Samonight

The Kingdom of Samonight (sæ.moʊ.naɪt) is a human nation on the northeastern coast of Kalesten. It is north of Kosony and south of the Lands of Kaius, and bordered by the Green Sea to the west. It only has one major city, Atite, located in the southwest corner along the Vies River. Samonight is a moderately sized country, but much of the land they claim is timberland uninhabited by humans.

Samonight is known for a rigid, patriarchal culture, but are highly valued as a resource for timber around the Green Sea.

History

Samonight's roots trace back to the Sæmheim settlement of eastern Kalesten. Their ancestors integrated with the native population before the War of the Gods. Following the Cataclysm, survivors rebuilt society in near isolation, which resulted in a culture that was rigidly traditional and independent.

Samonight's joining of the Kalesten Union was reluctant, as they were opposed to the influence of outside cultures, but the benefits were hard to deny. While many former nations that made up the union dissolved into it, Samonight's physical isolation and culture obstinacy maintained a sense of cultural identity distinct from the rest of the Union. Gradually, the Kalestan tongue supplanted the common language spoken in Samonight and the Religion of Light was partially adopted.

When the Union began to crumble, however, Samonight was one of the first nations to withdraw and return to their independence.

Government

Like many Kalesten nations, Samonight is a monarchy, ruled by a strict male inheritance in the role of High Lord. There have been multiple dynasties, the current being the House of Reveigh for the last four generations. Unlike other Kalesten states, Samonight's leadership structure is rather straight-forward. Samonight's founding population was a collection of chiefdoms, later united under the leadership of a high chief. With the influence of other Kalesten nations and a growing population, chiefs became Lords of the Land and the high chief became the High Lord.

Considering the dense wilderness surrounding much of Samonight's settlements, their population is clustered around a handful of small cities, which are under the leadership of a Lord of the Land. This lord oversees the needs of his people directly, while the High Lord is a much more distant figure for them. Lords of the Land are also the support for the High Lord and vote on matters of the state. They can vote to remove a High Lord from his position and select his successor. In cases of failed dynasties, a new High Lord is chosen from the Lords of the Land by vote.

Lords of the Land are also beholden to their people, if they fail to do their duties, cause their people to suffer unduly, or otherwise been unjust to their people, they can be overthrown and replaced by someone else from amongst the populace. For Samonightans, there is nothing inherently great in their leaders by virtue of birth into rank, only greatness in their wisdom and leadership.

In centuries past, it was not uncommon for the Lords to war amongst each other, but after the influence of the Union, Samonightans bonded in their shared culture. Conflicts between lords now tends to be purely political and solved in mediation.

People

Samonightans have a rather uniform appearance. They are of fair skin with a warm cast, commonly with dark eyes and brown or black hair. Light colored eyes are rare and found to be highly attractive in their rarity. Hair texture is commonly straight or wavy.