ASPECA
Country
Aspeca – “the praised land” – is the cultural center of Manaeyra. It’s where the generally accepted political capital Mytaria (after the war: Oitaria) is located, as well as other big cities who made themselves a name over time. The inhabitants’ ancestors originally came from the south of the continent and settled in Aspeca during their search for fertile lands. Disregarding some minor periods of drought the fertility of the vast plains is still the same. Winter isn’t too long and summer not too short, there are enough rainfalls as well as sunny days to paint the landscape in various tones of green. The rich farming grounds, the big coastline and many inland waters provide enough food for the population, while mountains and forests hold useful resources.
Culture
Aspeca is generally accepted as the cultural center of Manaeyra and holds the highest population density. There are small villages and even some bigger towns all over the country, as well as the capital of the Myodancers, Mytaria. This is where the government and administration is located, whose jurisdiction also reaches Algoran, Fukuroi, Bayriill and Kaheli. The supreme authority is called the Shard Council and is only officiated by the highest ranked Myodancers, acting as absolute rulers.
The majority of the population however lives a simple and rural life on the numerous farmsteads and in the villages, so the people there aren’t overly involved in political issues as a result. Agriculture and stock farming are of much higher importance and people’s interests are generally limited to farm work, food ingestion and visiting the local tavern. They mainly work for the sake of their own livelihood and to pay their taxes in kind. Therefore the rural population gets by with nearly no money and still indulges in barter trade, contrary to the bigger villages and towns, where a lack of a currency system would only cause chaos on the market squares. Livestock, crops, fruits and simple clothing are the most commonly traded items, but the bigger the village or the closer it’s situated along one of the trading routes, the more likely you can even find exotic plants and spices, precious fabrics, seafood, as well as all kinds of arts and crafts.
Besides market squares and taverns, which are found in nearly every homestead, several sorts of ritual places play an important role in the lives of the people. The oldest rites and beliefs can be traced back to the origins of civilization, long before the big shard hit Manaeyra, and are collectively called “Calatoki Ranis”, meaning “Spirits of Nature” in the ancient language. Especially in rural areas are many followers of the old traditions, while in areas close to towns Sophorosism is the main belief system.