Bazurich (ba-zur-ich (german ch, IPA X))

56% Human, 21% Half-Elves, 11% Elves, 1% Shifters, 11% Other Races

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Bazurich is the rose of Galia, hiding its thorns in plain sight; its petals make for the perfect distraction while the heedless pluck it and prick the skin.

One Region, Three Cultures

Any Bazuran will tell you that crescentfolk differ from the mountainfolk, and the mountainfolk differ from the riverfolk. Bazurich is less so a nation of one people, and more like three. In the peaks to the south, where Vanenburg sits in a natural fortress, the people of Bazurich live a cushy life in the city. Parades and festivals are a common sight, and there are few opportunities for true combat, or to be preyed upon by hungry mountain lions. The city-slickers of the mountains are thought to be pompous, lazy, and worst of all, rich. To the rivers up further north, the hardy people of the Bazuran countryside do the lion's share of labouring. They are a hardworking people, if a little insular, and slightly too knowledgeable about fish. But rumours of their supposed lycanthropy keep outsiders at bay for fear of contracting the curse, even if they seem a friendly bunch on the surface. At the furthest northern stretch of Bazurich, where the region tapers into the shape of a waxing crescent, the crescentfolk claim their portion of the land. If the riverfolk are hardy, then the crescentfolk are iron and steel. They are composed of martial lords, who, rather than training in classical formations like Vanenburg, are instead a warrior-style people. Individual heroism and excellence work far more to the advantage of their warbands than a typical soldier, which breeds a very certain kind of person. Direct, brutal, and used to getting what they want the hard way.

Sacred Silk

Bazurich is Galia’s best source of quality silk production. Silkworms are peacefully harvested, and the moths are released humanely. This process makes silk take longer to harvest than silk farms that boil their worms. For this reason, it's far more expensive, as the process yields less silk per harvest. The finest and richest nobles in the region, as well as the aristocracy outside of Bazurich, own Bazurich silk as a status symbol of their wealth and importance.

Other regions produce silk, but Bazurich’s silk is an extravagant wealth symbol. Moths are sacred in the region and protected by law, making it much harder to produce. All silk exported from Bazurich is “peaceful silk”. Nocturnal animals are also safeguarded by law, but none so much as silkworms. Causing intentional harm to animals such as foxes, bats and owls will incur penalties under the law, but doing so to silkworms can result in very intense or harsh punishments. The location of these farms is not publicly available information, as many a thief will go above and beyond to steal them.

A History of Conquest

Bazurich has a storied history of taking things by force until it's convenient for them to forget that fact. As a symbol of strength and ability, they outwardly project their past glories to the Galian stage. When put under scrutiny, the Bazuran monarchy is suddenly silent about its crimes. To those outside the Sholkrian Concord, Bazurich is a threat that could, at any time, declare them the enemy. For its allies, however, Bazurich's military might acts as a deterrent to potential invaders.

Pictured: a water mill in the Bazuran countryside.

Demonym. Bazuran

Government. Bazurich has the oldest surviving monarchy of Galia, dating back to Yunesca Mhondar's unification of the region. These days, the High King Drystan Mhondar III sits on the capital throne in a time of peace, though it likely won't stay that way. With the political upheaval breaking out in the Terraces, it's only a matter of time before he is forced to prove himself as a wartime king.

Defense. The Sholkrian Concord members as a whole have a powerful naval force, mostly due to Bazurich and the Reathmarches' shipyards. Inland, most of the region's military forces are footmen trained in battalions in the south and independent warlords with small warbands in the north. Some skilled commanders have a few arcane tricks up their sleeve, though it's not the norm.

Commerce. Bazurich is a titan in the textile trade. Vanenburg is heralded as the cultural home of fashion, and its trends often make their way up north until Cirena is wearing their garments three seasons past their prime. But every piece looks its best when made with Bazuran materials. Outside of fabrics, the region is also known for its signature drink: maple seltzer.

Organisations. The northern lords run a tight ship within their warbands. Crescentfolk excel in cavalry combat, and are taught from a young age to be self-sufficient. In Bazurich's founding days, the crescentfolk were instrumental in the unification of the kingdom, and were rewarded for their efforts with lordship. The warbands are composed of commonfolk, but a northern lord leads them. By all accounts, they are aristocrats, but they certainly share little in common with the cityfolk nobility.

Pantheons. As with most Galian regions, Bazurich stalwartly follows the Ryte pantheons, and its laws reflect the dominant faith. Vanenburg is the patron city of Saphera, and with all its strict rules protecting her sacred creatures, it's more than a little hard to forget.