The Republic of Talmaad

```
*Destruction. Protection. Creation.*

```

## *Overview*

The Republic of Talmaad is the power that worships Yuddhabathi as their primary god. Split in half by the Godspine, Talmaad is an arid, mountainous region with a vast and complex history.

### Capital

The natural curve of the Godspine creates a region of intense rain shadow right in the foothills of the mountain range, where the desert environment is most prominent. Within this rain shadowed region, you’ll find the rugged capital city of Dabathati. Elevated over 8,000 feet above sea level, Dabathati is a marvel of engineering built into the side of the Godspine. The only way to reach the capital of Talmaad is through one of the dozens of rope bridges stretching up and over the vast Kaguña Canyon, which boasts a low point of 8,000 feet.

Dabathati itself is a mighty mountain stronghold. There are three main entrances to the capital, each one resembling the open mouth of one of Yuddhabathi’s three heads. The city is similarly divided into three districts. The District of Vinaash is dedicated to matters of war and military, and houses soldiers’ barracks, training lairs, recruitment grounds, and the war rooms for the Consuls. The District of Suraksha is dedicated to civilian matters, with the largest concentration of homes, marketplaces, inns, shops, and shared public spaces. Finally, the District of Thristi is devoted entirely to artists and academics, with a high number of libraries, workshops, smithies, supply shops, and the like.

A high population of miners live and work in Dabathati, who toil day in and day out to ferry raw metals from the Ujjval Mines to the boiling smithies of Thristi. Dabathati is also the seat of power for the Orrox Guild, one of the most powerful underground criminal guilds in Andake. It also becomes the hotbed of activity for The Children of the Chrysalis.

### Culture

Just over three hundred years ago, Talmaad was a kingdom governed by a royal family and a complex system of noble houses. Vestiges of this history remain scattered around Dabathati and the greater Talmaad Republic, and are reflected in the partition of power and coin in the hands of a few wealthy families and Senators. The Republic of Talmaad is governed by a Senate of thirty-two politicians, with three Consuls at the head. Each Consul oversees a different district in Dabathati, and is also responsible for governing the entire Republic.

Outside of the Capital, Talmaad is often split along the geographical lines of North and South. Those who live in the Torovan Desert often consider those who live in the Jhaadeedan Scrublands to be less cultured and more primitive than them, while Jhaadeedaans think of Torovans as stuck-up and hypocritic. Before the Republic of Talmaad united the Torovar Desert and Jhaadeedaan Scrublands, these two regions were often at war with each other. Now, they are allies, and trade frequently.

## Landmarks

### The Godspine

The single most prominent geographical feature on the main continent, the Godspine is a muscular mountain range that spans across all of Andake. People-made passes are few and far between along the Godspine, and each one is jealousy controlled by a particular power. The depths of the Godspine are largely unmapped, and remain mysterious and dangerous to this day. It is said that strange creatures lurk in the highest peaks and the lowest dungeons of the Godspine, as well as untold riches -- for anyone brave or foolhardy enough to seek them out.

### The Ukhliin Chasm

The vast, sprawling Ukhliin Chasm separates the Clans of Kheer Tal from northern Talmaad. Miles wide at its widest gap and dozens of feet apart at its narrowest, the Ukhliin Chasm plunges steeply into the underworld of Andake. It is said that no one who has ever descended into the Chasm has ever made it out alive. It is also said that somewhere within the depths of the Chasm is the fabled entrance into the After. Gouts of hot, steaming air occasionally erupt from the bowels of the Chasm, making crossing it not only a treacherous but deadly affair. Only a few “safe” bridges exist across the Chasm, and even then, you’ll want to pray to the Eight for protection before you do.

### The Badlands

The badlands comprise the northern half of the Republic, and are largely forgotten about by the rest of Talmaad. Few people live in the badlands, and those who do stick to the coastal cities, where there is at least some semblance of sophisticated civilization. The arid flatlands of the badlands are characterized by crimson-red rock, jutting steppes, and towering buttes.

### The Torovar Desert

The semi-arid Torovar Desert contains pockets of blooming ponds, gem-spackled mines, and glittering salt flats. Bustling townships and marketplaces are built around these oases, with beautifully crafted stone temples dedicated to Yuddhabathi that boast ornate friezes, lintels, and metalwork. Shrines are plentiful and well-funded across all of Talmaad, with temple-building as a favorite project by the wealthy to demonstrate their loyalty to the Republic and its people (and as a way to accrue favors and power). The desert-dwellers of Talmaad call themselves Torovans.

### The Jhadeedaan Scrublands

Close to the border of the Championship of Nabal, combustible scrublands take root, with wildfires and bushfires commonly occurring. The people of Talmaad see these fires as a sign of Yuddhabathi’s favor: the destructive flames pave the way for new growth, which then must be protected and cultivated by the stewards of the land. Talmaadis who live in the shrublands build beehive huts made of mud, clay, and stone, with thatched roofs of straw, dried grass, and hay. These folk call themselves Jhaadeedaans, after the Jhadeedaan Shrublands.

### Kaguña Canyon

The only way to reach the capital of Talmaad is through one of the dozens of rope bridges stretching up and over the vast Kaguña Canyon, which boasts a low point of 8,000 feet. At the bottom of the Kaguña Canyon, you’ll find the Godvein, a winding, fast-flowing river that originates from within the Godspine and ends somewhere within the mountain range as well. Few travelers who make it to the bottom of Kaguña make it back out again.

### The Ujjval Mines

Deep within Dabathati, you’ll find the legendary Ujjval Mines; rich depositories of precious gemstones with abundant veins of gold and silver. The mines are heavily guarded during all times of the day, even more so than the private rooms of the Consuls. Rumors say that the Ujjval Mines are actually the entrance to a Gigantic Mage Tomb, from the Age of Titans. Vinaash, an aspect of the Godshard of Yuddhabathi, is hiding in the Ujjval Mines after the Cataclysm.