Songaskia: Difference between revisions

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|nicknames =

*Desert-Drakken (praising)

*Horned ~~Slavers~~ (derogatory)

*Horned Raiders (derogatory)

*Drake-kin (praising)

|languages = [[Sofaal]]

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Songaskians live on average twice as long as Ailor, up to 200 years or so, and also age proportionally half as fast, meaning they still look 50 years old when they reach 100 years of age. Songaskians however carry infants to term much faster, within a full month from conception a healthy child can be born. Songaskians barely show pregnancy because their children are born much smaller than an average Ailor baby, though these infants grow faster to being toddlers, but overall Songaskians mature at about the same rate as Ailor, and then slow their aging process down to half speed. Additionally, Songaskians also have a unique trait called gynandromorphism, meaning their Race has characteristics of both genders. Both male and female Songaskians are capable of carrying children, and conceiving (note, this does not mean that they have both reproductive organs, it is purely an internal biological matter). This means that Songaskians are uniquely capable of reproducing with other Races, resulting in a wide range of half-Songaskian children all over the world, something they also find culturally acceptable.

====Personality====

Despite their cultural drive for world conquest and their support of ~~slavery~~ and a powerful military, Songaskians strangely enough exhibit one of the world's most laid-back worldviews on life. The Songaskians are averse to the very concept of killing anything living, from the highest sentient Races to even the most insignificant insects and critters. This however does not make them vegetarians (though many of them do end up living like vegetarians) as there is still room for the ritualistic, sustenance-validated killing of pasture animals. While there are certainly outliers that enjoy killing, these tend to be more the exception to the norm. Songaskians also have the seemingly contradictory mental trait of both feeling racially superior but still considering all Races, even ~~slaves~~, to be worth investing in. While many Ailor have the mentality that the world would be better rid of the lesser Races, the Songaskians seem to genuinely believe that biodiversity and racial multiplication and mixing is a good thing. This comes with the caveat that they must remain in control of the highest forms of authority to protect and guide the lesser beings towards a utopian world view. As such, the Songaskians are also the only Race that openly accepts Half Races without any caveats, racial mixing and cross-race relationships, and likely have given rise to the largest half-race populations in the world, despite their short presence on it. They have a perhaps uncontemporary acceptance even of their own Race’s dilution, yet maintain a very strict approach to tracing their lineage to the Dragons and excluding those who have fallen too far from the main succession line. Half-Songaskians are still considered full citizens in their Empire, even if they have none of the racial Abilities.

Despite their cultural drive for world conquest and their support of indentured soldiers and a powerful military, Songaskians strangely enough exhibit one of the world's most laid-back worldviews on life. The Songaskians are averse to the very concept of killing anything living, from the highest sentient Races to even the most insignificant insects and critters. This however does not make them vegetarians (though many of them do end up living like vegetarians) as there is still room for the ritualistic, sustenance-validated killing of pasture animals. While there are certainly outliers that enjoy killing, these tend to be more the exception to the norm. Songaskians also have the seemingly contradictory mental trait of both feeling racially superior but still considering all Races, even prisoners who are recruited into the military, to be worth investing in. While many Ailor have the mentality that the world would be better rid of the lesser Races, the Songaskians seem to genuinely believe that biodiversity and racial multiplication and mixing is a good thing. This comes with the caveat that they must remain in control of the highest forms of authority to protect and guide the lesser beings towards a utopian world view. As such, the Songaskians are also the only Race that openly accepts Half Races without any caveats, racial mixing and cross-race relationships, and likely have given rise to the largest half-race populations in the world, despite their short presence on it. They have a perhaps uncontemporary acceptance even of their own Race’s dilution, yet maintain a very strict approach to tracing their lineage to the Dragons and excluding those who have fallen too far from the main succession line. Half-Songaskians are still considered full citizens in their Empire, even if they have none of the racial Abilities.

Songaskians are always ready for a game of gambling or a drink with strangers and are equally jovial and comical in their response to ridicule. Most Songaskians don’t even feel insults and will tend to just send a quip back with a flair of kindness. This unique trait makes them both very much disliked by those who actively try to get under their skin and liked by those who can appreciate their snarky yet well-meaning attitude. However, when things get physical the mood of a Songaskian can very quickly turn. Their utopian lording attitude causes them to also be control freaks and vain in their appearance. Anything that ruins that, like a spilled [[Kaffee]] on a dress or a dusting of sawdust sprinkled into their well-made hair, will make them very upset. Songaskians are very passionate when their emotions flare up and are famously hard to calm down. They are angry for long, kind to many, warmhearted to even the most distant of guests, and more passionate and dedicated to their lovers, friends and family than most other Races. It is hard to ever find a Songaskian excluding anyone, even Qadir, from socialization and their homes, as long as everyone understands that if that kindness is offended, that the Songaskian will find whatever way to get their way, including but not limited to violent submission.

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The cities that were already covered in a red haze often never saw it coming as the sand coursed through the streets, through every opening and nook and cranny to fill up the insides of homes, people, animals and suffocate all life. The assault on Kouriyasui came to an immediate halt, all the clockwork giant’s technicians and operators dying from suffocation, their mechs and machines grinding to a halt in the valley, half-sunken into the quicksand. The shockwave continued, swallowing all of the Sariyd pearl cities and killing millions of them in the process, only halting just beyond the pearl city of Dogono. When the Great Storm subsided, the only land on Farahdeen that had remained untouched was the backwards and often forgotten province of Al-Alus and Mooriye, where the pearl cities of Alus-Ahadara and Mzwenhlanhla which were previously some of the smallest Sariyd pearl cities left, suddenly became the last. The Sariyd had been dealt a massive blow, losing not only countless cities, but also hundreds of libraries, workshops, archives, palaces and other structures of learning and science, buried deep into the sands of the Farahdeen deserts, some to never be seen again. By the time the Cataclysm rolled over, the Sariyd had already become known as the Qadir among themselves, and Farahdeen was mostly spared from the destruction that ravaged the Allorn Empire and other places in the world. The extreme loss of life and identity for the Qadir had however damaged them on the global playing field, a position from which they would not recover until modern times.

The Songaskians appeared from the Great Storm, as if children wandering from a dark forest that they had gotten lost in. They were created as both adults and children, left behind with a language and ideology, but with no Dragons to guide them. There was a common identity shared among them, and a story told of their creation, that would continue to guide them to retake the old Sariyd cities, where even though the Sand had killed mere years before, the white pearl colors of their bastion walls and the gold-domed towers remained as pristine as ever, reflecting and basking in the sunlight that was so plentiful in Farahdeen. Indeed, in many pearl cities, the Songaskians simply picked up where the Sariyd had left and died, as the Great Storm had effectively only touched animals and people, but not buildings and items. The Songaskians started building their own culture from scratch, and before long, animals started returning to the deserts and the wetlands, crops started growing again, and songs could be heard in the streets of the old Empire. After 10 years, it was as if the Great Storm had never happened, a newcomer would think that the Songaskians had existed in these pearl cities for hundreds of years, that is how at home and at ease they appeared.

The Songaskians appeared from the Great Storm, as if children wandering from a dark forest that they had gotten lost in. They were created as both adults and children, left behind with a language and ideology, but with no Dragons to guide them. There was a common identity shared among them, and a story told of their creation, that would continue to guide them to retake the old Sariyd cities, where even though the Sand had killed mere years before, the white pearl colors of their bastion walls and the gold-domed towers remained as pristine as ever, reflecting and basking in the sunlight that was so plentiful in Farahdeen. Indeed, in many pearl cities, the Songaskians simply picked up where the Sariyd had left and died, as the Great Storm had effectively only touched animals and people, but not buildings and items. The Songaskians started building their own culture from scratch, and before long, animals started returning to the deserts and the wetlands, crops started growing again, and songs could be heard in the streets of the old Empire. After 10 years, it was as if the Great Storm had never happened, a newcomer would think that the Songaskians had existed in these pearl cities for hundreds of years, that is how at home and at ease they appeared. The Qadir held onto Kankagner for several more decades, before the Songaskians overpowered them in 170 AC, and the final boundaries between the Masaya and the Qadir states were more or less created.

