Cathais

Map of Cathais

## People, Politics, and Economics

### Population

Half-Elves, Svirfneblin, Duergar, Hobbits, Gnomes, Demons, Spirits, Homunculi, Beast-Folk, Others

## Common Knowledge

An formerly-isolationist country, whose borders are difficult to find. It is a safe haven for outcasts of other societies, and it exports a large amount of magical goods. One of the founding member nations of the United Orelisian Council.

## Topography and Climate

Mostly forested with interspersed plains. There are a few above ground rivers running through the country, but more importantly there is large access to underground rivers. This is part of what allows people with knowledge of the country to exit and enter undetected, and has allowed them a very small amount of trade.

The climate is temperate.

## Population

Cathais is primarily a country by half-elves for outsiders like themselves, but generations of accepting outcasts has expanded the population to Svirfneblin, Duergar, hobbits, gnomes, demons, spirits, homunculi, beast-folk, and just about anybody else.

## Exports and Trades

### Exports

Artifacts are a huge industry. The Raewyn Conservatory teaches all forms of magic including a variety of experimental forms brought in by those with strange or rare abilities. Most of all though, it teaches artificery and advanced phantasmal magic. Artisans throughout the country produce beautiful works of art, some magical and some not. The large mix of cultures and information that comes from so many disparate groups in one place means they have made some advancements in a variety of areas that could be shared with the world.

### Imports

Raw materials! The country sits on relatively rich mineral deposits and have lush forests, but even that can only provide so much material while still maintaining ecological balance. Materials to make the aforementioned magical and artistic goods are slowly running out. There is also only so much room for agriculture, and could use trade of food.

## Government

Cathais is a hereditary monarchy, whose leader is a descendent of Maris Tammath (one of the nation’s original founders). Beneath the monarchy is the Cathais Council, a group of the highest-ranking members of the most influential institutions in Cathais. At present, the positions are the heads of the Raewyn Conservatory (a school of magical study in Hiria), the Cathais Commerce Association, the Agricultural Guild, the Healers’ Guild, and the Artisans’ Guild, as well as a military leader. These positions are lifetime appointments. In the event of a Councilmember’s death or retirement, the general population votes for a replacement.

Though the monarch holds most of the nation’s power, if they seek to make massive, sweeping changes to any aspect of its society they must receive approval from a majority of Councilmembers (since there are six seats on the Council, the vote of the military counts as a tiebreaker). The monarch still has complete control of the military, and the Military Leader seat on the Council is largely for coordination.

### Current Officials

The current monarch is King Nerius Tammath, a 27-year-old half-elf who sees value in connections outside of Cathais. The current members of the Cathais Council are: Raewyn Conservatory Head Draeli Morala, a half-lunar elf half-solar elf with decades of Phantasmal magic study under his belt; Commerce Association Head Cladur Hadrian, a half-high elf from one of Hiria’s oldest families; Agriculture Guild Head Asrani Damir, a demon refugee from Kuragma with training in Elemental magic; and Healers’ Guild Head Myron Arista, a half-high elf who has berated the leadership of Cathias since Maris Tammath was king; and Military Leader Illikan Einar. The position of Artisans’ Guild Head has likely been filled after the former head, Ino Anteros, tried to assassinate King Nerius to prevent the country from opening to outsiders.

## Military

Cathais has a volunteer military, which emphasizes strong defense. Their primary two opponents are Aiurians, who made a habit of occasionally raiding their border villages, and slavers. Various groups of slavers have harassed Cathais over the centuries, seeking to capture and profit off of the “rare creatures” the area is home to, which has in turn led to the creation of an elite military group dedicated to hunting down any slavers even adjacent to Cathais’ borders, eradicating them, releasing any captives, and offering those captives a home in Cathais if they so choose.

## Social Hierarchy and Culture

Cathais, although founded primarily by half-High Elves, is a melting pot. People of all races and cultures reside there, with the primary uniting characteristic that something about them is different or rare. In some cases this is merely attitude (failed revolutionaries, war dissenters, those breaking the cultural norms of their original countries). In others, it is race or magic (those who are cursed, rare half-breeds, those with strange or unpredictable magic).

