Ashuranûshĭr

The town of Ashuranûshĭr (Officially known as the idûrshĭrĭd alu Ashuranûshĭr) is an Oligarchy ruled by the Foremen of Idûrshĭrĭd, with the head of state being the wise Erĭsaĝ. The town is a vassal of Urudik (formerly a vassal of Enkidu) and is commonly known as the "Peasantry Haven"

## **Geography**

The town of Ashuranûshĭr is located in the Northern desert of the Erĭgarash. It lies on a riverbank at the fork of the Son river, where it splits into the Lashĭr and Dishĭr rivers. The Trade City of Urudik sits across the Son river, and plays an essential part in supplying the Ashurani with provisions. While the location is not ideal due to lack of natural resources, (which causes a reliance on Urudik trade) the soil on the riverbank is fertile and easy to access. Due to the vast sand dunes out to the north of Ashuran, heavy sand storms are often experienced in the winter. The low-lying town is also prone to flooding/overflowing, which happens every so often as a result of the lack of vegetation up north on the Son river.

## **History**

### **Humble Beginnings**

Dûrenkidû-ur, the founder of Ashuranûshĭr, Orginally started as a farmer in the slums of Shulgiranû with dreams of a better life for him and his family. He eventually raised enough money to buy a small plot of ranching/farming land on behalf of King Enkidu in the distant realm of Shulgiranû. Dûrenkidû-ur, now offically recongized as a foreman, eventually moved his entire bloodline to this small plot of land, and named it "Water place" or Ashuranûshĭr, due to its proximity to the Dishĭr River. The family of Idûrshĭrĭd lived humbly on the small ranch for 5 or 6 years and spent time grazing and farming, paying a small tax tribute to King Enkidu. However, Problems would soon arise.

### **Highest of Highs**

   As the situation in Shulgiranû worsened for the bottom barrel of society, more peasants turned to Ashuran for Refuge. The population grew substantially along with the infrastructure and the ranch became a full blown hamlet. Governing bodies were created, laws were drawn up, and builds were reformed. The town became a haven and a chance for peasants to live a better life and live among the nobles, but soon it would all be reversed at the King's will.

### **Challenges Arise**

King Enkidu, worried that Ashuranushir's success could negatively impact his domain, put in place a 300% tax rate increase, with the goal of starving out the peasants growth. The royalty of Shulgiranû heavily encouraged harassing Ashurani's and treating them like slaves. Supply and trade was limited, and tax rates were exponentially high. The town of Ashuran was forced to halt its growth and focus on surviving.

### **Confrontation**

On a so called "Diplomatic Meeting" King Enkidu visited the town of Ashuran with a heavily guarded detail to speak with the Foremen. He openly mocked the citizens, calling them filthy peasants and other insults. Upon meeting with Dûrenkidû-ur and his brother, ukgamad-ur, the insults continued. King Enkidu joked around the elephant in the room, the tax rates. At ukgamd-ur's request King Enkidu lowered them- but only by only 5%. ukgamd-ur snapped at the bare joke of a change, and punched the king. He was then swiftly met by execution. His body was strapped up in the town center, as an example to the Ashurani that they are merely nothing at the hands of Shulgiranû

### **Resentment**

The people of Ashuranushir were furious. A large Anti-Enkidu movement rose in the town and at ukgamd-ur's funeral, Dûrenkidû-ur vowed to "avenge his brother" and "stop the crimes at once." The people of Ashuran did not realize it would be so soon though. Kisuran, who was having similar problems as Ashuranushir, funded the peasants and helped smuggle them weapons for a revolt against Shulgiranû. 16 days after the execution, a small militia force led by Dûrenkidû-ur snuck into the slaver city with the help of Corrupt royal guardsmen, and kidnapped King Enkidu. The Ashurani Milita force then rode him out to a secluded spot in the harsh desert. There are no accounts of what happened next, but Dûrenkidû-ur returned to Shulgiranû with the Kings head on a pike.

### **Aftermath**

Following the execution of King Enkidu, Regent Kalazir was appointed king as Enkidu's son, Eriamar- was still too young to inherit the throne. The first thing Regent Kalazir did while in command was declare a state of militarization on Ashuranushir to supress their now rapidly evolving independence movement, which was practically a revolution. The Ashurani however, would not go down without a fight- the prospect of freedom now being closer than ever before. The Kisuran folk continued to smuggle weapons for the Ashurani to fight with. The peasants already not doing too well had spent every last dime and bars of tin on weapons that were still quite inferior to what they were facing against. The Ashurani militia were just mere peasants with no military training, barely any equipment, that were vastly outnumbered- but they had a burning fire in their hearts that could not have been put out easily.

