Cisalia

**Cisalia** (Cisalian: *Shzelisi*), officially the **Kingdom of Cisalia** is a kingdom and historical region in east-central Ivlon. Cisalia is one of the oldest oldest regional identities in Ivlon, and has a rich history that spans from ancient times all the way to the modern day. Cisalia's neighbors are Iremia to the south, Katemia and Myria to the west, Birgolon to the north, and the ocean to the east.

The formation of the first Cisalian state began in about 1200 NSY, when Hermanus united the Cisal tribe into the Cisalian Empire. After the fall of the empire, Cisalia lay dormant as a collection of city-states until it was attacked by the First Ahremian Empire in about 250 SY, yet mostly avoided being conquered. Cisalia would only unite a few brief times until it was conquered again by the Empire of Exelon in the 900s, and Cisalia's largest city of Aure was made the capital of the empire. Cisalia became independent again at the beginning of the 12th century SY. The kingdom would stay united until 1488 SY, when the western portion of the country would declare independence.

Cisalia is a well known world power with one of the strongest economies in Ivlon, using both the *Riyal* and *Demene* as its currency. Many goods traveling long distance make a stop at one of Cisalia's ports, and the urban centers of the country benefit from the cosmopolitan nature of its inhabitants and the many luxury goods and services that are sold and offered within the cities. Meanwhile, the countryside is home to fertile plains irrigated by the many tributaries and creeks which run through the Cisalian hinterland.

## Etymology

The term Cisalia is a generalization of three different names used for the land we call Cisalia. The first is *Cisalisi*, or a derivative or it, used in many languages including Ahremia. This name means simply "land of the Cisals", Cisals being an ancient tribe who once inhabited Cisalia. The second term commonly used is *Sindirios*, used commonly among languages in the Zedian language family. The name means "land of unknown" in High Zedian.

The third and least common name, yet also the native name, is *Shzelisi*, of unknown origin.

## Geography and Climate

The understanding of Cisalia's ethnic and political geography has changed over the years, yet some things still have remained relatively constant over the hundreds of years the Cisalian identity has existed.

### Natural Geography

Cisalia is divided into two distinct geographical regions - East Cisalia and West Cisalia (the latter sometimes called Greater Djaeny). East Cisalia includes the coast, which in Cisalia is incredibly marshy and unstable. Much of this region is at or below sea level, and prone to serious flooding, making almost all the coast of Cisalia nearly uninhabitable for miles inland; and the few habitable coastal areas become packed with human inhabitants.

Although of little use to humans, these coastal lagoons and banks are home to a variety of birds, small mammals, and even wild dogs. Occasionally alligators also make their homes in the swamps, making issue with any nearby residents - human or not. Very few trees grow near the coast, instead mostly reeds and bushes grow in coastal Cisalia. Although most of the coast is like this, the far northern section of the coast is more forgiving, as well as some specific areas along the southern half of the coast.

The rest of Eastern Cisalia is home to dense deciduous forests and lush plains made fertile by the many rivers that are generated from the swamps, springs, or rainfall. As the majority of the smaller rivers began to decapitate as they run further west, we reach the considerably drier Western Cisalia. Western Cisalia