Ceridian Empire
The Empire dominates Zaria, currently made up of Algrath, Ceridia, Conlis, Koldric, Muldia, and Elshon. Originally it held Altris and Dra'Kun's territories within its fold as well. However Altris has declared open rebellion against the Empire, and Dra’Kun has declared its independence while claiming much of the north. Much of the below information still applies to these two nations despite their political separation.
Culture
Brothers in Arms
The Empire is incredibly military driven due to the dangerous nature of Zaria, with monsters constantly assaulting the world at night. How more often then not the common trust people have in one another is fairly high, as in general taking a life means less defense against the nightmares of the world.
This additionally denotes that everyone should have some measure of self-defense training. At the least, proficiency in crossbow and spear is learned from early years with required weekly training Empire-wide beginning at eleven years old. This training is for all genders, though biological women are encouraged to learn long-ranged combat due to the risk of being captured by the Pale if engaging in melee. Attacks on outposts and other areas of significant fortification are often counted as happening once to twice a week. Far more frequent in the Wildlands.
Battle against Darkness
As all are trained in the basics of self-defense and military tactics, those that decide to enter into the civil military such as guards, constables, and the national equivalent as well as those brave enough to enter the true Military, are well respected, and well paid for their duties. Constantly risking ones life, body, and sanity to fight back against the dark.
This is equally why Wayfarer’s are so well respected, and why so few members of society join the famous organization despite its excellent benefits. A life career of fighting for ones life against nightmarish monsters is generally not a long life lived, and if it is, it is not one lived well without nightmares for the rest of their days.
Turncoats
Banditry is unheard of for long periods of time and only occasionally breaks out during times of war and intense conflict. Taking the shape of deserters seeking resources to survive until they are no longer wanted by military forces due to the dangers of the wilds.
Wildlands
Though the Empire spans a massive territory and boasts grand fortresses, cities and towns, most of Zaria is untamable Wildlands. With the inability to maintain safety once the sun sets, people instead focus on living in massive groups and come together as community-driven units to help each other and expand their influence. This is also why there are no such things as “hamlets” or small clusters of buildings alone in the wilds. The smallest unit of people you’ll find are known as “Outposts” of a few hundred people living behind tall walls and generally several Houses of Rest for travelers to find safety.
Community Driven
Most of Zarian Culture is based around the idea of living in large communities, primarily massive sprawling cities holding populations in the millions behind multiple layers of heavy fortifications. Massive paved roads and waterways are used to connect major cities together with outposts spaced between to offer occasional safe havens for large groups. There are then generally villages and towns built around resources of importance that help frame these roads acting as distribution networks.
Travel the Darkness
Travel is hazardous in Zaria, and focuses solely on following the roads that are patrolled by the nation's military to keep them as safe as possible. Usually in large caravans in order to keep one another safe in the dark with multiple watches. Lone travelers are incredibly rare and often viewed as suicidal, insane, or incredibly skilled. In general travel during the night is something done only during emergencies or the greatest of duress, even among caravans.
Safehouses are used as mid-way points to help keep travelers safe, government-funded, though they are found in various states. These are reinforced structures built to safely house anywhere from four to ten individuals, sometimes more. They are frequently placed a day, to three days apart in the hopes of filling in the blank, dangerous areas often found between outposts.
Education in a Dark Land
Education within Zaria is limited, but not completely lacking. In general all children from tax-paying, “loyal, legal citizens”, are taught from the age of seven basic arithmetic and currency, as well as how to speak and write Common, Zarin, and the native tongue of their parent nation. Schooling is held once a week, and often coincides with military training once they reach the age of eleven.
Education beyond this is limited to trades, which is highly encouraged and common to have a child spend their days assisting an expert of a trade they show interest in to help breed passion and hone talent.
Respect thy Meal
Though there are many respected professions within Zaria, especially smiths, carpenters, masons and the like to build the fortifications that keep civilizations safe, the most respected of all would be farmers. Those families that are placed in charge of large sections of land to nurture and grow food are universally respected on Zaria, and under protection even under times of war.
Braving the darkness and wilds to nurture food and animals is viewed as one of the most valued positions in the world, and often denotes a social status separate from nobility or military rank. Anyone who assaults or harms farmers, or the crops they protect and nurture, are often hunted down and put to the most slow and brutal of deaths.
Sexuality and Revelry
With a lack of any general deities that care for such things in any serious measure, and some species that are able to freely alter their sex at will, Zaria holds a general “neutral” stance on most forms of gender identity and sexuality. Most care little for what one identifies as or whom they may lust over. The only slight distaste is toward same-sex partners due to the inability to procreate and continue the species, but is often overlooked by all but the most dramatic of individuals.
This extends into a general idea that sexuality and revelry aren’t something to be scorned, but encouraged in this dark world to raise moral and hope. There are no sicknesses or diseases that are transferred sexually within Zaria, aside from the Taint.
