Grayhan

Grayhan is a kingdom. The Grayhanni king, who they call the Rahddi Raydor or simply Rahddi, holds absolute power in Grayhan, though he is supported by a large court. The court of Grayhan is a unique phenomenon on Aimane, as it travels from location to location within the realm, never staying in one place for longer than a year. The court travels between several Territories that mark the subdivisions of Grayhan. Each territory is ruled by an Ephridite, who in turn rules over village masters, town masters and mayors. Within Grayhan there are many influential families with roots in the old warrior culture, called Raydors. Members of these families provide the state with sons and daughters trained in the affairs of war. By law they have no say in political matters, but in practice the state is heavily influenced by the Raydors. The Royal family marries with them and draws advisors from them. This also holds true for Ephridite courts.

Grayhan is a nation that has always been at odds with its neighbours. The ancient foundations of the country come from the warrior caste of Tordisti. The border with Helioth on the Ligval isthmus has been subject to continuous and heavy change over the centuries. Additionally, ever since Nomeria declared independence from Grayhan, the two have never been at peace. Since the war of the burning sea, Grayhan had been at odds with the Mirvani/Mittrellians. All these factors have contributed to the deeply rooted belief system of the superiority of the warrior in Grayhanni culture. Any Grayhanni is taught in basic knowledge of the blade, horseriding and archery as an ingrained part of education, as normal as being taught how to speak. This has wrought the system where families who provide the most valiant warriors would become the most powerful. And so it is tradition for the firstborn to enter the military ranks, whether that be as a soldier or as a blacksmith. The second child inherits farms or businesses. When older, the first child who went into the military, if still alive, returns to the family and takes absolute control; they decide on the marriages of their younger sibling(s), dictate the finances and any other decision that there is to be made. On the side, they sometimes take ceremonial positions, such as being priest(ess). Any civilian work is seen as less prestigious, and second, third and fourth children would be second-rank people. Thus, siblicide is not uncommon. The lower classes who specialize in a trade are seen as unsuccessful. The economy of the nation is focused on the industries of war, other trades are underdeveloped and seen as of low importance. The society being structured around the military causes the attitude to authority to be one of unquestioning loyalty, as is expected in a military hierarchy. This is also the case within family structures; none would dare to oppose a first child returning from war, who is a veteran. Any sign of questioning an authority figure is taboo. The relation of the Grayhanni with the gods is interesting. Their society's relationship with religion is strained as they have little room for lavish ceremonial rites or lessons of Tordisti. However, the gods seem to turn a blind eye to heresy of the Grayhanni; a Crenex is a rare event in Grayhan, and thus the Grayhanni have come to believe their military prowess is a god-given right and simply to fight is to honor the gods. The right to rule is for them still connected to the act of ruling, and thus social hierarchy is unquestioned.

The goals of Grayhan are military as befits their people, and are described in threefold:

1. The reunion of Epron under the Grayhanni (and therefore the end of Nomeria)
2. The safeguarding of the Ligval and thus to drive the realm of Helioth east
3. The continued desolation of old Mirvania

