Ghul Inira

## Notable Locations

Religion: Eth-a Ghul

Government Body: Ruled by a Crown roughly equivalent in function to a monarch. The current ruler has not made an appearance in recent memory and the doors of the grand palace in Assanas remain barred, leading to some speculation and concern for their health. Nevertheless, the Crown’s word remains law and their edicts absolute.

Geography: The land becomes increasingly inhospitable the further one travels from the Everian border: The warm deciduous forests of the north give way eventually to a harsh desert in the south that marks the borders of Yueh-Rautha. Despite these unforgiving conditions, life in Ghul Inira is sustained comfortably by the Osvari River, which spans the entirety of the nation and provides for both vast stretches of farmland and expedient travel. Most cities lie along the river, with the capital of Assanas being constructed in the shape of a vast arch that touches each bank.

Notable Places:

* The city of Assanas. An ancient marvel of architecture, the entire city is constructed in the shape of an arch spanning the full breadth of the Osvari River. With a multitude of tiers, canals, lifts, and channels, navigating the city becomes a complex affair, with the more affluent among its populace electing to travel by arcane means. Nevertheless, Assanas offers no shortage of opportunities for the aspiring mage or scholar willing to brave its cobweb of streets and corridors, and is often looked to as one of the preeminent destinations for students of esoteric lore.
* The Spiral Ashram, a monastery some distance north of Assanas. The ancient records of Ghul Inira mention a multitude of events, places, and individuals that should, if their significance is not overstated, be mentioned in the histories of other lands. All are curiously absent. It is within the walls of the Spiral Ashram that these discrepant records are studied and dissected, plumbing the depths of the land’s most ancient tales in order to discern fact from myth. As ordered by the Crown, these studies are conducted in secret, and the monastery functions outwardly as a simple place of study for aspiring priests of Eth-a Ghul;
* Ghul Inira sustains itself by way of numerous trade ports along the coast and a series of highly-trafficked roads along the riverbank that lead eventually into Everzyn and Leastrune. Caravans and travelers are a common sight, as are bandits and thieves should one venture too far from the beaten path;
* The eastern border with Syldor once comprised a solitary mountain pass allowing easy travel between the two nations. The pass has since collapsed as a result of overzealous mining of Aelundalum, with efforts to repair the damage and clear the rubble being largely unsuccessful.

Commerce and Crime: Ghul Inira’s most notable trade is in the enchanting of raw materials or items. Although Alanach deals in similar items and is renowned for its enchantments, Ghul Inan goods are generally looked upon with less suspicion. For this reason and others-- accessibility not least among them-- Ghul Inira finds itself burdened with imbuing most of the continent’s basic enchantment materials, a lucrative mantle that it accepts gladly. Where there is commercial success, however, crime will follow. Beyond the banks of the Osvari, whether in the forest or desert, groups of bandits and swindlers gather. The forces of the Crown are vigilant enough to ensure that these groups never draw too near to civilization, but the broad expanses of wilderness beyond the city walls provide ample space for criminal enterprises to flourish.