Atarsid City-States (A-Tar-Sid)
The Atarsid City-States are the most northerly Kingdoms in the Known World. The peoples of Atarsid City-States claim themselves to be the bastions of civilisation in the Simmering Deserts, and they are no doubt rich and powerful kingdoms, whose major check is the conflict between one another. The largest cities of the Atarsid City-States are Kaihaba, Kinmay, Myhab, Navandria, and Yamathrib, which are also the names of the respective petty kingdoms.
Geography
The Atarsid City-States are located to the far north of the Known World limiting, but not totally preventing, contact and trade with the rest of Runetalras. The City-States are present on the largest Isle of the Atarsid Isles, and chiefly around the largest rivers and oases out of necessity, as the Isle is arid and inhospitable. The lands of the Atarsid City-States are by proportion chiefly sweltering deserts inhospitable to humanoids, however sounding rivers and oases are lush and fertile lands.Population
The majority of the population within the Atarsid City-States are Human, although they only represent a little over half of the total population, with dwarves, gnomes, and genasi each representing more than ten percent each, with Elves, and halflings being the next of the most populous races.Religion
The majority religion of the Atarsid City-States is the Atun-huni Pantheon, this is true for both the Human and nonhuman population. The Atun-huni Pantheon is de facto the state religion for each of the City-States, but there is no official state religion and the City-States have no law against other religions. Of the various minority deities worshipped within the City-States the Morndinsamman are the most common.Racial Relations
Of the societal problems that face the Atarsid City-States racial conflict is remarkably low on the list. Discrimnation does not tend to be put into racial terms within the City-States, instead discrimnation and prejudice is shown toward the people of the Kingdoms of Makthoria and Sarvartar regardless of their races.Views on Magic
The Atarsid City-States take a position of regulating magic, opposed to making it inherently illegal; instead the City-States make it illegal to cast magic which enchants, or alters the state of, a person’s mind, and magic which can create or purify water; the punishment for using these kinds of magic is to cut the hands of the offending mage off. The City-States also believe that magic in slaves is highly dangerous, and a slave that demonstrates the capability to manipulate the Weave should be destroyed or be mutated to affect their ability to cast spells.Slavery
Only the politically, religiously, militarly, and financially powerful have any form of rights within the Atarsid City-States, and slavery runs rampant. Slaves make up the majoirty of the population of the City-States by a significant margin. The City-States trade for slaves, with the Yhess Kingdoms, and even with the trades of the Kingdom of Sarvartar who are despised by the peoples of the City-States. The City-States also act as safe haven for slavers who would be criminals in their home countries, and even Corsairs of the Stormy Seas, in plain terms all that are willing to buy and sell slaves are welcome. By virtue of being the most populous race within the Atarsid Isles, humans make up the majority of the slave population, with all races being represented as slaver masters, free peoples, and slaves.Politics
The Atarsid City-States are, for the most part, ruled by Sultans who hold supreme power over their city-states. Importantly however, Navandria is ruled by a pharaoh who holds similar power over their city-state.International Relations
The Atarsid City-States maintain grand embassies within the Yhess Kingdoms, as they represent one of their primary market places, and have a positive relationship with them. The City-States have a much more hostile relationship with the neighbours, the Kingdoms of Sarvartar, Makthoria, and Legvaren, as the City-States support slaving in their territories.Education
The noble houses and wealthy merchants typically hire teachers for their children and young adults. Any slave who duty does not require education, would be executed for attempting to pursue an education, the masters of the Cities-States recognise that knowledge is power.Gender, Sexuality, and Inheritance
The societies of the Atarsid City-States generally recognise two genders - male and female - whilst many choose to identify as other genders there is social stigma, confusion, and sometimes repulsion to them. There are rigid gender roles within Atarsid societies, with men taking on more physical roles, whilst women take on a dual burden of childcare and professions like weaving which allow them to work in the home. Sexulaity is more free within the City-States than their views on gender. Homosexaulity, between both men and women, is widely accepted as normal and natural. There is even a tradition of polyamory within the City-States, with a person of either gender being able, and sometimes encouraged, to maintain a marriage as well as one or more paramours. Both the Sultans and Pharaoh of the City-States possess a female preference primogeniture, where the royal blood is believed to flow through the women of noble lines. As a result inheritance of all kinds favours women.Infrastructure
