Passas

Kingdom of Passas

Official language	English
Capital	Zidado West
Largest cities	Carol Stream
Forum	[1]
Number of citizens	N/A
Number of active citizens	1
Date founded	July 29, 2006
Government	Theocratic Monarchy
Current leader	King Lucien III
Currency	Obol
National animal	White-Faced Ferret
National fruit/food	Lime
National drink	N/A
Map versions	9.4 - ?

Passas is a country located in Southwestern Keltia, in the region known as Pallisica. Passas is a province of the Hamland. It is directly bordered by Alexandria.

Passas is officially a Theocratic monarchy. It's current king, King Lucien III, is a descendent of King Lucien I, who conquered Passas in the year 4847 ASC. Today, the king primarily oversees the region's central bank, though he also maintains his roles as figure head of the Carol Pallisican religion, supreme legislator, supreme adjudicator of the region's courts, and commander in chief of the regional armed forces. All powers not held by the king are granted to the Passasian Regional Government (PRG), which represents Passas in the Hammish government.

Passas is the leading player in Hamland's economy. Currently the PRG is heavily invested in the SCUE, with investments in each of the major markets. As of 5075 ASC, the nation's leading investment is in the Gralan oil firm, Passian Wells, which exports Passasian oil to Gralus.

History

Coming Soon

Geography

Coming Soon

Government

Passas is a small, semi-sovereign theocratic monarchy, with a hereditary line of succession, which is supported by a satropy system. The King of Passas holds executive, and legislative power, including the ability to dissolve both the Temple and Secular courts, as well as to pass and implement, or veto legislation passed by the Passasian Regional Government.

The king is at the center of the nation's social and political hierarchy. Cities are conceptualized as royal households, reflecting tastes of local rulers, as well as those of the king. Governors and other high ranking city officials are appointed at his discretion, as are court officials. The king has the power to designate and allocate all land in the province. In addition, the king controls the nation's central bank. He oversees loans and grants to the Passasian Regional Government, and decides national tax and interest rates.

The Passasian Regional Government (PRG) serves as the nation's legislative body. Composed of three representatives from each city, and one from each free society, it has the authority to pass laws, to declare war, and to elect a "duke," or president, who acts as the official spokesman for the PRG, and who presides over legislative gatherings. It is the responsibility of the PRG to maintain the nation's credit.

Judicial power is held by the Temple and Secular courts. The Temple Courts enforce laws which pertain to moral turpitude, such as indiscretion, insubordination, and heresy, whereas civil and criminal law fall within the domain of the the Secular Court. Secular court adjudicates cases which Temple Court cannot, and has appellate jurisdiction over Temple Court.

The King is not above the law, but judicial administration is under his authority. It's the King which delegates to other close officials for individual cases. Courts are comprised of panels featuring judges, state officials, and temple officials. The legal system of Passas is inquisitorial, as opposed to adversarial, which entails a high degree of cooperation between all parties. Passas' legal system is renowned for the role of it's judges in developing evidence, as well as the requirement of defendant's testimony, even when its self-incriminating. Lawsuits are common in the kingdom. Carried out in a very particular, very formal fashion, it's best to summarize by detailing that only free men have the right to readily sue, and slaves may sue in regards to their status. Heads of household sue on behalf of families, or slaves (in regards to matters other than status), women, and children.

All property in the kingdom is effectively owned first and foremost by the king, from land, to homes, to slaves, to livestock. By extension, anyone who seeks to own any of the king's property, that is, anyone who seeks to own land, or a home, or anything, must seek permission from a king's representative (priest), in the form of a very formal, signed, contract (stipulating the terms of your “ownership”). So, to own a home or a slave, as an Acheavahngi commoner, is essentially to borrow it from the king.

All people born in Passas are natural citizens. Rights and Privileges of citizenry include the right to vote on PRG representatives, protection by the state police, and legal incentives such as the right to representation in the court of law, and the ability to earn parole. Responsibilities include two years of compulsory military service for men, and for women: a year of service to the king's temples.

Religion

Coming Soon

Military

The Passasian military is a hodgepodge of outdated units and weapons, which reflects the country's long poverty. Suffice to say, the technology utilized by the Passasian armies. is in no way shape or form, capable of contending with the advanced technologies of other nations on Micras. Nowadays, the nation's military is used more for sport than anything else, since Passas has not faced any real threat of war for many centuries.

The nation's entire standing army consists of only about 2,380 units divided up into four armies, located in the nation's four largest cities. These armies compete for cash prizes in a yearly tournament in which the armies are pitted against one another in very real, very bloody battles across the country. These war games are a favorite spectacle for many Passasians, and many young men vie to take part in them.

