Dürm

Dürm, officially the Tallanate of Dürm, is a kingdom located on the Gismii Peninsula on the western continent's southern coast.

The people of Dürm are referred to as Dürmish, however, the population consists of several diverse ethnic groups.

Basic Statistics

## History

The Dürmish believe their people came to into existence when a large tree fell from the sky and landed in what would become the very first forest on the continent. In Dürmish mythology, this event is known as untrezül (on-tra-zool), the first miracle. The Great Tree, referred to as Ilten(ee-lee-tan), is said to have produced seeds which travelled by wind across the land and grew into the Dürmii, the first of the Dürmish tribes. This even is known as zenezül (zana-zool), the second miracle.

## Geography

Dürm encompasses the southern tip of the Gismii peninsula.

## Languages

Dürmish is the official language of Dürm.

## Politics

Dürm is a theological monarchy ruled by Tallan Özmark Paganad IV of the Paganad Dynasty, known in Durmish as the Tellaam Pegened (ee-ta-lām pah-gah-nad).

The reigning king (or Tallan) is the successor to Ujef the Musician. Paganad IV leads with compassion and humility, often traveling to remote villages to pray with commoners. He is also known for his golden voice with which he regularly sings the midday prayers at the Nus Emil Temple in Tanmekt.

## Religion and culture

### Moral values and principles

Thousands of years of conflict has taught the Dürmish that the greatest deterrent against war is virtuosity. Ilt, a karmic doctrine that rewards good deeds, is as much of a belief system as it is the basis for the Dürmish identity. Uim (oh-eem), meaning selfish behavior, was cited as the cause of the downfall of the first Dürmish Empire and is therefore systematically stigmatized. From adolescence to adulthood, citizens are regularly tested for moral functioning and given rewards if they score highly. Only citizens that consistently score highly for selflessness are able to rise to positions of political authority.

Dürmish citizens who score highly for moral and physical fitness are selected to join the Bejleeh (baj-lek). The Bejleeh is a chimeric institution tasked with both law enforcement and national protection. Bejleeh guards are bound by a religious code of ethics and violence is only used as a final resort or in self defense.

Dürmish prisons operate similar to monasteries, giving prisoners a chance to peacefully worship in isolation until the end of their days.

### Traditions

The Dürmish have a common phrase that goes as follows, zim fallaž nallaž zulle (zeem fal-lash nal-lash zol-lah), meaning “those that suffer together, stick together”. Once a year, in small villages, it is not uncommon to see people gather around flaming springs of natural gas to burn some of their most valued personal possessions. Fire ceremonies, called huprihl (kop-ree-kul) in Dürmish, are a distinctive part of Dürm’s culture and act as communal bonding rituals to unite neighboring villages over shared loss.

### Religion

The Dürmish nation believes in a diverse selection of folk religions centered on a core belief system called Ilt (ee-leet), which is based around karmic principles. The figurehead of Ilt Tenmeehtye (ee-leet ee-tan-mekt-yah), the most prevalent form of Ilt, is also the current leader of Dürm. The key tenet of Ilt is that the Dürmish people have the god-given responsibility to bring purity to the world through the completion of good spiritual deeds. When someone completes a good deed, they are said to be doing eyezül (aya-zool), which means the “third miracle”.

### Art

Dürmish wood carving is renowned for its complex geometric patterns and use of lustrous metallic paints.

The traditional black and gold river boats of Jil (jeel), called dehded (dahk-dahd), are commonly said to be floating works of art. To the east, the umlt (ohm-leet) region boasts hüžnye (koosh-ny-ah), a form of monastic poetry that is sung from hilltops. The ancient art form serves to keep the stories of Dürm’s bygone prophets alive and is a testament to the musicality of the Dürmish language.