Tandeli

Tandeli is the southernmost country in Tirónar, led by Head Advisor Thomas. It is bordered by Duilintinn to the north and Grancinco to the west.

## **History**

### **Pre-Waldren**

During the Ancient Era, the land we now call Tandeli was a part of the country of Grancinco. Located on the far southern edge of Tirónar, this region faced less devastation during the Dragon War than Duilintinn, Lantraeth, and Halennor, but benefitted from none of the defenses that protected Haneul. As a result, Grancinco and much of its infrastructure survived the initial devastation, and the nation swiftly rebuilt what had been lost. However, these efforts left them unprepared militarily when the Waldren Occupation began. Like Haneul, Grancinco attempted to fight back against Waldren, but with less success.

### **Waldren** **Occupation**

Waldren attempted to take the nation of Grancinco in 1059. While the region had recovered better than Lantreath, Halennor, and Duilintinn from the Dragon War, the years spent rebuilding had left Grancinco with very little military prowess. Despite this, Waldren was caught by surprise, both by the completely unfamiliar tropical climate and the stark difference between resistance put up by the other colonies compared to that of Grancinco. The result was a war that lasted over fifty years of battling against the forces of both Grancinco and nature, as Waldren crept slowly but steadily across the desert landscape before being forced to a halt by the dense jungle of the Ayuda Forest and the dangerous Ayuda River when Grancinco's forces destroyed the only bridge across.

Exhausted, both nations agreed to a truce in 1103, leaving Waldren with a large swath of the southeastern coast. This region, which they renamed Tandeli (also known as 'The Southern Arm of Waldren'), was enormously profitable. Not only was the region full of bustling ports, fertile soil, and tropical goods, but Tandeli was home to the largest unicorn population in Tirónar. Waldren immediately began hunting unicorns to the point of endangerment, selling their horns and coats for ridiculous profits. While Tandeli flourished during the Waldren Occupation, several endemic species were either made extinct or pushed to the brink before they were eventually pushed out, leaving behind some questionable agricultural practices and no functional government.

Halennor's successful independence in 1453 inspired a rebellion in Tandeli. While an underground opposition movement had been simmering in the region for centuries since Waldren's hostile takeover, Halennor's success was the spark that lit Tandeli's resistance ablaze, with the first official battle of Tandeli's revolution taking place in 1462. Unfortunately, Tandeli lacked the international aid that Halennor benefited from. Fortunately, Tandeli had an extremely organized preexisting resistance movement and access to several tactical and technological advantages that Waldren had overlooked, especially Pólvora, which would be vital in the final push of the rebellion. As a result, while Tandeli's war for independence against Waldren was long and brutal, in 1495, Tandeli successfully gained their independence as well.

### **Recovery Period**

With Waldren gone, Grancinco wanted to reclaim Tandeli. However the country had become accustomed to being its own nation, so the remaining noble families scrambled to put their own government in place.

They made a King in 1501. King Elias Shipwright of Waldren origin. He was considered a weak man, easily manipulated which is why he was put on the throne. The idea being he would be more of a figurehead for the nobles to get themselves together and form a bureaucracy behind him. They basically bought themselves more time, and Grancinco backed off.

### **The Royal Family of Tandeli**

King Elias is known as the First King of Tandeli, and ruled from 1501 to 1504.

Elias Armstrong was already a high-ranking member of the then Ship Building Guild when Waldren left. In the clamour to fill in the power vacuum and prevent Grancinco from coming back to reclaim Tandeli, other noble families, including his own, decided he should be King, at least for now. He was not seen as a particularly strong man; the intention was that he would be something of a puppet for the other families while they sorted everything out.

Elias proved that he was stronger and more capable than everyone thought. He was still not a firm man, but he was not the doormat many perceived him to be, with more of a spine than people realized. With him at the helm, Tandeli became stable.

During his reign, The Ship Building Guild renamed itself the Armstrong Guild in his honour, and received boons from the crown that it still benefits from today.

Despite his unanticipated strength of will, Elias was old. In the model of other monarchies, his adult daughter was set to take the throne after him. As a result, many rich families clamoured to have their son marry her. However, this was a matter Elias stood firm on. Even as he fell ill in his final year, he co-ordinated with Grancinco for the son of a minister to marry his daughter as a sign of unity, water under the bridge, all that. Sadly, he did not live long enough to see his daughter marry, and died in late 1504.

Queen Alana was 25 when she was coronated in early 1505. A few months later, she married Fabian, the son of an official from Grancinco’s Ministry of Resources, in accordance with her father’s last wishes. The wedding was held in a style similar to that of Waldren’s marriages, as had been the prevalent tradition in Tandeli for centuries, unintentionally drawing alarm from Grancinco, especially the groom.

Like many in Grancinco, Fabian held no love for Waldren. However, unbeknownst to most, he was part of an underground group who wanted to bring Tandeli back under Grancinco control. This group was not backed by the ruling powers of Grancinco (though good luck convincing some people in Tandeli of that).

They had two daughters, Corona and Camilla, within a year of each other. Corona was born in December 1505, and Camilla October 1506.

The nobility of Tandeli was not inclined to respect either member of the royal couple. Queen Alana was a decent ruler, but struggled to keep Tandeli stable with all of the noble families sticking their noses in where they weren't wanted. Her husband tried to help where he could, but despite his title of “King,” he didn’t hold as much power as his wife, and most of Tandeli didn’t trust him due to his Grancinco heritage. This was especially true of the noble families, who resented that a foreigner had been chosen to marry Alana instead of one of their own sons. However, Fabian was determined to charm everyone and bide his time.

Moreover, Alana and Fabian initially struggled as a couple, though the Queen attributed most of this to the expected strain that comes from the early years of an arranged marriage, first-time parenting, and ruling a country. Fabian, in particular, held a lot of bottled-up stress from his treatment by the public and other noble families, which would explode at his family in private. His relationship with his wife was extremely complicated; he did have affection for her, but overall managed to separate that in his mind and focus on his goal. Alana, despite their struggles, also grew to love her husband with time.

In contrast to his relationship with their mother, Fabain genuinely loved his children and felt horrendously guilty about losing his temper in front of them. As soon as they were old enough to understand, Corona would join her mother’s attempts to pacify Fabian, while Camilla was much more argumentative and refused to put up with her father’s shouting. Given this temper and how busy their mother was, Corona and Camilla were mostly raised by members of the castle staff. Both children spent a significant amount of time being groomed for their future roles as children of the royal family. Corona, as the oldest child, was expected to rule over Tandeli’s infant monarchy once her mother either died or abdicated, while her younger sister was prepared to be a member of the court (rather than a ruler), although she did share some lessons with her sister, just in case the unthinkable were to occur. In addition, like many noble children in Tandeli, both girls were taught swordplay. Camilla took to it better than her sister, often sneaking off to the Captain of the Royal Guard to get extra lessons while her sister was occupied with learning to rule.

In 1516, Queen Alana overheard her husband and two of his Hands (one from Grancinco, the other from Tandeli who had been convinced this was the right thing to do) plot to assassinate her that very night. None of the conspirators were aware they had been discovered. Their plan was to have Fabian assassinate Alana, then say that an unknown assassin had snuck into the castle and killed the Queen. Instead, Alana gathered her Hands in preparation to defend herself and successfully fended off the attackers, eventually pushing her husband from the roof in self-defence. Fabian was knocked unconscious by the fall and died of his injuries. His body was disposed of quietly, buried in an unmarked plot in the Castle courtyard. For this plot, Fabián would later become known as 'The Would-Be Assassin' or 'The Assassin King'.