Each army consists of between 200-600 soldiers, with unit types varying at the discretion of commanders and the provincial governors. In general, infantry is the favorite unit type, with around 500 men filling the ranks between the four armies. Cavalry units are less popular, though on certain years they tend to be more or less in vogue. Currently, there are around 170 cavalry units between the armies. Siege units are hardly utilized, with only around 30 cannons between the armies.

The war games occur annually, every Summer. They last for two months, or until a winner has been determined. In order to prevent the war games from spilling over into actual wars, a list of rules are strictly enforced by the tournament's judges, who are usually appointed by the king. This list of rules is as follows.

I. Conduct of Armed Forces (a) Surprise attacks are illegal (b) Torture is prohibited (c) Mutilation of dead bodies is prohibited (d) Boasting is discouraged (e) Chemical/biological warfare is prohibited (f) Unnecessary force/weaponry is discouraged (g)Surrendering forces aren't fought or refused. (h)Retreating forces are not chased. (i)Severe punishment for terrorism (death) (j) Do not betray or misappropriate any part of the booty (k)Do not practice treachery or mutilation (l)Do not uproot or burn palms or cut down fruitful trees (m)Do not slaughter a sheep or a cow or a camel, except for food (n)You will meet people who have set themselves apart in hermitages; leave them to accomplish the purpose for which they have done this. (o)It is forbidden to cut off enemies' water supply. (p)Soldiers must enlist of their own will (q)Only debt free adult males (>16 y.o.) allowed to enlist.

II. Civilian Areas (a) Killing of non-combatants is prohibited (b) Killing of all combatants is permitted © Looting is prohibited (d)Use of civilian facilities without permission is prohibited. -Negotiations (a) Leaders are not required to negotiate for peace. (b) Negotiations require third party intervention/moderation.

-Prisoners of War (a) Only combatants can be captured (b) Prisoners may be held for ransom (d) Unreleased prisoners can be enslaved. (b) Surrendering forces aren't fought or refused. © Retreating forces are not chased. (e) Severe punishment for terrorism (death)

The war games are an old practice, though they've gained in importance over the past generation due in large part to the increasing rate of urbanization. As people flock to the cities, the demand increases for winning armies, and the stakes become greater. The commanders of the winning army are invited to dine for one night with the royal family. The army itself receives a large sum of gold from the king, which is usually added to their city's reserve. The soldiers themselves are revered as heroes, and often accumulate large sums of personal wealth via sponsorships and tributes. Many people gamble on battles, and even venture out into the country-side to follow armies on their campaign. Suffice to say, the Summer months are a favorite time for most Passasians, who take immense pride in their respective armies.

Economy

When the Republic of Passas collapsed in the year 3000 ASC, it's central bank collapsed with it. For the succeeding 1,700 years, no such centralized financial institution would be established. Despite being absorbed into a handful of different nations, the Passasian economy would dwindle and revert to a primitive state from which it would not improve until the year 5074 ASC, when the newly established Passasian Regional Government voted in favor of establishing a central bank based on the Standardized Currency Unit Exchange.

Today, the Kingdom of Passas has begun to feel the benefits of a stable economy. Though growth is slow, signs of improvement are apparent. The regional government has begun investing each of the major markets, in foreign companies such as Passian Wells and Very Big News . The structure of the nation's new economy is simple. In brief, the Passasian Central Bank receives funds from the Central Bank of Hamland. In turn, the Passasian Central Bank grants and loans money to the Passasian Regional Government, who invests in local and foreign businesses and industries. This economic system, though still in it's infancy, shows promise for improving the Passasian and Hammish economies.

The kingdom is experiencing a 1.8% rate of urbanization. The nation's urban population constitutes 62% of the nation's total. Life expectancy is 72 years. Fertility rate is 4.2 children/family, and the gender ratio of males to females is 1.51. Literacy rate is 32%.

Family Life

A typical Passasian family consists of a mother, father, and two to five children, all living in the same household with one two to other families, usually comprised of the father's brother or sister, their spouse, and children. Villages and cities usually develop around particular family and ethnic groups.

Formal rites of passage occur at birth, transition into adulthood, marriage, and death. The most significant rites of passage are those of transition into adulthood, and death. Initiation rites for boys, which occur every ten years, involve prolonged periods of isolation from the community, during which time such knowledge and skills are taught as farming techniques, methods of building homes, craft specialties, songs and dances, and rudimentary history of the culture and country., as well as how to behave with other adults and elders. Social messages are reinforced by beatings, physical mutilation such as circumcision and ritualistic scarring. These initiation rites also include vision quests, in which initiates are led to remote wilderness locations, where they ingest powerful hallucinogenic drinks, in an attempt to seek guidance and counsel from the divines. Initiation rites for girls are much less pronounced, and yet involve many of the same lessons as are taught to boys during their rigorous rites, but primarily pertain to the role of women in the context of community.

