Selatra
Selatra is one of the ten widely-recognized regions, located to the southwest of Korisgana and the south of Anibat. Located on a peninsula, Selatra is lush and tropical, containing many rivers. The Isle of Mist in the Dasic Ocean is also considered to be part of Selatra. The vast majority of the population are nagas, and this region is generally considered to be their homeland. Selatra has been ruled by the Kingdom of Selatra since ancient times.
The natural magic of Selatra is Vital Magic.
The nagas spread throughout Selatra and even beyond into Korisgana following the Kijar River, forming numerous small states, of which Takapeta was the most important. However a trade disruption caused by the asura takeover of the nagas in Korisgana led to a period of inter-state warfare. During this, the state of Lenzhat began rising in importance due to their leader, a charismatic diplomat and scholar named Olokushi, who struck a deal with the leader of Takapeta, the Ajanma, uniting Selatra for the first time under her rule.
Though she had banded Selatra together, Olokushi feared what would happen after she died, and one night she chose to forsake her usual meditations in favor of communing with Alati herself. She begged Alati for a way to let her keep guiding her people, and the goddess offered her a deal. Olokushi was on the cusp of enlightenment and becoming a goddess, but Alati agreed to stall her enlightenment, keeping her reincarnating, in exchange for ensuring that Olokushi would keep her power and skill between reincarnations, allowing her to continue guiding her people. Olokushi agreed, forsaking godhood for as long as there were Selatrans in need.
When Olokushi eventually died, numerous signs and portents led the people of Selatra to a newborn child who, as they grew up, began to show the skills and some of the personality Olokushi had. Ever since then, there has been a reincarnation of Olokushi as ruler of Selatra, their birth names forgotten under the title of their original form- 'The Olokushi'. Under the Olokushis, Selatra continued to grow powerful and prosperous.
Generations of Olokushis built up Selatra, creating trade routes across the rivers and with the Koris States after their independence, and building monuments such as the Eternal Archive of Lenzhat. The first major disruption to the lives of Selatrans happened during the rule of the fifteenth Olokushi, when a wandering philosopher and guru named Mesha emerged. While the primary religious system of Selatra had been a pantheon focused on Alati, Mesha taught something quite different- a philosophical school based around self-growth and seeking enlightenment, with a more or less indifferent attitude to the gods.
Bitter with their increasing political irrelevance, the Ajanma at the time, Kurosui, made a deal with Mesha, sponsoring his students in exchange for making the Ajanma head of the de-facto priesthood that would, after Mesha's death, become known as the Mesha Dun. Indeed, Mesha died at a young age, but his religion lived on, growing in popularity especially in the south, threatening the Olokushi's power. The seventeenth Olokushi made a deal with the Ajanma, the specifics of which are unknown, but Meshaism became Selatra's official religion, with the Ajanma having immense unofficial power, while the Olokushi remained in charge.
Internally stable for thousands of years and located in a corner of the continent where they rarely interacted with other regions except through trade, Selatra has a level of stability to it's post-Mesha history quite unlike most regions. This is not to say that nothing has happened of course, in particular this period was a golden age for the city of Antarhala after they adapted the Vital Magic used for controlling the jungle in other regions to the Coral Coast's namesake Land Coral, and sailors from this coast mapped out many of the islands of the Southern Ocean. Also during this period, the previously uninhabited Isle of Mist was settled by rakshasa refugees, though as the west coast was less important to them than the south, the Kingdom of Selatra ignored this.
During the rule of the twenty-fifth Olokushi, the Second Muhara Empire invaded eastern Selatra via Korisgana, though they were unable to control the entire region, they formed the state of Nagastan in the areas they did control in order to lock down the prestige of having a claim on parts of all ten regions. An extensive war between the Muhara and Selatrans for control of the region raged for nearly a century, ending when the Korisgana province declared indepedance as the Harataran Empire, cutting the remaining Muhara troops off from the rest of their empire.
