It is Sophidas, 20th of the Month of Cinder, in the year 95
Magajiya Barakissa Mayowa, Matriarch of Daura
Daurans
Farin Endale, Patriarch of Jukun
Farin Ayotunde, Matriarch of Okanni
The Dauran Kingdom is a nation comprising three distinct clans, united in an uneasy aristocratic republic. The people of this nation are known to be warm and facetious, regarded across the Sasanshahr for their forms of banter. Despite their cultural differences, often colliding political goals and seemingly inescapable ribbing, the Kingdom and its people have rebelled against their Vizier and the Enlightened Empire.
Many of their people abroad, in service to Sasanshahr or their own devices, now are faced with a choice to either support to intentions of the Kingdom, support the Enlightened Empire or cast their attention elsewhere.
“Which mansion of my Vizier am I funding?”
- a Dauran commoner to a Sasanian tax collector
Play As...
Dauran
General Characteristic
Race
Human
Language
Common, Sassan, Dauran
Height
162cm - 195cm (5'3 - 6'4)
Hair Colours
Dark Brown, Black,
Eye Colours
Dark or Light Brown
Skin Tone
Dark Skinned
Ethos
Communal (Daura, Okanni), Bellicose (Jukun)
Naming Convention
Daura - Malinke, Fon, Hausa
Jukun - Nubian, Ethiopian
Okanni - Igbo, Wolof and Somali
Dauran Rundown
Themes
Nation in limbo, Nobles, Merchants, Camelry
Aesthetics
Daura - West African, Monuments, Wisdom, Old Heritage
Jukun - Nubian or Ethiopian, Gardens, Waterworks, Camels
Okanni - Horn of Africa, Merchants, Wealth
All with Sasanshahr elements
Unique Aspects
Inter-Clan Rivalry, Pro or Anti Sasanshahr split
General Attitudes Towards
Attitude Scale:
Allied
Friendly
Cordial
Neutral
Unfavourable
Antagonistic
War
Gallia:
Neutral
Dumanon:
Unfavourable
Great Houses:
Neutral
Custodes:
Cordial
Azuchi:
Neutral
Asturias:
Friendly
Komanali:
Neutral
Banen’Rhûn:
Neutral
Dynasty:
Neutral
Sasanshahr:
Antagonistic
Ancient Dwarves:
Cordial
Amu-Tep:
Cordial
Turak:
Neutral
Dauran and Aether Users:
The people of the Kingdom of Daura has inherited the same sense of suspicion and angst of the Aether as Sasanshahr. Although they have had a few foul encounters in their history, it is been through the teachings and experiences shared with them by the Enlightened Empire that inform them greatly. - Those found with the aetheric power are generally not trusted for fear of what they can do in a moment's notice.
Dauran and Demons:
The Daurans have no knowledge of the forms that demons can take, but are aware of the monstrous creatures that can bring ruin to entire cities and regions should they not be contained. Like with the aether, the Kingdom has come to know of those Demons who reached heights of power that they threaten everything. The Jukun specifically have been recruited by the Kazads in the past to hunt down and deal with such threats. - Generally, demons are feared.
When Playing...
The Dauran Kingdom is a newcomer to the international arena, but its people are not. Having been an active part of Sasanshahr, each individual now has a choice to make as each clan and even the priesthood is interested in carving out their own domain from where they can siphon wealth for mainland politicking and conniving.
The Daura clan has ambitions far outstripping the Kingdom's current ability. Seeking to expand to the New World, even if there are only crumbs left from the metaphorical cake that is Awenasa. Will you try to take away from current power brokers of the Nahas Frontier, or build your own lasting legacy under clan Daura’s patronage? Will it be by the sword or by the pen?
Clan Jukun have prided itself on its standing on military acumen and through Sasanshahr their kin have seen battlefields across Persos and offered mercenary services in Awenasa. Despite the relationships domestically, will you side with the Kingdom of Daura as a whole and aid their cause abroad?
Okanni merchants have ventured to the New World even before their Kingdom revolted, often illegally trading with Asturian, Gallian and Sasanshahr ports in a manner befitting smugglers. Now they sail with their own flag and can conduct their trade at their own desire. But will you agree to their aspirations of wealth, or condemn the part they played in rebelling against the Enlightened Empire?
