Kyamita, formally the Theocratic Republic of Kyamita, is a major center for the study of the arts, sciences, technology, and magic, full of institutions and individuals working to hone their knowledge. The land of Kyamita is strategically very valuable and has under the control of other Hellean states and Viridia for much of its history, but the nation is currently enjoying a rare period of independence.
Geography, flora, and fauna
Kyamita is a relatively small region in northwest Hellea, bordered by Viridia to the north and Iaramnae to the south. Kyamita’s climate is generally mild, with little snow in winter and warm but not hot summers. Most of Kyamita is relatively close to the Sea of Ersas, and as such the weather patterns within the republic are moderated by the sea's influence.
The Peiros and Inachos rivers, both originating in the Sentinel Peaks in northern Hellea, pass through Kyamita before flowing out into the Sea of Ersas.
Kyamita is one of the most developed regions within Hellea, with relatively few large wild animals or magical creatures remaining. Even the outer countryside is quite safe from any dangerous beasts.
The old growth oak forests that were once present across Kyamita are almost gone, with only isolated pockets remaining. The rest have been felled to make space for the agricultural land that now makes up most of Kyamita outside the cities.
History
Legends hold that the city of Kyamita was first established by a semi-mythical individual known as Cecrops. Supposedly, Cecrops sought to find a way to join the land-dwelling and sea-dwelling peoples of the Sea of Ersas, so that each could learn from the other. Eventually he discovered the Kyamitian Lagoon and established a city there, as peoples of the land and water could both be familiar and in their element.
Kyamita has only been an independent state since being granted sovereignty by Viridia in Y6830. Kyamita had been a Viridian province for multiple centuries, and before that had switched between Iaramnaen and Viridian control multiple times. Some remain suspicious as to the circumstances of the Kyamita's independence, as it involved secretive negotiations between the region's large churches and the Viridian state.
The current republican system of governance was adopted soon after independence, with the churches of Abadar, Asmodeus, Desna, Iomedae, Nethys, and Shelyn as the initial members.
Much of the city of Kyamita has been built, or re-built, relatively recently. Following in the wake of a major earthquake, the Great Fire of Y6846 destroyed most of the city, burning fiercely enough that it was able to jump over the canals. The city made the best of this situation to rebuild its neighborhoods in a more regular and planned manner, leading to the easily navigable city that greets visitors today.
Demographics
Kyamita is highly cosmopolitan, home to individuals of a great number of ancestries. Humans are a plurality, but only barely. Kyamita is also home to large numbers of elves, half-elves, half-orcs, gnomes, halflings, dwarves, ratfolk, tengu, aasimar, tieflings, merfolk, azarketi, and others.
Kyamitian cities, especially the coastal metropolises of Hecaterus, Delphedon, and Kyamita, are large by Hellean standards; each has at least 100,000 residents.
Culture
See Hellea for more information on culture, geography, and history that is common to the nations of the peninsula.
Religion
In general, Kyamitians worship the deities of the common pantheon and the Hellean hero-gods. As deities associated with the arts, Shelyn, Desna, and Nocticula are particularly popular. Brigh and Ptah also have many worshipers in Kyamita, especially among the region's skilled inventors and craftspeople. Some architects pay tribute to Findeladlara, though her preference for tradition is often out of place is the fast-moving Kyamitian cities.
Society
The churches of Kyamita play a central role in the region's society. Most artists, including painters, sculptors, mages, inventors, craftspeople, and other specialists in Kyamita are sponsored by one of the churches, and they are critical to Kyamitian governance. In most cases, the churches specifically seek out specialists for commissioned work - the artist does not choose what to work on, but rather are instructed as to what their patron desires as an end result. Once a rapport is built, artists sometimes present their own proposals to church representatives and request further sponsorship.
As a result of this religious support, Kyamita has become a center of many kinds of arts, with skilled individuals from distant regions immigrating to join the nation's vibrant culture.
Languages
The inhabitants of Kyamita come from many backgrounds, with a significant proportion of the population descended from recent immigrants. As such, while Hellean is the native language of the region, in the cities it is more likely to encounter Common spoken in everyday conversations. In addition, other regional languages, especially Thadrian, are widely used, as are a variety of racial tongues.
Magic
Kyamita is home to a number of institutions dedicated to the study of magic, including both those that focus on teaching the arcane arts to new students and those that pioneer new spells and forms. The Auxo Institute in particular is world-renowned for its expansive library of spell books, collected from generations of mages. The library is not quite freely accessible to the public, but the barrier to entry is rather low; generally, a small donation to the school and perhaps a copy of one's personal spell book are requested.
As a side effect of the social influence of the churches in Kyamita, a disproportionate number of the inhabitants of the republic are divine casters.
In some Kyamitian cities, especially the eponymous city, magic is used for public services. In the Polyhymnia, Hesperis, and Outer Lagoon neighborhoods of Kyamita, automatic magic streetlamps are used to provide lighting in the darker hours.
Food and cuisine
Kyamitian sweet wine is well known for its high quality. Made from grapes grown in expansive vineyards between the Inachos and Peiros rivers, Kyamitian wine is favored by the wealthy throughout Hellea and eastern Thadria.
Within the last two decades, coffeehouses selling Laniobrigan coffee have become extremely popular socializing locations in Kyamitian cities. Frequented mostly by artists and other creative specialists, the coffeehouses are enjoyed not just for the drinks and food they provide but also as spots to meet and exchange ideas.
Architecture and urbanization
The city of Kyamita is built upon a number of small, low-lying islands connected by bridges. Many of the islands have been built outward over the centuries, expanded by land reclamation projects. Canals divine many of the islands, and small boats are used in addition to roadways as convenient methods of travel. The entire city is protected from the Sea of Ersas by a lagoon; though most of the lagoon is naturally formed, it too has been expanded and grown over time. The city of Kyamita is very low-lying as a result, with many buildings barely a few inches above sea-level.