Still, Songaskian history is marred in violence as much as it is covered in tranquility in those early years. The Qadir immediately declared a blood feud against the Songaskians and mobilized to try and take back their pearl cities. The Songaskians however severely outnumbered them, and each battle lost only brought more slaves to the Songaskian armies that would come bearing down on the Qadir. Through slavery missions sailing north and west, the Songaskians even captured Ailor and Allar as well as the rare Altalar, creating a more diverse community in their cities, even if it was based on slavery. The Qadir held onto Kankagner for several more decades, before the Songaskians overpowered them in 170 AC, and the final boundaries between the Masaya and the Qadir states were more or less created.

Songaskian piracy remained a major issue for the Regalian Empire all the way up to modern times, where [[Regalia]] officially went to war during the [[First Songaskian War]], where the Songaskians temporarily managed to occupy the capital of Regalia and send the royal family into hiding. Eventually, the Songaskians were ejected and the war ended in a stalemate. By intervention of the Imperial Dragon as Emperor during the [[Second Songaskian War|Second War]], instability started affecting the hierarchy of the Masaya. The sudden presence of a Dragon in their midst caused an issue with Songaskian beliefs that all Dragons had disappeared. Many of the Masaya insisted that they should not be fighting Regalia, but instead ally it, while hardliners continued the idea that the Masaya should stay away from Regalia, and that while they might have a Dragon, that the Songaskians should stay true to the Black Dragon’s decrees, and were the heirs to the Mantle of Creation, a concept that dictates that the Songaskians should rule all lesser Races.

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A civil war occurred between these two sides that the pro-Regalian side eventually won, solidifying Massya Musamansa Koné on the throne in favor of his uncle, who insisted on permanent war with the Regalian Empire. While the uncle was in power, for a short while, he allied with the Sihai and the Altalar to form the Magical Covenant that was meant to destroy the Regalian Empire. Upon losing his throne to his nephew again that he had cooped just a year before however, the Magical Covenant was broken. There currently exists an uneasy truce between the 18-year-old Massya and his older uncle, who rules a small portion of the Masaya’s far east and continues to subtly court Sihai diplomats, likely to have another try at overthrowing his nephew. The Songaskians are not formally allied to Regalia, but have showed strong inclinations to positive relations with the Regalians, even exchanging the world’s first permanent embassy missions to each other, with a member of House Black serving as Ambassador for the Regalian Empire in the Songaskian capital of Korbamakora, while a general’s son is positioned permanently in Regalia to act as a liaison to the Massya.

The Songaskians now roam more freely in the world, their ~~slavery~~ and piracy having reduced strongly in favor of trade and diplomacy. Over the centuries, the Songaskians had to learn both the hard and good way that violence and oppression did not always work, and sometimes got them into more trouble than it was worth. While their whole economy and bureaucratic and military structures continue to be supported by ~~rampant slavery~~, it is often said by other Races that to be a Songaskian ~~slave~~ is not such a bad thing. Songaskians have gained a far more enlightened attitude to the idea of ruling, and unlike the other Empires in the world, seem more convinced to try and charm others into their fold instead of ruthlessly crushing anyone who opposes them. Still, Songaskians are often underestimated. They continue to have the largest and most well-trained army in the world that is endlessly able to replenish its losses, while individually, Songaskians are counted as some of the most skilled and versatile fighters, and their priesthood contains some of the most powerful Life and Death Mages.

The Songaskians now roam more freely in the world, their raiding and piracy having reduced strongly in favor of trade and diplomacy. Over the centuries, the Songaskians had to learn both the hard and good way that violence and oppression did not always work, and sometimes got them into more trouble than it was worth. While their whole economy and bureaucratic and military structures continue to be supported by strong military discipline, it is often said by other Races that to be a Songaskian prisoner is not such a bad thing. Songaskians have gained a far more enlightened attitude to the idea of ruling, and unlike the other Empires in the world, seem more convinced to try and charm others into their fold instead of ruthlessly crushing anyone who opposes them. Still, Songaskians are often underestimated. They continue to have the largest and most well-trained army in the world that is endlessly able to replenish its losses, while individually, Songaskians are counted as some of the most skilled and versatile fighters, and their priesthood contains some of the most powerful Life and Death Mages.

==Culture==

===Families and Romance===

[[File:Egr79R5WoAAM4H-.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Songaskians adore tight fitting clothing, the colors gold and red, and black and white fabrics, but other colors are perfectly usable too.]]

Songaskians have both some of the happiest and some of the cruelest family situations, depending on one’s perspective. Songaskians believe mostly in monogamy, though polyamory is not entirely unheard of. Same-sex relations are not as common as in other Races, but unlike other Races, they are seen as entirely normal, largely because two men can still procreate, as can two women. Interracial couples are also common, and entirely accepted, while their children are also raised as worthy members of Songaskian society. Songaskian commoners have a very pleasant life. The home’s economic burdens are taken care of by ~~slaves~~ usually, leaving the parents all the time in the world to take care of and raise their children. Indeed, while other Races often delegate the task of children raising to communal clubs or grandparents, Songaskian parents spend the most amount of time with their children to form strong bonds. However, when adulthood arrives, Songaskians have a habit of abruptly and harshly cutting off contact with their children as a means of establishing their own independence in the world. A parent might from one day be loving, turn to stone-cold ignoring their child the next if it is time for them to reach out into the world and make their own name. This is because Songaskians absolutely despise the idea of inherited wealth or status. Indeed, this whole process of ejecting a child from one’s household is more severe among Nobility, because the Songaskians don’t have a concept of hereditary nobility in the Masaya. A General might rise to fame in one lifetime, only for his children to be failures and his family name to die out. In the hopes that children realize the need for building their own wealth and fame, they are given the most basic of pocket money to get started and then cut off. If a child still has not achieved anything by age 70, the parents tend to take them back in, however this child is then considered a failure to the family, and only allowed to do menial household tasks like manage the ~~slaves~~ and prepare feasts for the family instead of hosting them. As soon as a child has achieved some level of success or fame or at least equal financial stability of the family however, these two units are re-combined into a greater whole, and the family continues with the children onboard. Orphans however, are the most downtrodden of people in the Masaya. Despite the strong child-welfare (even at the cost of complete separation as soon as the children become adults), children born without parents or who lose their parents somewhere along the way end up in a funnel of hellish child-homes and orphanages from which they can rarely ever escape without some mental anguish. Orphans cannot trace their lineage to the 14 Black Dragons, and as such, are considered tainted goods, and no parent would adopt a child and take care of it. Commonly, the only way out of orphanages for these children is ~~slavery among their own people, which usually ends up in the~~ military. These children and later adults are called the Farborn, those without a Lineage.

Songaskians have both some of the happiest and some of the cruelest family situations, depending on one’s perspective. Songaskians believe mostly in monogamy, though polyamory is not entirely unheard of. Same-sex relations are not as common as in other Races, but unlike other Races, they are seen as entirely normal, largely because two men can still procreate, as can two women. Interracial couples are also common, and entirely accepted, while their children are also raised as worthy members of Songaskian society. Songaskian commoners have a very pleasant life. The home’s economic burdens are taken care of by house servants usually, leaving the parents all the time in the world to take care of and raise their children. Indeed, while other Races often delegate the task of children raising to communal clubs or grandparents, Songaskian parents spend the most amount of time with their children to form strong bonds. However, when adulthood arrives, Songaskians have a habit of abruptly and harshly cutting off contact with their children as a means of establishing their own independence in the world. A parent might from one day be loving, turn to stone-cold ignoring their child the next if it is time for them to reach out into the world and make their own name. This is because Songaskians absolutely despise the idea of inherited wealth or status. Indeed, this whole process of ejecting a child from one’s household is more severe among Nobility, because the Songaskians don’t have a concept of hereditary nobility in the Masaya. A General might rise to fame in one lifetime, only for his children to be failures and his family name to die out. In the hopes that children realize the need for building their own wealth and fame, they are given the most basic of pocket money to get started and then cut off. If a child still has not achieved anything by age 70, the parents tend to take them back in, however this child is then considered a failure to the family, and only allowed to do menial household tasks like manage the servants and prepare feasts for the family instead of hosting them. As soon as a child has achieved some level of success or fame or at least equal financial stability of the family however, these two units are re-combined into a greater whole, and the family continues with the children onboard. Orphans however, are the most downtrodden of people in the Masaya. Despite the strong child-welfare (even at the cost of complete separation as soon as the children become adults), children born without parents or who lose their parents somewhere along the way end up in a funnel of hellish child-homes and orphanages from which they can rarely ever escape without some mental anguish. Orphans cannot trace their lineage to the 14 Black Dragons, and as such, are considered tainted goods, and no parent would adopt a child and take care of it. Commonly, the only way out of orphanages for these children is life-long military service. These children and later adults are called the Farborn, those without a Lineage.

