Ezlekh
“…The one word I could use to describe the entire country would be: Safeguard. The people of Ezlekh are cold to those on the outside of their protective walls, but really value the familial ties that bind them together. Even as this world's technology rapidly presses forward faster than any can keep up with, we still hold true to our roots and traditions, protecting those that we love with unparalleled magics; that's what makes us strong…”
Structure
Ezlekh does not have a centralized government, rather each of the territories under its ownership is governed by a Khan who makes the laws and major decisions for their territory, as well as laws which are held by a majority of the territories. The capital of the country is determined by the most prosperous of its territories, with Bambai's Gol-Duulga holding that title, and Khuurmag's Tsetserleg in a close second. As the acting capitol, Bambai has the power to enact national legislation, declare war on other countries, or sanction feuds between territories. Although, this requires at least two other Khans to agree to enforce any action that the capitol puts forth.
Ezlekhian Khans are appointed in a feudal style, with ruling power passing from parent to child upon death or the inability to properly rule the territory. Although, there are stipulations that must be met for a would-be Khan to be granted the title. To claim the title the claimant must be between the ages of 15 and 32 years old, they must have received a proper education, and quelled all other claims to the title from other claimants. Due to the familial requirements of the position the Ezlekhian family tree is especially important to the people, though it is also quite complex due to the country-proper having existed for over one thousand years. A diagram of the current family tree can be found below.
Ezlekhian Khans are appointed in a feudal style, with ruling power passing from parent to child upon death or the inability to properly rule the territory. Although, there are stipulations that must be met for a would-be Khan to be granted the title. To claim the title the claimant must be between the ages of 15 and 32 years old, they must have received a proper education, and quelled all other claims to the title from other claimants. Due to the familial requirements of the position the Ezlekhian family tree is especially important to the people, though it is also quite complex due to the country-proper having existed for over one thousand years. A diagram of the current family tree can be found below.
Figure 1. Ezlekhian Family Tree
Culture
Ezlekhian culture is a more traditional one, one which values its own history and learning from their mistakes. For this reason, many territory homes are filled with furniture and objects which depicting famous heroes and legends from their lengthy history, such as old Ezlekhian Khans or war heroes, and even important events such as the discovery of Geomancy and the birth of the Vomethndan empire. All these historically significant stories have been told time and time again, glorifying Ezlekh more and more with each retelling, causing the grittier details to be lost to time.
Ezlekhian households also hold the family unit to be vitally important, making it very uncommon in Ezlekh to find non-traditional families and divorced couples, and it is especially not talked about amongst the people anywhere other than behind closed doors. Thanks to this emphasis on family, the government and its people value the protection of these family units to be of the highest priority, naturally leading to the defenses the governments install around its vast expanse. Due to the lands themselves being extremely difficult to traverse without proper knowledge of their geography, there isn't much travel between territories by commonfolk. This leads people to often live their whole lives in the general vicinity of where they grew up, building a strong identity with their territory. Ezlekhi temperament varies between its rural and urban folk, but they are openly hostile with Vomethndans, and somewhat competitive with Ezlekhi from other territories. Traders, politicians, and armies who tend to travel more through the defensively-enhanced terrain are often paired with experienced local guides called Plainswalkers who escort these parties out of the way of dangerous traps. Many of these frequent travelers choose to become guides themselves due to their experience and the surprising amounts of Gold that they earn.
Ezlekhian households also hold the family unit to be vitally important, making it very uncommon in Ezlekh to find non-traditional families and divorced couples, and it is especially not talked about amongst the people anywhere other than behind closed doors. Thanks to this emphasis on family, the government and its people value the protection of these family units to be of the highest priority, naturally leading to the defenses the governments install around its vast expanse. Due to the lands themselves being extremely difficult to traverse without proper knowledge of their geography, there isn't much travel between territories by commonfolk. This leads people to often live their whole lives in the general vicinity of where they grew up, building a strong identity with their territory. Ezlekhi temperament varies between its rural and urban folk, but they are openly hostile with Vomethndans, and somewhat competitive with Ezlekhi from other territories. Traders, politicians, and armies who tend to travel more through the defensively-enhanced terrain are often paired with experienced local guides called Plainswalkers who escort these parties out of the way of dangerous traps. Many of these frequent travelers choose to become guides themselves due to their experience and the surprising amounts of Gold that they earn.