Kyamita is one of the most densely urbanized regions in Hellea, with a relatively high proportion of the republic's population living in the seaside cities.
Quite similar to elsewhere in Hellea, Kyamitian architecture takes a variety of forms, depending on the purpose of the building. Most immediately striking are the temples, with their tall marble columns, grand arches, gabled roofs, and detailed reliefs carved in the walls. More mundane buildings are usually built of stone, brick, and stucco. Whether buildings are ceremonial or domestic, Hellean architecture emphasizes open space - tall hallways, paths, and courtyards are all common. Floors, at least for those who can afford them, are usually made of polished stone or mosaics. These mosaics generally depict something related to the purpose of the building. An apothecary’s shop, for example, might have a mosaic showing plants sold there or the owner of the shop tending to them.
Along with Eretrebus, Kyamita is one of the few nations where central plumbing is somewhat commonplace, at least in the major cities. This has been a major factor in allowing Kyamitian cities to grow much larger than is otherwise typical for the region.
Medicine
Kyamitian hospitals have developed many new medical and surgical techniques. Most are closely tied to the various churches of the republic, and incorporate both mundane and magical healing in their regular practices.
Prior to her turn towards evil, a large proportion of Peshet's followers lived within Kyamita.
Writing and publishing
While some are privately retained by sponsoring churches, many of the written works created by Kyamitian scholars are published by the printing houses in the cities of Kyamita and Hecaterus. These books have contributed greatly to Kyamita's reputation as a center of learning, as through trade they have found their way to far-flung regions of the world.
In many Kyamitian cities regular broadsides are published as well, providing easily accessible news about major occasions and opportunities.
Technology
In addition to being a center of arts, Kyamita is also known for the developments of its inventors and engineers. Many of these have helped further the growth of the republic's industries and arts - the improved printing presses and book presses especially.
Recently a group of inventors, under the patronage of the church of Easivra, have begun experimenting with non-magical flight in the form of aerial screws. These have had only marginal success so far, but they have been strongly supported by the church despite the consistent failed attempts at flight.
The entrances to the lagoon in which the city of Kyamita sits are well-defended by the innovations of the city's scholars. Along with the more typical defensive placements of ballistas, pneumatic cannons with a surprisingly long range ensure hostile ships would be stopped before reaching the city. Two lighthouses to the north and south of the city also house burning glasses that can be directed at any threats.
Arts
A large number of bards, musicians, writers, playwrights, and other creative types live within or visit Kyamitian cities. The patronage of the churches has a reputation as a relatively lucrative way to make a creative living, and Kyamita is known across Hellea as the place to be if one wishes to be on the artistic forefront. The theaters, concert venues, and public squares are perpetually full of life and music.
Pioneered by the church of Shelyn, demiplanar paintings are a rather unique art form to Kyamita. These paintings reflect the contents of a demiplane in an artistic style, remaining current as objects or individuals within the demiplane move and change. Some demiplanar paintings serve as portals to their respective demiplane as well. While they have proven immensely popular, their incredibly high cost of production means few of these artworks actually exist.
Education
The universities of Kyamita are some of the finest within the broader region of the Chaska Sea. While they do require tuition to attend, these costs are generally low enough that at least some of the lower classes can scrape together enough to study at one of these prestigious institutions. These universities offer education in both advanced mundane and magical topics.
The rediscovery of ancient cyclopean texts has led to a renaissance in scientific, technical, and magical thought in Kyamita. Multiple universities have large libraries of still as yet untranslated works of the ancient giants of Hellea and Thadria, though the knowledge they contain is slowly beginning to be relearned.
Government
Kyamita is a theocratic republic, with the Admiral-Defender as the head of state. The Admiral-Defender is elected for life and given a wide latitude in running the republic. Representatives of the each major faith in Kyamita regularly convene councils to provide advice to the head of state. These councils have the authority to override the Admiral-Defender but rarely do so. Once elected, the Admiral-Defender holds the position for life.
Each of the major holy institutions are allotted a singular vote for the purposes of council decisions and the election of the Admiral-Defender. For example, all of the Kyamitian clergy of Shelyn must together decide on a single individual to represent their interests. In general, the churches with a role in government are the ones to deities with large followings in Kyamita . Any church is technically allowed to join this governing system, but must be approved by a majority of the other representatives.
Churches of the following deities have a role in Kyamitian government:
- Abadar1
- Aesocar
- Asmodeus1
- Brigh
- Cayden Cailean
- Desna1
- Eldas
- Findeladlara
- Hathor
- Hephaistos
- Iomedae1
- Irori
- Kurgess
- Mammon
- Nethys1
- Nocticula
- Ptah
- Qi Zhong
- Sarenrae
- Seramaydiel
- Shelyn1
- The Lost Prince
- Yuelral
1Churches to these deities were the original members of the Kyamitian political system. All others have joined in the years since it was established.
Despite some of the churches having very minor followings, they are voted onto the council by those with similar views as a method of reinforcing their positions.
Each individual city within Kyamita is led by a Captain-Defender, elected in the same manner as the Admiral-Defender except only by representatives of that particular city's major faiths.
Economy
Kyamita's economy is largely trade- and service-based. Most goods produced in Magnia and especially in Metrya reach the broader world after being transported down the Peiros and Inachos rivers, both of which reach their termini in Kyamita. Due to this, the Kyamitian ports are major trading centers for Hellean goods, and there are ample opportunities to provide services to the sailors, merchants, and other foreigners who visit Kyamitian cities.
Some Kyamitian goods, especially their wines, are also sold abroad.