Azad

The **Council of Azad**, sometimes referred to as the **Horde of Azad**, is a decentralized state within the Empire of Elves. Described by scholars as "the last Elven land not made imperial," Azad is unique in the Elven world for not possessing many of the same societal structures that Masuran States acquired after their integration into the empire, such as mercantilism, centralised local government, and even mass grain agriculture. This is largely a result of material circumstance, as Azadians live in the heart of the most arid region in the entire archipelago; many of the societal and industrial developments of the surrounding region do not meet the needs of Azad.

## History

### Origins

The Desert of Azad is the only desert in the Elven world, and is such a dramatic departure from the surrounding climate that its name is believed to come from an old word for "barrier." Despite the Elves as a group originating in forested land close to the Azad, archaeological evidence suggests that Elves first populated the region from the far side, as artifacts from the northwestern limit of the desert predate those at its southern limit.

Azadian society likely originated in around 2000 PGF, and were also likely people from the neighboring Elven Steppe, a region comprising most of Amkeron and southern Ifar that is still somewhat dry but can be used for the production of grain and other crops. Ancient Azadians subsisted off of hunting and gathering, a practice not unusual for the region even after the adoption of agriculture. The people of Azad had full awareness of the existence of agriculture, but the dry conditions of the area prevented its use on large scale or for long periods of time. An old tablet found in the region, written from the perspective of a frustrated farmer, eloquently puts the situation as "I have been sold seeds in a land not meant to sow."

The early Azadians nonetheless maintained trade with the neighboring *Amkerks*, the dominant culture of the steppe and predecessors to Amkeron. Records of purchases suggest that Azadians filled the role of hunters of big and exotic game, with the Azad being home to species that do not live in the entire rest of the Elven Archipelago. Perhaps the most compelling evidence of this was that dragon bones were found in a structure with the historical intent of preserving food.

### Integration into Masura

Expansion into the Azad by the Empire of Elves first began around 8200 PGF, but this process appears to have stalled until the late 8300s as a result of internal conflict and more successful efforts in Ifar. The *Domain of Lower Azed* was established around 8390 PGF, and it only consisted of settlements along the thin farmable coast of Azad and the southern lands of what are referred to as the Olsofars, a group within the Amkerks that had close relations with Azad.

Modern Azad began a few hundred years after, following a local populist revolt that escalated into war between Azadians and Masura. The defeat of Masuran forces in the region resulted in a new social contract between Azad and Masura; the peace brought new borders that reflected Azadian homelands and removed them from rule by assimilated Amkerian lords. The peace also recognized the inherently migratory nature of the Classical Azadians, and was a treaty signed with the Azadians as a people rather than a government.

### Recent History

Despite its highly traditional culture and participation in several wars amongst its neighbors, Azad has been for the past several centuries rather welcoming of migrants.

The Wars of Northern Reconquest in Masura led to a high degree of stigma against Evolvi, and during this period of Masuran history many Evolvi that had lived at the northern point of Allasar migrated to the Elven Steppe, which had remained far less populated and detached from the conflicts of the empire. Azad saw fewer migrants in comparison to neighboring Amkeron and Ifar, but it was still one of the states that embraced Evolvi displaced by tensions.

Following the aftermath of the First Adravin Armada in the Orcish Islands, Azad gained prestige with the Malakmai by offering one of the most extensive support networks for inhabitants of the Orcish Islands attempting to escape the authoritarian, Adravin-aligned government. Accordingly, Azad became the province with the highest proportion of Orcish inhabitants following the independence of Malakmak, with the descendents of these migrants now representing almost a full third of the population of Azad.

## Society

### Demographics

Azad is the least populous state within Masura, consisting of around 1 million people in whole. A little over half of all Azadians are sedentary groups, with this population living within the thin band of farmland along the coastline and along the banks of the River Azad. The rest of the population is migratory, having no permanent homes and following good conditions and animal yields to live.

The population of Azad consists of around 65% Elvish ancestry, with Orcish representing around 30% of the remaining population and Evolvi around 5%. Other humanoids represent less than 1% of Azadians. Orcs are as a whole more represented within cities, but the difference in Orcish population in urban and nomadic groups is minor.