Amshan (pronounced AHM-shahn) is the largest nation on the western coast of the Kirnashal Sea. Its philosopher-monarchs are well-known for their patronage of intellectuals of all kinds, and the empire is a haven for artists, theologians, historians, and mages. Between its control of the eastern terminus of the Golden Path and the skill of its professional military, Amshan has long been the dominant power around the Kirnashal.
Geography, flora, and fauna
Western Kirnashal: old Amshan
Encompassing almost the entire inhabited length of the western coast of the Kirnashal Sea, Amshan is an empire encompassing a variety of biomes and climates. While much of the south and east, the lands closest to the sea, are covered in verdant grasslands and deciduous forests, the west and north are considerably drier. Amshan only controls parts of the very eastern-most edges of the Taizzan Expanse, but even then the landscape of dry shrublands with sparse, hardy trees can still be a difficult place to eke out a living. Yet the people of Amshan have lived in this rough terrain for centuries, particularly in communities nestled in small valleys amongst the rocky hills, where vegetation can thrive in almost oasis-like conditions.
Farther to the north, Amshan controls up to the Asvan Mountains and the surrounding montane woodlands and steppe-like foothills. Rivers flow throughout Amshan, but with a particular concentration in the wetter south, where they originate in the nearby Shields before wandering their way to the coast.
Several sparsely-populated archipelagoes lie off the coast of Amshan. While they are refuges for innumerable varieties of migratory birds and other creatures, the treacherous nature of travel across the Kirnashal Sea means the towns on the islands are largely isolated from the rest of the nation.
Amshan is warm year-round, though with some seasonal variation. The western deserts especially are overwhelmingly sunny - these regions receive over 300 days of sun per year, on average.
Northern Kirnashal: Amshani colonies
The geography of the Amshani colonies on the northern coast of the Kirnashal is markedly different than the old lands to the south. Though somewhat more lush than the Aban Steppe to the north, the rocky beaches, prairies of tall grasses with knotted roots, and dense thickets of shrub-like trees that are common in the region are quite unlike anywhere else in Amshan and have posed continual problems for Amshani settlers. The landscape up the Titan's River has been considerably more favorable, and most of the population has been drawn in that direction as a result.
Snow regularly falls in the winters here, uncommon elsewhere in Amshan aside from near the Asvan Mountains.
History
Early history
Compared to later Amshani history, the earlier eras of the region are poorly understood and not well-attested, but not for a lack of effort on the part of Amshani historians. What is certain is that by Y3000* the communities of settled and nomadic peoples alike had begun to be unified under the banners of various clans, many of which eventually become entrenched dynasties. Instead of the centralized and fortified city-states across the Taizzan Expanse and around the Chaska Sea, in Amshan the courts of rulers wandered around their domains, regularly visiting and observing their subjects.
Age of Tyrants
By Y3600* the clan-kings had been swept aside by new rulers, known today in Amshan as the Tyrants or sometimes as the Shatterers. After their sudden arrival they quickly set about a unification of what is now Marhasi, central Amshan, bringing all existing settlements and clans into their domain. From their palaces, the ruins of which now lie buried under Vaumena, they governed with cruelty and force, scattering the tribes and wholly demolishing the towns of any who dissented as well as destroying all records and monuments they could find of the past.
The identify of the Tyrants is difficult to determine. They may have been a group of humans or other mortals of Kishar from outside Amshan, yet the few surviving written works from the time sometimes indicate otherwise. The Tyrants are often ascribed immortality, the ability to see the future, and the power to shapeshift into monstrous forms, but the degree of literalness with which to interpret these descriptions have long frustrated Amshani scholars.
Upheaval
Ultimately the Tyrants were removed from power almost as swiftly as they came to it. An invasion of dragons from the west swept into Amshan around Y4100*, descending upon the fortresses of the Tyrants and razing them to the ground, erasing them from history nearly as completely as had the prior era of Amshan's history. Just as quickly as they came, however, the dragons continued east across the Kirnashal Sea for lands unknown.
