Disclaimer: Everything here is a work in progress and may be subject to change.
/NASFAQG/ LORE DOCUMENT
"Through Money, Unity."
Overview
Nasfaqg, also known as the Serene Republic, or just the Republic, is a relatively old nation, located on the southern shores of the Holosea, southeast of /meat/, and south of /morig/. The Serene Republic borders /#/ to her west, and /ahoy/ to her east. The Serene Republic is separated from /nijikr/ to the south by the niji inland sea.
Technologically /nasfaqg/ is at around early to mid 1800s, however the nation's internal technological level varies a lot based on the wealth of the area. Wealthier areas, like the capital, are more advanced than the rural areas and slums. A wealthy merchant's estate may have running water or even electricity, while just a few kilometers in the countryside people live like medieval peasants.
The nation hold incredible wealth, but this wealth is mostly controlled by a few spectacularly rich individuals, with majority of the population being middle and working class.
/nasfaqg/ is a melting pot of various cultures and ethnicities, although majority of the populace come from the holocontinent. Despite their diverse origins, the citizens of the republic are (relatively)unified under a shared culture and language.
Development
Out-of-universe: To become what the lore of the nation is supposed to be, a trading hub and a place where lots of travelers from all across the vt-world stop by to resupply and drink a few pints with the locals. To seek interaction.
In-universe: To form confirmed trade routes and, to gain access to important raw materials, and to find customers for the many services of the Serene Republic.
Beautiful sunset over the Serene Republic
Government
Organizational structure of the Serene Republic
The government and the society of the Serene Republic are a minarchist plutocracy which exhibits some feudal aspects.
Honk and the Dev Council
The Serene Republic is led by a shadowy organization known as the Dev Council; A group of 5 extremely powerful individuals who act as the custodians of the NASFAQ Stock Exchange, and by extension, as the overseers of all economic activity that happens within the nation. Little is known about these individuals, their identities are only known to a select few of the republic's plutocrat elite. What is common knowledge is that the Dev Council is led by an individual who goes by the name "Honk".
Honk's power within the republic is immense. All, even the richest of the merchants, those who hold economic assets that could rival a small nation, dare not oppose her out of a mixture of fear and respect. Effectively, Honk is a royal in all but name.
The Dev Council is primarily interested in upholding the old laws of the market, and thus leave the rest of the nation to govern itself.
The Dev Council have been active in the area for a long time, long before the Serene Republic ever formed, before the mighty /hlgg/ empire split. No one knows whether the Honk of today is the same Honk that started the work. Many believe that whatever arcane machinery the Dev Council have built deep into the bedrock of the main island has made the Devs untouched by time, and given them the gift of agelessness. Some even believe that Honk has ascended into godhood.
Plutocrats
The Republic relies primarily on its self-proclaimed plutocrats – individuals with great wealth and significant influence. They are diverse in their goals, conduct, religions but are unified in one thing: endless hunger and craving for more and more wealth, and bigger and bigger hats. They are earning money to earn more money, an ouroboros of a goal that pushes them towards drastic actions. Bizarre technological pursuits, complete isolation from all stimuli but numbers, or consuming copious amounts of psychoactive substances have been reported to be used as many pathways for predicting the market and beating the rivals.
Most of the actual governing in the Serene Republic is conducted by these rich and the powerful individuals. These wealthy merchants and industrialists comprise a small percentage of the total population of the nation (~3%) but hold the vast majority of the nation's wealth (the richest 20 individuals control 45% of the entire nation's economic assets), and by extension, political power.
Merchant Houses
While some of the plutocrats are simply extremely wealthy individuals, some plutocrats are the heads of old and rich merchant families or houses. These houses themselves function as mini-governments, ruling over their respective estates and companies in a fashion that is sometimes reminiscent of feudal nobility. There is always a head of the house, the one who owns the majority of the family's economic assets and who directs the other members of the house, and the head of the house will usually have an heir, either someone related to them by blood, or a talented and trustworthy ally they have chosen to adopt into the family.
Often these houses are families only in name; to become a member, one does not need to be related to the head or any other member by blood, as adoption of those showing merit and loyalty is common practice.
