Amiae Domain

Played by: TonnusVI

Located in which continent: Idaros

Main export: TBD

## Member species

### Amiae

A specie of fish-men, they typically feature a human body covered with scales and a fish-like head. They are territorial and wary, but have a strong sense of community. They have a slight Photophobia which decreases their vision and can cause blindness in case of prolonged exposure to a too bright light source.

## Languages

### Amian

The language of the Amiae Domain is comparable, in the construction of sentences and in the declensions of nouns, to Latin.  Their words are characterized by a multitude of liquid consonants, combined with frequent vowels. The sentences follow strict syntactic rules, which create great uniformity and monotony, to the point that, to a foreigner, it might seem that all Amias speak the same way using a predetermined set of sentences. There is, however, an exorbitant multitude of words in this language and each expresses a slightly different concept from the other (Arule = greetings, Arula = hello)

It should be noted that this language lacks the letters b and v, which fish-folks cannot pronounce.

## History

### Myth

The Amias typically ignore the origin of the universe and take as true any explanation given to them by other philosophers and scholars. What interests them, however, is the story of their origins. There is a myth in the Amias society that their species is a direct descendant of the god they worship. Ixul, abyssal deity, who would have given birth to the fish demigod Tun. The latter, wandering through the lands, one day met a human being with whom he fell madly in love. 18 monstrous children were born of this madness, and from them the original 9 families were born.

### Pre-Domain

Before they were unified, the 9 families split into different tribes, scattered over land and sea, hostile to each other. However, it was the Tonnus family, which boasts the lineage of the first son of Tun, to reunify the Amias people in 5 years of terrible war. Then the other 8 families were placed in command, together with the first, in the oligarchic system of the new Amiae Domain.

### Domain era

During the era of the Tonnus family rule, the Amias migrated from the oceans and small islands where their tribes resided, to converge in an ideal place, the dark and rainy forest south of Idaros. This place became known by the Amias as the Lugria region, and the city of Lagura was founded.

After the foundation of the capital and the establishment of the council of nine families, Torallo Tonnus came to power as the first ruler of the newly founded Amiae Domain. He promised peace and wealth to his people. And it was under the jurisdiction of this First Son that the first contact with another sentient species occurred, when a group of explorers sighted the people of Skarl digging in the Wardak Range. Interactions with this foreign nation were kept to a minimum at first and it took a few years before fishfolks could begin to trust the Skavers, even going so far as to offer their merchants xenia and to open a line of trade.

With Torallo's death of natural causes a new representative was elected from the original family. Eraline Tonnus, daughter of the last First Son, took charge. As soon as she received the title, she improved the primitive structures of the Amiae cities and increased the standard of living of the citizens. A new period of peace and prosperity began for the Domain, which ended immediately, when a terrible fire in the ashwood forest threaten the territory of the fishfolks. Dozens of soldiers lost their lives that day trying to put out the flames and many were completely incinerated by them, making a proper funeral ritual impossible, a very serious insult in the Amiae culture. As the fire came from within Skarl's territory, envoys were immediately sent to demand an explanation, led by the politician Erliane Chrolis, who after this mission became a famous writer. With this the Amiae learned of Skarl's internal strife and soon a general sense of anxiety pervaded the inhabitants, if the crisis was not resolved quickly more lives might be lost. Messages, almost threats, were sent to the ratfolks, to act quickly and not force the Amiae to march on their territory. And so the Domain began to support Skarl's rebel factions in every possible way that could counter the danger. Despite this, with the serious defeat they suffered, the Amiae soon found themselves without allies that could solve the situation. Eraline, having failed to resolve the crisis, withdrew after being accused in council and died, killed by a parasite, in her own bed.

Eraline's grandson, Crelius Tonnus, was her successor as First Son. Like his grandmother, he handled the situation with optimism and perseverance, determined to do something to secure peace in the Domain by continuing to support Snowblind. He also ensured that Amias' culture didn't remained behind the times by increasing cultural exchanges with Tayurzu and encouraging explorations of the unknown. During this time contact was made with Valkadia, and a feeble line of communication was enstablished.

After the death of Crelius, a new First Son was elected. Eralio Tonnus, a megalomaniac that even at his own election showd himself with over the top robes and accessories. He ruled the council for approximately 40 years, when he uncovered a plot to assassinate him by the current ruler of the Merluzzus family. Eralio had him arrested and then sacrificed. This provoked a scandal in the council, and the other eight families started demanding the First Son to be discharged. The Tonnus family immidiately took action and demanded Eralio to step down from his office, but he refused and proclaimed to be the rightful monarch of the Domain with the help of the clergy. The council, in response, elected a new First Son and declared Eralio to be a false tyrant. Tensions built up untill, in the year 381 AS, a terrible battle took place in Lagura, on the temple of the city, where so many Amiae died that the veil of the mortal world was torn and a rift was opened by the sheer amount of souls being devoured by Ixul. In the end Eralio was captured and sacrificed and the council took his place back as the ruling force of the Domain.

