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
Aesar Island, on which Aesar is located, is a warm and rather dry island. Seasonal rains provide the plants and animals of Aesar with enough to live on, but conditions can be quite arid. As with the nearby mainland, the weather is warm year round, with essentially no winter to speak of.
The flora of Aesar is very similar to that of the mainland, though with far fewer trees. The fauna is likewise much the same. Aesar lacks many large wild animals, however, as they have long since been hunted to near extinction.
A large number of small magical creatures live feral on Aesar , especially around the capital city, the descendents of released familiars and the like.
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, with a particular emphasis on Torag and Nethys. While temples and clergy to the deities of the common pantheon were the most widespread, Oscan had also inherited many gods from their neighbors across the Lukla Sea. In particular, Kofusachi was widely venerated by the Oscans; the largest temple to Kofusachi within Oscan is located on Aesar.
Aesar has also long had a presence of worshippers of Rasvocel. While the veneration of the Vulture King has never been particularly widespread, his faithful have had an outsized influence in Aesar culture and society. The 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 worshippers of Rasvocel.
Since the rise of the undead, religion has shifted quite drastically. The staunch opposition to the undead presented by Iomedae and Sarenrae has been quite popular, aided by the presence of paladins who have traveled to the Deathlands to fulfill their oaths. The worship of Kazutal, a goddess who had long held a very minor influence in Oscan, has become far more common as well.
Unlike the remaining society on the mainland, Aesar has only a very marginal presence of worshippers of Rovagug or Groetus.
Traditions
The traditional funerary practice of Aesar is to leave the body of the deceased in the arid hills, to be eaten by scavengers and eventually decompose. 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 Rasvocel. Originally an infernal rite involving the sacrifice of the still living, it was long ago adopted by many other inhabitants of Aesar (though only performed with the dead). 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 the languages of Kea Racha. 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 are employed, work as farmers or laborers. The island has never been highly developed; 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 state’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 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 maize, beans, winter wheat, and, in some parts of the island, grapes. 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 Yatsen, who now rules the island as an independent state. Laws tend to be enforced with a heavy hand, but unevenly.
In practical terms, a great deal of the day to day governance of the island is under the leadership of gangs and criminal barons who extort, bribe, and protect "their" territory in order to get their way. 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, Aesar has resorted to exchanging migrant labor, particularly to Laniobriga, or selling off relics of the old kingdom in order to support itself.