https://wiki.conworld.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Tsundoku 2026-10-16T01:29:19Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.39.3 https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Kapan&diff=597916 2026-10-01T18:19:28Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Kapan Valley<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Kapanzhan Deresa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Kapan-zhan Dere-sa''&lt;br /&gt;{{KaiScript|Kapen Tuhej}} (Pali)&lt;br /&gt;''Kapen Tu Aj''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = Theth kapan.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = A hamlet in '''Sevan'''<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Kapanshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 242,500<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Hopa<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Hopa<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> | population_blank1_title = Ethnic groups<br /> | population_blank1 = 75% Pali &lt;br /&gt; 22% Ninshuri Kai &lt;br /&gt; 3% Others<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Kapan Valley''' is a historic and cultural region in western [[Kaishuri]], within the megaregion of [[Padishan]]. It includes the city of [[Hopa]] (Ufa) and [[Juje]]. Kapan Valley is the smallest of the traditional [[Traditional regions of Kaishuri|regions]] of Kaishuri by area. Kapan is north, across the [[Nun Mountains]], of the region of [[Baishundo]], the economic center of the traditional [[Palis|Pali]] homeland, [[Padishan]]. While the Palis of [[Baishundo]], [[Mujedushika]], and the [[Shian|Shiamori mountains]] have historically had distinct identities, the Palis of central [[Padishan]], of which Kapan is a part of, simply refer to themselves as [[Palis]]. This is due to the fact that in the outlying regions of Padishan, where the [[Tozars|Tozar]], [[Birs|Bir]], and [[Majjina]] (Palis from Mujedushika, the Shiamori Mountains, and Baishundo) live, Kais make up the majority, while in central Padishan, the population is majority Pali. However, Palis and Kais have historically had cordial relations, and the Palis have been ruled by the Kais for much of their history. The Pali language, out of the three officially recognized Kaishurian minority languages (Hedin, Pali, and Avissi), is the most similar to [[Kai language|Kai]]. However, the Palis are often said to be closer culturally to the non-Kaijin [[Korids]] and the [[Hissaks]] to the East. Kapan Valley was historically known for its production of [[Halim wine]] and [[Sevan cheese]], and has become a hub for [[Tourism in Kaishuri/Gastronomy in Kaishuri|gastronomy]], artisanal foods, and [[Tourism in Kaishuri/Food tourism in Kaishuri|food tourism]] in modern Kaishuri. When the [[Kai Empire]] was ruled from [[Mujedushika]], many palace cooks were brought from Kapan, and for a number of years, the kraï would visit Kapan once a year to meet with his subjects. When the center of Kaishuri slowly moved west, Padishan diminished in importance as a whole and its population began to decline, especially in [[Mujedushika]] (which was known to the Pali as Berlenë). As a result, in the last few centuries, Kais have legally begun [[The Glorious March|settling]] Padishan, and have become the majority in historically Pali regions such as Mujedushika, North Shiamori, and to a lesser extent in Baishundo. Those Kais who settled further east of Padishan, in the steppe, called their land [[Ninshuri]], and generally, this name is used to refer to not only the Kais of the [[Far East (Kaishuri)|Far East]], but also to the [[Hashin Kai|Kais of Padishan]]. Kapan has a small population of Ninshuri Kais, making up 22% of the population, and most of them reside in [[Hopa]].</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=User:Tsundoku/MV_sandbox&diff=595937 2026-08-31T01:18:09Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>== Kapan ==<br /> Tourists have to fly into the airport in Baishundo (antalya of kaishuri), drive a few hours to Ufa.<br /> <br /> Ufa: lower part of kapan, tbilisi/antep/basque type town<br /> <br /> near Ufa: lake Goman, town: Gamanjorda (ohrid)<br /> <br /> further north of imesli imeri: more rural, wine (Narikala, Halim, Vanzakazhane) and cheese country (Sevan, Kazankadere), fancier. Borjoni, Kagtar castle, Baladon village<br /> <br /> northernmost: super remote, ingushetian, Tamesli and Imilshere<br /> <br /> Lumre river Tamesli Imilchil<br /> <br /> <br /> baladon village<br /> <br /> Urir Taferdin: poet<br /> <br /> Imzilen Rakas: more modern writer<br /> <br /> narikala: wine country<br /> <br /> kagtar castle<br /> <br /> gamdejan<br /> <br /> sana nkhile<br /> <br /> sana nikhle<br /> <br /> borjoni<br /> <br /> gamarjoda<br /> <br /> gamanjorda<br /> <br /> manzara<br /> <br /> baishundo<br /> <br /> == '''Main cities of Kaishuri''' ==<br /> # Shukariden (Shukariden)<br /> # Shimzen (Shukariden)<br /> # Káibashi<br /> # Kaliman<br /> # Jaikai<br /> # Akyáz<br /> # Serbashi<br /> # Rumanshen City<br /> # Hata<br /> # Godai<br /> # Mudiar<br /> # Koran<br /> # Lashian<br /> # Baijin<br /> <br /> Lashian<br /> <br /> Mudiar<br /> <br /> Mirashuka** hometown of Kadir dynasty<br /> <br /> Godai (historically known as Cotai) manufacturing center<br /> <br /> Shimzen<br /> <br /> Káibashi<br /> <br /> Serbashi<br /> <br /> Rumanshen City<br /> <br /> Kaliman<br /> <br /> Wushi<br /> <br /> Konunzoda: suburb of SK<br /> <br /> '''Hata''': Barcelona of Kaishuri, 50/50 Kais and Palis, like Antalya + Barcelona + Busan + Bosphorus Istanbul<br /> <br /> Jaikai<br /> <br /> Mudiar<br /> <br /> Bashim/Baijin: Pali, capital of central Padishan, named after first king of the Pashanin (the medieval Pali kingdom), Basim<br /> <br /> Koran (historic city)<br /> <br /> Huali***<br /> <br /> Mujedushika*** originally Pali, historical capital of Padishan<br /> <br /> Hailan<br /> <br /> Yaran<br /> <br /> Mian<br /> <br /> Kaishuri was born from the fringes of Padishan.<br /> <br /> Kaiyau<br /> <br /> Saitong <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Names'''<br /> <br /> Ronin<br /> <br /> Shadan<br /> <br /> Shuhadan<br /> <br /> Shahad<br /> <br /> Shong<br /> <br /> Jin<br /> <br /> Zhafan<br /> <br /> Kaisen<br /> <br /> Arad<br /> <br /> Muharem<br /> <br /> Hun<br /> <br /> Shihan<br /> <br /> Tailan<br /> <br /> Beharad<br /> <br /> Arash<br /> <br /> Adarvan<br /> <br /> Araduhan<br /> <br /> Radin<br /> <br /> Jihan<br /> <br /> Ashur<br /> <br /> Batuhan<br /> <br /> Kerem<br /> <br /> Shirin<br /> <br /> Hajiyar<br /> <br /> Meherjan<br /> <br /> Nazanin<br /> <br /> Shubahan<br /> <br /> Roshana<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Baishundo&lt;/u&gt; has always been vital for kaishuri, as its coast is the only, very narrow way to get to the far east without having to cross mountains or fight Hedin. ==<br /> Kaihuri's main trading partners were the Rubians and the Phenari (Panaratians) but since the Krai and the court was always fat and rich, they were lazy and had a lackluster fleet, due to the army junta wanting to be unopposed, so they just sent their goods to Panarat. This meant they had to go from the Gulf of Kaliman region, where Wushi was their main foreign trading center, southeast across the vast hot plains of South Koran, past the poor medieval center of Kaishuri, into the Southern desert, and then sharply south to skirt the mountains, arriving in the splendid land of Baishundo, where Kai traders relaxed, gambled, and built palaces for whores far from the authority of the krai and into the frontier, where they would turn their goods over to the faithful, conservative Korids, who move goods in wondrous caravans of covered wagons across their green country and to Panarat. This makes Baishundo very important, informally, as the last city before the frontier.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Korid Empire&lt;/u&gt; is famous for stone churches on high, barren mountains, and white mosques and traintracks among swaying green grass ==<br /> The Korid Empire consists of three ethnic groups: the Hisaks and Korids (Armenians) who live in the more barren west, build cities, and the Demre (Anatolian Turks) farmers of the green grass hills of southern Visst. The Demre are the majority, with their capital at Yalova, but they are largely pastoral, while the Korids in their fortresses rule the country and get rich off of selling Demre's tea, rice, wheat, and other goods. However, they are always at war with the Merdivozians, who are always wrecking them and ransacking the Demre cities. So it is pretty fucked up and war torn constantly, but the Merdivozians can never seem to make any ground, occasionally being ambushed by Karmir clansmen. Also, waging war against the Korids makes the Merdivozians a lot of money. They have always made the Korids pay reparations, practically monopolizing Demreyi goods and mining in the Korid mountains. In the 1900s, they began extracting oil from the northeast of the country, the delta of the Mur River. The Mur River originates in the high mountains near the Farslae and Moranc, travels through all of Low Erboria, and empties into the inland Emerald Sea.<br /> <br /> == The beautiful land of &lt;u&gt;Panarat&lt;/u&gt; (montenegro, istanbul, use greek alphabet) is located on the coast south of the Korid Empire, first independent as trading states but then shockingly beat in a war by Derigians (greeks) and conquered, later flop and get colonized by Tangeir, then colonized by Derigian Republic ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Derigia&lt;/u&gt; is a former outpost of Tangeir, less advanced, more barren and Greek, but has respectable trade and numerous cities. United with Breas (Aragonese) to colonize northern Acron ==<br /> south and coastal areas more greek aegean island, inland more castley.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Merdivozian Empire&lt;/u&gt; is a hungry supervillain that has made life hard for Erborians since the beginning of time. ==<br /> Shittier land, slavic poland/russia = '''Moranc, Kovets'''<br /> <br /> Hillier with castles, romania, medieval capital = '''Arniei/Arnihai''',<br /> <br /> '''Nidhbetivar''' = baltics, amsterdam, st petersburg, coal mines<br /> <br /> '''Merdhiverhar''' = Cultural + 1500s-revolution capital central europe but sunnier: prague, budapest, czechia, hungary, slovenia, also includes '''Agus Nova''' (New York + modern Tokyo, but Euro climate) hugely important city<br /> <br /> '''Vistad''' = dismal weather and landscape, always full of the Imperial Army setting up to pillage the Korids, pretty much a shithole, gypsies, frontier with Karmirs, gets insanely cold as you get closer to Karmirs<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Aguz&lt;/u&gt; succeeded the Merdivozian Empire, making North Erborians (Morancs, Kovetse, Nidhbetivaru, Merdhiverharu, etc) poor while beefing up Agus Nova to be one of the most powerful cities in the world ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Catan&lt;/u&gt; is a patchwork, where people are generally just focused on having a good time, making nice things, and partying ==<br /> Catan is the largest state on the continent of Ridwan by both size and population. It comprises most of the northern coast of the continent, and stretches far south across the center of the continent. Catan is ethnically and religiously diverse: while 80% of the population is ethnic Numerian, a significant minority of 15% are Calish, and the remaining 5% comprise of Kums. Dorne<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Calim&lt;/u&gt; is rich, but inhospitable and sparsely populated. half of the population are at sea at any given time ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Sultanate of Gisan&lt;/u&gt; is rich and developed. East Africa. Mostly decended into chaos in modern times, except the core (ethiopia) and eritrea ==<br /> Major beef with the Chuo, eventually win and blast the Chuo to smithereens<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Tangerians&lt;/u&gt; are relentless traders with an empire of outposts who hate Panarat and hate Rubians even more ==<br /> House Tyrell, huge agricultural power. Capital: Bath-Iris. In modern times, generally aligns with Aguz, Ninshuri and Catan against Erboria, Alor, Kamisho and Kaishuri, because Tangeir is more conservative.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Khozan Empire&lt;/u&gt; has been Kaishuri's weak-ass enemy for millennia, and they get overrun by the Aguz and get absolutely smoked ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Ninshuri&lt;/u&gt; is muslim Kaishuri ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Lin Kingdom&lt;/u&gt; is a puppet established by the Kai Empire in their original homeland, to pay respect. But it's bumfuck steppe and useless. ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Shu Empire&lt;/u&gt; is rocky like Korea, very industrious people, lots of fishing, hate the Gisu, who are independent of the Kais who rule and are strict on Shu ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Gisu&lt;/u&gt;, a wondrous land of inns and rice paddies, tokaido, japan ==<br /> Main cities of Khorozan/Khozan<br /> <br /> # Ghort (ruins) destroyed in massive war in 1800s against Aguz<br /> # '''Ghorghan''' capital<br /> # Zhorghan<br /> # Ordoghan<br /> # Morvogh<br /> # Zhordoghan<br /> # Mozorghan<br /> # Ghoghortaghan<br /> <br /> Khozan language: Dhadokoj<br /> <br /> Kai Empire<br /> <br /> Khozan Empire<br /> <br /> Lin Empire<br /> <br /> Gisu<br /> <br /> Shu<br /> <br /> Korid Empire<br /> <br /> Catanni warlords<br /> <br /> - Amutanni (catanni princess)<br /> <br /> - Arad<br /> <br /> - Azad<br /> <br /> - Azartash<br /> <br /> - Nuri<br /> <br /> - Sayed<br /> <br /> - Jayad<br /> <br /> - Javad<br /> <br /> - Deha<br /> <br /> - Bedri<br /> <br /> - Chabar<br /> <br /> - Jabar<br /> <br /> - Duyal<br /> <br /> - Nador<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Kai names: <br /> <br /> Hane(f) <br /> <br /> Korin(m) <br /> <br /> Ramik(m) <br /> <br /> Kam <br /> <br /> Ren <br /> <br /> Den <br /> <br /> Sen <br /> <br /> Gan <br /> <br /> Jin <br /> <br /> Rendan <br /> <br /> Dangsu <br /> <br /> Remka <br /> <br /> Kamir <br /> <br /> Denli <br /> <br /> Jangri <br /> <br /> Sang <br /> <br /> Jem <br /> <br /> Zan <br /> <br /> Minru <br /> <br /> Shenko <br /> <br /> north marakoth: Bani Ba-e (kai colony?) <br /> <br /> Brak Vaubert (XXX – XXX) was a 19th-century Tangerian writer and politician best known for his instrumental role in <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Tangeria''':<br /> <br /> Tifraz<br /> Tazulit<br /> Ighuren<br /> Zerfoun<br /> Warzaz<br /> Tilmiran<br /> Izerwan<br /> Rzifran<br /> Amezrur<br /> Tamgilt<br /> Aferdun* ancient capital<br /> Ufrir* ancient<br /> Azerfud<br /> Ghremar - capital<br /> Ifralen<br /> Azroun<br /> Zeran<br /> Tighanim<br /> Zellagen<br /> Imilchil<br /> Tiferdine<br /> Tamgroute<br /> Ighrem<br /> Mezrane<br /> Timimoun<br /> Ifergane<br /> Tindjbar<br /> Azemmour<br /> Tamrabet<br /> Aourir<br /> Tifliyeen<br /> Imesli<br /> Azemmouren<br /> Imzilen<br /> Tifghelt<br /> Tamghelt<br /> Ighzeran<br /> Ifranezzan<br /> <br /> <br /> Tangerians (french-ish arab-ish): most economically powerful, owning most of East Methona, with monopolizing early trade with aicho. first kamisho, but not too profitable: dominated trade with marakoth, ibad, and rubia<br /> <br /> erborians (north euro) did more trade with kamisho<br /> <br /> kaishuri trade with both tangerians and erborians</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=595502 2026-08-25T16:29:16Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;''Prehistoric (Jaliqai) capitals: Tula, Aumanil, Ukarniq, Kanguqar''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of Northeastern Ridwan, generally within the boundaries of the modern state of [[Catain]]. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Oron and Azos rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. Around 4000 N., the region was then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Oron and Azos rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the Kessid kingdoms to the east, further bounded by the Strait of Tirosh and the Juraxian Sea, and further east, the island kingdom of Saba, to the west, by the Calish Desert, and to the south, the land of Kum. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> <br /> == Prehistoric (Jegen) Period ==<br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Oron Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Oron Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Oron Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The following (modernized) adaptation is taken from the version recorded in the X'imisad of X'wniyne, with the names reverted to the original Jegen versions recorded by Nutaralak.<br /> <br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history.<br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Sĭwasimi, and Sĭwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Sĭwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared.<br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y-ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Sĭwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep.<br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Iarapia, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it.<br /> <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Iarapia stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Iarapia by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Sĭwasimi appeared in her path. Sĭwasimi then led Iarapia to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Sĭwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Iarapia lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house.<br /> <br /> Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Sĭwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Iarapia and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west.<br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Iarapia to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Iarapia's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa.<br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.[[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|299x299px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Iarapia shown next to the chieftain]]The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era Institute of Historiography at Chen Western University:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Oron Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Chen Western University Institute of Historiography&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by surviving Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' begins in a primordial world, when the 'spirit world', '''''Nakwi''''', lay above the sky, and below it, the water world of '''''Nasazi''''', the 'animal world', covered by a vast ocean with no end, inhabited by many water animals. According to the ''Mazlauwa'', a woman from the ''Nakwi'', a ''wattiya{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, effectively the nymphs and fairies of Jegen mythology.}}'' who was called Iya, fell through a crack in the sky to Nasazi below. She was pregnant by the sun god Puliluwaswe, and was almost ready to give birth when she fell. The animals of ''Nasazi'' banded together to help save her from drowning, and the beaver, ''nakistuwar'', called all the animals to build a great raft (''walin''){{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}} from the bones of their dead that floated in the vast ocean. On the ''walin'', Iya began to give birth. Much blood was lost by Iya, and she perished, yet two twins came forth, a girl, Ano, and a boy, Ah. With their mother dead, Ah and Ano were raised by the animals of ''Nasazi''.<br /> <br /> One day, when the children were nearing their eighth year, a stork, flying from afar with no rest, found the raft of bones, finally finding rest from flying across a world with nothing but ocean. As his gift, the stork (''gasun'') gave Ano a pouch filled with earth that he had stolen from ''Nakwi'' above. He instructed Ano to plant the bones of her spirit mother in this earth, all save the woman's skull. The first bones planted by Ano soon grew into tall plants, offering the children nourishment, and their roots stretched deep down to fasten themselves to the sea floor. The great raft of bones became an island, and Ano sowed the land with her mother's bones, bringing to ''Nasazi'' the bounty of the spirit world above. Ano gave birth by the wolf-man Hala Zuli, and their children were the first people, half ''Nakwi'' and half ''Nasazi'', eventually becoming the 'mountain clans'.<br /> <br /> As Ah grew into a strong adolescent, he found in the ''nakistuwar'' a father and guide, and with the beaver's help he built homes for the new people of the land. However, as an adolescent, Ah was visited by an alluring moon goddess, Niwa, in his dreams, making him restless, lustful and infatuated with her. One day, when he reached his fifteenth year, Ah, filled with lust, climbed the tallest tree in the land to reach ''Nakwi''. When he reached ''Nakwi'', he was met by his all-powerful father, Puliluwaswe, who had grown into an vengeful, fearsome war god after witnessing the helpless death of his beloved, Iya, in ''Nasazi'' below. Upon hearing his son's pleas to enter ''Nakwi'' to see the goddess who appeared in his sexual fantasies, Puliluwaswe was furious and cast Ah down to earth, forbidding his son's lustful ambitions. As Ah fell to earth, he was saved by the ''gasun'', who returned him to land. That night, he spoke to Niwa of their predicament, and she made a promise to see him even if his powerful father forbade it. When the great Puliluwaswe slept, Niwa would watch Ah and the animals from the sky above. This, according to Jegen cosmogony, was what created the lunar cycle and the night: when Puliluwaswe slept, the moon goddess traveled across the sky to watch the humans of ''Nasazi'', the sons of her Ah. In her sorrow, Niwa's tears fell from the spirit world to the earth as mud. Ah created Assuiwasha, the earthly likeness of Niwa, from this mud, and the divine tears of the goddess gave Assuiwasha life. Assuiwasha and Ah's children, born like Ano's children; half of ''Nakwi'' and half of ''Nasazi'', became the 'river clans'.<br /> <br /> As the children of Ah and Ano lived peacefully and prosperously on the earth below, Puliluwaswe grew vengeful, seeing how the beauty of the animal world had come to parallel ''Nakwi'' that he ruled. So, the cunning god threw down to the earth rays of sun so hot and furious that the great river of ''Nasazi'' became a dry riverbed in an instant. Immediately, the humans went to war, now that the river they all relied on was nothing but hot, dry ground. Ah and Ano, in their old age and wisdom, turned to the animals for help. The mountain goat, ''urwa'', led Ah and Ano up the highest mountain in the land, ''Irnuasu''&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; where they found a deep gorge beneath a glacier. Puliluwaswe's furious light had made the great glacier weep, its water melting to fill up the gorge below. As they watched the gorge fill with water, the raven, ''musuwil'', told Ah and Ano of the great danger to humankind that lay before them. The raven said that the gorge would soon break, and all the land would be flooded, drowning all its inhabitants. The ''musuwil'' told Ano that she must bury her mother's skull, which she had kept after sowing the land with all her mother's other bones. Ruefully, Ano buried the her mother's skull in the earth. Just as she covered it with soil, a great banyan tree sprung forth. As the gorge began to break, the banyan tree, '''''inu''''', offered its ancient wood to Ah, imploring him to build a sturdy raft to save his people. Ah was only able to save his family and the animals of the land, and the water came down from '''''Irnuasu''''', drowning all else. All the land was covered by a great ocean, except the peak of ''Irnuasu''. This is where Ah brought the animals and his family, and where they survived for many years.<br /> <br /> When Ah's youngest son, Wakil, grew to sixteen years of age, tired of his people's entrapment on the mountain peak, he asked the stork (''gasun'') to bring him to the house of his grandfather. As the great god slept, Wakil crept into his house to steal his mighty spear, ''Zida''. Escaping ''Nakwi'' on the back of the stork, he hurled the spear at the mountain below, and all the water that had covered the world rushed into the chasm that the god's spear created. Ah and Ano chose to stay on the mountain peak, to watch over the great spring of '''''Irnuasu''''' and the ''inu''. In their age and wisdom, Ah and Ano became gods of earth and water, the guardians of the first people.<br /> <br /> Wakil dove to the depths of the spring of ''Irnuasu'' to retrieve his grandfather's spear, ''Zida'', which gave him immense, unmatched power. With the spear, he commanded the entire world, slaughtering dissidents and forcing his subjects to meet his sinful needs. A few winters had gone by, and the people starved under Wakil's corrupt rule. Puliluwaswe, seeing this, banished Wakil to the bowels of the earth, where he turned into the demon '''Galgilya''', creating his new underworld kingdom by stealing people's souls as they sinned.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.[[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe'''|295x295px]]&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak{{Refn|In Numerian record, the god Ah is referred to as Ayia, and the god Ano is referred to as Andak.|group=}} were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Dokon{{Refn|Dagun|group=}},''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')|247x247px]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Oron Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Targada''', on the site of Dagun. Targada is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it played a significant role the rise of the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital, Hulali, uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|261x261px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.|260x260px]]<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Oron region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Azos]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Oron river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, originally built by Windu III and periodically restored by succeeding settlers to the region.|247x247px]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the zenith of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Oron river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Oron Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Oron river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Oron River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Oron and the Azos. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Oron river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Oron river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=595501 2026-08-25T16:28:44Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;''Prehistoric (Jaliqai) capitals: Tula, Aumanil, Ukarniq, Kanguqar''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of Northeastern Ridwan, generally within the boundaries of the modern state of [[Katain|Catain]]. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Oron and Azos rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. Around 4000 N., the region was then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Oron and Azos rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the Kessid kingdoms to the east, further bounded by the Strait of Tirosh and the Juraxian Sea, and further east, the island kingdom of Saba, to the west, by the Calish Desert, and to the south, the land of Kum. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> <br /> == Prehistoric (Jegen) Period ==<br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Oron Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Oron Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Oron Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The following (modernized) adaptation is taken from the version recorded in the X'imisad of X'wniyne, with the names reverted to the original Jegen versions recorded by Nutaralak.<br /> <br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history.<br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Sĭwasimi, and Sĭwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Sĭwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared.<br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y-ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Sĭwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep.<br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Iarapia, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it.<br /> <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Iarapia stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Iarapia by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Sĭwasimi appeared in her path. Sĭwasimi then led Iarapia to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Sĭwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Iarapia lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house.<br /> <br /> Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Sĭwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Iarapia and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west.<br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Iarapia to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Iarapia's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa.<br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.[[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|299x299px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Iarapia shown next to the chieftain]]The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era Institute of Historiography at Chen Western University:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Oron Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Chen Western University Institute of Historiography&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by surviving Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' begins in a primordial world, when the 'spirit world', '''''Nakwi''''', lay above the sky, and below it, the water world of '''''Nasazi''''', the 'animal world', covered by a vast ocean with no end, inhabited by many water animals. According to the ''Mazlauwa'', a woman from the ''Nakwi'', a ''wattiya{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, effectively the nymphs and fairies of Jegen mythology.}}'' who was called Iya, fell through a crack in the sky to Nasazi below. She was pregnant by the sun god Puliluwaswe, and was almost ready to give birth when she fell. The animals of ''Nasazi'' banded together to help save her from drowning, and the beaver, ''nakistuwar'', called all the animals to build a great raft (''walin''){{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}} from the bones of their dead that floated in the vast ocean. On the ''walin'', Iya began to give birth. Much blood was lost by Iya, and she perished, yet two twins came forth, a girl, Ano, and a boy, Ah. With their mother dead, Ah and Ano were raised by the animals of ''Nasazi''.<br /> <br /> One day, when the children were nearing their eighth year, a stork, flying from afar with no rest, found the raft of bones, finally finding rest from flying across a world with nothing but ocean. As his gift, the stork (''gasun'') gave Ano a pouch filled with earth that he had stolen from ''Nakwi'' above. He instructed Ano to plant the bones of her spirit mother in this earth, all save the woman's skull. The first bones planted by Ano soon grew into tall plants, offering the children nourishment, and their roots stretched deep down to fasten themselves to the sea floor. The great raft of bones became an island, and Ano sowed the land with her mother's bones, bringing to ''Nasazi'' the bounty of the spirit world above. Ano gave birth by the wolf-man Hala Zuli, and their children were the first people, half ''Nakwi'' and half ''Nasazi'', eventually becoming the 'mountain clans'.<br /> <br /> As Ah grew into a strong adolescent, he found in the ''nakistuwar'' a father and guide, and with the beaver's help he built homes for the new people of the land. However, as an adolescent, Ah was visited by an alluring moon goddess, Niwa, in his dreams, making him restless, lustful and infatuated with her. One day, when he reached his fifteenth year, Ah, filled with lust, climbed the tallest tree in the land to reach ''Nakwi''. When he reached ''Nakwi'', he was met by his all-powerful father, Puliluwaswe, who had grown into an vengeful, fearsome war god after witnessing the helpless death of his beloved, Iya, in ''Nasazi'' below. Upon hearing his son's pleas to enter ''Nakwi'' to see the goddess who appeared in his sexual fantasies, Puliluwaswe was furious and cast Ah down to earth, forbidding his son's lustful ambitions. As Ah fell to earth, he was saved by the ''gasun'', who returned him to land. That night, he spoke to Niwa of their predicament, and she made a promise to see him even if his powerful father forbade it. When the great Puliluwaswe slept, Niwa would watch Ah and the animals from the sky above. This, according to Jegen cosmogony, was what created the lunar cycle and the night: when Puliluwaswe slept, the moon goddess traveled across the sky to watch the humans of ''Nasazi'', the sons of her Ah. In her sorrow, Niwa's tears fell from the spirit world to the earth as mud. Ah created Assuiwasha, the earthly likeness of Niwa, from this mud, and the divine tears of the goddess gave Assuiwasha life. Assuiwasha and Ah's children, born like Ano's children; half of ''Nakwi'' and half of ''Nasazi'', became the 'river clans'.<br /> <br /> As the children of Ah and Ano lived peacefully and prosperously on the earth below, Puliluwaswe grew vengeful, seeing how the beauty of the animal world had come to parallel ''Nakwi'' that he ruled. So, the cunning god threw down to the earth rays of sun so hot and furious that the great river of ''Nasazi'' became a dry riverbed in an instant. Immediately, the humans went to war, now that the river they all relied on was nothing but hot, dry ground. Ah and Ano, in their old age and wisdom, turned to the animals for help. The mountain goat, ''urwa'', led Ah and Ano up the highest mountain in the land, ''Irnuasu''&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; where they found a deep gorge beneath a glacier. Puliluwaswe's furious light had made the great glacier weep, its water melting to fill up the gorge below. As they watched the gorge fill with water, the raven, ''musuwil'', told Ah and Ano of the great danger to humankind that lay before them. The raven said that the gorge would soon break, and all the land would be flooded, drowning all its inhabitants. The ''musuwil'' told Ano that she must bury her mother's skull, which she had kept after sowing the land with all her mother's other bones. Ruefully, Ano buried the her mother's skull in the earth. Just as she covered it with soil, a great banyan tree sprung forth. As the gorge began to break, the banyan tree, '''''inu''''', offered its ancient wood to Ah, imploring him to build a sturdy raft to save his people. Ah was only able to save his family and the animals of the land, and the water came down from '''''Irnuasu''''', drowning all else. All the land was covered by a great ocean, except the peak of ''Irnuasu''. This is where Ah brought the animals and his family, and where they survived for many years.<br /> <br /> When Ah's youngest son, Wakil, grew to sixteen years of age, tired of his people's entrapment on the mountain peak, he asked the stork (''gasun'') to bring him to the house of his grandfather. As the great god slept, Wakil crept into his house to steal his mighty spear, ''Zida''. Escaping ''Nakwi'' on the back of the stork, he hurled the spear at the mountain below, and all the water that had covered the world rushed into the chasm that the god's spear created. Ah and Ano chose to stay on the mountain peak, to watch over the great spring of '''''Irnuasu''''' and the ''inu''. In their age and wisdom, Ah and Ano became gods of earth and water, the guardians of the first people.<br /> <br /> Wakil dove to the depths of the spring of ''Irnuasu'' to retrieve his grandfather's spear, ''Zida'', which gave him immense, unmatched power. With the spear, he commanded the entire world, slaughtering dissidents and forcing his subjects to meet his sinful needs. A few winters had gone by, and the people starved under Wakil's corrupt rule. Puliluwaswe, seeing this, banished Wakil to the bowels of the earth, where he turned into the demon '''Galgilya''', creating his new underworld kingdom by stealing people's souls as they sinned.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.[[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe'''|295x295px]]&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak{{Refn|In Numerian record, the god Ah is referred to as Ayia, and the god Ano is referred to as Andak.|group=}} were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Dokon{{Refn|Dagun|group=}},''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')|247x247px]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Oron Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Targada''', on the site of Dagun. Targada is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it played a significant role the rise of the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital, Hulali, uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|261x261px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.|260x260px]]<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Oron region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Azos]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Oron river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, originally built by Windu III and periodically restored by succeeding settlers to the region.|247x247px]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the zenith of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Oron river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Oron Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Oron river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Oron River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Oron and the Azos. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Oron river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Oron river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=595500 2026-08-25T16:27:55Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;''Prehistoric (Jaliqai) capitals: Tula, Aumanil, Ukarniq, Kanguqar''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of Northeastern Ridwan, generally within the boundaries of the modern state of [[Katain]]. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Oron and Azos rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. Around 4000 N., the region was then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Oron and Azos rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the Kessid kingdoms to the east, further bounded by the Strait of Tirosh and the Juraxian Sea, and further east, the island kingdom of Saba, to the west, by the Calish Desert, and to the south, the land of Kum. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> <br /> == Prehistoric (Jegen) Period ==<br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Oron Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Oron Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Oron Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The following (modernized) adaptation is taken from the version recorded in the X'imisad of X'wniyne, with the names reverted to the original Jegen versions recorded by Nutaralak.<br /> <br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history.<br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Sĭwasimi, and Sĭwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Sĭwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared.<br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y-ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Sĭwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep.