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====== The Great Rice Patty ======
  * Government Type: Colonial Outpost
  * Symbol: Rice plant
  * Major Races: Semi-aquatic lizards, elves, humans
  * Capital: None
  * Demonym: Pattian

===== Overview =====
This massive, shallow area of the ocean is the primary reason it takes so long to circumnavigate [[settings:jaern|Jaern]], as ships cannot pass through it. Adjacent to the continent of [[settings:jaern:geleia|Geleia]], touching its western shore, most navigators treat the Great Rice Patty (GRP) as a landmass. Its depth ranges anywhere from three to twenty feet, with some tiny outcroppings poking above the surface. Due to its favorable climate, the GRP is the "breadbasket" of much of southern Jaern, most of its population subsisting off rice or seaweed farming. 

Villages, towns, and cities built on stilts and flotillas are present all around the GRP. Most of the eastern side is under the jurisdiction of Geleia - although some are in the domain of the lizard kingdom of [[settings:jaern:tysaleth|Tysaleth]]. The western parts of the GRP are under the control of [[settings:jaern:therhine:centralia|Centralia]] and [[settings:jaern:keerlevex|Keer'Levex]]. Small pockets of adventurer-controlled land exist throughout as well.

Eels, fish, crocodiles, and manatee-like "sea cows" are common animals in the GRP, with the former three being farmed or hunted as sources of meat for Patty inhabitants. While the most significant GRP export is rice, hence the name, deeper parts of the GRP's territory are perfect for kelp cultivation. The area is primarily agricultural, and the vast majority of Pattians are farmers of some sort. 

==== Regions ====
The parts of the Great Rice Patty are divided based on who controls them, into four broad "Realms". Although the laws of each Realm differ, there are no real borders, and so most Pattians have formed a cohesive and collective culture regardless of which nation they farm for.

=== Ravinrunn (Geleian Realm) ===
This part of the GRP covers about 40% of the "landmass", on the easternmost edge. The southern half is controlled by the Surham Mercantile, and the northern half by the Geleian Kingdom. Ravinrunn is about 50% elves, the highest density of elves in all of the GRP. It is generally shallower than the rest of the Patty, and has the most land above sea level.

Ravinrunn is the most affluent and oldest part of the GRP, and most talks about Pattian independence start here and slowly spread across the rest of the land.

=== Szariia (Tysali Realm) ===
This is a relatively tiny pocket of land (~20% of the Patty), mostly too deep to farm rice, in the northwest of the GRP. While the kingdom of Tysaleth used to control all of the Patty, after the [[history:jaern#frozen_era|Frozen Era]] ended and Geleians began to expand off the island they quickly lost ground, and this is all that's left. Nearly all Szariia inhabitants are semi-aquatic lizards.

It is the deepest portion of the GRP, and is mostly used to farm various sorts of sea plants - notably a sort of kelp called //salishi//, which grows large fruit-like pods with a sweet and delicious nectar inside.

=== Mosaic (Centralian & Keer'Levexian Realm) ===
The remaining 40% of the Patty is Mosaic, a place named for the fact that it has pockets of control, village by village, split between Centralia, Keer'Levex, and individuals - usually adventurers. Since there is no contiguous area of hegemony here, Mosaians have developed much of their own distinct culture. Most Mosaians are semi-aquatic lizards, though there are also many humans here and a few elves. 

==== Laws ====
The laws of a place in the GRP are the laws of the nation that controls it, although most Pattians are very community-minded and well-connected. Word of a wrongdoing targeted at one person will spread like fire through the town, and justice will end up being served one way or another - whether by a [[gods:tor|T'orite]] temple, if one exists, or simply by some folks who won't take it lying down.

===== Cities of the Patty =====
There are countless small villages and towns in the GRP, but only a few large cities. These cities are usually centers of colonial power, representing the interests of the nations which control parts of the Patty.

**Ravinrunn City:** This place, located on the border between the Surham and Kingdom-controlled parts of Ravinrunn, is a mercantile hotspot. It features the grandest temple to [[gods:neptune|Neptune]] in all of the Sunovarm, and canals have been dug which are large enough to allow large trading ships in. Most trade, whether Geleian or not, passes through Ravinrunn City at some point. 

It is also the richest city in the Patty, and most Pattians see residents as pretentious pricks who simply have some fundamental disconnect with the world. Rumor has it that a thriving Surham thieves' guild, the Graytalon, operates here and makes the city their smuggling center. 

**Riptide Peak:** This town is located in the Mosaic, on the western coast of the GRP. It is controlled by Centralia. Much of it is built on an artificial island built within the old, bleached bones of a long-dead giant whale. The island was created by visiting mages from [[settings:jaern:ageron|Ageron]]. Originally, it was a town like any other, but in 2555 a catastrophic storm destroyed much of the crop for the year and eroded away a significant amount of seabed. 

Several [[lore:creatures:abysslings|strange creatures]] washed up, and ever since the storm, Riptide Peak has been communicating less and less with other villages, only making contact with Centralia once every few months to ship out their goods. Rumors of a thriving religious movement have been spreading here, though.

**Valan:** This village in the Mosaic is controlled by [[settings:jaern:keerlevex|Keer'Levex]], an island which is home to Jaern's [[lore:creatures:greatbeasts:dragons|dragon]] followers. It is located along the banks of the Quilted River, and is guarded by a [[lore:creatures:greatbeasts:dragons#long|Long:]] an emissary from the draconic home island. A small shrine to [[gods:kelvar|Kelvar]], god of dragons, has also been constructed here. 

//**[WIP]**//

===== Culture =====
The Great Rice Patty is a melting pot of many different cultures from all across Jaern, and this mixing over time, combined with a lack of borders, has led to a unique culture all its own. Most Pattians are on the poorer side, with some having come to work off debts or send what money they can make home to a family. There is a strong sense of solidarity among Pattians, with many recognizing that while they may send their crops away and are paid a pittance for it, at least they have each other.

Most Pattians are salt-of-the-earth, hardworking folk who believe in doing things under one's own power and the value of honesty and dedication. Families are well-connected and usually stay in one place, with generations inheriting their family farms and carrying on an idyllic, relatively peaceful life.

A significant amount of semi-aquatic culture from Tysaleth has mixed in with Patty culture. Entire villages help to raise children, and most people are fluent in multiple languages; including Paroli, Sel'ict, and Elvish. The Pattian accent is often compared to a Sel'ict one, just a little more "country", as described by a visitor from Kieron's Watch.

==== A Dream of Patia ====
Rumors have been circling around western Ravinrunn of a movement for GRP independence. The prospective new name for this nation is Patia - a dream of controlling their own trade and income, free from the colonial shackles of merchants and nobles hundreds if not thousands of miles away.

Most mentions of Patia are waved off as a pleasant dream. While the majority of Pattians like the idea, they simply don't think it's realistic. The Patty has been under foreign control for so long, it's hard to imagine anything different.

==== Religion ====
The GRP, for the most part, follows Jaernian orthodoxy. The most significant gods to Pattians are [[gods:neptune|Neptune]], [[gods:osiris|Osiris]], and [[gods:ra|Ra]], as deities related to nature and the regular cycles of the world. They are all prayed to for a good harvest, and special harvest festivals occur each year dedicated to the three of them.

It is easy to find a Neptunian market, an Osirisite enclave, and a Solarium in most Pattian towns, though only one of these or a combined chapel might be present in a small village. Rarely, temples to other gods exist - usually where a group of priests settled down a long time ago. Larger cities also have temples to [[gods:tor|T'or]].