Yuan (yahn)

The nation of Yuan is a small city-state located deep within the jungles of Caladrem. It is home to the yuan-ti people, and its territory is mainly centered around their massive central temple to the serpent deity Yuan-Lumusi. Surrounding this temple is a relatively small city of around 11,000 inhabitants, not all of whom are serpentine.   Defying long-held customs and traditions, the yuan-ti have recently begun allowing travelers and merchants from the outside world into their secretive society. These visitors are only allowed on the outskirts of the city, nowhere near the sacred temple grounds. Merchants and those bringing goods must pass their goods off to yuan-ti cartmen to make the final stretch of the journey from the city's outskirts to the individual shops for which they bound. Repeat visitors that gain the yuan-ti leaders' trust are allowed to stay and settle in the city, though the same geographical limitations still exist for them. This gradual opening to the outside world has been going on for around a decade now, and scholars are beginning to gain the access necessary to document the yuan-ti, their history, and their customs - though most will admit they are at least another decade away from this goal. This change has not been met with universal applause throughout yuan-ti society, however; there are many traditionalists and conversatives within the faith that feel that outsiders should always be enslaved or sacrificed, as their traditions dictate.   The nation of Yuan is not comprised solely of the city surrounding the main temple of Yuan-Lumusi; there are several remote jungle villages that also answer to the high priests here in the main city. These villages are mostly left to their own devices but must check in with the main city regularly for new religious advice or to report any suspicious travelers in the jungle.   The founding of the kingdom of Yuan is somewhat shrouded in mystery, since the yuan-ti did not allow outsiders in their territory until very recently. Since at least the middle of the First Age there have been yuan-ti in the jungles of Caladrem, harrassing sailors who stopped for a rest or cartographers who sought to map the region. These early yuan-ti led raids against the settlements on other parts of the island, which further contributed to their renown and reputation.   Still, not much was known about the yuan-ti society until 2345 1A when a yuan-ti scholar was exiled from her homeland and traveled around the world to discover new truths and increase her knowledge with other cultures' findings. This scholar reported - for the first time anyone had heard of it - the massive temple in the jungle and the growing city that surrounded it. She described some of their customs and traditions, though much was unknown to her, as she was a pariah from a young age whom the religious leaders shunned and tried to scare off. Shasstisss never returned to her homeland, but she became known far and wide throughout the universities for her research acumen and contributions to global knowledge of her culture.