Nations of Vathis – Sillirai “Honor the Dream”
Sillirai
“Honor the Dream”
Colors: Purple, blue, green
Banner: Laris Tree
Population: 20,427,017
Capitol: Cenirien
Government: Constitutional Monarchy Republic
Leader(s): Couric zi’Laristha, King
Languages: Sillarian, Common, Leyarish, Mythric
Notable Exports: Jewelry, Luxury goods, Lumber
Residing on the continent of Sillious to the west of Asarus, Sillirai is home to the world’s only native population of amari. The amari themselves are a psionic race who’ve bonded with the great laris trees of Sillirai for generations, and this interspecies bond defines much of the culture and architecture of the kingdom. Laris trees are prominent in the core construction of Sillarian cities, the grace and curve of which baffle outsiders accustomed to right angles and straight lines. The few stone cities left standing in Sillirai are elegant, ancient structures built by artisan craftsmen long before laris bonding began. Despite being known for lush forests, picturesque rivers, and near-constant rainfall, the kingdom of Sillirai boasts a peaceful duality between natural simplicity and rich extravagance, and wealthy amari families export staggering amounts of precious gems and other luxury goods to the mainland. Sillirai is an established player in world affairs, primarily due to the nation’s vast wealth and permanence throughout history. Many are wary of Sillirai’s vast intelligence network, which remains a formidable force in the wake of the Darkest War, but the public’s confidence in the integrity of Sillirai’s leadership has increased tenfold in recent years.
Sillirai is inhabited by a populace who enjoys and encourages the use of one’s spare time for personal means while managing to fulfill a satisfactory amount of meaningful work.
Most Sillarian citizens recognize their duty to provide for their home and take up farming or other vital tasks, but they enrich their lives with the honing of craft skills, hobbies, and leisurely pursuits. The majority of the Silllarian population gathers into cities of laris trees that appear as woodland wonderlands to the average tourist. Small villages are scattered throughout the forests and plains, a godsend to those who find integrating into the laris cities difficult. Races other than amari who are uncomfortable with the intelligent trees have built humble towns and hamlets with respect to any surrounding laris. Dwarves in particular have taken up residence in the ancient stone dwellings built in the ages before laris bonding was commonplace, and their kind can also be found living in the Garnet Walls mountain range, which was explored by the Vitarúnsker dwarven family centuries ago. This mountain range has kept the Sillarian interior safe for millennia. Much of the open countryside fell to ruin during the Darkest War, and only a few points of strength remain outside of the Garnet Walls. Although Sillirai has been thoroughly mapped by explorers and scholars, the deepest reaches of the kingdom’s forests are still strange, peculiar places where even the greatest woodsman can find himself lost, as they oftentimes do. It is not uncommon for sentient laris to lend their psionic aid to travelers with good hearts and subtly guide them out of the forest labyrinths and back into the light of day. Those of ill repute and nefarious intention are less fortunate, however.
Sillirai’s devotion to the goddess Aleydra has produced a kingdom that values information, learning, and exploration.
It is common and warmly accepted for Sillarian citizens to go on long travels abroad and stay away for months, years, or even decades, in the case of the amari, before returning home. During the Darkest War the kingdom answered the call for soldiers, and many brave men, women, and adolescents marched in battle waving the Sillarian flag. Sillarian citizens believe strongly in honor and chivalry, and they take pride in their country. Honorable duels are the way most conflicts are solved, and there are tournaments every year celebrating the fallen and the glory of honorable battle. The majority of the kingdom’s fourteen high families prioritize the well-being of the citizens beneath them, but corruption is not unknown, and lower nobility are not subject to the same strict chivalrous standards as the high families.
Sillirai’s climate is consistent throughout the entire nation. Warm currents rolling in from the Auntershai ocean raise the overall temperature of the country, and consequentially, Sillirai is wet and warm.
The kingdom experiences mild winters and cool summers, and rainy days are extremely common in all four seasons. The climate facilitates the fervent growth of Sillirai’s vegetation, particularly the groves of the laris trees, which flourish year-round. Droughts in this kingdom are unheard of, and a number of rivers and lakes dot the lush, forested landscape. Those who live in Sillirai are unconcerned about unexpected weather and natural disasters and instead focus on working around the near-constant hindrance of overcast days and grey skies.
