Masati History

This page chronicles the history of Masat

The Masati use the Calai Calendar to mark years.

## Early Histories

**Pre-History**

In ancient days when there were no hills and all the world was flat, the ancestors of the Masati lived in a prosperous kingdom united by great cities.  At the heart of these cities, immense towers invoked envy and awe alike across the primordial world. Among these towers, none were greater than the Moon Pedestal, for at its apex the entire world could be seen.  Generation after generation, each king added their own mark to the tower. They built the Pedestal higher and higher until one day it scraped the very heavens and bridged the gap between our world and the Great Green Above.  Eagerly, the Last of Kings and his people climbed the tower and became the first mortals to set foot onto the emerald world. It was in the heavens that the ancient Masati witnessed the old Gods.

The realm of gods, though beautiful from afar, is one not fit for mortals.  In the midst of their hubris, The King and his people witnessed cosmic horrors so terrible they lost all faith in the divine.  In order to maintain their secrets, the Gods silenced the interlopers and cast them back down to the world.  Unwilling to ever witness the horrible heavens again, the King and his muted people demolished the tower, causing it to topple across the world. In the ensuing centuries, the tower's ruins eroded, its great stones became the mountains and hills.  The descendants of the interlopers would continue to be cursed by the gods and found themselves unable to speak.  They began to communicate through an entirely unique non-verbal language based on a percussive instrument known as the Bahn.  The Masati hope to one day return to the Great Green Above and steal their voices back.

In the centuries after the collapse of the old kingdom, the ashamed Masati people remained scattered throughout the plains. It was only recently that a common language emerged from amongst roving bands of drummers. The Bahn drum became a unifying symbol of the lost Masati and its beat summoned them together from the wilds.

**Post-Tribal History**

Of the numerous neighbors of Masat, it was the dragonborn of Menaskor who would first make contact with the isolated Masati. Initial contact was unintentional, but nonetheless peaceful. The dragonborn shared extensive maps of the east with the Masati and enlightened them in the ways of translating foreign languages (REDU1). Next were the peoples of Mimbibl whose purple forms were frequently spotted amongst the trees. This period of Masat would be noted for its reemergence into as a distinct political entity, rapid urban growth, and for joining the UNO.

## **Serene Period**

The Serene Period of Masat is marked by the emergence of a distinct social hierarchy. Bolstered by foreign trade, the Omniserene emerged as a class of educated merchants which monopolized trade with UNO.

**Masat Serene Period Entry 1**

Increased Effigy Burnings: The religion of the Masati promotes the belief that all gods are the embodiment of misfortune, responsible for the muting of the Masati.  As a response to Masat's growing global presence, the ritualized effigy burning of foreign deities has become a common practice in the nation.  The encroachment of foreign gods is a subject of deep concern in many communities.  To ward away said gods, the temporal ashes of their effigies have been scattered amongst the winds.  What this religious tension means for the future of Masat is uncertain.

**Masat Serene Period Entry 2**

The Rise of Masat's Omniserene: The increasing complexity of Masat's urban culture has been capstoned by the emergence of the Omniserene, an intellectual-religious elite.  This new ruling class seeks to protect the temporal rights of the Masati from the various gods who would do the nation harm.  Not quite a landed aristocracy or purely democratic body, the Omniserene gradually emerged from the ideological synthesis of fervent religious reformists and educated merchant societies.  The Omniserene has managed to dictate both the social and economic development of Masat by subsuming many of the nation's local rulers into its ranks.  Henceforth, the government of Masat shall be composed of the oligarchic mass of the Omniserene.  The official title of the nation will now be the Omniserenity of Masat.

**War With Blackcliff**

With Omniserene in power, a vote was passed to raise a new regiment in order to topple the isolationist military tribunal which had come to rule the neighboring nation of Blackcliff. 80 squadrons of 16 crossbowmen stormed through Blackcliff's hinterland. Blackcliff, which had long fallen into infighting and stagnation before the invasion, was unable to mobilize against the silent guerilla fighters. The Masati that fell in battle could make no sound, which when combined with war drums, created an unshakable force. When the army arrived at the walls of Blackcliff's capital, the Masati made a quick and decisive siege. During the midst of the fighting, a squadron scaled the wall's battered stones and covertly open the gates to the city.

