Sraitheanna na'Léaráide

The misty mountains are permeated with chanted sutras from the various Sects of Talamh Biotáille, lead by Paramita. Sraitheanna na'Léaráide seems an otherworldly haven from the desires of man, second only to The Heartland with regards to being an Immortal's Paradise. The people of which, Cinn Thógtha, hide away in their monasteries and temples draped in Kāṣāya while chanting sutra counting with the mālā of 108 beads held in the left hand before their chest, wielding khakkhara of 4, 6, or 12 rings depending on their status in their right hands.

Structure

Sraitheanna na'Léaráide is divided into many sects, shrines, temples, and monasteries each of which is led by a Patriarch or Matriarch as the Head Priest or Head Monk though behind these leaders are the various Ancestors, usually consisting of previous head priests and monks. Next in line are the Elders who have high attainment within Cosán na'Biotáille and usually are in charge of the actual affairs of their sect as well as teaching the Core Disciples who are the most promising of the junior generation. The Chosen of each sect are the geniuses from within the Core Disciples and are direct personal disciples of the Head Priest or Head Monk usually. The rest of their bodies consist of Inner Disciples and Outer Disciples depending on their talent and attainment within their Conairí. Though not part of any sect there are still many commoners within secular life within villages, towns, and even cities whom lead their own lives within Talamh Biotáille and donate a portion of their goods to the nearby shrines and temples.

Public Agenda

Sraitheanna na'Léaráide is apathetic to the outside world, seeking only enlightenment of the spirit... or at least this is how the other four nations view them. While this stereotype is indeed based in reality the many sects, temples, and monasteries have different outlooks to each other with some in perennial seclusion and others venturing all of Ihmisen Keh'to punishing sins and sealing spirits.

Assets

The Holy Lands probably seem the most destitute compared to the other four nations but the natural wonders within it's borders are probably the most numerous outside of An'Croílár due to the dense spiritual energy permeating the environment. Mountain ranges, forests, and rivers create natural formations to form the Holy Lands which Talamh Biotáille derives their name from and while most of the temples and shrines remain austere the largest of the sects and monasteries are laced jade and pearl in accordance to their traditions.

History

Its said that long ago Talamh Biotáille was plagued with war and pestilence due to the constant competition for the natural wonders within the land until an ascetic teacher was able to unite the lands without violence, purely relying on the power of his words. Millennia has passed and though that mythical teacher remains in tales of yore none know if he ever truly existed, nonetheless the monks and priests of Sraitheanna na'Léaráide claim to follow that mythical figures teachings (though they've long since fragmented into various sects).

Demography and Population

Though commoners within The Holy Lands cover much of the lands with their villages, towns, and cities the important places such as the natural formations are instead occupied by the sects, shrines, temples, and monasteries. Each individual sect seeks out a location which best suits their own enlightenment based on the amount of power and prestige they can rely on to serve as their Holy Land - though the most important Holy Land within Talamh Biotáille has been controlled by Paramita for time immemorial.

Territories

All of Talamh Biotáille belongs to the various sects of Sraitheanna na'Léaráide, even those who've immigrated from other lands have converted into the spiritual practices of the monks and priests rather than invade for fear of the spiritual means available to the natives. Though the commoner villages and towns may move from time to time due to some disaster each Holy Land has belonged to that particular sect for generations. Also, although a few temples and monasteries exist outside the borders of Talamh Biotáille nearly all were founded as branches of one of the leading sects when their disciples chose to venture out to do good deeds.

Military

Considering that the other four nations dread the spiritual practices and powers of the monks and priests of Sraitheanna na'Léaráide it may be considered strange that they hold not a single standing military power. The closest they have would be the Punishment Division lead by each Punishment Elder within the various sects - but these forces are more for internal policing that the projection of military force. Furthermore the various psions have no desire to conquer the other four nations, so why do the other four nations fear them so? Its because every individual priest has the potential to summon an army of spirits to devour the souls of invaders or even bewitch the enemy troops into turning on their own with their chanted sutras. Due to this, though Sraitheanna na'Léaráide has no military, the threat they pose to invading forces is redoubtable.

Technological Level

Medieval is the best way to describe the level of advancement within Talamh Biotáille. They've got horse and ox carts, oil lamps, paper production, and other such means but due to the nature of Cosán na'Biotáille much of the nation under Sraitheanna na'Léaráide hasn't progressed in the way that Ríocht na'Draíocht, Na'Comhrialtas, or Aontas na'Aireagáin have. That said, many commoners have begun to embrace the technologies brought over by the Merchant's Guild and larger cities and other wealthy secular lords have started to take advantage of technological imports though most of Talamh Biotáille remains in an ascetic, rustic form.

