This is some non-linguistic material on the culture and history of Iniel, from the same source as the material on Taean languages.
RELIGION Iniel (Anfedh to natives) is perhaps best known for its heavy emphasis on demon worship. Religion is not institutionalized, as a rule; some larger towns and cities have public worship areas, but by and large the accepted practice is for each individual to pay his respects to the _marrem_, the common term for demon in Ilfedh, as he chooses. Rumor has it that there are exactly 13 Inielic demon-gods, although each reportedly commands legions of major and minor demons. These demon-gods, or Hrass'cipi, are of varying power and influence (although each is far more powerful than any single mortal or demon, they are measurably weaker than Ea's true deities). When an Inielic child of noble birth reaches 13 years of age, he or she is expected to complete a bizarre and dangerous ritual to attract the attention of one of the demon-gods, who from that point serves as his patron (He or she will still give the other 12 nominal worship; commoners tend to worship them collectively). Some do not opt to perform the ritual, and some (few) fail to attract the attention of any, but these do not, by and large, live long. Patron demons provide advice, services, and whatever else their level of power and their opinion of the worshipper in question dictates, but they rarely if ever do things without expecting some return. The return may be minor or even imperceptible to the demon's pawn, but it is nonetheless there (in contrast to the demonologists, who more often threaten and demand in order to get what they want from the demons -- a dangerous proposition at best). There is a widespread tendency among noble Inielese to sacrifice valuable objects, animals, slaves, etc., to their patrons in the hope of receiving more favors. For unknown reasons, the demon-gods seem to become patrons in inverse proportion to their power level; thus, the weakest of them is usually the patron of the most, and the most powerful, the fewest (in point of fact, the strongest of the demon-gods had not deigned to become a patron for almost two centuries until he chose Brennan Elannon, now the Hierarch Prince of Iniel). It is *only* through mortal servants that the demon-gods can express any power at all on the mortal plane, so they are usually quite willing to grant favors to their loyal servants. Such powers are not usually anything like the "physical" magic of most common sorcerers; they tend toward mind-manipulations, such as causing hallucinations, disrupting sense input, manipulating emotions, and other such techniques. (A full description of such magic is forthcoming. The above should not be taken as gospel.) THE INIELESE PEOPLE Inielese tend to have slim, tall figures, pale skin, and dark brown or black hair, although redheads are not especially rare. Blondes or those with extremely light brown hair are rare and unusual. Eyes tend to be large, with colors ranging from pale, almost white blue to very dark, dirty browns; violet, pale gold, and orange eyes are not at all rare among the Inielese, although blues and greens seem to be the most common. The average Inielese male stands slightly over six feet and weighs about one hundred and fifty pounds; women are a bit shorter, at 5'10" average, and weigh considerably less. The Inielese as a rule are arrogant, extremely xenophobic, proud, disdainful of those they consider beneath them, slightly paranoid, and prone to elaborate plotting and backstairs deal cutting. They tend to think in convoluted fashion, rarely enter into direct conflict, and never trust the simplest solution. They consider their race as a whole inherently superior to any others on Ea and display a thinly veiled contempt when encountering such. POLITICS AND SOCIETY The sociopolitical system is fairly complex and stratified. At the top is the Matriarch, of course, her immediate family, and the other members of whichever family whose head is the current Matriarch. Each Matriarch, thanks to mysterious and demonic magicks, has a tremendously long lifespan (400+ years is not uncommon), a gift shared by many of the noble families. When the Matriarch dies, civil war erupts between the families of the Lords of Iniel until one retains hold of Velissihl long enough to declare the new Matriarch and "spread word to all the lands of Iniel". (In practice, the major towns and villages suffice.) For this reason, troops other than the Matriarch's are strictly prohibited in Velissihl. Just below this are the other hereditary feudal lords and ladies of Iniel, a huge and diverse bunch in terms of goals, power, and history. Such lords range from the descendents of families that have