Principate of Ssrkess

The Principate of Ssrkess was declared by and for the Ssrekk, a type of snakemen local to the Thousand Isles (Leutra, specifically). They are one of the many races crafted of the same essence as the dragons and drakes, and resemble snakes crossed with men, though they are smaller. The Principate is over ninety-nine percent Ssrekk, with a very small lizardfolk population on the fringes of the state. The Ssrekk number at about one million, all told. Their settlements are spread out over quite a vast area, with small villages making up the majority of the population centers. They have no large cities, but the township, if it can be called as such, of Alssaryss is the seat of government and the main population center.   The Ssrekk are organized into distinct tribes or clans, as we can understand them, but these groupings are not totally exclusive from one another. That is to say, a Ssrekk may identify as being a member of multiple tribes, and will see her true family as being the entirety of each. There are four major tribes, however, which seem to separate the population for the most part -- meaning that most Ssrekk identify as at least (and usually only) one of the four. These are the Venomfang, the Stripetail, the Shadow-Hunters (as I translate the name), and the Darkband. Each of these tribes seem to be related to physical characteristics or, in the case of the Shadow-Hunters, a preferred method of hunting -- which has led me to hypothesize that there must be some difference between these tribes and the many other, smaller tribes, that we outsiders simply don't fully understand. In any case, these four tribes are most used by outsiders such as myself to describe the culture of the Ssrekk, so we will begin with them.   Venomfangs are by far the most numerous of all Yuan-ti in the Principate. It seems that, by the Principate's own census, 46.7% of all its citizens are Venomfang (notice that I say are, which is exactly what the Principate reports. For the Ssrekk it seems that there is no concept of "identifying" as one tribe or another, you simply are a member of the tribe, or you are not.). Primary qualities of a Venomfang include, of course, a particularly venomous bite which kills much more quickly than the bite of their non-Venomfang kin. Furthermore the extra potent venom seems to come with a desire to use it. Venomfang can often be found at the vanguard of the Ssrekk raiding parties into Leutra, and in the Serpentine Assemby, they often push for more raids and even expansion onto nearby islands.   Those Ssrekk who call themselves Stripetail are the second most numerous within the Principate, and have considerable overlap with the Venomfang, comprising 34.9% of the population. They are named, obviously, for the multitude of colored stripes that run the length of their tails. What, biologically, the stripes signify is unclear -- in unintelligent serpents, such a pattern would signify that the creature is venomous, which has led some to speculate that these Ssrekk may have been shaped by the same entity that then created the lesser serpents. Stripetails mostly live on the southern cape of the island, and are the principal traders of the Principate, often financing raids and expeditions into Leutra and even outside of it, occasionally.   The Shadow-Hunters, as I translate their name, are much less numerous than the aforementioned groups, comprising only 19.4% of the total population. Most of the Shadow-Hunters seek a military occupation, either joining the Balaur, if they are highborn enough, joining the frequent raids into Leutran territory, or serving in the Ssrekk navy -- usually specializing in anti-piracy operations. Shadow-Hunters are renowned for their stealth capabilities, and are experts at infiltration, theft, and assassination (there is a widespread conspiracy theory that our elven kingdom often hires Shadow-Hunter assassins to eliminate particularly problematic pirate lords). Within Shadow-Hunter circles, it is quite common for the Shadow-Hunters to steal from each other as a sort of joke. However, the "thievery" is, in reality, a socially sanctioned practice program for the Hunters to hone their skills, and for those who are stolen from to practice their tracking and deduction. Once the thief is found, the item is promptly returned, and the thief and "victim" will sit together and discuss the shortcomings of each of their methods. One interesting rule of this "game" is that the thief, rather than choosing to steal something important and obvious, should steal something seemingly insignificant and small. The reason for this, I imagine, is both practical (it would be difficult to live if your essentials were always being stolen!) and also serves to hone the Shadow-Hunters' attention to detail.   Comprising a measly 3.5% of the Yuan-ti in Ssrkess, the Darkband are quite a rare sight on the mainland of the Principate. Most of the Darkband are members of the navy, or else live on the coasts of the Principate, or on the isle of Ssharaph. According to official Principate history, the Darkband are something of "foreigners" to the Principate -- possibly coming from the interior of the old Leutran kingdom, where ships were needed to hop between the hundreds of small islands comprising the area. The Yuan-ti historian Ssercesh tells us that the Darkband were forced from their homeland into the lands of the modern Principate as the Leutrans sought to force all of the Yuan-ti into a single space which could easily be targeted for purification. She calls this event the "Darkband Exodus," and has archaeological evidence to support her claim -- several abandoned villages dating to the time of the early Leutran Empire have been discovered near the center of the Leutran jungle-chain. Her theory could also explain the seafaring nature of the Darkband, and their affinity for the sea. Interestingly, their being outsiders actually makes them some of the most well respected members of Ssrekk society, since they are seen as having lost the most of all Yuan-ti.