**Massat Serene Period Entry 3**

The nation of Masat, whose entire population is born mute, has had an extensive amount of trouble integrating the speaking peoples of Blackcliff into Masati society.  The nation of Blackcliff boasts a diverse population of both humans and humanoids, a fact which has caused a series of administrative issues for the Masati occupation.  The native human population of Blackcliff in particular has proven to be deeply unsettling due to their ability to speak.  To drown out the terrifying sounds of speech, Masati drummers have lined the walls of Blackcliff's capital; where they have played continuously since the city's capture.  Few noises can be heard over the perpetual echoing roar of the occupiers' drums.  With the incessant and ceaseless rhythms, one is unable to even hear themselves think, much less communicate without shouting over the din.  Drummers cycle in and out from the walls, but always their beat continues.  Migraines abound within the city's walls

**Masat Serene Period Entry 4**

The military of Blackcliff once organized itself based on a strict system of unit-blocks, each of which were distinguished via a colorful bandana.  After skirmishes, it became a trend among the Masati soldiers to collect these regimental bandanas from the fallen.  Soldiers returning to the Masati homeland have enjoyed a great welcome and many of the nation's youth below fighting age have begun to wear their own bandanas in emulation.

**Masat Serene Period Entry 5**

Historically, the Masati have never universally agreed on anything.  The nation could better be described as an alliance of linguistically similar city-tribes rather than a formal political state.  The ongoing occupation of Blackcliff has begun to change this precedent.  Across the nation, mass protests have raised the question of what Masat's role in the world should be.  Though reasons for protests differ, whether it be to promote isolationism or to foster trade, the overarching message is clear; the Masati need not be conquerors.

**Decolonization of Blackcliff / Treaty of Silver Harbor**

Facing both domestic and international pressure, the Omniserene of Masat elected to formally release Blackcliff from vassalage.  All of the occupation's resources were redirected towards the development of new lands. "A single blue trireme sits in the harbor of Medeina, sails raised and bobbing in the day's light waves.  From the decks of the vessel a line of barechested drummers play an energetic and inviting rhythm.  Beyond the harbor, and atop the city's wall, a flag is raised, permitting a single dinghy to row to shore.  From the dinghy steps forth a handful of delegates, their legs wobbling slightly as they adjust to dry land.  In their hands they carry a missive bearing the sharp script of Kielen." It was on this day that Masat and Medeina signed a treaty guaranteeing the mutual protection of Blackcliff from further invasion.

**Masat Serene Period Entry 6**

Though the oligarchic merchants of the Omniserene may have conceded to the peoples' demands to release Blackcliff, their net worth ultimately increased as a result of the riots.  Once the fires were resolved, and the rioters returned to their homes, investors from the Omniserene immediately descended upon the nation's looted businesses and purchased them at a steep discount.  The Omniserene merchants now have a total monopoly on Masat's economy.

## **Transition Period**

This era of Masati history is more notable for its interactions with the outside world than internal shifts. It is when the Masati would encounter the Prophet Sikerana.

**Unidentified Floating Object washes up on Masati coast**

Since the foundation of Matsune, hundreds of foreign ships of nearly every variety have made port in the city's harbour.  None however are as strange as the vessel which arrived only recently.  Accounts of "the vessel" differ significantly, but the general consensus establishes that it resembled a small disc-like craft made of solid light.  All attempts to access the vessel were futile.  For about a day, a screeching sound could be heard from within the vessel before it again went silent.  Believing the ship to be an ill omen, port officials demanded that the vessel be pushed back out to sea.  Once released, the vessel quickly disappeared beneath the waves.

