Maer

(pronounced 'MY-air')

The past flies away like a bird; memory lives in the written word.

—from 'The Treatise of Shanhadi', as it is cast into one of the bells of the Grand Library.

Maer is an expanse of arid, mountainous land in the south-west of Untir. In ancient days, its three major cities were plagued by the chaos of constant warfare with one another. However, a century and a half ago, a peace council convened by the Legend Shanhadi resulted in the formation of the United Cities of Maer.

(pronounced 'ESH-sah-rel')

Eshsarel is home to an ancient and solemn tradition of craftsmanship. It has a long history of cultural exchange with the Steppe, maintaining a trading partnership with Khevel and observing its culture of chivalry with regards to the two cities' sharing of the northern mountain range's plentiful ore deposits.

Although all of the United Cities contain a profusion of ornate buildings, Eshsarel's are by far the most intricate, carved from a distinctive pale marble, and have long inspired poems, paintings, and imitations. The city boasts an innumerable number of storied workshops which budding students vie to apprentice at, whether they seek to become archictects, artists, or artisans.

The Forum of Eshsarel really is a sight to behold. So many different figures… and all carved with such detail, you'd almost believe the stone was about to speak!

—from a conversation in a Kheveli tavern.

(pronounced 'ee-SOO-ran')

Ysuran is a hub of archivists and scholars intent on preserving knowledge and seeking wisdom. Although each of the United Cities has multiple libraries, Ysuran's Grand Library is widely thought to be the oldest and most extensive repository of learning in Untir.

Ysuran's libraries are technically public, but the city's prevailing culture is fairly insular. Those from beyond the governing class of native scholars—whether they be a farmer from just outside the city walls or a well-read Bard from faraway Hen Eibar—often have trouble finding acceptance as they are.

…in the street, I felt distinctly that I did not belong. Yet in the cavernous limestone halls of the Grand Library there reigned a reverent, almost welcoming silence, broken only by the occasional shuffling of paper and the resonant chime of the hourly bells…

—from a letter home written by a travelling Tekhayan scholar.

(pronounced 'TAR-koos')

Tarqus is a crucible of unbounded inquiry, leveraging its access to Ysuran’s repositories of knowledge and Eshsarel’s refining techniques to advance the study of medicine and engineering. In this bustling hub of continual development and construction, nothing and no one ever seems to stand still.

In past decades, Tarqus has been at the forefront of the United Cities' post-Great Flood annexation of Tekhayana, taking a leading role in the establishment of the region's new capital of Flumenpura. Flumenpura's Kaliya Dam is directly based on Tarqus' own Taq Dam, constructed some years earlier.

The exact construction of the Tarqusan hand cannon is a wisely-kept secret, in order to lower the probability of both the knowledge and material means of its production falling into warmongering hands. However, the fundamental principles are thus: firstly, black powder…

—from a private lecture given at one of Tarqus’ principal Houses of Learning.

Maer's culture of Telling is founded on the values of precedent and permanence. The perceived quality of texts and objects is heavily affected by how far they have a traceable lineage of influential works underpinning them. Moreover, it is widely believed that all things of significance should be recorded for preservation in the Maeran language, or, if they are not constituted by language, housed in a Maeran archive.

Those perusing a Maeran library will most commonly light upon extensive histories, philosophical treatises, ancient epics, detailed descriptions of famous Eshsarelan paintings and sculptures, and biographies of Legends. They may also find discourses on science, fiction interspersed with frequent allusion, and reams of music composed for flute and chime bells.

The United Cities are technocracies, with each city administered by a large council of Magisters selected via the Maeran Magisterial Exam, which tests all Magisters and prospective Magisters every two years for mastery of writing, philosophy, and familiarity with central Maeran texts. Presiding over them is a Governor selected by the majority vote of the council. This mode of government is set out in 'The Treatise of Shanhadi', a text revered by many Maerans as the ultimate source of wisdom. The United Cities have imposed a similar form of governance on Tekhayana, assisted by mercenary support from Hen Eibar.

In each of the three river valleys of Maer, there are a great deal of smaller towns and villages under the governmental yoke of their closest city. Whilst these settlements provide a large portion of the cities’ resources, undertaking the difficult task of farming land that experiences very little rain, they have little tangible representation of their own. As a result, pockets of resentment simmer beneath the societally entrenched reverence towards Maer's ascendant class of urban scholars.

• A well-established archivist and Magister, single-mindedly dedicated to preserving the wisdom of the past
• A pamphlet-writing farmer contributing to a burgeoning campaign for the independence of valley villages
• A budding scientist and inventor, looking to make a name for themselves in the history books at any cost
• A writer trapped between their urge towards spontaneous experimentation and the expectation to conform to the patterns of old works

Examples of the kinds of given names a Maeran might have include: Amari, Syrus, Duhan, Qaela, or Varinia.

Examples of the kinds of family names a Maeran might have include: Yqilan, Dunum, Aetian, Landinus, or Eshani.

Family name in Maer is deeply significant, as it is direct tie to one's history. As a result, it is generally customary in Maer to list one's family name before one's given name(s).