Draka

Draka is a kingdom encompassing the entirety of the island of Draka, centered 10 degrees north of the equator near the center of the Middle Sea. It is ruled by the High King Dragon Endrondrizan the Bronze. The family line of Endondrizan has ruled the kingdom since its inception over three thousand years ago. The island is fertile and benefits from a tropical climate. Draka is a center of learning and stability with trade and cultural ties throughout the Middle Sea.

Structure

The island of Draka, along with the Western Citron Islands, Aflan, and Scalfa, is organized into 10 Societies, each led by one of the 10 Great Clans. The members of those societies are other clans, creating a complex and nation spanning network of clan fealty and obligation. There are no geographical limits on which clan may belong to which society, and multiple societies may be active in any large settlement. Each society is further internally divided into guilds, often based on cultural or economic activity, which may have members from multiple clans inside the society. Each guild selects its own leaders, who then work in tandem with the clan chiefs to maintain and lead the society.

The High King is the final word of rule upon the island of Draka, and is the official Leader of the Drakan Senate. In practice however, the High King delegates the majority of this power to the Prime Minister, who carries out the administration of the Kingdom, and the High Counselor of the Senate who presides over that body. The Prime Minister is elected by the clan leaders of the kingdom for what is generally a lifetime appointment, and the High Counselor elected by the guild masters every 6 years, both subject to the approval of the King.

Culture

Draka is the oldest existing kingdom in the world, long ruled by a line of ancient and wise bronze dragons. Developed and cosmopolitan, Draka sits in the literal and figurative center of the Middle Sea and the world of Arda itself.

Cultural Attitudes

While humans, elves, and halflings live across the island nation in great number, the most influential and important members of society are of the various dragonborn clans that make up almost half of the population. High Draconic culture is the greatest influence on the culture of the island, and brings with it a tendency of all Drakari toward self-reliance, devotion to clan and family, and dedication improvement of both themselves and their society. Honor is an important cultural touchstone, and a Drakani will go to great lengths to maintain both her personal honor and the honor of her family. Drakani communities are generally self-sufficient, but brisk trade still exists throughout the island and with the other nations of the Middle Sea. Novelties and delicacies are well received on the island, especially among the nobility, wealthy merchants, and landowners.

Honor is your place in the world and the world's observation of you, but it is more than that. Honor is a devotion to duty that lives beyond the seen to the unseen. Honor is that which does what is best when none see, because you refuse to see the honor in your own soul dimmed. - Serdakkis Dolat, Guildmaster of the Ritualists of Bahamut.

Clothing

Drakan clothing, especially that of the higher classes, is well constructed and often finely embroidered. Owing to the tropical climate, clothing tends to be loose and fabrics thin. Linens in particular can be quite sheer, often to a degree that denizens of other lands might find scandalous. Clothing is colorful, with many dyes available from both land and sea based sources, and tye-dyeing and fabric painting techniques are both used to create intricate patterns and designs. Men's clothing consists typically of calf-length breeches over linen undergarments, often with a knee length skirt above. Men's shirts are loose, often incorporating a hood for rain protection, and woven from thin wool, sometimes with a short linen tunic beneath. Women's is quite similar, though in women's wear the skirt is often slightly longer and worn without the breeches, and the overshirt is replaced with a caftan reaching to the upper thigh. Men and women wear similar footwear, chiefly being sandals , sometimes atop platforms tied to provide better footing on muddy roads during the rainy season.

Languages

The most predominant language of the island is Draconic, and most frequent visitors to the island learn at least a little of the language in the course of trading and working among the natives. The trade language often called common is spoken by many on the island, and those settlements made up largely of elves, humans, or halflings speak Aquani, Parsan, and Irvic respectively, though often with loanwords and inflections of High Draconic.

Public Agenda

For two thousand years Draka has been the civilized center of the Middle Sea. It is with cause we are the envy of the world. - Sevanarax Vorgal, Prime Minister of Draka, 2168-2213 A.V.

The Kingdom of Draka is a center of civilization recognized for its strength and stability throughout the Middle Sea. The kingdom is a hub of commerce, diplomacy, and education, and the Drakani Navy acts as an enforcer of justice and peace throughout the middle sea. Draka intends to stand as a beacon to the world of cooperation between peoples and what knowledge, peace, and order can build.

History

Founded on the sixth day of Planting in founding year of the Draconic Era (DY) by the bronze dragon Elbarazad the Great.

Demography and Population

Draconians by far are the majority population of Draka, comprising 42% of Draka's eleven million people. Humans, adaptable and ever-present, comprise the next greatest population at 25%, followed by halflings at 19%, and aquani elves at 10%. The remaining 4% are of a variety of races, including a sizeable but largely uncounted kobold population, as Draka is one of the few places kobolds may expect to live without molestation or harassment.

Religion

The primary religion of Draka is might not be called a religion at all, but rather is a philosophy based on principles set down by the Dragon God Bahamut. This philosophy is simply known as the Way of Bahamut, or more commonly just The Way. Wayist philosophy emphasizes personal growth and development, compassion toward living things, adherence to order, and proper observance of ritual. These things are not aimed at the worship of Bahamut, but at rather as emulation of his example as a perfect being. Members of any race may follow the Way, and many human and elf Drakani follow Wayist philosophy, sometimes in addition to worship of deities from other pantheons. The Kaerloni and Parsan pantheons are worshiped by many of the humans of Draka, often in a syncretic worship combining deities of both or considering similar deities from both as the same god.

Tauthahans in Draka maintain assembly houses for their Goddess Yndla, and schools for training in their native language and in the study of their scriptures and the many books of law and commentary based on them, as is their custom throughout the world.

Agriculture & Industry

The tropical climate of Draka allows for a nearly year around growing season, the rainy season being especially important to the growth of deep water and lowland rice. Tea

The Heart of the World

Founding Date

Six Planting, 0 DY

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Alternative Names

The Great Island, The Isle of The Brass Dragon

Demonym

Drakani

Government System

Monarchy, Crowned Republic

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Palace economy

Currency

The currency of Draka, like most of the lands of the Middle Sea, is minted coins of various metal content and denominations. Gold is the most rare and valuable minted coin, and copper pence the least, with others as noted below.

1 gold drakma = 10 crowns = 100 dines
1 silver crown = 10 dines
1 copper dine = .1 silver crown

As a center of trade throughout the nations, many other nations coins are accepted at reasonable exchange rates by merchants and moneychangers throughout Draka. Most nations try to keep close coinage to that of Draka, but some notable outliers exist.

Legislative Body

The Senate is made up of representatives delegated by the High Chiefs of the ten societies. Each society sends 40 delegates, who then make the laws for the kingdom under the guidance of the Prime Minister and High Counselor.

Judicial Body

Judicial proceedings on Draka are a serious affair, and there are often overlapping jurisdictions between bodies capable of passing and enforcing judgement. Generally, infractions are handled by the body with the most interest in the affair, with guilds handling guild business and clans handling clan business. Disputes between clans are handled by clan chiefs within the society to which they belong, and disputes between two societies are handled by a panel of 30 judges selected by the senate. Three judges are selected from each clan, and judges from the clans in dispute recuse themselves to advise their clans on the proceedings.

Official State Religion

Ritualists Guild of Bahamut

Deities