Megacorporations
Sometimes individual plutocrats or merchant houses form alliances, or join each other in economic partnerships, in order to gain an edge over their rivals. When enough corporations and/or plutocrats have chosen to cooperate with each other, a new sort of entity is formed. Depending on how they operate and how they are formed, these entities can be called by many names, like consortium, group, conglomerate, or zaibatsu, but from now on they shall be referred collectively as megacorporations.
Megacorporations hold immense amounts of wealth, magnitudes more than individual merchants or corporations do. Some megacorporations operate openly, their members incorporating the megacorporation symbology into their personal heraldry, and openly carrying symbols associated with the megacorporation for identification purposes, while other megacorporations operate in secret, with only the members knowing who are their allies.
Currently there is only a single megacorporation that operates in the open, the Miyatsuko Zaibatsu, but others have existed in the past, and multiple are believed to operate secretly.
Philosophy
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Politics
Merchants discussing business
Most things here describe the official policies of the government of the Serene Republic. Individual corporations and plutocrats are not required to follow all of these policies or laws. Even if the nation of nasfaqg herself would like to remain neutral in military conflicts, individual corporations are free to back any or all sides without the government of the republic stepping in.
Laws
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Citizenship
One can become a citizen of the Serene Republic by either application or birth. Citizens of the republic enjoy some special rights compared to foreign workers and visitors, the chief among them being the right to use the NASFAQ Stock Exchange. Another is a guarantee that law-abiding citizens' rights to private property and liberty are protected by the government and it's armed forces.
Economy
The Serene Republic seeks to imports raw materials and exports manufactured goods; To buy wood and to sell ships, to buy cotton and sell cloth, to buy ore, and to sell steel tools and weapons.
Canonical Trade Deals
ChronoBanks - Infinity deal
Tripoint - Morig deal
fill here the details
Edelweiss - /Risu/ deal
Edelweiss Co. sets up a shipyard in risu, employing locals.
Edelweiss Co. Builds 5 pinisi to /risu/
WG - Nasfaqg Agreement (vague)
Babel offices are located in major nasfaqgian cities.
There are nasfaqg merchants who trade in wg ports
#####2434 - Nasfaqg Agreement
Canonical Corporations and their holdings, affiliates, and subsidiaries
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Company Wealth Ranking and Company Character Template.
Miyatsuko Zaibatsu
Player led
Alluded to in Life of a Greedy Merchant, and Red Bird.
ChronoBanks Company
Tripoint Co-operative
Clay Corundum Co.
Fictional
House Edelweiss
Fictional
First story appearance in Chapter 1, "Arrival" of Visit to Sabatangan.
Exports
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Human Resources
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Artisans and Skilled Workers
The ability to read and understand mathematics is highly valued in nasfaqgian society, thus the nation has a high literacy rate.
The Serene Republic has a large base of skilled workers and artisans, many of whom are willing to do contractual work in foreign nations.
There are, among other professions, alchemists and chuubanite-smiths, engineers, metallurgists, stonemasons, carpenters, shipwrights, tailors, chefs, jewelers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, clockmakers, glassblowers, locksmiths, and hatters.
Nasfaqgian scribes, archivists, statisticians, cryptographers, mathematicians, translators, and other professions relating to the storage, analysis, and manipulation of information are especially skilled at their jobs, owing to these professions being highly sought-after by the plutocrats and corporations.
Nasfaqgian ropemakers are masters of their craft, as fine artisanal ropes are an extremely sought-after luxury item in the republic. Only the finest of hand-crafted ropes are suitable for the delicate necks of disgraced ex-plutocrats and others who have become economically ruined. It may then not come as a surprise that many ropemakers have made fortunes following market crashes and recessions.
Privateers and Mercenaries
The Serene Republic has a large number of privately owned military groups which can be hired by the locals and foreigners alike.
Provided Services
The ports of the Serene Republic offer many services to weary travelers and merchants both foreign and domestic. Lodgings and warm meals are offered at affordable prices, large warehouses are given for rent if one needs to temporarily store something, skilled shipwrights, engineers, and carpenters sell their services at the shipyards and drydocks, and merchants who make their living selling supplies and fuel to ships will sell their wares to anyone who may be looking to restock on their way elsewhere.
