Bhesina

*Our nation is still young, but we are proud. Who else can claim the sanctity of purpose that we have achieved by aligning our souls with the One True God? Look upon our progress and see for yourself his hand at work. If it were not so, would we have been able to free ourselves of the wretched yolk of the Parthian crown? It is only by his divine power that we stand today, and we will defend our True God's principle to the death!*

### Summary

Religious fervor has no stronger a home than in the grassy plains of Bhesina, were the citizens strive their whole lives to attain a place beside their Father God in the afterlife. Their religion teaches that there is only one true god, and it is their task to spread His Word, and this fundamental disagreement with the rest of the people of Mainland has isolated the nation of holy-men from their neighbors. The nation is currently enacting a policy of expanding its unofficial borders by settlers pushing out further and further from the Bhesinian heartland, eager to spread their families and their faith, and the neighbors of Bhesina are embroiled in conflict over how to deal with the settlers knocking at their borders.

### Geography

Bhesina is located in the dry grasslands of the western-central Mainlund. This steppe-land begins as the Iron-Sea Desert tappers off to the south-east, and continues south-east until it ends with the Abahezian & Cyressian Mountains. The temperature is cool and dry, with very light (but steady) rainfall. The land is mostly grassy fields and slight hills, with the occasional patchy, thin forest of tall cypress and pine trees.

### Racial Distribution

Bhesina is almost entirely human, a result of the primary religious culture of the land that deems other races as untrustworthy as best and dangerous at worst. They are the decedents of a very small group of humans from ancient times who originated in the Abahezian mountains and who spread out as horsemen in the central Mainlund, and so do not considered themselves ethnically related to the Parthians, Garmonders or Ural men to their north, east, and south respectively. There is less deviation in the appearance of the Bhesinians than other human groups, do to their isolated bloodlines, and they are tall, lean, slightly tan, blond-haired people with blue or gray eyes. Dark hair or eyes are seen as a sign of impure morality among your ancestors, according to their religion, although these traits do appear in a small fraction of the people. Such unfortunate citizens never achieve much influence or success in this society, due to this bias. The Bhesinians were one part of the Barbarian Horde that ran wild over the Mainlund in the ancient Barbarian Era. They were not particularly powerful within that group, however, but are one of the strongest and purest lineages of that group to remain.

The men of Bhesina were originally nomadic horsemen, and much of this influence is still found within their culture. Their powerful religion instills within them a mistrust of large, permanent cities, which are now tolerated as a necessity of modern life, but a rural lifestyle is deemed more morally appropriate. The leadership of the nation often travels around the country side in a mobile "palace" made of the largest and most ornate tents and canopies seen in the Mainlund.

A single exception to this monolithic human culture is a very small, bizarre sub-race of black-skinned gnomes whom dwell in the scrub forests lining the Ryust River. These gnomes predated the "common" gnomes of Calcova by quite some time, having come to live in this area of the Mainland long before recorded human history, and so the Bhesinians tolerate the "herracy" of their ancient ways out of respect for their culture's age.

Elves from Sylivas occasionally have reason (and permission) to travel through the land, but they are eyed with suspicion when they do. The Numbhar Dwarves of the Iron-Sea Desert fought a series of brief skirmishes with Bhesina in recent years, over Bhesinian settlement encroachment into the desert, and as such, Dwarves are not tolerated at all within this land.

### History

Bhesina is a somewhat new country, compared to others, having emerged as an independent nation during the Late Parthian Era after a successful, violent revolt which freed them from Parthian control. Their history as an influential people, however, dates back to the Barbarian Era.

During the time of the Barbarian Era, when human barbarians ran roughshod over the central Mainlund, the Bhesinians stood out as a distinct ethnic group among this horde. These nomadic horse-archers were the most mobile and swift of the barbarians, and their lightning-fast charges and fierce attitudes about war made them formidable foes. They enjoyed the spoils of the barbarian conquests with great relish, and were the last barbarian group to begin forming permanent settlements, due to their nomadic roots. Even then, these settlements retained the influence of their nomadic ancestry, and entire towns were known to pack up and move overnight, if the need arose.

As the land as pacified with the end of the barbarian conquests, the great nation of Partha arose as the dominant force in the central Mainlund, and having wiped out the Hargoth people to Bhesina's east, Partha set its sites on the rich pastures of Bhesina, which would be perfect for breeding horses and growing grain to feed the swelling population back in Partha. Within a short time, Bhesina was under the military control of Partha. Because of their very different ethnic lineages and philosophies, the Parthians treated their Bhesinians quite roughly. The commander in charge of the Parthian forces in Bhesina was known for his hot temper and distaste for the Bhesinian culture, and this attitude was spread to his underlings and sheriffs. It was not unheard of for entire villages of Bhesinians to have all their adult menfolk killed by Parthian soldiers if so much as an arrow had been shot anywhere near a Parthian Squadron Leader. This situation escalated into a sporadic guerrilla war between radical Bhesinian freedom fighters and the Parthians, which lasted for decades. The Bhesinian radicals were always a small force, and did not possess the technology of the Parthians (steel, siege engines, etc), but their equestrian skills allowed them to escape into the open plains quickly if cornered by Parthian soldiers. These men would later form a sort of legendary cast of characters among Bhesinian historians.

