Ekhroa

Ekhroa is a mountainous region in eastern Orithea, situated between the land of Urem to the north and the Sarpic Seas to the south. To the east of Ekhroa lie the fertile green lowlands of Phoacia. 
All of Ekhroa notionally falls under the rule of the Kirdan Empire, but up in its rugged highlands, imperial authority is little heeded and local chieftains mostly do as they please. The native people of the region have no love for their Kirdan rulers and are not disposed to cooperate with them. Consequently, the mountains of Ekhroa are a popular hideout for bandits and rebels.
Kirdan rule over Ekhroa dates back to the reign of the sixteenth Tash-Teshivan, Yemegan I, who led a series of wars against the Phyridian Empire during the 1150s and 1160s CV. Wresting Ekhroa from Phyridian hands is probably the most famous achievement of his reign and the most significant result of these wars, which were indecisive on other fronts. Amran's control over the region had lasted since the mid-700s CV, and during those four centuries, it had been challenged by many local rebellions but never by an external enemy. Prior to this, Ekhroa had changed hands between the Phyridian and Asgali empires several times, interspersed with periods of independence from both. Even earlier, in the times before the Great Cataclysm, it was subject to Qossite domination along with the rest of the lands around the Sarpic Seas. 
The Ekhroan people have a strong devotion to the cult of Touz, and a long tradition of matriarchal chieftainship, which is intertwined with their history of resistance to outside rule. Priestesses of Touz wield considerable influence in Ekhroan society, especially up in the highlands and away from the coastal towns where Kirdan authority is strong.