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Altimara

Located in the north-eastern quadrant of Enayra, Altimara is both the name for the the modern kingdom, and that particular region of Enayra. Originally, Altimara was a kingdom that only spanned the north of the region, sharing the region with the Principality of Xiar, the nomadic Qiri’ar Confederacy, and the sea-faring Lau’thso.

Nowadays, Altimaran hegemony has come to encompass the entire Altimaran region, subjugating the Lau’thso of their aquatic capital of Lau’tahn, and absorbing the ancestral lands of the Qiri’ar confederacy, including their winter capital of Gishan’belor. Altimara has also made vassals of Xiar through diplomatic subterfuge and subtle threats of war.

Their kingdom now sits on the precipices of the Espian Empire in the south and the Kingdom of Estion in the west.

King Ble’thaine I Kondorin of Altimara fortified the two mountain passes in the Rishi Mountains (also known as Enayra’s Spine) in 602 Ruin by creating the fortress city of Barennia on the border with Espias, and Fort Ghestanrah on the border with Estion.

It should be noted that despite the Altimaran’s insistence of its dominance over the region of Altimara, most Altimaran people groups descend from the original human settler group that arrived in Enayra in the early days of the Age of Conflict. This settler group became the Qiri’ar Confederacy, while the tribes that refused to submit to the new confederacy settled elsewhere in the land.

The people who would become Altimarans settled in the north in the early days of the Consolidation Conflict (the civil war between the proto-Qiri’aran tribes that led to the creation of the Confederacy). While the future Xiarans traveled west, meeting Aurum, and being led by him to the Antigorus Valley. Here they would settle and create the now prosperous city-state atop the Mana Well that gives the area its wealth of life and abundance.

Kasaadua

Kasaadua is the shining jewel of the Kingdom of Altimara. Founded in the year 17 Conflict, it became a strong city-state, nestled in the grassy foothills of the Vesthan Mountains that span the entirety of Altimara’s northern coastline, branching off of Enayra’s Spine.

Kasaadua sits at the base of the mountain chain, built from black obsidian stone, giving the city it’s second name: “The Black City.”

From here, the Altimaran Crown rules over their kingdom, at the heart of the largest city in the kingdom.

With a population of approximately 500,000 people, it is about three times the size of Xiar.

Targrond

Targrond is a medium-sized port city on the eastern tip of Altimara.

An early settlement from the early days of the region, and one of the oldest in the kingdom, it is a vital point for the Altimaran Navy, as one of the two shipbuilding ports in the nation, as well as a major source of fishing.

Targrond is home to the largest Altimaran fishery.

Targrond was the original home of the House of Drungvist, before they were moved to Kilnarn to oversee the newly conquered city in 446 Ruin.

Ottogard

Ottogard is a large city located in the mid-eastern reaches of the kingdom.

Built at the base of a mountain known as the Tormenting Pinnacle–some believe named for an ancient punishment ritual that would take place on the summit–it is Altimara’s second oldest, and second most fortified fortress city.

Once ruled by the ancient House of Zinlari, the hereditary Dukes of Qintarth, it is considered a paragon amongst the other large cities of the kingdom.

At the heart of the city is the Iron Citadel, the fortress palace of House Zinlari. It is considered by some to be impregnable.

Kula

Kula was once a frontier border town in the days of the original Khaleeshir. Founded in 203 Heroes, at the base of the ancient Black Spire Mountains, Kula quickly became a booming mining town on Altimara’s frontier.

When Kula was founded, it lay on the edge of the ancient swamps that surrounded Lake Milgar, which were once the ancient home of the Black Dragon Clan.

During the war against Tenebrae, known now as The War of the Sacred Alliance or the War of Ruin, the black dragon patriarch made his base of operations within the Black Spire Mountains, burning down the city of Kula and taking control of the immediate area.

After Tenebrae was defeated, the humans returned, but dared not return to the mines, as they feared what curses Tenebrae might have placed upon them.

So Kula became a trading town, sitting between the ancient borders of Altimara and migration routes of the Qiri’ar.

Historically ruled by the House of Davenpourte, the Dukes of K’nar, Kula is not the shining jewel that is Kasaadua, nor the mighty fortress that is Ottogard, or integral to the kingdom like Targrond. It is, however, still an important part of the kingdom’s trade and taxation revenue.

Kula is known as the City of Merchants, or the Merchant’s Paradise.

