Republic of Seas

The **Grand Republic of All the Seas** (**G.R.A.S.**; Ngara'omi: *Baiosiradaloipiti ka Ngaramokiri*), or **Republic of Seas** (**RoS**; Ngara'omi: *Baiosiradaloi ka Ngarangara* or *Baiosiradaloi ka Ngara*) for short, also commonly known as the **Ngarapiti** or the **Federation of the Ngarapiti** (**FN**; Ngara'omi: *Matorowitini ka Ngarapiti*), is a country located in the great basin of Polaris. Its governed area is an archipelago of 7 major islands and numerous minor ones, making up a majority of the bay, however the republic officially claims sovereignty over all islands of Polaris, as well as the entire ocean of Eursa.

## Government

The Republic of Seas is a parliamentary representative democracy, with a unicameral legislature that also has complete authority over the executive. This legislature, called the Siakinggipoti, also often known as the Parliament, currently consists of 763 elected MPs with the title Siaking, translated as Chieftain, each representing one of the tribes of the republic.

### Administrative Divisions

The RoS is unlike most nations in that there are no national subdivisions of land, only of people. The largest subdivision is known as a Raron, or Tribe. There are currently 763 tribes, although there are methods in place for more tribes to be formed. The tribes hold an election for Siaking every 5 years, and while there are recorded cases of a Siaking also serving as a patriarch or at the least remaining a member of a clan, It's common for people to renounce their clan association upon being elected Siaking. Below tribes, there is the Makidi, translated as Clan. Each Makidi is led by a Ga'omori, translated as Patriarch or Matriarch. There's no standard way in which the Ga'omori is chosen, historically it would simply be the oldest member of the clan, however in modern times it's not uncommon for them to be selected through democratic or meritocratic means as well. Historically a Ga'omori would serve for life, although this has also changed in modern times, with some clans picking a new Ga'omori regularly.

The islands of the Republic are also divided into land-based areas, however these are not officially demarcated by the government. The most common of these is a City, led by a Mayor. Larger than a city, there's what's known as a county. Counties are usually centered around a single city, and are simply used to administer the lands surrounding the city, in which case it's often led by the same government as the city itself, however some counties, specifically in dense urban areas containing multiple cities, or in rural areas with no major cities, will have their own government, often with a leader called a Magistrate. Smaller than cities there's a type of subdivision called a Ma'iroko, literally "Eight", but more commonly translated as district. Sometimes rural counties or rural parts of urban counties will also be divided into Ma'irokos.

## Culture

*See also: Sea Nomad culture*

The Republic of Seas is primarily inhabited by the Sea Nomads (Ngara'omi: Ngaragiri, lit. "Sea-People") of the great basin, while it does have the largest population of pure-blooded Sea Nomads, it also has significant admixture with other groups from around the basin, and many groups within the republic have their own cultures.

### Music

Music has an important role in Sea Nomad culture, as it's believed that playing music is the most effective way of communicating with the gods. Interestingly, this cultural belief is shared among almost all religious Sea Nomads, regardless of the actual religion they follow, leading to unique methods of worship for most foreign religions imported to the sea. Traditionally the 3rd son or 2nd daughter of a family, sometimes both, would become a musician to pray for the family's health and fortune, praying isn't the only role of these family musicians, however, as they are also tasked with remembering the family's song, which is a long instrumental melody passed on from generation to generation, with a new note added to it each generation, which over the centuries has resulted in some becoming quite long, and many having the same start but diverging later.