Both children slept through the entire incident. When they woke up the next morning and learned what had happened, both were (obviously) extremely distraught as they simultaneously mourned their father and tried to wrap their minds around the events of the night before. By contrast, their mother, now the sole ruler of Tandeli, was a cold shell of grief. That very morning, Alana had her late husband’s Hands executed.

The pain of her husband’s betrayal would leave Alana a changed woman. Over the next four years, she suffered hallucinations and nightmares of the attack, severe mood swings, and fits of rage in which she would physically destroy her and her husband’s old bedchambers. In her growing paranoia that there would be another assassination attempt, Queen Alana eventually turned to magic. No one knows exactly when Alana unlocked her magic, nor how she grew so powerful in so short a time. After mastering a variety of offensive and defensive spells, she eventually mastered the power to shapeshift.

This decline in mental health and sudden obsession with magical study caused Alana to neglect her duties as Queen, leaving her children and advisors to pick up the slack and rule the country in her stead. Corona stepped up to fill more royal duties, despite her age, while Camilla retreated in her training with the Royal Guard. The younger princess was such a common presence in the training grounds that, for a time, new recruits would face her in combat as a rite of passage.

Both sisters tried a gentle intervention with their mother, but their efforts were rebuffed. After similar attempts by the castle staff, advisors, and other noble families also failed to reach Alana, the queen’s rapidly escalating obsession with magic and potential madness began to be seen as a potential threat to the country.

In 1520, the children, who were 15 and 14 at the time, were eventually convinced by the rest of the nobility that their mother was too far gone, and that they must confront their mother and, if necessary, finish what their father started.

As the legal adult and heir to the throne, Corona believed that the burden of killing their mother was something she had to shoulder alone. On the other hand, Camilla assumed that, as the daughter with far more combat training, she would be the one to do the deed. Neither sister communicated their assumptions of duty to each other, likely because speaking such thoughts aloud would have made the prospect of killing their own mother feel far too real. However, this miscommunication would doom their (already shaky) assassination attempt.

Their attempt to confront their mother caused Alana to fly into a rage. She unleashed a blast of magic and transformed into a dragon, destroying part of the castle and injuring both girls. Corona and Camilla had to be dragged out of the destroyed room and injuries tended to as their mother flew off to wreak destruction and lay waste to the kingdom.

After destroying part of the capital, she flew north and west, burning parts of the Ayuda forest and its settlements to the ground, creating the region known today as the Scorched Plains. The Royal Guard was dispatched to find her. Despite her young age, Camilla spent her recovery time fuming and wishing to be out there alongside the Royal Guard.

For a week, Queen Alana managed to evade her enemies, transforming into a dragon for approximately 12 hours at a time before disappearing to sleep, then transforming again before her hiding place could be discovered.

Grancinco had offered to send Tandeli reinforcements as soon as news reached them about the dragon on the loose. Swallowing their pride, the nobles of Tandeli accepted this help, which arrived at the end of the week in the form of archers from Grancincos’s Armed Forces. Alana, enraged that her own nobles would support another attempt upon her life by Grancinco, engaged with the force, but was soon forced to land after her wings were peppered with arrows. A day-long battle ensued on the ground, ending with Alana’s death at the hands of a member of the Ambrose family. After her death, Alana reverted back to her original form. The young Ambrose also succumbed to his wounds soon afterwards. For this incident, Queen Alana would become known as The Dragon Queen or the Dragon Witch (depending on who you ask).

After her mother’s funeral closed out some of the hardest days of her life, Princess Corona became the Young Queen at the young age of 15, earning her the derogatory moniker of “The Hatchling” for many years until she proved herself. While legally an adult and armed with several years of preparation for this very moment, Corona would rely heavily on the assistance of her advisors and her sister for many years. Most of Corona’s reign was spent working to undo the damage her mother caused, eventually ushering in an era of progress and rebuilding. Throughout her reign, Corona would insist upon treating Grancinco as a potential ally, citing her grandfather’s wish for a new age of peace.

Camilla, paranoid at the prospect of another assassination attempt, continued her training with the Royal Family's Guard in order to step into the role of her sister’s bodyguard and most trusted confidant. This paranoia proved warranted; during her tenure as a bodyguard, Camilla effectively dealt with an attempt on Corona’s life before the young queen was even aware of the danger. To Camilla’s horror, the assassination was led by the same group her father had been a part of, and vowed to never let her sister learn what had happened. The event was covered up, but left a scar on Camilla; though Grancinco’s government itself had no love for this group of extremists and quickly arrested most of its members, Camilla would never fully trust Grancinco again.

Corona married a noble’s son, and in 1540, her only child, Nereida, was born. Much like her mother, Nereida spent most of her childhood being groomed to become queen. While Corona had very little time to raise her daughter, Nereida would often accompany her mother during court so that she could get used to the atmosphere.

Most of the time, however, Nereida was under the careful watch of her Aunt Camilla. Paranoid as ever, Camilla spent a lot of time with the young princess, slowly influencing her to think of Grancinco as a potential enemy, much to the concern of Corona. However Nereida never shared her full views on Grancinco with her mother, so these issues could not be corrected.

At the same time, Camilla, who had also married, was training her son, Alfonso, who was two years Nereida’s junior, to someday step into her role as the princess’s bodyguard. From a very young age, Alfonso was trained by both his mother and the Royal Guard to protect his cousin from any and all dangers and grew up molded to be loyal to the Crown. He spent most of his childhood passively watching his mother and older cousin.

Corona would continue to rule until her peaceful death in late 1567, leaving Camilla devastated. Corona had died from natural causes, but part of Camilla’s mind was convinced there was some Grancinco conspiracy. Grancinco sent their father to kill their mother, Grancinco forces tried to kill her mother in the form of a dragon, and a Grancinco group had already tried and failed to kill her sister once before. It wasn’t beyond the scope of possibility that Grancinco had tried to finish the job. As a result, Camilla continued to fill her niece's head full of vitriol about Grancinco, certain that members of that country had something to do with her mother's death, sowing the seeds of war.

Nereida became queen in early 1568 at the age of 27, with both her aunt and her cousin as her bodyguards. Without Corona’s trust in Grancinco to balance out the amount of influence her sister had over Nereida, combined with Camilla’s further insistence on Grancinco’s culpability in the late queen’s death, it’s unsurprising that Nereida spent the first decade of her reign planning a war against Grancinco to prove Tandeli’s might as a nation, then several more years trying to put it into effect. However, due to various logistical issues (including Camilla’s death in 1584), it would be nearly two decades before the war was announced.

### **War and Rebellion**

In 1586, Queen Nerida declared war on Grancinco and began stockpiling resources to do so. However, this was not received well by the public.

The youth of Tandeli had grown up on biased stories about Grancinco’s insistence to reconquer Tandeli and how Tandeli had fought repeatedly to hold them back and preserve the independence they’d fought for less than a 100 years ago. Time and again, Tandeli had been portrayed as a peaceful country that simply wanted to thrive on its own, never the aggressor, always the “good guy” defending itself from a relentless bully. Being the offensive force instead flew against everything they knew and threatened to completely invalidate that entire narrative.

