Society Name Namej World Placement
Eastern shores of the Yezbek Sea, between Karatas and the Yezruki steppes.
Society Concept Warrior culture situated in the Mana-rich area between the Karatasan Empire and the Yezruki Tribes.
Terrain Mostly mountainous, with hills fading into steppe on the northeast, and descending into rolling plains to the east.  The peninsula features several large active volcanoes, and has moderately strong earthquakes on a fairly regular basis (two or three per year).
Climate Warm Temperate.  Snows are common in the mountains for about three months of the year.   Lower elevations experience increased precipiatation and fog during the winter months, but rarely see snow.  Year round temperatures in the mountains are cooler, but temperatures in the lower elevations are warm to hot most of the year.

Society Age Age Value 7 Society Scope 6
Years 586 Society Location Namej
Founding Date YT 492 (AV 148) Geographic Size Medium Country / Region
Population 150,000
Maps
Related Narrative Environments Poyazun, Karatas, Mandazar, Layota Tribes, Yezruki Tribes
Major Heritage Groups Namujan (Namujan), Zhalla (Cheyhro)
Minor Heritage Groups Poyazuni (Namujan), Karatasan (Mekys), Avazha (Dwarves), Mandazaran (Pyshwan), Xerian (Pyshwan), Yezruki (Mekys), Loyotan (Loyotan)

Orientation War Active Isolation Value 11
Aspects Conviction (Langranen) Namej is somewhat difficult to reach, requiring travel through mountains or across the sea or steppe.  Several regularly traveled routes do exist.  There are several small port cities on the eastern shore of the Yezbek Sea, all of which lie within the bounderies of Namej, and are trade centers for it.  Ships from as far away as Merochas and Aezjarea arrive to trade for Namujan resources.
To the south, trade with Karatas is mainly through the port cities, but an overland trade route through the mountains is also used.  Traditional caravan routes pass through Mandazar, to the southeast, before entering Namej.
Similarly, caravans from the Yezruki steppes to the north routinely trade with Namej.
- Defense against corruption
Tradition (Clan Wars)
- Near constant competition for Mana-rich areas and mines
Acquisition (Horses, Trophies)
- Raids on Layota tribes and Mandazar

Technology Value 16 Interaction Value 15
Areas of Emphasis Materials, Military applications Namej has abundant natural resources, which attract travelers and traders from the entire region and beyond.  Trade is routine and well-developed trading relationships exist with several other lands. 
Rate of Advancement 7 Subsistance Incipient Agriculture
Rate of Assimilation 6 Major Primary Herder
Namujans value martial and mystical capability, and will attempt to assimilate technology / magicology associated with those areas.  Internal advancement occurs only infrequently. Minor Secondary Agriculturalist
Traditional Namujan subsistence is based on clan herds and hunting.  Namaj increasingly relies on the agricultural production of the Zhalla farms in the coastal lowlands, as well as imported grain from Karatas.
Innovation
Dominant Material 17 Societal Mobility Sedentary
Power / Manufacturing 16 Subclassification
Agriculture / Environment 15 Namujan culture was originally semi-nomadic, but has been essentially sedentary for over 500 years.
Building / Architecture 16
Transport / Communication 15 Kinship
Military 17 Ascendant Non-dominant (tendency towards patriarchal)
Miscellaneous 13 Lineage Determinant Omnidirectional
Cultural 13 Inheritance Pattern Partible
Political Infrastructure Advanced Absolutist Economic Infrastructure
Feudal: Koga-Ra rule the Namujan clans. Exchange System Buying and Selling
Economy Type Medium of Exchange
Power 5 Namujans trade with many surrounding cultures, but do not mint their own coinage.
Authority 8
Consent 6
Constitutional Support 9 Resource Value 16
Legal Complexity 3 Namej possesses abundant ores and mystical materials.
Military Infrastructure Exploitation 12 60%
Primary Force Feudal 8 Namej exploits much of its resources, but has not yet been able to fully tap into their potential.
Feudal warriors serve numerous Koga-Ra (warlords) and Koga-Chirna (clan chiefs)
Relations Neutral Trade 14
Relations with Karatas are great from the Namujan point of view, although the Karatasan view is not so sanguine.  Namej and Karatas are engaged in a fairly constant low-level conflict in Mandazar.
Relations with Yezruki tribes tend to be more suspicious on the part of the Namujans.
Relations with the Layota tribes are traditionally "hostile," although the conflict is mostly low-level raiding.		 Namej trades regullarly with Karatas, Yezruki tribes, Merochasan traders, and other regional neighboring lands.
Namej exports both raw ores and some refined metal and stone, but its major exports are alchemical materials of high quality and value.