The territory of the Principate extends from the northern edge of the Rashakh darkwood of Leutra, where the jungle becomes quite dense and mountainous, to the sea. This mountainous area has been named Ssrkess, just as the dominion that claims it. The Ssrekk also claim the island of Ssharaph, just to the west of their main holdings. For as long as any of the Ssrekk can recall, their people have dwelt there, making homes among the branches of the trees, and growing and weaving those branches together until they are as sturdy as the stone floor I sit upon as I write this. A traveler walking beneath the canopy would hardly notice their presence, though the traveler would certainly be noticed by the inhabitants of the jungle, and would likely be followed for the duration of their stay. Ssrkess is full of lush vegetation, and all of the medicinal herbs that can be found in common jungles. The mountainous terrain makes traveling by foot difficult, though not impossible   Scores of mountain passes pave the way into Ssrkess, all watched day and night by the guardians of the realm. Though the Ssrekk do not claim the territory beyond the passes, the will not suffer Leutrans to settle in large populations, and are wary of outsiders taking up residence in the jungles of the lost kingdom. The foreign coasts surrounding the Principate are bare save for the husks of abandoned villages and old Jujii temples that dot the region. For this reason, it is often said that though the Ssrekk only populate the region that they call the Principate, their hegemony over Leutra essentially makes it part of their domain. There has been some talk of colonizing the shores of the various Leutran islands (Yssera, Assuraban, and the Swampwood, chiefly), but the general population of Ssrkess has little interest in settling elsewhere in the region.   The island of Ssharaph is a strange exception to the rule, where the Ssrekk claim it and settle upon it, even though it isn't part of their ancestral lands. The valuable Naura supply on the island is a critical source of revenue for the Principate, as well as being a potent countermeasure to powerful mind-altering spells which were used extensively in the persecution of the Ssrekk by the Leutrans. The Ssrekk defend the island almost as fiercely as their homeland, and the recent elven incursions into the region in the name of eliminating piracy have heightened tensions with the Ssrekk, as the Ssrekk wait to see whether or not the elves will attempt to affect business on Ssharaph.

