

[serpentface]

Are the Urswali-Dain people/the dainlands apart of Imperial Wardin?

No, Imperial Wardin is relatively small (though in-universe is pretty damn big. Most societies are small scale, singular state-entities that control this much territory are an outlier.). It is Interactive with some of the Dain-speaking populations on the other side of the Viper (and has some wholly unrealized expansionist designs against them), but no territorial control whatsoever. (Also there's been a lot of revision since they were last brought up, Urswali do not speak a Dain language family tongue).

A lot of fictional pre-modern empires are modeled after The Big Ones with massive territorial claims (or to be real, Rome specifically rather than other Big Ones like the Mongol or Incan empires) so I think that a lot of people have that in the back of their minds but like. Nah it's a relatively small space of land (my current estimate is like..... about the size of contemporary Spain?? give or take?????). The models I've referenced for designing its structure and logistics are geographically smaller states (I would consider the Aztec, Mali, and Maybe the Athenian (via Delian League) states to be decent analogues in very different ways, though none are actually like. Close analogues.).

It's composed of eight provinces all deferential to the Usoma ruling out of the Wardin province- a core alliance between two former kingdoms and a city-state (Wardin, Ephennos, Godsmouth/Odkottonos respectively) two that were fully conquered and made into provinces in state-formation (Erub and Erubinnos), and two former 'tributary' states that have fully lost their self-governance and are now provinces (Jatsait and Lobera). Each province is comprised of a core territory (usually a former kingdom or city-state) and its own tributaries (conquered/controlled non-citizen regions that retain a degree of self governance in return for economic tribute), with Lobera effectively being the biggest province via having most of the northern half of the region as a tributary. Finnerich was conquered as a tributary in a particularly aggressive manner (its self-governance was Extremely nominal and it probably would have been fully absorbed as a province if everything went nice and smooth for the Imperial Wardi side) but is completely independent at this time.

Non-Wardi ethnic groups native to the region and existing wholly within its claimed territory are the Hill Tribes, Cholemdinae, North Wardi, and Jazait. Some Wogan groups exist within its claimed territory, but most of the population is further east. 'Wardi' as a quasi-ethnic descriptor is very, very complicated, and what distinguishes someone being of Core Wardi identity and not is entirely due to the historical trajectory of assimilation, rather than actual close shared ancestry. The core 'Wardi' group is composed of 10 major tribes that self-assimilated or were assimilated into this shared identity, while the Cholemdinae, North Wardi, and Wogan groups represent descendants of other related tribes that did not assimilate (on population rather than individual levels). So like as an example- the South Wardi (mostly the former Wardinae tribe) share the Most recent common ancestry with the Cholemdinae, and less recent common ancestry with the Ephenni. On POPULATION levels, the South Wardi and Ephenni both culturally/religiously assimilated while the Cholemdinae did not, and therefore are both 'Wardi' (with some sense of subcultural identity) while the Cholemdinae are still Cholemdinae.

'Imperial Wardi' identity complicates this further, in that it is based on religious affiliation, Core cultural practices, and legal citizenship rather than ethnicity (and includes several major foreign migrant/diaspora groups). For example, the Yuroma-Wardi population is mostly a diaspora group from outside the region, but are part of the Imperial Wardi cultural sphere due to shared religious practices, cultural integration (with retained subcultural identity and practices), and citizenship, as well as a fairly long history in the region. Or alternatively, some individual people/groups of Cholemdinae, North Wardi, Wogan and/or Hill Tribes descent are Imperial Wardi as citizens and cultural-religious adherents, while not being 'Wardi'. Contemporary Wardi identity is now treated as a specific ethnic identifier, but Imperial Wardi identity is (at least ostensibly) accessible regardless of ethnic origin.

So that might clear up the full extent of the state/it's cultural sphere lol.

[serpentface]

Ok I have been repeatedly asked about maps and I cannot provide any that are anywhere NEAR up to date enough but I can provide this (still WIP and missing most of its lesser cities and virtually all of its towns LOL) map of the Wardi Empire.