===Government===

The Songaskians have largely united into a single large Empire called the Masaya, though smaller Songaskian states exist to the north of the Masaya called [[Saruhanna]] and [[Malifant]]. For the purpose of this section however, those nations are so small that they do not really factor into the common Songaskian identity, and as such, the focus will be on the Masaya. At the head of the Masaya sits the Massya, or Emperor. The Massya is in theory an absolute ruler, but in practice, their authority is usually curbed by the nobility of the Masaya. The Nobility is non-hereditary, meaning the court of nobles is always only ever made up of the most skilled and most talented or most lucky members of the upper class, who continue to uphold their status with further achievements. This can make Songaskian upper class living fairly cutthroat, with noble houses collapsing in a single generation due to lack of proper upkeep. Noble assassination is quite common among especially the military nobles, the warlords and generals who each have their own ~~slave~~ army to complement the state’s army. Much of the state’s governance is run through appointments such as having a noble appointed to General of the North, while another is appointed to the position of Grand Calculator of the Treasury. This means that while on the surface the Masaya might appear like the Regalian Empire, in practice it is far more meritocratic and has far less bureaucratic weight. The people of the Masaya are also not taxed, while the economy and leisure of the people is supported by a vast network of ~~slavery~~. It is often said that while the Songaskians in pure population numbers don’t even reach half the Ailor numbers in the Regalian Empire, their military is four times the size of all Regalian soldiers put together, and far better trained and equipped, trained in the [[School of Melaak]]. The change of the old guard when a noble is flushed out and a new one installed however, can sometimes be chaotic. Most nobles appoint their own servants and clerks such as lower ranked government officials, and one noble being removed can mean an entirely new administration takes office, often losing some paperwork and efficiency of the past in the process. Generally speaking however, the Songaskians are very content with their government and rarely if ever does a Songaskian flee to Regalia from prosecution.

The Songaskians have largely united into a single large Empire called the Masaya, though smaller Songaskian states exist to the north of the Masaya called [[Saruhanna]] and [[Malifant]]. For the purpose of this section however, those nations are so small that they do not really factor into the common Songaskian identity, and as such, the focus will be on the Masaya. At the head of the Masaya sits the Massya, or Emperor. The Massya is in theory an absolute ruler, but in practice, their authority is usually curbed by the nobility of the Masaya. The Nobility is non-hereditary, meaning the court of nobles is always only ever made up of the most skilled and most talented or most lucky members of the upper class, who continue to uphold their status with further achievements. This can make Songaskian upper class living fairly cutthroat, with noble houses collapsing in a single generation due to lack of proper upkeep. Noble assassination is quite common among especially the military nobles, the warlords and generals who each have their own army to complement the state’s army. Much of the state’s governance is run through appointments such as having a noble appointed to General of the North, while another is appointed to the position of Grand Calculator of the Treasury. This means that while on the surface the Masaya might appear like the Regalian Empire, in practice it is far more meritocratic and has far less bureaucratic weight. The people of the Masaya are also not taxed, while the economy and leisure of the people is supported by a vast network of raiding. It is often said that while the Songaskians in pure population numbers don’t even reach half the Ailor numbers in the Regalian Empire, their military is four times the size of all Regalian soldiers put together, and far better trained and equipped, trained in the [[School of Melaak]]. The change of the old guard when a noble is flushed out and a new one installed however, can sometimes be chaotic. Most nobles appoint their own servants and clerks such as lower ranked government officials, and one noble being removed can mean an entirely new administration takes office, often losing some paperwork and efficiency of the past in the process. Generally speaking however, the Songaskians are very content with their government and rarely if ever does a Songaskian flee to Regalia from prosecution.

===Heritage Lines===

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Communal worship is done in so-called Sun Temples which are often in fact large open-air theatres with a number of large pillars, each adorned with a massive golden disk suspended in air with Primal energies that catch the sun’s rays and redirect them to a focal point at the center of the Sun Temple, which is also a floor covered in polished gold, creating the so-called sunwell. At the heart of any Songaskian community, such a Sun-Temple often provides a bright well of light even visible from far away. Worship is led by the College of Priesthood, an organization not too dissimilar from the Regalian Unionist priesthood, except it is mostly filled with women, with the occasional male priest. Additionally, the College of Priesthood is an organization that has a large Mage population, primarily Primal and Ordial Mages, but some [[Void]] and [[Exist]] [[Mages]] are also present.

===Attitudes to Void/Exist===

Songaskian attitudes to Void/Exist and by extension Mages/[[Silven]] and other such dimensional beings, is a bit complicated. Normally, one would expect these Primal/Dragon related people to absolutely hate Exist and Void things, as all Dragon Worshipers and Isldar tend to do. At its core however, their acceptance of these individuals (and sometimes even celebration of them) is related to their cultural notion that the world being biodiversified is a good thing, and that non-Songaskians are fine people meant to be ruled by the benevolence of the Songaskians and let to thrive and prosper, or serve ~~as slaves if they get~~ in the ~~way of that~~ utopia. Biodiversity being a good thing, to Songaskians, means that dimensional diversity must also be a good thing, while they also reject the entire notion of the world coming to an end supposedly because of the proliferation of Magic. By extension of Magic Diversity, Void and Exist Mages and Silven are allowed to exist in the Songaskian Masaya, and Mages are even incorporated into the College of Priesthood. In fact, the College of Priesthood is not necessarily even a religious organization, a Void Mage or Sorcerer half-Songaskian might for example be officially named Priest, but not offer any religious services or even know half the Haana’s by heart, instead using their magical powers in one of the many other tasks undertaken by the College of Priests. As such, the best way to put it, is that the Primal and Ordial Mages, high ranking officials in the College of Priesthood, are pro-integration to their Void and Exist touched kin and non-kin, but on a number of conditions.

Songaskian attitudes to Void/Exist and by extension Mages/[[Silven]] and other such dimensional beings, is a bit complicated. Normally, one would expect these Primal/Dragon related people to absolutely hate Exist and Void things, as all Dragon Worshipers and Isldar tend to do. At its core however, their acceptance of these individuals (and sometimes even celebration of them) is related to their cultural notion that the world being biodiversified is a good thing, and that non-Songaskians are fine people meant to be ruled by the benevolence of the Songaskians and let to thrive and prosper, or serve be raided for their loot to aid in the Songaskian utopia. Biodiversity being a good thing, to Songaskians, means that dimensional diversity must also be a good thing, while they also reject the entire notion of the world coming to an end supposedly because of the proliferation of Magic. By extension of Magic Diversity, Void and Exist Mages and Silven are allowed to exist in the Songaskian Masaya, and Mages are even incorporated into the College of Priesthood. In fact, the College of Priesthood is not necessarily even a religious organization, a Void Mage or Sorcerer half-Songaskian might for example be officially named Priest, but not offer any religious services or even know half the Haana’s by heart, instead using their magical powers in one of the many other tasks undertaken by the College of Priests. As such, the best way to put it, is that the Primal and Ordial Mages, high ranking officials in the College of Priesthood, are pro-integration to their Void and Exist touched kin and non-kin, but on a number of conditions.

There is a very clear preference for Primal and Ordial Mages in the higher ranks. While Void and Exist mages have held the positions of High Priest and Priestess, the number of them ever-ascending this rank are far less than the ones among Primal and Ordial Magic. Furthermore, the Songaskians make an assessment of the “hostility of a Magic”. In order to categorize and streamline their Magic usage, the Songaskians have schools specifically made for catching children with Magic early on in their life and encouraging them to have a beneficial form of Magic. If a Magic caster enters the College of Priesthood at a later point in life where their Magic was already allowed to develop to something corrosive or hostile to morality and ideology, then the Songaskians might violently reject them from their society, or ~~enslave~~ them to work in the Masaya’s army instead. It must be said that the Songaskians are very tolerant of Void and Exist, more so than Ailor, but less than Altalar who accept any and all forms of Magic no matter what the nature is. Songaskians remain picky and believe that the Magic caster must have some sort of beneficial use. A Mage that can only destroy or corrupt and make things ugly or disorganized is quickly ejected, albeit never killed outright and given a better purpose elsewhere away from the faithful and society.

