Thrasis of Burmeccia

Burmeccia is a multi-ethnic complex of territories situated in and around the Sea of Souls and the Katraccian Mountain Ring—in the mid-lands between the Dahyu-Bandar deserts, the Escarbian savannah, and the Rexdanes—that slowly developed after the Year of Collapse, and which has become one of the most important geopolitical power-houses in the present day. Burmeccia consists of 18 petty kingdoms, realms, or "states"—also known as the Octakaidecarchy—who formed a confederation under the pontificate of their unifying religion: [insert religion name here].
The largest territory in the Thrasis is the Kingdom of Ermet, an enormous and relatively flat Breechland ruled by King Milo II 'the Younger': a roden Lucent of the Sun, whose brother famously abdicated after Milo became an Incarnate in 425 BR.
Use of the word "Burmeccia" (IPA: bərmɛk'sɪə) to collectively refer to the Thrasis has only emerged within the last hundred years or so. The etymology traces back to the katraccia mountain range; "burmewt" meaning 'within' or 'falls on'—or poetically meaning 'rain'—and "katraccia" refers to the shape of the mountains themselves, which look like a giant bowl that collects all the rain. So people once referred to the land as "bermewt katraccia", but the two words eventually slurred and merged. Still, the region is marked on old foreign maps with a translated name that means something like 'Bowl of Rain' or 'Rainlands'. Burmeccia is basically isolated from two deserts and a steppe: it's one of the most verdant and ecologically different regions in the known world. There are flora and fauna that almost exclusively grow in the so-called 'Cataract Crater', such as cinnamon ferns, eutrems or 'water carrots', flat sea oats, and the beautiful giant white water lilies known as 'ebbrients', which grow in the more jungled regions to the South-West along slow-moving riverbanks and calm lagoons, and which are frequently seen depicted in the national iconography.
The office of Thras—which is currently held by Thras Hana III—is an elective position. Though once elected, the position is held until death or retirement. Votes are cast by the Octakaidecarchy and by the Deacons of the Surrectionist faith when a new Thras needs to be selected. By tradition, the Thras must have been a Deacon for at least 10 years prior, and by law Deacons cannot hold secular offices (though the rest of the pontificate can). So the election of a new Thras is a very rare thing indeed, and since the founding of Burmeccia there have only been eight Thrasi. The Thras is not however, contrary to popular belief, the monarch of Burmeccia. Though united by faith, the eighteen main-realms are decentralised from one-another, and are composed of hundreds of sub-realms: kingdoms and queendoms, principalities, duchies, counties, royal pontiffrys, city-states, and other such dominions; as well as the Free Colonies of Below, and the Katraccian Outposts. The power of the Thras is therefore relatively limited, and while the leaders of the Octakaidecarchy and all their satellites are technically vassals of the Thras, bound by oaths to protect one another; they also possessed an extent of privileges that give them de facto independence within their own territories.

Fields and Forests Setting

Lifepath	Time	Res	Stat	Leads
1. Born to the Fields	5 yrs	4 rps	—	—

Skills: 3 pts: General
Traits: Roden Common Traits; plus 2 pts: Vegetarian

2. Field Hand

3 yrs

3 rps

+1 P

Exile

Skills: 4 pts: Singing, Friends-wise, Digging
Traits: 1 pt: Back-breaking Labour

3. Shepherd

4 yrs

4 rps

+1 P

Exile

Skills: 5 pts: Driving, Animal Husbandry, Slings, Llama-wise, Borders-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Spitting, Cry Dragon

4. Woodsen

4 yrs

6 rps

+1 P

Exile

Skills: 4 pts: Tree Cutting, Tree-wise, Carpentry, Orienteering
Traits: 1 pt: Independent

5. Apprentice

5 yrs

9 rps

+1 P

Exile

Skills: 3 pts: Mending, Haggling, Sewing, Digging, Firebuilding, Materials-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Gofer

6. Gatherer

4 yrs

9 rps

—

Exile

Skills: 3 pts: Foraging, Herbalism, Watercarrots-wise, Orchard-wise, Nuts and Berries-wise
Traits: 1 pt: —

7. Farmer

8 yrs

10 rps

+1 P

—

Skills: 3 pts: Farming, Mending, Seed-wise, Oats-wise, Barley-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Hoarder

8. Beekeeper

6 yrs

10 rps

+1 M

—

Skills: 3 pts: Insect Husbandry, Firebuilding, Bee-wise, Flower-wise, Honey-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Thick Skin, Beespeaker
Requires: Woodsen, Gatherer, Farmer, Father / Mother, Apprentice, or Field Hand

9. Cultivator

8 yrs

10 rps

—

—

Skills: 5 pts: Foraging, Basketry, Insect Husbandry, Apothecary, Medicinals-wise, Mushrooms-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Impressive Hat, Fun Guy, A Bit Mad
Requires: Gatherer, Weaver, Scavenger, Mycanist, Scrub, Scavenger, or Hermit

