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Overview

All life in Shiloh revolves around worship. While the landscape of Sharum Mal’Kari was once dotted with Grand Cathedral, Tearfall laid waste to many of these hallowed temples. Those that withstood the barrage were targeted by dragon lords who perceived the worship of the The Old Gods as a threat to their standing, and either reduced them to rubble or repurposed them into secular structures. Through all of this, Shiloh’s Grand Cathedral is the only one that has survived, and thus is seen as the holy land for Templars of all faiths. From behind the thick, white Orichalcum walls of Shiloh, The Divine commands The Divine Order from their seat in the Grand Cathedral while Faline Chevalier communes with the Maker herself. In tandem, they are often viewed as the two most powerful individuals in all of modern-day Sharum Mal’Kari.

Geography

Shiloh is a relatively small nation, nestled into the coast of the Gulf of Maladh in between Bahram and Gath. They enjoy a mild Mediterranean climate through most of the year, and have very rarely experienced harsh weather or storms. Some say this is evidence of The Divine's blessing and may make for a more hospitable climate for Seraph to thrive; after all, Shiloh is the closest the living can get to paradise.

When one speaks of Shiloh they are almost always referring to the capital city— though there is much more to this region than the holy capital. Much of their inland territories are comprised of specialty groves, gardens and orchards which produce blessed fruits, flowers, olives, herbs, honey and wool. Nearly all that Shiloh produces are in small batches and limited runs, which typically increases the public demand and drives the prices sky-high.

In the far south there is Port Rethania, which is a notable trading destination as well as a point of departure for the Emerald Graves. Though the Emerald Graves are technically in the Johtaja, they are more closely associated with Shilan rather than Johtan tradition, and have a very important part in Shilan culture. Ferries between Shiloh and the Emerald Graves are infrequent, but it is usually possible to request an unscheduled voyage if you have enough coin.

Geography

Settlements

Appearance

Shiloh has always been associated with opulence and extravagance, and the public tends to flaunt their riches as evidence of the gods favor. It is especially common for the Shilan public to carry a blessed amulet or a holy focus with them at all times, even if they aren’t spellcasters. Those that have been blessed personally by Shaima are especially valuable and usually kept as treasured family heirlooms.

Even the average Shilan tends to dress in excess, with heavily bejeweled corsets and thick layers of ruffled lace commonplace; what someone from Seithran might save for their wedding day, a Shilan might wear to the market. This is contrasted somewhat by the large population of Templars, who tend to dress rather plainly by Shilan standards and more often than not are seen wearing their uniforms (with or without armor, depending on the Order). Templar uniforms vary by faction, though they all have some version of the templar insignia and usually feature shades of white or grey.

Shiloh produces more perfume than any other nation, and Shilans do not consider themselves fully dressed without wearing a fragrance. Many in Shilan high society pride themselves on their signature perfumes and may use them as calling cards in place of a signature on a document.

Shilans tend to prefer shades of white, cream, gold, grey and violet in their clothing. You would almost never see a Shilan wearing anything neon or bright, and black is usually reserved for mourning.

Military & Diplomacy

Shiloh is the result of the merging of three kingdoms during the War of Unification centuries ago and has rarely been directly involved in military conflict since. However, as the epicenter of all things faithful in the midst of this age of darkness, it is expected that a crusade may erupt at any moment— with Shiloh leading the charge.

Outside of formal war, it is a well-known fact that Shiloh and the Republic of Gath have been embroiled in a cold war for nearly as long as the two nations have existed, with the Kingdom of Vere often playing a diplomatic middle man between the two. What likely began as a fairly mild territorial dispute and a disagreement over interpretation of scripture has smoldered into an intense philosophical divide that is unlikely to ever be resolved.

During the years of the Bahrami Empire, Shiloh was an important ally and trading partner of Bahram. This relationship has soured somewhat now that the Empire has become two kingdoms; Shiloh remains on favorable terms with the Kingdom of Bahram, but finds their patience tested with the meddlesome nature of Veretians. Still— they must admit that Veretians have fine craftsmanship, and are among the top importers of Veretian goods.