In the Late Parthian Era, as the Parthian empire was spread too thin, the grizzled Bhesinian freedom fighters spotted a chance at real freedom. Partha had been caught up in a 3 year long low-intensity war with Gruthar, with fighting in the foothills of the mountains off the southwest Parthian border, and out in the seas north of Partha as well. As such, the majority of their forces were pulled back to fight on those fronts, and the Bhesinians wisely recognized that this would be the time for a full-scale revolt, if one was ever to be launched.

Unlike the guerrilla war between the freedom fighters and the Parthian soldiers, where the vast majority of Bhesinians stayed out of the fighting, this new conflict involved nearly every able-bodied man in Bhesina. The freedom fighters had convinced the village leaders all over the land to officially join forces, and to fight the Parthians right out in the open. Part of their persuasiveness towards this goal included invoking the name of the fairly new "central" deity that had emerged in Bhesinian culture, and pointing to various omens and signs that this Father God would favor them in a war. After careful debate, the village leaders agreed, and an official declaration of independence and war was issued from Bhesina to Partha. The Bhesinians fully mobilized their forces virtually overnight, and smashed into the bare-boned Parthian garrisons without mercy. The Parthians were caught off-guard, and in addition, the soldiers stationed here were the greenest in the army. Any newly drafted soldiers in Partha often began their service as guards in Bhesina, which was relatively quite during the opening year of the Partha-Gruthar war, so the military force the Bhesinians found themselves fighting against were mostly young, undisciplined recruits, led by a few crusty veteran commanders near their retirement.

The routing of the Parthian soldiers and governess and their absolute slaughter was something which became legendary in Bhesinian culture in later years. Only a small percentage of the youngest, weakest soldiers captured were allowed to leave. The vast majority of the soldiers, and absolutely all the bureaucratic governess merchants, and other Parthian civilians in the area were murdered within several weeks of the start of the conflict. Virtually no one escaped, as those whom fled north fast enough ran smack into the southern wing of the Grutharian infantry forces whom were trying to push into Partha.

This quick and conclusive victory pushed the Bhesinians into believing that their chosen god Wynyar was in fact, not just the strongest god, but the only "true" god in the entire realm. From this point forward, all mention of other gods was banned, and the religious leaders of the people, whom were previously not much more than barely civilized shaman now became important political leaders. Partha finished up their war with the Ogres of Gruthar with an indecisive stalemate, and lacked the resources to throw themselves into a full scale war to reclaim Bhesina. In later years, when they did regain some military strength, the Parthian leaders elected not to re-invade, as their people had lost their tolerance for war after the Grutharian affair, as well as recognizing that the Bhesinians had prospered and grown in their independence, and it would be quite costly to reclaim them.

### National Relations & Politics

Bhesina has slowly gained power over the last several decades, and is currently pursuing an expansionist policy by sending out settlers to claim territory in the unsettled or disputed regions between its borders, and the borders of its neighbors in Sylivas, Garmond, The Footlands, and The Iron-Sea Desert. Bhesina has also historically been in conflict with Partha, so overall this land as a frosty (if not downright hostile) attitude towards its neighbors. Bhesinian wealth is coming mostly from their exportation of the finest horses and cattle to outside parties, along with a booming trade in grains like wheat, barley, and oats, all of which grow prodigiously in the Bhesinian grasslands and are harvested using modern techniques learned from the Parthians during their occupation.

Garmond and Bhesina have the hottest feud currently, as large numbers of Bhesinian settlers are moving into the valleys in between the Abahezian Mountains and Garmond's western edge. The Garmonders are none too happy about these religious pilgrims coming into what they perceive is their territory, and attempting to impose strict Bhesinian moral codes upon the people there.

The central government and the central church are one and the same, completely intertwined. This central authority is a monarchy (but one subject to change bloodlines if the High God commands it), and it has absolutely power over all citizenry. The government operates quite efficiently for a nation of its size, with minimal bureaucracy, virtually no corruption, and excellent cooperation among the powers inside the system. It is currently headed up by the fairly young Prince Keshper Vaderyn, who's father abdicated his power peacefully, due to his failing health in very recent years. Prince Vaderyn is continuing his father's legacy of expansion. As Bhesina grows in population and wealth, it is pushing its boundaries out in virtually all directions by way of a policy of homesteading the uninhabited (or barely inhabited) regions around its official borders. As these homesteads turn into more permanent villages, Bhesina offers protection to the citizenry there, in effect moving its borders out by many hundred miles with each year of this policy. This has alarmed it neighbors, whom are all accustomed to having some measure of space in between their borders and the fanatical Bhesinians, whom, once they inhabit a region, quickly enact local policies in accordance to their strict religion, often times pushing out the previous inhabitants of whatever valley or hamlet they've come to dwell in.