10. Furrier

4 yrs

10 rps

+1 P

Exile, Milita

Skills: 5 pts: Tanner, Armourer, Haggling, Pelts-wise, Trim-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Reeks
Requires: Shepherd, Scrub, Bushwhacker, Hunter, or Sawbones

11. Crabber

6 yrs

11 rps

+1 M/P

Exile

Skills: 5 pts: Crabbing*, Trapper, Knots, Cooking, Boatwright, Scrimshaw, River-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Superstitious, Pinched Once (Once!)
Note: Crabbing works like the Fishing skill, but for crabs

12. Baker

4 yrs

12 rps

—

Citadel

Skills: 4 pts: Baking, Firebuilding, Bread-wise, Cooking, Oven-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Fragrant, Sweet Tooth
Requires: Beekeeper, Miller, Shepherd, or Field Hand

13. Weaver

6 yrs

15 rps

—

Citadel

Skills: 6 pts: Weaving, Sewing, Embroidery, Soothing Platitudes, Singing, Loose Ends-wise, Wool-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Calloused
Requires: Apprentice or Cultivator

14. Miller

5 yrs

14 rps

+1 M/P

—

Skills: 5 pts: Milling, Grain-wise, Haggling, Flour-wise, Watermills-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Industrious

15. Meadmaker

5 yrs

15 rps

—

—

Skills: 5 pts: Brewing, Mead-wise, Haggling, Cooper, Braggot-wise, Dandewine-Wise
Traits: 1 pt: —
Requires: Beekeeper or Miller

16. Gardener

8 yrs

16 rps

+1 M

Citadel

Skills: 6 pts: Almanac, Farming, Foraging, Animal Husbandry, Conservation-wise, Weeds-wise, Gardens-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Fragrant, Affinity for Plants
Requires: Apprentice, Farmer, Meadmaker, Cultivator, or Beekeeper

17. Refiner

8 yrs

18 rps

—

—

Skills: 4 pts: Vintner, Liquors-wise, Alchemy, Alcohol Appraisal, Extraction-wise, Distillation-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Portly
Requires: Quartermaster, Meadmaker, Cultivator, or Gardener

18. Crafter

6 yrs

15 rps

+1 M, +1 P

—

Skills: 6 pts: Jargon, Coppersmith, Carpentry, Potter, Mason
Traits: 1 pt: Diligent
Requires: Apprentice, or Furrier

19. Landscaper

8 yrs

17 rps

+1 P

Below

Skills: 6 pts: Orienteering, Excavation*, Mining, Engraving, Composition, Stone-wise, Breechlands-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Salt of the Earth, Perspective
Requires: Gardener, Crafter, Worker, Munitions Expert, or Scratcher
Note: Excavation costs 2 pts to open, replaces the Ditch-Digging skill (refunding any points spent already), and is naturally open-ended (see pg 271)

20. Sylvaneer

8 yrs

18 rps

+1 M/P

Exile

Skills: 6 pts: Climbing, Tree Surgery*, Architect, Fortifications, Carving, Bark-wise, Woods-wise, Axes
Traits: 1 pt: Humble, Prehensile Tail
Requires: Gardener, Crafter, Worker, Artillerist, Woodsen, or Cultivator
Note: Tree Surgery is a naturally open-ended skill that combines and replaces the Tree Cutting and Carpentry skills, it costs 2 pts to open (so refund any points spent already)

21. Old Master

10 yrs

20 rps

+1 M/P

—

Skills: 5 pts: Instruction, Locksmith, Whitesmith, Administration, Tools-wise, Apprentice-wise; plus 2 pts: General
Traits: 1 pt: Perfectionist, Early Riser, Stubborn, Healthy
Requires: Armourer, Bladesmith, Surveyor, or any other Master lifepath

22. Nurse

4 yrs

10 rps

+1 M

—

Skills: 6 pts: Nursing*, Animal Husbandry, Herbalism, Cooking, Soothing Platitudes, Nest-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Bedside Manner, Calm
Requires: Brother / Sister, Spouse, Cultivator, Baker, Beekeeper, Shepherd, or Apprentice
Note: Nursing functions as a combination of both the Child-Rearing and Midwifery skills. It costs 1 pt to open

23. Healer

8 yrs

12 rps

+1 M

Citadel

Skills: 6 pts: Apothecary, Field Dressing, Ugly Truth, Pain-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Compassionate
Requires: Nurse, Albino, Sawbones, Teacher, or Apprentice

24. Trader

6 yrs

15 rps

—

Any

Skills: 6 pts: Haggling, Appraisal, Accounting, Conspicuous, Village-wise, Contraband-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Opportunist, Peddler
Restriction: May not be your second lifepath

