The Ishwan Confederacy
The dry, cracked earth of Ishwan isn't what most people imagine when they think of a desert. Though during summer, when the days are long, it can be unbearably hot, it can also be brutally cold during the long nights of winter. What little precipitation the land does get usually comes in flurries of snow during those winter months. Despite the harsh climate and unsuitable land for agriculture, Ishwan is a fairly well-built trade confederacy, being situated in a prime location for trade, facilitating trade between the Northern and the Southern Empires, as well as connecting the Lake of Many Folk's robust trade, the Dwarven Realm, and Calshire.
Demographics
Ishwan is primarily populated by Humans, but with far less of a majority than most nearby regions. They have a large dwarven population, as well as a very noticeable Orc and Half-Orc population. Most Ishwani citizens are involved in trade to some capacity, working as merchants, craftsmen, or caravan guards most often.
Government
Ishwan is a confederacy, not of cities or states, but of guilds. The capital of Ishwan, Balishwan , was first founded as a hub for trade, and became home to many far-reaching guild networks that moved their goods between nations. Eventually, it came to be that Balishwan was a true city, and the guilds that had formed the core of it had taken to governance. There is no taxation of the traditional kind in Balishwan, with the guilds being taxed instead of the citizens. Because of this, the level of influence each guild holds in the confederacy is also determined by the amount of revenue they generate. Currently, the top five guilds in descending order are as follows; The Enchanters' Guild, the Silversmiths' Guild, the Tailors' Guild, the Scholars' Guild, and the Armorers' Guild. The Spice Traders' Guild had previously long held the third place, but due to droughts in Terrbourne and Xerdan, and due to a rising star in the Armorers' Guild, they have moved out of the top five.
Geography
Situated fairly far inland, and in the rain shadow of the hills and mountains of Lastrovia and the Archag mountain range, the only rain the tends to fall on Ishwan are the occasional clouds on rare westerly winds from the Lake of Many Folk, but even those tend to be stopped by the plateaus in the west.
Natural Resources
Ishwan has scarce natural resources beyond dirt and dust, though some of the hills to the south have deposits of iron and, rarely, oricalcum. Some plants native to the deserts and badlands can be harvested or even farmed as well, such as the agave that typically grow in Ishwan.
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