Nyaliri-Mikano

The culture of Nyaliri-Mikano is one that has facinated scholars and travelers for generations. The archipelago is situated just off the coast of the land mass shared by the other Eastern Kingdoms, and

Early History
From the start, Nyaliri-Mikano was a matriarchy, and for a long time men were taken from other lands for the propagation of children, and killed when they were deemed too old for breeding, weak of seed, or infertile. After the 4th Century, however, the idea of gender equality started to permeate the culture, and, though men have never been given the same respect as women, the practice of Rikundo has given them some worth in the culture.

Sheinana
The sheinana of Nyaliri-Mikano are known for their beauty, and men of reknown and power have traveled great distances to buy a night with them. Suffice to say, the Sheinana of Nyaliri-Mikano weild considerable power, through their riches, their beauty, and their skill as assassins.

The Empress
The ruler of Nyaliri-Mikano, the Empress leads her own private army, and oversees the Rikundo.

the Empress' Hibara
The elite force of warriors, the all-female ranks of the Hibara are

Sheinana Tattoos
Grinding down precious metals and rare flowers, the paterists of Nyaliri-Mikano mix sentient minerals with the ingredients to create the most delicate and remarkable of tattoos, which flutter and move slightly in the sheinana's skin.

The Rikundo
A tradition of Nyaliri-Mikano dating back to the 1st Century, the Rikundo is the training that all men must undergo from the age of seven. Though they are not allowed into the elite troops of the Hibara, nor are they considered to be the true force of the Nyaliri-Mikano army, they deal with the common enemies that beset Nyaliri-Mikano, and do provide a great deal of the manpower within the national troops.

The Twenty-Eight Trials
To become a true Rikundo warrior, one must undertake the twenty-eight trials. These ordeals

Rikundo Warriors
Once they have completed their training, Rikundo Warriors swear an oath to their brotherhood, and enter the elite fighting force that protects Nyaliri-Mikano from the Breechlords of Haavermark, Nygari Dragons, Jabberwoks, Roc, and skridae that destest the way the skridae of Komonsai behave.

Masters of Kulampai
The leaders of the Rikundo Warriors, the older ones deemed too frail for the battlefeild---an insult, but wise and necesary knowledge to impart---are given the task of Kulampai; developing battle tactics, training the boys who have reached the end of Rikundo, and acting as liason to the Empress and her Hibara.

Komonsai
The freshwater lake at the heart of Nyaliri-Mikano, the skridae who live there have completely embraced the customs of the humans in the area, and are considered to be the natural counterpart to the land-dwelling humans.

The Pearl House
The only underwater Sheinana house, the Pearl House is a beautiful pagoda made of mother-of-pearl, and is in the centre of Komonsai. With only the two topmost levels breaking the surface, it is a highly sought destination for many aquamages and choreoists.

The Anemone Gardens
The famous gardens of freshwater sea anmemone and cultivated coral surround the Pearl House, and are tended to by the young skridae girls being trained there.

Kirinoko
The Kirinoko of Nyaliri-Mikano are revered among the locals as symbols of perfect beauty. The fact that the Skridae of Komonsai revere Kirinoko above themselves, even more then their lowering themselves to imitate humans, is what infuriate most foreign skridae. Though they are the cause of most of the skridae attacks upon Nyaliri-Mikano, the locals only cling to their Kirinoko worship all the more fiercely.

Caderbine
Many Caderbine have settled in among the lower-class of Nyaliri-Mikano, living on the shores in the fisheries, where men who have been injured beyond battle and women turned away from the sheinana houses make a living farming in the shallow pools that dot the landscape, and collecting food from tidepools.

Skridae
The rare skridae that do not excel among the Rikundo or live in the Pearl House work alongside the caderbine and lower castes of humans, a very rare thing among skridae. Many, however, work as guards when the area is under attack, and