Al-Andalus
Where light, darkness, and faith meet...
Al-Andalus is a nation in the Eastern Continent. It makes up much of the western border of the Eastern Continent. It borders the Gray Marches, Harad, Nestoria, Rian, Romanorum, and the Silvas Jankil. It is flanked by the Al-Andalus Mountain Range to the west, and the Bay of Vergil to the east.
Damask, the capital of Al-Andalus
In terms of sheer landmass, Al-Andalus is the smallest among each of the nations in the Eastern Continent. It is a relatively narrow but long corridor of land that stretches much of the distance north to south of the Eastern Continent. The nation owes its narrowness to the large mountain range that divides the Eastern and Western Continents, known as the Al-Andalusian Mountain Range. The mountain range stretches from the north near the town of Tyre towards the vast southern jungle expanse known as the Silvas Jankil.
As a long and narrow nation that runs longitudinally through the Eastern Continent, it is home to numerous climates and regions, many of which are impacted by the Al-Andalusian Mountain Range. Al-Andalus is on the seaward side of the mountain range, which means the coastline and the nearby region are lush and fertile regions. However, as one travels further inland, the conditions become harsh and dry. In general, it is easier to think of Al-Andalus in about three to six different biomes, each dependent on their proximity to the mountain range and longitudinal position.
The northern most regions are divided between the green and temperate coasts that border Romanorum. The land is great for farming, but gets chilly towards the winter. As you get closer to the mountains, the land elevates quickly, turning into green but sparse alpine plains and woods as one travels closer to Tyre. Such lands are less ideal for farming, but makes for great pastures for the local shepherds.
Traveling south, the central region is divided into a great expanse of desert near the mountains towards the capital city of Damask, while the coastal region near Ashkalon are green and warm. The coastal region is home to numerous but sparse new-growth forests but the sandy land is only ideal for the most hardy or ideal of crops. More inland, the land is essentially barren deserts of vast dunes of sand in an otherwise featureless landscape save the distant mountains. Days are warm, but nights are cool, sometimes cold.
Lastly, the southernmost region is generally tropical, and regardless of where one finds oneself, the land is hot and humid. Towards the coast, there are numerous woods of tropical trees and jungles. It is too warm for more traditional foods, but is good for growing fruits. Towards the mountains, the jungles give way to sun-scorched barren savanna. As one travels beyond the southern tip of the mountain range, the lands become more thick and verdant, before it ultimately borders the Silvas Jankil.
The lands of Al-Andalus has been populated since some of the earliest days of life on Arda. After their awakening, the elves wandered out from their cradled lands in Romanorum in search of new lands to wander. In these days, the elves were no more than nomads, traveling and exploring the region, seeking the best places to gather food or raise and water their animals. The warmth of Al-Andalus made it an ideal place to visit, especially during the colder months in Romanorum. Yet, the land is not nearly so fruitful or productive as Romanorum, so only a few elven tribes remained in these lands long term. Of those who remained, a few began building permanent settlements or farming in fertile regions towards the coast.
Following the First Primordial War, Romanorum began to expand past its boundaries, absorbing the local nomadic tribes into their empire. The tribal elves, awed by the Romanoran's technology and organization, largely joined the Empire willingly. As a result, numerous towns and trading settlements sprung across Al-Andalus, including Damask, Kaffa, and Ashkalon. Al-Andalus soon became an important region for the Romanorans, not only as a highway for goods, but also for farming, husbandry, and recruitment.
This quickly changed during the Second Primordial War. The Romanorans, who had faced little military threats in the area, were ill-equipped to face the armies of the Primordials and the Shadow. Town after town were abandoned or demolished as the Romanorans lost control of the region as the Primordial forces closed in on the Romanoran heartlands. As a result, the peoples of Al-Andalus were largely evacuated or slain, and thus played no part in the events of the Last of the Primordial Wars.
Following the Last of the Primordial Wars, the elves slowly migrated back to Al-Andalus. Hoping to rebuild, some reclaimed their old towns and settlements. The elves of early Damask were surprised to find Damask abandoned but intact. Thankful for such seemingly divine providence, the grateful elves built the Hagia Mendos in the name of Mendos, the deity who fell in the Last of the Primordial Wars. As time went on, humans began to slowly move out from Romanorum, setting across Al-Andalus. These humans took on the culture of the local elves, and are particularly fervent worshipers of the Heavens, especially Mendos.
It is not long after this point that the dragons of High Peak were undergoing a moral schism on their views on the peoples of Arda. While numerous dragons wished to learn more about the mortal races, the majority of the dragons continued to impose their might and influence on the local Rianni tribes as their overlords. After numerous struggles, the pro-mortal faction lost, fleeing to the Al-Andalusian Mountain Range to build a new home that would allow for peaceful co-existence with the peoples of Arda. This new settlement grew to be the town of Tyre, and remained an independent land for many years.
As Romanorum began to rebuild, so too did the Empire seek to reclaim their former territories. Now on equal footing with their former benefactors, the elves and men of early Al-Andalus had little to gain from a proposed return to serfdom as a part of the Romanoran Empire. Gathering their forces, the Al-Andalusians knew they could not fight the battle-hardened Romanorans in open combat. Thus, they struck their supply lines and conducted lightning fast raids which were difficult for the heavy infantry of the Romanorans to counter. This, with the Romanoran's lack of expertise in desert warfare, made it an untenable war for the Empire, and they retreated. Now free, they claimed the mountain range as their homes, giving birth to the nation of Al-Andalus.
The new land was now free to find its own future. It largely capitalized on east-west trade from Nestoria into the other lands west. It also developed numerous ports, so that it could trade with distant lands such as Harad or Magnos. This mercantile power made Al-Andalus more powerful, and so it too wished to expansion like their Romanoran predecessors. They pushed south until they reached the treacherous Silvas Jankil, and north until the met with the independent land of Tyre. The dragons of Tyre, deeply concerned about their mortal subjects knew they could fight and defeat the Al-Andalusians - but knew they could not do it forever. If not for the Al-Andalusians today, it would be the Romanorans tomorrow, and the Rianni the day after. Thus, they people of Tyre brokered peace, joining Al-Andalus in exchange for local autonomy.
Today, the land continues much as it had, the crossroads of travel, faith, and trade. Yet, the land becomes more and more developed by the year, waxing in power and influence, nearly rivaling that of the Romanorans. Unlike the Romanorans, Al-Andalus still has potential for unhindered expansion, largely by the way of the Silvas Jankil. Instead, it largely continues to build relationships with its neighbors, holding a tenuous peace while the Shadow's plan unfolds...
In the early days of Al-Andalus, there were only the nomadic elves who lived among the deserts or built small towns by the shore on the Bay of Vergil. Following the Last of the Primordial Wars, the land underwent a great population shift as men, dragons and kobolds came to live in the region. While most who came to live in Al-Andalus would take on the culture of the local elves, others, like the kobolds, would end up leading new ways of life in this ancient land.
Life in Al-Andalus is focused around three major aspects - family, faith, and trade. Everyone who lives in these lands is a profound believer in one, or often more of these pillars of life here. It is these common factors that holds together life in a land of tribes, tradesmen, and clerics, which will ultimately transcend each individuals social and economic status. It is thanks to the focus on these aspects that the peoples of Al-Andalus can continue to thrive in an otherwise generally barren land.
As men began to move into Al-Andalus, so too did the rise of half-elves occur in Al-Andalus. Elves who lived for centuries now began to contend with the notions of their new brethren who lived in mere moments in their eyes. For the elven tribesmen of Al-Andalus, some may have met a human on their ramblings in one town, only to return 50 years later to only find their descendants. To some, this was intriguing, welcoming the new men to their tribes. For others, such comparatively short lives was shocking and foreign, causing others to shun humans or the settlements of Al-Andalus. Regardless, the elves are beginning to come to grips with their waning across the Eastern Continent, doing what little they can to pass on their skills and traditions to the men and half-elves who will succeed them.
