Alhambra

Location:
An isolated peninsula on the southeast shores of Asargo

Capitol:
Most of Alhambra consists of large ranchos, or haciendas, owned mostly by the aristocracy (Dons), descended from Dominian settlers. The major port, Porta Ille Hambrevus, hosts an annual Conference de los Dones. This conference is where trade, land, and civil issues are resolved.

Neighbors:
Southwest are the islands of Dominia and Gherin Culloch.

Terrain:
Alhambra is isolated from the rest of Asargo, to the northwest, by a range of nearly impassible mountains. Below the mountains are forested foothills. The rest of the land is rolling plains and grasslands, covered with ranchos that run down to the sea.

Government:
The Conference de los Dones is the closest Alhambra has to a government. The cities have their mayors (alcaldes) and city guards (guardia) patrol where necessary. Villages are closely tied to the nearby haciendas. The village alcaldes are appointed by the Don or Dons and take their directions from them.

Military:
Alhambra has no standing army or navy. There are a few old Dominian forts along the edge of the foothills. Here the local Dons may post lookouts, Vigilancia, to watch for the rare Orc raiding parties that come down from the mountains. The last army was raised 500 years ago when the Dragon Negro sent orcs, and worse, down out of the mountains. It was disbanded, 100 years later, when the dragon was sealed below the mountains

Friends:
Alhambra has very strong ties with Dominia.

Foes:
There are no foe-nations, just the rare orc raiders.

Trade:
Alhambra was built on trade with Dominia. This has recently expanded to include Gherin Culloch.

Imports:
All trade happens through the Dons. Most of the imports involve the “finer things of life”, fabrics, furs, gems, jewelry, etc.

Exports:
The major export is a fortified wine, Porta Ille Hambrevus (“Portalhambrus”). It is a favorite in Dominia and is catching on in Gherin Culloch. Farm implements, leather goods, lumber and finished wood products are also exported.

Currency:
Copper (centavo), silver (pesito) and gold (peso) coins, primarily the local version of Dominian equivalents, are used.

Wealth:
The Dons live a life of luxury. The peon’s lifestyle, to some extent, depends on the weather though, in hard times, most Dons care for their peons. In the cities hard times hit the peons worse.

Stereotypes:
The Dons and Donyas are descended from the original Dominian settlers. The peons are the original Ille Hambrevus stock (for comparison think of early California - Zorro). That leaves room for aristocrats, peons, priests (Magus Rex – see Dominia entry), shaman, ranch hands (fighters) and city dwellers (merchants, thieves, etc) as character types.

Clothing:
This is typical of medieval Europe with Spanish/Mexican flair.

Religion:
In Alhambra life is peaceful and comfortable for nearly all the people. The priesthood of Magnus Rex is a lucrative profession. There are few real priests among the peons and those that are practice shamanistic (elemental) magik. The worship of Magus Rex and the gods of Nature is mostly name only and religion is nothing more that the pomp and circumstance of seasonal festivals

Festivals (Fiestas)

La Fiesta de Invierno:
This is held on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, and celebrates the end of winter and the resurgence of Sol the Lightbringer. Many candles burn in homes throughout Alhambra. Bonfires light the night on hilltops. In the haciendas of the Dons magik glowing globes hang over every door and in every archway. The Dons set feasts for their peons. The Don and his family serve at the tables. In the cities and villages the Acalde and his Officiales serve in the same manner.

Ascension:
This is a new festival of Dominian tradition. It is held on the first day of the new year. It celebrates the ascension of Kelthanos and the birth of the Avatar. The Dons receive petitions from their peons during the day. Come nightfall the wealthier Dons hold costumed balls where the guests wear Dominian garb, dine on Dominian fare and consume large quantities of Porta Ille Hambrevus.

La Dia de Herba:
This is the celebration of the end of planting and the day varies from hacienda to hacienda. Kegs of winter cervesa are opened and sides of beef turn on the spit. The Donya del Casa hands out gifts, generally bolts of cloth and spools of thread, to the peon families. This is the favored time for marriages.

La Fiesta de Sol:
This is held on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. It celebrates the Lightbringer’s rise to his full strength. Contests of strength and skill are held. The celebration is added by kegs of Cervesa Nuevo and roast beef and pork. Shade is raised for the traditional noon time Siesta.

La Dia de Focusa:
This is the celebration of the end of harvest. Fiestas are held throughout Alhambra and the countryside is dotted with Mercados Ferias (market fairs).

Fiestas de La Donya

Concepcion:
This festival was to celebrate the conception of the Lady of the Sun. It was held on the first day of the year. It is only head in a few peon homes now and then in secret and it conflicts with Ascension.

Compleanyos:
This festival was held in Septembro to honor the birth of the Lady of the Sun. It is only held in a few peon homes now.

History

2000 Years Ago
Insula Domus (Dominia)
The people of Dominia survive the Post Cataclysm period in far better shape than did those on the Mainland. This was due in part to their island isolation, to the lack of a monster population - just the orc clans in the north, and to the fact that they still had contact with Kelthanos and his Aadkar.