ruled the same lands since before the Matriarchy ever arose, to petty lords who rule no more than an acre or two of land and owe their titles mainly to generous former Matriarchs. Theoretically, at least, all lords are equal, and each normally bears only the title "Lord (or, more likely, "Lady") of Iniel". Realistically, however, a fairly small group of families (>20) dominate the government of Iniel. These tend to be families controlling large areas of land, large treasuries, large coalitions of minor lords (which are usually very temporary, and can arise for any number of reasons), or all of the above. Additionally, a variety of additional titles are held, in some cases hereditarily, and some cases on basis of competence, by the highest of the Lords. Such titles ("Supreme Chancellor", "Lord High Marshal", and "Hierarch Prince" are the translations of but a few) usually carry not only prestige and power, but often a grant of land or similar benefit. Some of the more powerful families include: Beltyn: A family of cutthroats and murderers, the Beltyns would be far more influential if they could put a stop to their continuous infighting and concentrate more on their enemies. So frequently do internal feuds and murderous vendettas rip through their ranks that an Inielic joke is to refer to something as "As lasting as a Beltyn Lord" -- that is, not very lasting at all. Chanthalas: The Chanthalas are shrewd merchants and scholars, exceptionally skilled at manipulating the economy for their own greatest profit. One of the wealthiest of all the families, they are, alas, laughably incompetent in the political arena, and only their wealth allows them to remain as influential as they are. Dharamos: An old and distinguished family, it is said that the Dharamos line has produced more Matriarchs than any other. The legend may or may not be true (and the Inielese certainly aren't saying), but the reputation -- and the vast territories -- of the family make them one of the most powerful in the Matriarchy. The current Lady Dharamos, Lasella Dharamos, is Lord High Marshal. Elannon: At the moment, by a considerable margin the most powerful family of the Matriarchy. An old family, if not as old as Dharamos, and rich in territory and intelligence, the Elannon family has tremendous influence. They seem to have some mysterious source of wealth, for despite low tax rates they are among the richest in the empire. Though led in name by Marennia Elannon, it is Hierarch Prince Brennan Elannon who really rules this family. Erevul: An unremarkable family but for their influence. Erevul is among the younger families, having been granted title a mere three-quarters of a milennium ago. They have acheived their eminent position primarily due to hard work and good luck, rather than any special talents or advantages. Presper: This family tends to be rather erratic; they range from those with one or two minor quirks to those who are completely mad. When rational, they are quite brilliant, and often make large short-term political gains, but eventually someone lapses back into madness at an inconvenient time and wipes out the accomplishments. Ryhinn: This is the family of the current Matriarch, Arenna Ryhinn. Unfortunately, they have lost much of their power since she became Matriarch, and to make matters worse, none of the family have even moderately strong Hrass'cipi. As a result, although they still retain the position of Matriarch, the Ryhinn are most often forced to go along with the strongest of the families in an attempt to regain their strength. All families are ruled by a matriarch, although, as is the case with Elannon, this rule may be in no more than name. In general, women are heavily favored by the entire social and political system, so much so that women are often selected for jobs or ennoblements over better-qualified men (more than 85% of Inielese nobles are women). Although it is possible for a man to rise to high position in Iniel, it is very, very rare. Such a man would have to be far more talented and powerful than any of his female contemporaries, even more so as one reaches the highest levels of nobility. Below the lords are scholars (including demonologists) and craftsmen, followed directly by merchants, farmers and laborers, and, at the bottom of the hierarchy, servents and slaves. The last are not considered persons at all, being primarily from other lands (the Inielese are notorious for raiding neighboring lands in order to capture slaves, sacrifices, or both; children are preferred for the latter purpose, adolescents for the former), and killing one merely mandates that the killer pay the slave's owner the cost of replacement. Theives and assassins are considered "craftsmen", and