There is a very clear preference for Primal and Ordial Mages in the higher ranks. While Void and Exist mages have held the positions of High Priest and Priestess, the number of them ever-ascending this rank are far less than the ones among Primal and Ordial Magic. Furthermore, the Songaskians make an assessment of the “hostility of a Magic”. In order to categorize and streamline their Magic usage, the Songaskians have schools specifically made for catching children with Magic early on in their life and encouraging them to have a beneficial form of Magic. If a Magic caster enters the College of Priesthood at a later point in life where their Magic was already allowed to develop to something corrosive or hostile to morality and ideology, then the Songaskians might violently reject them from their society, or force them to work in the Masaya’s army instead. It must be said that the Songaskians are very tolerant of Void and Exist, more so than Ailor, but less than Altalar who accept any and all forms of Magic no matter what the nature is. Songaskians remain picky and believe that the Magic caster must have some sort of beneficial use. A Mage that can only destroy or corrupt and make things ugly or disorganized is quickly ejected, albeit never killed outright and given a better purpose elsewhere away from the faithful and society.

Vampires and Werebeasts exist in an even grayer area. Werebeast are commonly believed to serve well as ~~slaves~~, and so Werebeasts are legal among Songaskians, as long as they are ~~enslaved~~ to Songaskians ~~and in chains~~. Vampires are only legal in certain situations, judged by the same specifications as Mages. The Songaskians believe that if a Vampire can control their bloodthirst to just ~~the Slaves they have been assigned or own~~, then their Vampirism is permissible. This has caused a certain Vampire upper-class to exist in the Songaskian Masaya that is out in the open and entirely legal and socially accepted among them, as long as they keep their feeding to their personal property. Some of the most notable generals in the Masaya are Vampires, and are also not afraid to hide it because of their societal acceptance. It has notably been observed that these societally accepted Vampires tend to be far kinder than their hunted and forcibly cured kin in Regalia. They are in all ways of measurement model citizens of the Masaya, and use their Vampiric powers for good. Just because Vampirism is legal in this form, also does not mean that Vampirism rampantly grows. The Vampiric aristocracy are quite vain in their Vampiric gifts and very rarely if ever recruit new Vampires into their folds, while Covens practically do not exist among the Songaskians.

Vampires and Werebeasts exist in an even grayer area. Werebeast are commonly believed to serve well as house guards, and so Werebeasts are legal among Songaskians, as long as they are loyal to Songaskians. Vampires are only legal in certain situations, judged by the same specifications as Mages. The Songaskians believe that if a Vampire can control their bloodthirst to just their immediate household, then their Vampirism is permissible. This has caused a certain Vampire upper-class to exist in the Songaskian Masaya that is out in the open and entirely legal and socially accepted among them, as long as they keep their feeding to their personal property. Some of the most notable generals in the Masaya are Vampires, and are also not afraid to hide it because of their societal acceptance. It has notably been observed that these societally accepted Vampires tend to be far kinder than their hunted and forcibly cured kin in Regalia. They are in all ways of measurement model citizens of the Masaya, and use their Vampiric powers for good. Just because Vampirism is legal in this form, also does not mean that Vampirism rampantly grows. The Vampiric aristocracy are quite vain in their Vampiric gifts and very rarely if ever recruit new Vampires into their folds, while Covens practically do not exist among the Songaskians.

The only thing the Songaskians absolutely despise are Undead, which they call the Great Rot of the world. The whole College of Priesthood is in fact geared towards the eradication of the Undead and the cleansing of ghosts from their habitats. The Primal Mages are often geared towards the School of Life Magic, healing and blessing skills to the benefit of the Priesthood or the army. Death Mages on the other hand, or Ordial origin, are usually geared towards giving the Sadeir ghosts, remnants of the killed Sariyd that continue to haunt the desert ruins, a final resting place, and cleansing their locations. It is as such common to see Life Mages in white robes in houses of healing and temples, and Death Mages in black robes seated on [[Bakhshuna Jamals]] or [[Sandmaws]], scouring the deserts for lost souls or ghosts that haunt the hills, sending them to the afterlife. The duality between life and death is very important in the Shambala faith also, which is why Primal and Ordial mages are highly respected among the Songaskians.

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===Architecture and Buildings===

Songaskian architecture is identical to Sariyd pre-Qadir architecture, something the Qadir continue to perceive as insulting, even if their architecture has radically moved away from their old principles. Songaskian cities are often plastered as white as possible, allowing them to reflect light and appear immensely bright and alive, while the roofs of their houses are usually topped with domes, covered in either bronze or gold-leaf to reflect the sunlight also. Their pearl cities, formerly inhabited by Sariyd, have huge bastion walls that no normal army could reasonably mount an assault on, while towering buildings peer above it like shards of ice. Scattered around the city are sun disks, usually less magic-inclined imitations of the ones near and in sun-temples, for decorative purposes, but sometimes also to tell the time of day. Near to the ground, the Songaskians use a mixture of tapestry and linen coverings to stay out of the sun, alleyways covered with red and orange bright colors, soaked in eucalyptus incense and the fragrances of spices and pastries being baked. Further in the provinces, the bright white building plaster is often replaced with simple sandstone to save time and money, but each smaller community always has a tall sun disk in the middle to act both as a lighthouse in the desert, and also as a central focus point of worship for Shambala. The Songaskians have essentially picked up the Sariyd architecture and continued building just as they had 400 years ago. As such, anyone researching Sariyd culture or architecture, can often simply look to Songaskian architecture.

~~===Slavery===~~

Slavery is a massive cornerstone of the Songaskian Masaya’s economy, internal runnings, and military, but also of everyday life. Generally speaking, every family has at least one slave, while richer families have several dozens, and greater nobles have several thousands. Slavery in the Songaskian Masaya is fully legal on all Races including their own, but only under what they consider the enlightened principle of purpose. This enlightened principle of purpose dictates that Slaves can only be gotten from those people or individuals who get in the way of the Songaskians attempting to extend their benevolence and kindness to all corners of the world. Criminals, war prisoners, orphans and those born in slavery are all fair game, as long as there was a cause for their affront to the Songaskian ideology. Slavery tends to condemn one’s children and grandchildren to slavery also, and the policy of releasing slaves simply does not exist among the Songaskians, as any inch of freedom given is considered dangerous to their high standard of living as slaves continue to perform all basic industrial and maintenance tasks, and the Songaskians simply live in luxury, much like the Altalar. It is presumed that this standard of slavery cannot be maintained forever, as the Songaskian population will at one point simply become so large that there aren’t enough people left in the world to enslave to take care of the state’s functions, however the Songaskians simply refuse to look that far ahead, and continue the current status quo.

It is commonly said that to be a slave among the Songaskians is the least terrible fate for a slave in the world of Aloria. Altalar slavers can be downright cruel, while slavery in the Dread Empire is a very deadly game, with frequent slave sacrifices. Among the Songaskians however, slaves have moderate rights. While it is certainly never ideal to be in bondage against one’s will, Songaskian slaves have reasonable lodgings and privacy, are permitted personal property, in many cases even have small wages with which they are allowed to buy things, are frequently gifted items by their masters, are never bound in chains (though can be if they misbehave) and are generally well-fed, well-groomed and treated with fair and just overlordship. Slaves can even bring court trials against their masters for alleged mistreatment, and can win freedom from that master (only to be enslaved by another), with an additional heavy pouch of gold to cover the troubles. While slave uprisings are not unheard of, Songaskian slaves tend to be far more docile and present in the lives of the families. It is in fact not unheard of for a slave to be in a lover’s relation with their master, and for their master to even bear a child from the slave. In such situations, the child is born free, Songaskian in status, and no part of any of this is considered a taboo in their society, something that would be absolutely shocking and unheard of everywhere else.

