Aundair

One of the 5 nations born from the kingdom of Galifar in the Last War. Although much of its western forest territory has now become the Eldeen Reaches, Aundair still possesses beautiful swaths of fertile fields that supply the nations of Khorvaire with food and fine wines, while large institutions of higher learning produce scholars and knowledge.

History

Though the borders have changed many times over the centuries, the nation has carried the name of Aundair since 32 YK.

When Galifar ir’Wynarn united the Five Nations and formed his kingdom, an unprecedented age of peace and prosperity began. He started the tradition of giving each of his eldest scions one of the Five Nations to govern. His eldest daughter, Aundair, was given control of the nation that within a generation had adopted her name as its own (initially “Aundair’s realm” but soon shortened to just “Aundair”).

During the reign of Galifar’s last king, Wrogar governed the nation. King Jarot’s fourth child, Wrogar was a huge bear of a man who enjoyed the rugged lifestyle of Aundair’s countryside as much as he loved pouring through the libraries and other depositories for books of history and religion. When Jarot died, Wrogar initially supported his sister Mishann’s claim to the throne (Mishann ruled Cyre at the time), but that wasn’t enough to keep the kingdom together. Soon, the Last War touched even distant Aundair.

Prior to the Last War, the nation of Aundair stretched across the northwestern portion of the continent, from the banks of the mighty Scions Sound to the base of the Shadowcrags that marked the end of the kingdom. Today, the kingdom consists of a swath of land bordered by Eldeen Bay to the north, the Wynarn River to the west, Thrane to the east, and Breland to the south.

Current Relations

The current ruler of Aundair, Queen Aurala ir’Wynarn, traces her lineage to Wrogar ir’Wynarn, the first king of an independent Aundair and one of the heirs to the Galifar kingdom. Ruling Aundair since 980 YK, Aurala was among the signers of the Treaty of Thronehold. She married a young noble of House Vadalis named Sasik, who gave up his position in his family to become part of Aundair’s royal aristocracy. Despite this, he maintains close ties to his family (including his brother Dalin, the House patriarch), which sometimes leads the other dragonmarked houses to see favoritism toward Vadalis where it may not actually exist. In fact, Aurala goes out of her way to make sure House Vadalis doesn’t receive any special treatment from the Aundairian crown or its vassals.

Today, Aundair maintains an uncomfortable peace with its neighbors. Still reeling from the loss of the western two-thirds of its lands (and almost a fifth of its citizens) to the now-independent Eldeen Reaches, Aurala reluctantly seeks to find common ground with the various factions living to the west of the Wynarn River and Lake Galifar. Tensions between Aundair and Thrane remain high due to events of the Last War while the two kingdoms struggle to establish additional treaties and agreements that will wear down the underlying animosities. Breland and Aundair have mostly gotten along throughout the course of the Last War. Except for a handful of skirmishes and one major confrontation with Breland as the century-long conflict rolled on, the two nations have been neutral to friendly toward one another. Karrnath, sitting across Scions Sound from Aundair’s northeastern border, has made the most aggressive overtures for lasting peace since the end of the war.

Life In Aundair

Industry

Aundair produces a great number of agricultural products, both for use within the nation and as imports for trade. Cereals, grains, vegetables, and wines from the Aundair countryside are considered among the best in all of Khorvaire. The cities of Aundair contain great centers of learning that at least equal the colleges and universities of Zilargo, and the arcane institutes might exceed those found anywhere else on the continent. For this reason, magewrights, artificers, and wizards trained in Aundair demand the highest pay scale compared to those trained in most other traditions. All of the dragonmarked houses maintain emporiums and outposts throughout Aundair. Two houses, Lyrandar and Orien, make their headquarters in the nation. House Lyrandar’s matriarch sits in the northern island city of Stormhome, while the patriarch of House Orien runs the family conglomerate from the city of Passage, which rises from the eastern shore of Lake Galifar.