Though the nagas had previously been content to ignore the Isle of Mist, during the twenty-seventh Olokushi's reign it was taken over by a rakshasa Bawarij pirate clan led by Tarani, who began to disrupt trade routes all along the coast of the Dasic Ocean. Though the Isle of Mist was small, the pirates were skilled and well organized, and the seas around the Isle rocky and difficult to navigate, and the Selatran navy was unable to eliminate them for decades. In the end, Selatra formed an allience with Muthalrat and Palosvana, the coastal city-states of Anibat, and their combined navies eliminated the Bawarij. The Isle of Mist was subsequently annexed by Selatra.Lenzhat- Capital of Selatra, the modern Lenzhat is nominally the same city ruled by the original Olokushi, though it has in fact been moved several times. A prosperous cultural center known for exporting fine beadwork, Lenzhat contains the largest library in the world, the Eternal Archive.
Takapeta- The oldest city in Selatra and one of the oldest in the world, Takapeta is at the intersection of the three land regions of Selatra, and is often counted as part of all at once. Birthplace of Mesha and home of the Ajanma, Takapeta is considered the most important city in Meshaism and its economy is vastly boosted by pilgrimage.
Dineala- Originally a Rakshasa port, this town on the west coast has become an important trading stop since its capture, as well as being the largest local supplier of stone in Selatra thanks to its location on the otherwise barren areas of the west.
Kijapalagum- For most practical purposes, this town is an outlying part of the city of Kijarnagara in Korisgana that spills over the border, however due to said border it is officially its own settlement with independant leadership, and is Selatra's main center for trade with the Koris.
Antarhala- The most significant trade port in Selatra and the center of the ship-building industry within it, the southern coastal city of Antarhala is built out of land-coral, sculpted and accelerated in growth by local masters of Vital Magic using the local pearls as arcane talismans.
Nalakadesh- Founded by the Muhara Empire as the capital of their Nagastan Province in eastern Selatra, since the Kingdom of Selatra has recaptured the region it has somewhat diminished in importance but remains one of Selatra's largest millitary bases.
Meshamakar- Founded under the name Alatimakar, it was a small village during the time of Mesha, and was the first location he began teaching his students the philosophy that would become Meshaism, as such it has grown as a pilgrimage center, renaming itself after its claim to fame.
Himupalagum- While all of Selatra is lush and fertile, the central areas of the Taka Basin are especially so, with the farms centered around Himupalagum being the region's largest agricultural center, growing both food and spices.
Dasamakar- The pre-Mesha religious traditions of Selatra are near-extinct, but the inner Taka Basin is where they survive best- Dasamakar is still the site of a number of historic temples and is a popular location of operation for cults or Meshaist movements unpopular elsewhere.
Dhotaye- Main millitary camp of the Selatran Army during the wars with the Muhara Empire, Dhotaye's millitary role has since been eclipsed by Nalakadesh, but unlike it, Dhotaye is on a river, and as such remains the center of River Makara keeping.
Yonispar- The primary settlement and port of the Isle of Mist, Yonispar is located in a far inland bay only reachable through a single channel, yet is optimally positioned to be a chokepoint of trade between Selatra and its northern neighbors by sea.
Maratku- The smaller and even less accesible secondary port of the Isle, Maratku remains primarily a rakshasa settlement, and while the pirates who once ruled the Isle are gone, smuggling remains an issue.
The natural magic of Selatra is Vital Magic.
History
In the early days of the world, the goddess Alati went to the banks of the Taka River, on the site now known as Alatiaram, and created the first nagas. The nagas learned how to cultivate the area's fertile land, how to create grand buildings, smelt metal, and use magic to reshape the forests to their needs. The oldest city in Selatra, and one of the oldest in the world, Takapeta, was founded at the delta of the Taka River.The nagas spread throughout Selatra and even beyond into Korisgana following the Kijar River, forming numerous small states, of which Takapeta was the most important. However a trade disruption caused by the asura takeover of the nagas in Korisgana led to a period of inter-state warfare. During this, the state of Lenzhat began rising in importance due to their leader, a charismatic diplomat and scholar named Olokushi, who struck a deal with the leader of Takapeta, the Ajanma, uniting Selatra for the first time under her rule.
Though she had banded Selatra together, Olokushi feared what would happen after she died, and one night she chose to forsake her usual meditations in favor of communing with Alati herself. She begged Alati for a way to let her keep guiding her people, and the goddess offered her a deal. Olokushi was on the cusp of enlightenment and becoming a goddess, but Alati agreed to stall her enlightenment, keeping her reincarnating, in exchange for ensuring that Olokushi would keep her power and skill between reincarnations, allowing her to continue guiding her people. Olokushi agreed, forsaking godhood for as long as there were Selatrans in need.
