Ethanamara

Ethanamara

Primary Culture

Advakhalla

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Religion

Taychendi Hero Cults

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Traditions
+1 Yearly Devotion
+1 Diplomatic Relations
+1 Yearly Horde Unity

Khalla NanriAmong the clans of the Advakhalla, Ethanamara is known as the Khalla Nanri, the Clan of Stone. Stone is a venerable material: it is ever unchanging and true, yet can be shaped with grace under the hand of a talented stone carver. To the Ethanamari, the Advakhalla are not so different from stone; they simply lack a stone carver to give them the shape of greatness.\n\nIt is the Khalla Nanri’s duty to be this stone carver. Although the Advakhalla largely enjoy a much more peaceful lifestyle than the rest of Taychend, disputes still often arise between the clans, be they about territories or differing religious views. For their people to not fall into the trappings of warlordism, Ethanamara has often had to act as a mediator between the clans.\n\nDue to their influence in Advakhallan politics, Ethanamara has often been put forward as the leader of all Advakhalla during times of crisis. Following Erankar’s conquests, the leadership of multiple minor clans swore fealty once again to the Khalla Nanri, which went on to lead their people higher into the Veyii Sikarha, avoiding the Larankarha settlers who spread through their highlands during Larankar’s golden age.
+1 Diplomatic Reputation

Our Lowland BrethrenMuch as Ethanamara acts as a mediator among the Advakhalla, it often befalls the Khalla Nanri to parlay with the lowland Larankarha. After centuries of mutual raids and conquests, the two peoples have grown to be bitter rivals and their conflicts are rarely solved diplomatically, making Ethanamara a crucial link between the Advakhalla clans and wider Taychendi society.\n\nTo the Enathamari, the Larankarha are simply their brethren from below, who have strayed from the Thousand Paths of Stone; they need to be brought back in the righteous way, so that they may know prosperity under a guiding hand.
+20% Improve Relations

The High CourtHigh atop the rugged Advakhallan highlands, overlooking the great Endioka valley, lies the shining city of Ethanan. Built atop the remains of a monumental precursor temple, Ethanan is one of the most beautiful cities of Taychend, known for its great statues, carved murals and intricate architecture.\n\nAt its center stands elegantly the High Court, seat of the Khalla Nanri’s government. The residence of many Ethanamari elites, the High Court is renowned for its charm, refinement and high courtly manners. Diplomatic delegations find themselves warmly welcomed among its comfortable chambers, while nobles try to get the attention and favor of the king of Ethanamara in complicated intrigues.\n\nThe most resplendent part of the High Court is easily its throne room, filled with marvelous copperworks and fungal furniture from Sedregenghi. Petitioners and nobles alike are overlooked by the glorious Enlightened as they approach the heart of the High Court: the throne itself, carved out of pure Anakal ivory, which majestically seats the king of Ethanamara.
+5% All Estates' Loyalty Equilibrium

Masters of KattyamWhen the Ruin of Aelantir struck Taychend, the entire region devolved into chaos, as slaves rose up against their masters and the great flying city of Tacenie came crashing down. On the ground, Imperial Precursors from Tacenie found themselves in war-torn territory, the native people of the highlands embroiled in a conflict with the Slaver-Nobles. There, they helped those who would become the Larankarha and Advakhalla escape the shackles of the old Taychendi nobility, and although some chose to continue their way up to Nanru Nakar, many stayed behind in the highlands and intermarried with the locals.\n\nToday, the most known legacy of the Imperial Precursors is the art of Kattyam, known as Taychendi Bladedancing by Cannorians. Mounted on powerful Larankarha horses, practitioners of Kattyam use grand sabres as spellcasting focus, gracefully manipulating them in order to cast even more devastating spells. In the battlefield, they are a force to be reckoned with, charging towards the ranks of enemies and cutting through them like air.
+15% Cavalry Combat Ability
+0.1 Cavalry Shock

Anakal FellersAmong the strange creatures of Taychend, the anakal are among the most elusive and the most valuable. More widely known as the Tusked Beasts of Taychend, these great animals, found in the Advakhallan highlands and the savannahs of the Chendhya, are characterized by their two mouths, their long outer mouths ending with large ivory-teeth and their small inner mouth consisting of strangely humanoid teeth.\n\nAlthough their inner mouth has fascinated many scholars for years, it is the anakals’ outer teeth that make them so sought after by hunters and nobles alike. A rare material prized in all of Taychend far beyond the weak and brittle material taken from the feeble kotakompu, anakal ivory is one of the most renowned signs of nobility in the region. Carved into earrings, necklaces or various pieces of furniture, few materials can hope to match the prestige of this ivory.\n\nDespite the Advakhalla’s reputation as a backwards people to larger Taychendi society, the Ethanamari take great pride in their tradition of Anakal hunting and ivory carving, not to mention the wealth it has brought to the clan – many of the clan’s elites are known to adorn themselves with ivory, with even the lowland Larankarha recognising their beauty.
+1 Yearly Prestige

People of the PeaksMany believe the Advakhallan highlands to be the furthest extent of Taychendi civilization, the high peaks of the Veyii Sikarha delineating the border between the land of heroes and the Effelai. This is untrue, however; beyond the summits, nested among lofty mountains, lies a tranquil river valley, the homeland of the reclusive and exotic Sikarhanal.\n\nClassifying these people proves difficult. Although their language, architecture and many of their traditions are undoubtedly Taychendi, there are few similarities between their peaceful customs and the Taychendi war-ridden lifestyle. Moreover, their esoteric religion is entirely separate from the hero-cults of Taychend, proving to be a major barrier to their integration.\n\nWhile most Sikarhanal prefer to keep to their calm valley, the more adventurous types among them are known to make the perilous trip through the Veyii Sikarha to Taychend proper, forging bonds between the Sikarhanal and Advakhallan people. Ethanamara is known to host a large number of renowned Sikarhanal advisors, sought after for their esoteric insight.
-15% Advisor Cost

The Thousand Path of StonesThroughout the years, continued contact between the Sikarhanal and the Advakhalla has not only made the two people amenable to each other, but also brought them closer culturally and religiously. In Ethanamara, this syncretism can be particularly felt in the way the Taychendi God-Heroes are worshiped. \n\nTaking inspiration from the Sikarhanal’s Thousand Paths of Stone, the Ethanamari believe in Enlightenment, the highest form of life consisting of turning into stone. While the Sikarhanal revere the Enlightened as philosopher-leaders, the Ethanamari have twisted this belief to fit within the Hero Cults. To them, the Enlightened simply become the greatest gods, ruling over the deplorable warlord or artisan God-Heroes.\n\nThe entire process of Enlightenment is made possible by the Pebbles of Divinity, strange relics found in Ethanan which possess tremendous transmutation power. Over months of ritual meditation, the future Enlightened see their skin slowly turn to stone, limb by limb and finger by finger.\n\nAlthough regarded as nothing more than glorified statues by other Taychendi, an accident during Erankar’s conquest of Ethanamara broke the thick stone skin of one of the Enlightened, revealing their inner organs horrifyingly still of flesh and blood, functioning as if within a living being.
+2 Tolerance of the True Faith

Ambition
+1 Yearly Absolutism

History

TBD

Strategy

TBD