25. Shopkeeper

8 yrs

25 rps

+1 M

—

Skills: 5 pts: Accounting, Persuasion, Haggling, Customer-wise, Weights and Measures-wise; plus 1 pt: General
Traits: 1 pt: Settled
Requires: Trader or Fence

26. Bouncer

3 yrs

5 rps

+1 P

Exile, Below

Skills: 4 pts: Drunk-wise, Brawling, Intimidation, Streetfly, Observation
Traits: 1 pt: —
Restriction: May not be your second lifepath

27. Server

4 yrs

8 rps

—

Society, Citadel

Skills: 4 pts: Drink-wise, Waiting Tables, Soothing Platitudes or Seduction, Sleight of Hand, Tips-wise
Traits: One of the following: Bored, Bitter, Runt of the Litter, Handsome, Buxom, or Annoyed; plus 1 pt: Gossip, Catalyst
Restriction: May not be your second lifepath

28. Innkeeper

8 yrs

22 rps

+1 M

—

Skills: 5 pts: Soothing Platitudes, Administration, Cooking, Mead Appraisal, Guest-wise, Honest Business-wise; plus 1 pts: General
Traits: 1 pt: Heard it all Before, Drunk
Requires: Meadmaker, Miller, Trader, Woodsen, Weaver, or Bouncer + Server or two Server lifepaths

29. Conscript

1 yr

5 rps

—

Militia

Skills: 4 pts: Hauling, Inconspicuous, Signals-wise, Baggage Train-wise
Traits: 2 pts: —
Restriction: May not be your second lifepath

30. Deputy

4 yrs

10 rps

+1 P

Militia, Exile, Society

Skills: 6 pts: Conspicuous, Cudgels, Brawling, Shield Training, Trouble-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Alarmist
Restriction: May not be your second lifepath

31. Sheriff

8 yrs

12 rps

+1 M/P

Militia

Skills: 6 pts: Command, Intimidation, Interrogation, Polearms
Traits: 1 pt: —
Requires: Deputy, Chevalier, Bandit King / Queen, Missionary, Custodian, or Negotiator

32. Mayor

4–12 yrs

20–30 rps

+1 M

—

Skills: 6 pts: Etiquette, Oratory, Persuasion, Rule of Law, Petitions-wise; plus 1–3 pts: General
Traits: 2 pts: Practised Smile, Popular, Fair
Requires: At least 3 other Field setting lifepaths
Note: The Mayor is an elected position. They can serve up to three terms in a row, each taking 4 years, before they must step down. Decide when taking this lifepath how many terms were served, and thus add 20, 25, or 30 rps, and 1, 2, or 3 General skill pts.

33. Pilgrim

2 yrs

4 rps

—

Any except Citadel

Skills: 3 pts: Doctrine, Foreign Doctrine, Pilgrimage-wise, Dead Saints-wise; plus 1 pt: General
Traits: 2 pts: Road Weary, Sightseer

34. Missionary

5 yrs

5 rps

+1 M, +1 P

Any

Skills: 5 pts: Suasion, Preaching, Foreign Languages, Intimidation, Below-wise, Brawling, Foreigners-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Zealot, Righteous
Requires: Pilgrim, Savant, Chaplain, Factotum, or the ‘Ordained’ trait

35. Brother / Sister of the Vale

5 yrs

14 rps

+1 M

—

Skills: 6 pts: Doctrine, Read, Write, Meditation Training, Summoning / Conjuration^§, Chandler, Singing, Shrine-wise, Prayer-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Ordained, Gift of the Faithful
Requires: Field Hand, Missionary, Pilgrim, Chronicler, or Rescued by the Church

36. Father / Mother

7 yrs

20 rps

+1 M

—

Skills: 6 pts: Vows-wise, Oratory, Illuminations, Calligraphy, Summoning / Conjuration^§, Ritual, History, Research, Chandler, Poetry, Chapel-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Portly, Patient
Requires: The ‘Ordained’ trait

37. Abbot / Abbess

10 yrs

30 rps

+1 M

—

Skills: 5 pts: Administration, Accounting, Conspicuous, Etiquette, Parish-wise, Abbey-wise; plus 1 pt: General
Traits: 1 pt: Revered
Requires: Father / Mother, or Pontiff

38. Kidnapped!

1 yr

2 rps

—

Below, Society

Skills: 2 pts: Blindfolds-wise, Begging, Below-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Claustrophobic, Orphan, Lucky or Unlucky

Current Year: 429 Burmeccian Reckoning

Type

Geopolitical, Theocracy

Alternative Names

The Cataract States, The Rainlands

Demonym

Burmeccian

Government System

Monarchy, Elective

Power Structure

Confederation

Economic System

Traditional

Currency

Dust, Bits, and Shards (all measured by weight).