==Trivia==

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 |nicknames =
 *Desert-Drakken (praising)
-*Horned Slavers (derogatory)
+*Horned Raiders (derogatory)
 *Drake-kin (praising)
 |languages = [[Sofaal]]
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 Songaskians live on average twice as long as Ailor, up to 200 years or so, and also age proportionally half as fast, meaning they still look 50 years old when they reach 100 years of age. Songaskians however carry infants to term much faster, within a full month from conception a healthy child can be born. Songaskians barely show pregnancy because their children are born much smaller than an average Ailor baby, though these infants grow faster to being toddlers, but overall Songaskians mature at about the same rate as Ailor, and then slow their aging process down to half speed. Additionally, Songaskians also have a unique trait called gynandromorphism, meaning their Race has characteristics of both genders. Both male and female Songaskians are capable of carrying children, and conceiving (note, this does not mean that they have both reproductive organs, it is purely an internal biological matter). This means that Songaskians are uniquely capable of reproducing with other Races, resulting in a wide range of half-Songaskian children all over the world, something they also find culturally acceptable.
 ====Personality====
-Despite their cultural drive for world conquest and their support of slavery and a powerful military, Songaskians strangely enough exhibit one of the world's most laid-back worldviews on life. The Songaskians are averse to the very concept of killing anything living, from the highest sentient Races to even the most insignificant insects and critters. This however does not make them vegetarians (though many of them do end up living like vegetarians) as there is still room for the ritualistic, sustenance-validated killing of pasture animals. While there are certainly outliers that enjoy killing, these tend to be more the exception to the norm. Songaskians also have the seemingly contradictory mental trait of both feeling racially superior but still considering all Races, even slaves, to be worth investing in. While many Ailor have the mentality that the world would be better rid of the lesser Races, the Songaskians seem to genuinely believe that biodiversity and racial multiplication and mixing is a good thing. This comes with the caveat that they must remain in control of the highest forms of authority to protect and guide the lesser beings towards a utopian world view. As such, the Songaskians are also the only Race that openly accepts Half Races without any caveats, racial mixing and cross-race relationships, and likely have given rise to the largest half-race populations in the world, despite their short presence on it. They have a perhaps uncontemporary acceptance even of their own Race’s dilution, yet maintain a very strict approach to tracing their lineage to the Dragons and excluding those who have fallen too far from the main succession line. Half-Songaskians are still considered full citizens in their Empire, even if they have none of the racial Abilities.
+Despite their cultural drive for world conquest and their support of indentured soldiers and a powerful military, Songaskians strangely enough exhibit one of the world's most laid-back worldviews on life. The Songaskians are averse to the very concept of killing anything living, from the highest sentient Races to even the most insignificant insects and critters. This however does not make them vegetarians (though many of them do end up living like vegetarians) as there is still room for the ritualistic, sustenance-validated killing of pasture animals. While there are certainly outliers that enjoy killing, these tend to be more the exception to the norm. Songaskians also have the seemingly contradictory mental trait of both feeling racially superior but still considering all Races, even prisoners who are recruited into the military, to be worth investing in. While many Ailor have the mentality that the world would be better rid of the lesser Races, the Songaskians seem to genuinely believe that biodiversity and racial multiplication and mixing is a good thing. This comes with the caveat that they must remain in control of the highest forms of authority to protect and guide the lesser beings towards a utopian world view. As such, the Songaskians are also the only Race that openly accepts Half Races without any caveats, racial mixing and cross-race relationships, and likely have given rise to the largest half-race populations in the world, despite their short presence on it. They have a perhaps uncontemporary acceptance even of their own Race’s dilution, yet maintain a very strict approach to tracing their lineage to the Dragons and excluding those who have fallen too far from the main succession line. Half-Songaskians are still considered full citizens in their Empire, even if they have none of the racial Abilities.
 Songaskians are always ready for a game of gambling or a drink with strangers and are equally jovial and comical in their response to ridicule. Most Songaskians don’t even feel insults and will tend to just send a quip back with a flair of kindness. This unique trait makes them both very much disliked by those who actively try to get under their skin and liked by those who can appreciate their snarky yet well-meaning attitude. However, when things get physical the mood of a Songaskian can very quickly turn. Their utopian lording attitude causes them to also be control freaks and vain in their appearance. Anything that ruins that, like a spilled [[Kaffee]] on a dress or a dusting of sawdust sprinkled into their well-made hair, will make them very upset. Songaskians are very passionate when their emotions flare up and are famously hard to calm down. They are angry for long, kind to many, warmhearted to even the most distant of guests, and more passionate and dedicated to their lovers, friends and family than most other Races. It is hard to ever find a Songaskian excluding anyone, even Qadir, from socialization and their homes, as long as everyone understands that if that kindness is offended, that the Songaskian will find whatever way to get their way, including but not limited to violent submission.
@@ Line 109: / Line 109: @@
 The cities that were already covered in a red haze often never saw it coming as the sand coursed through the streets, through every opening and nook and cranny to fill up the insides of homes, people, animals and suffocate all life. The assault on Kouriyasui came to an immediate halt, all the clockwork giant’s technicians and operators dying from suffocation, their mechs and machines grinding to a halt in the valley, half-sunken into the quicksand. The shockwave continued, swallowing all of the Sariyd pearl cities and killing millions of them in the process, only halting just beyond the pearl city of Dogono. When the Great Storm subsided, the only land on Farahdeen that had remained untouched was the backwards and often forgotten province of Al-Alus and Mooriye, where the pearl cities of Alus-Ahadara and Mzwenhlanhla which were previously some of the smallest Sariyd pearl cities left, suddenly became the last. The Sariyd had been dealt a massive blow, losing not only countless cities, but also hundreds of libraries, workshops, archives, palaces and other structures of learning and science, buried deep into the sands of the Farahdeen deserts, some to never be seen again. By the time the Cataclysm rolled over, the Sariyd had already become known as the Qadir among themselves, and Farahdeen was mostly spared from the destruction that ravaged the Allorn Empire and other places in the world. The extreme loss of life and identity for the Qadir had however damaged them on the global playing field, a position from which they would not recover until modern times.
-The Songaskians appeared from the Great Storm, as if children wandering from a dark forest that they had gotten lost in. They were created as both adults and children, left behind with a language and ideology, but with no Dragons to guide them. There was a common identity shared among them, and a story told of their creation, that would continue to guide them to retake the old Sariyd cities, where even though the Sand had killed mere years before, the white pearl colors of their bastion walls and the gold-domed towers remained as pristine as ever, reflecting and basking in the sunlight that was so plentiful in Farahdeen. Indeed, in many pearl cities, the Songaskians simply picked up where the Sariyd had left and died, as the Great Storm had effectively only touched animals and people, but not buildings and items. The Songaskians started building their own culture from scratch, and before long, animals started returning to the deserts and the wetlands, crops started growing again, and songs could be heard in the streets of the old Empire. After 10 years, it was as if the Great Storm had never happened, a newcomer would think that the Songaskians had existed in these pearl cities for hundreds of years, that is how at home and at ease they appeared.
+The Songaskians appeared from the Great Storm, as if children wandering from a dark forest that they had gotten lost in. They were created as both adults and children, left behind with a language and ideology, but with no Dragons to guide them. There was a common identity shared among them, and a story told of their creation, that would continue to guide them to retake the old Sariyd cities, where even though the Sand had killed mere years before, the white pearl colors of their bastion walls and the gold-domed towers remained as pristine as ever, reflecting and basking in the sunlight that was so plentiful in Farahdeen. Indeed, in many pearl cities, the Songaskians simply picked up where the Sariyd had left and died, as the Great Storm had effectively only touched animals and people, but not buildings and items. The Songaskians started building their own culture from scratch, and before long, animals started returning to the deserts and the wetlands, crops started growing again, and songs could be heard in the streets of the old Empire. After 10 years, it was as if the Great Storm had never happened, a newcomer would think that the Songaskians had existed in these pearl cities for hundreds of years, that is how at home and at ease they appeared. The Qadir held onto Kankagner for several more decades, before the Songaskians overpowered them in 170 AC, and the final boundaries between the Masaya and the Qadir states were more or less created.
