Akanûl

*This article is about the genasi realm. For the Chessentan farmland, see Akanal.*

## Geography

### Region

Interior Faerûn, **Formerly:** Shyr, Abeir

## Politics

### Four Stewards

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**Akanûl** was a land that once belonged to the world of Abeir as part of the realm of Shyr, but was transposed onto the plane of Toril during the ravages of the Spellplague. The land carried with it a large population of Abeiran genasi who, as of 1479 DR, controlled the region that used to be Chondath and western Chessenta.

## Geography

Akanûl resembled Abeir much more than Toril. The vast majority of land was a hodgepodge of spectacular spires and erratic ravines. It boasted the largest number of earthmotes and watermotes in all of Faerûn. The southern edge of the region was bordered by a large finger of the Underchasm. One of the land's more unusual features was an enormous piece of translucent quartz known as the Glass Mesa, which citizens were forbidden to approach.

### Climate

Akanûl was primarily temperate, but, owing to the large amount of wild elemental energy lingering from the separation from Abeir, wind patterns were erratic, as was weather. The climate in Akanûl was largely humid, because of the constant drift of mist and rain from the watermotes that floated over the countryside.

### Regions

* Akanapeaks: These mountains lay to the north of Akanûl, along the coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars. They were believed to be the home of a powerful gray dragon, whose name was unknown.
* Chondalwood: One of the few original features of Toril remaining in Akanûl, the Chondalwood was not officially claimed by the Akanûl government, though it frequently sent foresters into the haunted forest. Once the home of the ghostwise halflings, the Chondalwood was sharply changed by the Spellplague into a landscape of floating junglemotes and cavernous ravines overrun by plaguechanged vegetation.
* Mere-That-Was: Formerly a lake known as the Akanamere, the Spellplague dried up most of the water and only a small remnant of the lake remained. Parts of the region were lush grasslands but the southern region contained a wasteland that was lashed by strange elemental storms. Strange rock and crystal formations were found throughout the region. The Mere-That-Was was almost completely uninhabited by humans or genasi.
* Spur Forest: This small forest nestled next to the Akanapeaks contained strange, plaguechanged vegetation. It was the home of the Kaia, a huge, nocturnal wormlike beast.

### Cities & Towns

* Airspur, capital of Akanûl. Airspur was built upon the ruins of a previous city of the same name, Airspur.
* Brassune: Though Airspur was Akanûl's most prominent city, Brassune was its oldest and it was the first settlement established in Akanûl by the genasi. The city proper was, by 1479 DR, abandoned although the Firestorm Cabal, a renegade nationalist group that believed the government incompetent or negligent, maintained a large stronghold on a forestmote overlooking the ruins of the old city. There, the Firestorm Cabal stood vigilant against the threat posed by the Abolethic Sovereignty.
* Deepspur
* New Breen
* Tohrepur: This ruined city sat on the shore of the Akanamere before it dried up during the Spellplague. The city was destroyed by the Abolethic Sovereignty in 1473 DR.

## Society

Akanûl was mostly composed of the descendants of the genasi refugees of the land of Shyr in Abeir. The genasi of Shyr were oppressed by the primordial Karshimis. When Akanûl dropped into Toril, the residents were overjoyed to find that Karshimi's citadel had not made the jump. The refuges set about creating a realm of their own and founded the city of Airspur on the shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars.

Airspur was a glittering three-dimensional city built into a series of elemental spires and earthmotes. The upper regions of the city were not actually directly connected to the ground below. It was ruled by Queen Arathane and the Four Stewards of Earth, Fire, Sea and Sky. The court was entirely composed of genasi. The Stewards oversaw specialized sections of government, while the Queen controlled the major actions of government. The Steward of Earth headed up the spy network of Akanûl. The Steward of Fire served as the general of the army and was primarily concerned with the defense of Airspur. The Steward of Sea was also known as the Lord of Coin and oversaw the business of the realm. The Steward of Sky served as final arbiter of disputes and enforced the laws of Akanûl.