as such, are the social equals of any artist or professor, although for obvious reasons, they usually avoid revealing their status. GEOGRAPHY Iniel is a roughly oval-shaped land, bordered on the east by, as the Inielic term for them translates, the Demons' Spine mountain range, and on the other borders by the Osseral and Ralladhin rivers. In between, Iniel consists primarily of misty, humid swamps and thick, dense jungle, with some clear areas to allow for agriculture, a large number of small towns and villages, and a few major cities. Velissihl, the nominal capital of the Matriarchy, lies slightly to the southwest of the center of Iniel. It is here that the actual ruling is done, and thus most politically active Inielese live here. Most of Iniel, though, is still a mixture of treacherous swamp and thick jungle abounding with disease, horrifying beasts, and, according to some, enormous treasures left by some pre-Inielic civilization. It is speckled with hundreds of thousands of underground caverns, many all but impossible to find, and in these caverns are the fabled mines of Iniel, from whence spring the land's seemingly limitless wealth in gold, silver, and gems. Huge portions of land have yet to be explored and mapped in detail; quite probably there are thousands more as-yet-untapped mines hidden somewhere in Iniel. The far northeast of the Matriarchy, in fact, is such dense, treacherous swamp and jungle, and so well-endowed with all sorts of monsters, that nearly a hundred square miles of it was declared by a previous Matriarch as "forbidden territory" -- all entry into the area is strictly prohibited, although few have to be persuaded, despite rumors that this area was the center of pre-Inielic civilization. Granting territory in this area is a very popular way for Matriarchs to rid themselves of lords they consider annoying, since, although no income whatsoever can be derived from it, taxes must nonetheless be paid. Brief (sorta) History of Iniel: (PT: Pre-Taeis, the period before the Ohs Empire was founded by Taeis Dubogula; AT: the period after the founding of the empire. 5000 PT: Human tribes begin to migrate into what will soon become Iniel, and soon spread rapidly over the area. 3000 PT: 'Proto-Iniel' is covered by a patchwork of separate independent states, each separate by dozens of miles of jungle. Over the next millenium, the states will gradually begin to unite into loose confederations. The first and strongest is ruled by Aruvan Dharamos. 1925 PT: The leaders of the five largest states (Peretir Dharamos, Ulen Allaire, Tanevel Nevronar, Evali Vedrian, and Rellidan Elannon) sign the Unification Accords, forming what is modern Iniel. Marellya Nevronar is declared the first Matriarch to tremendous acclaim. She is succeeded on her death in 1843 by her daughter, Illyana Nevronar. These two, during their respective reigns, begin a tendency toward female domination of the government, even going so far as to declare the Matriarchy (which had been originally intended as a Matriarchy/Patriarchy, depending on who held the position at the moment) a female-only position. This trend will continue and grow until the present day. 1776 PT: Matriarch Illyana Nevronar dies, without having left an heir. After several days of wrangling over the subject of the new Matriarch, the leaders of the five confederations agree to disagree, and civil war breaks out. Things rapidly degenerate as the smaller states use this excuse to resolve disputes and attempt to gain negotiating leverage. 1770 PT: The bloodbath finally ends as the Dharamos family captures and holds Velissihl long enough to decree their matriarch, Alleva Dharamos, as Matriarch of All Iniel. 92 AT: The Velissihl Accords are signed, once again unifying Iniel after almost five and a half centuries of separation. The treaty names Danara Dharamos as Matriarch and includes a clause ordering the resconstruction of Velissihl for use as capital of Iniel. Reconstruction begins at once. 114 AT: The rebuilding of Velissihl is completed, and the Matriarch takes up residency in the Court of the Serpent, beginning Iniel's time of greatest prosperity. 306 AT: Slightly concerned by the growing strength of the Ohs Empire in its pushes to the south, Matriarch Baria proposes sending a delegation to meet with the rulers of this supposed "Empire" in hopes of learning more about it. The measure is denounced by most families of the Matriarchy, and Baria withdraws the suggestion. 480 AT: Baria Ryhinn dies, and is succeeded by Reia Elannon, who proves similar in many ways to her long-dead ancestor Renata. 528 AT: The ritual of summoning Hrass'cipi is discovered by leaders of the demon cult, who begin to teach it to the sons and daughters of their respective families. 