Hécathè

Where humans ride dinosaurs

Written by Mishralalayana

Hécathè is an enormous standpoint Parliament, big enough to be a country of its own right. Its Standpoints number by dozens of thousands and its population reaches the billions. Although, being located even before human appeared as a species, it is more limited than any other where technologies are concerned, it has birthed many incredible warriors and potent minds, and is among the few who actually established an independant culture. It is honored and feared within the Federation and its words are considered with caution, as Hécathè knows they could leave the Standpoints if they wished to proclaim their independance, and consider they have the right to lead any politics and business they want to without asking for the Council permission nor advice. They have historically been happy to let the others to their own dealings and keep to theirs, but recently, they have become openly hostile to Lochs Morts, an industrial corporation near the shores of the Ocean.

Demography and Population

The Nyanners are the most populous Parliament, and count just over 2,000,000,000 inhabitants, with an unusually efficient head-count enforced by a culture where all children are to be presented to the community, all deaths are mourned by a large number of people, and communities maintain close relationships. Even its adventurers send regular word of their well-being and location, following the tradition of the Gift Letter; because of this, Hécathè has a precise idea of the number of its active adventurers, a unique ability among Parliaments.
Nyanners cannot give birth in Time Flow, no more than any time-locked. Its time-stop territory is populated by young people, from their birth to the moment they are considered ready to go out, which is commonly between 15 and 18. Because of this, Nyanners always look absurdly young to strangers, and there has been speculation that the Loysanim and them had special links, since the two organizations share an unnatural youthfulness. Despite rarely aging beyond 25, most die having lived 70 or 80 years from wounds or illness, although in the recent centuries the average lifespan has steadily augmented, now reaching as high as 97 years in the most blessed settlements.
Nyanners do not marry in the usual way. Women put a request to have children when they feel like it, although there is social pressure to birth at least 5 or 6 kittens in a lifespan, hoping for 2 or 3 to survive their infancy. Once her request is approved, typically when a house is freed in time void, the woman can proceed to move to time-lock and have all necessary intercourse with willing men. Males too have to be approved of before being put in the "fertile list", which allows for them to be summoned to operate the reproductory deed in time-lock. Most women never stay in Time-Lock after they have given birth and even recuperate from their temporary weakness in the most physical world if they need rest, but some become Mothers and stay in the void to raise the children until they die of old age.

Territories

As soon as time rivers look like one could easily swim across them, you are in Hécathè territory. If then one keeps walking for a few hours, he will be sure to stumble into a settlement only populated by women and children and fiercely defended from any intrusion, from where he will soon be taken by a guide and led to Ajipassa in the more physical world.
The time-flowing territory of Hécathè is certainly the vastest of all, for it covers both an immense surface and a huge time-span. It extends over such numerous lands that it is said it is quite underpopulated. It builds portable villages and towns and makes the most of the local fauna and flora while defending from sudden attacks from giant beasts. Hécathè doesn't trully exploits natural ressources, and certainly doesn't mine or grow crops, but they have excellent hunters and pluckers and most of its standpoints are rarely ever as anxious for food as those lower in times who are in direct concurrence with humans from the time flow. True culture of the time lock, Hécathè isn't as superstitious concerning translucid wheat or gelatinous fruit and has been known to buy those products from Loysanim in time of needs, though they do not grow them themselves despite their huge lands.

Military

The Hécathè military actually goes beyond adventurers, a sign which is strongly frowned upon by the Federation. Why maintain a fighting force if there is no opponents? Wouldn't hunters be sufficient? But Hécathè adores playing around with military ranks and insigna.
The Hunters are little more than the title implies, and are more well known as Death-Gifters, which sounds a bit more frightening to strangers. They carry ornate branches and wood weapons and armors, if any, and hunt preys up to the size of a ten-years-old child. They are about the same rank as the Green-Hands who are warriors protecting the pluckers (also known as Teeth).
Above them are the true warden of these places, who tame placid time-flow animals, keep home safe and choose where to go when the group moves. They are called the Culled and are highly respected. Any who wants to be someone aims to be Culled, if only for a few years. Those who are not yet or no longer Culled always adress them with respect, and the Culled are proud, for the same reason: if any harm comes to their Wards, they will be the first to die while defending it. Even if theoritically, those of higher rank can command them, a Rider or above would be ashamed to ever address a Culled with such irreverrency.
The Riders are the most inexperienced adventurers. When a Culled is chosen by the community to become a Rider and accepts, he first follows a long training with a more experienced adventurer, inside the most material plane, where the soon-to-be Rider learns new languages and civilizations, new plants and animals. Although they wander in various times and places, they tend to stay around Skhidzohn. When the pupil is ready, he bonds to an animal of his choice which he time-locks. The Federation doesn't like that, but as always, Hécathè ignores the Federation. It is rare to choose a dinosaur and many actually bond with small animals such as cats or dogs, but some became famous by bonding with dinosaurs of various sizes. Riders are scouts for external operations and diplomats.
An extremely old and experienced Rider who has shown great skill may become a Hecat and takes a unique nickname-title. Living examples are World-Soul Oonna, or Doom-Seer Coiren.

Foreign Relations

Other Parliaments tend to describe Hécathè as dangerous, unceremonial, and unnecessarily flippant, as well as having the habit to act indepedently to further its own agenda.
Hécathè does indeed have little interest for the Council and the Federation. They consider that, having their own culture and a more than big population and territory, they are entitled to act without the Federation for matters that do not concern the Federation. Because of this, they build bilateral alliances and relationships with those of interest to them and purposefully ignore others. Their most notable allies include the Skhidzohn standpoint of Imperium Parliament, which they protect from threats as various as other standpoints, wild animals and more unexpected dangers, recieving in exchange artworks and prestations from the standpoint. Their rumored relationship with the Loysanim is inexact, however: even if they are cordial to each other, they do not particularly help each other and rather look at each other with open curiosity.
Hécathè is not always an agreeable partner. It can express its hostility quite openly and does so towards about half of Imperium Parliament, as well as towards a number of corporations and guilds throughout time lock. The most notable of those is without contest Lochs Morts, in a rapidly escalating conflict whose motives are unclear: while Lochs Morts denies playing any part in provoking Hécathè, the Parliament doesn't officially comment and unofficially evokes ethical issues. The Council is actively investigating what could cause this hatred to begin with, but so far has only been able to pile up related issues : human trade (which Lochs Morts practices to the horror of Hécathè), massive-destruction weapons research (same), or more subtly fights involving adventurers of both sides, spying issues, insults inadvertantly escaping the leader of Lochs Morts before cameras, commercial rivalry...

Seek perfection, destroy your enemies. The sun will shine again and you will still be there.

Type

Governmental, Senate/Parliament

Capital

Tomoe

Alternative Names

Nyan-nosaure (former name, until the present era), Dusk (from the beginning of the Golden Dawn era to the 3800s), Retards (insult sure to get you into a duel)

Demonym

Nyanner

Head of State

Hukkurikai

Head of Government

Meshante

Government System

Democracy, Parliamentary

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Gift economy

Legislative Body

The core parliament, called the Dusk-Walkers

Judicial Body

A series of parliamentary commissions, whose number vary depending the need for them, called the Torches, or Torch-Lighters