As previously stated, religion is an important aspect in Al-Andalus. Nearly all of the established peoples of the nation worship the Heavens, and is particularly prevalent among the men and elf populations of society. Some nomadic elves, and a number of kobolds follow ancestral religions, but for both, this is generally more the exception than the rule. As a result, Al-Andalus is a generally religiously-homogeneous nation.
Among the worshipers of the Heavens in Al-Andalus, a particularly notable sect among them is known as the Cult of Mendos. Mendos was the deity of the Heavens who sacrificed itself to protect the Children of the Heavens and created the first two humans. The elves of Al-Andalus were grateful for the protection and peace Mendos offered; the men who followed grateful for their birth. As a result, the cult has gained a massive following, even despite the known demise of Mendos. Clerics who venerate Mendos can still channel divine power (similar to that of regular Heavens worship) by invoking the memory of Mendos. Today, the Cult operates numerous churches, including the famed Hagia Mendos, as well as hospitals, orphanages, and even sponsors knightly orders.
Primordial worship in Al-Andalus is very rare. This is due to the zealous efforts of the clerics of Mendos, as well as the generally small population of the Children of the Primordials who live here. Most notably, however, is the dragons of Tyre. Many still worship the Primordial Air as their ancestors had, even while other dragons converted to the Heavens worship of their subjects. Regardless, sayings and blessings of the Primordial Air are common in Tyre, even if the religion is no longer as practiced.
For a nation so entwined in the Heavens, it may come as little surprise that Shadow worship in Al-Andalus is among the most heavily persecuted in Arda. In fact, the Cult of Mendos is said to sponsor the Hashashin, the Shadow Assassins, to eliminate known Shadow-worshipers in Al-Andalus and even abroad in other nations. It is somewhat ironic that many of the Hashashin use Shadow magic in pursuit of their aims, but none venerate the Shadow. They merely adapt it's power to trick or sneak up on their targets. Still, many in Al-Andalus and abroad are wary of the assassins and the stigma that surrounds their powers.
Al-Andalus is a duumvirate. A duumvirate is a nation that is ruled by two equal but separate co-rulers. In the case of Al-Andalus, the two co-rulers are the Sultan and the Caliph. Both rulers are charged with the maintenance and leadership of specific roles within the Al-Andalusian government. From the point of view of the Al-Andalusians, they see their government as having a heart and mind. Together with the land, it forms a complete and living body which seeks to thrive.
The Sultan is seen as the mind of Al-Andalus, using reason and logic to overcome potential disputes. The Sultan oversees much of the nation's secular affairs, which includes taking and delegating the leadership roles in diplomacy, military, and economical concerns. The Sultan is supported by several appointed ministries which enforce the Sultan's edicts, and collect information on upcoming issues. The role of Sultan is hereditary, typically passed to the eldest heir.
Where the Sultan is the mind of Al-Andalus, the Caliph is the heart of the nation - using faith, education, and inspiration to provide for the people. The Caliph oversees matters of societal importance, such as religion, health, housing, and education. The Caliph is not supported by ministries as the Sultan is, but is supported by a far more powerful and monolithic force - the clergy of the Heavens, particularly the Cult of Mendos. The clergy in Al-Andalus take on additional roles that might not be seen elsewhere, such as teachers, scholars, doctors, or even civil engineering. Unlike the Sultan, the role of Caliph is not hereditary, but is instead voted on by the eldest members of the Heavens clergy.
As a smaller nation in comparison to their neighbors, Al-Andalus has a relatively small standing army that is financed and trained by appointees of the Sultan. They are known as the Al-Andalusian Home Guard, with members recruited from both the city-dwellers and nomadic peoples of Al-Andalus. By this method, the intention is to not only diversify the skills of their forces, but also to unify the disparate peoples of the land with mutual respect.
The Home Guard comprises both available standing troops, as well as guardsmen that garrison settlements and fortresses. As a result, the location of the Guard's posting is a significant factor in their training and skill set. For those living in distant fortresses or patrolling the desert, they are well-versed in horse or camel riding, typically lightly-equipped to favor quick and devastating raids or rapid responses across the land. As for the Guard posted to the city, they favor armors as heavy that their warm environment allows, and are better trained in crowd-control, defending settlements, and dispensing law.
While the Home Guard covers for most needs of the Al-Andalusians, they are also supported by religious paramilitary forces - namely the Orders of Mendos and the Hashashin. Typically these groups do not take part in regular Home Guard drills or patrols, but instead use their skills to uphold the religious tenets of the Heavens. For the Orders of Mendos, this could mean anything from supporting wounded Guardsmen, guarding churches or protecting pilgrims or clergy by force of arms. The Hashashin generally prefer small solitary missions, but have been known to work in concert with the Guard against larger operations against dangerous Shadow worshipers.
With the acquisition of Tyre, there is third paramilitary force in Al-Andalus, which is known as the Scales of the Dragon. Colloquially referred to as the "Scales", they were the original defenders of Tyre prior to their annexation as an autonomous state. The Scales are drawn from the people of Tyre and the surrounding region who are trained from a young age to guard and respect the draconic elders of Tyre. Ultimately, their goal is to protect the land, people and dragons of Tyre above all else. To this end, the dragons perform ancient blood rituals upon potential candidates, which instill in these peoples certain aspects of dragonkind - such as great strength or razor-sharp vision. In many senses, the ritual is reminiscent of the myths of the creation of dragonborn in the distant western Dragon Kingdom. Numerically few, the Scales will typically only patrol the immediate region in and around Tyre, and rarely intervene in other regional concerns of Al-Andalus. The Scales are particularly famed for their dragon-scale armor, which is rare in the other lands of the Eastern Continent.
As earlier stated, one of the three primary pillars of life in Al-Andalus is trade. While such trade can take the form of travel or even religious conversion, there is a tremendous love of commerce in the markets of Al-Andalus. As the neighbors of Nestoria, a similarly mercantile-minded nation, the Al-Andalusians have access to a tremendous array of valuable goods to trade of, and shepherd the process of east-west trade. This is accomplished by the markets of Al-Andalus acting as a primary landing point to funnel trade goods from the Eastern Continent into Nestoria. Likewise, Nestoria funnels trade goods from the Western Continent. Ultimately, this makes the markets between the two nations incomparable to any other in Arda.
Al-Andalus also has more draws than as a flashpoint for trade. It also produces numerous goods, such as salt, wool, meat, as well as having great access to copper, silver, tin, or rarely adamantine that can be mined from the Al-Andalusian mountain range. In general, however, the land is poor is numerous other resources, which necessitates the need for world trade to get remaining goods such as agricultural foodstuffs, timber, or other finished goods.
Romanoran kataphractos in an Al-Andalusian bazaar.
As the primary trading partners of the Eastern Continent, it maintains generally positive relations with it's neighbors, especially for those with hungry markets such as Magnos, Nestoria and even the Romanorans. They do not maintain great relations with Rian, who they see not only as barbarians, but also frequently as stubborn Primordial-worshiping pagans. It is almost strange they do not keep the same views on the Magnosi, who worship the Primordials more per capita, but do maintain a higher level of sophistication and education than their Rianni counterparts.
By far, however, the Al-Andalusians have the greatest issue with the Haradrim. The Merchant Lords of Harad have little qualms in undercutting their markets, attack their trade routes, and engage in piracy on their trade vessels. Even worse, for the Al Andalusians merchants who travel to the lawless Silvas Jankil, they are often poached by Haradrim slavers or held for ransom. As a result, relations have long been sour between the two.