Moreover, the socioeconomic issues that the late Queen Corona hadn’t resolved during her reign had continued to fester among the people for several decades. If things had actually been thriving in Tandeli, there might have been a chance that people would have accepted a patriotic narrative supporting the war against Grancinco, despite the inconsistencies. Instead, after nearly twenty years of waiting for Nereida to lead Tandeli towards peace and prosperity, the sudden announcement of war was the spark that lit nearly a century’s worth of amassed tinder. Multiple rebel groups formed, with the most notable one containing Thomas Sanders (Optimism), Logan Nítido (Logic), Patton Ayu (Morality), Roman Ambrose (Creativity/Princey), and Virgil Pumice (Anxiety), among others.

As a result, Queen Nereida was forced to divide her forces, continuing to insist upon fighting Grancinco while also attempting to find and crush the various revolution groups. Neither effort particularly succeeded; the war against Grancinco never amounted to more than a few skirmishes along the border, while the rebellions continued to grow in strength.

On the 19th October 1597, over ten years after the war was announced, the rebels stormed the castle, distracting the Royal Guard by using Pólvora. Alfonso, who had stepped into the role of Nereida’s primary bodyguard after his mother’s death, (earning the pair their monikers of 'The Bodyguard' and 'The Last Royal') held off three of them at once, in a valiant showcase of his skill, but two were still able to slip past him. Despite swordplay training of her own, Nereida had grown rusty and was unable to defend herself. Eventually, she was cornered by the rebellion’s figurehead, Thomas Sanders, and Roman Ambrose, a descendant of the warrior who slayed the Dragon Queen. Despite having the queen at his mercy with his sword pointed at her heart, Roman hesitated to kill Nereida in cold blood. The leader agreed with this sentiment, yet Nereida refused to live with the shame of being taken alive. Without warning, she pushed herself on Roman’s sword, taking her own life.

Ashamed of his failure, Alfonso fled the castle, avoiding the forces sent by Thomas to find him and disappearing into a self-imposed exile. There are various rumours on where he went. Some say he’s hiding in the Ayuda forest with the unicorns, some say he hopped on a ship and left the continent. Some say he’s a member of Duilintinn’s Mercenary Guild. No one knows for certain. If he is still alive, he would be 73 as of 1615.

With the death of Queen Nereida in October 1597, the rebellions ended, along with Tandeli’s monarchy. In its place, a system of advisors and a council was put into action in February 1598, which has continued to function to this day.

### **Modern Tandeli**

February 1598- Advisor system set up, Council in place, all going well

February 1601- 35 months later Advisor Logic gets his name accidentally made public, and becomes Advisor Logan.

December 1601- 10 months later Advisor Creativity reveals his name, becomes Advisor Roman

August 1603- 20 months later Advisor Mortality reveals his name, becoming Advisor Patton

April 1607- Councilman Anxiety first no show at Council meeting

July 1607- the search for Councilman Anxiety begins

March 1608- Councilman Anxiety found

May 1608- Advisor Virgil comes to power

February 1613- The Changeling known as Deceit replaces Advisor Patton in meetings for three months before being unmasked. He begins to amass influence as events become public.

March 1614- Deceit returns disguised as Advisor Logan

April 3, 1614- Deceit shows up at Thomas's castle (?) disguised well enough as Logan to get through, but not so well that Thomas couldn't instantly tell. Deceit reveals himself (either through magic or just costumes and makeup) and Thomas summons the other Advisers, Logan doesn't get the message because everyone else thinks Logan is already there. They all arrive, Deceit reveals more or less what he wants, going on a bit of a rant about society being a lie and asking for space to officially set up his own 'house'. He even has a logo prepared (keeping the two-headed snake because that is a cool logo) Patton and Virgil disagree,  Thomas and Roman are on the fence. Logan realizes something's up and heads for the capital, but gets there late. In the end, it's the more or less the same resolution as the video, Deceit gets turned down he storms off in a huff.

June 1614- Remus begins to spread allegations and misinformation about Head Advisor Thomas. Advisor Roman dispatched to apprehend.

1st-2nd May 1615- After some odd croaking noises from the Council Building in Triti, Head Advisor Thomas, Advisor Patton, Advisor Logan, and oddly enough Deceit, an individual not previously seen as an ally, to address the people. After the events last June Patton had been pressuring Thomas (as well as some self pressure) to perform better for the poeople of Tandeli to prove those statements wrong. As a result Thomas has been working himself into the ground and it all came to head between Thomas, Advisor Patton and Advisor Roman, with Advisor Logan adding points through notes as the arguement could be heard through walls. At some point however Deceit started sending in notes under the guise of Logan, and has now proved that he gueninely wants what's best for Tandeli. And right now what's best for Tandeli is for the current leader to not be suffering from a mental breakdown. Deceit even revealed his Given Name as a sign of trust. Janus Plata. Advisor Roman has not been since, neither has Logan, and Advisor Virgil was conspciously absent throughout the entire arguement.

## **Government**

### **Politics**

Tandeli hasn't had a singular monarch since Queen Nereida's death and is now a bureaucratic, nobility-based system, similar to the government systems of Duilintinn and Haneul. Head Advisor Thomas Sanders is the official head of state, backed by a large Council and four Advisors who each govern their own portion of the country. The central seat of government is in the city of Triti, which is where Thomas usually stays.

The country is otherwise split into four Tierra's, which operate similarly to Duilintinn's Noble House system.

### **Regions, Counties and Districts**

The four Tierra's are:

* Tierra Mélgica
* Tierra Eticora
* Tierra Creagín
* Tierra Catuela

### Military

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Small, well maintained, and respected. More of a guard force than anything else. The one exception is Tandeli’s navy, with small, quick battleships protecting the cargo vessels used for trade.

## **Geography**

### Landscape and Rivers

Tandeli is bordered by the ironically named Southern Mountains to the north, the Ayuda Forest to the west, and the Eastern Sea on the south and east. In the southern center of the country is the Calorona Desert, with hardy scrub and hard-baked ground in the north and sandy dunes in the south. North of that is the Scorched Plains. There are also Dwarven Tunnels in northern Tierra Catuela.

There are a total of seven major rivers in the Taneli.

* The Ayuda, which resides in the forest of the same name and has a mouth in the southernmost sea.
* The Aliado, which joins the Ayuda in the north.
* The Mente and Mentira, which are the two largest rivers in Mélgica and both of which empty into the southernmost sea.
* The Azulón, with its two tributaries Azulete (the larger) and Lealamo (the smaller) and the only river with access to the Eastern Sea.

The sea borders of all the Tierras except for Catuela, which is the only landlocked region. As such, fishing and kelp farming are common occupations along the coastline. The water temperature tends to vary depending on the season, but the south coast remains a popular swimming destination, as long as you don’t go too far. Stories of Loch Domhainn’s Reapers have reached Tandeli.

### Climate

Excluding the Ayuda Forest and Calorona Desert, the climate of Tandeli is Humid Subtropical/Subtropical, and usually stays between 5 and 30 degrees Celsius. Snow is rare except at the tops of the mountains. These extremes are sometimes exceeded in the mountains or on the coast thanks to the altitudes and coastal wind chill. However, the true outliers of Tandeli's climate are the Ayuda Forest and Calorona Desert, which can get *far* warmer.

