| Aedyr Empire | |
|---|---|
 Concept Art of humans from the Aedyr Empire | |
| General | |
| Type | Hereditary Monarchy |
| Adjective | Aedyran[1] |
| Demonym | Aedyran[1] |
| Products |
Iron Fine steel Cotton Dyes Lumber (a major export of many varieties) Spices[1] |
| Demography | |
| Population | 13,600,000[1] |
| Nomadic People |
90 % Resident 10 % Transient[1] |
| Urbanization |
30 % Urban 70 % Rural[1] |
| Races |
40 % Thyrtan 30 % Sceltrfolk 10 % Coastal aumauas 5 % Calbandra 15% Other[1] |
| Language(s) |
Aedyran some Hylspeak a little Vailian[1] |
| Main Faiths |
Hylea Woedica Berath[1] |
| People | |
| Founder | group of tribes called The People of the Deer |
| Connections | |
| Related |
Penitential Regency of Readceras Free Palatinate of Dyrwood |
| Symbols | |
 | |
The Aedyr Empire is an expansive nation, a monarchy ruled by Ferscönyng (emperor) and Mecwyn. People from the Aedyr Empire are known as the Aedyr. The Free Palatinate of Dyrwood and the Penitential Regency of Readceras are its former colonies in the Eastern Reach.
History
The Aedyr Empire was formed in 2399 AI, as "union" of the Human Aedyr kingdom and elven kingdom of Kulklin.
In 2602 AI Aedyre explorers returned from a journey thousands of miles across the ocean to the east, with tales of treasures and rich lands. Over the next twenty years Aedyre exploration continued into that region, laying the foundations for the empire future expansion into what will be later named the Eastern Reach by the colonists. The half century after sees a frenzy of activity in the Eastern Reach (part colonization, part exploration, part conquest), as the Aedyre try to make the most of their new opportunities. During that time its colonies in Eastern Reach were involved in couple of wars over its practice of plundering Engwithan ruins in Eir Glanfath. And eventually its newly established duchies Dyrwood and Readceras gained independence through bloody revolutions.
Overview
The Aedyr Empire is a hereditary monarchy. The imperial family is an oddly-tangled union of a reigning human emperor (technically the ferscönyng/first king) and the elven queen (mecwyn, short for héamecwyn/illustrious queen), their "union" (Haemneg) represents the ongoing alliance between the nations. Both the ferscönyng and mecwyn have same-race spouses and offspring[2][3] to maintaining the imperial lines. The Ine Gyrd scepter, symbolizes the power of the Aedyran emperor.[4]
The Aedyr Empire maintains a feudal social structure, allow slavery in most areas, and believes in/enforces a divine right monarchy (through Woedica). They're also pretty closed-minded about animancy, ciphers, and a lot of the new breakthroughs in understanding mortal souls that have been discovered in Dyrwood and Vailian Republics. Some Aedyre nobles also believe that they have a divine right to portions/all of Eír Glanfath.[5]
Ethnic Aedyr population is overwhelmingly human and elven. They have fair skin and a variety of hair and eye colors, with blue and green being common. Among other cultures, Aedyr clothing is known for being relatively simple in construction and often using large, colorful striped or checkered patterns for accents. [6]
- Aedyran virtues: duty, efficiency, loyalty, modesty (not of dress, but of character), purity.
- Aedyran vices: inconstancy, sloth, sloppiness, impunctuality, mixing work/leisure.[7]
Aedyr Empire sits on the equator, the climate there is equatorial hot/humid.[8] The land mass on which Aedyr Empire sits extends northward to the forests in which the Aedyr people originated and separated from its former colonies in the Eastern Reach by a thousands of miles of ocean to the east.
Haemneg
The cultures of elves and humans have become so intermingled in the Aedyr Empire, that they developed legal concepts to deal with what are effectively culturally-accepted concubines (human-elf and elf-human). These unions are called Haemneg. [3] Haemnegs in ordinary Aedyran society are "supposed" to be for purely practical/political/financial reasons but they are often driven by emotions and desire. Haemnegs cannot be performed unless both parties are already married. If someone who is in a haemneg becomes a widow or widower, they are often pressured to re-marry unless they are past typical parenting ages.[9]
Holidays
- The Feast of Feasts(First week of Deep Summer)
The biggest and most important of all Aedyran customs is the Feast of Feasts. This weeklong celebration happens the first week of Fonestu (Deep Summer) and is dedicated to honoring the life of the First Fercönyng. Each day of the week is devoted to some aspect of the fercönyng's life and there are very specific dishes to be served at each meal.
The Feast of Feasts originally began as a festival celebrating the birth of the fercönyng's first son and soon became a yearly occurrence during the week of his birthday. Currently, Aedyrans simply use it as an excuse for a party and pull out all the stops in an effort to outdo the previous year.
And lest you wonder, as I did, which fercönyng is honored during The Feast of Feasts - it is always the current fercönyng. For each fercönyng is the First and Only fercönyng.
A special custom that arose at some point during The Feast of Feasts, Sweet Treat started as a way to keep children occupied so the parents could dine in peace. While it is still used for that today, significance has been added to it. Each treat is placed in a container (usually small metal boxes) and hidden somewhere on the property. After everything has been hidden, the children are sent out to find the "treasures." It is said now that the hidden treats represent Glanfathan artifacts and the children are the explorers, bringing the riches back to their new -and rightful - owners.
- Carnival of the Mask(???)
When the original colonists for Aedyr traveled to the new land to found the Dyrwood in the name of the Aedyran fercönyng, they encountered the Glanfathan people. The Carnival of the Mask celebrates this meeting. Originally, it was merely a formal reenactment - as a play - of the tensions between the Glanfathans and Aedyran settlers, but it has since evolved into much more than that. Participants choose "sides" and come dressed in elaborate outfits depicting which group they have decided to align themselves with - Aedyrans or Glanfathans. Everyone attends a masquerade ball and this party replaces any semblance of the play that was presented.
- Winter's End(Winter Dusk)
Winter's End was never anything more than an excuse for a celebration and it hasn't changed in all the years it has existed in Aedyr. It takes place during Winter Dusk and lasts all three days. People use the time to reflect on the year, celebrate their lives, and remember the dead - especially those who have passed in the recent year.
In-game books
References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Pillars of Eternity Guidebook Volume One, page 54
- ↑ Gamebanshee Social Round-up 08.5.2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Forum Post by Josh Sawyer
- ↑ Forum Post by Josh Sawyer
- ↑ spring.me post by Josh Sawyer
- ↑ Update #20: Lore Tidbits, Campaign Almanac
- ↑ Obsidian forum post by Josh Sawyer
- ↑ Obsidian forums
- ↑ Josh Sawyer on formspring
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