Iskurthidian ideas

Traditions
+15% Fort Defence
-0.02 Monthly War Exhaustion

Ember’s MarchEstablished in the smouldering ashes of the War of the Ember Queens, Iškurthid has long served a double function for their Eliznan overlords. On the one hand it is a frontier march for the ailing elven kingdom, insulating the heartlands of its suzerain’s realm from both gnollish and Irrliamic incursions, and on the other it is a balm to the ever-growing calls for self-determination by the Šadnatu populace. Serving as a pivotal supply artery during the War of the Ember Queens, Iškurthid allowed Eliznan supplies to enter Brasan via not only sea but also land, keeping the Eliznan forces and their local allies well supplied.\n\nThough Elizna may have lost the war, the people of Iškurthid have been permanently changed by it. The dream of a unified Šad Sur may have long since been laid aside, but the Šadnatu have not forgotten the travesty of the War of the Ember Queens, the devastation it wrought, and how to use the Šad Sur to make the enemy pay for every inch of their home in blood.
+1 Attrition for Enemies

Bastions of the SurThe Šad Sur is a land littered with the carcasses of bygone empires, their shattered forts and outposts serving as testaments to their hubris, each in turn entirely confident that they would be the one to break the cycle, to be the empire eternal. The Šad Sur finds itself in the peculiar position of being the physical manifestation of these follies. However, one fort remains tall among all others: “Isit-Nabasur”, the Tower of the Sun’s Guard. Built by the Eliznan commander Eranil Zeharzuir, the Isit-Nabasur has served as an oasis within the harsh mountains of the Šad Sur, protecting the Salahad Gates, the main land route from Kheterata to Bulwar, for years upon years. Let empires rise and fall. Isit Nabasur will remain, stretching towards the sun, surely as it rises.
+20% Garrison Size

Rakutmu Gate“Upon the Western side of the mountains of the Šad Sur lie two mountain passes, known as the “Salahad Gates,” comprised of the northern gate, “Rakutmu,” and the southern, “Sihbaga”. For many hundreds of years, the Salahad Gates have served as the entrance into Bulwar, one of the final obstacles a traveller encounters before they arrive at the prosperous lands of the Suran and Buranun. However, if one is keen enough to take hold of one’s surroundings before continuing on their travels, one will be sure to see the brilliant fields of red poppies. Though they may appear as just a flower, their simple appearance belies their use. The people of the nearby town, sharing its name with the northern gate, have discovered a way to process the seed pods of the poppies into a syrup that is able to dull a person’s pains following injury. This has been met with high demand from the war-torn lands of Bulwar, which, in addition to its position as a trade chokepoint, has brought various merchants to the relatively small town, including, most interestingly, a population of harpies hailing from Annail, giving the town a trading edge over others from their ability of fly. Despite their seeming insignificance, the Salahad Gates still stand, sure as the sandstone of which they consist; they are the chokepoint of Bulwar, and Rakumtu stands as the gate to paradise.”\n\n- Chronicles of the Peoples, History and Locations of the Šad Sur, by Aderian szal-Daginir
+10% Provincial Trade Power Modifier

Isle of PearlsUpon a small isle found west of the Salahad Gates, the Šad Sur reveals one of its greatest treasures: the Pearls of Innuni Ub. While molluscs and pearls only appeared in number in 500 AA due to forces unknown, the effects have been felt tenfold. Rivalling in both quality and quantity the Soulstones of Isle Vroren, the pearls have become a point of both national pride and an important source of revenue for the otherwise dispossessed Šadnatu. The isle itself has served as a beacon of trade in a land of dangerous mountain passes and gnollish packs, with some merchants coming all the way from the great river estates of Kheterata to purchase the pearls as symbols of their wealth and power.
+5% Goods Produced Modifier

Rule of Commander ZeharzuirThe role of Commander of Iškurthid was never a coveted one. The people were unruly, the terrain poor and hard to traverse. What little wealth that did lie upon the coasts and valleys was quickly squandered by an uncaring elven overlord, the populace being but a pawn in a game of ego between their elven rulers. This all changed with the rule of Eranil Zeharzuir. Following the early dismissal of his predecessor for failing to deal with Šadnatu unrest, Zeharzuir, a member of the Eliznan young guard, would quickly show his difference in leadership.\n\nInstead of seeking to force the landscape and people to adapt to the elven administration, he sought to reach an understanding with the Šadnatu populace. Zeharzuir would quickly establish a series of local advisory councils in Iškurthid, with the power to establish new laws of their choosing with the approval of the commander, a rare example of self-government in Bulwar. While the councils would only last until the Irrliamic reconquest, they would have a great effect upon the people of Iškurthid. In his command, Commander Zeharzuir succeeded, whether intentionally or not, in sowing a tradition of republicanism and self-determination in the people of the Šad Sur.
+5% All Estates' Loyalty Equilibrium

Šadnatu IrregularsBirthed from the ashes of the bloody Deioderan, the Šadnatu irregulars proved one of the first threats of Bulwari resistance to the Jaddari Empire’s power. Trained in asymmetrical warfare by the Rezankandi Order of Firebringers, the Šadnatu fighters melded the mastery of mountain warfare exemplified by their Kuzarami siblings with the new theories taught to them by the Rezankandis. This would prove incredibly effective in fighting against the Jadd’s forces, as the irregulars would be able to attack a patrol, then quickly disappear into the innumerable caves and mountain passes of the Šad Sur. From their concealed strongholds, they were able to resupply and regroup, with some gunsmiths even joining their ranks, allowing even greater effectiveness in guerilla warfare against their overlords.
+10% Land Fire Damage

Long Live Šad SurUpon hearing of Medurubar’s call for rebellion against the Jaddari, Iškurthid would be among the first to join the nascent Surakeši League, its populace tired of the endless warring of their elven rulers, the unrelenting zealotry of the Jadd, and the devastation that the repeated wars had wrought upon the people of the Šad Sur. It is within these mountains and valleys that the first major triumph of the Surakeši League would occur, during the Battle of Mount Iškurthu.\n\nThe Jaddari forces, tired from battling in the metropolises of Rahen, were ill-equipped for the mountains and deserts of the Šad Sur. In attempting to relieve the besieged garrison stationed in Isit-Nabasur, the legions had already sealed their fate. The Šadnatu irregulars had prepared an ambush. As soon as the Jaddari forces passed through a canyon leading to Isit-Nabasur, volley upon volley of rifle fire rained upon their unprepared flanks. The battle descended into bloody melee shortly thereafter, and the Jaddari ranks shattered. The fortress of Isit-Nabasur bore witness to the carnage unfolding below, sapping the last vestiges of the garrison’s resolve. With the fall of Isit-Nabasur following the decisive battle, the people of Iškurthid emerged as the vanguard of freedom in the Šad Sur, the first free Šadnatu since the fall of Ekluzagnu. Iškurthid would not be remembered as just a vassal of the old elven empires, but as the Republic of the Šad Sur, etching its name into the annals of history.
+1 Yearly Prestige

Ambition
-15% Fort Maintenance