Tyre

Peace forged by dragon and man

Tyre is an autonomous town and region in northern Al-Andalus that runs at the northern end of the Al-Andalus Mountain Range. The region of Tyre makes up most of the northern border of Al-Andalus, and as a result borders with the Gray Marches, Nestoria, Romanorum, and Rian.

The mountain town of Tyre

Table of Contents

History

Modern Tyre is both a town and an autonomous region under the suzerainty of the nation of Al-Andalus, acting much as a small but independent city-state. The mountainous region of Tyre in the days of old were anything but remarkable. Indeed, there were few, if any settlements in the region that were made by elves, dwarves, or any other peoples that would be predecessors to the town. The most that this early region would be famous for were the few and scattered shepherds whose flock fed off the sparse alpine grasses in the area, or hardy and isolated farmers. While the land was technically under the control of the Romanoran Empire, they made no effort in settling or cultivating the area. For most, it was a rural backwater of distant cities of Damask, Khazad-Mor, or Samarkand.
The region played little to no part in any of the three Primordial Wars, considering the region was largely isolated at the time, and the risk posed by war-time travel limited mercantile endeavors that may have come from Nestoria. As a result, the region never really developed until the peace that followed the Last of the Primordial Wars. Following the war, new trade routes exploded across Arda, including a new major route that would pass through the Gray Marches. As that route would travel east or south, the region would see traffic from merchants and travelers going to and from Nestoria.
The story most given as the origin of Tyre is a popular fairy tale told by the people of the region, called "The Boy and the Dragon". In the story, a human child who feels unloved and isolated runs away from home, meeting people like orcs and dwarves. He still can't seem to fit in, so he heads off to the Al-Andalusian mountains. There, lost and tired, the child meets a dragon; who also claims that she too, is lost. The two realize that they found each other, and decide to live together in their new mountain home as mother and son. Over time, many more lost people would come to live with them, and the town of Tyre was born.
The true origins of the town and the short-lived nation of Tyre are shrouded in mystery, but there are a few facts that are known. It is known that enterprising settlers came to inhabit the region following the Last of the Primordial Wars, namely men and elves, who looked to set up a way station for the long east-west trade routes. Around the same time, the powerful dragon lair of High Peak was undergoing a moral schism over their perspective on the peoples of Arda. While many wished to maintain their power over men and the other peoples, some dissented, leading to an internal struggle among the dragons. The pro-people faction of dragons lost, and ultimately fled, finding a new home in the Al-Andalusian Mountain Range.
Over time, the people and the dragons of the region bonded over their mutual self-interest in the land, and with weak Romanoran power in the region, made Tyre an independent nation. Their sovereign was the wise and powerful leader of the pro-people faction, which the people of Tyre called the "Dragon Mother". She and the other dragons imbued numerous of their people with draconic power, creating a new force that would guard their small mountain realm. They would be called the "Scales of the Dragon", or more simply known as the "Scales".
It was not long until the region was beginning to feel rising pressure on all sides. Bordered by powerful nations such as Al-Andalus, Rian, and Romanorum, they were a small nation being sized up as potential path of expansion. Ultimately, Al-Andalus was the first to capitalize on this, and sent a large invasion force to Tyre to "liberate" it and bring it under their control. The force was led by a powerful paladin of Mendos, a man who would later be known as Saint Kazhim. He believed the people of Tyre were oppressed by the dragons, and thus sought to liberate the town from their draconic "oppressors".
Khazim led his forces to the gates of the town, but instead of seeing men in chains with downcast eyes, he saw dedicated men and elves prepared to defend their mountain town. Here is where the story again diverges to myth and reality. In the annals of Al-Andalus, Khazim challenges the Mother Dragon to a duel. Known as a dragon of honor, she accepts. After a duel that lasts through two days and nights, Khazim has at last cornered the Mother Dragon. Seeing the sad and mournful eyes of her people, Khazim spares the dragon. In truth, Khazim was also a man of honor and conviction, and knew that a battle here would be terrible and bloody. He asked to parlay with the Mother Dragon. Regardless of the story, in the end it was agreed that Tyre would join Al-Andalus, but would retain its status as an autonomous nation.
Today the town is still populated by numerous peoples of Arda, including men, elves, orcs and numerous kobolds who have since settled the areas of left their mountain tribes and holds. While no longer a "true" queen, the Mother Dragon is alive today, and is still a beloved protector, lawgiver and sage to her peoples. Every autumn, the town of Tyre holds the Scale Festival, to reaffirm and honor the people's love to the local dragons. The town has expanded a good deal over the years, as more travelers and merchants have been taking the safe and comfortable road through the Gray Marches, and Tyre grows steadily more prosperous.