The customs of childbirth place the brunt of the burden unto the mother alone. Expectant mothers bear children entirely on their own, in isolated places in the wilderness. They have no aid, unless it's deemed necessary by community elders that the expectant mother is not capable of handling the task alone. While pregnant, expectant mothers are encouraged to seek the counsel of notable figures of Passasian culture, heroes and teachers, scribes and kings, and to meditate about these figures, while spending as much time as possible alone in the wilderness, in peaceful tranquil settings. In the wilderness, away from the community of her home, she is alone expected to bear the pains of childbirth. There are no formal presentations of new children, as such a practice is believed to instill a false sense of importance upon the child, which it will not truly earn for many years.

At eight years old, boys are handed from their mothers to their fathers, for disciplined training, and preparation for the rigorous initiation rites which occur two years later (at which point they're considered adults). Girls are raised and educated by their grandmothers, who are revered with great dignity. Children younger than eight years old are typically dressed in light, soft colors such as pale blue and pink, children eight to ten years of age are dressed in brighter variations of the same colors, and may now adorn the color green to signify a period of growth and learning. Young adults, aged ten to fifteen are dressed in darker variations of red and blue and green, and from fifteen until old age, no specific color can be considered common to both genders.

Customs surrounding death include the summoning of the eldest son of the deceased to the death bed, where he is expected to symbolically inhale the last breath of his parent. Public processions carry the deceased on a wooden platform, to the tomb or pyre, where the body is cremated. Participants of the procession where death masks, representing ancestors and notable heroes of Passas, and processions usually feature mimes, dancers, and fire breathers. Nine days after the day of procession, the home of the deceased is swept, and the dust is dumped over the tomb. After this cleansing ritual, the dead are mostly ignored, and forgotten.

Food

Mocked throughout the region for it's local delicacies, the people of Passas consume a diet which reflects frugality and agricultural hardship, and which specializes in the use of wheat, various oils, and wine. A typical day in the life of a citizen consists of four meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and after-dinner (lunch-dinner). Breakfast is observed around sunrise, lunch--shortly before noon, dinner takes place in the mid-afternoon, and after-dinner is observed in the evening, usually after sunset.

Cereal is a staple of an Passasian breakfast, although it's almost never consumed in the sense we might typically regard it in. Instead, it's typically eaten with “relish,” which consists of cabbage, onions, lentils, sweet peas, chickpeas, broad beans, also complimented by honey. White wine is a common drink consumed with breakfast, even amongst young children. Lunch most often features a combination of barley broth, fruit (pomegranates, figs, grapes), and a drink of spring-water. Dinner in Passas usually features a light quantity of pork stew (black broth), as well as cheese and red-wine. After-dinner is the smallest of the meals, featuring a combination of cereal, eggs, and rose wine. Sweet dumplings are often consumed at this time, sometimes with figs.

Social hierarchies are obviously represented in the country's cuisine. For instance, meat is typically consumed ritualistically by the priest class, which is regarded with less esteem than only that of the king. Extremely wealthy landowners tend to raise pigs, cows, and sheep, which they are able to sell for very high prices, mostly to those associated with the king's church. Fowl meat is less often consumed by nobility, and more by the middle class workers. Peasantry often raise geese and sheep, for personal consumption. Nobles tend to grill their meat, while middle class and peasantry tend more to salt and cook it. The country's poor eat little to no meat, but for what they hunt. Instead they consume mostly crops which they manage to produce, and dried fruit. In extreme situations, it's been observed that those in extreme poverty will often eat acorns. Common drink ranges from water (spring water is universally preferred) to wine (rose, red, and white). A local drink, known as Gugalash consists of barley gruel, mixed with various herbs and spices. The consumption of milk, and the use of butter is seen as barbaric, as is (generally) the use of cutlery.

Formal meals are notable for the elevation of seats and tables above the floor, as they're always several inches taller. In addition, cutlery is used at formal dinners, whereas for non-formal dinners, cutlery is never used. Wine, consumed at formal dinners, is typically of higher quality, is cut with spring water from very specific locales, and is sweetened by herbs such as thyme and penny roll.

Tables, at which meals are eaten, round, with legs shaped like animal legs. There is no place of honor, unless the occasion features royalty or priests, in which case, their seats are slightly higher. Men and women eat separately, first men, then women. Boys eat with their fathers, girls with mothers. Servants/slaves eat on their own, separate from masters, unless by special appointment. Everyone at the table sits at an equal level, near to the floor, except for royalty, and priests, who sit slightly higher. Most meals do not feature cutlery or utensils, but for high-court, formal dinners, which use forks, spoons, and knives.

Most, if not all of the water, is gathered daily, fresh from springs, all of which originate high in the hills. Milk is never consumed, except in very rural areas, and the use of butter is viewed as barbaric. Wine is almost always cut with water, for uncut wine is said to induce madness.

