Derem

Derem is a continent of contrasts. Half the continent is harsh desert, the rest a temperate mix of forests and plains. Separating them is the Palisade, a mountain range that bears a great responsibility – keeping the civilised part of the land protected from the Niskaru. Whether those foul creatures are demons or something altogether more horrifying is a matter for academics. For those that guard the paths through the mountains, all that matters is that they are an ever present, ever evolving threat.

Derem is ruled by a lineage that stretches back thousands of years. Emperor Isim Khan (male, human) is not a particularly harsh ruler and is largely divorced from public matters. That said, the land does not need much in the way of ruling – those in the south go about their days as best they can, those at the Palisade keep watch, and those few settlements and collectives to the north do their best to survive.

Culture and Society

Religion:

Derem has no state religion, which means citizens are essentially free to worship whatever they wish. The main pantheon of gods is present here, as is general Fate worship (as well as Fateweaving). Derem is unusual in that demon worship (or more accurately, consorting with demons) is not as socially rejected as in other cultures – the general understanding is that the Niskaru are the enemy, and that they are either demonic in origin or are the products of demonic influence. However, that is not the same as saying that all demons are in favour of (or stand to gain from) increased Niskaru activity, which allows for situations in which a demon’s goals may align with that of the Dominion, the state or individuals.

Economics:

Derem is like jurisdictions like Tala Rane, Rathir and Mel Shenshir in its economy, with a few notable differences: As the whole of the continent comes under a single government (i.e. the whole continent is one country), cities, towns and smaller settlements do not have the kind of adversarial relationships that are common on Amalur. As this single state entity is spread out over quite a large amount of land (even discounting that north of the Palisade), a larger portion of the economy is in the primary and secondary economic sectors (I.e. agriculture and manufacturing). As an absolute hereditary monarchy, Derem’s economy (and wider culture) is more susceptible to sharp pivots in short timespans than are the bureaucratic democracies of Rathir and Tala Rane or the loose guild affiliations of Mel Shenshir. Derem is about average in presence of useful materials in the form of precious metals and naturally occurring spell components. Geography: Derem is split into two halves by the Palisade, the mountain range that separates the northern desert from the populated southern plains. The desert does appear to be naturally occurring (in that, being further north should make it colder and more like the lands in the north of Seheron, but it is incredibly hot. This is generally believed to be a consequence of whatever action(s) resulted in the Niskaru being there in the first place. Whether or not the Palisade itself is natural is still debated but is of little consequence in the sense that it does not affect the necessity of patrolling it. The lands south of the Palisade are generally temperate plains, with interspaced jungles and rainforests, and an above average annual rainfall. Flora and fauna are not notably more or less diverse than those found on other continents (with an exception in that there are things that can be found north of the Palisade that are not found in other deserts – again, understood as related to the Niskaru presence).

Culture:

Although Derem is a monarchy, larger settlements such as Providence, Bulwark, and the larger towns function autonomously, with relatively independent local governance. Unsurprisingly, those that live closer to the Palisade are more aware of the Niskaru threat, as the small amounts of them that break through to the south rarely (if ever) make it as far as the southern cities. This has resulted in a bit of a split consciousness among the public, where the wealthy merchants and nobles of the south are dismissive of the threat the north handles daily, and regularly advocate reallocating resources to other areas. This has so far been curtailed by successive monarchs placing more stock in the opinions of the high-ranking members of the Dominion than in those of southern plutocrats.

Relationships with foreign entities:

Derem is recognised as a legitimate state by the powers of Amalur, the Qun in Seheron and the independent islands (Diamos, Alabastra etc.). Trade is an important part of the economy, in Providence in particular. In the past, Derem’s monarchs have assisted foreign powers in their conflicts, but never directly – they have donated supplies and intelligence, but a Deremian navy has never sailed to conquer another sovereign land. In the early days of the Warsworn (a mercenary organisation in Amalur that was created in response to a Niskaru invasion of the continent), the Firstsworn sought assistance in the form of information and military aid from Derem. In response, the state did send small detachments to Amalur to assist in training the Warsworn in the tracking of the Niskaru, as well effective tactics to employ against them.