Encyclopaedia Elyden update #19 - Anubia

Here's the 19th Encyclopaedia update for your perusal, based on today's map of Anubia. Please let me know what you think and let me  know if there's any mistakes or typos as these entries are heading  straight to the Encyclopaedia at the end of the month :)  

You can keep up with these entries by looking for the  'Encyclopaedia Entries' tag.  

If you have any queries about any of the following entries, please don't hesitate to ask :)

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ALAJIZ: also ‘the Barrier’. A string of basaltic monadnocks (sheer-sided ridges) that stretch for some 75-miles in the c N of Anubia. The area is also known for an ancient temple, possibly dating back to the time of the Lost Ones

ANUBIA: also ‘the Desert-realm of Anubia’. Desert region in the N - E of Sammaea, S of Venthir, E of Sarastro,and W of Saragos. The vast area is populated by a culturally-linked people who share with each other little in the form of a unifying government, save the major city of Anubis, which exerts a degree of influence in the N - E. 

Anubians are dark skinned nomads who traditionally moved their herds from oasis to oasis, living off the land in familial sects, each led by a Hougan (spirit-master). The shadow of a common ancestral people hangs over the people of this land. Known as the Lost Ones, who died out c. –200 RM, very little of them is known to outsiders and the Anubians are reticent of sharing their history with others, though it is thought by some that the ancient stone circles that are common in the deserts of Anubia were erected by the Lost Ones.

Relatively few permanent settlements exist in Anubia, and those that do are usually centred around the arable lands in the far S and N, which are largely cut off from each other, save for the occasional caravans that brave the deserts. The central desert, which stretches for over 1,600-miles to the S - E to the border with Saragos and Naareth, is the main feature of Anubia, and the largest stretch of it is known as the Malichari Desert, after the Archpotentate Malichar. It is a wasteland that covers over 750,000-square-miles and dominates the landscape of Anubia. 

The region is united by its worship of what outsiders have come to call mkisih idols - creatures that were artificially created in ateliers in the W of Venthir and escaped, now roaming the deserts of Anubia, otherwise known as mkisihs. It is thought that the rel. is based on an older rel. (possibly belonging to the Lost Ones), that became corrupted when desert nomads first encountered the escaped mkisihs. In some cases the creatures have been captured and imprisoned in great stone temples, forced to witness the adulation of the Anubians. Upon death they are mummified, their bodies gilded, becoming idols that continue to be worshipped. See Vol III: Extant Nations and Realms.

ANUBIAN DESERT: see Anubia.

ANUBIAN STONE CIRCLE: Anubia is famed for its sandstone circles, which dominate its E-most lands, reaching as far N - W as the Molachari Desert and the hills of Ahra. The origins of the circles are unknown, as are their creators, but it is thought that they date back to the early Fifth Age, or possibly earlier. Though some have postulated that they may have belonged to the Lost Ones (ancestors of the Anubians), this is merely conjecture.

The circles are normally comprised of around a dozen (commonly 13) upright menhirs of red-coloured sandstone. Though they are today rounded and pitted by the elements, it is thought that they were once geometric in design. The discovery of a well-preserved circle 45-mile south-west of the settlement of Apis in 3349 RM revealed that a surface that is covered in intricate lithoglyphs, with sun motifs. It is now thought that most, if not all such circles also bore similar markings, making some scholars think that they are religious in nature, dedicated to an unremembered sun-cult.

No less than 32 specific circles have been identified, almost all of them hidden or buried beneath the sands of the Molachari desert. Many are badly damaged, though all bear the same traits mentioned above. They are typically ignored by Anubian nomads, though have been chosen as sites to set up camp, with awnings attached to the stone menhirs, which may be damaged in the process.

ANUBIS: wealthy city-state in the far N of Anubia. It is the only major city in all of Anubia and the influence of its merchant-lords is felt far and wide, for it is their caravans that bring trade to the other far-flung cities of the ntn. It is known for its salt mines and resin pottery that is made from endemic pines cultivated outside the city in expansive groves. 

The city is controlled by the Abyssal Templars, who fund many of the merchant-houses found throughout the city. It is also a centre for Shadow Dancer activity, and those with positions of power in the city are constantly wary of becoming a target to their blades (Pop. c. 240,000).

