Trianta
Pronunciation: try-AWN-ta
Trianta is a landlocked, temperate nation covered in dense shrubland and situated between the primary mountain ranges in the region. It isn't as arid as the other nations on the west side of the mountains; its position in-between the ranges allows for moisture and rain to pass more easily, but it is still relatively dry compared to most of the eastern nations. Much of the terrain is covered in low brush, shrubbery, and grasslands. The region collects most of its water through wells and the rare few natural springs.
Trianta is loosely religious; most groups in the country believe in a polytheistic view known as Theospism. It is an offshoot of Hitheonity, which many western cultures on the local map practice. Theospism is the idea that all things are divine in their own way; there are “gods” for all emotions, concepts, materials, and energies. Theospism openly discusses the idea of Domains and Domain Bearers in a way most religions in the local area do not; they understand the concept behind worldly Domains and consider their bearers to be the Gods in mortal form.
In Theospism, as well as in Hitheonity, there are those who claim to master the connection between the divine spirits and the mortal world. These pseudo-priests are known as the Manteío (pronounced: mon TAY oh), also commonly called Theospic Oracles for Theosmism. These people master spiritual arts like natural augury, meditation, and herbal healing.
Theospic Shrines are places where deities are worshipped in Theospism. They can be anywhere where prayer regularly occurs, but most shrines are located in stone pavilions with statues or other small monuments to the gods where people pray and leave offerings.
Worship is mostly conducted on an individual basis, whenever someone feels the need to seek help from the gods, offer thanks, or seek divine comfort or company. Offerings are used for all three, often consisting of foods like animal fat and fruit.
Pýrgio, the capital city of Trianta, is built in the lower parts of the Cauvin steppelands; the city is mostly flat and low to the ground, with most structures being built out of stone bricks and mortar. The most notable structure within the city is the Konístra (pronounced: con E straw), a large colosseum where sports and battle tournaments are held. Pýrgio is also where any nation-wide votes are held.
Káos is a city located right on the edge of the Silas forest and nearby to Delaney Pass. Most of its architecture is wooden or made from cloth tents. Its proximity to Delaney Pass is what earned its name: Káos is known by locals as Dásos (pronounced: DAY sauce), a collection of villages that have come together after their original towns were destroyed by the war. Káos itself has been destroyed and rebuilt many times; it is a common place for refugees to pass through and is considered a final obstacle before peace and freedom by any who seek to escape the war. Anyone actively fighting in the war knows to watch Káos closely for escaped prisoners of war or war criminals for this reason; it is much harder to get to Delaney Pass approaching from the west without using some part of Káos for supplies or rest, and those approaching from the east often choose to stop by Káos for its more central location.
Pólitasma is a city located in the middle of the Mésogazo Shrubland, built with large roads and open spaces. It is the most central city in Trianta and the busiest trade center in the nation. Many smiths set up shop in or around Pólitasma to trade to passing warbands or wandering soldiers, and general merchants set up shop here before moving eastward or westward.
The Mésogazo shrubland is a flat, semi-arid grass and shrubland sitting in the middle of the local map. This shrubland is known for its densely packed shrubbery and miles of thorny brush, making the area difficult to navigate without sticking to pre-built roads. The area is just humid enough to not be at constant risk of wildfires, but this also makes carving new paths through the terrain rather difficult without druidic magic.
The Cauvin steppe is an arid montane grassland situated on the left side of the Kravkenrov Mountains, just below the Kält tundra. It is just barely warm enough to melt some of the snowfall the region receives to sustain it’s large swaths of grassland, but not much else can grow in the region.
The Silas forest is a large deciduous forest located in the lower-middle region of the local map. The area maintains average humidity and temperature despite its large size, only fluctuating in temperature when it begins to bleed into a different landform. This is largely due to its contact with the Gamun and Kidemónas rivers, as well as consistent rainfall flowing through Delaney Pass.
Shōgatsu is the standard new years celebration for cultures who practice Hitheonity or Theopsism. The exact practice changes depending on the nation, or even the specific city, but the celebration usually lasts 3 days and consists of making pastry offerings for spirits and festivals with lots of bells.
The Five Great Festivals is a catch-all name for festivals in Theopsism that celebrate specific spirits within a specific culture. These originated from a set of five specific spirits, but over time these festivals grew to accommodate any major spirit celebration within each nation. Sometimes there are only two or three festivals, and sometimes there’s dozens, but they are all still collectively called “one of the Five Great Festivals” or a “Great Festival”.
Synottica is a general term to describe a day when a vote is held in the capital of Trianta; often referred to as “a synottica” / “the upcoming synottica”, or “the synottica” for plural.
Oturia is a single day at the end of summer dedicated to celebrating the long standing bloodlines of Trianta and their loyalty to the nation. It was originally their independence day from Paumérre, and still keeps most of those themes in its festivals, but has shifted to being a more nationalism-focused holiday. It is also infamous for being synonymous with “racial purity” and a general acceptance of racism within the nation. The holiday generally consists of large family gatherings and many of the oldest families in the nation coming together to celebrate; it is often used to introduce the young adults of these families to one another in hopes of forming unions between powerful families.
