A Geographical Survey of Lethir in the Year 1323
A lecture presented by:
Professor Feros Alpanthos of Suchinrat College
In the year 1343, two centuries after The Peace, the continent of Lethir remains in a golden age of political stability. Many of you, being lifelong residents of the great and holy city of Suchinrat, have never left the bounds of her formidable walls. Fortunately for you, I am the foremost geographer of this city, and I have traveled the lands distant and spread across the great and sprawling continent so that I can present my findings to you. Please take note, as elements of geography are of great importance in the matters of politics and economics. As many of you no doubt fancy yourselves future politicians in the court of the Khalishev, or diplomats in other lands, heed me well lest you embarrass our Khalishev in the future.
Barlas
We begin in Barlas, a city of great importance in its relation to our nation of Shev Hamir. Barlas lies two hundred miles to the north of us, along the Naoka River that carves through this city, and is our principal trading point with the Muktani Empire. The city has been occupied in various forms for over two thousand years, and is indeed the second oldest city in the North after our own Suchinrat. Like Suchinrat, Barlas has a pyramid, but its pyramid is in a state of great disrepair, as much of the ancient stone was taken to build the great Barlas Fort, an impressive building of pure white stone whose original walls were completed around the late 10th century. The inner city is also composed of buildings built entirely of white stone. While the modern settlement was constructed by the Daieri Empire, the city and fort are a blend of Hamir and Muktani architectural styles, as it lies at the crossroads of both realms and is a cultural melting pot.
Aurangan Islands
This is a massive archipelago to the far north, ruled by a variety of uncivilized tribes who do not follow the religions of the continent. Deep jungles and rugged mountains make traversing the islands very difficult, and mosquitoes, diseases and exotic fauna make these forays downright lethal to most visitors. The Muktani Empire has nominal control of the city and island of Cochila, which is also a hub for pirates who trade with the Imperials for kisa, a new form of intoxicant whose flowers can only be farmed on the islands. The natives live in remote mountain villages connected by rope villages, and little is known about them. They are rumored to have hostile relations with the Muktani Empire, but often trade with the pirates. I was fortunate to catch view of such a village, remarkable as they are to behold, but we were not permitted entrance by the village warriors.
Thasdoros is a place few mortal beings have ever laid eyes upon, and fewer still have left alive. I was held captive there for an entire winter, shivering in a cold room ensconced within the mountain fortress, and promptly released when the snows melted and the rough men who hold the citadel decided I was not a threat. I found out little of the fortress’s construction, history, or indeed its internal layout while I was there. Nor do I know the way to ascend to its lofty position high in the Khamja Mountains. Only the keepers of the place know this route, and they keep their purpose to themselves. One thing is certain, though – the foundations of this fortress are much older than its ramparts. They are of a material I have never seen, and send shivers through the spine simply by being in their presence. I suspect they are of prehistoric origin, known only to Sages long dead and gone.
Thasdoros
The Red Sands is a barren, inhospitable waste, lying in a high altitude basin in the Khamja Mountains. It can be accessed through Picchas Pass, one of the oldest and most trafficked trade routes in our continent. However, only the most daring traders and adventurers travel there. The days are unbearably hot and the nights are blisteringly cold. During the monsoon, sudden bouts of intense thundersnow have been recorded, turning the blood red sands into a pink sea of snow. This is the only form of moisture in this land, and the savages who inhabit its dunes have found some way to trap it and raise primitive crops and livestock. Rare minerals and remnants of the Age of Sages are found here, lucrative items in the markets of Lethir’s cities, going to the highest bidder. I saw the Lonely Tower, a building of inexplicable origin, so deep in the center of the waste even the local savages dare not venture there. Even from the edges of the waste, it set my soul black with dread.
Red Sands
This is a vast and ill-defined region of the continent, yet serves a considerable importance in geopolitical affairs. The general borders are considered to be the Shel River and Khamja Mountains to the north and the Swahan and the Lake Country of Shetar on the south. Swathes of the territory are claimed by the Sea State Kalador, the Muktani Empire, our own Khalishev, and Shetar. As a result, it is a poorly cultivated land and is exceptionally arid during the winter and summer, especially in the east. It has remained quite wild, with massive herds of migratory beasts crossing its terrain of endless, drifting plains. In fact, in many parts of its expanse, the locals navigate primarily using the routes marked out by the herds.
Borderlands
You are all familiar with Kalador, so I shall endeavor to keep this as brief as possible. The jewel of the Sea States, the most populous city in the entire continent, built by the old Daieri Kings in the Age of Sages, Kalador lies at the mouth of the Swahan and is the gateway to Lethir. It is composed primarily of two large islands, with the city’s population mostly concentrated on the larger, flatter Ghamre Island. All languages and peoples of the continent can be found in these streets, as starry eyed hopefuls travel here to make their fortune. The Bank of Kalador, the wealthiest institution in the entire known world, is more of a fortress than a bank, sitting upon a high, rocky hill on Artha Island overlooking the whole city. Kalador is a place of wonders and horrors both. I greatly enjoyed my time with the professors at Kalador University, though I find the environs of Suchinrat to be vastly preferable to the humid, polluted streets of Kalador.
