Athar

## General Information

**Capital:** Ardathar

**Language:** Eastern, Common, Old (runes/hieroglyphics/babylonian), Far Eastern

**Religion:** Serene followers of the East

**Government:** Divine Absolute Monarchy (Previously independent city-states)

**Cities:** Minaret, Darazad, Vahitatan (Citadel)**Legislature:** The Divan of Hikimdars

**Historical era:** From the first settlers after the migration to present day

**Area:** Athar Desert & North Vallaikan coast

**Currency:** Azadi

## History Summary

(Disclaimer: This nation is meant to add more flavour to the lore and characters that travelled to this region. It really isn’t meant to actually be played by people, as it is very distant from the scenario, and circumstances do not favour characters coming from this place to where the scenario is)

Before the great migration, Athar was inhabited by the Kuzzer, who were later pushed back into Blacktop Mountain and the valley of the deadland, now known as Ardamaut. These people now make the famous slave warriors and mercenaries known as the Kuzzer Guard.

The Kuzzer ethnicity consists of coiled, black hair, black skin and brown eyes. Most of them are tall, well built and know how to fight. Alongside the Kuzzer, cockatrices also used to live in the desert, but were forced to live in Ardamaut after the Atharian settlers.

Atharian settlers came in a great migration from the east, lead by the hero Lord Atharius the Winged Lion, who is worshipped by all of the eastern nations as the saviour and the first hero

Atharians were a part of an ancient race that lived in the far east that had straight black and brown hair, mostly blue and amber eyes and a white-to-olive skin tone. This race spoke one language, now known as Atharik, and inhabit the regions of Vodgar Shahi, Yeraq, Vallaik and Athar. Most dominant features, dialect and customs are seen in Athar most of all.

Out of the other nations, Atharians knew the ancient arts of magic, healing and illusions, practiced in their old homes. While nations like Yeraq and Vallaik shared the same home once in the past, Atharians were the ones that kept to their customs the most. These arts are only taught in Atharik, in dedicated halls, and they do not allow foreigners to receive this knowledge. Scholars are sometimes sent to serve in foreign courts to gain favours or allies, but mostly they remain home to benefit their homeland.

The reasons for the migration were a great drought that hit their ancient homes in the far east, and a wind that blew and brought with it the heat and the great serpent, known as the sand devil.

The first city ever built was Oulat, under the First Mountain and its veins of rivers. However, several hundred years later the eastern wind blew again and Oulat became a ruin.

The second city was Ardathar, built in a strategic position, surrounded by three forts named after a prince’s daughters  to the north, east and west, and two to the south, a chain of hills, and a fertile land of twelve oases.

The third city, Minaret, was built after an advisor named George, locally known as Girgis, lead an exploration party to the south, eventually discovering the gold mines, and the cape that was named after him. The city was built shortly after people settled there, turning the place into a continental trading hub.

The fourth city, Darazad, was built by the paragon Marshall Azad the Mockingbird, a great strategist and explorer, who built an entire region along the coast nearing Minaret, and he named it after himself. A fort was erected nearby named Azad as well.

The Atharians expanded further into Blacktop Mountain, enslaving the Kuzzers that lived there, taking their cockatrices as pets and exotic animals. They also defended themselves against invasions from the north, mainly Vodgar Shahi.

The most notable military fight in Atharian history was the Taxhian invasion, from Vallaik. It was resolved by the usage of mercenaries to halt the advancements, which extended as far as Minaret, and spies and bribery to create internal  struggle in Vallaik.

The war ended in a white peace, and the citadel of Vahitatan was eretcted on the border to create the rift that embodied the enforced peace between the two realms. The ruler, Prince Abar of Ardathar, ascended to a Saint after his death. Current Princes of Athar claim to be his descendants, as well as Azad and Athar himself, to strengthen their claim.

After years of fending off countless invasions, Athar was reformed into a principality, formed by Prince Abar and the Divan of Hikimdars, or the Council of Rulers. He got the divine right to rule the principality as a whole. Other cities owed him allegiance, but remained diverse in their own way financially and martially.

A shrine to the heavens and the heroes was built on the top of the Golden Mountain, and at its valley a tomb was built to bury rulers and heroes of eastern descent, called the Hall of the Kings. It is considered a holy site by Atharians, and its neighbouring nations.

## Religion

Atharians, and eastern nations in general, believe in the concept of Heaven. They, as humans, have been gifted the earth and all of its goods to be used. The first time this became common knowledge was with the appearance of the Hero Athar, as he preached and saved his people, eventually living for 121 years before his natural death, and asendance to heaven.

Before that, these nations worshipped nothing but their lust for power and practice of dark magic. However, this has changed after the Great Migration and the drought of the east. Unlike their western neighbours, Athariks believe that each ruler is to be treated as a divine being, and heroes are to be worshipped, The heavens are thanked in seasonal ceremonies, mainly before the winter, after it, and before the harvesting season. They also believe that those without virtue become the scorched sand in the far east, where the neverending waste is, to be the forever companions of the Great Serpent, the Sand Devil.

## Culture

Atharians, as people, like to use magic in their everyday lives. They like to keep pets as well. Most of their population is literate in their own tongue, and barely bother to learn other languages unless they are to travel. Those who travel, however, are mostly illiterate lowlifes or mercenaries, or even Kuzzer slaves who want to make a living in other nations. The main focus of the Atharian nations revolve around theology and communication with the divine and heavens, or the practice of magic to further improve their daily lives and technological advance of their nation.

They believe that every other nation has originated from the same place - the one they migrated from, in the far east - and that they should treat one another as kindly as cousins would. Atharians are all about being exotic and extraordinary. Men and women are seen as equal. They dress the same. Homosexuality is not a sin. Premarital sex is not a sin, nor is having a bastard. However, polygamy is looked down upon.

## To Foreigners

Minaret and Darazad are both known to attract a lot of foreigners for many reasons, but mainly to explore the fancy architecture and the magic they practice. Many noblewomen are known to travel there for Atharian jewellery, and to dye their hair using their odd methods at doing it, which they are efficient at. To everyone else, Athar is the yellow wonderland no one really talks about, but everyone is fascinated by.