<br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Iarapia, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it.<br /> <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Iarapia stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Iarapia by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Sĭwasimi appeared in her path. Sĭwasimi then led Iarapia to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Sĭwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Iarapia lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house.<br /> <br /> Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Sĭwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Iarapia and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west.<br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Iarapia to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Iarapia's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa.<br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.[[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|299x299px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Iarapia shown next to the chieftain]]The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era Institute of Historiography at Chen Western University:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Oron Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Chen Western University Institute of Historiography&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by surviving Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' begins in a primordial world, when the 'spirit world', '''''Nakwi''''', lay above the sky, and below it, the water world of '''''Nasazi''''', the 'animal world', covered by a vast ocean with no end, inhabited by many water animals. According to the ''Mazlauwa'', a woman from the ''Nakwi'', a ''wattiya{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, effectively the nymphs and fairies of Jegen mythology.}}'' who was called Iya, fell through a crack in the sky to Nasazi below. She was pregnant by the sun god Puliluwaswe, and was almost ready to give birth when she fell. The animals of ''Nasazi'' banded together to help save her from drowning, and the beaver, ''nakistuwar'', called all the animals to build a great raft (''walin''){{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}} from the bones of their dead that floated in the vast ocean. On the ''walin'', Iya began to give birth. Much blood was lost by Iya, and she perished, yet two twins came forth, a girl, Ano, and a boy, Ah. With their mother dead, Ah and Ano were raised by the animals of ''Nasazi''.<br /> <br /> One day, when the children were nearing their eighth year, a stork, flying from afar with no rest, found the raft of bones, finally finding rest from flying across a world with nothing but ocean. As his gift, the stork (''gasun'') gave Ano a pouch filled with earth that he had stolen from ''Nakwi'' above. He instructed Ano to plant the bones of her spirit mother in this earth, all save the woman's skull. The first bones planted by Ano soon grew into tall plants, offering the children nourishment, and their roots stretched deep down to fasten themselves to the sea floor. The great raft of bones became an island, and Ano sowed the land with her mother's bones, bringing to ''Nasazi'' the bounty of the spirit world above. Ano gave birth by the wolf-man Hala Zuli, and their children were the first people, half ''Nakwi'' and half ''Nasazi'', eventually becoming the 'mountain clans'.<br /> <br /> As Ah grew into a strong adolescent, he found in the ''nakistuwar'' a father and guide, and with the beaver's help he built homes for the new people of the land. However, as an adolescent, Ah was visited by an alluring moon goddess, Niwa, in his dreams, making him restless, lustful and infatuated with her. One day, when he reached his fifteenth year, Ah, filled with lust, climbed the tallest tree in the land to reach ''Nakwi''. When he reached ''Nakwi'', he was met by his all-powerful father, Puliluwaswe, who had grown into an vengeful, fearsome war god after witnessing the helpless death of his beloved, Iya, in ''Nasazi'' below. Upon hearing his son's pleas to enter ''Nakwi'' to see the goddess who appeared in his sexual fantasies, Puliluwaswe was furious and cast Ah down to earth, forbidding his son's lustful ambitions. As Ah fell to earth, he was saved by the ''gasun'', who returned him to land. That night, he spoke to Niwa of their predicament, and she made a promise to see him even if his powerful father forbade it. When the great Puliluwaswe slept, Niwa would watch Ah and the animals from the sky above. This, according to Jegen cosmogony, was what created the lunar cycle and the night: when Puliluwaswe slept, the moon goddess traveled across the sky to watch the humans of ''Nasazi'', the sons of her Ah. In her sorrow, Niwa's tears fell from the spirit world to the earth as mud. Ah created Assuiwasha, the earthly likeness of Niwa, from this mud, and the divine tears of the goddess gave Assuiwasha life. Assuiwasha and Ah's children, born like Ano's children; half of ''Nakwi'' and half of ''Nasazi'', became the 'river clans'.<br /> <br /> As the children of Ah and Ano lived peacefully and prosperously on the earth below, Puliluwaswe grew vengeful, seeing how the beauty of the animal world had come to parallel ''Nakwi'' that he ruled. So, the cunning god threw down to the earth rays of sun so hot and furious that the great river of ''Nasazi'' became a dry riverbed in an instant. Immediately, the humans went to war, now that the river they all relied on was nothing but hot, dry ground. Ah and Ano, in their old age and wisdom, turned to the animals for help. The mountain goat, ''urwa'', led Ah and Ano up the highest mountain in the land, ''Irnuasu''&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; where they found a deep gorge beneath a glacier. Puliluwaswe's furious light had made the great glacier weep, its water melting to fill up the gorge below. As they watched the gorge fill with water, the raven, ''musuwil'', told Ah and Ano of the great danger to humankind that lay before them. The raven said that the gorge would soon break, and all the land would be flooded, drowning all its inhabitants. The ''musuwil'' told Ano that she must bury her mother's skull, which she had kept after sowing the land with all her mother's other bones. Ruefully, Ano buried the her mother's skull in the earth. Just as she covered it with soil, a great banyan tree sprung forth. As the gorge began to break, the banyan tree, '''''inu''''', offered its ancient wood to Ah, imploring him to build a sturdy raft to save his people. Ah was only able to save his family and the animals of the land, and the water came down from '''''Irnuasu''''', drowning all else. All the land was covered by a great ocean, except the peak of ''Irnuasu''. This is where Ah brought the animals and his family, and where they survived for many years.<br /> <br /> When Ah's youngest son, Wakil, grew to sixteen years of age, tired of his people's entrapment on the mountain peak, he asked the stork (''gasun'') to bring him to the house of his grandfather. As the great god slept, Wakil crept into his house to steal his mighty spear, ''Zida''. Escaping ''Nakwi'' on the back of the stork, he hurled the spear at the mountain below, and all the water that had covered the world rushed into the chasm that the god's spear created. Ah and Ano chose to stay on the mountain peak, to watch over the great spring of '''''Irnuasu''''' and the ''inu''. In their age and wisdom, Ah and Ano became gods of earth and water, the guardians of the first people.<br /> <br /> Wakil dove to the depths of the spring of ''Irnuasu'' to retrieve his grandfather's spear, ''Zida'', which gave him immense, unmatched power. With the spear, he commanded the entire world, slaughtering dissidents and forcing his subjects to meet his sinful needs. A few winters had gone by, and the people starved under Wakil's corrupt rule. Puliluwaswe, seeing this, banished Wakil to the bowels of the earth, where he turned into the demon '''Galgilya''', creating his new underworld kingdom by stealing people's souls as they sinned.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.[[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe'''|295x295px]]&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak{{Refn|In Numerian record, the god Ah is referred to as Ayia, and the god Ano is referred to as Andak.|group=}} were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Dokon{{Refn|Dagun|group=}},''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')|247x247px]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Oron Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Targada''', on the site of Dagun. Targada is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it played a significant role the rise of the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital, Hulali, uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|261x261px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.|260x260px]]<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Oron region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Azos]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Oron river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, originally built by Windu III and periodically restored by succeeding settlers to the region.|247x247px]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the zenith of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Oron river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Oron Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Oron river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Oron River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Oron and the Azos. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Oron river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Oron river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Kelley_Mont%C3%A9&diff=590614 2026-06-30T14:47:09Z

<p>Tsundoku: /* 2009 - 2012: Forever...and Always and Sincereley */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|Music|Altverse II|Sierran}}<br /> {{Infobox person<br /> | honorific_prefix = <br /> | name = Kelley Monté<br /> | honorific_suffix = <br /> | image = Kelley.jpg<br /> | image_size = 230px<br /> | caption = Monté in 2004<br /> | birth_name = Kelley Grazia Monte<br /> | other_names = {{hlist|Kelly M (1996 - 1997)}}<br /> | birth_date = April 24, 1980<br /> | birth_place = Ocean City, [[Sierra]]<br /> | death_date = {{nowrap|{{Death date and age|2012|11|16|1980|4|24}}}}<br /> | death_place = Ambergris Caye, Belize<br /> | death_cause = Murder (gunshot wound)<br /> | spouse = {{Marriage|Karim Dyer|2011|2012|end=div}}<br /> | children = Jaylen Monté (b. 2000), Elliana Munson (b. 2004), Solana Dyer (b. 2012), Jean Dyer (b. 2012)<br /> | religion = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Kelley Grazia Monte''' (March 24, 1980 – November 16, 2012), styled as '''Kelley Monté''' was a Sierran {{W|singer}}, actor and {{W|songwriter}} from [[Fremont]]. She first entered the music industry as '''Kelly M''', part of the short-lived R&amp;B girl group '''Starzz''' in 1995. She released her '''debut solo album''', under the name Kelly M, ''2 Hearts as 1'', in 1996, which met limited success. In 2000, she debuted as Kelley Monté after signing to Coburn Records, releasing her debut '''''Thanks 4 Nothing...''''' the same year. Acclaimed by critics and a commercial success, ''Thanks 4 Nothing...'' sold over 3 million copies in the [[Kingdom of Sierra]]. After the success of the 2000 album, she was signed by '''Roy Muratoglu of Valley Records'''. She released her follow-up album, produced by Roy Muratoglu and Neely Munson, '''''In Your Eyes''','' in 2001, which sold three million copies in [[Kingdom of Sierra|Sierra]] and more than seven million copies worldwide. <br /> <br /> Kelley Monté made her acting debut in the acclaimed 2004 rom-com '''''The Last First Date''''', alongside Riley Butcher, to promote her album released the same year, '''''Midnight Kisses'''''. The album sold 4.4 million copies in the US, and was recorded entirely in Monté's home and studio in Tuscany. From 2005 to 2008, Monté played the character of April Morrison in the tv drama/soap opera '''''Boy Crazy'''''. In 2007, Monté released the introspective, sultry '''''Confessions of a Dancer''''', a departure from the hip-hop influences of her previous projects. The project sold 1.5 million copies in the US, and created the chart-topping singles &quot;Forbidden Fruit&quot; and &quot;Love Me Slow&quot;. Songs from the album like &quot;2 Much 2 Handle&quot; appeared in the soundtrack of the 2008 action film '''''Strike Team: Benghazi''''', in which Monté starred as Agent Miranda Evans. In 2009, after completing the filming of ''Boy Crazy'', Monté released her fifth album, '''''Forever...and Always''''', which sold 13 million copies worldwide, her most successful album to date. ''Forever...and Always'' presented a return to the romance and youth of her first albums. The album included the chart-topping single &quot;Get Down Tonight&quot; and the hit &quot;Can't Resist&quot;, which topped charts for four weeks.<br /> <br /> Her final album, '''''Sincerely''''', was released posthumously in 2013, selling six million copies in Sierra. When Monté died in November of 2012, the album had been finished in May, recorded in Las Vegas and in her home in Ambergris Caye, Belize. When she was murdered at the age of 32, Valley Records wanted to release the record immediately as a tribute, but her family wished to postpone its release to give them and the public time to grieve and to press charges. News of Monté's death was released in December of that year, leading to public outpourings of support to her family and huge spikes in her album sales. '''[[Casey Allen]]''', '''Mara Fields''', and other artists performed at a memorial concert for Monté in San Jose, attended by thousands of Monté's fans. Monté's final movie appearance, recorded in 2011, in '''''The Home Team''''', was dedicated to her and released posthumously in 2013. In the years after her murder, Kelley's music has continued to achieve commercial success, aided by several posthumous features and releases.<br /> <br /> Kelley Monté has sold a total of 35 million albums worldwide, making her one of the most successful singers of her time. 2014's '''''Silenced: The Kelley Monté Story''''' revealed what happened around her murder and was a commercial success and memorial to the singer.<br /> <br /> ==Family life==<br /> [[File:Monté's childhood home in Ocean City.jpg|thumb|242x242px|Monté's childhood home in Ocean City]]<br /> Kelley Grazia Monte was born to a first-generation Belizean father and a Black mother in '''Ocean City''', south of San Francisco City. She lived in Angels Terrace, a low-income neighborhood characterized by its large immigrant Caribbean population and its housing projects. Her father, Raymond Monte (b. 1940) had come to Sierra in 1967 as an asylum seeker, escaping violence in his home town. He found work as a janitor at San Francisco International Airport, where in 1968 he met Natalie Sola, who worked as a store clerk in the airport. Sola (b. 1948) spent most of her childhood raised by her mother's family. They had their first child, Innocent Monte, in 1971, their second, Jean-Paul in 1973, and their third, Marc, in 1978. Kelley was born in 1980, taking her middle name from her paternal great-grandmother, Grazia Monte. <br /> <br /> Innocent Monte, called '''Zynn''' by his friends, was the oldest child, was studious, quiet, and tall, earning high marks in school and playing for his school's basketball team. He was drafted to Foothills University in [[Imperial]], a Division I school. The youngest of the three sons, Marc Monte, played high school football in Fremont. His closest friend and a neighbor of the Monte family in Fremont, Garrett Collins, later known as the rapper '''[[Zarek Zion]]''', started dating Kelley in 1996, and they dated until 2001. <br /> <br /> The second son, Jean-Paul Monte, was described by Kelley as a loving, protective older brother, and her loss of him in 1993 led her to quit her school's flag football team, as well as starting to use marijuana. In Ocean City, he had become affiliated with the '''O-City Boys''', a mostly Jamaican gang, frequently missing school and getting involved with the police. In high school, he dated a Albanian girl named Ariana, whose older brother was a member of the '''Albanian Jungle Kings''' (the AJs), an Albanian gang in the Reynell Park area. In 1993, Jean-Paul got in a violent altercation with Ariana, resulting in him threatening her with a knife, and [[Arben Kastrati]], a hitman from the AJs, shot and killed Jean-Paul (20) at a car park. Jean-Paul's shocking, violent death led the family to move to '''Fremont''' when Kelley was 13, where she lived until she was signed by Coburn Records and moved to [[Porciúncula]]. Her father found steady work as a bus driver, and her mother waited tables at a Palestinian restaurant. [[File:Kelley grad.jpg|thumb|182x182px|Monte's graduation photo from 1999 at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont]]When her brother was killed, Kelley began singing and writing songs as a creative outlet. Her mother strongly encouraged her talents, and she dropped out of high school in 1995 to debut as part of the girl group '''Starzz''', under the name Kelly M. She met her lifelong friend, [[Casey Allen|'''Casey Allen''']], as part of the Starzz girl group, and they went on to collaborate throughout their careers. Her mother had enrolled her in music lessons from a young age, and Kelley was part of the local Catholic church's choir. While she would not find major success until 2000, the minor sales of her debut solo album '''''2 Hearts as 1''''' paid for her older brothers' college tuitions.<br /> <br /> As a child, Kelley traveled with her mother to audition for talent agencies in Berkeley, Las Vegas, San Fernando, [[Honolulu]], and Phoenix. In Phoenix, Kelley was scouted to become a member of Starzz. With her mother's help, Kelley appeared as an actor in advertisements, as a child model on occasion, and sang at weddings. When the Starzz group was dissolved after finding little success, Kelley went back to school in Fremont, graduating in 1999 with a 4.0 average. Her continued schooling was the wish of her father, who wanted her to have a second option in case she did not find success as an artist.<br /> <br /> When she signed to '''Coburn Records''' in 2000, releasing '''''Thanks 4 Nothing...''''', she moved her parents out of the projects to a home in Pleasanton, near Fremont, and she moved to [[Porciúncula]] with her then boyfriend, Garrett Collins, also known as '''Zarek Zion'''. They were engaged in the summer of 2000, and had a child, Jaylen Monté, in the same year. Monte and Collins separated in early 2001, when Collins' father died. Collins wanted to return to Fremont with Kelley, but having just got her first success in the industry with ''Thanks 4 Nothing...'' Kelley was not willing to make this sacrifice.<br /> In 2001, when she was signed to Valley Records, Kelley entered a relationship with the producer Neely Munson, known as '''Neely''', who produced her second album, '''''In Your Eyes'''''. Following the success of that album, Kelley and Munson bought a home in Tarzana, and Kelley purchased property in Ambergris Caye, Belize, where she built her recording studio and estate, Monte Ribera. She said it had always been her dream to 'live on the beach', and her Caribbean roots made it an easy move. For the rest of her life, Monte apparently spent up to 6 months of the year in Belize, with a good amount of her recording being done there. She became a Belizean citizen in 2003, and her and Neely's daughter Elliana Munson was born in Belize in 2004.[[File:Kelley and garrett.jpg|thumb|223x223px|Kelley and '''[[Zarek Zion]]''' in 1998]]<br /> Kelley and Neely dated, getting engaged in Bora Bora in January 2004, until Kelley's mother's death the same year. Before then, Kelley and Neely had spent the year living in Tuscany to record her third album, titled '''''Midnight Kisses'''''. Her mother's death that same year led to her breaking off the engagement with Neely. However, he would still go on to produce her following albums. Kelley remained single in the years following that, starring in ''Boy Crazy'' and releasing '''''Confessions of a Dancer'''''. From 2004 to 2008, Kelley spent a lot of time in Egypt, as well as in Beirut and Istanbul. Her travels heavily inspired 2007's sultry, slow-paced, romantic album. In 2008, Kelley started dating '''Constantino Taylor''', a co-star on ''Boy Crazy''. Apparently, on the set of the show, Kelley witnessed Taylor sexually assaulting a woman named Jocelyn Ortiz. This would not come out until after her '''murder''', when Ortiz appeared to testify against Taylor, who was convicted of '''murdering''' Monté. They dated for almost 2 years, until she met the music producer '''Karim Dyer''' at the pre-release party of her 2009 album '''''Forever...and Always'''''. Kelley would go on to marry Dyer in 2011, and gave birth to their children '''Solana''' and '''Jean''' in 2012. In her 2012 divorce settlement with Dyer, Jean and Solana's father won legal custody, but Kelley was allowed to visit them regularly.<br /> <br /> Before her murder, Kelley had established multiple charity works in her will. The first was the '''Natalie Sola Scholarship Fund''', in memory of her mother, a scholarship for students from underserved communities pursuing the arts. She also established the '''Brazos Initiative''', a non-profit focused on supporting women's rights, education, and entrepreneurship in Haiti, Panama, and Belize. Finally, she established the '''J.P Monte Center for Youth Development''' in Fremont, a community outreach center working to prevent gang violence and provide support to affected families, in memory of her brother Jean-Paul.<br /> <br /> Monté left behind a large real estate portfolio, with properties in the [[Porciúncula]] area, the Bay Area, her estate in Ambergris Caye, a home in Belize City, and a home in Beirut. Most of these properties have been inherited by her children and family members. A few of her properties were donated to her charity the Brazos Initiative to serve as a women's shelter and outreach center.<br /> <br /> ==Artistic career==<br /> ===1995 - 1999: Career beginnings===<br /> [[File:Zarek zion2.webp|thumb|292x292px|'''Zarek Zion''' in 2000]]<br /> In 1995, at the young age of 15, Kelley, under the moniker of '''Kelly M''', debuted as part of the R&amp;B group '''Starzz''' that consisted of her, Casey McNaughton (then known as Caycee), DeeDee Kinsley (then known as Dee Spice), and Samina Elliott (known as Samina Love). The group was signed to the Phoenix-based record group '''Dangeruss''', releasing one album called ''Mama I Wanna Be A Star!'', which met little success.<br /> <br /> After the group's contract terminated, Kelley recorded her first solo album as '''Kelly M''', ''2 Hearts As 1'', produced by her boyfriend Zarek Zion. The album met small, local-level success, and with the album sales, Kelley was able to help her parents pay for her brother Marc's college tuition. In 1997, Kelley reenrolled in school and graduated in 1999, not releasing music of her own but appearing in her boyfriend's music videos on occasion. Upon her graduation, Zarek Zion used his industry presence to negotiate a one-album contract with Coburn Records, based in Torrance. Through Coburn Records, Kelley met Xane Merrill, who would go on to produce her first album. <br /> <br /> Her management at Coburn Records requested that she rebrand as '''Kelley Monté''', which became her moniker for the rest of her career. Also, at this point early in her career, Kelley opened a nail salon franchise, called Kiki Nails, with locations in Torrance, Anaheim, and Santa Ana. She would sell the business in 2009 for $4 million.<br /> <br /> ===1999 - 2001: ''Thanks 4 Nothing...''===<br /> Now rebranded as Kelley Monté, she released ''Thanks 4 Nothing...'', earning a 10% royalty that was negotiated by her boyfriend, Zarek Zion. As soon as she was signed to Coburn Records in 1999, she began work on her debut album, produced by Xane Merrill, Johnnie Delmar, and other rising stars at the time. She and [[Zarek Zion|'''Collins''']] wrote the lyrics to her songs together, and he appeared on two tracks off of the album: &quot;You the One (Fish in the Sea)&quot; and &quot;Get Away&quot;.<br /> <br /> The lead single, &quot;Soul Searching&quot; was Monté's first radio hit and the second single, &quot;Love's the Answer&quot; was Monté's first charting single, debuting at #43. The third single, &quot;Heart of Mine&quot; peaked at #4, and Monté reflects that the song put her 'in the game'. The full album was released in April, 2000, with appearances from rappers '''Zarek Zion''', Slym Tha Great, and 2-Tone, as well as the singer Jaxon Lee. Her songs with Zarek Zion, &quot;Get Away&quot; and &quot;You the One (Fish in the Sea)&quot; debuted at #18 and #2, respectively. In the following weeks, &quot;You the One&quot; came into the #1 spot, and stayed in the '''top 10''' for 6 consecutive weeks.[[File:Tarzana, ca kelley.webp|thumb|Monté and Neely's home in '''Tarzana''']]''Thanks 4 Nothing...'' sold a huge 158,000 copies in its first weeks, almost entirely in the Bay Area and Porciúncula, where she had become a highly local celebrity. The major success of the album, mostly contributed to by &quot;You the One&quot; led to Monté's signing to Valley Records for a higher royalty. Monté earned $2,425,000 in the first year of sales, and this allowed her to retire her parents and move them out of the projects to a home in Pleasanton. The success of the album made Kelley a widely known local celebrity, and she appeared on various reality TV shows to promote herself. In 2000, she and her boyfriend Zarek Zion starred on the reality show ''New Girl In Town'', which followed their lavish lives as a couple. They were engaged in July 2000, and Kelley gave birth to their son Jaylen Monté soon after. Kelley went on tour with Collins in late 2000, and while backstage in Las Vegas, Monté encountered her boyfriend making sexual advances on one of her backup dancers. The dancer was fired, and Kelley withdrew from the tour. This had pushed their relationship to the limit, and when Collins' father died in 2001, this marked the end of their relationship. His father's death had made Collins wish to return to '''Fremont''' with Monte, but his girlfriend was not willing to sacrifice her newfound success, and they broke up later that year.<br /> <br /> Now signed to Valley Records, Kelley, now single, moved from Torrance to the San Fernando Valley. She soon would meet '''Neely Munson''', a record executive at Valley Records as well as a well-known producer. They started dating in early 2001, and they moved to Tarzana, the headquarters of the record label.<br /> <br /> ===2001 - 2004: ''In Your Eyes'' and ''Midnight Kisses''===<br /> <br /> ===2004 - 2008: ''Confessions'' and film debut===<br /> <br /> ===''Boy Crazy'' and Constantino Taylor===<br /> [[File:Constantino t.jpg|thumb|238x238px|Constantino Taylor in 2006 on ''Boy Crazy'']]<br /> From late 2005 to 2008, Kelley Monté starred in the teen drama '''''Boy Crazy''''', which aired for 4 seasons. Monté played April Morrison, a girl who had grown up in a poor urban neighborhood of San Francisco City, whose family won the lottery and moved to Palo Alto, where she enrolled in the fictitious St. Augustine High. The show, touted as the biggest cultural phenomenon of the late 2000s, starred actress Reese Vaughn and actor Macaulay Herrera as the leads, and supporting roles were played by Kelley Monté, Constantino Taylor, Kathy Barr, and Cooper Papageorgiou. From 2005 to 2007, when not filming for ''Boy Crazy'', Monté worked on her fourth album, ''Confessions of a Dancer'', inspired by her frequent trips to North Africa and the Levant, as well as filming for her action film debut, ''Strike Team: Benghazi''. In this time, Kelley allegedly had an on-and-off relationship with her costar Cooper Papageorgiou, as reported by gossip outlets. While this was never confirmed by either Papageorgiou or Monté, they were seen in public together multiple times.<br /> <br /> It was in December 2006 that Monté witnessed her costar Constantino Taylor sexually assault a young woman, named '''Jocelyn Ortiz''', who was working on the set. Taylor blackmailed Monté in some way that kept her silent until her death, likely threatening to leak sensitive information to the media. Soon after, in 2008, Kelley began officially dating Constantino. Their relationship, which Kelley Monté's closest associates allege was abusive at its tail end, lasted until 2009, when Kelley started dating the music producer Karim Dyer and parted ways with Taylor. [[File:F n e release party.jpg|thumb|266x266px|Monté at the pre-release party for ''Forever...and Always'' in 2009.]]<br /> ===2009 - 2012: ''Forever...and Always'' and ''Sincerely''===<br /> [[File:Forever_and_always.jpg|thumb|171x171px]]<br /> Dyer had previously worked with Monté on her 3rd album, ''Midnight Kisses'', which was coproduced with her ex-fiancé '''Neely'''. When filming for ''Boy Crazy'' ended in 2008, Monté began work on her critically acclaimed 5th album, ''Forever...and Always'', and she recruited Dyer's talents to produce the album. In the process of recording the album, Kelley and Dyer formed a close relationship, and their relationship was made official in late 2009 with the release of the music video for the lead single of ''Forever...and Always'', &quot;Grips&quot; which featured Monté and Dyer getting physical, playing a couple that knows they should break up, but just can't resist one another. The original release had 10 songs, with an additional remix to &quot;Forever Yours&quot; with N'Joy and Mara Fields as the eleventh song on the extended edition.<br /> <br /> The {{W|single (music)|singles}} for the album, in order of their release, were: &quot;Get Down Tonight&quot;, &quot;Temptin' Me (feat. B-Boy)&quot;, &quot;Forever Yours&quot;, &quot;Move Yah Body (feat. Casey Allen)&quot;, and the lead single was &quot;Grips (with Karim Dyer)&quot;. Included on the album was a collaboration with Monté's ex-boyfriend and childhood friend, [[Zarek Zion|'''Zarek''' '''Zion''']], titled &quot;Queen of the Game&quot;, as well as the dance-pop hit &quot;Sexy Girls&quot; which featured Monté's longtime collaborator, the rapper '''Ca$hout'''. The first song in the album is a recording of a voice message from Kelley's father, '''Raymond Monte''', in which he congratulates her success, and, importantly, reminds her to remember where she came from.<br /> <br /> The album, shortened to ''F&amp;A'', sold 13 million copies worldwide to date, making it Monté's best selling album by a wide margin. Her second-best selling album was her 2001 sophomore album ''In Your Eyes'', which sold 7 million copies, roughly half of the sales of its 2009 counterpart. The album had great staying power, and its lead single, &quot;Grips&quot;, charted in the top 100 for 66 weeks, with three weeks in the #1 spot. The song &quot;Sexy Girls&quot; featuring Ca$hout would see its success come almost a year after its release, reentering the Hot 100 in 2011 at #2 on the Dance-pop charts.<br /> <br /> With the success of ''F&amp;A'', Monté and her then boyfriend, '''Karim Dyer''', appeared on their own reality show on Realix, ''Kiki and Karim Forever'', which documented their lives and relationship until their engagement in 2011. They married later that year on a vineyard in Roxelana, in Sierra wine country, and it was featured as a special segment on Realix.<br /> <br /> In February of 2012, Monté gave birth to twins, named Jean Dyer and Solana Dyer. However, issues regarding the recording of Monté's sixth album '''''Sincerely''''' led to Karim and Kelley's separation in August. In the divorce proceedings, Dyer was given full custody of the children, who would live with him in Calabasas. Following the divorce, Monté allegedly began seeing her ex-boyfriend '''Constantino Taylor''', and in November of 2012, they spent the month at her estate, Monte Ribera, in Belize. Kelley was set to return to Calabasas to visit her children two days after she was murdered.<br /> <br /> ==Murder==<br /> [[File:Kelley as april.jpg|thumb|317x317px|Kelley in 2013’s ''The Home Game'']]<br /> '''Constantino Taylor''', Kelley's close friend and ex-boyfriend, had been financially dependent on Kelley for years. He had struggled to find stable work as an actor, and Kelley had consistently helped him out with loans, gifts, and introductions to industry connections. However, Kelley had begun to distance herself from Constantino, tired of his reliance on her and his inconsiderateness. Constantino, sensing Kelley's withdrawal, became desperate. He was deeply in debt, from gambling and living large abroad, and thought that if Kelley cut him off, his life would be ruined. As mentioned earlier, Constantino had assaulted a woman named '''Jocelyn Ortiz''' on the set of '''''Boy Crazy''''' in 2006. Kelley, who was also on the show, witnessed the incident but never reported it. Constantino had kept it under wraps, using guilt and manipulation to control Kelley's silence. <br /> <br /> Late at night in November of 2012, after getting in a heated argument, Constantino shot Kelley and a groundskeeper named Ricardo Cintrón at Monte Ribera, her estate in Ambergris Caye. It is alleged that at the time, as Monté and Karim Dyer had divorced, Kelley had been seeing Constantino on a romantic basis and they were spending time together in Belize. He attempted to cover his tracks, making it look like a robbery gone wrong, and escaped on a jetski, crossing the border into Mexico. Additionally, he stole close to $18,000 in cash and jewelry. Upon crossing the border into Mexico, he was detained and extradited to Belize, as he was found with cocaine in his system. [[File:Monte ribera 1.webp|thumb|The estate in Ambergris Caye, Belize|246x246px]]<br /> <br /> At 4:03 in the morning on November 16th, 2012, authorities were alerted by Monté's neighbors that her guard dogs were barking to no end. This was investigated, and Ricardo Cintrón, the groundskeeper, was found shot dead. Inside the property, Kelley Monté was found dead on the ground, having been shot in the chest twelve times. Her time of death was pronounced as 11:47 PM, November 15th, 2012. Upon being informed of her death, Kelley's family and friends wished to keep it quiet until they could properly grieve. A small funeral ceremony was held at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Fremont on November 30th. The news of her death was released to the media in December, and Constantino's trial and Jocelyn Ortiz's testimony were highly publicized. <br /> <br /> Belizean authorities eventually discovered inconsistencies in his alibi and begin to investigate his connection to Kelley. A suspicious transaction on Taylor's bank statement showed a large withdrawal around the time of the murder, which led authorities to name him as a suspect. Soon enough, Taylor's fingerprints were found at the scene, and '''Mercedes Bonilla''', a childhood friend of Kelley's, shared a conversation a year prior where Kelley expressed her desire to cut ties with Constantino, and her fear of him. Ultimately, '''Jocelyn Ortiz''' came forward, revealing the assault and Kelley's knowledge of it, and Taylor was found guilty of sexual assault and murder. He later committed suicide in prison.<br /> <br /> The events of Kelley Monté's murder inspired the 2014 documentary '''''Silenced: The Kelley Monté Story''''', which became a pop cultural phenomenon and inspired countless successors. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the courthouse in San Fernando, calling for Taylor's sentencing. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison on the charges of sexual assault and murder. After three months in prison in 2014, Taylor was found dead, and his death was pronounced a suicide.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Kardaism&diff=589810 2026-06-22T20:00:00Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>''&quot;The dolphin does not count the waves before it leaps. I eat, I breathe, I rest, and in this, I have lived well.&quot; - the Prophet Nerisho, on finding joy in simplicity<br /> ''<br /> <br /> '''Kardaism''' is an Omanic philosophy of personal contentment, realism, and attunement with the natural flow of life. It teaches that Esha, the ultimate force of nature, places signs called Paphos along our paths, guiding us toward fulfillment—though it is up to each individual to recognize and follow them. Rather than focusing on worship or rigid doctrine, Kardaism encourages mindfulness, self-reflection, and living in the present without fear or regret. Through the wisdom of its three prophets, Nebra, Himnes, and Nerisho, it offers a constant perspective on morality, ambition, relationships, and the pursuit of peace.<br /> <br /> <br /> Eshrat</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Vanism&diff=588642 2026-06-12T17:56:37Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE}}<br /> '''Vanism''' is a religious and philosophical tradition founded in Ridwan by the Dbasaroun teacher '''Patronas''' (Known to Yakonis as '''Putrās)''' also known as the Uthîl (the '''Indrī''' in Yakonist tradition), 1,200 years ago. It encompasses a variety of beliefs, practices, and traditions primarily based on teachings attributed to the Uthîl. The religion has 423,350,000 adherents, with a major presence across Marakoth, the Sea Nations, and parts of Ridwan and Aicho.<br /> <br /> According to the Uthîl's teachings, the divine is present in every part of the universe. In Vanism, this idea of immanence is called '''''varikê'''''. However, Putrās also maintained that this Supreme Being ('''''Asetanês''''') is transcendent, existing beyond the physical realm of the universe in a primordial existence in the '''Pure Earth''' (''korvalos''). This idea, called '''''Kylithê''''', that the Supreme Being exists beyond the constant cycle of life and death ('''''kursats''''') of the physical universe professes the Supreme Being's eternality and infiniteness. However, the Supreme Being is also seen as a personal being with whom individuals can have a relationship. This personal aspect allows for divine communication, and especially subconscious '''guidance''' from the Supreme Being, which forms a central part of Putrās's teachings. <br /> <br /> The teachings of Vanism are centered around the holy books of the ''Quaton'' and later teachings, as well as the '''''Va'nîn''''', the 'pillars of Vanism': five wholesome ways of acting ('''''sîvâsk''''') and four acts not to be practiced ''('''asvasthâ'''''). <br /> <br /> Vanism is divided into various schools and traditions, the most prominent being the Gorshani, Niazi, Raisani, and Bhunwadi schools. Gorshani Vanism, also known as Methodist Vanism, emphasizes the earliest texts, especially the ''Va'nîn''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s tones of asceticism and repentance, includes Ainist scriptures and ideologies, and is one of the only major Vanist traditions with a governing body. Gorshani Vanists (Gorshans) were often merchants and bankers in foreign cities, creating small, tight-knit communities throughout the world, with a small following of about 7.5 million followers scattered across the cities of the former Korid Empire, Far Eastern Kaishuri, Panarat, Derigia, and southern Erboria, with even smaller communities in Tangeria and the Marroni region of Kaitain. Niazi Vanism, also known as Liberal Vanism, includes a diverse range of scriptures and practices aimed at the enlightenment of all beings and has a more deist approach, with a significant presence in Halmahera and the Sea Nations, with tiny communities in the ??? Valley. Galatian Vanism, also known as Dogmatic or Unitarian Vanism, believe that the Uthîl was nothing more than a prophet, and should therefore not be worshipped. The Galatian school is highly decentralized and encompasses many religious groups with the shared belief that the Uthîl should not be worshipped. The Bhunwadi school of Vanism is a branch of Vanism founded by Limoni converts in the continent of Marakoth. Today, the Bhunwadi school is dominated by the Yanok religion, a syncretic, highly organized religion centered in Marakoth. While Yanok is seen as more of a structured, almost polytheistic religion, it is still considered a branch of Vanism, as it maintains most of the basic teachings. Yanok is also the most followed branch of Vanism, with 350 million adherents, and is by far the largest branch of Vanism outside of Ridwan. In Ridwan, a majority of the Vanist population (almost 200 million people) are part of either the '''School of Ancients/Diyamaran Rites''' (which encompasses both the Limoni and Abielian schools) or the '''New Rites/Northern Vanism''' (which includes all the various denominations of the Galatian school as well as the Natural Vanist school) while the remaining part of the population belong to numerous small prophetic and nondenominational sects that do not associate with either the Diyamaran or Northern schools.