Calai

< Calai of Three Lakes

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Calai was a multinational confederation of states. The founding tribes of the nation were descended from the inhabitants of the capital region of The Old Western Empire. It had a strong connection with the colonisers from the Eastern Continent, and after becoming a member of the federation of Otino began to adopt their technology. Today Calai is the most politically advanced nation in Delthoria, with diplomatic prowess bringing it's borders far from the tribes that founded it, and leading it to be a close partner of the HCC and member of the Security Counci of the WCC. The members of Calai were the five original tribes - Azir, Don, Sang, Sial and Poursoi - along with the invited members of Lok'talu, Pieua Pioh and Solyn in the First Expansion. The Second Expansion bought along many more nations, in chronological order: Ke-Seshan, Sumuher, Ketikiten, Havledon, Priataz Itoni and Kessho-kō. The provinces of Unity and Acuir were also annexed, however due to lack of national identity simply form part of Ketikiten and Priataz Itoni. After the Tzitlasen Regency, the nation became Calai of Three Lakes, as the name of Pentarchy no longer fit the many nations of the union.

This article is historical in nature, and does not reflect Calai's current status in the world.

## History

The Calai are a newly emerging people, split into disunited tribes for hundreds of years. Once a completely random set of people, a great general, politician, artist, a true savant, found them, and bought these groups together as one, who it called the Calai. However, one day the Great Uniter disappeared, leaving a decree for each individual tribe to prove itself. All tribes to go into the wilderness, to try and find their old hero, to shown them they had lived up to its expectations. They tried to prove them in different ways, accumulation of wealth, blood sacrifices, cartography or for some just trying to live their lives as best as they could. However, many tribes did not have common languages with each other, and defaulted to hostility when meeting in each in the wild, with some even raiding and killing. In recent years, those sent out have come back with news of a great upheaval among their neighbours, who were beginning to make governments and build wonderful new structures. These pilgrims bought back their own new languages, particularly the one of the colonial state of Gwerith. When interacting with these new people, some people met those of other tribes, and could finally understand each other. Stuck in the awkward position of wanting to be polite and wanting to kill their old enemies, utilising these newly learned languages, the Calai moved towards theological arguments. Hearing similar tales of pasts filled with disunity for these civilisations, now bustling and outgrowing the Calai, many began to reconsider their hostile attitudes. From the five largest and most developed tribes, five of these new linguists came to meet. Primed to become the successors of their tribes, they made a pact. That while they may have theological disagreements, what they had now would not suffice. Their old unifier must not want destruction of the Calai, it would want rejuvenation. Determining that the previous task must have been a trick, they promised to move their conflicts to debate and maybe occasional bloodsports. Once all five leaders had ascended to their thrones, and a lot of convincing of their populace, the newly relatively unified Calai were born.

## Geography

The homeland of the constituent tribes of Calai varies, but the current lands under de facto control of the Pentcontre are Azir, Sial and Poursoi.

Azir is a desert above a large cave system, filled with subterranean lakes and rivers. This is used through primitive pipes and pulleys to irrigate the small areas of standard agricultural land, as well as the desert agriculture of the sand dunes, with the most common crop being the simple cactus.

Sial encompasses three distinct areas. Firstly is the city of Hope's Reach, or the City of Stilts, on the Bay of Arrival. The bay is constantly filled with a unique species of lilypad, from two-twenty metres wide, called Lodgers. These are thankfully weak and unobtrusive, providing little more in harmful effects than seaweed. Lining the bay, and extending into it, is a city built on the stilts, filled with unique flora and fauna that is yet to be properly recorded or observed by scientific experts, to the frustration of the curious Pentsynd. The Marred Swamps on the border of the bay mark what could be called the suburbs of the city, with the furthest areas hosting small towns. These are full of yet more unrecorded creatures, although the Stilter Queen is sending expeditions to detail them in the coming months. The Vastness is the name given too the rainforests that expands past the coast of Sial. This is home to many of Calai's constituent tribes, unadvanced groups that essentially average out Calai to the stone age despite recent advancements in the cities. The Vastness is considered extremely dangerous, and apart from trade outposts on the road to The Don, and the port at the edge of the Marred Swamps, Marac, there is little civilisation, any plants and animals are only approached on advice of Conts.

The next lands marked for expansions are the homes of The Don and Sang, the first of which live in the trees and hill of forest highlands, which they have partially deforested, observing and trading with all they can find. The Sang live in the coastal caves of The Vastness, and are currently engaged in their own matters, leaving their environments to be discovered in the coming weeks of reunification.

## Languages

*Common Calain refers to the few words that are common throughout the five main Calain languages. Efforts to make a codified official Calain language is in the works, but outside the individual tribe’s business the language of Ofrþ from the colonies of Gweriþ is used in its absence.*

The names of the five main tribes and their corresponding meaning are used by near all tribes, making their way into Common Calain:

 Poursuie
 Ariz
 Don
 Sial
 Sang

While some minor tribes use the word order of VSO, Common Calain uses SVO.

