Escorrasi have leech cultures, taking on traits of those whose territories they are near, and those of their strongest trade partners.

Azoama has cultural ties to Kossoro and Azar, Karasan has ties to Hayatia and the Ura, Kinawara has components of Tlacaxa and Yingmian, and Marazegu is culturally similar to Sangchen and the Bjorsine. While all of the Escorrasi nations have similar foundations to the cultural capital, Escorra, they each feel distinct from one another, to the point where many Escorrasi can tell which of the four nations another hails from.

Those who are not raised in one of the four nations are most likely raised at sea, where culture differs from each other based on their fleet or ship.

The Guilds

The guilds are an oligarchy composed of different independent guilds which essentially rule over Royal Escorrasi territory, namely the Four Orders. While there are many guilds which have say over the politics and decisions of Escorra, the 12 highest ranking companies are the ones with power to vote over issues. The rankings can change, however especially in the higher ranks, the status quo remains relatively static. The Great Twelve Escorra Guilds are:

1. The Shorana (The Merchants Guild)
   • The Shorana look after its own, acting as a sort of security and family to all Escorrasi merchants who are members of the guild, as well as select people from other species to join the guild. While other guilds have a more specific scope, the Shorana look after both general merchants who do not belong to other guilds, as well as the members of the other guilds should it be necessary.
   • The Shorana have been known to offer protection and shelter to merchants outside the Four Order, as a show of good faith or on commission
   • The Shorana are based in Hakkiro, however is commonplace throughout all Escorrasi nations and many other cities globally.
2. The Koshi-nyrana (The Spice Guild)
   • The Koshi-nyrana is responsible for the cultivation and trade of spices and other foods throughout the world, as well as maintaining standards for the purity of spices and for setting certain weights and measures. The optimal locations of the Four Orders have allowed the Koshi-nyrana to gain importance and influence in both the Escorrasi and global communities, also offering them much influence in entering foreign territory and cultivating spices on behalf of the local powers.
   • The Koshi-nyrana is based in Hakkiro
3. The Tan-manari (The Textile Guild)
   • The Tan-manari is responsible for the regulation of wool, cloth, silk and velvet merchants. They promote textile education and protection of textile mills.
   • They are also in charge of trading textiles to and from other powers, as well as procuring raw materials. They work closely with the Araneia to dye textiles.
   • The Tan-manari tries to keep an especially amicable relationship with the Itaeia to use their highly valuable silk, something that puts great importance on the Azei Zora headquarters.
   • The Tan-manari has two headquarters, in Hakkiro and Azei Zora.
4. The Sang Muzari (The Fishing Guild)
   • The Sang Muzari has power over the most sales of fish throughout the Escorrasi nations, but most prominently in the city of Escorra itself. They oversee the quality of fish imported into the city, as well as in global fish trade involving guild members
   • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukiji_fish_market
   • Fish market known around the world; open every day with the exception of a holiday to hold a festival to celebrate the bounty of the ocean and the local sea god
   • The Sang Muzari is based in Susma
5. The Sihir-juru (The Mystics Guild)
   • The Sihir-juru is largely used to transport raw ichor, if for no other reason then no one else wants to, as it is toxic to non-magic users. However their role has expanded to include the transport of magic accessories and books/scrolls as well as sorcerers to exorcise spirits, combat demons, inspections, aid in battle, etc.
   • Due to the nature of the Sihir-juru, it is very small and exclusive, and therefore mysterious, often looked at with disdain by other guilds, especially due to the large amount of political power they wield.
   • Unlike other guilds, the Sihir-juru is one of the few advocates of adopting slavery, as few workers will work to mine mana. As a result, they work closely with the military to use prisoners of war as miners/workers, also adding to the disdain they receive from the other guilds.
   • As a part of their contract with the Caralai of Hakkiro, the Mystics Guild is not located within the city, instead they are located in Raio / Mesecinata
6. The Kaanzeri (The Goldsmiths Guild)
   • The Kaanzeri is one of the wealthiest guilds of the Four Orders, but as it remains less essential to the structure of the nation, it is currently only the sixth most powerful internally.
   • Despite this, the Kaanzeri has one of the greatest public images, seen as incredibly wealthy and upper class among the public and outsiders.
   • What they lack in power internally within the Four Orders, it more than makes up for in power with the Royal Bank, granting it power on a more global and independent scale. They themselves sometimes act as bankers, dealing with gold and some of the highest security among the guilds for the safe storage of their valuables.
   • Goldsmithing also includes silversmithing, brass workers, other metals and jewelers.
   • While most of the mining and trading takes place in the Karasam and Marazegu regions, the headquarters are in Hakkiro near the Royal Bank, greatest artisans, and Caralai upper classes who adorn themselves in jewelry.
7. The Torizyra (The Fur Traders)
   • The Torizyra is based in Azei Zora
8. The Keirei (Traders of salt and chemicals)
   • The Keirei is based in Azei Zora
   • The Keirei have made partnerships with the Fishing Guild in Kinawara, setting up salt farms throughout the island chains, made from seawater, allowing for easy preservation of the fish, as well as culinary use.
9. The Tetsiya (The Ironmongers Guild)
   • The Tetsiya is based in Kralica
10. The Sintdera-Zendegi (Wine merchants)
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wine-producing_regions
    • The Sintdera-Zendegi is based in Hakkiro
11. The Araneia (The Dyers Guild)
    • While much of the Four Order’s dye is collected and processed in Sisam, the official headquarters of the Araneia is in Hakkiro.
12. The Isheta (The Masons Guild)
    • The Isheta is based in Kralica