While they arrived and departed within only a few years, the influence of these dragons has proven enduring in Amshan even thousands of years later. Particularly notably, evidence of the worship of the gods of the Kirnashal pantheon is first seen shortly after the dragons appeared - while still debated, many theologians believe the deities of the dragons and those of modern Amshan to be the same, or at least closely related.
Consolidation and unification
It took centuries to recover from the cataclysms of the last half millennia, yet the dispersed clans and tribes of Amshan once again began to assert themselves. Many of the great fortified cities of the region were established in the mid to late fifth millennium out of a desire for protection against future invaders, which simultaneously brought forth a massive growth in urbanization. Centralized state formation began as well for much the same reason.
While it took hundreds more years to solidify, by Y5500* Amshan bore a strong resemblance to its current form, with hereditary monarchs overseeing a domain that stretched from Teredon in the north to Me-Turnat in the south. Grand palaces and other monuments were built in Hashkaman, which then as now was the central capital where the dynasts resided. Once again fully in charge of their own destiny and with no major outside threats, the first of many Amshani golden ages began.
Expansion and the tilting of the Scales
Since consolidating into a unified state, Amshan has undergone multiple era of stability and uncertainty, each of which brings with it new challenges and opportunities. These are widely believed to be the result of the tilting of the Scales, a core belief of the Kirnashal faith, and are therefore taken in stride even as they bring alternately strife and peace.
Amshan has undergone cyclical changes in the millennia since unification, both social and political, yet one near constant has been a slow territorial expansion northwards and southwards. The migration of orcish tribes from eastern Thadria in the late eighth millennium first brought conflict with the new arrivals, yet the dynasts were quick to see possibility in it too, and by Y8020* treaties with the orcs had led to their settlement in Kudurru and their status as beholden to none but the Amshani monarchs and themselves. Shortly after, Amshan began encouraging migration south of the Khalhu River as well, into what is now Ramashal.
Even as the lands along the western Kirnashal Sea were being consolidated, Amshan started looking farther north, and by Y9100* had established the first colonies in southern Abanir, starting with Karzinu and the Eastern Stronghold.
Demographics
The population of Amshan is largely human, though many orcs, half-orcs, gnolls, catfolk, and plane-touched individuals live in the region as well. The cities of Amshan, especially those along the Golden Path and in the central province of Marhasi, are quite cosmopolitan, home to all manner of ancestries.
Culture
Religion
The vast majority of those living in Amshan follow the gods of the Kirnashal pantheon - that is, Sraosheh, Mihr, and the One Hundred Forty Four Hands. In fact these gods form the state religion of the nation, their clergy appointed by and closely affiliated with the Amshani dynasts. The state provides ample funding and support for temples across Amshan, both those in major cities as well as those in small outlying villages in the desert hinterlands. Most Amshani frequently pray to both Sraosheh and Mihr in their joint temples, depending on what troubles or concerns them at the moment.
Other faiths in Amshan are less common but not completely unknown. Some worship the gods of the Chaskan or Khapeshan pantheons, particularly those living along the route of the Golden Path, while others pray to Abanir deities or hold some other faith entirely.
Society
Perhaps as a result of having their past forcibly severed and destroyed on two occasions, Amshani culture heavily emphasizes the importance of history and its role in understanding the present day. While many historians are employed directly by the dynast and dynast-princes, tasked with researching and chronicling events both mundane and spectacular, it is not unusual either for even a small town to have a similar figure employed in the same role. In exchange for keeping records of the community's history, these individuals are collectively supported by the town and are often consulted when matters of precedence arise.
It is not only historians who are patronized by the dynast and other rulers, however. With a widespread reputation as philosopher-kings, Amshani dynasts employ intellectuals and artisans of all kinds, everyone from theologians to artists, mages to antiquarians, poets to alchemists, calligraphers to chefs. While these learned individuals are expected to regularly present their works to the dynast in exchange for the lavish accommodations in Amshani royal palaces, generous funding, and wide latitude they are given, they are not employed with the assumption of any particular final outcome. Rather, they work for the enjoyment of the monarch and to further their prestige, as the reigning dynast is invariably credited, at least in part, with the accomplishments of their artisans. That it serves as a convenient outlet for the wealth of Amshan is another benefit, even if not one widely acknowledged.