Perhaps it is the Innayar priesthood that has financed your trip to the New World. Are you there to lead other Daurans spiritually? Or perhaps to convert Old Worlders and New Worlders alike to the Dauran sect of the Divine Court?
Or will you forsake your ties to your clan and challenge the status quo? Daura had more than three clans once, maybe it is time to return to that state of affairs?
"I see you have found yourself a spine"
- A Jukun Camelry to a Daura Soldier in a Tercio
The History of Dauran
Long ago the region of Daura was once ruled by the Dauran line of Temiluwa which was unbroken for centuries, until the dawn of strife gripped the land and began its slow descent into worsening social conditions and political infighting. Through this age the Clans of Jukun and Okanni rose in prominence and characterised the time by their defiance of Temiluwa. The end of this line wasn’t assured until the assertion of another Dauran line, the Mayowa, broke from their distant cousins and rallied many behind their cause to dethrone the Temiluwa.
This Civil War was not quick, and rather slipped the region into a greater age of war and bitter feuds that wracked the provinces for decades. Causing a mass exodus of people out into further reaches of Persos to avoid being embroiled in the conflict. This exodus into the lands of the Enlightened Empire is seen as the beginning of the Dauran incorporation into Sasanshahr.
The first official envoys sent to the Dauran region by Sasanshahr described them as warm people with a complexion darker than the Marakandi, what was initially thought to be a few city-states by Sasanshahr dignitaries turned out to be a region full of complexity, with several unique city-state factions united by their clan allegiance vying for subjugation of other rival cities.
The Enlightened Empire entered into a malaise where corruption became more common, inefficiency begane to run more rampant and The Wisdom of its earlier glory waned as self-interests and avoidance of responsibility took root. The culmination of these ails bore fruit in the Western Crisis, where the Enlightened Empire lost the Satrapy of Tatakair to the ambitions of the Kingdom of Asturias.
The current Vizier of Ghermezshahr had only been appointed within the last few years, he was known among the nobility for his close friendship with the Vizier who lost Tatakair. He was commonly regarded as being cut from the same cloth by the people he ruled over. Kabadh Supanid was his name and after the Western Crisis, many Daurans in their tradition insulted the Vizier by mocking his friendship and what decadence they saw from him. In response, those who made such mockery of him faced fines and increased taxation on them and their domains.
Before Sasanshahr’s annexation some 200 ago, the Dauran Kingdom hardly existed and in its place were city-states and clans vying for supremacy through wars and skulduggery. The arrival of Sasanians initially did not change this at all, but efforts on the Enlightened Empire’s side to open trade and offer stability of commerce improved their reception and boosted the wealth of those open to them.
Within half a century the entire region of Daura came under Sasanshar influence or incorporated into the Empire in one way or another.
To consolidate the region under the Empire, a new Satrapy by the name of Ghermezshahr was established, the name being the Sasan word for the region, and the matriarch of the Mayowa line was installed as the first Vizier. Other clans were sated with administration positions and advancements in nobility.
The integration into the Enlightened Empire resulted in a great change in the Dauran society. Several minor clans have been subsumed into larger clans or destroyed, with only three major clans remaining. The peace brought by Sasanshahr let cities recover, rebuilding their economies. The access to Sasanshahr markets ushered in a new age of prosperity for the Daurans, transforming Daura into one of the richest satrapies of Sasanshahr.
The forming of ritualized banter, senankuya, eased tensions between clans and ensured, mostly, harmonious coexistence of all clans with each other and the great peace-keeping garrisons of Sasanshahr. Under this peace did the Mayowa start their long-term quest of uniting all three clans by diplomacy, to present themselves as a powerful and stable enough entity to be granted the autonomy of full native rule. But their independence would come sooner than expected.
The fines and levies imposed were taken as a sign of weakness in the Dauran tradition. And so did it even more to try and humble him. This culminated in the parade in Lakhata in which many Daurans across the territory came out in a grand mockery of the Vizier. - Angered by this, the Vizier ordered a crackdown on nobles and commoners alike. Sparking a series of brutal engagements that left streets red with blood.