ATEIGHA: seasonal endorheic r. in the far S - W of Anubia, flowing N for 475-miles from sources in the Growing Mountains, before emptying in the Naaia basin. Together with the r. Kalaiama, seasonal snowmelt flows into the basin and collects into 1 or 2 seasonal l. collectively known as Naaia, after the basin. The l. rarely last more than a few months before they dry up. It is on the banks of this r. that the city of Draut built.

AVENTOR: 1. A sect of Anubian ascetics and mystics, whose influence lasted until c. 1000 RM, remaining near-constant in the city-state of Rethka. In 531 RM three such mystics travelled to the Citadel Mounts of Ehbot, offering their services to the ruling interregnum there. As their influence in Anubia waned so did it grow in Ehbot, where they became advisors to its ruler Ebaeon, who became little more than a puppet to them. The three Aventors of Ehbot seemed not to age and in their many years in power sired many bastards, some of which became potent Fir. known as Auspexes. Their other children were exiled into the mtn. of Ehbot where they lived their lives as ascetics, taking their fathers’ title of Aventor.

2. in post-Imperial (after 551 RM) Ehbot, a caste of mystics, their customs evolving from the native Anubian traditions of their Aventor fathers, who in 531 RM helped free the region from a century of war. They became commonplace in the mounts of Ehbot by c. 900 RM, remaining to this day in small numbers. Amongst the offspring of the three ruling Arkosian Aventors, those without firmamental aptitude were forced into exile in the mtn. of Ehbot as Aventors; ascetics and mystics who live lives of solitary recluses, practicing the emancipation of lifes’ cycles.

BENALASH: 1. Rocky region in the W of Anubia, encompassing most of the Naaia basin, and forming the S–W-most part of the deserts of Anubia. The remnants of an ancient aqueduct points to the now-dead city of Odisha that is hidden beneath the sands of the N - E deserts.

2. remnants of a large aqueduct litter the eponymous area of the Anubian desert, its size staggering, believed to have draw water from springs and r. from the N face of the Haagen Mtn. to the N–W. It is thought to have provided water to the now ruined city of Odisha.

BEREK HAL: oasis settlement in the N–W of Anubia. The settlement is home to a caste of scholars who study the writings of ancient historians and pass on their knowledge to the next generation. Their lore is well-regarded across the N - E of Sammaea and also parts of S Llachatul, with historians travelling there from the twin empires and beyond to study within its mud fortresses (Pop. c. 2,400).

BLACK GARDEN, the: botanical gardens in the city of Anubis that are tended to by the Shadow Dancers on behalf of the Abyssal Templars. The gardens are renowned for their many poisonous varieties of plants. Hemlock, Lily of the Valley, black lotus and drakeroot are all grown there and cultivated by the Dancers for use in their assassinations. The garden is well-guarded and entry is barred to all without the express permission of the Abyssal Templars.

BULLATA: also ‘the Blistered Desert’. Desert in N–E Anubia, to the W of the Ahset Mtns. known for its spherical dark rocks that protrude from the sands, giving rise to the name Blistered Desert. The region is known to be Atr. active and Venathi legend claimed it to be a window into the underworld. 

Until 2821 RM the region was kept under control by siphon engines under the protection of the city of Urum, though an unfortunate accident left the city and most of the siphon engines destroyed, allowing the Atm. to reclaim Bullata.

Now hundreds of decrepit siphon engines dot the area, the ruins of settlements and processing plants surrounding them.

CAINEN: large sandstone hill in the E of Anubia, along the Tropic of Rah, just N of the desert of Slaan. The many natural caves at its base have been used by nomads as tombs for centuries, with crude mummified remains of tribal leaders still interred within the niche-like recesses. The feature is used by nomads of the area for navigation.

CANOPIA: also ‘the Mausoleum City’. Once mortuary-city in the c N - W of Anubia where the Lost Ones prepared their dead for inhumation. The place is now a ruin, swallowed by the white sands of the Molachari Desert, only its black spires and archaic arches protruding form the sand in memory of what once was.

CYNOPOLIS: ancient necropolis in the far W of the Anubian desert, where a now-extinct ancient race or mortal humans, thought to be the Lost Ones by Anubians, buried its dead. The necropolis is riddled with large dog-headed statues that lie half buried beneath the dunes of the Dog Sea (after which it is named). A caste of Anubians known as Cynothropi guard the area from trespassers.

