Seray

Seray, officially the Kingdom of Seray, is an absolute monarchy based in Southcentral Abexilas, in Southeast Halinn. The nation embraces a centralized state where agents of the Queen, By the Grace of Shandalar Seher IV, administrate temporarily in her name. Its most prosperous city is Kayçam, which is also the capital. Daçkızürk, to the west, serves as the ducal capital of Machtia.
Seray was founded following to return of the ancient Seraşian royal bloodline, Alora, to the continent split of Halinn and Rozakko'ra, long after the War of the Comet. Ilyana Alora, after being raised by lowborn courtiers of her late father, visited the royal court of House Rozmus of Rozow. She then traveled west, past Miolem, and found a hidden commune of Vaerilians, people of her religion, but who did not look like her.
After usurping power and authority over all Vaerilians from the Ruadhri, the religious head, Seray took inspiration from its overlord's form of government and centralized from a feudal monarchy to a absolute monarchy under the Kayşet, or Queen's Law in Seraşian. The current Queen of Seray is By the Grace of Shandalar Queen Seher IV.
== Government ==
List of Seray Monarchs
No.	Name 	Period
1. 	By the Grace of God Empress Shandalar Seher IV	Since
=== Vaerilian Feudalism ===
Vaerilians are polygamist, meaning they take multiple spouses. Faithful Vaerilians, or Başıpul in Seraşian, are expected to marry those under them to ensure loyalty. It is a Seraşian cultural taboo to plot against your family.
Lower titled lords are handed pieces of land to administrate by a liege. Historically, the wedding of vassals to the liege lord ensured stability for the realm that transcended the traditional issues of feudalism. However, this form of governance sees issues when ruling over foreign religions, thus Vaerilism is historically proselytizing.
=== Vaerilian Absolutism ===
Influenced by foreign ideas and realizing the need for power of a central state, Ilyana wrote a new form of government that a Seraşian would follow. One were the lord is absolute in their rule as a direct vassal of the God Empress Shandalar, and thus deserving of complete loyalty. The Ruadhri, the head of Vaerilism, admitted Ilyana's secular power had surpassed the church's theocratic power.
=== Council and Dukes ===
Influential citizens are hand picked for their worth for the government to serve as agents of the Queen's will. Councilmembers are advisors and government figureheads, whereas dukes handle viceroyalties in the Queen's name. They hold no claim to their title, ultimately.
== Demographics ==
Seraşian refers to the language spoken by, the cultural practices of, and the ethnoreligious being of the people of Seray. 
The majority ethnicity, the Seraşians, are local to the continent split of Halinn and Rozakko'ra, and claim an ancient, continent-spanning empire ruled over both lands. Now, they are a small, humble group worshiping a religion few others follow.
The second most common ethnicity in Seray are the Rozowians, the people of the nation of Rozow.
== Religion ==
The religion of the Seraşian is Vaerilism, the swearing of fealty in the celestial empire to the God Empress Shandalar. It is polygamous, astrological, monastic, and cosmopolitan religion that favors internal stability above all else. A true Seraşian would not call themselves otherwise but a Vaerilian.
As the religion sponsors the state, other religions are discouraged within the bounds of Seray. A term of their vassalization treaty to Rozow permitted this practice in return for no proselytizing from Seray.
== Culture ==
Seraşians consider themselves hyper-civilized, coming from an imperial culture. Their punishments are cruel but spare the life of the perpetrator, their games are violent but sporting, and writing ethnocentric but philosophical.
The stadiums of Seray are hippodromes, which favor equestrian activities, with mastery of horse archery being seen as a pinnacle achievement. Wrestling and maze-racing are other games played. 
Common scholarly texts from Seraşians include biological texts and war treatises.
== History ==
=== Mythological origins ===
It is believed the God Empress Shandalar revealed the story of creation to the prophet Vaeril a thousand years ago. This story is known as the Shanhayat. Shandalar also revealed the proper way to be, and Vaeril penned them down as the Ruadruk. Vaeril then revealed the history of Shandalar to her First Husband, Muvaffak, who in turn became the first follower of Vaerilism.
=== Petty Kingdom of Seray ===
Muvaffak would then go on to unite the tribes of his local area, in what is traditionally believed to be near the continent split of Rozakko’ra and Halinn. He was crowned as the rightful king of the Seraşians by Vaeril, the first Ruadhri. He began the Seraşians tradition of regnal names by taking the name of Shanyeninovog I. Thus, the heir of the Seray Empire was traditionally considered the heir of Vaeril.
At its height, some few hundred years after Shanyeninovog I had died, the Kingdom of Seray held control over the immediate area around the continent split and suzerainty over minor tribes in Talasi, and Cathrámis and Kejafros.
=== Arotseray schism ===
Stagnated at the time, republican sentiment grew in the Seraşian east, in Rozakko’ra. The monarchy continued in the consolidated Halinn west. After an influential merchant lord penned a thesis calling for the democratization of Vaerilism and therefore of the Seraşians into the largest church in the east, the Arotseray Republic declared independence and went on their own.
However, Arotseray failed to competently integrate democratic ideas into Vaerilian ideas, and splintered under itself, leaving its lands easy to conquest for the reborn Kingdom of Seray.
==== Seraşian Empire ====
After the lands of Arotseray were reintegrated into Seray, the nation entered a golden age, where advancements in medicine and siege technology allowed the Seraşians to consolidate the entire combined landmass of Rozakko’ra and Halinn under one emperor.
It did not last, as climate change alongside failed integration of the exterior tribes of the empire led to collapse. It was here the only child of the ruling family, Ilyana Alora, was kidnapped, and only recently has returned to rule the people of Seray.
Category:Nation
Category:Abexilas Nations
Category:Halinn