Aundair

Aundair, won in battle from the elves centuries upon centuries ago, remains a land of mysteries shrouded in storms that shake the leaves of dense forests. A heavily militarized nation, Aundair was once the leading edge of Karrnathi lands when the tribes expanded and warred against the enigmatic elves. In the distant past, the Karrnath pushed the elves all the way back from the Karrnwood to the Whisperwoods, Chant and other forests in what would become Aundair. At some point, however, things changed and a warrior that wielded sword & magic with equal proficiency by the name of Aun, said to carry elf blood in his veins, began uniting men against the jarls that commanded them from afar in Karrnath. Raiders became settlers and, in time, Aun declared the lands west of Scions Sound to be independent of Karrnath entirely. Towers and keeps were erected across the lands to secure borders and Aundair became a territorial power in its own right...and a power steeped in strange traditions adopted from the elves the humans had displaced and interbred with.
Into the modern age, Aundair has become a somewhat insular land that trades primarily in the Saether they mine from rich veins in the Starpeaks mountains. With the elves of the Eldeen Reaches (an even more insular people) to their west and the relatively stable and peaceful Thrane dominating their east, the Aundair have remained unmolested through many centuries allowing them to venture north into the seas and even to the Demon Wastes. The Aundairi are generally regarded with suspicion and caution by others, the dark spires of their keeps & cities resembling towering, bare evergreen trees looming over the landscape. Rumors abound that entire noble families interbreed with elves to maintain bloodlines rich with magical ability that comes naturally and with little need for training while it is said demon worship is common in Aundair, having been imported from the Demon Wastes over the centuries. Pointing out the shared ancestry between Aundair and Karrnath is likely to elicit a smirk from an Aundairi and a scowl from the Karrnathi.
When the Invasion arrived, many were surprised to see the eagerness with which the barons of Aundair joined the battle. Indeed, they brought not only force of sword & spell but also reserves of badly needed Saether, allowing the other territories to trade & purchase the Saether with payment deferred so as to keep the magitech of Khorvaire's forces operating. In their sleek, sharp airskiffs, designs harkening back to the architecture of the elves, the Aundairi also took part in battle directly, harrying the Illithid aircraft repeatedly.
In the decades after the Invasion, the extent of the debt other lands owe to Aundair has been felt as various barons have begun to call for a reckoning of balance sheets. Payments have come due and with interest and it has become clear to some that Aundair seemed to be hedging their bets. With nothing to lose during the Invasion, Aundair was willing to dig deep into their Saether deposits knowing that, by winning, they would not only secure Khorvaire but also their power in it due to the monetary debts owed to them. That foresight seems to be coming quite true now. What's more, many discoveries of Illithid reclaimed technology continues to surface from Aundairi sources, further adding to their wealth and making many aware of the fact that, just as they did with the Demon Wastes, the Aundairi now delve into the Mournlands in search of that which can provide them power.

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