**Call of the Prophet**

Though only present in Masat for a week, Sikerana’s journey through the nation would permanently alter the course of its history.  Prior to Sikerana’s arrival, Masat was beset by postwar disease-induced riots against the Omniserene oligarchic merchants that controlled the nation.  Once news spread of a humanist mass gathering in the western cities, the Omniserene deployed a bastion of archers to detain the prophet.  In their fervor, the listeners of the prophet stood silently in the streets; blocking the archers from advancing.  The crowd rushed the archers and pulled the arrows from their quivers.  Unwilling to fire on their own people, the archers deployed wardrummers to suppress the prophet’s words.

Initially successful, the drums smothered the prophet.  However, this victory would falter when the Prophet began to speak with an unnaturally beautiful voice.  And in less than a heartbeat, the drums switched and became synchronized to Sikerana’s cadence.  Neither party dared cease their music lest the moment became lost.  For two hours, the once suppressive drummers instead enhanced the prophet’s rhetoric, rising and falling with the sermon.  When all was done, the prophet fell silent, merely watching the drummers.  The next morning, Sikerana departed and the drummers continued to play.

**War for the West**

Due to its vast distance from the western coast, Masat did not participate in the War for the West in any significant capacity. It did donate a large portion of its infantry to UNO's forces, but these units saw limited fighting.

**Masat begins practice of taking census, Sikerananism majority religion**

The recent introduction of Calain reformers in the Masati government has seen the adoption of various practices from the Calai.  One of these reforms is the new national census which has resulted in numerous new insights about the Masati.  The most recent census results indicate that approximately 2/3 of Masat's population follow Sikerananism as their primary religion.

## Sikerananist Revolution

**Part 1/8 Masati delegation to Mimbibl comes up empty.**

To the north of Masat lies the isolated and relatively unknown nation of Mimbibl.  Interactions between the two peoples has historically been very limited despite their geographic proximity.  The peculiar Mimbibl are a plant-like people grown from the trees of special groves.  This uniqueness in biology has always caused a range of communication difficulties with the Masati, and little is actually known about the land or its people.

In an effort to change this fact, the growing Sikerananist movement of Masat recently sent a mission to the north in the hopes of converting the Mimbibl.  What ultimately resulted from this expedition was more questions than answers.  It seems, inexplicably, that the Mimbibl have disappeared.  The location of the vital groves have always remained a mystery but Masati scholars have theorized that some form of disease destroyed the trees necessary for reproduction and the Mimbibl population has been slowly withering.  The Sikerananist movement remains divided as to how to address the issue.

**Part 2/8 Masat's oligarchs denounce the Sikerananist movement for hiring mercenaries.**

A pervasive lack of centralized government in Masat means that any organization can essentially do whatever it wants so long as it has the funds.  In this case, the collective Sikerananist followers of Masat managed to pool together enough money to fund an expedition into the heartlands of the now extinct Mimbibl.  The hiring of a division of Menaskoran mercenaries by a non-governmental group was a matter especially worrisome to Masat's council of oligarchs.

The oligarchs currently do not have the legal authority to disband the mercenaries, but they have nonetheless openly denounced Sikerananism as a threat to public order.  The rapid growth of Sikerananism in Masat has made it the nation's most popular religion.  What this means for the future of Masat remains to be seen.

**Part 3/8 Sikerananist expedition successfully recover Thlangw samples.**

The recent expedition by the mercenaries proved to be a veritable boon for Masat's Sikerananists.  Shortly after reclaiming Mimbibl's unused lands, the oppressed Sikerananists migrated en masse to revitalize the ancient ruins of the Mimbibl.  The ultimate prize of this expedition, however, was the recovery of petrified fruits containing the seeds of the mysterious Thlangw tree.  Though it is poorly understood by outsiders, the Thlangw is believed to be a core aspect of the Mimbibl's reproduction cycle since the species is "grown" as fruit from the tree's branches.  Masat's most prominent Sikerananist temples have pledged to build special gardens for the Thlangw trees.  Perhaps in time the Mimbibl will be reborn.