Current State
Demographics
The three most populous races that inhabit Trianta are humans (mostly urban and grassland) at 65% of the population, lepali at 15% of the population, and giantkin (mainly cyclopskin) at 5% of the population. There is a notable population of planar refugees who pass through the country, but rarely ever settle.Trade and Relationships
Trianta primarily deals in weapon production and merchant trade. Since Trianta is the nation that sees the most direct warfare out of any nation on the local map, they have an easier time leveraging armies in need of quick re-supplies for weapons, rations, and medical supplies. Otherwise, their central location in the local map means they are a hotspot for merchants who do their work on foot, leading them to export merchant contracts to allow trade within the nation. Trianta imports most other goods, primarily lumber, stone, and animal products, but has a mostly self-sufficient supply of grain agriculture. Trianta has good trade relations with Uaithne, Avra, and Addolorata for two reasons: first, they are in close proximity; Trianta lacks access to any large body of water, meaning the only trade in the region is conducted on foot. Their closest access to any river is through Uaithne and Addolorata. Second, all three of these nations are always looking to win Trianta over for their convenient weapons, rations, and medical supply exports. Trianta has good social relations with Uaithne and Paumérre. All three nations are actively against the war and make efforts against it. Trianta has bad relations with Makami, Hiyami, and Ochny due to their active support of the war and contribution. Trianta has a strained relationship with Addolorata; the nation is a good partner in trade, but is one of the primary forces in the war. Trianta is neutral in the war. Most citizens of Trianta think the war between Addolorata and Makami is purely mundane, and thus they don’t support either side. Unlike most neutral nations, they make an active effort to stop the war and are considered enemies of both sides of the war.History
The land that is now Trianta was largely unsettled during the time most local nations were forming; the area had been claimed by an early iteration of Paumérre for most of its history. Hundreds of years before present day, the groups that would become Trianta began to form; at the time, Paumérre’s central governing force was highly religious and intolerant to foreign religious views. The pre-Trianta groups had formed through immigration from western and southern nations, who had very different cultural and religious practices. This social clash resulted in a violent revolution driven by the pre-Trianta groups, eventually ending with a treaty that allowed Trianta its independence.Culture Overview
General Culture
Trianta is most similar to Mycenaean Greece. They are a proud and warlike culture; despite being heavily against the Addolorata/Makami war, they uphold physical strength, tactical prowess, and weapon expertise as markers of success within their culture. Notably, they value long-standing bloodlines and are generally less accepting of foreigners than most nations. They are a group-minded society and are generally communal, though they have an individualist perspective on social rank and personal achievement. Entertainment in Trianta is mostly centered around contests and public games. Children are expected to be trained in group schooling and battle training from the moment they are coordinated enough to hold a weapon. The two most common careers in Trianta are smithing or military work.Religion: Theospism
Pronounced: the (like you're about to say "thesis") OS (like the end of "chaos") spizm (like "spazm" and "tism" combined)Trianta is loosely religious; most groups in the country believe in a polytheistic view known as Theospism. It is an offshoot of Hitheonity, which many western cultures on the local map practice. Theospism is the idea that all things are divine in their own way; there are “gods” for all emotions, concepts, materials, and energies. Theospism openly discusses the idea of Domains and Domain Bearers in a way most religions in the local area do not; they understand the concept behind worldly Domains and consider their bearers to be the Gods in mortal form.
In Theospism, as well as in Hitheonity, there are those who claim to master the connection between the divine spirits and the mortal world. These pseudo-priests are known as the Manteío (pronounced: mon TAY oh), also commonly called Theospic Oracles for Theosmism. These people master spiritual arts like natural augury, meditation, and herbal healing.
Theospic Shrines are places where deities are worshipped in Theospism. They can be anywhere where prayer regularly occurs, but most shrines are located in stone pavilions with statues or other small monuments to the gods where people pray and leave offerings.
Worship is mostly conducted on an individual basis, whenever someone feels the need to seek help from the gods, offer thanks, or seek divine comfort or company. Offerings are used for all three, often consisting of foods like animal fat and fruit.
