Name of the empire/kingdom: Balharia
Name of the capital: An-nar houseki bun-hanag [ Translation: House/mansion of the (seven fire jewels)/(fire jewels of the next world) ]
Ruler: Emperor/ Bal
Crown authority: Absolute
Succession: Agnatic-Cognatic Premogeniture [ The eldest son inherits the throne, but daughters may also inherit, if there is no direct male heir. ]
Domain: The Balkan mountains, The Govad desert, The Vanant sea. (more may be added)
Race: Marudeva
Appearance-wise, the marudeva are a race of beings quite similar to humans, seeing as they share a common ancestor down in the annals of ancient history. They are straightened-up bipedal individuals with four limbs - two hands and two feet - and main bodies of hair located on the head, underarms and intimate area. However, that is where the basic similarities end.
Whilst their upper limbs have five digits, their lower ones have three that are relatively the same size - wide and short - but only the first having a nail. Their feet, in turn, are rather large both in length and in width, which combined with the shape of their toes creates a "snowshoe" effect, allowing them to easily maneuver in their usually sandy landscape. The length of the legs is always long in comparison to the overall anatomy in each individual, even among the shorter dwarf-like examples of the race, and their musculature is notably tough and compact, providing an increased jumping and leaping ability, as well as stability when carrying a great load. Aiding these movements is also the spine, which is notably flexible, giving the marudeva almost monkey-like agility, despite them lacking a tail of any sorts.
This race has evolved for generations in a very specific environment - the Govad desert. The lack of abundance of water, strong dry gusts, the sea of dunes, hot days and cold nights have all played their role in molding the marudevan people into a perfectly fitting piece in the puzzle that is this sunny corner of the world.
In order to protect themselves from the overwhelming amount of sand coming in from all directions, carried by the wind currents, they have specific adaptations to shield the three main vulnerabilities - eyes, ears and nose. The first are guarded each by a nicitating membrane - a third transparent eyelid that can stop and remove particles- and long thick eyelashes. The second have long hairs protruding from them in both genders, often a shade lighter than the hair on the scalp. Finally, their nostrils are narrower and can completely close at will.
The heat of the sun is ofttimes unbearable and even life-threatening to those that chose to journey in this wasteland. To reduce the loss of water, their digestive system can extract the maximum amount of liquids from the ingested food, while their kidneys reabsorb water to the fullest and produce urine that is as concentrated as possible. It should be remarked that marudevans in general do not urinate often, but if necessary, can stop completely and lose the excess minerals through salt tears as a last resort.
Another feature for battling the harsh climate is the skin. The marudeva have multiple glands, which help regulate body temperature by sweating. The colour of the skin comes in three main variations - dark, sandy/ash and "splashes". The first two are equally common throughout the country, whilst the third can only be found in those that live by the sea. This particular idioadaptation consists of the entire frontal area of the subject ( from the arms - the inner parts that go alongside the torso) being light, from sandy to pale, and the entire back area being dark, the two colours never being too drastically different. This type of skin appeared recently from an evolutionary standpoint, merely 30 generations ago, and is a type of camouflage when swimming in the sea.
Considering their surroundings, it is no surprise to find that the majority of the marudeva are slim without being burdened by it. While they are not skin and bones, most certainly have an athletic appearance. In height they rarely come anywhere higher than humans and dwarfism is not an oddity among them. In fact, it has been found that the race is gradually getting smaller. The less you are, the easier you'll survive. However, the desert does not give without taking its tole. As they are agile and fast, so they are lacking in physical strength. Natural selection has made it so that the bodies of the marudeva are not a burden to them. Enduring and speedy in the heat, they can not last too long in far colder climates, and whilst their legs are strong to carry them forward, the rest of their muscles are there for movement, not for battle. Thus it is extremely uncommon to spot a huge bulky heavy marudevan, even by the coastline.
The sensory system of the marudevans significantly differs from that of humans.
At first glance the most noticeable difference are the eyes, which are in number not two, but three. One set is places just like the latter mentioned race - for binocular vision, yet the third, called the "eye of wisdom" or "the third eye" is set slightly above them in the middle and its axis is perpendicular to that of the others, not parallel. In legends it is said that this was the first big leap that separated the marudeva from humanity, granting them superiority in the art of magic. The most common eye colours are brown, amber and light orange in the inner parts of the desert and green, red and purple on the coastline. A blue possibility is nonexistent in this race. When it comes to vision, they can detect all colours, but also switch to infrared with the use of inner magic, and can see well both at day and at night.
The senses of smell and taste have gradually dulled out with time, with the first more so than the second. They can taste bitter, salty and umami, but sweet and sour are less detectable.
Hearing and touch are remarkably heightened, due to the hairs growing out of the ears and the small almost invisible ones that grow all over their bodies, making it possible to detect vibration, especially when barefoot.
Speaking of hair, facially its growth is rather slow, yet on the scalp - incredibly fast. Its shape can range from straight to curly and its colouration is ofttimes black or brown in those in the desert and on the coastline - black, brown and dark to medium shades of green.
The history of the marudeva records a long battle between the race and the world around it as they have struggled for centuries to maintain their existence and face the challenges of the desert. Because of their mortal bodies they were initially not able to build enormous buildings to shelter them from the heat and lived, at most, to the age of 40 before dying, usually because of dehydration. Realizing that the constant clash with the elements would never end, for the world could not fundamentally change, at some point of time the marudeva people decided not to look outwards, but inwards. They accepted their homeland and sought harmony with it, finding it to actually be an wonderful system with a complex, yet understandable mechanism behind it. Thus a teaching arose and spread, a combination of lessons that taught how to control one's breathing and tap into one's inner energy. The marudeva, that had until then been scattered across the desert in groups, united under the flag of knowledge and continued tapping into the depths of themselves, finding remarkable possibilities that were waiting to be discovered.
Nowadays, after centuries of practice through the generations, the marudeva can easily tap into their inner energy to create any kind of magic. Each is specific for the individual, as some may be able to generate flames, while others may be able to summon water from the depths of the earth. The type of magic from the inner energy is not limited, but most common folk have one, at maximum two or three. Under special training in their academia, students are also able to reach other to outer energy and bind it to their commands, however, they can not increase the ability of their bodies through magic, with the only exception being healing.
