Faxemia

The Kentidom Faxemia is a sacred archipelago nation located within the borders of the Archduchy of Azuria, in northwestern Sparwood. The nation has been serving as the headquarter for the Faxemis Angelaean faith since its creation, in late 2022, by the head of the Angelaean faith at the time, Théodred Angelae-Onevior. In terms of governance, Faxemia is a theocracy, ruled by the Kentis, who works to ensure that the city remains true to the teachings of the Faxemis Angelaean faith and to provide for the needs of the people.

Brief History
The town of Faxemia was the first of the 2 to become part of the Kentidom. It was originally a smal island inhabited by a small tribal group famous for their sailing skills, who were later colonized by the Azurians, with whom they shared ancient ties, and who called it the Island of Vanvoxia.

The Kentidom of Faxemia was founded by Théodred Angelae-Onevior, who purchased the island of Vanvoxia, which at the time was an Azurian fort, which he turned into the holy island of Faxemia. Under his leadership, Faxemia became a center for the Faxemis Angelaean faith, attracting converts from all over the world, creating an incredibly diverse culture with a multitude of traditions.

Faxemia spent most of its time under the original Archduchy of Azuria, although it would later join charm following the disappearance of the late Archduke Fire_Blitz. Unfortunately, Faxemia spent most of its time declining population-wise, due to the low natality rate in Azuria (Azuria was inactive as hell). Because of this, Faxemia never really got the chance to expand over its island, even though it would later be gifted an archipelago composed of 5 islands by a Charm official and friend of the Kentidom, V0idF1sh, thus founding Faxemia's second city, Dimlodien.

Rathnir Geography
Faxemia was located in the Astyllean sea, within the borders of the Archduchy of Azuria, making it the southernmost territory in the archduchy. Despite its remote location, Faxemia was not isolated from the rest of the world, being neighbours of established states such as Tulipia and Seekervile, who regularly conducted diplomacy with the holy nation.

Due to its temperate climate, the island of Faxemia was filled with an azalea forest, which housed a great number of different flowers and herbs, and a plethora of small animals. The ambundacy of herbs led to the creation of the "Iqoy Mlodyeōw", or Mlodye Weed, a mix of different herbs and weeds which are often smoked by the Faxemian people.

The depth and temperature of the Astyllean Sea varied based on its geographical location. In the southern reaches of the island, the sea tended to be shallower and warmer, while in the northernmost areas it was usually deeper and colder. This lead to a small division between the northern and southern part of the island, which developed a differently, eventually leading to the creation of the Syrinian culture, from nothern Faxemia and Dimlodien.

Abexilas Geography
[WIP]

Government type
Faxemia is a theocracy, led by the Kentis, who is responsible for ensuring that the city remains true to the teachings of the Faxemis Angelaean faith and for providing for the needs of the people. The Kentis is the head of faith of Faxemis Angelaean faith, and the dynasty head of the Angelae-Onevior Dynasty. The Kentis holds the power to appoint ministers and governors, who, together with the Kentis, make up the Faxemian government.

Cultures
Even though the nation is pretty small, it still houses two different cultures, the Faxemian and the Syrinian culture, though they are quite similar. These cultures are descendants of the Azurian explorers of old, though they evolved separately, and would go on to develop diferent traditions. The Faxemian culture is centered around the Faxemis Angelaean faith, as the city of Faxemia is considered a holy site for followers of the religion. They are a mix between the old Azurian sailors and Faxemis Angelaeans from around the world, who decided to settle on the holy island. The people of Faxemia place a strong emphasis on kindness, peace, and love and strive to live their lives in accordance with the teachings of the faith. The city itself is built on a small island and is surrounded by crystal clear waters. The buildings are constructed using wood, stone and painted with white dye, and are adorned with intricate carvings and designs that depict the stories and teachings of the Faxemis Angelaean faith.

The Syrinian culture is mostly present in Dimlodien, an archipelago northeast of the capital, though it is also present on the northernmost part of the Faxemian Island, due to its size. The Syrinian people dont put as much enphasys on the faith as the Faxemians, as they developed away from it, and only came into contact with it recently. The Syrinian people are very skilled sailors, being much better than their Faxemian counterparts, as their Islands are surounded by deeper and more agitated waters. Their houses are made of wood and cobblestone and are often adorned with carvings of elements from ships (such as anchors, ropes and cables) and the sea (such as pearls, shells and strings of seaweed).