[[File:Qua.png|thumb|528x528px|The '''''Qua''''', illustrating birth ('''''jôdî''''') death ''('''jurâ''''') and life cycle ('''''kursats''''')]]<br /> <br /> Vanists believe that the Supreme Being chose to show Putrās his '''''bramhâ''''' 'path of the world' (commonly translated as fate) which was to seek the Pure Earth and die on that mission, with the purpose to '''prove to mankind the transcendence of the Supreme Being and its existence beyond the physical universe and ''kursats'''''. Putrās became the first to reach Sadaîm, or 'fulfillment' by knowing the future that lay before him. To achieve Sadaîm, as said in the '''Karana''', meant that Putrās was within reach of the Pure Earth, but the only obstacle was his '''bramhâ'''. Both Diyamaran and Northern Vanists believe that Putrās was the only man to ever reach Sadaîm, but also believed that later teachers (phadian) achieved a high level of understanding of their bramhâ that was close to '''Sadaîm'''. This is the main point of contention between the mainstream Vanist schools and the independent sects that make up a part of the Vanist population. Many of these sects were founded by phadian that claimed to have reached Sadaîm and separated from the mainstream. The largest example of the prophetic 'small sects' of Vanism are the '''Thaminis''', who follow a leader (thamin) that supposedly inherits the state of Sadaîm from the sect's founder, Arshis Saklat, who founded the Thamini sect in 1749. Many of these 'small sects' have been declared heresy and face persecution.<br /> <br /> == Etymology ==<br /> The root of the name ''''Vanism'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' comes from the word ''va'nî'', which means 'path' or 'way'. The plural of ''va'nî'', ''va'nîn,'' 'paths' is the name of the nine guidances of Putrās to lead a fulfilled life. As the early religion coalesced around the ''phadian'' after Putrās, adherence to the ''Va'nîn'' became the most consequential part of the religion. The term Vanism was coined by the ''phadias'' Baiormaiôs in 980, because it represented the foremost importance of the 'path' in Vanist theology, both pertaining to the ''Va'nîn'' and to the ''bramhâ'' (path of the world).<br /> <br /> == Beliefs ==<br /> In the Quaton, Putrās never called upon his followers to worship the Supreme Being. However, in the ''Quorâth'' and ''Tarquith'', both which write how Putrās achieved ''Sadaîm'', numerous practices are applied by Putrās to achieve greater connection with the Universal Being within the '''physical universe'''. This is mostly done through meditation, reverence of nature, spiritual reflection or philosophical inquiry, confiding in the Supreme Being, and acting with compassion for others, in accordance with the ''sîvâsk'' and ''asvasthâ''. <br /> <br /> === Worship ===<br /> [[File:Lotus crystal.jpg|thumb|The crystal lotus (''mâna'') representing trust in the Supreme Being]]<br /> It is written that Putrās performed a sort of prayer, the '''Conviction of Faith''', to the Supreme Being, which is widely repeated by Vanists as a ''manakâ'', in which he declared to the Supreme Being his trust and faith in the ''bramhâ'' that was laid out for him, and that he would accept everything as having happened from the subconscious guidance of the Supreme Being.<br /> {{Cquote|I trust in your path and embrace all that comes as your divine will. Guide me with your wisdom, and may I see your hand in every step of my journey.|source=Manakâ-û bramhâni (Conviction of Faith) from the Jôdînchârma}}<br /> The ''Manakâ-û bramhâni'' is the most widely used &quot;prayer&quot; (''manakâ'') in Vanism, often repeated multiple times. The ''manakân'' are seen more as communions with the Supreme Being than pleas, with the core idea of the Conviction of Faith being '''acceptance of one's destiny''', instead of pleading for the Universe to intervene as is done in other religious traditions.<br /> <br /> the Uthîl's teachings strongly oppose prostration, sacrifice, and the construction of monuments to any religious figure. Because of this, Vanism is mainly practiced as a way of life and as a system to adhere to within the '''''kursats'''.'' Most practicing Vanists recite ''manakân'', practice meditation, reflect on the scripture, and practice nature reverence as a form of worship. In his communion with the Supreme Being, Putrās was told to share to his followers that the ultimate goal of a Vanist is to become closer to the Supreme Being by connecting with all that is the Universe, and that this would be achieved not by reverence but by belief and trust in the destiny created for them. If the Supreme Being created a ''bramhâ'' that would end with that chosen person breaking out from the ''kursats'', then that person would break out from the ''kursats''. However, Putrās declared that until the Supreme Being created that ''bramhâ'', it would be impossible to know what would happen if someone other than the Supreme Being existed outside the ''kursats''.<br /> <br /> == Scripture ==<br /> [[File:Sadaim.jpg|thumb|382x382px|The reaching of Sadaîm]]<br /> After the death of Putrās, his teachings were transcribed by his closest followers, the '''''aunamôs''''' (''translated as'' 'disciples') into three scrolls, altogether the '''Quaton'''. The first scroll, the '''Tarquith''', also known as the 'Book of Life' is a retelling of the life of the Uthîl, most importantly pertaining to how he achieved ''Sadaîm'' or 'fulfillment' and the struggles of his life. The second scroll, the '''Elysath''', also known as the 'Book of Conviction' the 'Book of Universe' or the 'Book of Passage' contains the teachings of Putrās pertaining to the ways of life and the explanation of death. The Elysath is primarily an explanation of the ''Va'nîn'' and other ideas of morality (''elysanâ)'' as taught by Putrās. The last part, by far the longest of the three, is the '''Quorâth''', sometimes called the ''Quorsâna'' or ''Corth'', translated as the 'Book of Fulfillment' which was transcribed solely by Ârithen, the brother of Putrās. What is written in the Quorâth is believed to be the exact words spoken by Putrās at a sermon a few years before his death. The Quorâth teaches the practices of freeing the mind and achieving higher awareness and eventually ''Sadaîm'', through meditation, body rituals, and 'sound healing'. While the Quorâth is seen as the most important part of the ''Quaton'', the most commonly consumed of the three is by far the Elysath, because of its guidances on morality. Both the Tarquith and the Elysath teach the way to follow one's '''''bramhâ'''''. The Quorâth, due to it being very much longer and more complex than the other two parts, is more often consumed at a higher level by the most devout Vanists and members of the monastic community who seriously wish to reach a level of understanding close to ''Sadaîm.''<br /> <br /> === Karana ===<br /> <br /> While not regarded as part of the Quaton because of its much later creation, the '''Karana''' is seen as the fourth holy book of Vanism. Written by the ''phadias'' Karzoazos in 1320, the Karana aims to explain the existence of the Supreme Being and the creation of the universe. In his years as a ''phadias'', Karzoazos compiled hundreds of explanations from many later holy books as well as the Quorâth. From these, the ''phadiokarastos'' syncretized his explanation, which, in time, became accepted by all ''phadian''. The most important concept described in the Karana is that the Uthîl, in reaching Sadaîm, became closer to the Pure Earth than any before, but never became closer to the Supreme Being than any ordinary man. The Karana also stresses that the Uthîl '''could''' have reached the Pure Earth, but this was prevented by '''''kursats''''', the linear cycle of life and death, the law of the universe. This explains the Supreme Being's transcendence, as it is the only being that is outside the '''''kursats''''', having created it, and therefore its path to the Pure Earth is unobstructed. Karzoazos maintains that Putrās was '''unable''' to break out of the ''kursats'', and his death, the end of his ''bramhâ,'' is what prevented him from reaching the Pure Earth.{{Project Exodus}}<br /> [[Category:Vanism]]<br /> [[Category:Religions]]<br /> [[Category:Monotheistic religions]]<br /> [[Category:Ridwani religions]]</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=User:Tsundoku/MV_sandbox&diff=588509 2026-06-12T04:37:00Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>== Kapan ==<br /> Tourists have to fly into the airport in Baishundo (antalya of kaishuri), drive a few hours to Ufa.<br /> <br /> Ufa: lower part of kapan, tbilisi/antep/basque type town<br /> <br /> near Ufa: lake Goman, town: Gamanjorda (ohrid)<br /> <br /> further north of imesli imeri: more rural, wine (Narikala, Halim, Vanzakazhane) and cheese country (Sevan, Kazankadere), fancier. Borjoni, Kagtar castle, Baladon village<br /> <br /> northernmost: super remote, ingushetian, Tamesli and Imilshere<br /> <br /> Lumre river Tamesli Imilchil<br /> <br /> <br /> baladon village<br /> <br /> Urir Taferdin: poet<br /> <br /> Imzilen Rakas: more modern writer<br /> <br /> narikala: wine country<br /> <br /> kagtar castle<br /> <br /> gamdejan<br /> <br /> sana nkhile<br /> <br /> sana nikhle<br /> <br /> borjoni<br /> <br /> gamarjoda<br /> <br /> gamanjorda<br /> <br /> manzara<br /> <br /> baishundo<br /> <br /> == '''Main cities of Kaishuri''' ==<br /> # Shukariden (Shukariden)<br /> # Shimzen (Shukariden)<br /> # Káibashi<br /> # Kaliman<br /> # Jaikai<br /> # Akyáz<br /> # Serbashi<br /> # Rumanshen City<br /> # Hata<br /> # Godai<br /> # Mudiar<br /> # Koran<br /> # Lashian<br /> # Baijin<br /> <br /> Lashian<br /> <br /> Mudiar<br /> <br /> Mirashuka** hometown of Kadir dynasty<br /> <br /> Godai (historically known as Cotai) manufacturing center<br /> <br /> Shimzen<br /> <br /> Káibashi<br /> <br /> Serbashi<br /> <br /> Rumanshen City<br /> <br /> Kaliman<br /> <br /> Wushi<br /> <br /> Konunzoda: suburb of SK<br /> <br /> '''Hata''': Barcelona of Kaishuri, 50/50 Kais and Palis, like Antalya + Barcelona + Busan + Bosphorus Istanbul<br /> <br /> Jaikai<br /> <br /> Mudiar<br /> <br /> Bashim/Baijin: Pali, capital of central Padishan, named after first king of the Pashanin (the medieval Pali kingdom), Basim<br /> <br /> Koran (historic city)<br /> <br /> Huali***<br /> <br /> Mujedushika*** originally Pali, historical capital of Padishan<br /> <br /> Hailan<br /> <br /> Yaran<br /> <br /> Mian<br /> <br /> Kaishuri was born from the fringes of Padishan.<br /> <br /> Kaiyau<br /> <br /> Saitong <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Names'''<br /> <br /> Ronin<br /> <br /> Shadan<br /> <br /> Shuhadan<br /> <br /> Shahad<br /> <br /> Shong<br /> <br /> Jin<br /> <br /> Zhafan<br /> <br /> Kaisen<br /> <br /> Arad<br /> <br /> Muharem<br /> <br /> Hun<br /> <br /> Shihan<br /> <br /> Tailan<br /> <br /> Beharad<br /> <br /> Arash<br /> <br /> Adarvan<br /> <br /> Araduhan<br /> <br /> Radin<br /> <br /> Jihan<br /> <br /> Ashur<br /> <br /> Batuhan<br /> <br /> Kerem<br /> <br /> Shirin<br /> <br /> Hajiyar<br /> <br /> Meherjan<br /> <br /> Nazanin<br /> <br /> Shubahan<br /> <br /> Roshana<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Baishundo&lt;/u&gt; has always been vital for kaishuri, as its coast is the only, very narrow way to get to the far east without having to cross mountains or fight Hedin. ==<br /> Kaihuri's main trading partners were the Rubians and the Phenari (Panaratians) but since the Krai and the court was always fat and rich, they were lazy and had a lackluster fleet, due to the army junta wanting to be unopposed, so they just sent their goods to Panarat. This meant they had to go from the Gulf of Kaliman region, where Wushi was their main foreign trading center, southeast across the vast hot plains of South Koran, past the poor medieval center of Kaishuri, into the Southern desert, and then sharply south to skirt the mountains, arriving in the splendid land of Baishundo, where Kai traders relaxed, gambled, and built palaces for whores far from the authority of the krai and into the frontier, where they would turn their goods over to the faithful, conservative Korids, who move goods in wondrous caravans of covered wagons across their green country and to Panarat. This makes Baishundo very important, informally, as the last city before the frontier.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Korid Empire&lt;/u&gt; is famous for stone churches on high, barren mountains, and white mosques and traintracks among swaying green grass ==<br /> The Korid Empire consists of three ethnic groups: the Hisaks and Korids (Armenians) who live in the more barren west, build cities, and the Demre (Anatolian Turks) farmers of the green grass hills of southern Visst. The Demre are the majority, with their capital at Yalova, but they are largely pastoral, while the Korids in their fortresses rule the country and get rich off of selling Demre's tea, rice, wheat, and other goods. However, they are always at war with the Merdivozians, who are always wrecking them and ransacking the Demre cities. So it is pretty fucked up and war torn constantly, but the Merdivozians can never seem to make any ground, occasionally being ambushed by Karmir clansmen. Also, waging war against the Korids makes the Merdivozians a lot of money. They have always made the Korids pay reparations, practically monopolizing Demreyi goods and mining in the Korid mountains. In the 1900s, they began extracting oil from the northeast of the country, the delta of the Mur River. The Mur River originates in the high mountains near the Farslae and Moranc, travels through all of Low Erboria, and empties into the inland Emerald Sea.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Merdivozian Empire&lt;/u&gt; is a hungry supervillain that has made life hard for Erborians since the beginning of time. ==<br /> Shittier land, slavic poland/russia = '''Moranc, Kovets'''<br /> <br /> Hillier with castles, romania, medieval capital = '''Arniei''',<br /> <br /> '''Nidhbetivar''' = baltics, amsterdam, st petersburg, coal mines<br /> <br /> '''Merdhiverhar''' = Cultural + 1500s-revolution capital central europe but sunnier: prague, budapest, czechia, hungary, slovenia, also includes '''Portacus''' (New York + modern Tokyo, but Euro climate) hugely important city<br /> <br /> '''Vistad''' = dismal weather and landscape, always full of the Imperial Army setting up to pillage the Korids, pretty much a shithole, gypsies, frontier with Karmirs, gets insanely cold as you get closer to Karmirs<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Kaitain&lt;/u&gt; is a patchwork, where people are generally just focused on having a good time, making nice things, and partying ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Calim&lt;/u&gt; is rich, but inhospitable and sparsely populated. half of the population are at sea at any given time ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Sultanate of Gisan&lt;/u&gt; is rich and developed. East Africa. Mostly decended into chaos in modern times, except the core (ethiopia) and eritrea ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Tangerians&lt;/u&gt; are relentless traders with an empire of outposts who hate Panarat and hate Rubians even more ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Khozan Empire&lt;/u&gt; has been Kaishuri's weak-ass enemy for milennia, and they get overrun by the Aguzians and get absolutely smoked ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Lin Kingdom&lt;/u&gt; is a puppet established by the Kai Empire in their original homeland, to pay respect. But it's bumfuck steppe and useless. ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Shu Empire&lt;/u&gt; is rocky like Korea, very industrious people, lots of fishing, hate the Gifu, who are independent of the Kais who rule and are strict on Shu ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Gisu&lt;/u&gt;, a wondrous land of inns and rice paddies, tokaido, japan ==<br /> Main cities of Khorozan/Khozan<br /> <br /> # Ghort (ruins) destroyed in massive war in 1800s against Aguz<br /> # '''Ghorghan''' capital<br /> # Zhorghan<br /> # Ordoghan<br /> # Morvogh<br /> # Zhordoghan<br /> # Mozorghan<br /> # Ghoghortaghan<br /> <br /> Khozan language: Dhadokoj<br /> <br /> Kai Empire<br /> <br /> Khozan Empire<br /> <br /> Lin Empire<br /> <br /> Gisu<br /> <br /> Shu<br /> <br /> Korid Empire<br /> <br /> Catanni warlords<br /> <br /> - Amutanni (catanni princess)<br /> <br /> - Arad<br /> <br /> - Azad<br /> <br /> - Azartash<br /> <br /> - Nuri<br /> <br /> - Sayed<br /> <br /> - Jayad<br /> <br /> - Javad<br /> <br /> - Deha<br /> <br /> - Bedri<br /> <br /> - Chabar<br /> <br /> - Jabar<br /> <br /> - Duyal<br /> <br /> - Nador<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Kai names: <br /> <br /> Hane(f) <br /> <br /> Korin(m) <br /> <br /> Ramik(m) <br /> <br /> Kam <br /> <br /> Ren <br /> <br /> Den <br /> <br /> Sen <br /> <br /> Gan <br /> <br /> Jin <br /> <br /> Rendan <br /> <br /> Dangsu <br /> <br /> Remka <br /> <br /> Kamir <br /> <br /> Denli <br /> <br /> Jangri <br /> <br /> Sang <br /> <br /> Jem <br /> <br /> Zan <br /> <br /> Minru <br /> <br /> Shenko <br /> <br /> north marakoth: Bani Ba-e (kai colony?) <br /> <br /> Brak Vaubert (XXX – XXX) was a 19th-century Tangerian writer and politician best known for his instrumental role in <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Tangeria''':<br /> <br /> Tifraz<br /> Tazulit<br /> Ighuren<br /> Zerfoun<br /> Warzaz<br /> Tilmiran<br /> Izerwan<br /> Rzifran<br /> Amezrur<br /> Tamgilt<br /> Aferdun* ancient capital<br /> Ufrir* ancient<br /> Azerfud<br /> Ghremar - capital<br /> Ifralen<br /> Azroun<br /> Zeran<br /> Tighanim<br /> Zellagen<br /> Imilchil<br /> Tiferdine<br /> Tamgroute<br /> Ighrem<br /> Mezrane<br /> Timimoun<br /> Ifergane<br /> Tindjbar<br /> Azemmour<br /> Tamrabet<br /> Aourir<br /> Tifliyeen<br /> Imesli<br /> Azemmouren<br /> Imzilen<br /> Tifghelt<br /> Tamghelt<br /> Ighzeran<br /> Ifranezzan<br /> <br /> <br /> Tangerians (french-ish arab-ish): most economically powerful, owning most of East Methona, with monopolizing early trade with aicho. first kamisho, but not too profitable: dominated trade with marakoth, ibad, and rubia<br /> <br /> erborians (north euro) did more trade with kamisho<br /> <br /> kaishuri trade with both tangerians and erborians</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Muyan_Kara&diff=588507 2026-06-12T04:32:29Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE}}<br /> {{Infobox royalty<br /> | name = Sukübaran Sunoka Kara&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Sukuubaran Sunoka Kaara)}}<br /> | image = Muyan kara.jpg<br /> | image_size = 250px<br /> | title = <br /> | moretext = <br /> | succession = [[List of rulers of Kaishuri|''Sunoka'']] of the [[Greater Kai Empire]]&lt;br/&gt;Princess<br /> | reign = c. 1629 - c. 1656<br /> | reign-type = Tenure<br /> | succession2 = ''Sukübaran'' (favorite) of [[Shëngjin III]]<br /> | reign2 = c. 1650 - c. 1656<br /> | reign-type2 = Tenure<br /> | succession1 = [[Estas|Estasian]] nun<br /> | reign1 = c. 1652 - c. 1654<br /> | reign-type1 = Tenure<br /> | coronation = <br /> | cor-type = Coronation<br /> | predecessor = <br /> | pre-type =<br /> | regent = <br /> | reg-type = <br /> | regent2 =<br /> | reg-type2 = <br /> | successor =<br /> | suc-type = <br /> | spouse = [[Shëngjin III]]<br /> | spouse-type = Spouse<br /> | consort = <br /> | succession3 = <br /> | reign3 =<br /> | reign-type3 =<br /> | predecessor3 =<br /> | regent3 = <br /> | reg-type3 = <br /> | successor3 =<br /> | issue =<br /> | issue-link =<br /> | issue-pipe =<br /> | era dates = <br /> | regnal name = <br /> | posthumous name = <br /> | temple name = <br /> | house = [[Kadir dynasty]]<br /> | house-type = Dynasty<br /> | father = Ispekan the Magnificent<br /> | mother = Turak Kraïvam ([[Muyan Nu]])<br /> | birth_name = Talan Kara Suyüjin<br /> | birth_date = c. 1629<br /> | birth_place = [[Shimedan Palace]], [[Mirashuka]], [[Greater Kai Empire]] (now [[Kaishuri]])<br /> | death_date = {{death date and age|1656|02|11|1629|df=yes}}<br /> | death_place = [[Shiamori Mountains]]<br /> | burial_place = Züreshi Convent of Estas, [[Arjükshi]]<br /> | full name = Sunoka Muyan Kara Sukübaran&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Sunoka Muyan Kaara Sukuubaran)}}<br /> | religion = [[Ramvokism]]<br /> | occupation = <br /> | signature_type = <br /> | signature = <br /> }} '''Muyan Kara''' ([[Kai language|Kai]]: {{KaiScript|Muyan Kaara}} “''Kara the Moon-Faced''”) (c. 1629 – c. 1656), born '''Talan Kara Suyüjin''', was a prominent concubine of '''Kraï [[Shëngjin III]]''' of the Kadir dynasty, celebrated for her unparalleled beauty and charm. The daughter of [[Ispekan the Magnificent]]’s imperial consort [[Muyan Nu]], she inherited her mother’s beauty and carriage, earning the moniker “Muyan Kara” (“Kara the Moon-Faced”.) <br /> <br /> In 1656, as the [[Qajin Dao Rebellion|Qajin Dao rebellion]] reached its peak and Shëngjin’s forces faced severe defeats, the Kraï, under immense pressure and fearing for his own safety, was forced to flee the capital, [[Shukariden]], to the Shiamori Mountains. Sunoka Kara’s association with the regime's instability and the growing factionalism led to her being held responsible for the empire's predicament. As the Kraï’s entourage struggled to restore order, Sunoka Kara was ultimately blamed for the chaos and forced to take her own life in the face of overwhelming demands for her execution.<br /> <br /> == Upbringing ==<br /> Muyan Kara was raised as a '''Sunoka''' (princess) of the [[Kadir dynasty]] during the reign of her father, [[Ispekan the Magnificent]]. During her father’s life, Kara primarily spent her childhood with her younger brothers [[Qajin Dao|Qajin]] and [[Ruyin]] at the [[Shimedan Palace]] in Mirashuka, while her older brother [[Hayujin II|Hayujin]] and sister [[Mang Chi|Mang]] remained in Shukariden under the supervision of the [[Muyan Nu|Kraïvam]] at Ispekan’s court. After Ispekan’s death and [[Shëngjin III|Shëngjin’s]] ascension, Sunoka Kara returned to [[Shukariden]] to prepare for her entrance into the Kadir court, while her brother Hayujin and mother moved to [[Mujedushika]] to introduce Hayujin’s claim to foreign liaisons. <br /> <br /> At the age of 16, in 1647, Sunoka Kara was chosen by Turak Kraïvam to enter the Shukariden Imperial Palace as an attendant of the Imperial Mother [[Hüjagur]]. Her selection was part of the Kadir dynasty’s practice of bringing young women into the palace for the purpose of expanding the imperial family, but she was really chosen to exert the [[Muyan Nu|Kraïvam’s]] influence on the Kraï and advance the claim of Sunoka Kara’s brother, Hayujin.<br /> <br /> Once in the palace, Sunoka Kara adopted the title of '''Muyan Kara''' (“''Kara the Moon-Faced''”), taking after her [[Muyan Nu|mother]]. During her early years in the palace, she was known for her intelligence, beauty, and charm. The young women of the palace were often engaged in a competitive environment, where their ability to gain favor with the emperor was crucial. The young Sunoka quickly distinguished herself and won the admiration of the Kraï, becoming an imperial concubine.<br /> <br /> == Concubine and priestess ==<br /> Initially entering the palace as a lady-in-waiting of the Kraï’s mother [[Hüjagur]], her grace and allure quickly made her the Kraï’s favored concubine, earning her the prestigious title of [[Sukubaran (Kai imperial title)|Sukübaran]] (“favorite”), which elevated her status to one of the highest ranks in the imperial court. Her entrance into the [[Kadir dynasty|Kadir]] Court was a highly strategic move by her mother to influence her brother-in-law, the Kraï, and to gain support within the Kadir court for Muyan Kara’s brother, [[Hayujin II]]’s claim to the throne.<br /> <br /> == Imperial concubine ==<br /> Muyan Kara’s influence extended beyond mere companionship. She played a significant role in the palace's political and cultural life, often associated with a period of immense prosperity and cultural flourishing in the peace times after [[Eastern Campaigns of 1624|Ispekan’s conquests]] known as the Kadir dynasty's zenith. Her familial connections, particularly with her powerful [[Muyan Nu|mother]], also gave her considerable political leverage. Her relatives were appointed to high-ranking positions, which bolstered Muyan Nu and Hayujin II's faction’s influence within the court. Her younger brother [[Ruyin]] was appointed as a governor on the eastern frontier, and her youngest brother, [[Qajin Dao|Qajin]], was made a commander of the navy. Her eldest sister, [[Mang Chi]], was appointed as an ambassador in Mujedushika. This consolidation of power, however, created significant factionalism and resentment among other court officials and military leaders.<br /> <br /> == Qajin Dao rebellion and Muyan Kara’s death ==<br /> Muyan Kara’s tenure as the Emperor's favorite coincided with a period of growing unrest and dissatisfaction within the empire. The [[Qajin Dao Rebellion]], which erupted in 1655, was a major revolt against the Kadir dynasty led by Commander [[Qajin Dao]]. The rebellion was fueled by widespread discontent with the central government’s corruption, inefficiency, and the perceived favoritism towards Muyan Nu’s lineage, which was seen as a source of the empire’s troubles.<br /> <br /> During the rebellion, Muyan Kara’s influence became a double-edged sword. Her closeness to Shëngjin and her family's accumulation of power and wealth were viewed by many as contributing factors to the unrest. The rebellion's initial successes and the subsequent military setbacks significantly weakened the Kadir dynasty's grip on power, further exacerbating the crisis.<br /> <br /> In 1656, as the rebellion reached its peak and Shëngjin’s forces faced severe defeats, the Kraï, under immense pressure and fearing for his own safety, was forced to flee the capital, [[Shukariden]], to the [[Shiamori Mountains]]. Sunoka Kara’s association with the regime's instability and the growing factionalism led to her being held responsible for the empire's predicament. As the Kraï’s entourage struggled to restore order, Sunoka Kara was ultimately blamed for the chaos and forced to take her own life in the face of overwhelming demands for her execution. Muyan Kara’s death forced [[Qajin Dao]]’s faction to capitulate with Shëngjin to an armistice brokered by Muyan Nu and Ghosord, the general of the Khuzan forces that made up most of Dao’s men. The terms of this armistice, the [[Treaty of Mirashuka (1656)|Treaty of Mirashuka]], stated that Shëngjin would retain the throne, but would name [[Hayujin II]] as his successor, and that Dao would not be prosecuted, instead to be exiled to the Khuzan lands to the east.<br /> <br /> == Legacy ==<br /> While returning to [[Shukariden]] from the [[Shiamori Mountains]], Shëngjin and his closest aide, the eunuch [[Mengü (aide of Shëngjin III)|Mengü]], were assassinated by an Ainist acolyte possibly sent by Qajin Dao in retaliation for his sister’s killing. Throughout the conflict, Kraïvam [[Muyan Nu]] expressed her disappointment in her daughter Sunoka Kara for failing to give the Kraï an heir and stabilize the realm and in her son [[Qajin Dao]] for causing unnecessary destruction in the name of his brother Hayujin, and for bringing in outside influence.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Kaitain&diff=588440 2026-06-10T22:21:55Z

<p>Tsundoku: Created page with &quot;Marroni minority cousins w/ Calish: more warlike Calish: Kurds Both descend from tangerian colonists Numerians: Amazigh and syriacs, countryside minority, quite overshadowed. get along very well with mesudi Marroni in north desert coast, like beirut, old capital, like cairo, but also empty like havana or eritrea, but windier, urbane, educated, not conservative, quiet and old, cousins of Calish: coptic people Arani people (descendants of Phryxians, &quot;white camerani&quot;)...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>Marroni minority cousins w/ Calish: more warlike<br /> <br /> Calish: Kurds<br /> <br /> Both descend from tangerian colonists<br /> <br /> Numerians: Amazigh and syriacs, countryside minority, quite overshadowed. get along very well with mesudi<br /> <br /> Marroni in north desert coast, like beirut, old capital, like cairo, but also empty like havana or eritrea, but windier, urbane, educated, not conservative, quiet and old, cousins of Calish: coptic people<br /> <br /> Arani people (descendants of Phryxians, &quot;white camerani&quot;)<br /> <br /> Hanabi (Mesudi Astrists): very nice coast, like french riviera/pantelleria/italian coast, paradisiacal, small population, maronites, monastir, more european due to puppet government of Aguz<br /> <br /> Mesudi: assyrians, mandaeans and samaritans=religious mesudi, very large clergy and widespread religious activities, fun-loving, like french, but quiet. formed the camelot kingdom from 1700-today, very european influenced and french like<br /> <br /> Jaliqai: alevis<br /> <br /> Astrists (Christians): Calish, Marroni, Hanabi. warriors, sailors, and traders<br /> <br /> Ethnic religions: Numerians, Mesudis. builders and farmers<br /> <br /> Majority Astrist country, majority Mesudi ethnically. If Hanabis werent so secular, it would be ruled by astrists, but because of this, astrists are pretty much a minority so the mesudis rule<br /> <br /> High level of autonomy among the Six Peoples<br /> <br /> Calish (ܟܵܠܝܫ): 7%<br /> <br /> Marroni (ࡌࡀࡓࡓࡅࡍࡉ): 22%<br /> <br /> Hanabe (𐭧𐭠𐭭𐭠𐭡𐭩): 18%<br /> <br /> Mesudi (𐭬𐭮𐭥𐭣𐭩)/(: 40%<br /> <br /> Numerians (Numoriunê): 13%</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Mausoleum_of_Ispekan&diff=588439 2026-06-10T22:21:32Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox building<br /> | name = Kuremaka go Ispekän<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Kuramaka go Ispekaan}}<br /> | image = Gur-emir-mausoleum.jpg<br /> | image_size = 300px<br /> | caption = The main facade of the Kuremaka<br /> | location = [[Rakashï]], Shukariden, Kaishuri<br /> | coordinates = <br /> | start_date = 1650<br /> | completion_date = 1651<br /> | architect = Kurosaki<br /> | owner = Kai state<br /> | cost = <br /> | map_type = <br /> | map_size = <br /> | mapframe-wikidata =<br /> | map_caption = <br /> | building_type = * Royal mausoleum (c. 1650 – c. present)<br /> * Museum (c. XXXX – present)<br /> | structural_system = <br /> | client = [[Muyan Nu|Toregana]]<br /> | engineer = <br /> | style = [[Imperial Kai architecture|Imperial Kai]]<br /> | size = <br /> | embedded = <br /> | website = <br /> }}The '''Mausoleum of Ispekan''' ([[Kai language|Kai]]: {{KaiScript|Kuremaka go ispekaan}}, ''Kuremaka go Ispekän'') is a mausoleum of the Kai conqueror [[Ispekan the Magnificent]] in [[Rakashï]], [[Shukariden|Shukariden metropolitan region]], [[Kaishuri]]. It was commissioned by [[Muyan Nu|Toregana]] to her husband's memory, and was designed to accomodate her and her childrens' remains. The mausoleum contains two burial areas of equal size: one where Toregana and Ispekan are buried, and another where Hayujin II is buried<br /> <br /> The Kuremaka was built in the year following the Kraï's death (c. 1650), while the king was temporarily interred at the Imperial palace. [[Kurosaki]], the building's architect, is regarded as the greatest Kai architect and was patronized extensively by both the Kraï Ispekan and his son [[Hayujin II]]. Under both Kraïs, Kurosaki built numerous projects that are seen as exemplary pieces of Kai architecture, one being the Kuremaka. Kurosaki also built a close relationship with the [[Muyan Nu|Kraïvam]], and she agreed to his offer to build her husband's mausoleum, even asking to be buried there herself when she died. Kurosaki died a decade before he could see Toregana interred, but his son Jinshui Kurosaki saw to her burial as well as her son Hayujin's, and her son [[Ruyin]]'s at another site.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Hayujin_II&diff=588438 2026-06-10T22:21:12Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox royalty<br /> | name = Kraï Hayujin II Kadir&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|II Kraii Hayujin Kaadir)}}<br /> | image = Hayujin ii.png<br /> | image_size = 220px<br /> | title = <br /> | moretext = <br /> | succession = [[List of rulers of Kaishuri|''Kraï'']] of the [[Greater Kai Empire]]&lt;br/&gt;Emperor<br /> | reign = c. 1656 - c. 1683<br /> | reign-type = Reign<br /> | succession2 = Khrailan&lt;br/&gt;(Crown Prince)<br /> | reign2 = c. 1650 - c. 1656<br /> | reign-type2 = Tenure<br /> | succession1 = Tangshan Prince<br /> | reign1 = c. 1627 - c. 1650<br /> | reign-type1 = Tenure<br /> | coronation = 1657<br /> | cor-type = Ascension<br /> | predecessor = [[Shëngjin III]]<br /> | pre-type = Predecessor<br /> | regent = <br /> | reg-type = <br /> | regent2 =<br /> | reg-type2 = <br /> | successor = [[Tansu I]]<br /> | suc-type = Successor<br /> | spouse = [[Hasura]]&lt;br/&gt;Cirina<br /> | spouse-type = Kraïvam<br /> | consort =<br /> | succession3 = <br /> | reign3 =<br /> | reign-type3 =<br /> | predecessor3 =<br /> | regent3 = <br /> | reg-type3 = <br /> | successor3 =<br /> | issue =<br /> | issue-link =<br /> | issue-pipe =<br /> | era dates = <br /> | regnal name = <br /> | posthumous name = <br /> | temple name = <br /> | house = [[Kadir dynasty|Kadir]]<br /> | house-type = Dynasty<br /> | father = [[Ispekan the Magnificent]]<br /> | mother = [[Muyan Nu]]<br /> | birth_name = Kabül Arasen Kadir<br /> | birth_date = c. 1627<br /> | birth_place = [[Shükran Palace]], [[Shukariden]], [[Greater Kai Empire]] (now [[Kaishuri]])<br /> | death_date = {{death date and age|1684|10|12|1627|df=yes}}<br /> | death_place = [[Green Palace]], [[Mujedushika]]<br /> | burial_place = [[Mausoleum of Ispekan]], [[Rakashï]]<br /> | full name = Dalantai Kabül Hayujin II Kadir&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Dalantai Kabuul Hayujin II Kadir)}}<br /> | religion = [[Ramvokism]]<br /> | occupation = <br /> | signature_type = <br /> | signature = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Hayujin II''', also known as '''Hayujin the Green''' ([[Kai language|Kai]]: {{KaiScript|Sarashuno Hayujin III}}) or the '''Green Kraï''', was the Kraï of the [[Greater Kai Empire]] from 1656 to 1683. Ascending the throne after the [[Qajin Dao Rebellion|rebellion]] of 1655–1656, which led to the assassination of his uncle, [[Shëngjin III]], Hayujin II is noted for his military successes, administrative reforms, and promotion of religious tolerance. As a new ruler, Hayujin II faced the challenge of consolidating his power, addressing the issues that led to the rebellion, and stabilizing the empire.<br /> <br /> One of Hayujin II's most significant accomplishments was his successful defense against the Khuzan Empire, which threatened the Kai hegemony in the region. The Battle of Yangpo in 1658 was a turning point in this conflict, marking a significant setback for the Khuzan expansionist ambitions. Hayujin II's strategic acumen and battlefield leadership earned him a reputation as a formidable commander and secured the southern borders of his empire.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> His reign is particularly noted for a marked increase in religious tolerance. The southern city of [[Mujedushika]], under his patronage, experienced a cultural zenith. The city became a vibrant center of learning and culture, attracting Ainist and Vanist scholars to the imperial court. This period saw Mujedushika rival the capital, [[Shukariden]], in cultural and intellectual prominence. During his reign, Hayujin II introduced the Jintou, a tax levied on non-[[Ramvokism|Ramvokist]] populations. Unlike previous systems, the Jintou was designed to be a moderate and fair tax, aimed at maintaining stability and harmony within the diverse empire. This policy not only provided a stable revenue stream but also allowed for greater religious freedom under his rule, reflecting his commitment to a more inclusive governance.{{Icons|PE}}</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Rakash%C3%AF&diff=588431 2026-06-10T22:01:37Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE}}<br /> [[File:Rakashi.jpeg|thumb|250x250px|'''Rakashï''' as seen from above]]<br /> '''Rakashï''' ([[Kai language|Kai]]: {{KaiScript|Rakashii}}) is a neighborhood located in the eastern part of '''[[Shukariden]]''', Kaishuri, within the Tamürbashi and Kaygön wards. Known for its blend of urban and suburban characteristics, Rakashï has evolved from a rural area in the Imperial period into a vibrant and desirable suburb of '''Shukariden'''. Uraka Forest, which was created during the reign of [[Hayujin II]] to house his father's [[Mausoleum of Ispekan|mausoleum]], was a popular leisure destination for the aristocracy and wealthy citizens of Shukariden.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Qajin_Dao&diff=588430 2026-06-10T22:00:44Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE}}<br /> {{Infobox royalty<br /> | name = Qajin Dao&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Qaajin Dao)}}<br /> | image = Human (The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp).png<br /> | image_size = 200px<br /> | title = <br /> | moretext = <br /> | succession = [[List of rulers of Kaishuri|''Jaïzad'']] of the [[Greater Kai Empire]]&lt;br/&gt;Prince<br /> | reign = c. 1634 - c. 1656<br /> | reign-type = Tenure<br /> | succession2 = In exile<br /> | reign2 = c. 1656 - c. 1667<br /> | reign-type2 = Exile<br /> | succession1 = Commander of the Imperial Navy<br /> | reign1 = c. 1652 - c. 1655<br /> | reign-type1 = Tenure<br /> | coronation = <br /> | cor-type = Coronation<br /> | predecessor = <br /> | pre-type = <br /> | regent = <br /> | reg-type = <br /> | regent2 =<br /> | reg-type2 = <br /> | successor = <br /> | suc-type = <br /> | spouse = Hun Karadao<br /> | spouse-type = Spouse<br /> | consort = <br /> | succession3 = <br /> | reign3 =<br /> | reign-type3 =<br /> | predecessor3 =<br /> | regent3 = <br /> | reg-type3 = <br /> | successor3 =<br /> | issue =<br /> | issue-link =<br /> | issue-pipe =<br /> | era dates = <br /> | regnal name = <br /> | posthumous name = <br /> | temple name = <br /> | house = [[Kadir dynasty|Kadir]]<br /> | house-type = Dynasty<br /> | father = [[Ispekan the Magnificent]]<br /> | mother = [[Muyan Nu]]<br /> | birth_name = Qajin Shiragukan Kadir<br /> | birth_date = c. 1634<br /> | birth_place = Samodin Palace, [[Mirashuka]], [[Kai Empire]] (now [[Kaishuri]])<br /> | death_date = {{death date and age|1667|05|30|1634|df=yes}}<br /> | death_place = [[Khuzan Empire]] (now [[Tengrishan]])<br /> | burial_place = Ghoghortaghan, [[Khuzan Empire]] (now [[Tengrishan]])<br /> | full name = Qajin Dao Shiragukan Kadir&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Qaajin Dao Shiragukan no Kaadir)}}<br /> | religion = [[Ramvokism]]<br /> | occupation = <br /> | signature_type = <br /> | signature = <br /> }}</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=User:Tsundoku/MV_sandbox&diff=588428 2026-06-10T21:53:11Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>== Kapan ==<br /> Tourists have to fly into the airport in Baishundo (antalya of kaishuri), drive a few hours to Ufa.