Mareterra
Soyotama is a land rich with unique peoples, and vibrant traditions, but remains steep set in their own ways, and are deeply divided over cultural and religous lines.
Geography
Soyotama is a region that protrudes from Ashihara and has two significant peninsulas. The northern peninsula borders the Tianlong Cold Ocean, while the southern peninsula borders the Farnir Ocean to the west and the Azima Sea to the south. In the far north, it shares a border with the Kumamori region. Moving southward, it borders Kushatani, and the Fukuyama Mountains separate Soyotama from the Izumo Valley region. Across the Azima Sea lies the Ibaragi region. The region consists mainly of extreme hills, interspersed with various river valleys and flat plains.
Climate
The climate in Soyotama is greatly influenced by its latitude. The southern peninsula, which is located near the Azima Sea, experiences hot and dry summers with cool winters. Overall, it has a fairly mild climate that is regulated by the adjacent bodies of water. On the other hand, the northern peninsula has a much colder climate, with cool summers at most and harsh, snowy winters. Bodies of water in this area tend to freeze frequently. The middle regions, situated between the north and south, experience milder winters and warmer summers than the northern peninsula.
Natural Disasters
Soyotama's weather is predominantly mild, with occasional tropical storms from the south and severe winters with occasional ice storms from the north. The regions bordering the Fukuyama mountains are prone to flooding due to snowmelt from the world's largest mountain range.
Major Geographical Features
Cultures
Southern Culture Group
Astrium
The Astrium people, who mainly reside in the Alveus Valley, are proud and complex. They consider themselves the leaders of Soyotama's culture and hierarchy. Farming is idealized by the Astrium elites, but it is now mostly taken up by commoners since the abolition of serfdom. Since then, merchants and craftsmen have been organized into guilds by Imperial degree, which have taken a leading role in industrializing Soyotama. The economy of Astrium is now centered around manufacturing and commerce, with raw goods such as wool and iron from the rest of Soyotama being processed into finished goods in Astrium.
Religion and the Klaslism church play a significant role in Astrium society. There are strict restrictions on foreign deities and religious practices, and clergy positions are considered prestigious. Astrium society is also highly bureaucratic, with a degree of officialdom expected from nobles of the robes to commoners. Careful record-keeping, government, and guild oversight are common.
Aleresian
The Aleresian people are known for their strong sense of independence, having a history of repelling foreign invaders and fighting amongst their own petty kingdoms. They have a tradition of adventure, with many Aleresians becoming explorers, mercenaries, and adventurers throughout the world, especially in Yosai. Within their mountainous homeland, there are many distinct identities that are united by their shared devotion to the Klaslism church, which has been adapted to incorporate local traditions such as the Day of the Dead holiday.
Agriculture is the primary profession in Aleresia, and the region remains highly rural. However, efforts have been made to mechanize their rural industries, and there is a booming iron and coal industry. Although small, some Aleresians have achieved great success in the sugar trade, primarily through plantations in southern Yosai.
Freital
The Freital people are known for their tightly-knit communities and high level of urbanization, which sets them apart from other regions in Soyotama. Due to this, the Freital have developed a thriving textile industry with a focus on producing high-quality wool, which is highly regarded across the world. However, recent industrialization has allowed the processing of imported cotton, leading to the emergence of a booming cloth industry that is now exported globally.
In addition to their commercial prowess, the Freital are also known for their focus on foreign merchant ventures and have since become the leading merchants in Soyotama. This success has given rise to a burgeoning financial sector that is utilized by the rest of the region. Although religion remains important to the Freital, honesty and trust are considered the core values that underpin their commercial success.
Ajkan
The Ajkan people trace their roots to a nomadic tribe that migrated into Soyotama a thousand years ago. Over time, they have adopted cultural values from other Soyotama cultures, including the Kagatsuchi church. Ajkan society is strongly feudalistic, with a rigid social hierarchy between landed nobles, guilds, and peasants. Daily life revolves around the Ajkan monarchy, which wields centralized power and cultural influence.
Agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for most Ajkan, with animal husbandry of horses and cattle being highly prized. There is limited mechanization of rural industries. Despite this, the Ajkan have a cosmopolitan outlook, with a keen appreciation for foreign cultures and ideas. They draw inspiration from neighboring civilizations such as the Astrium Empire to the south, the Shounin dwarves to the east, and nomadic peoples to the north. It's common for them to adopt useful foreign practices and incorporate them into their way of life.
Northern Culture Group
Asdiac
The Asdiac people are a group that strongly values their unique traditions and religion, which are centered around the Kami Yaris and the Forest Kami on the island of Eoforwic. They have historically been mostly tribal, but as interactions with the rest of Soyotama have increased, they have begun organizing into larger settlements that focus on communal agriculture. Although the Asdiac see themselves as traditional hunter-gatherers, agriculture and animal husbandry have become central to their way of life, similar to other cultures in Soyotama. However, this shift has created tensions between traditionalists who seek to preserve old ways and the great Eoforwic Forest, and reformers who want the Asdiac to be equal with their Soyotama neighbors.