When Olokushi eventually died, numerous signs and portents led the people of Selatra to a newborn child who, as they grew up, began to show the skills and some of the personality Olokushi had. Ever since then, there has been a reincarnation of Olokushi as ruler of Selatra, their birth names forgotten under the title of their original form- 'The Olokushi'. Under the Olokushis, Selatra continued to grow powerful and prosperous.
Generations of Olokushis built up Selatra, creating trade routes across the rivers and with the Koris States after their independence, and building monuments such as the Eternal Archive of Lenzhat. The first major disruption to the lives of Selatrans happened during the rule of the fifteenth Olokushi, when a wandering philosopher and guru named Mesha emerged. While the primary religious system of Selatra had been a pantheon focused on Alati, Mesha taught something quite different- a philosophical school based around self-growth and seeking enlightenment, with a more or less indifferent attitude to the gods.
Bitter with their increasing political irrelevance, the Ajanma at the time, Kurosui, made a deal with Mesha, sponsoring his students in exchange for making the Ajanma head of the de-facto priesthood that would, after Mesha's death, become known as the Mesha Dun. Indeed, Mesha died at a young age, but his religion lived on, growing in popularity especially in the south, threatening the Olokushi's power. The seventeenth Olokushi made a deal with the Ajanma, the specifics of which are unknown, but Meshaism became Selatra's official religion, with the Ajanma having immense unofficial power, while the Olokushi remained in charge.
Internally stable for thousands of years and located in a corner of the continent where they rarely interacted with other regions except through trade, Selatra has a level of stability to it's post-Mesha history quite unlike most regions. This is not to say that nothing has happened of course, in particular this period was a golden age for the city of Antarhala after they adapted the Vital Magic used for controlling the jungle in other regions to the Coral Coast's namesake Land Coral, and sailors from this coast mapped out many of the islands of the Southern Ocean. Also during this period, the previously uninhabited Isle of Mist was settled by rakshasa refugees, though as the west coast was less important to them than the south, the Kingdom of Selatra ignored this.
During the rule of the twenty-fifth Olokushi, the Second Muhara Empire invaded eastern Selatra via Korisgana, though they were unable to control the entire region, they formed the state of Nagastan in the areas they did control in order to lock down the prestige of having a claim on parts of all ten regions. An extensive war between the Muhara and Selatrans for control of the region raged for nearly a century, ending when the Korisgana province declared indepedance as the Harataran Empire, cutting the remaining Muhara troops off from the rest of their empire.
Though the nagas had previously been content to ignore the Isle of Mist, during the twenty-seventh Olokushi's reign it was taken over by a rakshasa Bawarij pirate clan led by Tarani, who began to disrupt trade routes all along the coast of the Dasic Ocean. Though the Isle of Mist was small, the pirates were skilled and well organized, and the seas around the Isle rocky and difficult to navigate, and the Selatran navy was unable to eliminate them for decades. In the end, Selatra formed an allience with Muthalrat and Palosvana, the coastal city-states of Anibat, and their combined navies eliminated the Bawarij. The Isle of Mist was subsequently annexed by Selatra.
Major Settlements
Lenzha (North and West Selatra)
The Coral Coast (South Selatra)
Taka River Basin (Central Selatra)
Isle of Mist
Geography
The peninsula of Selatra stretches from the Kijar River in the north to the Southern Ocean, and from the Bay of Selatra in the east to the Dasic Ocean. Selatra is conventionally split into four areas- Lenzha containing both the northern part of the region and the western coasts, The Coral Coast in the south, the Taka River Basin in the center of the region, and the Isle of Mist.
The entire region is quite lush and tropical, though the Taka Basin is the densest, while Lenzha is a bit sparser, and the Coral Coast's ground is often too sandy for forests. The west coast is rocky and prone to strong waves, making the area between it and the Isle of Mist quite difficult to navigate despite not being that large, while the Coral Coast is calmer. The Isle of Mist itself is covered in rocky crags and sheer cliffs.
Type
Region
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Inhabiting Species
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