<br /> <br /> Ufa: lower part of kapan, tbilisi/antep/basque type town<br /> <br /> near Ufa: lake Goman, town: Gamanjorda (ohrid)<br /> <br /> further north of imesli imeri: more rural, wine (Narikala, Halim, Vanzakazhane) and cheese country (Sevan, Kazankadere), fancier. Borjoni, Kagtar castle, Baladon village<br /> <br /> northernmost: super remote, ingushetian, Tamesli and Imilshere<br /> <br /> Lumre river Tamesli Imilchil<br /> <br /> <br /> baladon village<br /> <br /> Urir Taferdin: poet<br /> <br /> Imzilen Rakas: more modern writer<br /> <br /> narikala: wine country<br /> <br /> kagtar castle<br /> <br /> gamdejan<br /> <br /> sana nkhile<br /> <br /> sana nikhle<br /> <br /> borjoni<br /> <br /> gamarjoda<br /> <br /> gamanjorda<br /> <br /> manzara<br /> <br /> baishundo<br /> <br /> == '''Main cities of Kaishuri''' ==<br /> # Shukariden (Shukariden)<br /> # Shimzen (Shukariden)<br /> # Káibashi<br /> # Kaliman<br /> # Jaikai<br /> # Akyáz<br /> # Serbashi<br /> # Rumanshen City<br /> # Hata<br /> # Lashian<br /> # Koran<br /> # Mudiar<br /> # Baijin<br /> <br /> Lashian<br /> <br /> Mudiar<br /> <br /> Ronin<br /> <br /> Shadan<br /> <br /> Shuhadan<br /> <br /> Shahad<br /> <br /> Shong<br /> <br /> Jin<br /> <br /> Zhafan<br /> <br /> Kaisen<br /> <br /> Arad<br /> <br /> Muharem<br /> <br /> Hun<br /> <br /> Shihan<br /> <br /> Tailan<br /> <br /> Beharad<br /> <br /> Arash<br /> <br /> Adarvan<br /> <br /> Araduhan<br /> <br /> Radin<br /> <br /> Jihan<br /> <br /> Ashur<br /> <br /> Batuhan<br /> <br /> Kerem<br /> <br /> Shirin<br /> <br /> Hajiyar<br /> <br /> Meherjan<br /> <br /> Nazanin<br /> <br /> Shubahan<br /> <br /> Roshana<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Baishundo&lt;/u&gt; has always been vital for kaishuri, as its coast is the only, very narrow way to get to the far east without having to cross mountains or fight Hedin. ==<br /> Kaihuri's main trading partners were the Rubians and the Phenari (Panaratians) but since the Krai and the court was always fat and rich, they were lazy and had a lackluster fleet, due to the army junta wanting to be unopposed, so they just sent their goods to Panarat. This meant they had to go from the Gulf of Kaliman region, where Wushi was their main foreign trading center, southeast across the vast hot plains of South Koran, past the poor medieval center of Kaishuri, into the Southern desert, and then sharply south to skirt the mountains, arriving in the splendid land of Baishundo, where Kai traders relaxed, gambled, and built palaces for whores far from the authority of the krai and into the frontier, where they would turn their goods over to the faithful, conservative Korids, who move goods in wondrous caravans of covered wagons across their green country and to Panarat. This makes Baishundo very important, informally, as the last city before the frontier.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Korid Empire&lt;/u&gt; is famous for stone churches on high, barren mountains, and white mosques and traintracks among swaying green grass ==<br /> The Korid Empire consists of three ethnic groups: the Hisaks and Korids (Armenians) who live in the more barren west, build cities, and the Demre (Anatolian Turks) farmers of the green grass hills of southern Visst. The Demre are the majority, with their capital at Yalova, but they are largely pastoral, while the Korids in their fortresses rule the country and get rich off of selling Demre's tea, rice, wheat, and other goods. However, they are always at war with the Merdivozians, who are always wrecking them and ransacking the Demre cities. So it is pretty fucked up and war torn constantly, but the Merdivozians can never seem to make any ground, occasionally being ambushed by Karmir clansmen. Also, waging war against the Korids makes the Merdivozians a lot of money. They have always made the Korids pay reparations, practically monopolizing Demreyi goods and mining in the Korid mountains. In the 1900s, they began extracting oil from the northeast of the country, the delta of the Mur River. The Mur River originates in the high mountains near the Farslae and Moranc, travels through all of Low Erboria, and empties into the inland Emerald Sea.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Merdivozian Empire&lt;/u&gt; is a hungry supervillain that has made life hard for Erborians since the beginning of time. ==<br /> Shittier land, slavic poland/russia = '''Moranc, Kovets'''<br /> <br /> Hillier with castles, romania, medieval capital = '''Arniei''',<br /> <br /> '''Nidhbetivar''' = baltics, amsterdam, st petersburg, coal mines<br /> <br /> '''Merdhiverhar''' = Cultural + 1500s-revolution capital central europe but sunnier: prague, budapest, czechia, hungary, slovenia, also includes '''Portacus''' (New York + modern Tokyo, but Euro climate) hugely important city<br /> <br /> '''Vistad''' = dismal weather and landscape, always full of the Imperial Army setting up to pillage the Korids, pretty much a shithole, gypsies, frontier with Karmirs, gets insanely cold as you get closer to Karmirs<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Kaitain&lt;/u&gt; is a patchwork, where people are generally just focused on having a good time, making nice things, and partying ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Calim&lt;/u&gt; is rich, but inhospitable and sparsely populated. half of the population are at sea at any given time ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Sultanate of Gisan&lt;/u&gt; is rich and developed. East Africa. Mostly decended into chaos in modern times, except the core (ethiopia) and eritrea ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Tangerians&lt;/u&gt; are relentless traders with an empire of outposts who hate Panarat and hate Rubians even more ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Khozan Empire&lt;/u&gt; has been Kaishuri's weak-ass enemy for milennia, and they get overrun by the Aguzians and get absolutely smoked ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Lin Kingdom&lt;/u&gt; is a puppet established by the Kai Empire in their original homeland, to pay respect. But it's bumfuck steppe and useless. ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Shu Empire&lt;/u&gt; is rocky like Korea, very industrious people, lots of fishing, hate the Gifu, who are independent of the Kais who rule and are strict on Shu ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Gisu&lt;/u&gt;, a wondrous land of inns and rice paddies, tokaido, japan ==<br /> Main cities of Khorozan/Khozan<br /> <br /> # Ghort (ruins) destroyed in massive war in 1800s against Aguz<br /> # '''Ghorghan''' capital<br /> # Zhorghan<br /> # Ordoghan<br /> # Morvogh<br /> # Zhordoghan<br /> # Mozorghan<br /> # Ghoghortaghan<br /> <br /> Khozan language: Dhadokoj<br /> <br /> Kai Empire<br /> <br /> Khozan Empire<br /> <br /> Lin Empire<br /> <br /> Gisu<br /> <br /> Shu<br /> <br /> Korid Empire<br /> <br /> Catanni warlords<br /> <br /> - Amutanni (catanni princess)<br /> <br /> - Arad<br /> <br /> - Azad<br /> <br /> - Azartash<br /> <br /> - Nuri<br /> <br /> - Sayed<br /> <br /> - Jayad<br /> <br /> - Javad<br /> <br /> - Deha<br /> <br /> - Bedri<br /> <br /> - Chabar<br /> <br /> - Jabar<br /> <br /> - Duyal<br /> <br /> - Nador<br /> <br /> Godai (historically known as Cotai)<br /> <br /> Shimzen<br /> <br /> Káibashi<br /> <br /> Serbashi<br /> <br /> Rumanshen City<br /> <br /> Kaliman<br /> <br /> Wushi<br /> <br /> Konunzoda<br /> <br /> Hata: Barcelona of Kaishuri, 50/50 Kais and Palis, like Antalya + Barcelona + Busan + Bosphorus Istanbul<br /> <br /> Jaikai<br /> <br /> Mudiar<br /> <br /> Bashim/Baijin: Pali, capital of central Padishan, named after first king of the Pashanin (the medieval Pali kingdom), Basim<br /> <br /> Koran (historic city)<br /> <br /> Huali***<br /> <br /> Mujedushika*** originally Pali, historical capital of Padishan<br /> <br /> Mirashuka***<br /> <br /> Hailan<br /> <br /> Yaran<br /> <br /> Mian<br /> <br /> Kaishuri was born from the fringes of Padishan.<br /> <br /> Kaiyau<br /> <br /> Saitong <br /> <br /> Visst: Eladan civilization. Elads=slavs. panarat: pearl of eladan civilization <br /> <br /> Tokul <br /> <br /> Kai riviera, near panarat (croatia) <br /> <br /> Kai names: <br /> <br /> Hane(f) <br /> <br /> Korin(m) <br /> <br /> Ramik(m) <br /> <br /> Kam <br /> <br /> Ren <br /> <br /> Den <br /> <br /> Sen <br /> <br /> Gan <br /> <br /> Jin <br /> <br /> Rendan <br /> <br /> Dangsu <br /> <br /> Remka <br /> <br /> Kamir <br /> <br /> Denli <br /> <br /> Jangri <br /> <br /> Sang <br /> <br /> Jem <br /> <br /> Zan <br /> <br /> Minru <br /> <br /> Shenko <br /> <br /> north marakoth: Bani Ba-e (kai colony?) <br /> <br /> Brak Vaubert (XXX – XXX) was a 19th-century Tangerian writer and politician best known for his instrumental role in <br /> <br /> Acron**<br /> -Alvona and Turessa<br /> Alvoressan<br /> Sbaar Ferrak<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Tangeria''':<br /> <br /> Tifraz<br /> Tazulit<br /> Ighuren<br /> Zerfoun<br /> Warzaz<br /> Tilmiran<br /> Izerwan<br /> Rzifran<br /> Amezrur<br /> Tamgilt<br /> Aferdun* ancient capital<br /> Ufrir* ancient<br /> Azerfud<br /> Ghremar - capital<br /> Ifralen<br /> Azroun<br /> Zeran<br /> Tighanim<br /> Zellagen<br /> Imilchil<br /> Tiferdine<br /> Tamgroute<br /> Ighrem<br /> Mezrane<br /> Timimoun<br /> Ifergane<br /> Tindjbar<br /> Azemmour<br /> Tamrabet<br /> Aourir<br /> Tifliyeen<br /> Imesli<br /> Azemmouren<br /> Imzilen<br /> Tifghelt<br /> Tamghelt<br /> Ighzeran<br /> Ifranezzan<br /> <br /> <br /> Tangerians (french-ish arab-ish): most economically powerful, owning most of East Methona, with monopolizing early trade with aicho. first kamisho, but not too profitable: dominated trade with marakoth, ibad, and rubia<br /> <br /> erborians (north euro) did more trade with kamisho<br /> <br /> kaishuri trade with both tangerians and erborians</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Kapan&diff=588427 2026-06-10T21:52:18Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Kapan Valley<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Kapanzhan Deresa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Kapan-zhan Dere-sa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = Theth kapan.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = A hamlet in '''Sevan'''<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Kapanshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 242,500<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Hopa<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Hopa<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Kapan Valley''' is a historic and cultural region in western [[Kaishuri]], within the megaregion of [[Padishan]]. It includes the city of [[Hopa]] (Ufa) and [[Juje]]. Kapan Valley is the smallest of the traditional [[Traditional regions of Kaishuri|regions]] of Kaishuri by area. Kapan is north, across the [[Nun Mountains]], of the region of [[Baishundo]], the economic center of the traditional [[Palis|Pali]] homeland, [[Padishan]]. While the Palis of [[Baishundo]], [[Mujedushika]], and the [[Shian|Shiamori mountains]] have historically had distinct identities, the Palis of central [[Padishan]], of which Kapan is a part of, simply refer to themselves as [[Palis]]. This is due to the fact that in the outlying regions of Padishan, where the [[Tozars|Tozar]], [[Birs|Bir]], and [[Majjina]] (Palis from Mujedushika, the Shiamori Mountains, and Baishundo) live, Kais make up the majority, while in central Padishan, the population is majority Pali. However, Palis and Kais have historically had cordial relations, and the Palis have been ruled by the Kais for much of their history. The Pali language, out of the three officially recognized Kaishurian minority languages (Hedin, Pali, and Avissi), is the most similar to [[Kai language|Kai]]. However, the Palis are often said to be closer culturally to the non-Kaijin [[Korids]] and the [[Hissaks]] to the East. Kapan Valley was historically known for its production of [[Halim wine]] and [[Sevan cheese]], and has become a hub for [[Tourism in Kaishuri/Gastronomy in Kaishuri|gastronomy]], artisanal foods, and [[Tourism in Kaishuri/Food tourism in Kaishuri|food tourism]] in modern Kaishuri. When the [[Kai Empire]] was ruled from [[Mujedushika]], many palace cooks were brought from Kapan, and for a number of years, the kraï would visit Kapan once a year to meet with his subjects. When the center of Kaishuri slowly moved west, Padishan diminished in importance as a whole and its population began to decline, especially in [[Mujedushika]] (which was known to the Pali as Berlenë). As a result, in the last few centuries, Kais have legally begun [[The Glorious March|settling]] Padishan, and have become the majority in historically Pali regions such as Mujedushika, North Shiamori, and to a lesser extent in Baishundo. Those Kais who settled further east of Padishan, in the steppe, called their land [[Ninshuri]], and generally, this name is used to refer to not only the Kais of the [[Far East (Kaishuri)|Far East]], but also to the [[Hashin Kai|Kais of Padishan]]. Kapan has a small population of Ninshuri Kais, making up 22% of the population, and most of them reside in [[Hopa]].</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=File:Theth_kapan.jpg&diff=588426 2026-06-10T21:38:13Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Kapan&diff=588424 2026-06-10T21:27:06Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Kapan Valley<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Kapanzhan Deresa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Kapan-zhan Dere-sa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:le puy kapan.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = <br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Kapanshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 242,500<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Hopa<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Hopa<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Kapan Valley''' is a historic and cultural region in western [[Kaishuri]], within the megaregion of [[Padishan]]. It includes the city of [[Hopa]] (Ufa) and [[Juje]]. Kapan Valley is the smallest of the traditional [[Traditional regions of Kaishuri|regions]] of Kaishuri by area. Kapan is north, across the [[Nun Mountains]], of the region of [[Baishundo]], the economic center of the traditional [[Palis|Pali]] homeland, [[Padishan]]. While the Palis of [[Baishundo]], [[Mujedushika]], and the [[Shian|Shiamori mountains]] have historically had distinct identities, the Palis of central [[Padishan]], of which Kapan is a part of, simply refer to themselves as [[Palis]]. This is due to the fact that in the outlying regions of Padishan, where the [[Tozars|Tozar]], [[Birs|Bir]], and [[Majjina]] (Palis from Mujedushika, the Shiamori Mountains, and Baishundo) live, Kais make up the majority, while in central Padishan, the population is majority Pali. However, Palis and Kais have historically had cordial relations, and the Palis have been ruled by the Kais for much of their history. The Pali language, out of the three officially recognized Kaishurian minority languages (Hedin, Pali, and Avissi), is the most similar to [[Kai language|Kai]]. However, the Palis are often said to be closer culturally to the non-Kaijin [[Korids]] and the [[Hissaks]] to the East. Kapan Valley was historically known for its production of [[Halim wine]] and [[Sevan cheese]], and has become a hub for [[Tourism in Kaishuri/Gastronomy in Kaishuri|gastronomy]], artisanal foods, and [[Tourism in Kaishuri/Food tourism in Kaishuri|food tourism]] in modern Kaishuri. When the [[Kai Empire]] was ruled from [[Mujedushika]], many palace cooks were brought from Kapan, and for a number of years, the kraï would visit Kapan once a year to meet with his subjects. When the center of Kaishuri slowly moved west, Padishan diminished in importance as a whole and its population began to decline, especially in [[Mujedushika]] (which was known to the Pali as Berlenë). As a result, in the last few centuries, Kais have legally begun [[The Glorious March|settling]] Padishan, and have become the majority in historically Pali regions such as Mujedushika, North Shiamori, and to a lesser extent in Baishundo. Those Kais who settled further east of Padishan, in the steppe, called their land [[Ninshuri]], and generally, this name is used to refer to not only the Kais of the [[Far East (Kaishuri)|Far East]], but also to the [[Hashin Kai|Kais of Padishan]]. Kapan has a small population of Ninshuri Kais<br /> <br /> Tourists have to fly into the airport in Baishundo (antalya of kaishuri), drive a few hours to Ufa.<br /> <br /> Ufa: lower part of kapan, tbilisi/antep/basque type town<br /> <br /> near Ufa: lake Goman, town: Gamanjorda (ohrid)<br /> <br /> further north of imesli imeri: more rural, wine (Narikala, Halim, Vanzakazhane) and cheese country (Sevan, Kazankadere), fancier. Borjoni, Kagtar castle, Baladon village<br /> <br /> northernmost: super remote, ingushetian, Tamesli and Imilshere<br /> <br /> Lumre river<br /> Tamesli<br /> Imilchil<br /> <br /> <br /> baladon village<br /> <br /> Urir Taferdin: poet<br /> <br /> Imzilen Rakas: more modern writer<br /> <br /> narikala: wine country<br /> <br /> kagtar castle<br /> <br /> gamdejan<br /> <br /> sana nkhile<br /> <br /> sana nikhle<br /> <br /> borjoni<br /> <br /> gamarjoda<br /> <br /> gamanjorda<br /> <br /> manzara<br /> <br /> baishundo</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=File:Le_puy_kapan.jpg&diff=588423 2026-06-10T21:26:49Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Kapan&diff=588421 2026-06-10T21:05:09Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Kapan Valley<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Kapanzhan Deresa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Kapan-zhan Dere-sa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = <br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Kapanshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 242,500<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Ufa<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Ufa<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Kapan Valley''' is a historic and cultural region in western [[Kaishuri]], within the megaregion of [[Padishan]]. It includes the city of [[Ufa]] (Hov) and [[Juje]]. Kapan Valley is the smallest of the traditional [[Traditional regions of Kaishuri|regions]] of Kaishuri by area. Kapan is north, across the [[Nun Mountains]], of the region of [[Baishundo]], the economic center of the traditional [[Palis|Pali]] homeland, [[Padishan]]. While the Palis of [[Baishundo]], [[Mujedushika]], and the [[Shian|Shiamori mountains]] have historically had distinct identities, the Palis of central [[Padishan]], of which Kapan is a part of, simply refer to themselves as [[Palis]]. This is due to the fact that in the outlying regions of Padishan, where the [[Tozars|Tozar]], [[Birs|Bir]], and [[Majjina]] (Palis from Mujedushika, the Shiamori Mountains, and Baishundo) live, Kais make up the majority, while in central Padishan, the population is majority Pali. However, Palis and Kais have historically had cordial relations, and the Palis have been ruled by the Kais for much of their history. The Pali language, out of the three officially recognized Kaishurian minority languages (Hedin, Pali, and Avissi), is the most similar to [[Kai language|Kai]]. However, the Palis are often said to be closer culturally to the non-Kaijin [[Korids]] and the [[Hissaks]] to the East. Kapan Valley was historically known for its production of [[Halim wine]] and [[Sevan cheese]], and has become a hub for [[Tourism in Kaishuri/Gastronomy in Kaishuri|gastronomy]], artisanal foods, and [[Tourism in Kaishuri/Food tourism in Kaishuri|food tourism]] in modern Kaishuri. When the [[Kai Empire]] was ruled from [[Mujedushika]], many palace cooks were brought from Kapan, and for a number of years, the kraï would visit Kapan once a year to meet with his subjects. When the center of Kaishuri slowly moved west, Padishan diminished in importance as a whole and its population began to decline, especially in [[Mujedushika]] (which was known to the Pali as Berlenë). As a result, in the last few centuries, Kais have legally begun [[The Glorious March|settling]] Padishan, and have become the majority in historically Pali regions such as Mujedushika, North Shiamori, and to a lesser extent in Baishundo. Those Kais who settled further east of Padishan, in the steppe, called their land [[Ninshuri]], and generally, this name is used to refer to not only the Kais of the [[Far East (Kaishuri)|Far East]], but also to the [[Hashin Kai|Kais of Padishan]]. Kapan has a small population of Ninshuri Kais<br /> <br /> Tourists have to fly into the airport in Baishundo (antalya of kaishuri), drive a few hours to Ufa.<br /> <br /> Ufa: lower part of kapan, tbilisi/antep/basque type town<br /> <br /> near Ufa: lake Goman, town: Gamanjorda (ohrid)<br /> <br /> further north of imesli imeri: more rural, wine (Narikala, Halim, Vanzakazhane) and cheese country (Sevan, Kazankadere), fancier. Borjoni, Kagtar castle, Baladon village<br /> <br /> northernmost: super remote, ingushetian, Tamesli and Imilshere<br /> <br /> Lumre river<br /> Tamesli<br /> Imilchil<br /> <br /> <br /> baladon village<br /> <br /> Urir Taferdin: poet<br /> <br /> Imzilen Rakas: more modern writer<br /> <br /> narikala: wine country<br /> <br /> kagtar castle<br /> <br /> gamdejan<br /> <br /> sana nkhile<br /> <br /> sana nikhle<br /> <br /> borjoni<br /> <br /> gamarjoda<br /> <br /> gamanjorda<br /> <br /> manzara<br /> <br /> baishundo</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=User:Tsundoku/MV_sandbox&diff=588420 2026-06-10T21:04:48Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div><br /> '''Main cities of Kaishuri''' <br /> <br /> # Shukariden (Shukariden)<br /> # Shimzen (Shukariden)<br /> # Káibashi<br /> # Kaliman<br /> # Jaikai<br /> # Akyáz<br /> # Serbashi<br /> # Rumanshen City<br /> # Hata<br /> # Lashian<br /> # Koran<br /> # Mudiar<br /> # Baijin<br /> <br /> Lashian<br /> <br /> Mudiar<br /> <br /> Ronin<br /> <br /> Shadan<br /> <br /> Shuhadan<br /> <br /> Shahad<br /> <br /> Shong<br /> <br /> Jin<br /> <br /> Zhafan<br /> <br /> Kaisen<br /> <br /> Arad<br /> <br /> Muharem<br /> <br /> Hun<br /> <br /> Shihan<br /> <br /> Tailan<br /> <br /> Beharad<br /> <br /> Arash<br /> <br /> Adarvan<br /> <br /> Araduhan<br /> <br /> Radin<br /> <br /> Jihan<br /> <br /> Ashur<br /> <br /> Batuhan<br /> <br /> Kerem<br /> <br /> Shirin<br /> <br /> Hajiyar<br /> <br /> Meherjan<br /> <br /> Nazanin<br /> <br /> Shubahan<br /> <br /> Roshana<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Baishundo&lt;/u&gt; has always been vital for kaishuri, as its coast is the only, very narrow way to get to the far east without having to cross mountains or fight Hedin. ==<br /> Kaihuri's main trading partners were the Rubians and the Phenari (Panaratians) but since the Krai and the court was always fat and rich, they were lazy and had a lackluster fleet, due to the army junta wanting to be unopposed, so they just sent their goods to Panarat. This meant they had to go from the Gulf of Kaliman region, where Wushi was their main foreign trading center, southeast across the vast hot plains of South Koran, past the poor medieval center of Kaishuri, into the Southern desert, and then sharply south to skirt the mountains, arriving in the splendid land of Baishundo, where Kai traders relaxed, gambled, and built palaces for whores far from the authority of the krai and into the frontier, where they would turn their goods over to the faithful, conservative Korids, who move goods in wondrous caravans of covered wagons across their green country and to Panarat. This makes Baishundo very important, informally, as the last city before the frontier.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Korid Empire&lt;/u&gt; is famous for stone churches on high, barren mountains, and white mosques and traintracks among swaying green grass ==<br /> The Korid Empire consists of three ethnic groups: the Hisaks and Korids (Armenians) who live in the more barren west, build cities, and the Demre (Anatolian Turks) farmers of the green grass hills of southern Visst. The Demre are the majority, with their capital at Yalova, but they are largely pastoral, while the Korids in their fortresses rule the country and get rich off of selling Demre's tea, rice, wheat, and other goods. However, they are always at war with the Merdivozians, who are always wrecking them and ransacking the Demre cities. So it is pretty fucked up and war torn constantly, but the Merdivozians can never seem to make any ground, occasionally being ambushed by Karmir clansmen. Also, waging war against the Korids makes the Merdivozians a lot of money. They have always made the Korids pay reparations, practically monopolizing Demreyi goods and mining in the Korid mountains. In the 1900s, they began extracting oil from the northeast of the country, the delta of the Mur River. The Mur River originates in the high mountains near the Farslae and Moranc, travels through all of Low Erboria, and empties into the inland Emerald Sea.<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Merdivozian Empire&lt;/u&gt; is a hungry supervillain that has made life hard for Erborians since the beginning of time. ==<br /> Shittier land, slavic poland/russia = '''Moranc, Kovets'''<br /> <br /> Hillier with castles, romania, medieval capital = '''Arniei''',<br /> <br /> '''Nidhbetivar''' = baltics, amsterdam, st petersburg, coal mines<br /> <br /> '''Merdhiverhar''' = Cultural + 1500s-revolution capital central europe but sunnier: prague, budapest, czechia, hungary, slovenia, also includes '''Portacus''' (New York + modern Tokyo, but Euro climate) hugely important city<br /> <br /> '''Vistad''' = dismal weather and landscape, always full of the Imperial Army setting up to pillage the Korids, pretty much a shithole, gypsies, frontier with Karmirs, gets insanely cold as you get closer to Karmirs<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Kaitain&lt;/u&gt; is a patchwork, where people are generally just focused on having a good time, making nice things, and partying ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Calim&lt;/u&gt; is rich, but inhospitable and sparsely populated. half of the population are at sea at any given time ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Sultanate of Gisan&lt;/u&gt; is rich and developed. East Africa. Mostly decended into chaos in modern times, except the core (ethiopia) and eritrea ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Tangerians&lt;/u&gt; are relentless traders with an empire of outposts who hate Panarat and hate Rubians even more ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Khozan Empire&lt;/u&gt; has been Kaishuri's weak-ass enemy for milennia, and they get overrun by the Aguzians and get absolutely smoked ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Lin Kingdom&lt;/u&gt; is a puppet established by the Kai Empire in their original homeland, to pay respect. But it's bumfuck steppe and useless. ==<br /> <br /> == The &lt;u&gt;Shu Empire&lt;/u&gt; is rocky like Korea, very industrious people, lots of fishing, hate the Gifu, who are independent of the Kais who rule and are strict on Shu ==<br /> <br /> == &lt;u&gt;Gisu&lt;/u&gt;, a wondrous land of inns and rice paddies, tokaido, japan ==<br /> Main cities of Khorozan/Khozan<br /> <br /> # Ghort (ruins) destroyed in massive war in 1800s against Aguz<br /> # '''Ghorghan''' capital<br /> # Zhorghan<br /> # Ordoghan<br /> # Morvogh<br /> # Zhordoghan<br /> # Mozorghan<br /> # Ghoghortaghan<br /> <br /> Khozan language: Dhadokoj<br /> <br /> Kai Empire<br /> <br /> Khozan Empire<br /> <br /> Lin Empire<br /> <br /> Gisu<br /> <br /> Shu<br /> <br /> Korid Empire<br /> <br /> Catanni warlords<br /> <br /> - Amutanni (catanni princess)<br /> <br /> - Arad<br /> <br /> - Azad<br /> <br /> - Azartash<br /> <br /> - Nuri<br /> <br /> - Sayed<br /> <br /> - Jayad<br /> <br /> - Javad<br /> <br /> - Deha<br /> <br /> - Bedri<br /> <br /> - Chabar<br /> <br /> - Jabar<br /> <br /> - Duyal<br /> <br /> - Nador<br /> <br /> Godai (historically known as Cotai)<br /> <br /> Shimzen<br /> <br /> Káibashi<br /> <br /> Serbashi<br /> <br /> Rumanshen City<br /> <br /> Kaliman<br /> <br /> Wushi<br /> <br /> Konunzoda<br /> <br /> Hata: Barcelona of Kaishuri, 50/50 Kais and Palis, like Antalya + Barcelona + Busan + Bosphorus Istanbul<br /> <br /> Jaikai<br /> <br /> Mudiar<br /> <br /> Bashim/Baijin: Pali, capital of central Padishan, named after first king of the Pashanin (the medieval Pali kingdom), Basim<br /> <br /> Koran (historic city)<br /> <br /> Huali***<br /> <br /> Mujedushika*** originally Pali, historical capital of Padishan<br /> <br /> Mirashuka***<br /> <br /> Hailan<br /> <br /> Yaran<br /> <br /> Mian<br /> <br /> Kaishuri was born from the fringes of Padishan.<br /> <br /> Kaiyau<br /> <br /> Saitong <br /> <br /> Visst: Eladan civilization. Elads=slavs. panarat: pearl of eladan civilization <br /> <br /> Tokul <br /> <br /> Kai riviera, near panarat (croatia) <br /> <br /> Kai names: <br /> <br /> Hane(f) <br /> <br /> Korin(m) <br /> <br /> Ramik(m) <br /> <br /> Kam <br /> <br /> Ren <br /> <br /> Den <br /> <br /> Sen <br /> <br /> Gan <br /> <br /> Jin <br /> <br /> Rendan <br /> <br /> Dangsu <br /> <br /> Remka <br /> <br /> Kamir <br /> <br /> Denli <br /> <br /> Jangri <br /> <br /> Sang <br /> <br /> Jem <br /> <br /> Zan <br /> <br /> Minru <br /> <br /> Shenko <br /> <br /> north marakoth: Bani Ba-e (kai colony?) <br /> <br /> Brak Vaubert (XXX – XXX) was a 19th-century Tangerian writer and politician best known for his instrumental role in <br /> <br /> Acron**<br /> -Alvona and Turessa<br /> Alvoressan<br /> Sbaar Ferrak<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Tangeria''':<br /> <br /> Tifraz<br /> Tazulit<br /> Ighuren<br /> Zerfoun<br /> Warzaz<br /> Tilmiran<br /> Izerwan<br /> Rzifran<br /> Amezrur<br /> Tamgilt<br /> Aferdun* ancient capital<br /> Ufrir* ancient<br /> Azerfud<br /> Ghremar - capital<br /> Ifralen<br /> Azroun<br /> Zeran<br /> Tighanim<br /> Zellagen<br /> Imilchil<br /> Tiferdine<br /> Tamgroute<br /> Ighrem<br /> Mezrane<br /> Timimoun<br /> Ifergane<br /> Tindjbar<br /> Azemmour<br /> Tamrabet<br /> Aourir<br /> Tifliyeen<br /> Imesli<br /> Azemmouren<br /> Imzilen<br /> Tifghelt<br /> Tamghelt<br /> Ighzeran<br /> Ifranezzan<br /> <br /> <br /> Tangerians (french-ish arab-ish): most economically powerful, owning most of East Methona, with monopolizing early trade with aicho. first kamisho, but not too profitable: dominated trade with marakoth, ibad, and rubia<br /> <br /> erborians (north euro) did more trade with kamisho<br /> <br /> kaishuri trade with both tangerians and erborians</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Shukariden&diff=588374 2026-06-10T05:24:34Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Shukariden Megalopolis<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Shukaraaiden}}&lt;br &gt;''Shukaraiden'' ([[Kai language|Kai]])<br /> | native_name_lang = Kai<br /> | settlement_type = Megalopolis<br /> | image_skyline = Shanghai skyline 12.jpeg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = The main skyline of Shukariden City seen from the river<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Shukai<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 160,066,337<br /> | subdivision_type = Major cities<br /> | subdivision_name = {{unbulleted list|Shukariden City|Akyáz|Káibashi|<br /> Kaliman|Shimzen|Serbashi|Wushi|Rumanshen City|Godai|Konunzoda}}<br /> | subdivision_type1 = <br /> | subdivision_name1 = <br /> | subdivision_type2 = <br /> | subdivision_name2 = <br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> The '''Shukariden Megalopolis''' ('''[[Kai Language|Kai]]:''' {{KaiScript|Shukaraaiden Megaropolis)}} ''Shukariden Megaropolis''), is a {{W|megalopolis}} in the Ogrim region in western [[Kaishuri]], bordered by the region of Jingan to the east, the [[Chasa region|Chasha region]] and [[Onke]] to the south, and the Gulf of Kaliman to the west. The Shukariden region generally comprises the Oni-speaking areas on the Gulf of Kaliman, on Wushi Island, around the Liman River and further inland in the Ogrim Valley. The Shukariden Megalopolis has long been the heart of the Kai nation, with past capitals in Shukariden City, and the current capital of Akyáz in the south of the region. The region of Shukariden is by far the most populous in Kaishuri, making Shukariden the empire's primate city. Shukariden accounts for 17.14% of the nation's population, and contributes about 22% of the Kai economy, with a GDP of $2.017 trillion. Shukariden and surrounding Ogrim form the largest and most populous region in Kaishuri, which, with its own unique culture, history, and traditions, makes it a highly individual and dynamic region within Kaishuri today.<br /> <br /> == Shukariden City==<br /> :''Main Article: [[Shukariden City]]''<br /> &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Shukariden nationalist.jpg|The headquarters of the Kaishuri Nationalist Party (AKP)<br /> File:Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.JPG|Onjilim Temple in the Anjan Square<br /> File:Ongon 2.jpg|Ongon, characterized by international bistros and chic apartments<br /> File:North bank shukariden.jpeg|Another view of the skyline seen from the north bank of the river<br /> File:Stringio.jpg|The Bakomshue concert hall<br /> File:Anjan a.jpg|The fashionable neighborhood of Anjan<br /> File:Doshi yunchan park.jpg|The skyline seen from the Admiral Paklan Park<br /> File:Anjan 3.jpg|A typical laid-back ''kurakijo'' wine bar in Anjan<br /> File:Kanjin.jpg|The Kanjin, a waterfront area historically associated with finance<br /> File:Ramjaku.jpeg|The modern area of Ramjuku, known for its shopping<br /> File:Uraka park.png|A parkway in Shengong<br /> File:Old city walls.webp|The north walls of the Old City<br /> File:Old city night.jpg|The lively Street of Songbirds at night<br /> File:Street of silver goddesses.jpg|The Street of Silver Goddesses, known for its historic stone buildings<br /> File:Blue-moon gate.jpg|The Blue-Moon Gate<br /> File:Street of maj.webp|The Street of Majahirrines in the Old City, known for its wooden homes<br /> File:Old city 6.jpg|The Street of Sculptors<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> ==Akyáz==<br /> :''Main Article: Akyáz''<br /> &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Shukariden behind.jpeg|Downtown Akyáz, home to many major government agencies<br /> File:Metalocus f-ll-wright imperial-hotel 12.jpg|Akyáz University (AU)<br /> File:Uraka 4.jpg|The skyline seen from Uraka Park<br /> File:Purple square.jpg|The iconic Purple Square in Akyáz<br /> File:Bronx zoo3.webp|The famous Mandirgan Zoo<br /> File:Ministerial palace akyaz.jpg|The Ministerial Palace, official residence of the Prime Minister<br /> File:Rakashi 5.webp|A commercial street in Rakashï<br /> File:The Whitney Museum New York City in 2015.webp|The Hakudere Arts Center at AU<br /> File:Imperialresidence.jpeg|The current imperial residence in Odakbashi<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;incl. rakashi, university town<br /> ==Kaliman==<br /> :''Main Article: Kaliman, Arakoro Shipping Company''<br /> qingdao/port/airport<br /> ==Shimzen==<br /> :''Main Article: Shimzen, Liman river delta''<br /> shenzhen/guangzhou inland, industry<br /> == Ogrim== <br /> :''Main Articles: Ogrim Valley, Godai'an, Konunzoda''<br /> ==Káibashi==<br /> ==Serbashi==<br /> ==Wushi==<br /> ==Rumanshen City==</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Muyan_Kara&diff=588359 2026-06-09T23:39:53Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE}}<br /> {{Infobox royalty<br /> | name = Sunoka Kara Sukübaran&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Sunoka Kaara Sukuubaran)}}<br /> | image = Muyan kara.jpg<br /> | image_size = 250px<br /> | title = <br /> | moretext = <br /> | succession = [[List of rulers of Kaishuri|''Sunoka'']] of the [[Greater Kai Empire]]&lt;br/&gt;Princess<br /> | reign = c. 1629 - c. 1656<br /> | reign-type = Tenure<br /> | succession2 = ''Sukübaran'' (favorite) of [[Shëngjin III]]<br /> | reign2 = c. 1650 - c. 1656<br /> | reign-type2 = Tenure<br /> | succession1 = [[Estas|Estasian]] nun<br /> | reign1 = c. 1652 - c. 1654<br /> | reign-type1 = Tenure<br /> | coronation = <br /> | cor-type = Coronation<br /> | predecessor = <br /> | pre-type =<br /> | regent = <br /> | reg-type = <br /> | regent2 =<br /> | reg-type2 = <br /> | successor =<br /> | suc-type = <br /> | spouse = [[Shëngjin III]]<br /> | spouse-type = Spouse<br /> | consort = <br /> | succession3 = <br /> | reign3 =<br /> | reign-type3 =<br /> | predecessor3 =<br /> | regent3 = <br /> | reg-type3 = <br /> | successor3 =<br /> | issue =<br /> | issue-link =<br /> | issue-pipe =<br /> | era name   = <br /> | era dates = <br /> | regnal name = <br /> | posthumous name = <br /> | temple name = <br /> | house = [[Kadir dynasty]]<br /> | house-type = Dynasty<br /> | father = Ispekan the Magnificent<br /> | mother = Turak Kraïvam ([[Muyan Nu]])<br /> | birth_name = Sunoka Kara Vasjakan<br /> | birth_date = c. 1629<br /> | birth_place = [[Samodin Palace]], [[Mirashuka]], [[Greater Kai Empire]] (now [[Kaishuri]])<br /> | death_date = {{death date and age|1656|02|11|1629|df=yes}}<br /> | death_place = [[Shiamori Mountains]]<br /> | burial_place = Züreshi Convent of Estas, [[Arjükshi]]<br /> | full name = Sunoka Muyan Kara Sukübaran&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Sunoka Muyan Kaara Sukuubaran)}}<br /> | religion = [[Ramvokism]]<br /> | occupation = <br /> | signature_type = <br /> | signature = <br /> }} '''Muyan Kara''' ([[Kai language|Kai]]: {{KaiScript|Muyan Kaara}} “''Kara the Moon-Faced''”) (c. 1629 – c. 1656), born '''Sunoka Kara''', was a prominent concubine of '''Kraï [[Shëngjin III]]''' of the Kadir dynasty, celebrated for her unparalleled beauty and charm. The daughter of [[Ispekan the Magnificent]]’s imperial consort [[Muyan Nu]], she inherited her mother’s beauty and carriage, earning the moniker “Muyan Kara” (“Kara the Moon-Faced”.) <br /> <br /> In 1656, as the [[Qajin Dao Rebellion|Qajin Dao rebellion]] reached its peak and Shëngjin’s forces faced severe defeats, the Kraï, under immense pressure and fearing for his own safety, was forced to flee the capital, Shukariden, to the Shiamori Mountains. Sunoka Kara’s association with the regime's instability and the growing factionalism led to her being held responsible for the empire's predicament. As the Kraï’s entourage struggled to restore order, Sunoka Kara was ultimately blamed for the chaos and forced to take her own life in the face of overwhelming demands for her execution.<br /> <br /> == Upbringing ==<br /> Sunoka Kara was raised as a '''Sunoka''' (princess) of the [[Kadir dynasty]] during the reign of her father, [[Ispekan the Magnificent]]. During her father’s life, Kara primarily spent her childhood with her younger brothers [[Qajin Dao|Qajin]] and [[Ruyin]] at the [[Samodin Palace]] in [[Mirashuka]], while her older brother [[Hayujin II|Hayujin]] and sister [[Mang Chi|Mang]] remained in Shukariden under the supervision of the [[Muyan Nu|Kraïvam]] at Ispekan’s court. After Ispekan’s death and Shëngjin’s ascension, Sunoka Kara returned to Shukariden to prepare for her entrance into the Kadir court, while her brother Hayujin and mother moved to [[Mujedushika]] to introduce Hayujin’s claim to foreign liaisons. <br /> <br /> At the age of 16, in 1647, Sunoka Kara was chosen by Turak Kraïvam to enter the Shukariden Imperial Palace as an attendant of the Imperial Mother [[Hüjagur]]. Her selection was part of the Kadir dynasty’s practice of bringing young women into the palace for the purpose of expanding the imperial family, but she was really chosen to exert the [[Muyan Nu|Kraïvam’s]] influence on the Kraï and advance the claim of Sunoka Kara’s brother, Hayujin.<br /> <br /> Once in the palace, Sunoka Kara adopted the title of '''Muyan Kara''' (“''Kara the Moon-Faced''”), taking after her [[Muyan Nu|mother]]. During her early years in the palace, she was known for her intelligence, beauty, and charm. The young women of the palace were often engaged in a competitive environment, where their ability to gain favor with the emperor was crucial. The young Sunoka quickly distinguished herself and won the admiration of the Kraï, becoming an imperial concubine.<br /> <br /> == Concubine and priestess ==<br /> Initially entering the palace as a lady-in-waiting of the Kraï’s mother [[Hüjagur]], her grace and allure quickly made her the Kraï’s favored concubine, earning her the prestigious title of [[Sukubaran (Kai imperial title)|Sukubaran]] (“favorite”), which elevated her status to one of the highest ranks in the imperial court. Her entrance into the [[Kadir dynasty|Kadir]] Court was a highly strategic move by her mother to influence her brother-in-law, the Kraï, and to gain support within the Kadir court for Muyan Kara’s brother, [[Hayujin II]]’s claim to the throne.