See Also: The Story So Far
Following the acquisition of the Sunmetal from the svir at "City", Gregor and Zelt reported their success to Torchmaster Torval. While Gregor and Zelt had been busy in their efforts, so too did the Magnosi and the Torches work on developing a portal prototype - called the Mage-Ring, based on the portal device they found in Creci, in Magnos. As they had helped bring the plans to the Torches, Gregor and Zelt were invited to witness it's testing. They soon found out they were here for more than seeing it.
Torval then began to explain that a dangerous situation was brewing in the western land of Al-Andalus. The Caliph Scheherazade, the religious leader of Al-Andalus, had been missing for several days and the grand cathedral, the Hagia Mendos, was shrouded in magical darkness that no spell or sword could pierce. While the Caliph is beloved by her people, this was particularly alarming for the Torches. They rely on Scheherazade for material support and maintain supply-lines to the Torches' efforts in the north, where they battle the corrupted dragons in Rian. Without her, the Torches will be without critical aid, and would likely fail.
Knowing the mission would be dangerous, Torval decided to send one more hero to aid them. Sir Ulrich, a folk hero from Romanorum, had been championing the cause of the Torches in Al-Andalus, and volunteered for this dangerous mission. Gregor and Zelt passed through the Mage-Ring safely to Al-Andalus, but felt a strange presence in the form of a distant but giant eye observing them while they crossed through. Once there, they joined up with Sir Ulrich, and scoped out the Hagia Mendos to find a way into the cathedral.
While they searched, they met a figure from their distant past - Twai. Now the leader of the Hashashin, the Al-Andalusian Shadow Assassins, she had a keen interest in saving the Caliph. To that end, she filled them in with the previous failed attempts to enter, and of a potential secret path that had been passed down from the former Hashashin grandmaster. The heroes found its entrance, but needed to find two gems to activate it. One, the red gem representing the passion of Men, was found with the local Torchlord, Yusuf, who had the gem in his proof of office. The other, the white gem that represented the soul of Men, was found at the Kulliyah Al-Andalus. There it was kept as a holy relic at this center of theological studies.
Finding the gems, they opened the hidden passage into the crypts below the Hagia Mendos. There, they witnessed a fetchling necromancer raising the dead and sending them upstairs. Zelt assassinated the necromancer, and the party continued. Upstairs, they found the few remaining survivors of the church - the Caliph, along with a few acolytes and townsfolk. The Caliph desperately maintained a magical barrier to protect her people for the days she was "missing", as fetchling forces and raised dead chipped away at her defenses. At the head of the fetchlings was a crowned but chained fetchling who directed the acts of the necromancers. Dispatching the enemies, they were able to rescue the Caliph while minimizing casualties.
Now free of enemies, the survivors sought a way out of the cathedral. Trying the front door, they found it coated in magical traps and darkness left by the fetchlings. Looking for a safer path, the heroes discovered their situation was far more dire than they had expected. The Hagia Mendos was in the middle of a planar transport for unknown reasons, and was now stuck in the Transitive Plane. The party scoured the cathedral for clues, at last coming upon a strange purple moss that was growing on the belfry tower, and notes left by a fetchling scholar.
The notes briefly described the Moss of Becoming, a plant that expanded magical senses and understanding at the cost of the user's physical sense. Throwing caution to the wind, Gregor ate the Moss, and gained a supernatural understanding of the magical devices that trapped them in the Transitive Plane. He was then able to disarm the traps and return them to the Prime Material Plane, back on Arda. With the survivors rescued, a weakened Caliph welcomed the party to stay at her humble palace while they recover.
During their recovery, the party meets Twai once more, who tells them of a magical communication device found on the crowned fetchling. The communication device spoke much like the gold-chained fetchling, the Tyrant, had. It said that once the fetchlings had finished disposing of the Caliph, to return to him in the northern land of dragons, at High Peak. After a brief discussion with the Caliph, she rewarded the heroes' brave act with a gift from her treasury.
Now having rescued the Caliph, they spoke with Torchmaster Torval. He was concerned with brewing events, he asked the party to bring a Mage-Ring to Morgrad to set up a new Torch base in the region, close to High Peak. Torval, recognizing Gregor's service to the Torches, asked him to become the first Torchlord of Rian, which he accepted. Torval also told him he might learn more about the lost temple of the Primordial Air at the town of Tyre, which was a short detour from their road to Morgrad. To his end of being a new Torchlord, Gregor gathered new recruits to make his journey north. In this venture, Gregor, Ulrich and Zelt gathered ten brave souls to join them, each of which having their own reason to join the conflict against the Shadow and the threat it poses. Gathering the necessary horses and supplies for the trip, they braved the desert sands of central Al-Andalus where they encountered many wonders, such as the nomadic Wren clan, lost elven ruins or the terrible bulettes. It was during this trek which a messenger from Zelt's organization, "S.L.Y." , disguised as a traveling merchant, made contact with Zelt and informed him of a special mission in the nearby trade town of Kaffa, which lies near the border with neighboring Nestoria. Zelt convinced his party to travel to the once prosperous town of Kaffa, which was long suffering from a series of torrential storms which threatened their crops and a series of bandit raids which disrupted the east-west trade with Nestoria. Secretly meeting with Zelt's contact, "The Camel", who ran the inn as a front for S.L.Y.'s operations. He requested that Zelt locate a magical weather manipulation device for the guild which was supposed to be delivered by a S.L.Y. agent who never returned. Zelt's mission would be to acquire the device from unknown hands and recover the lost agent's badge, lest either fall into the wrong hands. The gut feeling that the frequent storms and bandits were related gave Zelt the lead he needed. Zelt returned to his companions, and playing on their sense of justice, ushered them to seek out the bandits. Together they traveled the mountain pass between Al-Andalus and Nestoria, and located their camp. After a fierce battle, Zelt located the mastermind behind the storm bandits - it was none other than the lost agent himself, gone rogue to seek power and profit as a bandit chief. Deftly assassinating him, Zelt returned with badge and device in hand, and earning himself a tidy sum in the process. Wrapping up their loose ends in Kaffa, the party continued on their journey to Morgrad. Their goal, for the immediate term, would be to venture to the northern edge of the Al-Andalus Mountain Range , where the town of Tyre rests. The town is famed for its long-standing relationship with the local dragons, and according to Torchmaster Torval, may have some clues to the location of the ancient temple to the Primordial Air. In addition, the chef, Haran-Aron, had long been seeking the rare and delectable cooking ingredient, the renowned "radish of horses", which can only been found growing along the mountains of this region. Leaving the mountain valley in which Kaffa lay, the party traveled northwards onto the slowly ascending alpine plains onto the base of the northern Al-Andalusian Mountain Range. While the roads of the Merchant's Belt are well-maintained and well-traveled by merchants and wayfarers alike, it brought its own dangers. At the bridge of the mountain river, a bridge was taken over by a local gang of kobolds. The kobold's leader, referring to himself as King Rograkh, son of Rograkh, extorted any travelers who attempted to cross in the aims of funding his "kingdom". Not willing to fall prey to these depredations, Gregor decided it was a great chance for his new fellowship to act. The companions first attempted to convince the kobolds to let them pass, but it soon turned into a melee between the Torch recruits and the kobolds. With the intervention of Gregor, the kobolds were quickly routed. Stadia, the bounty hunter, captured one of the kobolds, and took to tormenting it in his persistent belief the kobolds are secretly in league with the Shadow. Astar intervened, reprimanding Stadia for his cruelty on a surrendered foe, and asked Gregor what they should do next. Gregor convinced the kobold if he told him where he came from, and he would allow the kobold to return home, much to Stadia's disgust. After this, an argument soon broke out among the companions, whether to end the kobold threat to the road, or to continue along their original quest. Gregor called for a trial to be held on the fate of the kobolds. One faction would argue in favor in the kobold's destruction, stating