Mawang Empire

The Mawang Empire is a collassal empire set in the rainforest of West Aevaria, a fantasy conworld. It is home to both ethnic Mawangians and minorities such as the Kulya, the Dachoy, and the Yosus. They are ruled by Kore Tesami and her High Council. The primary religion of Mawang is Uassikism, which is polytheistic.

Geography
West Aevaria is dominated by the Mawang Peninsula. This peninsula is entirely tropical rainforest with many wetlands; there are some areas in the south of the mainland which are temperate forests. The Mawang Empire is bordered in the east by the Tiwok Mountain Range.

Mawang is home to a variety of fauna, including tigers, two varieties of elephant, monkeys, boars, snakes, deer and lemurs. In terms of flora, Mawang is home to many palm trees, camphor, rice, bamboo, sugarcane, and orchids.

People
The people of Mawang are generally small and dark-skinned with fluffy hair, which they usually wear in dreads. Most people work as fishermen and farmers and are generally well educated. Education is required by the state for at least 4 years in state-run schools. Wealthier children may be sent to private academies to study military leadership, politics, and advanced math and magic. While most Mawangians are commoners, there are also nobles, serfs, and slaves. Nobles are highly educated and usually have some connection to military or political leadership. Serfs are forced to work due to poverty or debts and can buy their freedom. Slaves, however, are forced to work as punishment for crimes and cannot buy their freedom. Society is matriarchal and family wealth and lineage are passed down through the mother to the eldest daughter, or in some areas the oldest child regardless of gender.

Religion
The state religion is Uassikism. Other religions are permissible, but only in certain areas of certain major cities. Uassikism is polytheistic and has 8 major deities plus a host of minor deities. The big 8 are: Kietalo, Káusi, Isaé, Tálok, Máót, Pakai, Ihan, Asui, and the twins Ikai and Atai. According to Uassikism, there are a set number of spirits in the world and after someone dies, their spirit is allowed to rest in the afterlife for a while before being born again as a new person. The twins Ikai and Atai shepherd spirits to where they need to go and give preference to those who died in battle or childbirth. Worship of the deities happens once a month in a large community gathering that involves food and singing and dancing as well as a speech by the presiding priestess.

Politics and War
Mawang has traditionally been ruled by a succession of Queendoms. This changed recently when the minority Kulya overthrew the old Queendom and created the Ikurat Triumvirate. This lasted a few hundred years until it too was overthrown. There was a major revolution followed by a protracted civil war, but as of 945 Modern Era, Kore Tesami rules the empire with a group of 8 officials known as the High Council.

In warfare, Mawang is traditionally weak. They typically rely on trade to gain power and buy off their enemies, since they have access to an incredible amount of natural resources. Because most of Mawang is tropical rainforest, which is very difficult to fight in, Mawang has historically been very defensive in land-based warfare. They use elephants to mount their archers and have many mages. The best part of their military is their navy. It is equipped with many large longboats with shallow drafts so they can be sailed both at sea and far up rivers to attack the mainland. Mawang's traditional enemies are Kré Yobok and Kulyahluri.