Tandeli's climate features a significant rainy season that lasts from approximately April-October, covering the summer season. It starts in southern Tierra Mélgica before traveling north, hitting the southernmost points of Tierra’s Eticora and Creagín. The rain will travel up rivers until the water and the wind can no longer sustain them. As such they rarely breach the desert or hit Triti.

The exception to this comes from Tierra Creagín and the River Ayuda. The river Ayuda is the largest river in Tandeli, and as such can sustain a rainstorm, or in worst cases, a monsoon, for far longer. It can take rain all the way up to Tierra Catuela, although it would take a significantly powerful storm to carry it over the mountains and into Duillintinn. Even then, by the time it got there, it would have petered out into drizzle and mist at the worst. This is part of the reason Tierra Creagín is so good for plant growth, and why the trees of the forest are so dense.

A side effect of the season is fog rolling in from the southeast, making the lighthouses Sanapunto, Colaborosenda, and Oesterisco essential for safe boat passage from the south. At its worst, it can cover the entire south coast.

Flooding is also likely to occur during this time, which is why land surveying is an important trade in Tandeli. It is hard to keep track of whose farmland is who’s when it’s underwater (thinking Egyptians dealing with the Nile floods). This mostly occurs around the river’s Mente and Azulón.

The rainy season also impacts Grancinco and the southern part of the mountain range that divides Grancinco and Borrike.

### **Major Cities**

* Triti is the capital of the country
* Estalta is the main city of Méglica
* Puerta Casóm is the main city of Eticora
* Vistobrille is the main city of Creagín
* Oscureloj Is the main city of Catuela

## Economy

Exports: Dried and preserved fruit (jam and jellies), dying materials, dye powders, and dyed goods, sand for glass blowing, glassware. Imports: Magical herbs for more vibrant colours, other fruit preserves.

### Guilds

If a guild has a partnership with another guild, it means an individual can be a member of both Guilds. The fee is slightly higher, but it is less than the price of two guild memberships. There will also be a section inside the main hub building dedicated to the partnered guilds.

* The House of Crystal
* The Winery
* The Fishing Guild
* Teatro
* The Farming Guild
* Cuidado
* The Navigator's Guild
* Estalta University
* Armed Forces
* Magos Seguros
* Magos Perdidos
* The Tunnelers
* Los Libros Antiguos
* The Mountain Carvers
* The Builder's Guild
* The Armstrong Guild
* The Crafters Guild
* The Clothes Makers
* Kingdom's Kitchen

### Agriculture

Much like Grancinco, the irrigated savanna to the north is cultivated by the farmers of Advisers Virgil and Patton, while tropical fruits and vegetables are harvested from the jungle. The dry weather in the mountains prevents much agriculture in the far northern regions of Tierra Catuela except for along the rivers, although it is sometimes possible to farm in other places if there's a particularly wet summer. Hunting is less common; livestock is mostly raised in the pastured fields of the savanna, with some highland breeds of sheep and goats within the mountains.

As a general rule, here is what can be grown in Tandeli:

* Tierra Mélgica- Flax, barley, wheat
* Tierra Eticora- olives, corn, cork, almonds, barley, wheat, fruit trees, grapes, sugar beets.
* Tierra Catuela- grapes, cherries, almonds, plums, pears, apricots, nectarines, hazelnuts, peaches, lemons, oranges, limes, lingonberries.
* Tierra Creagín- henna, Egyptian privet, forest fruits, small garden patches for personal consumption donkey

As you can see, most of what’s grown are fruit, so orchards practically line the rivers of Tandeli. The exceptions are flax, barley, wheat, and cork. Cork comes from trees, surprisingly. It is the bark of the tree. Flax goes into making linen, wheat, and barley for consumption.

Having so much coast also allows for a lot of seafood in the diet, as well as some freshwater fish. Kelp can be harvested to deal with the minerals fruit lacks. Anything from the sea can come from any land except Tierra Catuela, as that is the only landlocked region of Tandeli.

There’s not a lot of things grown in Tierra Creagín, despite being a fertile area. That’s just because of space; there are too many trees! So, the residents of the Tierra tend to have small garden patches of root vegetables for personal consumption.

The non-food plants grown in Tierra Creagín are for dye.

As for livestock, there isn’t much of it. There aren’t many horses in Tandeli. You can hire them for traveling on the main roads, and maybe the northern part of the desert, but anything other than that is not going to work. The land is either too desert, too crowded with trees or too steep for horses to cope. As such you are more likely to see the smaller donkey in most of the kingdom and camels for the desert. This is also why there isn’t much livestock in the region. Sheep and goats can be farmed in the mountains, families might have a single pig, cow, or some chickens, but that’s really about it.

### Technology

We are at a relatively high level of ship tech due to the nature of the Eastern Sea. Namely, the fact that it's full of islands and weird storms and stuff. The reason that Tirónar went undiscovered for so long is that that's how long it took for other continents to figure out how to make boats that were maneuverable enough to navigate that part of the ocean! Since then, the ship tech that Waldren brought to Tirónar has been expanded upon enormously and, in some cases, adapted to fit other pre-existing ship tech in places like the Island League. This has allowed for trade between the nations of Tirónar to thrive, especially since it's incredibly difficult to cross between the mountains that form their inland borders (and even more difficult when you've got a lot of goods in the back of the cart!). Tandeli's ships usually feature more weaponry and military capabilities than ships from other nations, most closely resembled by the similar features in Haneul’s navy.

### Transportation

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Ayuda, Aliado, and Mente are all rivers that are regularly sailed upon. The first two have a lot of boat traffic, with guards traveling between various posts along the border and travelers visiting the coast. The latter will also sometimes travel along the Mente instead, in order to avoid the desert or the long coastal roads.

Tandeli’s guidelines for entering the country are a mix between those of Duilintinn and Haneul. Recordkeeping and a quick interview with unexpected arrivals. If there is some doubt if these arrivals should enter the country, they will be asked to stay in the port for a day or so while a more in-depth investigation is conducted by people whose job it is to do just that. Via land, the river Ayuda is the natural border between Tandeli and Grancino. A patrol of the Armoured Branch guard the bridge, with a long trail between there and city of Vistobrille. There is a border town consisting of a mix of tree houses and stilt houses on the river.

The road that is considered the longest in Tandeli stretches from just north of Puerta Casóm, then winds all the way down the coastline until it reaches the mouth of the river Ayuda.

Other major roads include;

* Straight across from the river Mente to the city of Estalta.
* The road from Puerta Casóm to Triti
* The road from Triti to Vistobrille
* The road from Triti to Oscureloj, which requires crossing the Aliado river.
* The road that travels northwest from Estalta to Vistobrille, crossing the Mente at one of the narrower points.
* The winding roads that fork from the one between Triti and Oscureloj just before the Alida river, the west fork heading for Vistobrille, and the east winding along the foothills towards Puerta Casóm.
* The road that goes from Vistobrille to the Ayuda river, which goes over the bridge and across the border into Grancinco.

### Message Delivery

As a general rule, the messaging system in Tandeli isn’t as good as it is in Duilintinn, relying solely on contracted runners. That said, it is a skilled job because some will need to traverse the Calorona Desert and the Ayuda Forest. Some might sail their own boats because it’s quicker. If you want to be a messenger, you need to be a navigator and sailor first.