Religion Scholastics
Tolerance 13 Tolerance 9
Prevalence 15 Prevalence 8
Diversity 5 Diversity 9
Namujans worship Langranen (The Sword of the Sun), who is the ancestral god of the tribes.   Langranen resides in the Langajun, a holy city located on a volcanic ridge in the heart of the peninsula.  Priests, called Langranazha, are powerful spiritists who maintain contact with the numerous ancestral spirits of the Namujans, as well as relations with the other denizens of the spirit realms in Namej.  Langranazha are also warriors, dedicated to the sword. Scholastic endeavor for its own sake is not practiced by Namujans.  Any studies must have some pragmatic purpose.
Arts Magic
Tolerance 13 Tolerance 16
Prevalence 16 Prevalence 17
Diversity 8 Diversity 17
The arts are prevalent in Namej, but only as decorations to functional items (and practical decorations at that).  Weapons, armor, and buildings are the most common recipients of artistic efforts. Spiritism is practiced by the Langranazha (see Religion).  Spiritists who do not have the blessing of Langranen are called Sridrazhtora (the same term is used for Necromancers), and are shunned or slain.  Rune Magic is regarded as a subset of Spiritism in Namej, and thus is openly practiced only by Langranazha.
Mana is a powerful force in Namej, which is the locus for several persistently powerful manifestations.  Additionally, many rare alchemical materials are readily found in certain parts of Namej.  Mystics (kalazha), enchanters (draadora), and alchemists (also draadora) are common in Namej, and many Omnis have developed, including adepts from other lands.
Sorcery is not practiced by Namujans, and is mostly unknown in Namej.

Status
Primary Foundation Tradition Kinship Custom of Status 3
Descent from Langranen, the ancestral deity of the Namujans, is the primary foundation of status in Namujan society.  Only those of Namujan descent are considered for ruling leadership positions, either secular or spiritual. Rigidity of Status 3
Secondary Foundation Power Military
Military strength is the defining status characteristic among Namujans.  Non-Namujan groups are respected according to their military strength.
Other Foundations Capability Martial Other Cultural Notes
Warrior prowess is the most respected single attribute of any individual, male or female, in Namujan society.  Non-Namujans are accorded respect if they can demonstrate their warrior prowess. Zhallans in Namej are typically referred to (by Namujans) as "Polla," meaning "holes."  The pejorative term is a reference to the Namujan perception that all the Zhalla are good for is to dig holes in the ground - either to plant crops or to mine.
Despite their worship of Langranen, the Namujan retain strong elements of animistic belief.  A common greeting is "agao's bolcan's slav" which means "to the wind, to the volcano, and to the mountains."  This is a blessing on the three-fold elements in Namujan belief.

Namujans have a highly developed language, but never developed their own orthography.  Traditional Namujan writing uses the Avazhan (Dwarven) orthography, but there is a linguistic movement among the Zhalla and the southern tribes to use the Karatasan orthography.
Capability Magical
Magical talent, either mystical or spiritual in nature, is highly respected in Namej, and can be regarded almost on a par with martial ability in some situations.
Spiritual sensitivity is only a source of status if the adept works their magic with the blessing of Langranen.  Otherwise, spiritual talent is a source of distrust or hatred.
Sorcerous ability is regarded as a poor cousin to mystical ability, but does grant some increased status.
Psychic talent is not generally additive to status.
Wealth Alchemical
Because so much of Namujan wealth is derived from exploitation of alchemical and related mystical resources, Alchemical wealth does grant increased status.

Personal Freedom
Vertical Aspects Horizontal Aspects

 

Hierarchy of Social Estates
Social Archetype % Pop Number Vocational Clusters Sample Occupation Status
Ruling Agency Political I Koga-Rani   (Kings) 20
Ruling Political II Koga-Chirna   (Clan Chiefs) 18-19
Political III Powerful Kang-Kongolin 17-18
Ecclesiastical I Ab-Langranazh (Leader of Langrajun) 19
Ecclesiastical II Langradorja (Clan Heartstone guardians) 17-18
Privileged Warrior I Kang Junin   (Jun Chiefs) 16-17
Ecclesiastical III Langradorja (Heartstone guardians) or powerful Langranazha. 15-16
Political IV Kang-Kongolin 15-16
Arcane I Powerful Langmanazha (Blessed mystics) 14-15
Professional Warrior II Bardazha (Jun wardens), China'ir (war band leaders) 14-15
Ecclesiastical IV Langranazha (spirit priests) 13-14
Artisan I Swordsmith 12-13
Warrior III Langa'ir (small unit leaders) 12-13
Arcane II Langmanazha, or powerful Draadora (enchanters) 12-13
Warrior IV Kurani (warriors) 10-11
Artisan II Other weapon crafters, engineers, other artisans with direct military application 10-11
Arcane III Draadora, powerful Kalazha 10-11
Merchant I Dealers in arcane materials or war materiel (weapons, etc.) 10
Arcane IV Kalazha 9-10
Merchant II Common merchants 9
Academic I Scholars 9
Labor Warrior V Foreign warriors (unsworn to a Namujan) 9
Artisan III Most common crafts 8-9
Labor I Herders, servants, concubines 6-7
Labor II Miners 4-5
Labor III Farmers, other "diggers" 3-4
Marginal Fringe I Bandits 2
Fringe II Non-labor Polla (children, old people) 1
Fringe III Sridrazhtora (Necromancers, secular Spiritists) 0