Fact Boxes for Kargama

Here are the fact boxes for the newly-mapped region known as Eshir, to the south of the Sea of Orrida. It also includes a small inset map of the island nation of Od Meginnas.

This will be the focus of the next high-res and textless atlas map that will be published next week, exclusively for Acolyte patrons and higher followed by the normal version the week after that.

The Encyclopaedia Elyden is already updated with all the relevant entries related to the regions and their history, so you can check them out there!

Thanks all for your support :)

As always, feel free to point out typos in the comments :)

Also, sorry for the history on this one. I went a bit overboard (again!), so its quite long... there's also quite a bit of overlap with Eshir to east and the the Templar States, to its west.

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A Timeline of Kargama

? - craven idols are erected in the Ehrenisian Coast by an ancient culture of which nothing remains today, but for the surprisingly well-preserved idols themselves. They are now thought to date to the Third Age, though there is little concrete evidence to support this. Though the majority were simply statues, a few were made from a strange substance that had a stone-like exterior and a soft red lattice-like interior that oozed ichor when broken.

c. -2500 RM - the Fading of the Fourth Age. The region now known as Kargama is left almost completely depopulated, the remains of a now-unremembered empire dotting the landscape like ghosts. Nothing is known of what happened to the people of this ancient culture, but they simply disappeared without a trace. Not even bodies predating the Fading can be found.

c. -2000 - mortals emerge from the dark days of the Fading to reclaim Elyden. In Kargama there are no natives to stop the advance of immigrating people, and the area becomes a melting pot of different cultures. One group of people, the so-called Elitagri people, encounters the ancient idols in the north east. Unable to explain their strange material, they begin to worship them as idols, leaving cuneiform inscriptions in the area that are thought to be a corrupted version of an earlier Fourth Age culture.

c. -1650 - c. -600 RM - the Elitagri people become the prevalent culture in the centre of the Ehrenisian Coast, settling down and founding independent cities and establishing a healthy trade network many years ahead of their peers elsewhere.

They form a close bond with the Dhekaari nomads, and both groups come to worship the ancient idols found in the region. While the individual Elitagrai people only revere the idol around which their town is built, the Dhekaari adopt a more polytheistic system, paying their respects to any idol they encounter in their travels.

c. -1500 RM - ancient Elitagri mathematicians devise a base 60 mathematical system. Though it is eventually usurped by other decimal systems, the early age during which this system is devices leaves a lasting mark across Elyden. Hours being divided into 60 minutes, and degrees being divided into 360, are all examples of the legacy of Elitagri Mathematics.

c. -1250 RM - wild horses are first encountered by the survivors of the Fading in the Lamaghine Plains. Though they are ignored, people do settle the region, with settlements appearing close to the horse’s grazing areas, including the settlement of Vener. Over the ensuing centuries this close contact will result in a growing relationship between human and horse in the area.

c. -1100 RM - the idol of Aghatyraell is discovered in the region of Karghemir. It is half-buried and overgrown and is carefully excavated, revealing a figure of intentional misshapen form. Immediately, the people begin to revere it, but realise that it must be taken somewhere more central. It is taken to the village of Phand (now known as Fent) and a large temple is built around it. People soon gravitate towards the settlement, which over the coming decades begins to grow.

c. -900 - c. -700 RM - a cultural shift takes place in the Elitagri cities as major food sources begin to dwindle. The cities become more militocratic and conflict between cities increases. When a city defeats another city, its soldiers topple its idol, signifying the death of that city’s culture. Over time, the destruction of these idols comes to mean the literal death of the deity - something its worshippers cannot never recover from. They either scatter as refugees, or a governor of the conquering force is instated to rule over them.