Demography and Population
Ezlekh boasts the largest population in Malnova. Due to their age as a nation, nearly 20 million people live amongst its vast plains and deserts. Halflings are the dominant race in Ezlekh, making up 25% of the country's population, due to their foundations being rooted in these spanning plains. Other plain-heritage races such as Araakocra and Genasi, as well as cave-heritage races such as Yuan-Ti and Gith making up about 10% of the population each individually. See the side bar for a visual breakdown of the demographics. Ezlekh’s population is primarily located in its territory’s cities, which house over 70% of this population, 20% living in smaller towns/villages, and the remaining 10% living rurally among the territory's vast expanse.
Territories
The country's Northern border with Vomethnda divides the countries through the middle of the Feramonto Mountains, which also separate it and Promaticous on its Northeastern edge. Most of Ezlekh, particularly Tagnuul and Id Duudakh, is spanned by vast plains which are dotted with small villages and towns, while the Southwestern portion in Bambai and Id Duudakh is a muggier region with marshes and even a rainforest. The Southernmost tip of Ezlekh in the Khudaldaan territory dips into the Gaineamór Desert. The Kolrego River also spans from the middle of the Feramonto Mountains through the Midwestern portion of Ezlekh and down into Fiáinetai, making this a profitable trading route for the Western half of Ezlekh.
Military
The presence and makeup of the Ezlekhian military widely varies between its territories, as its forces are led directly by each territory's government. Each territory’s military doctrine is briefly described below.
Bambai: The Bambaian Regime hires out its own volunteered citizens as paid troops who fall into specialized Units. Its Mobile Units, which number in the tens of thousands of soldiers, are experts in all types of combat from magicless hand-to-hand combats to full on spell-slinging onslaughts. The Bambaian Regime's military is stationed around its territory, with their headquarters being the renowned military school Ankhnyus Academy. They also produce plenty of military supplies in Gol-Duulga's Crate District, including plenty of offensive and defensive arms such as orb-slinging launchers, firearms, and other warfighting equipment which operate using mystek. These arms are supplied to all corners of Ezlekh for primarily offensive uses, meaning they commonly sit in storage sheds waiting inevitably for a war to break out.
Id Duudakh: Id Duudakh's military used to be much more diverse, with a mandatory draft which included citizens of all creeds, races, and other biological factors. Nowadays, since the reign of the previous Khan, Khan Galaalt, the entire Id Duudakh military is stationed in the city of Gereeshin Daichin. This army is composed of nearly one thousand fiendish and celestial creatures of whom have all entered pacts with the city's Wards. This unlikely pact has created a diverse army that is not only strong physically but has great arcane might as well. Using this army, Id Duudakh can protect itself and its Ezlekhian neighbors with ease.
Khudaldaa: The army of Khudaldaa is not quite as present as its Northern neighbors, with a little more than fifteen hundred alchemists who lend their services to the military, as well as those whom will pay them. These alchemists typically use a combination of transmutation spells and arcsthetics to out-strategize their enemies. The rest of the Khudaldaan force are either Bambaian Mobile Units or even mercenaries hired from Promaticous.
Khuurmag: Most of the Khuurmaagan force is composed of Promatican hired arms who operate Bambaian produced, mystek powered arms. These troops are mainly kept as city and town guards, with their primary presence being on the tops of the Feramonto Mountains to launch surprise attacks on invaders thanks to the illusionist mages paired with them. There are even rumors of a force of Terracotta Constructs who act as massive arms for the few troops inside the Agui Tusgal below.