<br /> <br /> == Imperial concubine ==<br /> Muyan Kara’s influence extended beyond mere companionship. She played a significant role in the palace's political and cultural life, often associated with a period of immense prosperity and cultural flourishing in the peace times after [[Eastern Campaigns of 1624|Ispekan’s conquests]] known as the Kadir dynasty's zenith. Her familial connections, particularly with her powerful [[Muyan Nu|mother]], also gave her considerable political leverage. Her relatives were appointed to high-ranking positions, which bolstered Muyan Nu and Hayujin II's faction’s influence within the court. Her younger brother [[Ruyin]] was appointed as a governor on the eastern frontier, and her youngest brother, [[Qajin Dao|Qajin]], was made a commander of the navy. Her eldest sister, [[Mang Chi]], was appointed as an ambassador in Mujedushika. This consolidation of power, however, created significant factionalism and resentment among other court officials and military leaders.<br /> <br /> == Qajin Dao rebellion and Muyan Kara’s death ==<br /> Muyan Kara’s tenure as the Emperor's favorite coincided with a period of growing unrest and dissatisfaction within the empire. The [[Qajin Dao Rebellion]], which erupted in 1655, was a major revolt against the Kadir dynasty led by Commander [[Qajin Dao]]. The rebellion was fueled by widespread discontent with the central government’s corruption, inefficiency, and the perceived favoritism towards Muyan Nu’s lineage, which was seen as a source of the empire’s troubles.<br /> <br /> During the rebellion, Muyan Kara’s influence became a double-edged sword. Her closeness to Shëngjin and her family's accumulation of power and wealth were viewed by many as contributing factors to the unrest. The rebellion's initial successes and the subsequent military setbacks significantly weakened the Kadir dynasty's grip on power, further exacerbating the crisis.<br /> <br /> In 1656, as the rebellion reached its peak and Shëngjin’s forces faced severe defeats, the Kraï, under immense pressure and fearing for his own safety, was forced to flee the capital, [[Shukariden]], to the [[Shiamori Mountains]]. Sunoka Kara’s association with the regime's instability and the growing factionalism led to her being held responsible for the empire's predicament. As the Kraï’s entourage struggled to restore order, Sunoka Kara was ultimately blamed for the chaos and forced to take her own life in the face of overwhelming demands for her execution. Muyan Kara’s death forced [[Qajin Dao]]’s faction to capitulate with Shëngjin to an armistice brokered by Muyan Nu and Ghosord, the general of the Khuzan forces that made up most of Dao’s men. The terms of this armistice, the [[Treaty of Mirashuka (1656)|Treaty of Mirashuka]], stated that Shëngjin would retain the throne, but would name [[Hayujin II]] as his successor, and that Dao would not be prosecuted, instead to be exiled to the Khuzan lands to the east.<br /> <br /> == Legacy ==<br /> While returning to [[Shukariden]] from the [[Shiamori Mountains]], Shëngjin and his closest aide, the eunuch [[Mengü (aide of Shëngjin III)|Mengü]], were assassinated by an Ainist acolyte possibly sent by Qajin Dao in retaliation for his sister’s killing. Throughout the conflict, Kraïvam [[Muyan Nu]] expressed her disappointment in her daughter Sunoka Kara for failing to give the Kraï an heir and stabilize the realm and in her son [[Qajin Dao]] for causing unnecessary destruction in the name of his brother Hayujin, and for bringing in outside influence.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=File:The_Third_battle_of_Panipat_13_January_1761.jpg&diff=588358 2026-06-09T23:35:19Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Qajin_Dao_Rebellion&diff=588357 2026-06-09T23:34:37Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox military conflict<br /> | conflict = Qajin Dao rebellion&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Qaajin Dao no Vukubara)}}<br /> | image = The Third battle of Panipat 13 January 1761.jpg<br /> | image_size = 350px<br /> | caption = Depiction of the [[Battle of Hüluikhan]], with [[Shëngjin III]] shown atop a brown horse<br /> | date = 16 January 1655{{snd}}17 December 1656<br /> | place = Kaishuri<br /> | result = Qajinists defeated, [[Hayujin II]] coronated<br /> | combatant1 = [[Kadir dynasty]]<br /> | combatant2 = {{ubl|Qajinist faction|[[Khuzan Empire]]}}<br /> | commander1 = {{ubl<br /> | Kraï [[Shëngjin III]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Mengü (aide of Shëngjin III)|Mengü]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Ziyi Hän]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Ruyin]]<br /> | [[Hun Ya]]<br /> | [[Muyan Kara]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Dashi Abarüka]]<br /> }}<br /> | commander2 = {{ubl<br /> | [[Qajin Dao]]{{Surrendered}}<br /> | [[An Shen]]{{Surrendered}}<br /> | [[Ghosord]]<br /> | [[Wujun Rai]]{{Surrendered}}<br /> | [[Shengong]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Shen Juren]] (defected)<br /> }}<br /> | strength1 = 200,000-300,000 at peak<br /> | strength2 = 76,000–140,000 at peak<br /> | casualties1 = 21,400 casualties<br /> * 9,400 killed<br /> * 12,000 wounded<br /> | casualties2 = 36,000+ killed<br /> }}</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Hedin_Autonomous_Region&diff=588355 2026-06-09T23:24:50Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Hedin Autonomous Region<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Erinazheen Mashazha}} ([[Hedin language|Hedin]])&lt;br /&gt;''Erinazhen Mashazha''&lt;br /&gt;{{KaiScript|Hedinzhan Asajijin sa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Hedinzhan Asaji-jinsa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Autonomous Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:Tehran-iran-1.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = Jaikai, the region's largest city, its iconic Zadaji Tower seen from Dashtan Boulevard<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Erinshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 94,032,869<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Sakuriden<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Jaikai<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''The Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR)''', locally known as '''Erinshuri''' in the [[Hedin language|Hedin]] language (Eriyudi), is an autonomous region in eastern [[Kaishuri]]. It includes the Hedin cities of Jaikai, Par, Sakuěrde (Sakuriden) and Mudiar. It surrounds an enclave of [[Kamekobashi Province]] called Yoshari. The Hedin Autonomous Region is the most populous '''autonomous region''' in Kaishuri, the third most populous subdivision in all of Kaishuri, and the second largest subdivision by area. The HAR is also the most populous non-Kai majority subdivision of Kaishuri and one of the only areas where ethnic Kai people make up only 5-10% of the population.<br /> <br /> The HAR was granted the status of nationality in a referendum of {{Kai-c|17|3=March|4=1989}}. The autonomous region is based on the ''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State'', a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the Hedin people in far Eastern Kaishuri.<br /> <br /> '''Hedins (''Erinï'' )''' are a Kaijin ethnic group that are one of the largest minorities in Kaishuri. They share many aspects of their culture with the Kai people, due to Kai imperial domination over the area for centuries. What makes Hedins distinct and gives them a ethnic identity is that they were mostly semi-nomadic until the discovery of coal in the 5900s ᕟ. The Hedins are part of a larger group of Kaijin living near the mountains of East Kaishuri known as the “hill tribes”. Hedins make up the majority of the group, and other peoples of the “hill tribes” include the Zolo, Guran, and Dagas. For much of history, the hill tribes were considered uncivilized and hopeless, resulting in very minimal presence of the Kai empires which nominally ruled the region, aside from language.<br /> <br /> In recent years, the Hedin region has been one of the fastest growing areas outside of the [[Shukariden/Gallery|Shukariden region]], with huge economic and population growth fed by a huge mining, manufacturing, and heavy industry boom in the last 20 years. The Hedin region has also historically been one of the most progressive regions of Kaishuri, with a tradition of republicanism and a heavy presence of socialism. Led by Shumadi Madir, the [[Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)|'''Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)''']] has ruled the HAR effectively as a one-party totalitarian state since the end of the [[Cheka War|'''Cheka War''']], when the HEP was formed by the remnants of the Erinshuri Freedom Army, the Red Sashes, and the Erin Tigers. The HAR is the center of Kaishuri's Hedin population and the center of Hedin culture, with a burgeoning film industry producing world-famous films such as [[Last Boat to Satun|'''Last Boat to Satun''']], a vibrant music scene, and a strong culture of sports, specifically Sun FC of Mudiar and Sankhazhan of Jaikai.<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> ===Hedin Insurgency (1960-1989)===<br /> [[File:Hedin bombing.jpg|left|thumb|The 1987 firebombing of Mudiar by Kai aircraft]]<br /> The '''Hedin Insurgency''', called the '''Cheka War''' (meaning Red War) by the Hedin, was a separatist conflict in East Kaishuri, fought between the '''Erin Tigers''' ''(Erin Shärö'') and the Kaishuri government from '''1960 to 1989'''. The insurgency stemmed from the region’s distinct history, culture, and economic grievances. Historically an independent state, Hedins fiercely resisted imperial rule and were one of the last regions to be incorporated into the Republic. After the Blossom Revolution, in return for not preventing the restoration of the monarchy, the Hedin people were initially promised special autonomy, but they were later integrated into East Shiamori province, sparking local resentment. In 1937, Erinshuri briefly became a stronghold of the '''Red Banner Movement''', a socialist movement seeking a socialist state for the peasants of Kaishuri. Though the rebellion was suppressed by 1962, Hedin dissatisfaction with Akyáz’s rule persisted, particularly over the exploitation of the region’s coal mines, which fueled Kaishuri's national economy while leaving much of the local population impoverished.<br /> [[File:Kai gove.jpg|thumb|EFA soldiers in Par, 1979, as the city was under siege]]<br /> In 1976, the Erin Tigers, led by Hudien La, declared Erinshuri's independence, arguing that Akyáz had colonized Erinshuri and plundered its resources. The Kai imperial military launched counterinsurgency operations, but the conflict remained low-level until the early 1980s, when the Kaishurian government escalated military operations, designating the region a “Military Operations Zone”, declaring martial law from '''1973 to 1982'''. During this period, Kai forces engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, leading to deepening local resentment and increased support for the Tigers. Following Hudien La's capture and execution in 1982, the central government lifted martial law on Erinshuri, and initial peace talks began. However, a more conservative group, called the Erinshuri Freedom Army (EFA), emboldened by the political shift, expanded its operations, leading to renewed conflict. Negotiations were attempted in 1984, but the talks collapsed, and violence surged in the following years, when martial law was reestablished in Erinshuri in 1987 and launched one of Kaishuri's largest military operations.<br /> <br /> The turning point came in 1988, when the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake devastated Erinshuri, killing over 270,000 people in the province. The catastrophe created urgency for a resolution, as both sides faced international pressure to end hostilities. In 1989, EFA and the Kai government signed the Uruká Armistice. The deal granted Erinshuri special autonomy, allowing it to establish its own legal system, form local political parties, and retain 70% of its mining revenues. In exchange, EFA disarmed, and Kai troops withdrew. Unlike similar rebellions in Kaishuri, the Hedin conflict ended with Erinshuri remaining within Kaishuri but with significant self-governance. Since the peace deal, the Hedin region has remained largely stable, although tensions occasionally flare over governance and the implementation of nation-wide laws. The insurgency remains one of the most successful autonomy agreements in modern Aichan history.<br /> <br /> ==Demographics==<br /> Yao-di/Yazu-di (western/riverine-kachin) 65m<br /> <br /> Zan (mountains-mizo) 24m<br /> <br /> ==Economy==<br /> [[File:2657555053.webp|thumb|260x260px|The devastating effects of the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake, shown in Turpaji, a suburb of Jaikai]]<br /> The economic transformation and restructuring of the Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR) followed the '''Uruká Armistice''', which ended the Cheka War and established the '''Hedin People’s Coalition (HEP)''' as the governing authority. The new administration, led by former insurgents from the Erinshuri Freedom Army, prioritized rapid industrialization as a means of consolidating power and reducing reliance on the Kai monarchy-controlled economy. Historically marginalized and seen as a rebellious frontier region, Jaikai was largely excluded from national economic planning until the '''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State (1990)''' when the HAR gained control over its resource management, taxation policies, and industrial planning, enabling direct investment into mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects without interference from the central government. Unlike neighboring provinces, where economic policies were dictated by the state's development councils, the HAR established its own State Industrial Commission, which coordinated economic planning through plans modeled on state-directed development programs.<br /> <br /> Initial industrial efforts were hindered by a lack of infrastructure, skilled labor, and capital investment, but this changed with the discovery of high-grade iron ore, coking coal, and rare earth minerals around Senduvash Mountain. The HEP administration, under Chairman Madir, declared mining a strategic industry, directing state resources to develop the '''Eastern Renaissance Extraction Zone''', a series of open-pit mines designed for high-volume mineral output. The Hakodash Mining Corporation (HMC), previously a minor regional enterprise, was reorganized into the largest mining operator in HAR, expanding production through newly constructed rail corridors and processing facilities. By 2010, the HAR was producing over 70% of Kaishuri’s rare earth minerals, critical for electronics, defense industries, and energy technologies, giving the region increased economic leverage in negotiations with the central government.<br /> <br /> The Kaldirim Steelworks Group (KSG) was expanded in parallel, receiving state subsidies to construct new blast furnaces and rolling mills, allowing Jaikai to process raw iron and steel domestically rather than exporting unrefined materials. By 2010, KSG was supplying 30% of Kaishuri’s total steel production, feeding into national infrastructure projects and military supply chains. This industrial base led to the emergence of secondary heavy industries, including Lirashun Heavy Machinery (SHM) and Balgat Automotives (BBA), which became leading manufacturers of industrial equipment, construction vehicles, and military-grade transport trucks.<br /> <br /> These developments transformed Jaikai and the HAR from a peripheral, underdeveloped region into an industrial hub, accelerating urbanization as millions of rural Hedin workers migrated to the cities. By 2020, the HAR's economy was driven by state-run heavy industries, with strategic sectors under direct HEP control, ensuring continued economic independence from the Kaishuri monarchy’s central administration.<br /> <br /> == Tourism ==<br /> <br /> == Cuisine==<br /> <br /> === Sakuěrde ===<br /> Outside of the HAR, Hedin cuisine is very underrepresented despite the region's large population. A key difference that sets Hedin cuisine apart from the main Kaishurian regional cuisines is the much more limited use of tomatoes and dairy. Hedin cuisine places much more emphasis on soup and stew dishes, due to the cold winters and abundance of chilis. In the rest of Kaishuri, 'Hedin cuisine' typically refers to the cuisine of '''Sakuěrde''' '''(Sakuriden)''', a city known for dishes that can be quite sour compared to other regions of Kaishuri, which generally lean richer and more aromatic. Sakuěrdezhên cuisine is more represented throughout Kaishuri than other Hedin regional cuisines primarily because it is more suited to the typical Kaishurian palate, since Sakuěrdezhên cuisine uses far less chili than other Hedin regions like Par and Jaikai. The most nationally famous dishes of Hedin (Sakuriden) cuisine are '''washoi''' (lamb stewed with fresh herbs and sour green plums), '''Sakuěrdezhên kabar''' (a sour and spicy soup made with beef, sour plums, and walnuts) and '''enshori''' (a rich, garlicky, sour, and gelatinous soup made by long-simmering sheep head and feet). An adapted version of enshori, made with tripe instead, called bozhor is very well known in many larger Kai cities as a late-night food or as a hangover cure. Most bar streets in Kaishuri contain a shop specializing in bozhor that is open through the entire night. The most famous example of this is Sakurideni Street in Káibashi, a pub street which got its name from the abundance of bozhor shops owned by Hedins. In addition to bozhor/enshori, many Hedin restaurants throughout Kaishuri also offer the other famous soups of Sakuěrde, matoroi (a herbal broth made with beef shank) and voshê (an egg-thickened chicken soup flavored with vinegar). Almost all Hedin restaurants outside of the HAR that cater to Kai customers only serve Sakuěrdezhên soups, occasionally offering washoi and sometimes kabar. &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chakapuli.jpg|Washoi<br /> File:Kelle paça Hof.jpg|Enshori<br /> File:Харчо.jpg|Sakurideni kabar<br /> File:Shkembe-chorba.jpg|Bozhor in a bozhor shop in Akyáz<br /> File:Chikhirtma-7.jpg|Voshê<br /> File:147bc6ff491c4a988229a0c420788389.jpg|Matoroi<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> === Par ===<br /> While the most popular Hedin foods outside of Kaishuri are from the famously sour cuisine of Sakuěrde (Sakuriden), in the HAR, Sakuěrdezhên food is rarely seen outside of Sakuěrde itself. Instead, the most popular dishes come from Par, famous for its spicy stews. The cuisine of Par, the region being the main agricultural producer in the HAR and one of the biggest producers of chili in Kaishuri, uses chili in almost every dish, treating it more like a vegetable than a spice. Throughout the HAR, any meal will likely contain at least one of the 'holy trinity' of Pari stews, kulabiar (lotus), makai (kidney beans) and gashi (mutton). All three of these stews are almost always served with rice, as a main dish of any meal. Kulabiar (lotus) stew, the least spicy of the three, is most commonly eaten for breakfast, with green tea, rice, and fried bread (suêsh) to soak up the gravy. Makai (kidney beans) stew and gashi (mutton) stew are mostly eaten for lunch and dinner, but due to the cheaper ingredients in Makai stew, Makai is more commonly eaten for lunch while Gashi stew is saved for dinner to be enjoyed with family.<br /> <br /> Par is also a hub for the 24 million Zan Hedin people (the Zolo, Guran, and Daga hill-tribes) and their influence shows in the spicy, dry-fried small dishes called '''pakshê''' created to be easily preserved and transported by Zan hunters. In modern Par, pakshê are more of a bar snack or a side dish, alongside a main stew. Some of the most popular pakshê are zakêto (a spicy, jerky-like beef 'salad') and chatên (grilled meat tossed with chilies, spices, and mustard oil). Besides pakshê dishes, another Zan-influenced dish found in Par is pakashpê, a pork belly stew cooked with vinegar and chilies, often served at weddings.<br /> ====Zan Hills====<br /> A dish very unique to the Zan people of the hilly and rural areas is sêhên, a thick, sticky porridge made from millet flour cooked in boiling water until it reaches a smooth, elastic consistency. Sêhên was created to be heavier and more filling than rice, eaten as a staple carbohydrate by the Zan alongside vegetables, pakshê and other stews. Sêhên is not easy to find outside of the rural Zan areas, but in Par, during the '''Suêk-yahut''' festival, a Zan harvest festival, sêhên is commonly eaten according to tradition, usually with zakêto and often black coffee.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chhwela.jpg|Chatên<br /> File:Dhido.jpg|Zan sêhên<br /> File:Maxresdefault (1).jpg|Kulabiar stew<br /> File:Khasi ko masu.jpg|Gashi stew<br /> File:Rajma Rice, Raita, sprouts with potato sabji.JPG|Makai stew<br /> File:Sukuti.jpg|Drier Zan-style zakêto<br /> File:Sukuti2.jpg|More chili-heavy Par-style zakêto<br /> File:Phaksha paa.jpeg|Pakashpê<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> === Jaikai ===<br /> Hedin has a particularly strong street food culture compared to the rest of Kaishuri, especially in the capital of Jaikai, the home of iconic Hedin street foods such as vashi barada (a spicy snack mix of crispy rice and peanuts) and the wildly popular Jaikai panin (stir-fried noodles introduced by northwestern Kaishurians). Other well-known Jaikai dishes are kashaê (a spicy chicken stew) and the infamous lalicha (an extremely spicy salad made from raw minced meat).<br /> <br /> === '''Mudiar''' ===<br /> Having a colder climate than Jaikai and Par, Mudiari cuisine is comparatively richer, placing emphasis on warming stews like rashi and kashaê. In modern times, increasing availability of imported dairy products and potatoes from outside the Hedin region has resulted in adaptations of characteristic Mudiari dishes to include these newly cheap ingredients. The most famous example of this is rashi ênta, an adaptation of the chili-heavy stew rashi kêra, but with a relatively milder, creamier taste owing to the inclusion of potatoes and cheese.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Jhal Muri (Masala Muri).jpg|A street vendor in Jaikai selling vashi barada<br /> File:Jhal-Muri in Chottogram 03.jpg|Vashi barada<br /> File:Tsuivan.jpg|Jaikai panin<br /> File:Kachilaa.jpg|Lalicha<br /> File:Cooking jasha maroo.JPG|Kashaê<br /> File:Kewa-datshi-potato-with.jpg|Rashi ênta<br /> File:30.-Ema-Datshi-Recipe.jpg|Rashi kêra<br /> File:A4V3BUE3VFDQGUEQBW245KGY.webp|Taperesh kêra<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> === Feast traditions ===<br /> There are four main types of pagan feasts in Hedin culture, the wedding feast, New Year's feast, funeral feast, and full moon feast. Each of these typically contains a different combination of the main Hedin dishes. <br /> <br /> A wedding feast is usually centered around heavy, meat-based dishes like pakashpê and lalicha, as well as various roasted meats. A whole-roasted pig or lamb is often part of the wedding feast for larger families. A wedding feast also typically includes towering and highly decorated spiced rice dishes to accompany the meats. The abundance of meat at a Hedin wedding, traditionally paid for and prepared by the groom's family, lets the bride's family show off to their extended family the generosity of their new son-in-law. However, the main focus of a wedding feast is the dessert course. The desserts are traditionally prepared by the bride's family, to repay the groom's family for the generosity of the meat course. Dessert will usually consist of a myriad of baked goods, and puddings made from wheat and corn flour, mountain honey, and fruits.<br /> <br /> The New Year's feast, held on New Year's Eve, is the most unique of the Hedin feasts. It is considered inauspicious to eat rice on the New Year, so the dishes served at a New Year's feast are accompanied by breads and flatbreads instead of the typical rice. Other than this aspect, the dishes usually eaten for New Year's vary by household, but in the east and north of the HAR, near Par and the Zan Hills, the New Year's feast is often vegetarian, to pay respect to the animals which fed them for the rest of the year.<br /> <br /> The tradition of the funeral feast has its roots in the Kai imperial rule over the Hedin region, when the city of Sakuriden was established as the empire's main outpost in the region. The Kai administrators brought to the city brought with them their own cooks, who created what is now called Imperial Hedin cuisine by adapting Kai palace cuisine to Hedin ingredients. Imperial Hedin cuisine is characterized by its rich, warming, and mild stews and the use of lamb, uncommon in traditional Hedin cuisine but widely used in Kai cuisine. When one of these Kai administrators died, a funeral service was held and the guests were served Imperial Hedin dishes. It is said that a Hedin lord came to one of these funerals and so intrigued by the food, he ordered his cooks to prepare a similar feast for his mother's funeral. This started the tradition of Hedin funeral feasts, which centers around lighter-colored, more subtle dishes such as barakhtavêsa (an aromatic, creamy, stewed meatball dish, a tomato-less adaptation of the Kai palace dish '''kashim qëngji''') and gashta (a tomato-less version of the Kai palace dish '''rojana''').<br /> <br /> Throughout the HAR, the dishes served in the full-moon feast vary, but all include kabêk, a chilled pumpkin dessert cooked slowly with syrup. For the Yazu-di people, the tradition is to have orange and red-colored dishes, like kabêk, symbolizing the orange color of the moon. However for the Zan people, there are less specific traditions for the full-moon feast other than kabêk.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Kabak sekerlemesi.jpg|Kabêk<br /> File:Aşure kaseleri.JPG|'''Shêri''', a sweet pudding made with grains, served at weddings.<br /> File:Gushtaba..JPG|Barakhtavêsa<br /> File:Aab gosht.jpg|Gashta<br /> File:Ka3ek.JPG|Wedding cookies (pirêsa)<br /> File:بسبوسة.JPG|Honey-soaked cake (memerêsa)<br /> File:Mawa cake.jpg|Almond cake (darmêsa)<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> == Film ==<br /> The Hedin film industry, often referred to as '''Hedin Cinema''', has emerged as one of the most dynamic and influential film movements in Kaishuri, known for its dramatic, artful, and thriller-oriented storytelling. Rooted in the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of the Hedin people, the industry has evolved from a niche regional movement into a nationally and internationally recognized cinematic force.<br /> <br /> The breakthrough moment for Hedin Cinema came in the late 1990s, when Mudiari director Ram Kahmin captured national and international attention with his 1999 film ''[[Last Boat to Satun]]''. A psychological drama set on the [[Somathar/Gallery|Somathi island of Satun]], the film’s intense atmosphere, morally complex characters, and existential themes resonated far beyond the Hedin-speaking audience. Drawing inspiration from the natural landscapes of Somathar, Kahmin’s film pioneered a distinct aesthetic that blended raw, immersive cinematography with tense, slow-burning narratives, often exploring themes of alienation, rebellion, and the pursuit of paradise gone wrong. ''Last Boat to Satun'' became the first Hedin-language film to achieve blockbuster success across Kaishuri, paving the way for the wider popularization of Hedin Cinema.<br /> <br /> Following Kahmin’s success, Jaikai became a hub for Hedin filmmakers experimenting with high-art thrillers, crime dramas, and psychological mysteries, often set against the backdrop of Hedin mountainous landscapes, industrial cityscapes, but also remote, mysterious locations. Directors such as Noda Wansheri continued to build on Kahmin’s legacy, creating films that blended social realism with gripping, often unsettling narratives. Productions like ''The Deep Well'' (Wansheri, 2006), ''Hostage'' (Maradeshi, 2011), and ''818'' (Wansheri, 2019) achieved both critical acclaim and mainstream commercial success, cementing Jaikai as a powerhouse of artistic, thriller-driven cinema.<br /> <br /> Despite being produced in a minority language, Hedin films are widely consumed by the Kaishuri majority, aided by dubbed and subtitled releases and their distinctly modern, visually striking storytelling approach. The success of Jaikai’s film industry has also been bolstered by international film festivals, where Hedin directors frequently receive awards for cinematic innovation and narrative depth. Today, Jaikai is considered the beating heart of Hedin Cinema, with its film industry continuing to push creative boundaries while maintaining a cultural and artistic identity distinct from the monarchy-aligned mainstream Kaishuri film sector.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Muyan_Kara&diff=588354 2026-06-09T23:24:38Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE}}<br /> {{Infobox royalty<br /> | name = Sunoka Kara Sukübaran&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Sunoka Kaara Sukuubaran)}}<br /> | image = Muyan kara.jpg<br /> | image_size = 250px<br /> | title = <br /> | moretext = <br /> | succession = [[List of rulers of Kaishuri|''Sunoka'']] of the [[Greater Kai Empire]]&lt;br/&gt;Princess<br /> | reign = c. 1629 - c. 1656<br /> | reign-type = Tenure<br /> | succession2 = ''Sukübaran'' (favorite) of [[Shëngjin III]]<br /> | reign2 = c. 1650 - c. 1656<br /> | reign-type2 = Tenure<br /> | succession1 = [[Estas|Estasian]] nun<br /> | reign1 = c. 1652 - c. 1654<br /> | reign-type1 = Tenure<br /> | coronation = <br /> | cor-type = Coronation<br /> | predecessor = <br /> | pre-type =<br /> | regent = <br /> | reg-type = <br /> | regent2 =<br /> | reg-type2 = <br /> | successor =<br /> | suc-type = <br /> | spouse = [[Shëngjin III]]<br /> | spouse-type = Spouse<br /> | consort = <br /> | succession3 = <br /> | reign3 =<br /> | reign-type3 =<br /> | predecessor3 =<br /> | regent3 = <br /> | reg-type3 = <br /> | successor3 =<br /> | issue =<br /> | issue-link =<br /> | issue-pipe =<br /> | era name   = <br /> | era dates = <br /> | regnal name = <br /> | posthumous name = <br /> | temple name = <br /> | house = [[Kadir dynasty]]<br /> | house-type = Dynasty<br /> | father = Ispekan the Magnificent<br /> | mother = Turak Kraïvam ([[Muyan Nu]])<br /> | birth_name = Sunoka Kara Vasjakan<br /> | birth_date = c. 1629<br /> | birth_place = [[Samodin Palace]], [[Mirashuka]], [[Greater Kai Empire]] (now [[Kaishuri]])<br /> | death_date = {{death date and age|1656|02|11|1629|df=yes}}<br /> | death_place = [[Shiamori Mountains]]<br /> | burial_place = Züreshi Convent of Estas, [[Arjükshi]]<br /> | full name = Sunoka Muyan Kara Sukübaran&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Sunoka Muyan Kaara Sukuubaran)}}<br /> | religion = [[Ramvokism]]<br /> | occupation = <br /> | signature_type = <br /> | signature = <br /> }} '''Muyan Kara''' ([[Kai language|Kai]]: {{KaiScript|Muyan Kaara}} “''Kara the Moon-Faced''”) (c. 1629 – c. 1656), born '''Sunoka Kara''', was a prominent concubine of '''Kraï [[Shëngjin III]]''' of the Kadir dynasty, celebrated for her unparalleled beauty and charm. The daughter of [[Ispekan the Magnificent]]’s imperial consort [[Muyan Nu]], she inherited her mother’s beauty and carriage, earning the moniker “Muyan Kara” (“Kara the Moon-Faced”.) <br /> <br /> In 1656, as the [[Qajin Dao Rebellion|Qajin Dao rebellion]] reached its peak and Shëngjin’s forces faced severe defeats, the Kraï, under immense pressure and fearing for his own safety, was forced to flee the capital, Shukariden, to the Shiamori Mountains. Sunoka Kara’s association with the regime's instability and the growing factionalism led to her being held responsible for the empire's predicament. As the Kraï’s entourage struggled to restore order, Sunoka Kara was ultimately blamed for the chaos and forced to take her own life in the face of overwhelming demands for her execution.<br /> <br /> == Upbringing ==<br /> Sunoka Kara was raised as a '''Sunoka''' (princess) of the [[Kadir dynasty]] during the reign of her father, [[Ispekan the Magnificent]]. During her father’s life, Kara primarily spent her childhood with her younger brothers [[Qajin Dao|Qajin]] and [[Ruyin]] at the [[Samodin Palace]] in [[Mirashuka]], while her older brother [[Hayujin II|Hayujin]] and sister [[Mang Chi|Mang]] remained in Shukariden under the supervision of the [[Muyan Nu|Kraïvam]] at Ispekan’s court. After Ispekan’s death and Shëngjin’s ascension, Sunoka Kara returned to Shukariden to prepare for her entrance into the Kadir court, while her brother Hayujin and mother moved to [[Mujedushika]] to introduce Hayujin’s claim to foreign liaisons. <br /> <br /> At the age of 16, in 1647, Sunoka Kara was chosen by Turak Kraïvam to enter the Shukariden Imperial Palace as an attendant of the Imperial Mother [[Hüjagur]]. Her selection was part of the Kadir dynasty’s practice of bringing young women into the palace for the purpose of expanding the imperial family, but she was really chosen to exert the [[Muyan Nu|Kraïvam’s]] influence on the Kraï and advance the claim of Sunoka Kara’s brother, Hayujin.<br /> <br /> Once in the palace, Sunoka Kara adopted the title of '''Muyan Kara''' (“''Kara the Moon-Faced''”), taking after her [[Muyan Nu|mother]]. During her early years in the palace, she was known for her intelligence, beauty, and charm. The young women of the palace were often engaged in a competitive environment, where their ability to gain favor with the emperor was crucial. The young Sunoka quickly distinguished herself and won the admiration of the Kraï, becoming an imperial concubine.<br /> <br /> == Concubine and priestess ==<br /> Initially entering the palace as a lady-in-waiting of the Kraï’s mother [[Hüjagur]], her grace and allure quickly made her the Kraï’s favored concubine, earning her the prestigious title of [[Sukubaran (Kai imperial title)|Sukubaran]] (“favorite”), which elevated her status to one of the highest ranks in the imperial court. Her entrance into the [[Kadir dynasty|Kadir]] Court was a highly strategic move by her mother to influence her brother-in-law, the Kraï, and to gain support within the Kadir court for Muyan Kara’s brother, [[Hayujin II]]’s claim to the throne.<br /> <br /> == Imperial concubine ==<br /> Muyan Kara’s influence extended beyond mere companionship. She played a significant role in the palace's political and cultural life, often associated with a period of immense prosperity and cultural flourishing in the peace times after [[Eastern Campaigns of 1624|Ispekan’s conquests]] known as the Kadir dynasty's zenith. Her familial connections, particularly with her powerful [[Muyan Nu|mother]], also gave her considerable political leverage. Her relatives were appointed to high-ranking positions, which bolstered Muyan Nu and Hayujin II's faction’s influence within the court. Her younger brother [[Ruyin]] was appointed as a governor on the eastern frontier, and her youngest brother, [[Qajin Dao|Qajin]], was made a commander of the navy. Her eldest sister, [[Mang Chi]], was appointed as an ambassador in Mujedushika. This consolidation of power, however, created significant factionalism and resentment among other court officials and military leaders.<br /> <br /> == Qajin Dao rebellion and Muyan Kara’s death ==<br /> Muyan Kara’s tenure as the Emperor's favorite coincided with a period of growing unrest and dissatisfaction within the empire. The [[Qajin Dao Rebellion]], which erupted in 1655, was a major revolt against the Kadir dynasty led by Commander [[Qajin Dao]]. The rebellion was fueled by widespread discontent with the central government’s corruption, inefficiency, and the perceived favoritism towards Muyan Nu’s lineage, which was seen as a source of the empire’s troubles.<br /> <br /> During the rebellion, Muyan Kara’s influence became a double-edged sword. Her closeness to Shëngjin and her family's accumulation of power and wealth were viewed by many as contributing factors to the unrest. The rebellion's initial successes and the subsequent military setbacks significantly weakened the Kadir dynasty's grip on power, further exacerbating the crisis.<br /> <br /> In 1656, as the rebellion reached its peak and Shëngjin’s forces faced severe defeats, the Kraï, under immense pressure and fearing for his own safety, was forced to flee the capital, [[Shukariden]], to the [[Shiamori Mountains]]. Sunoka Kara’s association with the regime's instability and the growing factionalism led to her being held responsible for the empire's predicament. As the Kraï’s entourage struggled to restore order, Sunoka Kara was ultimately blamed for the chaos and forced to take her own life in the face of overwhelming demands for her execution. Muyan Kara’s death forced [[Qajin Dao]]’s faction to capitulate with Shëngjin to an armistice brokered by Muyan Nu and Tor Behar Baladi, the general of the Khuzan forces that made up most of Dao’s men. The terms of this armistice, the [[Treaty of Mirashuka (1656)|Treaty of Mirashuka]], stated that Shëngjin would retain the throne, but would name [[Hayujin II]] as his successor, and that Dao would not be prosecuted, instead to be exiled to the Khuzan lands to the east.<br /> <br /> == Legacy ==<br /> While returning to [[Shukariden]] from the [[Shiamori Mountains]], Shëngjin and his closest aide, the eunuch [[Mengü (aide of Shëngjin III)|Mengü]], were assassinated by an Ainist acolyte possibly sent by Qajin Dao in retaliation for his sister’s killing. Throughout the conflict, Kraïvam [[Muyan Nu]] expressed her disappointment in her daughter Sunoka Kara for failing to give the Kraï an heir and stabilize the realm and in her son [[Qajin Dao]] for causing unnecessary destruction in the name of his brother Hayujin, and for bringing in outside influence.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Qajin_Dao_Rebellion&diff=588353 2026-06-09T23:21:12Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox military conflict<br /> | conflict = Qajin Dao rebellion&lt;br&gt;{{KaiScript|Qaajin Dao no Vukubara)}}<br /> | image = The Third battle of Panipat 13 January 1761.jpg<br /> | image_size = 350px<br /> | caption = Depiction of the [[Battle of Hüluikhan]], with [[Shëngjin III]] shown atop a brown horse<br /> | date = 16 January 1655{{snd}}17 December 1656<br /> | place = Kaishuri<br /> | result = Qajinists defeated, [[Hayujin II]] coronated<br /> | combatant1 = [[Kadir dynasty]]<br /> | combatant2 = {{ubl|Qajinist faction|[[Khuzan Empire]]}}<br /> | commander1 = {{ubl<br /> | Kraï [[Shëngjin III]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Mengü (aide of Shëngjin III)|Mengü]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Ziyi Hän]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Ruyin]]<br /> | [[Hun Ya]]<br /> | [[Muyan Kara]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Dashi Abarüka]]<br /> }}<br /> | commander2 = {{ubl<br /> | [[Qajin Dao]]{{Surrendered}}<br /> | [[An Shen]]{{Surrendered}}<br /> | [[Dhränush]]<br /> | [[Wujun Rai]]{{Surrendered}}<br /> | [[Shengong]]{{Executed}}<br /> | [[Shen Juren]] (defected)<br /> }}<br /> | strength1 = 200,000-300,000 at peak<br /> | strength2 = 76,000–140,000 at peak<br /> | casualties1 = 21,400 casualties<br /> * 9,400 killed<br /> * 12,000 wounded<br /> | casualties2 = 36,000+ killed<br /> }}</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=588276 2026-06-09T00:05:39Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;''Prehistoric (Jaliqai) capitals: Tula, Aumanil, Ukarniq, Kanguqar''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of the Great Basin. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Oron and Azos rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. Around 4000 N., the region was then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Oron and Azos rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the Kessid kingdoms to the east, further bounded by the Strait of Tirosh and the Juraxian Sea, and further east, the island kingdom of Saba, to the west, by the Calish Desert, and to the south, the land of Kum. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> <br /> == Prehistoric (Jegen) Period ==<br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Oron Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Oron Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Oron Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The following (modernized) adaptation is taken from the version recorded in the X'imisad of X'wniyne, with the names reverted to the original Jegen versions recorded by Nutaralak.<br /> <br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history.<br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Sĭwasimi, and Sĭwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Sĭwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared.<br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y-ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Sĭwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep.<br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Iarapia, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it.<br /> <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Iarapia stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Iarapia by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Sĭwasimi appeared in her path. Sĭwasimi then led Iarapia to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Sĭwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Iarapia lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house.<br /> <br /> Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Sĭwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Iarapia and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west.<br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Iarapia to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Iarapia's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa.<br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.[[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|299x299px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Iarapia shown next to the chieftain]]The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era Institute of Historiography at Chen Western University:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Oron Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Chen Western University Institute of Historiography&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by surviving Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' begins in a primordial world, when the 'spirit world', '''''Nakwi''''', lay above the sky, and below it, the water world of '''''Nasazi''''', the 'animal world', covered by a vast ocean with no end, inhabited by many water animals. According to the ''Mazlauwa'', a woman from the ''Nakwi'', a ''wattiya{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, effectively the nymphs and fairies of Jegen mythology.}}'' who was called Iya, fell through a crack in the sky to Nasazi below. She was pregnant by the sun god Puliluwaswe, and was almost ready to give birth when she fell. The animals of ''Nasazi'' banded together to help save her from drowning, and the beaver, ''nakistuwar'', called all the animals to build a great raft (''walin''){{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}} from the bones of their dead that floated in the vast ocean. On the ''walin'', Iya began to give birth. Much blood was lost by Iya, and she perished, yet two twins came forth, a girl, Ano, and a boy, Ah. With their mother dead, Ah and Ano were raised by the animals of ''Nasazi''.<br /> <br /> One day, when the children were nearing their eighth year, a stork, flying from afar with no rest, found the raft of bones, finally finding rest from flying across a world with nothing but ocean. As his gift, the stork (''gasun'') gave Ano a pouch filled with earth that he had stolen from ''Nakwi'' above. He instructed Ano to plant the bones of her spirit mother in this earth, all save the woman's skull. The first bones planted by Ano soon grew into tall plants, offering the children nourishment, and their roots stretched deep down to fasten themselves to the sea floor. The great raft of bones became an island, and Ano sowed the land with her mother's bones, bringing to ''Nasazi'' the bounty of the spirit world above. Ano gave birth by the wolf-man Hala Zuli, and their children were the first people, half ''Nakwi'' and half ''Nasazi'', eventually becoming the 'mountain clans'.<br /> <br /> As Ah grew into a strong adolescent, he found in the ''nakistuwar'' a father and guide, and with the beaver's help he built homes for the new people of the land. However, as an adolescent, Ah was visited by an alluring moon goddess, Niwa, in his dreams, making him restless, lustful and infatuated with her. One day, when he reached his fifteenth year, Ah, filled with lust, climbed the tallest tree in the land to reach ''Nakwi''. When he reached ''Nakwi'', he was met by his all-powerful father, Puliluwaswe, who had grown into an vengeful, fearsome war god after witnessing the helpless death of his beloved, Iya, in ''Nasazi'' below. Upon hearing his son's pleas to enter ''Nakwi'' to see the goddess who appeared in his sexual fantasies, Puliluwaswe was furious and cast Ah down to earth, forbidding his son's lustful ambitions. As Ah fell to earth, he was saved by the ''gasun'', who returned him to land. That night, he spoke to Niwa of their predicament, and she made a promise to see him even if his powerful father forbade it. When the great Puliluwaswe slept, Niwa would watch Ah and the animals from the sky above. This, according to Jegen cosmogony, was what created the lunar cycle and the night: when Puliluwaswe slept, the moon goddess traveled across the sky to watch the humans of ''Nasazi'', the sons of her Ah. In her sorrow, Niwa's tears fell from the spirit world to the earth as mud. Ah created Assuiwasha, the earthly likeness of Niwa, from this mud, and the divine tears of the goddess gave Assuiwasha life. Assuiwasha and Ah's children, born like Ano's children; half of ''Nakwi'' and half of ''Nasazi'', became the 'river clans'.<br /> <br /> As the children of Ah and Ano lived peacefully and prosperously on the earth below, Puliluwaswe grew vengeful, seeing how the beauty of the animal world had come to parallel ''Nakwi'' that he ruled. So, the cunning god threw down to the earth rays of sun so hot and furious that the great river of ''Nasazi'' became a dry riverbed in an instant. Immediately, the humans went to war, now that the river they all relied on was nothing but hot, dry ground. Ah and Ano, in their old age and wisdom, turned to the animals for help. The mountain goat, ''urwa'', led Ah and Ano up the highest mountain in the land, ''Irnuasu''&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; where they found a deep gorge beneath a glacier. Puliluwaswe's furious light had made the great glacier weep, its water melting to fill up the gorge below. As they watched the gorge fill with water, the raven, ''musuwil'', told Ah and Ano of the great danger to humankind that lay before them. The raven said that the gorge would soon break, and all the land would be flooded, drowning all its inhabitants. The ''musuwil'' told Ano that she must bury her mother's skull, which she had kept after sowing the land with all her mother's other bones. Ruefully, Ano buried the her mother's skull in the earth. Just as she covered it with soil, a great banyan tree sprung forth. As the gorge began to break, the banyan tree, '''''inu''''', offered its ancient wood to Ah, imploring him to build a sturdy raft to save his people. Ah was only able to save his family and the animals of the land, and the water came down from '''''Irnuasu''''', drowning all else. All the land was covered by a great ocean, except the peak of ''Irnuasu''. This is where Ah brought the animals and his family, and where they survived for many years.<br /> <br /> When Ah's youngest son, Wakil, grew to sixteen years of age, tired of his people's entrapment on the mountain peak, he asked the stork (''gasun'') to bring him to the house of his grandfather. As the great god slept, Wakil crept into his house to steal his mighty spear, ''Zida''. Escaping ''Nakwi'' on the back of the stork, he hurled the spear at the mountain below, and all the water that had covered the world rushed into the chasm that the god's spear created. Ah and Ano chose to stay on the mountain peak, to watch over the great spring of '''''Irnuasu''''' and the ''inu''. In their age and wisdom, Ah and Ano became gods of earth and water, the guardians of the first people.<br /> <br /> Wakil dove to the depths of the spring of ''Irnuasu'' to retrieve his grandfather's spear, ''Zida'', which gave him immense, unmatched power. With the spear, he commanded the entire world, slaughtering dissidents and forcing his subjects to meet his sinful needs. A few winters had gone by, and the people starved under Wakil's corrupt rule. Puliluwaswe, seeing this, banished Wakil to the bowels of the earth, where he turned into the demon '''Galgilya''', creating his new underworld kingdom by stealing people's souls as they sinned.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.[[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe'''|295x295px]]&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak{{Refn|In Numerian record, the god Ah is referred to as Ayia, and the god Ano is referred to as Andak.|group=}} were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Dokon{{Refn|Dagun|group=}},''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')|247x247px]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Oron Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Targada''', on the site of Dagun. Targada is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it played a significant role the rise of the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital, Hulali, uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|261x261px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.|260x260px]]<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Oron region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Azos]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Oron river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, originally built by Windu III and periodically restored by succeeding settlers to the region.|247x247px]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the zenith of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Oron river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Oron Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Oron river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Oron River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Oron and the Azos. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Oron river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Oron river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Legend_of_Amasand&diff=586678 2026-05-23T23:06:48Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ==The legend==<br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history. <br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Sĭwasimi, and Sĭwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Sĭwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared. <br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y-ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Sĭwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep. <br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Iarapia, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it. <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Iarapia stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Iarapia by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Sĭwasimi appeared in her path. Sĭwasimi then led Iarapia to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Sĭwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Iarapia lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house. [[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|389x389px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Iarapia shown next to the chieftain]]Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Sĭwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Iarapia and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west. <br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Iarapia to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Iarapia's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa. <br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=586677 2026-05-23T23:04:50Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;''Prehistoric (Jaliqai) capitals: Tula, Aumanil, Ukarniq, Kanguqar''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of the Great Basin. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Adon and Azos rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. Around 4000 N., the region was then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Adon and Azos rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the Kessid kingdoms to the east, further bounded by the Strait of Tirosh and the Juraxian Sea, and further east, the island kingdom of Saba, to the west, by the Calish Desert, and to the south, the land of Kum. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> ==Prehistoric (Jegen) Period==<br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Adon Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Adon Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Adon Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The following (modernized) adaptation is taken from the version recorded in the X'imisad of X'wniyne, with the names reverted to the original Jegen versions recorded by Nutaralak.<br /> <br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history.<br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Sĭwasimi, and Sĭwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Sĭwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared.<br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y-ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Sĭwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep.<br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Kiarapĭa, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it.<br /> <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Kiarapĭa stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Kiarapĭa by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Sĭwasimi appeared in her path. Sĭwasimi then led Kiarapĭa to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Sĭwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Kiarapĭa lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house.<br /> <br /> Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Sĭwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Kiarapĭa and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west.<br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Kiarapĭa to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Kiarapĭa's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa.<br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.[[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|299x299px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Kiarapĭa shown next to the chieftain]]The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era Institute of Historiography at Chen Western University:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Adon Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Chen Western University Institute of Historiography&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by remaining Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' begins in a primordial world, when the 'spirit world', '''''Nakwi''''', lay above the sky, and below it, the water world of '''''Nasazi''''', the 'animal world', covered by a vast ocean with no end, inhabited by many water animals. According to the ''Mazlauwa'', a woman from the ''Nakwi'', a ''wattiya{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, almost like the angels of Jegen mythology.}}'' who was called Iya, fell through a crack in the sky to Nasazi below. She was pregnant, almost ready to give birth, when she fell, impregnated by the sun god Puliluwaswe. The animals of ''Nasazi'' banded together to help save her from drowning, and the beaver, ''nakistuwar'', called all the animals to build a great raft (''walin''){{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}} from the bones of their dead that floated in the vast ocean. On the ''walin'', Iya began to give birth. Much blood was lost by Iya, and she perished, yet two twins came forth, a girl, Ano, and a boy, Ah. With their mother dead, Ah and Ano were raised by the animals of ''Nasazi''.<br /> <br /> One day, when the children were nearing their eighth year, a stork, flying from afar with no rest, found the raft of bones, finally finding rest from flying across a world with nothing but ocean. As his gift, the stork (''gasun'') gave Ano a pouch filled with earth that he had stolen from ''Nakwi'' above. He instructed Ano to plant the bones of her spirit mother in this earth, all save the woman's skull. The first bones planted by Ano soon grew into tall plants, offering the children nourishment, and their roots stretched deep down to fasten themselves to the sea floor. The great raft of bones became an island, and Ano sowed the land with her mother's bones, bringing to ''Nasazi'' the bounty of the spirit world above. Ano gave birth by the wolf-man Hala Zuli, and their children were the first people, half ''Nakwi'' and half ''Nasazi'', eventually becoming the 'mountain clans'.<br /> <br /> As Ah grew into a strong adolescent, he found in the ''nakistuwar'' a father and guide, and with the beaver's help he built homes for the new people of the land. However, as an adolescent, Ah was visited by an alluring moon goddess, Niwa, in his dreams, making him restless, lustful and infatuated with her. One day, when he reached his fifteenth year, Ah, filled with lust, climbed the tallest tree in the land to reach ''Nakwi''. When he reached ''Nakwi'', he was met by his all-powerful father, Puliluwaswe, who had grown into an vengeful, fearsome war god after witnessing the helpless death of his beloved, Iya, in ''Nasazi'' below. Upon hearing his son's pleas to enter ''Nakwi'' to see the goddess who appeared in his sexual fantasies, Puliluwaswe was furious and cast Ah down to earth, forbidding his son's lustful ambitions. As Ah fell to earth, he was saved by the ''gasun'', who returned him to land. That night, he spoke to Niwa of their predicament, and she made a promise to see him even if his powerful father forbade it. When the great Puliluwaswe slept, Niwa would watch Ah and the animals from the sky above. This, according to Jegen cosmogony, was what created the lunar cycle and the night: when Puliluwaswe slept, the moon goddess traveled across the sky to watch the humans of ''Nasazi'', the sons of her Ah. In her sorrow, Niwa's tears fell from the spirit world to the earth as mud. Ah created Assuiwasha, the earthly likeness of Niwa, from this mud, and the divine tears of the goddess gave Assuiwasha life. Assuiwasha and Ah's children, born like Ano's children; half of ''Nakwi'' and half of ''Nasazi'', became the 'river clans'.<br /> <br /> As the children of Ah and Ano lived peacefully and prosperously on the earth below, Puliluwaswe grew vengeful, seeing how the beauty of the animal world had come to parallel ''Nakwi'' that he ruled. So, the cunning god threw down to the earth rays of sun so hot and furious that the great river of ''Nasazi'' became a dry riverbed in an instant. Immediately, the humans went to war, now that the river they all relied on was nothing but hot, dry ground. Ah and Ano, in their old age and wisdom, turned to the animals for help. The mountain goat, ''urwa'', led Ah and Ano up the highest mountain in the land, ''Irnuasu''&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; where they found a deep gorge beneath a glacier. Puliluwaswe's furious light had made the great glacier weep, its water melting to fill up the gorge below. As they watched the gorge fill with water, the raven, ''musuwil'', told Ah and Ano of the great danger to humankind that lay before them. The raven said that the gorge would soon break, and all the land would be flooded, drowning all its inhabitants. The ''musuwil'' told Ano that she must bury her mother's skull, which she had kept after sowing the land with all her mother's other bones. Ruefully, Ano buried the her mother's skull in the earth. Just as she covered it with soil, a great banyan tree sprung forth. As the gorge began to break, the banyan tree, '''''inu''''', offered its ancient wood to Ah, imploring him to build a sturdy raft to save his people. Ah was only able to save his family and the animals of the land, and the water came down from '''''Irnuasu''''', drowning all else. All the land was covered by a great ocean, except the peak of ''Irnuasu''. This is where Ah brought the animals and his family, and where they survived for many years.<br /> <br /> When Ah's youngest son, Wakil, grew to sixteen years of age, tired of his people's entrapment on the mountain peak, he asked the stork (''gasun'') to bring him to the house of his grandfather. As the great god slept, Wakil crept into his house to steal his mighty spear, ''Zida''. Escaping ''Nakwi'' on the back of the stork, he hurled the spear at the mountain below, and all the water that had covered the world rushed into the chasm that the god's spear created. Ah and Ano chose to stay on the mountain peak, to watch over the great spring of '''''Irnuasu''''' and the ''inu''. In their age and wisdom, Ah and Ano became gods of earth and water, the guardians of the first people.<br /> <br /> Wakil dove to the depths of the spring of ''Irnuasu'' to retrieve his grandfather's spear, ''Zida'', which gave him immense, unmatched power. With the spear, he commanded the entire world, slaughtering dissidents and forcing his subjects to meet his sinful needs. A few winters had gone by, and the people starved under Wakil's corrupt rule. Puliluwaswe, seeing this, banished Wakil to the bowels of the earth, where he turned into the demon '''Galgilya''', creating his new underworld kingdom by stealing people's souls as they sinned.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.[[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe'''|295x295px]]&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak{{Refn|In Numerian record, the god Ah is referred to as Ayia, and the god Ano is referred to as Andak.|group=}} were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Dokon{{Refn|Dagun|group=}},''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')|247x247px]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Adon Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Targada''', on the site of Dagun. Targada is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it played a significant role the rise of the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital, Hulali, uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|261x261px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.|260x260px]]<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Adon region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Azos]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Adon river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, originally built by Windu III and periodically restored by succeeding settlers to the region.|247x247px]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the zenith of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Adon river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Adon Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Adon river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Adon River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Adon and the Azos. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Adon river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Adon river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=List_of_monarchs_of_Aumanil&diff=585966 2026-05-12T16:18:24Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE}}{{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}This is a list of monarchs of Aumanil. It is highly incomplete, due to the scarcity of royal records, in part caused by Ququr VI's book-burnings. Information about the rulers of Aumanil's zenith, from Ender II to Ulva, is almost entirely taken from later Numerian records, mainly the X'imisad of Ila-Ababku from the Yedij of Lugul-Aradeju.<br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot;<br /> |+<br /> !Image<br /> !Name<br /> !Epithet<br /> !Reign<br /> !Notes<br /> |-<br /> |[[File:Ilanaq 2.jpg|frameless|180x180px]]<br /> |'''Qamilli I'''<br /> |''the First''<br /> |3478 - 3466 B.N.<br /> |Established the Iluna Dynasty<br /> Standardized winter food prices<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Amata I'''<br /> |''the Blond''<br /> |3310 - 3306 B.N.<br /> |First ruler not directly descended from Qamilli<br /> Led first successful campaign against Ukarniq<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Linark II'''<br /> |''the Wise''<br /> |3240 - 3199 B.N.<br /> |Occupied Aningan from 3238 - 3231 B.N.<br /> Longest ruling king of Aumanil<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Sitiyok'''<br /> |''the Serene''<br /> |3105 - 2991 B.N.<br /> |First female ruler<br /> Had her regent, her uncle Thermi assassinated<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Nukilik-la'''<br /> |''the Ruthless''<br /> |2840 - 2830 B.N.<br /> |Ordered the execution of thousands of peasants<br /> Revised the ''tupilek'' to levy 100% of crop yields <br /> <br /> Ruled through a famine killing 4,000<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Linark III'''<br /> |''the Anointed''<br /> |2513 - 2498 B.N.<br /> |Occupied Ukarniq from 2500 - 2444 B.N.<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Ququr IV'''<br /> |''the Fat''<br /> |2450 - 2444 B.N.<br /> |Lost control of Ukarniq<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Ender II'''<br /> |''the Conqueror''<br /> |2200 - 2180 B.N.<br /> |Defeated King Tauthe IV of Kanguqar<br /> Conquered Kanguqar<br /> |-<br /> |[[File:Ilanaq.webp|frameless|185x185px]]<br /> |'''Shaunark II'''<br /> |''the Builder''<br /> |2180 - 2173 B.N.<br /> |Bastard of Ender II<br /> Ruled through the zenith of Aumanil <br /> <br /> Built public services in the Lower City <br /> <br /> Expanded the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Puki IV'''<br /> |''the Forgiving''<br /> |2173 - 2169 B.N.<br /> |Revised the ''tupilek'' to standardize prices for half the year<br /> Poisoned by his daughter Esh-hter II on orders of the nobility<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Esh-hter II'''<br /> |''the Cunning''<br /> |2169 - 2167 B.N.<br /> |Poisoned her father Puki IV<br /> Ordered the execution of Alin II, puppet king of Kanguqar <br /> <br /> Stoned to death by peasant rioters in 2167<br /> |-<br /> |[[File:Esther iii.jpg|frameless|250x250px]]<br /> |'''Esh-hter III'''<br /> |''the Great''<br /> |2167 - 2159 B.N.<br /> |Ruled through zenith of Aumanil<br /> Conquered Ukarniq <br /> <br /> Occupied Ukarniq from 2163 - 2112 B.N. <br /> <br /> First openly homosexual ruler<br /> <br /> Poisoned on orders of the nobility by Onartok<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Onartok'''<br /> |''the Beautiful''<br /> |2159 B.N.<br /> |Ruled for thirty days<br /> Wife of Esh-hter III <br /> <br /> Poisoned on orders of the nobility by Esh-hter III's cousin Belit<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Belit'''<br /> |''the Dull''<br /> |2159 - 2156 B.N.<br /> |Fifth female ruler<br /> Poisoned Onartok <br /> <br /> Outlawed prostitution <br /> <br /> Under her rule, population of Aumanil reaches 30,000<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Ashlultum I'''<br /> |''the Stupid''<br /> |2156 - 2153 B.N.<br /> |Youngest son of Puki IV<br /> Lost Kanguqar <br /> <br /> Strangled by his son Eruk <br /> <br /> Father of Iva I<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Iva I'''<br /> |''the Last''<br /> |2153 - 2151 B.N.<br /> |Ordered execution of his brother Eruk for his killing of Ashlultum<br /> Died of alcohol poisoning at 16 <br /> <br /> Last true-blooded ruler of the Iluna Dynasty<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Qimugkauyar'''<br /> |''the Raven''<br /> |2151 - 2140 B.N.<br /> |Sister of Queen Onartok, wife of Esh-hter III<br /> Lost official suzerainty of Ukarniq from 2146 - 2142 B.N.<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Iva II'''<br /> |''the Insolent''<br /> |2113 - 2110 B.N.<br /> |End of the zenith<br /> Lost actual rule of Ukarniq in 2112 <br /> <br /> Poisoned by his son Ender III<br /> |-<br /> |[[File:Ulva.jpg|frameless]]<br /> |'''Ulva'''<br /> |''the Viper''<br /> |2110 - 2099 B.N.<br /> |Lifted the ban on only male prostitution<br /> Second openly homosexual ruler <br /> <br /> Strangled Lord Murdus while having sexual relations <br /> <br /> Poisoned at age 17 by his sister Onartok II<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Ququr VI'''<br /> |''the Writer''<br /> |2050 - 2041 B.N.<br /> |Ordered the burning of royal annals<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Esh-hter IV'''<br /> |''the Small''<br /> |2012 - 2003 B.N.<br /> |Last female ruler<br /> Last ruler of truly independent Aumanil<br /> Puppet of Ukarniq<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> |'''Qusti'''<br /> |''the Ultimate''<br /> |1994 - 1986 B.N.<br /> |Last ruler of the Iluna Dynasty<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Lists of Ancient Acronite people]]<br /> [[Category:Lists of people]]<br /> [[Category:Project Exodus]]<br /> [[Category:Ancient Acron]]</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=578455 2026-03-04T19:32:13Z

<p>Tsundoku: /* Middle Jegen Period */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;''Prehistoric (Jaliqai) capitals: Tula, Aumanil, Ukarniq, Kanguqar''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of the Great Basin. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Ura and Ash rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.<br /> <br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. and were then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Rouri and Ash rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the XXX and Saspolite kingdoms to the east, further bounded by the Strait of Tirosh and the Juraxian Sea, to the south, by the land of Kum, and further east, the states of the north coast of Methona, the island kingdom of Saba, and to the extreme southwest along the Ubiud coast, the ancient Rubian kingdoms. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> ==Prehistoric (Jegen) Period==<br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Rouri Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Rouri Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Rouri Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The following (modernized) adaptation is taken from the version recorded in the X'imisad of X'wniyne, with the names reverted to the original Jegen versions recorded by Nutaralak.<br /> <br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history.<br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Siwasimi, and Siwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Siwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared.<br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y'ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Siwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep.<br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Iarapia, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it.<br /> <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Iarapia stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Iarapia by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Siwasimi appeared in her path. Siwasimi then led Iarapia to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Siwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Iarapia lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house.<br /> <br /> Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Siwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Iarapia and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west.<br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Iarapia to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Iarapia's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa.<br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.[[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|299x299px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Iarapia shown next to the chieftain]]The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era Tuma Institute of Historiography:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Rouri Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Tuma Institute of Historiography&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by remaining Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' begins in a primordial world, when the 'spirit world', '''''Nakwi''''', lay above the sky, and below it, the water world of '''''Nasazi''''', the 'animal world', covered by a vast ocean with no end, inhabited by many water animals. According to the ''Mazlauwa'', a woman from the ''Nakwi'', a ''wattiya{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, almost like the angels of Jegen mythology.}}'' who was called Iya, fell through a crack in the sky to Nasazi below. She was pregnant, almost ready to give birth, when she fell, impregnated by the sun god Puliluwaswe. The animals of ''Nasazi'' clamored to help save her from drowning, and the beaver, ''nakistuwar'', called all the animals to build a great raft (''walin''){{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}} from the bones of their dead that floated in the vast ocean. On the ''walin'', Iya began to give birth. Much blood was lost by Iya, and two twins came forth, a girl, Ano, and a boy, Ah. With their mother dead, Ah and Ano were raised by the animals of ''Nasazi''.<br /> <br /> One day, when the children were nearing their eighth year, a stork, flying from afar with no rest, found the raft of bones, finally finding rest from flying across a world with nothing but ocean. As his gift, the stork (''gasun'') gave Ano a pouch filled with earth that he had stolen from ''Nakwi'' above. He instructed Ano to plant the bones of her spirit mother in this earth, all save the woman's skull. The first bones planted by Ano soon grew into tall plants, offering the children nourishment, and their roots stretched deep down to fasten themselves to the sea floor. The great raft of bones became an island, and Ano sowed the land with her mother's bones, bringing to ''Nasazi'' the bounty of the spirit world above. Ano gave birth by the wolf Kidugael, and their children were the first people, half ''Nakwi'' and half ''Nasazi'', and these children became the 'mountain clans'.<br /> <br /> As Ah grew into a strong adolescent, he found in the ''nakistuwar'' a father and guide, and with the beaver's help he built homes for the new people of the land. However, as an adolescent, Ah was visited by an alluring moon goddess, Niwa, in his dreams, making him restless, lustful and infatuated with her. One day, when he reached his fifteenth year, Ah, filled with lust, climbed the tallest tree in the land to reach ''Nakwi''. When he reached ''Nakwi'', he was met by his all-powerful father, Puliluwaswe, who had grown into an vengeful, fearsome war god after witnessing the helpless death of his beloved, Iya, in ''Nasazi'' below. Upon hearing his son's pleas to enter ''Nakwi'' to see the goddess who appeared in his sexual fantasies, Puliluwaswe was furious and cast Ah down to earth, forbidding his son's lustful ambitions. As Ah fell to earth, he was saved by the ''gasun'', who returned him to land. That night, he spoke to Niwa of their predicament, and she made a promise to see him even if his powerful father forbade it. When the great Puliluwaswe slept, Niwa would watch Ah and the animals from the sky above. This, according to Jegen cosmogony, was what created the lunar cycle and the night: when Puliluwaswe slept, the moon goddess traveled across the sky to watch the humans of ''Nasazi'', the sons of her Ah. In her sorrow, Niwa's tears fell from the spirit world to the earth as mud. Ah created Assuiwasha, the earthly likeness of Niwa, from this mud, and the divine tears of the goddess gave Assuiwasha life. Assuiwasha and Ah's children, born like Ano's children; half of ''Nakwi'' and half of ''Nasazi'', became the 'river clans'.<br /> <br /> As the children of Ah and Ano lived peacefully and prosperously on the earth below, Puliluwaswe grew vengeful, seeing how the beauty of the animal world had come to parallel ''Nakwi'' that he ruled. So, the cunning god threw down to the earth rays of sun so hot and furious that the great river of ''Nasazi'' became a dry riverbed in an instant. Immediately, the humans went to war, now that the river they all relied on was nothing but hot, dry ground. Ah and Ano, in their old age and wisdom, turned to the animals for help. The mountain goat, ''urwa'', led Ah and Ano up the highest mountain in the land, ''Irnuasu''&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; where they found a deep gorge beneath a glacier. Puliluwaswe's furious light had made the great glacier weep, its water melting to fill up the gorge below. As they watched the gorge fill with water, the raven, ''musuwil'', told Ah and Ano of the great danger to humankind that lay before them. The raven said that the gorge would soon break, and all the land would be flooded, drowning all its inhabitants. The ''musuwil'' told Ano that she must bury her mother's skull, which she had kept after sowing the land with all her mother's other bones. Ruefully, Ano buried the her mother's skull in the earth. Just as she covered it with soil, a great banyan tree sprung forth. As the gorge began to break, the banyan tree, '''''inu''''', offered its ancient wood to Ah, imploring him to build a sturdy raft to save his people. Ah was only able to save his family and the animals of the land, and the water came down from '''''Irnuasu''''', drowning all else. All the land was covered by a great ocean, except the peak of ''Irnuasu''. This is where Ah brought the animals and his family, and where they survived for many years.<br /> <br /> When Ah's youngest son, Wakil, grew to sixteen years of age, tired of his people's entrapment on the mountain peak, he asked the stork (''gasun'') to bring him to the house of his grandfather. As the great god slept, Wakil crept into his house to steal his mighty spear, ''Zida''. Escaping ''Nakwi'' on the back of the stork, he hurled the spear at the mountain below, and all the water that had covered the world rushed into the chasm that the god's spear created. Ah and Ano chose to stay on the mountain peak, to watch over the great spring of '''''Irnuasu''''' and the ''inu''. In their age and wisdom, Ah and Ano became gods of earth and water, the guardians of the first people.<br /> <br /> Wakil dove to the depths of the spring of ''Irnuasu'' to retrieve his grandfather's spear, ''Zida'', which gave him immense, unmatched power. With the spear, he commanded the entire world, slaughtering dissidents and forcing his subjects to meet his sinful needs. A few winters had gone by, and the people starved under Wakil's corrupt rule. Puliluwaswe, seeing this, banished Wakil to the bowels of the earth, where he turned into the demon '''Galgilya''', creating his new underworld kingdom by stealing people's souls as they sinned.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.[[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe'''|295x295px]]&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Degen,''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')|247x247px]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Rouri Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Lahaän''', on the site of Dagun. Lahaän is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana-Du.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu I the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it majorly helped proliferate the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital Mari uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|261x261px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.|260x260px]]<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Rouri region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|240x240px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Ash]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Rouri river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, originally built by Windu III and periodically restored by succeeding settlers to the region.|247x247px]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the zenith of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Ura river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Ura Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Ura river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Ura River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Ura and the Ash. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Ura river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Ura river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=578454 2026-03-04T19:29:18Z