Traditions
Feuding Amshani clan-heads and dynast-princes often exchange expensive gifts with each other. This practice has two purposes. First, it serves as a display of wealth, and therefore a method of proving superiority over one's rivals. Second, these gifts often carry with them steep costs that may or may not be immediately obvious - for example, animals or magical beasts that require very specific and hard to acquire foods, or immense ice sculptures. Failure to maintain such a gift is looked upon poorly, and therefore their recipients are saddled with unasked for burdens.
Art
Amshani society very highly emphasizes the importance of art - artists, especially glassblowers, illustrators, and architects, are amongst the celebrities of Amshan. The works of Amshani glassworkers take innumerable forms, including stained glass windows, sculptures, religious idols, and practical applications like cutlery and dishes. Color and form are equally important in all these uses, and Amshani glassblowers have become masters in the use of various impurities to get just the right shades.
In addition to more traditional furnaces, some Amshani glass smiths also make use of sunmasts. These structures, unique to Amshan, use concentric rings of polished mirrors to direct sunlight into a central tower. The resulting temperature is more than sufficient for glassblowing, though the method is inherently more complicated and difficult than typical means. Use of the sunmasts is especially favored for religious works.
Some Amshani mages have perfected a method to instantaneously transmute sand to magically strengthened glass. Though tricky to work with, this material, known as lightning glass, is stronger than steel and much lighter. Lightning glass is particularly prized in the construction of arms and armor used by many of Amshan's elite guards.
Other common art forms in Amshan include calligraphy, sculpture, and poetry.
Languages
Asharan is by far the most spoken language in Amshan, though Common and Orcish are also widely known. Telan, Targai, and other regional and ancestral languages are all spoken in Amshan as well to varying degrees.
Architecture and urbanization
The Amshani view architecture as simply another form of art, and therefore heavily emphasize aesthetically pleasing designs. Amshani architecture features large, spacious interiors, arches, gardens, fountains, domes, and exterior common areas. While stone- and brick-work are most commonly used for residential and mercantile buildings, temples, palaces, and other such places make heavy use of glass as well. Walls that might otherwise be solid stone feature often massive glass windows that allow natural light to illuminate the interior - many of these windows are made of stained glass, with innumerable small panes fitted together into colorful geometric or pictorial designs. Windows are commonly arranged so as to project kaleidoscopes of light and color on the inside of buildings.
Across the large cities of Amshan, and especially those within the eastern margins of the Taizzan Expanse, many structures are designed so that passing breezes produce pleasant tones. These "singing buildings" can together produce a chorus of beautiful sounds as winds sweep across the city.
The homes and shops of Amshan are rather less elaborate than the temples and governmental buildings, but the emphasis on spacious designs, natural lighting, and color remains.
Yakhchals and windcatchers are widely used across Amshan, methods of keeping both food and dwellings cool in the hot and arid climate. Communities within the Taizzan frequently make use of vertical windmills with reed sails, which are relied upon to pull water out of very deep wells below. Together these buildings make life in the desert far more tolerable.
Migration
While most Amshani have lived in cities and villages for centuries if not millennia, some continue to life nomadic lives instead. These groups include both the ancient confederations of clans who have long called the eastern deserts home and comparatively more recent arrivals like the Duravi.
Military
The military of Amshan is a professional force under the control of the dynast. Most soldiers enlist for at least fifteen years, as at that time they are guaranteed land for a homestead. While most of these homesteads are located in the margins of the Taizzan Expanse, hardly the most hospitable conditions for agriculture, these are still valuable as they fall outside the territorial control and claims of clans one would otherwise be forced to respect. The Amshani state actively recruits those from outside the region for the military - at any given time roughly a quarter of the Amshani military is foreign-born. The military provides years of training and quality equipment for all - altogether Amshani soldiers have a reputation as skilled and highly motivated, factors that often lead to their recruitment into the mercenary orders of the eastern Chaska upon their retirement from service.
