Primary Species: Mesulids
Species Description: A species of aquatic half-humanoid half-serpent like beings, the Mesulids are essentially a race of naga/mermaids. They are amphibious and capable of breathing both above and below water; however they are far more comfortable under water. The Mesulids excrete pheromones that are appeasing to the opposite sex, regardless of species. This trait along with their medieval tradition of “Siren-Maidens”, singer-priestesses has made them a racial stereotype of seductresses and sinister witches of the ocean.
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Population: 111,544,000
58,271,000 Mesulids
44,212,000 Humans
9,061,000 Others
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Culture: The Ceresian Empire is a unique culture, its focus on submersed aquatic living aside. First is its political culture. Due to the Mesulids reversed gender hierarchy and religious belief, the empire is heavily matriarchal. Women traditionally hold political offices more often than men and are exclusively given religious offices, which is overwhelming significant in the deeply religious and theocratic nation. The military forces is more even, with the army and marines represented by both men and women (Since Mesulid females lose their martial advantage beyond water), though the navy has a higher number of female commanders than the marines, air force and army. Outside of gender politics, the air force has a large number of human officers, since Mesulids aren't exactly the best fliers.
The ethnic social order of the Ceresian Empire is mostly enforced by religion, with the largest minority, humans, mostly taught from birth to understand that the Mesulids are their deities chosen people. Racism is relatively common in the empire, though humanity (And other common sea-faring species) has more acceptance than other minorities due to the extended presence in the ocean. The Mesulids cultural syncretism has also seen a number of human cultural norms being adopted, such as marriage.
Socially, aside from race and gender there is also deeply ingrained religious castes. This caste system divides the “Lamia Mesulus” (Notable for having numerous extra heads in the form of snake hair) ethnic ruling class from the Mesulus and Terralids (Land-dwellers). The Lamia Mesulus are (usually) the only caste that may achieve the highest political and religious offices of the Empire. Terralids are considered the lowest caste and include both Mesulids and non-Mesulids (humans, etc). The Terralid caste is forbidden from such things as recreational swimming (Learning to swim and military training is not included), laying eyes on the Lamia Mesulus (They must avert their eyes in their presence) and observing certain religious ceremonies. Interestingly, the Lamia Mesulus ruling class is also forbidden from certain activities usually associated with the surface, such as farming.
The Ceresian Terralid caste is indoctrinated from early childhood into the faith to compensate for their lack of religious observation due to it being forbidden. While the Lamia Mesulus mostly rule the faith and theological schools, the Terralid caste comprise most of the religious warriors and most zealous members of the faith, willing to kill and die for their goddess.
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Religious and Other Beliefs: Abyssiasism
The Ceresian Empire is one of the most religious nations in the world, being the heart of the Abyssiasist faith. Abyssiasism is the worship of the Serpent Goddess Aepes of the deep ocean trenches, the creator deity of the Mesulids and patron goddess of life, the ocean, war, darkness and order. Like other faiths, Abyssiasism venerates the sun as a life-giving force, however it is believed that the sun has been stolen from the Goddess Aepes and that she will regain dominion over the sun and light after the defeat of her antithesis, her treacherous brother-consort the god of death.
The Siren-Empress is considered a mortal avatar of Aepes and as such considered a living goddess and representation of their goddess in the physical realm. This caesaropapist belief is supported by the theocratic government and society, which has continued this imperial cult for millennia.
Abyssiasism is a faith prone to syncretism, having absorbed and modified many local religious practices and traditions as the Ceresian colonial empire stretched out across the globe. Among Abyssiasism’s syncretic adopitions includes baptism (Which is only observed on the surface) and polygamous marriage.
Like the Ceresian Empire, the Abyssiasist faith is matriarchal and dominated by priestesses. Religious-military orders do however allow men to join and even become commanding figures, as Aepes is a war goddess and is associated with the male-dominated army and marine forces.
There is a belief that Aepes is forever stuck in a cosmic battle with an evil and treacherous god of the sky, her former brother-consort turned usurper, who stole away the sky from her dominion and doomed mortality and failure upon all life. Any deity associated with the sky is likely to be considered particularly vile by the Ceresian populace. It is believed that the mortal world is in a transitional phase between the paradise-that-once-was (Before the betrayal of the consort sky god) and its eventual return, and that through serving the ever reincarnating avatar of Aepes, the Goddess will one day gain enough strength to reconquer the sky and in doing so create an eternal paradise among the living.
Abyssiasism is spread across the world by the Ceresian empires Siren-Maidens (Priestess-Singer missionaries) and religious colonial imperialism.
The Serpent Goddess Aepes battles her dragon-riding treacherous consort===========================================================
History:WIP