There is a system of using birds of prey for message carrying. It’s not the most efficient system and is often only used by the nobility. Birds of prey don’t have that large of a natural range, so getting them to travel far is almost impossible. So each family would have a falconer on-site to tend to messenger birds that come through and swap out birds so that the short message actually gets delivered.

Roman convinced the other Advisors to use this method, even as Logan and Thomas pointed out the flaws of the whole thing. Virgil secretly likes it, because he likes working with his falconer to look after the birds. Some of the big ones are scary, but they’re also gorgeous.

(Overthinking this video at 2.10? What makes you say that? In real life, pigeons work better because of their natural homing instinct. That said, it’s fantasy and birds of prey are cool!)

## Demography

### Population

As a general rule, there are two main phenotypes in Tandeli. First, the people who were there before Waldren, who have quite dark skin, with a lot of regional variances. Given the size of Grancinco, there is a wide variety of body types and shades. Second, there are the Waldren people who stayed, who are paler in both skin and hair. Since Waldren had been in Tandeli for several centuries, there are people who are descended from both peoples. They tend to have an almost amber complexion or freckle very heavily. This is hardly a hard and fast rule, but these are the stereotypical depictions.

### Language

Almost exclusively common, with smatterings of the native language of Grancinco to the west.

The Common Tongue brought over by Waldren is prevalent throughout Tandeli, with a Spanish-style language appearing mostly in the north and west. This is from proximity to Grancinco in Tierra Creagín and records in the Tunnels in Tierra Catuela. The Spanish found in the Tunnels is an older version of the language spoken today, having been archived 500 years ago.

Now that Tandeli has some kind of peace, the language is spreading, although it is not used predominantly.

There are some accents variations as well. To the far north and west, you can still hear the old accent, based on our Spanish. Waldren had a more English-like accent, is still quite prevalent throughout Tandeli.

### **Education**

Very casual, with a high emphasis on life lessons and passing on the knowledge of previous generations. Most children are educated by their town elders until their early teens, when they take up apprenticeships and join guilds for more specific career training.

Under the age of fifteen, there is no mandatory education. Most children learn from their parents and their environment and are taught life lessons. Most children have a decent emotional knowledge when they are young. Some parents will ask a member of the community to teach their child something, and so informal schools can be formed within communities.

Advisor Logan is trying to put together a formal education syllabus for those under the age of 15, but no one can agree on what to put on it, much to his endless frustration.

However, depending on when you were born, your formative education can vary greatly.

If you were born in Tierra Creagín, you might as well have been born with an innate understanding of colour theory, vocal projection and where to stand on stage. You will be learning brushstrokes along with writing and life lessons. If you’re close to the Armed Forces, you might know some things about fighting.

In Tierra Mélgica, you’re more likely to know every single known constellation by the age of 10, numbers are as easy to read as words, and if you live near the desert, you know how to navigate it safely.

With Tierra Eticora, you are likely to have had emotional intelligence emphasized, as well as a basic understanding of anatomy. Depending on your exact upbringing, you might be more familiar with animal anatomy than that of humans. You are also likely to know which herbs are good for sleeping, coughing and sore stomachs.

With Tierra Catuela (although less likely because Advisor Virgil is still working on changes) you will learn the history of Tandeli very early on, the best way to fortify a settlement, how to remain calm, and wild animal behavior. It is also here where you’re more likely to learn the older form of the Grancinco Spanish, as here are the tunnels that kept it safe and hidden from Waldren.

As time goes on you can learn these things in other parts of the kingdom. The learning of the old language is now becoming more prevalent all over, but these areas still specialize in these subjects.

Upon reaching adulthood an individual may travel to either learn a trade, apprentice under someone, or study before starting their career.

* Mélgica is where you would find scholars of the Natural Sciences, mathematicians, astronomers, navigators.
* Eticora is where you would find caregivers. Doctors, nurses, vets, farmers.
* Creagín is where you find the creatives and the knights, the bards, the actors, the artisans. This is also where you would be most likely to learn the Grancinco language.
* Catuela is where you'll find the historians, the stone workers, farmers, the mages. You can also learn the old form of the Grancinco language.

Less restricted to Tierra, you can find glassblowers around the southern Calorona Desert.

### Sentient Beings

Besides humans, unicorns are native to Tandeli.

In addition, given the lower number of Fae Gardens and lack of a permanent Fae Garden in Tandeli, there are very few Changelings. There is some overlap in the mountains certainly, but those areas are not usually accessible so no one is buried there. It is by extreme chance that someone gets buried in a Fae Garden, and most changelings are born as a result of the strange magical events of Hallows' Eve thanks to Duilintinn's permanent Fae Garden in the Western Forest.

As a result, Tandeli's Changelings look weird. The Fae can't use human parts to make changelings, so other parts can be. It’s not unusual to see Changelings with weird skin from minerals or nearby animals, plants and fur instead of hair, or just something being off.

This is, unfortunately, another nail in the coffin for the opinions of Changelings in Tandeli. Changelings are legally equally, there is no discrimination in that regard. However, some people just react, weirdly. Those in Tierra Mélgica see them as curiosities, what kind of mutation occurred for them to appear like that? Oh, they wandered from the mountains, well yes as horrible as it is a mother might very well abandon a child she thought was deformed as it may not survive. The people of Tierra Eticora used to be much more welcoming than they are, but then Deceit impersonated their Advisor for three months and they haven’t recovered.

Tierra Creagín is generally a good place for a more obvious Changeling to hide, most would assume you were into elaborate body decoration, which is cool! They would ask for tips or a full-on tutorial, which therein lies the problem. Like the people of Eticora people here don’t fully trust Changelings, again, because of Deceit.

Finally, Tierra Catuela is almost the home of the Changelings. Here, no one cares. You’re one of us and that’s that.

You also get two types of Changeling in Tandeli, one is the human variety, the other the unicorn variety, unicorn being the other sentient species of Tandeli. Unicorn Changelings look like very small humanoids with large, striped cones for heads. They are very skittish and live in large groups. They are sympathetic and helpful to lost children, but anything bigger and they will scatter.

## Culture

Self-expression, improvement, and acceptance. Everyone is encouraged to be themselves, sort out their problems together, and be as bold as they want. This has led to a rise in body paint, streaked hair dye, and incredibly vibrant clothing. The brighter, more unnatural colors are harder to create and are usually only found among the upper classes. When meeting someone new, you learn their nickname first; once you have become their friend, they will ask to be referred to by their given name.

### Regional Variations

Personal growth and betterment are key focuses in this kingdom, as well as acceptance of who you are. Most problems will start out to be solved by sitting down with close friends and talking it through. Everyone helps each other, in one way or another.

Everyone tends to handle it a bit differently though, depending on where you are.

In Tierra Eticora you are generally smothered in love. They will try to help anyway they can and are very enthusiastic about it. They’re always ready with a joke to make you laugh and everyone knows everyone.

In stark contrast, the people of Tierra Mélgica are more detached, sometimes taking a while to realise something’s wrong. If you need help, you can’t be proud about it and hope someone notices. You have to be upfront, and a way to help you will be found.

For Tierra Creagín, they love loudly. They can be a bit insensitive, but they mean well, and sometimes a bit of bluntness is what one needs.

Tierra Cateula’s people are quiet. People generally keep to themselves or in small groups when it comes to personal matters. They don’t need the whole world to know something needs sorting, just, their world.

### Naming Conventions

Names can either be from the Common language that Waldren brought over, although once the old language resurfaced it became fashionable to name babies with old names.