From gambling dens and pubs, to brothels and chuubanite-infused hallucinogens; intoxicants and entertainment of every flavor and taste can be found in the Serene Republic. Those who are not too blinded by morality and whose wallets aren't light can find even darker forms of entertainment provided by organized criminal gangs, or shadowy secret societies.
Private shrines for the most known deities can be found scattered all across the republic, although the faithful of some of the more obscure deities may have to conduct their rituals in places of general worship in lieu of dedicated shrines. Most of the private shrines are ran by believers themselves, so gaining access to them may require some social maneuvering or proof one one's faith. Few would dare to ask for payment from fellow faithful.
It is trivially easy to find a shrine dedicated to any one deity of the holopantheon and many of the holomama pantheons. Worshippers of the male holodeities may have to conduct their rites in secret however, as there exists some prejudice towards them.
Imports
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Currency
Three different types of currency are in use in the Serene Republic.
Nasfaq Dollars
The first is a pure fiat currency, its value comes from the Dev Council backing it, and from every trader in the Republic considering it valuable. As fiat, this currency is subject to inflation and deflation. We shall call this currency the "Nasfaq Dollar", symbol $, code NAD, also known as "Dollar", "Nsfq$", "Nas$", or "NA$". The Nsfq$ takes the form of printed paper bills and paper shares from the NASFAQ Stock Exchange.
The paper bills and the shares are used interchangeably, but the paper shares fluctuate wildly in value, which may be confusing to outsiders, but natives of the Republic are expected to know the daily values of each share.
A Nsfq$ is divided into 100 cents, but these cents are not used for trade as the dollar has inflated to the point where there is no point in even thinking about the cents.
This fiat currency is mostly used for internal trading. It is also considered a universal currency within the Serene Republic, so visitors from outside are encouraged (but not forced) to exchange their local currencies to the nsfq$ for their and everyone else's convenience. Time is money and determining the relative values of hundreds of different coins in the Grand Market wastes everyone's time.
This currency is the equivalent to your account balance / liquid in-game.
Precious metals
The second currency is cold hard precious metals, primarily gold and silver. These metals are often not even minted, and are instead traded by block, their values being their weight in gold/silver. This is the currency the Serene Republic would use for external trade, understanding that not all nations are willing to accept fiat currencies.
Vitubium-Gold Alloy Coins
The third currency are special gold coins. These gold coins are minted from an alloy that is mostly (>99.5%) pure gold, with the rest being vitubium of appropriate affinity. The amount of vitubium in the coins is not high enough to cause any magical effects, but it is high enough to be detectable and identifiable with equipment available to the republic.
The coins are prepared in such a way that they cannot be tampered easily, i.e, wrapped in a cloth with official seal, or minted with a special seal. The value of these coins is semi-fiat, as in, it is the sum of the precious metal used in the coin as well as a value that is tied to how a certain chuuba has been doing. I dont know how exactly to consolidate this in-universe, maybe the value of the coin is partially based on how energetic the chuubanite of a certain affinity is. E.g., if Kronii has a good day, the coins associated with her rise in value by an appropriate amount.
This third currency is also used mostly as an internal currency, and is an option for outsiders to exchange their currencies into. However, due to the nature of how the value of these coins are evaluated, they are not exactly as stable as the fiat currency is.
Trade Policy
"Best profit is Mutual Profit"
- Free Ports
No separate trade agreement or contract is needed for one to trade in the cities of the Serene Republic, anyone at any time, as long as their intention is peaceful trading, can come to conduct trade in the ports of Nasfaqg. - Free Movement of Goods
No tariffs are placed on goods flowing through the Nasfaqg Straits, as long as the origin and the destination of the goods are not hostile to the Serene Republic. - Free Movement of Civilians
No entry or exit fee is requested from non-military traffic through the Serene Republic, as long as the origin and the destination of the civilians are not hostile to the Serene Republic. - Almost Free Trade
The goods and services one is allowed to buy or sell within the Serene Republic are near unlimited (highly immoral services such as assassinations are not allowed to be offered in the open market), and most items and commodities are exempt from taxes. The NASFAQ Stock Exchange is subject to heavier taxation and regulation by the Dev Council, and, unlike the general market, is only open to the citizens of the republic.
