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.
Mesulids have a natural life expectancy of around 140 years, however after 100 years of age Mesulids begin to rapidly degrade due to mental disease and illness. Due to Ceresian societies use of religious ritual suicide (A kind of euthanasia), the vast majority of Mesulids die by their own hands at the age of 100.
Mesulids are surprisingly (and even regularly disputed by geneticists, who, much like the vestigial remnants of alchemy, still can't figure it out) capable of mating with humans, likely due to their supposed descent from the semi-mythical Lamian people (As well as humans, another genetic mystery is how the hell an essentially human upper body ended up with the lower body of a snake), who were said to be an ancient race of magical and psychic nomadic serpent women that preyed on the ancient human civilizations. The historical validity of these people are questionable due to the limited physical evidence (many historians believe they may have just been Mesulid explorers or exiles), however the evidence that does exist suggests that the Mesulids can actually crossbreed with humans, though these unions only create more Mesulids much like the Lamian legends of old. While this occasionally has become relevant due to ideas of political marriage alliances, this is usually shot down because it is considered taboo. Crossbreeding between Elves and Mesulid's is unknown, as no historical account has ever been made or tried.
Mesulid culture has a tendency towards beliefs of purity, including racial purity (Hence the uncommonness of interbreeding) and blood purity. This fixation with blood purity has made inbreeding relatively common. Mesulid inbred's are notable for having physical deformities that vastly alter their appearance towards that of appearing more like a draconian or obviously reptilian and losing their human traits. Inbreds are also usually physically larger, particularly males who are far bulkier and saurian-like. Inbreds are not a distinct member of the religious caste system as the blood purity beliefs are religiously inspired rather than class-based, with practitioners of arranged incestuous unions usually ultra-religious conservatives from anywhere from the working to ruling castes. While common, this subculture is considered the "extreme" side of the religious and usually viewed with disdain by moderates. Like other cases of inbreeding, inbred Mesulids are prone to obtaining recessive genetic disorders, causing various problems ranging from mental illness, rare birth defects, infertility and so on.
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Population: 112,000,000+
57,200,000 Mesulids
37,200,000 Humans
7,000,000 Gnomes
5,000,000 Elves
2,000,000 Dwarves
2,000,000 Draconians
1,000,000 Orcs
800,000 Other
200,000 Trolls
100 Dragons (Immigrants from Vinculi)
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Culture:MATRIARCHYThe 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 far more often than men and are exclusively given religious offices, which is overwhelming significant in the deeply religious and theocratic nation (The judicial is also entirely comprised of religious offices, so all judges are women). 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 and other species officers, since Mesulids aren't exactly the best fliers.
RELIGIOUS ETHNIC HIERARCHY 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 and other species cultural norms being adopted, such as marriage.
LANGUAGEThe Ceresian Empire and Mesulid people speak their own language, Ceresim which has no common roots with other languages or cultures, having been independently formed over 10,000 years ago in the ancient pre-Ceresian mesulid aquatic petty empires/kingdoms. Due to its lacking of any common roots with other languages, Ceresim is a difficult language for foreigners to learn without having grown up in the empire. Even for those who have learned Ceresim from birth, the language is difficult due to many sounds in the language being physically hard for humans and other species to pronounce. The difficulty of learning the language has caused some reformists and colonials to suggest a simplification of Ceresim to allow non-Mesulids to learn the language more easily.
LILLIUM HOLY LAWThe Ceresian Empire is ruled by the holy laws of the Abyssiasist Faith. The origins of the Ceresian Empires laws was created before the empire's existence at an unknown date, possibly as far back as 10,000 years ago. These original religious laws were modified and improved by the first Ceresian Siren-Empress Lillium Auphraxia I becoming known as "Lillium Law". Lillium Law has been modified throughout its 6000 years of usage, however its core principles and values have remained the same. Lillium Law is harsh and by modern liberal standards draconian, even abominable. Apostates(Coverts who convert from Abyssiasism to something else), heretics and sacrilegious defacers are punished with death by boiling water for example. Rapists are subject to mandatory castration (or female genitalia mutilation if female). Atheists may be imprisoned for life and if they proselytize may be executed on similar grounds as Apostates or heretics. Heathens are subject to state-sponsored persecution in the form of religious taxes and restrictions to public office or other jobs. Heathen proselytizing may result in execution.