their danger to unarmed travelers or caravans. The other, appealed to Gregor's sense of mercy and the urgency of their mission. At the end of the trial, Gregor decides they will leave the kobolds be and continue to Tyre. Not long after, the party found themselves at the slow and winding road leading up to the town of Tyre. Coming into town, they saw the town was alive with festivity, as they had come on the eve of the start of the Scale Festival, a celebration and renewal of the pact between the dragons and the people of Tyre. After being greeted by the guards, the party went their separate ways to enjoy the festival. Haran and Raven went to seek out the "radish of horses", while Sir Ulrich came to drink (and help out) at the bustling Tyre's Rest Inn. Zelt would take the time to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes, to fleece arrogant and unwary merchants. Gregor, on the other hand, continued with his goal to seek out information on the temple of Primordial Air. After hurriedly looking around the city for clues, he met an old wizened woman named Sage, who comforted him, and even said she had heard a rumor that the temple was once a site of pilgrimage for the dragons, existing in draconic homeland of High Peak. Not wholly-satisfied with the story, Sage told Gregor that he should try to pose his question to the draconic guardian of Tyre, the Mother Dragon. In their tradition, the young and old of Tyre put all kinds of questions onto a great wooden post during the Scale Festival, and three of them are answered truthfully by the Mother Dragon. In thanks, Gregor gave Sage some time to rest by taking over the usual reading of the local fairytale The Boy and the Dragon to the children of Tyre while she needed to attend to other matters. The next day came, and it would soon be time for the yearly answering. The Mother Dragon emerged from her cavern den, a great and wizened green dragon with green-white wings that are evocative of winter giving way to spring. Three questions were selected, but unfortunately, Gregor's question was not. Gregor sought out Sage once more, and lamented his missed chance. Sage again reassured him that so long as he continues to strive, she knows that they'll meet again. Confident once more, Gregor and his company heads out to enjoy the remainder of the festival. Gregor participated in the Mage's Exhibition, and Sir Ulrich entered Brandy in a rock-climbing contest. By some strange twist of fate, Brandy indeed won third place in the contest with his considerable skill (for a horse), and became the talk of the town. The next day saw many of the merchants and travelers who came for the Scale Festival returning to the road or home, and party also decided to head out. Gathering their companions, Sir Ulrich noticed that Haran and Raven still hadn't returned. Gregor insisted to find them alone as he urged the rest of the party to continue onward. Sir Ulrich, Zelt, and their remaining companions made a leisurely pace as they continued on the way to Morgrad, where they encountered a pair of traveling jewelry merchants and their dog (Baldric, Olga, and Odin). They beheld the beauty of the lands below the mountain range, the Gray Marches as sea of orange and yellow against the crisp blue Ice Floes as autumn has well set in across Arda. Gregor, on the other hand, quickly began to struggle to find his lost companions. Having sent his remaining allies out without him, he went from store to store to find out where the "radish of horses" might grow. After listening to a long story from an old store owner, he bolted into the sky to the mountain where they're said to grow. With the power of his nimbus fading, Gregor falls into the montaine woods. After searching for several hours, he hears a call from help from deep within the woods. Coming closer, he sees an injured Raven calling for help. She explains that she and Haran were attacked by a roc, a great bird, while seeking the radishes. Haran had bought time for Raven to try to escape back to town to find help. Raven and Gregor quick redoubled back to where they were attacked, finding Haran. Bleeding out and near-death, Haran had channeled his years of pent-up rage as a line chef to survive his ordeal. Haran is originally distraught to see Raven return, but is reassured as Gregor challenged the roc. After a brutal struggle using up many of Gregor's spells, the battle ends in a draw, as the roc flew away to seek easier prey, and Gregor to heal his wounds. The trio then make their way down the mountain to try to catch up with their other party mates. Sir Ulrich and Zelt had waited for them about a day out, with Sir Ulrich and Stadia trying to mend fences over hunting. With the party reunited, they continued north along the dwarven-built road that connected the towns of Tyre and Morgrad to the the Gray Marches. As they traveled, they came across the wreckage of a fortified camp, which had recently been ransacked by a cohort of fetchling seekers, who then came to ambush the party. Seeking to avenge the merchant camp, the party slayed the remaining fetchlings to a man. The party remained at the camp's wreckage for the evening, finding that the camp was actually carrying supplies intended for their new operation for a Morgrad Torch base, paid for personally by Caliph Scheherazade in thanks for their help. Salvaging what supplies they could, they continued northwards to Morgrad. They traveled to a small and nameless border settlement which was built around an Al-Andalusian guard tower. Having endured several trials in those past few days, they rested at the local Three-Bears Inn, which was run by a trio of burly and aged adventurers. Strangely suspecting the trio may be were-bears in disguise, Gregor stood watch for the better part of the evening while Sir Ulrich, Veselov, and Shahla the Apothecary drank themselves under the table on the local mead. The next day, they crossed into Rian , and a new chapter in their adventure would begin...
A part of Places in Al-Andalus Geography and Regions See Also
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Geography
In terms of sheer landmass, Al-Andalus is the smallest among each of the nations in the Eastern Continent. It is a relatively narrow but long corridor of land that stretches much of the distance north to south of the Eastern Continent. The nation owes its narrowness to the large mountain range that divides the Eastern and Western Continents, known as the Al-Andalusian Mountain Range. The mountain range stretches from the north near the town of Tyre towards the vast southern jungle expanse known as the Silvas Jankil.
As a long and narrow nation that runs longitudinally through the Eastern Continent, it is home to numerous climates and regions, many of which are impacted by the Al-Andalusian Mountain Range. Al-Andalus is on the seaward side of the mountain range, which means the coastline and the nearby region are lush and fertile regions. However, as one travels further inland, the conditions become harsh and dry. In general, it is easier to think of Al-Andalus in about three to six different biomes, each dependent on their proximity to the mountain range and longitudinal position.
The northern most regions are divided between the green and temperate coasts that border Romanorum. The land is great for farming, but gets chilly towards the winter. As you get closer to the mountains, the land elevates quickly, turning into green but sparse alpine plains and woods as one travels closer to Tyre. Such lands are less ideal for farming, but makes for great pastures for the local shepherds.
Traveling south, the central region is divided into a great expanse of desert near the mountains towards the capital city of Damask, while the coastal region near Ashkalon are green and warm. The coastal region is home to numerous but sparse new-growth forests but the sandy land is only ideal for the most hardy or ideal of crops. More inland, the land is essentially barren deserts of vast dunes of sand in an otherwise featureless landscape save the distant mountains. Days are warm, but nights are cool, sometimes cold.
Lastly, the southernmost region is generally tropical, and regardless of where one finds oneself, the land is hot and humid. Towards the coast, there are numerous woods of tropical trees and jungles. It is too warm for more traditional foods, but is good for growing fruits. Towards the mountains, the jungles give way to sun-scorched barren savanna. As one travels beyond the southern tip of the mountain range, the lands become more thick and verdant, before it ultimately borders the Silvas Jankil.
History
The lands of Al-Andalus has been populated since some of the earliest days of life on Arda. After their awakening, the elves wandered out from their cradled lands in Romanorum in search of new lands to wander. In these days, the elves were no more than nomads, traveling and exploring the region, seeking the best places to gather food or raise and water their animals. The warmth of Al-Andalus made it an ideal place to visit, especially during the colder months in Romanorum. Yet, the land is not nearly so fruitful or productive as Romanorum, so only a few elven tribes remained in these lands long term. Of those who remained, a few began building permanent settlements or farming in fertile regions towards the coast.