The country was created as a utopia for those who didn’t fit in with their original cultures, but a lot of time has passed since it’s origins. As generations pass, older members of the country grow more wary of outsiders.

### Conflicts

There is a definite social divide between the older families, especially the half-High Elven families, and newer people in the country. Many of the older families disapproved of continuing to allow newcomers, and many of those newcomers resent the older families for their exclusionary philosophies.

In place of the elite slaver-fighting forces, vigilante groups paying homage to the originals sprung up. They go out through the underground rivers and fight bands of slavers, sometimes smuggling people back into the city for safety. Many disapprove of this and fear it will compromise the safety of the city. King Nerius has received criticism for not dealing with this.

### Crime

A few gangs have sprung up in the larger cities.

Food shortage can be a big problem in the smaller towns.

Due to the unpredictable powers of many of the country’s occupants, there are sometimes dangerous incidents.

### Magic

Due to the country’s origins, there is a definite focus on phantasmal magic. However, due to the many people from many races and cultures and backgrounds coming in, there is a pretty wide range of magic practiced.

## Cities, Towns, and Villages

### Hiria

The capital city of Cathais, home of the Raewyn Conservatory and the meeting place of the Cathais Council.

### Ritual Line

The barrier which keeps Cathais largely safe from incursion or invasion. Created by a ritual centuries ago by the nation’s founders, it confuses and distracts anyone not explicitly permitted to enter, ultimately turning them around and keeping them from entering. Repeated attempts to cross the border will eventually have them forget their original purpose of trying to go that way.

The barrier is not infallible, sadly. Highly-disciplined minds, and mid- to high-level magical protections may lessen the ritual’s effects, sometimes allowing intruders entry. In such cases, the military can rout whoever managed to penetrate the barrier.

## Alliances

Cathais has formal alliances with Talios and Brennon, and is one of the founding members of the United Orelisian Council. Though it lacks a formal trade agreement with them, Cathais benefits from the massive food surplus produced and exported by Haelwyd.

## Enemy Countries

Though both nations now sit on the United Orelisian Council, Cathais distrusts Aiur, who until the Council’s formation had fully intended to conquer them. Cathais also distrusts Kuragma.

## Founding and History

### History (9,319 A.B. - Present)

Around 700 years ago, some areas of Brennon were less progressive than others. The territories outside the Brennosian Union still held the exclusionary beliefs of their slave-owning ancestors. Maris and Zunis Tammith, Half-Elven twins and powerful psions, left the country along with their friends and supporters in an attempt to establish their own outpost where half-elves like them wouldn't face oppression. They found this place in the unclaimed lands between Brennon, Haelwyd, Auir, and what would become the USO.

Semi-continuously ravaged by various border conflicts and claims of power, the group of half-elves quickly became involved with a ragtag band of refugees and other social pariahs. Together, they found a relatively peaceful area in the center of this unclaimed land and built the small outpost that would eventually grow to form Cathais (9,319 A.B.).

The twins quickly fall in as de facto leaders of this outpost, and begin spreading their knowledge of advanced magic to their close companions. Without even seeking them out, they begin to pick up other wanderers and exiles, and their outpost becomes a quickly expanding town.

Years pass, and their reputation begins to spread (9,329 A.B..). The city grows, and its inhabitants study magic and agriculture and build a flourishing community. However, the wars in the unclaimed land don't stop, and soon bands of fighters (some belonging to the neighboring countries, some unaffiliated groups taking advantage of the weakness created by war) begin to invade. The magic some of the inhabitants cultivated turned to combat rather than peaceful study, and with the help of the more powerful mages they managed to hold onto their town, but barely. It becomes clear to Maris and Zunis that they will need to do something if they want to keep their settlement the peaceful enclave they imagined. So they and their inner circle begin to research rituals.

It is during this time that the first endeavors to thwart slavers begin. The twins attempt to locate as many texts on phantasmal magic as they can, and send parties of volunteers out to get them. Those bands frequently ended up finding more people like themselves, and returning with freed slaves and exiles. It become expected, and official parties began to be sent out to rescue slaves and victims of wars and bring them back.