-Still, Songaskian history is marred in violence as much as it is covered in tranquility in those early years. The Qadir immediately declared a blood feud against the Songaskians and mobilized to try and take back their pearl cities. The Songaskians however severely outnumbered them, and each battle lost only brought more slaves to the Songaskian armies that would come bearing down on the Qadir. Through slavery missions sailing north and west, the Songaskians even captured Ailor and Allar as well as the rare Altalar, creating a more diverse community in their cities, even if it was based on slavery. The Qadir held onto Kankagner for several more decades, before the Songaskians overpowered them in 170 AC, and the final boundaries between the Masaya and the Qadir states were more or less created.
 Songaskian piracy remained a major issue for the Regalian Empire all the way up to modern times, where [[Regalia]] officially went to war during the [[First Songaskian War]], where the Songaskians temporarily managed to occupy the capital of Regalia and send the royal family into hiding. Eventually, the Songaskians were ejected and the war ended in a stalemate. By intervention of the Imperial Dragon as Emperor during the [[Second Songaskian War|Second War]], instability started affecting the hierarchy of the Masaya. The sudden presence of a Dragon in their midst caused an issue with Songaskian beliefs that all Dragons had disappeared. Many of the Masaya insisted that they should not be fighting Regalia, but instead ally it, while hardliners continued the idea that the Masaya should stay away from Regalia, and that while they might have a Dragon, that the Songaskians should stay true to the Black Dragon’s decrees, and were the heirs to the Mantle of Creation, a concept that dictates that the Songaskians should rule all lesser Races.
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 A civil war occurred between these two sides that the pro-Regalian side eventually won, solidifying Massya Musamansa Koné on the throne in favor of his uncle, who insisted on permanent war with the Regalian Empire. While the uncle was in power, for a short while, he allied with the Sihai and the Altalar to form the Magical Covenant that was meant to destroy the Regalian Empire. Upon losing his throne to his nephew again that he had cooped just a year before however, the Magical Covenant was broken. There currently exists an uneasy truce between the 18-year-old Massya and his older uncle, who rules a small portion of the Masaya’s far east and continues to subtly court Sihai diplomats, likely to have another try at overthrowing his nephew. The Songaskians are not formally allied to Regalia, but have showed strong inclinations to positive relations with the Regalians, even exchanging the world’s first permanent embassy missions to each other, with a member of House Black serving as Ambassador for the Regalian Empire in the Songaskian capital of Korbamakora, while a general’s son is positioned permanently in Regalia to act as a liaison to the Massya.
-The Songaskians now roam more freely in the world, their slavery and piracy having reduced strongly in favor of trade and diplomacy. Over the centuries, the Songaskians had to learn both the hard and good way that violence and oppression did not always work, and sometimes got them into more trouble than it was worth. While their whole economy and bureaucratic and military structures continue to be supported by rampant slavery, it is often said by other Races that to be a Songaskian slave is not such a bad thing. Songaskians have gained a far more enlightened attitude to the idea of ruling, and unlike the other Empires in the world, seem more convinced to try and charm others into their fold instead of ruthlessly crushing anyone who opposes them. Still, Songaskians are often underestimated. They continue to have the largest and most well-trained army in the world that is endlessly able to replenish its losses, while individually, Songaskians are counted as some of the most skilled and versatile fighters, and their priesthood contains some of the most powerful Life and Death Mages.
+The Songaskians now roam more freely in the world, their raiding and piracy having reduced strongly in favor of trade and diplomacy. Over the centuries, the Songaskians had to learn both the hard and good way that violence and oppression did not always work, and sometimes got them into more trouble than it was worth. While their whole economy and bureaucratic and military structures continue to be supported by strong military discipline, it is often said by other Races that to be a Songaskian prisoner is not such a bad thing. Songaskians have gained a far more enlightened attitude to the idea of ruling, and unlike the other Empires in the world, seem more convinced to try and charm others into their fold instead of ruthlessly crushing anyone who opposes them. Still, Songaskians are often underestimated. They continue to have the largest and most well-trained army in the world that is endlessly able to replenish its losses, while individually, Songaskians are counted as some of the most skilled and versatile fighters, and their priesthood contains some of the most powerful Life and Death Mages.
 ==Culture==
 ===Families and Romance===
 [[File:Egr79R5WoAAM4H-.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Songaskians adore tight fitting clothing, the colors gold and red, and black and white fabrics, but other colors are perfectly usable too.]]
-Songaskians have both some of the happiest and some of the cruelest family situations, depending on one’s perspective. Songaskians believe mostly in monogamy, though polyamory is not entirely unheard of. Same-sex relations are not as common as in other Races, but unlike other Races, they are seen as entirely normal, largely because two men can still procreate, as can two women. Interracial couples are also common, and entirely accepted, while their children are also raised as worthy members of Songaskian society. Songaskian commoners have a very pleasant life. The home’s economic burdens are taken care of by slaves usually, leaving the parents all the time in the world to take care of and raise their children. Indeed, while other Races often delegate the task of children raising to communal clubs or grandparents, Songaskian parents spend the most amount of time with their children to form strong bonds. However, when adulthood arrives, Songaskians have a habit of abruptly and harshly cutting off contact with their children as a means of establishing their own independence in the world. A parent might from one day be loving, turn to stone-cold ignoring their child the next if it is time for them to reach out into the world and make their own name. This is because Songaskians absolutely despise the idea of inherited wealth or status. Indeed, this whole process of ejecting a child from one’s household is more severe among Nobility, because the Songaskians don’t have a concept of hereditary nobility in the Masaya. A General might rise to fame in one lifetime, only for his children to be failures and his family name to die out. In the hopes that children realize the need for building their own wealth and fame, they are given the most basic of pocket money to get started and then cut off. If a child still has not achieved anything by age 70, the parents tend to take them back in, however this child is then considered a failure to the family, and only allowed to do menial household tasks like manage the slaves and prepare feasts for the family instead of hosting them. As soon as a child has achieved some level of success or fame or at least equal financial stability of the family however, these two units are re-combined into a greater whole, and the family continues with the children onboard. Orphans however, are the most downtrodden of people in the Masaya. Despite the strong child-welfare (even at the cost of complete separation as soon as the children become adults), children born without parents or who lose their parents somewhere along the way end up in a funnel of hellish child-homes and orphanages from which they can rarely ever escape without some mental anguish. Orphans cannot trace their lineage to the 14 Black Dragons, and as such, are considered tainted goods, and no parent would adopt a child and take care of it. Commonly, the only way out of orphanages for these children is slavery among their own people, which usually ends up in the military. These children and later adults are called the Farborn, those without a Lineage.
+Songaskians have both some of the happiest and some of the cruelest family situations, depending on one’s perspective. Songaskians believe mostly in monogamy, though polyamory is not entirely unheard of. Same-sex relations are not as common as in other Races, but unlike other Races, they are seen as entirely normal, largely because two men can still procreate, as can two women. Interracial couples are also common, and entirely accepted, while their children are also raised as worthy members of Songaskian society. Songaskian commoners have a very pleasant life. The home’s economic burdens are taken care of by house servants usually, leaving the parents all the time in the world to take care of and raise their children. Indeed, while other Races often delegate the task of children raising to communal clubs or grandparents, Songaskian parents spend the most amount of time with their children to form strong bonds. However, when adulthood arrives, Songaskians have a habit of abruptly and harshly cutting off contact with their children as a means of establishing their own independence in the world. A parent might from one day be loving, turn to stone-cold ignoring their child the next if it is time for them to reach out into the world and make their own name. This is because Songaskians absolutely despise the idea of inherited wealth or status. Indeed, this whole process of ejecting a child from one’s household is more severe among Nobility, because the Songaskians don’t have a concept of hereditary nobility in the Masaya. A General might rise to fame in one lifetime, only for his children to be failures and his family name to die out. In the hopes that children realize the need for building their own wealth and fame, they are given the most basic of pocket money to get started and then cut off. If a child still has not achieved anything by age 70, the parents tend to take them back in, however this child is then considered a failure to the family, and only allowed to do menial household tasks like manage the servants and prepare feasts for the family instead of hosting them. As soon as a child has achieved some level of success or fame or at least equal financial stability of the family however, these two units are re-combined into a greater whole, and the family continues with the children onboard. Orphans however, are the most downtrodden of people in the Masaya. Despite the strong child-welfare (even at the cost of complete separation as soon as the children become adults), children born without parents or who lose their parents somewhere along the way end up in a funnel of hellish child-homes and orphanages from which they can rarely ever escape without some mental anguish. Orphans cannot trace their lineage to the 14 Black Dragons, and as such, are considered tainted goods, and no parent would adopt a child and take care of it. Commonly, the only way out of orphanages for these children is life-long military service. These children and later adults are called the Farborn, those without a Lineage.