Common Calain has also absorbed some words from Ofrþ, although much to the frustration of many native speakers certain language laws are ignored.

 Bòr
 Cwas
 Lawsg

## Politics

*The Pentcontre is the government of Calai, a council led by the five tribes on their own council, The Pent – Azir, Don, Sial, Sang and Poursoi, with veto rights and permanent leadership positions, and the Conts, minor tribes part of Calai. The position of Pentsynd, the leader of the Pentcontre and Calai, is given by vote, with the vote of The Pent counting for twice. Candidates for leader can de jure be anyone, but the competing candidates have in the first and currently only election been the five members of The Pent.*

The current leaders of The Pent are its founders, with the first and currently only Pentsynd being Sebastian Vertig, the Grand Lessor of Ariz. He is the ruler of Azir, which is situated mostly in the coastal desert city of Feris. Azir is renowned for its cave based irrigation. This has allowed farmlands and desert agriculture to pop up near where the vast subterranean lakes and rivers of Azir come near the surface. Feris is situated around a former sinkhole, which revealed a massive underground lake connecting to the river system, with water funnelled out through rudimentary pipes and large buckets carried up through basic pulley systems. The title of Grand Lessor is new, reflecting Sebastian’s and The Pent’s common goal of furthering Calain economics and technology, with non-economic duties in Azir instead being largely outsourced to the leader of the Unifying Temple, Priestess Mari Ne.

Near all law is currently based on convention, as although there has been a rapid increase in technological advancement and a proper political system, outside of cities the majority of Calai remains Neolithic in legal systems and anything else. However The Pent and those close to them are studying foreign legal systems found in the dockside bookshops of Gweriþ, with aims to come up with their own for either all Calai or their own tribes within a target of ten years.

## Culture

### Moral values and principles

Calain morals are built somewhat on that of the Great Uniter. The morals it laid down depend on which tribe you ask. The Sang believe that politeness is very important, as with their high mortality rates in ritual battles or new conflicts anyone could die, regardless of status, at any time. The Don, despite opposition from every other tribe, trade slaves and anything else they can find, although they do somewhat regulate what or who is sold from Calai. Sial are taught from a young age that they are to maintain balance in all things, ironically at times taking this to the extreme. An example of Sialan balance is that all Salian children are sent to spend time in either a non-Sialan tribe across the water, or in Azir, due to the two tribes long friendly relations and shared theological opinions, to ensure that they have a balance of cultures to further enrich Sial.

Most recently the leaders of The Pent are seen as role models for their tribes, with a prime example being Noe Agrippa, the Stilter Queen of Sial, who as the person who bought back knowledge from Gweriþis seen as personification of the practice of cultural balance. An example of the cultural influence from the Gweriþon Calain is the importing of the Gweriþ religious teaching of ‘Observe the waves and you will survive’, with has been added to the Predictive Watching of the Unifier, an Eastern Don theological/ideological text, specifically on sections of how to apply observations of the world high up in the nearby coasts of the Sial.

### Traditions

The Day of Departure is a universally celebrated holiday, celebrated at a different time of year depending on the tribe. Each Calain group has some differences, but generally someone wearing an elaborate mask or costume representing the Uniter will give a moral lesson of some sorts. They will then congratulate any of the explorers that have returned in the last year. From then on traditions vary between tribe, the Poursoi will give addition time to their explorers, with lectures on new discoveries in foreign lands, while the Don will then journey to their highest nearby spot, and stargaze. After any interim event, a feast will be had, depending on local cuisine.

Bloodsports are common in Calai, previously near unique to the Sang, they have spread in popularity with unification and need to let of some violent energy from those not yet tired of war. Common bloodsports are Fillings, a form of optimistically non-lethal honour duel where two contestants will fight while carrying a bucket of bread, with the aim to beat the opponent until they can push it down their throat, making them either choke or throw up,  causing humiliation for the person who has slighted you. Standard for death duels are also common. Sangi bloodsports are the main form of entertainment in the tribe, and therefore contain more twisted ‘games’ that have become their entertainment, as sacrifices for the Great Uniter to hasten it’s return.

Each tribe has its own kind of cuisine. The Azir has their famous 'Poicat', a meal of common fish, with the skeleton ripped out, the fish ripped in half to the tail, and then filled with cactus before being cooked. Other tribes simply call it ‘That Abomination’, with the exception of fellow coastal dwellers, the Sial, who call it Etrapenge, loosely translating to ‘a strange alternative’.

### Religion

While less of a codified religion, the main mythology of the Calai, that caused the hundreds of years of internal war before their unification was that of differing beliefs over the Great Uniter. The Uniter, a figure not depicted nor given any description in any regional/religious texts, disappeared hundreds of years ago after unifying the Calain tribes. The various tribes have different ideas on if the Uniter was a god or not, if it was some sort of creature, it’s gender, and many other differences. Sang believe for example that with conquest eliminated by the founding of Calai, that the only way to ensure their return is the spilling of blood. The Don believe that financial success through any means possible is what will ensure its return, turning their hills into the wonderous mountains of far away, filled with precious gems and gold. Every tribe has their own ideas of what the Uniter will bring on its return, usually closely relating other values and culture. The 'religion' is referred to academically as 'Calain Nationalism' or as 'Hero Worship'. Asahumu Polytheism considers this a mild heresy.

