Unjaarn

Once a nation of nearly twice its current size, Unjaarn has many layers of history in its large cities crumbling under their own weight. The young nation of Vadan used to be part of Unjaarn, and while Unjaarn maintains its traditional customs, Vadan is much more driven by change and new philosophies. This leads most Unjaarni to disregard the Vadanians as foolish.

Swampy and humid year-round, the people of Unjaarn are almost all at least competent in boating through bogs and marshes. The wilderness of Unjaarn is a tangle of mangroves, hemlock, and black spruce among other tropical and subtropical trees, all of which is overgrown with lichens, kudzu, and parasitic plants like strangler figs. All manner of dangerous animals and strange monsters lurk in the murky waters outside of civilization, but skilled rangers can navigate the swamps skillfully to avoid the worst of these creatures.

Unjaarn’s largest cities have well-equipped schools of philosophy, science, and fine arts. Attendance at such schools is reserved for the top three castes. Trades workers commonly apprentice under masters to learn their crafts.

Unjaarni Castes.

Unjaarn maintains a rigid caste system. An Unjaarni will remain in the same caste that their parents were born into, as will their children, in perpetuity. Some Unjaarni believe that this system helps foster internal peace as nobody has to compete for higher status: their status is preordained. Other Unjaarni think that this limits the potential creativity and competence from many of the lower castes and the system should change. Needless to say, a majority of the Unjaarni that are happy with the system as it currently stands are those in the upper castes, although no group holds completely monolithic views. Many Unjaarni that are completely unsatisfied with the caste system will emigrate to Vadan, which has the same cultural history but has much more social mobility.

Likishuan.

The lowest caste of Unjaarn is the manual laborers, who maintain the nation’s agriculture and infrastructure. Even the lowest caste is treated with basic humanoid dignity, as the higher castes recognize that it is the Likishuan who keep the nation functional.

Kirish.

The trades workers and merchants share the next caste. Blacksmiths, tanners, weavers, and traders live slightly more comfortable lives than the Likishuan, but are still forbidden from pursuing formal schooling. The Likishuan and Kirish castes have a dialect of speaking that is almost incomprehensible to the upper castes. While the words are generally the same as the common language, the accent and speech patterns are so thick that the Likishuan and Kirish can easily communicate private messages to one another.

Duskiran.

The third caste is the armed forces. Both local town guards and the national infantry are considered Duskiran. Captains and generals are from the fourth caste, however. While many Likishuan and Kirish attempt to emigrate to Vadan for upward social mobility, Unjaarn is also in a heated conflict with Vadan. The border between the two nations is a violent and contentious place.

Lectuadi.

The fourth caste is the lowest caste allowed (and in fact required) to attend formal schooling. Local legislators and judges come from this caste. Lectuadi are also appointed to tactical roles overseeing the Duskiran.

Nelida.

The fifth caste are the elite among the Lectuadi. There are only a few dozen Nelida families in Unjaarn; they are regional and national legislators, judges, and generals.

Brahma.

The sixth and final caste of Unjaarn are its religious leaders. While they do not hold any governmental authority, the other castes look to them for moral guidance and their counsel often sways the Nelida. At religious ceremonies, the castes are made to sit in order of their caste, with the Likishuan furthest from the altar, the Nelida closest to it, and the Brahma performing rituals that involve a sacrificial offering of food and drink to the gods.

Unjaarni believe that every pantheon exists, and likely many more that nobody is aware of. Each town and household may have specific deities that they feel especially drawn to worship as their patrons. The Shibmar Conclave of the Archfae - specifically Lob, Tamat, and Khailain - are nationally venerated and believed to be some of the most powerful gods out of any pantheon. Most Unjaarni believe in reincarnation, though they do not scientifically understand Essence.

Trade.

Unjaarn exports many potent spices, artistic clay goods, and flavorful foods. It also exports colorful pigments that make bright dyes. Unjaarn is locked in economic conflict with Vadan, each trying to outmaneuver the other in international trade.

Underworld.

There are individuals in every caste who are willing to break convention. A thinly spread but well organized network of smugglers help people cross the border to Vadan when desired.

Nelidi

The capital of Unjaarn is a massive city spread across several small islands in a shallow area of the swamplands. With a population of over three million, Nelidi is the largest city on the east of the Cloudpierce Range.

The largest Brahma temple is in Nelidi, along with multiple elite schools and the palace from which the Nelida run their nation.

Points of Interest

Swamplands of the Great Chasm. See Buyleist for more information.

Quest Ideas

• The Nelida do not want to risk the lives of Duskiran soldiers on a mission to slay a deadly swamp beast, so they send the heroes instead.

• A small group of Likishuan families want to move to Vadan and ask the heroes to protect them on their journeys.

• A member of the Nelida privately confers with the heroes and conspires to abolish the caste system.

• A beloved Brahma has gone missing. When the heroes venture into the swamp, they find that they have teleported to the Everwilds.