The great cold waves of the Kifini Sea crashed with a thunder into the rocks of the local coastline, slowly adding to the rugged beauty of the area even as Desini watched the spectacle. Not too far from here was one example of their wondrous sculpture, a massive naturally carved stone arch that spanned more than a hundred ji in length, an awesome reminder of the power of the interaction between the harmony of Khenmi and Ggourij (when they decided to work together, of course).
He loved this particular perch of his, not too far from the Sea to be sprayed by the water, but far enough that he would not plunge into its depths with the lonesome crash of a single wave. Besides which, the view was beautiful. He sighed and leaned back against the comfortable recess the wall made. So much had happened in the past few days...
His father had come back from his mission to the great Kuzani, and had been practically bouncing with excitement. He had been able to listen in on these discussions and gather much of what was going on, naturally, since he was well aware of the nature of politics and warfare. Kuzani had apparently agreed to the compromise offered by the coalition of the chiefs, who had advised him that a Federalist government was likely the best that they could do. Kuzani would retain his crown, of course, but the local areas would also have a say in their own affairs, and the upper assemblies, which would be elected by the people, would have a right to block decisions of the Kuzani!
It was a great victory for the Coalition, naturally, since they had been advocating a federalist government to make sure the local nations did not have a major problem with the laws. Of course, they would stay bound by higher law, but they did have a large amount of leeway. Privately, he was happy for this; it allowed him and his family to gain a higher seat in the Fulani if they managed to garner enough support.
He smiled. With this dispute solved, the tribes of Tourijan could stop fighting among themselves, and finally turn their look outwards, towards the rest of the world. They needed to recognize that they themselves were their worst enemy, if they united, then they could effectively combat the rest of the region, and unite them. This would be, of course, for the peoples own good, since the great Kuzani would obviously let them retain greater freedoms than their own hierarchical societies would allow.
His peripheral vision caught some movement, and when he looked over he gasped in amazement and delight. Perched on the rock next to him was one of the beautiful, red iridescent kiriji that was not only an omen of good luck, but a symbol of the religion and a beautiful creature to look at. Its glistening red head turned and regarded him with deep blue eyes, and after seemingly nodding to him, it launched off, to fly into the mist offshore.
It would be a good time indeed.
Tribe: Tourijan
Ruler (Player): Kuzani Sojini
Government: Federalist Monarchy
Religion: Tallijani
Economy: Stable
Armed Forces: 50 warriors (stone weapons)
Starting Location: City of Tourijan (see map)
Background: Tourijan was founded by a varied collection of tribes who had grown massively due to the rapid domestication of a rather common cereal in the area. With populations spiking, the people began to trade with each other, conquer each other, until the Sojini tribe became the most powerful in the region. The first king settled the disputes by allowing each of the local tribes to make laws in their lands by the way they wanted them; they only had to stay within the bounds that the Kuzani laid out for them to follow. With this distinct division between the federal and local governments, it ensured that the empire would stay unified and that it could also react to local concerns. With this formal fabric in place to consolidate the Empire, it now could rapidly expand.
Note: Kuzani is approximately related to King, Sojini is the dynastic name.
Note2: A Federalist Monarchy has the monarch at the head making decisions on a national level, while at the local level fully Democratic assemblies (Fulani) make decisions for that area only. The decisions on a local level are of course overruled if they disagree with the Kuzanis rulings, but normally they do not conflict as the local assemblies are given leeway in deciding how to enforce a particular law (for example, the Kuzani would declare a certain act a crime, the Fulani would decide how to implement it). In addition to this, the Fulani elect representatives from their midst to visit the capital and approve of the decisions of the Kuzani, or make their own motions. No law may pass without the Kuzani agreeing, nor may any pass without the Jifulani (the elected body) agreeing. They must work in concert, though often this is not a problem, because the Kuzani often command quite a bit of support from the local populace, thus also from the Fulani and the Jifulani. Often they are never deadlocked, in fact, for if the Jifulani returns a commanding majority against the Kuzanis position, he will often consent to their decision (though this is tradition, not law).
The religion of Tourijan, Tallijani, is a much less self serving religion than any other in the world, and it reflects the world view of the Tourijani people, that no one thing can gain solely at ever others expense, that all are interrelated, and that none can survive without harmony and the interaction that others provide. This multilayered, complex interacting culture is quite evident in their religion.
The main pantheon is composed of three gods, Varij, who makes up the light and the giver thereof, essentially, Khenmi, who is the wielder of the ocean of water that floods the earth, and who is the giver of life, and Ggourji*, he who cradles the earth, and all that is yielded by it for the use of man.
These three interacting make up the world, in and of themselves, however, they are but minor parts of a greater whole, the whole being the entirety of the body of spirits that wander this universe. Almost everything has a spirit in the religion (so it is somewhat related to Animism), and it is when these spirits interact in the realm created by the larger spirits that reality is born.
The after life is simple, a soul attempts time and time again for perfection, when mind and soul are perfect, they go on to Kiarnu, or the great heaven. The way to attain perfection is greatly debated, but the specifics that most everyone agrees on is that it cannot be bought; praying to a god over and over makes you no more likely to achieve perfection than does saying I am perfect a few million times.
A soul can only attain perfection when their motives in life are pure, and when they care not for how much they have, but if they lead a good life. Those who care and strive to be better are the ones destined for salvation. The great majority of people try to maximize what they can do in a life, for perfection is not attained through apathy.
Of course, attaining perfection is not all there is in life, and so the religion addresses these concerns as well. For example, it dictates that war is fine, as long as it is altruistic. Killing out of cold blood or profit is a terrible act.
Local sects of the religion are common, most of them are widely recognized by their symbols.
Varjiliti is a sect based on focusing the light and energy of the world so you become a conduit for the light. They often use fires in their rituals, and they focus on the fire using these. They are often described as calm, and determined in their focus on attaining the light. Fires are also considered an symbol for the rebirth of the soul.
Khenimi is another sect who focuses more on personality, they strive to be kind, gracious people who value life. Life is very important in this sect, and life must be preserved. Their symbol is often the kiriji, a large ocean bird, often described as the most beautiful bird in the world, a iridescent red in the summer, with a long, glittering tail, then in winter it changes color to the purest of whites. This beautiful bird, only one example of the local wildlife, is quite popular among the villagers.
Meanwhile, the primary religious city is inland, ringing the tallest mountain peak, Aluji, and it is a perfect local, as with a great mountain lake nearby, it is the union of light, water, and earth.
More on this through stories and such.
Name: Tallijani
Head: Hierocracy
Attitude to War: Fine, so long as it is pure in motive (to be explained in stories).
Belief about God(s): There are an innumerable amount of spirits, however, only three gods make up the Great Circle.
Belief about Afterlife: Reincarnation until the soul attains perfection.
Heretics: Will be added as we contact other groups.
Control over people: Strong
Religious Center: Aluji
Culture: None
OOC: Borders as on map would be nice, as would an orange color. EDIT: River is Tarijen river.
remmeber, bronze age longer than last time maybe instead of trying to rus straight to steel? 
Why? They're good now!
Not that it means I'm going to go out and try to kill everyone. But I'm not going to hesitate to invade tiny tribes this time, either.
