The Scyphozoan Triumvirate

The Scyphozoan Triumvirate, or Scyphozoa, is a tripartite confederation centered on the Bay of Aoyai, which is the birthplace of the Scyphozoan race. Although primarily populated by this race, other races are allowed residency in certain port cities if they accept the Scyphozoan faith. Still, other races are not granted access to most of the nation or the Scyphozoans' closely-guarded secrets and rituals.

Scyphozoan tradition traces their ancestry to the inhabitants of the lost continent of Aetlae Ndtit, which sank below the Inland Sea millennia ago and was destroyed. A select few that sank below the waves encountered the Gaphroon, or jellyfish gods, and were cocooned for years in their magic, creating, upon their emergence, the Scyphozoan race. The Scyphozoans returned to land transformed, rising from the sea with slightly translucent skin, an innate but secret mastery of a range of poisons, the ability to survive underwater for extended periods of time, and, above all, a deep respect for and worship of the Gaphroon.

They first established themselves on the Island of Nakhrach, then the Hanthaodtee Peninsula to the east and the Mugawmalaeh Peninsula to the south. In all three, the Scyphozoans captured the former inhabitants and threw the heathens into the sea; some later rose to the surface as new Scyphozoans, while others sank to the depths as sacrifices in honor of the Gaphroon. The three Scyphozoan states continued their conquests outward from their beachheads, with each victory bringing more Scyphozoans into their ranks. Refugees from the Scyphozoan expansion that fled to the south faced the raids of the Tierlibren clans, while the refugees from Tierlibren violence that fled north either became Scyphozoans or died in service to their gods.

In time, the Scyphozoans had consolidated control over the Bay of Aoyai and the land surrounding it; only then did they end their assault on other races and cease their tradition of Scyphozoan baptism of conquered peoples. The three states entered into a confederation, borne of their common need to close the Bay of Aoyai to outsider entry. Zealously serving as the guardians of the home of the Gaphroon and the protectors of their mortal offspring, the jellyfish, the Scyphozoans kept their reputation as fearsome warriors.

Scyphozoans began leading various trading expeditions across all expanses of the Inland Sea. They became known as proficient traders for their penchant for seafaring, and Scyphozoan fisheries became well-renowned. Still, the Scyphozoan traditions of violence and secrecy remained paramount. A great many utilized their talent for poisons as mercenaries and assassins employed by other nations, with these outsiders often finding Scyphozoans' apathy towards the murder of other races to be a critical asset. And still, the Scyphozoans refuse outsider access to the Bay of Aoyai and to much of their nation at all; other nations coming to Scyphozoa to trade are restricted to specified ports and not granted entry to elsewhere in the nation. Ardent protectors of their cultural knowledge and traditions, the Scyphozoans have outright rejected the machinations that some other nations have embraced, and outside knowledge of Scyphozoan magic is essentially non-existent.

Within Scyphozoa, Scyphozoans mostly live in large metropolises. A dense and complex network of canals allow Scyphozoans across the nation to raise seafood and grow algae for trade and consumption; they also serve as vital transportation arteries, through which Scyphozoans travel by ferry, or in smaller distances, by swimming. Elaborate religious monuments to the Gaphroon Thaehp are common and widespread. It is within these monuments that Scyphozoan tradition is passed down.

The Triarchy govern the Three States of Scyphozoa. Mostly serving as priest-monarchs, the leaders are considered more "evolved" Scyphozoa, being essentially immortal due to their ability to complete a cloning ritual. The Triarchy were granted their status by the Gaphroon Thaehp when the Scyphozoans first emerged from the sea, and have been monarchs since. They are able to commune with the Gaphroon Thaehp, and their purpose on the Earth is to lead the Scyphozoans in the fulfillment of their will.