"Strength and Power."
Chief Mereso Kha’ffal
Sicarian Chieftain
Sicarius is currently the largest Kingdom in the Region 0f Selyria, and due to the dry and almost uninhabitable sandy climate of its place, it is mostly populated by orcs in the south-east, and an insurgent faction in the west. The kingdom is still recovering from their failure, having started the “Great Orc War”, the country is a wasteland, filled with monstrous beings, who mostly reside under the land.
Finding written records of ancient Sicarian records are difficult to come by, as for most of their history, they used stone tablets for accountancy, management, trade, art, and others. Depictions of orc, and other Higantian tribes fighting for this land is usually seen on arts and other sculptures, leading many historians from the Sovereign University of Vendeaux (SUV) to believe that the formation under the Empire of Sau'lari. Sha’kari was the former name that the first people of this orcish group was known for.
In about 3100 BFS, The Empire of Sau'lari was destroyed, leading to a lot of instability within the regions. Several factions soon formed their own kingdoms, which led to years of wars and conquest known as The Centurion War. Soon, the Chiefdom of Sha’kari was conquered by The Empire of Porthos. The Porthosians harvested many gold and crystals from the orcs, and enslaved them. Depictions of mass murder, slavery, and discrimination was followed. This would also lead to a cultural genocide among the populace of Sha’kari. The most notable example of this would be the name given to the place, which was Sicarius - a butchered pronunciation by the Porthosian state.
Years of turmoil and bloodshed on the Sicarian people would follow for thousands of years. Most were used as slaves for The Empire’s mineral and stone deposits. Practicing magic was banned, and their ancient language was destroyed in the process. Several new technologies, however, would follow during this time, giving orcs more opportunities. However, orcish rights were still undermined.
Records during this time would be more accessible due to the increased literacy rates in the region. Scholars believe that it was due to this that a movement known as The Pureblood, was formed.
The Pureblood, led by Chieftain Octavio Kor’fuja, was an ethnic orc movement that aimed to get rid of Porthosian influence in the region. Founded during 100 BFS, they fought against Porthos in many wars and skirmishes. Many orcs would be inspired by this, and a lot of them would choose to fight alongside the movement. This led to instability within the region that added to the further decline of The Porthosian Empire. The movement would gain its power by getting more tribes and chiefdoms to join their side. Their biggest victory at The Battle of Seven Chieftains, which was recorded in the Sicarian Desert at 165 FS, would be the turning point of the conflict, which would free them from Porthos. After this, Sicarius would have a period of peace. However, things would start to change once the empire fell.
The empire back then provided proper connections of trade and logistics. With the fall of the empire, this also meant that these connections would be severed, or at least become not as efficient as before. Racial tensions from the other newly formed kingdoms would bring poverty to the orcs, putting their technological, and literacy rates to primitive states.
The Pureblood Movement’s leader became the sole ‘High Chief’ of this new kingdom. Generations would follow, and the kingdom expanded even more, controlling most of the Sicarian desert, which forced the Northern Kingdoms to take a different route by land, by avoiding the desert, and moving to West Arkasios. This would create a spike in profits and demand on The West Arkasios Trading Company, which would turn them into an unstoppable corporate power. Scholars suspect that this would be the catalyst to one of the most notable figures in Sicarian History.
From the tribe of Haros, came a man named Floda Ril’ith, who was an orc commander in the Sicarian army. He rose to the rank of High Marshal - the highest military rank in the chiefdom, and decided to overthrow the High Chief of the nation by agitating the orc population on his idea of ‘The Pureblood Utopia’. He heavily discriminated against humans, elves, and dwarves, and believed that orcs are the superior race that Solev had intended. This would culminate into the biggest conflict in recent Selyrian History, known as The Great Orc War.
The Pureblood became the leading party behind the government of Sicarius, and this would give Floda Ril’ith absolute power and control over the military. He would order a conquest of Porthos and West Arkasios, creating a blockade of trade within the North.