There is limited interaction between the Asdiac and other cultures, but they have a thriving lumber trade that has managed to outcompete mainland lumber through quality. Freital merchants help export the lumber, but harvesting and processing methods still use traditional methods and magic, with limited mechanization in only a few places.
Suzdalka
The Suzdalka people reside along the Reska river, which has allowed them to become a significant source of trade and commerce in the northern region of Soyotama. Due to the harsh winters and limited agricultural production, the Suzdalka prioritize their trade relationship with other regions. The majority of the Suzdalka population are free peasants based around agriculture, but who also engage in the lucrative fur trade, as well as the production of honey, wax, and timber. Currently efforts to industrialized have largely failed due their reluctance to adopt new technologies, but also due to the extreme winters have made the preservation of machines difficult, though on the flip side has enabled a thriving winter Ice trade.
The Suzdalka have a strong tradition of common rule, where citizens vote for local leaders and are actively involved in local governance. The Suzdalka are known for being highly sociable, with extended families and villages playing a crucial role in their mutual assistance and support systems, as well as the Suzdalka own take the Klaslism Church. Although they are primarily rural, the Suzdalka have several major cities and a flourishing naval trade, based on fishing and commercial activities. Because of their cold navel expertise combined with their mercantile appoarch, the Suzdalka have come to dominate the seasonal Tianlong ocean trade, which is typically frozen for most of the year except for the use of Raidu Ice cutter ships.
Ishimova
The Ishimova people are a semi-nomadic group that inhabit the northern plains of Soyotama. They rely heavily on animal husbandry and have limited permanent settlements which mainly serve as meeting grounds for nomadic groups. While they engage in some agriculture, it mostly consists of crops adapted to the cold northern climate.
Like their nomadic neighbors in Kumamori, the Ishimova were once known for raiding settled peoples, particularly their direct neighbors. However, after adopting the Kagatsuchi church and becoming more familiar with the customs of the rest of Soyotama, raiding has greatly reduced. Additionally, with the rise of gunpowder and recent industrialization, settled peoples have become stronger and more difficult to raid.
The Ishimova still maintain a rigid social hierarchy with noble boyars at the top, followed by peasants, and indentured servitude at the bottom. However, there is increasing foreign pressure to abolish this practice.
Ráidu
The Raidu people are a tribe living in the northern Kivisaari Peninsula, heavily reliant on the sea for their survival. They engage in fishing and whaling, as the harsh climate of the region limits agriculture. However, the Raidu have developed an innovative technology, ice cutter ships, which utilizes magic and machinery to cut through the thick ice of the Tianlong ocean.
The Raidu have a unique culture of oral traditions and storytelling, passed down through generations. They have also adopted the Kagatsuchi church, combined with local superstitions.
Religion
Kagatsuchi Church
The Klaslism religion is the main religion in Soyotama, which revolves around the major Kami, Kalvas, the Kami of Fire and the Forge, who is believed to have created the Ashi humans. Other important Kami include Salkiva, the Kami of glass and mirror making and wife of Kalvas. Kolyada, the Kami of metal working, gunsmiths, and the Ashen Knights, and daughter of Kalvas. And Kastytis, the Kami of the hearth, household, and fatherhood, and son of Kalvas. The religion is organized in a hierarchical structure led by the Patriarch within the Astrium Empire, with the Emperor as the Protector of the church.
The church of Klaslism believes in the doctrine of the soul forge, which states that Kalvas will reforge his followers' souls after death into better souls. The church emphasizes the values of Kalvas, such as creation, which is considered the most worthy pursuit. Craftsmen and artisans are held in high regard, with blacksmiths being the greatest due to Kalvas connection with the forge. It is encouraged for people to become productive in society and contribute to its advancement, even the upper classes and merchants are discouraged from abusing others' efforts. The creation of the family is also highly valued, mimicking Kalvas and his wife Salkiva.
The Kalvas church is united primarily by the values of the main Kami and their goal of eliminating the heathens of the Old Kami. Many of the other Soyotama cultures have their own traditions added to the church, with their own Patriarchs, but they all share the same beliefs in the doctrine of the soul forge and the values of Kagatsuchi. Followers believe that Kagatsuchi will reforge their souls in the next life to prevent mistakes from their past lives from repeating, and protect them from the influence of the Yomi Kami.
Today the Church has become a lot more cosmopolitan, connecting with other worshipers of Kalvas within Izumo and Yamatai to increase ties, as well as working with the dwarves to protect pilgrims on their way to Mt. Takao in Fukuyama
Old Kami
The Old Kami worship is another significant religion in Soyotama, mainly confined to the Eoforwic Island, Shirokaya Hills, and a few isolated cults. Followers of the Old Kami hold diverse beliefs but primarily focus on the idolization of nature, winter, and warfare.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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