Embedded Files
The first thing outsiders learn in Ameranne: There are rules, even if you cannot see them. The second? The louder someone’s silence, the more you should listen. A smile can be a threat; a gift, a debt. This is a land where meaning hides in implication, where order isn’t enforced but cultivated, woven through layers of courtesy and unspoken agreements.
The result is a nation that appears to outsiders as a mad, confounding storm, where there are no straight lines and chaos surrounds every interaction. Yet to those who understand its rhythm, it feels like home. To Ameranneans, it is a dance: every step, every silence, every half-finished sentence carries weight. And when the dance is perfect? Even chaos bows in reverence.
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GOVERNMENT
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The Chrysanthemum Seat is the highest authority in Ameranne. The individual who sits on the Chrysanthemum Seat holds the title Emperor—or Empress—and is chosen from among the eight Amber Families.
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The Amber Families
During the arduous voyage that brought the ancestors of today’s Ameranneans through the Halcyome and into Prism, and the long months that followed as they sailed across the seas in search of a new homeland, a group of families set themselves apart. While others clung to old clan loyalties, these families chose a different path—governing the fleet with impartiality and making decisions for the good of the entire fleet, unshackled from old-world allegiances.
In time, they came to be known as the Amber Families, a name inspired by the gemstone’s symbolic old-world power: as a source of protection against malevolent external forces.
Today, the Amber Families exist outside of Ameranne’s traditional clan structure and are largely regarded as impartial and neutral by most Ameranneans. While some quietly question whether these families still hold onto the loyalties of the clans their ancestors once hailed from, the details of the families’ old-world affiliations remain a closely guarded secret, ensuring such suspicions are rarely voiced aloud.
There are eight Amber Families in total, varying in size. Some are sprawling extended lineages, while others remain closely knit units. Regardless of size, all maintain their long-held tradition of serving the greater good, often acting as mediators or advisors in times of political tension.
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CLANS
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Although the arduous voyage through the Halcyome and into Prism robbed the ancestors of today’s Ameranneans of many memories of their old homeworld, it did not leave them entirely unanchored. Aboard their fleet were tomes, scrolls, and fragmented records—enough for them to piece together a partial but sizeable history of their people and the world they had left behind.
Though incomplete, this salvaged history provided a foundation strong enough that, even during the early months of their long search for a new homeland, groups began breaking off into separate clans.
These clans were largely modeled on the familial allegiances, and social and ethnic groupings of their old homeworld—reconstructed from their incomplete, salvaged history. The details might not have been perfectly preserved, but they were accurate enough for the ancestors to replicate the clan structure they had once known, preserving what they saw as a vital part of their identity in this unfamiliar new world.
What began as necessity, as an attempt to preserve their legacy, eventually hardened into covenant—the clan structure and the clans had to survive, because to let them die would be to surrender their people’s very identity.
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The Major & Minor Clans
Amerannean Clans take their names from the mythical beasts and creatures immortalized in the illustrations and stories preserved within the ancient scrolls, tomes, and fragmented records their ancestors carried from the old world.
There are currently twelve Major Clans in Ameranne, distinguished from the Minor Clans by size, influence, and resources. Their dominance in shaping the nation’s social and historical landscape is further reinforced by their political power, military strength, cultural prestige, and wealth.
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THE MAJOR CLANS
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The Dragon Clan
The largest of the twelve Major Clans.
They believe themselves to be descended from the Celestial Dragon.
Of all the Major Clans, they are the most mercantile in nature, being so outstandingly accomplished in commerce and trade that even the other Major Clans admire them—begrudgingly—for their business acumen.
While deeply rooted in tradition, the Dragon Clan hold a progressive view of culture. In contrast to the Phoenix Clan, who cling to the purity of ancient customs like sacred law, the Dragon Clan believe that tradition and culture are ever-evolving expressions of a civilization’s growth—meant to be adapted, refined, and reimagined over time.
The Phoenix Clan
Second largest of the twelve Major Clans.
They believe themselves to be descended from the Celestial Phoenix.
The Phoenix Clan are renowned for having the best artisans. Their peerless artistry stems from their belief that reaching the pinnacle of excellence in one’s craft is a noble and worthy aspiration. Entire generations of families often devote themselves to perfecting a single craft, producing exquisite works of unrivaled excellence.
They also take their traditions and culture very seriously. To the Phoenix Clan, it is the customs that endure—untouched, unwavering, untainted by time—that define the true character of a civilization’s progress and achievements.
The Sabertooth Clan
Third largest of the twelve Major Clans.
They believe themselves to be descended from the Celestial Sabertooth.
For better or worse, the Sabertooth Clan are known for their insular nature and intense loyalty to one another. In moments of both joy and grief, every experience is shared, strengthening the bonds that unite them. While outsiders may see this behavior as xenophobic, to the Sabertooth Clan, these deep connections are a source of strength, forging the clan into an immovable force against all outside influences.
The Sabertooth Clan wear their hearts on their sleeves, especially among themselves. Festivals are marked by wild abandon and exuberant celebration. Protests are fiery, loud, and unabashed, with no emotion left unexpressed.
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