Sadly, the locals don’t necessarily benefit from the vast trade in the city, and most of the luxury goods are sold to the merchant class, or more often, shipped elsewhere in the kingdom for the nobility and the wealthy.

Lau’tahn

Lau’tahn is the seaborne home of the Lau’thso, or Lau people. Built in the middle of the ocean, Lau’tahn is both a port for the roaming Lau and a capital.

Lau’tahn itself is a wooden city built on a sandbank in the middle of the ocean. Comprised of homes built on floating planks, logs and stilts, as well as old ships that are moored or tied to the city permanently, once they are no longer sea worthy.

The Lau are a sea faring people who travel across the Enayran seas, trading, fishing, or hiring out their services on merchant ships across the nations of Enayra.

While all Lau leave on their wooden boats, so too do all Lau eventually return to Lau’tahn. They are mandated to at least return four times a year for each of the sacred Lau festivals and to winter in Lau’tahn if weather permits them to return.

The only permanent inhabitants of Lau’tahn are the elderly, the infirm, the sacred Kham’u Th’lau or Saltborne Shamans, the Lau’ka (their version of a non-hereditary chief) and his family, and Lau’thso children.

Lau women will only return to Lau’tahn to birth and raise their children. Once the child can walk and is weaned from their mother’s breast, the child is left with the mother’s and father’s parents, and their mother returns to the sea.

While the men and women go off to trade or fish, the elderly remain at Lau’tahn to watch over the young children who have been weaned and can walk (usually children over the age of 2). From 2 until the age of 10, Lau children are taught and instructed in communal schools run by the Kham’u Th’lau, as well as instilled with traditional knowledge and wisdom by their grandparents and elders.

Once they reach age 10, Lau children are returned to their parents and begin to sail around with their mother and father, learning how to live on the sea, build ships, fish, and be an overall excellent Lau sailor.

Their parents may also see fit to teach their children how to fight with traditional Lau weapons, as well as foreign weapons, as Lau sometimes allow themselves to be hired as naval mercenaries in foreign navies.

The Lau are important to Altimara, as they supply a good amount if Altimara’s seafood to their markets, and the tributary taxes imposed on the on the Lau’than trade network is a lucrative form of income for the state. But despite all this, Altimara still covets their ship building knowledge and navigational skills and methods. Some believe Altimara to be foolish enough to disturb the peace and the flow of income in order to increase their navy. Others say these are nothing but paranoid ramblings. Only time will tell.

Recently, the Lau have become a rare sight on the seas of Enayra, and smoke can be seen rising from the seaward horizon of Altimara’s eastern shore. No one knows why or what has happened and the Lau’thso send no word.

Gishan’belor

Gishan’belor is the ancient winter capital of the Qiri’ar Confederacy.

Built on the shores of what was once Lake Milgar. It is only inhabited for a few months out of the year, during the winter.

During the year, starting in the spring, the Qiri’ar spend their time travelling across Altimara, trading their goods with local Altimarans they meet on their travels before returning with their hauls once winter begins to set in.

Gishan’belor is known as the Kasaadua of the Qiri’ar or City of Colours, as the entire city is comprised of colourfully painted mud-brick buildings. Tall black spires reaching to the skies, topped with gold and silver mark the temple to their Prime Aspect.

Within the halls of the great temple known as Akt’thanor’bifaar, the priestesses of Isunath and Kistharoth, Aspects of the Night and Day, work tirelessly to master their Aspect’s teachings, and perfect their sacred magic.

The Qiri’ar are lead by a Kinu’watan (High Chief in Common) and a Bisha’kagun (Great Mother in Common). The Kinu’watan is the political and military leader of the people, while the Bisha’kagun is the spiritual leader of the people. Neither is more powerful or more important than the other, and often work together and in tandem when making decisions of the tribe.

Neither will make a decision without the input or agreement of the other.

While Gishan’belor is still the winter and great capital of the Qiri’ar, it is no longer the prosperous gem that it was before the desertification of Altimara.

Partially because of the desertification, but also because the sacred Lake Gishan’belor is now known as the Dead Gorge, and empty bowl of cracked earth leading to the dried up riverbed of the River Bacma.

In 437 Ruin the desertification of Altimara progressed so that flow of the Bacma River shifted from Lake Gishan’belor to towards Targrond.

The Altimaran Kingdom, rather than pay to shift the new river away from their interests in Targrond, instead used it as an opportunity to envelope the Qiri’ar under their hegemony and expand their territory further south.