In this way, the hundreds of different idols are slowly whittled down to a matter of a dozen, which are worshipped by various peoples, many of them not necessarily based in the city where the idol is located. This requires the construction of simulacra of the original idol in vassal cities, which are venerated as avatars of the deity itself, which by this time has become indistinguishable from the original idol - deity and idol are one.

c. -820 RM - the city of Phand has grown considerably and is now the dominant power in the west of Elitagri territories, and the idol of Aghatyraell is the most venerated, though many of its vassal cities continue to revere their own idols. A cult has emerged around the idol of Aghatyraell, whose disfigured face and body are believed to ward against evil. Those born with similar deformities are considered as sacred and by this time they are chosen by the cult to be groomed as priests who wield great power in the region.

c. -780 RM - A schism forms between the Dhekaari nomads and the far more numerous Elitagri people. The latter have become more fundamentalist in their beliefs and do not accept the polytheistic veneration that is practiced by the Dhekaari. They forbid outsiders from travelling into their settlements, effectively alienating the nomads and denying them access to the Kargaman Idols that are central to their worship. Tensions rise over the next years in various Elitagri states as nomads attempting to access the cities are repeatedly pushed back. This leads to the accidental death of a nomad in the settlement of Lyvar that sees the political situation ignite, ending in the widespread killing of Dhekaari nomads that effectively sees them omitted from records.

Only a handful of Dhekaari groups remain after this period, and they retreat to the wilderness, where they forsake the Kargaman Idols and the Elitagri people alike.

c. -700 - -400 RM - brimstone is found in large quantities in the north of the Oncethmus Hills and the Sementine Plains regions. Various Elitagri cities begin mining the brimstone deposits there, becoming early centres of industry. They sell brimstone to surrounding regions at great profit, and unite in a powerful political union. The major cities in this period become Drom, Kivar, and Plysiane. Other centres of brimstone production do exist, but they never become as influential as these three cities, which become famed across the Sea of Orrida.

Over the years, brimstone becomes a powerful commodity, prized not just for its use as a fuel and a light source, but also as a weapon - it is a powerful asset in all forms of warfare, where boulders of brimstone are lit on fire and used as projectiles for catapults and trebuchets.

c. -500 RM - in Phand, the priests of Aghatyraell have become the ruling power and foster close interfamilial relations amongst their families. This has resulted in a dynasty of rulers known as the Consanguine Dynasty, in which incestous unions are common. Ironically, this also results in a higher number of birth defects, which are interpreted as the favour of Aghatyraell, so the practice is enforced. To keep the bloodline strong, healthy individuals are selected from the population of Phand to be taken as consorts by the priests and their families.

A tradition of bareback horse riding emerges in the Lamaghien Plains. This eventually spreads outside Phand, to the rest of the Elitagri cities.

c. -100 RM - the Consanguine Dynasties have spread to encompass most of present-day western Kargama, as well the southeast of extant Khull and the south of the extant Templar States. Ruling from the city of Phand, the exotic culture that has emerged in the city and its vassals has led to it becoming a distinct entity from the Elitagri cities to the east. Despite many of its rulers having short and troubled reigns due to physical ailments, the dynasty as a whole is beloved and immensely powerful.

c.- 10 - 14 RM - the Adepts of Triskethia, seeing the value of brimstone, launch a series of attacks south against the Elitagri city-states. Plysiane bears the brunt of the attacks, and though it is ultimately victorious, it is left crippled and wanes in power over the coming years, with Drom, Kivar and by c. 20 RM the city-state of Vistatia remaining as the major powers in the area. In the west, the state of Phand remains strong, though it seeks to expand its domains beyond the basin of Karghemir.

c. 25 RM - the settlement of Karamera is founded by Dhekaari nomads in a narrow canyon through which flows the river Wolmash. It slowly attracts surviving Dhekaari, whose nomadic culture effectively dies out after this time. Its people respect the river, as they do all the natural world, though they do not worship it.

c. 110 - 200 RM - the city of Karamera dams the Wolmash, providing it with ample water energy to power its fledgeling industries. It rapidly grows after this, becoming a powerful independent city that stands against the idolatry of Elitagra. Over the next few generations its people begin producing adi biel - flavoured mineral water - that becomes popular amongst passing merchants, who take it to surrounding lands.

