Soleriant
The state of Soleriant is a theocratic nation state that sits at the tip of the Fireland Peninsula, controlling the entire former province of Tigeras. The country is ruled by religious groups that adhere to the church of Sarenrae, which is regarded as the primary state religion. The state aims to spread the light of Sarenrae around the whole continent of Abkhazia and push back the evil fires of Asmodeus. A quest that the state has used various means to achieve, from humanitarian aid and diplomacy to force and inquisition.
The high priest, representing the clergy and the religious practices who are seen as the highest institutions of Sarenrae worship on the continent.
The loving mother, representing the humanitarian forces of Sarenrae who focus on the sun goddess’ good nature and forgiveness.
The grand inquisitor, representing the state’s strive to root out evil forces within and without their borders. They investigate sources of evil and posess the military capacities to take action against whatever wickedness they might uncover.
In short: The light, the love and the fire of Sarenrae.
All three branches are powerful in their own right, and each has regions of special influence where their followers assemble. While these branches often follow very different aspects of the sun goddess, their internal disagreements have so-far not threatened the stability of the theocratic state.
Temple on the shores of Lake Tigeras
Etymology
When the theocrats took power over the region they chose the name “Soleriant”, which is a halfling word translating to “land of the sun”.Geography
The state of Soleriant is territorially identical with the former province of Tigeras. The location on the tip of the Fireland Peninsula gives the state a dominant position within the southeastern waters of Abkhazia. The climate of the region is hot and dry with limited vegetation and brutal sunlight, one of the main reasons why the land was chosen as the hub for the theocratic state project. The Lake Tigeras, the largest lake in all of Abkhazia, sits at the center of the country, a giant source of life for the comparably hostile country. The land is littered with canals that divert lake water to the few arable regions of the country. The farmers, however, still live at the mercy of the sun as a phenomenon called “sunstorm” could completely obliterate a year’s crops within seconds. The challenging nature of farming in the region leads to the fact that almost all population centers of the country are located in two rings, either located by the sea or by the shores of Lake Tigeras. One territorial anomaly of the country are the two exclaves, the cities of Ceuto and Fellila, located on the shores of Hod, surrounded by the Principality of Greater Tersinop that the nation of Soleriant still controls after the crisis leading to the formation of Suspicondo Perrilaric (see @Principality of Greater Tersinop)History
The region of the province of Tigeras has been dominated by a large halfling population, a result of their displacement from their homelands in Tersinop by early human settlers. The region was mostly left untouched and received little attention from the powerful nations all around the continent due to its undesirable climate and lack of resources. However, the region has held a strong fellowship of Sarenrae since its early days, leading to the construction of many temples of the region. The soil of the region was, therefore, fertile for a rebellion against the remaining Khanian authorities that was incited in 885 AGF by local Sarenrae followers under a strong influx from worshippers from all over the continent. The state secured its control by religious diplomacy and missioning combined with force, when facing armed resistance. As the province of Rayfort formed a second splitaway theocratic state dedicated to Pharasma at a similar time, the "alliance of the first and last light" of Soleriant and Rayfort was able to push back any attempts from Khania to reassert its control over the Fireland Peninsula. Their privileged position quickly allowed both nations to gain strong control over the southeastern waters of Abkhazia. While in its early years, Soleriant was primarily concerned with establishing the rule of the sun in their own realms, the powerful inquisition of Sarenrae also soon started to hunt down sources of evil, especially the forces of Asmodeus all over Abkhazia. While many saw the actions of the inquisition as nothing but fanaticism, Soleriant remained dedicated to lead the fight against Asmodeus until the light of Sarenrae would ultimately triumph. While Soleriant certainly managed to deal a decisive strike against the forces of evil, the archdevil also led his destructive campaigns against the sun fortress of Abkhazia, exemplified by the complete obliteration of the city of Anbari in 894 AGF by the devilish armies of Asmodeus. Outraged by this atrocity, the grand inquisitor of Soleriant and legendary warrior, Vraen Sildren, called upon Sarenrae followers around the continent to assemble the largest striking force of the sun the world had ever seen, to take out Asmodeus once and for all. On the day of summer solstice 895 AGF, the "radiant march" stormed off through a portal into hell, never to be seen again. There are many wild theories on what happened to the sun's chosen ones though no one has been able to answer this question with any certainty.Politics
The country’s government and overall organization is made up by a triumvirate representing three branches:Culture
Life within the borders of Soleriant is unsurprisingly dominated by the belief in Sarenrae, the religious dogmas set by the high priests, the love for your family, strangers and people in need as taught by the loving mother and an underlying distrust and preparedness to bring redemption to any source of evil, even if this should turn out to be a familiar face. It is common for kids to aspire for a career in one of the religious institutions of the country and it is expected of younglings to spend time outside of Soleriant to spread on or all three aspects of Sarenrae to distant lands.
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