Serpents Rest - Shé Xiū

Shé Xiū or Serpents Rest is the home of the Snake Clan who originates from members of the Dragon clan who broke away from the nomadic lifestyle of their peers. Their are two distinct groups that make up its inhabitants being those in the Sect and those not who are merely commoners.

Map

Serpents Rest

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Capital

Xiánái [ shee~ahn - eye ] rests at the base of the volcano, built in a half circle formation nestled into the mountain and fanning outwards southeast. The inner half belongs only to the Lord, Young Lord, the Assassins Sect, and Inner Officials. The outer half is where common folk, Outer Officials, and their families reside. Outer Officials handle bringing forth trade, agricultural, ecological, and “above the table” political reports to the Lord. They are different from the Inner Officials who bring the Lord “below the table” political reports and assassination records.

Domestic Clans/Factions

Binturong Clan

A jovial noisy clan that appears to be full of insomniacs, the Binturongs are the island's leading apiarists and flower caretakers. They have roots in being a very minor clan that specializes in perfumes and colognes. They formed in the 500s AG, having trickled in from the mainland Tiger Clan. Settling on Shé Xiū for its abundance of flowers and herbs. They sport bigger builds than those of native Snake clean residents and considering their history in perfecting perfumes, have a natural floral scent about them.

Bat Clan

Sensitive to light and sound, the Bats are a small clan with a shy nocturnal nomadic lifestyle. The Bat clan is a creation of the Snake clan itself in the 1400s AG, from mixing with primarily the Rat clan and others deemed as “defects”. They are the main source of trapping and fishing on the island. Tall slender builds with big eyes and pointed ears, they are the masters of song and vocal feats on the island.

Chevrotain Clan

Soft and jittery, the Chevrotain are always doing one task after another in towns. They are a splinter of the Horse/Boar exodus that traveled south in the 1200s AG. The island's fertile land and flora drew the splinter in and saw them made the Chevrotain clan, named after the small deers seen around crops at night. They brought the farming culture of Shé Xiū into what it is in the present day, working hard late into the day and into the early hours of the night to care for the croplands. Smaller-built people with round eyes are surprisingly fast and stealthy people, always kicking up a trail behind them.

Culture

Contemporary Serpants Rest culture incoporate influences from Southern Sheng Xiao and in particular the Dragon Clan. The commoner culture can be seen as lackadaisical and whimsical with the Snake clan being born from a splintering of the Dragon clan, it welcomed wayward splinters with open arms. The clan loves to get a job done and reap the spoils of it.
Sect culture differs in that it is about taking life by the reigns and getting the most for one's own life and the clan in any way as long as it gets the wished-upon results.
These two mindsets are rarely held by the same individual but their are a handful of those with a mixed view of the world.
Those in the Sect generally wear shades of dark gray with accented colours while commoners wear light gray. Those who leave the island and work across the realm as courtesans change to wearing more green.

History

The island was original the ancient home of the Vermillion Bird clan who had disappeared long before settlement by the Snake Clan.

Military

The primary military is made of a navy that protects the coast of the island nation. Snake clan soldiers are known for their archery skills and profiency in close quarters with daggers.
The colour of their uniforms are shades of dark gray with white.

Head of Government

Shé Jūnjú

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Major Exports

Medicine, luxuary foods, Assassins, Poison

Major Imports

Wood, Silver