Asmeria

The flag of Asmeria

### Allies

Brotherhood of the Righteous Vow, Thlassian League, Xing Luo, and the Double Aces

## Asmeria as a Greater Faction

Asmeria is a desert nation with Arabian/Persian flavor that has never failed to thrive while some would fall.  We were founded several centuries ago after the Great Elemental Rift cracked open our desert.  The desert is hot and filled with secrets and dangers out in the dunes and buried beneath the sand.

We pursue both arcane and mundane knowledge and utilize it to better our nation and people.  We are diplomatic ambassadors that are always willing to make mutually beneficial relationships.  Asmeria is not only known for our arcane knowledge however.  Due to our engineering, Asmeria is able to cultivate unique and exotic foods exclusive to Asmeria and farm in the driest of conditions.

In short? Asmeria is full of intelligent badass survivors.  Those who think they can survive may join.

## History

Asmeria was formed through the chaos created by the **Great Elemental Rift.**

Several centuries ago, each region used to be controlled by a separate clan. One day, a huge rift in Tela cracked open the desert. Withing it held the remnants of some elemental chaotic explosion, its energies sinking into the rock and sand. Thus was born an interdimensional portal, releasing creatures from all the elemental planes at random.

The bad were the first to enter through the portal, causing destruction and chaos in the six clans. It instigated a great war among them, each clan wanting the resources it took to survive in this new world. The war destroyed them, weakening the clans to the point of easy pickings for the evil elementals.

16 years after the Great Elemental Rift appeared, a human woman by the name of Asmeria rallied the clans together in one last effort to save themselves. With the help of the good hearted who came from the elemental planes, Asmeria ended the war, united the six clans and closed the Great Elemental Rift.

Thus created the Nation of Asmeria.

## Geography

* It is located in a harsh desert, food consists of the natural foods that can survive in the desert as well as Asmeria’s specialty products cultivated by their desert farming.
* We have even produced a specialty wine and liqueurs  from a fruit only found in Asmeria with a secret (arcane) brewing process.
* In the middle of Asmeria, is the city of **Arantza**.
	+ The center of the capital is the **Palace of Thorns**, called this because thorny varieties of roses grow there.
	+ Arantza is the hub for arcane knowledge and has produced the best arcane users.

* Around Arantza there are six regions; each known for something.  They each used to be controlled by a separate clan before Asmeria united them.
* Each region has a main city of the same name.
	+ **Alzirae**- known for its prosperous agriculture.
	+ **Sut’yun**- sister region to Alzirae - prosperous agriculture
	+ **Maerif**- known for its scholars and educational schooling
	+ **Falaz**- known for its blacksmiths, weaponry, and metalworking
	+ **Sahra**- known for its scholars/engineers/inventors
	+ **Tela**-known for its expansive oil wells and their fighters. This is where the Great Elemental Rift is located.

## Setting/Theme

* Architecture - Persian
* Fashion - Arabic/Persian/Indian
	+ Head Coverings are in no way required for women nor is any style forced due to religion.  It is purely for practical use being in the desert/grasslands.

* Religion - Faerun Pantheon but rarely there are heavy worshippers
	+ They believe that the world is how you make it with your own effort.  To trust the gods to do anything for you is ridiculous.  The Golden Rule is lived by, and human decency is expected.  An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

* Weapons/Musical Instruments - Arabic/Persian/European/Japanese

## The Government and the Shatriya

* A meritocratic oligarchy that has a single all powerful head of state.
* This system of government was decided on by Asmeria (the founder) so that no fool would ever be on the throne.  The ruler is called a Shatriya (short version of a persian word for "King of Warriors").  The Shatriya has absolute power and can decide whether to have complete rule or to designate power off.  The one thing that can never be changed is how the Shatriya is chosen.
* Every year, an exam is given out to the brightest minds of Asmeria.  People with perfect scores are given signet rings. For the next five years, they can choose to challenge the current Shatriya to a one-on-one challenge decided on by the current Shatriya.  The challenge can not be denied. Whoever wins is the unquestionable ruler of Asmeria.
* The Shatriya has their own personal guard full of top Asmerian Warriors.
* The Shatriya’s inner circle, called the **Dayere**, are usually the next top ranking authorities below the Shatriya.  They serve as advisers and are usually the ones power is delegated off to (Shatriya gets to decide).
* The Dayere consists of 4-5 closest friends, smartest minds, strongest warriors, or wisest tacticians; usually Shatriyan Ring Bearers.
* If a Shatriya dies, then a competition against five (voted on) signet ring candidates would begin, the winner would become the Shatriya.
* Whenever a new Shatriya arises, there is a three day celebration.
	+ First day: A public coronation
	+ Second day: Swearing in of Dayere and governors, lower class is not allowed.
	+ Third day: A grand ball/celebration in the palace for the upper class and powerful middle class.
		- Note: The last two days there are festivals in the main cities for the common people.

