Mustanir

Mustanir remains one of the most well-armed and lethal countries located within Uinsel. The population of Mustanir continues to grow within the valley of the Golemstride westward into the Vesper Plains. There is dispute of the origins of the people that would become Mustaniri and the city that would become Mustanir. The first theory is that the Mustanir people arrived and eradicated the local inhabitants, claiming the territory as their own. The other is that the Mustaniri people arrived and assimilated the original residents into their culture. In either case, it is believed that the city Mustanir outdates the culture that currently occupies it.

History

As a mournful legion of Taladin wandered from Haralon, these were a people that did not wish to war. The weary walk would lead the legion from Haralon to the southwest.
"Coming to the mouth of a valley, we found the Nehlennia, 'Covered place.' It was crafted by masters. And beyond was a great bridge that led into the valley. From one end of the bridge who could not see the other end. It was as though we'd found a place giants. Thus, the bridge was called Golemstride. And we built a city upon the foundation of the Nehlennia."
The Haralonian legion would find the domain and treasures of the elves of Zamigdral. However, as Zamigdral had instructed the elves to leave this place and its treasures, none had entered into the expansive halls of the citadel. When the Haralonian legion, governed by previous general Caval Musti, arrived at the remnants of that place, they were concerned. The citadel was abandoned and had been overgrown. The citadel buried into the ground for stories and was filled with foliage and fauna. And in the dark, they heard the sound of terrors that lurked beneath. But the legion could not resist the gold and treasures that they found there. Thus, they would seal off the Nehlennia and build on top of it.
During this time, the place was called Mustanir, in honor of their general that had freed them from the woes of battle. Caval Musti was named the governor of the people. Building off of the great wonder of the Nehlennia, the people called their construction, "Praetorium", such that it was an edifice on the face of a wonder. The population of Mustanir would only number in the thousands for a span following the discovery of the Praetorium. During that time, the Mustaniri anticipated the arrival of armies to reclaim them everyday. Fevers consumed them as they imagined the wars that were sure to come. Finally, Caval Musti declared, "We are a people. And as a people, we must protect ourselves. We must not cower, but prepared for that which we would rather not. But we have children now, I will protect them."
This declaration would lead to a dramatic shift in the principles of Mustanir. What was originally a reluctance for battle shifted to an adamant defense. The people learned to wield their weapons and build defenses. Towering walls rose beyond the Praetorium that encircled the people and closed off the Golemstride from the mainland. It was only when expeditions were set to venture to the Aurupladi that Mustanir was discovered.
"In the distance, I believed that I saw the rise of a construction, the tip of which shimmered against the black of the mountains. As I approached, I saw a wall whose bricks no man alone could carry. The gate was shut. We did not tempt fate by approaching."
The isolation of Mustanir would cause the people to shift away from the practices and traditions of Haralon and the Taladin. Unlike most cultures, the Mustaniri did not hold a superior view of themselves when compared against their neighbors. Within Mustanir, the idea of advantage and opportunity are the most prevalent. Within the walls of the Praetorium, rumors of war continually stir. Hypothetical studies of conflict saturate the minds of government. For years, the concept of war was hypothetical. It was a game that they would play. Social circles centered around beliefs of what the opponents could do. But the Praetorium had neglected one thing.
"If the enemy has an opportunity, that implies that you have lost your advantage. To prevent the enemy from having an advantage, you must always predict, collect, and innovate. To protect ourselves, we must give no opportunity or advantage."
Praetorium Mustanir struggled to maintain an advantage in the arcane. In fact, Mustanir was at a significant deficit. Many of the arcane arts were lost when the legion left Haralon. In time, the existence of magic was a vague memory. This cataclysmic oversight would result in a near-loss against a much smaller opponent.
Tarma was a settlement of nearly one-hundred people. While Tarma was small, the people seemed to be taken by barbarism. They were given to provocation and would periodically venture to the walls of Mustanir. The conflict between Tarwa and Mustanir seemed one-sided. Mustanir was set in a fortress, protected by a wall. Their population was fifty times greater than Tarwa. In probably one of the most delusional attacks on a people, Tarma's chief approached the wall. Tarma's chief, Nicfire Yellrain, provoked a shower of bolts of lightning to break against the wall. The Mustaniri defenses were shocked and hid themselves. As the bolts of lightning cracked against the walls, Caval Musta sent his soldiers from the gate. As the doors opened, the lightning spilled into the city. Soldiers screamed in agony as lightning ripped at their bodies. Caval Musta led the charge.
Those that were able to make it from the gate were soon showered with slings and javelins launched by hidden warriors. Fortunately, Mustanir was prepared for these conventional weapons. They raised their shields as the shower rained upon them. As they stood in the field protecting themselves, lightning began to strike. The tactic immediately changed from a defense to a charge. As the warriors took out their axes and hammers, they skirmished with the Mustaniri soldiers. By delaying feinting an attack, they would quickly retreat. Then, Nicfire Yellrain would attack. Most of the Mustaniri defenders would fall before even reaching the enemy. When the defenders were sufficiently thinned, the warriors chose to attack. But the warriors had underestimated the armor and skill of the defenders in a melee.
When the warriors of Tarme clashed with the soldiers of Mustanir, the battle was decided. The Tarme warriors had given up their advantage, engaging in a skirmish of pride. The armor was thick, built for ravenous beasts. Their weapons were strong, forged from the treasures of Nehlennia. Nicfire Yellrain would flee from the skirmish, but he could not outrun the pursuit of the Mustaniri soldiers. Cut down, Tarme was left without a chief. The first trophy of Mustanir was the Tibikstone Yellrain, the Fulminating Shard. The shard remains one of the largest Tibikstones known to exist. As Mustanir licked its wounds, the number of dead was over five hundred. The warriors of Tarme numbered only seventy. One-hundred and forty soldiers of Mustanir survived that day with Caval Musta suffering a wound that would result in the loss of his leg. Only thirty-two made it to the skirmish.
The humiliation that Mustanir suffered would cause the entire population to change. While they believed to have prepared, they could not ignore the fact that they were grossly outmatched. In their isolation, they had not foreseen the weapons and strategies of others. They knew of magic, but in their time it was subtle and subdued. The Heirs of Haralon would dabble in such things, but for the footsoldiers it was beyond them. Now, Mustanir would need to break out of its isolation and investigate the words of power.

Type

Geopolitical, Country