Mastana

Mastana stands in stark contrast to the rest of the Empire, for it is here that women rule and fight. Since the ancient reign of Queen Dihya, the first Matriarch, the role of men has been restricted within its borders. The rulers of the noble merchant houses, the commanders and soldiers in the armies, and even the guards on the street are almost always women. The main avenue to advancement open to men is trade outside the kingdom. For this reason, the most skilled traders and negotiators of this kingdom are men. Even so, they are permitted only a dagger and staff as weapons, with female guards to ensure their safety. Their skill in trading is quite renowned, "As sharp as a Mastana merchant" is a common saying.

People
Far south of Taldara and Meloria, the Mastana Confederacy is nestled quite comfortably in the vast Larilel Desert. Yet it is not completely barren, with rivers feeding their way through the dry land, causing exotic spices and other crops to grow along its shores. In addition, mountains provide sources of ore and gemstones, which have helped the people here become traders as well as warriors. Mastana people are of average height compared to most Men. Their complexions are rather dark in hair and skin, though the sun often bronzes their skin a golden color. Men are encouraged to grow long hair, goatees popular among them for beards. Women, on the other hand, tend to have their hair cut short, out of practicality with their role as warriors. Both sexes wear cool loose robes against the heat of the desert, though they will dress for the weather if traveling to cooler country. One custom that many find unusual is that men will typically wear cosmetics: kholed eyes, curled hair and various perfumes are considered attractive to the female elite, so the men will often dress accordingly. Women, on the other hand, dress and adorn themselves more practically. Due to climate and terrain, heavily armored warriors are quite rare. Typically light or medium armor is used, the heaviest armors saved for their mounted soldiers, and weapons include scimitars, daggers, falchions, and composite bows. Often exotic desert animals are used instead of horses, and the Matriarch maintains an elite guard of cavalry mounted on trained dire lions.

Culture
To outsiders, the most obvious difference in Mastana culture is the 'reversal' of the standard sexual stereotypes. While women fill any role in society they wish, a man's role is far more limited. Law and custom do not allow them to own a business, nor can they own land or rule over a merchant or noble house. Men cannot wield weapons except for a dagger or staff. However, men are allowed to be craftsmen, and it is in this manner that many of them can be found. The most prestigious roles they can aspire to are merchants, though a few have the patience to be wizards. In either case, they will often travel outside Mastana's borders, where they are given more rights and respect than within their native country. Trade and the desert have shaped Mastana culture. Unlike some other cultures, merchants are well regarded and prized by the nobles. Indeed, many noble houses started out as merchant families. Blessed with spices, jewels, and rare metals, Mastana traders are powerful influences indeed. In the Empire, only the Melorian merchant houses are more well-regarded, and even that could just be because of Meloria's close ties to Taldara. Learning is much prized within Mastana culture, and even the common laborers are quite often literate and fairly well-educated. Literature, poetry, and philosophy are all regarded as status symbols within society. Science plays an important part as well, with Mastana alchemists and wizards prized in other countries. Arts flourish among the affluent, and even the common families own some works of art, albeit minor ones. Many men pursue the path of the artisan, often gaining levels of influence that the less artistic of their gender lack in this country.

Government
The Mastana Confederacy is actually not a 'true' confederacy, more of a microcosm of the Empire itself. The various tribes and noble houses were independent until the great Queen Dihya, in the year 2210 T.A., united the houses behind her and forged Mastana into the nation that it is today. Dubbing herself the Matriarch, she and her descendants have ruled the desert oasis of Mastana ever since. The noble and merchant houses fall beneath the Matriarch, often wealth directly affecting their status. Merchant houses can 'buy' their way to noble status, though the cost to the Matriarch's coffers can be quite extraordinary. Often it is worth it, for the noble houses have access to items that merchant houses are normally forbidden, such as mithril and adamantine ores. This leads to rather intense competition between the various houses, with no house able to relax as others are waiting for the opportunity to 'buy into' the nobility. The Matriarch maintains a loose hold over all of Mastana, using representatives to ensure that taxes and tariffs are paid to the crown. Most soldiers are direct members of either the Mastana Legions, or the Matriarchal Guard, an elite unit that serves as both army and police force. Well paid from the Matriarch's coffers, the Guard tends to be nearly impossible to corrupt. Laws in Mastana tend to be fairly laissezfaire in regards to trade. As long as both parties sign to the agreement, it is considered binding, with a cleric of Kauppias overseeing the most important contracts. However, punishments for fraud tend to be rather harsh, with large fines levied in proportion to the degree of fraud and the wealth of the perpetrator. Thieves are punished on the first offense by seizing of their assets and being sold into service to a noble house, and the second offense results in the loss of a hand. Most other crimes are punished in a similarly harsh manner, which results in a fairly safe community. Unless you happen to be a merchant...

Race Relations
There are few other races this far south in Mastana, so most non-merchants have little idea of the variety of dwarves, elves, and the rest that exist beyond the Desert. With the joining to the Empire, however, immigration has begun, and the Mastana have an idea of what to expect from other races. The dwarves, particularly the cursed variety, are the most common non-human race in Mastana, well respected for crafting and mining skills. Elves are respected for their bardic abilities, though for little else, while gnomes and halflings are regarded with curiosity and a hint of mild disdain.

Class Preference
There is a distinct gender separation among the various classes. Women are most often the paladins, rangers, and fighters; while men prefer the bard and wizard classes. Both genders can be clerics, and many monkly orders inhabit Mastana, offering a refuge for those men forbidden to use weapons. Druids are rare in the desert, and the culture of Mastana prohibits barbarians. Rogues are almost non-existent, though sorcerers from either gender do exist.