Countries
ESMEIN
- Pronunciation: Is-mean
- Language: Esmenian
- Climate: Hot, damp
- Brief Description: Esmein is an island nation, characterized by its lush greenery and highlands. Main exports include pelts/furs and leatherwork. Agriculture is a large part of Esmenian culture, both animals and crops.
- Predominant Religion: Bryuph (Bry-oof)
- Accent: Esmenians tend to have rather recognizable accents. Vowels are softened, consonants are hardened, ‘g’s at the end of words are dropped, and speakers are incredibly rhotic.
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SCHUA BRIH
- Pronunciation: Shoe-uh Brih
- Language: Iraric
- Climate: Cold, wet
- Brief Description: Schua Brih is located right on the coast, specifically against the frigid Whitesend Sea. The people there are well suited for the cold and lack of real vegetation. Traditional foods are meat dishes and served hot. Schua Brih is mainly known for its alcohol exports and silver jewelry.
- Predominant Religion: Followers of the Hand
- Accent: Native Iraric speakers often sound harsh to outsiders, especially if they aren’t actually speaking Iraric. Verbs get stressed more than the subjects, and if it’s a compound word, the second part of the word is stressed more heavily than the first. ‘R’s are rolled, ‘th’ sounds become ‘d’ sounds.
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SECHIL
- Pronunciation: Say-shill
- Language: N/A (See ‘Accent’)
- Climate: Hot, dry
- Brief Description: Sechil is a landlocked desert nation. They are best known for their expert weaponsmiths.
- Predominant Religion: Amtu
- Accent: Sechilians don’t lend themselves to any particular accent, although it’s worth noting that Sechil is full of city-states that often have their own languages and accents.
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HEBAT
- Pronunciation: He-bat
- Language: Asano
- Climate: Tropical, wet
- Brief Description: Hebat is a small, tropical la peninsula on the Jade Ocean. It’s characterized by its green, clear waters and sandy beaches. Hebat’s main exports are their colorful weavings, exotic animals, and fruits.
- Predominant Religion: Sasua (Saw-swa)
- Accent: Asano speakers often sound like they have much more lilting, fast voices than others.
Religion Breakdowns
BRYUPH
- Number of Deities: 12
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Main deities:
Cesnas, God of the day
Haloun, God of the night
Brogdia, Goddess of shelter and fertility
Olyne, God of agriculture
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Things to note:
Followers aren’t required to worship every god, although they are required to offer (burn, dunk in water, or bury) a portion of their evening meals to the gods every night. On holidays, evening meals are much larger, but the gods actually require a portion of every meal or snack eaten.
- Holidays:
Feast of The Virgin- A large feast is presented (roughly 7 courses) for the entire town/village/city, and young women are presented to the goddess Brogdia for blessings. This feast lasts one night, and takes place on the first day of spring.
Festival of Cows- This festival lasts roughly a week, where cattle is celebrated for the sustenance it gives to the people of Esmein. It is usually timed so that the longest day of the year is placed in the middle. Streets are decorated with clovers and flowers, and village elders dance around in bells and wooden cow masks.
Brother’s Night- On the last day of winter, gods Cesnas and Haloun are celebrated. This holiday is celebrated through lots of booze and meats, as well as the sacrificial burnings of both a white and black goat.
Festival of Ancestry- To celebrate the harvest, freshly baked breads and charred meats are placed out on windowsills. This is because Byruph traditions state that harvests are successful because the ancestors of Esmenian people bless them. By setting out the baked goods and meat, the spirits of the ancestors are filled, meaning that the next harvest will be successful as well. The Festival of Ancestry technically takes place during the entire harvest, so roughly a month.
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FOLLOWERS OF THE HAND
- Number of Deities: 5
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Main deities:
Fjern, God of Shelter
Waryn, God of the Winter Sun
Komia, Father of all life
Qa, Mother of all life
- Things to note:
In this religion, every god is worshipped by every follower. They don’t have to offer foods, but followers are required to have some sort of shrine in their home where they place offerings of precious items and wooden carvings.
The Day of Silver Suns- This holiday is celebrated with loads of pastries and sweets. It celebrates every god in the pantheon. Home altars are decorated in jewelry, the more the better.
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AMTU
Both gods must be worshipped, although women are more expected to worship Ieo and men are more expected to worship Iea. This is because followers understand than man cannot exist without women, and vice versa. Both gods are offered coins, kept in jars near the front door of the home.
It’s also important to note that Ieo and Iea are the parents of every living thing. Ieo is the creator, who brings everything to life, and Iea eats them to survive.
The Golden Day- This is celebrated on the longest day of the year, which in Sechil, is usually the hottest as well. The Golden Day is celebrated with games, ornate clothing, and large feasts. When night falls, the month-long fast begins, until it’s broken on the Red Night.
The Red Night- The Red Night ends the month of fasting, which represents how Iea starved herself so that she wouldn’t have to eat (and kill) her own children. On The Red Night, goats, cattle, and other livestock are slaughtered and served raw as the first course, slowly getting more and more cooked as the night goes on. Bonfires are lit, alcohol is poured, and everyone celebrates the end of life. In some places, the eldest of the village is sacrificed up to Iea.
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SASUA
- Number of Deities: 45 (4 Main)*
- Main deities:
The King, Ruler of the heavens
Amiriad, God of water, precious stones, and birds
Sarina, Gatekeeper of the afterlives
Xeanke, Goddess of volcanoes
Ytix, Goddess of fruit, luck, and fertility (Male & Female)
- Things to note:
Given that Sasua has such a large pantheon, there can be more than one god for one thing. Gods often don’t have only one purpose, they normally have 3-5.
Gods often take place in the form of both birds and bird-headed people.
Festival of Birds- Birds are celebrated during this 3 day long festival in the summer. People decorate themselves with flowers, jewels, and bright colors, while birds themselves are colored with brightly colored powders.
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(* If you choose Sasua as a religion, please do not make the whole pantheon. You.. don’t need it. That goes for all of these, actually. Your character has the option of only worshipping one deity (or none!), and they don’t have to be the main ones. You can simply make up your own, really. This is just a small taste of the religions. Hell, you can use your own homebrew religions.)
This is a LOT, I know. I’m one of those people who gets really into worldbuilding, so I’m sorry about that!