Following the First Primordial War, Romanorum began to expand past its boundaries, absorbing the local nomadic tribes into their empire. The tribal elves, awed by the Romanoran's technology and organization, largely joined the Empire willingly. As a result, numerous towns and trading settlements sprung across Al-Andalus, including Damask, Kaffa, and Ashkalon. Al-Andalus soon became an important region for the Romanorans, not only as a highway for goods, but also for farming, husbandry, and recruitment.
This quickly changed during the Second Primordial War. The Romanorans, who had faced little military threats in the area, were ill-equipped to face the armies of the Primordials and the Shadow. Town after town were abandoned or demolished as the Romanorans lost control of the region as the Primordial forces closed in on the Romanoran heartlands. As a result, the peoples of Al-Andalus were largely evacuated or slain, and thus played no part in the events of the Last of the Primordial Wars.
Following the Last of the Primordial Wars, the elves slowly migrated back to Al-Andalus. Hoping to rebuild, some reclaimed their old towns and settlements. The elves of early Damask were surprised to find Damask abandoned but intact. Thankful for such seemingly divine providence, the grateful elves built the Hagia Mendos in the name of Mendos, the deity who fell in the Last of the Primordial Wars. As time went on, humans began to slowly move out from Romanorum, setting across Al-Andalus. These humans took on the culture of the local elves, and are particularly fervent worshipers of the Heavens, especially Mendos.
It is not long after this point that the dragons of High Peak were undergoing a moral schism on their views on the peoples of Arda. While numerous dragons wished to learn more about the mortal races, the majority of the dragons continued to impose their might and influence on the local Rianni tribes as their overlords. After numerous struggles, the pro-mortal faction lost, fleeing to the Al-Andalusian Mountain Range to build a new home that would allow for peaceful co-existence with the peoples of Arda. This new settlement grew to be the town of Tyre, and remained an independent land for many years.
As Romanorum began to rebuild, so too did the Empire seek to reclaim their former territories. Now on equal footing with their former benefactors, the elves and men of early Al-Andalus had little to gain from a proposed return to serfdom as a part of the Romanoran Empire. Gathering their forces, the Al-Andalusians knew they could not fight the battle-hardened Romanorans in open combat. Thus, they struck their supply lines and conducted lightning fast raids which were difficult for the heavy infantry of the Romanorans to counter. This, with the Romanoran's lack of expertise in desert warfare, made it an untenable war for the Empire, and they retreated. Now free, they claimed the mountain range as their homes, giving birth to the nation of Al-Andalus.
The new land was now free to find its own future. It largely capitalized on east-west trade from Nestoria into the other lands west. It also developed numerous ports, so that it could trade with distant lands such as Harad or Magnos. This mercantile power made Al-Andalus more powerful, and so it too wished to expansion like their Romanoran predecessors. They pushed south until they reached the treacherous Silvas Jankil, and north until the met with the independent land of Tyre. The dragons of Tyre, deeply concerned about their mortal subjects knew they could fight and defeat the Al-Andalusians - but knew they could not do it forever. If not for the Al-Andalusians today, it would be the Romanorans tomorrow, and the Rianni the day after. Thus, they people of Tyre brokered peace, joining Al-Andalus in exchange for local autonomy.
Today, the land continues much as it had, the crossroads of travel, faith, and trade. Yet, the land becomes more and more developed by the year, waxing in power and influence, nearly rivaling that of the Romanorans. Unlike the Romanorans, Al-Andalus still has potential for unhindered expansion, largely by the way of the Silvas Jankil. Instead, it largely continues to build relationships with its neighbors, holding a tenuous peace while the Shadow's plan unfolds...
People and Culture
In the early days of Al-Andalus, there were only the nomadic elves who lived among the deserts or built small towns by the shore on the Bay of Vergil. Following the Last of the Primordial Wars, the land underwent a great population shift as men, dragons and kobolds came to live in the region. While most who came to live in Al-Andalus would take on the culture of the local elves, others, like the kobolds, would end up leading new ways of life in this ancient land.
Life in Al-Andalus is focused around three major aspects - family, faith, and trade. Everyone who lives in these lands is a profound believer in one, or often more of these pillars of life here. It is these common factors that holds together life in a land of tribes, tradesmen, and clerics, which will ultimately transcend each individuals social and economic status. It is thanks to the focus on these aspects that the peoples of Al-Andalus can continue to thrive in an otherwise generally barren land.
As men began to move into Al-Andalus, so too did the rise of half-elves occur in Al-Andalus. Elves who lived for centuries now began to contend with the notions of their new brethren who lived in mere moments in their eyes. For the elven tribesmen of Al-Andalus, some may have met a human on their ramblings in one town, only to return 50 years later to only find their descendants. To some, this was intriguing, welcoming the new men to their tribes. For others, such comparatively short lives was shocking and foreign, causing others to shun humans or the settlements of Al-Andalus. Regardless, the elves are beginning to come to grips with their waning across the Eastern Continent, doing what little they can to pass on their skills and traditions to the men and half-elves who will succeed them.
Religion
As previously stated, religion is an important aspect in Al-Andalus. Nearly all of the established peoples of the nation worship the Heavens, and is particularly prevalent among the men and elf populations of society. Some nomadic elves, and a number of kobolds follow ancestral religions, but for both, this is generally more the exception than the rule. As a result, Al-Andalus is a generally religiously-homogeneous nation.
Among the worshipers of the Heavens in Al-Andalus, a particularly notable sect among them is known as the Cult of Mendos. Mendos was the deity of the Heavens who sacrificed itself to protect the Children of the Heavens and created the first two humans. The elves of Al-Andalus were grateful for the protection and peace Mendos offered; the men who followed grateful for their birth. As a result, the cult has gained a massive following, even despite the known demise of Mendos. Clerics who venerate Mendos can still channel divine power (similar to that of regular Heavens worship) by invoking the memory of Mendos. Today, the Cult operates numerous churches, including the famed Hagia Mendos, as well as hospitals, orphanages, and even sponsors knightly orders.
Primordial worship in Al-Andalus is very rare. This is due to the zealous efforts of the clerics of Mendos, as well as the generally small population of the Children of the Primordials who live here. Most notably, however, is the dragons of Tyre. Many still worship the Primordial Air as their ancestors had, even while other dragons converted to the Heavens worship of their subjects. Regardless, sayings and blessings of the Primordial Air are common in Tyre, even if the religion is no longer as practiced.
For a nation so entwined in the Heavens, it may come as little surprise that Shadow worship in Al-Andalus is among the most heavily persecuted in Arda. In fact, the Cult of Mendos is said to sponsor the Hashashin, the Shadow Assassins, to eliminate known Shadow-worshipers in Al-Andalus and even abroad in other nations. It is somewhat ironic that many of the Hashashin use Shadow magic in pursuit of their aims, but none venerate the Shadow. They merely adapt it's power to trick or sneak up on their targets. Still, many in Al-Andalus and abroad are wary of the assassins and the stigma that surrounds their powers.
Government
Al-Andalus is a duumvirate. A duumvirate is a nation that is ruled by two equal but separate co-rulers. In the case of Al-Andalus, the two co-rulers are the Sultan and the Caliph. Both rulers are charged with the maintenance and leadership of specific roles within the Al-Andalusian government. From the point of view of the Al-Andalusians, they see their government as having a heart and mind. Together with the land, it forms a complete and living body which seeks to thrive.
