Myrian

Geography

Although it lacks a kingdom or unique landscape connected to its origin, Myrian culture has spread throughout the world's swamplands.

Laws & Regulations

Myrian cities are quiet. Their reasoning behind keeping the cities as silent as possible is to not disturb any predators in the surrounding swamps. Cities stay quiet to honor the swamp and heritage. Making unnecessary noise while in a settlement is against the law and can cause imprisonment and/or fines.

Murkers

Elite military guards trained to protect the communities of Myrian. They are trained in the art of stealth and mobility. To protect their communities, they've become adept at stealth and fluid movement to fight the swamp creatures.

Religion

There are two main gods in the Myrian culture, Aritesh, the god of rain and Uritesh, the god of the swamp. Although religion is not a mandatory practice, it is woven deep into the traditions of the culture. Regardless, of if you worship the gods, it is expected of everyone to partake in the traditions that praise them. The word tesh in Myrite means god or deity.

There are mainly temples of Aritesh and Uritesh in Myrian cities. It is rare to see any other type of temple.

Aritesh the Giver

The goddess of rain, known to the Myrian people as Aritesh (Ari meaning rain, Tesh meaning god) is heavily worshipped by Myrians. Even those who don’t generally believe in gods at least acknowledge rain as something that is pure and life bringing. Aritesh is believed to be the creator of the clouds. She sprays her water down from the heavens giving life to all it touches. It is believed she watches over all her creations, providing those she chooses with her life-giving waters.

Two Waters Bond

Long ago, during the era of lost history, there was a bond formed between Aritesh and Uritesh. This bond of earth’s nutrient rich water mixed with the sky’s life water created the swamps of the world. From there, the water flowed throughout the land, providing life to all it touched. The Two Waters Bond sparked life in the world. The Myrian believe that without this bond life, if not possible and would not exist.

Uritesh the Great

Most Myrians believe the swamps have allowed them to continue to live. The swamp god, Uritesh (Element), has watched over them for centuries and has blessed them with good fortune and life. To honor their god, they hold a great ceremony that gives back to the swamp. They give offerings that the creatures of the swamp can consume, while spending the day worshipping in the muddy waters of the Uritesh temples.

Society

The Myrian society is communal that is all about helping each other to keep the society peaceful and thriving. Myrians will sacrifice their individual happiness if it is to better the community.

They have no official leader but have an elected council that runs the communities. During each yearly rain harvest, the people elect council members who will run the communities.

Rain Election

Each year at the end of the rain harvest festival, the people of the community vote to determine who will be on the council for the next year. The community members perform the voting process by placing colored stones into a large pot of rainwater. Each color of stone represents one of the community members wishing to fill a seat on the council. Each color is predetermined based on each person's running. Before the festival, all those who wish to run for council must provide proof that they would be the best choice to serve the community. They must make a speech during the festival along with showing what they have done for the community throughout the past year.

After everyone speaks, people choose a colored stone to vote for the council member they believe in. They then place the stones in the pot of rainwater. After all the votes have been cast, the members separate the stones into their respective color piles and count them. Those with the largest number of stones become the next council members. The stones and pot of rainwater are heavily protected by the Murkers, an elite group of communal guards and protectors of the community.

The amount of council members elected each year is a fluid number based on the needs of the community. If a year requires more council members to make better decisions for the community, then the council may elect more members. Similarly, if a year proves to be prosperous for the community and strong leadership is not required, fewer members may choose to run for the council. Ultimately, there is no hard cap on how many members of the community can run as in the end only the set number of seats will be filled.

Who can run for a seat in the council is based on if the community considers the individual to be a part of the community. Have they contributed enough? What have they contributed to and how did it help the whole? Are they seen as a good person? And many other questions are considered when deciding.

Traditions

Rain Harvest

The waters of the swamp are not potable, so in order to remain hydrated and ward off sickness, the Myrian people collect rainwater. At the beginning of the monsoon season, they have a massive festival honoring the rain god, Aritesh (Gaia) for blessing them with drinkable water.

It is the only time of year where it is not illegal to make unnecessary noise as the rain drowns it out.

During the rain harvest, they spread out large sheets of material to collect as much rain as possible. People in the cities fill their containers as much as possible from the filled reservoirs for personal use.