Subsistence,
Economy, and Technology
The Therani Confederacy is fully agricultural. While few domestic beasts are used for food, the fish of the rivers and game of the woodlands provide meat
for the majority of the people. Please note that the production/availablity scores listed below are post-Shanari invasion. When the tribesmen are beaten
back, the availability of such goods as River-rice, peat and Talner goods will rise by one step again.
Resources
- River Rice (Great Production, great availability) the fertile terraces of Hadrair and Unnirand feed the vast majority of Therani. The river-rice has all but
supplanted shaka grains as the staff of life for the Therani, one of the two main culinary differences between Taltherani and the Therani. River-rice is also
exported in bulk to the surrounding tribesmen and, to a lesser extent, Taltherani and Cedonia.
- Timber (Great production, great availability) 40% of the Therani Confederacy is covered by woodland. The most common trees are tamarisk, acacia and
willow, though the justly famed Alorean tree (used for the Therani Longbow) is found along the rivers. Timber is regularly traded with the Taltherani
downriver, with the logs floated down toward the port cities and currency and agriib fabric being poled upriver in return.
- Peat (Good production, good availabilty) the ground of the Therani swamplands is rich in this predecessor to coal. It is used for fuel and for rural
houses along the riverbanks, though stone and wood are preferred inland for the architectural feats of the Therani cities. Peat is traded regularly with the
Hansari tribesmen, who have found peat safer to work with than the dry, tinder-like grass of their homelands.
- Vegetables (Good production, good availability) yams, peas, onions, garlic, asparagus and hot or sweet peppers make up the majority of Therani
vegetables. Greens are comprised almost solely of collards. Most vegetables are eaten domestically, as the travel time to get elsewhere tends to spoil
the foodstuffs.
- Fish/Shellfish (Good production, fair availability) the fish living in the rivers Tal and Wyr are used in much the same way as in Taltherani, either eaten
domestically or smoked for export to the tribesmen of Hansari or Morvali.
- Talner meat, hide, eggs (Fair production, fair availability) the Talner are medium-sized and ill-tempered reptilians who make their homes in the swamps
along the rivers. While dangerous to humans during the mating or nesting seasons, the Therani find their meat and eggs delicious. For this reason, many
are hunted down during the short winter season, when the creatures are sluggish and less likely to ambush a hunting party. The use of this meat is the
other culinary difference between the Taltherani and Therani, with the Taltherani generally finding the meat and eggs unpalatable. The dark greenish-black
hide is used for boots, belts, hats, quivers and sheaths by the Therani. Occassionally these goods are exported to Cedonia or Taltheran as exotic or
luxury clothing.
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Limestone (Good production, fair availability) limestone forms the bed of the rivers Tal and Wyr, as well as lying beneath the peat of the swamp areas.
This stone is mined for building purposes throughout the unwooded areas of Therani. Trade in limestone is irregular at best.
- Papyrus (Fair production, mediocre availability) the swamp areas of Therani are home to a certain amount of papyrus reeds, which are harvested and
used by the Therani for use in important documents. Most papyrus is used domestically.
- Metals (Poor production, poor availability) Therani is a metal-poor country, which is part of the reason the bow has traditionally been more important
than the blade in the culture. However, as part of the former Cedonian Empire, Therani towns and cities are familiar with smithwork and do have metal
goods commonly available just none to trade. Finding a trading partner with access to metal goods is a primary goal of Dun Ri Fethoran.
Technology
- Power Sources: The Therani use ungeared watermills along the Rivers Wyr and Tal for most of their power needs. They are familiar with the use of steel,
but due to the small amount of raw materials needed, little steel is actually used.
- Agriculture: The Therani rely heavily on terraced rice-fields in the surrounding areas of larger cities for their food sources. Rather than destroy these
fields, the Shanari have used them as a water source, and so the infrastructure remains sound throughout the former cities of Therani. Oxen are still
used as the primary beast of burden, as horses do not do as well in the often marshy terrain.
- Construction and Architecture: Therani architecture is often commented on by visitors. It use of tall spires, flying buttresses, rib vaulting and massive
arches are considered signature of Therani cities where stone is regularly available.
- Transport/Communication: The Therani still walk on land. Horses are not in common use, and riding oxen or other draft beasts is slower than the walk
itself. Along the rivers, the Therani rely mostly on canoes or rafts rather than true boats.
- Military: Most Therani weaponry is limited to spears and polearms, with the exception of the Longbow mentioned above. Scale mail is the most common
form of armor, again due to the metal-poor nature of the region, though the Thar Ri often own a few sets of ancestral chain mail.
- Other: The Therani have an alphabetic script system, used to write on papyrus or sheepskin scrolls and books. Instruments are limited to woodwinds
and lyres, which gives Therani music an ethereal rather than military sound. Simple surgeries and herbal treatments are possible by wise men and
women, though some further knowledge is currently being developed at the university in Unnirand. Mathematics are sufficient for the Therani trade needs,
but hardly an advanced science.