Bal-Marr
Bal-Marr is a nation on the continent of Nilandra. It encompasses the territory between the Devil Horn Mountains and the Arid Peaks.
Bal-Marr is run as a strict theocracy. The Temple of The Two, dedicated to Surk and Khal, controls all aspects of life. No gods other than The Two may be worshipped or even acknowledged. Anybody who disobeys is sent to live as a serf in Shandalar as punishment.
The two cities of Bal-Marr are also named after Khal and Surk. Ordinary citizens cannot leave Bal-Marr without permission from the theocratic government. Some occasionally sneak out of the nation and escape. Most ordinary people would not be given permission to leave - it is only granted to officials who need to travel for state business.
The use of magic is also heavily regulated. Nobody is permitted to use magic without permission from The Temple of the Two. Getting permission is difficult and is usually denied to anybody who isn’t a member of the clergy or in law enforcement.
Sur’Nax was created around 800 years ago when the Blood War spilled over into the material plane. The fighting between demons and devils created the great volcano. The humans living there were being decimated until two of them ascended to demigods and stopped the fighting, forcing the demons and devils back to Avernus. In the process, the humans in the area were plane touched and became tieflings.
How Surk and Khal became demigods, and which god gave them demigod status, is shrouded in mystery.
Structure
Bal-Marr is ruled by Khal and Surk, two demigods who are said to have saved Bal-Marr from the Blood War and created the Tiefling race. They rule the region through the Temple of the Two, a theocratic religious organisation that administers Bal-Marr.
History
Post-Collapse
The region now known as Bal-Marr was initially sparsely populated. The region mostly contained open plains of barren land. There was a sparse agricultural population of humans, as well as some halflings and elves. Some villages and small towns existed, however the climate was not conducive to a large population.The Blood War
Sometime around 200 PC, a rift between the planes of Morn and Avernus opened in the heart of Sur'Nax and the Blood War spilled out into the material plane. The fighting between demons and devils was incredibly devastating to the local area, which was largely inhabited by humans at the time. The fiendish influence in the area transformed the people into Tieflings. It also created the volcano Sur'Nax. Two humans from the region were granted divine powers so they could reach the rift and close it. Temple of the Two doctrine states that these two humans, Surk and Khal, ascended to divinity in the process and became the only two gods that care about Morn. Some accounts, banned by the Temple of the Two, indicate that Khal and Surk somehow stole their divine powers from the gods and that their demigod status is illegitimate. Which gods granted them power, or which gods had power stolen from them, is unclear.After the Blood War
After the people of the region were transformed into Tieflings, Khal and Surk were worshipped as gods, both for saving the region from the blood war and as future protectors from a world of mortals who would see the new race as fiends. Khal and Surk used their divine powers to reshape the land, making it more hospitable, and controlling the volcanic activity of Sur'Nax to render the land furtile without causing destruction. Because of its location, Bal-Marr has largely been free from outside conflicts. It is not reachable by either of its neighbours without traversing large mountain ranges.
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Demonym
Bal-Marran
Government System
Theocracy
Official State Religion
Neighboring Nations
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