The Matriarchy of Malhara
The Nation of Monsters and Beasts
Structure
See The Eastern Imperium for info on the organizational, societal, and noble structure of the country.
Demography and Population
As Malhara holds sway over and owns the entire World Spine Mountain Range, their population is distributed across the mountains in small villages and tribes that each serve the central massive city of Malhara, which serves as the center of power in the City-State. The population is mostly comprised of monstrous creatures, beasts, and other fantastical creatures, and no real distinction between the wealthy or poor exists...instead, boundaries are drawn between races, such as between more mundane humanoid races and the more populous monstrous races. Females are given cultural, societal, and military advantages over their male counterparts in Malhara, a belief which was sprung long ago from the worship of Tamamo-No-Mae as their patron goddess...and as she is a woman, so too they believe are females thus the superior race. Males are treated as lesser, but still equal citizens but are often kept from entering more elite social circles or rising above a certain rank in Malhara's military or government or other organizations.
Above all, Malhara is notorious for its immense hatred for more "normal" humanoid races such as Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and other populous races which often hunt or exterminate or attack them on sight...such creatures afforded no rights or protections as citizens, and are commonly kept as slaves and fodder for the more monstrous citizens of the country. Notoriously, visitors to Malhara are told and advised outright that, should they be or be harboring a humanoid among them, to chain them or hide them if they wish to keep them alive...as while it is not required to enslave or crush all humanoids in the country, most citizens will attack or question a free humanoid on sight, making it a dangerous place for travelers.
Due to the long lifespan of these monstrous races, the birth rate is quite low comparatively to other vassal territories of the Eastern Imperium, and the death rate is similarly quite low due to the long lifespans and immense high power of the citizens who live there. Though, if one counts the slaves and other humanoid races that are kept by the citizens, the death rate can be considered to be astronomically higher.
Territories
Malhara holds dominion over the entire World Spine Mountain range, though they lack the size and capability to truly enforce or control such as vast swath of land. These lands were a gift to them from Tamamo-No-Mae herself as a reward for their service to her during the Unification Wars which saw her conquer the lands of the east.
Military
The Malharan military is a powerful thing, and rivals even the Dynasties in terms of military power...if only thanks to the monstrous residents who call the nation home. Cyclops, Giants, Dai-Yukai, and countless other races are organized into female-led battalions and organized according to their specialty...entire Giant regiments dedicated to boulder-throwing that serve as long-range bombardment support are not uncommon here, and while they have a hard time outfitting their military with properly sized equipment, their units seldom need them to truly be effective. Their military uses mass-wave tactics with the slaves and other fodder in front to weaken their foes as the more powerful units roll in and crush the weakened foe before they can recover.
Religion
Religion is a massive part of Malhara, with the worship of Tamamo-No-Mae being the officially enforced state religion...the country also operates according to the Imperium's list of outlawed religions, and consequently moreso than any other Imperial Nation they enforce the worship of Tamamo-No-Mae among their citizens heavily. The Malharan church is a powerful, nigh-omnipotent organization within the country...led by female priests and cardinals and commanded by the Grand Holy Matron at the top, the church holds immense sway over the lives of the citizens who live within its boundaries...the church has roots in nearly every organization in Malhara from the Army to the government, and its female priests hold such immense power and authority that, not only can they accept and declare humanoid races normally kept as slaves as priests and citizens, they can allow such humanoids to rise to prominence within the Church's ranks. The church's priests can also enter most any dwelling without permission, and serve as the enforcing law of Malhara.
Once the Empress has declared the laws of Malhara, the only creature capable of interpreting or, rarely, changing or superseding the Empress's laws and commands is the "Grand Holy Matron", a religious figure that is universally a female that serves as a near-equal in power to the Matriarch, and who governs the religious ways and commands of Malhara, and of Tamamo, and rules and leads the Malharan church. This Grand Holy Matron serves as a conduit to Tamamo herself, and is the sole being who holds power to declare interpretation and/or change or alter or even rarely revoke the laws of the Empress...though, the two figures rarely disagree on matters of state. The Current Grand Holy Matron of Malhara is the Herald of the Kitsune Queen herself, Mislith Nirrus, who was sent to investigate the country and ensure it is kept in line with the rules of the Eastern Imperium, and brought into line if it is found to be in violation of its laws.
In extreme cases, the Grand Holy Matron has the authority to overrule and challenge the Empress herself when Tamamo's authority is flouted or disregarded, or some grievous offense is committed against her...in this scenarios, the Grand Holy Matron often duels the Empress and puts her to death, ruling as both head of state and church until she dies. Because of this extreme degree of power held by the Grand Holy Matron, those who hold the title are put through incredibly strict procedures, trials, and tribulations to ensure beyond a doubt their loyalty to the creed of the Imperium, and of Tamamo-No-Mae.
Otherwise, once the laws have been declared they are to be obeyed universally and without question...any creature who dares to "interpret" a law declared by the Empress is seen as committing a flagrant offense against her authority, and implying that the Empress in some way did not think of or meant to say something else.
