Arumandjee is the name given to the empire of the Djoolaman people, on the eastern coast of the single continent of Yandjee. To the squabbling states of the south it is considered only half an empire, but it remains a major source of coral, fine glassware, and indeed opals. The Djoolaman themselves see their land as one of carefully-cultivated peace, respect and relief hand in hand walking along the beautiful beaches. It is bordered by high mountains and mesas, nearly worn away but with impressive views.
The Djoolaman were originally divided into nine tribes along the coast, each of which competed, without very much effort, for control of the region. Mostly the Djoolaman were content to lie on the beach and relax, gathering food from nearby, flavouring it with the abundant spices, and painting stories of constellations. That is until the arrival of ironworking, originally from meteoritic iron but soon from local ores. The oligarchies fell under the sway of the Ilughee people of Danuhonghee, which appointed its own rulers as High Kings (djedhurnoo) of the region. Today the region is one of the major spice-producing lands in the world, and her ships range far and wide across the world.
Andhaguru is one of the most important sacred sites for the people of Arumandjee, recording astronomical phenomena and interpreting it in accordance with the will of the divine. The temple on the inland mesa has been active since the 4th Century BU, and has maintained a reputation for consistency and accurate measurement ever since. Further down the mountain it also supports, in silent majesty, the palace of the djedhurnoo, the Ilughee emperor of Arumandjee.
Weghendjee is by no means a small city, but it is one that has remained fairly quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of some of the others. Weghendjee is also the ancestral city of the Oorlunyanha people.
Danuhonghee is the unofficial capital city of the union, and a city where many seek to live. It sits on a great bay surrounding a lagoon, and is famous for its bright blue buildings and its marvellous glasswork. Danuhonghee is also the ancestral city of the Ilughee people, whose dialect is now most prominent in Arumandjee.
A peaceful city to the north, Manyindhi is known for its superb weather and beautiful beaches. The Lodjayarn people who founded the city are likewise known for their easygoing attitude.
Djarndundjee sits inland, close to the drylands where camels carry traders and warriors from oasis to oasis. Like Weghendjee, it was founded by the Oorlunyanha people.
The ancestral city of the Garalya people, Muragoolha is best known for the red iron and coral sands that give the city its name, and for the fine pottery produced by its artisans.
Clans in Arumandjee are patrilineal; colour-lineages (nyamba-nyamba, singular nyamba) are matrilineal. Eight nyamba-nyamba—White, Cyan, Black, Purple, Grey, Green, Blue, and Red (approximate translations, of course)—are found in everyday society, and anyone part of one colour is kin to all those who bear the same colour. And the cycles are fixed; a Grey mother will always have a Red child, and a Red woman, a Grey child. (There used to be rules about which colours were allowed to marry which; these days, bar the "non-incest" rule, mixing and matching is fairly common, although the matchmakers still try to line people up according to their hue.)
Clans, meanwhile, typically are named for simple things, like natural features, animals and plants, or certain tools. They, too, count themselves as kin, although typically cousin marriages within the same clan are acceptable if they are not of the same nyamba.