## Government

The Amiae Domain is an aristocratic oligarchy that sees the command of the original 9 families. Of these, only a member chosen by the family themselves, can join the council. The latter must meet obligatorily once a month to discuss the affairs of the state. Of all the members, only the First Son/Daughter, that is the member chosen by the Tonnus family, has the right of veto over the decisions of the other families.

### The original 9 families

#### Tonnus

The Tonnus family boasts the lineage of the first son of Tun and its famous for its great accomplishments. It was, indeed, this family that leaded the unifying forces of Amiae during the wars that brought to the foundation of the Amiae Domain. To conduct these wars were Laerio Tonnus and his son, Torallo Tonnus, that would later become the First Son of the newly founded Domain. This family is the one controlling the council, holding the right of veto over its decisions, and tends to be impartial when it comes to political parties, so as not to cause any rebellion in the upper class of the Domain.

#### Xiliphia

The Xiliphia family is famous, among the other members of the council, to have taken an ambigous position during the wars of unification, sitting apart and joining the new Amiae Domain only after the total victory of the unification forces. They also earned the title of wisest family because of their great cultural advance. All the culture of the domain, its written language and its arts come from this lineage.

#### Carpyna

The Carpyna family has a reputation for being joyful and much open to the ideals of other families and species. During the wars of unification they actively took the side of Tonnus to form a new, unified nation. Even before the Domain, however, this family and its tribe were famous for often throwing wild parties as holy cerimonies or to celebrate even the slightest things. This led the creation of a common belief that the Carpyna family is composed of fools and unruly, unable to really think rationally.

#### Asellus

Conservative and close, the Asellus family is famous for sticking to the old traditions of Amiae and hating all those that propose a change. Often seen as a burden by all the other council members, they actively sided against the forces of Tonnus during the unification wars and had to be forcefully added to the new Amiae Domain. Austere and devoted to religion, they're also the most xenophobic group of the Domain.

#### Merluzzus

The Merluzzus family is the most authoritarian family of the Domain and the major competitor of the Tonnus family, actively trying to sabotage them, aiming to become the ruling family of the Amiae one day or another. They were the ones that led those families that opposed the unifying forces of Tonnus, in fact wanting to unify the tribes themselves and not leave this honor to the rival family. Their method of ruling is conservative and strinct, something that led them to create an alliance with the more conservative families, such as Asellus and Prionace.

#### Almeiurus

The family most close to Ixul and the demigods of the Amiae pantheon is Almeiurus. Much like the Xiliphia family, they have a story of neutrality and enclosure, entering in the newly formed Amiae Domain only after the victory of Tonnus. They're the most spiritualist group of the Domain, so much so that every member of the family that is not the council representative is forced to become a priest.

#### Muraena

Much like the Carpyna family, Muraena is famous for being one of the major allies of the Tonnus family. They're free spirits, that reject the oligarchic system of the Domain and push the government to become a democracy, so as to form a new Amiae Domain, were eguality is the key term. For this reason they're one of the most hated by the Merluzzus family, who seeks to do the exact opposite to the Domain.

#### Prionace

Violent and warmonger, this family is famous for its warrior culture and being the one major ally of the Merluzzus family during the wars of unification. They don't seek power, nor are they really conservative, they just crave violence and blood, reason why they're accused by the more peaceful families of being secret worshipers of some forbidden gods of the Amiae pantheon. Centuries of combat and training in the art of war, along with a natural heritage, gave this family a more bulky and big body than the average Amias.

#### Conlger

The most peaceful family, and one of the allies of Tonnus. During the wars of unification they actively sided with the unifying forces, but refused to fight, only providing resouces to the allied soldiers. They're conisidered one of the most trustworthy groups of the Domain, and have a great influence over the decision of the council thanks to their friendly relations with the ruling family. This is also the least hated group of the Amiae, being sympathetic even to those families that antagonized during the wars.

### Forgein Affairs

As for foreign affairs, Amias consider other species to be strange and incomprehensible, so they tend to be wary, especially of feathered ones, which they see as totally alien. However, they have a certain sympathy towards humans, whom they consider as cousins.

#### Opinions on other nations

##### Skarl

The inhabitants of the Domain view the ratfolk population as an unstable, mostly sentient group. Almost like a bomb ready to go off at any moment, they have many conflicting opinions. Some Amiae consider them purely barbaric and unable to rationalize, while others consider them unexpectedly wise. Especially with their infighting they perplex the fishfolks, who cannot reach the final decision whether they are actually civilized or only outwardly so.

##### Tayurzu

They are considered a wise and peaceful civilization by the Amiae, who see them as a group they can trust. Stable and cultured, adding the fact that they are human beings, they make a good impression on the population of the Domain.

