The Merchant Republic of Shai-Am

Created by u/Cereborn
=== GEOGRAPHY ===
The Shai-Am territories are located mostly in a sub-tropical climate. Their summers are hot and humid, while winters are mild, with heavy precipitation in spring and fall. It is wetter toward the coast and drier in the mountainous region. Much of the area surrounding the Bay of Amannai is open grassland, with some desert areas to the north and south. There are more lush and forested areas following the natural course of the rivers.
=== BIOLOGY ===
The residents of Shai-Am are almost entirely human. They are characterized by their fair skin and medium builds, with hair ranging from blonde to black. They have no particular racial quirk. There is, however, a small number of Nassela who have emigrated to the coastal area.
=== HISTORY ===
Some 2,000 years ago, a large group of humans was fleeing across Iseriol, trying to escape the Orcish horde. They were led by two sisters, at times called warrior queens. The first sister, Shaianna, found a place in the mountains and said, “We will build our city here, among the peaks, where it will be easy to defend.” But her sister Amannai disagreed. She said, “We should continue to the coast and build our city there. We will have access to the sea and the Orcs will never surround us.” After much deliberation, they split their group in two. Shaianna stayed in the mountains and founded the city of Shai. Ammanai continued on with her half of their number, and pressed north for another year before finally settling on the coast and founding the city of Am.
Shai was indeed assailed by the Orcs, the Warband of Serrael. But it never fell. Shai was attacked several times, but it managed to repel the invaders, and each time it bolstered its army more and more. Eventually the Shaii were so skilled at fighting that they pushed out of their tiny mountain state and sought to expand their territory. Am did not build an extensive army, but it did build an impressive fleet of ships. With those ships, it began to exert trade influence along the coast, and it became wealthier.
Then in a shocking twist of fate, the Warband of Serrael ceased to exist. The Shaii could hardly believe it when reports came that the Orcs had stopped their relentless march and had started to build a new city, where they were trading books and studying stars. They sought to attack their age-old enemies while they could. But the Orcs were fearsome warriors still, and repelled the attack. The weakened Shaii retreated, expecting the Orcish horde to pursue, but it never did. Belno the Most Enlightened had created a new doctrine that said the Orcs would only raise their spears to defend their home, and would never seek to dominate another state.
And so things remained. The Orcs stayed in Iskwa, which grew tall and glorious, while Shai stagnated in the mountains. Iskwa became renowned across Aokoa as a centre of learning, while Shai stagnated in the mountains. As centuries passed, the rest of Aokoa forgot that the Orcs were once terrifying barbarians, and knew them only as learned scholars. But Shai did not forget. Shai continued to expand its borders, dominating communities north of the mountains, until it formally styled itself the Empire of Shai. And in one furious assault, they besieged Iskwa. The Orcs had grown soft in the ways of war, and were no longer in a position to defend themselves. Iskwa fell rapidly. Its academies burned. Many Orcs were slaughtered. The survivors saved what scrolls and tomes they could and fled to the west, seeking salvation. Many more Orcs died on the trial. The Shaii army pursued the refugees, just as the Orcish horde had pursued them many centuries before. The Orcs were hoping to seek refuge with the city of Am, but the Shaii army was so close, they had no hope to make it in time.
But the army never reached them. It was beset by a sudden plague and burned through their ranks like wildfire. Inside a fortnight a full half of them were dead. The rest turned back to retreat, and the plague followed them. It hit Shai and then spread to all its lower territories. By the time the plague burnt out, a full third of the inhabitants of the Empire of Shai were dead. The exact nature of this plague is uncertain. However, the popular rumour is that the leader of the Orc refugees made a deal with the Witch-King of the Coven of Serrael to save them, and the resultant plague was pure witchcraft. Whether that’s true or not, the city of Am, which offered the Orc refugees sea passage off the continent, was never touched by the plague. As the Empire of Shai was left to crumble in the wake of the disease, the city of Am was free to expand its influence into those old Shaii territories, and called itself the Merchant Republic of Shai-Am.
=== SOCIETY ===
The whole territory is made up of nearly 40 different city states, duchies, and principalities. The greatest authority is the city of Am itself, which is ruled by the Doge of Am. The Doge is an elected position, but the office is held until death. The Merchant Republic of Am consists of the city, along with 13 other states (that I will surely give you the names of at another time). Once a year they convene a council of which the Doge is the supreme head and set regulations for trading in the Bay of Amannai. The rest of the fractured states do not submit to the Doge directly, but must avoid hostility towards her if they have any resources at all they wish to get to a seaport. The current Doge is Marabella Litchfield, aged 71.
==== CULTURAL ATTRIBUTES ====
The city of Am prides itself on culture. It has been home to many famous painters, sculptors, poets, and musicians. Its art galleries and opera houses are among its most prized attractions. No young man has any hopes of wooing a lady unless he can impress her with some feat of artistic merit. They are a conservative society in some ways. The clothing style prefers long dresses for women and full suits for men (even in summer). They place a great emphasis on marriage and and frown on promiscuity. But as is so often the case, their social morality is more concerned with outward appearance rather than actual behaviour.
The primary religion of Shai-Am is Ostrettism. They worship the goddess Ostret, the formless aether. She loved too well both the land and the sea, and they hung suspended in her, separated from each other. Eventually, she had to sacrifice herself that the land and sea would be united, and bring life to the world. She retreated to beyond the sky where she weeps for her lost loves, but rejoices in their creation.
=== MAGIC ===
Magic is not often spoken of openly, but rumours abound. The upper class think of magic as a tremendous marvel, and often pay good money just to witness a magical demonstration. Others keep mages in their employ for certain delicate matters. If a magic user is discreet and chooses the right company, they can find themselves well rewarded.
=== IMPORTS/EXPORTS ===
The Merchant Republic of Shai-am deals in most things. Their main industry is not in buying or selling things themselves, but in facilitating trade between the land and the sea, getting rich as middle-men. Having said that, they deal extensively in the trade of luxury goods. They export gold, silver, furs, ivory, perfume, dyes, and wine. They import pearls, whale products, exotic fruit, gems, silk, and curiosities. Slaves are also still traded in their markets.
=== Posts: ===
The Merchant Republic (and Fractured States) of Shai-Am
WSW Revolutions in Lighting
MM: The Canal Festival
Calling All Witch Hunters!
A Brief History of the Orcish Peoples
Death of the Doge (much funeral, such sad)
Drachton Abbey part 1: Those Bloody Colonials
WSW: All Them Crazy Elephant Bones!
Drachton Abbey part 2: Dinner Guests
Drachton Abbey III: New Accommodations
A New Doge
A New Doge II
A New Doge III
Something Wicked This Way Comes