 ===Government===
-The Songaskians have largely united into a single large Empire called the Masaya, though smaller Songaskian states exist to the north of the Masaya called [[Saruhanna]] and [[Malifant]]. For the purpose of this section however, those nations are so small that they do not really factor into the common Songaskian identity, and as such, the focus will be on the Masaya. At the head of the Masaya sits the Massya, or Emperor. The Massya is in theory an absolute ruler, but in practice, their authority is usually curbed by the nobility of the Masaya. The Nobility is non-hereditary, meaning the court of nobles is always only ever made up of the most skilled and most talented or most lucky members of the upper class, who continue to uphold their status with further achievements. This can make Songaskian upper class living fairly cutthroat, with noble houses collapsing in a single generation due to lack of proper upkeep. Noble assassination is quite common among especially the military nobles, the warlords and generals who each have their own slave army to complement the state’s army. Much of the state’s governance is run through appointments such as having a noble appointed to General of the North, while another is appointed to the position of Grand Calculator of the Treasury. This means that while on the surface the Masaya might appear like the Regalian Empire, in practice it is far more meritocratic and has far less bureaucratic weight. The people of the Masaya are also not taxed, while the economy and leisure of the people is supported by a vast network of slavery. It is often said that while the Songaskians in pure population numbers don’t even reach half the Ailor numbers in the Regalian Empire, their military is four times the size of all Regalian soldiers put together, and far better trained and equipped, trained in the [[School of Melaak]]. The change of the old guard when a noble is flushed out and a new one installed however, can sometimes be chaotic. Most nobles appoint their own servants and clerks such as lower ranked government officials, and one noble being removed can mean an entirely new administration takes office, often losing some paperwork and efficiency of the past in the process. Generally speaking however, the Songaskians are very content with their government and rarely if ever does a Songaskian flee to Regalia from prosecution.
+The Songaskians have largely united into a single large Empire called the Masaya, though smaller Songaskian states exist to the north of the Masaya called [[Saruhanna]] and [[Malifant]]. For the purpose of this section however, those nations are so small that they do not really factor into the common Songaskian identity, and as such, the focus will be on the Masaya. At the head of the Masaya sits the Massya, or Emperor. The Massya is in theory an absolute ruler, but in practice, their authority is usually curbed by the nobility of the Masaya. The Nobility is non-hereditary, meaning the court of nobles is always only ever made up of the most skilled and most talented or most lucky members of the upper class, who continue to uphold their status with further achievements. This can make Songaskian upper class living fairly cutthroat, with noble houses collapsing in a single generation due to lack of proper upkeep. Noble assassination is quite common among especially the military nobles, the warlords and generals who each have their own army to complement the state’s army. Much of the state’s governance is run through appointments such as having a noble appointed to General of the North, while another is appointed to the position of Grand Calculator of the Treasury. This means that while on the surface the Masaya might appear like the Regalian Empire, in practice it is far more meritocratic and has far less bureaucratic weight. The people of the Masaya are also not taxed, while the economy and leisure of the people is supported by a vast network of raiding. It is often said that while the Songaskians in pure population numbers don’t even reach half the Ailor numbers in the Regalian Empire, their military is four times the size of all Regalian soldiers put together, and far better trained and equipped, trained in the [[School of Melaak]]. The change of the old guard when a noble is flushed out and a new one installed however, can sometimes be chaotic. Most nobles appoint their own servants and clerks such as lower ranked government officials, and one noble being removed can mean an entirely new administration takes office, often losing some paperwork and efficiency of the past in the process. Generally speaking however, the Songaskians are very content with their government and rarely if ever does a Songaskian flee to Regalia from prosecution.
 ===Heritage Lines===
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 Communal worship is done in so-called Sun Temples which are often in fact large open-air theatres with a number of large pillars, each adorned with a massive golden disk suspended in air with Primal energies that catch the sun’s rays and redirect them to a focal point at the center of the Sun Temple, which is also a floor covered in polished gold, creating the so-called sunwell. At the heart of any Songaskian community, such a Sun-Temple often provides a bright well of light even visible from far away. Worship is led by the College of Priesthood, an organization not too dissimilar from the Regalian Unionist priesthood, except it is mostly filled with women, with the occasional male priest. Additionally, the College of Priesthood is an organization that has a large Mage population, primarily Primal and Ordial Mages, but some [[Void]] and [[Exist]] [[Mages]] are also present.
 ===Attitudes to Void/Exist===
-Songaskian attitudes to Void/Exist and by extension Mages/[[Silven]] and other such dimensional beings, is a bit complicated. Normally, one would expect these Primal/Dragon related people to absolutely hate Exist and Void things, as all Dragon Worshipers and Isldar tend to do. At its core however, their acceptance of these individuals (and sometimes even celebration of them) is related to their cultural notion that the world being biodiversified is a good thing, and that non-Songaskians are fine people meant to be ruled by the benevolence of the Songaskians and let to thrive and prosper, or serve as slaves if they get in the way of that utopia. Biodiversity being a good thing, to Songaskians, means that dimensional diversity must also be a good thing, while they also reject the entire notion of the world coming to an end supposedly because of the proliferation of Magic. By extension of Magic Diversity, Void and Exist Mages and Silven are allowed to exist in the Songaskian Masaya, and Mages are even incorporated into the College of Priesthood. In fact, the College of Priesthood is not necessarily even a religious organization, a Void Mage or Sorcerer half-Songaskian might for example be officially named Priest, but not offer any religious services or even know half the Haana’s by heart, instead using their magical powers in one of the many other tasks undertaken by the College of Priests. As such, the best way to put it, is that the Primal and Ordial Mages, high ranking officials in the College of Priesthood, are pro-integration to their Void and Exist touched kin and non-kin, but on a number of conditions.
+Songaskian attitudes to Void/Exist and by extension Mages/[[Silven]] and other such dimensional beings, is a bit complicated. Normally, one would expect these Primal/Dragon related people to absolutely hate Exist and Void things, as all Dragon Worshipers and Isldar tend to do. At its core however, their acceptance of these individuals (and sometimes even celebration of them) is related to their cultural notion that the world being biodiversified is a good thing, and that non-Songaskians are fine people meant to be ruled by the benevolence of the Songaskians and let to thrive and prosper, or serve be raided for their loot to aid in the Songaskian utopia. Biodiversity being a good thing, to Songaskians, means that dimensional diversity must also be a good thing, while they also reject the entire notion of the world coming to an end supposedly because of the proliferation of Magic. By extension of Magic Diversity, Void and Exist Mages and Silven are allowed to exist in the Songaskian Masaya, and Mages are even incorporated into the College of Priesthood. In fact, the College of Priesthood is not necessarily even a religious organization, a Void Mage or Sorcerer half-Songaskian might for example be officially named Priest, but not offer any religious services or even know half the Haana’s by heart, instead using their magical powers in one of the many other tasks undertaken by the College of Priests. As such, the best way to put it, is that the Primal and Ordial Mages, high ranking officials in the College of Priesthood, are pro-integration to their Void and Exist touched kin and non-kin, but on a number of conditions.