CYNOTHROPI: also ‘the Jackals’. Caste of Anubian ascetics, who guard area of the Dog Sea known as Cynopolis. Their chant: ‘We are the priests of Talantehut, the guardians of her glorious tombs, her humble graves. We are the keepers of the dead. We are the servants of Talantehut’, is renowned in Anubia, though it is unknown if they have any further links with the Demiurge Talantehut. 

They have little ties to the nomads of the region and are fiercely protective of Anubia, particularly their ancestral home, the ruin of Cynopolis.  

DAHALLASH: desert in the E of Anubia, between the Go Bisammam and the Molachari desert. It is thought to be the hottest known desert in Sammaea, with recorded temperatures exceeding 70OC. The cause of this heat is unknown though it is thought to be supranatural in origin.

DOG SEA, the: dune desert in the sea in c W of Anubia, over 22,000-square-miles in size. It is named after the many dog-headed colossi that pepper the area, most of them ruined, half eaten by the crawling sands.

DOMNAR: hereditary title in Anubia. Its bearers are the rulers of its fixed settlements.

EGETA: fortified settlement and caravanserai in the c W of Anubia. It serves as a link between the cities of Berek Hal and Anubis in the N, and Rethka and Illatra in the S (Pop. c. 6,000). 

ELOTRAUSH: 1. Fir. active region in the N–W of Anubia, close to the border with Sarastro. Its terrain is unstable, the sky above it white and nauseating, the sun bleaching everything beneath its gaze. The earth here is cracked, gigantic lodelith boulders breaking free of their earthy prison, trying to float. Many of them do, but the largest of the lodeliths are chained together, and have been since the earliest explorers have set sights on the place. Atop some of the lodeliths stand the ruins of an ancient city, broken domes and arches standing forlornly, made brittle by the Firmament.

2. Also ‘the Floating City’. Ancient ruined city in the above region perched atop a series of lodeliths considered to be the centre of Elotarush. The true origins of the ruin are unknown, including its true name.

EPHOT THAS: expansive region in the S–E of Anubia, covering around 235,000-square-miles. Though dominated by sandy deserts, one can also find stony deserts and badlands there.

Its soils are known for their highly acidic nature, which, though promoting certain flora in areas where this isn’t too pronounced, can be inimical to life in other regions, for instance the Sands of Moreg.

ETRIOR: independent city in the far S–E of Anubia, close to the border with Suor. It is one of the few permanent settlements in Anubia S of its deserts, and borders the N-most reaches of the Harrus f. and is a centre of logging, producing unique wooden that are famed abroad (Pop. c. 50,000).

EYE OF SEBBERASH: large circular feature measuring about 30-miles in diameter in the c N of the Anubian desert. A bird’s eye view of the formation reveals that the eroded dome looks like a gigantic eye. It is close to many notable examples of Anubian stone circles.

HAAGEN: 1. ancient ntn. in the N - E of Sammaea, in what is now the S of Sarastro. See Vol III: Extinct Nations and Realms.

2. long low rough Mtn. over 600-miles long, forming the N - W-most part of the Growing Mountains. The Mtn. is named after the Haageni people who lived there in the first centuries of the Fifth Age.

HALLAS: wastes in the far N - W of the Soleyn Territories, crossing N into the S–W border of Anubia. The region is covered in smooth windswept rocks that are home to the seasonal flow of the r. Ateigha and its tributaries.

HOUGAN: in Anubia, a caste of spirit-masters who rever the dead the desert has claimed, undertaking solitary vision-quests where the desert speaks to them in the voices of the dead, granting them wisdom and knowledge. They are traditionally occultists and shamen with the ability to commune with spirits. They are solitary beings, though tend to originate from nomadic families rather than urban areas.

IALADEHA: major prismatic hot spring in the region of Scoria, in the S–W of Anubia.

ILLATRA: small fortified city in the S - W of Anubia, appearing as a caravanserai over a large oasis in c. 1100 RM. The city was ruled by a powerful shaper who disappeared in 3852 RM , leaving the city leaderless. Since then it has waned in size and power, the wide-domed towers of the shaper remaining empty. It is a major producer of resin pottery (Pop. c. 15,000).