General Government
Trianta is a democratic oligarchy, with the highest authority in the nation consisting of a group of five Kings. Despite the name, Kings are not restricted to being men and are simply titles given to the selected leaders of the nation. Kings and other positions of political power are voted on; these votes are held any time a current position becomes open, either due to death or retirement. Citizens are not only expected to vote whenever a position must be filled, they are paid for their attendance and have traveling expenses covered, often by candidates who are looking to sway voters with bribery. Kings can propose laws to be voted in and out in the same manner, and enforce those laws themselves through personal militaries or mercenary forces if necessary. Thus, each of the five kings has their own police force that tends to favor certain laws over others and tend to enact punishment according to their personal beliefs on the matter.City Politics
At the top of the noble hierarchy, aside from the Kings, are the magistrates; regional authorities that oversee the legal processes of cities and their tied settlements. Beneath them are general noble landholders, often wealthy or seasoned soldiers, with large land grants, keeps, or individual villages. The rest of the noble class is made up of non-landholding nobles that either act as marshals, judges, or the lower gentry. There is a large middle-class made up of artisans and guildsmen, maintained mainly by the merchant trade in the region. Soldiers of all kinds are considered to be of a higher status than the average lowborn commoner. The rest of Trianta’s citizenry are considered commoners.Major Cities
Pýrgio
Pronounced: PEER geoPýrgio, the capital city of Trianta, is built in the lower parts of the Cauvin steppelands; the city is mostly flat and low to the ground, with most structures being built out of stone bricks and mortar. The most notable structure within the city is the Konístra (pronounced: con E straw), a large colosseum where sports and battle tournaments are held. Pýrgio is also where any nation-wide votes are held.
Káos
Pronounced: ChaosKáos is a city located right on the edge of the Silas forest and nearby to Delaney Pass. Most of its architecture is wooden or made from cloth tents. Its proximity to Delaney Pass is what earned its name: Káos is known by locals as Dásos (pronounced: DAY sauce), a collection of villages that have come together after their original towns were destroyed by the war. Káos itself has been destroyed and rebuilt many times; it is a common place for refugees to pass through and is considered a final obstacle before peace and freedom by any who seek to escape the war. Anyone actively fighting in the war knows to watch Káos closely for escaped prisoners of war or war criminals for this reason; it is much harder to get to Delaney Pass approaching from the west without using some part of Káos for supplies or rest, and those approaching from the east often choose to stop by Káos for its more central location.
Pólitasma
Pronounced: POLY taz maPólitasma is a city located in the middle of the Mésogazo Shrubland, built with large roads and open spaces. It is the most central city in Trianta and the busiest trade center in the nation. Many smiths set up shop in or around Pólitasma to trade to passing warbands or wandering soldiers, and general merchants set up shop here before moving eastward or westward.
Notable Geography
Mésogazo Shrubland
Pronounced: MAY so GAH zo (like “so” with a z)The Mésogazo shrubland is a flat, semi-arid grass and shrubland sitting in the middle of the local map. This shrubland is known for its densely packed shrubbery and miles of thorny brush, making the area difficult to navigate without sticking to pre-built roads. The area is just humid enough to not be at constant risk of wildfires, but this also makes carving new paths through the terrain rather difficult without druidic magic.
Cauvin Steppe
Pronounced: COW vin (like “win” with a v)The Cauvin steppe is an arid montane grassland situated on the left side of the Kravkenrov Mountains, just below the Kält tundra. It is just barely warm enough to melt some of the snowfall the region receives to sustain it’s large swaths of grassland, but not much else can grow in the region.
Silas Forest
Pronounced: SIGH lus (like “lust” without the t)The Silas forest is a large deciduous forest located in the lower-middle region of the local map. The area maintains average humidity and temperature despite its large size, only fluctuating in temperature when it begins to bleed into a different landform. This is largely due to its contact with the Gamun and Kidemónas rivers, as well as consistent rainfall flowing through Delaney Pass.
Major Holidays
Shōgatsu
Pronounced: SHOW got sueShōgatsu is the standard new years celebration for cultures who practice Hitheonity or Theopsism. The exact practice changes depending on the nation, or even the specific city, but the celebration usually lasts 3 days and consists of making pastry offerings for spirits and festivals with lots of bells.
The Five Great Festivals
Pronounced: self-explanatoryThe Five Great Festivals is a catch-all name for festivals in Theopsism that celebrate specific spirits within a specific culture. These originated from a set of five specific spirits, but over time these festivals grew to accommodate any major spirit celebration within each nation. Sometimes there are only two or three festivals, and sometimes there’s dozens, but they are all still collectively called “one of the Five Great Festivals” or a “Great Festival”.
Synottica
Pronounced: sin NOT ick a (or sin-NAUT-ica)Synottica is a general term to describe a day when a vote is held in the capital of Trianta; often referred to as “a synottica” / “the upcoming synottica”, or “the synottica” for plural.
Oturia
Pronounced: oh CHUR (like the end of “torture”) e yahOturia is a single day at the end of summer dedicated to celebrating the long standing bloodlines of Trianta and their loyalty to the nation. It was originally their independence day from Paumérre, and still keeps most of those themes in its festivals, but has shifted to being a more nationalism-focused holiday. It is also infamous for being synonymous with “racial purity” and a general acceptance of racism within the nation. The holiday generally consists of large family gatherings and many of the oldest families in the nation coming together to celebrate; it is often used to introduce the young adults of these families to one another in hopes of forming unions between powerful families.
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