(Note- don't take the exact paths of rivers and coastlines too seriously. The broad details are accurate but I'm mostly drawing squiggles here)

Key:

Red area: lands nominally claimed by Wardi imperial rule. It is less territorially contiguous than this map would suggest, but this is broadly accurate. Lavender area: lands of major tributary states/other conquered entities/contested areas (many all at once). Lands that are either self-governing but tributary to the surrounding empire, or heavily contested and in conflict against imperial land-grabbing. Light blue (within red/lavender boundary)- nominally claimed as Imperial Wardi land, but either largely wilderness or otherwise effectively self governing. Most of central Wardin is sparsely populated grassland and savannah, with dry scrubland to the south. Star: A central city-state Dot: A major city.

Key city-states:

Godsmouth - Religious center of Wardin, center of commerce and capital in all but name. Given its proximity to the entrance of the inner sea, it is the most critical port and center of trade.

Wardin- the original city-state from which the Wardi empire emerged. 'Wardin' is used interchangeably for this specific city-state and the empire itself, context depending. Home of the imperial family. Fed by agricultural lands around the Brilla river.

Jazait - city on the White Sea, important river trade route.

Erubinnos- city on the eastern White Sea, another important trade route. Close historical ties to Lobera via the Kannethod river.

Lobera- city-state at the head of the Kannethod River, eastern extent of the Wardi empire.

Erub- City-state along the Yellowtail river. It is currently experiencing a localized collapse due to catastrophically falling water levels.  Named for the same historical figure as Erubinnos and the Erubin river.

Ephennos- the breadbasket of the Wardi empire, key agricultural land.

Tiberrich- Bears a name of an ancient royal Dain king, one of the most culturally diverse city-states with populations hailing from around the Viper.

Finnerich - recently conquered tributary state that fell into civil war, its new leadership is hostile to the Wardi Empire and is currently engaged in a protracted war for independence.

Some points of interest:

The White Sea- large sea to the south

The Viper- narrow inner sea to the north. its ends connect to the Inner Seas and the White Sea, its western tip ends about 55 miles from the ocean. Many have attempted and failed to bridge this gap with a canal, to the point that 'digging out the viper's tail' is a common expression that communicates an exercise in futility.

Sons of Creation - a strange, circular mountain range with a lake at its center and an island at the center of that. Believed to be the site of God’s sacrifice and the world’s creation. It is a prehistoric impact crater.

Jaquin’s Boot - a peninsula, claimed territory of the Wardi empire but functionally independent. The location of the sole native elowey population of the region. 

Yellowtail river: originates from two separate rivers in Greathill, and dies out in the central savannah. Seasonal and periodic flooding extends its length dramatically.

Kannethod river: the largest river in the region and the most sacred, defines most of the eastern borders. Key trade route.

Erubin river: the largest river in the Greathill region

Black river: large and densely populated river mostly fed by the Erubin

Cholemdi - ‘the salt wastes’, a great dry lake and surrounding salt flats. Some condemned criminals are sent here, and the whole land is believed to be haunted. 'Saltlanders' live on its borders. Very, very rarely, seasonal rains and flooding of the Yellowtail river refills the lake. 

Oaklands - largely undeveloped oak forests, source of a few major rivers.

Odatoche- The highest peak in the region, a long dormant volcano

Greathill - montane region. Source of several great rivers. Land of the Hill Tribes. 

The tooth - a peninsula in the waters of The Mouth. Contains a port city Od-Koto.

The Tongue- lower Godsmouth. 

[serpentface]

you may have already stated this somewhere but I’m curious who the Wardin Empires main enemies are?

Gonna just go ahead and attach the map for this one

Public Enemy Number One is Finnerich, which is a major competitor for control of the Mouth seaway and has a long, long history of conflict with other peoples along this seaway (Wardi and Burri/Titen/Kos most significantly). They dominate trade WITHIN the Viper seaway (which is not a terribly important trade route beyond the regional scale, as it dead-ends without connecting to the ocean. If anyone ever manages to dig out that 50 mile canal, it will become EXTREMELY important), while Wardin currently dominates the Mouth (which is the eastern entrance to the Very critical inner sea trade routes).

