Escharian Expeditions

The expeditions were a series of expeditions funded by the governments of Escharia, and later the Sileri people of Sneedistan. These were initially brought out by the desire to obtain riches in the Mesa, but later were to hunt down enemies of the Escharian state and find relics of the Soleannen religion and Niedene people.

## The Colony of Fernheim and Mesa Mining

The first expeditions began when the Escharians were unable to produce building material fast enough to sustain their growing population and Empire, and so the Wirker family led an expedition to colonize the west. This led to the establishment of Fernheim and the mining of the mesa prior to the Tlahatl summit. Fernheim grew as a city where goods would be exported back to the Kingdom of Nieden and then to Escharia. Following the Tlahatl summit, Fernheim became a smuggling port as the Escharians continued to mine with impunity.

## Exploration of Vastallos

The first expedition started when Severie (SikkeOst) along with Valerien (King\_Zelorm) of Sneedistan took a ship to Neos Knossos from the Island of Fernheim to find the bandit Qayafa who had been nicknamed the Beetleman. The two men crossed a broken bridge into the jungle and began their search without much luck. They would eventually see parrots and attempt to campture them, but could not find the resources to do so. Soon after they arrived at New Dinkerdorf, which as they have not been there before, nicknamed the place "S(n)eed Makkah" (Seed+Sneed+Mecca) due to the abundance of seeds present at the location. The jungle was eventually nicknamed "Khangou" (Khan+Gou, the word for jungle in Escharian) after the friend of Severie, Khan. This name was eventually changed to Kagou to avoid confusion. Severie and Valerian built a great sign expressing their victory in conquering the jungle during their expedition, but it was later turned to simply say "Sneed" after fighting ensued over it with the natives.

They would later return and battled the natives as they sought to destroy anti-trillium influence in the region. This led to a siege of Carvay.

## Exploration of Talawa

The second expedition began when Severie, Valerian, and Debi went by ship to the lands of Fornost, where they confronted the defected Auroran order and branded them as traitors in the home countries of the expeditioners. Severie confronted Canine about the issue of the Aurorans sending a spy before departing on a sour note. The expeditioners went northeastwards towards Ardat, discovering a great stone structure unmatched by anything they had ever seen. The men dug through it while Debi departed back to Litoci; on the other side they reached a plain and obtained horses where they went northwards to a desert land they dubbed "Khemat" (From Escharian Kerr-Erat meanng Spireland, parody of Khemet, the coptic name for Egypt) where they stopped for a rest. After this Sieg and Zelorm reached a great mountain they nicknamed "Killamanjaru" (after Mount Kilimanjaro) which a stilted hut lay undisturbed by outsiders for many a day. The men rested and looted before going down into the region they named "Eziopea" after a podlike structure in the area and in reference to Cassiopea.

The expedition would come to reach a great land which they would go on to call Jedas, in this town the 2 men peacefully passed through. They ventured into the place, meeting a villager they dubbed "Yeshya of Nazaran." They would go on to the great trek northwards until they reached the great wall of Uldarash where Severie stopped to explain the lore of the place to Zelorm. The two men would continue north until they reached a sea, where they went on a ship to Fernheim. On Fernheim they showed disapproval towards the town of Vont and conducted a ritual to scare the people before heading to Fernheim City and calling the expedition to a close.

## Jedas and the Great Pillar of Solaris

The next expedition began as an assassination attempt against JaneTheBane, which was successful as Sikke and Zelorm killed her with assistance from Tzseu. The men would gather ViewedMarquis and Debi although they later got lost in Khamat. Sikke and Zelorm continued their destination back to the Soleannan Scholar Yeshya who needed assistance in fortifying his town and creating a worship site to Solaris. The men came back and spent many a day fortifying the town, improving infrastructure, and creating a **Kaaba** of Black Wool. The men would go on to worship and discuss theology with Yeshya, who was kind to the men who helped him build up his town. After this the men departed.

The Escharians later returned with many-a-onlooker to journey to the Kaaba to pray to Solaris. At this site the Kaaba was turned to crying obsidian then into a pillar. Solaris was showing himself to his disciples. However a Gentile began to climb the pillar, which was disrespectful to Solaris as it was not a man who believed in him. To punish this, the men took the Kaaba and the pillar was turned to bedrock to scar the lands and "remind the world of the transgression of the non-believers." Sikke and Zelorm would then leave to their homeland.

## Surveys of Yimmu-Audal

The Fifth Expedition was when Sikke and Zelorm traveled to the lands of Yimmu-Audal, then a part of the Escharian Empire. The men journeyed Northwest of Siroba where they founded Ibn-Kabulli (later changed to Il-Kabulli, Escharian name being Ise Sagaba, the Sand Bar Isle), which was a site dedicated to Militant Soleannen folk who seek to protect the Niedene and preserve knowledge. It was decided that the Kaaba would be moved there. The journey ended after the establishment of the Arkhai nomads in the fortress to act as keepers.

Over time, the region would be incorporated into the Empire and the control of surveys was brought to local dukes instead such as that of Theionikos.

## Expedition to Jagdas

The final expeditions of the Escharian Empire were to send ships in every direction to discover the world. Emperor Severie sent them towards every border, but was not alive to see them return as the Ascension had occured. The later Escharian Empire got notice as a fleet returned to Volressal, claiming to be returning from Jagdas. Admiral Kirvai claimed he had seen the west, and that it would seem that settlement would be possible (albeit difficult due to various monsters).