Aundairans

The people of Aundair are, by and large, a stubborn and patriotic folk. Over half of all Aundairans are human. Among the major cities, half-elves, elves, and gnomes make up a significant minority, but these races are uncommon in the pastoral communities. Halflings appear with moderate frequency in these more distant communities, but shifters are rare; shifters were once more common, but they were driven from Aundair by Silver Flame zealots more than 150 years ago. On rare occasions, orcs and half-orcs of Eldeen, and even the occasional tiefling family, settle on this side of the border; the common folk of the region distrust these foreigners but rarely engage in open hostility. The people of Aundair are acutely fashion- conscious. Nobles prefer bright colors, feathered hats, long skirts, coats or cloaks, and ruffled or puffy sleeves. Poorer folk cannot afford to keep up with such fashions, but they often own a single “fancy” outfit that poorly models the styles of a generation or two gone by.

Religion

Most of the people of Aundair follow the teachings of the Silver Flame or worship the Sovereign Host, particularly the gods Arawai, Aureon, and Olladra. Sometimes a minor cult attains popularity for a brief time in Fairhaven, and churches devoted to other gods can be found there.

Major Settlements

Aundair still bears the scars of the Last War. Border strongholds hold full garrisons, while sentinels watch the roads and waterways for enemy armies. Once past these defenses, though, a serene and peaceful countryside unfolds. Aundair is an agrarian nation punctuated with great cities and large towns. Caravan routes cut through the lands, while tracks and paths connect tiny villages where peasants congregate for protection. A lightning rail emerges from Thrane at Marketplace, traveling northward to Passage and Fairhaven, until it exits once more into Thrane through the Daskara Pass. Travel here is safe and easy for the most part, and few lands compare to Aundair’s picturesque beauty.

Fairhaven

Capital City; Population 450,000

Founded soon after humanity spread across Khorvaire, Fairhaven is a city with a rich history. The capital features straight roads and tidy buildings, with tree-lined neighborhoods, manicured parks, and statues depicting great leaders and heroes. Grand universities fill city blocks, teeming with students and scholars. Great temples dedicated to the Sovereign Host, mage towers, museums, and more give the city a refined atmosphere. Fairhaven is also Aundair’s commercial cross- road. All the dragon marked houses have enclaves here, and caravans from all across the Five Nations arrive regularly. Overhead, elemental airships drift through the clouds, descending to dock at the sky tower, while elemental galleons prowl the Aundair River, laden with goods being conveyed to and from distant ports.

Merchants and traders wheel and deal with skeptical peasants from the surrounding farm- lands in Fairhaven’s numerous marketplaces. The Distant Exchange, a bustling market specializing in foreign goods, provides silks, exotic consumables, and brilliant artwork from faraway lands, catering to the city’s elite. Above all, Fairhaven is a city of learning. Schools ranging from single classrooms to sprawling universities are home to students from all cultures and races. This crucible produces regular advances in philosophy, magic, sciences, and commerce. Fairhaven’s reputation for scholarship makes education its great- est industry.

Fairhold

Visitors to Fairhaven cannot help but notice Fairhold, the ancestral seat of Aundair’s rulers. Rising above the tallest buildings in the city, Fairhold is a wonder of architectural achievement, a grace- ful fusion of style and defense. Behind steep walls pierced by looming gates rest half a dozen towers and twice as many minarets. Here one finds the royal family’s residence, the courts, the garrison of the Knights Arcane, and the stables for their dragonhawk steeds. Clustered around the citadel are embassies and governmental offices, overshadowed by the ancient fortress’s majesty.

University of Wynarn

Morgrave University might be better known, but the University of Wynarn— the original institution of higher learning in the Five Nations—is better respected. The campus outgrew its initial building long ago and now encompasses six sprawling structures equipped with dormitories, apartments, libraries, restaurants, coffee houses, theaters, classrooms, laboratories, and museums. The university remained open throughout the Last War, but fewer and fewer enrollees arrived. By the war’s end, the professors outnumbered the students. To increase enrollment, the university relaxed its restrictions on attendees and invited new students from all nations. The new policy created a cosmopolitan mix of scholars including orcs, goblins, shifters, and even a few warforged. This diversity has resulted in increased tensions among the student body, and strident calls for more representation of minority races among the teaching staff. Still, the university is committed to educate as it has over the centuries and has taken steps to accommodate its diverse population.