The Finns have a strong sea raiding culture and have attacked coastal towns and villages in Wardin (and in their neighboring Royal Dain kingdoms) for centuries, and carried out attempted sieges on the city Odkoto (godsmouth) twice- one that failed near completely, and one during the vulnerable period post-Imperial Burri withdrawal that failed to end in a sacking but utterly devastated the city's population and is still remembered as a collective trauma. They're also known for piracy (perhaps disproportionately, as Imperial Wardin has an entire fleet of state-sponsored pirates) and frequently raid ships on trade routes in the Mouth. They have been in some level of conflict with the Wardi peoples for centuries, and this has intensified tremendously in the modern period with Imperial Wardin emerging as a dominant sea trade power.

This intensified conflict culminated with Imperial Wardin carrying out a successful siege and notably brutal sacking of its capital city, capturing and executing its royal family, launching a land invasion, and forcing the territory into a partly occupied tributary relationship (occupied in the south with a planted loyalist government and military contingency, unoccupied in the north with nominal self-governance retained in return for economic tribute). Occupation was mostly 'stable' for about 20 years until the tributary north fully organized itself into a separate kingdom and declared war on the loyalist south. Imperial Wardin's intervention in this conflict was a DISASTROUS defeat on their part. All of Finnerich is currently free, and in the messy process of stabilizing post-occupation and forming alliances with neighboring Royal Dain kingdoms to strengthen its position.

The Royal Dain (collection of peoples east of Finnerich along the Viper's north coast) are similarly enemies to Imperial Wardin, though not of similar importance due to being located within the Viper and their activities mostly affecting these less critical waters. Imperial Wardin carried out a few sieges of major coastal cities during its expansionist era, but has since kept conflicts mostly naval. Some Royal Dain groups also have raiding and piracy cultures, though most of their land raids affect coastal North Wardi towns and villages (which themselves are mostly tributaries, and have to rely on internal warrior culture rather than military support for defense).

(TANGENT: The Wardi term translated as 'barbarian' dead literally means something akin to '(far) northerner' and is mostly applied to these North Viper peoples (though in practice is a generalized racist and xenophobic epithet that is sometimes applied to peoples/individuals who are not actually 'northern' at all, its connotations are being ''''uncivilized'''' via disdainful cultural and religious practices). ((The term translated as 'heathen' in contrast is seen (at least by most Wardi speakers) as a neutral, non-derogatory descriptor of peoples of different religious faiths (ie you are either of the Faith of the Seven Faced God or you aren't. Those who aren't are heathens, and not All heathens are terrible evil barbarians), though the term is obviously othering and often distinctly xenophobic in practice.)))

Imperial Wardin has much more minor enemies along its sea trade routes. It's been a state of naval hostility with the Yuroma city-states of Suurota and Ummo (located southeast of the Blackmane Mountains) for literal decades (as they are major competitors in the White Sea trade system), but this has not yet threatened to spill into land conflict or attempted sackings. (This is largely due to Imperial Wardin being preoccupied with Finnerich and considering its White Sea trade dominance less critical)

Imperial Wardin is currently in a very close political alliance with the Burri Republic (which is a separate entity from Imperial Bur, and originated as an internal coup ousting the last remnants of the crumbling empire) (not a republic by modern definition btw), maintaining close trade ties and a military alliance, and thus some of Bur's enemies are de-facto Imperial Wardin's enemies. Finnerich is the main enemy of both states, but Bur is also in conflict with sea powers along the western Inner Seaway. Imperial Wardin has not Officially declared war against any of Bur's non-Finn enemies, but utilizes state-sponsored pirates to raid them while maintaining a veneer of uninvolvement.

It has many internal enemies in the sense that a lot of its claimed lands are tributaries (retaining self governance and not being directly occupied in exchange for tribute, mostly of agricultural goods). This tributary system has been more or less 'stable' for the most part, but obviously results in uprisings and reprisals. The Imperial Wardi military originated as a conquering expansionary force to subjugate neighboring lands into tributaries, but this period of rapid expansion was brief, and has slowed to a virtual halt in recent years (due to internal instability and a government unequipped to maintain control of its own claimed lands). Most of the military is devoted to naval forces, and those who aren't are stationed strategically to quash potential uprisings of tributaries (rather than to conquer new ones).

