Tarsh

**Tarsh** is the historical name of the province that would become Sadistique. A wildland comprised of taiga, or wooded marshland, Tarsh became a part of Paraphilia after the prolonged War of the Wilds.

## Governance

The oldest tradition in the land of Tarsh was the formation of the Traerid. Being a Traeridi was the highest honor a clansman could achieve, but it was not simply a role of rulership or power. To become a part of the Traerid was to enter into a sacred pact, under the promise of guarding the lands from harm, and leading their people to a better future.

Chosen from the leaders of the clans by accomplishment or skill, the Traeridi were often introduced to one another as they ascended to power, sometimes being complete strangers at the time of the rite. Though those involved were often married and expected to produce heirs, being a part of the Traerid was considered in some ways equivalent to being in an arranged marriage, with each showing deference and respect to his others in equal honor to a spouse.

### Unity through Loyalty

While love was not required or even expected of those involved, the act of sex between them was considered an important ritual, fostering camaraderie through physical dedication and shared passion. The act of lovemaking was often referred to as "worship", as the process was considered a sacred ritual. The arrangement--which could last for decades--often resulted in some form of affection, whether brotherly or romantic, and was not only accepted by their spouses, but *protected* by clan law.

The reality of the Traerid's shared intimacy and connection has largely been lost to time, misconstrued as being more similar to a modern council of lords. Though depictions do exist regarding the Traerid as a joint sexual being, most of this is the result of assumption and fetishizing, that nonetheless comes closer to the truth than most historical translations.

The Rite of the Traerid and any similar arrangements were banned after the Paraphilian annexation, at which point a more modern noble hierarchy was installed in its place.

### Law and Order

The Traerid served as judges of the land of Tarsh prior to the installation of the Viscount. All decisions were made by committee, the facts presented to the three for their consideration, only to be debated in private. While it was the goal of the Traerid to reach unanimous decisions, in situations where no unifying stance could be chosen, decisions were made by majority, with whatever two agreed coming out on top.

The word of the Traerid was the law, and all decisions were final, unless extenuating proof could be presented. The only exception to this was when the punishment for an offense was death, at which point further consideration could be asked on the part of the convicted party's family. As all resources in the province were valuable, including human lives, death was reserved almost exclusively for traitors: those who worked evil against the clan, or against others within it.

Each clan served their role in keeping order. Clan Hyatt acted as wardens and guards to the settlements, breaking up physical disputes and guarding against outside influences. Clan Faire kept records of disputes and grievances, and took down the decisions of the Traerid as they were handed down, to set precedent for later consideration. Clan Payne served as negotiators between warring parties, and often worked with the Faire to investigate questionable claims, using their skill in stealth to seek out truths.

### Foreign Relations

Little is known regarding the interactions of the Tarshians with the outside world, prior to the ruinous intrusion of the Crown. It seems the barbarians were fairly good at minding their own business.

There is no indication that any interaction took place between the Tarshians and neighboring Kamar. Geographical location seems to have made little if any impact on the clans as a whole, as their number were rarely dark-skinned beyond a slight bronze undertone among a few branches of the Payne. Kamari records also fail to indicate any contact with the barbarians, implying either a lack of knowledge or simply a lack of conflict with them.

Despite close proximity to Obscenity, nothing in what remains from a historical standpoint indicates any hostility with the non-human population of the country. It is possible that the original settling barbarians came from Obscenity itself, which could explain the lack of conflict.

Although it is understood that the masoca race originated in the same area, no reference was made to them in text until after the occupation.

## Demographics

### Physical Characteristics

The people of Tarsh were widely varied, with the clans featuring only slight similarities between their peoples.

As a general rule, the Hyatt were larger and bulkier than most, in part due to rigorous martial training. Hyatt Vil is notoriously quoted as an example of this, but his great stature was not the norm. A heavier muscle-mass and an abundance of scars were common, due to the more physical aspects of their trades.

