Eowyr
History and Government
A long and proud lineage binds Eowyr's place in history; from noble origins as explorers and merchants stemming from the dawn of The Strand, to ruthless fights against Uzbari raiders, to the settlement of the paradise of Ahru's verdant hills. And yet this proud lineage has turned into something of a phantom; a phantom both figurative and literal, for its glorious Pharashes were slain and slaughtered and exist today more in their people's grief than in their pride. Originally founded by traders from The Strand, Kandesh has always been a land of migrants. It was the destination of many people who are today called Uzbari during the Nomadic Migration, and it was a haven for Vestalis escaping their nation's oppression. It was also a primary destination for Fey throughout The Kandeshi Fey Migration - but it's these Fey who brought ruin to Kandesh and made it into dismal Eowyr instead. During the Fey migration, Fey were largely diverted to Kandeshi settlements in Ahru, a largely unpopulated land which had minor communities formed as a result of the so-called The Settler Spillway. While these communities initially started with many migrants, few remained due to logistical issues. The settler frenzy never quite returned to Kandesh, and the Fey became a lifeline to reviving these meagre communities. They were a largely reluctant lifeline, however; the people of Eowyr tended to have a general hostility towards Fey, and Fey in turn never became fully integrated, causing trouble whenever issues such as conscription and taxation arose. These issues culminated in the Crimson Day, when the last Pharash of Kandesh was executed by treasonous Fey. The Pharash had no direct heirs, leading to the appointment of a regency from amongst his most cunning of brothers which was meant to determine the appropriate successor. What ensued was a bloodbath as brothers turned against each other as they wrestled for the title, employing espionage and assassination to ascend the family tree. By the time that Kandesh found itself in the midst of a collapse, with Ahru attempting to break away, only two brothers were left alive - the regent, and a general. Both died in the ensuing conflict - the War of Dissolution. With no Pharash to claim the throne and a stunning defeat at the hands of Ahru, Kandesh could be no more. From the ashes of Kandesh, a noble family - mu'Eow - which had matrilineally married into the Pharash's dynasty assumed the crown, though it could lay no claim to the long and proud history that it signified. From thenceforth, the old heartland of Kandesh came to be known as Eowyr - for the name of its new ruling dynasty - though some within its nobility (including the mu'Eow dynasty itself) consider it still Kandesh. Ever since the great betrayal by Fey, Eowyr has regressed significantly in its social institutions. Today, slavery is fully legalized within the nation, and most Fey are considered to be exempt from full citizenship. Though technically illegal, free Fey who travel through Eowyr have been known to be kidnapped and sold into slavery with few repercussions. Worse, peoples who previously came to Eowyr to escape oppression - such as Tieflings and Asplings who ran from Vestal - have sometimes found themselves in similar circumstances with little recourse.Cities
Geography
The vast majority of Eowyr has been blasted by the chilling winds of the Sea of Storms, and the nation's central flatlands are best described as a desert as a result. This desert is not a true desert necessarily - it receives sufficient rainfall - but rather one that results from the harsh storms that blow through. Few plants can grow on their own in Eowyr, and the ground itself is a brown mud which is typically dry, but can become like quicksand when too much rain comes. What did its original settlers see in these wastes, then? Home. The Strand itself was a literal desert, after all. More important to its hospitability, however, the bulk of Eowyr's population resides within the cradle of the Bassid Peaks. These peaks stop the dreaded winds and give way to a somewhat-hilly savannah which has been made ideal for farming. They also contain signifiant mineral wealth - especially silver and gold - which keeps the nation's trading economy bustling. Finally, in the west, the Rainwoods flank Eowyr. It holds claims over them, but they are largely uncharted and undisturbed territory. There, the storms mix with the clouds of The Rainy Country and convert the woods to a mucky, overwatered rainforest, which can become fully inundated with water at times of the year.Resources
The unique climate of Eowyr's heartlands, which are protected by the Bassid Peaks, lends itself to growing a variety of agricultural goods considered rare or difficult in many other parts of the world. Today, Eowyr largely survives on the luxury food trade, supplementing its purse with gold and silver mined from the peaks - though this resource is running out. Logging ventures in the Rainwoods have only begun recently, but the lumber in these woods is considered particularly high in quality and can sell for a high mark. All of this ignores the biggest industry in Eowyr today, however: slavery. Slaves keep much of Eowyr's resource extraction projects alive, but they are also a unique commodity in the international market. Though most other nations do not recognize slavery, even if the slave was acquired in Eowyr, the legal details tend to get incredibly murky when it comes to contracts. It is thus not uncommon for a slave in Eowyr to be sold to a buyer, forced to sign a contract of service (much similar to any servant of a noble in the buyer's homeland), and then for them to be forever bound without the legal designation of "slave." While some nations have taken strides towards invalidating such contracts, these strides are often strongly resisted by nobles with more "legitimate" servants working for them, as it can be impossible to differentiate between the two when a detailed history of the servant's travel is not available. And, so, the slave trade prospers!Ethnicities
Most in Eowyr still identify as Kandeshi, and no term has come into popular usage to replace that identity (unlike what was the case for the renaming of the nation). Kandeshi culture stems from the ancient culture of traders from The Strand, morphed over centuries and merged with later Arberian cultural strains such as the Uzbari. Sprinkle in some Vestali and Fey norms, and you've got a good idea. Those who don't identify as Kandeshi tend to either be Fey - almost all of which are slaves - or those who identify with one of the cultures which contributed to the Kandeshi mish-mash, though such cases are rare. There is also a growing amount of those who consider themselves Ahran, even though such a term isn't even used by Ahru as a cultural signifier, to represent their opposition to the turn Eowyr has taken since Kandesh's collapse.Diplomacy
Related Articles
Locations
Cultures
Factions
Regiments
All
Adjectives: Kandeshi (official, controversial internationally Eowyn (colloquial, controversial domestically)
National Animal: Gjevalar
National Instrument: Sistrum
Ethnicities: Kandeshi (Eowyn)
Languages: Kandeshi, Human Common (Holm Gultic), Vestali
Capital: Karkala
Ruler: Pharash Atut mu'Eow
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Hallmarks: Slavery, military despotate, luxury foods and services, black marketplace of the world
Characteristics: Insular, decadent, greedy, hostile
National Animal: Gjevalar
National Instrument: Sistrum
Ethnicities: Kandeshi (Eowyn)
Languages: Kandeshi, Human Common (Holm Gultic), Vestali
Capital: Karkala
Ruler: Pharash Atut mu'Eow
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Hallmarks: Slavery, military despotate, luxury foods and services, black marketplace of the world
Characteristics: Insular, decadent, greedy, hostile
Type
Geopolitical, State