The group that has been most consistently At War with their tributary rulers has been the south-central Hill Tribes located around the Yellowtail Valley region, northwest of Erub. The majority of the Highlands is fully independent with no tributary relations - this is largely due to inaccessibility, relatively poor agricultural land, distance from major trade routes, and in a few (diminishingly rare) cases, Actual Political Alliances With Respected Boundaries (The Ephenni Wardi tribe and Urbinnas river hill tribes have a long history of both positive and negative interaction, turned squarely positive in an alliance against Imperial Bur. The province of Ephennos maintains mutualistic trade relations with them to the present day). The Yellowtail Valley region is an exception- it has highly fertile agricultural land (hosting the source of the region's longest river and second largest lake) and is of strategic importance to the Yellowtail trade route, and as such many of its people have been forced into tributary relations with the province of Erub. This control has been reinforced with the dominant Naig-Troibadnnas tribe being given special trade privileges and military support against their own enemies to encourage loyalty, but many clans in this part of the region frequently practice raids on the Yellowtail trade route and some of Erub's villages and towns (this is not a Purely retaliatory practice, but has intensified SUBSTANTIALLY as means of recouping tributary losses and as reprisal for military action).

All of the region's other native ethnic minorities have experienced a history of land conflict (often predating the rise of Imperial Wardin and the Wardi national identity). The current range of Cholemdinae territory is heavily diminished from its original extent due to land conflicts between the primarily nomadic pastoralist Cholemdinae people and primarily settled agriculturalist South Wardi (both of whom actually stem from a fairly recent common ancestor- the South Wardi were essentially a branch of Cholemdinae that first diverged by adopting settled agriculture). Modern conflicts in this case rarely involve military action and tend to be direct skirmishes between farmers and herders. Jazaiti lands have largely remained intact (due to being mostly unsuited for agriculture), but many of their traditional fishing grounds have been heavily diminished in conflict with Imperial Wardi fishing and trade vessels. The Wogan people originally inhabited most of the region's east (and formed the city that would become Erubinnos). Their kingdoms within these areas were conquered in conflict with Wardi tribes Prior to the formation of Imperial Wardin, and a few others were sacked during the state's expansionist era (remaining Wogan territory is diminished but still pretty substantial, comprises everything between the state's easternmost claimed extent and the Blackmane mountains).

(TANGENT: The Loberan people are notable as linguistically and religiously Wardi, but with very significant Wogan ancestry and fused Wardi-Wogan cultural elements (and a unique dialect). They derived from an alliance between an eastern proto-Wardi tribe and Wogan kingdom that gradually merged into one group by ~300 years BP. Most in the contemporary consider themselves Wardi, but retain a strong sense of individual identity beyond just that their province's subculture.)

Most of the collective North Wardi peoples are under tributary rule (and are commonly considered Not Actually Wardi, or 'Heathen Wardi', as most groups speak Finnic language family tongues and predominantly follow Old Wardi faiths, or heavily syncretic folk variants of the Faith of the Seven Faced God). Their relative isolation and distance from the major cities has lent to open conflicts being few, but there's been a history of direct conflict over the Sons of Creation site. This crater lake has long been sacred to (and fought over by) most of the proto-Wardi tribes who existed in its proximity. This status has been retained in the Faith of the Seven Faced God while also being retained by the northern Wardi tribes that Did Not assimilate into contemporary Wardi national religion. There are several North Wardi groups that claim the territory as their sacred site and consider it desecrated by the presence of the Faith of the Seven Faced God (which many Old Wardi religious practitioners consider an invasive foreign element). This has resulted in open conflict over the site, and the Imperial Wardi military has been utilized to murder and drive out the North Wardi peoples who lived in its immediate surroundings. The site hosts a permanent contingency of soldiers to maintain the state's hold on it.

[serpentface]

Since Couya is starting to believe she’s the one chosen to become the new Odomache, would this leads eventually to conflict with Faiza? Also, does the crowning of a new god-emperor (and fall of the current monarchy) stabilize the Wardi empire in the near-future?

Yeag so I will just say it Faiza does Not survive this story. A lot of Couya and Faiza's arc is them increasingly becoming at odds with each other in both viewpoint and direct conflict- Faiza is a personal friend of the Usoma and strong believer in a balance of power between the axis of the faith and state as a source of stability, Couya sees the society she's in and its royal family as irreversibly degraded and godless and everything she sees on the pilgrimage strengthens this notion, Faiza privately ascribes to an agnostic philosophy and does not believe there is a material reality to most of their rites (instead valuing them as a unifying force), Couya is Extremely a believer and is personally experiencing encounters with God telling her what needs to be done. Both of them basically want the same thing- an end to the instability, for their people to be saved, the preservation of their imperial state, but the ways they want to accomplish this increasingly come to a head and yeah Couya ultimately kills and replaces her. This is Not just like an overnight thing or something she would have ever dreamed of doing prior to the pilgrimage. Couya and Faiza's relationship is complicated but Couya does actually love her, and she's going to be haunted by this for the rest of her life.

Also yeah the crowning of a god-emperor actually does play a strong hand in internal stabilization. As mentioned before this is actually a very popular move in the public opinion- the royal family became extremely unpopular in response to the failed suppression of Finnerich's rebellion and their handling of the drought, and Imperial Wardin only already an 'empire' in a very loose sense of the word (more of an alliance between several city states and their occupied tributaries conditionally deferring to a monarch) with its strongest unifying factor being the Wardi faith, which was often regarded as inappropriately unrepresented by its former leadership.

The coup and resulting restructuring shifted the balance of power to be fully centralized (full merging of religious and political leadership, decreasing individual power of city-states) in a way that was also highly popular among the public and allowed for very aggressive and effective rebuilding efforts post-famine. The biggest issue is that the city-state of Lobera secedes and places adjacent former imperial tributaries under its protection, which effectively cut out almost a quarter of former claimed Imperial Wardi territory and ends in war a few years down the line (which Lobera loses, but this still has long-lasting consequences for the Imperial Wardi side). But like overall this political takeover goes shockingly well and sees the state becoming more powerful and unified than it ever has been and beginning an expansionist campaign, much to the detriment of everyone else.

The longterm stability of this situation is much less certain though.

[serpentface]

The members of the Lion party, magisters of the city-state of Titenegal who support unification with rival state Godsmouth to better oppose other enemies (at the cost of the former's autonomy). The party's name was an adoption of a former derogatory epithet "lionmen", referring to their significant dalliances with Godsmouth's lion-themed war cult (the odonii).

Left to right: Pavas Aeb-Vriswa, Yann Hamasere, Helei Wisawe, and Odelas 'the Aurox' Palla.

Places and terms:

Royal Dain - southern kingdoms of the dainlands, along the banks of the Viper and the inner seas. Historical enemies of Wardin and Bur.

Finnerich- a former royal Dain kingdom, now a client state of the Wardi empire.

North Finn/Royal Finn- Semi-Autonomous region that rejects Wardi rule and has been in a constant state of conflict with Finnerich and Wardin. Frequently raids the waters of both Wardin and the Burri regions.

Wardin/the Wardi Empire- Formerly the Eastern Burri empire, which collapsed into individual city-states and was then re-conquered by the state of Wardin. It's an empire in somewhat loose terms- its territory is not fully contiguous, and conquered/allied states may continue a degree of self-governance so long as tribute, serfs, and soldiers are provided, but usually wind up absorbed in the long run.

Godsmouth (Od-Yacha) - The wealthiest city in Wardin due to its key ports, and a center to the Faith of the Seven Faced God

Burri empire- formerly vast empire (which had three incarnations). The western Burri empire was its last embodiment, which slowly and quietly collapsed under fraying political alliances and is now functionally extinct as a political entity.

Titenegal- Formerly poor agricultural city-state that became a sprawling and wealthy port city in response to rising sea levels. Now the most powerful city in the former Western Burri Empire. It is a representative democracy run by an elected magistrate of 10 and senate of 50.

Kosov- a city and region formerly of the Burri empire, brutally sacked by Godsmouth 30 years ago after trade related conflicts but never absorbed into Wardin. It has yet to fully rebuild and many of its people have scattered.

The Mouth- an economically significant waterway, as the only passage from the outer oceans into the inner sea and the Viper for thousands of miles.

The Inner Seas- narrow salt water seas dividing the interior of the supercontinent and connecting most of the largest civilizations in trade.

The Viper- a narrow sea bordered by the Dainlands to the north and Wardin to the south. It comes close to emptying into the ocean, but a canalway has never been successfully built.

Odism- (non-in universe) name for the religions sharing a common origin and figure of Od the divine ox as a creator god. In the religion of the Burri pantheon, he figures only into the creation story and is minimally worshipped. In the Faith of the Seven Faced God, Od is interpreted as the ONLY god. (There are several other religions under this umbrella, but these are the two of greatest political significance).

