Amanalar

Amanalar is a spacious region upon Argus that was once dominated by large, green, luscious plains of grass, with multiple species of native animals having roamed its colourful, rolling hills. It was bordered by several mountain ranges which surrounded the vast perimeter of it, having accounted for several dozens of kilometres. Forests hugged many of the bases of the bordering mountains. Six settlements were present upon its surface, known as: Amanare, Xzaarven, Boros, Faralihr, Umera and Korus. They were each dotted throughout the region with vast spaces setting each of them apart. Many roads were constructed in order to actively connected them however, allowing ease of travel between them.

Today, Amanalar remains as a husk of its former self. Much like the majority of Argus, its soil is charred and hardened, rendering it infertile. Many of the mountains within the ranges that surround the region have formed a jagged aesthetic, and only crystallized tree remains are left within the forests at their bases. Several crevices have opened throughout the region, as have countless pits that were once filled with Fel, long since dried up from neglect. Only ruins remain of the six settlements.

Amanalar was abandoned by the Burning Legion shortly after its ruination, having left it to the harsh conditions of Argus for many thousands of years. Felstorms, among other disasters, have since grown common there, rendering it as near to inhospitable.

Amanalar, the Land of Prosperity
Amanalar was predominately dominated by open, green, luscious plains of grass, with multiple species of native animals having roamed its colourful, rolling hills, either to simply graze, migrate, mate, give birth to their young, or be hunted by either the settlers or predators of the region. Throughout the seasons, Amanalar's landscape differentiated drastically in appearance. During the summers, the grass would turn a thirsty yellow in result of the dry waves of heat that regularly swept over the land. In autumn, the leaves of trees would fall in droves, and much of the landscape was changed to an orange hue, from the vegetation to the sunlight. In winter, layers of frost and snow covered the land, and much of the wildlife retreated into hibernation. In spring, the grass would return to its healthy green whilst flowers blossomed, creatures returned from their deep slumber, and the trees regained their leaves.

Amanalar was primarily bordered by several kilometres of mountainous ranges which stretched around much of the region's perimeter. These mountains brought not only appeasement to the eyes of Amanalar's settlers, though offered them security, as well - for it was it difficult for foreign threats to pass by them. Located at the bases of many of the mountains were serene forests that were filled with unique species of Argussian flora. The deeper into these forests that one ventured, however, the more likely that they would encounter a wild predator; due to this, few were courageous enough to tread far within them.

Despite the natural splendour that Amanalar possessed, it was not this that enticed the resident eredar to remain; it was the settlements in which they had erected within it. As time progressed, so did these settlements, each in size, population, community and culture. Much like the eredar race as a whole, the denizens of Amanalar also thrived extensively off the energies of magical crystals. These having become the pinnacle of their functionality and success as a society. This crystal technology helped to shape them as a society, influencing their architecture, powering their settlements, acting as a means of defence and far beyond.

Amanare, the Heart and Soul
Like all societies, Amanalar's had an origin. Forty-three thousand years prior to the arrival of the Burning Legion, a courageous group of nomads adventured into the region and laid claimant to it, marking their territory with the construction of its first settlement, Amanare, within the heart of Amanalar. Its beginnings were humble, serving as a simple rural village for roughly five thousand years. As its population increased, however, attention was garnered from beyond Amanalar's borders. Whilst many of these foreigners were of a peaceful intention, some of them sought to seize the land for themselves.

Fortunately for Amanalar, many of its people were hardy and capable in combat. Few chose to invade, and those who did were repelled. Though they were successful, they knew that this would not last. There were societies upon Argus that dwarfed the people of Amanalar, and if they were to turn their attention upon them, they would end them with ease. In knowing this, the denizens of Amanalar focussed upon expansion. Over the course of many thousands of years, Amanare grew from a noble farming village to a prosperous metropolis, housing a population of hundreds of thousands and filled to the brim with bustling streets and structures, ranging from compact homes to elevated towers of metal and crystal.

Despite the worthy defences that protected Amanalar and its people, they were incapable of suppressing criminal activity within the society itself. As soon as it was deemed a necessity, willing eredar were employed and educated as peacekeepers, a form of police force that was commonplace across much of Argus. These peacekeepers would patrol their respective locations of deployment in order to maintain order and security among the growing population of Amanalar, and following the test of time, they proved to excel at this purpose.

Throughout the evolution of Amanare, five other settlements were constructed: Xzaarven, D'oros, Faralihr, Umera and Korus. Amanare served as the capital of society within the Amanalar region, housing its authority, the Amanalar Board of Rulership. Amanare, in particular, was circular in shape, surrounded by prodigious walls and defence crystals that few forces could have hoped to defeat. Though it did not quite ascend among the most impressive of cities upon Argus, still, Amanare stood as a testament to the potential of the eredar.

