Barony of Atlan
The Barony of Atlan is one of the three most powerful Fultonian baronies, with influence extending well beyond the borders of Fultar itself. Atlan's ancient roots go back to the dawn of Fultar, and its rich culture and traditions a cornerstone of not only Fultonian, human civilization.
Atlan is currently in a state of ferment. The war is over; long abandoned territories are being resettled; refugees are on the move; large numbers of soldiers have been demobilized and areas that have been under military control for years are reverting to civilian authority. The defeated dwarves are trying to reconstruct some semblance of a sustainable society and various ambitious human individuals or factions are scrambling to get the biggest chunk of the spoils of victory. Mining and trading concessions are up for grabs, as are control over trading routes and real estate.
Structure
Although divided by few ethnic lines, the fierce regionalization has led to this wealthy Barony's lack of proportionate strength in national commerce and politics. The Baron himself is, and historically has been, a weak leader, with strong regional nobles, guilds, and municipal governments, including the city of Atlan.
However, because of this weakness many Atlanians play important roles in the national military and bureaucracy because they are not linked to any single, powerful interest.
Assets
Atlan has always been wealthy and powerful due to its rich farmlands fed by numerous rivers, strong pastoral lands, and varied natural resources. Atlan, however, dominates Fultar's economy because it is the center of banking and the nation's financial capital, as well as gateway of overland trade to the commodities, peoples and ideas from Sua Hills, Kumeristan, Nubia, Arabia and the Orient. Its great University of Atlan is also famous for its rigorous academic standards and focus on the sciences.
Atlan's most famous exports are its peerless steel, gems and minerals, and the production of the highest quality wines.
Atlan's most famous exports are its peerless steel, gems and minerals, and the production of the highest quality wines.
History
Immediately after the Guar Conquest, the Baron of Atlan gained its independence and declared itself an independent kingdom, which resulted in centuries of warfare until it was finally fully reabsorbed into the Fultonian Empire eight centuries later.
The Kingdom of Atlan was in a continual cycle of violence and spent fighting wars with the Guar rulers of Fultar (and their successors), fending off hostile attacks by the Sua Hill tribesfolk and Nubian pirates, and attempted invasions Nubian kings. Exhausted and bankrupt, in Years of Iron 234, the Kingdom of Atlan was conquered by the Arabic Prince Al-Sadiq. Al-Sadiq's Mukhala dynasty ruled Atlan for about three hundred years. In the year 485 YR, an effort to retake by native Atlanians backed by the Fultonian Queen began in earnest, with the retaking of the city of Atlan 535 YR, and the Mukhalas finally and completely expelled from Barony only about a hundred years ago in 805 YR.
The Suan Dwarf War recently ended, with the defeat of the dwarves at the hands of the Fultonian Imperial Army.
The current Baron of Atlan triggered the war by constantly demanding higher and higher tribute from the dwarves, but he lacked the resources to defeat them, and the Imperial Army had to step in and has been fighting an ugly war of attrition for several decades.
The dwarves had the advantages of fighting on their own turf and mostly on their own terms. More often than not they defeated the humans in any given battle, but were finally worn down and sued for peace. The dwarven regions are largely depopulated and severely impoverished.
Territories
The Barony of Atlan is over a hundred miles long, sixty miles wide.
Atlanian society is as divided as its topography.
The province has the most varied topography in Fultar. Included are both the rolling and
jagged hills of the southern Sua Hills, the sylvan Grugatch Forest, the primeval Southern Fultar Forest, and rich the Atlan river delta and Atlan plains. The southern boundary of Atlan, the Fultar savanna, is also the southern boundary of Fultar.
The central plains are the heart of the Barony. Despite years of warfare, invasions and political bickering the plains and river delta still produce a strong agricultural surplus. Potential output per acre is better than the Fultonian heartland, but this potential is rarely reached. Also, the tilled acres are far smaller in number than the heartland.
The Sua Hills in Eastern Atlan were home to an independent nation of dwarves since time immemorial who live in the mountains and have now been subdued and conquered after a long war.
In the foothills between the main areas of human habitation in western Atlan and the war torn mountains further east there are numerous communities of halflings and gnomes which acknowledge Fultonian sovereignty but in practical terms are self-governing as long as they pay their taxes and don't make trouble. The gnomes mine gems of their own and also serve as brokers and middlemen between dwarven gem-miners and human buyers.
The forest regions have always been areas of conflict between Fultonians and Celts, Germani, Nubians, Guar, orcs and elves. The southern Fultar Forest has never evolved far beyond hoe agriculture and pastoralism. The area has been conquered by the Fultonians a half dozen times, each generation re-conquered by a different human or humaniod enemy.
Currently Fultonians control about a third of the forest, a third of it is in tributary status and a third consists of independent tribes. Tribes along the trade routes are those most likely to have been co-opted.
The Grugatch forest to the southeast is an ancient sylvan wood. It is smaller than in the past, has often been invaded, but never conquered. The fierce and warlike Grugatch elves are so foul tempered that many elves do not consider them brethren. This bellicose nature has kept them free, despite having no true allies.
Type
Geopolitical, Barony
Capital
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
The Nubian King Aryamani invaded and sacked southern cities and town in the years immediately following the Guar invasion.
The Baron Drig defeats the Malik (King) Al-Nasi at the Battle of Three Days in 805 YR that resulted in the final expulsion of the Mukhalas from Fultar.