The Vizier did not take it lightly. The streets of Lakhata ran with blood as commoners and nobles as they were summarily executed for insurrection and sedition by the order of the Vizier. The executions sparked regular street fighting as the city guard responded harshly, which further inflamed the situation enough that the garrison was forced to flee their post. What was initially a clash in a single city sent ripples across the Dauran region, infuriating the locals. Sasanian garrisons were soon attacked across the entire region by all three clans, united in self defense and a bid to change the abusive governor.
When the low-intensity clashes turned into a furious uprising against Sasanshahr, mercenaries from various nations found themselves fighting in Daura. The most numerous of them were Asturians, who officially were there of their own volition and suspiciously already waiting, though it was an open secret that they had been military advisors to the Mayowa House Guard, training them in the modern tactics of the tercio and pike-and-shot formations.
The Vizier, drunk on revenge, amassed his remaining garrisons and guards to set upon besieging Lakhata. Clan Daura, Jukun and Okanni united in opposition rallied their militias and household guard to protect Lakhata. The Sasanian army, had not the experience for the fight and a not so insignificant number defected to the other side during the fighting. When the sides clashed the fighting lasted for five hours before the Vizier’s remaining men routed. Although the Clans of Daura claimed their victory as a result of the Vizier’s decadence and the gods favoring them, many of their nobles would acknowledge the auspicious arrival of the Asturian mercenaries and their doctrine to aid them in winning the day.
The Vizier, however, would not live to answer to the Emperor, or even to see a proper trial. During the fighting he was captured by the Miremen, an elusive cadre of Okanni Houseguard rumored to have assassinated more than a hundred nobles and people of importance who opposed Clan Okanni. Though the Miremen did not kill the Vizier, instead they delivered him to Ayotunde Okanni, the new leader of the Clan Okanni after her mother was, unknowingly, killed in Lakhata by the Sasanshahr garrison. She had the Vizier thrown down on his knees before her, his crimes read aloud to the nobles of Okanni gathered, then his tongue was nailed to his jaw, nails were hammered through his eyes and lastly a large nail hammered through his forehead. “Your tongue, venomous. Your eyes, insidious. Your mind, betrayer.” - A traditional execution, not used in more than a century, called the Temit.
The Matriarch of Mayowa, and the Patriarch of Jukun were too late to arrive to intervene. The event had potentially turned their righteous crusade foul, but if the Mayowa’s ambition of independence was to be grasped the incident couldn’t be allowed to divide them. No matter how much the Patriarch of Jukun protested the actions of Ayotunde, the Mayowans looked ahead to their next step.
The Daurans were, for now, united, but internally the differing aims of the major clans threatened to break them apart. The Mayowa wished to cede, but maintain amicable relations with the Enlightened Empire. The Jukun wished to remain within the Empire, but wanted to remove the Vizier. The Okanni were further divided, some wanted to maintain the status quo while others looked to Asturia to secure their future and trade.
In the months since, no armed response came. Sasanshahr likely embroiled in upheaval as the Emperor attempted to reign in the worst of the rot, or delays and difficulties in communication bore them respite. Much of the unease was not left to continue as the three main clans came together to set out their preliminary reconstituted Kingdom of Daura. - Led by the Mayowa while a response was awaited.
“Nothing without us!”
- A heated Jukun noble at the Depitebulon and the unofficial slogan of the nobility
Daurans:
Civilization & Politics
The Kingdom of Daura is now an elective monarchy - this means that while the royal title is a life-long tenure, it is not passed down to the next of kin or their offspring. This does not mean that the family of the monarch is left with nothing - often they rule over influential city-states - which their offspring inherit. Perhaps, depending on how well the Queen does, the elective nature of the Kingdom may only be elective in name.
Only the nobility has voting rights and they are equal to each other - theoretically a powerful aristocrat has the same rights as any landless noble. But practically, those powerful aristocrats unite into coteries that then offer patronage to destitute nobles, of course for their votes. Nevertheless, every noble finds it important to do their duty, and eagerly exercise their right to vote.
Every four years the king or queen, formerly the vizier, is required to call the Depitebulon - the Assembly. It is a nation-wide gathering now held upon the plain where the vizier's forces were defeated, in which every noble, mayor and priestess - or their envoy - has a vote. As constituted, for three weeks the field holds the noblemen, their envoys for the making of laws, approving taxes and voting on interior and foreign matters with the consent of the Queen. Various services cropped up around the collection the moment the royal tent was pitched in the first Depitebulon.
