Sirafis

Sirafis is a fictional ancient maritime civilization created for world-building and narrative purposes. In its depicted timeline, Sirafis arises along a coastal archipelago and adjacent mainland regions during the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age. It is described as a federation of city-states that share a common maritime culture, religious worldview, and commercial network, rather than a single centralized empire.

Geography and settlement

The Sirafian realm covers a network of harbors, lagoons, and river mouths, with the principal city of Siris serving as its political and ceremonial capital. The built environment mixes stone temples and public buildings with wood-framed houses, while harbor districts feature warehouses, shipyards, and markets. Navigation and seamanship are central to daily life, with coastal villages reinforcing the trading backbone of the civilization.

Society and culture

Sirafis is imagined as a merchant-led society where guilds and councils influence governance. Religion centers on sea deities and natural forces believed to govern tides, winds, and safe passage. The writing system is described as a syllabary linked to neighboring linguistic families, used by scribes, merchants, and priests to record contracts, inventories, and religious rites. Art and craft emphasize glassmaking, metalwork, pottery, and textile production.

Economy and technology

The Sirafian economy relies on long-distance sea trade, exchange of metals, precious stones, dyes, spices, and textiles, and regional production of ships and harbor infrastructure. Ships range from small coastal craft to larger sailing vessels capable of crossing straits and open sea. Standardized weights and measures facilitate trade, while coinage, where present, supplements barter.

Legacy and depiction

In the fictional world, Sirafis influences later coastal cultures through port architecture, navigational knowledge, and mercantile practices. Scholarly discussions within the setting examine whether Sirafis represents a unified state or a loose federation of independent communities with common maritime traditions.