### Art

Azir has unique architecture. All buildings are made of sandstone, as although there are many available sites for quarry, the Azir believe that possible mining could disrupt the cave systems that provide them with their agricultural capabilities. As their piping systems are the pride of the Azir, their homes and general buildings usually feature elaborate stonework following pipes, to either personal canisters or public fountains, with many of Azir’s wealthy seeing using their buildings as conduits for public pipes a sign of charity.

Sial has little opportunity for art themselves. Most is found on their foreign expeditions. However, when in a particular mood, Sial have been known to use the sticks form their stilts to carve into the clay of their marshland, placed onto wide stone slabs, unique patterns, which are then moved into an oven and dried.

The Don import pigments from minor tribes across the area, to create beautiful paintings, most of which are usually sold off. a recent practice has been to forge paintings found in Gweriþ from the eastern continent, and sell them of as originals to those who have yet to make contact.

Poursoi live in small settlements, constantly exploring the frontier in nomadic manners, noting areas for future Calai expansion before returning to their permanent settlements in the capital and more recently Gweriþ colonies. Because of this nomadic nature, the most common form of artistic expression among the Poursoi is tattoos and face painting. Unique symbols are tattooed, usually on the arms or face, depicting a loved one or valuable memory, so that despite their many solitary expeditions or time spent with other tribes, each Poursoi will carry the mark of what they fight for.

*The Sang to no one’s surprise have one form of paint, blood. Thankfully however they actually mostly use blood of non-sentient creatures, although unfortunately not exclusively. Despite the gruesome pallet, Sangi paintings vary in subject and form, most often taking the place of murals on their wooden and stone buildings, or as temporary bodypaint before bloodsports or war commences.*

## Tribal Dossier

### Azir

Led by the Grand Lessor Sebastian Vertig. The tribe is based in a deserted savannah, with large populations present around cave entrances, which allow access to the miniature freshwater sea present in Azir's caverns. Azir is known for their near religious veneration of the Great Uniter, being a hub for historical-theological discussion on their origin. Recent revelations by historians have also made this home to new discussion over the Old Western Empire. The city of Feris holds roughly a tenth of the population of Azir. Compared to other Calain nations the population is far more evenly spread out, with the Conts within Azir also being fully apart of Azir's society. This breaks the technological divide between major urban tribes and minor rural tribes present in most of Calai, making it the most advanced. Azir is an mediocratic monarchy, with each consecutive leader being the brightest child in the tribe, selected when they are ten. The ruling Grand Lessor governs with the consultation from the Estates of Grain, local representatives elected by farmstead. Azir is known internationally for being the most normal out of the Calain tribes, and is thus considered the strangest by Calains themselves.

### Sial

Led by Stilter Queen Noe Agrippa, Sial is the maritime and cultural centre of Calai, in contact with various minor tribes and other nations on the Central Lakes.

## Extra Materials

### The Ritual of Bonding *(Written as an ingame ritual)*

The magic of the Sial people originates from the uniquely aquatic/urban ecosystem of the home of the majority of the population, The City of Stilts. Two innately magical creatures inhabit the settlement, the Migou and Alaka, one a relative of the fearsome serpents, and another of the venomous creatures which inhabit Sial’s western jungles.

Now of course, these two creatures have been reduced to an adorable little snake and frog. However, despite how lovely and just absolutely adorable the little things are, they do hold considerable power.

The Migou can vanish completely from view in broad daylight, reappearing when it so desires. Contrastingly the Alaka is a flashy frog, with strange illusions often appearing the many times a day it has a nap. Known as the win magic of Dumit and Lumit, they are of great cultural importance to the Sial, one of the wonders that await those who enter Calai through the Bay of Arrivals.

Migou and Alaka are also known as Urban Serpents and Sibling Frogs, with the second name being an unsubtle hint to their nature. Migou mostly rest and sleep in specially made Migou dens, hosted by the wealthy as a status symbol. Alaka sleep on Lodgers, large lily pads in the waters of the city and wider bay, with another Sibling Frog. However, on rare occasions, a curious Migou may take its place, curling around the Alaka.

This meeting of Migou and Alaka firmly unifies them for life, regularly meeting together and accompanying each other. As the two species are considered to be near human intelligence, Sial believe this to be a ritual of friendship of some sorts. Later a human or other sentient creature may join their partnership, but that is of The Second Bonding, a far more complicated matter.

As the Migou curls up around the snoozing Alaka, and the illusions phase in and out of existence, some of the Central Lakes believe that the two creatures are divinely blessed, receiving a gift of the gods. While the Calains are sceptical, sometimes something from whoever is up there comes down, good or ill.

- Taken from the Guide to The Arts of Cathcalairach by Il Beruki

*Note: Outcome was 'Calai - Start making whips inspired by the wrapping snake motif +RINV'*

Calai/WIPs