Sacred Reich of Vishy
An extremely religious society, the Sacred Reich of Vishy is adamantly dedicated to worship of the gods, through their religion known as The Divine Balance. In many ways, the nation feels odd compared to other nations. It is, racially, a much more diverse place, where Humans, Elves, and the other creatures of the Six Sisters openly congregate with little to no hesitation or animosity. And yet, the edicts of the Divine Balance do not permit outside opinion or influence, leaving the residents to have negative views of the heretic views of outsiders.
Public Agenda
The Sacred Reich of Vishy proudly proclaims to be the last bastion of the will of the Gods. They claim to provide safety, security, and order in a chaotic world, so ordained and granted through the blessings of the divine. This has also made the Vishans increasingly isolationist and even paranoid. The next global conflict is imminent, and it will be from outside their borders, not within it.
History
The Sacred Reich began as a disparate collection of city-states in the Southwest corner of the continent. Following The Sundering, the world had grown harsh and difficult, and population centers formed where they had not before. Thankful to the God Mother who saved T’sara, the first of these was labelled Veshae. Following in their stead, other settlements began to give their homes names; so named after the various Gods who created the world; a world that still stood, despite the best efforts of The Fey. Among them, Varsha, Vrishka, Janish, Urshta, Danassa, grew to great prominence, cities dedicated to the Goddesses who created the mortal sentient lives of the world. Although of similar mind in the devotion to the Gods, these cities grew largely independent of one another, and at times, were rivals or even bitter enemies. Often, city states rose to war against those dedicated to those named after the gods of their rivals.
In a great regional conflict, the first of the great cities, Veshae, would fall. It’s residents had tried to stay neutral in the conflict, a voice of peace and diplomacy among clamorings of conflict. When the army of Vilsera descended upon the city to claim as it’s own, none stood to defend the town dedicated to the God Mother. It was only after the Vilserans made it a colony and staging ground for further agitation that the neighbors would retaliate. Rather than liberating Veshae, the once conquered city would be destroyed to the grounds. Vilserans razed the town themselves on their departure, refusing to let anyone take victory from them. The people of the beleaguered city spread to the wilds, ending up in all manner of locations. Although these bystanders were generally spared by their new homes, the treatment they received varied greatly from city to city. Some were treated as equal citizens, many were repressed or even used as slaves. In either case, the identity of the Vishans as a city had largely disappeared.
The disparate areas came together by force, in what is known as The Unification War. In Aetern, dedicated to Mastro, The Eternal Flame, a growing political movement sprang up by the diaspora. These Vishans, granted rare opportunity to excel, began to call that appropriate justice was revenge. Having staged a coup, the Vishy movement sought to write all wrongs among the neighboring states. The Aeterans were marginally successful, claiming a few other city states under their territory, namely that of the Vilserans, who had wronged their ancestors so long ago. For better or worse, this was the extent of their ability to maintain empire in this fledgling First Age, but was enough to create Vishy as a sovereign nation.
The expansion of Vishy to what it would become now came not from the sword, but from the Altar. An itinerant priest of Hjanda began to have visions in his sleep. Proclaiming to be hearing the voices of all the Gods, Pethra spoke of the need for all of the “holy” city states to be unified under one name and one banner. This Dwarf spoke of something known as “The Divine Balance”. It was only through working together that the Gods were able to create T’sara and the world inhabited, damaged though it may be. As such, the Gods themselves must not be worshipped and prayed to individually, but as a collective faith. Likewise, the cities must unify.
As Pethra’s words spread, it caught on great popularity among the mass citizenry. The ruling classes of the city-states were reluctant, fearing losing their power and the ability for their cities to be administered as they believed their God or Goddess would want. Some areas held this voice from Vishy as heresy, pushing down the new movement with violent force. When the League of Six, an informal alliance of city states dedicated to The Six Sisters, unanimously voiced their agreement into The Divine Balance and to join the state of Vishy, it’s political, economic, and religious power grew too great to ignore. Through influence, preaching, and at times through revolution, all of the regional city states asceded power to The Sacred Reich of Vishy.
Pethra, the meager priest turned prophet, became the leader of the church of the Divine Balance, and with it, the functional head of state. Seeing his own premature death, the Dwarf announced a successor, who would be the voice of the gods in his stead. His fateful assassination and perceived martyrdom would finalize his great importance, as well as the line of succession to follow. The Sacred Reich would continue this tradition, of a Prophet leading the nation, with the lead choosing their replacement. Much has been made about the decisions made, good and bad. Outside observers have noted that the last two Prophets appeared politically motivated
Demography and Population
Vishy is a largely mixed and diverse nation state, though with notable concentrations. The city states dedicated to the Six Sisters quickly attracted the pious and faithful to their respective Goddess, hoping for her safety. As these city states grew in size and prominence, smaller settlements were founded in the surrounding areas.
