Kevarim
General
Kevarim is the human safetdom along the eastern part of the Volker desert. Most of the land is barren desert with only some oases and the large delta of the Eridani River as exception. It is the oldest of the human countries and even existed during the Avaronian Empire although the demographics and borders have shifted often over the centuries. During this time period however the free city of Safir was still mainly populated by Dragonborn. The city was even build upon the ruins of an ancient Dragonborn city. However somewhere in 347 BF a plague, called the Dragon Scourge annihilated almost the entire Dragonborn population. Safir itself was later created when Human and some Dragonborn tribes in the Eridani river area banded together to set up a new settlement in an abandoned Dragonborn city. Over the next centuries the human population in Safir grew much larger and managed to exceed the Dragonborn population but the culture and religion of the original Dragonborn inhabitants was mostly taken over by the humans with only slight alterations. After the fall of the Avaronian Empire it was safe for humans to settle again without the protection of the Dragonborn which resulted in new cities being built along the river. Today Kevarim is a mainly a human country but Dragonborn still hold important positions in both science and trade. In addition to the Dragonborn and human population Kevarim is also home to a large number of Gnomes of whom most are said to have migrated to Farlis together with the Dragonborn. The most often practiced professions by gnomes in Kevarim is either as a teacher, scholar, researcher or a Keeper.Government
Kevarim is comparable to a kingdom which is currently ruled by the house of Morekis. The title of king however does not exist in Kevarim but is rather called the Safet. This was however not always the case and the ruling house has often changed over the centuries. Strangely enough Kevarim only became a safetdom after the year 523 AE when a brutal civil war raged between two prominent houses. Before those events the country was ruled by a council of elders from the most important houses in Safir. After the civil war the house of Kumar took over and established the safetdom. However keeping control proved rather difficult after the family lost most of their wealth. They were eventually stripped of power in 715 AE. Since then several ruling houses have come and gone mostly depending on who has the most wealth. Therefore the title of safet holds less power than a regular king in present day Kevarim . The true power of the Houses lies with their wealth and their effective use of power. The safet itself merely function as the figurehead for the wealthiest family in the country and elected by citizens and elders. After being elected the safet rules for 5 years. As the current leading house the Morekis family has control of most export in Kevarim although the recent war has been disastrous for many of their caravans. The power of the safet is limited by a council of 112 elders called the Gesandrea. They elect safets, high offices and generals. Safets and generals are often from the same family for several decades at least or sometimes more than a century depending how long a family remains the wealthiest.Demography and Population
The majority the population is currently Human but a large part of the population is also Dragonborn, making them the second largest group. Dragonborn used to be the majority in the country before the Dragon Scourge struck which severely reduced their numbers. Besides these group the gnome population is also quite large especially in the capital and the southern regions.
Due to the large Gnome population that was already living in Kevarim the country has also attracted Oneragan Gnomes. Many of these gnomes often brought some advanced technology with them.
Territories
In this area it only rains very sparingly due the Elhir Peaks that block most rain and hold it on the eastern side. Most cities in Kevarim can be found along the Eridani River’s banks. Some remote trade posts and farm areas can be found near the more western isles since the land there is fertile due to volcanic activity. Rain coming from the west and south does manage to reach the isles near Kevarim but almost never reaches the Volker Desert.
Ancient legends claim that the Volker Desert was once a lush region similar to the Baidan Jungle. The desertification of the region only began after several eruptions in the nearby inner sea that eventually formed the volcanic isles there. The legend claims this was caused by a battle between gods which resulted in the desert seen today.
