Tirial

Tirial
Ruling House	Vergara
Capital	Maestoso
Ethnic groups	95% Serenian, 5% other

Location: southwest Serendipity

Borders: Fallial, Altas Verde, Ravensway, Jadenshine

Land: mountains and highland plateau

Like Fallial, Tirial rests on a plateau in the western part of the kingdom and was among the first regions inhabited when Serendipity's founders first migrated across the mountains. Its ancient heritage is a source of pride among those who dwell here, and many families in this province have held their lands for centuries. Has a close relationship with Fallial.

Geography

The land is mountainous and the climate is generally dry and warm. While the soil is not of a bad quality, land is difficult to cultivate due to the hilly terrain, so most agriculture consists of either goat and sheep farming, or terraced orchards where crops such as grapes and olives may be grown. Tirial must import any grains and staples it needs. However, this is more than made up for by its famous goat cheeses and excellent wine, both of which are in high demand from those with discerning taste in large towns such as Arca and Cerenis.

As with Altas Verde and Fallial, mining is a significant source of income for the province. A huge amount of silver is hidden within the mountains, with a smaller but still important reserve of gold alongside it. Most of the precious metals mined here are exported, as the gregarious nature of the people does not lend itself well to the solitary pursuit of the craftsman.

Settlements tend to be small and far apart, nestled in the hills, although they are not as isolated as they might seem. The roads here are well established and very old, tended to by the people who rely on them to move from town to town. All but the most remote villages can be accessed easily enough by carriage, as well as on horseback or on foot.

The main city, Maestoso, is situated in the east on the lowest and flattest stretch of land in the province. As the first safe stop after the mountains for early Serenians, this has the distinction of being the country's oldest permanent settlement. Most of the oldest towns in the province are also on the highlands, with a few small farming villages in the mountains. More recently, large towns have sprung up around the mines and although they don't have as long a local history as others, they are fiercely proud of what they do have, and each mine seems to have its own folklore attached to it.

Culture

As the first settled province, Tirial is extremely proud of its history and has a long and respected oral tradition. Writing is not though so highly of, and considered more of a necessity than an art in itself. The common view is that if one truly cares about something, they'll take the time to remember it and make it personal to them. Spoken and sung storytelling is held in the highest regard, considered the only way to keep a tale really alive. As such, Tirial turns out a higher than normal number of bards and storytellers who ply their trade not only within their home province, but also throughout Serendipity and even further. The people's love of history also means many of Serendipity's most prominent scholars originate here, although they aren't as respected at home as they are elsewhere.

These traditions extend even to the language spoken in the region. While Common is still the most used language here, Old Serenian is spoken far more often than it is elsewhere in a bid to keep at least some of the old ways alive. Stories told among Tirians almost always use Old Serenian, and it isn't rare to hear everyday conversations conducted in the language. Of course, it isn't the same language as recognised by scholars, having incorporated new words and dialects to keep up with the changing world; a real, living language needs to adapt if it is not to die.

Gossip is an integral part of Tirian culture, as it forms the growing story of each community. Even the mundane facts of ordinary people's lives are worth hearing if they can be told in an interesting way, after all. Privacy, on the other hand, is something people have barely any concept of. The more a person tries to keep to themselves, the more it is assumed that they must have something juicy to hide!

Tirians tend to be thin and pale, their skin colour less prone to darkening in the sun than others. This is a product of the heavy fae blood present in the populace, which also gives them the typical Serenian colourful hair and a stronger than usual reaction to steel. Heights vary hugely among families and villages; in some areas of the province the average height for men is 5'5”, while in others women might commonly reach 5'10”! While commoners do build muscle with hard physical labour, this usually gives them a wiry rather than a bulky look.

Rarely will any clothing be seen covering the mouth or ears of a Tirian, as anything that hinders conversation is considered to be hideously impractical. In contrast, gaudy earrings and bright lipsticks are the height of fashion for all those that can afford them. Bells, multiple bangles and other adornments that create a pleasing noise are permanent fixtures in Tirian fashion. Most clothes produced within the province are made of either goat or sheep wool, fashioned into light knits in keeping with the warm climate. Other fabrics may be imported, but most people don't bother.

With an almost completely Serenian populace, mingled here and there with the blood of rare but even more fantastical species, magic is common in Tirial. Most magic users that originate here find it helpful to use some kind of verbal component to control their powers, and it is not uncommon for this to be the very basis of their spells. Charms and suggestions using songs or magic words are commonplace here, and most important figures carry amulets to guard against such effects.

Nobility and the Class System

The current ruling family of Tirial is House Vergara, who have held power over the land for a few generations now. However, due to the province's slightly eccentric succession process, a number of the old families have held the position throughout their long history. These old families are heavily interconnected by marriage, and may technically be seen as one enormous clan. The individual families resort to inbreeding for periods every so often, in a bid to keep their lines separate. Rarely is an outsider brought into the fold, and these are always nobles of the very highest birth from other provinces. For a commoner to marry in is unheard of. As for children, the more the better! The larger the number of potential applicants for the next ruler, the better the chance of that family seizing power. 'Heir and a spare' doesn't work when succession is uncertain.

The High Lord or Lady is expected to know the full history of the province, and to be able to recite it whenever necessary. A huge festival is held roughly once every ten years, and at the opening ceremony the ruler must sing the history in Old Serenian, adding any important events since the last time the public history was sung. The song itself may change, and has indeed been altered drastically over the years, but it must contain all the important information and, crucially, sound pleasant to all attendees. For this reason, the children of influential families concentrate especially hard on their history and singing lessons, as well as becoming fluent in the old tongue.

When the previous High Lord or Lady dies or is otherwise no longer fit to rule, a call is sent out for anyone who thinks they may be eligible for the position to come and take the succession test. There they must sing the history of Tirial for either the current ruler or their nominated adjudicator, and the applicant with the most correct and pleasing song may take the position. This process is not as egalitarian as it sounds; while peasants and bards may know the broad history and a few stories, the song is much longer and more involved than anyone could hope to learn without a specific teacher, and the general public hears it only once in a decade, at the festival. Because of this it is actually an effective test of high birth, and almost nobody but those from the oldest noble families ever has a chance at ruling.

Tirial has an extremely strict class hierarchy that has changed little in several hundred years. While all subjects are their own person by the country's law, and there is no real knight class owing to the province's geographical insulation from any military threat, the social structure is very nearly feudal in nature. Not much mixing occurs between commoners, lower nobles and the highest noble families. Bards and storytellers make up the closest thing the province has to a middle class, being almost as respected as minor nobles, although with less money, and with less secure lifestyles than the peasantry.

The lower nobility oversee the day-to-day running of the province, each family having their own area to control. They employ all peasants living on their land, and deal with the money and trade that entails. The common people almost never get to directly handle money; the nobles control all imports and exports for the region, and provide villagers with what they need. Among the people of Tirial, bartering is therefore the main form of trade and most commoners coming into money don't know how to budget, or what things are roughly worth, and so don't hang onto that money for long. Nobles are also expected to mediate legal disagreements, which are usually resolved verbally.

While this may seem to make nobles nigh untouchable, any who abuse their position have to be very careful about it, because information travels fast here and the people have high expectations of their officials. Corrupt nobles have in the past been killed by public mobs and the higher authorities do in fact allow this to happen in the name of accountability. While the upper classes have huge amounts of power, they also have a duty to serve their people well, and this must be upheld.

Characters

Efrosyni Vergara: current High Lady.

See also: Serendipity Connections - Nobility, Serendipity Connections - Trades, Serendipity Connections - Miscellaneous