Akhlo'Rohma

### **Geography**

Akhlo'Rohma is the most magical region, covered in over-sized flowers instead of forests of trees. Many rivers flow through the region, most importantly the river originating in the Veruhkt Plateau, known as the Resting River, separating the north and center of Akhlo'Rohma, in the north, the flowers are fewer, and mostly white, in the center red, pink, and yellow flowers are abundant, while in the south, around the river and mountain range where Dusps lies, there are mostly red, blue, and purple flowers.

Regions that border Akhlo'Rohma include:

* Veruhkt Plateau

* Purity Peaks

* Gulf of Drehmal

#### **Notable Locations**

* The Great City of Dusps
* The Crypts of Akhlo'Rohma
* Lost Caverns
* Divine Ruins
* The ruins of Ancehl

### **In the Lore**

*Akhlo’Rohma is one of the most exotic and visually appealing lands in all of Drehmal. Thanks to the presence of a massive arcane lake beneath it, this region is famous for its ginormous flowers that cover the landscape. This land’s beauty, however, is sharply contrasted by the Kingdom of Dusps and what lies beneath the multi-colored hills. In the Second Avihm, the Avsohmic Empire constructed a vast crypt beneath the hills to store the corpses of Drehmal’s most vile and notorious people. The crypts use the arcane lake’s magic as a ward to prevent necromancy in the region, assuring that the evil dead remain dead. Through the Third Avihm, the Kingdom of Dusps became notorious for its hostile and aggressive nature towards its own people and its neighbors. They are incredibly prideful of their own culture and land, going as far as to attempt to assimilate other peoples such as the Terhmi to the south. This hostile nature came to a halt, however, in Av3 558. Ultva Utofal performed a coup, and overhauled the Duspian government to free it of corruption and oppressive tendencies. Ultva would soon go on to found the Order of Insohm with Hovadchear Myrik. During the time of Insohm, an arcane academy called the Golden Order was established here, and Akhlo’Rohma remains the magical capital of the world to this day.*

#### **Religion**

The primary religion of Akhlo’Rohma appears to be Virtuo Worship, mostly by Akhlo’Rohman natives. This is followed by worship of the Aspect of Death, Voynahlah, taken part in primarily by the descendants of Casian immigrants from the early Third Avihm.

#### **History**

##### Rise of Ancehl

Prior to the Dominion of Ancehl’s rise in the region, Akhlo’Rohma was populated by various tribes and small kingdoms. These would mostly be assimilated into Ancehl or dissipate as a result of their rise. The Ancehlian people did not actually originate in Akhlo’Rohma. They were separatists from the Chosen Kingdom in Dreh’Noha, which started a new life in a new region. They quickly rose to power, and ended up dominating the region. During this period of dominance, they conducted trade with far away Empires such as Casai.

##### Avsohm’s Conquest

Starting at some point after Av2 1546, the Avsohmic Empire began making moves on Ancehlian territory. Over time, the entire region of Akhlo’Rohma was conquered. Avsohm’s records would state that Ancehl was peacefully taken over, and that local leaders freely agreed to join, however that is likely not the case.

##### Under Avsohm

Under Avsohm, Akhlo’Rohma continued to prosper. Avsohmic people would likely behave with a slight prejudice against the Akhlo’Rohman people, since the region is populated with the descendants of old separatists. The Frostfang Catastrophe of Av2 1646 had little to no effect on Akhlo’Rohma. The northern mountains (known as the Mountains of the Forlorn) shielded Akhlo’Rohma from the massive blizzard which otherwise devastated other regions. In addition, Akhlo’Rohma’s magical properties (given to it by a massive arcane lake beneath the region) also protected it against environmental ruin.

At some point between Av2 1695 and Av2 1761, after the reign of terror of a murderer known as “The Lake Man,” Emperor Zorhis Ifeihl ordered the construction of a vast underground labyrinth. It would be a network of tombs and cells where the Avsohmic Empire would store and bury its most notorious criminals. The land of Akhlo’Rohma was chosen by Emperor Ifeihl due to its magical properties, which would prevent necromancy in the region and make sure the evil dead stay dead. It is likely that in the later days of the Avsohmic Empire, during the region’s continuing prosperity, the city of Dusps was founded (however, not necessarily as the great city seen today.)

The prosperity of the land would not last forever however. With the end of Avsohm’s reign in Av2 1820 a great turmoil would begin in the region that would overhaul rulership in Akhlo’Rohma.

