Melinya Culture Focus: Tii

Lay of the Land
A massive peninsula, the continental border lined with perilous mountains. The mainland is predominantly lush, rolling hills and thick forests of idyllic weather conditions.

Much of the coastline near the continent is dangerous for ships because of the sharp, barren rocks and shallow islands. Farther out on the peninsula, the coast becomes calmer and friendlier to larger ships.

Major Cities
By far the most populous nation, with ten million people, Tii is a naval powerhouse and the breadbasket of the known world. Visitors usually first encounter Tii through Chalea, the trading hub at the Great Road where it passes through the mountains; an almost lawless city due to complex treaties with the barbarian kings of the mountains. These same barbarian kings also command influence over Shard Pirates that live in the dangerous waters near the peninsula.

Mirroring Chalea on the far side of the nation is the port & capital Linnea, where the multi-nested palace monastery dominates. Each of the Great Houses of Tii send their own for monastic study and at least nominally designated as monks for life; many swearing to the Solipsistic Precepts, a variant on the Chelm ethical code that permits killing.

Economics
With the rich and developed agricultural infrastructure, Tii’s premiere export is food. Their triceratops herds provide huge meat reserves. Tii-breed chocobos are renowned, and the Tii cavalry see yearly competitions with international acclaim. As part of the syncretic absorption, skulls are featured heavily in religious and cultural activities, and are in sufficient demand to sustain a strong market for import. When sufficiently used, the skulls are recycled at the bone mills to produce high explosives.

Law & Order
The Solipsistic Monks serve as the dominant demographic for military and civilian law enforcement. Individual villages are controlled by council of descending representation: monks, nobles, and commoners; each council answering to the House Lord for their territory. In disputes between nobles and commoners, the noble is obliged to compensate the commoner several fold the damages inflicted upon the commoner, while the commoner’s obligated only proportional compensation. Disputes between equals are generally resolved to favor equilibrium.

Religious law concerning bogies can get esoteric, such as no consumption of honey less than an hour before performing any business transaction, but they are only enforced on holidays. On such holidays, many stay indoors to nominally cleanse their minds of potential bogies.

Government
A Cemlite theocracy in all but name, the gurus of Linnea act as advisers with absolute veto power over the king and each of the House Lords.