The Sultan is seen as the mind of Al-Andalus, using reason and logic to overcome potential disputes. The Sultan oversees much of the nation's secular affairs, which includes taking and delegating the leadership roles in diplomacy, military, and economical concerns. The Sultan is supported by several appointed ministries which enforce the Sultan's edicts, and collect information on upcoming issues. The role of Sultan is hereditary, typically passed to the eldest heir.
Where the Sultan is the mind of Al-Andalus, the Caliph is the heart of the nation - using faith, education, and inspiration to provide for the people. The Caliph oversees matters of societal importance, such as religion, health, housing, and education. The Caliph is not supported by ministries as the Sultan is, but is supported by a far more powerful and monolithic force - the clergy of the Heavens, particularly the Cult of Mendos. The clergy in Al-Andalus take on additional roles that might not be seen elsewhere, such as teachers, scholars, doctors, or even civil engineering. Unlike the Sultan, the role of Caliph is not hereditary, but is instead voted on by the eldest members of the Heavens clergy.
Military
As a smaller nation in comparison to their neighbors, Al-Andalus has a relatively small standing army that is financed and trained by appointees of the Sultan. They are known as the Al-Andalusian Home Guard, with members recruited from both the city-dwellers and nomadic peoples of Al-Andalus. By this method, the intention is to not only diversify the skills of their forces, but also to unify the disparate peoples of the land with mutual respect.
The Home Guard comprises both available standing troops, as well as guardsmen that garrison settlements and fortresses. As a result, the location of the Guard's posting is a significant factor in their training and skill set. For those living in distant fortresses or patrolling the desert, they are well-versed in horse or camel riding, typically lightly-equipped to favor quick and devastating raids or rapid responses across the land. As for the Guard posted to the city, they favor armors as heavy that their warm environment allows, and are better trained in crowd-control, defending settlements, and dispensing law.
While the Home Guard covers for most needs of the Al-Andalusians, they are also supported by religious paramilitary forces - namely the Orders of Mendos and the Hashashin. Typically these groups do not take part in regular Home Guard drills or patrols, but instead use their skills to uphold the religious tenets of the Heavens. For the Orders of Mendos, this could mean anything from supporting wounded Guardsmen, guarding churches or protecting pilgrims or clergy by force of arms. The Hashashin generally prefer small solitary missions, but have been known to work in concert with the Guard against larger operations against dangerous Shadow worshipers.
With the acquisition of Tyre, there is third paramilitary force in Al-Andalus, which is known as the Scales of the Dragon. Colloquially referred to as the "Scales", they were the original defenders of Tyre prior to their annexation as an autonomous state. The Scales are drawn from the people of Tyre and the surrounding region who are trained from a young age to guard and respect the draconic elders of Tyre. Ultimately, their goal is to protect the land, people and dragons of Tyre above all else. To this end, the dragons perform ancient blood rituals upon potential candidates, which instill in these peoples certain aspects of dragonkind - such as great strength or razor-sharp vision. In many senses, the ritual is reminiscent of the myths of the creation of dragonborn in the distant western Dragon Kingdom. Numerically few, the Scales will typically only patrol the immediate region in and around Tyre, and rarely intervene in other regional concerns of Al-Andalus. The Scales are particularly famed for their dragon-scale armor, which is rare in the other lands of the Eastern Continent.
Organizations
- Al-Andalusian Home Guard - The standing army and guard force supported by the Sultan. They protect the borders of the nation, and garrison guardhouses and fortresses across Al-Andalus.
- Cult of Mendos - The Cult of Mendos is an offshoot of Heavens worship. While many worship the Heavens as a singular series of deities, the Cult focuses on the worship of the dead patron deity of humanity, Mendos. Mendos gave it's life to end the Last of the Primordial Wars, and created the first two humans. The worshipers honor Mendos sacrifice and nobility before the rest of the Heavens, and is commonly worshiped among the men and elves of Al-Andalus. Led by the religious leader, the Caliph, the Cult sponsors hospitals, schools, orphanages, but also knightly orders and even the Hashashin.
- Hashashin - Also known as the "Shadow Assassins", they are a group of feared hunters of Shadow worshipers throughout Al-Andalus and even in other nations of the Eastern Continent. They are said to be able to use Shadow magic, which is rare for those who don't worship the Shadow. They use their powers to sneak up and kill or capture the Shadow worshipers before their plans can come to fruition.
- Orders of Mendos - These are knightly orders founded in the name of Mendos. They train paladins to defend and heal pilgrims, protect churches and missionaries, gather divine knowledge and texts, and to combat Shadow worshipers. There are multiple such orders, usually with each order focusing on one or more of the previously listed aspects.
- The Scales of the Dragon - More commonly referred to as simply the "Scales", these men and women were once regular men, elf or kobolds from Tyre. Upon taking an oath to defend Tyre and their patron dragons, they willing subject to an ancient blood ritual that enhances the Scales with extraordinary physical powers. This has been part of a long-standing agreement of the pact made by the early people of Tyre and the dragons who make their home here for their mutual self-defense.
- S.L.Y. - The League does maintain a few scattered footholds in Al-Andalus. Thanks to the Shadow Assassins, it is difficult for the assassins and spies of S.L.Y. to operate as freely as they do in other nations. As a result, the League avoids Damask under most circumstances, preferring to operate out of smaller towns across the nation, such as the trade town of Kaffa.
- The Torches - The Torches are another organization within Al-Andalus looking to uncover and defeat the Shadow. However, unlike the Orders or the Hashashin, they are not religiously-affiliated. Regardless, the Torches do enjoy tremendous support and backing in Al-Andalus.
Economy
As earlier stated, one of the three primary pillars of life in Al-Andalus is trade. While such trade can take the form of travel or even religious conversion, there is a tremendous love of commerce in the markets of Al-Andalus. As the neighbors of Nestoria, a similarly mercantile-minded nation, the Al-Andalusians have access to a tremendous array of valuable goods to trade of, and shepherd the process of east-west trade. This is accomplished by the markets of Al-Andalus acting as a primary landing point to funnel trade goods from the Eastern Continent into Nestoria. Likewise, Nestoria funnels trade goods from the Western Continent. Ultimately, this makes the markets between the two nations incomparable to any other in Arda.
Al-Andalus also has more draws than as a flashpoint for trade. It also produces numerous goods, such as salt, wool, meat, as well as having great access to copper, silver, tin, or rarely adamantine that can be mined from the Al-Andalusian mountain range. In general, however, the land is poor is numerous other resources, which necessitates the need for world trade to get remaining goods such as agricultural foodstuffs, timber, or other finished goods.
Relations
As the primary trading partners of the Eastern Continent, it maintains generally positive relations with it's neighbors, especially for those with hungry markets such as Magnos, Nestoria and even the Romanorans. They do not maintain great relations with Rian, who they see not only as barbarians, but also frequently as stubborn Primordial-worshiping pagans. It is almost strange they do not keep the same views on the Magnosi, who worship the Primordials more per capita, but do maintain a higher level of sophistication and education than their Rianni counterparts.
By far, however, the Al-Andalusians have the greatest issue with the Haradrim. The Merchant Lords of Harad have little qualms in undercutting their markets, attack their trade routes, and engage in piracy on their trade vessels. Even worse, for the Al Andalusians merchants who travel to the lawless Silvas Jankil, they are often poached by Haradrim slavers or held for ransom. As a result, relations have long been sour between the two.
Locations of Interest
- Damask - The capital of Al-Andalus. It is nestled in the base of the Al-Andalusian mountain range, and is a major crossroad city for the trade of goods from Nestoria to the rest of the Eastern Continent. It is home to numerous famous religious structures and insitutions including the great cathedral the Hagia Mendos and the theological center the Kulliyah Al-Andalus. It also houses the palaces of the Sultan and Caliph.