In the far north, since there is overlap with Duilitinn’s Fae Garden, the people there got rather paranoid, and so a different naming convention was born. You have the name your parents gave you, that is you, your given name, but you also have a Chosen Name. This name can refer to physical traits, a personal characteristic, anything really, and can change throughout your life like you, as a person, change, or you could have more than one. This is the name you give to strangers, just in case they are Fae.

To give someone your given name, as opposed to your chosen name, is a sign of trust. This naming convention was specific to the northernmost parts of the mountain range until Waldren caught wind of it. Most of them thought it was cute and ended up spreading it throughout Tandeli.

Public figures in Tandeli have historically struggled with these naming conventions. Since it is a sign of trust for someone to tell someone else their Given Name if they aren’t immediate family members, Tandeli royalty did not wish to go by their Chosen Names, but rather shared their given names to the public as a sign of trust. They kept their Chosen Names more as family nicknames.

In addition, each ruler left a legacy for which the people of Tandeli gave them a name for. While this isn't a true Chosen Name, as it was not picked by the person who it refers to, it still serves a similar purpose. A notable mention is Queen Alana Armstrong, the first Queen of Tandeli. Her ‘Chosen Name’ upon her death varies on who you ask, but is usually ‘The Dragon Queen’ or ‘The Dragon Witch’. Another example is her husband, who was in fact not originally a Tandeli citizen, but the son of a Grancinco government official. His Given Name was Fabián Armstrong nee Caliente, and his posthumous ‘Chosen Names’ are ‘The Would be Assassin’ and ‘The Assassin King’. So earned because he failed to kill his wife.

In modern times the only one who followed in this manner of names is Head Advisor Thomas, for a similar reason; gaining the trust of the people. His Advisors did not follow this convention for some time, and it was only after a small slip up from Advisor Patton that Advisor Logan’s Given Name was known, which Advisor Logan later gave permission to use in public. In other positions within the government or public eye, the decision to use their Given Name or Chosen Name is completely personal.

### Attire

In the northern part of Tandeli, the clothing is very similar to Duiltinn, as you got further south and the temperature increases, you will find fewer jerkins, trousers, and shirts, and more wrap around skirts (leaving the chest bare) and long sleeveless dresses. There is obviously not a complete split from jerkins and trousers to wrap around, roughly in the middle, you can find robes like sweeping cloth that covers the wearer more or less head to toe, or as little or as much as they like, personal preference, similar to the djellaba of our world. These have the benefit of protection from the sun while allowing air in between the clothing layers and skin.

Tierra Mélgica is almost entirely made up of the wrap skirt, sleeveless dresses and something like a chiton since it exists south of the desert and along the coast. Everywhere else is a general mix of them, with the exception of Tierra Catuela, whose clothing styles resemble Duiltinn’s but a little bit lighter.

Tierra Creagín people tend to dye their clothes bright colours and try to make them as outlandish as possible. Tierra Eticora’s lot is also pretty bright, not as eye-watering as their western counterparts, but they like the colours.

The people of Tierra Mélgica keep to plainer, more natural colours, although they do spice things up a bit for festivals and celebrations. Tierra Catuela tends to like darker colours. Not outright black, it’s too hot for that, but navy, brown, some purple sprinkled in.

### Cuisine

Sugar beets, as the name implies, are an alternative source of sugar to honey and sugar cane. It can be grown in the mountain foothills, along with the northern parts of rivers and in parts of Tierra Eticora. Not much can be grown as Tandeli is not the ideal place for it, but it does mean that proper jam can be made. It’s expensive but cheaper than importing sugar from overseas.

Jam is well-loved throughout Tandeli and is a particular favorite of Advisor Logan, but it is expensive to make and difficult to procure since the sugar that grows within Tandeli is from sugar beet. Tandeli is not the best environment for it, so it can’t be grown in many places. Sugar can be imported from other continents, but that is ever more expensive. Apple juice can be used as a substitute but it doesn’t have the same effect. More common is more of a fruit purée sealed in jars, although once opened they have to be consumed within a day.

A more normal everyday diet would consist of fish, homegrown vegetables and kelp. Fruit is common as well, and there is a large trade in wine. Households would also have their own chickens, and maybe a singluar cow, or some goats, or some sheep.

Mutton is decently common meat, although expensive in comparison to fish.

Unlike in Duilintinn, Tandeli does not make a Lambas style bread. Given that Tandeli grows wheat and barley they make bread out of those grains. Barley is also more commonly used for beer, malt whisky and animal feed, so barley bread isn’t as common as wheat bread. That said neither of those alcohol types are as popular as wine. A lot of times its plain loaves or even cones, although shaped bread isn’t uncommon. You’ll find shaped bread to be quite common across the country. Animal shapes in Tierra Eticora, geometric shapes in Tierra Mélgica, complex knots and fantastical creatures are common in Tierra Creagín, and you’ll find a wide variety in Tierra Catuela, magic and mundane creatures, knots, twists and more. For special occasions these become even more elaborate and complicated. Bread that can be torn in places and shared with large groups. Every now and again you’ll find breads made of nut flour like almonds and hazelnuts, but that’s not common. They’re a bit more expensive. To add to this, you can put in dried fruit and nuts, jams and jellies into the centre. The latter two are very popular in Tierria Mélgica.

Drinks

Ocean Man is focused on Duilintinn, and it is unknown if one of his compatriots is in Tandeli. If there is a water loving Fae in Tandeli, they’re possibly in the Mentira, the mouth or source of the Ayuda, or the source of Aliado, but if they are there, they have not made themselves known.

This does mean that water is not always a safe bet. Water from the river, wells, and other places in the ground is definitely safe to drink in Estalta, Cristal, Triti, and Vistobrille, as well as most settlements along the Mentira. While there are wells in every settlement in Tandeli, that’s mostly for washing and cooking. You probably could drink it, if you really want to.

Drinkable water booms in availability during the Rainy Season, where people collect water from rainfall and store them mostly in large unglazed jars, and if possible underground as well. This helps keep the water cool. The water is often filtered and boiled to make it safe to drink, although sometimes people want to use water for washing or cooking and maybe don’t bother with that bit and drink something else.

The water is as safe to drink as the container it’s stored in; if the container is dirty, then the water could become unsafe to drink. If the container is clean and has only ever been used to hold water, it can hold the water for a long period of time. Given the unglazed nature of the pots and jugs there will be some water loss, but that’s just evaporation keeping the water cool.

But, I have established that drinking water is not always a safe bet without effort, and in some places supplies might run out during the Dry Season. So, what over options are there?

Fruit juice and wine with low alcohol content are the most predominate. Tandeli grows oranges, lemons, limes, cherries, peaches, grapes, plums, apricots, apples, pears and nectarines, among others. The grapes are predominantly used in wine and the other fruits are often sold in jams, purees, fresh or in dried form. Most common fruits used in drinks are lemons and limes, quickly followed by oranges, apples, nectarines, peaches, apricots and cherries, but it does also depend on the season. Some people have the money to sweeten the fruit juice with sugar or honey, which may make them last longer, but otherwise they would be drunk as is.

Another preservation method would be, like water, to boil and filter, which is the case for most juice sold commercially. If you’re making juice at home for personal consumption then you’d only really bother if you were making more than one day’s supply. Juice would be stored in either glass bottles or unglazed clay jars. The jars for juice and the jar for water are clearly distinct, because you do not want to get that the wrong way around. Putting water in the same container that has held fruit juice, if not properly cleaned, can cause things to grow in the water because of the natural sugars in the juice.

