Drôhznia

**Drôhznia** is a large empire that makes up the southern half of the continent of Eshtar. It is considered
one of the oldest cultures in Palurin and ,although past its prime, it is still a
powerful state. Drôhznian civilisation is built upon the worship of Anarâh,
the golden serpent and his prophet, Sâlikhín. Legend has it that Sâlikhín
created an Empire that covered all of the east. Only after his death did it
diminish into its current state.

## Government

The
Drôhznian Empire encompasses several different unique cultures, brought
together by their faith. The Empire is ruled by the Sâlín and the faith is led
by the Anarâjha. The Drôhznian people originally were formed into small tribes,
which still exist within the Empire. Each tribe, or Shânate, has a leader, known as the Shân, which
represents the people in The Shâni Council.

Although the Sâlín is the head of the Drôhznian Government, the political system is not completely centralised.

### The Sâlín

The political leader of the Drôhznian Empire is the Sâlín, who weilds supreme power over the state. The Sâlín is seen as a ruler and
a servant. He has a responsibility to protect and honour the people of his
Empire and the Anarâh faith. Although this is a hereditary position, if a
Sâlín does not perform his duty, he can be overthrown by his council and
replaced by another candidate. A Sâlín overthrown in this manner is usually
executed or exiled.

### The Alhak-Shân

The Alhak-Shân serve as representatives for their tribe in the Shâni Council, who advise the Sâlín. Their responsibilities are to make sure that their Shânate are being fairly treated by the empire and to make sure that the Sâlín is treating all people fairly and according to the greater good.

The Shâni serve life terms, with each new Shân selected by their predecessor. Selecting ones successor is usually one of the first actions the Shân will undertake once elected. Once they have chosen their successor, this selection can be vetoed by the other Shâni, to avoid cronyism.

### The Jade Council

The imperial province of The Najharâni Delta is ruled as a semi-autonomous realm. Due to their reliance on trade, some of the more strict wealth distribution laws of the empire do not apply. The Delta itself is ruled by The Jade Council, a group of merchants. The Council will elect a representative, known as the Grand Vizier, who answers directly to the Sâlín. The Council has almost complete control over the Delta, with local administrators controlling the affairs of the various towns and cities in the area.

### The Mountain-Lords

The Dwarven holds of Baalzadûn are controlled by a council of lords that has existed before the rule of Drôhznia. These lords maintain a level autonomy, similar to the Najharâni. They still answer to the Sâlín, but they are free to run their lands as they see fit, provided they maintain the traditions and beliefs of Anarâh.

These lords rule the city as an oligarchy, requiring consensus among its members to make decisions. Each lord represents one of the Dwarven Clans within Baalzadûn.

## Religion

The people of Drôhznia worship Anarâh, the Golden Serpent
and his prophet Sâlikhín. Anarâh was originally a part of a larger pantheon of
gods but revealed himself to Sâlikhín as the one true god. He told Sâlikhín
that a great darkness was coming and that Sâlikhín needed to unite the people
of the world under his worship to defeat it. The prophet created a vast empire
and now the worship of Anarâh is the widest spread religion in the world.

The Anarâhi faith teaches humility and solidarity, claiming
that only way to salvation is through service to a greater good. The faith teaches
that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few and it is the
responsibility of every citizen to improve their community. The faith also
teaches its follower to be humble, if a man surrounds himself in gold and
opulence then he is not righteous.

The reason the Drôhznian Empire has
prospered is that its people are united in their faith and believe that if their
faith were to falter, it would bring about a great darkness that would engulf
the world.

### The Anarâjha

The faith is led by the Anarâjha, who is seen as God’s representative.
Most of the Anarâjha have been elves, after Bhalíta, the first Anarâjha and
wife of Sâlikhín. It is the responsibility of the Anarâjha to make sure that the Sâlín is ruling the empire in accordance with the tenants of god. They also have the capacity to declare holy wars and lead the Anarâjhae into battle, although this is not common.

### The Anarâjhae

The faith is protected by the Anarâjhae, the warriors of the
faith. Most Anarâjhae are orphans who are taken in by the faith. Those orphans
that cannot be warriors, will become brothers or sisters of the temple. Although the Sâlín is in control of Drôhznia's armies, the Anarâjhae answer to the Anarâjha alone. They are responsible for defending Drôhznia's temples and waging holy wars.

### The Ahlda

The brothers, or Ahlda, dedicate themselves to god and serve
in temples throughout the empire, performing services for their communities
such as counselling their followers and conducting funerals. The Ahlda are
treated with respect by all citizens of the Empire, to attack or kill an Ahlda
is an extremely serious offence.