- Al-Andalus Mountain Range - A vast mountain range that runs north to south, making up much of the western border of Al-Andalus. It is home to numerous elf and kobold tribes, and houses deposits of copper, tin, silver, and even adamantine.
- Ashkalon - The primary trade port of Al-Andalus. As goods are traded from Damask, foreign goods are often funneled through Ashkalon before sailing off to Harad, Magnos, and Romanorum.
- Kaffa - A small trade town en route on the Merchant's Belt. It is the first town in Al-Andalus before the Nestorian border, making it a popular destination for traveling Nestorian merchants.
- Merchant Belt - A long trade road that goes from the southeastern tip of Al-Andalus to its northeastern tip around Tyre. It interconnects with the Old Legion Road in Romanorum and the Gold Road in Harad, making one large continental road for trade between those nations.
- Three-Bears Inn - A large and comfortable inn that rests on a small border settlement between Al-Andalus and Rian. It is run by three former burly adventurers, and hence, the name of the inn. Unlike many inns, the rooms feature giant-sized beds intended to sleep multiple guests than individual accommodations.
- Tyre - A large town nestled in the northern end of the Al-Andalusian mountain range. Long ago, it came to be populated by dragons who wanted to protect and nurture the mortal races. They formed a pact with the locals to be their teachers and guardians. Today, it remains the home of a small pocket of dragons who are friendly to the people of Arda. Over time, these people in turn desired to protect their dragon guardians, leading to the formation of the Scales of the Dragon, known as the Scales for short. They were once independent, but have since been annexed by Al-Andalus as a part of their peace agreement.
Shadows over Arda
See Also: The Story So Far
Following the acquisition of the Sunmetal from the svir at "City", Gregor and Zelt reported their success to Torchmaster Torval. While Gregor and Zelt had been busy in their efforts, so too did the Magnosi and the Torches work on developing a portal prototype - called the Mage-Ring, based on the portal device they found in Creci, in Magnos. As they had helped bring the plans to the Torches, Gregor and Zelt were invited to witness it's testing. They soon found out they were here for more than seeing it.
Torval then began to explain that a dangerous situation was brewing in the western land of Al-Andalus. The Caliph Scheherazade, the religious leader of Al-Andalus, had been missing for several days and the grand cathedral, the Hagia Mendos, was shrouded in magical darkness that no spell or sword could pierce. While the Caliph is beloved by her people, this was particularly alarming for the Torches. They rely on Scheherazade for material support and maintain supply-lines to the Torches' efforts in the north, where they battle the corrupted dragons in Rian. Without her, the Torches will be without critical aid, and would likely fail.
Knowing the mission would be dangerous, Torval decided to send one more hero to aid them. Sir Ulrich, a folk hero from Romanorum, had been championing the cause of the Torches in Al-Andalus, and volunteered for this dangerous mission. Gregor and Zelt passed through the Mage-Ring safely to Al-Andalus, but felt a strange presence in the form of a distant but giant eye observing them while they crossed through. Once there, they joined up with Sir Ulrich, and scoped out the Hagia Mendos to find a way into the cathedral.
While they searched, they met a figure from their distant past - Twai. Now the leader of the Hashashin, the Al-Andalusian Shadow Assassins, she had a keen interest in saving the Caliph. To that end, she filled them in with the previous failed attempts to enter, and of a potential secret path that had been passed down from the former Hashashin grandmaster. The heroes found its entrance, but needed to find two gems to activate it. One, the red gem representing the passion of Men, was found with the local Torchlord, Yusuf, who had the gem in his proof of office. The other, the white gem that represented the soul of Men, was found at the Kulliyah Al-Andalus. There it was kept as a holy relic at this center of theological studies.
Finding the gems, they opened the hidden passage into the crypts below the Hagia Mendos. There, they witnessed a fetchling necromancer raising the dead and sending them upstairs. Zelt assassinated the necromancer, and the party continued. Upstairs, they found the few remaining survivors of the church - the Caliph, along with a few acolytes and townsfolk. The Caliph desperately maintained a magical barrier to protect her people for the days she was "missing", as fetchling forces and raised dead chipped away at her defenses. At the head of the fetchlings was a crowned but chained fetchling who directed the acts of the necromancers. Dispatching the enemies, they were able to rescue the Caliph while minimizing casualties.
Now free of enemies, the survivors sought a way out of the cathedral. Trying the front door, they found it coated in magical traps and darkness left by the fetchlings. Looking for a safer path, the heroes discovered their situation was far more dire than they had expected. The Hagia Mendos was in the middle of a planar transport for unknown reasons, and was now stuck in the Transitive Plane. The party scoured the cathedral for clues, at last coming upon a strange purple moss that was growing on the belfry tower, and notes left by a fetchling scholar.
The notes briefly described the Moss of Becoming, a plant that expanded magical senses and understanding at the cost of the user's physical sense. Throwing caution to the wind, Gregor ate the Moss, and gained a supernatural understanding of the magical devices that trapped them in the Transitive Plane. He was then able to disarm the traps and return them to the Prime Material Plane, back on Arda. With the survivors rescued, a weakened Caliph welcomed the party to stay at her humble palace while they recover.
During their recovery, the party meets Twai once more, who tells them of a magical communication device found on the crowned fetchling. The communication device spoke much like the gold-chained fetchling, the Tyrant, had. It said that once the fetchlings had finished disposing of the Caliph, to return to him in the northern land of dragons, at High Peak. After a brief discussion with the Caliph, she rewarded the heroes' brave act with a gift from her treasury.