In some places you can find lingonberry juice, but that is very local to the Southern Mountains.

Otherwise available is imported tea and coffee. Cider is another option, although not as common as wine. Wine, while often made from grapes, can also be made of most other fruits as well.

For when these are more available, during and just after the Rainy Season water is going to more prevalent. A lot of juice and wine making begins towards the end and just after the Rainy Season as well, although variable depending in the exact weather and crop. Pears for example would be harvested after the Rainy Season, making pear juice more of a winter drink. So fruit juices available will be variable throughout the year.

During the colder Dry Season is when you’re more likely to find longer lasting and seasonal fruit juices, wines, cider, tea and coffee. Wine and cider are
also served warm in the northern parts of Tandeli in the depths of winter, with imported spices and some herbs from Duilintinn. The mages in Catuela will also experiment and enchant drinks.

### Arts

Glassblowing is a popular trade in Tandeli. It happens in mostly Tierra’s Mélgica and Creagín. Mélgica is for more practical uses, scientific instruments, lens, whereas Creagín sees the potential beauty of glassmaking; there’s a whole section in Vistobrille dedicated to decorative glassmaking. There is a small specialized group of glassblowers along the desert border of Tierra Eticora, since along the mountains is a half-decent wine region and there are many orchards. Glass bottles and jars are good for wine and various fruit preserves.

### Name Days

Individuals would have birthday attire, which would chop and change as they get older. It’s fairly common to just have an item, like a hat, or a pair of shoes or a cloak. The richer you are, the more likely it is to have an entire outfit for your birthday.

In addition to holidays and festivals, people have decided to celebrate the Advisor’s Name Days as well. Well, actually, it was Roman’s idea and people lapped it up.

Patton was excited as Roman about the idea, while Logan and Virgil tried to nope out. The information got out anyway. Thomas was in the middle about the whole thing, and now it happens and they just have to put up with it.

Virgil has this old cape that is patterned with various styles of clouds. His caretaker gave it to him, and when he became Advisor people tried to replace it, but he stood firm on keeping it. It has been washed and repaired instead, with the rest of the outfit being based off that cloak. Despite keeping his Name Day quiet, word got out and people celebrated it. There’s purple everywhere, magic shows everywhere, with hot drinks and snack food. Incense is burning within his home because Virgil stresses out about this so it calms him down. It’s pretty much the only day of the year he burns it on, partially because it’s imported and expensive as hell. Also warm drinks around the fireplace for close friends and who he considers family.

Logan has a hat with stars on, like Virgil this hat is worn and faded, with inaccurate sizes and shapes, but he keeps it, repaired and washed. Like Virgil, his outfit has been based around it. Logan is not a big fan of the festivities, but the public enjoys it, so he’ll do a brief appearance, look at some work that’s been going on, and then hide again. Probably the least festive celebration out of the lot of them, but people will go and get some jam/fruit conserve treat.

Roman’s is red with a crown theme, but subtle, elegant patterns with crown silhouettes, so as not to piss off the royalty of the time, and the look stayed. Probably a whole outfit since he was little, so he’s not had to change much. On his day there are balls everywhere, and it's a mandated day off. A more formal affair than the carnival-like celebrations the rest of the year, but it’s a change of pace.

Patton has these clompy leather boots that he loves, with etchings of paw prints on them. It was hard to make a formal outfit around them, but it was pulled off somehow. His day is also a day off, with big meals, public feasts, and baking of pastries. This is especially welcome since his Name Day is January. The warm atmosphere and good food keep people's spirits up. The bakers and cooks get the next day off to recover.

Thomas was rainbow-themed, he had this pair of rainbow bangles and the whole new outfit revolves around that. There are group events going on all day for everyone to socialize and maybe learn something new. A competition is held for low funded or new performing acts (musicians, plays) to get funding from the ‘crown’.

Remus and Deceit don’t have public holidays, but they still have outfits. As a twin, Remus’s Name Day outfit is also identical to Roman’s, except in green. Deceit had this face mask that well-meaning villagers made him, but he threw it away after he left. So, technically he doesn’t have one. He lies about it every year, obviously.

### Weddings

The Waldren-style weddings that influence Duilintinn's marriage traditions are still the norm, although a lot more relaxed. Rings are a thing, and sometimes families do the vows to each other, but a lot of the time these they don’t bother, its one of the more stilted traditions that’s phased out. Wedding meals are still very much a big thing though, because who doesn’t like a lot of food?

One big thing from Catuela is the exchange of Names, where the couple would whisper their real name into the ear of the person they were marrying. These days you’re highly likely to know that name already, but the tradition still persists. This name thing sometimes carries over into the rest of Tandeli, but it’s not common.

Fruit, fish wine, and baked goods are the order of the day for wedding meals. If you were going more elaborate then you would add meat and vegetables and other forms of alcohol.

Regional Distinctions:

* Creagín- the ceremony itself is very formal, but the reception, well… It depends on what you can afford, but these people can smell a party on the wind like sharks can smell blood. You may have started out with a meal, but you will end with a street party.
* Eticora-It’s a community thing, you will get gatecrashers, everyone will bring food.
* Méglica- they party. It’s one of the rare times they do
* Catuela- a more closed in affair, don’t come if you’re not invited. Everyone will bring ingredients or little bits of dishes.

### Holidays

*(this, weddings, and Name Days will probably have to be put in a separate page)*

**Mid February-Planting**

A large chunk of planting, depending on the crop, such as trees, vines, and flax, would have already begun. However, some, such as wheat, barley, some flowers, and homegrown vegetables, cannot be planted until much later, in March. This represents the rough middle of the total planting season for the year.

This is the official planting holiday, celebrated mostly in the evening, when planting is over for the day. Anyone who doesn’t need to plant is set to preparing the event throughout the day.

Individual towns, villages, and cities, may very well have their own planting day celebration, depending on local crops.

In Vistobrille’s gardens, there’s a big deal with helping with the planting, run by the gardeners. However, you’re not allowed to get too crazy with it, the gardens are supposed to be peaceful.

In the evenings, people get together to relax and eat variously preserved foods, pick, and exchange early flowers. Romance can also bloom during this holiday, and should a dance pop up in the celebrations, it is customary to ask someone you're interested in for a dance, much to the horror of the introverted, shy, and anxious.

**March-Bonfire night style event**

March was when the Dragon Witch was defeated, so the denizens of Tierra Creagín burn a dragon effigy. Some on a bonfire, some tie the effigy to a pole and burn it that way.

**Early April- Beginning of the rainy season**

Celebrating the beginning of the rainy season, when the crops will have all the rain they need and more. The rainy season itself might not start then, either earlier or later, but this is the official celebration for it.

It is highly anticipated in Tierra Mélgica, with lighthouse keepers and scholars at the Estella watching the southern sea and consulting past records to estimate when the first rains of the season will hit. Meanwhile, the lighthouse keepers of Tierra Eticora take on more staff and fuel to make sure the houses are lit when the fog rolls in.

Houses by rivers make sure they are prepared for any potential flooding, especially important along the river Ayuda.

Water containers are hauled outside to collect the rainwater, and there are often competitions for how well decorated they are or how much water they collect and hold in a single rainfall.