Tagnuul: Tagnuul's army consists of its members of the Shuudanchid work force in and around Medeellitöv, though only the Shuudanchid that volunteer to do so are usually linked with House Selem. These unconventional warriors prefer to fight using the elements of surprise by landing behind enemies, gliding over their heads, or peppering their enemies with long range attacks. These warriors also make great use of special ammunitions and enchanted armaments. Another element of surprise that this force has is its vast intelligence network. Due to the presence of a few of their members in nearly every city on Malnova, Tagnulian forces can gather and relay vital information on the movement of enemies and the technologies that they use.
Bambai: The Bambaian Regime hires out its own volunteered citizens as paid troops who fall into specialized Units. Its Mobile Units, which number in the tens of thousands of soldiers, are experts in all types of combat from magicless hand-to-hand combats to full on spell-slinging onslaughts. The Bambaian Regime's military is stationed around its territory, with their headquarters being the renowned military school Ankhnyus Academy. They also produce plenty of military supplies in Gol-Duulga's Crate District, including plenty of offensive and defensive arms such as orb-slinging launchers, firearms, and other warfighting equipment which operate using mystek. These arms are supplied to all corners of Ezlekh for primarily offensive uses, meaning they commonly sit in storage sheds waiting inevitably for a war to break out.
Id Duudakh: Id Duudakh's military used to be much more diverse, with a mandatory draft which included citizens of all creeds, races, and other biological factors. Nowadays, since the reign of the previous Khan, Khan Galaalt, the entire Id Duudakh military is stationed in the city of Gereeshin Daichin. This army is composed of nearly one thousand fiendish and celestial creatures of whom have all entered pacts with the city's Wards. This unlikely pact has created a diverse army that is not only strong physically but has great arcane might as well. Using this army, Id Duudakh can protect itself and its Ezlekhian neighbors with ease.
Khudaldaa: The army of Khudaldaa is not quite as present as its Northern neighbors, with a little more than fifteen hundred alchemists who lend their services to the military, as well as those whom will pay them. These alchemists typically use a combination of transmutation spells and arcsthetics to out-strategize their enemies. The rest of the Khudaldaan force are either Bambaian Mobile Units or even mercenaries hired from Promaticous.
Khuurmag: Most of the Khuurmaagan force is composed of Promatican hired arms who operate Bambaian produced, mystek powered arms. These troops are mainly kept as city and town guards, with their primary presence being on the tops of the Feramonto Mountains to launch surprise attacks on invaders thanks to the illusionist mages paired with them. There are even rumors of a force of Terracotta Constructs who act as massive arms for the few troops inside the Agui Tusgal below.
Tagnuul: Tagnuul's army consists of its members of the Shuudanchid work force in and around Medeellitöv, though only the Shuudanchid that volunteer to do so are usually linked with House Selem. These unconventional warriors prefer to fight using the elements of surprise by landing behind enemies, gliding over their heads, or peppering their enemies with long range attacks. These warriors also make great use of special ammunitions and enchanted armaments. Another element of surprise that this force has is its vast intelligence network. Due to the presence of a few of their members in nearly every city on Malnova, Tagnulian forces can gather and relay vital information on the movement of enemies and the technologies that they use.
Technological Level
The country of Ezlekh has existed for nearly 1,200 years, and throughout that time have been rewriting the foundational understandings of magic, as much as they have been expanding its limits. After Ezlekhians mastered Runic symbology, pushing the limits of what these symbols could handle before becoming unstable. As the runes stretched and warped, they began to form circular sigils. With more experimentation with these sigils through stretching and overlaying them, Geomancy was born. The combination of these two spellcasting methods laid the groundwork for the arcane arts seen throughout Aekko, as well as the inevitable integration of these magics with the burgeoning technological advancement on the horizon. Exactly that would be witnessed throughout Ezlekh, from the vast and yet simultaneously privatized communication network of Tagnuul, to the extremely efficient magic-integrating factories of Khudaldaa and Bambai, to even one of the most impressive feats, the creation of the endless pocket-dimension of Id Duudakh's Büuteel Gazar. This is without even mentioning the more-recent technological developments on the front of mystek.