Foreign Relations
Malhara shares borders with The Ursidae Dynasties, and the two countries frequently skirmish and war with each other due to a long-standing animosity between the two countries for Malhara's somewhat constant abductions of the Dynasties' citizens to sell or conscript into the Malharan army. The two countries bicker and war at every given opportunity, and it is thanks only in part to the overwhelming power of Malhara's monstrous citizens and the two countries' shared servitude to Tamamo-No-Mae and her Imperium that keeps them from destroying each other.
Thanks to their booming Slavery industry and active ports in their capital city, Malhara holds good relations with the Slavers of the western continent, who travel across the oceans to dock in their ports and buy their exotic eastern slaves, and sell their own in the markets there.
Agriculture & Industry
Slavery is a booming industry in Malhara, and the ports there are constantly seeing traffic from slavers the world over, come to buy, sell, and trade slaves in the Malharan 'Flesh Markets'...in Malhara, slavery of humanoids and other more mundane creatures is not seen as an affront to Tamamo or her teachings, as they simply see such slavery as following her commands of 'helping creatures master their inner natures'...as those humanoids, to Malharan citizens, are often cruel and bloodthirsty to their kind, their enslavement is simply teaching them the errors of their ways and is the only way such beings can be allowed to exist in civilization.
As Malhara is mainly based in a mountain range, it can do little in the way of agriculture but they do have a fairly intricate and popular terrace-farming system that decorates the sides of the Mountains they call home...allowing them to grow some crops such as rice and other crops in the moist altitudes of the World Spine Mountains. They also have access to many mines and possess mineral wealth, but lack the industry to utilize many of the more advanced or valuable metals or ores they find. They have little opportunity to herd and farm animals, as none but the hardiest creatures call the mountain their home...though Malhara does have a populous fishing and sea-based economy.
Trade & Transport
Trade and Transport throughout Malhara happens generally out of the ports of their capital city and out west or through the rough, winding mountain roads down into the Ursidae Dynasties, where they are shipped and sent all over the Imperium. The mountain roads of Malhara are roughly hewn things carved from the mountainside by the hands of giants, and while they are safe to travel on they do unnerve visitors with their alarming lack of guardrails or safety nets.
Education
Traditional Education in Malhara is more akin to industrialized brainwashing than traditional Education. The Malharan church handles the education of all children and citizens who reside within the borders of Malhara, and this education focuses on teaching them that Tamamo-No-Mae is the being above all to be obeyed and worshiped above all else...they teach the superiority of females over males in the divine image of their goddess, and of the history of the Imperium.
This Education is given to all who reside and who are born within Malhara, even to slaves, regardless of class or boundaries...and in the event of an older creature with pre-existing beliefs being educated, they are often carted away to a cathedral and brutally broken down mentally and reconstructed into a faithful servant of Malhara, and of Tamamo.
Infrastructure
Malhara infrastructure is typified by massive winding mountain roads, a large and intricate oceanic elevator that lifts ships to and from the city of Malhara itself to the ocean below in a series of ingeniously designed floodgates and levies that are collectively referred to as the "Malharan Oceanic Elevator". Holes have been bored through the mountains to create roads between Malhara and its outlying villages and settlements, and large walls shelter the city of Malhara itself...with the outlying villages relying on their distant locations and natural terrain to defend themselves.
Civilized Minds, Monstrous Souls.
Founding Date
Year 119, Age of Warring States(Year 1408 Universal Timeline Date(UTD))
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Alternative Names
Malhara, The Matriarchy
Demonym
Malharan
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Kratocracy
Power Structure
Dependent territory
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
The main form of currency within the Imperium is the Foxnote, a form of paper currency. They are often exchanged with gold coins on a 1:1 ratio. Several dominations of Foxnotes exist to relate to different coinage.
Major Exports
Ores, Gems, Slaves, Rice
Major Imports
Food, Slaves, Industrial Power, Skilled Metalworkers, Larger gear
Legislative Body
Malhara is ruled by an Empress, or Matriarch, who takes her throne through a combination of both political, social, and martial prowess. This Empress, once she ascends to the throne, rules for as long as she is able to protect her throne...and once she proves incapable of doing so, she is killed by another citizen who rises to power and claims the title for themselves. This Empress or Matriarch is always a female, and is responsible solely for the writing and creating the laws and rules of Malhara.
Judicial Body
The head of the Malharan Church, a female given the title "Grand Holy Matron", is responsible for interpreting, judging, and acting as the sole judicial authority in the country, and is the only being with the authority to challenge and depose the Empress if she is judged to be in violation of the Eastern Imperium or Tamamo's laws. The Current Grand Holy Matron of Malhara is the Herald of the Kitsune Queen herself, Mislith Nirrus, who was sent after the mysterious disappearance of the previous Grand Holy Matron to investigate Empress Aesrit Hraelna.
Official State Religion
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments