Tenysia

A purely fantasy blend of David Edding's Nyssans softly wrapped with Egyptian, Malaysian islander cultures and the Ji'Ken of Comraich Original.

Tenysia lies in the far southeastern corner of Essealas and is likely to be one of the main arrival ports for those escaping the invasion 1100 years ago. Due to dense jungle overgrowth, Tenysia appears significantly older than any of the other city-states. The architecture varies dramatically; southern pan-Asian elements blend harmoniously with older Egyptian-Mayan style structures and newer Mediterreanean-Desert builds. No matter how well built, structures in Tenysia do not long survive the invasive jungle of the Mvau Marshes.

Due to a wide selection of native spices, the Sythian diet is unusually spicy and exotic. The native diet runs high to all manner of fresh and saltwater fish, rice, and bamboo. The wealthy have access to their choice of unusual imported foods.

Personality

Sythians work as little as humanly possible so as to be free to indulge their many vices. Sythians can turn even the most wholesome of activities into a delectable art. Their complex governmental structure allows for all manner of corruption and bribery. There are almost no criminals in Tenysia, for very little is a crime - including murder. Only the disruption of city services, such as the waterways and roads, are considered serious crimes. Sythians make excellent friends especially if one is looking to have a good time doing all manner of disreputable, dangerous and exciting things.

Tenysia has few political friends as the Halsteins and Bantu people find the Sythian's to be utterly reprehensible. Sythians consider being sent to Arcovia the same as being exiled. Luckily, cultural similarities allowed them a reasonable alliance with Fendahl -- at least until Ji'Kalana sheds her next skin. Where it not for their highly coveted export of perfumes, poisons, medical-grade plants, and hallucinogens Tenysia might have never survived. Instead, no matter how many times some do-gooder has tried to "cut off the snake's head" it simply grows back and regains enough power to bring its neighbors to heel.

Appearance

Tenysia is a blended city that has become home to all the various people of Essealas. The native people, the Sythians, have had a long history of intermarrying with immigrants. While the native people tend to be brown-skinned with flat noses and slanted eyes they run high to an unusual albino-like gene which produces very pale or ashen-skinned people, white hair, and unusually pale eye color. Sythians admire the unusual, encourage the bizarre, and applaud the mysterious.

Consequently, it is easiest to tell a Sythian by how they dress rather than how they look physically. Sythian style is vain, flamboyant, and androgynous. Clothing choices are often selected to complement their pet snakes. They prefer lightweight loose colorful garments of cotton or silk, gold and bronze jewelry, and colorful glass beadwork. Garments are Egyptian styled with fantasy elements of Persia, India, and the southern Far-East.

Sythians can further be distinguished by permanent and temporary facial markings, ceremonial masks, chalk-white body paint, bald heads, or complex hair-locks. War masks and Persian armor are still a part of military dress.

Traditions

The Sythians worship a goddess by the name of Ji'Kalana who is a many facetted diety. Ji'Kalana has male, female, and androgynous facets as well as dark-skinned, pale-skinned, and grey-skinned aspects. These aspects of war, peace, harmony, fertility, and commerce change every few months impacting Sythian culture and politics. Read More

Tenysia is ruled by a queen who is considered to be the embodiment of Ji'Kalana herself. She does very little and is pampered and tended to by her handmaidens. At each new turn of her aspect, the queen is dressed up to match the aspect and trotted out for a lavish festival.

Sythians are embalmed and entombed in above-ground crypts which are visited regularly by their living kinsmen who have an active ancestor worship that exists alongside that of Ji'Kalana.

Expanded Lore

Further reading and links for the culture obsessed.

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Small Council NPCs

Role	Description
Queen Biru Ruler	Queen Biru is the emblematic expression of her people’s delight in excess. All soft plump curves and lavish adornments, the native Sythian embraces the figurehead nature of her station fully. Exceedingly difficult to corral into making the day to day decisions, she leaves the majority of Tenysia’s rule to her small council. Her trust in them is nearly unwavering though she has been known to put her foot down at rather inopportune times. Behavior that might earn her criticisms of irresponsibility elsewhere, are viewed with reverence as the ever-shifting nature of Ji’Kalana in action.
Agung Paea Diplomat	Charming, gregarious and exceedingly handsome, Agung Paea is all you could ask for in a host. Conveniently, this just so happens to align with his preferred method of diplomacy. Tanned skin, a mop of curly dark brown hair and a full bushy beard mark him as one of the many immigrant sons of the city-state. His celebrations however, are as Sythian as they come. Favor is curried with dignitaries extravagantly. Sometimes in the form of lavish formal dinners, others in orgy-esque, intoxicant fueled romps. Whatever the situation, Agung believes unwaveringly in his method of gaining allies, though his results thus far are lackluster at best.
Dayang binti Hijau Warlord	Tenysia’s self titled Head Wrangler of Cats, Dayang binti Hijau certainly couldn't look more the part of a warlord. Her skin, the shade of rich earth is well weathered by exposure and peppered with scars that write in clear script the tale of hard won victories. A coiled mass of well worked muscles, she commands respect with her mere presence. As a ruthless militia leader, Dayang climbed her way to the top with proof of efficiency on the battlefield and the pioneering of several guerilla style tactics that quickly became instrumental practices of Sythian warfare. Slow to smile but quick with a sharply barbed wit, the aging woman holds her cushy position with pride.
Jiwa bin Dumadi Coinmaster	Jiwa bin Dumadi is the most openly reviled member of Tenysia’s small council. Outsiders often assume this is because the man is unapologetically slimy and reprehensible. His skill in filling the city-state’s coffers is due in no small part to deceit and intimidation. Outsiders are fully correct in their harsh judgement of the small, wizened man and his hoard of thugs. However, the source of his fellow citizens’ revulsion lies far less in his scheming, than in his wholly unfathomable diligence and dedication. He not only actively seeks out and enjoys his work, but often does so at the expense of free time. Efficacy is the only saving grace overwhelming enough to earn him a position of trust, or as much trust as can be had in the viper’s den.
Chaman Paea Spy Master	The half sibling of the council’s beloved diplomat, Chaman Paea utilizes their expected appearances at their brother’s gatherings to their advantage. Ethereal and androgenous, they stand imposingly tall and pale. A cool, delicate, and reserved foil to their brother’s warmth and brashness. One might find it an odd choice to give an individual with such striking features a position that focuses so heavily on going unnoticed. Chaman rarely does any actual spying themselves, instead relying on an extensive network of agents. With intoxicants for lubrication and enough moving parts to allow for subtleties to go unnoticed, Chaman’s intelligence gathering is much more handy than they are often given credit for.

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