-There is a very clear preference for Primal and Ordial Mages in the higher ranks. While Void and Exist mages have held the positions of High Priest and Priestess, the number of them ever-ascending this rank are far less than the ones among Primal and Ordial Magic. Furthermore, the Songaskians make an assessment of the “hostility of a Magic”. In order to categorize and streamline their Magic usage, the Songaskians have schools specifically made for catching children with Magic early on in their life and encouraging them to have a beneficial form of Magic. If a Magic caster enters the College of Priesthood at a later point in life where their Magic was already allowed to develop to something corrosive or hostile to morality and ideology, then the Songaskians might violently reject them from their society, or enslave them to work in the Masaya’s army instead. It must be said that the Songaskians are very tolerant of Void and Exist, more so than Ailor, but less than Altalar who accept any and all forms of Magic no matter what the nature is. Songaskians remain picky and believe that the Magic caster must have some sort of beneficial use. A Mage that can only destroy or corrupt and make things ugly or disorganized is quickly ejected, albeit never killed outright and given a better purpose elsewhere away from the faithful and society.
+There is a very clear preference for Primal and Ordial Mages in the higher ranks. While Void and Exist mages have held the positions of High Priest and Priestess, the number of them ever-ascending this rank are far less than the ones among Primal and Ordial Magic. Furthermore, the Songaskians make an assessment of the “hostility of a Magic”. In order to categorize and streamline their Magic usage, the Songaskians have schools specifically made for catching children with Magic early on in their life and encouraging them to have a beneficial form of Magic. If a Magic caster enters the College of Priesthood at a later point in life where their Magic was already allowed to develop to something corrosive or hostile to morality and ideology, then the Songaskians might violently reject them from their society, or force them to work in the Masaya’s army instead. It must be said that the Songaskians are very tolerant of Void and Exist, more so than Ailor, but less than Altalar who accept any and all forms of Magic no matter what the nature is. Songaskians remain picky and believe that the Magic caster must have some sort of beneficial use. A Mage that can only destroy or corrupt and make things ugly or disorganized is quickly ejected, albeit never killed outright and given a better purpose elsewhere away from the faithful and society.
-Vampires and Werebeasts exist in an even grayer area. Werebeast are commonly believed to serve well as slaves, and so Werebeasts are legal among Songaskians, as long as they are enslaved to Songaskians and in chains. Vampires are only legal in certain situations, judged by the same specifications as Mages. The Songaskians believe that if a Vampire can control their bloodthirst to just the Slaves they have been assigned or own, then their Vampirism is permissible. This has caused a certain Vampire upper-class to exist in the Songaskian Masaya that is out in the open and entirely legal and socially accepted among them, as long as they keep their feeding to their personal property. Some of the most notable generals in the Masaya are Vampires, and are also not afraid to hide it because of their societal acceptance. It has notably been observed that these societally accepted Vampires tend to be far kinder than their hunted and forcibly cured kin in Regalia. They are in all ways of measurement model citizens of the Masaya, and use their Vampiric powers for good. Just because Vampirism is legal in this form, also does not mean that Vampirism rampantly grows. The Vampiric aristocracy are quite vain in their Vampiric gifts and very rarely if ever recruit new Vampires into their folds, while Covens practically do not exist among the Songaskians.
+Vampires and Werebeasts exist in an even grayer area. Werebeast are commonly believed to serve well as house guards, and so Werebeasts are legal among Songaskians, as long as they are loyal to Songaskians. Vampires are only legal in certain situations, judged by the same specifications as Mages. The Songaskians believe that if a Vampire can control their bloodthirst to just their immediate household, then their Vampirism is permissible. This has caused a certain Vampire upper-class to exist in the Songaskian Masaya that is out in the open and entirely legal and socially accepted among them, as long as they keep their feeding to their personal property. Some of the most notable generals in the Masaya are Vampires, and are also not afraid to hide it because of their societal acceptance. It has notably been observed that these societally accepted Vampires tend to be far kinder than their hunted and forcibly cured kin in Regalia. They are in all ways of measurement model citizens of the Masaya, and use their Vampiric powers for good. Just because Vampirism is legal in this form, also does not mean that Vampirism rampantly grows. The Vampiric aristocracy are quite vain in their Vampiric gifts and very rarely if ever recruit new Vampires into their folds, while Covens practically do not exist among the Songaskians.
 The only thing the Songaskians absolutely despise are Undead, which they call the Great Rot of the world. The whole College of Priesthood is in fact geared towards the eradication of the Undead and the cleansing of ghosts from their habitats. The Primal Mages are often geared towards the School of Life Magic, healing and blessing skills to the benefit of the Priesthood or the army. Death Mages on the other hand, or Ordial origin, are usually geared towards giving the Sadeir ghosts, remnants of the killed Sariyd that continue to haunt the desert ruins, a final resting place, and cleansing their locations. It is as such common to see Life Mages in white robes in houses of healing and temples, and Death Mages in black robes seated on [[Bakhshuna Jamals]] or [[Sandmaws]], scouring the deserts for lost souls or ghosts that haunt the hills, sending them to the afterlife. The duality between life and death is very important in the Shambala faith also, which is why Primal and Ordial mages are highly respected among the Songaskians.
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 ===Architecture and Buildings===
 Songaskian architecture is identical to Sariyd pre-Qadir architecture, something the Qadir continue to perceive as insulting, even if their architecture has radically moved away from their old principles. Songaskian cities are often plastered as white as possible, allowing them to reflect light and appear immensely bright and alive, while the roofs of their houses are usually topped with domes, covered in either bronze or gold-leaf to reflect the sunlight also. Their pearl cities, formerly inhabited by Sariyd, have huge bastion walls that no normal army could reasonably mount an assault on, while towering buildings peer above it like shards of ice. Scattered around the city are sun disks, usually less magic-inclined imitations of the ones near and in sun-temples, for decorative purposes, but sometimes also to tell the time of day. Near to the ground, the Songaskians use a mixture of tapestry and linen coverings to stay out of the sun, alleyways covered with red and orange bright colors, soaked in eucalyptus incense and the fragrances of spices and pastries being baked. Further in the provinces, the bright white building plaster is often replaced with simple sandstone to save time and money, but each smaller community always has a tall sun disk in the middle to act both as a lighthouse in the desert, and also as a central focus point of worship for Shambala. The Songaskians have essentially picked up the Sariyd architecture and continued building just as they had 400 years ago. As such, anyone researching Sariyd culture or architecture, can often simply look to Songaskian architecture.
-===Slavery===
-Slavery is a massive cornerstone of the Songaskian Masaya’s economy, internal runnings, and military, but also of everyday life. Generally speaking, every family has at least one slave, while richer families have several dozens, and greater nobles have several thousands. Slavery in the Songaskian Masaya is fully legal on all Races including their own, but only under what they consider the enlightened principle of purpose. This enlightened principle of purpose dictates that Slaves can only be gotten from those people or individuals who get in the way of the Songaskians attempting to extend their benevolence and kindness to all corners of the world. Criminals, war prisoners, orphans and those born in slavery are all fair game, as long as there was a cause for their affront to the Songaskian ideology. Slavery tends to condemn one’s children and grandchildren to slavery also, and the policy of releasing slaves simply does not exist among the Songaskians, as any inch of freedom given is considered dangerous to their high standard of living as slaves continue to perform all basic industrial and maintenance tasks, and the Songaskians simply live in luxury, much like the Altalar. It is presumed that this standard of slavery cannot be maintained forever, as the Songaskian population will at one point simply become so large that there aren’t enough people left in the world to enslave to take care of the state’s functions, however the Songaskians simply refuse to look that far ahead, and continue the current status quo.
-It is commonly said that to be a slave among the Songaskians is the least terrible fate for a slave in the world of Aloria. Altalar slavers can be downright cruel, while slavery in the Dread Empire is a very deadly game, with frequent slave sacrifices. Among the Songaskians however, slaves have moderate rights. While it is certainly never ideal to be in bondage against one’s will, Songaskian slaves have reasonable lodgings and privacy, are permitted personal property, in many cases even have small wages with which they are allowed to buy things, are frequently gifted items by their masters, are never bound in chains (though can be if they misbehave) and are generally well-fed, well-groomed and treated with fair and just overlordship. Slaves can even bring court trials against their masters for alleged mistreatment, and can win freedom from that master (only to be enslaved by another), with an additional heavy pouch of gold to cover the troubles. While slave uprisings are not unheard of, Songaskian slaves tend to be far more docile and present in the lives of the families. It is in fact not unheard of for a slave to be in a lover’s relation with their master, and for their master to even bear a child from the slave. In such situations, the child is born free, Songaskian in status, and no part of any of this is considered a taboo in their society, something that would be absolutely shocking and unheard of everywhere else.
 ==Trivia==