Royal Seyla

Royal Seyla is one of the two south eastern kingdoms on Innatraea. The other is Amng'khor, a neighboring kingdom to the east. Both share similar climates, they are both humid, hot, have many rivers, rainy seasons, and jungles. This is however where the similarities end. Royal Seyla is directly connected to the main continent, and is one of the oldest kingdoms on Innatraea. Though Amng'khor shares a similar age it's relative isolation, on the other side of the Tei Aiser Mountains, has made it much less accessible and less changed by time.

Royal Seyla still has many incredibly unique qualities shared by no other kingdom on Innatraea. Such as artists being conscripted by the crown as national treasures, watch towers along its highways started with gold foundation stones, The Companions, a military that primarily uses spears, and a queen that never speaks.

In Royal Seyla artists are a national treasure. Whether they are a painter, stone mason, carpenter, jeweler, or even a chef. As an artist you have a guaranteed income provided by the crown and are protected by the Aisun, the Seylan soldiers. This may sound very expensive, and it is, but Royal Seyla is also the wealthiest nation on Innatraea. With raw resources like precious gems, rare metals, gold, moangi wood forests, artistic mastery in an unbelievable number of different trades, and a vast relatively peaceful coastline perfect for ship trade.

The Seylan military is a very unconventional one. The Aisun, or soldiers, use only spears, round shields, and short swords. Their spears can however vary in length, both in haft and shank, depending on their purpose. Their military specializes in fast marching, close combat and coordinated team work. Their commanders do however use horses, in order to respond quickly to various sections of a battlefield. They also have an elite military arm, The Calun, or Wolf Guard, are the elite personal guard of their Queen Mother.

Royal Seyla is also home to the Companions. An eccentric loose organization of what other nations would call courtesans. They are however completely free to make their own choices, are protected by the crown, and seem to have command of nearby Aisun in certain situations. No foreigner has really truly understood the Companions, but many visit Royal Seyla just to see them.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Royal Seyla however is their queen. The Queen Mother is the absolute law in her kingdom. She always has her Calun close at hand, as well as a military advisor, and her Kasiri Vahjra. This is where things become very strange to outsiders, because the Queen Mother never speaks on her own. Instead she communicates through various hand signals, eye movements, and body language to her Kasiri Vahjra or "The Queen's Voice." This person then speaks to everyone else for her. The Queen Mother and her Kasiri Vahjra, are not selected in any way that outsiders are familiar with.

Every kingdom has its weaknesses and Royal Seyla is no exception. The kingdom's inherent strangeness makes many nervous in visiting or trading with the kingdom, though its wealth usually wins them over in the end. Wherever you have extreme wealth, extensive trade, and many foreigners there are also bound to be shadowy alleys and street corners. Royal Seyla's capital city is no exception to this. The city is rife with street urchin gangs, thugs, usury, and orphans. Some of this is waylaid by the Commonwealth Houses, a series of shelters funded by the crown, but it is a constant battle.

What effect will this strange nation have on the future of Innatraea as a whole? Or will Royal Seyla be left behind because of its many differences? What secrets could such an unusual and ancient kingdom possess?