Monvesian Culture: Calendars

Dozens of peoples call the lands of Monvesia home.  Each has its own customs and taditions, and many diverge from a common history.  Among these cultures, three calendars have become dominant:  one perpetuated by human advancement; one consolidated from divergent, native customs; and one that tracks only the simplest recurring events.

Senarian Calendar

The common calendar of Monvesia is divided into six seasons of 60 days each, each of which is preceded by an extracalery festival related to one of the philosophical temperaments—for a total of 366 days. While each philosophical priesthood counts its own high holy day as the beginning of the liturgucal year, it is the Feast of Spiritual Thought that is most commonly used as the secular new year.

For followers of the philosophical temperaments, regardless of denomination, the seasons hold spiritual significance, as each is associated with a particular element and temperament.  The seasons, including the feast day which precedes them, are treated as a Zodiac of sorts:  The season one is born in has an influence on your personal and interpersonal development.

Monvesian Culture: Rakasta Qrisjarr

Qrisjarr (KREE-sharr) are artisan blades crafted in the rakasta tradition.  Each blade has an asymmetrical wave shape, and a distinctive blade-patterning common to the tjakeer steel used to make them.  Each weapon is unique, built on a common pattern with several opportunities for personal choice and artistic expression.  These weapons are treasures, but are more valuable than their mere monetary cost.

Qrisjarr are given as gifts by njanarr* to warriors who have proven to be brave, skilled, and who embody rakasta honor--which includes a "healthy" dose of arrogance.  They are as much a symbol of status as they are combat tools.  Anyone gifted qrisjarr is considered a djiqic, a rakasta knight.  To wield a qrisj without having been given this honor is an insult.  Any non-rakasta with one is treated with suspicion until a rakasta of standing (djiqic, elder, shaman, or njan) can confirm the bearer's status.

Monvesia Culture: Rakasta Language

In the process of drafting a post on ceremonial weapons from years-old notes, I took the time to explore the rakasta language.  I pulled in two location names of supposed rakasta origin--Zyrndy and Tamyya--and incorporated them into a standardized "transliteration."  From there, I was able to identify what sounds would be used in a rakasta alphabet (instead of using elfish runes as previously suggested).

Outlined below are the letters I have used to write rakasta words with [the basic sounds they represent] and (the Turkish letters they replace).  While the sounds do not exactly correspond to the sounds of Turkish, these correspondences are useful when transforming a Turkish root to a rakasta word.

• Vowels:  A [ah] (a); E [ay] (e); I [ee] (ı, i); O [oh] (o, ö); U [oo] (u); Y [i~u] (ü).
• Plosives:   C [t~k] (k, t); D [d~g] (d, g); P [p~f] (f, p); Q [gutteral k~g] (k, g); V [b~v] (b, v); ' [glottal stop] (ğ).
• Nasals:   M [m] (m); Mj [mi, my] (n/a); N [n] (n); Nj [ni, ny] (n/a). (mj and nj are unique rakasta sounds that can be used in place if Turkish y)
• Fricatives:   Cj [ch] (ç); Dj [j, soft g] (c); S [s] (s); Sj [sh] (ş); X [x, ch] (h); Z [z] (z); Zj [zh] (j).
• Rhotics: R [flap or trill r] (l); Rr [gutteral r] (r).

Factions of Monvesia: Fellows & Lyncasta

I continue to explore elements of the 5th Edition D&D rules, adapting the new additions to Monvesia.  Here are two more 5th-Edition-style factions for Monvesia.  While the Crusaders of the Temperamental Orders and the Leagues of Ninety Nine were already integral parts of the campaign setting, the two presented below are new creations  ... sort of.

The Guild of Fellows is an adaptation and expansion of the influence of Vastfurt Academy--an institution whose creation and growth were plot points in Monvesia's founding campaign.  I'm adding this as an option for the campaign because my new round of perspective players have been following similar ideals in other campaigns.

The Lyncasta are a direct adaptation of the Emerald Enclave of the Forgotten Realms.  The name has been changed to reflect Monvesian history, and campaign-specific details are added.  It is also included to match the play style of some potential players

Therefore, the factions of Monvesia as they relate to the factions of Forgotten Realms are as follows:

• The Crusaders are the Order of the Gauntlet and the Lords' Alliance
• Guild of Fellows are The Harpers (mostly)
• Leagues of Ninety-Nine are the Zhentarim [and partly The Harpers]
• The Lyncasta are a militant Emerald Enclave

Titles & Land Grants in Monvesia

A liege may offer titles as a reward for service, and those titles may also come with a grants of land--small at first, but increasing as the character gains prestige and authority.

Here is a comparative list of titles in Monvesia, including vague descriptions of their relative lands, power, and authority.  Generally, only sovereigns (rulers of independent nations--ducal and higher) grant noble titles as rewards.  Baronial and comital nobles may grant ceremonial knighthood--though typically not with land.

Titles are listed from lowest to highest.  Where multiple titles are included, the lower titles are listed first.  English terms (which are a mix of Germanic and Romance) are used for "generic" titles.

Please note that this list is a major generalization, and is not meant to be used for historical accuracy; instead, it perpetuates and standardizes several anachronisms common to tabletop gaming (particularly an American "understanding" of nobility).

 

Rakasta, Leonin of Prace

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Language Analog:  Turkish
Inspiration:  Rakasta of Mystara ("Isle of Dread," "Rage of the Rakasta"), Genghis Khan

NOTE:  Rakasta refers to a very particular race in a very particular world (Mystara).  While the race I am presenting here is similar to those of that world, I am not trying to explicitly emulate that race.  I use the name here for nostalgic reasons.

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Tainted Counterpart:  Gnolls
Temperamental Association:  Dynamist

Names:  See Turkish Names; swap out sounds as detailed here.

Along with dwarves and satyrs (commonly called "elves"), rakasta are among the original natives of Prace.  Rakasta territory is commonly called the Pridelands.  It once extended through parts of the Honderreich and Galtain, and included all of Veldistan.