The Qiri’ar had never forgotten this. And they have never forgiven.

Yet their promising young priestess’s current appointment as Grand Enchantress of Altimara under King Meland’ar I Thraendaron may have somewhat abated their hatred for the Crown (a hatred they did not put upon the common people) and replaced it with hope for a brighter future.

Kilnarn

Kilnarn is the naval capital of Altimara, and the seat of much of its naval history.

It has long been the seat of the House of Drungvist, who traditionally have held the title of Grand Admiral. It had been the Drungvists who originally set up and expanded Altimara’s navy, giving them dominance over much of the northern seas of Enayra.

Few navies, save for Asardaea, would be able or willing to openly challenge Altimaran naval supremacy in the region.

Kilnarn started out as a small port town in the days of Emperor Volesus. Originally used for transporting goods between Altimara and Espias, its ports were expanded to accommodate trade from all over the Empire.

After the collapse of the Enayran Empire, the port city fell into decline, and became a small, independent city-state that maintained close ties with Xiar and Gishan’belor.

When Altimara expanded its borders in the 500s of the current age, exercising hegemony over the lands of the Qiri’ar and pushing itself to the southern shores of the region, Kilnarn was incorporated into the kingdom by force.

After the Siege of Kilnarn ended in Altimara’s favour in 446 Ruin, the House of Drungvist was moved from their ancestral seat in Targrond to Kilnarn to oversee and maintain stability in the region.

It was here that Bultran Drungvist, newly created Duke of Orogreth, Count of Vistar, and now Baron of Kilnarn set up the early workings of the Altimaran navy, hoping to curtail any potential invasions or military intrusions from Espias in the south.

In the year 463 Ruin, Bultran was named Grand Admiral, the first in a long line for his family, and Altimara’s naval history was born.

Kilnarn, interestingly enough, was original birthplace of Khaleeshir Drakhart Ghast.

Born on the 33rd day, of the 13th lunar month, of the year 1018 Ruin to Vurkhart Ghast and Kinraea Ghast (nee Cremet). She was a baker, and he was a navigator in the Altimaran navy, aboard the vessel Predestiny. The ship went down in 1024 Ruin, and everyone aboard was lost.

After this, Drakhart and his mother moved to Kula to start a new life, away from the sea that claimed their loved one.

Xiar

Xiar is the shining jewel of Altimara. It is a paragon of arts, culture, architecture and learning. It is famed for its impregnable walls, senate, clepsydra, and ancient library.

Legend tells that some of the oldest tomes in Enayra, even those whose originals have been lost, have copies that can be found somewhere in the Library of Xiar.

Nestled atop a Mana Well in the prosperous Antigorus Valley, Xiar has remained a prosperous breadbasket for Altimara, even after the region began to wilt away into vast deserts.

Xiar was founded in 32 Conflict, 32 years after the first humans arrived in Enayra.

Led by their ancient hero king, Agarthus the Great, the ancient Xiarans abandoned the early Qiri’ar Confederacy, refusing to bow to the will of another. While wandering through away from Gishan’belor, they came across Aurum.

Feeling pity for these humans, he led them to the Antigorus Valley, and bid them build their new settlement there. And there is where Xiar was built, and there it has stood ever since.

Xiaran soon became a land of plenty and legend. They became a centre of learning, and the birthplace of Dragomancy. Their great clepsydra kept time with an unseen accuracy, and their Great Library was a project unheard of before or since in Enayra.

Their marble buildings and cobblestone streets were legendary feats of beautiful architecture from across the world.

For a long time, Xiar prospered.

Though originally founded as a kingdom, in 253 Ruin, the lecherous King Antipausus III was overthrown by an angered populace.

The line of Agarthus was ended, and in its place, the Kingdom of Xiar became the Principality of Xiar.

No more would Xiar bow before a king, but instead, it elected a Xiaran Senate to represent its people, and to lead them, would be elected a Regent Prince, who would serve for a set number of terms, before stepping down and passing the title on to his elected successor.

This way, no ruler was absolute, and could be removed by the Senate if necessary.

Xiar is proud of its history as an unconquered nation. While they did capitulate to Volesus during his conquests of Enayra, they did so willingly, and were never invaded or besieged, thus avoiding destruction.

They proclaim, proudly, “Xiar unconquered!” as their cultural motto. In truth, it is a motto stolen from their Asardaean overlords. The motto of Asardaea is infamously “Asardaea invicta” which means “Asardaea unconquered.”