Literature
In Faxemia, writing is mostly reserved for clergy members and members of the upper class, as members of lower classes are very commonly iliterate and/or lack the free time needed to write big works. Nonetheless, Faxemian literature is enjoyed by all troughout the Kentidom, as it is often read in feasts and festivals, though many of the philosophical and theological books are often poorly understood by the citizens. Faxemian authors are known for writing long epics, most of which have a religious background. However, poetry still plays an essential role in the Faxemian culture, as they are commonly performed by troubadors and joglars, and is know for its optimistic lyrics, often about day-to-day life, festivals and the sea. The most well known pieces of Faxemian literature are:


 * "Echoes of Virtue" ~ Théodred Angelae-Onevior
 * "Chasing the Sihntiro" ~ Unknown
 * "Ode to the Sun" ~ Theodred Angelae-Onevior

Folk Music
Faxemian folk music is known for being very energetic, making use of Guitars, Bagpipes, Accordions, Ukeleles, Drums and Castanets. It is fast paced and allows people to dance, thus giving birth to folk dances, such as the "Ninom". While some songs are purely instrumental, others make use of singers, contrasting very deep voices with high-pitch voices. Faxemian folk music is most often heard during religious festivals and holidays, during which the Faxemians to come together to sing and dance to traditional songs while the sound of bagpipes and accordions fills the Kentidom.

Worship Music
Faxemian worship music features a lot of religious symbolism, with the smallest details being extremely important. Worship music will begin with a single deep voice singing a cappella, representing Faxemus, the Angelaean god of creation. Then, slowly, another deep male voice will join in, representing Bellum, the second god to come to light. Finally, instruments and the rest of the choir will join in simultaneously, symbolizing the universe's creation. Worship music is typically sung in Classical Angelaean, the liturgical language of the Angelaean faith, with songs in Faxemian being regarded as inferior and shunned.

Dance
The most popular Faxemian folk dance is the "Ninom", which would roughly translate to "he who spins" or "the one who turns". It is very similar to a vira (a traditional portuguese dance; click here for a video), and is danced in big groups subdivided in pairs. The dance is accompanied by music, and is most popular among the youth.

Theatre
Theatre is also very important to the Faxemian people, and is seen as a way of honoring the ancestors and remembering the past or praising the gods. Faxemian theatre pieces hold a lot of symbology and traditional roles, such as the "Tlevinte", the wise old man, and the "Niyer", the brave young boy.

The most common roles are:


 * The "Tlevinte" (old man) - serves as a mentor to the main character, usually represented with a long white beard and red clothing;
 * The "Niyer" (knight) - a brave young man, the Niyer are usually reckless and selfish at the beginning of the play but learns to control his impulses later on. They are usually represented with grey or blue clothing to resemble armor and heavy iron boots, which make a lot of noise, thus representing the caracter's recklessness;
 * The "Tlēdohm" (nature-man) - a kind and compassionate young man, usually from the lower classes, who is dragged into a dangerous adventure where he has to learn to fend for himself. The Tlēdohm remain true to their beginnings, staying humble and compassionate troughout their journeys, and usually make it back home. They are normally represented with messy hair and wearing simple clothes;
 * The "Tlehilane" (wicked man) - the main villain of the story. The Tlehilane is one of the few characters which uses a mask, not relying on the actor/ actress for facial expressions. The Tlehilane is filled with bad intentions and actively tries to stop the main character from reaching their goals. The Tlehilane are usually represented with a helmet-like horned black mask, with holes for the eyes and the mouth, with an expression of extreme sadness and anger, and wear either black or white clothing;
 * The "Ōhnt" (friend) - helps the main character troughout the piece. They usually have a certain trait which the main character lacks, and help the main character develop said trait, which needs to be acquired in order for their goal to be completed. They are usually represented in red or blue clothing;

On top of the many characters, Faxemian pieces also have a choir, which serves as a narrator from outside the story. The choir sets the stage for the actors, describing where the actions take place and presenting each character as they appear, describing them.

Architecture
Faxemian architecture is characterized by the use of simple materials that are easily found in the Faxemian Isle. The ground floor of a house is usually made up of a wide range of stones, supported by spruce logs. The upper level, on the other hand, is white, having been either built of white stones such as diorite or calcite or painted with a lime and salt mixture to achieve its white color. Furthermore, the wood pilars that support the house are frequently adorned with intricate carvings and designs depicting the stories and teachings of the Faxemis Angelaean faith, and sometimes even the interior stone walls will have carvings detailing religious mythology.

Vexillology
The flag of Faxemia is primarily made up of two colours, purple, which represents the Faxemis Angelaean faithful, and yellow, which represents Faxemia's rich culture. The white stripe represents the peaceful island of Faxemia, which brings the faithful and the non-faithful citizens together. There are 3 stars at the top left corner of Faxemia's flag, representing the 3 gods of Faxemis Angelae, and an eagle at the bottom right corner represents the Angelae-Onevior Dynasty, the holy dynasty of the Faxemis Angelaean faith.