**Part 4/8 Failed efforts to regrow the Mimbibl promotes new ways of thinking.**

The efforts of Masat's Sikerananists to regrow the extinct Mimbibl have all so far failed, even with the plethora of samples recovered from the lost nation.  While it proved a simple matter to transplant and regrow the Thanglw trees necessary for Mimbibl reproduction, the fruits of these new trees have all wilted before any evidence of sapient thought emerged.  The ongoing issues have sparked a range of academic and ethical debates regarding the future of the Mimbibl.  Nearly all of Masat's intellectuals have united behind the efforts of the Sikerananist temples and a wave of scholarly fervor has swept the nation.

**Part 5/8 Masati monk discovers cause of Mimbibl reproductive failure.**

A Sikerananist monk by the name of Rahila has recently solved the greatest scientific puzzle of modern Masati history.  Using a specialized optic lense imported from Gip'Gero, Rahila determined that the ultimate cause of the Mimbibl's destruction was due to an invasive species of mite too small to be easily seen by the naked eye.  These mites would burrow into the fruit using a specialized proboscis and excrete an acidic substance as they fed, killing the Mimbibl zygote before it could fully develop. It has been posited that these mites swarmed across the land and destroyed new generations of Mimbibl, which eventually resulted in the collapse of their society.

Through extensive testing, Rahila deduced that regularly coating the budding Mimbibl fruits in a scented oil would ward away the mites.  This discovery has ultimately enabled a new generation of Mimbibl to emerge from extinction.  Rahila's scholastic method has capitulated her to the forefront of Masat's growing Sikerananist movement and caused her to achieve national fame overnight.

**Part 6/8 Revival of the Mimbibl raises ethical and legal concerns.**

As a sapient plant-like species, the Mimbibl are on par with the human Masati when it comes to performing complex tasks.  In response to the success of Rahila's efforts, the oligarchs of Masat have demanded that all Sikerananist gardens be turned over to the government.  A representative from the oligarchs has proposed the idea that all Mimbibl should become permanent indentured servants since it was the Masati who were responsible for their resurrection.

This demand was met with open hostility by the Sikerananist temples, as all forms of servitude are in stark opposition to the faith's humanist beliefs.  The scholar Rahila and a few other prominent intellectuals, have published a series of addresses advocating for the national protection of all sapient rights.  Much of the Masati population have rallied behind the Sikerananist temples and Rahila.  Three quarters of the nation now practices Sikerananism. The current generation of Mimbibl is still in its infancy and can voice no opinion on the matter.

**Part 7/8 Masat's oligarchs sell their government titles to Menaskoran Royal Family.**

The growing fury of Masat's Sikerananist population has threatened the continued social and financial stability of the Oligarchs.  Fearful of a revolution, the Oligarchs ultimately elected to sell the entirety of their government to the Menaskoran Royal Family and export their wealth abroad.  In a vain attempt to maintain the peace, the administrators deployed by Menaskor have largely side-stepped the ethical questions of the Mimbibl by attempting to restore Masat's collapsing economy.  In the interlude, Rahila has consolidated her influence among the Sikerananists and is now their official leader.  There are a few whispers among the population that she is the potential reincarnation of Sikerana.

**Part 8/8 Sikerananist revolution succeeds.**

At its core, Sikerananism is a religion calling for the pacifistic removal of corrupt governments.  The revolution of Masat didn't quite adhere to these principles. It's worth remembering that only a portion of the country was truly Sikerananist.

Massive hordes of rioters swept through the cities, tearing down the estates of the oligarchs and stoning them with their own homes.  The remaining wealth of the oligarchs was seized, some of it melted down into gold-tipped spears.

Were it not for the pleas of Rahila, the whole nation would have been torn apart.  Using her influence, Rahila managed to calm the rioters and negotiated a peaceful and gradual transfer of power from the temporary Menaskoran government.

The temples of Masat anointed Rahila as the one and only Omniserene.  The Omniserenity of Masat was now a Sikerananist state that would, in theory, protect the natural rights of all