Diplomacy
Foreign Policy
- Conditional Open Borders
The borders of the Serene Republic remain open for any and all peaceful and law-abiding travelers who wish to travel to, from, or through her. If one commits criminal acts within the Republic, they are punished according to the severity of their crime, which may include asset forfeiture and permanent banishment from the Republic. - Neutrality
The Serene Republic government wishes to remain neutral from any and all military conflicts that do not directly concern the Serene Republic or her partners. At a time of war between two nations, the Serene Republic and her territorial waters shall not be made a battleground, and they remain free for either side to travel through.- Partnerships
The Serene Republic will attempt to remain neutral in world politics, but due to the reality of the world, there may come a situation where the Serene Republic will have to form alliances and take sides, either for her own protection or in order to protect the sanctity of global trade. Thus the Serene Republic considers the possibility of forming alliances, especially defensive and economical ones, an option.
- Partnerships
- Soft Power
The Serene Republic prefers to use diplomacy and the the weight of her economy over military action when influencing international politics.
Military
Military Policy
The official Nasfaqg military policy is focused entirely on defense, as the Dev Council is only interested in guarding the sanctity of the market and upholding peace in the Republic.
As mandatory conscription goes against the philosophies of the Nasfaqgian society, most military personnel that serve in the Serene Republic are professionals. The armies serving the Republic and its elite are low in numbers, but they more than make up for it in quality, with many soldiers having trained their entire adult lives in the art of battle and war.
- Governmental Defensive Focus
The Serene Republic government is not interested in conquest, but is very interested in guarding the sanctity of trade and the independence of herself and her partners. The Serene Republic will not militarily take part in offensive wars, outside of extreme circumstances.- Lend-Lease
The Serene Republic may back her partners economically, lending them resources and military equipment for the duration of the conflict. All equipment leased to her partners that was not destroyed during the conflict has to be returned to the Serene Republic at the end of the conflict, or be purchased from the Serene Republic at a large discount.
- Lend-Lease
- Private Armies
The vast majority of the armed forces operating in or from the Serene Republic are private forces owned by the plutocrats, merchant houses, and megacorporations. Private armed forces outnumber the governmental armed forces by at least 20 to 1 in manpower, but the exact number is unknown, and may be higher.- Corporate Wars
The private forces of the wealthy of the Republic are always in conflict with each other, and these conflicts may take place anywhere in the world. Often two rival corporations will attempt to one up each other by backing the opposing sides of a foreign conflict, or by hiring - or building- privateer fleets to disrupt the other's commerce. The government of the Serene Republic does not see fit to interfere with these conflicts and rivalries unless the bloodshed spills onto the streets of the Republic herself.
- Corporate Wars
- Professional Armies - Quality over Quantity
The armies and navies of the Serene Republic, especially those serving the Dev Council, are comprised of elite career soldiers. These men and women are relatively few in numbers, and are expensive to maintain, but their extensive training, and physical and mental condition make up for these shortcomings in most cases.
Military Structure
The armed forces of the republic are clearly divided into two different groups, the Republic forces which operate under the direction of the Dev Council, and the diverse Private forces which serve the many plutocrats and corporations which operate within the Republic. Outside a few exceptions, the Republic Forces are of much greater quality than the Private Forces.
Republic Forces
Republic forces are responsible for upholding law and peace in the Serene Republic, as well as protecting her territorial waters from pirates and raiders, ensuring safe passage for all ships traveling through the Nasfaqg straits. One could see them as a sort of militarized police force.
The Republic forces are small, but of elite quality. In order to qualify for the Republic Forces, one would have to pass a series of difficult tests measuring the strength, intellect, discipline, stamina, and courage of the applicant. Applicants who are able to produce further proof of their ability, e.g., a letter of recommendation from a respected plutocrat, a Dev, or an officer of the Republic Forces, are prioritized over those who cannot. This practice has led to a situation where a large portion of the Republic Forces consist of veterans from the numerous Private Forces of the Republic, as plutocrats reward those who have served them well with the aforementioned letters of recommendation.
Outside of the obvious benefit of good pay, becoming a member of the Republic Forces will also bring great prestige to oneself.
Republic Guard
Republic Guard are the ground troops of the Republic Forces. They are the only ones allowed to carry weapons within the capital of the Republic, and they are the ones responsible for upholding peace and civil conduct at the Grand Market, enforcing the laws of the Dev Council, and guarding the NASFAQ Stock Exchange and its secrets.