### The Mithra

The sisters, or Mithra, also serve Anarâh by conducting
wedding ceremonies, caring for the sick and injured, delivering babies and
tending to the mothers. No man is permitted to gaze upon the face of a Mithra as a sign of
respect, they also may not speak to them without their permission.

### Prayer & Beliefs

The people of Drôhznia worship Anarâh through prayer and
ritual. Followers will usually keep a small shrine somewhere in their house where they
recite their prayers and light incense at the beginning and end of each day. In
the morning, they will thank Anarâh for bringing the light of the sun and
defeating the evil darkness. At night, they will offer the strength of their
spirit to help Anarâh defeat the darkness and bring the light again the next
day. Anarâhi temples also conduct services at dawn and dusk to lead people in
these prayers.

The Drôhznians believe that if they live their lives in
service to Anarâh, their souls will join with him upon their deaths, elevating
their souls to god himself and freeing them from the pain and strife of the
world. The souls of those who do not live their lives in dedication to Anarâh
are said to be swallowed up by evil darkness that dwells beyond the veil of our
world, ready to strike and destroy all life.

Faith is very important within Drôhznia, as it is the
guiding force that holds the Empire together. There are many different cultures
that make up the Drôhznian Empire, but the faith is something they all share.

## Races Within the Empire

The Drôhznian Empire is comprised of many different peoples, united in their devotion to Anarâh.

### The Drôhznir-Shânate

The most populace and powerful race within the Empire, the Shâni are the humans that inhabit and control most of the Empire. These are the tribes that were lead by Sâlikhín out of the deserts of the south. They inhabit the major cities that dot the Raadi River.

### The Khezzâni

While the humans of the Drôhznir-Shânate escaped the harsh deserts of southern Drôhznia, there are some who still remain there. Known as The Khezzâni, these nomadic people wander between the oases of the desert, surviving as best they can. While the government of Drôhznia claims that these nomads are part of the Empire, the Khezzâni keep to themselves and rarely engage in Drôhznian politics.

### The Najharâni

These swarthy, dark skinned humans dwell in the lush forests of The Najharâni Delta. Their civilisation is one that existed long before the arrival of Sâlikhín. They are a mostly peaceful people, who's mighty trade ships serve to connect Drôhznia with the rest of the world.

### The Dwarves of Baalzadûn

In the north of the Empire, sits the mountain fortress of Baalzadûn. The Dwarves of the mountains resisted Sâlikhín at first, but awed by his military might, they agreed to join the Empire. The Dwarves are sometimes treated with distrust by the human allies, as their customs stray from those of the greater Empire. They are no less devoted to the common goal as the other races of Drôhznia.

### The Erudae Elves

The first to settle in Drôhznia, were the Erudae Elves. They ventured from the Curinmdôr after The First Light and settled along the banks of the Raadi. Here, they erected walled cities to keep out the humans that started to appear in their lands. After Sâlikhín led his people out of Khezzân, the Erudae were the first to join his Empire. Many of the Elves refused to follow Sâlikhín, but those that did served the Empire well. Today, the Erudae mostly still inhabit the cities along the Raadi.

## History

### The Khezzâni Exile

Very little is known about the early days of people that would one day form the Drôhznian Empire. The Proto-Drôhznians most likely migrated south from the northern reaches of Quaïth at the end of The Age of Fire, much like the other inhabitants of the east.

Oral tradition states that the people later known as The Khezzâni were a nomadic people that roamed the lands of southern Quaïth, Ithenia and Araxia. The tribes were simple herders, with little to no military might. As cities states started to form around these regions, the nomadic tribes were driven further south by their technologically superior, city-dwelling adversaries. The nomads then migrated to the fertile lands surrounding the Raadi River, but the Erudae kingdoms that ruled this area chased them further south still, into the Khezzân Desert. Legend has it that the elves erected The Dhazurâq Mountain range that stretches across Drôhznia, to keep the nomads from entering their territory.

### The Drôhznir-Shân

Life for the nomadic tribes of Khezzan was short and tough. The dessert is a cruel and hostile place. The sun burns so fiercely, that men's flesh will burn and blister in it's heat. Foul monsters such as giant scorpions burrow beneath the sands, ready to ambush and devour anyone they come across. The nomads were constantly on the move, travelling between the lonely oases that dot the landscape to keep their flocks, and themselves, alive. Because of these inhospitable conditions, the Khezzani grew into an incredibly hardy people, able to withstand much hardship.

As well as the hostile wildlife and environment, the tribes also fought amongst themselves. Raiding was a common occurrence, as tribes constantly competed over limited resources. It was during one of these raids that a particular tribe was all but wiped out. Only a young man survived, named Sâlikhín.

