Arkasul
Arkasul
Religion
Traditions
-10% Infantry Cost
+10% Siege Ability
Defiant against ogresFor centuries during the Age of God-kings, the upper valley of the Buranun and the rest of the Harpy Hills were raided by the Ašigallu, the Djinnbound Ogres, until the legendary god-queen Ninarzeg unleashed a pestilence which resulted in the disappearance of these man-eating demons.\nWhile many applaud her deeds, few outside of the region remember the local heroes that preceded her in defending Bulwar. From the moment the god-king Šulkissara founded his frontier kingdom in the region, the first Arkašuli had slowly but steadily pushed back the ogres and made these valleys their home.\nAlthough wish magic aided in the fight through the creation of impressive fortifications, the god-kings nonetheless had to rely on the population maintaining their vigilance and weathering the worst periods of war without losing hope and fleeing. The Arkašul rose to the occasion repeatedly, actively joining in the struggle by vigorously defending their mountain passes and settlements, showing tenacity to match the splendor of their ruler’s magic.
-10% Morale Damage Received
Tunnels of builder-kingsNot long after the disappearance of ogres and god-kings, harpies appeared out of nowhere and spread over the peaks and hills, marking the start of the Age of Monsters.\nHopeless to match them in open ground, the Arkašuli repurposed many of the tunnels dating from the Age of God-kings to hide valuables and people during raids, and to divide and attrite enemy forces.\nWhile the magic that was used to build these structures was by this time long gone, the builders perfected their craft and gradually improved the existing structures, as well as building new tunnels, which made it easier for the population to live underground longer.\nAs these structures increased the inherent risk and cost of raiding, over the centuries the more reasonable harpies have sought peaceful and mutually beneficial arrangements, shifting their focus to softer, richer targets in the lowlands.\nThe underground cities were for the first time visited by friendlier harpy diplomats, traders and even royal brides. Murals of past fights against the ogres, images of wish magic unleashed on enemy armies and depictions of entrapped harpies instill a sense of fear and awe in any harpy visiting the underground city of Dišpawana, lest they forget that the Arkašuli retain the means to resist harpy raids.
+20% Garrison Size
Reborn from ashesThe Day of Ashen Skies was destructive for much of Halcann, but few places were hit as heavily as the settlements south of Gor Bûrad. As the volcano exploded with majestic fury, it entombed many of the local settlements and harpy roosts with scorching magma, closing off many of the tunnels to which generations had dedicated their lives.\nDevastated from the catastrophic loss of life and heritage, many of the survivors initially lost all hope. Yet, inspired by the Phoenix and with help of refugees of the chaos in the Suran plain, the Arkašuli slowly rebuilt their capital and settlements on top of the ashes of their own homes.\nDespite the recovery, many of the settlements and tunnels remained entombed for centuries. Only through a sustained effort would the descendants of the formidable builder-kings be able to rediscover and dig the entrances of these tunnels.\nThis process inspired Bulwari adventurers from other regions to search for the lost riches and treasures of the underground cities of Arkašul, to the dismay of the locals who excavated these ruins not motivated by greed or lust for ancient magic but to pay homage to their ancestors and heroes.
-5% Construction Cost
-0.03 Monthly War Exhaustion
Keepers of the LamassuThe mystical Lamassu have long been friends of the Bulwari and have advised and helped them with their magic, but history and invaders of Bulwar have not been kind to them.\nIn the last two millennia they have survived or relocated far from the demonic Gnolls to the safest places possible, including Arkašul. They have repurposed some of the surface and underground ruins created by genies, god-kings and even a few more recent ruins abandoned after being closed off by past volcanic eruptions.\nFor a while their hideouts and even existence remained a secret to the population to safeguard their survival, but over time a few among the Arkašuli, alongside some outsiders, have discovered various Lamassu hidden in the ruins dotting the region. They have established a rapport by bringing gifts and stories from afar to thank them for their help and knowledge, past and present, ensuring further support and patronage from such wise beings.
-10% Advisor Cost
Surprise volleyFlanked by three large matriarchies and innumerable minor ones, the valley of the Buranun has seen battles between squabbling flocks since the first Queendom collapsed. As much as harpies fighting over Arkašuli land has annoyed the humans living below, it has also been an opportunity for them to take part in these wars by fighting for the highest bidder.\nThe mercenaries have learned how to hide and ambush enemy harpies; divided into small bands of a few dozen men, they disperse in the rugged terrain and evade patrols using their knowledge of harpy movements and resting places. There they wait, ready to fire volleys of arrows upon any unsuspecting foes that wander into their traps.\nThe cunningness and courage of Arkašuli mercenaries is admired and feared by many harpies, so much so that many Ayaralleni and Nanšaleni harpies, alongside those native to Arkašul, openly boast descent from said mercenaries and incorporate similar small-scale ambushes and traps into their tactics.
+1 Land Leader Fire
+50% Possible Condottieri
Crossroad of the hillsWith the opening of the Deepwoods in the mid 16th century AA, the valley of the Buranun saw the formation of trade routes moving exotic woods and other sought after goods from the region to the lowlands of Bulwar. The concurrent reclamation of Hul-Jorkad by Ruby Dwarves and its growth also opened up the Western Dwarovar to trade with Bulwar.\nFar from its traditional image of a periphery of Bulwar of interest only to adventurers, the region saw an increasing presence of merchants, both local and foreign, as well as travelers who voyaged not only between Bulwar and these newly accessible regions but also between the Forbidden Plains and the old homeland of the centaurs in the Deepwoods. Even Gold Dwarves began to move regularly through these valleys to safely reach their kin in Hul-Jorkad.\nTo best handle the volume of trade and the diversity of goods, the hillsmen worked with the harpies to efficiently transport wares. Bulkier goods such as lumber were transported using pack animals and rafts through the gorges; when handling lighter merchandise such as furs and gems, the harpies themselves would transport them, flying over the mountains and hills, reducing transport times to the satisfaction of needy Bulwari nobles.
+20% Caravan Power
Cannons of the queenIn times past humans and harpies often lived very different lives and could only see each other with hostility, deepened by past grudges and fear, but with the conversion of the 4th Queendom to the Jadd, the Arkašuli came to accept the daughters of Nilšranu as brethren and see themselves as proud subjects of the Queen, as opposed to mere opportunistic traders or mercenaries under an occupying force.\nBy the 17th century AA, bitter memories and stories paled in comparison with the largely positive human-harpy interactions, as settlements on mountaintops and in the valleys alike became increasingly mixed, built to accommodate both races who proudly shared the Light of Surakel.\nThe royal court came to recognize the skills and dedication of their human subjects and their importance for the prosperity and defense of the queendom. Their mercantile efforts were supported by the crown and the place of the Arkašuli in the queendom's armies has, since the spread of gunpowder and cannons, focused on providing heavy fire support to harpy charges, as well as garrisoning and expanding the existing tunnel network.
+10% Artillery Damage from Back Row
Ambition
+1 Merchants
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD