Dal Riata

The land of Dal Riata is found at the southernmost landmass on Skye. In this area, the climate is mild, with plains, forests and rolling hills. Dal Riata is a dictatorship, which is run by its Emperor. There is no royal family, rather the title is passed to the person the Emperor chooses to be his or her successor. Another way to become Emperor is to kill the current Empreror and claim the title for yourself. Dal Riata is a powerful and militaristic nation: their armed forces are quite large and being a soldier is seen as an honorable profession. Because of Dal Rìata’s large military, it is the most powerful country in Skye.

## Culture

Dal Riata citizens live closely with their families and often live in either sprawling metropolises like By-Tor, or small farming villages like Rosemary. Even the lowest citizens of Dal Riata are educated well, and the government actively participates in helping its people. The buildings of Dal Riata are traditionally made of stone and wood, and look like traditional castles and cottages. Dal Riata citizens wear tunics, pants, and flannel shirts while nobles wear elaborately decorated robes. In comparison to their peasant counterparts from the other countries, Dal Riata peasants are well prepared for battles.

Like the other countries, most Dal Riatans are racist or xenophobic to some extent. However, unlike its rivals, Dal Riata has no official laws limiting the development of minorities in its government or community. Exampled of this include Shang Wu, who originally hailed from Heibai but rose to prominence in the Dal Riatan military around 600 AFW. Still, Wu faced many challenges from his peers who often discriminated against him due to his atypical ancestry.

Another feature of Dal Riata that makes it unique is its complete gender equality. Unlike countries such as Sarapang or Waconda, sexism has no place in Dal Riata's society.

## Military

The military of Dal Riata consists of the some of the finest troops in Skye. Each warrior is well trained at one of Dal Riata's famous military academies, where every soldier must take a minimum of four years combat training before they are shipped off to the battlefield. One requirement for all officers in the Dal Riata military is use of shaping; Riatan lieutenants and majors are expected to put their life on their line just as much as the privates and corporals. Generals usually form very close bonds with many of their troops, as it is believed that true friendship within the military will make sure more soldiers live through battle and will encourage warriors to fight harder to protect their companions. Besides the heavy training that comes with being a soldier of Dal Riata, Dal Riata also has some of the best technology in the entire land. Rather than Sarapang or Heibai's lightly armored troops, Dal Riatan warriors don the best armor money can buy and carry high-end swords and firearms to help them fight more efficiently. Each warrior is essentially a one-man army, and it is not surprising for the lowest ranked privates of a regiment to fight toe-to-toe with the champions of other countries. However, the high quality of Dal Riata means that officers are very reluctant to expend troops needlessly. It is due to this that Dal Riata often employs the aid of mercenaries or other groups to take the brunt of their war casualties. While these troops are usually not nearly as effective as Riatan soldiers, they are much more expendable in the eyes of commanders.

## Climate and Geography

Sarapang's climate is moderate. Its geography consists of vast plains, rolling hills, and the occasional forest here and there. It shares a border with Sarapang, of which it is to the south of. It also has a connection to the Heartless Sea which causes tension with Sarapang, even though the great ocean is mostly located in Sarapang territiory.