#minstral

hey hey people none here with another alternate government and civilization for remnant, this time it's minstral or as they're called in this au

The Celestial Empire of Minstral

This government is a hereditary monarchy, where the ruler is seen as a child of heaven in a largely pacifist and isolationist society.

ethics (broad strokes of the culture)

Spiritualist: There are those think it behooves us to remember how tiny we are, how pointless our lives in this vast uncaring universe… What nonsense! The only truth we can ever know is that of our own existence. The universe - in all its apparent glory - is but a dream we all happen to share.

Authoritarian: A strong, guiding hand is essential to the success of any civilization - the alternative would be anarchy and chaos. It is the duty of the state to steer its citizens towards the paths that are the most productive

Xenophobe: The stakes could not be higher as we reach into the vast uncharted expanses of remnant, for we are gambling with the very survival of our way of life! Never trust the alien; its false smile hides an unknowable mind…

civics (how those ethics are put into practice)

Inward Perfection: This calm and pacifist society has little use for strangers who do not understand their way of life. More than anything, they would prefer to be left alone.

Imperial Cult: This society has a dominant state religion where the ruler is worshiped as a living deity.

Pleasure Seekers: This society rejoices in its own perfection. Those who are elevated by their privileged social structure have surrendered to a culture which glorifies pleasure and entertainment, regardless of a cost typically borne by others.

so basically china mixed with rome. The celestial empire is still very much in the ancient era, to the point that you can't even speak to someone of a higher rank than you. typically a noble will look out a window or stare at a painting when dictating what they want. the servents are expected to do it. if you are so foolish as to thank a servent then they will be put to death on the spot.

the empire uses three forms of money based on social rank.

royal money is backed by gold. the emperor can buy basically anything he wants with it.

the nobles money is backed by silver.

the peasent money is basically scripts written by the local noble it has no actual value anywhere else other than in that area so most peasents just barter.

movment is restricted, there are no personal transports so your only options on the trains. which are highly controlled and if you're not a noble or don't have a paper saying you're allowed to go somewhere you're going to be killed if you try.

minstral has very little industry beyond cottage industry and are still using guilds.

basically it fucking sucks to be anyone but a noble.

but if you're a noble it's a non-stop orgy and feast. you will never have a want for anything. the only places that have any knowledge of the outside world are the port cities where minstral buys the luxuries of atlas and well atlas doesn't look too different from the empire just less shiny for the people at the top. to be born a peasent is to live your life as a object to be traded and tossed away by your lords. any crimes committed against you by a noble or royal are not crimes you are not a person. rape murder it doesn't matter so long as you're a higher rank than the other. the only one's who might fight back, the nobles. are kept fat happy and drunk enough that they never cause problems. villages die all the time and are quickly replaced as an ever-growing population is forced out of the capital city's walls.

basically minstral is simply too big to fail at this point and Salem keeps it this way by only using her Grimm to kill rebels or peasants that get ideas.

if the MAC of vale is ozma's shinning city on a hill, the celestial empire is the monument to all that salem thinks life should be.

@howlingday @weatherman667

up next is vaccuo and then menagerie

Dandelion - Gwent Card

@weatherman667 going with a more discriptive than mechanical look at the culture this time, hopefully this will be easier for people to understand

being a mix of Chinese and greek culture I decided to lean more on the greek side of things for them, still, they're a Grimm and serious people that focus on duty overall but on a more contractual basis, this is also why the ideas aren't colored, illuminated manuscripts are more an arcadian thing

Bureaucratic: No culture lasts longer than its oldest record, and this culture believes in accounting so meticulous as to guarantee immortality.

Court Eunuchs: this culture has a tradition of advancing men who are willing to put aside any chance at a family, viewing these men as better at the job. it is not always something the men consent to

Legalistic: this culture believes in strict adherence to the law, the letter of it, not the spirit

Spartan: this culture does not put much stock in the trappings of power, and would much rather focus on maintaining actual power

life is just a joke: this culture has a tradition of nihilism understanding there is no inherent meaning to being alive, and as a result tend not to let themselves get upset about difficulties they may face

swords for hire: this culture views mercenary work favorably and encourages warriors to seek gold and glory as mercenaries in-between wars

the minstrailians view the entire world as having no meaning, but meaning being something you have to make for yourselves, they a straightforward people, Grimm and dutybound but with an emphasis on contracts rather than honor. they do what works, and only as they're being paid for.

the religious tradition is still alive in minstral though now it's less focused on the divine and more on enlightenment and mental fortitude, it's tenants are

Asceticism: Materialistic pursuits blind us to the divine truth. Only by devoting ourselves to live simple lives without luxury can we achieve spiritual enlightenment. (Enables the Meditate in Seclusion decision)

Aniconism: The worship of graven images has blinded far too many to the divine truth. We will cast all icons out of our holy places so that our faithful will not fall into that trap.

Inner Journey: Only by understanding one's self can we understand the world. The journey of self-discovery is important as it is long and difficult. (Enables the Meditate in Seclusion decision)

Song of Ascension

"When the screams of man have faded, and the rage of the waters has come to a stop, a sorrowful song can be faintly heard throughout the empty beaches. Some say the song helps the dead to calmly enter the realms of afterlife"

instagram.com/pedrokrugerart

Kvothe - Chords

New painting begun at the live demonstration, Art Out Loud 10, at the Society of illustrators in New York last month and finished up in the studio. Off to its new owner in a couple of weeks after the varnish dries! A revisit of the character Kvothe from Patrick Rothfuss' brilliant novel The Name of the Wind. Kvothe - Chords 24" x 20", Oil on Panel, private collection http://donatoart.com/store/limited-edition-giclee-prints/kvothe-chords/

K__ye.

This was relevant 2 years ago when I drew and painted it.

Tales of the bard