The Republic Guard takes part in some of the ceremonial rituals of the Serene Republic, such as the closing and opening of the market, where every morning those selected from the guard first force everyone out of the Stock Exchange Building, then lock and guard the doors while the Devs conduct their secret rites in private, before finally opening the doors of the Stock Exchange Building for the public once again.
Foreign diplomats entering the capital may request a contingent of Republic Guard as their protectors for the duration of their visit.
Republic Navy
Republic Navy is comprised of the military and diplomatic ships serving the Dev Council. Just like the men serving aboard them, the ships of the Republic Navy are also few in numbers, but of very high quality. Most ships of the Republic Navy are purchased from local private shipyards, but the purchase of high quality foreign-built ships is also an option, if such vessels become available.
The Republic Navy never leave the territorial waters of the Serene Republic, unless specifically requested to accompany foreign diplomats or Devs on their way to or from Nasfaqg. Any friendly ship traveling to the Serene Republic or through her territorial waters can count on the Republic Navy to provide protection and assistance in times of need.
Private Forces
The majority of military forces operating within and/or from the Serene Republic are private armies and navies of the plutocrats. These forces are incredibly diverse, in both their makeup as well as in their quality; Some may not be better than a few street kids who have been given slings and knives, while some are comprised of chuubanite-infused supersoldiers armed to the teeth with the most advanced weapons available on the market.
The Private forces do not serve the Serene Republic, as that is the job of the Republic Forces, instead they serve their employers and only their employers, except when the said employer has decided to sell the services of his or her private military to another party. Most often the private military of a particular plutocrat will be fighting against that of another plutocrat. Despite fighting within the Serene Republic being forbidden, sometimes the forces of two rival corporations do clash , although this is more common amongst the smaller and/or criminal corporations. The large and respected corporations conduct their fighting outside the borders of the Serene Republic, in international waters or on the opposing sides of foreign conflicts.
Mercenaries
Some plutocrats have made their fortunes from privateering and mercenary trade, and many among those that have not certainly would not decline an opportunity to make some additional profit from offering mercenary and privateering services to foreign powers.
Hiring a Nasfaqgian mercenary band is as simple as forming a contract with the mercenary band or the one who owns the mercenary band. The obvious limitations to the use of these troops is that they refuse to fight against their employers or the Serene Republic and her partners. In the case where one is threatening the other, the private mercenaries will usually side with their employers, but one should expect some losses to desertion, especially in the cases of less disciplined mercenary groups.
Bodyguards
Being the head of a plutocrat family or a CEO of a corporation can be a dangerous job. Thus many choose to form themselves a special private military whose entire purpose is to serve as the bodyguards of the plutocrat, his or her partners, and his or her valuable goods both at home and abroad. These private bodyguards are usually not for sale as mercenaries, and they are considerably better trained and armed than the mercenary bands. On the flip side, the bodyguard troops are often extremely expensive to maintain, and thus are very few in numbers, with poorer traders employing a handful at most, and even the wealthiest of plutocrats usually keeping their numbers below the thousands.
Trade Fleets
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Culture
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Language
The abugida in use in the Serene republic
Language Document
Language Notes
Society
The nasfaqgian society is a very competitive and meritocratic one; A man's worth is measured in the economic success he brings to himself and/or his partners. This competitiveness has lead to the society fracturing into a myriad of factions, some as small as just the individual, and some comprising of thousands working for the same goals. These factions are internally quite cohesive, but are often at odds with each other; Employees of rival corporations do occasionally clash on the streets.
Whereas racial differences in species, race, or religion do not cause much strife among nasfaqgians, one's occupation, and taste in certain foods are occasionally a source of great animosity between individuals and groups. One's taste in certain vegetables such as tomatoes is seen as especially controversial, and having the wrong opinion in the wrong part of town may result in violence.
Two Societies
The society of the Serene Republic is divided into two clearly distinct groups; The Plutocrats, and the Common People. While these two groups live in the same cities, their lives and the society they experience are very distinct. Whereas the common people are often divided by familial, political, and culinary lines, the rich and wealthy are surprisingly friendly with each other, even if they are the heads of rival companies. While the two plutocrats may not cooperate with each other, they certainly do not show animosity in their personal relationships; the two heads of rival companies may be talking about the weather over a cup of coffee in the morning whilst their respective private armies clash somewhere faraway. To them, it is all just business, and no personal hatred is directed at the other.