JEL FARRAN: obelisk in the salt desert of Slaan in the E of Anubia. It is carved from a single crystal block, and the fossilised remains of a strange humanoid creature is entombed within. Some itinerants travel to the site to observe the corpse, laying their hands on its distended skull. Shapers who come near it are said to feel a great sorrow and loss. This may be related to the area being a powerful Fir. ley marker.

KALAIAMA: seasonal endorheic r. in the W of Anubia, flowing E for 450-miles from sources in the Growing Mountains and the Haagen Mtns. before emptying in the Naaia basin. Together with the r. Ateigha, seasonal snowmelt flows into the basin and collects into 1 or 2 seasonal l. collectively known as Naaia, after the basin. The l. rarely last more than a few months before they dry up.

KHERI: the people of Anubia, specifically referring to its nomads, who are descended from Kher people who originally settled Saostana.

KHO INNOR: Lit. ‘Mountain of Light’. Mtn.–chain in the E of Sarastro, bordering Venthir, Tarati and Anubia. The tombs of Pre-Imperial Saoshyants are found here.

KROSIS: buried ancient city in the Molachari Desert in the E of Anubia.

LOST ONES, the: ancestral race and culture in Anubia that is thought to have reached its cultural peak in c. – 1000 RM, leaving behind a legacy of dog-headed statues and buried tombs in the S - W of the region, after which the present desert known as the Dog Sea is named. 

The fate of the Lost Ones is unknown, but they disappeared in c. –200 RM, leaving in their wake the nomads of Anubia, from whom the present urban Anubian populace is descended. Many nomads of Anubia worship rogue mkisihs from ateliers in the W of Venthir as descendants of the Lost Ones, which are referred to by others as mkisih idols.   

MAEG: Extremist rel. cult in the Arid Triptych that emerged in the city of Anubis in c. 3810 RM and quickly travelled to surrounding lands, its growth propagated by a figure calling itself the Ovate. The cult advocates hostility & assertiveness of character and faith in machines over The Machine. 

It has clashed with the Church of the Undying Machine and its regional sects many times over the next century over idealistic differences and its effective press-ganging of members, many of which may already be indoctrinated in other rel. 

The cult had been largely quelled by 3912 RM, through aggressive actions by the Reformed Church of Sarastro and the Cult of the Sphinx, which were the two rel. most affected by it. The repeated reappearances of the Ovate over coming decades caused many to believe the figure was more than one person, or a title bestowed upon the cult’s leaders. By c. 3940 RM sightings lessened, the cult becoming less expansionist, though it remained in power in regions where it had already become established, including Anubis. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults. 

MENSA: ancient temple in the far E of Anubia, in the Salt deserts of Slaan.

MKISIH IDOL: In Anubia, mkisih that are worshipped as deities by desert nomads.

Cloning experimentations were not uncommon in the Korachani empire, with crazes coming in and out of fashion over its reign. A period of such activity was noted in Venthir c. 2700 – 2850 RM, particularly in the city of Kithamar, with many experiments being conducted on various creatures and the effects of Atm. infusion during the gestation of cloned individuals. Most were grotesque failures, though some drew results that were of use to the Empire. Some were such notable successes that the desert ateliers and cloning laboratories were often unable to contain their creations, which escaped.

The descendants of such creatures remain rare, though where discovered some may come to be revered as living idols of the Lost Ones’ deities. Being little more than beasts, the subjects of this adulation are rarely possessed with the intellect required to understand the Anubians’ fascination with them. Some are imprisoned and come to be worshipped as living gods by nomads and settlement dwellers alike, who haul them around with them as they travel the deserts, or build temples around them, respectively. Upon death the creatures are mummified and gilded and temples are erected around them where they continue to be worshipped. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults. 

MOLACHARI DESERT: also ‘Malachari Desert’. Expansive desert that dominates Anubia. Once known as the Arva desert, it was renamed in 375 RM, in honour of the Archpotentate Malichar, following the arrival of Korachani rule in Venthir. The desert is largely uninhabited though not without its flo. and fau. The descendants of a people known as the kheri continue to roam the deserts, dour nomads of unparallelled survival skills.

MORS: highland region in the c of Anubia. It is characterised by its ominous black rocks, the largest of which form a ridge, running along the region for around 220-miles.

