Thanatos
| Thanatos | |
| Capital | |
| Ethnic makeup | |
| Demonym | Thanati |
| Colors | Red and gold |
| Emblem | Serpent |
| Government | Monarchic theocracy |
Overview
The kingdom of Thanatos is made up mostly of one large island with a few smaller ones surrounding it. The smaller islands are generally kept for the Necromancers and their research, though there are a few small villages that have appeared around them. The land was rather rich and fertile when the first necromancers arrived, but with all the death magic practiced there it has taken its toll on the land. It is by no means barren, but the farmers have to work to get crops to grow and it is quite expensive to raise the larger livestock. Animals other then pigs and fowl are rare to see, owned only by the wealthy. Horses are also quite rare on the island and few can afford their care.
Despite their small size, Thanatos has managed to avoid being over taken by the larger nations mostly by doing their best to stay on good terms with them and by being far more trouble then they are worth. They wield a lot of power that few outside of their kingdom really understand, which leads to a lot of fear and superstition about what they are really capable of. And even if and when a larger nation crushed them, the land they would gain would hardly outweigh the money and men lost to take them.
Common is still spoken through out most of the island, but over time they have developed their own language. It is tonal, the sounds effecting the meaning of the word. It can be hard for people to pick up the language and most natives have a heavy accent when speaking common.
They trade heavily with other nations, exporting luxury items such as their cloths, rich dyes and many spices and bring in a large verity of good they can’t make or grow on the island. Much of their grain supply comes from the mainland.
1. Kingdom colors Red and Gold
2. Animal Snake
3. Flag A dark red flag with a gold uroboros in the center
Culture and Society
1. Society Thanatos is not that different from most of the other countries. They tend to be a little distrustful of outsiders at first, having not forgotten the reason they first fled to the islands. But the Necromancers love knowledge and welcome people of learning. The chance to study new creatures is always exciting and when magical beings arrive on the island, it is not unheard of for them to go missing.
They are dedicated to learning and even scholars with no magical aptitude can still rise far in society. While there is little effort to educate the poor, there are several schools for those that can afford them. Anyone with magical powers can apply and the church will pay for their education in exchange for them joining the church when they graduate.
There is almost no middle class in Thanatos. Most of the people are poor farmers or craftsmen. Though there are few in abject poverty. Most can make enough to live decent lives. There is no nobility as the kingdom lacks a monarch. But those who have managed to make money, mostly through trading or have risen in rank through the church fill out the upper class.
Zombies are not an uncommon sight on the islands at all. They have replaced slaves, doing much of the simple, manual labor. As zombies lack fine motor function they can’t be used for everything but they are a handy work force that has almost no upkeep cost. They are expensive, so most small towns will only have one or two, owned by the richer families. Owning a zombie is a sign of wealth and prosperity.
Healing magic is rare on Thanatos. Almost no one with magical or psychic healing is born there and few are willing to move from the mainland to settle there. Because of that, they have developed advanced medical skills. It helps that they have no problem cutting up human bodies to see how they work.
2. Race The people tend to have darker skin, ranging from a pale caramel color to a dusky bronze color. Their hair is mostly light in color, blonds being the most common by far. Because there isn’t much verity in the food choices there, the people tend to be slightly malnourished in general, leading to shorter heights. The males tend to range from between 5’ to 5’6” and females between 4’10” to 5’3”.
3. Style White hair is currently one of the big fashion trends on the island and many people use cosmetics or magic to try and get that effect. Clothing tends to favor bright colors and patterns. As dye is expensive, most commoners settle for patterns and colors in smaller amounts, trims or sashes are common ways of getting color into their clothes.. Head scarves are also popular and few people are seen without them.
There aren’t many animals to use, so leather, fur, wool, etc. are rather uncommon in clothing. They use mostly plant fibers to make their clothes. Silk is a bit more common, but still rare. They do have amazing plant dyes, making beautiful rich colors and have developed the ability to produce some complex and beautiful patterns.
As flesh is in no way scared to them, piercing, tattoos and scarification are popular and considered very attractive. Some are more extreme then others, but even small children tend to have some sort of body modification. Clothing is often rather revealing by most countries standards, to better show off their body art. Flesh sculpting is not unheard of among those that can afford it, making them stand out in a crowd.
Being a bit on the husky, stocky side of things is considered quite attractive, as only the rich can afford to keep the extra weight on and it emulates their Goddess.
4. Gender The genders are mostly equal on Thanatos, though there is a definite bias toward woman. They tend to find it easier to move through the ranks in the church and most of the leaders are female. Men can do anything females can, but they tend to have to work harder at it to prove themselves.
5. Sexuality Homosexuality is considered to be quite disgusting and in parts of Thanatos, people have been beaten or killed when discovered to be practicing it. In the larger cities, it is easier to get away with, but is still frowned on. Sex is a way to create life and wasting it is an affront to the Goddess. Any form of birth control is forbidden as well. However, that has never stopped people from looking for loopholes.