The Atarsid City-States have extensive road and port systems to facilitate the economy of the City-States, the trade of slaves, minerals, and spices. Dams, aqueducts, and other civil projects are common throughout the City-States, built on the back of slave labour.Agriculture & Industry
The majority of agriculture and industry is largely worked by slave labour, and the agrarian practices of the City-States are based on farming surrounding the rivers of the Isles. There are citizens of the City-States who specialise in crafting, jewellery, weapons, and even woodwork, but they are rare. The backbone of the economy is based on slavery, minirals mined by slaves, and the trade of spices.History
Age of Conquest
The Atarsid City-States trace their history back to the Age of Conquest. Humanity expanded greatly during this age, and Human ships reached the Atarsid Isles in the last two centuries of the Age. Humans conquered the gnomeish, goblinoid, and Goliath settlements, and eventually established hegemony over the largest isle of the Atarsid Isles. The humans who conquered the isle began to spread to the isles of the Atarsid Isles, however, this era of expansion was abruptly halted by the start of the Age of Blood.Age of Blood
The ritual at Kirthlath tore the Mantle between planes, this did not exclude the Atarsid Isles. Elemental chaos was brought forth throughout the Isles, and the Atarsid City-States suffered as, as elder elementals and their servants wreaked havoc in their battle against one another. The lands themselves were scared by the elemental planes, the greatest example was the eruption of the Black mountain. For two centuries the City-States existed in a state of chaos, and many were extinguished in the battles between elementals. In this period, much of the racial hatred was abandoned and a more equal society throughout the City-States was brought in the midst of this bloodshed. An end was brought when the elementals exhausted the forces that they could pour into Runetalras, and more civilised creatures from the Elemental Planes came to the fore.The Golden Age of the Atarsid Isles
Whilst much of the rest of Runetalras suffered through the remainder of the Age of Blood, the experience of those within the Atarsid Isles was far different. The genies of the four Elemental Planes and the people of the Isles seized control of the portal between the five planes. Whilst tensions were high to begin, gold won over, trade flowed and people of the City-States, and of the Elemental Planes, grew rich. This time period is known as the Golden Age for the Atarsid City-States as a general considered to reach their zenith in this period. Slavery also widely introduced throughout the City-States by the genesis of the Elemental Planes, and the system of slavery has flourished throughout the City-States since.Age of Contempt
The Age of Contempt brought devastation to the City-States. The Portals that connected the City-States to the Elemental Planes were abruptly closed, by the repair of the Mantle at Kirthlath, which halted the vital trade between the planes which the City-States were built upon. People of the City-State were trapped in the Elemental Planes, whilst denizens of the Elemental Planes were likewise stranded. With trade and the fundamental components of the City-States’ economies totally broken they experienced widespread economic collapse. Access to vital sources of water from the Elemental Plane of Water were lost which caused mass strife and death as the Isles lacked sufficient freshwater to sustain the populations that had grown in the 800 year Golden Age. Civil wars and wars between City-States were rife for the 400 years known as the Dark Ages of the Atarsid City-States. By the time the Dark Ages came to an end, only five of the once many City-States survived; those being Kaihaba, Kinmay, Myhab, Navandria, and Yamathrib. Since 423:Contempt the City-States have worked to reestablish trade with other areas of Runetalras, with trade particularly strong with the Yhess Kingdom, who despite distance likewise trade extensively in slaves. While wars between the City-States are frequent they are typically small in scale and limited in scope. Wars, raids, and attacks on the Kingdom of Makthoria and the Kingdom of Sarvartar have been far more significant and deadly. This has endured a deep distrust and resentment amongst their peoples.
Population: 1,100,000
Founding Date
592:Blood
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Economic System
Traditional
Major Exports
Sugar, Tea, Gold, Fish, Glass, Coffee, Sulfer, Lead, Salt, Incense, Ivory, Spices, Silk, and low quality industrial products.
Major Imports
Cereal Grains, Dimeritium, Weaveite, Livestock, Ironwood, Adamantine, Wine, Timber, Mithral, Platnium, Cocoa, Deeswax and Honey, Iron, as well as extra-regional foodstuffs
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
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