With rain comes growth, and now is the time to reflect on their goals for the year, to see if those goals need to be changed in any way.

**June- Midsummer**

A celebration of the longest day of the year. Many people see this as a challenge to celebrate until the sun comes down.

A lot of people wake up early to see the sunrise, sometimes whole communities get together to do it, with food and drink.  The mornings are generally a more relaxed, community-based affair, while the evenings can get wild carnivals, processions and dancing, and drinking.

**Early October- End of the rainy season**

To celebrate the end of floods, of endless rain. A chance to breathe in air that is no longer thick and muggy. Once again, Tierra Mélgica’s scholars will try to track when the rains will stop.

Water containers are used up and brought back inside once empty, for repairs and storage for another rainy season. The amount of water collected is tallied up and bragging rights (or prizes in some places) are granted to whoever got the most water that year.

Now the rainy season has ended, so the landscape will change, and so will the people. Now it’s time to check in your goals again before the year is over and to change them if necessary. Tandeli is all about change and growth, so self-assessment is important.

**19th October- Revolution anniversary**

Large celebrations in Triti, banners hung from the old castle. Plays of the end of the revolution springing up throughout the kingdom (Roman and Thomas have mixed feelings about this, for reasons they like to keep to themselves). Tonight is when stories are told about the kingdom and its history.

**31 October- Hallow’s Eve/Fae Night**

A tradition that started in the north, like most Fae based traditions in Tandeli.

For most of the kingdom, it’s a chance for wild costumes and eating sweets. In Tierra Catuela it appears the same, if not matching Creagín for exuberance, but the atmosphere is a bit tenser. Children are more likely to play tricks on their neighbors, which helps alleviate the tense atmosphere.

**2nd November- Surviving Fae Night**

Old Catuela tradition that got buried in the Tunnels and recently pulled back out. After several days of tricks and hiding/wearing costumes, people will now openly come to their friends and families to spend time with them. Historically it’s a ‘hey, I’m still here’ thing, nowadays it’s more of a wind-down from tricks. The last few days have basically been Halloween crossed with April Fools day.

**November- Harvest**

Officially the end of the harvest, most likely actually ended in October, but so much already happens in October. General partying and drinking, potluck. Either everyone brings an ingredient for a massive stew or everyone brings a dish. In smaller towns and villages the entire community gets together. In large cities, it’s more friends and family.

**December-Winter Celebration**

(Basically Christmas/Yuletide)

Used to be more midwinter, but got pushed back a bit. Some areas of Tandeli (cough cough Catuela) celebrate midwinter, which involves a lot of torches and bonfires. Some of the more coastal areas like to stargaze at this time of year, wrapped up with hot drinks.

Winter Celebration is very similar to how it is in Duilintinn. Families get together, exchange gifts, and generally have a good time.

**December/January- New Year**

Very similar to our New Year's celebrations. Staying up late waiting until midnight with family and friends. Reflecting on the year and making new goals for the coming year. Drinking alcohol happens a lot.

**General differences in celebrations between the Tierras**

Tierra Mélgica- If it’s based on weather patterns or the cycle of planets, they will try to predict the exact date. A general date exists and usually, the rest of the kingdom follows that unless the Scholars give out their predicted date in good time. Sometimes they get so worked up about date predictions that they forget to prepare for the event itself. Those who remember tend to rub it in a little, and while these people are generally reserved, parties can get very out of hand. The two rainy seasons and midsummer are the favourites here.

Tierra Eticora-Very organised about group celebrations, generally has a lot of decoration and wants to make sure everyone is involved. If you’re sick in bed for whatever reason and can’t make it, the party comes to you! They are particularly fond of the holidays that bring people together, such as the Winter Celebration, Harvest, and Planting.

Tierra Creagín- Eticora x2. They often have celebrations going on anyway, whether it’s an official holiday or not. When it’s an official, kingdom-wide holiday, they go all out. Parades, carnivals, music blaring, decorations everywhere, there is a 50/50 chance you will accidentally inhale confetti. This makes the gardens more important since it’s usually a place of calm in all the hubbub. The only exception to this is during the February celebration, and even then, within the gardens, it’s a lot more chill than it is in the rest of Vistobrille.

They go all out for all the holidays, but the March holiday is unique to them. They are most likely to try and stay up late during Midsummer and New Year.

Tierra Catuela- Reserved, but still celebrate. They might not act like they want to celebrate, but they can party as hard as the rest of the kingdom, don’t doubt it!

They arguably have more official holidays; more are being dug out of the Tunnels, and Catuela is usually the first place to practice them. So far, they are the only ones who officially celebrate Hallows Eve into November, although it is technically a different celebration, and the old Midwinter celebration, although the latter is slowly traveling south

### Death and Funerals

Funeral Traditions vary based on which natural landmark you are closest to, rather than the Tierra.

If you’re close to/in the Ayuda Forest, there’s very much a circle of life thing; being buried in the forest means you release nutrients for the trees to grow. This has led to some stories about man-eating trees, but what can you do?

Along the coast, sea burials are common.

In the desert, burials are hard, either from sand or sun-baked earth. Ideally, you would travel far enough from the desert so that the ground is suitable for burial. Or, if you’re rich, get a casket and dig as far down as your family is willing to pay people.

If you’re in the eastern part of the mountains, you might be buried up there, though some will wish to be left for the birds.

The only Tierra that has its own customs is Catuela. They cremate their dead because of Fae paranoia.

Being left in Fae Gardens is not standard, or even really known by most people. It tends to happen by accident.

### Perspective on Magic

Not as commonly used. No permanent Fae Garden nearby, but some do come and go. Some scholars believe that magic is merely science that hasn’t been understood yet, rather than its own phenomenon. Some don’t believe that the Fae even exist. Adviser Roman has plenty of experiences with magical beings such as a Dragon Witch, so his people generally believe in, but distrust magic. Adviser Patton’s people have a mostly neutral stance on the matter. Adviser Virgil’s land is where most active practitioners and scholars of magic live. Adviser Logan’s stance on the matter is unknown.

There is a spectrum of belief in magic, ranging from not believing and everyone who claims to be a mage is a charlatan, to being a practicing mage. Both of these are extremes, so people usually fall into, ‘don’t think it exists but if I can be shown proof, then fine’. People rarely go out of their way to disprove magic, generally having better things to do with their time.

Something that never fails to bring up an argument here is ‘the Dragon Witch’. It’s within relatively recent history, yet some people will either try to change the subject or spout theories about what else it could be. Hallucinogenic berries, elaborate war machines, propaganda; all of these and more have been used to explain it.

The Fae and their Gardens don’t make much of an appearance in Tandeli. However, the northernmost tip has some stories about them, none of them good. Old Oscureloj architecture features gargoyles, an attempt to scare Fae off. The far north has a little bit of spillover from the permanent Fae Garden in Duilitinn's Western Forest, which becomes a steady Fae Garden during the month of October, which is usually when most Changelings appear.

There are some people in Tandeli who don’t believe Fae exist at all (mostly scholars in Tierra Mélgica), which given the low frequency of Fae Gardens, is hard to contradict. Changelings are assumed to have been abandoned for deformation, stories about Fae are put down as old superstitious legends.

## Foreign Relations:

### Public Opinion

Positive, though criticized for the culture-wide residual mistrust of changelings since Deceit’s attempted coup.