## Orders and Organizations within the Palace of Thorns

**Note:** This is hardly a complete list. Players are welcome to come up with their own for their character to be a part of.

* The Order of the White Moon
	+ A small secretive order of spies, assassins, and reconnaissance officers that work in the shadows for Asmeria, under the command of the Shatriya and the Dayere. (Intelligence Agency)

* The Order of the Black Sun
	+ A small military order of warriors, constables, and marshal officers that work to guard and protect the Shatriya and the Dayere as well as Asmeria's oligarchs and wealthy citizens. (Secret Service)

## Culture

### General Info

* Top 2 Races: Humans and Sun Elves
	+ Other Races Present: Any race/subrace that can survive in a desert would be here.

* Due to the Elemental Rift, there is a higher concentration of genasi and other elemental here.
* Top 3 Languages: Common, Primordial, Elvish
* The high class is the scholars, middle class are the wealthy merchants and military, and lower class is everyone else.
* The economy is is mostly capitalistic.
* The most common alignments are lawful neutral, neutral good and chaotic good.
* Asmerians believe that as long as you died for something, even if you were completely evil, you deserve respect in death.
* **This society does not believe in a family structure.**  Last names are rare, and all children are raised in a daycare system, to properly nurture their talents/skills.
* Some people take a virtue name to differentiate themselves with others with the same first name.  It is confidential and is placed in the census in the place of a last name.  People rarely share their virtue names with others.

### Apprenticeships

* At 12, all citizens request an apprenticeship (whether scholarly, military, shoemaking, seamstress, miner or whatever) and are tested for their capabilities.  If worthy, they are contracted into whatever household for a 9 year apprenticeship.  If they fail, they have three years to get an apprenticeship before **they are exiled from Asmeria**.  Asmeria has no room for the useless.

* This means that there are rarely any beggars in Asmeria.

## The Great Exam

* An exam that is given to the greatest minds in Asmeria.  It is filled with questions based on both mundane and magical knowledge and is VERY difficult to pass.
* Requirements:
	+ Minimum Age: 25
	+ Citizen of Asmeria for at least 10 years
	+ Passed various other tests.

### The Shatriyan Ring Bearers

* Every year, a single person who scored perfectly is given a special signet ring.  The signet rings hold an Asmerian dragon symbol on it, their name engraved on the side, and the inside of the ring is cursed so that it can never be taken off for the next five years.
* If more than one person scores perfectly, a second exam of even greater difficulty will be administered.
* If no one scores perfectly a signet ring is not given out.
* People with perfect scores are given signet rings.  For the next five years, they can choose to challenge the current Shatriya to a one-on-one challenge decided on by the current Shatriya.  Whoever wins is the unquestionable ruler of Asmeria.
* A challenge from a candidate to the Shatriya can never be denied.
* After the exam, a festival is held in the top examanee’s honor, and a small ceremony for the cursed ring and bearer is publicized. Each ring bearer is well known in Asmeria, since they are a possible future ruler, but with a possible one new candidate every year, the names quickly blur together.  So some avid fans/watchers of ring bearers may know all the living candidates names and who they are, the general population does not.

## For players who might join the Asmeria

Though our main goals are discovery, knowledge and magic, we will deal with much more than that in actual gameplay. We want to become the greatest nation due to our wealth, prosperity and supreme knowledge on everything there is to life. We will deal heavily in the economy and diplomacy as well as dealing with harsh and exotic dangers within our own desert. I said in the intro that we are badass survivors. The gameplay will prove that.

Suggested Positions:

* Head Researchers of various departments
* Dayere, An Inner Circle Advisor
* Members of the Order of the White Moon
* Members of the Order of the Black Sun
* Desert Rangers (Not the class, just people who protect and rescue people out in the desert)
* Ambassadors to various factions
* Make your own!