User:Vivaporius/Sandbox/Vespia/II

A vadiyon (from Vespian vâdīyon, literally meaning "war body", or "the body that makes war"), is a Vespian military formation within the Zhautakar roughly analogous to a in modern armies. Consisting of about 15,000 military personnel, the vadiyon is the modern-day iteration of the ancient vadiyons which served as the permanent military formations of ancient and imperial Vespia. Most of the existing vadiyons currently in service were established more than four thousand years ago at the time of the Zhautakar's original formation, and have been in an active service since with an unbroken period of combat operation. Traditionally, vadiyon were divided into five 1,000-man units known as uvokin, the first of which was commanded by the leading senior officer of the formation, the TBD.

Vespian pantheon

 * Akzuna – Goddess of wealth, greed, and fertility
 * Emana – Goddess of health, medicine, and goodwill
 * Hazana – Goddess of honor, courage, and discipline
 * Ionoko – God of wisdom, faith, and knowledge
 * Jeyana – Goddess of romance, family, and tithing
 * Jivadena – Goddess of drugs, music, and entertainment
 * Onavoya – Goddess of random numbers, poverty, and luck
 * Ovani – Goddess of protection, time, and interiors
 * Rodan – God of food, feasting, and wine
 * Shidona – Goddess of beauty, envy, an jealousy
 * Shonada – Goddess of storms, floods, and earthquakes
 * Shovik – God of speech, messages, and travel
 * Takina – Goddess of enchantments, curses, and rituals
 * Varshan – God of war, blood, and weapons
 * Vikara – Goddess of fear, pain, and suffering
 * Vakon – God of hunting, monsters, perils and traps
 * Voyana – Goddess of rape, lust, and orgasms
 * Yon – God of justice, truth, and equity
 * Zhanka – Goddess of hate and strife
 * Zhautan – God of creation, life, and the universe
 * Zhevon – God of joy, happiness, and contentment
 * Zhevona – Goddess of light, stars, and birth
 * Zhon – God of darkness, mysteries, and secrets
 * Zhona – Goddess of death, mourning, and miscarriages

Spirits

 * TBD – A nude, all-black female spirit with four arms and four eyes, who stands on one leg and points in the four cardinal directions. She is responsible for redirecting evil spirits and harmful auras away from the home she is assigned too, and considered a spirit of goodwill. Her fetish is placed in a prominent position within the home, and cared for by the paramount wife or eldest daughter of the head of the household. The spirit is considered a servant of Emana.

Traditions

 * Jizakan – The act of jizakan is a rite of passage all Vespian youth undergo when they turn eighteen(?), the age of majority in Vespia, as a point of tradition. Known as the "bloodening", a Vespian youth will partake in the jīzakan as a show of their prowess as a hunter and their expertise as a torturer, extending the pain of the victim for as long as possible over the course of days, weeks, or months. This is done to attain the blessing of the gods Vakon, the god of hunting, and Vikara, the goddess of pain. The act of jizakan is symbolically linked to the youth's future as an adult, which will require the finesse of a hunter and the willingness to
 * TBD – The Vespians believe that, so as to please the god of war, Varshan, and the goddess of strife, Zhanka, an turn away their anger and ire, they must present them with sacrifices to prevent lamentation from visiting their lands. As such, the Vespians will typically take a number of individuals, typically criminals and slaves, and over the course of several days, torture, rape, and ultimately kill them, and hang their bodies at the gates of their cities as a "gift" offering and a sign of their submission to the will of the gods. The bodies will remain in their locations for a week, after which they will be removed and buried in a mass grave that serves as the "oversoul" for the slain, and a pool of both food and energy for the violent deities of the Vespians.
 * TBD – Each major Vespian city maintains a vast field of corpses located just beyond the city walls, where tens of thousands of slaves, criminals, and individuals from rival cities and households, are impaled and left to die and rot outside of the city. Unlike other methods of sacrifice and execution, the bodies of those located in the TBD remain their indefinitely. The purpose of the TBD is to serve as both a "ward" off malevolent spirits, as well as a warning for those visiting the city, as well as to boast to the military prowess of the city and its warriors. The bodies on the spikes are rarely replaced, with only those near the walls and along the main road receiving new bodies.
 * TBD – At the end of each month, a criminal or outcast is chosen at random is selected by the people of the town for sacrifice to the gods as a penance for any wrongdoing they have committed during the month. Bound and blindfolded, the individual is placed into sack and beaten to death by all the residents of the town as the priests sing songs of praise and offering to the gods begging for their supplication and forgiveness. If the individual is still alive after the beating, they are often placed into a pit at the edge of the town's borders, and buried alive so as to "bury the sins" of the past, and remove them from the sight of the gods.

Religious festivals

 * TBD – Priests wear the skin of victims for one month, and plead for the blessing of the gods. Akzuna, Emana, and Ovani are invoked during the festival with the aim of securing their aid. Skins are removed at the end of the month, signifying a renewal of the people's relationship with the gods, and the cleansing of the flesh as the decayed remnants of the skin are removed. The skin also represented the renewal of the earth and its vegetation as putting on the skin reflected the new crops, and removing the decayed flesh reflected the removal of the old and decayed crops.
 * TBD – Captives are tortured, flayed, and smoked by the priests, and feed to the public as gifts and charms of goodwill.
 * TBD – Children of slaves are immolated as offerings to Zhona, as thanksgiving for preventing miscarriages and deformities. It is believed that by offering the children of other peoples and nations, Zhona will turn her anger away from the Vespians and their failures to met her high standards, and striking down their offspring. The burnt flesh of children satiates Zhona for a time, and acts as a form of incense that keeps her in a pleased mood toward the Vespians, much in the same manner a person gives a person a gift as a way of asking for forgiveness for a great sin.
 * TBD – A massive pool of blood created from slaves, captives, and criminals as a drink offering to the gods, and a spiritual bath for the Vespians. Represents the offering of a payment to the great blood debt incurred by the Vespians during the creation of life by Zhautan. As the whole universe was created from his blood, no offering is ever great enough to pay it back, and thus the Vespians provide their latest "payment" in the form of a great lake of blood from the opponents of their god. Vespians bath in the blood as a sign of submission to Zhautan's authority, and a reminder of their eternal obligation to ensure Zhautan is paid what he is owed.
 * TBD – Slaves released into the wild by the Vespians, and ritually hunted by the Vespians. They are later sacrificed on top of the yazanin throughout Vespia. The hunt represents the great effort the gods put forth to control the great evils that attempt to escape into the physical realm and wreak havoc throughout all creation. By performing the act of hunting those who would waste no effort in harming fellow Vespians, the participants understand first hand the difficulty of controlling and eradicating harmful elements the gods go through for untold millennia for their creations.
 * TBD – Massive orgy held following the torture of thousands of slaves in the name of Voyana. Takes place during the evening; considered especially fortuitous for newlyweds. Children conceived on this day are considered especially blessed, and are often given gifts of good-luck and fertility totems. The night is a festival of celebrations in honor of the gods, who blessed the Vespians with lust, happiness, and strength, as well as the ability to fulfill their deepest desires. Furthermore, in the manner that Zhautan, the personification of life, gave birth to all life, the Vespians believe it their duty to sacrifice thousands of lives to repay that gift of life. The festival night is considered an grand act of tajivasho, or "holy entertainment" for the gods, and is held twice a year during the flooding of the Zhona River, beginning in the city of Ankashun. According to religious tradition, Akzuna, Emana, Jivadena, Voyana, Zhevon, and Rodan, held a great orgy at the source of the Zhona, where modern-day Ankashun is located. So great was the orgy's size and endurance, that the region overflowed with sweat and semen, leading to the formation of the Zhona River. The Vespians believe that each inundation of the Zhona is linked to the regular orgies of the gods at the source of the river.
 * TBD – Warriors present enemy combatants before the priests who invoke the name of Varshan, the God of War, before beating them to death as a punishment for raising the sword in defiance to the will of Zhautan. As the Vespians view enemy combatants as agents of Zhanivoyan, the malevolent entity of Vespian religion regarded as the absolute embodiment of evil and corruption, beating such individuals to death is considered a righteous act that brings honor to Varshan as the chief warrior of his father's divine army.
 * TBD – Gladiatorial games representing the creation of the universe held; slaves representing the forces of Zhanivoyan, and warriors the forces of Zhautan. The games begin with a warrior representing Zhautan, dueling with a slave who represents Zhanivoyan. The warrior is personally selected by the Tazen for the honor, while the slave is TBD.
 * TBD – Priests of a community sacrifice a young male adult or teenager, typically between the ages of 13-24, so as to bring about a lush, and bountiful new year. Unlike the other human sacrifices in Vespia, the victim is of Vespian birth, and not always a criminal or outcast. The individual is rarely from the higher classes of the population, but not always from the lower classes; most of the men sacrificed hail from the middle-class population.
 * TBD – A

Blessing the world with lust, happiness, and fulfilled desires; life gave birth to man and that life must be repayed with life. Greatest boat orgy flooded with semen.

Priesthood

 * Voyuzhan – A voyuzhan, also known as a painmaster, is a class of Vespian priests who devoted their skills to the service of Vikara, the Goddess of Pain. They are master torturers who have taken up the task of procuring for the goddess the pain of others to strengthen her powers. Such Vespian priests typically hail from the house of Dekan, where the majority of orders devoted to the art of torture are located. It is believed that the pain of others strengthens Vikara, who turns her spiteful gaze away from the Vespians, and instead inflicts untold suffering upon the lands of others. In this chaos and disorder, the Vespians find strength and unity, allowing them to further pursue their divine mission to purify the lands of the world and bring true peace to the universe.
 * Yanuzhan – A yanuzhan, also known as a fleshmaster, is a Vespian priest skilled in the art of the manipulation of flesh, bone, and organs. Historically, yanuzhanin were the first true surgeons in human history, developing highly detailed and intricate maps of the body and its organs, and determining the role of each. Highly secretive, fleshmasters form special orders that can only be joined through the support of one of their own, and proving oneself worthy of joining these orders is a long and difficult ordeal. Vespians typically heap praise upon members of this class of priests, viewing them as following in the footsteps of Zhautan, reshaping the body and mind of an individual, and creating something barely human for the entertainment of their people.

Ranks

 * Audak – Commander of TBD, or a vakudin.
 * Dak – TBD
 * Dukovak – A disciplinarian officer assigned to a vakudin.
 * Emadin – A medic.
 * Emadok – Chief medical officer within a vakudin.
 * Ionovak – War priest for the vadiyon, and one of the high-ranking staff officers within the unit.
 * Jadakin – Second-in-command to an audak.
 * Jazan – Commander of five warriors, or a jadon.
 * Ovazhan – Independent political commissar/inquisitor responsible for enforcing the will of the Tazen within the military.
 * Sajadon – Commander of ten warriors, or a dakin.
 * Ta'Zhadak – Highest ranking warrior of the Zhautakar. Responsible for executing all military activities across the empire in the name of the Tazen.
 * Udozhan – A sanitation officer.
 * Vakiva – A standard-bearer for a vakudin.
 * Vakoran – Generic term for a Vespian warrior.
 * Zhadak – Commander of TBD, or a vadiyon.

Units

 * Vadiyon – TBD
 * Uvokin – TBD
 * Zhidin – TBD
 * Vakudin – TBD
 * Dakin – TBD
 * Jadon – TBD

Aynad Dynasty

 * 1) Zhautakin (937–968) – "The blessed of Zhautan"
 * 2) Kata'Var (968–1012) – "Blade of Varshan"
 * 3) Rodiyon (1012–1021) – "Haven for Rodan's feast"
 * 4) Zhoyon (1021–1057) – "Black prince"
 * 5) Memideka (1057–1069) – "Mother of fertility" (F)
 * 6) Eman-Yon (1069–1092) – "Mercy of Yon"
 * 7) Tayon (1092–1109) – "Great wisdom"
 * 8) Udok-Zhato (1109–1133) – "Huntsman for Zhautan"

Tirad Dynasty

 * 1) Takinayn (1133–1153) – "Holy one"
 * 2) Dekoyoyon (1153–1165) – "Contentment of Yon"
 * 3) Jeyihunotakin I (1165–1191) – "Admiration for the path of righteousness"
 * 4) Kar-Eman (1191–1202) – "Refuge of Eman's goodwill"

Vyad Dynasty

 * 1) Kovintakon (1202–1216) – "Avatar of holiness"
 * 2) Izhomaro (1216–1261) – "Peace of the land"
 * 3) Jadivara (1261–1278) – "Hand of war"
 * 4) Marataki (1278–1297) – "Sister of righteousness" (F)
 * 5) Aynazhan (1297–1330) – "Only one shall rule"
 * 6) Jivazhao (1330–1338) – "Slayer of the impure"

Jarad Dynasty

 * 1) Karovinata (1338–1344) – "Refuge of the soul of the great"
 * 2) Izhomaro II (1344–1354) – "Peace of the land"
 * 3) Zhojadozhan (1354–1357) – "Black fist of the noble"
 * 4) Yazhurizhayaka I (1357–1369) – "The one responsible for much bloodshed"
 * 5) Hazudoyahuya I (1369–1373) – "Venerable bird of prey"
 * 6) Jeyihunotakin II (1373–1381) – "Admiration for the path of righteousness"
 * 7) Yazhurizhayaka II (1381–1383) – "The one responsible for much bloodshed"

Yanad Dynasty

 * 1) Eman-Yon Ravak I (1341–1357) "Petition for the mercy of Yon"
 * 2) Eman-Yon Ravak II (1357–1360) "Petition for the mercy of Yon"
 * 3) Adekakon-Zhanimaro (1360–1366) "An island of tree in the Holy Fatherland"
 * 4) Jikizhako I (1366–1372) "I shall rule on high"
 * 5) Aujazhoturo (1366–1372) "Lord of the black sands"

Random notes
The Vespians as a species do not have the psychological capacity to fall in love or find beauty in having romantic relationships with non-Vespians. Rather, they find the idea repugnant, and find the concept of members of two separate races interacting with one another in a romantic manner blasphemous. Likewise, the sole exception of the 5% of Vespian males in the species, entire Vespian population cannot interbreed with other races, as the chromosomal differences between Vespians and other races, humans included, are too numerous for successful interbreeding. However, do to their cruel and sadistic nature, members of species who fall within their grasp as slaves or prisoners, regardless of sex, are typically victims of rape and sexual assault by their Vespian captors. The five percent of Vespian men capable of breeding with other races are drafted by the imperial government to serve as slave breeders, forcibly impregnating the females of raced sanctioned by the state to be serviceable as a slave species.

List of Mikaean corporate houses

 * Arkan Construction – Arkan Construction is responsible for all of the vast building schemes and construction projects taking place throughout Mikaea and its environs. Arkan is contracted to maintain all of the structures and facilities in Mikaea, as it has what can be described as a monopoly on all high-end architects and structural engineers employed by the corporations. In union with TBD, Arkan has helped to develop some of the most innovative architectural and structural developments in Mikaea's history.
 * Daniva Systems – Daniva Systems is the primary electronics and software manufacturer for the city of Mikaea. All corporate houses in the country utilize Daniva electronic components, or in someway run their systems using equipment procured from Daniva. The premium quality and detail of Daniva products is such that other corporations have either found it too difficult or too unnecessary to compete against them, and have thus acknowledged Daniva's prominence as a tolerable trade-off for the vast array of wearable devices, surveillance systems, and computer technology Daniva provides.
 * Ejada Group – The Ejada Group is the largest and most prominent of the twelve corporate houses of Mikaea. Controlling the banking and finance sectors of the city-state's economy, all wealth flowing through the country must pass through the hands of the Ejada Group. Every bank, every trading house, every loan and line of credit extended to a Mikaean, comes from or goes through Ejada, so much so that the state itself is financed in part by the loans provided to it by Ejada. Because of its vast wealth and resources, Ejada through the Zharanokan family has held the seat of Chief Executive for six consecutive terms, or thirty fiscal years, with the current head of state hailing from this corporate house.
 * Namakin – Namakin is the sole owner of all communications networks within Mikaea, as well as the proprietor of the Universal Grid, or UniGrid, connecting Mikaeans to one another. Namakin has, as a consequence of its industry, developed close ties with Daniva and TBD, so as to advance their needs and forming into a voting block within the state Syndicate. All state databases are managed by Namakin, as well as the Daniva-made communication surveillance systems utilized by the government for tracking potential dissidents and their supporters.
 * Onavo Media Group – Onavo Media Group (OMG) is the foremost news and entertainment provider in Mikaea, controlling the majority of the major news outlets, sports arenas, and production companies in the city. Through OMG, the state propagates its views, ideologies, and agendas, and thoroughly manages public perception of negative events and protests through the lens it wishes them to see through. All of the corporate houses employ OMG public relations managers and company actors to whitewash their image as well as their talent in delivering their messages to the public.
 * Rodanin – Rodanin is the sole food processing and distribution corporation in Mikaea, dominating the food supply for the city-state. All agri-domes in the country are owned wholly or in-part by Rodanin, and in those areas where its ownership is partial, it controls the sell of the foodstuffs that come out of the domes. In spite of its vital role in feeding the millions of Mikaeans of the state, Rodanin is not as powerful or influential as its opponents, though it remains comfortably secure in its position as people still need to eat.
 * Vakora Concern – Vakora Concern is the largest weapons manufacturer and private security company in Mikaea, controlling almost all military assets in the country. Responsible for producing all lethal and non-lethal weapons, body armor, combat equipment and drones utilized in military and civilian life, all noteworthy security is provided for by this solitary corporation. Though the other corporate houses employ their own armed security forces, all buy their equipment from Vakora, and the state itself depends on Vakora for defense.

Vespian geometric patterns
Vespian geometric patterns are a frequent form of decoration utilized by Vespian artists and architects, and which formed over the course of several millennia of Vespian history. The geometric patterns originated from Vespian astronomy and mathematics, and the commonly held religious beliefs that Zhautan created a universe which though constantly in flux, remains orderly and can be understood in a predictable manner. Considered an outgrowth of Vespian art, the geometric patterns invoke the focus on simplistic ornamentation known as veskoesque, and realistic depictions of the environment in a conceptualized form of the human mind.

Vespian architecture
=Vespian leaders=
 * Yâvokīn – TBD
 * Sa'Yâvokīn – TBD
 * Uk'Yâvokīn – TBD

Aduyaka Zevanokan
Ion'Rek'Aduyaka Zhe'Ruzhan'Jivashomaro Muzhanioka-Zevanokan (Vespian:, Īon'Rek'Âduyâka Xī'Ruxân'Jīvâšomâro Muxânīoka-Zevânokân; born 17 September 1967), is the current representative for the marin of Odamar within the Imperial Hazakiyon of Vespia. She was appointed to the position by Zharuk Tothan VI Azhunaza of Ruzhan to preside over the marin on behalf of the inhabitants of the territory, who requested her leadership based on her service as a priestess for the household.

The twelfth of seventeen children, and the third-eldest child of her father's fifth wife, Aduyaka was never to hold a position of prominence within her family. Consequently, Aduyaka entered into the clergy seeking a means to advance her status, and was accepted as an acolyte to the clergy in Odamar where she would later build her political career. Originally tasked with cleaning the bodies of slain prisoners for consumption by the residents during religious festivals, Aduyaka rose rapidly as she performed her religious duties well. She was eventually assigned to the Uka'Odamar as a professor of the faith for her yavin, where her oratory skills were noticed and promoted by the Ionikon of Odamar.

Over time, Aduyaka was granted more and privileges as a sign of her competency within the priesthood, and was ultimately promoted to the rank of "rek", or "prioress", of the Vyad-Aduvo Zhekara in the neighboring city of TBD, a great sign of trust from the clergy in her marin. As a priestess, Aduyaka never completed the dukori as the rest of her peers, and was initially disqualified from holding a position of power within the government. However, given her performance as a public speaker and religious leader saw Aduyaka evade the traditional requirements for a politician in Vespia.