Regional Map for clarity.

The Lions wish to unify Titenegal (powerful citystate of the now defunct Burri empire) with Godsmouth in a political and military alliance, which would make Titenegal functionally a client state of the Wardi Empire.

Both city states experience regular harassment by Dain kings and the rebel Royal/Northern Finns, both of whom exploit the divides between the two powerful city-states on the banks of the Mouth.

The Lions argue that a unified front will secure the Mouth, bring economic prosperity, and repel the Dain kings and rebel Finn invaders who trouble the waters of the Mouth and the Viper. The Lions also believe that defeat by Godsmouth would be inevitable in the event of a conflict, though this is rarely part of their public rhetoric. Titenegal is weakened and no longer closely allied with Bur, and they see voluntary submission as a pragmatic choice to avoid a violent sacking and come out relatively intact.

The opposition is referred to as the Bulls, the five members of the magistrate who are firmly against alliance with Godsmouth and subjugation by Wardin. (The one remaining member is unaffiliated). Bulls appeal to loyalists to the now-defunct Burri empire, and wish to see it recreated and its enemies destroyed. They encourage rebuilding the armies of Titenegal and demanding allegiance with other former cities of Imperial Bur in order to repel the ambitions of the Wardi empire.

The two city states are close neighbors and demographically very similar, with the biggest divisive point being their religion. The pantheon of Bur and the Faith of the Seven Faced God share common origin and religious figures, but differ significantly in their worldview and interpretation of their texts. The Bulls weaponize this division and depict the Seven Faced God as a perversion of the pantheon, casting It as a bloodthirsty demon as evidenced by the prominent role of sacrifice and the presence of human sacrifice (which is altogether reviled by the Burri). The Lions instead attempt to soothe the differences between the religion by emphasizing their commonalities and turning the peoples focus instead on a common enemy- the heathen faiths of the Dainlands.

-----------

Pavas Aeb-Vriswa is a rather reluctant member of the Lions. She has no wish for Titenegal to become a client state, but opposes the Bulls hawking for war. As a survivor of the Sack of Kosov and firsthand witness to the brutality of Godsmouth's legions, she believes that to war with Godsmouth is an act of suicide. She is the second-longest serving member of Titenegal's magistrate, and holds great respect among the common people for spearheading major improvements to the city-state's infrastructure after years of stagnation. One of the least corrupt politicians to ever exist.

Yann Hamasere comes from a prosperous noble family whose wealth lies in the breeding of prize war khait. He is the youngest magistrate and generally regarded as the weakest, both due to inexperience and poor public speaking. Aside from his patronage of the arts (making him rather popular among intellectual circles in Titenegal), most of his career has been ignored by the public eye. However, he was wed to the odonii Rhea Sur-Tigiiz of Godsmouth to secure a partial military alliance with the city-state, and now finds himself the target of political sabotage and multiple assassination attempts.

Helei Wisawe is the only known remaining descendant of the last imperial family of the West Burri Empire, and thus supposedly a descendant of the gods Titen and Vasharum. Though the Lions (and the magistrate as a whole) intend to divide power evenly among its members, she has emerged as a natural leader and is the main reason the outnumbered Lion party remains politically viable. She is a shrewd politician, keeping her religious affiliations ambiguous enough that both followers of the traditional polytheistic Burri pantheon and the monotheistic(ish) Seven Faced God believe her to be one of them. Though she advocates submission to Godsmouth and Wardin, she sees this as a step towards a rebuilt Burri empire that unites all the people of Odist religion, though only a chosen few know of her designs.

Odelas "The Aurox" is a former war hero, made famous in the Third Finn War where he lead Titenegal's navy to victory against the superior numbers of the Finn and Royal Dain fleet. He has a brash and aggressive personality and is not particularly deft in politics, though is highly popular among the people for his war hero status, and critical in securing the allegiance of Titenegal's military. His interest in unification is rooted more in hatred for the rebel Finns and Dain kings than any love for his ancestral homeland of Wardin, (a fairly common stance for Wardi diaspora in the lands of Bur). He changed his nomme de guerre from 'the Bull' to 'the Aurox' after the development of the Bull party.