200 - 600 RM - in Phand, the members of the Consanguine Dynasties commission art to place in their palaces, initiating a period of great cultural growth. This has the unintended result of instilling a deep respect of various crafts in the region, and various works of art find themselves for sale across neighbouring trade routes, bringing new prestige and wealth to the region.

This new wealth is poured into various projects, including bolstering Phand’s armies, and by c. 300 RM a succession of dynasts with expansionist goals lead Phand to a period of growth that sees it expand to the east into Elitagri cities.

c. 350 RM - the Expansion of the Consanguine Dynasties results in many cities being assimilated by its armies, including the independent city of Karamera.

c. 520 - 600 RM - the shrine of Kaem-Ak is constructed in Karamera, in honour of its ancestors. It is massive - hewn form a steep canyon cliff, overlooking the river Wolmash.

c. 800 RM - the Order of Witnesses is established in the Elitagri city-states. Based in the temple-complex of Lera, its priests, known as Witnesses, become an ubiquitous site across the various city-states of Elitagra and are integral to the gradual homogenisation of its culture.

c. 870 - 1095 RM: in the Triskethian Domains, a dynasty of expansionist Adepts comes to power, leading them to clash with the Elitagri cities in the south.

906 RM - a major earthquake shakes the S of territories of the Consanguine Dynasties, leaving the region devastated, and many cities destroyed, amongst them Karamera, whose dam is destroyed, flooding the city and killing thousands.

c. 1100 RM - war erupts between the Triskethian Domains and the Elitagri cities, resulting in a short but bloody war that sees the numerically-superior Elitagri people push back Triskethian forces. The conflict ends in a treaty that sees the Elitagri cities united in a federation in 1008 RM, with many territories that had been lost in the war reclaimed, and a clear delineation drawn on maps that are observed by both regions. Following this, the two states become loose allies.

c. 1100 - 1122 RM- To the west, Phand sees this new alliance as a threat, and bolsters its eastern borders, conscripting troops to raise a new army. The people of Phand are unhappy with the situation though there is no conflict with the Elitagri Federation, and there is unrest, particularly in the region where most conscripts are drafted. This leads to a time of unrest, with most of the newly-raised forces turning on the populace to restore order. This period is characterised by increased lawlessness, particularly along trade routes, with cities finding themselves cut off from the strongholds of the Consanguine Dynasties, leading to increased unrest.

1122 - 1126 RM - Elitagra takes advantage of the unrest in Phand and marches against it, attacking settlements along the Lamaghine Plains, which become the site to many battles. The expert horse archers of Vener prove pivotal in the defence, though ultimately they are unable to withstand the sheer numbers of the Elitagri armies.

Idols are toppled by both sides as cities are taken, though neither force is able to gain the upper hand for months, with troops suffering major casualties on both sides. The election of a new Federation Jurisprudent in 1024 RM leads to Elitagra concentrating its efforts, conscripting new troops to send into the fray. This injection of fresh blood slowly tips the scales in the favour of Elitagra, whose forces marches west, toppling idols as it goes. It reaches Phand in 1126 RM and takes it after a 3-month siege, toppling the idol of Aghatyraell, ending close to two millennia of influence in the region and bringing to an end the reign of the Consanguine Dynasties, uniting the two lands.

1126 - c. 1150 RM - the Federation consolidates its power, establishing its rule across the states from the city of Kyrasea in 1142 RM. The remnants of the Consanguine hierarchy are hunted down in the old territories of Phand, including the priestly caste that oversees its idols and temples. Instead, members from the established Order of Witnesses are placed in charge of the idol and temples, helping to restore order to Elitagra.

c. 1200 RM - the settlement in Vener becomes the centre of horse breeding in Elitagra. Bareback riding is common here, and its expert riders are recruited into the Eitagri armies, where they become renowned feared shock troops.

c. 1350 RM - the Order of Witnesses has become extremely powerful in Elitagra, exerting as much, if not more-so, influence than the Jurisprudent and the Federation council. Life and culture revolves around their actions and the worship of the Kargaman Idols

