Svendar

> "*We thought them caged, desert mice to be used. We were wrong, and oh, how our mistake has cost us.*"
>
>
>
> —Unknown Elderkin Dwarf

## Geographical Information

### Climate

* Hot desert
* Warm coast

## People

### Demonym(s)

Svendanese

Svendar, officially the United Sands of Svendar, is an arid nation within the Terine Desert, beneath the southern shadow of the Red Mountains and the peaks of the Vertskli. They are a hardened, methodical country comprised of humans and other Lesserkin as unforgiving as the desert itself.

For millennia they were slaves of Elderkin Dwarves. However, during the War of the Dawn, the Svendanese people rose against their masters, utilizing new weaponry sourced from Voskgardia and supplies gifted by the Vertskli. After a hard fought war, the natives of Svendar pushed the Elderkin from their lands, and have kept their borders stalwart in the years since.

## Geography

### Interior

Svendar encompasses a coastline and much of the Terine Desert, though its internal border shifts often, as sand tends to do. They find their home within kilometres of orange dunes, broken by canyons and plateaus closer to the Red Mountains. There are also a number of oases scattered across the landscape, particularly where the Leylines and the Field are strongest.

### Environment and Climate

Svendar is an arid land of heat, located within one of Tyrrell's largest deserts. It rarely receives rain except along the coastline or when the Leyline of an oasis calls it. However, due to the density of the Leylines within Svendar, the oases themselves teem with unique fauna and wildlife, feeding upon the Field's magical energy.

Some of these are extremely deadly to sentient Kin. Great beasts that swim through the sands like sharks, clawed fingers extended up to the surface to drag unsuspecting wanderers deep below.

Still, some are extremely beneficial or culturally significant, such as the Ovasa Lily. The deep rust-coloured flower grows throughout the Terine, blending with the sand, and the Svendanese see it both as a symbol of their strength and a valuable resource.

## Culture

### Values

The Svendanese are a hardy people, valuing strength of mind and body very deeply. They also value practicality and efficiency over great displays of power. Gaudiness and outward displays of wealth or status are generally frowned upon, as they are seen as too close to the ways of the Elderkin.

### Demographics

Svendar is a blend of the Lesserkin, comprising of humans, orcs, beastfolk and many others. However, most tend towards darker complexions.

### Politics

Svendar is a constitutional monarchy, led by a ceremonial leader called the Orsharva, with authority limited by the Svendanese High Council. The current Orsharva is the warrior Rammatet; one of the figureheads of the Svendanese Revolution. Surprisingly, he and his daughter have begun talks with the Vertskli high prince, about a potential marriage pact sealing the two nations together.

### Religion

Due to the diversity within its people, Svendar is home to many religions and local superstitions.

### Military

The Svendanese excel at desert and guerrilla warfare, disappearing into sand like rain in the ocean. Many of their warriors, known as the Konsvend (translated as Sons of the Sand) excel in long ranged shooting and hit and run tactics.

## History

### Early History

The Svendanese were once a disparate people, consisting mostly of nomadic tribes of various Lesserkin. Humans, Orcs, Beastfolk and others called the orange sands home, their history filled with equal parts peace and violence.

### The Long Thirst

It was the Elderkin that finally united them, the western portion of a Dwarvish empire with desires to enslave all. They began what the Svendanese call the Long Thirst; a millennia of persecution where the people of Svendar were treated little better than cattle. Any tribal disputes were erased as the Elderkin expanded, pitting brother against brother as pawns of bickering rivals.

The Elderkin thought the Svendanese long conquered, useful as cannon fodder and little else. But Svendar remembered. And its people waited for opportunity to arise.

### War of the Dawn

When Voskgardia shook the world’s foundation during the War of the Dawn, Svendar seized its chance. Their warriors the Konsvend, trained in secret, began undermining the occupying armies as the Elderkin’s gaze went westward. It was a slow, quiet war; an acid burning its way through the conquerors a drop at a time.

And for the first time, Svendar had allies. The Dwarves of the Vertskli, the Alliance of the Twelve Peaks, had a long standing grudge with their western cousins, and an even greater anger at their treatment of the Lesserkin. Seeing an opportunity, the Verskli began supplying the Svendanese rebels with war supplies, and opened a communication line to the outside world.

The Svendanese used this line to contact the Voskgard, and were able to secure a cache of weapons. These rifles, smuggled in through the Vertskli mountains, were instrumental in the war effort.

By the time their Dwarven masters looked inward, they found their storehouses empty, their war-beasts dead, their machines broken and their slaves armed with Vosk-pattern rifles. The open war was not an easy one, but the Svendanese had freedom ingrained in their hearts and an ally at their backs.

Eventually, they pushed their old masters from their borders and began the process of modernizing their war-beaten country.