Cities
The largest city in Kevarim can be found in the middle of the Eridani River’s delta. Safir was originally built upon the ruins of an ancient Dragonborn city of which, even within the library of Adroon, only little information can be found. The majority of the city is located on a large isle in the delta with districts both north and south of it. The western parts of the river are used as a harbor in which several large chains have been placed to protect against seaborne attacks. One of the most important buildings in Safir is the Thova Garden, a large palace existing mainly out of lush gardens and waterfalls. In the center of the city several large marketplaces and auction houses can be found but the most extraordinary is the Tinkerer Enclave market. It is here that the Tinkerer Enclave faction sell their latest inventions and knowledge. Within the Eridani River delta many settlements and cities can be found and the region is filled with farmlands and plantations. Two larger cities are located in this region besides Safir. The larger of the two, Konda, lies at the southern part of the delta and has a large harbor. In the north the city Elapur forms the last trading hub in Kevarim for the caravans travelling north toward Adroon. The city Noretoi is another trade hub located just at the border with Eprus. It was only founded in the year 1047 AE by the Morekis family and it’s populations exists mainly out of humans from Eprus. All caravans travelling to the eastern human countries travel through this city. However the road between the city and the Eridani River is quite dangerous and the caravans often need to be protected. For this reason Noretoi is also home to a large mercenary group called the Steel Brotherhood. At the southern edge of the Volker Desert and the Dead Forest another important city is located. The small rivers coming from the mountains nearby led to the creation of Zerevhil, a large city mostly populated by gnomes. It is claimed that the city was founded by humanoids that found that the proximity to the Silent Forest offered an excellent place for study. The headquarters of the Tinkerer Enclave, a group of scientists that often sell their research, are located in Zerevhil for this reason. Often one can find small expeditions venturing from the city into the Dead Forest to study the strange elemental energy common to the forest. Other cities and settlements can be found within the desert itself but they tend to be a lot smaller since water is rather scarce. Most of these settlements are near underground rivers, oases or aquifers. The largest of these desert cities is Andoria, build between several large rock formations that protect it from the hardest winds. Andoria is known for its large temple.Technological Level
Of the Human countries in Farlis, Kevarim is the most advanced but most of this is due to magitech instead of regular technological advancements. Due to the Tinker Enclave's research the country has even surpassed the traditional high magic countries of the Magi Covenant. In recent decades Kevarim has really started to produce airships and arcane canons as a way of maintaining their wealth and prosperity. With more cities on the continent building docks for airships these could eventually replace the carvans and regular ships going from the Kevarim cities.
Foreign Relations
In ancient times Safir was still an outpost of a than much larger Dragonborn country. Eventually this country was split after Dragon Scourge resulting in several smaller nations. When Kevarim became a country itself, it helped other states to recover from the problems after the Dragon Scourge. Kevarim has therefore had a good standing with most nations in the Volker desert.
Somewhere in the year 932 AE the ruling house was changed to the house of Andeka. This was a bit controversial since the house had roots in the now gone Andakian Empire which had held many of Kevarim's current regions. This caused both cultures to get somewhat mixe.
In recent history war was being waged between the Magi Covenant and the Eastern Alliance. Kevarim did not join the war initially. But when several troops from the Magi Covenant started to attack caravans from the prominent houses of Kevarim both Kevarim and Aldhir joined forces with the Eastern Alliance. Nobody really knows today why the Magi Covenant started attacking caravans knowing that it would put them at a disadvantage in numbers while at war with the Eastern Alliance. Some even claim that Eprus had done this with soldiers disguised as Magi Covenant to get them to join the war but this could never be proven.
Education
In Kevarim education is mainly dominated by organisations such as the Keepers and the Tinkerer Enclave. The Keepers originate from the nearby country Aldhir which has good relations with Kevarim. The Keepers therefore have a university in many of the larger cities along the Eridani River. The exception is the capital where the Kevarim University has been around at least in some form since 764 AE making in the oldest on the continent.
More magical and technological directed education is however not in hands of the standard universities but the Tinkerer Enclave. This organisation which was founded by Oneragan Gnomes also functions as an education center for engineers and scientists.
Besides higher education all citizens of Kevarim receive basic education as well. Kevarim is one of the few countries that make schools mandatory and even fund public schools. The wealthier part of the population however often send their children to private schools.
Founding Date
523 AE
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Government System
Plutocracy
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
The money used in Kevarim is the Oshan. The basic Oshan is made of silver which is worth 10 copper coins which are not officially named but the population call them Shankis. There are multiple silver coins worth 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 Oshan. Two 32 Oshan coins are worth one electrum (gold and silver) Oshan which is called the Koshan. Gold coins are typically minted with a worth of 4 Koshan.
Major Exports
Quartz, crystals, almonds, spices, coffee, color extracts, dates, basalt, volcanic concrete materials, magical trinkets
Comments