Kislovan
Kislovan is currently closed for play.
Population
Adhiel - 25%, Achadhiel - 18%, Human - 53%, Other - 3%
Religion
Religion is central to life on Kislovan. Worship of K’tan is almost exclusively by Adhiel and Achadhiel, whereas Vargaz is preferred by Humans and disenchanted Achadhiel. Temples of K’tan, or more commonly now known as the Mother, proliferate throughout Kislovan. Pan has a small following here, and the other races that have come to Kislovan have brought their native deities with them, although worship tends to be personal or at small shrines, rather than major temples.
Languages
Adhiel is the official language of the realm, and the language of the arts, religion, and education, although Human is spoken among the peasant class, and in matters of foreign trade and international relations. This purposeful designation is indicative of the social separation of Adhiel and Humans, who are viewed by many Adhiel as a lesser race.
Climate and Geography
- Southern outlying islands – tropical monsoon
- Main island – sub-tropical to temperate
- Northern outlying islands – temperate
- Natural resources: tropical and sub-tropical rainforest, nickel, copper, silver, gold, gems, salt, ocean
- South coastal lowlands, becoming rolling hills to the north, with mountains to the northeast
- About 50% potentially cultivatable land
- Sheltered coves for harbours
- Some navigable rivers
- Flash flooding in the northern foothills
- Thunderstorms on the plains
Culture & Society
Kislovan society is highly stratified in a well-defined class system. Social climbing is possible, but challenging, and, for Humans, there is a virtually impermeable glass ceiling, keeping them from attaining noble status or influence in the priesthood.
There are 10 noble families of Kislovan, who, at the will of the queen, control the land and all that it produces. From these families come the vast majority of the Othituirdhiel, or Othi as they are more commonly called. The royal family and the nobility are great patrons of the arts, causing poetry, drama, music, and dance to flourish, in accordance with Adhiel tastes, naturally.
The arts in Kislovan are inspired by passion, colour, beauty and nature. Sculpture can be found in trained and pruned live plants, bone, wood, clay, and even in bronze, in the northeast, where non-Adhiel races have been allowed to mine and work metals under strict conditions. Dance and theatrical dance, often involving masks and elaborate costumes, are fashionable forms of entertainment among the ruling class. Puppet plays are popular with the serfs, and as street entertainment. Music flourishes among all levels of society, featuring such instruments as drums, shell rattles, and other percussion instruments, flutes and pan pipes, bamboo marimbas, and sitars.
The Adhiel love of nature dominates here, and it shows in the architecture and city planning, if ‘planning’ it could be called. Buildings of brick are heavily augmented with live plants and trees, so that they appear to be growing up from the land; a natural part of their environment. Domes, corbel vaulting and archways figure prominently. Prestigious buildings are glazed and ornately painted in bright colours like a riotous garden in full bloom. Shapers keep the public areas of towns and cities, and the private domains of the royalty and nobility lush. Yet even the more modest private homes have central garden courtyards, which are the focus of daily living, much as a sitting room would be in other lands.
Traditionally, males wear dhotee (a dhoti is a wrapped skirt that can be pulled between the legs from the back and tucked in the front to form shorts) and females wear saree (a sari is a wrapped dress, formed from several arm-lengths of cloth). The ruling classes generally wear linen, and serfs wear cotton. Western fashions have become common in recent yahren, with tunics and pants or skirts preferred by labourers during working marks.
Textiles are both practical and a way to show wealth and status. The more colourful and elaborately patterned and/or decorated, the more costly they are, and the more highly prized. Plain, natural coloured clothes are the least expensive and instantly demarcate the wearer as a serf. Solid, brightly dyed clothing is preferred over plain, undyed fabric. Even the poorest slave will try to acquire a brightly coloured outfit for festival days. Batik (wax tie-dye) clothing allows for relatively inexpensive patterns and multiple colours. Ikat (weaving with tie-dyed thread) clothing is yet more decorative, and similarly more costly. Bandhni (secret technique more intricate than batik) clothing is reserved only for the wealthy, even among the nobility. Kris (artistic weaving including jewels, shells or beads) clothing can run the spectrum, as serfs can augment their own clothing by adding shells or homemade beads. However, rare shells or costly beads are reserved for the wealthy, and jewels for the ruling class.
The citizens of Kislovan enjoy highly spiced or curried dishes and have a rice-based diet. The climate allows for a wide variety of vegetables and fruits to be grown, and fish and seafood, as well as meat and poultry, are plentiful. Sweet deserts are very popular, especially as sugar cane grows well here. Some common beverages are tea, various tropical fruit juices, wine, “Gold Passion” (citric and spice) liqueur, Cointreau, Amaro (spice and herb alcoholic decoction), rum and mescal.
