Mountains - Ripira Mosir

Ripira Mosir. Named in an older tongue for the steep cliffs that define the land's topography, the southern mountains are known to many by their fearsome reputation: The imposing stature of your average centaur combined with their dedication to a culture of arms paints a mighty picture. The origin of the centaurs is yet uncertain: Some say that they descend from nature spirits, their fierceness matching the indomitability of the mountains they inhabit. Others say that they resulted from alchemical experiments performed in the cursed desert of antiquity, seeking refuge in the mountains after a downturn in the land. Yet others suggest a union between a lonely farmer and his mule, though such crassness is quickly silenced by threat of blade. Regardless, any of those that would seek the throne of ultimate power in this land would benefit to learn of the land and it's people.

Striding across the bluffs underneath an unrelenting sun, the inhabitants of the rural clifftops of the land are much of the reason for its fearsome reputation among the commonfolk. No matter their profession later in life, each and every child is drilled in the art of war from a young age. It is often said that the children of the mountains wield weapons as fluidly as those of other lands wield chopsticks, and their equine nature makes them naturally adept at quick repositioning and hit-and-run tactics. Many from these areas find work as hunters, bodyguards, and mercenaries, spreading the reputation of the mountain centaurs far and wide. Yet for every bright-eyed warrior growing up in the harsh mountains, the greatest honor comes not from travelling abroad, but from the dream of one day serving at Pirakim, the impregnable border outpost marking the intersection of the cursed desert, steppe, and mountain caves.

But even the sharpest cliffs can produce a gentle shade beneath, and while the fiercest of the early centaurs remain on those clifftops to live and train, yet more still opted to find a home by the waters. Thus was the naval hub of Heyasi born, which steadily grew into the most populous city in the state. Living in such tight quarters underneath the shade of the mountains, the urban centaurs appear softer and paler than their rural brethren. This image has been cultivated by design, for while those that live on the mountain tops deal in arms and might, those that live beneath make their living with trade. With sea routes connecting them to the grasslands of Sanjo, the dry harbor of Sanko, the Shiki-Shima Archipelago, and the volcanic island of Akujima, Heyasi thrived as one of the great trading ports of Aishiji. Though their quadrupedal nature limited the centaurs' ability to command a mighty presence at sea as the Sanko's Emerald Fleet did, they compensated for it with great efforts of diplomacy and a cutthroat business acumen guided by the same cultural roots as their rural counterparts.

Though divided in methodology, the urban and rural centaurs are unified through a shared dedication to a system of honor. In the rural warriors, that manifests as a dedication to always seeing jobs and contracts through, giving them a reliable reputation. In the seaside traders, that sense of honor manifests as an impossibly complex system of etiquette and communication. It is said that two elite of Heyasi can communicate more with a greeting and flower basket than the finest diplomats of other lands can communicate with an hour of debate.

All of this, their reputation and prosperity, has been threatened by the death of the shogun. For the warriors, a great uncertainty has been cast over their reliability. Was the shogun not protected in part by a forward guard of centaurs? Where were they when it came time to protect him? Meanwhile, the instability caused after his death seriously threatens the ability of Heyasi to maintain it's sphere of influence as other states draw inwards. To that end, to recover their image and uphold their might, the brightest of the military and civil service have come together to ensure the prosperity, dignity, and honor of their nation.