Endless Blue – Week 125 – Governments of the Fluid Nations – Yaun-Teel Bights

Politocology

Governments of the Fluid Nations: Yaun-Teel Bights

Yaun-Teel Bights
Aliases: The Vault Unyielding, the Prosperity of Merchants, Gem of the Pecuniary Stream.
Region: Hinterseas
Capital: Sher-Umaruramu

The Yaun-Teel Bights rests between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cetacean, north of the Mer Currents and east of the Chelon Sea. It has temperate waters bounded by long archipelagos of sand bars which form the aforementioned bights.

Climate is mild in these waters, and seasons have little variation. This make farming a poor prospect, but living area is plentiful. Since much of the nation is shallow open waters, travel into, across, and through is relatively danger-free, further contributing to the nation’s rise as the prominent trade force of Elqua.

The Pecuniary Stream, a jet stream current that circumnavigates around the Fluid Nations between the Periphery and the Hinterseas, both begins and ends in the Bights, making it a prime trade route for the Known World. This connected circle, along with the Yaun-Teel’s reputation for opulence, gave birth to the nickname “Gem of the Pecuniary Stream” as it resembles the precious stone at the apex of the current’s ring.

Society

Demonym: Yaun-Til
Population: 38,564,000
Races: Yaun-Teel (23,100,000), Orcan (1,450,00, 105,000 of which are Narwahl), Chelon (770,000) , Kouton (385,000), Locanth (4,025,000), Lumulus (1,925,000), Mer (5,761,000), Sahaguin (1,148,000)
Other: Ceph (182,000), Kelpygmy (unknown)

Be it taxation on trade, tithing toward church works, or donations to the public good, every part of life in the Vault Unyielding is an exchange of value. The majority of the nation’s work force is fulfilled through either indentured servitude or out right slavery. By exploiting the financially vulnerable, the nation maintains a constant income to fund the homesea’s needs.

This system of forced servitude is enabled through a cultural dogma known as the Principles of Service, which permeates every level of how Yaun-Til society works. The core of the Principles is the belief that everyone must serve another. Slaves serve their Master, workers serve their employer, leaders serve their people, the clergy serves their hods, and the gods serve the faithful. By doing works that benefit others, you justify your existence. To seek only yourself lessens those around you, denying them the good they deserve.

Religion

Official Religion: The Idolatry
Accepted Religions: Pantheon worship, specifically Merrshaulk
Alignments: Chaotic Evil

The Yaun-Teel Bights is the birthplace of the Idolatry, a form of Pantheonic worship where the gods are more piscean in form, and their lives are moral lessons to be learned from by the masses. The Book of Idolatry contains stories wherein two or more of the Pantheon, in more modern form, express the flaws of leaning too far to the right or left of a moral belief. As Merrshaulk is the classic deity of the Yaun-Teel, his lessons in the form of Avarita of the Greed illustrate her failings when being too greedy, as well as not greedy enough.

Yet, for all these claims of “serving others for the greater good”, the rights of the individual are violated. It goes beyond “give until it hurts”, and religious mantra reinforces the expectation that you are to give up your own existence when the nation requires it. Service is not negligible — it must be felt.

Commerce

Imports: Everything, luxury items
Exports: Access to Everything.
Currency: Barter in trade, exchanged coinage from other fluid nations, or forced “indentured servitude” called a torc.

Wherever the Yaun-Teel dwell, trade develops. It is no wonder that the homesea called the Prosperity of Merchants became the center of trade for the Endless Blue. Trade unions have grown in reach and power over the years, with the Liga Synarr being the most prominent. They are the ones that were most interested in serving the public need for trade, finding the best sources of craft and connecting them to the most needy of customers. All for a moderate cut of the profits, of course. It is said that no Liga Synarr would give up on an exchange until all parties are satisfied.

While decried by all other Fluid Nations, slavery is alive and thriving in the Yaun-Teel Bights. Not even the subjugation of the Known World by the Kraken Occupation has stopped the Yaun-Teel peddling of flesh and scale. This is heavy-handedly normalized by the Principles of Service. Some serve willingly, others against the will, but all will serve somebody.

The hub of international trade is the Grand Bazaar, a “tent city” known for an ever-shifting layout of artisans, merchants, and craftsmen come to sell their wares. “Anything can be found for purchase in the Grand Bazaar,” it is said, “but never in the same place twice.”

Politics

Government Type: Capitalistic Plutocracy.
Ruler: His/Her Equitableness, the Supreme Usurer of the Bights.
Selection Process: An appointment for life, the works of the most prominent citizens are audited and the results sorted by greatest value to the community. The individual that has given the most is placed in the role of national ruler.

Ruled by the rich, leadership is literally bought by the individual from the society. Financial influence directly translates into political power. Incrementally, as an individual does service — usually by paying for good works to be accomplished — the greater his esteem will grow in the community. After all, he has made all these sacrifices in the name of serving others, why wouldn’t he continue to better society in a place of influence. The greater the donation to the community, the higher the individual can climb up the governmental ladder.  Following the Principles of Service, donations to programs and infrastructure that best benefit the community hold greater weight.

As such, it is nearly impossible for a unknown Yaun-Teel with aspirations to swoop in and steal a position of political power. The lengthy process of spending on public projects is what brings the individual to political prominence. Without that long history of servitude and donation to audit, political hopefuls find themselves spurned by the culture’s adherence to the Principles of Service. This also applies to those who inherit their wealth: It was not their acts that earned their wealth, but the acts of another who in death served them. In fact, it actually becomes harder for the nouveau riche to ascend in popular opinion, because it is so much easier for the wealthy to give away in a moment what the rest of the populace would need years to earn. There is no service without sacrifice.

Military

Name: By individual mercenary charter.
Organization: By individual mercenary charter, modified by official letter of marque.

Despite the existence of a Central Bank, the Yaun-Teel government does not fund a standing military. Instead, smaller local trade institutions bankroll mercenary companies, many of which exist solely as subsidiaries of the institution. The largest mercenary company is controlled by the Liga Synarr, which not only has credit unions all over the Yaun-Teel Bights but in most major cities in the rest of the Known World.

In times of great need, the Hoarder bandits that normally prey upon the remotest settlements of the Bights are bribed into service. Hidden among the No Mer’s Seas between fluid nations, letters of marque can be issued by financial organizations as needed. Be it either established or ad hoc formation, expenses for military companies are tracked and later remitted to the Central Bank for reimbursement. Again, the Principles of Service ensure that amounts submitted are not egregious and that reimbursement is not withheld, as the loss of reputation in the eyes of the Yaun-Teel public would be devastating. In fact, one of the most infamous moment from Yaun-Teel history was when Supreme Usurer Benoit withheld remittance to the Liga Synarr for their mercenary forces during the Occupation. It was only after decades when the Soddengate trials were resolved Benoit deposed that the debt repaid.

Who do you serve?
Do you serve your own needs, which only bolsters your own survival?
Or do you serve the needs of the majority, and bring prosperity to all?
Would you aid those that sought only for themselves?
Or do you do better everyone so you yourself better served?
Who do you serve?
– Oath of the Central Bank of the Yaun-Teel Bights