Seftmire

Seftmire is an island nation located to the north of the Aarden Empire, known for its vast mineral and gemstone deposits. The Seftmirians are a hardy people, accustomed to the harsh living conditions of their tundra environment.

The above-ground landscape of Seftmire is arid and unforgiving, but beneath the surface, the island is home to a network of underground cities carved into natural caves. The Seftmirians have thrived in these Petra-like cities, relying on mining, mushroom farming, and fishing for their sustenance.

Seftmire's vast mineral and gemstone deposits have made it the wealthiest member nation of the Aarden Empire. The people of Seftmire are almost universally involved in the mining industry, with many others involved in the mushroom farming industry. The Seftmirian mushrooms called kirtski are abundant and nutritious, and the people of Seftmire consume them daily, despite their unpleasant taste. The kirtski mushroom is unique to the depths of the Seftmirian tunnels, growing very quickly and producing caps sometimes nearly a meter in diameter. As a staple of Seftmirian cuisine and culture, different parts of the kirtski have been used for a wide variety of things, including fabric from the outer membrane, and cigarettes from the dried inner fins.

Seftmirians are best known outside their homeland for one primary cultural difference - the casual and blunt nature of their conversations. A compliment from a Seftmirian could, and often does, come off as an insult to someone from anywhere else. An example would be telling someone they're lucky that their spouse is unattractive because they won't have to worry about infidelity, resulting in them widely being considered tasteless and humourless people by the rest of the empire.

The people of Seftmire are renowned for their architectural and sculpting skills, producing some of the most skilled architects and sculptors in the empire. However, their artwork is often seen as gaudy and over-the-top by the rest of the world due to the vivid colors used in low-light environments. Seftmirian music is dominated by a droning throat singing, similar to Mongolian throat singing, and every song sounds like a dirge, even the happy ones. Despite their reputation for being dour and unfriendly, some Seftmirians enjoy painting, and Seftmirian artwork is known for its vibrant colors, which can be overwhelming when viewed in the light of day.

Sefmirians are met with distrust and suspicion the further from their homeland they travel - particularly in the southern frontier towns. Pejoratives relating to, or accusing someone of "behaving like" a Seftmirian are often casually thrown around. It's not uncommon to hear colourful phrases like "Mushroom eating dirt-fucker" or "Mud-humping tunnel-rat" or "You lyin', rock-bitin', dirt-eatin', yeller-belly, sumbitch ditch-pig," and so on.

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People of Interest

• Nostor Sidorov

The Church of the Creator's top ranking official for the Seftmirian Region.