Grogland

**Grogland** is a state situated near the *Dahar* river. It is mainly inhabited by the Grog people, anthropomorphic sabre-toothed cats, founded during era 13. The cats speak a language called Grogian though Durandažek is taught in schools as a lingua franca for the southern shore.

## Race

The Grog are anthrophomorphic sabre-toothed cats (*Smilodon sapiens*) that look and act like how you would expect: two large fangs, claws, big (9'6" or 2.9m tall for the average adult), prehensile tails, aggressive (more akin to "passionate"), and fully covered in fur and built muscle (avg. deadlift is ~3 tons). Unlike typical felids, though, *S. sapiens* is not a solitary creature, as sociality evolved as a survival response. Ambitious and driven, they have a very specific path in mind to reach the pinnacle of their field, and will work tirelessly toward it, drawn in by anything and everything that piques their interest. A downside of all this jovial enthusiasm is that the Grog often don't know their own strength. They are known to be careless, both physically and emotionally, their conversations punctuated by horseplay and tactless, profane comments; they don't usually mean to offend, and are often shocked to find out they upset anyone.

### Grog's syndrome

Due to an enlarged and abnormally un-calcified pineal gland relative to other mammals of similar size, nearly all extant Grog express symptoms associated with **schizoaffective disorder** and the **autism spectrum**, particularly savant syndrome. Despite this, the Grog are **exceptionally unaffected** in two-way social communication amongst themselves and others with the same affliction; Grog society and culture has ingrained Grog's syndrome into their **way of life since the dawn of history**. With such a large community having a loose grip on reality, the Grog depend on each other's consensus to find truth. It's conjectured this is how they managed to survive this long.

## Society and Culture

As a very "masculine" society, Grog culture revolves around the three strengths: of heart, of body, and of mind. Physical violence and combat appear more often than would be expected of a mostly collectivist culture, so whether this behavior is considered indulgent is unclear. Horseplay and roughhousing in good spirit are commonplace, egregious amounts of intercourse (casual or otherwise) are encouraged, and an unbreakable sense of loyalty and brotherhood is universal. To the Grog, virility is completely divorced from actual sex, but penis size is a competitive attribute that is naturally ignored in women. Mental aptitude is arguably just as important, with all citizens expected to be polymaths to some degree. There are the so-called Six Perfections which the Grog aspire to master:

* *fan-oppi* (music, theatre, arts, hunting, and war)
* *buncen-oppi* (history, linguistics, and literature)
* *jinlvioppi* (anthropology, politics, and economics)
* *sizen-oppi* (biology, agriculture, and medicine)
* *cōn-oppi* (chemistry, physics, and astronomy)
* *lonlioppi* (philosophy, mathematics, and logic)

The pressure young kits face trying to excel in both brains and brawn at such a low age is a topic of debate, but no solutions have been proposed as most of these expectations have been self-inflicted.

## Government and Education

Grogland's government and education are **one of the same**. In fact, many administrative structures are just academic ones underneath. The nation is split into university *campuses* corresponding to provinces. These campuses are split into *colleges* corresponding to city-states. The colleges are split into *secondaries* corresponding to the secondary schools found in each town. Primary schools and preschools, while extant, don't have a defined territory and are not considered in the hierarchy. Each campus and its colleges may have different cultures and customs, and even have their own armies. A university takes care of all of its campus' infrastructure/citizens/affairs (including residential and commercial zones!) **not through a federal government** but through its own finances and planners, conveniently provided by graduates of its colleges. Grogland is **technocratic by design**, though all secondaries and most colleges have student assemblies.