581 AT: An internal struggle of some sort wracks Iniel for several years, eventually ending in the assassination of Matriarch Reia and the declaration of demon worship as the official religion of Iniel. The new Matriarch, Ilyaya Chanthalas, proves a competent, if unimaginative, ruler. 762 AT: Ilyaya Chanthalas dies, and is succeeded by the former Lord High Marshal, Kerryn Dharamos. Matriarch Dharamos immediately begins preparations for war with the tribes to the north, which have been growing stronger and more threatening in recent years. 766 AT: The northern barbarians launch a preemptive invasion of Iniel. The swampy terrain, hot and humid weather, and continual spoiling attacks launched by the Inielese Special Tactical Battalions make them regret their decision very rapidly, and within a year their advance has been halted. 768 AT: For the first time, demons are summoned to fight for the Inielese forces as the northern barbarians are driven back across the Osseral river and out of Iniel. 772 AT: Having driven the barbarians far to the north of Iniel, Dharamos declares the campaign concluded and recalls her forces, not bothering to occupy the conquered land. 1015 AT: Kerryn Dharamos dies in her sleep. She is destined to be the last such Matriarch to do so for more than a millenium. Her successor is Livadha Elannon. 1143 AT: Following the accidental death of Derrin Ryhinn, eldest son of the Ryhinn family's matriarch, an unfortunate misunderstanding and some ill-timed political squabbles combine to rip apart the 1100-year old alliance between the Elannon and Ryhinn families. The Ryhinn response is a vendetta that leaves dozens of Lords and Ladies on both sides dead, including the unlucky or imprudent Matriarch, Livadha Elannaon. Eventually, after scores of charred assassins and almost as many knifed corpses, the two families cease active hostilities, but by no means reconcile. Taryn Beltyn becomes Matriarch. 1206 AT: Just over 50 years into her reign, Taryn Beltyn is assassinated by a jealous member of her own family. In the ensuing civil war, the Beltyn family spends more time stabbing each others' backs than attempting to regain the Matriarchy, which, as a result, goes to Sulana Dharamos. 1433 AT: The Ohs Empire begins its attempt at conquest of the Paeni clans. Some few Lords and Ladies, concerned by the imperialistic tendancies of Ohs, suggest that the Matriarch do away with them while they are occupied on one front already. Rather than listen, Sulana has the group executed for daring to suggest that Iniel might need worry about a ragtag collection of upstart barbarians. Several weeks later, Sulana is assassinated by relatives of several of the executed nobles. Her successor is Imura Xalenthil. 1586 AT: The Ohs Empire invades Iniel, to the surprise and shock of the Matriarch. Severak villiages are razed and their populations executed by overzealous commanders. Matriarch Imura sends the ISTB (Iniel Special Tactical Battalions) to harass the invaders, which they do with such efficiency that thousands of Imperial troops die in several days while killing no more than a few hundred ISTB troops. Eventually, reinforced by the Matriarch's Own Elite Guard and a small force of major demons, the ISTB launches a series of hit-and-run raids that devastate the Imperial Army and force its retreat from Iniel. Original-Received: from ellis.uchicago.edu by midway.uchicago.edu Fri, 12 Jun 92 19:53:00 CDT Pp-Warning: Illegal Received field on preceding line Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 19:53:00 CDT From: Geoff TuffliTo: jrk Subject: Taeis: Iniel - linguistics & culture 1594 AT: After the death of the Dragon Emperor of Ohs, his successor determines to reinvade Iniel, and sends 650,000 troops to subdue and humiliate the nation. Inielese forces fall back quickly, offering little resistance except for the usual harassing raids. Encouraged, Tarnil Seina Dubogula moves her command headquarters just inside the borders of Iniel and takes personal command of the operation. 1595 AT: Judging the Ohs Empire troops to have stretched their lines too far, Imura Xalenthil orders a series of counterattacks all along the line of advance, taking maximum advantage of the familiar terrain. ISTB teams contribute to the chaos by destroying supply depots, assassinating officers, and disrupting lines of communications. Within a month, the Imperial forces are confused, demoralized, and disorganized, a situation which worsens when a demon lord (not a demon-god, but a demon more powerful than a major demon by a considerable factor) appears in Tarnil Seina Dubogula's pavilion twenty miles into Iniel and rips the Dragon Empress to shreds, then adds a company of troops to its diet when they attempt to prevent the its departure. The Imperial troops retreat from Iniel in disarray. 