It seems that magic has weaved its way into every facet of Ezlekhian daily lives, allowing them to create food and resources from nothing, converting what they have a surplus of, or have no use for, into valuable resources they need. Even creating beings from inanimate matter and binding hellish and heavenly creatures alike into iron clad eternal contracts. These endless conveniences have and continue to shape Ezlekhian cities, from Gol-Duulga to Tsetserleg, whose houses include all modern amenities such as heated water and air conditioning, to the modified autocarriages for quick and efficient travel, and of course the life changing technology that is arcsthetics. Speaking of which, the Ezlekhian militaries pushing for the rapid development of these technologies to keep their technological lead on the their rival Vomethnda. Thanks to research centers such as Medeellitöv City's House Barimt and Gol-Duulga's Ankhnyus Academy, mystek powered firearms and launcher weapons, to newer more experimental arcsthetics are developed every day. Who knows what Ezlekh's future will hold.
It seems that magic has weaved its way into every facet of Ezlekhian daily lives, allowing them to create food and resources from nothing, converting what they have a surplus of, or have no use for, into valuable resources they need. Even creating beings from inanimate matter and binding hellish and heavenly creatures alike into iron clad eternal contracts. These endless conveniences have and continue to shape Ezlekhian cities, from Gol-Duulga to Tsetserleg, whose houses include all modern amenities such as heated water and air conditioning, to the modified autocarriages for quick and efficient travel, and of course the life changing technology that is arcsthetics. Speaking of which, the Ezlekhian militaries pushing for the rapid development of these technologies to keep their technological lead on the their rival Vomethnda. Thanks to research centers such as Medeellitöv City's House Barimt and Gol-Duulga's Ankhnyus Academy, mystek powered firearms and launcher weapons, to newer more experimental arcsthetics are developed every day. Who knows what Ezlekh's future will hold.
Religion
Each section of Ezlekh is blessed by a different patron deity whose job it is to cast judgement on its inhabitants. Bambai’s patron deity is Eilifur, the sun goddess, whose influence can be primarily seen in the Temple of Light which tops Tam Junction. A group of followers of this church called the Rays of Life are also seen giving sermons around town, and even working in its world famous Bügendmend Hospital.
Id Duudakh’s patron deity is the god of home and hearth, Dölkhair, whose likeness can be seen scrawled onto many portions of the Büuteel Gazar's Centrefuge. Many of the citizens of Id Duudakh also live through the teachings of the avian god, taking plenty of time to enjoy the family life and get in a party or two during times of celebration.
Küvüagaar oversees the territory of Khudaldaa, due to the its focus on industry and ingenuity. Although, it is also believed that Küvüagaar oversees the entirety of plains and desert across Ezlekh, as evident by the plenty of depictions of the god throughout the Khaiguul Plains.
Visku is Khuurmag’s patron deity, mainly due to the society’s focus on gambling. Though there are few and far representations of the fate goddess in the bold and brash city.
Tagnuul’s patron deity is Noirdremj, due to the expansive plains that the ancient goddess likely called her home. More importantly, because of her bloodthirsty instincts and spontaneousness being are important aspects for Shuudanchid, who use the lessons and teachings of the goddess to survive the most unfavorable situations.
Id Duudakh’s patron deity is the god of home and hearth, Dölkhair, whose likeness can be seen scrawled onto many portions of the Büuteel Gazar's Centrefuge. Many of the citizens of Id Duudakh also live through the teachings of the avian god, taking plenty of time to enjoy the family life and get in a party or two during times of celebration.
