Nakht

**Nakht** is one of the largest, most powerful countries in the Good Old World. It is a bloody realm divided into warring provinces that are at all times embroiled in what the Nakhtish call the **Grand Tournament**, a civil war done in the name of Divine Sofia and the Great Devil Orianakht.

## History

Originally a far-flung, neglected province of Morn, the land that was then known as **Est-Estmorn** was plagued by frequent famines, largely due to its unstable cycle of day and night. Eclipse Mars, a Peacock Sorcerer of immense power, terrorized the province by shifting the sun and the moon at his whim, largely without any intervention from the Mornish king. Ultimately, Eclipse Mars was stopped when a peasant woman by the name of **Joanette** helped birth the Great Devil Orianakht into the Good Old World and led the first Holy War against the Sorcerer. Once Eclipse Mars was banished, Joanette proclaimed herself the first **Grande Accoucheuse**, founded the city of Avelot at the site of Orianakht's birth and declared the sovereignty of the province. With the help of Orianakht, the newly established Nakht was able to weather every Mornish attempt at reclamation.

Sovereignty, however, was not enough for the newly crowned Grande Accoucheuse. She decreed Nakht a religious state and led three subsequent Holy Wars into the surrounding realms of Morn, Moranavia and Schwazbourg. While she managed to secure a portion of Morn and Moranavia, she failed to gain any foothold in the mountainous Schwazbourg and was ultimately defeated at its eastern border. She was succeeded by her equally fanatical daughter **Delphine**, who founded the tradition of the **Grand Tournament** in order to appease hateful Sofia and ensure that only the most worthy would partake in Nakht's foreign Holy Wars.

## Culture

Nakht is a religious, matriarchal state that expects ambition of its citizens. Though the land is at all times riven by regional skirmishes, it is not enough for the Nakhtish to simply do war; it must be done in a spectacular fashion in order to appease Orianakht and revolt Sofia.

### The Three Virtues of Nakht

The Three Virtues of Nakht are an unwritten set of rules that serve as the founding stones of Nakhtish society. Allegedly delivered by the Great Devil himself, the Three Virtues are **Purpose**, **Beauty** and **Piety**, and they govern most of Nakht's public and private life.

#### Purpose

The Virtue of Purpose represents one ability to choose and follow a path. The Virtue's fulfillment may lie in one's adherence to a way of life chosen for them by their parents, or in the fierce denial of one such preordained fate; either way, it is determination and resolve that the Nakhtish value, and their society looks down upon uncertainty, nihilism and aimless wandering.

#### Beauty

The Virtue of Beauty demands all things to be beautiful in one way or another. One is not expected to only cultivate beauty in themselves and their property, but also respect this virtue in others by affording favor, mercy and hospitality to graceful men and women.

#### Piety

Piety is a Virtue that covers a wide range of customs and governs most of one's martial and religious life. It is in accordance with this Virtue that the Grand Tournament exists, as it serves to repel the hateful Goddess from the world and to appease her divine children. A properly pious noblewoman is one with a steady hand, a mind keen for battle and a gentle enough heart to give loving worship to fallen Serafs and Sorcerers. Thus is the Saint venerated and the Goddess' hunger kept at bay.

### Language

Like many languages and dialects in the region, Orikais, the state language of Nakht, is devilish in origin. A melange of Mornish, clicks and flowing hisses, it was first utilized by Joanette to communicate with Orianakht, as the Devil could not enunciate or properly comprehend Mornish. Joanette's bastard dialect was then adopted by her troops and ultimately the rest of the country as a holy tongue, though Mornish remains relatively widespread.

Most aristocrats are also taught to read and inscribe Venochian, though only Sorcerers and fallen Serafs can pronounce the script.

### Relationships

Relationships between individuals in Nakhtish society are traditionally transactional. This is an expected and accepted way of managing one's personal life and social status, and applies to courtships, friendships and even rivalries. Again, the Nakhtish value determination and clarity of mind; it is considered impolite or outright insulting to accept gifts or favor from admirers or rivals one is uncertain about, or has no intention of interacting with. The Nakhtish prefer to commit to their bonds, settle their debts and cut their ties when the exchange no longer benefits them. While this may seem a cold and precise art, there is a fair amount of subtlety, sense and sensuality involved in the process, and a foreigner may quickly find himself lost in the web of Nakhtish social bargains.

### Fashion

Orianakht's molting form is seen as the pinnacle of beauty among the Nakhtish, and his peeling, moth-like nature is often reflected in Nakhtish fashion. Many-layered attires are common, as are insect motifs. Lace, veils and red gemstones are all exceptionally popular among the people of Nakht.

## Religion

The state religion of Nakht is Solosofism, a widespread doctrine that challenges Divine Sofia and venerates Saint Solomorn. The Nakhtish consider it their duty to 'enlighten' their neighbors with their way of faith, and this belief has been a source of much strife between Nakht and its surrounding countries, especially the fiercely heathen Morn.

### Sorcerers

Though Nakht was founded on the grave of a tyrant Sorcerer, the Nakhtish bear Sorcerers no ill will, largely due to their veneration of Saint Solomorn. Sorcerers are afforded a privileged spot in Nakhtish society, and are highly prized as concubines and tools of war. The love of a Sorcerer is considered a mark of Solomorn's favor.

Due to their unique position, Sorcerers cannot be subjected to the capital punishment for any crime they commit. Killing a Sorcerer is the worst crime a citizen of Nakht can commit and bears dire consequences for one's entire bloodline. However, this exception does not extend to torture, maimimg and imprisonment, and with the Nakhtish being masters of the bloody arts, a captive Sorcerer may well find this law a detriment rather than a benefit...

## Military

The armed forces of Nakht can be divided into two categories: **vassals** and **freebraves**. Due to the tradition of the Grand Tournament, every woman, man or maiden-man is expected to possess some degree of fighting skill, either martial or social. Due to the great importance of the Nakhtish virtues, Nakhtish culture values the sharp tongue of a beautiful socialite as highly as the blade of a veteran swordmaster.

### Vassals

Vassal forces are any armed forces that fall under the command of a local **Marquise** or **Comtesse**. They include the noble's personal guard and army, as well as peasant militias, patrolmen and law enforcers.

### Freebraves

Free forces typically have the choice of offering their service to whomever they wish or fall only under the command of the Grande Accoucheuse. As such, they mostly consist of the militant arms of the church; Convent Chevaliers, the Choir, any Maestro's entourage. Vigilantes, Sorcerers, tourneying champions and those drafted to fight in Holy Wars are also considered freebraves.