David Dunham Page
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| Dawn Age
The newly created Queendom of the Oslira unites the peoples along a 150 mile stretch of the Oslira River, from the ancient trading city of Urar Baar in the south to the fortress-city of Koladen near the marches of the Dara Happan Empire. The Queendom is rich from its position monopolizing trade between the Heortling lands to the south and the Dara Happan Empire to the north.
The core of the queendom is Terarir, the land between the Jadera River and the Ersthus. This has long been a land of war, where bands of Humakt-worshipping mercenaries have sold there services to the lords of the cities. A kaleidoscope of ever-shifting alliances once defined the politics of Terarir. Now, under the firm rule of Queen Erilindia, Terarir has become a great power, capable of defying the High Council and the Emperor of Dara Happa. In 320, assisted by mercenaries from Durleel and Thernen, Erilindia seized control of the Jadera river valley from the King of the Heortlings. In 324, her army seized Kestes from Henjarl. In 328 to 331, her forces fought the High Council to a standstill. Last year, 332, she proclaimed herself Queen of the Oslira, claiming the rulership of all lands from Alkoth to Berenstead, and killed the King of the Heortlings in battle in order to prove her rights.
The Queen of the Oslira, Erilindia the Magnificient, rules as a sacred queen, having been recognized and blessed by her grandfather's grandfather's grandfather, the Great God Orlanth. Born in Fandara a carl, Erilindia took the scales of Garzeen and became a trade chief. She amassed great wealth and bought the city of Durleel. She resurrected the title of Director of Terarir for herself and then claimed the even greater title of Queen of the Oslira.
A brief description of Erilindia follows:
Erilindia of Fandara was a woman of greatness, for magnitude came upon her from all directions. She had great beauty, ancestors, traditions, acquisitions and ambitions. Her great attributes were apparant, perhaps too obvious for the comfort of any woman with a loyal man. Erilindia was often called the most beautiful woman of the Orlanthi. Her blond hair, unusual among Orlanthi, caused people to look even from a distance. She kept it long. Her youth seemed to never leave her, so the thrust of her breasts and sway of her hips turned every man's head. Her full lips, even in a frown, seemed to tantalize men. When she looked weak men in the eye and licked her lips, they swooned. When she smiled, strong men's knees melted. When she offered her love, even the strongest man obeyed her. After making love, a man would do anything for her.
She is always accompanied by a very large, green-haired, green-eyed bodyguard. In war and diplomacy, she is usually accompanied by 25 priestesses of the great goddess Oria.
Ruler: Erilindia of Fandara
Population: 3500
Primary Temples: Humakt, Issaries, Orlanth, Oslira
Durleel (the name means "Strong Port" in the language of the Nogtendos) was first founded in 180 by Karlmajoarjan Orlanthsson. For nearly four generations, Durleel was the leading city of the Oslira and the World Council of Friends gave its rulers the title "Director of Terarir and Keeper of Durleel" with authorization to rule the lands along the Oslira from the Ersthus River to the Jadera River. In 241, Durleel was defeated by a coalition led by the King of Sylila that included the warlord of Lolon and a contingent from the High Council. For ten years, the Daranling clan of the Sylilans beseiged the city, and when they finally went over the walls, they found that the defenders of Durleel were dead but still defending the city. The fort was subsequently cleaned out by Humakti who built a shrine to the god of Death and War. The walls were then sealed and the city abandoned.
Durleel was refounded in 315 by Erilindia of Fandara who purchased the empty land from the chieftain of the Daraling clan. She found the ruins of her ancestors' city and there was a perilious moment when the local chieftain realized that the dead chiefs' descendant has his fort. She dug under the walls, endowed the Humakti shrine and opened the walls to trade. Since then the twin gods of the city, Humakt and Issaries, have enabled Erilindia to bring Durleel back to its former glory through war and trade.
Population: 3500
Ruler: Karandros Death's Man
Primary Temples: Asrelia, Humakt, Riyesta & Kemar
Long the second city in Terarir, Thernen is built across the Oslira from the ancient sacred site of Rikalra, the Flower Ground. The ancient fertillity rites of Riyesta the Earth Mother and Kemar the Seed Father are often visited by aldryami delegations from the Forest of Rist and have made the Riyestan peasantry famed for their intense horticulture.
The wealth of Riyesta has made the Treasury of Thernen synonomous with great riches. In 234, the lord of Durleel sacked Thernen in order to pay off his mercenary captain, the famous Ifigios the Dead Man. With the wealth and arms of Thernen in his control, Ifigios managed to become lord of Dureel himself. After the fall of Durleel, Thernen was often under the rule of whatever mercenary captain was dominant in Terarir. When that captain fell from power as a result of shifting alliance, Thernen often got a new ruler.
As Director of Terarir, Erilindia had her former captain, Korandros Death's Man, appointed Protector of Thernen and lord of that city.
Population: 2500
Ruler: Ore
Primary Temples: Ganagran Oria, Humakt, Oslira
Mighty-walled Koladen guards Terarir against incursions from Alkoth and Henjarl. The walls of Koladen have not always successful, for much of the ruling caste of Koladen is of Henjarl descent. The city is most famous for its Great Temple of Ganagran Oria, an ancient Pelorian goddess of the earth.
In 328, Erilindia made a great endowment to Ganagran Oria -- speaking for the goddess, she made the ancient demand of "one in seven" that the city's founders had initially pledged the goddess for her blessing. Chosen by lot, one person in seven of the city were sacrificed to Ganagran Oria for the good of the earth and Erilindia won the full support of the goddess.
Population: 5000 (500 uz, 2500 human slaves, 2000 free humans)
Ruler: ?
Primary Temples: Argan Argar
This ancient trading fort dates from the Darkness. It is ruled by a tribe of Argan Argar-worshipping trolls (uz). It is the greatest slave market in the lands of the High Council. The ancient uz rulers of the city are adroit in politics and maintain a strong friendship with Enkankezzo, the Only Old One of the Shadowlands.