Xzaarven, Village of the Magus
Xzaarven, the second settlement to be arisen within Amanalar, was built shortly following the decision of Amanare's expansion in order to support the permanent colonisation of the region and to further ward off exterior competition. Fortunately for the denizens of Amanare, this idea was a success, as the frequency of invasions had proceed to drop by five fold, in consequence of their reach and authority increasing within the region. Xzaarven would not remain as a mere defensive establishment, however: upon one peculiar day, the settlement was approached by three eredar magi of high esteem, having travelled from beyond the borders of Amanalar in order to meet with its leaders.

Upon spotting the rather intimidating visitors, the people of Amanalar had their arms at the ready, expecting little more than a violent encounter. To their surprise, this was but an entirely different matter, as the mages laid down their staves, knelt before the constructors of Xzaarven and pledged their loyalty to those who dominated Amanalar, offering them their services as tutors of the arcane, willing to teach those who sought their lessons. Upon this offer, the leaders of Amanalar were summoned by their people in order to approach these mysterious wielders of magic.

Though there was some distrust towards the mages, it was undeniable that the populace of Amanalar was vastly lacking of magical prowess - very few practiced such arts within the society. With much thought and discussion, the potential rewards were seen to outweigh the risks. The leaders of Amanalar accepted the offer of their visitors, allowing them not only to reside within Xzaarven, though to utilise it as a place of learning, where eredar could venture if they wished to wield the arcane, similar to that of a university, though with a higher residential capacity. On this day, the famed title of Xzaarven title was created; Village of the Magus.

With time, the mages proved their loyalty to Amanalar, tutoring many an eredar whilst advancing Xzaarven itself into a place of splendour, where their own, personal tastes had influenced its architecture. With time, Amanalar's leaders had found themselves impressed by the means in which the mages structured themselves and their schooling - it was highly neat and organised, having gone as far as to create an order for their students, the Xzaarven Order of Mages, which they, themselves, headed - this proved as an inspiration to the leaders. With this realisation, the leaders met with the magi, and following much thoughtful discussion, formed the Amanalar Board of Rulership, comprised of the original leaders and the mages, who would serve as their guides and advisers, their wisdom matched by none.

Doros, the Blood and Veins
Doros, the third settlement to be founded within Amanalar, was assembled as a mining colony at the base of the tallest mountain upon the borders of the region, that of which was found to contain a large concentration of ores and other precious minerals. Doros was constructed within a millennia following the completion of Xzaarven and was seen as a necessity towards the stability of society within Amanalar - in order to expand, they required materials, and Doros was purposed in order to solve this concern.

Though several other smaller-scale mines were constructed appropriately throughout the region, Doros was undeniably the richest of them all, having rightfully earned its place as Amanalar's third official settlement. Within its winding, expansive tunnels, countless deposits of crystals and metals, ideal for various manners of crafts, were progressively extracted over the course of the coming thousands of years. These resources, new to the people of Amanalar, did not only allow technological advancements among the settlements of Amanalar, though also placed the region within the position to negotiate trade agreements with neighbouring regions. The Amanalar Board of Rulership capitalized upon this, offering supplies of crystals, metals and even timber, is exchange for goods that they had never before held access to, increasing their status as an independent nation. In truth, it was Doros that definitely placed Amanalar on its sure path to prosperity.

Doros' contribution to Amanalar society led to an increasing presence of metallic constructions, crystalline lighting systems and defence crystals, far more than had graced it thus far. For the remainder of the days that Argus remained a world of peace, never did Doros' mines run dry of resources. Although only few lived within the settlement itself, the majority of these having been the miners and their families, some were simply drawn in by the raw beauty and significance of the mines, as well as the gargantuan mountain in which they were dug.

Faralihr, the Cultural Renaissance
Amanalar thrived for many more years with its three, lone settlements. In time, however, the population only continued to increase, and Amanare itself could stretch so far. The frequent imports of traded goods had also began to have increasingly less use, most especially due to the fact that Amanalar possessed no form of official market, aside from only a few small-scale examples within Amanare. To the Amanalar Board of Rulership, the solution to this problem was but an simple one: Faralihr, the fourth settlement of Amanalar, was born, and was soon to house the greatest market found within the region.

Farahlir, too, served as a considerable residential city, with many hundreds of homes appearing throughout its proximity - it was quick to arise as Amanalar's second largest residential settlement, bested only by Amanare. Faralihr's marketplace was an enormous success and was highly acclaimed among Amanalar society, attracting thousands of visitors from within the region and beyond. As its fame continued to ascend, it matured into a location of cultural significance to the people of Amanalar, festivals, celebrations, plays and countless other community events having grown commonplace there.

