Niro

Niro is an archipelago nation of four hundred islands, spanning the eastern half of the narrowest stretch of ocean between Petrosa and Akido. The line bisecting Niro is officially recognised by all states in the New Era Union as the boundary between the Las Hocorexadier in the south and the Las Marr in the north.

Niro's neighbours include Aora, a fellow archipelago nation to the west, and Cin, a kingdom situated on continental Akido in the southeast.

Theology
Niro, along with Bel, is unique in having hundreds of patron deities, most of them shepherds to the Upper Empire deity Kaba, Deity of Metals. Deities here tend to patronage individual islands, although some share their islands while some claim more than one. For this reason, and also for reasons of personal relevance or preference, different factions and clans within Niro's population focus their worship around different deities--even deities of other countries. While deities with contesting or conflicting patronage claims often find their followers also in dispute, all deities are generally held to be of great religious importance, and worthy of respect, to all Niro-in.

The islands of Niro are known for their numerous spectacular shrines: every island is crowned by a large shrine to their most important deity or deities.

Culture
Unlike many nations in its vicinity, Niro does not have the conventional concept of gender. Beyond the details of reproductive capability, physical sex is largely irrelevant to how individuals of the culture carry themselves. Unions are formed with no regard for physical sex, and a mature culture of adoption and foster parenthood means that those who cannot raise their biological children may easily find other individuals to parent their offspring.

It is common practice for adults wishing to offer up their biological children for adoption to broadcast their need, and other individuals regardless of marital status to seek out these families, in public gathering spaces. This practice is known there as koiri. However, the culture recognises the importance of stable parenthood throughout life, and once a child has been accepted by a family, future adoption offering is frowned upon.