##### Immigration Crisis

After the fall of Avsohm, the Dominion of Ancehl rose again, but this time under a new name. A new ruler/dynasty came to power, and the nation was renamed to the Grand Dominion of Dohval (however it was still commonly known by its old name which its capital still held, Ancehl). With the fall of Avsohm in Av2 1820, the West underwent a massive migration crisis. Between Av3 1 and Av3 21 millions of people moved out of western regions (mostly Casai, which was completely abandoned) and scattered all over the East. The vast majority of these people ended up settling in the region of Akhlo’Rohma.

The government and people of Dohval were not particularly welcoming to the immigrants, and xenophobia ran rampant. Most of the citizens and government of Dohval saw the Casains as cursed people, who would bring the Frostfang Catastrophe to them. For decades Casians lived under constant hatred and fighting in Dohval, until they (and likely a number of more inclusive Ancehlians) rose up in the Dohval civil war, which most likely took place in the late first century of the Third Avihm.

##### The Dohval Civil War

The civil war pitted the Casian Immigrants and a number of supportive Ancehlians against the oppressive citizens of Ancehl and the Dohval government. The civil war likely began with protests which morphed into clashes and/or riots. This descended into a full out battle for regional control. The Casians ended up successful, and a new government was formed by a number of the supportive Ancehlians, the Kingdom of Dusps.

##### The Early Kingdom of Dusps

Although brought to power by a civil war meant to bring peace and fairness, the Kingdom of Dusps ended up as oppressive as Ancehl before them, with an amount of aggression to neighboring regions piled on top of that. It was a disappointing turnout for a fight for justice, in which the soon to be leaders appeared to fight on their side.

Dusps made many attempts to assimilate their neighbors, especially the Tehrmi of the Purity Peaks and the Verukhtans in the Verukht Plateau. In Av2 200 Dusps took it a step further, and after a failed attempt to get them to join diplomatically, Dusps invaded the Verukht Plateau. They committed atrocities in the region, likely ruining the city of Sal’Verukht, and annexed the region. This aggression would continue until intervention by a displeased citizen of Dusps a few centuries later.

##### Ultva’s Coup

In Av2 558, Ultva Utofahl performed a coup against the Duspian government in order to rid it of corruption, oppression, and aggression against their neighbors. The coup was successful, and the Duspian government was overhauled. He would go on to found the Order of Insohm along with Hovadchear Myrik two years later in Av3 560.

##### Under Insohm

Dusps was likely one of the first Kingdoms to join the Order of Insohm. This is due to the fact of Ultva Utofahl’s position as one of its founders. Ultva probably had a lot of influence in the Duspian government after his Coup in Av2 558. In the post-trade wars Insohmic Civil war, Dusps took part as a part of the seperatists. They fought alongside Highfall and the remanents of old Faehrcylian tribes. In Av3 611, after the successful siege of Highfall of Av3 610, loyalists pushed deep into Duspian territory, capturing the city of Sahvoltha. This marked the end of the Insohmic civil war, with Dusps and the rest of the separatists subsequently surrendering.

##### Age of Magic

After this period of turmoil, Dusps and Akhlo’Rohma had a chance to prosper as a center of science and magic. This marked the beginning of the Age of Magic, which was particularly widespread in this region. At this time, an Arcane Academy was founded in Akhlo’Rohma, the Golden Order. A huge variety of things were researched and discovered during this age, including that the Torahn (sun) is a living being, which was discovered by a controversial Casain scientist, Ranai Vuhnos.

During this period, a number of expeditions were organized into the Crypts of Akhlo’Rohma, either by the Order of Insohm or third parties. These expeditions to uncover lost knowledge caused the eventual near-total collapse of the crypts. Times have changed and the prosperity of the time has faded, however Akhlo’Rohma remains the magical capital of the realm.

##### Present Day

After the fall of Insohm in Av3 847, Dusps lost much of its wealth and status. This came with the overall depreciation of the realm itself. The Kingdom of Dusps became riddled with poverty, a fact which is sharply contrasted by the capital city of Dusps, where it appears many wealthy people continue to reside. It remains one of the most magnificent cities in the realm, and the kingdom remains as an influential force in the area. It appears that most Casian-Akhlo’Rohman tensions have died down, and many live in harmony in the capital. However, Dusps continues to try and force its will upon neighboring regions, such as the Purity Peaks, and the Verukht Plateau, a region they continue to occupy.