Hermea

A dragon-ruled civilization in the Steaming Sea, Hermea is the topic of legends and rumors among children and adults alike across the Inner Sea region. For centuries, the gold dragon Mengkare watched humanity bicker and constantly refuse to rise above their baser nature to realize their full potential. Yet while other metallic dragons largely dismissed humanity, Mengkare remained impressed by human resilience and resourcefulness, becoming convinced that—with a little guidance—they might one day become the civilization that would bring peace and prosperity to the planet for good. At last seeing a cause noble enough to dedicate his life to, he immediately relocated to an empty island in the southern Steaming Sea and used the wealth of his vast hoard to found Hermea, a nation dedicated to his vision of perfecting humanity.

Dubbed the Glorious Endeavor, Mengkare’s campaign is shrouded in mystery. Under his command, covert scouts travel the world seeking out humans who are paragons of both intelligence and physical prowess, often tracking them for years before issuing the handful of invitations Mengkare authorizes each year. Those who accept are transported to Hermea and presented with the Contract of Citizenship, in which the chosen agree to cede their free will and be bound by Mengkare’s enlightened judgment forever. All former nationalities and allegiances must be renounced, including even organized religion. In exchange, recipients are promised permanent access to Hermea’s extensive resources and a life of perpetual comfort while they pursue their passions in a closed society of brilliant and beautiful peers.

According to residents, life in Hermea is dedicated to fulfilling one’s potential, whether that be through magic or art, combat or science. While the island hosts some startlingly efficient agricultural projects, its economy is powered primarily by the sale of its crafts and expertise to outside nations. The harbor of the nation’s only city, Promise, bustles with traders and scholars. All business is conducted on the docks, as few outsiders are allowed within the city’s high sandstone walls. The state takes most of the funds earned in this manner, but Hermea’s citizens have no worries for money—each may requisition whatever they require, for a poet who dedicates himself to the perfect sonnet is just as valued by Hermean society as a wizard who crafts magical artifacts or a warrior who hires herself out to slay monsters in far-off kingdoms. Hermea’s population is almost entirely human, though Mengkare sometimes brings in exceptional members of other ancestries to teach at the island’s many universities, especially if they might add beneficial traits to the gene pool.

Of course, while many residents of the Inner Sea region long for such a life of prestige and luxury, not everyone sees Mengkare’s experiment as noble. For many, the idea of a human breeding experiment is abhorrent no matter the goal, and asking someone to sign away their personal autonomy is akin to indenturing them. Yet proponents are quick to point to the arranged marriages common in many cultures and assert that the Hermean government is simply formalizing the practice. These advocates further claim that although Mengkare wields absolute power, he honors the intelligence and independence of his subjects and takes their preferences and happiness into account. While the presence of two draconic viziers who help oversee his mission earns some rumblings of resentment, Mengkare still defers to the 13 elected officials of the Council of Enlightenment for most governmental decisions.

The greatest strain in Hermean society centers around the issue of family: while Hermea-born children are given every advantage, those who don’t show sufficient potential for Mengkare’s standards of greatness when they undergo the Assessment at age 16 are banished to the mainland, never to return. Known grounds for banishment include merely average intelligence, lack of life goals, mental illness of any kind, physical impairments, and disruptive behavior; in other instances, the reason is a mystery to both the unfortunate exiles and their families.