Because of these expansionist policies, Vaderyn has a fearsome reputation outside of Bhesina. He is sometimes known as "The Butcher of Berusia " which was a small city in the area between Garmond and Bhesina that was the site of a famous spy trial on the Bhesinian side. A local coven of wizard spies working for Garmond was discovered by the Prince's Levonian Knights, and twelve members were executed after a hasty trial. Unfortunately for the prince, the story was told that the executed criminals were nothing more than local farmers, and their number grew from twelve to thirty-two by the time the story reached Partha. He was also accused of various other atrocities after that, some justified, some not, and has developed a reputation for boiling enemies in pig’s blood as a way of torture.

Despite a very strict society, enforced in all corners of the land by the government, the people within the nation are, as a whole, quite happy with the government, and dissent is shockingly rare. The pervasiveness of the central religion, along with a fairly just (within the confines of the religion) government, leaves the people with the belief that their beloved Crown Church is in fact enacting the will of their god, and that all their recent growth and prosperity have come from their Father God due to their obedience to his will.

The justice system in this land is renown for its fairness, even within the confines of its religion. Any one whom enters the land will be judged based on the religious dogmas of the people, but are given a sort of grace period to come to understand the goodness of the ways of Wynyar, and the courts, even when they are prosecuting people for heretical crimes, do not accept testimony such as gossip, or dreams/visions, or prejudice as a whole when making their decisions. Rest assured, if a person is convicted of a moral crime, such as spitting on the ground in a holy site, there will have been a preponderance of evidence made against them for the crime.

### Culture & Customs

Virtually all the customs, habits, and beliefs of the people in this land are derived from their central religion: the monotheistic worship of a god that call Wynyar (pronounced "wine-var").

Alcohol is prohibited by the religion of the people, as is fish, and most foods are consumed rather blandly. The land does produce almonds and extremely hot peppers, both of which are eaten mainly on special occasions by the locals. The holiday of Sacristanus Night is celebrated most widely among the Bhessinians On this hot summer night, all followers of Wynvar offer a sacrifice for their household to show loyalty to the father god, and to respect the idea that all good blessings come from him. Food items, like dried meat and grain, are the most common, but sometimes tools or weapons are offered. The items are rubbed with holy oil for several hours, then placed in a pit dug outside the house.

The people of this land regard obedience to their father god as the ultimate goal. Their monotheistic pantheon consists of Wynyar as the Father God of all life, with the other lesser beings serving him. General prayers are always directed towards Wynyar, with the other members of the pantheon acting as saints or spirits instead of gods. Heshyn is revered as the holy healer of men, and monasteries of his female priests work as hospitals through the land. Lunftaun is regarded as a companion to all fighters or soldiers, and it prayed to before battle for luck. Vhendrago is the paragon of virtue and goodness in mortals, while Mydanr is the female patron of children. All of these lesser gods were once mortal followers of Bhesina, and were granted “ Vorbesckt,” which is similar to “Sainthood.” The evil one Hueld is considered a lost follower of Wynyar and is not directly worshiped by the majority of the Bhesinians. He is usually blamed for bad fortune or ill health. He has three lieutenants; Eeylich Gurndurn and Boshlein and all four of these “ Dhumnul” (devils) were once mortals who turned against the Father God. Vizun an evil god originally from the Footlands, has recently been added to the culture and is starting to be worshiped by evil priests in secret societies in the south.

The religion of the land places a strangely high value on beauty and symmetry, and views people (or natural objects) which aren't beautiful as being somehow morally flawed. An ugly or deformed child, for example, means that the family in question must have committed some sin in the past. A loop-sided mountain face indicates a cursed area, not necessarily to be avoided, but to be entered with plenty of prayers in preparation. As such, any religious or political leaders in this land must be of the most beautiful/ideal stock.

The religion also decrees that non-humans are not on equal moral footing as humans, and that some non-human groups are actually cursed bloodlines of humans from the past. For example, their dogma teaches that Dwarves were an ancient family of humans, who through their greed and lust for material goods was cursed by the High God with short stature, ugly faces, and an aversion to the sun. The sun itself is assumed to be the face of the father god shining down with such beauty as to be impossible to focus on. Elves are not viewed quite as negatively as dwarves, but are still considered to be an "impure" people, who are not to be trusted, and whom fixate on the past entirely too much. The Elves, having had to repeal several barbarian invasions from the Bhesinian's forefathers, disagree with this assessment.

