OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create an interesting world for me to work with
- Image Credit: Planet, Treytheris, Hall of Hegemony, Canals of Tureis,
- Canon: N/A
- Links: N/A
- Planet Name: Tygeria
- Demonym: Tygerii
- Region: Unknown Region
- System Name: Rhaelal System
- System Features: Central Star orbited by three gas giants, all three of which have moons. The largest moon of the inner most gas giant to the star is Tygeria.
- Location: To the left of the M in Moddell Sector on the left most part of the map.
- Major Imports: Medical Equipment, Bacta, Droids/Droid parts, Blasters, Foreign Cultural Artifacts, Foreign Food, Foreign Flora, Foreign Fauna, Cortosis, Helium, Silicon, Computers
- Major Exports: Tibanna, Phrik, Durasteel, Duracrete, Diamonds, Emeralds, Gold, Silver, Amethyst, Ruby, Onyx, Painite, Taaffeite, Tritium, Steel, Iron, Platinum, Copper, Rhodium, Plutonium, Cultural Artifacts, Unique Fauna, Anti-Matter.
- Unexploited Resources: Small deposits of Kyber crystals,
- Gravity: Standard
- Climate: Tygeria is best considered a 'warm' planet, with the poles only just being cold enough for snow and ice formation.
- Primary Terrain: Jungles, Swamps, Arid Deserts, Rolling hills, ocean sized mesic and dry prairies, warmer tundras around poles, lots of mountains, lots of volcanoes.
- Atmosphere: Type I
- Capital City: Tritheris
- Planetary Features: The planet is host to thousands of water canals connecting cities instead of traditional roads. These canals are still often used for those who cannot afford the bullet trains that are built directly above the canals. Most of these canals lead to the Crater of Oros, a massive inland ocean located near the northern pole of the planet.
- Major Locations:
Tritheris, the City of Tyrants, truly one of the most beautiful cities of the galaxy. Built on a large central island within the Crater of Oros, Tritheris, which simply translates to the 'Third City' was built by the Tyrant Oros of the First Hegemony thousands of years ago. After Oros unified the planet through conquest, he sought to establish footholds for the Dragon Lords to rule over the surrounding countrymen, thus he constructed fifteen cities scattered across the planet. Tritheris would go on to be the seat of his power and the power of future tyrants throughout most of history.
The city is most defined by its year round warm temperatures and cool breeze, as well as the great wonders of architecture such as stone spires that stretch far above what should have been possible for a medieval society to construct and even rival the modern technological sky scrapers. Golden dragons often adorn these great spires, as well as the domes of the temples and other great buildings. The city was meticulously designed for every step of its expansion. Built in 'Rings', each ring has set districts marked clearly by signs, symbols, and even decorations. Market districts stand out for their use of colorful banners and unique smells from foods flown in from all over the galaxy and are meticulously placed in the heart of different residential districts. The inner most rings and the outermost rings could not be more different. The outer-districts show signs of the modern age, great glass and metal buildings stretching into the clouds while the inner rings have ancient buildings constructed of stone and old practices long since forgotten. Great aqueducts run through these rings and feed into the Central Spire in the inner most ring, atop of which is the largest and most intricately designed dragon statues called the Idol of Xalgion which spews fourth a waterfall from its mouth which feeds into the waterways and canals that make up the streets of Tritheris.
It is here within Tritheris that the Hall of Hegemony is found, where the planetary government is housed. This hall was constructed by Reykaris, the Last Tyrant when he surrendered his power to the noble lords of Tygeria. It is a massive domed building, so large in fact that measures had to be taken to stop it from forming its own climate. It can house over 4000 seats for the 1000 Dragon Lords and an additional 3000 for their household guards or for visitors. It also has countless offices, a barracks, several luxury rooms, the largest temple of the city, and the Great Crypt underneath where all the nobles who have died in service of the Hegemonies are laid to rest for eternity and is constantly being expanded with every war. The great stories of these deceased lords can be found engraved on their stone sarcophagi, usually with artistic depictions of the man/woman in their prime carved into the lid.
The last great building within Tritheris is the great Dragon Palace where the Tyrants of old kept their great mounts. Built directly upon the natural force nexus found on Tygeria, it is perhaps the most powerful building within Tritheris. Its original purpose has long since been abandoned, and it has been turned into an academy to train the Knights Vigilant who act as high ranking officers and experts in hand to hand combat, often trained in the force as well.