Elite units within the Amshani military include the dromedary knights, cavalry tasted with guarding the Great Northern Trail and other important routes within the nation.
Travel and trade
See also: Golden Path
The Golden Path, a trade route that crosses the Taizzan Expanse, carries a great deal of trade between Amshan and the eastern coast of the Chaska Sea. Most merchants begin or end their travels along the Path at Hashkaman, while others use cities to the south as their terminus instead.
Vast amounts of precious metals once crossed the Taizzan regularly, giving the trade route its name, but today the Golden Path is better known for other trade goods. Lightning glass, and worked items of this material, are commonly carried by those traveling west, as are the fine arts of expert Amshani calligraphers, glassblowers, and other artisans. Teas from Amshan are sought by many in the eastern Chaska Sea and therefore are transported along the Golden Path as well. Those traveling east carry goods from around the Chaska that are otherwise difficult to acquire across the desert. Other, more ordinary goods are regularly brought with to trade as well, but owing to the dangers and duration of the journey, and the lower profits to be had in selling them, they are rarely the sole reason to set off along the Golden Path.
Thousands of years old, the Golden Path has long been an important connection between the peoples living around the Chaska Sea and those in Amshan, a way for culture, language, religion, and more to spread between these two disparate lands.
Burial practices
The Amshani primarily bury their dead in family plots, or otherwise under their houses, but this practice is now largely considered archaic and only followed by the most traditionalist or those in the rural regions of the north. Some particularly renowned individuals are interred in a manner that can cause them to inadvertently rise as Esteemed.
Names
The majority of Amshani have names following the pattern of a given name followed by a surname, yet this is not the case for all. Some individuals, primarily members of noble clans, use the "rel" nobiliary particle between their names to signal their status.
Government
Rather more centralized compared to many of its neighbors and other nearby states, Amshan is a hereditary monarchy where officially most power ultimately rests with the dynast, as Amshani kings and queens are called. The majority of positions amongst the ministers of the Amshani state, as well as within the clergy of the empire, are appointed by the dynast. Ultimately, however, the dynast is also beholden to the various houses, or clans, that govern the provinces of Amshan.
Each province is ruled by a triumvirate consisting of the leader of a clan with historical ties to the region, usually referred to as a dynast-prince, as well as two priests, one of Sraosheh and one of Mihr, who are nominated to the role by the monarch. Each of these figures is responsible for a different part in the administration of those who live within the territory. All clans in a province possess the right to the title of dynast-prince, though as only one can hold it at a given time they are typically forced to negotiate concessions and alliances to support their nomination before the dynast. Historically this arrangement has allowed for the effective administration of territories far away from the Amshani capital of Hashkaman while still preventing clans from threatening central rule. At the same time, it pulls enough power away from the dynast that they are required to consider the concerns of clans across Amshan, preventing the empire from falling solely at their command.
Amshani cities and settlements are ruled either jointly by a local clan and the clergy, for cities and large towns, or simply a clan, if small enough.
Yet some clans remain outside the provincial governance. As Amshan united into one state, a few chose not to settle and instead kept their nomadic ways. These clans eventually formed three confederations, the Ishparaba, the Kishesu, and the Saparda, who rule themselves in their traditional hereditary, and largely matriarchal, ways, heeding no one's commands but their own and the dynast's.
The Amshani military is entirely under the control of the dynast - nomadic clans are permitted to maintain small militia forces, while no settled clan is allowed to maintain a standing army of their own, aside from those that guard settlements under their control.
As of Y9976*, the current dynast of Amshan is Rtaxshira of the Sakan clan.
Relations
Amshan has two vassal states, Kudurru and Ramashal. Both were established as ways to control the chaotic and wild southern frontier against the Shields, yet in the stability and relative safety of recent years they have begun to engage in minor clashes with each other.