Several Clans would try to oppose the pureblood - most notably The Clan of Na’gi Koronja, but their leader would be subjected by Floda in a duel. Other Clans such as The Clan of Doshgolob, would choose to escape Sicarius to develop their own community in the north.
The Culling of Carselius is a grand systematic genocide of 15,000 humans, elves, and dwarves. Shifters were also victims of this, but most escaped due to their abilities. The idea of this mass killing was to ‘purge the soft’, and ‘harden the strong’. Many SUV Historians also believe that this was a vendetta killing from the centuries of human oppression of Sicarius. This genocide was immediately stopped after The Selyria Alliance was formed, and united to take on the Ril’ith regime, but the scars of the Pureblood’s crimes are still felt today. For this, the Sicarian government regularly compensates the victims of the families from this purge, and it is illegal to deny what happened during this time.
During the Great Orc War, Karthus immediately fell, but it was through the leadership of General Alvin Magrin and Duke Adrien Deschenel that turned the tides of war. General Joseph Smither from The Republic of Vontur would also be a key figure, but they mostly fought an independent war for their freedom, and did not become part of the Selyria Alliance that formed after this conflict. General Kindred from The Black Valkyrie Regiment of the Ravenian Royal Army would help in Vontur, and would result in the formation of The Selyrian Crimson Militia.
The short Empire of Sicarius would fall soon after, and the united forces of the north would chase them until Floda committed suicide in his chief tent by releasing lions and fighting till he died. Pretty soon after, the leadership collapsed, and a movement was born inside Sicarius which aimed to reform the ideas of the nation.
After this, Sicarius became embargoed from almost all goods, except from West Arkasios and Porthos. The Corazon Papers would be made, and it helped create a trade agreement between Porthos, Sicarius, and West Arkasios, which led to better living standards for regular Sicarians. Currently, Sicarius is the leading producer of ivory and sandstone in Selyria, and remains to be the biggest competitor of the Sulhari Empire, as well as the Caedian Empire in regards to these sold resources. The ideas of The Pureblood slowly faded once the kingdom developed more, and currently, it is prohibited to praise such ideas in public.
Sicarian Culture revolves around Strength, Dominance, and Respect for tradition. Their males must partake in a trial to prove their strength and camaraderie when they are 13. If they fail this test, then they must wait until they are 17, only then may they retake the trial, if they fail it again, they will be punished. While this punishment may vary, executions are more uncommon in the South and Western portion of the kingdom - where traditional values are more present, while less harsher punishments such as prevention to join the military, or being socially casted out, are more common in the East and Northern parts of the kingdom - where Porthosian, Hreinngarian, and Karthusian influence is present.
While it is not that uncommon for Sicarian girls to participate in the trials, most female Sicarians are found in non-combative roles such as healers, house wives, farmers, and tacticians. Their social order creates this separate informal trial where young Sicarian girls must prove that they are capable of taking care of their family. Sicarians value people of respect and dominance.
The fashion of the Kingdom is centered around the idea of Comfortability, and function. Since the Sicarian Desert is the coldest sandy desert in the known world, with temperatures ranging from 27 degrees Celsius, to 8 degrees Celsius. The most often used outfit of the Sicarian, some Armor pieces, pants, hide pauldrons, and leather boots. color schemes depending on their environment and home.
An interesting aspect of Sicarian culture is their adherence to showing more skin. Sicarians believe in the idea of showing dominance to their enemies by not wearing clothes. Ancient historians from the SUV also found out that in more ancient times, warriors would only fight wearing only their undergarments. Humans from the North would describe this as beast-like, hence the racial slur ‘beastling’.
Family traditions and community cultures dominate this area. The cold and windy Sicarius Desert would usually be lit with campfires, where orcs and dark elf tribes would gather around and dance, reminiscing about the past.
Dark Elves, although uncommon in the eastern part of Sicarius, usually live near the part of the Arkasios divide, which is near The West Arkasios Trading Company. They live in caves, and their culture is usually portrayed as shy, and mysterious.
