Five Naga Kingdoms
From BluWiki
| Dominion Cross Menu |
|---|
|
On the far western point of Avisia, if you squint and look at the peninsula which extends to the south-west and closes in the north end of the great western bight, you can see the head of a snake, with a huge lake making its eye. This region is known as the Naga Lands, or the Five Naga Kingdoms. The kingdoms are Ghemat, Hualit, Du-a'Nua, Tam Sao and Bonh Benh Vanh. Each is ruled by a Naga, a river serpent who blesses the country and keeps its lands fertile.
Contents |
Naga
Geography
The Naga Lands lie on a peninsula at the western end of the Avisia continent. They are bounded by a high mountain range (reaching 10,000ft) to the south-west, and a great lake to the north (roughly 400mi across), and extend to the seas to the north and the west.
Four of the Naga Kingdoms are built along the banks of four great rivers which flow from the mountain range. Three of these flow roughly south-east to north-west, connecting the mountains to the north-western coast, while the fourth river, the Du River, extends from the southern range of the mountains to the south coast some 300mi away. Each river branches into a delta plain before emptying into the sea.
The fifth Naga Kingdom, Bonh Benh Vanh, lies around the south-western shores of the great lake, for their Naga is the spirit of that lake.
Naga Peoples
Naga Religion
Naga people see life and death as a repeating cylce. A person's spirit comes from the waters of the lake or river, then when they die their spirit returns to the water. Their daily rituals and ceremonies are tied to this belief- for example, a pregnant woman will drink a cup of water from a sacred place along the river.
The people also respect and worship their local Naga as a matter of course, and most of their daily lives are conducted for the benefit of the Naga.
The Naga Lands have also given birth to a philosophical religion, which believes that through a process of meditation and self-realisation, eventually it may be possible for a spirit to break free of the torment of the endless cycle of birth and rebirth.
Naga Kingdoms
Ghemat
Hualit
Du-a'Nua
Du-a'Nua is the southernmost of the Naga Kingdoms, lying along the Du River, extending 300 miles from the tip of the mountain range to the southern sea coast, and is some 150 to 200 miles across.
The Naga of Du-a'Nua is the youngest among the five kingdoms, and is fond of artistic and cultural endeavour. In fact, it bores relatively easily, so it is always pushing its subjects to entertain it. This means the country is a centre for art, music and culture, although sometimes this comes at the expense of maintaining the economy and crops for the populace.
The ruler of Du-a'Nua is a king or queen selected by the Naga. Their reign generally lasts a stipulated 9 years and 3 months, although the Naga may sometimes dismiss them early if they bore him, or keep them around longer if they entertain him. The selection is done by means of an artistic contest, the style of which is announced by the Naga 6 months and 9 days before the current monarch's reign is due to end. The Naga chooses an artistic endeavour which it currently finds amusing, which may be a particular style of dance, music, painting, pottery, poetry, gymnastics, singing, martial arts, fashion, beauty, philosophy, tantric yoga, cuisine, or whatever, and the land is scoured for masters of that art to perform and compete in a pageant. The chosen winner is then crowned king or queen and must rule over the land for the next 9 years and 3 months, as well as keep the Naga entertained daily with their performances. In effect, the ruler makes sacrifices on behalf of the country to keep the Naga appeased.
Thus, one king might have been chosen for his beautiful rendition of a classical love ballad, while the queen who replaces him was selected for her lively conversation and eloquence in disecting a range of philosophical tenets. After the ruler's reign is over, they become a minister of the government and simultaneously rule an academy devoted to their style of art, both with lifelong tenure.
This makes the Du-a'Nua artistic and cultural scene a lively, and cut-throat competetively, one. Different schools and academies are set up, with royal funding, to encourage and pursue their artform. Short-lived trends and fashions sweep through the culture with blinding frequency. New fashions displaying fantastic novelty vie with traditional forms of intricate depth. Each school of art competes to gain notice from the Naga as something of interest, so that it will be theirs announced as the competition for the next pageant. Children are pushed to develop whatever meagre artistic talent they might have, and greatly disappoint their parents if they have none.
The other Naga Kingdoms respect Du-a'Nua's artistic achievements and their art and music is extremely popular and highly sought after, however the kingdom is also often looked down upon as decadent and careless.