1434 - 1441 RM - the Knights of St Malichar launch a short-lived crusade into the Ehrenisian Coast. Throughout the seven years of the crusade, the attacking forces wreak havoc on the coast, though they are ultimately beaten back by defences along various fronts.

c. 1575 - c. 1630 RM - rise of the Kargemman merchant families in the city of Lera. They quickly become powerful, influencing trade between the various states of Elitagra and controlling the sale of brimstone throughout the Federation and beyond. It is clear that they seek to usurp the Federation in Kyrasea and begin sanctions against the city, leading to its weakening. The Witnesses oppose the rise of the Kargemman merchant families.

c. 1600 - 1700 RM - bareback horse racing spreads across Elitagra, becoming something of a national sport, with jockeys from different cities competing against each other. During this period, the races become linked to Kargaman Idolatry, with jockeys being sponsored by individual temples, making the yearly race in the great hippodrome outside Kyrasea a must-see event that continues to be enjoyed today.

c. 1630 - 1660 RM - the Kargemman merchant families have established themselves as the sole rulers of Lera, becoming plutocrats, surpassing even the Witnesses as the major power within the city. Without, their connections and business relations in as many as a dozen cities form a schism within the Federation, which is itself losing credibility.

After decades of opposing the plutocrats, the Witnesses eventually come to support them, seeing the potential for being allies to the growing dynasty.

c. 1660 - 1682 RM - with the Witnesses, the Kargemman plutocracy is able to wrest control from the Federation, and by the end of this period the plutocrats have usurped the councils home in Kyrasea.

1682 RM - the Witnesses legitimise the founding of the Kargemman Monarchy, beginning a new political age in Elitagra, which becomes known as the Kingdom of Kargemma. The Monarchy is based in the city of Lera.

1682 - 1750 RM - The Kargemman Monarchy distances itself from Triskethia and doubles down on its near monopoly of brimstone, expanding its industry and establishing offices in various ports across the Sea of Orrida, where it secures exclusive trade deals, making it even richer. In the north, it prospects for soulstones, but Triskesthia has the region heavily protected.

With the advance of medical knowledge bringing new meaning to the consequences of the incestuous relations of the Consanguine Dynasty, the Kargemman Monarchy is careful to not marry too closely, and its plutocrats and other members of the royal family seek spouses and consorts from outside Kargemma, marrying into the nobility and powerful merchant families from across the Sea of Orrida. This brings great renown and renewed wealth to the new Monarchy, cementing its newfound influence as a power to be reckoned with.

1721 - 1790 RM - the accession of queen Beustris in 1721 RM saw Kargemma expand its borders. The islands of Rohdin and Edde, which until now have been largely ignored, are colonised, and the kingdom’s armies march west (what is today the south east of Khull) and south east (What are today the east of the Vespertine League and the north of Eshir).

They reach as far east as the Bay of Eshir, where they clash with the northernmost Asseerian defences, where they stall.

In the west they cross the Dirion and Vitrivon Mountains, and march into the wasteland of Guldung in the far southeast of Inghull, where they meet the forces of the Sorcerer-kings, who stop their advance without bloodshed in 1766 RM. A peace treaty is established the following year, which cultivates a new relationship between the two nations. In the coming decades the Kargemman houses marry into the tanks of the Sorcerer-kings, bringing them material and esoteric power, as well as the secrets of longevity.

In the south they advance into the savannahs of Vesper, assimilating various pastoral people and settling in old Fourth Age ruins.

These events establish the borders of Kargemma for many years going forward.

1926 - 1935 RM - the death of king Quesdron allows his twin children Anoquaron and Anoquaris to accede. They rule together for two years from Lera, but in 1929 RM they agree to divide the kingdom into two thrones (regions), with a new capital established in the city Karghemir. They draw lots to decide who will rule from where, and Anoquaris moves west to begin her rule over what becomes known as Tul Kargemma, or Western Kargemma. Her brothers’ domains become known as Mill Kargemma, or Eastern Kargemma, and he rules from Lera.