Though the term “Courtesan” or “Prostitute” is rarely used, “Houses of Rest” are common and found as an interchangeable term with nearly any inn. They specialize in individuals that hold various skill in the arts, song, writing, poetry, dance and even simple conversation in order to alleviate burdens and nightmares. They are respected professions, and many, though not all, also sell their bodies as services to bring pleasure and to forget the nightmares of the world.
These individuals are highly respected regardless of their choice to sell their bodies, or not. For being so educated in such arts is rare, and a much-needed light in a dark world. They are heavily protected and funded by the various governments of the world, and equally taxed.
Love and Oath
Though monogamy is the most common form of partnering within Zaria, it isn’t the only one. In general about a third of the population is openly polyamorous in various ways up to the individuals in question. Regardless of personal desires, the concept of being “Oathed”, “Wedlocked”, or “Married” all hold the same idea of individuals making an oath to remain bound together for the rest of their lives. It is viewed as a cultural concept more than a legal requirement and has little to do with faith, law, or government.
Narcotics and Drugs
In general, Zarian culture has no issue at all with various narcotics, drugs and alcohol. Though a degree of temperance is seen as the normal due to the fact all are required to be functional during the nights in case of an attack or Pale raid, generalized use on ones own time is quite legal. This is in part due to the governments being able to then legally tax such substances, and with the risk being to ones life if they ingest too much and there is a raid, its generally accepted as normal to never enjoy too much of such substances.
Stigma of Black Blood
The only true illegal narcotics found within Zaria, are those that are created using the corrupted creatures as reagents. This of course comes with the penalty that they are, by far, the most easily created and potent of any stimulants. However the risk of the taint is too great, and so they are incredibly illegal as is anything that could lead to an individual being willingly infected with the taint or corruption.
This social stigma comes from the violent tendencies survivors often exhibit. Let alone the horrific death most suffer at its hands, or the corruption turning survivors twisted, mad, cannibalistic, and incredibly powerful. The only exception to this rule is a normal, functioning individual despite being tainted. In these instances the individual is legally required to wear a small badge and be registered as a functional tainted member of society. This badges acts as a warning to those around them in case their emotions run rampant and they enter a rage.
They are often feared, and alienated due to this fear leading to segregation, and often, suicidal tendencies or becoming the few hermits in the wilds that manage to survive the ordeal of living a solitary life due to their dark blood.
Calendar
The Ceridian calendar has been adopted by every major nation and is considered the "common calendar" for the continent after the effects of the Thousand-Year Blood War. This is tracked by a total of 360 days separated into six months. Each month holding six weeks, with a week being ten days. These days named and often tracked by number for longer-term references (ie. "The 49'th of Evermet." or “The second Arelven.” denoting the second week’s Arelven.).
Days
Every day is named after an individual of importance aside from the Ceridian Empire as a way of attempting to “appease the lesser nations” while still showcasing them being of less import than the grand months and seasons.
The days are “Arelven”, “Ochven”, “Limel’ven”, “Entimven”, “Gilgaven”, “Metrilven”, “Kiven”, “Pildeven”, “Ufulven”, “Quilven”, and “Himven”.
Months
Each month is named as a reference to the conquest of the Ceridian Empire.
Galenforth is named after the Elsha combat style of breaking a battle before it began through their aggressive tactics. It begins in late Winter.
Sverenfelt is on the Víteliú celebration of art and poetry at the start of every year and begins near the middle of spring.
Angeluinam references the Emperor drinking from the blood of the Angels found in the Fall of the Angels Ceridian folklore. Beginning on the first day of summer.
Sangoriri which means the "Rise of Blood" as a reference to the Emperor's "God Lineage" rising to power, tending to begin in late summer.
Evermet is based on the Brittanian meeting of the round table every year known as the Evermoot, it begins in early Autumn.
Gal'Duratus is the Ceridian name for winter expanded upon into a reference toward the rise of the once-great frost monarch of Dra'Kun, an insult against the people stating the giant people have now "frozen over". It begins during early Winter.
Currency
The Ceridian Empire utilizes coin-based currency based on weight. There are no standardized sizes, but the material weight of the coin holds its value. Most coins are blank that are in use across Zaria, but there are some that have been forged within the past few hundred years holding the face of the current emperor engraved into their surface. Due to this the colloquial term “Face” or simply “Coin” has been used to express a currency’s value.
A single “Face” is measured as representing 2 grams of silver or 1 gram of diamond. In some situations, materials such as iron and tungsten are more valuable. All of these are valued due to their requirement to fuel spellcasting as well as military might, and weakening monsters. Within Zaria, Mithrium is considered the most precious material.
The materials used in order of value are:
Tin (1 Coin)
Copper (5 Faces)
Zinc (50 Faces)
Gold (500 Faces)
Platinum (5000 Faces)