This is not to say that the state is racially segregated, even in these prominent areas. In outer provinces, and particularly in the capital city of Aetern, the populace is quite intermingled and reasonably peaceful. There is some lingering animosity, particularly after the Triumverate War, but even so, Orcs have received a better treatment here than many other places in the world.
Territories
The Sacred Reich of Vishy contains about 1.1 Million Square Miles of land, granting it in the top tenth of nations in terms of size, as well as population. Positioned in the Southwest corner of Khilgara, it is also the most southwest nation in the world.
The Southern coastline is primarily wetland, with only a few settlements. There is also a notable wetland to the east of the Tirande Mountains, though notably only for the ruins of an ancient city, and the principle roadway north. The southern end of the Tirande Mountains run through the rough middle of Vishy, and is where the majority of it's Dwarven population can be found. it also makes traveling to and from the northwest coastline more difficult, with settlements like Wethlen feel distant and separate. Most of the land is covered in decidiuous forests, which grants not only strong access to hearty lumber, but a diverse wildlife of birds, foxes, wolves, and the like. Vishy's population is most dense along it's eastern border, where the old cities dedicated to the most preeminent gods are located.
Vishy holds claim to a marshy island off shore, that they do not permit permanent residence of, with little explanation as to why. Some have believed that it is a holy land of some description, though that leads to too many unanswered questions. Others have theorized that the island serves a prison, a remote center for the traitors, heathens, and other degenerates the government can't fit to acknowledge. This lacks any evidence to support it, minus a small naval fort on the land to support the patrol of the island, and would show some dark tendencies if such a place did exist.
The Southern coastline is primarily wetland, with only a few settlements. There is also a notable wetland to the east of the Tirande Mountains, though notably only for the ruins of an ancient city, and the principle roadway north. The southern end of the Tirande Mountains run through the rough middle of Vishy, and is where the majority of it's Dwarven population can be found. it also makes traveling to and from the northwest coastline more difficult, with settlements like Wethlen feel distant and separate. Most of the land is covered in decidiuous forests, which grants not only strong access to hearty lumber, but a diverse wildlife of birds, foxes, wolves, and the like. Vishy's population is most dense along it's eastern border, where the old cities dedicated to the most preeminent gods are located.
Vishy holds claim to a marshy island off shore, that they do not permit permanent residence of, with little explanation as to why. Some have believed that it is a holy land of some description, though that leads to too many unanswered questions. Others have theorized that the island serves a prison, a remote center for the traitors, heathens, and other degenerates the government can't fit to acknowledge. This lacks any evidence to support it, minus a small naval fort on the land to support the patrol of the island, and would show some dark tendencies if such a place did exist.
Foreign Relations
Vishy has strained relations with the Traxian League to their north. The loose collection of city states are godless in their faith and barbaric in their behavior and culture. Harsh lands create harsh people, but that is no excuse for slaves and gladiatorial arenas, fighting to the death. At times, the Traxians have pushed their luck along the border, vying for greater access to resources. While Vishy would welcome any person who wishes to adopt the Divine Balance and become a true citizen of the state, it will not allow heathens to plunder the wealth of the holy land.
The Barak people to the North East, are deemed as heretics and infidels. Though they too are religiously motivated, their refusal to adopt the Divine Balance, to the death, has caused multiple confrontations and wars over time. The two were, begrudgingly, allies against the Dread Lords in the Triumverate War, but the common enemy could not long permit old grudges and ideological fueds to lay dormant.
The Marsh laden Dwarves of Kila Kerad are beneath notice. Divorced entirely from the mountainous ways of their ancestors, and Vishan dwarve cousins, they are heretics not only in terms of the Divine Balance, but their own culture. Little would be gained by bringing this "Dominion" into the fold.
The Marsh laden Dwarves of Kila Kerad are beneath notice. Divorced entirely from the mountainous ways of their ancestors, and Vishan dwarve cousins, they are heretics not only in terms of the Divine Balance, but their own culture. Little would be gained by bringing this "Dominion" into the fold.
Education
Education is made a priority in Vishy, with a notable exemption. Varissa, governs learning, while Skolm, Zrajil, and Taranaeas govern books, music, and art respectively. To not make those available for those with the capacity for them would be to besmirch the will of the gods, so The Divine Balance holds. Those with means are encouraged to provide those without, with varying degrees of success. Colleges and schools for the wealthy are common; education for the peasantry far less so. Literacy is still higher here than in most places, and the highest in the region_.
For all of this, Vishy makes a difficult balance as far as the education of religion and religious texts. Worship of the Gods as elements of the Divine Balance is essential, and with that comes a degree of knowledge of the gods, their beliefs, and their practices. However, only books and texts approved by the church are permitted, which has struck an unusual problem. Gods with their own Holy Orders are generally not welcome, even in the cities founded to honor their Gods. Aetern, the capital, runs into this problem more than most, as The Watch of the Eternal Flame lays ancestral claim as well.
Capital
Demonym
Vishans
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Government System
Theocracy
Power Structure
Feudal state
Location
Neighboring Nations
Comments