Meritas

Land

Meritas is a lordship in the barony of Ethos. Its southwestern border is formed by the Sea of Veils, its northern neighbor is the barony of Amphorae, and the Ethosian lordship of Codex shares the eastern border. While there are some stony, rolling hills, the terrain is relatively flat with a well-draining soil. There is also a very small portion of the Sacred Forest that extends across the Codex-Meritas border, but the vast majority of those trees are on the Codex side.

The capital, Pieta, is found in southern Meritas, closer to the Ethosian capital of Grace City.

Climate

Meritas experiences extremes of temperature and generally low rainfall (less than 610 mm) except for in the southwest. Along the coast, the weather tends to be damp and cool. The heart of Meritas is known for its extremely hot, dry summers and golden-colored clay-mix soil. Drought is a frequent problem; it is difficult to grow anything there at all. The local saying is that the climate is "9 months of winter and 3 months of Hell," referring to its freezing winters and scorching summers. On the southern coast, however, the average winter temperature is a more comfortable 50°F (10°C).



The regularity of the rainfall in the south, along with its soil, makes it an ideal country for the spice fields that provide for much of the lordship's livelihood. While northern Meritas has its share of spice fields, they are not nearly as many in number or as prosperous.


Settlements

Pieta (Medium City, population approx. 20,000). The capital, Pieta, is found in southern Meritas, closer to the Ethosian capital of Grace City which is nestled between the two lordships. It is a medium-sized city whose water needs are supported by two artesian wells that flow in the eastern and western plazas. A few hours' ride away is the ancestral seat of the ruling arm of House Dhaval, and the great bell tower of Meritas.

Tirona (Small City, population approx. 12,500). Tirona is a town that, prior, to the Great Schism was surrounded by a vast community of spice farming communities. After the Great Schism, it became more of a coastal town. It is known for its possession of a great library that collects books on history and the law, an invaluable resource for one of the Empire's most prestigious communities for aspiring advocates. Acquiring an apprenticeship under one of the wise and knowledgeable advocates of Tirona is worth twice as many years under nearly any other advocate on Draught.

Nuova Speranza (Small Town, population approx. 800). Nuova Speranza, founded in part by the surviving families of the lost city of Speranza and the displaced farmers of Tirona when the coastline changed in 508 and killed their spice fields, is the new hub of the Meritas spice trade. With the move of the coastline, many square miles of the lordship's interior became more hospitable for this vital industry. While it is struggling to get its start after the loss of hundreds of acres of invaluable land in the south, it received financial support from Lord Joshua Dhaval and is filled with citizens dedicated to developing new spice growing and harvesting techniques in order to restore Meritas to its former glory and continue to be the premier exporter of spices to the Empire. Farmers travel many miles from the newly established farms surrounding the town to sell their products.

Meritas is mostly known for the large amount of spices that it produces. These are principally crops of black pepper, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, mace, tumeric, and vanilla. Because these are highly coveted crops throughout the empire, the use of currency tends to be more prevalent and is accepted for goods and services throughout the whole of the lordship. Smaller villages and farming communities will also barter goods and services, as they tend to be poorer and more tightly knit communities.

Holidays

Vigil of the Bells. The great bell tower of Meritas, a watchtower built on the grounds of the ancestral seat of the Dhaval family and used in that family's coat of arms, is the site of an annual pilgrimage and vigil. Purists from all over Ethos — and sometimes further — often travel to the site in order to camp around the ancient tower on the last day of winter. They stay awake from dawn until dawn without fire or candle or food, waiting to greet the first rays of the first day of Spring. It is tradition for the reigning Lord Meritas to spend the evening in the tower itself with six chosen able-bodied men and give the signal for the seven iron bells — six exterior bells embellished with images of vanquishing mortal foes and an interior bell depicting the vanquishing of demons — to be rung at dawn's first light. If the heir apparent of Meritas is male and of sufficient age and strength to ring one of the heavy bells, he is expected to be among those six who accompany the reigning Lord Meritas.



This is symbolic of the vigil against darkness, and the awaiting of purification and renewal of man by Providence. The first meal of the day is to be only things that have been stored over the winter, such as salted or dried meats, hard cheeses, and hard bread. These foodstuffs are intentionally collected and stored away on the last day of autumn for this purpose.

This is a time that is supposed to be filled with prayer and reflection, but there are naturally some traditions that have come to surround the vigil, including the dumping of water upon anyone who falls asleep. (Other pranks are also viewed to be acceptable so long as no real harm is done.) The feasting day, which begins with that first dawn of Spring and continues until sunset, is generally seen as a time to clean out all of the old food from the storehouses to prepare them for the new growing season.



Drug Use



Herbs used for their mind-altering properties — such as wormwood and ganja — are not considered to be acceptable use of the land. In fact, growing these herbs for any reason, profit or pleasure, is frowned upon to the extent that it might as well be illegal to grow in Meritas. Due to the northern border that they share with Amphorae, there tends to be a little more grace given to Draughtian travelers in those lands. As one travels further south, however, the more and more adamant the population tends to be about a 'zero-tolerance' policy. There's more than one story about incensed villagers seizing and burning travelers' non-medicinal herbs when they've been discovered.




Religion

Approximately ten percent of the people of Meritas, like the rest of Ethos, are staunchly Purist. While not dictated by lordship or baronial law, small villages typically do not require that all inhabitants attend Purist religious meetings, they are strongly urged to participate in at least some degree all major festivals and holidays. While there is no legal punishment, there are several villages in the more remote countryside comprised nearly entirely of Purists where those who choose to not act as part of the Faith are effectively ostracized from the community and encouraged to settle elsewhere. Their fellow villagers will give their business and wed their children only to other Purist families. This is less true in the larger villages and cities, where there are more people from outside of Ethos in addition to just more people in general, and a greater non-Purist presence.