The mounted horse-archers of Bhesina are among the finest in the land. Their core culture, which much less nomadic now, came from a time when the Bhesinians ruled the plains as part of the Barbarian Horde of the ancient Barbarian Warlord Era. The Bhesinians still practice archery from horse-back throughout their lives, and their armies favor lightly armored, fast-moving, cavalry formations. Even their most noble Knights (the "Vhendragians"), eschew the heaviest of armor for what other cultures might consider "medium" armorment (chain mail shirts, small helmets, leather greaves/gloves), favoring rapid movement over heavy protection.

A traveler passing through Bhesina might notice a common sight: a field of workers in leg chains, toiling under the hot sun, and assume these unfortunate souls to be slaves, but in fact, slavery is sternly prohibited in the Bhesinian religion. Strangely Bhesinians who venture from the path of righteousness can undertake a form of temporary slavery to restore their good standing with their father god. The work they do always takes place in public grain fields, farms, construction projects, or other state-sponsored activities, never for any one lord's private gain, and the "slaves" themselves actually decide when their servitude is expired, at which time they remove their own leg shackles (mostly symbolic and actually made of weak tin) and return to their homes.

The Bhesinians have a very strong smoking cultural trend. They have several varieties of steppe grasses that can be smoked for various mild effects. Nothing that is as strong as alcohol, for example, but perhaps one for mild stimulation, another to enhance dreams and sleepiness. Luxurious blends replicate food flavors for the rich. Nearly carnivorous diet. High fat, no starches really. Animal meat, including fatty meat and organs, are most prized. Small amounts of very tender young grass seeds for ruffage. The color gold is the sign of goodness. Tan, blond, thin, hazel/brown eyes are most common. Lots of tea culture too, variety of seed/leaf beverages.

Falconry of sorts is practiced in Bhesina, but instead of large predatory birds being used, a dog-sized species of primitive, unintelligent dragon-like creatures are used. These beasts, called "Khesash", have roughly the same intelligence as birds, with the ability to distinguish their owners from strangers, learn various commands, have attitudes and personalities, and other various tasks associated with the smarter pets and beasts of the world. These creatures are the predominant predators in the sparsely populated regions of grasslands where only smaller game animals exist on the ground, having mostly displaced any falcons or vultures in the region, and various breeds are better suited for hunting, while others are scavengers, and some have even learned which small plants produce edible seeds for feeding on the ground. The largest sub-species, the Golden Khesash, has a wingspan of 7-8 feet, and is known for its powerful talons and vicious appetite. The kings and leaders of Bhesina historically tame and use this largest breed to demonstrate their command over the environment.

### Famous Figures & Groups

Bhesina is base to a group of paladins and priests, called the "Order of Vhendrago". These champions of good travel the lands, searching out evil and destroying it at the root. They have been active since the time of the Parthian Empire, and have traveled to every known region of the land, except Gruthar, having been traditionally respected and honored for their efforts in all lawful lands. In recent times, however, they have been virtually all called back to Bhesina to help their own people "defend" themselves against the Parthian and Garmond attacks. This political influence has offended many of the knights, but since they have sworn loyalty to the Bhesinian crown, they have no alternative but serve the Prince. More and more, they have been sent on missions to attack and kill political targets in Garmond, which has caused a growing number of knights to abandon the organization out of protest. Besides the Vhendragian Sect, Bhesina has always been considered a holy land, with many shrines, temples and monasteries attracting pilgrims from around the countryside. During times of peace, the country is full of traveling students and priests from the other nations, but as of late these pilgrims have kept a low profile.

Sir Bal Vynclat is Bhesina's most decorated hero, having arisen to national fame after leading a group of noblemen fighter's against a squad of renegade Parthian mercenaries, attempting to kidnap Prince Vaderyn's son. He went on to command the post of National Minister, the top position in the government available to a secular citizen. He is a trusted advisor of the Prince, and has been pushing the Prince into using the Vhendragian Knights for political fighting with Partha, a move the Vhendragians do not approve.

Het Val'Timust of Bhontivest was a low ranking knight of the Vhendragian Order who has become a legend among the rural people of the country for his heroic adventures within and outside Bhesina. He is well traveled, and has a cool, composed demeanor. Val'Timust, like the otherVhendragiana has crusaded against evil magic and monsters throughout the Mainlund, and defeated a Black Dragon in the swamps of Garmond. He now serves as an advisory trainer of young Vhendragiana in Bhesina, and is known for his outspoken criticism of the current Bhesinian government. Such open dissent is exceedingly rare in Bhesina, and it would not be tolerated from anyone else whom doesn't have Val'Timust's stature.