Pre-History of Perfidia

There are three polities that co-exist and eventually unite to form Perfidia, so-named after their common language, Perfida.

The three societies are -

Danfelgor - a constitutional monarchy, largely controlled in fact by its Merchants. Every now and again they overstep the mark, and they get knocked down, but they always come back. Arrangements can be put in place from time to time to make the balance of wealth and power a bit more equal, but the Merchants always bide their time, and have another attempt at increasing their share. 

Danfelgor is a major river port and trade hub, with a very lively manufacturing and commercial sector. They are not (as a generalisation) particularly interested in the arts, except perhaps literature. They have retained the old style gods in a token fashion, but have usually downgraded them - thus, the Storm Father of the Sara has become the God Of Bad Weather. Danfelgorians follow the philosophy (not religion) of Kentumirto, as modified by the nun Mirana. There is more detail on the Perfidian Philosophy page on this website. Some of the traditional stories on this website are in the nature of fables, explaining aspects of Kentumirto's philosophy.

Estasea was a major trade hub, having harbours on both the river and the open sea. The people don't really subscribe to any religion, and their philosophy is to work, trade, make money and live life. They love good food, wine and they are much more enthusiastic about the arts than the people of Danfelgor. They say "You can always tell whether you're in Estasea or Danfelgor because in Estasea the buildings are made of golden-coloured stone, but in Danfelgor, the stones are grey." The balance of power and wealth is more equal relative to Danfelgor, and Estasea is a republic (which caused problems in the Empire period). Danfelgorians drink more tea and Estaseans drink more wine.

There are levels of poverty, crime and corruption in both cities (of course).

There were various tribes on the steppes which in time united to become the Sara nation. They adhere closely to the old religion (which was also the religion of Danfelgor pre-Kentumirto), and their chief deity is the Storm Father, god of the sky, the wind, storms and war. Each tribe has its chieftains and shamans, but the Sara nation is led by a (non-hereditary) Ouaq. The greatest shaman, who is not affiliated to any one tribe, is the Shaman of the Tree, who appears in the Song of Sara Ouaq. The tribes are formidable warriors, being very swift mounted archers, who mount guerilla-style, hit and run attacks and largely avoid set-piece battles. The Sara are pastoralists, trappers and hunters, and their principal trade with the cities is in furs, skins and livestock. 

As the Song relates, Valubani, a Sara prince and Pellae, a Danfelgorian Princess, marry and unite the two polities in the persons of the monarchs (the Gorak of Danfelgor and the current Ouaq of the Sara relinquish their positions to make way for the newly-weds).

From this beginning come the Perfidian Realm, and later, the Perfidian Empire.

Image Copyright Harvey Taylor 2024

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