Kalador
The famous City of Battles, Layagat has been the site of more historic conflicts than any other place on this continent. The most ancient of the Shetari cities, its walls and foundations predate the Kingdom of Shetar itself, populated by some ancient civilization. Layagat controls the flow of goods from Kalador and the Sea States inland to Shetar, and is known as a center of cardamom production. Conquered only once in the modern era, during the Great War, Layagat’s walls were built with powerful magic by Sages of a long forgotten era. They are impenetrable to any ordinary human weapons, and the steep bluffs on three sides of the city, along with the Swahan River, make any conquest of the city all but a suicide mission.
Layagat
The Western Marshes are a vast network of wetlands, villages and rice paddies that form the hinterland between the Swahan River and the Sea States. Shetar and its allied Sea States, Paellaz and Tachiri, effectively control this region and extract tithes from its residents. While the old Daieri Empire built a long and well-maintained highway through the wetlands, the current countries in charge of its maintenance have not been so diligent. This road is crumbling, muddy, and oftentimes veers directly into the swamp. The marshes are filled with dangerous animals such as pythons, tigers and crocodiles. As such, it is recommended to hire a local guide to take you through the channels on a boat if possible.
Western Marshes
One of the other Sea States founded by the Daieri, Paellaz features a blend of Daieri and Shetari culture, and is a great exporter of rice. Leveraging the Western Marshes as both a defense and agricultural hub, Paellaz has resisted overtures from the Daieri and Muktani realms and remains a staunch Shetari ally. The Bank of Paellaz, while weaker than Kalador’s, provides a counterbalance and mints most of the currency of central Lethir, especially Shetar. It has foggy and humid weather year round, and is prone to frequent floods. I found this to be an unpleasant and disease ridden place, plagued by mosquitoes.
Paellaz
Situated on a hill above the Shetari capital of Agnihotar, Agnaran Hill is a place of echoes and whispers. I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary King Kuru, the immortal Sage who rules Shetar. He is a small, unimpressive man in appearance, but the gravity he carries on his shoulders could shake worlds. The fortress was built by Puru, the founder of the Kingdom of Shetar, and while it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, the inner courtyard where the King holds his durbar remains mostly intact. It has always been roofless, and the durbar is held only on nights of the full moon except in cases of emergency. Even during the monsoon, the lords and ladies of the Shetariya will sit in attendance, and hear the King of Shetar’s words. He is a relic of an ancient world and it was the honor of my lifetime to sit in his durbar.
Agnaran Hill
The southern half of the Republic of Azrakath, Azrai has a mild, pleasant climate and is pleasurable to stroll through, especially in the harvest season. Sparsely populated but for its capital Eremith, the Republic is run by various patriarchal clans who have holds and villages in the sprawling countryside. The clans are known for their historically vicious internecine warfare, but there has been no instability since The Peace. They are also known for their wine and poetry, and speak a language similar to Dayrah, the common tongue of our continent. Azrani men keep long hair and carry tomahawks on their person at all times, though they are largely for ceremonial purposes. Azrani women are rumored to be beautiful, though the men are quite possessive and rarely allow them to visit with clan outsiders.
Azrai
This is a cold and desolate region claimed by the Azrani and some of the fair-haired Farghyr barbarians from the far South. The land is covered in sedge and shortgrass, with occasional deep bands of coniferous forest. It has unusual flora and fauna not seen elsewhere in the continent, including herds of woolly mammoth, who winter by Lake Ashomon, an expanse of pure, clear blue water that marks the border between Azrani and Farghyr dominions. Hunters of the native Watari people trade in furs and meats between both the Azrani and Farghyr, and are the only permanent residents of the majority of this wet and chilly peninsula. Snowfall is infrequent, but can be quite severe in the inland areas of the peninsula when it occurs.
Watala
Sar Kailaz lies in the land of Himi, which covers the region south of the Kailaz Mountains. It is one of the only regions of the continent to experience truly snowy winters in its lowlands. This ancient monastery is the head of the Seizihin Order, the priests who administer the Rudran religion. Suchinrat, as you all know, is also one of the holy Rudran cities, but is much more cosmopolitan in nature, being holy to three religions of the continent. Sar Kailaz is a peaceful place of contemplation, lying in the shadow of Kailaz, the highest mountain of the continent, and home of the Rudran gods. The Seizihin here are ascetics, but also politicians, and the leader of their order, Izune, is a Sage of old with her own agenda. One must be cautious in their quiet halls.