Religion

Though not truly a religion, with no gods nor worship, Sraitheanna na'Léaráide follows Cosán na'Biotáille with religious zeal nonetheless and have even organized themselves into temples and monasteries based on different sects and schools of thought in regards to this Conairí. In fact, this has made Talamh Biotáille the most religious land of Ihmisen Keh'to since out of the other four nations only Tailte Fiaine's Soturi Ihmisiä hold religious views as well with their ancestor and nature worship.

Foreign Relations

Most of Sraitheanna na'Léaráide outright ignores the other four nations and many even ignore the commoners within their own borders. Those who do pay attention to the secular world seek to guard over it, protecting and doing good for those they meet rather than ruling over them though a few unorthodox sects run by immigrants from Fásach Draíocht or An'Croílár retain their desire for authority and power.

Agriculture & Industry

There is a reason Sraitheanna na'Léaráide seem to be so destitute, despite the immense number of natural wonders within Talamh Biotáille. This is because the monks and priests of Sraitheanna na'Léaráide do not farm beyond gardens to grow natural wonders and do not have any industry outside of refining talismans and other spiritual artifacts - nearly all such work is done by the commoners instead and not worth mentioning within Ihmisen Keh'to. Even the temples and monasteries themselves are nearly always built by the monks and priests in the same manner a commoner would, with their only notable feature being that their architecture naturally forms a Formation modeled after the natural topography Formations within Talamh Biotáille.

Trade & Transport

Due to the lack of trade, there is little to no transport systems in place with Sraitheanna na'Léaráide themselves but the commoners make ample use of trade with the Merchant's Guild of Na'Comhrialtas - though what they offer tends to be low-grade natural wonders the priests and monks don't care for and other such low-grade raw materials. In fact, most trade within Sraitheanna na'Léaráide happens on an individual level between priests and monks or in an auction format with the interested parties coming in person. On the extremely rare occasion one of the psions has a desire to trade with someone from the other four nations they just go to one of the Merchant's Guild's offices within the commoner's cities along the coast of Sisämeri: The Inland Sea.

Education

While the commoners of The Holy Lands learn the old fashioned way based on their occupations, the monks and priests of Sraitheanna na'Léaráide enter the various temples and monasteries as acolytes and disciples to be taught by their elders in the ways of the spirit and enlightenment. Gifted individuals may become Core Disciples taught by the Elders on a personal level and geniuses can even catch the eye of a Head Monk or Priest and become Chosen. No matter the level however, they learn only what they need to gain enlightenment or work with spirits and disdain "mortal" practices since they view the temptations of the mortal world as a hindrance to their pursuit of enlightenment.

Infrastructure

Humans are industrious, even without the aid of An'Conairí and as such even the commoners of Talamh Biotáille have built many villages and towns, even large cities crop up occasionally. However, the southern nation lives the most rustic life of all the nations of Ihmisen Keh'to without power or other amenities - relying on oil lamps and horse carts. Still, they're not as primitive as Soturi Ihmisiä and at least have that level of advancement. Even the Infrastructure of Sraitheanna na'Léaráide is deceptively simple, so much so that they even appear to be built by commoners with no specialized training at first though closer inspection will reveal they mimic the natural wonders and formations of the environment.

Divine Origins

Unlike most Conairí, Sraitheanna na'Léaráide has mythologized the origin of Cosán na'Biotáille rather than simply treating it as the tradition passed down by their ancestors or built upon over time. In the myths of Talamh Biotáille Cosán na'Biotáille was passed down when an ascetic teacher came to end all wars that plagued the land and those whom that teacher instructed founded Pāramitā, the leading Temple of Sraitheanna na'Léaráide.

Type

Religious, Monastic Order

Alternative Names

Sects of Enlightenment

Training Level

Semi-trained

Veterancy Level

Trained

Demonym

Monks, Priests, Psions, Psychics, Shamans, Spiritualists

Government System

Monarchy, Theocratic

Power Structure

Semi-autonomous area

Economic System

Traditional

Currency

Unlike the other four nations there is no official currency for the various sects of The Holy Lands since they receive all their necessities in the form of donations from the common folk and the various natural wonders they desire commoners can't obtain anyway leaving them to seek them out themselves or trade one of the natural wonders in their possession with another monk or priest. The commoners still use the normal currency of Ihmisen Keh'to - precious metals and gems.

Major Exports

As they abstain from the secular world and thus do not amass wealth, little is traded outside - on the rare cases when it does happen the only thing which interests outsiders are the spiritual treasures or natural wonders of Talamh Biotáille.

Major Imports

Sraitheanna na'Léaráide doesn't import any good from the other four nations on large scale and only rarely is trade done on an individual or sect level with the outside world.

Legislative Body

Each sects rules are determined by their Elders, so long as they don't contradict the overall well-being of Talamh Biotáille as dictated by Paramita.

Judicial Body

Though ostensibly the Elders are also responsible for enforcing the rules of their individual sects, they tend to appoint a Punishment Elder who leads a group of disciples to enforce those rules.

Parent Organization

Pāramitā

Location

Talamh Biotáille: The Holy Lands

Controlled Territories