## History

Historically, Akanûl was a nation-state located in the continent of Shyr on Abeir, Toril's long-forgotten twin world. There, Akanûl was ruled over by the tyrannical primordial Karshimis, who reigned from a fortress of burning ice. During the Spellplague, however, a large portion of Akanûl was transferred from Abeir to Toril, in the location of Chondath and Chessenta. Upon discovering that Karshimis had failed to make the transfer, the genasi of Akanûl celebrated their new-found independence and set about forming their own realm.

Roughly half a century after this, Akanûl faced its first major threat as a nation from the Abolethic Sovereignty. During the ensuing war, the capital city of Brassune was laid to waste and the genasi fled to the south, building the city of Airspur on the ruins of a city destroyed by their arrival in the Spellplague. As of 1479 DR, Akanûl was at peace, though many of its citizens remained concerned about the growing power of their northern neighbor.

## Government

As a genasi-dominated nation, Akanûl's social structure, while largely authoritarian, was highly meritocratic in nature and most genasi could aspire to great heights if they were talented and worked hard enough. Ruling over the kingdom but bound by the rule of law was Akanûl's sovereign, Queen Arathane *circa* 1479 DR, who ruled from an enormous floating spire. Queen Arathane played a large part in Akanûl's society and was responsible for the ultimate well-being of her citizens, which she took very seriously.

Though the queen was an important and powerful figure, she was legally required to delegate many of her responsibilities to the Four Stewards, each a minister representing one of four elements—fire, water, earth, and wind—and who were responsible for a portion of the kingdom's affairs, ruling from their own private fiefdom, known as a thronemote. The Steward of Fire, Magnol, was responsible for the management of Akanûl's military defenses and was the realm's commander-in-chief, while Tradrem Kethtrod, Steward of the Earth, was the nation's chief of intelligence. Myxofin, Steward of the Sea, ran the nation's economy. Lastly, Lehaya, the Steward of the Sky, was the realm's primary executive officer, charged with ensuring the smooth regulation of the queen's law.

Although the Four Stewards primarily existed as administrative assistants and advisers, they also held a considerable amount of power over Akanûl's monarch. By royal decree of Arathane's mother, the previous queen, the Four Stewards were legally empowered to override the king or queen's authority through a unanimous vote. However, should there be any split in the ranks, the monarch's word remained law.

## Military

Akanûl's navy was known as the Waveriders.

## Relations

Akanûl was on friendly terms with the risen empire of High Imaskar and their neighbors in Aglarond. The shadovar of Netheril also had an embassy in Airspur, a fact which damaged relations with the western nations surrounding the Sea of Fallen Stars, such as Cormyr. Akanûl was, however, hostile towards the other major Abeiran exclave in Faerûn, Tymanther, owing to a longstanding grudge with the dragonborn of that land and engaged in brief skirmishes with Tymanther's military forces in Chessenta. Likewise, despite their common blood, the Akanûl genasi despised the slave-keeping genasi that ruled large portions of Calimshan, regarding them as depraved and decadent.

## Demographics

Status in Airspur was primarily racial. Genasi made up the bulk of the population and were given preferential treatment by both the government and local merchants. The refugees of Shyr and their descendants were guaranteed their basic needs by the decree of Queen Arathane. Other races in the city were mostly mercenaries, explorers, or specialized crafters and tradesmen. They were never allowed to hold office.

## Appendix

### References

1. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). *Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide*. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, *et al*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). *Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide*. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, *et al*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 90. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). *Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide*. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, *et al*. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. {{#regex:90–91|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). *Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide*. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, *et al*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 91. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 James P. Davis (May 2009). *The Restless Shore*. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-5131-4.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Rob Heinsoo, Logan Bonner, Robert J. Schwalb (September 2008). *Forgotten Realms Player's Guide*. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. {{#regex:78–79|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 978-0-7869-4929-8.
7. ↑ Christopher Rowe (March 2011). *Sandstorm*. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0786957422.