Acria and beyond

Current State of Acria

Acria as it was; is no more. The country now lies in ruin and its capital in the middle of a magical forest that began to grow across the country and a bit beyond its borders after the defeat of the Blood Queen.
Nothing survives unchanged within the forest for long and crazed beast-like creatures have begun to emerge from its depths.

Any characters that are from Acria would have been outside the country as a part of its military during the Acrian war (this does not mean you have to be a warrior) or as a deserter/refugee who fled the empire's rule. All within the country's borders were lost when the blood storm began, a storm conjured by the Blood Queen that drained all life from those caught within it. 

Acria before the fall:

Acria was ruled by a tyrannical religious organization known as The Order of the Healing Church. It’s deity; The One True God, Lorian the Healing Light, Emperor of Acria, a thousand praises upon his name.

The Church, on the order of their emperor Lorian, outlawed all magic, declaring that any practicing mage should be burned and placed a bounty on all non-enslaved non-humans.
Upon capture non-humans were given the choice between death or submitting to branding and servitude to the order of the healing church; however accepting this was seen by most as a fate worse than death.
Any who dared speak out against these decrees were swiftly declared heretics and an order for their execution given out.
Travel in and out of the country was also punishable by death by hanging unless you had a pass from the church.

Acrians spoke a specific dialect of the trader’s tongue, different enough that the people of Acria might have a difficult time speaking, reading and writing the more common Thearosian trader’s tongue.
Example of Acrian Dialect:
Hello, I come from Acria and this land of yours will soon be ours. =
Good morrow, Ich cometh from Acria a'd hider lanede ophe yourſ līke soon bæ ourſ.

Within the Acrian Empire, there were three branches of the Order of the Healing Church that managed the country and handled its affairs. Anyone that wasn’t killed during the blood war would have a rank within one of these branches; The Military Branch, The Civic Administration Branch or The Judicial Branch.
Each branch had similarly titled ranks; Acolyte<Deacon<Vicar<Bishop<Cardinal<Patriarch, followed by a suffix determining which branch they hold rank in; “Militant” for the military, “Administrant” for the civic administration and “Arbitant” for the judicial branch.
So a low level member of the military might hold the rank of “Acolyte Militant”.
These ranks were usually followed by “of the Order of the Healing Church” but within Acria it wasn’t required to state that as a part of the full title except during ceremonies.

The Acrian military was easily recognisable due to their sharply contrasted black and white heraldic tabards and they could be best described as “crusader” like in appearance. 

Standard prayers to Lorian:
- “Let his name, he who is above all, ring in my mind and body. Let his spirit guide my actions. Let him mend the wounds of my mind and body. Let me remember the one true god, Lorian the healing light, a thousand praises upon his name”
- “The false gods seek to deceive us; their chosen to defile our devotion. May Lorians light burn away their impurity.”

Culture and Fashion

Acrian culture was largely focused on upholding the tenets of the Order of the Healing Church. The orders’ festivals were, more often than not, mandatory for all inhabitants and were for praising the emperor rather than celebration or fun.
Buildings and fashion favored a utilitarian and subdued style, with the exception of the clergy and churches which were made to be ostentatious and grand.

Acrian fashion was similarly simple, utilitarian and subdued, most often no more than simple black and white tunics for the peasantry. Those within the Order were given some leeway and allowed to wear more expensive and grander attire but were still limited to a black and white color scheme.

Beyond Acria

At the southern tip of Acria there is a collection of city states; now former vassals of the lost acrian empire. They have, since the fall of Acria, restructured themselves as an independent domain known as Salus, under the rulership of a newly elected Ceisar.
During the time of the empire these cities were largely blocked off from the rest of Urð but in the absence of acrian rulership they have begun to reach out to their counterparts in the south of Azcrets.

Culture and Fashion

After the long years of Acrian suppression, the people of Salus were eager to take the reins of management into their own hands and established a democratic congress, where they elected a Ceisar to take on the duties of statecraft and managing the discussions of congress.
Since then there has been an emphasis on building communal amenities such as roads, bathhouses and sports arenas.

Salus fashion reflects their subtropical climate, the main characteristic being light and breathable, while wasting as little fabric as possible.