Aertepia
Location
Center of the continent on the southern edge of the Sea of Aertepia. The region's southern border is defined by the Sultay Mountains; the eastern border is the Yelina Mountains, which are the source of the mighty Yelina River which empties into Sultay Lake in the Sultay foothills; and the western border is defined by one of the continent's longest rivers, the Aeleny (Yellow) River. The Neba Suma (New Winter) peninsula in the west of the region juts into the Aertepian sea. The Lutians claim some of the islands in the archipelago of Zhosur.
People and culture
The common term for a person of this region is Aertepian (Aertepians, plural). These are relatively short people, the males rarely exceeding 5' 6" while the females are on average 3 inches shorter. Their skin, hair, and eyes are dark coloured. A common physical trait is epicanthal folds and a majority seem to have cleft chins.
These people are not given to war, however, war is something they have been traditionally successful at.
Much value is placed on the afterlife. When a master dies, his favoured servants commit suicide so that they may continue to serve their master in the afterlife. Inhumations are primarily catacombs with the occasional animal remains buried with the deceased along with prized possessions and texts and prayers to help him through his journey in the next life - in the form of praise, advice, humour, and memories. The more he takes with him, the easier his life will be.
Language
Aertepian, although Lutian is a strongly distinct dialect.
Domesticate Crops
The region is fertile ground for grapes, figs, pistachios, dates, cherries, and tangerines.
The Sultamenians of the Sultay Mountains control the pistachio crop.
The vast majority of grapes grown (75%) are used for wine making. While 20% is used for fresh fruits (5% of that for making grape fruit juice) and the remaining 5% are dried to produce raisins.
Common herbs and spices
Chamomile and peppermint, which are used for flavouring teas and in some medicinal applications such as upset stomaches and for the menthol in peppermint.
Domesticated animals
Chicken, Horses, Oxen, Dogs, Sheep and Goats.
Naming conventions
The given name is the common name which identifies the person. The family name identifies the person's family, which always ends with "nen" - if the last letter is "n", then the ending becomes "inen". The person will have at least two middle names: the name of his father and the name of his family's urheimat or homeland. For example, Maranik Stepanik Lutia Maraninen identifies a male named Maranik; his father is Stepanik; his homeland is Lutia; and his family's name is Maraninen.
Male names often end in: the letters ik. Such as the name Maranik.
Female names often end in: the vowel a or o. Such as the name Marana.
Technology
The predominate armour is padding and leather while hard core infantry units often wear bronze helmets, body armour, and carry shields. By far the most common weapon is the antenna-hilted sword.
City-states
There are three city-states in the region:
Lutia: located along the "North Coast", concentrated on the western peninsula called Neba Suma.
Sulamenia: located in the Sultay Mountains are well known for their pistachios.
Cenplia: located in the central plains. They are known for their human sacrifice rituals (although this primarily the execution of criminals offered to the gods).
Created by: Natasha