The nation Grayhan has its roots in the old Tordian tribe of the Grahni. The Grahni were the warrior caste of Tordisti. In the early days when Aframir was still young, they would be employed for simple things like hunting dangerous animals and outlaws. These bands of Grahni would be comprised of no more than a dozen men. As segregation between tribes progressed, they formed larger and more strictly organized groups. After the comprehension they focused their efforts on self-preservation and organized massive raids on cities around the continent, with casualties sometimes ranging in the tens of thousands. The Grahni played a dominant role in the wood wars as raiders of food and resources. During the great migration the Grahni intially, like the other tribes, spread out over the continent, but many fell under shameful and crushing Aerin subjugation. The Grahni, warriors in culture and being, were the first to openly defy the superiority of the Aerin and the Rahddi Raydor called upon the Grahni in FP 42 to amass in the lands of Epron, the peninsula that is modern-day Grayhan and Nomeria. All who were able and unhindered in their journey by Aerin made the journey to Epron, where the Grahni founded the first modern nation on the continent of Aimane; Grayhan. Grayhan formed new institutions and ranks based on this new form of rule; for the first time, humans were not seperated by class, but by geographical space. These institutions were made to cater to Grahni culture alone, and disregarded the existence of other tribes in Epron, of whom there were many. As the Grahni formed their nation, Other tribes quickly followed suit; this was done less because of hostility to the Aerin (the Grahni lived fairly separated from that precursor race) but moreso as to move their citizens into safer regions , where they could be protected by their own laws and institutions, rather than be outlaws in Epron. Other tribes amassed their own populations in their own distinct geographical regions. The Grahni delivered the first view into the modern Aimanen society, and they would now usually be referred to as citizens of the state they populated; the Grayhani. Over time the Grayhani grew increasingly hostile to the Aerin. Several raids from one side to the other were recorded in the latter half of the first century of the first passing. Like all other nations in Aimane, the grahni seemed to burke the Aerin wars. The only historical record describing the events stated "In FP 76 the Birdmen treacherously assaulted the White Hares. In FP 103 they were permanently defeated." Birdmen is a term not known to describe Aerin, but the dates line up with the Aerin wars as recorded in other sources, the event is only passingly mentioned and "Birdmen" seems to be a term that describes the physicality of the Aerin.   Animosity grew between the Mirvani and the Grayhani. Epron was the land where the chief host of the Grahni dwelt, but even many were yet spread across the continent. The Grayhani feared for the safety of their kin across the land. No host of Grahni save that in Epron was larger than the one that resided in the lands that were claimed by the Mirvani, that they named Mirvania. For Mirvania was the greatest nation in the extend of their boundaries, and the land they held was all land east of the Hinilli mountains. As the migration began this was but a small share of the continent, but humans moved further east and in time found the east coast of Aimane, which was far beyond imagination, for it now was clear Aimane was in size no smaller than Tordisti of old. And the Mirvani spread through these lands, for they held the lands north of the Hinilli, and to the south were the lands that the Etaliri had established, and they named it Etaliron, and they Etaliri were a small people of no great deeds, and their spread east was slow and limited, for they were unambitious. Thus Mirvania became the greatest realm in size of all the realms of Aimane, and they multiplied and became numerous. But their strength in arms did not surpass the other nations as far as their territory, for in Shimit their chief city lived Esmarrok, Nírdan, the Draeken queen of mankind. And Mirvania gave her all her desires, and thus she endorsed the Mirvani, and wished no harm on them. Nírdan's words were taken as gospel by many, and the Mirvani believed themselves protected by the master crafters, leaving them lax in ways of war. But the Grayhani did not believe in that protection of Nírdan, for they were far away from Shimit, and they remember the ancient foundations of the title of Draeken king, which told that any could take the title, and often it had been a Grahni. Indeed as time passed they believed Esmarrok was a no more than a puppet to the Mirvani, a tool to exert their will. And the feud grew bitter when that host of Grahni in Mirvania grew sundered from the Grayhani, for they remained faithful to Nírdan's teachings and they got estranged from their kin. The Grayhani held the Mirvani accountable for the loss of a great number of their people. Grayhan demanded many times for the realm of Mirvania to dispossess its land and people to the other nations now Forming. In this they found support from the Ambitious Derendori, the lazy Etaliri and the Dwarves, who had now come from the south and found themselves in Aimane with no land left to settle. But the Mirvanians declined, for they were the tribe of leadership, and would have no others lead the lands they nurtured for over a hundred years. And Mirvania's roots and history were in the west near Shimit, but its greatness was now come east, after the seizing and refurbishing of Aerhold, the most beautiful place on earth. the Grahni perceived the Mirvanian lack of arms and they called upon Derendor to have Mirvania answer to their misdeeds, and Derendor answered. With the blessing of the first Grayhani Rahddi Raydor, now named Old Nerm, the Grayhani leaguers marched east, starting a great war which later was named The War of the Burning Sea.    Many grievances and shadows befell on all who mingled in this senseless struggle, but the greatest evil was considered to be that one done by the Grayhani hosts in Mirvania.   WIP