<p>Tsundoku: /* Prehistoric */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;''Prehistoric (Jaliqai) capitals: Tula, Aumanil, Ukarniq, Kanguqar''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of the Great Basin. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Ura and Ash rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.<br /> <br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. and were then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Rouri and Ash rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the XXX and Saspolite kingdoms to the east, further bounded by the Strait of Tirosh and the Juraxian Sea, to the south, by the land of Kum, and further east, the states of the north coast of Methona, the island kingdom of Saba, and to the extreme southwest along the Ubiud coast, the ancient Rubian kingdoms. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> ==Prehistoric (Jegen) Period==<br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Rouri Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Rouri Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Rouri Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The following (modernized) adaptation is taken from the version recorded in the X'imisad of X'wniyne, with the names reverted to the original Jegen versions recorded by Nutaralak.<br /> <br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history.<br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Siwasimi, and Siwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Siwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared.<br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y'ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Siwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep.<br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Iarapia, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it.<br /> <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Iarapia stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Iarapia by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Siwasimi appeared in her path. Siwasimi then led Iarapia to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Siwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Iarapia lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house.<br /> <br /> Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Siwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Iarapia and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west.<br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Iarapia to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Iarapia's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa.<br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.[[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|299x299px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Iarapia shown next to the chieftain]]The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era Tuma Institute of Historiography:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Rouri Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Tuma Institute of Historiography&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by remaining Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' begins in a primordial world, when the 'spirit world', '''''Nakwi''''', lay above the sky, and below it, the water world of '''''Nasazi''''', the 'animal world', covered by a vast ocean with no end, inhabited by many water animals. According to the ''Mazlauwa'', a woman from the ''Nakwi'', a ''wattiya{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, almost like the angels of Jegen mythology.}}'' who was called Iya, fell through a crack in the sky to Nasazi below. She was pregnant, almost ready to give birth, when she fell, impregnated by the sun god Puliluwaswe. The animals of ''Nasazi'' clamored to help save her from drowning, and the beaver, ''nakistuwar'', called all the animals to build a great raft (''walin''){{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}} from the bones of their dead that floated in the vast ocean. On the ''walin'', Iya began to give birth. Much blood was lost by Iya, and two twins came forth, a girl, Ano, and a boy, Ah. With their mother dead, Ah and Ano were raised by the animals of ''Nasazi''.<br /> <br /> One day, when the children were nearing their eighth year, a stork, flying from afar with no rest, found the raft of bones, finally finding rest from flying across a world with nothing but ocean. As his gift, the stork (''gasun'') gave Ano a pouch filled with earth that he had stolen from ''Nakwi'' above. He instructed Ano to plant the bones of her spirit mother in this earth, all save the woman's skull. The first bones planted by Ano soon grew into tall plants, offering the children nourishment, and their roots stretched deep down to fasten themselves to the sea floor. The great raft of bones became an island, and Ano sowed the land with her mother's bones, bringing to ''Nasazi'' the bounty of the spirit world above. Ano gave birth by the wolf Kidugael, and their children were the first people, half ''Nakwi'' and half ''Nasazi'', and these children became the 'mountain clans'.<br /> <br /> As Ah grew into a strong adolescent, he found in the ''nakistuwar'' a father and guide, and with the beaver's help he built homes for the new people of the land. However, as an adolescent, Ah was visited by an alluring moon goddess, Niwa, in his dreams, making him restless, lustful and infatuated with her. One day, when he reached his fifteenth year, Ah, filled with lust, climbed the tallest tree in the land to reach ''Nakwi''. When he reached ''Nakwi'', he was met by his all-powerful father, Puliluwaswe, who had grown into an vengeful, fearsome war god after witnessing the helpless death of his beloved, Iya, in ''Nasazi'' below. Upon hearing his son's pleas to enter ''Nakwi'' to see the goddess who appeared in his sexual fantasies, Puliluwaswe was furious and cast Ah down to earth, forbidding his son's lustful ambitions. As Ah fell to earth, he was saved by the ''gasun'', who returned him to land. That night, he spoke to Niwa of their predicament, and she made a promise to see him even if his powerful father forbade it. When the great Puliluwaswe slept, Niwa would watch Ah and the animals from the sky above. This, according to Jegen cosmogony, was what created the lunar cycle and the night: when Puliluwaswe slept, the moon goddess traveled across the sky to watch the humans of ''Nasazi'', the sons of her Ah. In her sorrow, Niwa's tears fell from the spirit world to the earth as mud. Ah created Assuiwasha, the earthly likeness of Niwa, from this mud, and the divine tears of the goddess gave Assuiwasha life. Assuiwasha and Ah's children, born like Ano's children; half of ''Nakwi'' and half of ''Nasazi'', became the 'river clans'.<br /> <br /> As the children of Ah and Ano lived peacefully and prosperously on the earth below, Puliluwaswe grew vengeful, seeing how the beauty of the animal world had come to parallel ''Nakwi'' that he ruled. So, the cunning god threw down to the earth rays of sun so hot and furious that the great river of ''Nasazi'' became a dry riverbed in an instant. Immediately, the humans went to war, now that the river they all relied on was nothing but hot, dry ground. Ah and Ano, in their old age and wisdom, turned to the animals for help. The mountain goat, ''urwa'', led Ah and Ano up the highest mountain in the land, ''Irnuasu''&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; where they found a deep gorge beneath a glacier. Puliluwaswe's furious light had made the great glacier weep, its water melting to fill up the gorge below. As they watched the gorge fill with water, the raven, ''musuwil'', told Ah and Ano of the great danger to humankind that lay before them. The raven said that the gorge would soon break, and all the land would be flooded, drowning all its inhabitants. The ''musuwil'' told Ano that she must bury her mother's skull, which she had kept after sowing the land with all her mother's other bones. Ruefully, Ano buried the her mother's skull in the earth. Just as she covered it with soil, a great banyan tree sprung forth. As the gorge began to break, the banyan tree, '''''inu''''', offered its ancient wood to Ah, imploring him to build a sturdy raft to save his people. Ah was only able to save his family and the animals of the land, and the water came down from '''''Irnuasu''''', drowning all else. All the land was covered by a great ocean, except the peak of ''Irnuasu''. This is where Ah brought the animals and his family, and where they survived for many years.<br /> <br /> When Ah's youngest son, Wakil, grew to sixteen years of age, tired of his people's entrapment on the mountain peak, he asked the stork (''gasun'') to bring him to the house of his grandfather. As the great god slept, Wakil crept into his house to steal his mighty spear, ''Zida''. Escaping ''Nakwi'' on the back of the stork, he hurled the spear at the mountain below, and all the water that had covered the world rushed into the chasm that the god's spear created. Ah and Ano chose to stay on the mountain peak, to watch over the great spring of '''''Irnuasu''''' and the ''inu''. In their age and wisdom, Ah and Ano became gods of earth and water, the guardians of the first people.<br /> <br /> Wakil dove to the depths of the spring of ''Irnuasu'' to retrieve his grandfather's spear, ''Zida'', which gave him immense, unmatched power. With the spear, he commanded the entire world, slaughtering dissidents and forcing his subjects to meet his sinful needs. A few winters had gone by, and the people starved under Wakil's corrupt rule. Puliluwaswe, seeing this, banished Wakil to the bowels of the earth, where he turned into the demon '''Galgilya''', creating his new underworld kingdom by stealing people's souls as they sinned.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> [[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe''']]<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Degen,''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Rouri Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Lahaän''', on the site of Dagun. Lahaän is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana-Du.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu I the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it majorly helped proliferate the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital Mari uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|324x324px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.]]<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Rouri region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|317x317px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Ash]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Rouri river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, built by Windu III]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the '''zenith''' of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Ura river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Ura Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Ura river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Ura River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Ura and the Ash. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Ura river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Ura river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=578453 2026-03-04T19:28:29Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;''Prehistoric (Jaliqai) capitals: Tula, Aumanil, Ukarniq, Kanguqar''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of the Great Basin. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Ura and Ash rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.<br /> <br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. and were then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Rouri and Ash rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the XXX and Saspolite kingdoms to the east, further bounded by the Strait of Tirosh and the Juraxian Sea, to the south, by the land of Kum, and further east, the states of the north coast of Methona, the island kingdom of Saba, and to the extreme southwest along the Ubiud coast, the ancient Rubian kingdoms. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> ==Prehistoric==<br /> The history of Ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Rouri Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Rouri Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Rouri Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The following (modernized) adaptation is taken from the version recorded in the X'imisad of X'wniyne, with the names reverted to the original Jegen versions recorded by Nutaralak.<br /> <br /> It was also during this time that a legendary hill-town called Maruwa elected its first chieftain, known as Mutugen. The legend says that Mutugen was hunting in the forest with his sons, when he came across a litter of wolf pups. He gave the five wolf pups to his five sons, and the wolves grew alongside his sons, legendarily the first domestication of dogs in local history.<br /> <br /> One day, his youngest son Kurapu was hunting in that same forest with his dog Siwasimi, and Siwasimi led the young Kurapu to the his old mother, a she-wolf who legendarily was the size of two elephants. This she-wolf, called Amasand, led Kurapu down to the river, carrying him in her giant jaws, and she swam east for seven days and six nights, and on the seventh night, she set the sleeping Kurapu down at the gates of the town of Bala. When he woke up, Amasand and Siwasimi had already walked back to the forest and disappeared.<br /> <br /> Since Kurapu had never been outside his father's town, he believed the town of Bala to be his hometown. So, he deliriously called the names of his brothers over the palisades, and when he got no answer, he began to call the names of each member of his family. over the palisades. This went on for three days, until he named his last cousin, legendarily named Muwattu-pitagatallu-tugura-lugalkama-duduwanza-purutta-shupi-azuruwa-y'ulĭppu. At this point he was growing desperate, and he wandered into the woods, hoping to find Siwasimi and Amasand, who he hoped would bring him back to his father. He wandered so deep in the woods that he could not find his way out, so he sat down under a fig tree to sleep.<br /> <br /> That night, the daughter of Bala's chieftain, Iarapia, had gone into the woods with a bow and arrow to shoot at some turkeys. As she walked through the woods, she saw a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from Kurapu's camp. However, she dared not approach it because she, like Kurapu, had never encountered someone outside of her hutarlĭ. The next night, she saw the same telltale smoke in the distance, but again dared not approach it.<br /> <br /> This went on for many nights, until one night, she mustered up the courage to spy on his encampment. However, she was disappointed to see the camp abandoned, as Kurapu had gone to bathe in a brook nearby, and she could hear his humming as he washed himself. A practiced hunter, Iarapia stealthily scaled a nearby mulberry tree that watched over the brook. From her vantage point in the tree, she trained her arrow on the back of Kurapu's naked neck. However, she must have snapped a twig because Kurapu turned around, and to his horror, saw the beautiful Iarapia with her arrow trained on his neck. The sight of Kurapu naked took Iarapia by surprise, and she lost her grip, falling off of the branch and tumbling to the ground. She told her father about the encounter the next morning, as she couldn't get the beautiful, young Kurapu out of her head. So the next night, she set off into the woods again with three warriors and her father, the chieftain, to find the mysterious stranger. However, this time she couldn't spot the plume of smoke that usually led her to Kurapu's camp. She had lost hope in finding him again and her father and his warriors had by then returned to the hutarlĭ, when Siwasimi appeared in her path. Siwasimi then led Iarapia to a cave where Kurapu had hidden himself, and she found him sound asleep, so deeply asleep that even his dog Siwasimi's howls couldn't rouse him. So, Iarapia lifted Kurapu over her shoulder, carrying him all the way to her father's house.<br /> <br /> Kurapu lay naked, sleeping on the floor of the chieftain's house, bewildering all the villagers, until he was awoken by the great Amasand, who Siwasimi had summoned to bring Kurapu out of his lethargy. As soon as he was awake, he realized his nakedness and covered himself with a hide. He then explained to Iarapia and her father his story, and how he had come from another hutarlĭ seven days due west.<br /> <br /> The great chieftain of Bala commanded for Iarapia to return Kurapu to Maruwa and become Kurapu's bride there, and that her first child should return to Bala to rule once he died. She made good on these commands, and Amasand's giant footsteps cleared a road between Maruwa and Bala that seven years later, Iarapia's son Upiuman, would follow back to Maruwa.<br /> <br /> This allegedly marked the first contact between the isolated Jegen settlements. However true this myth may be, it has been confirmed that a tribe like the Palti of myth united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages.[[File:Mutugen.jpg|thumb|299x299px|An artists representation of the Balans' reception of Kurapu, with Iarapia shown next to the chieftain]]The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era Tuma Institute of Historiography:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Rouri Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Tuma Institute of Historiography&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by remaining Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' begins in a primordial world, when the 'spirit world', '''''Nakwi''''', lay above the sky, and below it, the water world of '''''Nasazi''''', the 'animal world', covered by a vast ocean with no end, inhabited by many water animals. According to the ''Mazlauwa'', a woman from the ''Nakwi'', a ''wattiya{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, almost like the angels of Jegen mythology.}}'' who was called Iya, fell through a crack in the sky to Nasazi below. She was pregnant, almost ready to give birth, when she fell, impregnated by the sun god Puliluwaswe. The animals of ''Nasazi'' clamored to help save her from drowning, and the beaver, ''nakistuwar'', called all the animals to build a great raft (''walin''){{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}} from the bones of their dead that floated in the vast ocean. On the ''walin'', Iya began to give birth. Much blood was lost by Iya, and two twins came forth, a girl, Ano, and a boy, Ah. With their mother dead, Ah and Ano were raised by the animals of ''Nasazi''.<br /> <br /> One day, when the children were nearing their eighth year, a stork, flying from afar with no rest, found the raft of bones, finally finding rest from flying across a world with nothing but ocean. As his gift, the stork (''gasun'') gave Ano a pouch filled with earth that he had stolen from ''Nakwi'' above. He instructed Ano to plant the bones of her spirit mother in this earth, all save the woman's skull. The first bones planted by Ano soon grew into tall plants, offering the children nourishment, and their roots stretched deep down to fasten themselves to the sea floor. The great raft of bones became an island, and Ano sowed the land with her mother's bones, bringing to ''Nasazi'' the bounty of the spirit world above. Ano gave birth by the wolf Kidugael, and their children were the first people, half ''Nakwi'' and half ''Nasazi'', and these children became the 'mountain clans'.<br /> <br /> As Ah grew into a strong adolescent, he found in the ''nakistuwar'' a father and guide, and with the beaver's help he built homes for the new people of the land. However, as an adolescent, Ah was visited by an alluring moon goddess, Niwa, in his dreams, making him restless, lustful and infatuated with her. One day, when he reached his fifteenth year, Ah, filled with lust, climbed the tallest tree in the land to reach ''Nakwi''. When he reached ''Nakwi'', he was met by his all-powerful father, Puliluwaswe, who had grown into an vengeful, fearsome war god after witnessing the helpless death of his beloved, Iya, in ''Nasazi'' below. Upon hearing his son's pleas to enter ''Nakwi'' to see the goddess who appeared in his sexual fantasies, Puliluwaswe was furious and cast Ah down to earth, forbidding his son's lustful ambitions. As Ah fell to earth, he was saved by the ''gasun'', who returned him to land. That night, he spoke to Niwa of their predicament, and she made a promise to see him even if his powerful father forbade it. When the great Puliluwaswe slept, Niwa would watch Ah and the animals from the sky above. This, according to Jegen cosmogony, was what created the lunar cycle and the night: when Puliluwaswe slept, the moon goddess traveled across the sky to watch the humans of ''Nasazi'', the sons of her Ah. In her sorrow, Niwa's tears fell from the spirit world to the earth as mud. Ah created Assuiwasha, the earthly likeness of Niwa, from this mud, and the divine tears of the goddess gave Assuiwasha life. Assuiwasha and Ah's children, born like Ano's children; half of ''Nakwi'' and half of ''Nasazi'', became the 'river clans'.<br /> <br /> As the children of Ah and Ano lived peacefully and prosperously on the earth below, Puliluwaswe grew vengeful, seeing how the beauty of the animal world had come to parallel ''Nakwi'' that he ruled. So, the cunning god threw down to the earth rays of sun so hot and furious that the great river of ''Nasazi'' became a dry riverbed in an instant. Immediately, the humans went to war, now that the river they all relied on was nothing but hot, dry ground. Ah and Ano, in their old age and wisdom, turned to the animals for help. The mountain goat, ''urwa'', led Ah and Ano up the highest mountain in the land, ''Irnuasu''&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; where they found a deep gorge beneath a glacier. Puliluwaswe's furious light had made the great glacier weep, its water melting to fill up the gorge below. As they watched the gorge fill with water, the raven, ''musuwil'', told Ah and Ano of the great danger to humankind that lay before them. The raven said that the gorge would soon break, and all the land would be flooded, drowning all its inhabitants. The ''musuwil'' told Ano that she must bury her mother's skull, which she had kept after sowing the land with all her mother's other bones. Ruefully, Ano buried the her mother's skull in the earth. Just as she covered it with soil, a great banyan tree sprung forth. As the gorge began to break, the banyan tree, '''''inu''''', offered its ancient wood to Ah, imploring him to build a sturdy raft to save his people. Ah was only able to save his family and the animals of the land, and the water came down from '''''Irnuasu''''', drowning all else. All the land was covered by a great ocean, except the peak of ''Irnuasu''. This is where Ah brought the animals and his family, and where they survived for many years.<br /> <br /> When Ah's youngest son, Wakil, grew to sixteen years of age, tired of his people's entrapment on the mountain peak, he asked the stork (''gasun'') to bring him to the house of his grandfather. As the great god slept, Wakil crept into his house to steal his mighty spear, ''Zida''. Escaping ''Nakwi'' on the back of the stork, he hurled the spear at the mountain below, and all the water that had covered the world rushed into the chasm that the god's spear created. Ah and Ano chose to stay on the mountain peak, to watch over the great spring of '''''Irnuasu''''' and the ''inu''. In their age and wisdom, Ah and Ano became gods of earth and water, the guardians of the first people.<br /> <br /> Wakil dove to the depths of the spring of ''Irnuasu'' to retrieve his grandfather's spear, ''Zida'', which gave him immense, unmatched power. With the spear, he commanded the entire world, slaughtering dissidents and forcing his subjects to meet his sinful needs. A few winters had gone by, and the people starved under Wakil's corrupt rule. Puliluwaswe, seeing this, banished Wakil to the bowels of the earth, where he turned into the demon '''Galgilya''', creating his new underworld kingdom by stealing people's souls as they sinned.<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> [[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe''']]<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Degen,''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Rouri Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Lahaän''', on the site of Dagun. Lahaän is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana-Du.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu I the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it majorly helped proliferate the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital Mari uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|324x324px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.]]<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Rouri region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|317x317px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Ash]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Rouri river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, built by Windu III]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the '''zenith''' of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Ura river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Ura Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Ura river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Ura River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Ura and the Ash. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Ura river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Ura river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=History_of_Ancient_Acron_(Project_Exodus)&diff=578452 2026-03-04T19:18:28Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE|Start}}<br /> {{Construction}}<br /> [[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe''']]<br /> <br /> = MOVED TO [[Acron]] =<br /> The history of ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. and were then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Rura and Ash rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the XXX and Saspolite kingdoms in the north, further bounded by the Sea of Galleren and the Tyonian Gulf, and to the south, by the land of Nauakos, and further south, the states of the land-bridge of Ammenon and the cape of Banit, the Straits of Isthar, the island kingdom of Saba, and to the extreme southeast, the Kadhitran kingdoms. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names. <br /> <br /> ==Prehistoric==<br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Rura Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Rura Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> <br /> === Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]<br /> During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Rura Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation. <br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.<br /> <br /> {{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> <br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}<br /> <br /> The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era historian Prof. Dr. Ganim Sarki of the Tuma Institute of Historiography:<br /> &lt;blockquote&gt;<br /> ''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Rura Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Prof. Dr. Ganim Sarki&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> <br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth ====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by remaining Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The Mazlauwa begins with a universe divided into the Nakwi, 'spirit world' and the Nasazi, 'water world'. The water world was covered by an endless ocean, inhabited by water creatures. A ''wattiya''{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, almost like the angels of Jegen mythology.}} named '''Iya''', heavily pregnant with the child of '''Puliluwaswe''', fell from a hole in the sky to the water world below. The animals saved her from drowning by building a ''walin''{{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}}, a great 'raft' of bones. She soon began to give birth, and brought forth two twins, a girl- Ah, and a boy- Ano. However, she soon died from the process, and her children were left in the care of the animals.<br /> <br /> &lt;nowiki&gt;***&lt;/nowiki&gt; <br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> <br /> ===Middle Jegen Period===<br /> <br /> ====Dagun Kingdom ====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins. &lt;blockquote&gt;<br /> ''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Degen,'' <br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization'' <br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''<br /> [[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')]]<br /> These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Rura Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Lahaän''', on the site of Dagun. Lahaän is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana-Du.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu I the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it majorly helped proliferate the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital Mari uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne. <br /> <br /> ===Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> <br /> ==== Puliluwaswe ====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe. <br /> <br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|324x324px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> <br /> == Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period ==<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period. ]]<br /> <br /> === Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Rura region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers. <br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA. <br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth ====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|317x317px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Ash]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Rura river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> <br /> ==== Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.) ====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> <br /> ==== Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.) ====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> <br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N.. <br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting. <br /> [[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, built by Windu III]]<br /> <br /> ====== Ukarniq ======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> <br /> ===== Aumanil =====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores. <br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the <br /> <br /> ====== Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)'' ======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''<br /> {{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> <br /> * '''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> * '''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> * '''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> * '''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> * '''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> * '''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> * '''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> <br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. <br /> Puki IV, 'the Forgiving', <br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne. <br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her. <br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16. <br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the '''zenith''' of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> <br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai Culture (Late Jaliqai)===<br /> [[File:Erection of osols.jpeg|thumb|291x291px|Artist's depiction of the erection of &quot;wind gates&quot; (''ariks'') and the use of logs to transport them]]<br /> The collapse of Jaliqai culture, occurring roughly between 800 Before Numor and 0 N., represents a complex and multifaceted event that profoundly altered the trajectory of the region's history. At its peak, Tula was a flourishing society characterized by impressive megalithic architecture, intricate social structures, and a rich cultural heritage. However, over time, a confluence of environmental, social, and economic factors contributed to the rapid decline of the once-thriving city. One of the primary drivers of collapse was environmental degradation, particularly deforestation. The early Jaliqai settlers arrived in the Rura region with a sophisticated understanding of agriculture, utilizing stone tools to clear land for cultivation and constructing intricate irrigation systems to support their crops. However, as the population grew and demand for resources increased, the region's dense forests were systematically depleted to fuel various societal needs, including the construction of canoes for fishing and the transportation of the region's iconic &quot;wind gates&quot;, known as ''arik''. The loss of these forests, which played a crucial role in soil stabilization and moisture retention, resulted in widespread soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and decreased agricultural productivity, ultimately leading to food shortages and societal upheaval. In addition to environmental factors, social and political dynamics also contributed to Tula's collapse. As the region's population expanded and resources dwindled, competition for land, food, and other essential resources intensified, leading to social stratification and conflict within the Jaliqai society. Moreover, the introduction of diseases by the Numorites further devastated the region's population, decimating communities and exacerbating existing societal tensions. The collapse of Jaliqai civilization was not a sudden event but rather a gradual process spanning several centuries, characterized by a series of interconnected environmental, social, and economic challenges. While the exact sequence of events leading to collapse remains the subject of scholarly debate, evidence suggests that a combination of factors, including deforestation, soil degradation, overpopulation, intergroup conflict, and the introduction of foreign diseases, contributed to the demise of one of the world's most enigmatic civilizations.<br /> <br /> ==Sandbox==<br /> [[User:Tsundoku/AA_sandbox|link]]<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> &lt;references group=&quot;note&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Acron&diff=578451 2026-03-04T18:57:43Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox former country<br /> | native_name = ᖸᔓᔭ ([[Qoric]])&lt;br&gt; ''Ar-Koom''<br /> | conventional_long_name = Acron<br /> | common_name = Acron<br /> | continent = Letsia<br /> | region = <br /> | era = Prehistoric Era -&lt;br/&gt;Terminal Era<br /> | year_start = -26,000 B.N.<br /> | year_end = 4,300 N.<br /> | event_start = <br /> | date_start = <br /> | event_end = <br /> | date_end = <br /> | event1 = <br /> | date_event1 = <br /> | event2 = <br /> | date_event2 = <br /> | p1 = <br /> | s1 = <br /> | image_coat = Hiza lion palace.jpg<br /> | coa_size = 300px<br /> | symbol_type = &lt;/p&gt;The Lion Stairway at the Hiza palace complex<br /> | image_map = <br /> | image_map_caption = <br /> | capital = Hiza&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Former capitals including: Megis, Margush, Merrebis, Nuba&lt;/small&gt;<br /> | common_languages = Gemora, Omets'so (Kum), Mol, Ekwe<br /> | religion = Numerian pantheon<br /> | currency = bakela<br /> | leader1 = <br /> | year_leader1 = <br /> | leader2 = <br /> | year_leader2 = <br /> | title_leader = <br /> | legislature = <br /> | stat_year1 = Megian Empire<br /> | stat_pop1 = 3 million<br /> | stat_year2 = Aldemids<br /> | stat_pop2 = 9 million<br /> | stat_year3 = Mesoic Empire<br /> | stat_area3 = <br /> | stat_pop3 = 16-40 million<br /> | stat_year4 = Age of Crow-Kings<br /> | stat_pop4 = 2-6 million<br /> | stat_year5 = Somatic Era<br /> | stat_pop5 = 10 million<br /> | footnotes = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''Acron''' ([[Omets'so]] (Kum): ዘቢብ ''Jumurat'', [[Gemora]]: ጠካብካ ''Meso zad'', [[Mol]]: ርሽብታ ''Temesasi'') refers to the cultural and historical region of the Great Basin. Civilization centered around the flat savanna and grassland region bounded by the Ura and Ash rivers, as well as the high desert known as the Numerian Highlands. ‘Acron’, not to be confused with Ancient Acron, refers to the period of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age civilizations of the Numorite and Acronite people. The period of Ancient Acron ends with the collapse of the Jaliqai civilization around 400 B.N., and the history of Acron subsequently begins with Dzichin the Black’s discovery of the Ridwani coast, called Nomolun or Molla. <br /> <br /> Acron first existed as a collection of hundreds of loosely defined city-states, governed by major regional temples. The standard Numorite pantheon was supposedly brought over from Old Numor, acting as a common religion even as the Numorites struggled to establish national identities. The first definitive nation, the Tamyretic state, was created in Megis. This saw first Enshunu, but then more importantly Megis emerge as influential cities.[[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe''']]The history of ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. and were then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Rura and Ash rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the XXX and Saspolite kingdoms in the north, further bounded by the Sea of Galleren and the Tyonian Gulf, and to the south, by the land of Nauakos, and further south, the states of the land-bridge of Ammenon and the cape of Banit, the Straits of Isthar, the island kingdom of Saba, and to the extreme southeast, the Kadhitran kingdoms. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names.<br /> ==Prehistori==<br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Rura Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Rura Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> ===Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Rura Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation.<br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.{{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era historian Prof. Dr. Ganim Sarki of the Tuma Institute of Historiography:&lt;blockquote&gt;''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Rura Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Prof. Dr. Ganim Sarki&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by remaining Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The Mazlauwa begins with a universe divided into the Nakwi, 'spirit world' and the Nasazi, 'water world'. The water world was covered by an endless ocean, inhabited by water creatures. A ''wattiya''{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, almost like the angels of Jegen mythology.