Titles of Importance
Mansa/Magajiya - The elected ruler of the Kingdom. Meaning “king” or “queen” respectively, but this position is not hereditary, rather it is an elective position for life.
Farin/Farina - Farins are the equivalent to a Duke, holding important land or several cities. They are often powerful enough to create and finance their own cliques and are the natural candidates to become monarchs.
Sarkkin/Sarraounia - Lord/City-king. Can be a hereditary or elective position, the latter rarely practiced in townships. There is no naming distinction between a hereditary or elective city-king. They often band into their own coteries, or under Farins
Innaya (pl. Innayar) - lit. daughter of Inna, priestess.
As the Innayar are the only ones who can safely commune with the Divines, they are naturally invited to the Assembly. They often organize into priestly coteries, forsaking their clan ties to vie for power for the priesthood itself.
Jeli - lawspeaker, bard, wandering singers, landless noble.
The Jeli, known as griots outside of Daura, are the first rank of nobility, a caste of law speakers, bards and wandering singers. Often under patronage of higher nobles such as Sarkkins and Farins, they still occupy an important position of retainers, law speakers, judges and artists. They are the most numerous, and granting nobility grants one the title of a Jeli.
"Corruption festers in the Enlightened Empire like a carcass untended by flame."
- Sarkkin Saxardiid Aflax, Miremen Commander
Daurans:
Faith
The Daurans believe in the Divine Court, though their names are localized. The local sect of the Divine Court mingled with the ideas brought by the Sasanshahr and its Wisdom. The locals considered Simurgh a manifestation of Corinna, which the tolerant Sasanians never refuted. Moreover, the lessons of Simurgh and the concept of the Wisest Action have met fertile ground with the Dauran religion, which already emphasized some form of self-realization, as long as it did not hurt the community. Thus the line between the Wisdom and the Divine Court was blurred, the devout often practicing both religions at once.
Their second divergence is that the priesthood is largely matriarchal and a lot more hierarchical. Their priestly caste, the Innayar, are spiritual leaders of all three clans, often given temporal power in the form of a place in a town’s council, or even their own fiefdoms. The Inna were recognized by their lavishly braided hair, seashell-lined skull caps, colourfulness of their clothing, make-up and facial paint.
Lysander - Solimon
Corinna - Inna Kaidara, or Simurgh
Dion - Dawa
Cyril - Guarri
Sophia - Maroka
Eulalia - Dogarai
Nicodemus - Makera
Hypatia - Mai’iyali
Ambrose - Ozun
Ambrosia - Oshun
Hilarion - Kejok
Pelagia - Yabuna
Kallisto - Ezili
Myron - Takhar
“Duel with words, not swords.”
- Mantra following the introduction of ritualized banter
Dauran:
Norms & Culture
The Daurans are divided into clans. Those differ in culture, such as customs, or traditional work. This is not to say there are no intra-clan differences - as other clans were subsumed into the three, they brought with them their own customs. Thus no clansman is the same, and the more rugged terrain people come from, the higher the likelihood they have their own peculiarity.
Traditional gender roles became less constricting due to Sasanshahr’s emphasis on merit. The only gender role that has not been opened up to the opposite sex is the all-female priesthood of the Innayar.
Dauran clothing differed - each clan had their own
Senankuya - a social custom, a structure in which two sides trade warm insults, jokes and banter. Mainly happens between clans, but it can be only between two people. The most famous senankuya is of two minor clans, where their running joke was that the members of opposing clans accuse each other of eating more garlic than the other side, insinuating their breath smells. Interestingly enough, despite clan Daura integrating these clans into its midst, this banter continued.
Getting offended by a joke in such a relationship is considered a sign of immaturity, but likewise some jokes are considered too severe. “Good taste” is of course dependent on current social context - currently it is considered faux pas to mention Sasanshahr in their jokes or insults, as it means someone can’t take a joke.
There is also a dark side of this custom - higher nobles often use it on people considered “inferior” on the social ladder, while ensuring that they do not fall prey to those that rank lower on the social ladder.
Clan Daura
First called Ghermezi by the Sasanan cartographers, owing to the red tinge of their brick-built cities, the Daurans are a dryland and savannah dwellers, an urbanized people with religious reverence of architecture, building and craftsmanship. They are characterized as playful and calm.
