Quick facts
Government - Constitutional monarchy
Religion - The Coven of the Ancients
Ethnicities - Mari
Pinterest board - Marisen
Earth biodiversity equivalent - Northern Rocky mountains
The Free Land of Marisen, unofficially known as the Magefolk Territories, is a hidden nation known to most people as an abandoned kingdom in the mountains. Most people rarely venture there, and even rarer do people return with knowledge of the mages.
Marisen is almost entirely within the Dragonback Mountains, with some portions lying in the Mari Valley on the southwestern edge of the mountains. There are a number of contained "greenhouse ecosystems", maintained and controlled by the Amodoi and Kiroko mages. Selkros, for example, is a temperate forest contained in a basin near the southern edge of the mountains. After a few years of continuous maintenance, the large zones regulate themselves, so many of the large cities don't need mages constantly upholding their climates.
Marisen is governed by a series of elected magefolk, one from each branch of magic. There are 12 magefolk in the council, with two magefolk representing each type of magic. Monarchs are appointed by the council from among the children of the current monarch, who also acts as the Misret, or archon, of the Selkerian House. The monarch is a figurehead for the nation and exercises the right to approve laws passed through the council, which is elected every twelve years. Six of the seats are reserved for citizens of any class, while six are open to members of noble houses as well. The Irulian house of Amodoi mages and the Selkerian house of Pyrsi mages exercise the most political power out of any of the houses.
Formerly, the Selkerian House exercised complete authority over the government, but in recent times, Lady Aeona, the monarch and Misret of the house, has passed more of the authority to the council, depriving the chance for a singular person to remove power from the council.
The Mari people are a secretive group of mages due to tensions with Iksand and Civiel, former states of the Iksandi empire during the mage wars. Most outsiders, unless proven to be trustworthy, are treated with hostility and driven out of the lands. Because of the hostility toward magic, they hold very strongly to tradition and strict control, leaving little room for experimentation not approved by higher ranking mages. There are notable tensions between the high Mari of the mountains and the valley Mari. This is a result of the former's secluded nature and lack of frequent communication with the latter.
Mari culture prizes individuality and privacy, making family business a private affair. Wealthy, older families, such as the Irulian and Selkerian houses, retain the archaic large family structures and grand living spaces. Most other families are much smaller, with only two or three children per family, and rarely live with extended family.
Gender is a very loose concept in Mari societies, with many different expressions falling under three umbrellas: Feminine, Masculine, and Neutral. Someone's identity is perceived as a point in this triangle of identities. Sexuality is loose as well, though old mage families prize monogamy within the same magic type.
Age is respected in Mari society, and often comes with a physical change of appearance due to magic use and exposure. Natural deaths are seen as the best way to die, and death caused by overuse of magic is frowned upon.
Power is concentrated with history. Older lineages with longer records are more powerful, while solitary mages and Velin, or culturally accepted non-mages, are seen as less powerful. The council of mages in Selkros is made up almost entirely of hereditary families, with few exceptions.
The architecture of Marisen seems to be built into the landscape. Tall buildings merge with the mountainside, and crystalline sculptures reflect light around the villages. Most buildings were built by Telan magefolk, but in the lowlands more houses follow building standards of other nations. In the highlands, the architectural style features domes and steeply slanted roofs on towers, with a more gradually slanted roof on the rest of the building. Pointed arches are very prominent in design, as are open windows and balconies looking out over central courtyards. In more prominent estates, pillared walkways between and around the outside of buildings are a frequent site, with intricate friezes. Since many houses were molded out of pure stone, it gives the buildings a smooth and strong finish. Many windows don't have glass, but instead intricate wire grilles. In wealthy houses and particularly old ones, windows are molded out of crystal, much like the rest of the building.
Clothing in Marisen is practical but elegant. Light, knee-length gowns and pants are the most common choice of clothing in everyday wear, often paired with a light coat. Clothing is dyed using marbled or resist dyeing. The most recognizable of the clothing pieces is the Kerin, or sash. These are wide belts made of cloth that display the magical rank of a person wearing them. A sash worn only at the waist denotes a mage who has not sought extra training for their magic (or, when paired with a pin, shows a higher ranking mage in informal wear). A sash worn over one shoulder denotes a skilled student of magic. A highly decorated sash over both shoulders, and a person can be sure that the mage is highly skilled, likely a teacher or elderly scholar. In informal settings, the sash is typically replaced by a broach. Pinned on either side of the chest, it denotes a student or young member of a prestigious family. A crest or amulet tucked in the collar of one's shirt shows a high ranking student or teacher, and the highest ranking wear collar pins, with the number of chains denoting the level of leadership. This last level is typically reserved for the council and the misrets of various houses.
Trade in Marisen is highly restricted, since most surrounding nations don't know that Marisen is wealthy, or that it exists in the first place. Marisen trades mainly from the lowlands, where they export medicinal herbs and traditional crafts in exchange for maize from Tylen and livestock from Iksand.
The arts are highly valued in Marisen, especially performing arts. The multi-sensory nature of magic allows stages to be hyper-realistic and incredibly artistic, blending illusion with practical effects. Music as an art form is a prestigious skill, and there are grand stages and concert halls commissioned by nobles. Sculpture is the most prized of the physical art forms because the culture of the magefolk prizes things that can stimulate multiple senses.
Marisen cuisine is diverse, with foods from all over the world growing in controlled greenhouses. The unique abilities possessed by the magefolk create an environment where all types of plants can grow. Traditionally, goats and sheep have been herded and domesticated for milk and mutton, and in rural areas, they are still the main food source.
Mages tend to have careers corresponding with their natural magical talent. Mages who can grow plants or manipulate temperatures work in the greenhouses, while mages with weather or magic negation skills work to assist the city's defenses.
People from Marisen are known as Mari. They speak various dialects of the Mari language, such as Valley Mari and High Mari. Most of the population is magefolk, and outsiders are usually not trusted. Most non-magefolk are travelers seeking wisdom, or outcasts from their home lands. These people are known as Velush in Valley Mari, and Velin in High Mari.
Feminine: Katherine/Katerina, Penelope, Amina
Masculine: Caleb, Arthur, Loren
Neutral: Jordan, Marai, Vadriel