Khedris (KED-riss)
Khedris
The Sultarate of Khedris is a large, semi-conservative human nation located in the north central Tarsere.
Like most countries of the modern world, Khedris had its start as a province of the Meradassian Empire. Initially founded as a buffer province between the rebellious Ilsaran tribes in the North and the Empire proper, it became a distinctive culture in it's own right as time went on.
Culture
When Khedris was founded, it modelled its government on its predecessor, the Meradassian Empire. Using an ancient Kellian word for leader or king, they crowned the first Sultar of Khedris from the noble families who could trace their heritage back to the first Kell survivors of the Dawn War and formed a privy council consisting of the 12 oldest families to support the Sultar. The families are all ruled by the eldest male and it is rare for females to be publically in charge.
Khedrani society reflects that of its nobles and is somewhat misogynistic with females rarely having real (public) power or authority.
As a whole, Khedrani are a polite and respectful people. They extend guestrights openly and are honourbound to maintain their cultural ideals. They get along well with the Phaeraan people to the south, though don't see eye to eye on the use of magic. They respect the fierceness of the Ilsaran people but feel they are a barbarous lot that would be better off if they'd let a man run their country. They often have several low level skirmishes and border disputes going with the Ilsarans at any given time and as a result, many of the best Khedrani troops have served time along the northern border.
Khedris' location as a major hub of culture and trade have given its people prosperity but like they were in Old Meradassia, khedrani are often thought of as "second-best". While they are peerless merchants in their own right, the world considers the goblins to be the best traders known and while khedrani horses are prized for their speed and endurance they pale beside those raised by the Plains elves. This cultural perception of their second class status drives the khedrani to be very competetive, always having to prove themelves or take umbrage against their culture's honour. Combined with their mysogynistic attitudes, they often come across as a brash and arrogant people to outsiders.
Outside of the northern foothills, Khedris has very few natural mineral deposits and relies heavily on outside trade to maintain its wealth. They have every advantage in this regard. There is an old saying that states that "All roads lead through Khed." and they aren't wrong. They are the most centrally located country on the Tarseran continent. They are the only country to have easy and direct access to both the Meradassian Ocean and the Northwinter Sea. Merchants come from all over to sell their wares in the bazaars of the capital and men can make and lose entire fortunes within the span of a day in the merchant counting houses.
History
While Meradassia was still in its infancy, the land that is now Khedris was considered to just be part of its northern frontier. A temperate, fertile plain sloping gradually north from Meradassia proper towards the Dragonspine Mountains.
It was the traditonal homeland of the Kellian people and after the Dawn War, those few that still remained returned home and intermingled with the more populous Merad tribe, eventually blending into the Khedrani people.
The khedrani were a distinct subculture within Meradassia and shared many goals and ideals with their cousins. On the surface they were treated as equals to purebred Meradassians and given every honour and respect, but there was a subtle stigma against their Kellian heritage. When Meradassia conquered Kerast, the khedrani were there, sharing the victory, but feeling like they were second best.
As Meradassia pushed its borders northward, they came into conflict with the Ilsaran tribes who gave the Empire its first real resistance. The Ilsarans, themselves an offshoot of the Bhandar tribe, fought tooth and nail for every scrap of land but the Empire eventually overwhelmed them with sheer numbers.
As the Empire grew, the bureaucracy of running a massive global empire became more and more daunting. To help alleviate the weight of such an undertaking, the Meradassian Emperor and his council appointed provincial governors to oversee the newly formed territories. In the south they formed the province of Kerast and in the newly conquered north, the province of Ilsara stretched from the eastern veil river to the border river.
Ilsara was always a volatile province and the population constantly and frequently rebelled against its new leaders. The new Meradassian Emperor, Murkesh Cleothanes I, was barely thirteen when he took the throne and relied heavily on his council for advice. He had only heard stories of the fierce Ilsaran barbarians to the north and knew that his father, Amashel Cleothanes IV, had died fighting them. He became paranoid that they would easily rampage south and come for his head as well.
To protect himself (and the Empire) he decreed that a buffer was needed and the Province of Khedris was formed stretching from The Cliffs of Dharaken in the south to Ilsara's border in the north.. The political opportunists used this opportunity to solve the khedrani problem at the same time. They used the stigma against them to polarize the empire's leadership so that when the Province of Khedris was formed, anyone of khedrani high birth were politely shifted north to their ancestral home and ostensibly given positions of power within the new provincial government.
The khedrani were overjoyed to be finally recognized and given their due, but the truth was that the Imperial council hoped that the unruly ilsarans would keep them occupied and eventually they would wipe each other out. True to Imperial hopes, the khedrani and ilsarans bickered for years and still do in present day.
As the Empire continued to expand, Khedris became a natural crossroads and gateway to the south. Goods from the far flung western provinces travelled through Khedris to reach the capitol and the khedrani became excellent merchants and valuators of goods because of it. The khedrani sent caravans to the far flung corners of the world in search of profit. Many even travelled through the Veilgate in Phared to far off Al-Tanis and points beyond in their search for riches. Those that came back brought with them strange artefacts and treasures from another world.
After the Plague
When the world turned upside down during the plague, Khedris initially suffered slightly less than other parts of the empire. Being in such close proximity to the heart of the Empire, it benefitted from continued support from the capitol and didn't suffer many direct hits from any of the plague fragments or the creatures they spawned.
When the Bhanjax army amassed and moved south, Ilsara and Khedris became natural choke points in stopping them. For many years Khedris was the primary battleground and staging area for the war.
Many battles were fought there and much of the pristine wilderness and farmlands were devastated. Eventually they were overrun as the Bhanjax continued their push south towards Phared.
After The Empire
When the war ended, Khedris had been devastated. While the rest of the Empire balkanized and fragmented into its respective provinces, Khedris initially maintained its connection to the old empire, for a time becoming just the northern part of Phaeros again.
As ideologies in the Phaeraan government shifted away from the use of magic, Khedris saw itself increasingly at odds with the new regime. Whereas the Phaeraans began fearing and shunning magical prowess, Khedris embraced magic and saw it as a way to rebuild their infrastructure quickly. They were on a slow path to secceeding from Phaeros when Ilsara abruptly denied the Shiare rights to their territory and declared themselves a country.
Khedris followed suit shortly afterwards in response lest the Ilsarans got belligerent and decided to expand south. The two nations frequently clash in petty border squabbles, especially around the hill country in the north.
Khedris continued to grow as a central trading hub with access to the world's finest goods. While they are centrally located, the avaricious goblins have since usurped the khedrani as the world's best merchants.