Ethnicity
Nasfaqgian is not an ethnicity in the same sense that being a Risuner or a Deadbeat is; There is no race of people who are Nasfaqgian. The Nasfaqgian ethnicity is an entirely cultural one, the local populace being a mixture of many races and humanoid species, all living in relative harmony under a shared cultural identity, and a common interest in trade and profit. Due to the nation's proximity to the Holocontinent, the majority of people living in the Serene Republic are members of races that populate the aforementioned continent.
Names
Native Nasfaqgian names are usually in the style of Victorian era British names. Exceptions do occur, as some citizens choose to use names more fitting for their species or race, and some of the wealthy choose to operate under aliases.
The Ka-timak people
The ka-timak (KatNol, translates to "Precursor people") people were the original inhabitants of the land that now belongs to the Serene Republic in the past, and nowadays they form a sizeable minority of the Serene Republic citizens.
The ka-timak are short, their hair usually dark and their skin is the tone of olive. Their eyes can be of any vanilla-human color, but greens and blues are common. No one knows from where exactly the ka-timak came from, or what they were even called before the modern nasfaqgian merchants built their cities in the land. It is known that they were there when the Devs first chose the land for their project, and it is the language of the ka-timak that the nasfaqgians speak nowadays.
The ka-timak differ from the other ihabitants of the Serene Republic in one major way; they worship none of the known deities. Instead, they pray to animistic spirits that the ka-timak believe inhabit numbers, the act of trading, and money.
Ka-timak names
Ka-timak names are compound words comprised of KatNol phrases, often relating to numbers, wealth, and nature.
Religion
The Serene republic is a state of religious tolerance, where practitioners of any religions are welcome. There are no state-run temples of churches outside of a single grand temple dedicated to the holopantheon and some related goddesses, where anyone is free to come pray and make sacrifices/offerings of material wealth. Most places of worship are private shrines operated by plutorcrats or groups of citizens.
Soul
Morality, also known as “soul,” is a rare quality displayed amongst /nasfaqg/ plutocrats. In most cases, it manifests as an attachment to their oshi, favoring her over profits. However, extreme cases of “soul” exist in cases where traders self-impose draconic limits on their ability to make a profit, curbing their never-ending hunger.
The Flow
"Flow" would be some sort of a force or energy one can either have or not have. "Flow" is mostly used in the context of gambling and mahjong, but some also extend "Flow" to apply to everything else, most importantly the market. Those who have strong "Flow" are thought to be able to predict unpredictable things, to see patterns where others would not, and to have an uncanny ability to succeed in risky ventures. The higher the loss were they fail, the better chances they have to succeed.
However, "Flow" is a fickle thing. One moment one may have strong "Flow" and a minute after it may all be gone. Some have powerful "Flow" for weeks on end before they lose it all for months or years. This leads to many trying to manifest "Flow" for themselves through weird and sometimes dangerous means, such as the consumption of psychedelic substances, or by following elaborate rituals or habits obsessively.
Those who often have strong "Flow" are also often various types of menhera. This also sort of ties in with some earlier ideas of advanced nasfaqg tech being something that cannot be replicated, as the most advanced pieces of technology would often be illogical contraptions built by borderline madmen during episodes of insane genius. The architect himself may not understand his own creation once the episode passes, outside of how they are used.
Litany of the 19th
Every day, at 19:00 a public recitation of the 19th Hour prayer is held all across the republic. The litany of the 19th is seen as an important event and often the litany gathers a large number of spectators and participants.
The litany and those that recite it are held to extreme scrutiny; Anything, even the smallest of errors in the ritual outfits or mere seconds mistiming in the words of the reciter are seen as a major bad omens for the coming day. On the flip side, the perfect recital of the litany of the 19th is seen as a major good omen for the coming day.
