Kings of Man
Astaria was the first major human kingdom, it formed when when one of the Yavinian tribes conquered much of the northern plain, and centralized their rule. They were able to do this because agriculture spread east from Cordyan, the land of the dwarves, which had long been ruled centrally, by their king. Now the humans had a nation to match.
Bell & Chain Kingdom
The Astarids enjoyed the flood of knowledge and wealth from all corners of their nation, and they prospered, they launched great raids into neighboring lands, namely into the elven forests, where they took many slaves.
These elves worked on Astarid farms, and in their mines, it made the humans here very wealthy, but by the end of their rule, over half of the people living here were slaves, and not only elven ones, but also many from dendor and the Rendish lands.
They used their misbegotten gains to build temples to their own glory, which are well known for their impressive bells. The only ones of these that stand to this day, are the ones they built in their capital, Iscath, which now lies ruined on the north Yavin's west bank.
Iscath
This city is now a weathered ruin, its walls mere cobles littering the fields, but the temples still stand, they are great towers which stand tall above the grass, and they are adorned with bronze statues, and guarded with stone golems.
These bells were said to be magical engines of power back in their glory days, now they resonate with the wind, amplifying its sound, and spreading an eerie hum across the plains.
Music of the Ages
These temples and their bells have survive for many thousands of years, by the grace of the magic runes that were written on them, their meaning has now been forgotten, but their power remains. When spells are cast on them, they emit strange sounds, as if intricate musical instruments, that attune to each different magical element.
Many musicians come here to experiment with these mystical instruments, and many leave not having learned much. The bells are as of yet nearly impossible to move, although one of the smaller ones has since been transported to Erech Yor, by one proud king, to serve as that cities church bell.
Mages too study the bells, their sounds teach of the ingenuity of the human ancestors, and they inspire wander, and curiosity of what their purpose may have been in their time.
It is general agreed upon that they served some religious purpose, although it isn't known what. It is known that the Astarids popularized the warship of the moon among the Yavinian people, but the bells are unaffected by its cycles, presence, or lack thereof.
Below They Slumber
For the longest time they were hard to access, because of the golem guards, but as time passed the golems moved underground, to the catacombs where the Astarids buried their nobility. The entrances to these catacombs has been converted by sand and debris over the years, although some entrances have since been excavated, for people to study. However, scholars are careful to leave the golems to themselves, they are not very active anymore, but if they were to be alarmed by curious archeologists, they might come back to the surface, and cause much bigger issues.
Call of Treasure
It is because of the difficult-to-access entrances, and the slumbering golems, that the catacombs remain shrouded in mystery, and there are a number of rumours, and myths about strange beings, and vast treasures of ancient kings, that could be hidden down there, some adventurers have been foolish enough to try going down there, some have even returned with tales of glory and mysterious beasts, some even brought back strange artifacts, most commonly are the glowing glass orbs, with unknown functions, but there are some runic bronze weapons that, which are displayed in museums, or more likely, in the collection of some wealthy noble, for all to admire.
Culture
Not much is known about the Astarid culture, other than their love of the moon, which is depicted on many of what remains from their ruins.
They were a tribal kingdom, in only the earliest stages of development.
Development
The Astarids conquered the plain with superior numbers, given to them by their settled, agricultural lifestyle, but in the beginning, most of their conquered subjects were still nomadic cow herders.
The rule of the Astarids saw agriculture spread across the plains, especially on the river, before this the river had only been a source of drinking water, one where they didn't need to stay constantly, but agriculture made the river essential, as the land closest to the river was the most fertile, and would grant to best crop yield.
They even developed their own grains such as oats, and rye, allowing them to move away from the dwarves, spelt and barley, they still kept them around tho, because barley especially proved to be a wonderful ingredient for the brewing of alcoholic beverages.
Rye was more popular in the northern provinces, and in the winter, as it could withstand the cold quite well, and didn't need much to grow. Oats were grown on the river, a custom that continues to this day, even after the cultivation of more lucrative crops.
The people of this time didn't bake bread as we know it, instead eating dense flatbreads, baked on hot stones, as well as porridge and from their oats.
Fall
The Astarids survived for two centuries, before they collapsed, it is thought that they fell victim to a slave uprising, or invading Dendorian tribesmen. It is even thought that Yfnar drove the Astarid king insane, and that caused the kingdom to collapse, or it was a combination of all the above, but their end was followed by many years of division amongst the Yavinians, until the next major kingdom, the Marikids
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