Casalanoua

Casalanoua is the region that once comprised the First Noulaenic Empirial province with the same name. The region consists of a large, dry plain roughly bisected by the Dafadou River which empties the southern hills of Malaena. The river caries rich sediments from the hills and provides seasonal floodwaters from the Malaenic summer monsoon. The large majority of the population of the region live along the Dafadou River valley, which is heavily irrigated through the diversion of water from the river, especially during the flood season. The region was the origin of grain agriculture and the valley has been among the most densely populated regions of the world since the 8th century BNE.

## Etymology

Calalanoua is the Noulaenic name for the region, originally meaning "the land of the Casalanou." The name Casalanou itself derives from the native name for the region's peoples in Kasraka, Kasranou, which derives from Kasraka *kasra* (from the river) and *nou* (people), lit. "People of the River".

## History

Casalanoua was the indigenous home of the Kasranou peoples who lived along the Dafadou River (called Dafajou (lit. life) in Kasraka). The Kasranou people were the first to domesticate grain crops and develop sophisticated irrigation systems, allowing them to convert the largely deserted plain into productive farmland. They were also among the first peoples to development metalworking skills, working gold and copper mined from the Malaenic foothills to the north.

Kasranou Kindoms were wealthy and powerful but also fairly isolated. They did not invest heavily in defensive fortification, traditionally relying instead on their relatively large army for defense. In the 445 NE a hard fought war began between the two main kingdoms in the valley, Lauranainoura in the north and Daucraikasra in the south. The war lasted for a decade and resulted in significant loss of life, economic activity, and agricultural production. Noulian invaded the region by land from Siardara in the North in 455 NE and formed an alliance with Lauranainoura, which was losing the war by that point. The weakened forces of Daucraikasra proved no match for the fresher and better armed Noulaenic forces and the kingdom surrendered the same year. Noulian created the Casalanoua province from the land once ruled by the two kingdoms as well as the surrounding dry grasslands inhabited by nomadic herders.

Although the Kasraka language was outlawed in the region in 460 NE, the Kasranou peoples maintained a separate culture and religion from the Empire and never fully accepted a Noulaenic national identity. The empire was forced to send troops into the region in 566 and 699 NE to put down rebellions from the local population. The later rebellion led to the elimination of the office of the Count Lalanailoura, which until then had been held by the Kasranou descendents of the last King of Lauranainoura.

Noulaenic engineers undertook several large projects to improve irrigation and transit through the region during the first empire because Casalanouic grain we essential for feeding the growing population of Malaena, especially the Siardara and Bindaela regions which had significant food production deficits. The engineers created several artificial lakes in the north to serve as reservoirs for flood waters and built transit canals to circumvent several un-navigable sections of the Dafadou river. A mega project was considered to create a transportation canal across the Dodalo desert to connect the Dafadou with the Faermac Canal in Calbaena, which would have dramatically reduced travel times into and out of the region, but the project was ultimately abandoned as unfeasible.

Casalanoua rebelled successfully in 770 NE during the crisis of the 8th Century. The empire, facing significant problems elsewhere, was unable to respond and the local garrison was massacred by the rebels. The rebels then invaded Siardara and crossed the Nusour Pass into Bindaela, where several Casalanouic Kingdoms were created. These kingdoms remained mostly ethnically Malaenic, however, and had little connection to the kingdoms in Casalanoua itself by the end of the eighth century NE.

Casalanoua remained a unified independent kingdom for over 500 years. The kings attempted, with little success, to revive the Kasraka language and remove other vestiges of Noulaenic influence. The kingdom was prosperous but suffered from overpopulation and occasional famine during this period, especially in years with poor floodwaters.

During the 1200s NE the Kingdom went into a gradual decline due to droughts and political corruption. In 1290 NE King Caragara died without heirs, leading to a succession crisis and civil war. The Noulaenic Empire backed the Duke Falumis of Siardara, a Noulaenic Province, who was of royal Casalanouic descent through the former Casalanouic Kingdom of Siardara. The Empire sent and army into Casalanoua to support his claim and eventually negotiated his ascent without bloodshed in 1293 NE. From this time, Casalanoua was a vassal state of The Noulaenic Empire.

Casalanoua regained de facto independence during the 18th century NE as the Duke of Casalanoua ceased to make tax payments to the capital and began to ignore imperial decrees. Independence was not formalized, however, until the late 21st century when the Duke reclaimed the title of King and declared that the Noulaenic Emperor in Carasilaen was illegitimate. No attempt was made to reclaim the territory.

Casalanoua was divided into tow Kingdoms in 2232, Socasalanoua and Farocasalanoua during a succession struggle. The two kingdoms remain separate today. Both Kingdoms refer to themselves as Casalanoua internally.

## Important Cities

The three main cities in Casalanoua are all along the river, with Lalaen (historically Lauraraunou) situated near the northern foothills, Bonolouaen (historically Nanoubaunaurou) in the center of the region and Caracoaen (historically Kalaicrakau) located at the mouth of the river.

## Geography

The Casalanoua region is bounded to the west and south by the Pinakloosi Sea, to the north by the Malaenic foothills and Binnar range, and to the east by the Dodalo desert. The majority of the region is a dry grassland. The region around the Dafadou River is heavily irrigated farmland and densely settled.

## Climate

Casalanoua is cool and dry with summer temperatures rarely exceeding 35 C and winter temperatures generally remaining above -10 C. The region has low humidity and minimal cloud cover and experiences a large amount of day-night temperature variation. Temperatures are warmer and experience less variation along the Pinakloosi coastal regions.

Most precipitation in the region falls as snow in the winter, although this is also sparse. The only reliable source of perennial fresh water is the Dafadou river.