Cult of Mahjong
There are rumors that the many mahjong parlors all across the cities and countryside of the Serene Republic are just a front for a sinister and dangerous religious organization, the Cult of Mahjong. It is believed that the cultists have sacrificed their own souls in the worship of dark gods such as Nyagtheleb, the cat with no yaku and evil spirits known as Mahjong Demons in exchange for heightened Flow and economic success. It is believed that those who have formed contracts with the mahjong deities exhibit cat-like characteristics, such as slit pupils, cat ears, and aggressive calling of pon and chii.
Those who believe in the cult existing and oppose it often protest outside mahjong parlors shouting carrying signs that read "Death to Mahjong" and assaulting would-be players who are attempting to enter the parlor.
Customs
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The Abayo
A ritual way of committing suicide. Those who have chosen to commit Abayo may go on pilgrimages to their "homelands" (a nasfaqgian fandead would travel to the Rushia wasteland, for example), spending most of their wealth along the way in lavish celebrations and donations to whomever they meet along the way. The ritual of Abayo would usually end in one last massive offering to the trader's chosen deity, followed either by the trader killing themselves, the trader going into self-imposed exile to live in poverty for the rest of their life, or the trader burning down everything they still owned before killing themselves.
Clothing
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Importance of Hats
Hats, especially large, silly, and/or expensive ones, are extremely prominent in the nasfaqgian culture. Hats are an important status symbol to the natives of the Serene Republic, to the point where some even stack hats on top of hats in order to show others their wealth. An average trader is willing to pay exorbitant prices for a hat they fancy, an average hat going for around $500,00.00 to $1,000,000 .00 local currency in the auction house.
This also means that the act of gifting one's peer a fine hat would likely be seen as a sign of close friendship or even as a confession of love.
Entertainment
Gambling, games such as Mahjong, and consumption of alcohol are popular pastimes in the Republic.
Mahjong
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Food and Drink
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Intoxicants
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Romance and Reproduction
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Traders as Lovers
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Secret Breeding Programs - In pursuit of the perfect trader
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History
Long before even the Ka-timak, the Dev Council was already at work building their arcane machinery deep beneath the main island.
The area was settled before the first of the ancestors of the modern nasfaqgians arrived. The modern nasfaqgians got their language from those who lived there before them. The people who lived on the land before the traders are now known as the Ka-timak.
The Capital was built around the NASFAQ Stock Exchange (back then only a very rudimentary system) at around 250 VTE.
Geography
Cities
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- Aggaya
A wealthy city surrounded by the estates of many of the wealthiest traders. Aggaya is the rumored center of operations for the secret council of plutocrats (also known as "The Clique").
Important Buildings
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NASFAQ Stock Exchange
Grand Market
Grand Temple
Republic Archives
Climate
no major ocean currents in the inland sea
should be almost right below the subtropical high pressure belt
the weather is generally sunny, dry (although somewhat mitigated by the seas north and south of it), and usually calm
should be in a good position to make use of both tropical trade winds and temperate westerlies for sailing
the prevailing climate will likely be Cfa, known as either humid subtropical or warm temperate climate (think a more wooded Sydney-Brisbane coast for a close RL example)
the northern islands will be tropical
the central island is listed as basin, likely foreland basin due to orogeny in /ahoy/
little to no subduction beneath /nasfaqg/
many parts of the lowland might be waterlogged and can form wetlands
Natural Resources
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Agriculture
rice is likely the most useful food crop
for fruit, orange, banana, pineapple is likely common
probably no native spice in homeland except cassia, although the tropical islands up north might be more promising
low-lying area further from the sea might become peatland
Lumber
likely mixed woodland dominated by broadleaf forest due to lack of significant dry season, although deforestation and other processes might result in grassland
usually with multiple species of wood without a dominant one, although for Australia it is dominated by Eucalyptus trees. examples of common trees include southern beeches, Eucalyptus trees, oak, sal, bodhi, and boxwood
Mineral Resources
petroleum might be present in foreland basin, although the amount might not be of economic scale
possible IOCG deposits (iron, copper) near /ahoy/ border, although it might not be very abundant due to lack of subduction beneath Nasfaqg plate
bauxite might be present, but the practical use of aluminium is beyond current technology
Stories
Another Day in the Serene republic
Life of a Greedy Merchant
Red Bird
A visit to Sabatangan
Sarita's Journey
1128VTE Edelweiss Co. Shipyard Reports