Osept “Unchanged, Immovable, Indomitable”

Osept

“Unchanged, Immovable, Indomitable”

Colors: Tan, River blue, Red
Banner: Serpent
Population: 9,001,698
Capitol: Eiliept
Government: Dynastic Monarchy
Leader: Grand Pharaoh Uzlak
Languages: Oseptian, Common, Rancar
Notable Exports: Spices, Gold, Jewelry, Magical goods, Textiles

Known as the “Gateway to the East”, Osept is a kingdom whose main roads connect western Asarus to the southeastern half of the continent.

Windswept deserts dotted by pyramids and sandstone sculptures cover the nation, but extremely fertile lands near Oseptian rivers and waterways allow cities to thrive in the scorching heat. The country is notorious for its unregulated market, extensive Vathis Sentinel presence, and legal slave trade, which they refer to as Inservitude. Despite being home to all manner of criminal organizations, the abundance of Vathis Sentinels, trade route watches, and local guards have led Osept’s cities and roads to be considered among the safest in the world for passing travelers. Osept’s cities are full of open-air marketplaces where anything can be found for a price. The Antares Bank possesses a sizable presence in the nation, and the Lurien Corporation has deemed Ospet a primary place of operation. Osept was an early adopter of vaedric technology, and at the end of the Darkest War they rapidly expanded CORE operations. Osept’s military is competently trained, and her ranks are primarily composed of horse-riding warriors with elite sections of the kingdom’s forces possessing vaedra rifles. Osept’s standard education and libraries are nearly unmatched, and her citizens speak many languages. The country’s general lawlessness and diversity make her accepting of outsiders. The nation is run by Pharoahs, and the kingdom worships the Oseptian Pantheon, a different pantheon than the Vathis standard. Adventurers from all kingdoms pass through Osept at one point or another, and many become entangled in her windswept mysteries and never leave. Whispers of ancient artifacts and forgotten cities in the Nashendasorn Desert lure travelers from far and wide to comb the sandy dunes. The words of the Pharoahs carry weight at political summits, and Osept has become invaluable to the Council of Vathis and global trade market.

The average Oseptian endures a life of scorching days and chilly nights, and Oseptian streets are filled with a wide variety of cultures, religions, and races.

The citizens of this country use various forms of scarification and tattooing for both decoration denoting various accomplishments and to signify important status indicators such as social caste. Commonly tattooed areas of the skin such as forearms, hands, and necks, are usually exposed to the public. Servitors, as the Oseptians address those in the slave system, are sometimes marked with the symbols of their creditor. They can be found tilling the land, serving in homes, and working within the vast open markets lining the streets in every city dotting the desert. These open-air stalls are where the infamous unregulated market thrives. Osept treats a number of trade laws differently than the majority of the rest of the world, so one can expect to find whatever their heart desires within these bazaars. Also uniquely Oseptian is the sheer amount of historic, religious, and magical knowledge found within the nation’s borders. Some consider Osept the core of blooming modern civilization, as most current kingdoms were born in light of the Divine Sands Wars which took place in Osept. As such, the desert nation possesses texts, artifacts, lore from countless ages past, making the kingdom the first stop for those seeking esoteric knowledge.

Osept makes use of the Inservitude system by putting prisoners to work for individuals or the nation itself at little or no cost.

The organization called The Black Hand is considered to be the protectors and regulators of much of this network. Due to the nature of the system, being a servitor is considered shameful. This position sets one below the rest of the society, regardless of what station one may have held before entering a sentence of Inservitude. Unsurprisingly, merchants and traders hold significant power within the desert nation. Osept is a wealthy entity built on the backs of merchant prowess, and as such, merchants and traders are essential to the country’s economy. A well-off merchant can skirt the laws of the kingdom with ease.

The climate of Osept is harsh and unforgiving, but the nation’s various riversides flourish with rich, fertile soil.

Winds sweep over the desert and usher in sandstorms from the east. These winds hit the mountains in the south and west, which bar moisture from reaching the Vaethrin Sea. Northern Osept is somewhat cooled by the Angylis Sea, but the rest of the country is jarringly hot and dry. These areas are home to large cliffs created by rivers which ran dry long ago. Vegetation only grows freely near the borders of Rancagesh and Vavaire. Osept stands alone as the only nation in the world lacking the presence of floating motes. Though rumors and theories abound among the magically endowed, no one can surely say why this may be.