##### Valkadia

The Valkadians are equivalent to mythological creatures to the Amiae, who before their first contact, during the ruling of Crelius, believed them to be an ancient and extinct civilization. They're considered wise and the prime example of civilization by the fishfolks, albeit scary and sacrilegious to some degree because of their necromancy.

## Culture

### Religion

The Amias worship only one god. Ixul, abyssal deity. It would be precisely from this god that all the demigods that the Amias also venerate would be born. They're used to perform great and important rites in honor of their divine lord, sacrificing animals and, occasionally, people or prisoners. However, what they do is not only symbolic, as it is proven that Amias religious practices are able to *contaminate* the earth and create dark, cold and humid environments, increasingly similar to the ocean depths, ideal environment of this species.

[Here more informations on the god]

### Afterlife

According to the creed of this species, after death, one's body should be returned to the depths of the seas, where it can reunite with Ixul and become one with him. However, if someone were to remain without a funeral rite, he will end up on the planet of carcasses without being part of it, forced to wander in the horrible stench and under an unforgiving scoarching sun. For this reason, dying in battle and having one's body devoured by wild beasts in the mud is at the end of every Amia's agenda.

### Rituals

It is by performing rituals that the Amias keep their provinces ideal for their life. Dedicated to a multitude of demigods, accompanied by great, sometimes magnificent, sometimes bestial, parties. These often see sacrifices of blood, animals and, in the most important cases, even of other sentient creatures. Through these holy processes they communicate with their god and he responds, giving his offspring cold and darkness. It is in fact proven that the Amias rituals seem to have some effect on the surrounding environment, drastically changing it. The atmosphere darkens, the summers get shorter and the rains become more and more frequent, until the skies are pitch black and the fog so thick it blocks the sight.

### Magic

In addition to the sacred magic that flows from the holy rituals of Amiae, only the chosen ones of Ixul can become true sorceresrs. These special Amias are easily recognizable, as they are always born with particular signs or runes, engraved somewhere on their body, which will stay with them until they die. Forced to become priests and then warlocks, these members of the species possess macabre powers bestowed upon them by their divine lord. They are often ostracized even by their own species, for the use of their powers requires terrifying sacrifices, from the blood of a small animal to the fresh flesh of an infant, that has to be consumed by the warlock himself. The more terrible and macabre the sacrifice, the more an Amia can cast powerful spells. The types of the latter include:

* Darkening spells, similar to sacred ones, can slowly change the climate, if the caster is killed, however, everything will return as before.
* Water magic, capable of flooding areas of the caster's choice. The power and extent of the flood depends on the magnitude of the sacrifice.
* Spells of madness, the only ones that require almost no sacrifices, can play with a victim's mind and give them the vision of the beyond, quickly driving them mad.
* Death spells, cause an early and terrifying decay in one victim or more, depending on the magnitude of the sacrifice.
* Psychic spells, play with a victim's mind, paralyzing it with fear or subduing it.
* Typical spells, flashy and with great versatility, this are the typical spells used by sorcerers of other species.

The people of Amiae ignore the existence of Anima or Mana, as the sorcerers of the Domain function merely as a conduit for Ixul's powers, to make them flow through the world, often doing irreparable damage to the fabric of reality as we know it. If an Amias were to use too much of this magic at once he would inevitably disintegrate, unable to endure the sheer magical power.

### Ethics

The Amias tend to be territorial, which is why, within their society, the rule of silence and respect applies. Talking to an Amia without first introducing yourself properly and letting them do the same can cause them stress and dislike. They tend to see the person in every individual. Everyone is worthy of returning to Ixul, therefore everyone is worthy of being. Also for this reason the Amiae Domain repudiates slavery, seen only as a way to waste the life of an individual. A prisoner of the Amias will never be enslaved, but released, or sacrificed, so that he can gloriously join their only god.

### Art

The Amiae Domain expresses its art through the skillful construction of bronze statuettes and bizarrely shaped terracotta jars, on which they are able to paint complex patterns and even representations of their culture. They are also used to decorate their temples with sacred scenes carved into the walls in bas-relief, a technique that only the most skilled and famous craftsmen can afford to perform in the Domain.

### School and literature

The Amias culture spreads from generation to generation in two main ways:

It is the parents who teach their children the customs and family culture, adding to this also the school education.

Or young Amiae are given a teacher, usually a philosopher or politician, who teaches them everything there is to know about the culture of the Domain.

(Nevertheless it must be remembered that only wealthy fishfolks are able to afford an extensive education).

The Amiae have a common script and dialect called Amian, originally from the Tonnus family, which was adopted to increase the cultural unity of the nation. This is used in the majority of literary works, so that they can find greater success throughout the territory of the Domain.

These literary works are usually limited to tablets with long prayers engraved on them, usually sold to temples, or to the Annals, the documentation by a scholar chosen by the council, who writes the events that took place year by year in the Domain on a series of tablets.