NAAIA: 1. basin in the S -W of Anubia, and primary drainage basin of the Ateigha and Kalaiama r. 

2. Seasonal r. appearing in the above basin, following the yearly seasonal appearance of the Ateigha and Kalaiama r. As many as 2 individual l. are known to appear, based on the yearly flow of the r.  

NECROPOLIS OF NDAT: ancient stone necropolis, hewn from the living rock of the W reaches of the Aggosheth in the far E of Anubia.

NEYSHABUR: rocky region in the N - E of Sammaea, crossing the border between the S–E of Sarastro and the N–W of Anubia, once known for its vast umbra reserves. The area was the battleground of a 2-decade conflict known as the War of the Triptych that began in 161 RM that involved the ntns. of Sarastro, Venath (Venthir) and the Kheri people of Anubia. The conflict left Venath in control of the many umbra wells and extractors, though they were abandoned in c. 200 RM as the Venathi empire dwindled. After the Korachani empire annexed Venthir in 361 RM interest in the region was renewed, with imperial expeditions there resulting in as many as a dozen new colonies in Neyshabur by 400 RM.

The region was an important industrial area for Korachan, though umbra reserves began to dwindle by 2450 RM and last of the colonies, Acatea, was abandoned in 2523 RM.

OD MARTA: ruin in the E of Anubia, almost 300-miles S–E of Anubis. The name translates as ‘Place of the Vow’, and is thought to have played a significant role in male coming of age rituals of ancient Anubians and Kheri nomads.

The temple is carved into the cliffs of the Ahran peak, the W-most part of the Ahset Mtns.

ODISHA: ancient ruined stone city in the c W of Anubia, now buried beneath the sands of the Anubian desert. It is thought that a major aqueduct located many miles to the S - W once provide water, sourced in the Haagen Mtns. to the city.

OVATE, the: cult-leader who emerged in Anubia in c. 3805 RM, spreading word of the cult of Maeg throughout the Arid Triptych. An extremist, he clashed with the Reformed Church of Sarastro and the Cult of the Sphinx many times over the next century. His longevity and multiple unconfirmed sightings since the quelling of the cult of Maeg in 3912 RM have led scholars to believe the Ovate is but a title amongst the cult.  

PELLACHAD: also ‘the Endless Library’. Expansive stone temple in the S of the Ephos That in the S - E of Abubia. It resembles large mausoleum, though instead of housing a body, each crypt is instead home to a huge stone tablet that when read together make an epic cyclical passage of the Mythologia Elyden. Some tablets are broken or missing entirely, leading to missing passages. Despite this. it is one of the most complete sources of the ancient Mythologia Elyden. 

PERANDIPHENE: ancient bronze-domed temple in the Ephot Thas in the S of Anubia, fronted by a stone-throned colossus, beneath which is the entrance into an ancient temple, its relics long-since plundered.

PH-DA: fortified oasis settlement in the far S - W of Anubia (Pop. c. 6,000). The settlement is a link between Anubis and the Soleyn Territories and is home to caravanserais (Pop. c. 3,000).

RETHKA: Known historically as Ret ahk, this city is in the far W of Anubia, close to the border with Mulciber. It is a merchant town that forms a part of the Salt Road, and is known to trade with the tribes of the Growing Mountains. 

The Aventors, a caste of ascetics, who would go on to become the rulers of Ehbot, originated in Rethka in c. 341 RM (Pop. c. 40,200).

SANDS OF MOREG: region of the W of Ephot Thas in the S of Anubia. It is noted for acidic soils that are detrimental to most life. In extreme instances, this soil can corrode material objects, as evidenced by the Tower of Ereth; its adamantine walls pitted and stained by the soils effects over the years.

SCORIA: volcanically active region in the S–W of Anubia. It is known for  its geysers, fumaroles and sulphurous lands, as well as outcrops of ancient weathered black lava fields. It’s most prominent feature is the prismatic hot spring of Ialadeha

SCORPION KING, the: His. king of Anubia, ruling c. -200 - -100 RM, in the wake of the diappearance of the Lost Ones.

SHADOW DANCER: spies and assassins of the Abyssal Templars, based in the city of Giberon in the E of Sammaea. They are employed across the N - E of Sammaea, commonly reaching as far as the Arid Triptych in the N and the ntns surrounding the Sea of Lethea in the S - W.