Each of the twelve have representatives for the guilds, and elect speakers for the oligarchy as a whole. Should a tie occur and can not be broken with subsequent votes and input from lower guilds, the decision will go to the ruling aristocracy in Raio, remnants of the old Escorra Empire.

Piracy

"Not without sin, but without regret"

Piracy is a formidable force throughout Crecia, and the Escorrasi are the largest contributors to it. After the fall of major Escorrasi empires at the turn of the Age, many turned to piracy, and large pirate kingdoms arose. While their power and influence has fluctuated, they have remained ever present. And whereas Human, Khalikar and Bjorsine pirates tend to remain relatively local, much like the Four Orders, Escorrasi pirates work globally, anywhere they can make a profit.

Besides the historical element that gave Escorrasi pirates such strength, another element that has led to such a high number of pirates is due to the Guild political system that Escorra has adopted. All merchants who work with the Escorra Confederacy must be a part of the guild system, which registers them in an attempt to regulate and monitor merchants, as well as protects them with the Escorrasi military. While the system has its benefits and supporters, there are those who would prefer to work outside the system with their own rules. This has worked in the past, with official and unofficial Escorrasi merchants working together, however in recent years the Guilds have taken a more aggressive approach and marked all unofficial merchants as pirates, barring them from working in Escorrasi waters, however they have little control in foreign territory. Despite this, many merchants still work with pirates under the table.

Slavery

Escorrasi have a long history of slavery. It is known that throughout the 10th Age slavery was rampant throughout the world, and was divisive among Escorra empires with some supporting and profiting from it, while others were actively against it. The Escorra slave trade was a global enterprise, shipping other species from colonies wherever they were needed for whatever purpose was needed of them, and selling Escorrasi slaves to whatever foreign powers would buy them. The slave trade was most likely one of the factors that led to such a strong downfall of the empires at the turn of the Starfall, and what caused the importance of free trade and mercantilism throughout the 11th Age. The surviving royal family of Escorra prides themselves on being against the slave trades for generations, being a smaller family in the 10th Age, but allowing them to survive with some power to the present day.

Officially, The Four Orders has outlawed slavery of any mortal being (some smaller powers are known to enslave demons, although this is not regulated and is largely ignored). However, outlaw Escorrasi are known to be among the most prominent slave traders of Crecia. That being said even among pirates slave trade is controversial, especially since many pirates are former slaves or have descended from slaves.