Faralihr was, perhaps, Amanalar's most proudest step forward, the artsy city having attracted positive attention from many corners of Argus and encouraging tourism. Its marketplace not only allowed hundreds of merchants to find prosperity, though improved the economy of Amanalar as a whole, attracting significantly more currency from within and beyond of the region, as well as countless varieties of items that were previously unavailable to the locals. Faralihr did not merely add life and spirit to the atmosphere within Amanalar, it also solidified the region and its society as distinctive among the countless others that were spread across the face of Argus.

The Amanalar Peacekeepers
As the popularity of Amanalar continued to flourish, not all was quite so perfect: the increasing population had gradually rendered the duties of the peacekeepers as far more difficult to fulfill, and matters concerning exterior societies, such as trade agreements, alliances and, in rare circumstances, disagreements, were beginning to bare down upon the Amanalar Board of Rulership. If they were to remain in control of these affairs, they knew that they would need more than merely themselves and the common police force in which they possessed. After much debate and discussion among the Board's members and their magi counsellors, a decision was set forward: the Amanalar Peacekeepers, an elite force of the region's most gifted combatants and negotiators, abilities in which each member required.

The Amanalar Peacekeepers, although far lesser in size than the regular peacekeeper force, were equipped with the finest armour, weaponry and training available upon Argus, a single of their members having rumoured to have been capable of combating against ten ordinary peacekeepers and survive to tell the tale. Though they did not replace Amanalar's ordinary peacekeepers, they were tasked with handling matters that concerned the security of Amanalar as a whole, vowing to protect every inch of it. Unlike their lesser counterparts, they were not bound to a specific settlement at any one time and possessed the authority to roam as they pleased, though they were forbidden to embark upon a mission to a differing region, unless commanded by the Amanalar Board of Rulership itself.

The Amanalar Peacekeepers had inescapably earned the fear and respect of their people. If a member of their force was nearby, no man or woman would have dared to commit a crime. Above all, they were regularly sent to enforce diplomacy with the leaders of differing societies throughout Argus, and rarely did they fail, for their communication skills were matched by few - and neither were their abilities in combat, enough to have intimidated the hardiest of eredar, should they have ever needed to.

Umera, the Seed of Survival
Having been much to the surprise of many, for the majority of Amanalar's existence, it had failed to possess a major settlement that was dedicated solely to agricultural practices. For the multiple millennia that Amanalar had already existed as a society, its food had originated from several small farms scattered throughout the region, and from imports beyond its borders. Inevitably, this could not continue, and in eventuality, Amanalar society was, indeed, affected. As its population had only continued to grow, the farms and imports could not keep up with the expanding demand; a food drought had fallen upon Amanalar.

As the poor were left to starve amidst the streets of the four settlements, they could do nothing more than to turn against the Amanalar Board of Rulership, criticizing them for their neglectfulness. The Board recognized the volatility of the situation, and concluded two, finals decisions: to, at last, construct a dedicated farming settlement, or to risk a revolt at the hands of their starving citizens, all whilst allowing the crisis to grow further out of hand. With the direct assistance of the magi, the widest, most fertile area of land within Amanalar was located. There, Umera, the fifth settlement, was planted - the Board could now only hope.

Throughout the following weeks, desperate labourers worked tirelessly to erect the village and its surrounding farmland. Across months, livestock was raised, and crops were planted. As fear arose amidst the members of the Amanalar Board of Rulership, the first of the produce from Umera was distributed throughout Amanalar. Much to the relief of the Board and the starving citizens, there was more than enough to feed the entirety of the populace for weeks on end. Umera had successfully delivered Amanalar from a grim disaster that may have thrown it into sheer chaos, and eminently proved itself as worthy to stand alongside its neighbouring settlements.

Umera continued to expand in size as time moved forward, eventually providing enough produce that much could be traded with the outside societies, from fruits, vegetables, meat and livestock - in return, Amanalar continued to receive shipments that were of value to the region. Umera, much like Doros, housed a limited amount of residents within its district, occupied primarily by farmers and their families, along with usual exceptions. More than mere food flowed from Umera however, as other resources such as dyes and fabrics, were produced, opening further trade opportunities, sales within the Faralihr market and vaster production of crafted items such as clothing, bandages and far, far more.

Korus, the Final Breath
Amanalar had, at last, reached its prime as a self-sufficient and successful society. Without a shortage of people, supplies and defences, there was little left that stood between Amanalar and an utopian status. Only a single issue remained, one that had lingered since the days of the first settlers within the region: residential capacity. The population of Amanalar had only continued to increase with no immediate signs of ceasing. Though overpopulation had yet struck the surface, the Amanalar Board of Rulership, having learned from the food crisis, acted upon the affair, without delay: Korus.

Korus was to serve as the first of many planned future settlements, all of which were to be dedicated to the housing of Amanalar's excess population, and little else. Korus was, however, ultimately the sixth and final settlement raised within Amanalar.

The end of Argus drew ever nearer.

The Arrival of the Burning Legion
Work in progress.

The Aftermath
Work in progress.