Years after they began researching, with other nations pressing ever harder at their quickly expanding borders, the twins build the ritual they want. It is constructed to confuse and distract anyone who isn't given explicit permission to enter, making them instead wander the borders until they forget why they were there. They gather everything they need, as well as their most trusted and powerful psions, and attempt to perform the ritual. It is successful, but Zunis and two of the other psions give their lives in the process (9,495 A.B.).

Grief stricken but with a safer country, Maris throws himself into making a proper nation and helping those outside their borders. He makes a counsel from his trusted friends and advisors, makes an elite fighting force from the best warriors, and sends patrols to guard the borders any time the ritual isn't enough. He makes the outpost into a true nation, and names it Cathais, meaning ‘sacrifice’. His counsel makes him king (9,503 A.B.).

Maris lives out the rest of his long life building up Cathais, helping those stricken by war or banished due to their differences. He spreads all his knowledge of magic to as many people as he can, and encourages a culture of learning and creation. He marries a halfling woman named Myrina later in life, and they have two daughters and a son.

Catreus, Adriana, and Briseis grow up learning from their parents. Adriana, the oldest, takes power when her father retires after the death of his wife (9,904 A.B.). He lives for another 20 years, advising Adriana but keeping a less involved advisory role. Her younger siblings are barely out of adolescence, but she takes to the throne quickly and efficiently. She rules with similar principles to her father, further building up the slave fighting forces and regular guard, as well as funding an institute of magical education with an emphasis on artifact creation (the Raewyn Conservatory). She also makes a specific guild for the artisans. As the members of the OG counsel retire and die off, she implements an electoral system to fill the empty seats, as well as creating a specific seat for the military leadership and artisan guild leadership. A few other guilds and guild-masters are established soon after, but the artisan guild remains the most prominent and powerful. She also establishes a specific agency to direct newcomers to the country, and to help former slaves or those dislocated by war return to their homes or other safe places.

Adriana is a very popular leader. She marries a half-Dark Elf named Natia. Unfortunately, she rules for barely 80 years before being killed in a raid by Aiur that managed to breached their defenses. She leaves no heirs.

Grief stricken, Catreus leaves the country. Briseis assumes the throne (9,984 A.B.). Young and shocked by the death of her seemingly infallible older sister, she restricts the practices that her family had always been comfortable to leave progressive. She closes the borders, greatly reduces funding for the agency that assisted displaced victims, and disbands the slaver fighting force. She keeps up support for the guilds, but with a greater emphasis in all areas on improving their country exclusively, not the outside world.

Briseis eventually marries a prominent teacher from the Conservatory, a half-High Elf named Priam. They have one child, Nerius. After ruling for only 25 years, she and her husband go on a risky expedition outside the country, with very little explanation or preparation, ostensibly to secure a part of the border that had been compromised. Some claim this was intentional suicide, while others deny this fervently.

Nerius, at 17, takes the throne (10,009 A.B.). Unlike his mother, he strongly favors re-opening the country and making real connections with the potentially friendlier neighboring countries. He faces strong opposition from much of the older generation, but significant support from the average citizen due to his agenda of restarting the missions to free slaves and victims of the war, many of which make up the citizenship. He has been ruling for around 10 years.

### Going Public (10,019 A.B.)

In 10,019 A.B., King Nerius decided to re-open the country, much to the dismay of certain councilmembers. During the diplomatic ball signifying their re-opening, King Nerius was assassinated, but was resurrected by the invited members of the Binturian Party. The Binturians go on to expose the true assassin, and King Nerius’ plans for re-opening continued unhindered. It is during this same meeting that Nerius formed an alliance with Brennon.

### United Orelisian Council (10,019 A.B. - Present)

Later that same year, Aiur was on the verge of invading Cathais shortly after it forged an alliance with Talios. To prevent this invasion, Talios orchestrated a political coup in Aiur’s capital that nearly succeeded, had it not been for the failure of the complicated mechanisms behind death. Without the timely intervention of the Binturian Party, Cathais, Talios, Aiur, and dozens of other countries would have been dragged into a large-scale conventional war. The Binturians’ intervention led to the formation of the new United Orelisian Council, on which Cathais, Aiur, Talios, and a few other nations sit.

## Further Information

* Aiur
* The Binturian Party
* Brennon
* Deathless Days
* Magic
* Talios
* United Orelisian Council
* United Sanctuaries of Orelisle (U.S.O.)