A period of adjustment follows this sundering, with various institutions dividing their assets across the twin kingdoms. Similarly, the royal court is carved apart, leading to a time of readjustment. In the east, Mill Kargemma maintains control of the vast majority of brimstone mines and farmlands, while Tul Kargemma secures most other mineral and ore resources. This disparity of resources ensures that both kingdoms continue to work together, and though each side develops idiosyncrasies and differences in policies, they remain effectively the same kingdom in all but name - just one with two monarchs

1959 - 1972 RM - the death of Anoquaron in 1959 RM leads to months of political uncertainty, with members of the court divided between those who want to continue the tradition established by the sovereign twins, and others who want a return to a single ruler. Though he dies with a male heir, the issue is taken to his sister in Tul Kargemma, who is so distraught by her brother’s death that she is unable to make a ruling, so her court acts on her behalf, choosing to reunite the two kingdoms.

And so after merely 33-years the twin kingdoms of Kargemma become one once more, and queen Anoquaris returns to Lera to rule from there, though she spends the rest of her days in mourning for her brother, never producing an heir. When she dies in 1972 RM, the throne goes to the next in line, their cousin Battuz.

1972 - 1983 RM - King Battuz squanders the royal coffers on frivolous parties and expands the palace in Lera, adding hundreds of lavishly decorated rooms that lay unused for years. He makes many enemies and executes and exiles hundreds of people, for affronts real and perceived. Of note is a group of knights who are exiled to the island of Rohdin in 1981 RM.

His death in 1983 RM is barely mourned, and he leaves behind a Kargemma that is severely weakened. Its borders diminish and it wanes in influence. The only thing keeping it from fragmenting are the plutocrats in control of its brimstone industry.

1981 - 1988 RM - a group of five knights exiled to the island of Rohdin by Battuz, and they settle in the town of Rattea. They gain a healthy following over the next years and lead its people in a rebellion that sees the island break away and form an independent state in 1988 RM. Kargemma is still recovering from the mismanagement and decadence of Battuz and is unable to secure the island, allowing it to break away.

c. 2479 - 2500 RM - the Soulseers take control of Triskethia, re-establishing relations with Kargemma and Khull.

2534 - c. 2590 RM - The Ehrenisian Crusade. Korachani Crusaders set sail for the Ehrenisian Coast, landing on onto the mainland into Inghull and Kargemma, attacking sites of religious or cultural importance to the natives. The first attacks target coastal areas and are largely successful, though as time goes on, the native defence coordinates a united front, with the forces of the Sorcerer-kings and the Kargemman Monarchy at the forefront, pushing the crusaders back to their island fortresses. Korachani losses are great, but the fact only serves to fuel their hatred, causing more people to take up the call to crusade over the coming decades.

2535 RM - invading Korachani forces quickly overpower the meagre defences of the island of Rohdin, and erect the first iteration of fort of St. And, which they use as a staging post for future invasions of the mainland.

c. 2600 RM - missionaries from Inderachan penetrate deep into the lands of the Ehrenisian Coast, proselytising the word of the Shadow Triumphant. Few people have the patience or wherewithal for this, since they are still deep in the period of conflict with Korachani crusaders. Despite this, the mere spread of knowledge of the splinter sect is enough of a victory for the missionaries, who are not themselves directly involved in the war.

c. 2680 - 2752 RM - several attempts are made by Korachan to colonise the Ehrenisian Coast in the N–W of Sammaea, hoping that the foothold gained by the founding of Inderachan will be an asset in founding the colony. A major port is established in Inderachan in 2684 RM, where future settlers from the east will make landfall.

c. 2700 RM - Kargemma enters in diplomatic agreements with Triskethia, strengthening its military position against Korachani invaders. The United Assembly is introduced in 2703 RM to serve as a war council, but it soon develops into a functional government, with most monarchs following its creation delegating work to them.

c. 2750 - c. 2790 RM - the Khullan Inquisition marches south east into Kargemma, taking advantage of ongoing conflict with Korachan. Its forces move against religious centres, intent on toppling its Idols. This marks a time of uncertainty and conflict in the north of Kargemma, as its people are forced to defend their lands from scattered sporadic invading Khullan forces, leading people to question the effectiveness of the Monarchy. Dissatisfaction with the current regime grows. Amid the matter of defence against foreign invaders, the court is forced to deal with growing dissent amongst its own people.