Daurans are traditionally matriarchal, as women occupied many of the positions of guidance owning to the spiritual role of the Dauran people. Of course, Sasan presence has loosened the traditional gender norms and male heads of families are not unheard of.
Daurans wear light and loose clothing owing to the dry heat of their region, and their clothing is dominated by whites and light blues. They often wear intricate make-up, though it is often hidden beneath veils and face masks that are meant to protect them from dust.
Military-wise they specialize in irregular warfare conducted from strongholds and cities by their light infantry, though with the Asturian influences, there is a shift to new tactics, such as the tercio.
In the current political climate they are considered the “moderates” and believe themselves to be the natural leaders of the Kingdom. The current reigning Magajiya, Barakissa, is of the Mayowa line of Clan Daura.
Cuisine of clan Daura is the mildest one, dominated by rice and sorghum turned into dough-like food called swallows served alongside stews and ragouts. Their best-known dish is the Domoda, a stew made out of peanut paste, meat and common vegetables like the onion, tomato and cabbage, seasoned with lemon juice, vinegar, and lately chilli peppers, thickened with flour. As a drink of choice the Daurans drink either palm wine or beer made out of sorghum.
Clan Jukun
A clan settled in the floodplains of a river they derive their name from, they are farmers and irrigation specialists and their lands are referred to as the “Breadbasket of Daura”. Travelling alongside the Jukun river during the harvest is like travelling alongside a never-ending field of gold.
A stereotypical Jukun is raucous and impulsive, or even belligerent. This is offset by their hospitality - the Jukun find it dishonorable to deny someone entry to their house. They often feel compelled to give gifts to their friends to honour them.
Jukun is the most hierarchical of all clans - a son must obey his father, a peasant must obey his master. Their power structure was at first strictly patriarchal, with the all-female priesthood having a lot less influence in Jukun courts. But just like clan Daura’s matriarchy, the gender norms were loosened due to Sasanian cultural influence. While still a rarity, women of clan Jukun can pursue military careers or inherit fiefs, albeit begrudgingly.
Jukun men wear loose clothes decorated with colourful sashes and fur-lined hats adorned with exotic feathers and grow moustaches whenever they can. Jukun women dress the most modest out of all clans - long skirts and shirts, though they have the same penchant for colour and feathers as men.
Their domination of the food market and land based exports to neighbouring regions of Sasanshahr let them outfit scale mail armoured camelry retinues, famous for attaching colourful wings to their back. Jukun have rejected Asturian military aid, advisors and mercenaries, believing Asturian involvement detrimental to their goals.
Their cuisine is based on wheat and barley and, naturally, bread is one of the staples of their cuisine. Alongside various flatbreads, the Jukun diet consists of fish, lentils and beans, often seasoned with cumin and coriander. As a drink of choice, the Jukun drink beer.
Widely regarded as warhawks and traditionalists in the Assembly, though their attempts at warmongering are often tempered by the Mayowa of Clan Dura. Man Jukun sons find rank and station within Sasanshahr and the clan have prospered with exporting food to the greater expire.
They have a growing rivalry with Clan Okanni because of how they handled the Vizier and the current threat they're posing to their food exports.
Clan Okanni
A mercantile people who live deep in the jungle mountains. Their cities are famed to look like they are built in the canopies of trees. The Okanni live in lands rich in silver and gold, and thus have become the main miners of precious metals in Daura.
The Okanni are often seen as aloof, sly but an egalitarian people, considering both sexes equal. This was a matter of practicality, as women often took the role of family leaders whenever the men were out at sea.
As the Okanni live in the most humid environments or at sea, they naturally wear lighter and shorter clothing. One may argue whether it is the humidity of their jungle environments or their vanity - the Okanni often wear piercings and adorn themselves in all manner of jewelry, from copper for the destitute to white gold for the richest.
Already masters of river trading, they were the first ones of their region to venture to the isles of Awenasa, bringing spices and sugarcane seeds for plantations of the New World. The Okanni's financial situation was brought to near collapsing due an embargo upon the Kingdom of Asturia, and then further exasperated by Rodrigo's privateers. The clan negotiated a clandestine arrangement with the Asturian House of Trade. Okanni secretly traded with the Asturians in return for aid in weakening Sasanshahr further. The clan are believed to be responsible for the safe transit of Asturian mercenaries and advisors into the region and encouraging Clan Daura to effectively 'rebel'.