(Hall of Hegemony)
Canals of Tureis
The Canals of Tureis are the great canals created by Tyrant Tureis the Rebels Bane, the second Tyrant of the First Hegemony. They stretch between the fifteen cities and are so large that they can be seen clearly from low orbit. They are lined for miles by great statues of dragons, heroes, gods, and the occasional maiden he had a fancy for. They were used primarily for rapid troop deployment whenever rebels would rise up anywhere within the Hegemony, but ended up doubling as a great trade network. As these canals all center on Tritheris, most of the traders ended up meeting and exchanging goods there, leading to most of the wealth the city sees today.
The canals were Tureis' life work, spending decades on them. First having them constructed and then spending every waking moment he wasn't stopping dissent overseeing the great decorations, at the base of each is the inscription "All Hail Tureis the Great, Peacekeeper of the Realm". They are the only canals however to not have bullet trains constructed over them, having been marked as a cultural land mark for the Tygerii people. They have since fallen much into disrepair, but recent efforts by the New Hegemony have begun to revitalize and repair these great canals.
- Force Nexus (Optional):
Intent: To create a force nexus to tie into the histories of Tygeria
Nexus Name: Presence of Oros - Nexus Alignment: Fluid: The nexus, if left alone, is neutral, but the native Tygerii in their ancient history devised a way through alchemy and force imbuement to shift the alignment to the light or dark. The change manifests after an individual bleeds into a special urn that flows their blood throughout the Dragon Palace, thus corrupting the nexus. Only incredibly powerful force users are capable of bringing about this change, and it was often used to delegitamize a Tyrant if they were incapable of doing so. The nexus will slowly shift back after a period of around 20 years.
- Size: Small
- Strength: Moderate
- Accessibility: The Dragon Palace is strictly guarded by the Knights Vigilant and only members of their order, or guests specifically asked to enter, are allowed to come in. The urn which allows for the transformation of the nexus is guarded by some of the most powerful and high tech equipment in the galaxy.
- Effects: The effects of the nexus change with the side of the force it is currently sided with.
While aligned with the light it acts almost like a 'Memory Bank', effectively copying memories into some sort of mystical database that can be recovered by force users. These memories are anything that happens within the nexus, and branches species, even non-sapient ones. This can be used to train individuals as they access the memories of previous masters or scholars or access the memories of the ancient dragons that lived there.
While aligned with the dark side, it begins to fundamentally alter the biology of those who stay within it for too long, creating denser muscles, lighter but stronger bones, and turning them into truely powerful warriors. But it also tends to make lash out far more often, and those who stay too long in its aura have been known to go feral if they are not strong enough in the force.
While neutral, the effects are almost mixed. You are able to perfectly recall any of your own memories made within the nexus, and find yourself slowly growing stronger (although not as strong as those effected by the dark sided influence)
POPULATION
- Native Species: Tygerii, Tyrant Dragons
- Immigrated Species: Humans, Ssi-Ruu, P'w'eck, Epicanthix, Twi'lek
- Population: Moderate
- Demographics: Tygerii (67%) Humans (4%) Epicanthix (8%) Twi'lek (5%) Ssi-Ruu (11%) (P'w'eck 3%) Other (2%)
- Primary Languages: Old Tygerii (spoken by the aristocracy, thousands of years old), Basic Tygerii (a mixture of Tygerii and galactic basic, spoken by most of the population), and Ssi-Ruuvi (spoken by the Ssi-Ruu and P'w'eck)
- Culture:
In the early days of the New Hegemony slavery was still legal and ships would discretely raid Human settlements, often taking any Twi'Lek found there as well due to their beauty, as well as the Epicanthix, valued for their warlike nature. This has lead to some recent tension as Epicanthix, Human, and Twi'lek descendants of these slaves who know nothing of their original culture find it difficult to try to reintegrate into their species, and have thus demanded reparations from the New Hegemony. This is not to say that all Epicanthix, Humans, and Twi'leks are in the lower classes however. There are a few noble houses exclusively made up of these foreign species, who's founder was often risen up due to their worth as a spy or a warrior for their masters.
