Aquias
AKA: The Ancient Sea, Land of the Merpeople
CR: merfolk
Ln: Sea Common (the language called Deep Sea is outlawed here)
Sp: The Merfolk have no typically favored patrons. Both clerics and druids are common here
SH: Before the First Age of the Paragons, Aquias spanned the entire coastline. Ruled by the merfolk, a hundred different undersea races bowed to them. Each race was given feudal territories, and as long as they paid taxes and tribute to Aquias, they lived in peace. No history records the time when the merfolk united (concurred) the undersea world. During the First Age, however, the sea floor opened up and swallowed the mighty armies of the merpeople. Perceived as a great sign, the paragons of the Tritons, Saguiah, and others led great rebellions that tore the empire apart. These other races all established similar cultures in their old feudal territories, leaving Aquias torn and shattered. The merfolk have still not fully recovered from this ancient severing and some fear that this Second Age means the end of them, completely.
Po: The political system of Aquias is a left-over from the years of occupation of vast territory. Aquias is ruled by a Senate that has exactly 201 members; 3 from each provence in the land. (These provences are much smaller than they once were.) All decisions are made a vote amongst the senate, which gain their seats for life unless promoted to General (see below). In times of War, three generals are selected (by vote) from the Senate. These three generals are given nearly-king-like abilities and their seats in the senate are given to others. These generals retain their titles and powers until the war is declared over by the Senate. There is no dominant gender amongst the Merfolk.
FS: Marriages are not arranged affairs. Merfolk love the romantic bardic tales and claim they always marry for love. Marriages are monogomous and never same-sex or incestious. However, marriages also expire after twenty years. At that time, all wealth is split between partners using a very complicated system of dispersal. It is considered inappropriate to have young children at the time. Older children are split as part of the special system. Divorces before the time expires are not allowed. Widows and widowers may remarry as soon as they wish. Once seperated at the end of the twenty years, the couple is not allowed to remarry, ever. Because of these rules, marriages have become an intrigal part of the political system in Aquias (though the Merfolk still claim that it does not). Marriages are usually instrumental in political appointments, especially for reaching the senate. The reason for these specifically-lengthed marriages is that love, say the merfolk, only lasts that long.