An isolated peninsula on the southeast shores of Asargo
Small tribes of hunter-gathers, worshiping the gods of Nature, wander the plains and forests

1500 Years Ago
Insula Domus (Dominia)
Kelthanos is losing contact with his fellow Arbiters on the mainland. Most of his input is from the humans on Insula Domus. Generations have passed. Arbiters tend to acquire the aspects of their surroundings. In Dominia, Kelthanos begins to take on certain human attributes. He fells the compulsion to make things better, to bring some sort of order to the turbulence.

An isolated peninsula on the southeast shores of Asargo
The hunter gathers now live in rural farming settlements close to the coast. Incursions inland are met with attacks by orcs and other monsters. The shamen have become priests and written records are being kept in the larger villages.

1300 Years Ago
Dominia
Kelthanos, unable to directly involve himself in the affairs of those around him, has begun to slant his judgments, or withhold them entirely, in an effort to create two strong city states on the island. One is near his mountain top arena and the other is to the south. These strongholds will provide the stability he desires. He uses information gathered by his Aadkar to select two charismatic leaders and set things in motion to guarantee their respective successes.

An isolated peninsula on the southeast shores of AsargoNeighboring villages are forming into communities for mutual protection from the inland monsters and from the over ambitious attention of other communities. The shamanistic priesthood is now organized and has laid the ground work for law and a social hierarchy.

1100 Years Ago
Dominia
Kelthanos spent the preceding generations dealing mostly with the local leaders. Time for an Arbiter moves at a different pace than the ephemeral humans and he is unaware of the events evolving in the south, and of the growing strength of the Celtic tribes in to north, until war rages in the city below his mountain and, in the south, the city states of the Dekkesors are in constant warfare. He sends his Aadkar out to assess the situation. They go with his unconscious prejudices and enter the fray.

An isolated peninsula on the southeast shores of Asargo
A Dominian merchant discover the isolated peninsula on the southeast shores of Asargo and introduces trade through contacts with a coastal community lead by a man he calls Ille Hambrevus, after the shallow water bucket the man uses to drink his wine.

1000 Years Ago
Dominia
The Celts are driven back over the mountains and the armies of the south are utterly destroyed. The realization that he may have been responsible causes Kelthanos to withdraw and attempt something that the Arbiters were never designed to do. He judges himself. An Arbiter can not judge an Arbiter. However, a god can. And, if that god is also a king the mistakes of Kelthanos can be corrected. Magnus Rex, The Undying King, adjudicates the crimes of Kelthanos and finds the Arbiter guilt of all charges. Kelthanos is summarily dispelled. Porta Ille Hambrevus, an imported and fortified wine, becomes popular in Capitol.

An isolated peninsula on the southeast shores of Asargo
The Dominias establish a trade port they name Porta Ille Hambrevus. Dominian wine merchants buy land and start growing grapes while others make barrels or trade in wool. These land holdings become known as Haciendas.

800 Years Ago
Dominia
Peace and prosperity reigns in central Insula Domus. Dominian legios keep the barbaric descendants of the Dekkesors at bay and campaign against the Orc and Celtic tribes beyond the northern peaks. The Senate sends Legio Quaituor to Ille Hambrevus to help push the monsters back across the mountains. Priests of the Undying King accompany the Legio to wean the Ille Hambreum away from their pagan beliefs.

Ille Hambrevus
Society has been resolved into two castes, the aristocracy and the peons. The aristocratic Dons and Donyas are descended from the Dominian land owners. The peons, or commoners, are from the native stock of Ille Hambrevus. The aristocracy follows the tenets of Magnus Rex, The Undying King while the peons still practice the religions of their gods of Nature.

700 Years Ago
El Hambras
The monsters have been driven out of the lairs and across the mountains. The Legio has returned to Dominia. The haciendas have grown in number as Dominian soldiers take their retirement and receive their “10 acres and a mule”. Life is peaceful and comfortable for all. The worship of Magus Rex and the gods of Nature is mostly name only.

500 Years Ago
Elhambra
Terror returns from over the mountains. Tribes of orcs and worse, swarm the land. They are driven by El Dragon Negro, a giant black wyrm, who breathes poison gas. The Dons muster troops from their order but the numbers and lack of skill fail in the face of the Enemy. The young Don Fernando is visited by an avatar of the sun goddess, commonly called La Donya del Sol, the Lady of the Sun. Fernando is transformed into a holy warrior. Much to the shock and dismay of his fellow Dons, he raises and trains an army of peons and takes the field against the Enemy.

400 Years Ago
Elhambra
The grandson of Don Fernando watches as mages and priests ward The Wyrm in a cave deep beneath the mountains.

100 Years Ago
Elhambra
Elhambra is a peaceful land, self efficient and isolated except for the ongoing trade with Dominia. Haciendas cover the land. The stories of the Wyrm are considered myth by all but a few. Religion is nothing more that the pomp and circumstance of seasonal festivals.

Febrero - 498
Alhambra
A wine besotted peon, called Despacho by all, claims to have seen La Donya del Sol in a vision. He says she wants him to go to Xaria and teach them the ways of Honor and Chivalry. When his Master, Don Fernando, can not sway him from this, the Don gives Despacho an ancient sword and shield and sets him on his way. Unknown to either is the sword and shield are those once born by La Donya’s first Paladin, Don Fernando.

Julio - 502
In the mountains above Alhambra, cruel red eyes open in the dark and black lungs bellow poison gas.

Augusto – 502
In Palrim Despacho, near death at the hands of Drow sorcerers, is visited by La Donya.