Economy
- Domestic Enterprises: horse breeding, viniculture, agriculture, shipping and shipbuilding, limited mining by ‘other’ races
- Chief agricultural products: rice, wheat, flax, grapes, olive oil, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, horses, poultry; fish & seafood
- Imports: metal products, gems not available locally, luxury items, art
- Trading Partners: Sabata, Muchislie, Citadel, Trothgard
- Exports: wine, horses, textiles, exotic wood, porcelain, gems & jewellery, bronze sculpture
Military
- Knights and Guardsmen form a standing cavalry (to deal with domestic ‘situations’)
- Navy, comprised of ships owned by various members of the royal family and nobility (largely to deal with piracy)
Regions
Kislovan has 5 settled regions, with a total population in the range of 300,000. The River Ealieu, Kislovan’s longest river, runs from the northern mountains to the southwest coast. The Ealieu, its two major offshoots, the North and South Kislo Rivers, which originate at the south-western end of Lake Kislo, and the River Dai in the east form natural regional boundaries. The regions are named for the largest city within, with the suffix of –abh.
The peasant class constitutes approximately 9/10 of total population. The recent disappearance of a large number of Adhiel has caused a sudden drastic reduction in the population of that race in Kislovan, and has decreased the nobility alarmingly. As a result, Humans are now the major race of the realm and more than one noble house is seeking eligible marriage partners.
Recent History and Politics
50 yahren ago, the Humans of Sirionnabh attempted to create an independent state; they had long resented Adhiel rule. Under the leadership of Aethelwulf Aisling, they surprised the Adhiel garrison of Sirionn and massacred it. They then moved northwest and laid siege to Nediel. This proved the spark to ignite the flame; smouldering with resentment over the way they had been treated, other humans left their estates to join the rebellion. The whole of southeast Kislovan was in revolt, uncoordinated and opportunistic, but nonetheless united in its opposition to the Adhiel.
The Altaroien reacted with brutal efficiency. He himself marched west to Nedielabh, with heavy cavalry and archers. There they ran down and slaughtered the rebels, although it was rumoured that Aethelwulf escaped. Yet it did not end there. The Altaroien’s revenge on the west was swift and terrible. He enslaved thousands of humans, and devastated the countryside by deliberately burning fields. This caused a refugee crisis and famine, with peasants of both races being forced to survive on insects and rats. Even now, 50 yahren later, Sirionnabh still bears the scars of the crushing of the revolt; scars which have only served to increase the tension between Adhiel and Humans.
From the Chronicles of Altaroien Baroim: "I have persecuted the natives of Sirionnabh beyond all reason, whether gentle or simple. I have cruelly oppressed them and unjustly disinherited them, killed innumerable multitudes by famine or the sword and become the barbarous murderer of many, both young and old. And it felt good."
After the rebellion had been crushed, a period of uneasy peace ensued; however, bitterness and hatred existed on both sides, and manifested itself in two terrorist groups, largely focused in the west. Even 50 yahren later, these groups persist.
The Fire Lords are Adhiel, disguised in black clothing and full face helmets daubed with symbols marked in phosphorus; the barding of their horses is also marked with the same substance. This gives them a terrifyingly supernatural appearance when they ride out at night, bearing torches, and descend on human settlements. The Fire Lords shriek like demons, and torch the buildings, then ride down the unfortunate inhabitants as they try to escape. In recent times they have grown more daring; they have hunted down and kidnapped humans who they deem to be 'insolent', and burn them alive. Their chosen instrument is fire; for they believe the only way to clean Kislovan is to burn the filthy human scum out.
The Brotherhood of the Wolf is named in honour of Aethelwulf Aisling, who led the thwarted rebellion against the Adhiel. The Brotherhood consists of Human political activists who seek a independence for the state of Sirionnabh, and propose to create a true multi-cultural society, where all beings are equal. To this end they have formed a network of informants and activists throughout the Sirionnabh region, with the sole aim of disrupting Adhiel society. They target caravans and loot them; they ambush military patrols, and slay them; they kidnap prominent members of Adhiel society, and often mutilate and maim them in revenge for the outrages of the Fire Lords.
Altaroien Baroim eventually died a vicious and bitter old man, to be succeeded by his eldest son, Beran. Beran was too much his father’s son and ruled as a tyrant. Anochrim, the second son of Baroim, struggling with his conscience, his love for his brother, and the every day misery of his people, finally chose postnatal abortion as the only way out. As a result he inherited his brother’s position. At a later age Anochrim was forced by the gods to do penance for this sin, fighting his evil alter ego to the death. He survived but his council forced him to resign in favour of his sister, which he promptly did, glad to be relieved of the burden.
Altaroien Calmeann now rules Kislovan with a much more level hand, although she retained the racial disposition to favour the Adhiel populace. Last Samheen the violence errupted again, this time in the capital. An adhiel Battlemage-in-training accidently let her power run out of control, causing terrible burns to a human female. This served as the match to the powder keg both to the Brotherhood of the Wolf who wanted vengence for what they thought of as an unprovolked attack, and to the Firelords, seeking to cow the humans back into thier place.
Kislovan has a typically feudal system of governance. The crown owns all lands, which are held at the will of the Altaroien by the Adhiel noble families. The Altaroien is advised by a Council consisting of nobles, a High Priestess of K’tan, and 3 Mages, chosen by the Altaroien. Since Samheen the Altaroien has added a the post of Ombusman for Human Affairs which she is now attempting to fill.
Special Interest
- Court intrigue
- Military/cavalry
- Merchant/trade
- Smuggling/piracy
- Racial tensions/terrorism
- Religion/Mother/Father
