Elacreon

Elacreon is a hilly region to the northwest of the Plain of Tharsus; it is a part of greater Kelimaria but is often considered somewhat distinct from the rest of Kelimarian lands. Part of the reason for this is obviously geographical, since Elacreon’s upland terrain (rolling hills and dome-shaped limestone karst formations divided by twisting river valleys) is quite different from the flat forested plains covering most of Kelimaria. However, the distinction is also cultural, and the inhabitants of Elacreon have long been considered different in their customs and dialect from the rest of the Kelim people. 
For centuries, most or all of Elacreon has been governed as an emirate ruled by the accordingly titled Emir of Elacreon; like other Kelimarian states, the Emirate of Elacreon has been autonomous or fully independent in times when the Kelimarian Sultanate was weak or nonexistent, and has been subordinated to the Topaz Throne in times when strong sultans ruled. The current emir of Elacreon was an obedient vassal to the most recent sultan, Olugar IX (and in fact was one of his strongest supporters), but the collapse of the sultanate during the end stage of the orcish wars has left him functionally sovereign and his emirate de facto independent again. 
Elacreon’s biggest city is Tarrek, the so-called Holy City or the Jewel of the Gods, home to one of the largest and most beautiful temple complexes in southwestern Orithea. It is a particularly significant cult center for the worship of Telaon, Deinoa, and Kothaur. Large numbers of Vanir-Vaati from all over Kelimaria, Ojaum, the Medrenesse, and beyond travel as pilgrims to Tarrek to make offerings on its sacred altars and participate in its religious festivals. This flow of pilgrims also brings substantial wealth to the region and considerably swells the coffers of the emirate. 
The emirs of Elacreon have often held court in Tarrek and have palaces there, but the traditional capital of emirate and seat of its rule is the smaller city of Camabar.
Elacreon’s climate is noticeably cooler than that of the Kelimarian plain, partly because of its somewhat more northerly location, but mostly due to its elevation. Like the lowlands, however, it has an ample rainy season, and is generally green and lush. Whereas most of Kelimaria is covered in warm and wet (almost subtropical) woodlands, Elacreon’s hills are blanketed with cooler coniferous rainforests, full of ferns and pines, and often cloaked in misty clouds. The climate does get somewhat drier and colder in the region’s easternmost parts. Here, the dense rainy fir-forests transition to more open woods of highland spruce, then patchy cedar and juniper groves, and finally sparse thorny thickets with occasional scrub pines as the steep dome-shaped hills give way to the high plain of the Suagir steppe.