Shurrah

The largest and most powerful nation in Darisia, Shurrah is a nation famous for beaurocracy, spices, and the size of its military. The seemingly numberless pike legions of Shurrah have won many a battle merely by appearing, as few if any countries can stand against the numbers of this huge force.

Capital

Literally the "sun city," Coer-maen lies on the west coast of Shurrah. Relatively small in size compared to many other cities of this large and wealthy nation, the capital has diminished importance in the modern era or extreme beaurocracy and decentralization.

Widely held as the last city to see the sun each night in the Wyrld, Coer-maen is a beautiful place of designed architecture and beautiful vistas. New buildings must be approved and worked into the cityscape, producing an artificial city that is more a vacation spot than a center of the country.

Social Structure

Shurrah is so large and varied a nation that it is hard to describe the social structure. For the most part ones standing in society is based upon economic standing. Certain cultural biases do weigh in, including the Shurran love of beaurocracy and long titles, but for the most part one's wealth determines one's life, rather than family name or other determining factor. Of course certain families are perpetually wealthy, but mobility in Shurran society is high.

Political Structure

The Prime Minister and his Cabinet are nearly powerless to affect the daily affairs of the nation. It is only in times of national danger when a unified response is required that the Prime Minister has any ability at all, and even then it is hampered by the fetters of beaurocracy.

The day to day governing of Shurrah happens through the largest beaurocracy in the Wyrld. There exists and office to oversee every small bit of life. Luckily the beaurocracy turns upon itself as often as not and so the average citizen need only worry about it on some semi-random basis when they run afoul of its cogs.

As such, every person in Shurrah puts great effort into avoiding notice by the beaurocracy, except those who are internal to it, in which case they are clammoring to be noticed in an situation that is already top-heavy and weary of promotion.

Religion

The Cebretine Church is the state religion of Shurrah, though the citizens practice nearly any religion they choose. The Church is exempt from much of the beaurocratic tape, and is therefor a powerful force in the nation.

Continual political involvements have changed the church from a theistic to a political machine, and the religion is has a tendency towards dogmatism that fails to attract ferverent followers.

The Cebretine Church is founded on the idea of a Cebretes, or divine creator. The church does not resolve the issue of the Cebretes is the only god, but only mandates that as the creator of the Wyrld he is the god most worthy of worship. As the centuries have passed the Cebretine Church has recognized other deities that are active in the Wyrld and included them into its pantheon as lesser gods, even if they appear to be more powerful or active than the cebretal divinity.

Economics

Shurrah is a massive nation and its great size and wealth come from a huge variety of sources. The merchant ships of Shurrah go up and down the coast to Vaelsh, Menion, and Riemahn. Overland caravans use the High Road to trade with Elloria and, through Ellorian proxies, with the east.

The vast fertile lands of Shurrah yield many foodstuffs and spices in demand in other nation. Mines along the Hoord Mountains do not yield enough for trade, but do support the majority of Shurrah's needs, saving it from expensive importation of metals from the mines in the Druuns Mountains that are controlled by Elloria and used to great profit by that country's merchants.

The western coastal valleys of Shurrah are also famous for producing fine wines and cheeses, both of which are delicacies throughout Darisia and beyond.

Coins in Shurrah are a large affair, and they are routinely monitorred by the Bureau of Minting, Stamping, and Engraving. The Shurran is a silver coin stamped with the official seal of the bureau on one side and with the royal seal of Shurrah on the other. The edges of the coin are knurled, and these ridges prevent the shaving of precious silver from the sides of the coin. Altering the currency of the realm is punishable by execution, but the actual sentence varies greatly depending on the workings of the bureaocracy.

There are several smaller denominations of coin, including the brass Penion, worth 1/100 of a Shurran, and the copper Tenth which is quite obviously worth one tenth of a Shurran. Also of interest is the Shurran Coer, or "Sun." These large gold coins represent a considerable amount of wealth, and are typically worth about fifty Shurrans. Few if any persons can afford to have many of these beautiful coins in their possession. The worth of the Coer is heightened further by the fact that they are equisitely made, and the design is changed each year, making them a favorite collectors item for the rich (and the principle source of income for the Bureau of Minting, Stamping, and Engraving.

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