The Faire were physically nondescript, being comprised mostly of scholars and magi. A trend of red hair and green eyes presenting alongside Gifts was considered a Faire trait, but this could easily be attributed to the distinctive features of the most well-known family of Faire sorcerers, that of Faire Lae, who bore these features himself.

The Payne were the most mismatched group, their number comprised of anyone who showed a willingness to survive. Their practice of converting foundlings and lesser barbarian clans led to a variety of features being presented. It was common for Payne bowmen and assassins to be lithe, as a necessity.

### Religion

The three clans revered a trio of deities, with each serving one as their patron, while respecting the others in kind. While most of their beliefs have been lost over the years, the names of these gods are known. Each deity featured a duality of nature that symbolized a balance between powers, with many of them serving multiple roles in Tarshian culture.

The patron of Clan Faire was Aendirasai, goddess of wisdom and cruelty. Aendirasai was often invoked in the wake of misfortune, under the assumption that her ire had been earned. To use her name as a curse was considered honoring, as doing so recognized her role in what had gone wrong. She was often called upon by scholars and mages, as her role as secret-keeper of the gods was thought to have made her a powerful sorceress. Aendirasai remains the patron deity of the otherwise agnostic House Prince to this day, symbolizing their dedication to the pursuit of knowledge.

The patron of Clan Hyatt was Calaimrydre, god of strength and vengeance. Calaimrydre was said to be a great and mighty warrior, ascended from the dirt to godhood for great acts of heroism. Equal parts heroic and vitriolic, he was thought to symbolize the give and take of battle, and how quickly good intentions could sour under the wrong light. Animal sacrifices were often made to his name prior to great battles, the blood from these rituals used to anoint the blades of the generals. Scars earned in combat were considered marks of his approval, as survival of a great injury implied his favor.

The patron (or patrons) of Clan Payne was Ranondira, god(dess) of courage and spite. Variously depicted as a single bi-gendered entity or a gendered pair--Ranon and Dira respectively--Ranondira symbolized victory no matter the cost, whether from knowing what was right, or a refusal to let an enemy triumph. A morally gray figure, or figures, They were a favorite of the assassins in search of luck, and of inventors seeking inspiration. They are thought to be the basis for the plural unnamed gods worshipped in modern-day Sadistique, who share a similar tone of standing for victory despite all odds.

### Language

*Also see: Tarshian (language)*

A musical tongue with a winding grammar and a dancing cadence, Tarshian was the primary language of the province from the time it was settled until the Crown's eventual occupation and annexation. It was notoriously complex to learn, with few outside of its native speakers ever managing when it was widely spoken.

Tarsh boasts a unique syntax, forgoing the usual Subject-Verb-Object word-order of Kingspeech in favor of the reverse, Object-Verb-Subject. The result is a tongue that requires a person to refer to what they have done before referring to themselves (ex "There stood did I") or whoever they refer to ("With weapon strike did she"). When including multiple people ("Spoke of he did I"), it gets yet *more* complicated. This combined with understood rules of polite reference makes speaking Tarshian especially complex, as a person is often referred to by rank or allusion, and not by name. Tarsh also lacked gendered pronouns, reducing the standard "she/he" to "they", with gender implied through masculine or feminine nouns.

In addition to being convoluted when spoken, Tarshian is considered one of the hardest languages to read. The written form is comprised of sigil-like characters, rowed at angles and often reversed in order. The fluid, interlocking way the characters interact can make parsing and identifying them difficult, with variances in handwriting only further complicating things. Most if not all of the genuine spell-tomes dating back to the time are written in Tarshian, as Tarsh boasted a large population of literate sorcerers.

In current day, as few as fifty people speak the language, which is often referred to as Old Mastrian. Most of the remaining speakers are historians and scholars, as well as select members of Houses Domine and Prince. The Tarshian pronunciation of Kingspeech learned during occupation evolved into the "Mastrian" accent, which still appears in Mastri today. Whether from historical association with the Tarshian people or simple elitism, it is considered a mark of low birth in Paraphilia, and often trained out of more privileged Mastrians.