LIBERAL CITIES"Liberal Cities" are essentially "special areas" where Lillium Law is relaxed for the benefit of foreign businessmen, certain colonial minorities and tourists. These relaxed laws include special secular courts, religious tax exceptions in special housing areas and simple deportation for heathen or atheist proselytizing (unless deemed exceptionally blasphemous, in which case they may be arrested and tried by a Lillium Court).
RELIGIOUS CASTE SYSTEMSocially, 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 or suffer the legal consequences) 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.
POLYGAMY, MARRIAGE, PROSTITUTION, FAMILY VALUESUnlike most religions, Abyssiasism never had any particular laws concerning chasity or abstinence and in fact actually advocated promiscuity (Seeing their goddess is also associated with fertility), not to mention the non-existence of the concept of marriage ensured the lack of any notion of adultery. With the eventual introduction of marriage into Abyssiasism and Ceresian Society through syncretic adoption of human culture during the empires colonial imperialism a few centuries ago, this lack of conventional marital piety or generic family values remained. Ceresian marriage is openly polygamous, concubinage (though usually gender-reversed) is legal and divorce is extremely simple as marriage isn't really considered overly sacred or binding and seen simply as an economic and legal state. Ceresian (Culturally, not racially) fertility rates are abnormally high however the lack of structured conventional family units means that poverty is higher than usual and there is a serious orphanage and STD problem. The notable exception to this cultural norm is the ultra-religious conservative blood purity subculture (See mesulid species info for details), who's obsessive dedication to blood purity usually means that they have very close knit family groups with arranged and permanent marriages.
INDOCTRINATIONThe Ceresian Terralid caste is indoctrinated from early childhood into the faith to compensate for their lack of religious observation due to many ceremonies being forbidden to them. 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. Interestingly, humans are a actually a majority in these organizations and the ultra-religious Terralids in general, the strict and zealous organizations channeling humans natural tendency towards such 'greater' causes. Terralid suicide troopers were first devised by Abyssiasist humans, rather than their Mesulid ruling elite.
PHEROTRAILSTo further strengthen the obedience of the colonial people, particularly the other species, the Ceresian government and religious institutes regularly spread Mesulid pheromones over colonial cities. Typically the pheromones are even harvested (in the manner of literally collecting sweat) and then burning it in incense or spraying it into the air via airships and biplanes, this causing conspiracy theorists to call this "Pherotrails". The pheromones besides causing human (and other species) males to be more prone to tolerate female Mesulid rule also increase general fertility rates, keeping the colonies reproducing faster and raising the empires population and as such work force. Humans biological capability for sensing pheromones is limited however, so the pheromones are far more effective on more perceptive species such as elves. In these species, the pheromones are almost like a drug and in overdoses may cause them to become increasingly sluggish, nonproductive and may eventually cause a form of mental paralysis and death. Religious order members typically undergo various ceremonies that can be summarized as tripping on pheromones.
THE MOSTIAN TROUBLESThe south-western island of Mostia is the ancestral homeland of the entire Gnomish species which was conquered by the Ceresian Empire over two centuries ago, causing a mass exodus of Gnomes to the main continent. Today Mostia is a divided province of the Empire with the northern regions heavily Abyssiasist having eventually assimilated into Ceresian society through the powerful faith. The southern regions however remain more defiant with numerous underground resistance movements, secret societies and cultural preservation groups. While it is extremely difficult for the Gnomes to practice their religion or traditions publicly, they have continued for two hundred years in secret. Northern Mostian Gnomes like most Terralid Caste members are fanatically religious towards the faith they grew up in and despise their Southern brothers and sisters in a kind of low-intensity religious civil war known as the Mostian Troubles. While this continues, Continental Gnomes continue to campaign for the return of Mostia to the Gnomish people as an independent, Gnomish state.
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