In recent history, Xiar has been forced to accept Altimaran hegemony, and become part of the ever expanding kingdom.

In 803 Ruin, Xiar and Altimara entered into a treaty that forced Xiar to once more capitulate to another crown.

Despite their famed legacy as “unconquered”, Xiar, knew they could not withstand the might of the Altimaran Army in the case of a prolonged siege, and so agreed to accept Altimaran control in exchange for their continued peaceful existence.

Altimara needed the Xiaran Mana Well to grow the crops necessary to feed their massive army and the people of Altimara, who had suffered for so long under the continued desertification of the region.

They needed a cooperative Xiar for this. Besides, a cooperative, kowtowed Xiar would also add to Altimara’s prestige, wealth of knowledge and technology, and continue it’s expansion and growth as a great nation. With Xiar under control, all of the contiguous land of the Altimara region would belong to the namesake kingdom.

Xiar, however, foresaw a much different relationship. They foresaw Altimaran hegemony and military protection, as well as increased trade between the nations, in exchange for some of their independence, though they never imagined their autonomy fully going away.

However, Xiar’s tenuous autonomy has been eroded continuously over the year as Altimara continuously applies pressure, coupled with the threat of invasion, blockade, and blatant disregard for the previous treaty, to dismantle and thwart Xiar’s autonomy at every turn.

Recently, Xiar has spent years preparing for invasion. For them, it is not if Altimara will invade, but a matter of when.

Fort Ghestanrah

Fort Ghestanrah was part of King Ble’thaine I’s expansionist policies for Altimara.

In 602 Ruin, the king had pushed the Altimaran armies to the western and southern passes in the Rishi Mountains, right on the borders of Estion and Espias.

For centuries, these borders had been undefended, mostly open borders with nothing but simple checkpoints.

But Fort Ghestanrah became Altimara’s shining example of the future of their border policies.

Fort Ghestanrah is a massive fortress built into the wall, that towers over the landscapes. It was modelled after the Asardaean fortress at Tolrund Pass, with a single massive wall stretching between the mountains on either side of the pass, a massive central command tower, and a walled garrison separated from the small town that sprung up just outside of the fortress on the Altimaran side of the border.

Weapon and supplies stores are burrowed deep into vaults in the mountain sides, as are vaults meant to hide Altimaran citizens if the fortress is attacked or overrun, and its said there is a massive nest of tunnels that runs beneath the fortress that lead north to Kisara or south to Barennia, allowing for easy evacuation or reinforcement.

Its said, though never been confirmed, that only the fortress commanders and the King of Altimara have the map for the tunnel layouts, and only they, and whomever they choose to share the information with, can navigate the tunnels. Enemies chasing fleeing Altimarans into the burrows would be hopelessly lost.

Barennia

Barennia was also founded in 602 Ruin by King Ble’thaine I. It was founded for much the same purpose as Fort Ghestanrah.

Unlike Fort Ghestanrah, that was meant to deal with an overly aggressive Estion to the west, Espias was not as large of a concern.

Asardaea and Altimara were still allied closely at the time, and Altimara was confident that any attack from Espias would lead to retaliation from Asardaea, thus splitting the Espian forces to defend against a seaborne Asardaean invasion and a land-borne invasion from Altimara.

Since then, Barennia has been reinforced like Fort Ghestanrah, and is now a hybrid of a massive walled city built to withstand sieges, and a massive, high-walled fortress that can easily garrison thousands of soldiers if needed.

Barennia bulges across both borders, casting a wide berth into Espian territory, despite Espian concerns over legality.

A network of towers, stations, guard posts and miniature forts connect across a long network of walls and fortifications that spider-web across the massive city, leading from the inner walls and fortress, to the ducal palace, to the outer walls and even up into the mountains.

While Barennia was not originally built to be a fortress, under King Meland’ar and his father King Mathanlus IV, it has extensively been built, rebuilt and refortified into the juggernaut it is now.

Kisara

Kisara is a modest mountain city located in the frozen reaches of the Enayran Spine, bordering with Anglum.

It was carved right into the side of the mountain, being frozen over most of the year and is an entirely “indoor” city. It is tiered, to better fit within the mountain.

It was not once so large, but now hosts a sizeable garrison of Altimaran soldiers as they defend Altimara’s borders from Utovan incursions.

Kisara is the seat of the House of Marneron. While they are a relatively newer ducal house, their devotion to the Crown in the face of Utovan hostility has gained them renown in the kingdom.