Sicarians are generally xenophobic around other races, especially Gaeians, who they see as ‘too soft’. An exception to this would be the orcs. In the Sicarian Education system, the orcs are considered to be part of the Higantian bloodline. And while this is only half-true, studies in the Sovereign University of Vendeaux heavily contest this notion. With this said, it is important to note that orcs in Sicarius generally see their heritage in a high regard. Most orc academics are shunned upon by Conservatives, as many believe that their ‘soft ideas’ would bring chaos into their traditions.
Sicarians have a tradition where they duel
Sicarius is one of the last kingdoms in Selyria where Solevism dominates as the major religion. However, an important distinction between the traditional Solevism of Ancient Times, are not always congruent with the Sicarian version of this religion.
Solevism is the idea that Solev (which is commonly referred to as The Sun) is the one true God of The World. They believe that The High Priestess is not a messiah, but a prophet to help the people prepare for what is known to Solevists as ‘The First Sun’.
Solevists value the tradition of family ties, and typical binary roles in society. This is why Solevism remained strong in this kingdom, despite its sharp decline by the time of the dark ages.
Solevists were believed to use wood for their rituals and hearings. They would create open temples where the sun could easily enter it. Due to the lack of trees in the desert of Sicarius, bones from dragons, wyverns, and other creatures were used as building materials for these temples. Along with this, native and local superstitions were mixed, creating a different flavor in the religion. Sentoran missionaries would describe this in this manner.
Father Jose Angelito Percillos
Missionary of The Church of St. Elizabeth
Physical Strength rules the politics of Sicarius. In order to truly lead their kingdom, Sicarian leaders must be ready for any dominant adversary that will challenge them. While this tradition has been going on for centuries, less and less Sicarians are challenging their kings as time goes by. Kings in this kingdom are called ‘High Chiefs’, and they are responsible for many decisions regarding the kingdom’s matters, and have the largest power in the nation.
Clans lead the different areas of the kingdom, almost acting in a feudal state. However, their culture makes it so that none of these clans will fight each other, unless provoked. They all hail under the same banner of the Sicarian High Chief.
Their foreign relations with southern nations such as Porthos and West Arkasios are important allies for both trade and military. They do not have the same good relations with the north however, and are oftentimes still viewed as a threat by some kingdoms such as Drasek and Ravena.
Their ideology is very conservative and patriarchal. This has posed severe danger regarding the extremist beliefs of others, but now it has become more moderate due to the effects of trade within each of the kingdoms.
Interestingly, Sicarians are not governed by houses, and are governed by ethnic groupings known as ‘clans’. Each clan is mostly composed of a certain race, and whoever is the strongest of that race will lead the chiefdom. This event takes place every 5 years, and is usually a spectacle to see.
The Clan of Na’gi Koronja are a clan of brown orcs, which represent 60% of the kingdom’s population. They are known for their role in the military, and their strong adherence to Solevism. Their Chiefdom is the Capital, known as ‘Koronja’.
The Clan of Na’gi Tó are a clan of goblins and trolls who control the trade and banking of the kingdom. They are also known for being accommodators of foreign ambassadors from other kingdoms. The Chiefdom of Tó is known for their fish, and public bathes, as well as other forms of relief to travelers.
The Clan of Kőfaragó are the clan of workers in the kingdom. They are also the caretakers of slaves in the kingdom. Their Chiefdom, Kőfaragó, is found in the north near The Ogroid Highlands. They mine stone, gems, and other materials to the Southern Kingdoms.
The Clan of Fekete is the most mysterious clan, as well as the most impoverished. They are composed mostly of dark elves, which means that they are usually bullied by the other clans. Most of the people from the Chiefdom of Fekete live in caves.
The Kingdom of Sicarius is very reliant on their natural resources, particularly through mining. They were known before as the prime exporters of slaves, but as of the moment, the only trading partner they have regarding this is The West Arkasios Trading Company (through trade with Sentora).