The cuisine of the Okanni is the most diverse, as their mercantile nature naturally brought in dishes from all over the world. The Okanni cuisine is rich in all techniques, food roasted, fried, stewed or even steamed. They use saffron, sage, the newly introduced chilli, chives and nutmeg to season their food or their drinks. Of drinks they drink coffee and tea, Marakandi lassi, Asturian wine or local, fermented palm wine.
Even though they had ties to Asturias before the revolt against the Vizier, Clan Okanni generally did not intend to be thrust into the spotlight by his death at the hands of their Matriarch. Although they seek to appease Jukun opening up their goods to be traded to Asturias, they have a newly formed brewing rivalry.
Marriage, Social Status & Sexuality
Marriage is seen more as officiating a relationship than entering one, but it is a time of celebration, as a couple enters a much more serious relationship. Both the man and woman have to bring gifts to the families of their betrothed, either symbolically or as a trade. This made for interesting trades between clans during their period of peaceful unification under Sasanshahr, as clan Daura’s large dowries were met with promises of alliance and oaths of allegiance from other clans.
While each clan favours different social systems, Sasanshahr’s cultural influences partially did away with matriarchy and patriarchy, making the region more egalitarian, just like Sasanshahr. Men and women are considered equal, in most areas, with only the more remote regions still clinging to the more traditional gender norms.
As in Sasanshahr, homosexuality and bisexuality are socially accepted. It is not unheard of for homosexual couples to be considered a single household and prosper, but as in Sasanshahr, marriage is restricted as an union between man and woman.
"Our messages to the Emperor have not returned a response... I don't like this ambiguity."
- Diplomat Teleola, remarking on the unease after ousting the Vizier
Dauran:
Reputation & Interactions
The Daurans have long been a part of the Enlightened Empire, and when one was met it was always under the context of them being part of that vast country. - Now the Daurans no longer have a master, no longer bow to Sasanshahr and their kin across the Empire and beyond face the question of where in that conflict the sit.
Because the Kingdom is very new, many other powers hold little interest in it, or regard for it. Only time will tell what future has in store for them.
With Humans
Having split from Sasanshahr, the Daurans have a very strained and ambiguous relationship currently with their former overlords, fearing an invasion force will come to take away their freedom once more.
For that they have started courting other Old World powers, mainly Asturias, who have helped Daurans in their bid to oust the Vizier. The two nations often trade envoys and it is now a common sight to see a ship under the Dauran flag docked at an Asturian port.
Other nations have only scant knowledge of Daurans - they at most generate curiosity with their unique traditions among the Sasanshahr.
With Dwarves
The Ancient Dwarves have amicable relations with Daurans, starting with a party of clan Jukun adventurers’ befriending a group of Dwarves in a close call drinking match the Dwarves have won. Trade soon followed with Dauran merchants bringing exotic spices and luxury goods with them.
The same can roughly be said for the Custodes, the relationship is amicable though there is not specific event that made it so.
With Amura
Despite their recent arrival in Awenasa, the Daurans have fostered an amicable relationship with the Amurans. Perhaps this is due to the representatives being of the Okanni clan - they were easily able to persevere in Amuran domiciles. By now, the Dauran merchants happily trade in the Kingdom of Amu-Tep and with Amuran merchants outside of it.
With Elves
Being that the Daurans have only recently arrived in Awenasa, the Great Houses have yet to form a generalized opinion of the Daurans and so they may vary by the House and their level of knowledge of Old World geopolitics.
The Komanali have too few encounters with the Daurans beyond Sasanshahr, therefore neither side has formed a proper opinion of each other outside individual instances.
With Banen’Rhûn
Being relatively recent arrivals to Awenasa, the Daurans have not had the real pleasure or displeasure of interacting greatly with the folk from those far off mountains.
With Turak
Owing to the Turak people’s isolation and Daurans’ arrival with Sasanshahr to Awenasa, but more recently need to form its own diplomacy, neither side has formed a proper opinion of each other.
Author: Kieck & Hokan
Page Created by: Hokan