Küvüagaar oversees the territory of Khudaldaa, due to the its focus on industry and ingenuity. Although, it is also believed that Küvüagaar oversees the entirety of plains and desert across Ezlekh, as evident by the plenty of depictions of the god throughout the Khaiguul Plains.
Visku is Khuurmag’s patron deity, mainly due to the society’s focus on gambling. Though there are few and far representations of the fate goddess in the bold and brash city.
Tagnuul’s patron deity is Noirdremj, due to the expansive plains that the ancient goddess likely called her home. More importantly, because of her bloodthirsty instincts and spontaneousness being are important aspects for Shuudanchid, who use the lessons and teachings of the goddess to survive the most unfavorable situations.
Foreign Relations
Ezlekh enjoys the benefits of trades with their neighbors, Promaticous, Fiáinetai, and Astraganto, providing them with bulk resources which can be spawned using the conjuration magics of Id Duudakh and manipulated into any desired material thanks to the sorcery of Khudaldaan mages. Khuurmag's Khan Komtyen III established strong trade relations with nations off the mainland back in the late 1500s allowing for foreign goods, such as large monster parts from Vinteslæb, and tourists to make their way to Tsetserleg and less-so throughout the country as a whole.
Laws
Laws are put in place by each territory individually, and are enforced over the whole country when the capital territory's Khan, currently Bambai, and two other territories enforce these laws. This leads to a great amount of diversity in the functions of each Ezlekhian territory. A great example is Bambai has the strictest laws in Ezlekh, with laws dictating things like a strict dress code and their anti-magic laws in their cities, however these laws are unenforceable outside of Bambai due to the rest of Ezlekh's aversion to them.
Current laws which govern the entirety of Ezlekh include:
- The upkeep of defensive measures placed by previous Khans throughout the lands
- Under no circumstance shall a Civil War be directly waged between more than two Ezlekhian territories
- Continuing the trading agreement and tenuous alliance with Promaticous, the Fiáinetains, and Astraganti, and under no circumstance shall any member of an Ezlekhian governmental body harm the people of these nations
Education
Ezlekh's standard of education involves home-schooling by experienced parents for the child from ages 4 to 10, teaching a wide variety of subjects from religion and basic history to core subjects like math, reading, and writing. After this primary schooling, Ezlekhians may choose to attend a secondary school for up to 5 years for the price of 10 Gold per year, weeding out the poorer individuals in Ezlekh. After secondary school, Ezlekhians may attend one of the few colleges in the country, such as Ankhyus Academy in Bambai, and the Küvüagaar Institute in Khudaldaa.
Students who have graduated primary or secondary, and do not intend to continue their education further, may also attend work-study programs in a variety of places across Ezlekh. These work-study programs focus on earning those students valuable in-field experience thanks to closely working with an experienced tutor. These work-study programs range from working as a Shuudanchid informant for one of Tagnuul's Royal Houses, to a hardworking laborer in Bambai’s Crate District or Khudaldaa's reconstruction factories, to being a Plainswalker’s apprentice.
Students who have graduated primary or secondary, and do not intend to continue their education further, may also attend work-study programs in a variety of places across Ezlekh. These work-study programs focus on earning those students valuable in-field experience thanks to closely working with an experienced tutor. These work-study programs range from working as a Shuudanchid informant for one of Tagnuul's Royal Houses, to a hardworking laborer in Bambai’s Crate District or Khudaldaa's reconstruction factories, to being a Plainswalker’s apprentice.
Founding Date
680
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Ezlekhian
Leader Title
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Major Exports
Bulk food, stone, and wood produced in Id Duudakh’s Büuteel Gazar, transmuted precious metals from Khudaldaa, and weapons from Bambai’s city of Gol-Duulga
Major Imports
Mercenaries from Promaticous, fashion from Pokažuvaat, monster parts from Vinteslæb, and odds and ends from Sakiichiba
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Trade Partnership
Promaticous supplies mercenaries to supplement the Elzekhi forces with a heavy price. Ezlekh has a disposition of their use of anti-magic materils.
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