The capital for centuries has lain at Hesmear. Like Bermund this kingdom was settled by non-humans who migrated to this world because it was fair, and had plenty of magic. They took human form, retaining the ability to change that form, as that was natural to their original being.

They would have settled quietly enough but for two problems. The biggest one was the Chwahir who always wanted to expand, especially into a place with magic of any kind, even natural magic. The Mearsieans tended to band into small villages, and because they were by nature shape-changers, not fighters, they had a disconcerting habit of mirroring invaders so that they'd end up fighting themselves. But that only works if you know everyone in your own group.

The second problem was, there were those who developed a kind of sub-culture, a cult of beauty called Yx U Barec ("YICKS-YOU-bar-ECK") that turned into a kind of lethal competition: eventually the Yxubarecs would kill the person whose face and form they mimicked, as art can only have a single example.

When the cult was discovered, the Mearsieans first tried confining them to a corner of the kingdom, but that meant guarding them. In connivance with the Mage Council, which was at a low ebb wisdom-wise at that time, the Mearsieans created a kind of cloud-city that resembled their old home in the old world, confined the Ysuvarecs to that, and sent them away. Their subsequent history is dealt with elsewhere.

Otherwise the Mearsieans settled to a quiet existence with a tendency to isolationism and feudal interconnections between villages and leaders, due to those ongoing problems with the troublesome Land of the Chwahir. Mostly they got along with neighbors, but around the year 4000, when other ructions were going on in the world, waves of Mearsieans took ship, seeking new land. Thus the colony Mearsies Heili was eventually established; within a century it had migrated inland and declared its independence. This was never questioned by the home country, which had been unable to maintain the colony with any consistence.

Tser Mearsies is bounded by rivers, the agricultural culture organized into Holders, below Counts (who gained their title from responsibility for tax gathering, which eventually came with an estate and the ear of the monarch). The Holders have a great deal of influence with their Counts, who in turn act as a governing council. The monarch is an elected office. Sons and daughters of previous monarchs are usually elected unless very unpopular. Mearsieans don't care for violent change.

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