Kingdom of Baatherys

A tiny mountain kingdom, home to both the dragonborn and the most powerful wizard in the world.

About

Baatherys is a mountain kingdom little known in the east. Originally a part of the Ancient Alousian Empire, the current nation broke away from Alousia in the wake of the demonic invasions that toppled the Empire.
The majority of the people of Baatherys are dragonborn - of all colors. The first dragonborn are said to have evolved in the mountain valleys of what is now Baatherys thanks to cross-breeding experiments done over centuries by the Empress of Twilight more than 30,000 years ago. There are more dragonborn in Baatherys than in the rest of the world combined, leading many scholars to believe the old stories of the dragonborn homeland. To prevent inbreeding, the dragonborn clans have trained and employed heralds as genealogists for centuries. Arranged marriages are the norm for the dragonborn.
The mountains of Baatherys are mostly impassable on foot, leaving the heights and hidden valleys to be settled by flying creatures. More aarakocra live in the Baatherysian mountains than anywhere outside the Kingdom of Qurhat. Besides aarakocra, the mountain heights are home to winged tabaxi, tieflings and dragonborn as well as awakened birds, harpies and other flying creatures.
Surrounded on three sides by steep mountains, the wealth of Baatherys comes from mining. Hundreds of mines operate legally, with thousands of other sites constantly being scouted by prospectors. These prospectors range from well-equipped expeditions of professional miners to isolated prospectors fighting the wild and the elements on their own. Baatherysian gold, mithril and tin ore have founded fortunes and dynasties.

History

Throughout its history, Baatherys has been a sanctuary whenever the caisheni are persecuted. Almost mythical among the eastern caisheni, Baatherys is home to a large and diverse caisheni population.
The human archmage Thareus Carossa calls Baatherys home. Widely called the most powerful wizard in the world, Thareus is the court tutor to the children of the royal family and Vizier to the Baatherysian kings.
There are rumors that Baatherysian earth mages have spent years building roads and tunnels through the Tanatran Mountains. If successful, Baatherys would control the only overland route to the southern nations. Even most mages laugh at the idea, though. The arcane and engineering feats would be colossal. Some even say that the archmage Thareus had made contact with one of the long-lost dwarven kingdoms, and the earth mages are tunneling towards them.

Government

The Haosan Dynasty of the silver dragonborn have ruled Baatherys for almost 600 years. Before the Haosan, the red dragonborn Ecthain Dynsty ruled for a century. Before the Ecthain, the half-elven Dharium Dynasty ruled for 150 years. Before the Dharium, there was a century of warlord-kings who ruled through the chaos of the Fall of Alousia and the Collapse of Godossea.
The current rulers of Baatherys are King Idrian Haosan III and Queen Jhiru Rhascoun. Their children are the Crown Prince Atarna, Princess Bessamin, and Princess Rhousa.
The King and Queen are advised by two particularly powerful individuals. The first is their Vizier, Thareus the Seer, the most powerful wizard in the world. The second is Grand Herald Sir Taon Mitrin, a red dragonborn. The Heralds of Baatherys serve as historians, bards, genealogists, and advisors.

Political Subdivisions

Like the Second Alousian Empire's ványa (duchies) and saëna (baronies), the Kingdom of Baatherys is divided into vanáya and sēn. The Kingdom of Shan and the High Principality of Midrian both have similar organizations, all of them inheriting their political structure from the Ancient Alousian Empire.
Vanáya Almanera is the only vanáya not surrounded by steep mountains. Home to the large Lake Osla, the Almanerans make their living through fishing, farming, and forestry like most of Baatherys. Almanera was the only vanáya swept up in the destruction caused by the Blood Rift and the armies of demons and devils that came through it a thousand years ago.
Vanáya Aranoa, dominated by the Mynros River watershed in the north and the Abadon River in the south, the gold and iron mines outside Minrosa support a thriving metallurgy industry, exporting everything from raw ore to finished goldsmithing work north to the trade cities of the Bathna River and south to the Kingdom of Shan.
Vanáya Bastáyan, protected on two sides by the Gendryn and Tanatran Mountains, Bastáyan is home to Lake Sarin. Besides it's northern border along the Bathna River, Bastáyan also contains the Cir'n River system. The mithril mines in the Gendryn Mountains at the headwaters of the Cir'n are famous and a series of dredged channels and locks allows river travel from the mountains to the Bathna.
Vanáya Cithria lies in the southern foothiils of the Rhanthus Mountains. Cithrian rangers are renowned throughout Baatherys.
The Crown Lands are held in trust by the royal family and used to maintain a source of income and taxation independent of the six Vánayar or high lords of the kingdom.
Vanáya Fain is almost entirely composed of steep mountain ranges stretching from the Rhanthus Mountains in the west to the Tanatran Mountains in the east. The exception to this is the large Aslant Valley and the mining city of Szhar. With the exception of the Aslant Valley, most residents of Vanáya Fain can fly.
Vanáya Moreska's northern half is composed of steep mountains and most residents of northern Vanáya Moreska can fly. The southern lowlands of the vanáya are fertile farmland and rich forests, though the main export are salted fish from the various lakes dotting the Bathna River valley.

King Idrin Haosan III

Thareus "the Seer" Carossa, Vizier of Baatherys

Grand Herald Sir Taon Mitran

There are more dragonborn in Baatherys than anywhere else - most believe they evolved in the surrounding mountains

Maps

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  Baatherys, Kingdom of (geographic)

• 

  Baatherys, Kingdom of (political)

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Predecessor Organization

• Ancient Alousian Empire

Demonym

Baatherysian

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Barter system

Official Languages

• Alousian
• Caishenic Sign
• Draconic

Neighboring Nations

• Kingdom of Shan
• Second Alousian Empire