Sanaris is a kingdom in the middle of Gessaria. It is mainly inhabited by elves, half elves, and humans, although elves generally hold all governmental positions and power.
Seamus McHammerface is from Sanaris, where he grew up in a small town in the Hymnethas district.
History
Mostly unknown...
Diplomacy
Sanaris is famously known to be fighting a perpetual war with the kingdom of Betaria.
While they are entered into an alliance, Sanaris and the Deadmarch have a somewhat tumultuous history, and mutually refuse trade with one another.
Sanaris conducts consistent trade with the Nightspell Moors, mostly in crops and fish.
Structure
Sanaris has a somewhat infamous system of government. There are a number of regional governors that rule over the districts of the kingdom and function in a governing body known as the Khymal Set. While the government bills itself as democratic, the Set has always been entirely run by elves despite the sizable populations of half elves and humans in many districts, especially Hymnethas and Imnethas. The Set elects a overseers for the entire kingdom known as the Derromar.
The Sanarian Tax Agency is known to hold a significant amount of power in Sanaris, to the point that many citizens live in constant fear of them. Fleeing from the STA is one of the main reasons that citizens emigrate from the kingdom.
Much of the governmental structure and law has been developed in the best interest of the individual forest kingdoms of Sanaris in an attempt to keep their diplomatic and cultural diversity. As such, those living outside the forests are subject to the rules of the land, while those inside are not. This structure has earned the ire of many of the citizens of the kingdom, as their heavy taxation pays for the protection and preservation of the forest kingdoms, despite the kingdoms not having to pay taxes themselves.
Culture
Sanaris is a bit of an aberration among elven societies because of the rigidity of many of its institutions, which runs counter to the core beliefs of freedom that most elves are taught to harbor at a young age. Regardless, it is a flourishing country, but outsiders might find it somewhat oppressive in certain ways.
Citizens of the kingdom are used to having their business pried into by the various institutions of the Khymal Set, especially the Sanarian Tax Agency, which doubles in function as the eyes and ears of the Derromar.
Food
- Shaeval
- A delicious bread made from shaeval, otherwise known as bullwheat. The bread has a deep flavor and is very dense. Herbs are often cooked into the bread, as well as meat.
- Kjaye Berries
- A large berry with a tough, leathery hide that is very hard to bite through. The fruit itself tastes like a cross between a pineapple and a sour grape. Natives to Sanaris know that there is a trick to opening the fruit; simply pressing the spot where the stem used to be will flip the skin inside out while simultaneously dividing the fruit into around 6 to 13 easy to eat slices. Kjaye berries are known to stain.
Drink
Despite the general rigidity of most of Sanarian society, most Sanarians love a good drink, and their wines are known to be some of the strongest in the Hazeron. Most elves tend to have a very low tolerance to drink, but this is untrue of those with Sanarian blood. In a way, the alcohol culture of the kingdom is very reminiscent of dwarven kingdoms, in that you are generally expected to drink in social settings, and many arguments are settled through drinking games.
Sanarians are generally predisposed to wine, although there are a few good ales throughout the kingdom. Some higher-born elves might find other types of alcohol low-class. Some Sanarian-specific spirits are as follows:
- Buseylid Wine
- Made from the berries of the buseylid plant, a commonly farmed plant native to Gessaria. The wine is terribly strong and sweet, at around 30 percent. This is to go-to wine for most drinkers on a night out.
- Rooteere Wine
- A low-class wine popular in areas of low income. Around the same proof of Buseylid, but can be variable as different areas will make it from different things. Generally, it is made from the fruit of the veregreen plant, but the rest is comprised of various other fruits.
- Ared’wen Wine
- A powerful wine that is slightly hallucinogenic. A grape wine that is flavored with ared root. Makes you drunk and high, very quickly.
- Zuvedine Wine
- An expensive and incredibly tasty wine that is usually best enjoyed in solitude, as it makes anyone who drinks it highly suggestible. Made of Buseylid and grape with the juice of the zuvedine vine, which is a flavor enhancer.
- Telvery Juice
- Juice from the Telvery plant, generally mixed with a sweeter fruit juice to offset the power of the natural Telvery alcohol. Stupid powerful.
- Bullwheat Ale
- Usually consumed by the lower class, this hearty ale is strong and somewhat sweet. Has a surprising depth of flavor, and is cheap to make. Made using shaeval.
Ecosystem
Sanaris' ecosystem is centered around the balance between the forests and the more "developed" lands outside them. Much of the Sanarian ecosystem remains unsullied despite its more modern developments, as most new structures were built outside more vibrant landscapes in an attempt to preserve the nature of the kingdom.
Plants of Sanaris
- Bullwheat, or Shaeval Wheat
- A wheat-like plant native to Sanaris. Used commonly in the creation of shaeval, as well as ale.
- Zuvedine
- A crawling vine present throughout Sanaris. Its juice is a powerful flavor enhancer, but also leaves the consumer in a suggestible hypnotic state.
- Buseylid Plant
- A commonly farmed, upright growing plant. Its fruit is large, almost like an oversized grape, around the size of a fist. Used commonly in the creation of wine, but its tart flavors can be enjoyed on their own as well.
- Zal'zau Plant
- A bizarre plant originating from the fey forests of Sanaris. It is a fairly large, vertical plant that needs constant attention to thrive. It has a peculiar shape, with long, ovular green and purple leaves that have flowering buds at their apex. Other than healthy soil and water, the plant apparently needs to be talked to in order to flower.
- Telvery Plant
- A bizarre plant that ferments its own fruit while still on the vine. The fruit has fey origins, and it is theorized that the plant evolved to appeal to the playful fey creatures of the magical forests.