Kanesh
Kanesh’s history is as twisting and labyrinthine as its mountain vales. During the Mithril Era, it was a land of local chiefs and petty kings each of whom ruled their own mountain. But by the dawning of the Palladian Age, one ruler united the southern principalities into a single territory. His original name is lost to most histories, and but he is remembered as Kiro Palladionas. He became the first Palladian Emperor and his realm was known as the Palladian Empire. Over the centuries, the Palladians with the aid of their iron and holy magic, conquered all of Nioa and established footholds on almost every major continent.
Some folk integrated into the new empire. Elves, aasimar, genasi, and others walked as free citizens, said to be blessed with long lives and virtuous souls. Others fought back and were brought to heel. The dwarves, halflings, orcs, and dragonborn of Kanesh built it’s magnificent palaces and fed their magic forges with blood and sweat. And of all the lands the Empire touched, it was Kanesh which flourished most radiant of all. Great cities of marble with spires that seemed to hang from the clouds themselves dotted the hills of the peninsula: Dazimon, Bithbis, Perga, Vazpur, Cibyrios, Temaion, Jonah, Tzamodos, Koukorua, and Melitan.
Yet today only three of these monumental urban centers survive, for after centuries of rule, the Sundering Arcana struck the Material World and brought the Empire to its knees. Sorcerers appeared and strange, wild magics erupted throughout the world. This cut Kanesh off from her colonies and during the Steel Age the peninsula was ravaged by famine, war, invaders, disease, and apocalyptic arcana. Mass migrations of humans also profoundly changed the peninsula’s makeup. At first, the aasimari Emperors of Iskendra were hostile to the human refugees whom had sailed from across the horizon. But after several years of fighting, two massive military losses, and an internal dynastic struggle, the Empress claimed to have a vision and married a prominent human king. Their children became the heralds of a new integrated society. Some historians believe that the influx in humans into Iskendra is the reason that the Kaneshite lands did not fall to later invaders such as the Qartagonian dragonborn. So, with the help of their new human subjects and the rocky, natural fortifications of Oxhide Mountains, the last bastion of the Palladian Empire survived and with it the unique culture of Kanesh.
Today, the child of the Palladian Empire, the Imperium of Iskendra controls all of Kanesh. And though tarnished by three centuries of war and unrest, the jewel of Palladia, Iskendra herself remains the single largest city of mortals anywhere in the Material World. So vast is this metropolis, that many in Nioa simply call it “the City,” for no settlement on the continent comes close to rivaling it. For every shop there is a competitor and every trade represented. There are more guilds in the city then there are craftsmen in most villages. The city is hemmed in by layers of walls and though few have ever been breached, the Age of Steel has sown fear within the populace.
Most folk cluster together living in tiny apartments, a whole family sharing a single room to call their own. The middle class strive to carve out their lives in narrow walk-ups made of plaster and wood. Still, there are few of these dwellings and those that exist are tenuous holdings sought after by feverish masses. Meanwhile, the wealthy dwell in estates, still within the city limits but surrounded by gardens, orchards, and private farmland. These wealthy magnates have enormous influence over the government administration, providing the government with money and even soldiers through a draft system which provides work for the poor. In times of war, these private farms also act as food repositories for the city itself, though the wealthy are often reluctant to give away grain for free.
All people come together at the for the Sandchases. Held on special holidays and on the first of every month, Sandchases are electric competitions held in the Sandchaser Arena—the only part of the Imperial Palace that is open to the public. Here, the public are given free bread and sour wine as well as entertainment in the form of sand seal races. These competitions are often life-or-death events for the riders but the fame and fortune they receive is immense. Additionally, famous chasers often act as surrogates for public debate and one’s political leanings often result in the leanings of their fanbase. As a result, the Sandchases are equal parts entertainment and public discourse. Groups of protestors will chant mottos and sayings at the Imperial family siting in the Decurion’s Box in hopes that their collective opinion will influence public policy. This is one of the primary ways that Iskendrans inform their rulers of public opinion and the emperors do take note of these demonstrations. Many an emperor is remembered as beloved for listening to the will of the crowds and several have been physically mauled or torn apart by a mob who believed that their rulers did not care about their thoughts and feelings. Yet even at its most peaceful, nearly every race has a riot and many of these riots result in the deaths of a few protestors at each other’s hands.