Sâlikhín was chosen by Anarâh to unite the warring tribes of Khezzan and bring the while world under his guiding light. Over a number of years, Sâlikhín gathered the tribes and formed them into a single people, The Drôhznir-Shânate, or united peoples.

### The Drôhznian Empire

After the Prophet Sâlikhín lead his people out of Khezzân, he started to conquer the lands of what is now known as Drôhznia. The first to fall were the Erudae Elves, who inhabited several ancient cities along the Raadi River. The first and largest of these cities was renamed to Sâlitherôs in honour of Sâlikhín, this would become the capital of his empire.

After he conquered the Erudae, he ventured west where he encountered the men of the Najharâni Delta. The people of the delta were peaceful and so offered no resistance to Sâlikhín's forces. When Sâlikhín met with the Najharâni leaders, they quickly agreed to follow him.

Sâlikhín then travelled north, where he encountered the Dwarves of Baalzadûn. The dwarves fought hard against Sâlikhín, but eventually, the submitted and joined the Empire. From there, the empire spread further north into the lands of what is now known as Quaïth, Tarôn-Kae, Araxia, Hysperia and Ithenia. Each nation that Sâlikhín encountered resisted fiercely, but each fell before his army. Each new region that was conquered was assigned a governor, as the Empire was too large to govern centrally.

At the height of its power, the Empire spanned across almost the entire continent. The only land left unconquered was The Teldari Vale. Sâlikhín mustered an army of a million men to attack the Vale. The battle was long a bloody, but the Drôhznians were defeated and Sâlikhín was slain. The death and destruction caused by the battle created the barren wasteland known as The Dead Lands.

### Decline of the Empire

After Sâlikhín's death, most of the empire's holdings started to break away.

#### Quaïth

Without the might of Sâlikhín's army, the regions of Quaïth were quickly retaken by the nomadic hordes that had fled to the north. The governors of these regions tried desperately to fend off these savage raiders by holding up in their forts and walled cities. The nomads pillaged and burned all that stood in their way. The tribesmen surrounded the forts and cut off all supply lines from the south. The garrisoned Drôhznians were eventually starved out and forced to surrender. The surviving Drôhznians were either slaughtered by the nomads or taken into slavery.

#### Tarôn-Kae

As soon as news of Sâlikhín's death reached Tarôn-Kae, the former nobles and lords conspired to overthrow the Drôhznian governors. The Tarôn-Kaenians waged a war of guile and subterfuge, with acts of sabotage and assassination. Once the Drôhznian rule was in utter chaos, a full revolt was launched and the Tarôn-Kaenians were able to secure independence from the Empire. The remaining followers of Anarâh were ejected from Tarôn-Kae. They marched south back to Drôhznia is what is known as the Anarâhi Diaspora.

#### Hysperia

After the fall of Sâlikhín, the governor of Hysperia, Hâzbír Khâlam Al-Tâlír succeeded from the Empire and declared himself ruler of Hysperia. He ruled the realm with an iron fist, stamping out insurrections with brutal force. Eventually, the city-states of Hysperia overthrew the Hâzbír and he was executed. The cities then formed an alliance with each other to ensure that they would never again fall to a foreign invader.

#### Ithenia

The Ithenians were the last to fall under the rule of Sâlikhín, so Drôhznia's hold on them was not as strong as the others. The Ithenians were able to push the Drôhznian forces out of their lands relatively easily.

#### Araxia

The Araxians were patient following the fall of Sâlikhín, they did not immediately plan to secure independence. It wasn't until all the other realms broke away from the Empire, and the Drôhznians consolidated, that Araxia sought to suceed. While all the other former vassals of the Empire secured their freedom with blood, the Araxians sought to do it with diplomacy. Cut off from the rest of the Empire, Araxia had become increasingly difficult to administer. They sent envoys to Sâlitherôs, to negotiate their independence. The Araxians offered safe haven within their borders for any citizen of the Drôhznian Empire in exchange for their freedom. Drôhznia agreed and Araxia was free once more.

### Consolidation

The period following Sâlikhín's death was one of chaos. As the vassals of the Empire started breaking away, the future of Drôhznia looked uncertain. Sâlikhín had many sons and no clear line of succession. Through the civil wars and rebellions, two leaders emerged. Bhalíta, Sâlikhín's lover, managed to unite the faithful of Anarâh and prevent the Empire from collapsing. Eventually, a successor to Sâlikhín was determined, a young man named Kharijhân. Bhalíta was named the first Anarâjha, the leader of the faith, and Kharijhân was named Sâlín, the leader of the people.

Through the combined strength of the Najharâni, Erudae, Dwarves and the Drôhznír-Shânate, the Empire was secured.