Shoth

The Land of Shoth rests on the North-Eastern coast of the Setlian Sea and sits just South of the Cold North.



Shoth is an ancient dominion, one that has a long, bloodied history full of legend, myth, and more than just a little bloodshed. It is currently at 'peace', and under the rule of Rogarth of Rith, the latest of many dominant war-lords. Rogarth, over his 10 years of uncontested rule, has ushered in an age of 'peace' like none seen before, at least, not in recent times.

=Settlements= Shoth has many settlements, each with its own diverse and strange history and culture. Here are all known cities and towns, ordered by size.
 * Gartli
 * Lithon
 * Erloth
 * Nall
 * Iollia
 * Andolon
 * Roloth
 * Linolia
 * Derevar
 * Trill
 * Rith
 * Tlandri
 * Ritlon
 * Linri
 * Tenevar
 * Ret
 * Rhean

=People=

Shoves
The vast majority of people in Shoth are considered to be Shoves. A mannish race with tan, sometimes olive skin, Shoves are believed to be descended from the precursors of the Emeraldites. As they inhabit what used to be Emeraldite land, this seems a fair assumption.

Atlani
Though indistinguishable from Shoves in appearance, Atlani make up a minority population within Shoth, and they face discrimination through most of the country. The Atlani traditionally have lived nomadic lives, travelling across Ateon as merchants, sailors, mercenaries, entertainers, etc. While many still follow this trade, more and more live their lives trapped in the cities of Shoth, stealing, killing, or selling whatever they can to survive. =Culture= Shoth's culture is somewhat varied from settlement to settlement, though it is clearly a distinct, semi-unified body of beliefs of traditions apart from he rest of Ateon.

Ideology
The people of Shoth, like many peoples, can be said to share a body of similar ideologies and beliefs.

Liberty
One's freedom is sacred above all things in Shoth; it is common belief that people make their choices and that their circumstances are their own to handle and get out of. In this way, governments both on a very local level, and on the wider, regional scale take a very hands off approach. Basic taxes are collected in order to keep the peace between the Shovish States and to secure the Shovish borders; past that, families, individuals, and social hierarchies are left to handle the day-to-day management of societal systems as they happen to. It is for this lack of oversight that systems of ruling are often changing in Shoth (and why many systems quickly turn to corruption and dishonesty in their affairs).

Autonomy
One's separateness from others goes hand in hand with freedom. A man is expected to leave his family when he comes of age and to have independence from the systems around him. He owes little and can do as he pleases in life.

Self-Sufficiency
Along with autonomy, a level of self-sufficiency is expected between Shoves. A man is expected to pick himself up by his own bootstraps, handling his affairs with competence and on his own. Due to this, there are very rarely any kind of welfare offered by the city-states of Shoth; poverty is seen as the fault of the impoverished, and it is shamed by the public.

Cuisine
The common folk of Shoth eat rather poorly, sustaining themselves off of a mostly potato based diet with a few other vegetables and grains added in. Meat is expensive; commoners can only get their hands on rodent and bird meat. The nobles however dine primarily on elk, the also common polar bear being treated as sacred, and therefore not on the menu.

Social Customs
In Shoth it is a great sign of respect to use another man's titles, though it is a greater sign of disrespect not to use their name. The lowliest citizens, street urchins and beggars are often deprived of their names, in a way denied their very personhood by such a simple act. Due to this custom, one tends to address his superiors simple by their first name, or, in some cases by their title and name (ie: King Jason, Lord Tyger, Dame Sylair, etc.)

Religion
Shoth has only one major religion, though some other's are represented in immigrant populations. Shoves, however, unanimously honor the Living Three: Valth, the God of Choice; Relv, the God of Chance; and Tlan, the God of Fate. Despite overwhelming worship of the local faith, Bilbac-worship and homage has become more common in recent decades, acting alongside the major faith, not in opposition to it. His sister faiths have also begun to grow in popularity.

Myths
It is said that in the beginning there was the land, the sky, and the sea. They subdued man, making him like a beast in a hellish world of death and pain. Among these first beasts arose a hero; Valdrath the Conquerer. Valdrath was a ruthless warrior, slaying all who stood in his way; Champions of the Sea, Earth, and Sky fell before his blade, Bloodsinger. Feeling threatened, the Earth opened itself up, allowing Sea and Sky to flush him into the very depths of the land itself; it was through this that Valdrath was sealed away through the greatest divine magic. Still, Valdrath fought his way through the Hellpits and beyond to the End of the reality to where all that remains is Void. He defeated the Champions of these Other Realms, those of Light and Darkness, and he earned their respect. Through this, the Darkness and Light broke his seal, sending him back to the land of the living as not only a hero, but as a man who wields both the Dark and the Light. With his new power, Valdrath subdued the land, conquering Earth, Sea, and Sky. He freed his people and rose above them to watch and protect their autonomy for all of time. In this way Valdrath was reborn as Valth, the God of Choice, the Champion of Mortals. With him rose Light and Darkness, now called Relv, the God of Chance and Tlan, the God of Fate. They now sit in the Heavens, watching over mortals and protecting Shoth from the reach of its ancient gods and those of foreign lands.

Crime and Justice
Crime is rampant in Shoth, and rarely is it enforced as it is supposed to be. Officers of the law tend to abuse criminals for their own self-benefit, often dealing out justice with their fists and through "lawful fines". This is debateably better for lower class Shoves, however, as most legal systems in Shoth hold horrific penalties for even simple crimes; one of the most notable punishments is netting; the act of hanging an offender in a sharp, metal netting. For capital offenses they are left there to starve in constant discomfort. In lesser offenses they can still receive length stays in the public nets, often being pelted with rocks or trash by any passerby. The sheer length of even lesser sentences can make them deadly, and only those with friends to guard and feed them during their sentence can expect to walk away unscathed.