### **Kadem alu baldārab (War of Peasants)**

The royal guard marched towards the town of Ashuran, and were suprisingly met by a militia of determined peasants upholding lines to defend the town. The royal guard gave the militia one chance to put there weapons down and surrender, to which foreman Dûrenkidû-ur replied with "suck my cock and balls you royal troglodytes." The two armies began to clash in the Erigirash deserts. The Ashuran Militia held up fairly well- until the Catapults came in. The lines were broken by the might of Shulgiranû's artillery and the militia quickly dispersed and retreated into Ashuranushir. The Royal Guard took it as a sign of surrender, and put there guard down in an attempt to negotiate. However, during night fall, Dûrenkidû-ur successfully lead an ambush aganist the royal guard and there equipment. He and his men lit catapults on fire, robbed weapon stashes, and killed a good amount of Unsuspecting Guardsmen. This act was met with extreme retaliation by the royal guard the following morning. Livestock was killed, woman raped, and children beaten. The siege of Ashuranushir commenced, and the peasants were starved into submission- Dûrenkidû-ur decided to surrender for the safety of his people 22 days into the siege after staggering loses to the Shulgiranû army. Following the surrender, war reparations of unrealistic highs were demanded from the now militarized vassal state. Dûrenkidû-ur was kept alive under only a few conditions- the Ashurani knew dark times were ahead.

### **Lowest of Lows**

The town of Ashuranushir was profoundly effected by the War of Peasants. The town had already begun to crumble under its own weight during the war, but now with the increased tax rates and war reparations in effect- it would not get any better. During this period after the war the town was in its worse state known to this date. Buildings crumbled on top of citizens because they were unable to get the maintenance they needed, Farms dried up as most working age males had been killed in the war, and forge shelves laid empty as the stock had all been sent as reparations. The people of Ashuran had to sell jewelry, broches, and personal material possessions to try and free themselves of debt. The Ashurani needed a savior, and they were about to get one.

### **Savior**

Once Enkidu's son, Eriamar- was old enough to inherit the throne of Shulgiranû, he stormed the regents holding and secured the crown rightfully as his. The Young King of the Slaver city, which was renamed to Enkidu in memorial of his father, had a close relative in Urudik that had also recently inherited the throne. He went by the name of Adrahasis. Adrahasis had a dream of reuniting the Erĭgarash under his rule, and had his Nephew Eriamars full support. Eriamar took a position under Adrahasis as a willing vassal, making Ashuranushir, a subvassal, of Urudik. Adrahasis, now referred to as the "King of Kings" swept through the Erĭgarash with ease and united all of the Eriaz peoples under his name. The Second United Erĭgarash was born, and with it- were new opportunities.

### **New Opportunities**

Urudik being just across the river naturally had developed a close relation with Ashuranushir. Urudik being a renounded trade city supplied Ashuranushir and was the main pushing force for the cities growth, but during King Enkidu's term a 45% tarriff was put on all Ashurani Imports, effectivly making trade between the two obselete. Even worse, during the plot to assasinate King Enkidu, an Ashurani Ship had been caught smuggling weapons through Urudik portage and Inazu, the then king of Urudik, decided to put an embargo on Ashuranushir. The embargo was later released but was reinstated when The War of Peasants began as requested by Regent Kalazir. The embargo stayed untill Adrahasis united all of the Erigi cities under his dynasty, but Enkidu still lawfully owning Ashuranushir did not lift the tariffs. However, now that Ashuranushir was a subvassal of Urudik, Adrahasis had the final say over King Eriamar. So when Dûrenkidû-ur, now old and in bad health, came bearing gifts begging for liberation from the city of Enkidu, Adrahasis decided to take Ashuranushir under his wing. A treaty was signed later in the afternoon Transferring Ashuranushir From Enkidu to Urudik for a suppossed infinite amount of time. With it, all of the struggles imposed upon the Ashurani from the Slaver City had ended- Taxes abolished, Tariffs lifted, Relations soothened. Ashuranushir now once more had a chance to flourish, under a new regime.

### **Death of the Beloved**

Dûrenkidû-ur, now 52- had developed small pox over the past decade and was no longer in shape to manage the City. He passed on the role to his son, Erĭsaĝ, who was 17. A few months into Erĭsaĝ's term, his father would die peacefully. In his last few months he was happier than ever, as he had achieved his ultimate goal of liberating Ashuran- for the time being.

### **A New Term**

The Young Erĭsaĝ, which the Ashurani called "Savior of Peasants" Constructed a program to increase the size of Ashuranushir's economy. During his first years he reformed laws, set up governing houses, and heavily invested in the directment of Goods. He was able to pick Ashuranushir out of the Dirt with little time, and the new material shipments from Urudik that showed up in vast amounts had allowed Ashuranushir to once again expand at unforeseen levels. After 5 years under Erĭsaĝ, The town had