1625 AT: The Dragon Empress of the Ohs Empire poisons the Osseral river, hoping to revenge the defeat suffered 30 years before at Iniel's hands. Nearly a quarter of the population dies from eating fish contaminated by the poison before the tactic is discovered, including Matriarch Ressil. Her immediate successor, Celanni Elannon, immediately begins gathering a force of powerful demonologists. 1626 AT: Matriarch Elannon's plans finally bear fruit as a combined group of over 500 demonologists tear open a dimensional rift in the center of Tarn Ohs, the Imperial capital. 77 major demons and a dozen demon lords escape from the rift before Imperial sorcerers can close it, and procede to ravage the city over the next three days and nights. More than half the population of Tarn Ohs is killed, including a substantion fraction of the elite military forces defending the Empress, and the city is essentially destroyed. Finally, Empress Meia Dubogula falls on her own sword in shame, and the demons return to their own dimension. The events of the last forty years, however, have near-fatally strained Iniel. As a result, the people and the nobility as a whole sink into the langour and decadence which has marked them ever since. 1812 AT: Celanni Elannon is slain by an assassin of the House of Ryhinn. Even the resulting war shows something of the apathy the Inielese continue to feel. Riala Ryhinn becomes the new Matriarch. 2061 AT: Matriarch Ryhinn dies of an overdose of narcotics, the use of which has grown increasingly prevelant in recent decades. The death provokes a short furor, largely destroys the narcotics industry, and almost immediately fades away. The new Matriarch is Ethara Dharamos. 2072 AT: The 4000th anniversary of the Matriarchy's establishment passes virtually unnoticed by the population of Iniel. 2224 AT: The Ohs Empire dissolves into civil war, a situation which is ignored by the Inielese, despite the perfect opportunity it presents for revenge. The prevaling argument is that they simply aren't worth dignifying with the effort. 2248 AT: Ethara Dharamos dies in her sleep, the first Matriarch to do so since Kerryn Dharamos in 1015 AT. Ethara is succeeded by Dayana Erevul. 2577 AT: Matriarch Erevul dies, after a 329-year reign that qualifies as the longest, and possibly most boring, in Iniel's history. Her successor, Ardulace Lathinel, proves little more energetic. 2823 AT: Nedylinn Chanthalas becomes Matriarch after Ardulace Lathinel dies of a heart attack. 3005 AT: Arenna Ryhinn ascends to the Matriarchy. A young, energetic woman, albeit one with an exceptionally weak Hrass'cipi, of barely 25 years at the beginning of her reign, she commands the full support of her family, and seems prepared to lift Iniel out of its milennium and a half of apathy. 3007 AT: A severe policy miscalculation on Matriarch Arenna's part results in vendettas with the Dharamos and Radhaen families. The Matriarch loses the support of most of the nobles and watches the few members of her family with powerful Hrass'cipi, political influence, or both, die off one by one. By the end of the carnage, she is virtually powerless. 3010 AT: Brennan Elannon, oldest son of the current Elannon matriarch, maneuvers Arenna Ryhinn into an intractable political position and, in return for the support of his family in getting out of the situation, demands the post of Hierarch Prince, an appointment that gives his family large amounts of additional land, as well as control over the a number of government agencies, including the ISTB, ISIA (Iniel Special Intelligence Agency) and others. Combined with the current strength and influence of the Elannon family as a whole, this makes Brennan de facto ruler of Iniel. 3021 AT: The present. Brennan retains his grip on the Matriarch and continues to secure his family's power. Arenna Ryhinn, trapped in a position of responsibility with none of the power she needs to make the changes she sees as vital to the survival of Iniel, plots and schemes to rid herself of the Hierarch Prince and return her family to its former ascendancy. Meanwhile, a young woman claiming to be of the Nevronar line, which had been thought lost before the Ohs Empire was formed, has appeared and is attempting to reclaim what she insists are her lands by right. Rumors of dark horrors emerging from the forbidden lands to the northeast increase in frequency every year. To the west, the Ohs Empire still waits, restless and eager to absorb Iniel's riches. And the Inielese themselves must be lifted out of their apathy if they are again to become a great nation...
Richard Kennaway, jrk@cmp.uea.ac.uk