Aesar

Aesar
Capital	Shearwater's Rest
Ruler	Viceroy Sintil Arsun
Government	Autocracy (de facto); devolved viceroyalty (former)
Demonym	Aesarite
Adjective	Aesar
Languages	Tabahan, Common
Religions	Chaskan, Aserdian, and Khapeshan pantheons

Aesar (pronounced AY-sar), formerly a province of the Kingdom of Oscan, is now home to many of the survivors of the undead hordes that now wander the old kingdom. The island is heavily overpopulated as a result, and the undead that regularly appear on the island pose a continuing threat.

Geography, flora, and fauna

See also: Aesar Island

History

Previously a poorer region of Oscan, Aesar now struggles under the weight of a vastly increased population and periodic undead incursions.

Demographics

The demographics of Aesar are quite similar to that of Oscan. The population consists primarily of humans, suli, ifrit, oreads, and others - the descendants of elementals were always more prevalent in Oscan than in most of the rest of the world.

Culture

Religion

A variety of gods were worshiped in the days of the Kingdom of Oscan. The region followed a number of faiths, a complex blend of deities from the Chaskan, Aserdian, and Khapeshan pantheons. Hasamel, Nisaba, and Aya were considered particularly important. Aesar has also long had a presence of worshipers of the Vulture King, a local religion. While the veneration of the Vulture King has never been particularly widespread, his faithful have had an outsized influence in Aesar culture and society. His cult has been at times repressed and at others accepted, but generally left alone. It has been rumored that many viceroys of Aesar have been worshipers of the Vulture King.

Since the rise of the undead, religion in Aesar has shifted quite drastically. Aided by the presence of paladins who have traveled to the Deathlands to fulfill their oaths, the faiths of Shai and Harinna have grown greatly.

Traditions

The traditional funerary practice of Aesar is to leave the body of the deceased in the arid hills, to be eaten by scavengers. It is believed this cleans souls of their sins, allowing them to receive a favorable judgement in the Echo. This practice was never common in the mainland, and contributed in part to other Oscans' negative view of the people of Aesar. This tradition evolved from the rituals of the followers of the Vulture King. Originally a rite involving the sacrifice of the still living, it long ago shifted to a burial practice of the dead, after which it was adopted by many other inhabitants of Aesar. The government of Aesar has recently begun enforcing the burning of bodies as a way to prevent the resurrection of more undead, after a number of the recently deceased returned from the hills. This has caused some tension among the more staunchly traditionalist.

Travel

Paladins traveling to the Deathlands usually arrive in Shearwater's Rest first. As the closest major safe port, these religious warriors use the island as a stopping point before attempting to fight the undead of the mainland - as long as their items and equipment aren’t stolen from them in the slums of Aesar first.

Languages

The primary language spoken in the Kingdom of Oscan was Tabahan, though a mix of other languages were also prevalent, including Common, racial tongues, and Sangiran. This is the case within Aesar as well. Common has become much more widespread, however, in order to communicate with the greatly increased presence of foreigners on the island.

Occupations

Almost all of Aesar's population, at least those that can find employment, work as farmers or laborers. The island has never been highly developed, and even the capital city of Shearwater's Rest is quite small. Aesar is home to a disproportionate number of alchemists, however, who have used the nation’s lax law enforcement to perform their often unethical experiments in peace.

Society

A vibrant black market and criminal underworld have formed since the population influx. While many goods are officially rationed, they are often more easily accessible on the black market, albeit at an increased price. Black market goods are not hard to find and their vendors are well known to the guards of Aesar, who by and large do nothing to stop them.

Since the evacuation of the mainland, Aesar has become severely overpopulated. A relatively high percentage of the population lives in shelters, tents, or makeshift dwellings, often in cramped conditions, relying heavily on religious charity for food. While there is a fair amount of unused space on the island, most of it is poorly suited to habitation due to its remoteness from Aesar's only port.

Food and cuisine

The traditional foods of Aesar consist mostly of crops that grow well despite the island being largely dry most of the year. These include legumes, eggplant, cassava, and other foods commonly eaten in Oscan and nearby Talmithe. These are supplemented by pork and seafood. Aesar cuisine tends towards the simple, focusing instead of making the best use of as much of the plant or animal as possible. Today the island is unable to feed its greatly increased population, and relies particularly on imported grains.

Government

Aesar is led by the former viceroy of the province, Sintil Arsun, who now rules the island as an independent state. Laws tend to be enforced with a heavy hand, but unevenly.

A black market thrives on Aesar. The viceroy frequently issues degrees to counteract the power of the criminal underworld, but these are stymied by the lower bureaucracy’s complicity. Usually the remnants of the Oscan military make a public example of someone and then the matter is essentially forgotten.

Economy

The Viceroyalty of Aesar is unable to feed its vastly increased population and thus relies heavily on imported food. Without many natural resources or other sources of wealth, the government of Aesar has resorted to selling off relics of the old kingdom in order to support itself.