Race

In physical appearance, the people of Passas are distinct amongst the tribes of of Hamland. The Passasian people are readily identified by a mesomporphic, powerful build, and are more prone to build muscle than fat. The vertical height of the typical Passasian cranium is high, and the wide-open eyes are set near to a large, concave nose. Dark brown eyes are most predominate, while lighter brown eyes, even hazel, are much less common. The faces of the people of Passas tend to be orthoganic, with wide chins and broad (not bulbous) foreheads. Brown, to black hair is common, with very rare instances of blonde or red.

The Passasian standard of beauty for people maintains that less fat is more attractive, while being overly skinny is a sign of ill-health. That is to say that more muscular individuals are more beautiful than individuals who are fat, or skinny. In the same way, lighter colored hair is viewed as favorable, and in an artistic, poetic sense, it is said to harken to the country's golden sky. Wider faces, also are more attractive than narrower, larger noses are favorable to smaller ones, darker eyes are preferred over lighter, and taller individuals are more prone to procreate than shorter, as are those with lighter skin, than are those with darker pigmentation.

Fashion

Fashion in Passas is also very distinct from the region's other countries. The women of Passas are often seen in public, wearing hoop skirts, or gowns, and are known to change outfits several times a day. Morning attire for the women of Passas involves a simple, soft, muslin gown, which is worn from the early hours after sunrise, to shortly before noon. Afternoon, however, the simple muslin gowns are replaced by extravagant, velvet dresses, adorned with lace, ribbon, and net. These evening dresses are often short-sleeved and low cut, as opposed to the long sleeve, formal gowns worn earlier in the day. White gloves are usually worn with evening dresses, which might be accented with all manner of exaggerated effects, such as bustles, panniers, and crinolines. Particular colors, in Passas, are used to distinguish between the various age-groups of women. Periwinkle blue, pink, and lilac are typically indicative of young age, and are often worn by women seeking courtship and marriage, whereas older women tend to prefer much more harsh colors, such as purple, black, and crimson. The most prominent hairstyle for women consists of masses of curls worn over the forehead and ears, with the long hair in the back, drawn into loose buns (psyche knots). In terms of head wear, bonnets are very common, while more liberal women prefer mob caps.

Men's fashion is much less intricate (as can be expected), typically featuring some variation of the standard, which consists of dull-colored, tight breeches, heavy, high-waited wait coats over linen shirts worn with cravats, and hessian boots, as well as a top hat. Men's hairstyles tend to feature short curls, with long sideburns or muton chops. Hair wax is all the rage amongst the men of Passas.

Passasian fabrics are almost always made of cotton, wool, linen, hemp, tafetta, brocade, velvet, stamped velvet, or muslin.

Cultural Tips

Typically it's seen as rather troublesome and suspicious for individuals to spend much time alone, as it's considered to indicate a conniving nature, mysterious and treacherous against the general welfare of this society which emphasizes total interdependence. To be seen doing nearly anything alone, especially outside of one's home, at night, or in the hottest parts of the scorching summer days, is very likely to rouse high suspicion, to the extent that most Passasians would summon the police to inquire.

When greeting others, raising the head instead of bowing is seen as a blatant, severe insult, and is likely to result in a fight. Likewise, not acknowledging the greeting of another person is somewhat rude, though not nearly to the extent of raising one's head.

When meeting for the first time, people are introduced in relation to their respective fathers, and grandfathers, and in some instances, primarily for those without a notable lineage, are introduced in relation to place of origin. When introducing several people, eldest male is always introduced first, followed by younger men, followed by older women, followed by younger women, and then children. If there is a title of nobility, then it is stated at first meeting, in addition to the reference to father and grandfather, or place of origin, but it's very rarely referenced once two people have become acquainted.

When visiting, or when hosting guests, It's generally impolite to ask about work, or to discuss it in public, regardless of what work entails, in any setting aside from work. This stems from the widely held view that work is best left with work, at work, whereas time spent not working, should be precisely that. Politics are not mentioned, unless by the host.

Typically a guest is not offered anything in particular, except by their own request. Its not unusual for guests (who dictate the nature of their visit, more so than the host), to request light snacks, or fresh water, or to partake in a meal with the host. The host is not likely to offer anything, but is expected to provide for whatever the guests might request, within certain limits (pending the relationship between host and guests). Again, the nature of a visit is determined by the guests, and not by the host. A host who is less able/willing to provide for requests, is more likely to be shunned by friends/family/future guests. Its impolite for a guest to be too forward with their requests, or to make requests very soon after arriving (for anything but water, which is freely requested/granted). So, a guest might immediately ask their host for water at arrival, without ado, whereas a request for bread or wine, or smoke, would be more impolite, at least right away.

Racism is rampant in Passas. Non Passasians are advised not to travel without informing the proper authorities of their destination and expected arrival time.