Maressean

Location

Maresseans are inhabits of the country Maressea, situated in the western side of the northeastern continent Mysandros. It shares borders with the Kingdom of Gonde and Hantou on its eastern side.  

Physical Traits

Maressea is a largely arid/semi-arid region, with a warmer climate than the continent of Aldenia to the west, though cooler than the southern continents. As such, the Maresseans typically have naturally olive or bronzed skintones, darker hairs and a relatively lean physique due to the nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors.  

Cultural Exports

Maressea is known for his culinary prowess. Food and drink make up the bulk of the exports out of the country. It is particularly famous for its olives and wines. The combination of rich soils and a slightly warmer climate than Aldenia makes it perfect for the growing of more tropical fruits such as oranges and lemons. With Maressea's proximity to the continent of Thrabad to the south, which has vast areas that are incapable of growing things, Maressea exports a vast array of vegetables, fruits and nuts that are not necessarily unique to the region to Thrabad.   Whilst Maressea is the only region that uses white marble in its architecture (Dawnstone in Aldenia is a notable example from elsewhere), due to its almost exclusive usage across its cities, that stone has become synonymous with the region. Maressea also has the largest active marble mines.  

Worship

In Maressea, the approach to worship of The Dia is done on a more collective basis rather than to individual gods. Religious buildings dedicated to specific gods are rare in Maressea. In general, reverence to the Dia is held highly within Maressean culture. This is reflected by the fact their leaders in certain sectors are named after a related god. For example, they have a Proson ton Tidor, which translates as 'Representative of Tidor'. The Proson ton Tidor is also known as the Master of Ships.  

Language

The Maressean language is close to the Common Tongue that the majority of the world speaks. The common changes amongst their vocabulary include the usage of 'k' over 'c' in some words and 'ph' over 'f'.