From publisher blurb:
Ruined History
Ramia is a young world, and the Shylmyn Duchies are even younger. The last sibling of the Regencies, the Duchies were first established in the Age of Steel and Steam as a dominion of the Kerkorak Imperium in a still wild and unexplored landmass, filled with ancient ruins and mysterious artifact the families of the Imperium were interested in discovering the uses of. But first sending curious adventurers, chroniclers and archeologists had an unexpected effect: instead of following the Imperium's will to expand, their explorers found kinship with the local population and an increasing desire for knowledge rather than dominance. Eventually, both expeditions and locals, forming a solid alliance, pushed to distance the Duchies from the Imperium until a short civil war gave them complete independence.
This has resulted in the Duchies having a strong sense of identity, upholding both indigenous traditions and beliefs and the passionate academic research and curiosity that drove the first foreign expeditions. Proximity to mysterious unexplainable ancient ruins from Yetis, Trolls, and unknown civilisations, filled with druidic and chtonic magic, artifacts, has also shaped the life of the Duchies' inhabitants. Worship is focused on the Spirits, but local superstition also leads people to leave offerings in houses and around local ruins or perform rituals to appease the ghosts of the past and whatever magic dwells in ancient artifacts.
The Duchies are a land where respect and proximity to the unknown and the mysterious blends in with unwavering diligent curiosity, where local ages-old lore passed down from elders is used side by side with foreign edge-cutting arcanotechnology, and where the ever-present influence of a missing past drives a youthful nation towards its future.
The Duchies have grown into a fully-fledged Regency, centered around the ancient ruins peppering the land and an endless desire to uncover their mysteries. People grow up knowing the world around them is unfathomable: each Duchy is home to at least one big university and education is valued even in the tiniest village. While there is no official head of state, the Shylmyn Archeological Foundation and its director Professor Unduba Dustwriter act as such; however, there are also talks of implementing a proper government in the future, although many fear the struggle for power, from both insiders and outsiders, this could result in.
The Duchies regularly welcome foreign expeditions to help in their research, making it a quite cosmopolitan nation - although newcomers are seen as "allowed" on Duchies' territory rather than potential future neighbors. While Ramian Church emissaries have always been present, the more extremist turn of the organization has led the more recent Ramian envoys to try and destroy the ruins to erase the past, causing tensions and frictions with the Duchies. The Duchies are also quite wary of the Imperium, having been born from the Imperium's expansionism. Staying up to date with their conflict for power is crucial to the Duchies, who currently have a strained diplomatic relationship with the de'Melaza family.
The Duchies themselves are usually peaceful with one another, although conflicts arise every now and then between either political figures or the many academics that hold influence in the country. More recently, ancient artifacts that used to lay dormant in the ruins have started awakening - automatons, weapons, or even parts of the ruin themselves, stirred by chtonic magic - and people swear they've seen Yetis or Trolls roaming their own ruins. What has been causing it is unclear; but it is yet another threat the Duchies will need to solve.
Fantasy Born From Family
Welcome to the Shylmyn Duchies, an expansion for our low chthonic fantasy setting Ramia. Getting to be a fly on the wall for the creation of this book has been amazing, as when the team brought Tyan and Averil (DoomBloom) together, no one expected the absolute collaborative powerhouse that would be born. Drawing from their Vietnamese and North Chinese heritage, Averil and Tyan worked together to design and create a place where themes of historical reclamation, imperialism, and lost history are examined and explored in such an amazing way. From the design of the architecture to the costumes to even the naming conventions, these two took a part of the world of Ramia originally only two paragraphs long and gave it new original life. The Duchies in many ways as designed by Tyan and Averil are an alegory for what many places in the world are going through: fighting back against colossal powers that formed them or oppress them to become recognized individuals. So, dust off your boots and tighten your backpack straps as you head in the wilderness of the Duchies and fight back against the Imperium.