Manos

Flag

The Republic of Manos, 713 A.S

Manos, officially **The Great Manosi Republic** and commonly referred to as the **Republic of Manos**, is a sovereign island to the south east of the continent of Truyea proper. It is the largest chain of islands belonging to the continent (ahead of the Shimmering Isles and Noctis Abora) and comprises of four major landmasses - Manos, Mir Manos, White Coast, and Serpent Island. With a population of roughly five to six million people, Manos is the fourth most populous state in Truyea. It has no land borders, but shares a sea border with Sevicia to the immediate north and Duscador to its west.

### History

The Manos Republic was founded sometime in the fourth or fifty centuries B.S, before the Great Separation of the Realms, by natives of the largest island that comprises the modern republic. The city of Lerelei was founded sometime soon after on the northernmost point of the island. At the time little more than a disjointed host of warring tribes and factions, Manos soon grew into a notable empire in its own right. By the second century B.S the island, save for the eastern horn, had been united into one. Over the next 200 years the naval-faring Manosi occupied the mostly-uninhabited neighbouring islands to the west, named them Mir Manos ("Manos the Little"), White Coast, and Serpent Island.

Owing mostly to its location, Manos survived the Great Separation relatively unharmed. The reach of the Sun Empire, which by the year 50 B.S had conquered most of the continent proper, did not extend to Manos or its sibling islands. Manos remained neutral during the war, though offered sanctuary to a number of those fleeing from the conflict, mostly traders and people of significant influence.

Over the centuries, Manos transformed from a small and relatively quiet nation to a lawless pirate nation, owing to its distance and relative safety from any sort of Sevician retribution and the disjointed inability of its central ruling committee. The inland city of Kalau is the legal *de jure* capital of Manos, from which its government rules, but the northern coastal city of Lerelei is considered by most both inside and outside of Manos to be the unofficial capital.

### Demographics

The majority of Manos' population of 5-6 million are ethnic Manosi, whose origins are mostly unknown, but are believed to have come to the continent thousands of years ago from further south. Over the centuries Manos' demographic base has changed, mostly through in-fighting and foreign arrivals, from an ethnically singular population to one of great diversity. The city of Lerelei is one of the most diverse on the continent, home to significant numbers of Sevicians, Duscadorians, Itrusics, Jastians, and others.

The majority of Manosi follow no religion, and Manos has no state religion, though its flag (and one of its islands) are inspired by the Three Serpents. Manosi is the official language of Manos, though a not-insignificant number of the population also speak Sevician, and Sevician is commonly spoken in the nothern reaches of the island, centred around Lerelei.

### Currency

The official currency of Manos is the Manosi *silver.* It has no smaller denominations and is used for all trades and purchases on the island, though due to Manos' status as a pirate haven other currencies are also commonly used, especially in and around Lerelei. The silver is usually printed with the three-headed serpent of Manos on its obverse, or occasionally without anything at all. Manos holds a great reserve of the Duscadorian dram, and maintains an officially friendly, if somewhat tenuous and strained, position towards Duscador.

### Government

Manos is a republic, meaning it is ruled by a central government called the Manos Committee, a group of 80 committee members elected every five years by official elections. The Committee rule from Kalau, the legal capital, and vote on decisions, bills, and policies from the Capital House, known also as the Committee House. Manos' government is widely known as being ineffectual, and many of its committee members quietly allow the piracy, mainly concentrated in the north of the island, to thrive.

### Geography

Manos uses the standard Tamerian calendar, and has a naturally warm climate that receives sunlight for more than 250 days a year. The colder months of Saturna reach temperatures just above freezing, and the north of the island occasionally sees snowfall, but for the rest of the year Manos and its constituent islands are usually warm, with temperatures soaring in the bright Mandera months to make Manos hotter than almost anywhere else on the continent that is not desert. Manos is known for its white sand beaches, after which one of its islands is named, and for its inland palm trees. The republic is separated into four major landmasses; the island of Manos is the largest and most prominent. To its west are, in order from northernmost to southernmost:

* **Mir Manos** - The largest of the three constituent islands, called "Mir Manos" in Manosi. It is home to more than 100,000 people, most of whom live in the city of Rinet.
* **White Coast Island** - Named after the white sands of its beaches, White Coast Island is a popular destination for travellers and pirate crews.
* **Serpent Island** - The smallest of the three, named after the Great Serpent, the prominent figure in the religion of the Three Serpents. It is a popular destination for travellers, owing to its isolation.

### Military

Manos has no official land military presence, though both Kalau and Lerelei have a City Guard, comprised of volunteers and regulars. Manos has a significant naval presence, though most are fishing and trading boats, and it has proven largely ineffectual at warding off pirate crews and stray ships.

### Religion

Manos has no state religion, and a majority of Manosi do not worship any religion, though the most common religion on the island is the Three Serpents, pictured in detail in the official flag of Manos. A small number of citizens worship the Old Gods, though no days of religious ceremony or holiday are officially observed in Manosi law for any religion.