2753 - c. 2810 RM - Korachani colonisers redouble their efforts against the Ehrenisian Coast, leading to a complex conflict between five sides - a loosely allied Kargemman and Triskethian forces who are defending their lands from Korachani colonisers and Parthisan invaders, who are themselves in conflict with each other, with the nation of Inghull, which is in the midst of its own civil war between the Khullan Inquisition, who are loosely allied with Parthis, and the Sorcerer-kings, whose lands are rapidly dwindling. The Inquisitors’ attacks on Kargaman Idols wanes amid this conflict, though their forces do not pass up any opportunities to topple any Idols they may come across.

Parthis retreats in 2772 RM, and by c. 2804 RM the Korachani settlers are pushed back, and the fortresses of St. And and St. Berrea are destroyed by allied fleets. In Korachan, interest in establishing a colony wanes as the cost of the effort spirals, and in 2809 RM it signs a treaty ratifying a ceasefire with the nations involved on condition that the Templar Knights are allowed to live in the small exclave of Inderchan so long as they sever ties with Korachan.

2809 RM - in Kargemma, the long-suffering king Bras dies mere days before the signing of the peace treaty with Korachan, leading to a representative from the United Assembly signing the treaty on behalf of the kingdom of Kargemma. His son Karabras becomes king upon his death, but he in turn is assassinated two days after his ascension, before his coronation.

His death follows years of growing dissatisfaction with the Kargemman Monarchy amid the seemingly endless waves of Korachani forces during the Ehrenisian Crusade, and is the catalyst that leads to the collapse of the monarchy and the reinstatement of the Jurisprudent as a ruler, elected from the ranks of the Witnesses.

The election of the first Jurisprudent of the new regime ushers in a new era for Kargama, as it becomes known. Free of the shadow of war and the shackles of the monarchy, its people look to the future as they rebuild their home.

2875 RM - as the nation grows, the capital is moved to the city of Karghemir, which has grown in size and importance over the last centuries.

c. 2900 - 3000 RM  - the beliefs of the Shadow Triumphant slowly filter south with trade and travel, and find their way in Kargama, whose people are still staunch believers of what is now widely known as Kargaman Idolatry. The tenets of the Shadow Triumphant are most likely to find root in regions that do not have their own Kargaman Idol, and whose people are not as indoctrinated in the ways of the Witnesses.

3128 RM: the Church of the Shadow Triumphant is declared a sect of the Church of the Undying Machine, and worship is formalised in Kargama, though it never surpasses the sheer number of worshippers that the Kargaman Idols still attract.

c.3400 - 3600 RM: the Templar knights have established a trade network amongst a dozen major cities and their satellites, that together are now commonly known as the Templar States. Over the coming centuries, they orchestrate the further spread of the Church of the Shadow Triumphant into surrounding lands, allowing them to expand their borders south east into Kargama, reclaiming territories lost centuries ago. This leads to the Council of Inderachan, which takes place in 3402 RM, during which the Templar States are ratified under a formal government and territory, with the agreement of Khull and Kargama as to the official shape of its borders. This establishes the present shape of the aforementioned nations, which change little in ensuing years.

3690 - 3745 RM - a period of drought ravages the lands of Triskethia and the north west of Kargama, leading to famine in their larger cities.

c. 3820 RM - Kargama renews relations with the Templar States, and establishes exclusive trade deals, resulting in an exchange of brimstone for soulstones. Both nations benefit from this deal, and aids in their growing prosperity.