Within Shiloh itself, becoming part of the noble class, or the The Aristocracy, is the ultimate goal and indicator of success. Shilan Aristocrats are granted a number of special permissions, including but not limited to the occasions to commune with the goddess Shaima herself. Membership in the The Aristocracy is extremely limited and competitive, and usually requires tremendous displays of wealth, loyalty, fealty and faith, as well as a personal invitation from a current member of the The Aristocracy. In most cases, pending members are sent to pray at the Emerald Graves to prove their worthiness, for in that most holy land it is said that judgement of the weak of heart and spirit shall be rendered. Not all who are asked to journey to the Emerald Graves return— only those who are truly faithful, and pure of heart.

Magic & Faith

Shiloh is synonymous with divine magic and is famous as the epicenter of all things Reiki. Even commoners in Shiloh can be expected to be familiar with Reiki rituals, and most Shilans are capable of low-level Reiki spells. It is an embarrassment for a Shilan not to have been acknowledged by any of their gods, and Shilans who aren’t able to use Reiki at all are generally regarded with suspicion.

While all Reiki is important to Shiloh, and worshippers of all of the The Old Gods treat Shiloh as a holy city, Shilans in particular worship the goddess Shaima far and above all others. According to their interpretations of her teachings, she is the one true Goddess with the rest of the pantheon of The Old Gods acting as her subordinates. Shilans commonly wear amulets and emblems of Shaima, and most daily life is centered around devoted worship of their Goddess.

Shiloh is heavily insulated with Orichalcum, which absorbs most naturally-occurring arcane energies and prevents the casting of most Mana-based magics.

Education & Technology

Saint Sacrement de la Création is a divine school attached to the Grand Cathedral of Shiloh and a common training place for Templars of all orders. It is also the largest concentration of clerics anywhere in the world, with over 5,000 clerics cloistered within its campus.

As with most aspects of Shilan life, Shilan technological advancements tend to be themed around the divine. Shilan engineers are the world’s leading experts on the extraction and use of Orichalcum and Lyrium, and Shilan craftsmen routinely create the most powerfully charged divine talismans. The Sacrement is known to be conducting research on the development of new Reiki runes— possibly even some that may be able to ward off the effects of Corruption and repel Darkspawn.

Family Life

In Shiloh it is customary to take a mid-day rest known as a “sieste”. In general, the sieste is usually taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. The sieste for shops and businesses is approximately from 2pm until 5pm while bars and taverns close from about 4pm until about 8 or 9 pm. The sieste is meant to be a brief period of rest and reflection, intended to allow the public time to go to church and pray every day as well as avoid the mid-day heat. However, not all Shilans use their sieste for its original pious purpose; young Shilans in particular like to use the sieste to nap and get ready for a late night partying.

Naming Conventions

Shilan names are inspired by French names. They have large immigrant populations from the Kingdom of Bahram and the Johtaja, so their names are also commonly influenced by Bahrami (Persian) and Johtan (Celtic) naming conventions. Since their goddess, Shaima, speaks celestial (Arabic), there are also many in Shiloh who have adopted Arabic-sounding names in order to appeal to her.

Personal Names: Louis, Julien, Lionel, Jean, Désiré , Tatiana, Morgane, Lydia, Romane, Marie-Laure, Adele, Régis, Lou, Pierre-Louis, Paul, Milo, Philomène, Émilie, Annie, Madaline, Céleste

Family Names: Beauregard, LeMahieu, Lavinge, Gaudin, Alarie, Parmentier, Pascal, Bourbeau, Leloup, Aubert, Vaugeois, Courbet

Local NPC Compendium

· Jean-Louis Piaget: scholar, known for his planar theories
· Sacha Beaumont: Grand Cleric of The Divine Order
· Pascal Duval: painter, known for portraiture
· Luc Le Sueur: Duke of Roucourt
· Marianne Vaugrenard: foreign affairs advisor and chief diplomat
· Roland Gallois: divine bard and key member of Chandelier
· Sister Jocelyn: master healer, cloistered in the Grand Cathedral

Additional Details

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Story Notes

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