Being a cold dry sandy desert climate, The Kingdom of Sicarius does not have a strong crop system in their agriculture. Instead, they rely on trade with Porthos for the supply of grain, and other vegetables for food. In turn, they trade their limestone, cobblestone, sandstone, gems, and other materials to the republic. Locally, their population relies on meat coming from Na’gi Tó animal farms and fisheries.
Sicarius however, is still known for their Slave trade. Their imports usually come from The Outback’s illegal slave trade, from kidnappers in that region. This has become a problem recently that ambassadors from The Selyria Alliance usually come to free slaves that are from Ravena, Karthus, Hreinngar, and North Castle at a cost of other trade opportunities such as weapons and other important resources. This has also prompted several Vonturian Assaults in The Outback to free Vonturian Slaves and bring them back to the capital.
Furthermore, the non-developed economy of Sicarius is an ongoing process of trade and slavery. Several nations have already banned this practice, but it would seem that Sicarius has no intention of following this trend anytime soon.
The Kingdom of Sicarius is very reliant on their natural resources, particularly through mining. They were known before as the prime exporters of slaves, but as of the moment, the only trading partner they have regarding this is The West Arkasios Trading Company (through trade with Sentora).
Being a cold dry sandy desert climate, The Kingdom of Sicarius does not have a strong crop system in their agriculture. Instead, they rely on trade with Porthos for the supply of grain, and other vegetables for food. In turn, they trade their limestone, cobblestone, sandstone, gems, and other materials to the republic. Locally, their population relies on meat coming from Na’gi Tó animal farms and fisheries.
Sicarius however, is still known for their Slave trade. Their imports usually come from The Outback’s illegal slave trade, from kidnappers in that region. This has become a problem recently that ambassadors from The Selyria Alliance usually come to free slaves that are from Ravena, Karthus, Hreinngar, and North Castle at a cost of other trade opportunities such as weapons and other important resources. This has also prompted several Vonturian Assaults in The Outback to free Vonturian Slaves and bring them back to the capital.
Furthermore, the non-developed economy of Sicarius is an ongoing process of trade and slavery. Several nations have already banned this practice, but it would seem that Sicarius has no intention of following this trend anytime soon.
The Sicarian Military is one of the most physically capable militaries in Selyria, rivaling that of Hreinngar. Their tactics often surprise most well known generals. This would be exemplified during The Great Orc War, where different maneuvers were implemented by the Sicarian military to capture Ravena, The Outback, Karthus, West Arkasios, and Northern Porthos.
Former General of the Ravenian Royal Army, Kindred Osiris, describes their tactics as a ‘controlled pincer-like swarm’. According to him, the orcs would fool an enemy into thinking that they are going to blindly charge at an army, only to use that as a distraction for their flanks to arrive. This tactic revolutionized warfare in Selyria, where this tactic would be known as ‘The Orcish Maneuver’.
Training for the Sicarian Military is very hard and tiresome. Training usually comes with a lot of sparring and endurance trials. Reports have shown that it is usual that several Sicarians would die just in training for the military.
An issue of extreme hazing has been a recorded instance by SUV researchers in the region. It is said that there’s also racism involved in the military. A lot of physical assaults are also recorded in their military. The government seems to not take issue with this, as most members of the military are taught to direct any sort of anger towards their opponents.
Although there are no Selyrian Factions, The Sicarian Horde is the prime group in the kingdom. But due to their inability to take action outside of Sicarius, they are not considered as ‘regiments’.
A group of dogmatic and zealous knights whose loyalty lies with the church. Their tireless crusade of getting rid of ‘blasphemy’ within the lands of Selyria has made a powerful force to be feared within the lands. Their unwillingness to bow down to the Royal Family has given them a reputation of being a potential threat to the crown. However, this does not mean that they ally themselves with the other non-loyalist regiments. As seeing demons and other creatures is against their religion. To them, demons, tieflings, shapeshifters, or any ‘heretical’ creatures must be smited in the name of the High Priestess.
With their efforts to take out Slaves from Outback hands, several skirmishes have been recorded to happen on both sides. Due to these battles happening on Outback soil however, this issue could not be recorded as an act of war on both sides.