The military of the Principate of Ssrkess is comprised of a small core of elite soldiers complemented by a large amateur volunteer body of raiders. The approximately one-thousand elite Balaur that form the core of the army are recruited from the most well respected aristocrats of each clan, large and small. Balaur are selected from birth -- only the strongest-looking infants are chosen for this elite program -- though I don't know quite what the selection criteria is, considering my limited knowledge Yuan'ti physiology (I was always a horrible anatomy student). As soon as a Balaur child is old enough to hold a knife, training commences. Each morning, as soon as the sun pokes above the horizon, the children are taken to the ritual training ground where they will be drilled and educated until the sun leaves the sky. Martial prowess is a necessity for the Balaur as they are the sole defenders of the realm against the many threats to Ssrekk sovereignty (most especially the Leutrans, I suppose). They are taught how to wield swords, bows, and various polearms, and are taught how to fight in formation and in individual combat. In the special schools built for them they are taught the history of the Principate, with especial emphasis on the crushing oppression of the Leutrans and liberation by the Juje. Hatred for their lizardfolk neighbors is burned into them from youth, and it is rare to see a Balaur take a prisoner, unless he plans to make him a personal slave.   In stark contrast to the Balaur, the volunteer raiders that are called upon in times of voyages away from home (usually to monitor Leutran activity and pillage some of their settlements) are totally unprofessional and are mostly interested in gaining loot, preferably without having to die for it. Each time the Principate desires to remind their neighbors of who the superior kingdom is, they call upon the gloryseekers of their Principate to go forth in whatever vessels they have and to raid and pillage any lizardfolk settlements that they see, especially settlements larger than one-hundred people. Some raiders are less interested in killing than robbing, but there are enough sadists among them to ensure that any unfortunate lizardmen caught by the raiders will be killed in one way or another, ore else be sold into slavery. The general tactic of the raiders is to use overwhelming force to destroy their enemy, which would certainly backfire save for the fact that the Leutrans have been so thoroughly decimated by the Ssrekk in recent decades that they can offer no organized resistance to them. And so it is that raiders will leave their homeland to plunder their neighbors, and will often come back no worse for wear and with new wealth to boot.   Of course, I shan't forget that the Principate does have a professional navy in order to protect and maintain its trade routes through the Thousand Isles. This navy is generally uninvolved with the periodic raids on Leutran settlements, but they do escort ships through Leutran waters, which are the fastest and safest way to reach Jin-El Aethis from the west. This "Leutran Passage" is heavily taxed by the Ssrekk and generates the vast majority of the Principate's revenue. It takes near three-thousand Ssrekk to keep their navy at full operation, and many hundreds (possibly up to two-thousand) of the positions are passed from parent to child -- creating a cast of professional mariners which form quite a formidable force, even by elven standards. Other than routine patrol and escort, the Ssrekk navy has also begun a fledgling anti-piracy program which seeks to take war to well-known pirate havens. This program is still in its infancy, but preparations for large-scale operations are currently underway in the Principate, which has drawn the close scrutiny of the elven navy -- as the grand admiral of our navy wants to ensure that no power to the southwest of the elven kingdom becomes strong enough to contest elven hegemony.

The Ssrekk have few foreign relations outside of two groups: the elves of Jin-El Aethis, and the native Leutrans. Let's discuss the elves first since the discussion of them will be short and rather droll. The elves and Ssrekk have a minor trade going. For the elves it's hardly noticeable among the hundreds of groups that they trade with, but for the Ssrekk its an important client to have. The Ssrekk mostly export medicinal herbs local to the Leutran jungles that are difficult to obtain elsewhere. Even better, they sell them for cheap, except for the vaunted naura root found only on Ssharaph. Naura is capable of counteracting even the strongest mind-warping spells, and is oft purchased by the Necromantic Enclave and any soldier worth his salt who's hunting demons. Relations remain stable, but the slow elven extension into the region is poised to either disrupt or make more fruitful the relationship with the Ssrekk.   As for the Leutrans, the policy is simple and complex. They are the hated foe of the Ssrekk, who, in a bygone age, ruled with an iron fist and persecuted all Ssrekk they could find -- enslaving or outright killing them in the name of racial purity. After the Jujii empire collapsed the Leutran kingdom, the Ssrekk finally found themselves under leaders who hardly noticed them, a state of affairs which they enjoyed greatly. When the Jujii empire collapsed in turn after the Interregnum, the Ssrekk were more than ready to form their own independent Hamjii before the Leutrans could reform their kingdom. The result is the Principate of Ssrkess, and the Ssrekk have not forgotten their old enemies. The Principate has little desire to expand, but they seek to keep the Leutrans forever weak. To this end, they seek to extend their reach to all of the Leutran jungles, often making raids on Leutran coast settlements and "settling old scores" through extermination of lizardfolk. The raids have made some of the Ssrekk powerful and wealthy -- well respected by their kin for their revenge-seeking. How this may change or intensify in the future I cannot say, but for now the Ssrekk are content to lord their strength over their former masters.