Sharizudr

Art Credit: Chen Ziyi, https://chenziyi926.artstation.com/projects/O3Reg

Demographics

Sharizdur, often referred to as "The Many Clans", is a melting pot of many races, though it is predominantly populated by Orcs and their kin. Its proximity to the northern section of The Green Line makes it a popular stop for the communities that dot the mountainside and its peaks, and it is in a direct trade partnership with Karusha and Des'dorakha, making it a popular location for 3/5ths of Spirix's population. 
Its society is highly agrarian, with more than 60% of Durish people working farms, raising cattle, or harvesting crops.

Government

The Many Clans have been united as a representative republic since their founding, both to give voice to their many constituents and as defiant opposition to the monarchy of Aldrané. A council of 5 senators is appointed every 11 years who meet in the Hall of Victory, the capitol building for Sharizdur, penning and approving legislation. Above them are two seats, each whose vote counts for three times that of a normal senator. The Great Sultan, an office that presides over the Hall of Victory, and The Burning Envoy, a representative from the city of Karusha, the eternal friend to the people of Sharizdur and their closest ally by a wide margin.

Defences

Sharizdur sits on a peninsula very similar to the bluffs and cliffs of Aldrané. With the Green Line to its east, the Unnamed Oceans to its north, and the Emberbarren Sea to its west, the only way to enter its territory is through the Angula Crags, a series of rocky protrusions and canyons that squeeze to hardly three feet in width at some choke points. Because of it, none have ever done war with the impenetrable clans of Sharizdur, even the Emerald Elves who tried to annex the land were not foolish enough to enter the crags. Instead, they tried to starve the Orcs out with a blockade and trade embargo.

Assets

Sharizdur is also located next to Ilneval's Mouth, an inlet from the Unnamed Oceans that lie directly north. Unlike other coastal areas in Terisirae, Ilneval's Mouth has a unique geographical shape that prevents waves from cresting into it and dense mangrove forests all along its coastlines and floor, keeping its waters relatively smooth year-round. Ideal for fishing and mineral acquisition, the Mouth is situated perfectly for prosperity.
Sharizdur also has vast wealth in the croplands that sit at the foot of The Green Line, where a majority of its food is harvested. Life is simple in the Mountain's Shadow, and its people have lived off its land for generations untold.

History

Thousands of years ago, when Spirix was populated almost entirely by nomads and small oasis villages, the area known as present-day Sharizdur was little more than a few dozen tiny communities. Small conflicts would arise between them every few years, but the area remained peaceful overall. Mountain tribes would trade cereals and seeds for the minerals harvested along the coast, and each would also trade stories and myths. Sometime around the 1500s E.Y., this relationship coagulated into an unofficial union tribes, and Sharizdur, the Orcish word for alliance, was founded equidistant from the Green Line and the Emberbarren Sea. 
Around the 990s E.Y., envoys and scouts from the other side of the desert began arriving in the east. Sharizdur was confident in its impassable defenses and fortress-like protections, and the Elves of Aldrané were none too keen to abandon their siege devices and artillery. A blockade was erected between Sharizdur and its closest neighbor Karusha, the home of The Smokeless, in an attempt to wage a war of attrition. 
This blockade was successful and many among Sharizdur's elder council feared that they would be forced into open conflict, and that they would have to engage as soon as they could before their dwindling supplies affected their fighting capabilities. But caution and discretion are valuable Orcish virtues, and it was worth the wait when Argan, the Blazing arrived from the south. Though few would listen to Argan at first, an Orc man named Koruk Greene, a life-long friend of Argan's, was there to support their claim. Together, the two united their cities and repelled the Elvish forces back to their cliffs where they have stayed ever since.
Sharizdur boasts its history proudly and the people who call it home have a deep sense of pride, strength, and resiliency. It is that resiliency that has allowed their culture to survive over millennia, and through catastrophic events as harrowing as the Dranéan Invasion or as world-shaking as The Impetus.

This entry is narrated by Sishara Viyen

Founding Date

1500s E.Y.

Alternative Name(s)

The Mountain's Shadow, the Many Clans

Type

Capital

Population

615,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Durish

Location under

Spirix, the Glowing Sands

Owner/Ruler

Zudog Longtusk

Ruling/Owning Rank

Great Sultan

Owning Organization

The Country of Terisirae