Geography
Kanesh, sometimes called the Kaneshite Peninsula or the Hand of Kanesh, is a landmass that comprises the southernmost portion of the Nioan continent. Jutting into the Sea of Brass, the peninsula is made up of rocky highlands and deep river valleys, with the land meeting the sea as a coastal plain. Inland, shady forests of warm conifers and cedar trees makes up orchards and forested pasture. The rocky terrain creates difficulty for growing anything inland other than grapes and olives, which make up a large percent of the Kaneshi diet. On the coast, the summers are warm and the winters mild, though the further one treks inland, the higher elevation causes long hot summers and cold, rainy winters which replenishes the rocky landscape’s aquifers.
Due to the rugged terrain and poor soil, the interior’s highland country has never been highly populated. With the end of the Palladian Era, war led to skirmishes and rebellions and the roads were home to roving bands of highwaymen and armies of freed slaves. In response, the much depleted Palladian emperors constructed dozens of towers and castles throughout the peninsula, each guarding important roads and chokepoints. In the event of a raid, villagers would flee to the safety of the castles, and the castellans would light beacons signaling nearby towers to send a brigade of the empire’s cataphracts.
In the farm country, a language broadly known as Kaneshite is spoken. It derives directly from Vulgate Celestial, which is commonly spoken in Iskendra. A mix of VC and Kaneshite is sometimes called Iskendran.
Fauna & Flora
The rocky highlands of Kanesh are home to a number of hardy coniferous forests, while the low lands are mostly made up of grassy plains and temperate deciduous woodlands. In the whole of the peninsula, there are about 11,000 species of flowering plant, about a third of which are endemic to the region. This area played a key role in the early cultivation of wheat, other cereals and various horticultural crops.
The region is home to a variety of beasts, including wolves; deer; aurochs; wild horses, goats, and boars; leopards; lions; falcons; vultures; ducks; geese; markhors; caracals; porcupines; squirrels; marmots; rabbits; mice; rats; skeevers; hamsters; voles; hedgehogs; bats; dolphins; crag cats; lynx; mongooses; hyenas; foxes; jackals; brown bears; weasels; martens; donkeys; mules; gazelle; cormorants; gannets; petrels; pelicans; herons; ibises; storks; swans; sparrows; osprey; buzzards; eagles; quail; pheasant; grouse; cranes; gulls; doves; parakeets; owls; larks; swallows; martins; wrens; thrushes; crows; ravens; magpies; starlings; finches; lizards; chameleons; geckos; constrictor snakes; venomous snakes; turtles; sea turtles; tortoises; dire weasels; entelodonts; frogs; toads; giant vultures; giant hyenas; erymanthoi; giant badgers; giant spiders; blood hawks; giant eagles; giant wasps; wasps; bees; beetles; spiders; scorpions; ants; moths; butterflies; crickets; wargs; cryptiles; carakillers (axebeaks
Kanesh is also home to a variety of monstrous creatures, including chimerae; chamrosh (hybrid: fox/falcon cockatrice; glider gryphons (hybrid: kestrel/bobcat imperial gryphon (golden eagle/lion harpies; hippogryffs; owlbears; perytons; bulettes; hydra; rust monsters; ankhegs; simhata (hybrid: lion/equid wyverns; stirges; and rocs. While this list may seem extensive, keep in mind that many of these creatures live far from any mortal settlements and many are on the verge of extinction and are hunted without mercy because of their destructive behavior.
Natural Resources
Hardy cereal crops including wheat, barley, and rye grow well in the coastal plains as well as in the high plateaus and steppes. The less fertile grasslands are used by many as grazing land for goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, mules, markhors, and horses. Kaneshite horses are famed for their balance of endurance and speed.
For centuries the hillsides of Kanesh have been torn apart in search of precious metals. The region is particularly rich in copper and tin—important components in the construction of bronze—as well as iron, saltpeter, and stone. Garnets, amber, and other precious stones can be found as well but not in large quantities.
The region's coastline and bodies of water are rich with fish, crabs, and mollusks. The regions remote highlands and diverse biomes also means that there is a great variety of game to be hunted for bones, pelts, and meat.
Alternative Name(s)
The Kaneshite Peninsula; the Hand of Kanesh;
Type
Peninsula
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