Passage

Trade City; Population 260,000

Aundair’s population has always been more heavily concentrated in the east, but Passage is a notable exception. Situated on Lake Galifar’s shores, it is the last major city before Aundair gives way to the Eldeen Reaches. Passage owes its booming growth and prosperity to House Orien, which has a great enclave in the city. Indeed, the dragonmarked members control the city’s government. People arrive in the city from all over the continent thanks to the lightning rail repair depot, which maintains most rail carts in service throughout the Five Nations. Passage is also the door to the Eldeen Reaches—through the city flow produce and grain from the rich farmland to the west, while finished materials are shipped out from Fairhaven and elsewhere to the east.

Stormhome

Island Paradise; Population 20,000

Until House Lyrandar secured rights to this island at the mouth of Scions Sound, Stormhome was a rugged and desolate place, a windswept rock home only to a garrison of demoralized soldiers. Six hundred years ago, Lyrandar chose this spot to build its enclave and used weather-controlling magic to divert the worst storms away from the island. The results were astonishing: Stormhome became an island paradise, a testament to House Lyrandar’s wealth and power. Stormhome remains part of Aundair but is left to its own devices, making it an ideal retreat for foreign dignitaries and nobles. Even Queen Aurala seems enchanted with the place, spending a portion of each year in the company of Lyrandar’s baron, swapping secrets and rumors to the dismay of both their advisors. As the premier destination for the wealthy and powerful, Stormhome has emerged as a hotbed of intrigue, and agents come to broker alliances and gather intelligence about their rivals.

Arcanix

Magical Village; Population 900

Above Lake Galifar’s shores float the three towers of Arcanix. They hover, unmoving and untroubled by wind or rain. Their labyrinthine corridors house mentors and students who explore the mysteries of magic as they have since the great institution was founded nearly 1,000 years ago. The floating castles contain classrooms and laboratories, cells for students, and apartments for mentors. Great libraries hold the collected lore of generations, with rituals and spells bound in dusty tomes. Hidden vaults contain great treasures and dangerous items, some unearthed by adventuring wizards, others cre- ated by the mighty mages who have lived here. The village also known as Arcanix spreads out below the towers, supplying the mages with foodstuff, clothing, and other materials they need to continue their work. Most people reach the towers by magical means; for others, the village rents hippogriffs to bear visitors to the fortresses for a modest fee.

Gate of Xabra

The Arcanix towers house strange artifacts and relics, but few compare in size and scope to the Gate of Xabra. A circle of menhirs sits atop one of the residential towers. The standing stones, and indeed the very earth they rest upon, came to Arcanix from an ancient Q’barran ruin ages ago after the mages discovered that the stones could bridge the planes. On each stone is a magic rune. When the stones are activated in a specific sequence, everything inside the ring is whisked to another plane. Concentrated research has uncovered a few sequences so far, sometimes with disastrous results, but the studies continue.

The Towers of Aundair

Border Fortresses; Population 900 each

Four great fortresses essentially define the border between Aundair and Thrane to the west and Breland to the south. Wrogar Keep, Tower Valiant, and Tower Vigilant stand along the Thrane border, while Vanguard Keep guards the plains between the Blackcaps and the Eldritch Groves, near the border with Breland. Each fortress has a high watch tower surrounded by magically fortified walls and less obvious magical defenses. A brigade of about 700 soldiers garrisons each keep, with the equivalent of a tiny village helping to supply the soldiers with food, arms, and repairs. The soldiers include standard infantry, archers and wand- wielding specialists, and at least one unit of cavalry or dragoons (mounted infantry).