During the Ssi-Ruu expansion, the Tygerii and the Ssi-Ruu came into conflict, leading to many clashes and a few minor wars. Most of the time it ended in stalemate, but the Ssi-Ruu never managed to invade Tygeria. Yet slowly over time the Tygerii would invite the Ssi-Ruu to their world, fascinated by their resemblance to the great reptiles of Tygeria. The Ssi-Ruu are one of the only species on Tygeria to hold on to their original culture, although the mixture of the dragon lords and the demand to follow court etiquette has mellowed them somewhat.
The Court: The court is by far the most important part of Tygerii culture. Knowing to curtsy upon introduction, entering/leaving the presence of another noble, knowing the complex hierarchy of titles and their relevance, knowing which noble houses are within your league, and knowing all the phrases and right things to say are fundamental.
There is a strict hierarchy of titles and the way they interact. The hierarchy is as follows:
Tyrant: Tyrants are the undisputed dictators of Tygeria, which all other nobles must directly swear allegiance to. There hasn't been a tyrant in several hundred years, so this is mostly a discarded title. They are usually referred to as 'Your Supreme Highness'.
Lord Protector: The Lord Protector is one of the few elected positions on Tygeria, even if it is held for life. Their primary job is to keep the peace between the noble houses and to direct the Knights Vigilant as the Lord Protector is considered the head of their order. One is able to become the Lord Protector after joining the Knights Vigilant and being voted into office by the Hegemons, who then swear their fealty to him. The Lord Protector is usually referred to as 'Protector of the Realm' 'Our Protector' or simply by their title.
Hegemon/Dragon Lord: The Hegemons are the heads of state, and there are exactly 1000 of them. Each Hegemon seat is hereditary, passing from patriarch/matriarch of any noble house to their designated heir. Yet these seats can be revoked by a majority vote of the Hegemonic Council and given to another noble house. Each hegemon has rulership of 1 of the 1000 districts of Tygeria, and all the noble houses within it, all of whom must swear fealty to them. Every hegemon votes on matters of state, votes on who will inherit titles or who will be given titles if a noble house is wiped out or succession is up for debate, and any other matter of state. They are usually referred to as 'Your Benevolence' .
High Baron/High Baroness: A High Baron rules over three baronies, and there are 9 baronies in a District. This position is hereditary. Usually referred to as 'Your Highness'
Baron/Baroness: Barons rule over 1 barony, and swear fealty to their High Baron. Hereditary. Referred to as 'My Lord'
Viscount/Viscountess: Rules over 3 counties, as there are 9 counties in a barony. Hereditary. Referred to by title.
Count/Countess: Rules over a single county. Hereditary. Referred to by title.
Duke/Duchess: Rules over a single city, castle, or similar small population center. Hereditary. Referred to by title.
The tradition of these roles and their role in government has been cemented in Tygerii culture for thousands of years. Not being able to identify noble houses by their coat of arms or names, or being able to tell which territory they rule over, often is considered ignorant and rude as much of this knowledge should be rather commonplace if you even are high enough of status to have dealings with Tygerii nobility.
GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY
- Government: Noble Oligarchy called the New Hegemony. A noble from every house is sent to vote on matters of state and write law at the Hall of Hegemony, this council is called the Hegemonic Council.
- Affiliation: No Affiliation.
- Wealth: High, large phrik deposits on Tygeria itself and Tibanna in its mother gas giant has lead to incredible influx of wealth, not to mention the host of other exports of raw materials.
- Stability: Medium, Peace is not a constant on Tygeria, the noble houses often clash over territory or even minor disputes and even the occasional insult. These clashes are hopefully solved through 'Champion Combat' where each house chooses a champion and which ever side wins wins the argument. Yet full blown wars have been known to break out. Every territory that isn't currently in the middle of a war is rather peaceful. Heavy policing and access to free fundamentals such as housing, healthcare, and food has lead to a populace that is relatively happy with their lot in life and less likely to revolt.
- Freedom & Oppression: Since the banishment of slavery, every individual within Tygeria has a certain set of fundamental rights. Access to food, housing, and healthcare, the right of a fair trial, personal property, etc. But this is all given after a person swears their loyalty to one of the houses, to be called on to fight their wars should one arise or to serve in their court should they be called. Obedience to your sworn house is paramount, and should you refuse an order by your superior, you are often sentenced to long jail times and forced labor.
- Military: There is no real unified military on Tygeria. Every Noble House has control over a set area, and all citizens within that area are able to be quickly conscripted into the Noble's militia. Now, this has the upside of being able to mobilize large parts of the population of Tygeria but has the downside that this is rarely the case and that Tygeria's own military is often used against itself in petty conflicts. Many noble houses field various different ships, walkers and other vehicles, and animal cavalry, but the most famous of which are the Tyrant Dragons. These beasts have been known to be able to take on even cutting edge fighters, sometimes even more agile and dangerous than this modern technology. Their fire, although having a limited range, can melt through many industrial metals used for modern construction, and their swift flying capabilities mean they can often catch up to, grapple, and drag fighters to the ground if they don't just melt them or tear out the pilot. The closest thing that Tygeria has to an official state owned military are the Knights Vigilant, which are an order of force users numbering only in the couple hundred who slay feral dragons, protect special governmental buildings, and generally act as high level law enforcement.
- Technology: Technology is mostly galactic standard, but is not necessarily used in every day life. Everything from the continued use of scrolls and books, to traditional cooking with stoves and fires, to mostly animal-back / boat travel is very popular. Technology is seen as a way to improve upon tradition rather than something to replace it.
The history of the Tygerii people is told in accordance to the rulers and governments at the time, so I'll be relaying it in a similar fashion.
The First Hegemony:
Oros, the First Tyrant: Oros is the first recorded ruler of Tygeria and founder of the First Hegemony. Before Oros the planet was nothing but squabbling feudal states who barely managed to record their own histories or tribes who's names and populations shifted every few months. Yet with the conquest of Oros and his Dragon Lords came a unified language, institutions set up to record history, and to further technological progression. It certainly wasn't easy, and it took him nearly fifty years to really conquer the planet and bring it under his heel, constructing his 15 cities as he went. It is estimated that Oros finished his conquest at around the same time as the Republic was going through the Ruusan Reformation (1000 bby). It was during his conquest that he would find the force nexus, and learn to corrupt it to the dark side, allowing his dragon Xalgion the Fyrewing to create its nest here as the Dragon Palace was constructed. He was described as a cruel unforgiving man who ruled with an iron fist who wielded great magical powers and understood the Greater Mysteries (the force). Reigned 142 years, died at age 191 of old age.
Tureis, The Rebel's Bane: Tureis was elected by the noble houses as the new Tyrant upon Oros' death, due to many claiming his ability to tame Xalgion after Oros' death that he was the next great destined ruler. It was with the power of the altered Xalgion that Tureis would crush countless rebellions as many saw Oros' death as a time of weakness. His years would be spent building the great canals connecting the 15 cities and putting down rebellions. He was described as a just ruler who wished to see the realm prosper and for stability to rule. Ruled for 130 years, died at age 170 of old age.
Markarys, The Hedonist: Markarys was the first of many corrupt Tyrants to come. He spent his days drinking and partying with his new found wealth and prestige, leaving most of the work to the noble councils. Ruled for 31 years, died at age 70 after being assassinated by the noble councils.
Baeselyx, The Wise: Baeselyx was elected due to being the polar opposite of Markarys, under his reign the First Hegemony prospered, and public schooling was instituted as a part of the state rather than individual noble houses or the religious authorities. Nearing the end of his reign the first steam engines were forged. He was described as blatantly non-religious and cynical of the church, often going against their say to try to improve the lives of all Tygerii. Reigned for 74 years, died at the age of 210 of old age.
Jaeremarys, The Pious: Jaeremarys was narrowly elected by the noble councils due to faith centered life style. He was seen equally as intelligence as Baeselyx due to his lifetime commitment to studying the world and its natural processes to uncover more of the Great Dragon Gods. It was during his reign that many volcanoes erupted due to the friction caused on Tygeria's mantle by orbiting the gas giant. This was taken at a sign of distaste by the Great Dragon Gods and Jaeremarys made moves to increase the power of the Priesthood in an attempt to appease them. He was described as a humble man, never wearing any of the finery of the previous Tyrants, and slow to anger or rash decisions. Reigned for 53 years, Died at the age of 122 due to being assassinated by an unknown party.
