Alamut

**Religion**
 **Demonym**
 **Government**

**The Republic of Alamut** is a moderately sized sovereign nation in southern Ertdor near the Durand Mountains which divide Ertdor and Kilran. A young nation, the Republic of Alamut declared statehood in 4850 following the sacking of nearby Port Ramona that expelled Nova Aquilan forces from the region indefinitely. Led by the central General Political Committee, Alamut is the only Syncreticist nation in the world, relying upon total collectivization of resources, decentralized planning, and economic autarky from other nations. It is host to the largest population of adherents of the Old Ways in Aquila, and the pervasive influence of the religious cult of the Sin-eaters puts the country at constant odds with neighboring Kazimir and Nova Aquila. Its total population is roughly 1 million.

Comprising the majority of the historical region of Alamut, the Republic is host to a relatively diverse range of climates, with its capital Magheim situated in the dead center of the large Arawageeki Desert which composes roughly 60% of the nation’s landmass, featuring sprawling mesas, cacti forests, and distinctive hoodoo formations. Along the shores of the world’s largest lake in northern Alamut, the Kerberos, some moderate stretches of nutrient-rich jungle can be found, and located in the extreme south at the coast of the Strait of Corona is a large stretch of redwood forest.

Reliably arable land in sparse in the region, so much of Alamut relies upon mutton, llama meat, and fresh cave-grown mushrooms eaten raw or cooked into stew. Much of the Republic’s material wealth derives from redstone, dye, leather, and wool products; the region is also host to some of Aquila’s largest emerald mines, but much of these mines have recently been condemned and sealed off in an attempt to stifle any foreign control of the economy. There exists a formidable informal or gray economic sector centered in Magheim, with the city historically acting as a safe haven for bandits and mercenaries.

The region of Alamut has historically been a holy site for adherents of the Old Ways throughout Aquila, believed by many to be the ancient home of Hades the Unseen and his heretical cult. In the 4200s, the sparsely populated region was annexed by the Kazimir Empire whose Sultans harbored designs to unite the entire continent under the purple sun. Heretical activities continued to fester in Alamut, culminating with Kastor’s Uprising at the onset of the Kilran War which put Herobrine-aligned occultists in political control of Magheim. Though Herobrine’s dark army was defeated and Kastor was forced into exile, Magheim remained the center of the sect of the Old Ways informally called “Western occultism,” which revered the legendary figures of Moros, Hades, and Herobrine as the gods of so-called Dark Triumvirate at odds with the Astrorecidivist and Transformationist faiths. The fanatical cult of ex-Herobrinist assassins known as the Sin-eaters established control over the region, managing a larger criminal syndicate operating out of the ancient city of Magheim.

After centuries of relative dormancy, the Sin-eaters were finally roused to action in 4850, coordinating with allied heretical forces to attack neighboring Nova Aquila and cement the Magheim syndicate as the uncontested power of southern Ertdor. By then, the region of Alamut had become a safe haven for Aquilan and Kazimiri refugees seeking to escape the renewed persecution of the Old Ways, and Magheim was poised to enter the world stage as a minor but fortified power. The master of the Sin-eaters, Therion, declared the Republic of Alamut, calling for elections to establish a formal government independent of his assassins who had held undisputed political authority in the region for decades. Though he and his order were de-jure unaffiliated with the newly established Generalitat, Therion continued to hold significant political sway, especially after he pledged fealty to the global Children of Hades movement in 4851 in response to the Final Crusade against the Old Ways - establishing the Republic as a hostile power to both Aquila and Kazimir.

*The Republic of Alamut, depicted in black.*