SHAMAL, the: region in the N–W of Anubia covering an area of around 30,000 square-miles, forming a natural border with Sarastro. The region is primarily a dry rocky desert with interestingly-shaped duststone formations peppering it. It was explored in c. -250 RM by Nathi alchemists who were searching for reagents for their research, and by c. -230 RM the first crude umbra mine was established in Atamahia, with the raw umbra taken over 1,200-miles N–E along a winding path to the alchemist-lords’ stronghold in Midal. The mine fell silent by c. -170 RM with the decline of the Nathi kingdom following the ‘Lion Heresies’.

The rise of the Venathi empire from the ruins of Nath saw the region repopulated in c.140 RM, with more mines appearing to sate the ever-growing needs of the alchemists in Midal. Encounters with Sarastroan pioneers, who were exploring the region directly S of the Shamal (known as Neyshabur – itself rich in umbra) increased over the coming decades. Such encounters often ended in conflict between mining crews and their benefactors, with matters escalating into the so-called ‘War of the Triptych’ in 161 RM. The conflict ended in 183 RM with a Sarastroan victory, after the fall of the Venathi empire (which was replaced by Venthir) in c. 170 RM. The rise to power of Queen Hetepheres in 194 RM brought further war to the region, and the mines of Shamal had mostly returned to Venthiri hands by c. 250 RM.

Under Venthiri control once more, raw umbra was being transported some 1,200-miles E from the Shamal to the city of Kithamar, which processed the material, pumping it to the largest of Venthiri cities. The abandonment of Kithamar in 2821 RM, coupled with the dwindling umbra reserves of the Shamal led to the regions desertion in c. 2900 RM, though small private mines remain in operation to this day. The extraction of umbra has strengthened the flo. and fau. of the Shamal, and some scholars have even postulated that the region is recuperating from the substances’ former influence.

SLAAN: salt desert dominating the E of Anubia. Records dating back to the dawn of the Korachani empire depict the place as a dry prairie, with the subsequent desertification having happened over the following millennium.

SPINE OF YISHAKHALL, the: gigantic fossilised backbone forming a major ridge in the N-face of the Haagen Mtns. in he W of Anubia. The spine measures some 100-miles in length. The only creature that could possibly have possessed a spine that size is a mesochthon.

STALLATH: Atr. wasteland in the N - W of Anubia. It was used By the Korachani empire as a testing ground for artillery and experimental Atr. weapons, including large bombs between c. 2850 - 3080 RM. Originally dry plains, the region has been reduced to a grotesque place of charred glass craters and warped landforms peppered by unnatural Atr. terrain. Mutated creatures haunt these wastes, posing a danger to nearby settlements. Both Venthir and sarastro mount sporadic expeditions into the peripheries of Stallath to cleanse them of threats, but it is never enough. 

TECHISA: mystic caste thought to originate in the Anubian Desert, who in c. 3840 RM arrived in the ruin of Dun Svarr in Ehbot and resettled it with their followers, naming it Techisun.

TOMBS OF THE LOST ONES: area in the N - W of Scoria, Anubia. The area is replete with tombs from the dead culture of the Lost Ones, most of them looted by anubian nomads, their treasures sold centuries ago.

TOWER OF ERETH: ancient adamantine tower erected in the Fourth Age by plagi and dvergai engineers during the Shadow War. The tower is now deserted, half-buried by the corrosive soils of the Moreg in the S of Anubia.

ULLATOTH: rocky area in the c of Anubia, just S of the Mors highlands. It is noted for its spectacular rock pillars and stone-stacks, some towering for a hundred feet or more, arching, intersecting, or standing alone like forests of gigantic stone trees. The shade afforded by the features makes the region a common stopping point for those braving the Malichari Desert and they are likewise used as navigational tools as they can be seen for miles across the dunes.

URUM: city in the N - E of Anubia. It was once a major producer of raw umbra, using siphon engines to extractor umbra from the Atr. tainted region of Bullata. The city was destroyed in 2821 RM following an technical malfunction in one of its siphon engines that left the region in shambles. The death of its industry allowed Bullata to continue growing in size, where it has come to dominate the N - E of Anubia.

ZOROTHOT: ancient buried city in the N - W of Ephot Thas, in the c of Anubia.