Illyria

Illyria is a crossroads, a frontier land sandwiched between the Empire and the rest of the world. As such, people from all over the known world can be found living in its cities and wandering its roads and fields. Before the Empire, the area now encompassed by the country’s borders was a loosely affiliated collection of warlords, city states, fiefdoms, and petty kingdoms composed of dozens of ethnic groups. When the Empire invaded, it pacified the various warlords and petty kings, drew a border around the whole area, and imposed Imperial Order on the territory. From Chaos to order. In theory, anyway.
Today, in the wake of the Imperial withdrawal, Illyria is a country in name only. There is a central government, located in the capital city Neretva, but it has very little real power outside of the city.
Illyria is a relatively “modern” country in context—not as advanced as Abyssinia and Zahran, but not as primitive as Gallicia. It has efficient, long-established infrastructure - roads, bridges, aqueducts, drainage, fortresses, roadhouses/way stations, etc. – and well-planned cities thanks to a millennium of Imperial occupation. Unfortunately, much of this infrastructure has fallen into disrepair in the centuries since the Empire left. Major cities and military outposts are in good working order, but outside of that the country’s infrastructure lies in various states of disrepair.

Who Are the Illyrians?

Illyrians are, basically, Southern Slavs (Croats, Serbs, Macedonians, Slovenians, Bulgarians, Montenegrins, Bosnians, etc.) with a smattering of Western Slavs (Slovaks, Poles, Moravians), and Greeks. They have a millennia-long cultural tradition that was suppressed for nearly a thousand years by the declining Empire. Both men and women are on the tall side, and complexions range from dark-haired, dark-eyed Mediterranean to pale, fair-haired northerners. Eyes are typically brown or hazel, but grey eyes and blue eyes are not unknown. Neither red hair nor green eyes are native to Illyria.
On the whole, Illyrians are a hardy, friendly, hospitable people who like to work hard and party harder. They are also a passionate people prone to powerful and abrupt swings between unfettered joy and deep melancholy. There is a streak of fatalism throughout various Illyrian cultures, and humor ranges from dry to pitch black. Illyrians love hard, fight hard, cry easily, and wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Illyrian dietary traditions range from Mediterranean/Middle Eastern near the coasts to the stereotypical potato and sauerkraut-based diets inland. Basically, you can find anything from kibbe to pierogi to cevaps to crepes on Illyrian tables. There are also external influences, especially by way of herbs, spices, and exotic plants, that come from other known countries. Meat is typically game or poultry, with fish extremely common on the coasts. Beef is practically unknown (it’s an exotic import from Gallicia), but pigs, sheep, and goats are commonly raised inland. Smoking and salting are the most common ways of preserving meats in Illyria with sausage making a close third. Many regions are known for specific styles of sausage or particular cuts of smoked meat. Illyrians drink milk (sheep and goat), wine, various distilled fruit spirits, pilsners, and a strong, sweet coffee imported from foreign lands (Turkish coffee).
Music, dancing, hunting, and sport are the main forms of entertainment in Illyria. Two major musical traditions – one string based, and one horn/brass based – vie for supremacy throughout the land. Despite their differences, both are, essentially, songs about heartbreak and alcoholism. Slavic hillbilly music with a healthy dose of fatalism. Even the “happy” songs have a dark streak in them, and the really sad songs can be dangerous. Every musical style, and nearly every song, has its own dance. Illyrians love to dance, and it takes very little encouragement to get your average person to dance a kolo.
As for sport, Illyrians enjoy a wide variety of contests – both native and imported from the Empire. Racing—whether on foot, mounted on horses, or driving chariots—is particularly big. In addition, Illyrians enjoy feats of strength, wargames/mock battles, bull and bear baiting, a game similar to boules/bocce/petanq, and a kind of primitive soccer/futbol. More refined pursuits such as theater and oratory were imported by the Empire and are not widely practiced in Illyria. That said, major cities such as Neretva have numerous theaters, acting troupes, and famous orators.

The Countries of Illyria

Dalmatia

Some of the varied people of Dalmatia include the Tariotes, Hylli, Nesti, and Duvno.

Pannonia

The Avar, Breuci, Daesitiates, and Pirustae are just some of the peoples found in Pannonia.

Moesia

Moesia is largely peopled by the Carpiani, Gutones, Scardus, and Moesi.

Thracia

The population of Thracia is primarily made up of the Bessi, Dacian, Sapaei, and Odrysian people.

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Region