Rule of the Dragon Priests: After the fall of Jaeremarys, the priesthood would commit a coup against the noble families and overthrow them. They would proceed to rule for 500 years, stiffling any innovation claiming that the Dragons, avatar of the Dragon Gods, did not seek to change their lives but lived by nature alone and that the Tygerii should follow their example. This was the fall of the First Hegemony. Although they attempted to stop it, technology did slowly progress. Great coal burning factories were forged and the Tygerii people entered the industrial age near the end of the Dragon Priests Rule.
The Second Hegemony:
Virion, the Rebel: Virion would lead a populist revolution against the Priesthood, and establish an authoritarian dictatorship he would call the Second Hegemony. He would clash regularly with the nobles who would seek to regain power, dividing the planet in two politically. Under his rule he would banish any and all forms of religion, promote the power of the guilds and corporations, and establish a national bank. He would rule for 70 years and die at the age of 90 just at the eve of the Clone Wars (21.5 BBY) due to assassination by the noble houses.
Vhaera and Naeremys, Twins of Promise: The twins Vhaera and Naeremys would take power umong the chaos of Virion's death, and establish the power of their house over all the others, calling themselves the 'Twin Tyrants'. Under their rule, much gender equality would be enforced, and they would have to stiffen several rebellions of those unwilling to serve under female leaders. During their time, computers and higher levels of technology would begin to flourish, although only for the elite as silicon was in rare supply. Ruled for 120 years, both died at the age of 190, cause unknown.
Reykaris, the Pretender: It is then that a man named Reykaris would elect himself Tyrant, although never lawfully be acknowledged as such, and rage a brutal civil war against any who dared stop him. This war took place for 50 years, which he would ultimately loose, ceding his power to the noble houses who opposed him and allowing the dictatorial powers of the Tyrant be spread into an Oligarchy.
New Hegemony:
The New Hegemony would be the government that would arise from the ashes of the civil war, a coalition of the noble houses spread across Tygeria to form a ruling council for the planet. This ruling council would oversee the slave raids on other planets, and the settling of the first Tygerii colonies. Most of these colonies would fail outright due to petty bickering over land rights or would be pushed back by what ever native population was on the planet. Really only two colonies succeeded: Lysenia, which would ultimately fall to an atomic civil war after losing contact with Tygeria at the height of the gulag plague, and Weylas which would thrive even during the gulag plague as noble houses blended with corporations to capitalize off of the suffering of nearby systems, eventually declaring themselves independent.
Yet before the colonies fell apart, and the slave raids stopped, Tygeria enjoyed several decades of wealth brought on by their small colonial empire. Yet not all things are to last. Rising tensions between the peasantry/slaves and the nobles began to get to a boiling point, as more wealth from the empire was consolidated into noble houses and away from the population at large. Peasants hated the slaves for taking their jobs and the nobles for ignoring them, the slaves hated the peasants who struck out at them and the nobles who enslaved them, and the nobles didn't care for either or their problems. Several skirmishes broke out between the peasant and slave populations, and continued to plunge farther into chaos.
The nobles, fearing an uprising that would overthrow their stability and wealth, began to enact sweeping social reforms including several elected positions within the government. The primary one being the Lord Protector who had some authority over the nobles. Another major social reform being the banishment of slavery, a decade long process where slaves were slowly freed and forced to compete for jobs with the peasantry. It certainly wasn't easy to begin with, and became even more difficult as the gulag plague entered and began its ravaging of Tygeria. Much of the infrastructure needed to maintain their interstellar empire simply became too costly to maintain, colonies collapsed and lost contact with the capital, quarantines were put into place for every city, and the population of Tygeria dropped by nearly a third.
Recovery was long and hard, slowly the planet clawed its way back to a unified stable government. Whole provinces had been abandoned by their noble owners and had become overrun with bandits and looters. Some of these became powerful warlords, who were reluctantly accepted as nobility. Others were routed, slaughtered, and their land divided among the invading noble houses. The previous slaves turned out to be a key aspect in the recovery of the planet, their unique perspectives from their different cultures and back grounds bringing new skills to help in the recovery. Some of these previous slaves even managed to profit and join the noble ranks.
However, all of this has not caused the New Hegemony to learn. The Lord Protector has become a largely corrupted title, wealth is once again being accumulated en mass by the nobles, and the peasantry once more is ready for a revolution. A cultural hero has come, claiming to be the savior of the planet with the help of a foreign empire. Some even theorize that all of this will lead to a civil war. The future is uncertain, but it certainly won't be pleasant.
