Anhkor, Kingdom of the Sky

The Gseth Tree, outside the Skycave

On the South-Western end of the globe exists the smallest continent on the planet; Anhkor. The island is ruled and governed by a single single ancient order; The Stormcallers. They have been the centerpiece of the kingdom's culture for millennia and has been the reason why the tiny continent has been difficult to invade.

Anhkor was founded by Joseph Gseth, a famous scholar millennia ago. Before he reached the island, the only being to live there was Penael- God of the Skies. His discovery attracted the attention of many, and those who came to live under Penael were the first to settle on the continent, developing the kingdom with the rulings provided by Gseth.

The majority of the continent consists of rocky and mountainous terrain. What isn't part of the mountain is either desert space, or open grassy planes with little plant life. But those who do live within this space live a quiet, peaceful life under the teachings of the Stormcallers. Rule over the Anhkor is performed in unison between the Stormcaller Chief and the chosen Chancellor picked to represent the common citizens. This diplomatic approach has allowed the settlers and the religious order to co-exist in relative peace through many generations.

## Population

Compared to many kingdoms around the world, Anhkor's population is relatively low (sitting only around 2,000 inhabitants across the whole lower half of the continent), given the lack of terrain available for animal farms and building. Many would-be invaders have been turned off by the lack of natural resources and available land, as the majority of the population is centered around a very communal way of life under the religious teachings.

## Politics

During all points in history after Gseth's rule, the kingdom of Anhkor has always followed a rule of two. A chancellor is chosen by the citizens to represent the common settlers, and the current chief of the Stormcallers. Much of the population is spread across the bottom half of the continent, meaning the land is split into sectors. A single person is chosen from each sector to keep in touch with the chancellor, to inform them of the sector's specific needs. It is then the Chancellors duty to make sure the needs of the people are met, so long as it does not conflict with the Chief's orders.

Given the city's deep religious roots, the Chief's duty to the Kingdom is two-fold. To make sure their order is keeping the land protected, and that the settlers do not stray too far from the Stormcaller's path. This, in tangent with the Chancellor's role, is what allows the kingdom to maintain it's state of both peace and protection.

## History & Religion

### Origins of Anhkor

The origins of is historically believed Anhkor date back several millennia. The story of Gseth is a tale passed down through generations, as it is believed to be the foundings of this religious society. The tale goes as follows:

*'Mortal kind forever worked to discover the gift of the world, and everything it held within. Joseph Gseth, the famous explorer, sought after heaven. He scoured the world in search of paradise, which he believed to exist on this very planet. Many years of the man's life was devoted to this cause. Until one day, across the seas from the mainland he would find his answer.*

*A large island, shrouded by clouds of white, pink and gold. Grassy plains as far as the eye could see, and mountains that pierced the heavens. Gseth knew to himself he had found it. What he had spent his life searching for. On his own, the scholar challenged the mountain. He scaled his way up, until the path he carved took him past the heavenly clouds.*

*Up here, the sky and the sea were one in the same. Nothing but these clouds did Gseth see, even up here where life still grew. By a tree the scholar stood, overlooking the never-ending sky and reveling in it's beauty. Upon his shoulder he felt something- a hand. A touch as gentle as could be. When he turned around to face the person, Gseth would be left in awe. A being, as beautiful as the heavens in which he walked. Came to greet him, she had- the first mortal Penael ever met.*

*Word had spread of Gseth's finding. Of a land overlooked by a God as perfect as the land itself. People ventured from far and wide to see with their own eyes, just what kind of land this was. Penael discovered friendship with these people. So much did the Goddess of Skies love these frail creatures, that she allowed them to live upon her own home. Under Gseth and Penael, scholars and settlers alike took shelter upon this land. And so, the tiny Kingdom of Anhkor was established. A land where the people could live in the peace that Penael taught them to maintain.*

*For reasons unknown, the Goddess left the mortals on their own. But not before bestowing upon them a single gift; her power. The skies and it's powers were left in the hands of these people, to form the very first Stormcallers.'*

### The Stormcallers

Penael's final gift to mortal kind was the very first form of Aeromancy to ever exist. Later forms of Aeromancy were created and discovered from manipulation of this original form. According to the story, her most trusted of friends among the mortals were gifted with the ability to alter the air in such a way they were able to control the weather. These few people were the very first of the Stormcallers, led by Gseth himself. This new-found Order of Stormcallers took it upon themselves to uphold the image of heavenly beauty this land had become known for. To help them in this pursuit, Gseth created the foundation from which the Order would live by:

**'To maintain the peace, beauty and kindness that the Goddess of the Skies originally made for this land."**

To hold up on this oath, those chosen to be Stormcallers are raised in a very particular way. Of course, the art of weather manipulation is passed on to each chosen member. But the art of combat is also a mandatory part of a Stormcaller's upbringing, so that should the land ever be under threat, the Order is able to do it's duty to protect. This makes the Order the Kingdom's only effective form of military. But above all else, the aspect of kindness. Combat is trained as a means of defense, never offense. A Stormcaller must always be willing to put the needs of others ahead of themselves.

### The Skycave & Military Formation

The Skycave was originally said to be the area that housed Penael, and where she and Gseth first established the rulings of the gathering culture. After Penael's passing and the new rule of Gseth, the cave became the home to the Stormcallers. Gseth worked with the chosen few to build the cave into a temple. A temple designed to be as beautiful as the god who dwelled within. And so as the order of the Stormcallers grew, this temple would begin to serve two purposes. As the center for religious order, and the housing for the nation's chosen military.

Of the 2,000 citizens of Anhkor, it is estimated that only 150 are chosen to be part of the Stormcallers at any given time. The order likes to keep the size of their military small to avoid spreading their teachings too thin, and to keep to the idea of being peaceful protectors rather than a military. But to keep order, the Stormcallers still keep roles in order to keep things organized.

#### The Chief

The role of the chief is simple. They are the head of the order, being the lead teacher and guider in the ways of the Stormcallers. They are also to be the key point of reference for the normal people below the mountain, making sure the people stick true to the teachings of Gseth. They are both the pinnacle of strength and peace, combining the two contrary traits into the perfect blend. The current Chief is an avian dragon by the name of Korvith Galebolte, otherwise known as 'The Gale'.

#### The Captains

The Captains are the few chosen Stormcallers who's abilities and understanding of scripture make them into examples of what the order can be. There are only around 10 chosen captains at any given time. These captains act as both teachers and leaders to their selected squadron. One of the current Captains is the son of the current chief; Edex Galebolte. Edex is set to inherit the role of Chief from his father after his passing, so Edex (contrary to the desire of his father) spends his days outside of Anhkor, learning about the world so that the Stormcallers can be equipped with more knowledge of how the outside world works.

### Culture of Anhkor

Given the kingdom's heavy foundings in religion, the culture has been very much effected by it. Anhkor is known to be a wide area, where the people living across the land lives in quiet harmony. Farmers and craftsmen make up the majority of the regular population. Life is slow in Anhkor, but some would simply describe it as peaceful. Once a year, people gather from all edges of the kingdom to celebrate 'The Gseth Festival'. A celebratory period of time lasting 3 days, representative of the 3 days it took Gseth to traverse up to where he met Penael. It is known to be 3 days of community sharing merriment, with a lot of planning going into each festival's events.

### Significance of the Gseth Tree

This small area of land, on a small plateau high up the mountain. It is located right outside the Skycave, where Penael was said to live in. It is also said to be the place where Gseth and Penael first met. Given it's location and historical significance, it is considered to be the most sacred sight of the continent. Even regular settlers not part of the Stormcallers have been known to make a pilgrimage up here at least once in their lives, to witness the beauty that the founder of their kingdom discovered long ago.

## Foreign Affairs

Given the nation's small size and passive nature, there has been little to no conflict with other kingdoms and cultures. In more recent times, the city of Vestible was recently taken by Holden-Veilon. Anhkor was given to opportunity to sign a peace treaty with the invaders to the continent to avoid their land being taken, and so that the citizens of Anhkor could continue to live their quiet lives.

## Geography

The kingdom of Anhkor is designed quite differently from many others, hence why it is not properly labelled as a city. The citizens of Anhkor are spread out far across the southern side of the island, underneath the mountain. Much of the land is used for farming, meaning the buildings are spread out across large areas of both grassy and cliff-like plains. Weather works very differently for the people here also. Given the power of the Stormcallers, the weather is usually what ever the people need the weather to be. Rain is very common to assist with crops, while events such as The Gseth Festival are known to sport skies of beautiful golden clouds. Most of the continent consists of tall mountain ranges, with the Skycave being near the very top. The Stormcallers who aren't down among the people are housed within this cave.