Now having rescued the Caliph, they spoke with Torchmaster Torval. He was concerned with brewing events, he asked the party to bring a Mage-Ring to Morgrad to set up a new Torch base in the region, close to High Peak. Torval, recognizing Gregor's service to the Torches, asked him to become the first Torchlord of Rian, which he accepted. Torval also told him he might learn more about the lost temple of the Primordial Air at the town of Tyre, which was a short detour from their road to Morgrad. To his end of being a new Torchlord, Gregor gathered new recruits to make his journey north. In this venture, Gregor, Ulrich and Zelt gathered ten brave souls to join them, each of which having their own reason to join the conflict against the Shadow and the threat it poses. Gathering the necessary horses and supplies for the trip, they braved the desert sands of central Al-Andalus where they encountered many wonders, such as the nomadic Wren clan, lost elven ruins or the terrible bulettes. It was during this trek which a messenger from Zelt's organization, "S.L.Y." , disguised as a traveling merchant, made contact with Zelt and informed him of a special mission in the nearby trade town of Kaffa, which lies near the border with neighboring Nestoria. Zelt convinced his party to travel to the once prosperous town of Kaffa, which was long suffering from a series of torrential storms which threatened their crops and a series of bandit raids which disrupted the east-west trade with Nestoria. Secretly meeting with Zelt's contact, "The Camel", who ran the inn as a front for S.L.Y.'s operations. He requested that Zelt locate a magical weather manipulation device for the guild which was supposed to be delivered by a S.L.Y. agent who never returned. Zelt's mission would be to acquire the device from unknown hands and recover the lost agent's badge, lest either fall into the wrong hands. The gut feeling that the frequent storms and bandits were related gave Zelt the lead he needed. Zelt returned to his companions, and playing on their sense of justice, ushered them to seek out the bandits. Together they traveled the mountain pass between Al-Andalus and Nestoria, and located their camp. After a fierce battle, Zelt located the mastermind behind the storm bandits - it was none other than the lost agent himself, gone rogue to seek power and profit as a bandit chief. Deftly assassinating him, Zelt returned with badge and device in hand, and earning himself a tidy sum in the process. Wrapping up their loose ends in Kaffa, the party continued on their journey to Morgrad. Their goal, for the immediate term, would be to venture to the northern edge of the Al-Andalus Mountain Range , where the town of Tyre rests. The town is famed for its long-standing relationship with the local dragons, and according to Torchmaster Torval, may have some clues to the location of the ancient temple to the Primordial Air. In addition, the chef, Haran-Aron, had long been seeking the rare and delectable cooking ingredient, the renowned "radish of horses", which can only been found growing along the mountains of this region. Leaving the mountain valley in which Kaffa lay, the party traveled northwards onto the slowly ascending alpine plains onto the base of the northern Al-Andalusian Mountain Range. While the roads of the Merchant's Belt are well-maintained and well-traveled by merchants and wayfarers alike, it brought its own dangers. At the bridge of the mountain river, a bridge was taken over by a local gang of kobolds. The kobold's leader, referring to himself as King Rograkh, son of Rograkh, extorted any travelers who attempted to cross in the aims of funding his "kingdom". Not willing to fall prey to these depredations, Gregor decided it was a great chance for his new fellowship to act. The companions first attempted to convince the kobolds to let them pass, but it soon turned into a melee between the Torch recruits and the kobolds. With the intervention of Gregor, the kobolds were quickly routed. Stadia, the bounty hunter, captured one of the kobolds, and took to tormenting it in his persistent belief the kobolds are secretly in league with the Shadow. Astar intervened, reprimanding Stadia for his cruelty on a surrendered foe, and asked Gregor what they should do next. Gregor convinced the kobold if he told him where he came from, and he would allow the kobold to return home, much to Stadia's disgust. After this, an argument soon broke out among the companions, whether to end the kobold threat to the road, or to continue along their original quest. Gregor called for a trial to be held on the fate of the kobolds. One faction would argue in favor in the kobold's destruction, stating their danger to unarmed travelers or caravans. The other, appealed to Gregor's sense of mercy and the urgency of their mission. At the end of the trial, Gregor decides they will leave the kobolds be and continue to Tyre. Not long after, the party found themselves at the slow and winding road leading up to the town of Tyre. Coming into town, they saw the town was alive with festivity, as they had come on the eve of the start of the Scale Festival, a celebration and renewal of the pact between the dragons and the people of Tyre. After being greeted by the guards, the party went their separate ways to enjoy the festival. Haran and Raven went to seek out the "radish of horses", while Sir Ulrich came to drink (and help out) at the bustling Tyre's Rest Inn. Zelt would take the time to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes, to fleece arrogant and unwary merchants. Gregor, on the other hand, continued with his goal to seek out information on the temple of Primordial Air. After hurriedly looking around the city for clues, he met an old wizened woman named Sage, who comforted him, and even said she had heard a rumor that the temple was once a site of pilgrimage for the dragons, existing in draconic homeland of High Peak. Not wholly-satisfied with the story, Sage told Gregor that he should try to pose his question to the draconic guardian of Tyre, the Mother Dragon. In their tradition, the young and old of Tyre put all kinds of questions onto a great wooden post during the Scale Festival, and three of them are answered truthfully by the Mother Dragon. In thanks, Gregor gave Sage some time to rest by taking over the usual reading of the local fairytale The Boy and the Dragon to the children of Tyre while she needed to attend to other matters. The next day came, and it would soon be time for the yearly answering. The Mother Dragon emerged from her cavern den, a great and wizened green dragon with green-white wings that are evocative of winter giving way to spring. Three questions were selected, but unfortunately, Gregor's question was not. Gregor sought out Sage once more, and lamented his missed chance. Sage again reassured him that so long as he continues to strive, she knows that they'll meet again. Confident once more, Gregor and his company heads out to enjoy the remainder of the festival. Gregor participated in the Mage's Exhibition, and Sir Ulrich entered Brandy in a rock-climbing contest. By some strange twist of fate, Brandy indeed won third place in the contest with his considerable skill (for a horse), and became the talk of the town. The next day saw many of the merchants and travelers who came for the Scale Festival returning to the road or home, and party also decided to head out. Gathering their companions, Sir Ulrich noticed that Haran and Raven still hadn't returned. Gregor insisted to find them alone as he urged the rest of the party to continue onward. Sir Ulrich, Zelt, and their remaining companions made a leisurely pace as they continued on the way to Morgrad, where they encountered a pair of traveling jewelry merchants and their dog (Baldric, Olga, and Odin). They beheld the beauty of the lands below the mountain range, the Gray Marches as sea of orange and yellow against the crisp blue Ice Floes as autumn has well set in across Arda. Gregor, on the other hand, quickly began to struggle to find his lost companions. Having sent his remaining allies out without him, he went from store to store to find out where the "radish of horses" might grow. After listening to a long story from an old store owner, he bolted into the sky to the mountain where they're said to grow. With the power of his nimbus fading, Gregor falls into the montaine woods. After searching for several hours, he hears a call from help from deep within the woods. Coming closer, he sees an injured Raven calling for help. She explains that she and Haran were attacked by a roc, a great bird, while seeking the radishes. Haran had bought time for Raven to try to escape back to town to find help. Raven and Gregor quick redoubled back to where they were attacked, finding Haran. Bleeding out and near-death, Haran had channeled his years of pent-up rage as a line chef to survive his ordeal. Haran is originally distraught to see Raven return, but is reassured as Gregor challenged the roc. After a brutal struggle using up many of Gregor's spells, the battle ends in a draw, as the roc flew away to seek easier prey, and Gregor to heal his wounds. The trio then make their way down the mountain to try to catch up with their other party mates. Sir Ulrich and Zelt had waited for them about a day out, with Sir Ulrich and Stadia trying to mend fences over hunting. With the party reunited, they continued north along the dwarven-built road that connected the towns of Tyre and Morgrad to the the Gray Marches. As they traveled, they came across the wreckage of a fortified camp, which had recently been ransacked by a cohort of fetchling seekers, who then came to ambush the party. Seeking to avenge the merchant camp, the party slayed the remaining fetchlings to a man. The party remained at the camp's wreckage for the evening, finding that the camp was actually carrying supplies intended for their new operation for a Morgrad Torch base, paid for personally by Caliph Scheherazade in thanks for their help. Salvaging what supplies they could, they continued northwards to Morgrad. They traveled to a small and nameless border settlement which was built around an Al-Andalusian guard tower. Having endured several trials in those past few days, they rested at the local Three-Bears Inn, which was run by a trio of burly and aged adventurers. Strangely suspecting the trio may be were-bears in disguise, Gregor stood watch for the better part of the evening while Sir Ulrich, Veselov, and Shahla the Apothecary drank themselves under the table on the local mead. The next day, they crossed into Rian , and a new chapter in their adventure would begin...
Trivia
- Al-Andalus is loosely based on medieval Arabic society and culture, especially through the lens of medieval Iberia and Morocco.
- The name "Al-Andalus" is taken from an Islamic nation of the same name that existed in medieval Spain and Portugal.
- Numerous towns and cities in Al-Andalus are transliterations or corruptions of the names of real world cities, such as Damask coming from Damascus, or Ashkalon from Ascalon (modern-day Ashkelon).
See Also
A part of Places in Al-Andalus Geography and Regions See Also
Quick Reference
Type
Region
Region: Eastern Continent
Government: Duumvirate
National Language: Al-Andalusian Elven
Ancestry: 35% Men, 25% Half-Elf, 20% Elf, 10% Kobold, 5% Orc, 5% Other or un-described mixed ancestry
Religion: 85% Heavens, 10% Ancestral, 5% Other
General Alignment: True Neutral
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