Fiction:The Firmament/Merovaren

"The skink folk of the desert and the ones who live under them always bring precious gems and other things which they never seen to run out of. Their quality weapons and armory makes them fearsome sometimes, but they are in fact friendly and welcoming, if not slightly too pushy about getting us to trade with them. It makes me wonder if they do it out of profit or out of pleasure. Beastmen are a curious lot after all."

- Daniel de Braquemont, Aynachian governor

Merovaren is a country located in the Sea of Sand, in the continent of Dryadala. Predominantly an empire of traders and merchants, the Dynasty of the Sands of the lizardfolk possesses great influence across the world due to their extensive trade routes, the so-called Sandy Roads, which unite much the continent in a great network of trading centered around their capital of Sohitaria. With an extensive history, rich resources and potent military, Merovaren is a major faction in international affairs who are always aware of the current important events of the world thanks to their great sphere of influence.

History
Tribes of lizardfolk existed through the land which would become Merovaren until they were united under the rule of an individual named Marigrax, who would lead them into founding the Dynasty of the Sands seven hundred years in the past. Quickly expanding their influence through the decades, caravans from the capital of Sohitaria begun spreading across the continent, soon enough creating a great network of trade routes which many other nations begun using as well; these would become known as the Sandy Roads, which pass through the four corners of the continent and converge all on Merovaren.

At the year 2503 AL, the sultan known as Karnak rose to the throne and begun what is known as the dark age of Merovaren; a bloodthirsty individual, Sultan Karnak believed the lizardfolk were a submissive people of bootlickers and sought to change that by going on a military assault against Merovaren's beighbours, most notably the human land of Arkhanset. Landing from 2512 AL to 2538 AL, the War of the Sands between Merovaren and Arkhanset was the bloodiest one in both nations' histories, only ending when the mages of Arkhanset led an attack on the lizardfolk capital of Sohitaria and assassinated Karnak, forcing Merovaren's surrender. In the modern day, Merovaren and Arkhanset have an uneasy peace, as both cultures now see one another in a bad light for the actions they inflicted on one another in the war.

Geography
Merovaren is primarily made up of sandy, dry desert with many kilometers of nothing but dunes. The cities of the lizardfolk are segregated around the ocean shore, rivers and oases which dot the landscape. The largest water source of the region, the Snake's River, passes through much of the region between the western mountains where it is born until it reaches the ocean shore. Wildlife native to the area include camels, addax, oryxes and scorpions, some which come in giant sizes.

Government
Merovaren is a hereditary monarchy led by a sultan who passes the title to their oldest son or daughter upon death. The sons and daughters of the sultan are known as prince-governors, and are tasked with maintaining the empire's provinces in each region of the desert. Typically, a single family remains in control of the entirely of the nation unless they are all killed or shamed to the point of no longer being considered creditable to their race.

Religion
Merovaren is a deeply religious state whose main, official deity is Almonohuim, the force of nature dedicated to serpents, treasurers and sands. Temples dedicated to him are scattered across the Dynasty's provinces and are deemed holy ground, to be left untouched by conflict and where all individuals are equal, being considered safe grounds for the persecuted or the poor who were shunned away by the rich. Additionally, commerce is notably forbidden inside temples. They are often decorated by great marble statues of Almonohuim surrounded by statues of desert-dwelling serpents which the god favours.

Inhabitants
Beyond the lizardfolk, the Snake's River is home to a particularly strong breed of crocodilian which are considered formidable foes of anyone unlucky enough to enter their territory. Within the southern region of the nation lies the Serpent's Throne, the lair of Almonohuim and his serpentfolk, and despite being within their territory, the lizardfolk make no claim of the land out of respect for their god and his servants.

Relations
As they base themselves on trading, the lizardfolk prefer to keep on the good graces of other nations whenever possible. Their trading partners include Aynach, the Confederation of Lechner and Eryliana in their home continent, and their ships regularly visit Aelvana in the west.


 * Positive relations
 * Aynach - The lizardfolk's trading caravans are always welcomed in Aynach, who are fascinated by their desert crafts.
 * Confederation of Lechner - All of the Lechnerlands are seen as among the strongest trading partners of Merovaren.
 * Eondrassana - The lizardfolk's good relations with the ashen elves allowed them to easily befriend their Eorsan cousins by extension.
 * Eryliana - Caravans of the lizardfolk find good trade in the lands of the ashen elves.
 * Khargramnir - The dwarves and lizardfolk trade frequently, even if they find each other's cultures very unusual.


 * Ambivalent relations
 * Arkhanset - While they hold a non-aggression pact in the current day, the lizardfolk and the Arkhans's peace is an uneasy one.


 * Negative relations
 * Duskwood - The lizardfolk shun the vampires of Duskwood and refuse to do business in their cursed land.
 * Mirseleth - The dark elves have been responsible for much death across the sea routes of Merovaren's traders, as they find lizardfolk slaves very useful.
 * Ogrelands - The ogres love raiding Merovaren and its trading caravans, stealing everything they can get their lands on.
 * Skitterfall - Rakash incursions have emerged within Merovaren over the years, with many caravans disappearing mysteriously.

Notable merovar

 * Dynasty of the Sands
 * Sultan Megrovaz II - Current ruler of Merovaren
 * Earath Mileoveraz - Mercenary and adventurer


 * Historical figures
 * Sultan Marigrax I - Founder of Merovaren