}} named '''Iya''', heavily pregnant with the child of '''Puliluwaswe''', fell from a hole in the sky to the water world below. The animals saved her from drowning by building a ''walin''{{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}}, a great 'raft' of bones. She soon began to give birth, and brought forth two twins, a girl- Ah, and a boy- Ano. However, she soon died from the process, and her children were left in the care of the animals.<br /> <br /> &lt;nowiki&gt;***&lt;/nowiki&gt;<br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> === Middle Jegen Period===<br /> ====Dagun Kingdom====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Degen,''<br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization''<br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''[[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')]]These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Rura Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Lahaän''', on the site of Dagun. Lahaän is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana-Du.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu I the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it majorly helped proliferate the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital Mari uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne.<br /> === Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> ====Puliluwaswe====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe.<br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|324x324px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> ==Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period==<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period.]]<br /> ===Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Rura region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers.<br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA.<br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|317x317px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Ash]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Rura river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> ====Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.)====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> ====Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.)====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N..<br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting.[[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, built by Windu III]]<br /> ======Ukarniq======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> =====Aumanil=====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores.<br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the<br /> ======Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)''======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''{{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> *'''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> *'''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> *'''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> *'''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> *'''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> *'''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> *'''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. Puki IV, 'the Forgiving',<br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne.<br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her.<br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16.<br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the '''zenith''' of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> ==Foundation of Acron==<br /> The Foundation is commonly agreed upon by scholars to stretch from Dzichin the Black’s arrival in Acron in 0 N., to the establishment of the Old Megian Priesthood (the Tamyretic Dynasty) in 442 N., ushering in the Early Classic Era.[[File:Arikkalgal.jpg|thumb|The acropolis of Arikkalgal, theorized to be the seat of power within the ''Tarjal'' confederation.|235x235px]]By the year 0 N, the Jaliqai societal structure had evolved into two distinct confederations known as ''itilpaluk'', which were based on lineage and kinship ties. These confederations delineated the land's political landscape, with the western and northern regions falling under the authority of the Sun (''Wayur'') confederation, in Tula, while the eastern region of the valley was controlled by the Wolverine (''Tarjal)'' confederation. Within these confederations, leadership positions were inherited within specific lineages. In the Sun confederation, the royal lineage of Turul and Manna held sway, establishing their seat of power at Tula, though earlier capitals included Itoqornaq and Qarzul. Meanwhile, the Wolverine confederation governed the eastern part of the region, with its own government, theorized to be the ancient city of Arikkalgal. The dynamics between these two confederations underwent significant shifts over time, influenced by factors such as resource availability, population growth, and external contacts.<br /> <br /> Another major factor was climatic change, as the valley, now heavily deforested, faced catastrophic droughts and water levels in the river dropped. Once, in the time of the Jegen, the Ura river valley was heavily forested and fertile, but today, the Ura Highlands are a barren, sparsely populated landscape. The construction of monolithic stone structures by the Jaliqai greatly contributed to the environmental destruction of the valley. When Numorite colonists arrived, the Highlands, in the far east of Ridwan, were largely ignored as their colonization efforts focused on the fertile lands closer to the Juraxian coast, a flat landscape made mostly of limestone and covered with deciduous forests and savannas.<br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai===<br /> {{Main article|History of Ancient Acron (Project Exodus)}}Shortly after the first Numorite visit in the early 1st century, from 14 N. until 20 N., tensions between the Sun and Wolverine confederations escalated into open conflict as they vied for control of the valley. This period of conflict marked a tumultuous chapter in the region's history, characterized by widespread violence, social upheaval, and economic disruption. The effects of this conflict were devastating, leading to widespread famine as agricultural fields were destroyed and food supplies dwindled. Social cohesion deteriorated as the ordered way of life gave way to lawlessness and predatory bands of warriors vying for dominance. Amidst the chaos and instability and burning of cities, homelessness became prevalent, with many inhabitants seeking refuge in underground shelters to escape the violence and upheaval above ground. These subterranean dwellings, known as ''galanega'', provided shelter from the elements and served as makeshift sanctuaries during times of crisis. However, life underground was fraught with challenges, as cramped living conditions and limited resources posed significant hardships and facilitated the spread of disease for those who sought refuge there. The second visit of Numorite explorers in 40 N. marked a turning point in the Jaliqai culture's history, as it ushered in a new era of external contact and influence. The Numorite landfall brought with it profound changes to Jaliqai society, including the introduction of foreign diseases that decimated the region's population and further destabilized its already fragile social and political structures. By the time the first Numorite colonists arrived in the valley in 150 N., not a single ''arik'' remained standing in the land, and the great city of Tula was abandoned, symbolizing the collapse of the Jaliqai culture.<br /> ===Exodus from Old Numor (0 N - 150 N)===<br /> The year 0 N marks the first landing of Numorite voyagers to the region. Some aspects of the exodus from Old Numor (''Mat’u)'' have mythological elements, but later Numorite texts and scant archaeological evidence can attest that the first landing of the Numorites did happen around 0 N.<br /> ====Discovery of Acron====<br /> The first landing of the Numorites in Acron is recorded in the ''Mamsir Saga'' from the 600s N., written by the great Early Classic sages [[Azhigo (scholar)|Azhigo]], Nerit, and Azubek of Dzeshu, later expanded upon by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Lhostan]] of Sin-Alshu in the ''Discheshu Saga''. Both sagas detail the first voyages led by Dzichin the Black to ''Nomolun'' (interpreted as the oceanic coast of Acron)<br /> =====Account in the ''Mamsir Saga''=====<br /> [[File:Dzeshu.jpeg|thumb|The ''Yedij'' (House of Wisdom) in Dzeshu, where the ''Mamsir Saga'' was created and later found.|251x251px]]According to the ''Mamsir Saga,'' written in Dzeshu around 620 N., Dzichin the Black, son of Zhore, discovered Acron after being blown off course through the XXX Straits while on a raiding expedition to the south shore of the Ubiud Sea. When Dzichin came across the tempest that blew him off course, he was returning from a small expedition raiding small Methonan towns. After arriving in this unknown land, the crew disembarked to discover the densely wooded coast, which had been spared from the deforestation and chaos occurring upriver in the Jaliqai heartlands. For this reason, Numorite explorers would not encounter the native population until 150 N., long after the collapse of Jaliqai society. Dzichin the Black and his crew loaded their hold with the abundant local lumber, and returned to Old Numor with Methonan booty and news of an uninhabited land to the east with great amounts of woodlands. By this account, Dzichin the Black did not return to Acron, but other opportunistic explorers like Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe led the subsequent voyages of the ''Mat’u''.<br /> =====Account in the ''Discheshu Saga''=====<br /> The ''Discheshu Saga'', recorded by the sage [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan of Sin-Alshu]], was written a century after the ''Mamsir Saga'', but retained much of what was written in its Dzeshuan predecessor. The main difference in the ''Discheshu Saga'' is that the discovery of Acron was attributed to a man named Dzun, who was also blown off his course and discovered an unknown coast that was Acron. However, believing this to be another extension of the Methonan coast, Dzun and his men never set foot on the land, until Dzichin the Black’s expedition.<br /> <br /> Lhostan writes that 12 years later, around 0 N., Dzichin the Black heard of Dzune’s discovery, and hired his ship and his crew to return to ''Nomolun''.&lt;blockquote&gt;''Thus Dgi'ssin'' ''sailed forth,''<br /> <br /> ''To Tamarisse, a rocky, desolate place, they first made land, whereupon stones cleft the ground''<br /> <br /> ''Then Kaukasse, turned its verdant, leafy face,''<br /> <br /> ''Westward they sailed, to a mild and fruitful land, where salmon leapt and the sun was mild''<br /> <br /> ''There 'twas decided, to make winter's rest''<br /> <br /> ''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'Twas Ah'misse, the slave, whose fair head fell, upon vines of grapes that promised wealth un-told''<br /> <br /> ''Thus Arqaran''{{Refn|Acron|group=}}'', land of Wine, for future's mind, and the stones of Amarra''{{Refn|Amarra|group=}} ''would behold.''<br /> <br /> ''O, let this tale of daring voyage be sung''<br /> <br /> ''Of men who forged anew in distant land, their names and deeds by later tongues shall be rung''<br /> <br /> ''In Amarra, by Old Numorre’s wise command.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— [[Lhostan of Sin-Alshu|Cheshatemej Lhostan]]’s ''Discheshu Saga'' (805 N.)&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> After spending the winter in Acron, Dzichin returned to Old Numor in the spring with a shipful of grapes and lumber. Dzichin would never return to ''Nomolun'', but many others followed his path to Amarra, including the first permanent settlers.<br /> ====Later voyages and colonization====<br /> Both the ''Mamsir'' and ''Discheshu'' sagas name Pshiqan Lightfooted and Toqwe the Axe as the first Numorites to return to Acron. Their expeditions were at first mainly to exploit local timber, but by 11 N, an expedition led by Toqwe the Axe and four families arrived in Acron to establish Amarra as a permanent settlement.<br /> <br /> Over the next decades, Amarru prospered greatly from the trade of lumber, and a small stone shrine was erected around 37 N. Soon, the demand for lumber became too great, so Toqwe the Axe returned to Old Numor to recruit new settlers. Pshiqan Lightfooted and seven boats of settlers arrived in 39 N., and began venturing upriver in search of virgin woodlands. It was around this time that the Numorite settlers made first contact with the native Jaliqai people, who had sought refuge from the upheaval of the hinterlands in the 1st century in the coastal forests.<br /> <br /> As Amarra expanded, the settlers encroached on the lands of the Jaliqai in central Acron, starting the process of colonization. By 120 N., Amarra had grown from a small port dominated by the lumber trade into the richest port of the Numorite civilization at the time. The first official colonization missions arrived from Old Numor in 150 N., establishing the first city-states, in the Jaliqai heartlands, with the first great cities like Dzeshu being built on the site of ruined Jaliq citadels.{{Refn|The city of Dzeshu, known as the first great city of Nomolun, was built on the site of the citadel of Qarzul, once the capital of the Wayur.|group=}}<br /> ===Doom of Old Numor===<br /> The Doom of Old Numor was a mysterious catastrophe that resulted in the collapse of Old Numor, which had legendarily stood for thousands of years. The Doom preceded Jakob’s Conquest by a century and triggered a mass migration to Acron. The catastrophe's nature remains shrouded in mystery, but its impact was profound, forcing the inhabitants of Old Numor to abandon their homeland and seek refuge across the sea, marking a significant turning point in Numorite history.<br /> <br /> Twelve years prior to the Doom of Old Numor, the legendary Princess Zhanqaj White-of-hair, the young daughter of Lord Orshok, experienced a profound prophetic dream and intense visions. In these visions, she foresaw the imminent destruction of Old Numor, seeing its limestone palaces and temples set ablaze. Recognizing the gravity of her visions, Princess Zhanqaj persuaded her father, Lord Orshok, to take preemptive action to safeguard their family and people. Acting swiftly on Princess Zhanqaj's warnings, Lord Orshok organized the departure of the Orshok family from Old Numor. They embarked on a voyage across the seas, eventually reaching the young temple-city of Dzeshu in Acron. Acron offered a safer haven against the impending catastrophe that Princess Zhanqaj had foreseen. By heeding his daughter's prophecy, Lord Orshok not only ensured the survival of his family but also positioned them to be the only house of Old Numor that survived the Doom, giving them a greater degree of legitimacy than the young dynasties founded in Acron.&lt;blockquote&gt;[[File:Zhanqaj.png|200x200px|thumb|A Phryxian square-urn depicting Zhanqaj]]''I see the city crumble,''<br /> <br /> ''I hear the drum of chaos, shrouded in the darkest night.''<br /> <br /> ''Before mine eyes, hills burst forth in flame,''<br /> <br /> ''The Dragonstones, in fury, spit their ire,''<br /> <br /> ''Their fiery tongues devouring heaven high,''<br /> <br /> ''Their molten tears paint crimson in the air,''<br /> <br /> ''Blades of obsidian rain down to earth''<br /> <br /> ''A great funeral pyre,''<br /> <br /> ''A veil of doom''<br /> <br /> ''On land so fair.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— ''The Princess’s Prophecy'', from the medieval play ''Zancasia''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> On the day of the Doom, hills spanning a five hundred-mile radius erupted violently, spewing ash, smoke, and fire into the atmosphere. Earthquakes razed palaces, temples, and towns, while lakes boiled. The Dragonstones, the legendary volcanoes of Old Numor, erupted molten rock thousands of feet into the sky, with red obsidian-laden clouds raining down. The cataclysm shattered Old Numor into fragments, and finally a colossal wave submerged the land beneath the sea.<br /> <br /> The Doom of Old Numor is highly unlikely to have happened as legend described, but a similar catastrophe like a tsunami or volcanic eruption may have caused the exodus from Old Numor. However, even the existence of Old Numor is unknown, as there is no evidence of Numorite people outside of Acron. However, it is commonly theorized that the Numorites migrated from somewhere on the Methonan coast, from where explorers like Dzichin the Black set off to the east. While the origin of the Numorites is unknown, archaeological evidence proves the truth behind Dzichin the Black’s landfall in Acron, as well as genetic evidence proving that the Numorites were not closely genetically related to the prevailing culture of Acron at the time, the Jaliqai, or the Jegenic peoples, the original, native inhabitants of the region.<br /> [[File:Chimal maht.jpg|thumb|210x210px|Storehouses at Chimal Mah't, pre-Dynastic construction]]<br /> <br /> === Early cities of Nomolun ===<br /> Little is known about this pre-Dynastic period of Acron outside of mythological accounts, but two major cities of this era are strongly supported by archaeological evidence. These two cities are Dzeshu and Chimal. The first stones were laid in Dzeshu in 308 N., and the first temple, the small temple of Astekhu, was raised in 341 N. The Yedijwe was established in '''Dzeshu''', making Dzeshu an early center of religion and education. However, the visible structures at Dzeshu are all constructions from the Akhustalitic Dynasty, when its temple of Araste served as the central temple of the realm. <br /> <br /> Amarra, while it was the first Numorite city established and formerly a hugely wealthy and influential center, was abandoned in the early 300s after the Doom of Old Numor ended the trade that the city relied on. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, at '''Chimal''', a portion of the remaining structures are of pre-Dynastic construction. These are mainly at the site of Chimal Mah't (the northern area of the city) which saw less later construction as it was a less central area of the city. Chimal was established around 350 N. as a result of Jakob's Conquest, which opened up the western portion of the south bank of the Ura river for Numorite settlement.<br /> <br /> Dzeshu, and later Chimal, were for the most part ruled by a council of clerics from each major temple, but also were ruled by a posse of warlord clans called '''''khlech''''' who mainly handled military matters{{Refn|The dominant khlech of Dzeshu for most of the city's history until its conquest by the Tamyretic Dynasty were the Kadeschit, Ilumord, Juqmul, Tawanasche, Remajschare, and Tawersiqetetesch clans.}}. There was no central government established in any of the Numorite cities until the Tamyretic Dynasty in 442 N. in Megis.<br /> <br /> === Jakob's Conquest ===<br /> By the mid-300s N., Dzeshu was a rapidly growing city, and its demand for food soon outgrew the agricultural capacity of the surrounding hills of Ligish{{Refn|The hilly central-northern coastal region of Acron, centered around the delta of the Rura and the cities of Amarra (later Thymus) and Dzeshu.}}. Pioneering settlers began to venture east, following the northern bank of the Ura River. What they found was a vast, flat, empty savannah, with a massive fertile plain stretching between the Ura and the Ash. In the following years, settlers established small, seasonal villages on the outskirts of Jaliqai settlements. While at first the settlers coexisted peacefully with the various Jaliqai tribes in the region, a particularly severe drought around the Jaliq town of Qimal in 346 N. led to clashes between the Jaliqai and the settlers over the use of the river. These clashes escalated into open conflict when a band of Jaliqai tribesmen were killed after being caught stealing from a Numorite storehouse. In response to this, the chief of Qimal, '''Tarum Ashtu{{Refn|''Ashtu'' is a Numorite name commonly used for this specific tarum (chief) of Qimal: in Jaliqai oral tradition, he was named ''Tarum Ajak''.}}''', decreed that the Numorites would indefinitely be expelled from the region.<br /> <br /> For the ''khlech'' of Dzeshu, this was unacceptable, and the Juqmul ''khlech''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s 20-year-old commander Jakob rode out with a contingent of warriors to force Tarum Ashtu to renege on his decree. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Qimal, Jakob was met by a large Jaliqai force, which forced him to flee across the river to its north bank. Jakob's men set up camp on the riverbank directly opposite the town of Qimal, and planned to send for reinforcements from Dzeshu and subsequently besiege Qimal. Unbeknownst to them, a second Jaliqai force had been gathering on the north bank, mostly made up of men from the chiefdom of Mitqaq. As Jakob's men began to retreat to their bedrolls to sleep, Tarum Ashtu's men began constructing a bridge across the river in a hidden riverbend to allow the Mitqaq forces to unite with Ashtu's forces outside of Qimal. Legend holds that the god Makht revealed the Jaliqai plan to Jakob in a vision. That very night, he went out alone to find the hidden bridge. Sensing an attack from the north, Jakob roused his men. Hours later, a large Jaliqai force appeared on the horizon, charging toward his small contingent. At the same time, Ashtu's men crossed the river, and by the time the sun rose, Jakob's men were cornered by a Jaliqai force three times their size, with their backs to the river.<br /> <br /> According to myth, Makht appeared to Jakob once more, advising him to set the riverbank on fire as a distraction while his men crossed the bridge. Successfully routing the Jaliqai attack, Jakob's forces easily captured the undefended fortress at Qimal, where they held out valiantly against a vast Jaliqai siege until reinforcements arrived from Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> When the large, better-armed Numorite reinforcements arrived in the outskirts of Qimal, most of the warriors from Mitqaq as well as a large group of Ashtu's men fled across the river, burning the bridge behind them. Once the reinforcements reached the fortress, they easily defeated Tarum Ashtu and his remaining group of warriors. <br /> <br /> After defeating Tarum Ashtu and conquering Qimal (which is from then on referred to as Chimal) Jakob went on a sweeping campaign over the next few years through the surrounding region, expelling much of the Jaliqai population north of the Ura river and east, further inland, towards the highlands. A large portion of the conquered Jaliqai were also enslaved to assist with the building of Chimal. By the mid-350s N., the plains on the south bank of the Ura river, which Jakob called '''Molla''' (possibly derived from the ancient Jaliqai word ''mawul'' meaning riverbank or ''mawla'' meaning flat) were opened for Numorite expansion. <br /> <br /> === First city-states ===<br /> After establishing Chimal, Jakob returned to Dzeshu, and Chimal was effectively left to its own authority. Within a few years of its establishment, the first temple at Chimal was built, dedicated to the goddess of agriculture and husbandry, Anka. In its early years, Chimal remained a much more agrarian, frontier settlement, in contrast with the growing city of Dzeshu.<br /> <br /> In 356 N., '''Kamirates''', one of Jakob's companions, declared himself &quot;protector of the city&quot; and from that point on Chimal was dominated by his descendants, the '''Myrtasi''', until the rise of the Tamyretic Dynasty in the second half of the 400s N.. By the end of the 300s N., Chimal's population had grown to 6,000, and Dzeshu's population reached almost 14,000. At this point, Chimal had become a distinct city-state with a separate authority from the priesthood of Astekhu and the Jakobian ''khlech'' in Dzeshu. While the temple of Anka was the first to be established in Chimal, it was quickly supplanted by the newer rite of Iseret. The priesthood of Iseret remained very powerful in the city-state even when the Myrtasi were ousted by Rahoret (Randemir) I{{Refn|8th Heshore of the Tamyretic Dynasty, ruled from 489 - 493 N.}} of the Tamyretic Dynasty during the Megian Hegemony. <br /> <br /> Likewise, in Dzeshu, the Jakobian ''khlech'' remained unrivaled by any other clan in Dzeshu until they were pushed out by '''Wezrej I''' in the 510s N. and the city was made a ''de facto'' vassal of Megis. Before his Conquest, Jakob was not part of a dominant ''khlech'' clan at the time. He was the third son of a highly influential leather merchant named Melequ, who controlled large-scale tanneries and herding operations, and due to the strategic importance of leather for armor, shields, tents, and horse gear, wielded significant leverage over the armies of the Dzeshuan ''khlech'', especially the Juqmul clan. Eventually, a few years after Jakob's birth, Melequ had amassed his own army of hired swords, supposedly to protect his herds and his production outposts from Jaliqai raiders. When Jakob was 12, he was promised to Wadhenekhesmusch Juqmul, the only daughter of the ailing Juqmul patriarch and sole heir to his ''khlech'' status. After completing the Ileqatsa, Jakob became the commander of the Juqmul clan's retinue, and at 17 Jakob was married to Wadhenekhesch, 2 years his senior. In the first five years of their marriage, she bore him two daughters (Maqastehajakab{{Refn|Maqasteha-jakab is a name created by later Numorite scholars, as Jakob's first daughter's name is not known. Maqaxteha or Maqasteha is a commonly used suffix for first daughers combining the word for first, &quot;qaxt&quot; and the word for woman, &quot;ma&quot;.}} and Kasche-orontas) and one son, Inqana. <br /> <br /> When Jakob returned from his Conquest, the Juqmul patriarch had died, leaving the young man in control of the formidable combined force of the Juqmul retinue and his own men. Within a few days of returning from his Conquest, Jakob had stormed and burned the palaces of two rival ''khlech'' in Dzeshu, the Tawarisch and Ascher-Arte families. By eliminating his main rivals and by taking advantage of his newfound glory, Jakob was able to establish his new clan, the Jakobian clan, absorbing his father's merchant family and his wife's aristocratic family, as the dominant power in the city. <br /> <br /> === Tarum Qulak ===<br /> <br /> === Maskal Aksaq ===<br /> <br /> == First Age of Heshores (442 - ??? N.) ==<br /> <br /> ===Tamyretic Dynasty (442 - 536 N.)===<br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty or the Old Megian Priesthood, established by Nusare, later known as Tamyris, was the first Numorite state to rule over all of central Acron. Nusare was born into a wealthy family and at a young age she became Elder Priestess of the feretory of Wes in the minor city of Megis. During her tenure as Elder Priestess, she was able to depose many rival clerics and assert her authority over a wide region covering the city of Megis and the nearby major city of Enshunu. She was also able to secure an alliance with the Temple of Nikanuur in Enshunu through a marriage, and over the course of a few years Nusare controlled the largest unified region of Central Acron.[[File:Temple of wes at abeacus.jpg|thumb|At Megis, one of the oldest, most well-known Numorite religious structures: the Vernal Kiosk at the Temple of '''Wes'''|left|302x302px]]With the aid of the Elder Priest of Nikanuur at Enshunu, Nusare stormed the palace at Megis, overthrowing the city's ruler. At the time, the Elder Priest had been at odds with the ''de facto'' ruler of Enshunu, the oligarch Sokres. While Nusare was taking over in Megis, Sokres had been declared a heretic by the High Priest and was exiled from the city, creating a perfect opportunity for Nusare to take power. <br /> <br /> Nusare crowned herself High Priestess of Wes, '''Tamyris''', Lord of Megis and Enshunu, with her capitals at Megis and Enshunu. For much of the early existence of the Tamyretic Kingdom, the power was concentrated in Enshunu and its old, powerful Temple of Nikanuur.<br /> <br /> Tamyris seemingly died of cancer, which seemed to be a common cause of death for clerics, as contemporary rituals included the smoking of copious amounts of peyote, marijuana, and other psychoactive plants.<br /> <br /> The Tamyretic Dynasty saw Numoritic hieroglyphs fully develop into their most well-known form. It was also the first and last dynastic Numorite state where the sacrifice of ''lhemer'' was practiced on a large scale as part of state-sanctioned religious rituals, until the much later rule of Meritos XII of the Kemeritic Dynasty. The tomb of Hetu I, the third ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, was found to contain the embalmed remains of nearly 100 women and men. The practice seemed to have died out with the dynasty, but it resurfaced with the resurgence of the Temple of Nikanuur in the Primary Classic Era Xiargan Priesthood. However, in the Xiargan Priesthood, ''lhemer'' were not sacrificed, and sacrifices were made of foreign slaves, many of whom appear to have been enslaved for the sole purpose of sacrifice.<br /> <br /> The second ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty, High Priest Tamyrion I, adopted the title '''H'shor' Yqos-Zh'amerit''' (“''Master of All Justice and Sacraments''”) which would be used by many succeeding Numorite High Priests, commonly shortened to '''Heshore'''. The Tamyretic Dynasty not only brought about the role of the Heshore, or High Priest, who rules as king as well as Elder Priest, but it also established the city of Megis and its surrounding areas as a center of power within the heartlands. Megis was a rapidly developing city and its Temple of Wes soon became the preeminent power within the cult of Wes. The rule of Tamyris and her successors proved to be instrumental to the rising power of the Temple of Wes, and it supplanted various other rival cults during this time, greatly expanding its influence to rival the older cults of Nikanuur and Amunta.<br /> <br /> Four Heshores ruled at Enshunu: these were followed by twelve Heshores at Megis. The Tamyretic Dynasty was established in 442 N., and was disestablished in 536 N., being succeeded by the short-lived Akhustalitic Dynasty and the ensuing Megian Disintegration.<br /> <br /> === Early Megian Hegemony (Akt I - Muthisis I) ===<br /> The era called the Megian Hegemony began in 460 N. with the rule of Heshore '''Akt I''' (Nasren Gwanasch'e),''',''' the fifth ruler of the Tamyretic Dynasty. His reign saw the court move to Megis due to tension in Enshunu with the Temple of Nikanuur. The previous Heshores had not put in much effort as High Priests of Wes, but Akt I saw this as an opportunity to weaken the Temple of Nikanuur. The Elder Priest of the Temple of Nikanuur had been dominating the Tamyretic court, taking advantage of Tamyris's incompetent successors. Akt I, however, was far more ambitious than his predecessors. Primarily influenced by his mother, he saw the Elder Priest as an obstacle for the expansion of his realm. In 462 N., Akt I temporarily moved the court to Megis to accompany him as he oversaw the expansion of the Temple of Wes. After two years, the expansion was completed, and when the Elder Priest invited the Heshore back to Enshunu, this offer was refused. In 464 N., Akt I declared the Temple of Wes to be kefit (paramount.)<br /> <br /> === Piltaq ===<br /> <br /> ==== Reign of Hetu III ====<br /> <br /> === Megian Hegemony (Randemir I - Akt III) ===</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=History_of_Ancient_Acron_(Project_Exodus)&diff=578058 2026-02-27T01:48:52Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Icons|PE|Start}}<br /> {{Construction}}<br /> [[File:Puliluwaswe.jpg|thumb|A piece of Jegen pectoral armor created by the Wanni tribe with a common depiction of '''Puliluwaswe''']]<br /> The history of ancient Acron is traditionally divided into two distinct periods: Prehistoric (26.000 B.N. - 0 N.) and Early Classic (0 - 800 N.).<br /> <br /> During the Prehistoric Era, the center, northeast and north of the continent of Ridwan (the Ridwani Shield) were inhabited by the mostly nomadic hunter-gatherer Jegen people. By 1000 B.N., the Jegen people shifted to a sedentary lifestyle, establishing their characteristic hilltop villages and later creating the first small kingdoms. and were then settled by the Jaliqai, who founded the first major settlements along the Rura and Ash rivers in central Ridwan. The Early Classic Era saw the collapse of the Jaliqai culture brought by the seafaring Numorites, and the subsequent rise of the Numorite state. In the Classic Era, the west of the continent was united under a feudal system, where power was centered on the various temples of the Numorite priesthood.<br /> <br /> The term 'Acron' refers to the north coast of the Ridwani Shield, but in historical context, 'Ancient Acron' refers to the Ridwani Shield as a whole, due to the closeness of the various civilizations in the region. In the period of Numorite hegemony, much of 'Ancient Acron', especially the interior, became referred to as 'Numor', meaning the land of the Numorites, and its boundaries are formed by the XXX and Saspolite kingdoms in the north, further bounded by the Sea of Galleren and the Tyonian Gulf, and to the south, by the land of Nauakos, and further south, the states of the land-bridge of Ammenon and the cape of Banit, the Straits of Isthar, the island kingdom of Saba, and to the extreme southeast, the Kadhitran kingdoms. The small coastal region inhabited by the Numorites was called 'Nomolun', but the region is often called 'Lesser Acron' to refer to its later inhabitants, the Acronites. Following the rise of the Pentarchy, 'Lesser Acron' 'Acron' and 'Acronite' increasingly referred to the much smaller coastal region inhabited by the Phryxians. After this point, the immediate interior is often referred to as its older name of 'Numor', and the further regions that were once part of the Numorite civilization are referred to by their medieval names. <br /> <br /> ==Prehistoric==<br /> The Prehistoric Era of Ancient Acron is regarded as the era starting around 26.000 Before Numor and ending at the arrival of the Numorites around 6.000 years before present, (0 N.). This Era represents the earliest phase of human occupation in the Rura Valley following the last glacial maximum. In the Prehistoric Era, the forested hills and meadows of the Rura Valley were sparsely populated by the peaceful hunter-gatherer Jegen people throughout the Stone Age. Traces of stone tools have been found dating from 26.000 Before Numor, fashioned from locally available materials such as obsidian and chert, and were essential for hunting, butchering game, and processing plant materials. Additionally, bone and antler tools were crafted for specialized tasks, demonstrating the ingenuity and adaptability of these early human populations. The Jegen people are named after a corruption of Degen or Dagun, the clan of [[Kiya the Bright]], who established the first kingdom of Acronite history.<br /> <br /> === Initial Jegen Period ===<br /> [[File:Jegen hill town.jpeh.jpg|thumb|273x273px|Reconstruction of a Jegen hill-town]]<br /> During the Initial Jegen Period, spanning approximately from 12.000 Before Numor to 1.000 Before Numor, significant shifts in human settlement and subsistence strategies occurred in the Rura Valley. This era marked the advent of sedentary communities engaging in rudimentary agriculture and the early stages of pottery production. While still predominantly reliant on hunting, fishing, and gathering, communities began to establish more permanent settlements, indicative of a gradual transition towards a more settled lifestyle. The emergence of basic pottery vessels as well as evidence of the beginnings of plant cultivation, particularly of quinoa, marked a significant step towards agricultural production and technological innovation. <br /> <br /> The warming of the climate as well as the increasing capacity for agriculture in Jegen communities led to an explosion in population, which in turn led to most of the population settling down to farm, planting things like amaranth, quinoa, melon, okra, and soy.<br /> <br /> By the end of the Initial Jegen Period, a sizable portion of the Jegen population had become sedentary, with scattered villages being established on hills above the valley. These settlements, known as ''hutarlĭ,'' or &quot;hill-towns&quot;, were isolated communities built on rocky promontories and bluffs. They were often centered around a mountain spring, which served as a gathering place as well as a place to leave idols and offerings. Most farming was done in large communal plots and terraces behind the dwellings, where each household was entitled a certain area to be responsible for, based on their ability to work that land. When the harvest came, everything that was grown was most likely stored in a sort of silo or cistern, and each household would receive a portion of that store based on their need. Hill-towns were likely encircled by palisades to protect the inhabitants from violent nomads, bears and other animals that could attack domesticated goats, and from animals who could threaten the crops.<br /> <br /> {{Prehistoric Era Mythology of Acron (PE)}}<br /> <br /> ====The Legend of Amasand====<br /> {{Main article|Legend of Amasand}}<br /> <br /> The [[Legend of Amasand]] was orally passed down by the Jegen and recorded in multiple instances: by the Jaliqai scribe '''Nutaralak''' in the Intermediate period, Dinemis in the ''Qrants'i Records'' and [[Qandisej]] in the ''X'imisad''{{Refn|'Almanac' is the rough translation for the Numerian word 'x'imisad', which served as compilations of historical records of previous eras. The first x'imisad were written around the late 500s N., as transcriptions of the native oral histories of the Jaliqai and Jegen people.}} of '''X'wniyne''' in the Classic and Terminal Classic Eras. The events of the legend probably take place around 10.000 or 11.000 B.N, as claimed by the modern era historian Prof. Dr. Ganim Sarki of the Tuma Institute of Historiography:<br /> &lt;blockquote&gt;<br /> ''The denseness of the pine forests that covered the Rura Valley and the steep terrain around these hill-towns made communication between these settlements'' [hutarlĭ] ''very difficult, and over the course of a few generations, contact between the hill-towns was lost during a particularly fierce storm that washed away the path through the forests. Due to their isolation, many hill-towns were entirely inhabited by just one extended family, and were ruled with a clanlike system. The'' Legend of Amasand ''most likely took place in this period, between'' 12.000 ''and'' 10.000 Before Numor'', when the settled population primarily was living in these isolated settlements, with little to no contact. In the legend, we see how contact was established by a lost prince and his dog. However unlikely this was, we believe that a lost hunter or an outcast may have established contact in a similar way. It has been newly confirmed that some tribe, like the Balans of myth, united some of the Jegen towns as a sort of tribal confederation, with the various cities tied through each other by marriages, around 10.800 B.N.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;small&gt;— Prof. Dr. Ganim Sarki&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> This legend is not only the most well known instance of Jegen mythology, but it is an important piece of oral history that gives evidence of how a clan or tribe like the Balans may have created the framework for a tribal confederation and reestablished contact between clans. This renewed contact between the scattered settlements may have been what inspired the gradual population shift towards the river bank.<br /> <br /> ====Jegen Origin Myth ====<br /> The [[w:Origin_myth|origin myth]] (called the '''''Mazlauwa Muza''''') of the Jegen people has many accounts, but the closest to the original is recorded in the ''X'imisad'' of '''''Bedin Yex'wl'e''''' (Yesúl Almanac), supposedly written based off of retellings by remaining Jegen clansmen in the Classic Era.<br /> <br /> The Mazlauwa begins with a universe divided into the Nakwi, 'spirit world' and the Nasazi, 'water world'. The water world was covered by an endless ocean, inhabited by water creatures. A ''wattiya''{{Refn|Wattiya were the female equivalent of watti, the inhabitants of the spirit world, almost like the angels of Jegen mythology.}} named '''Iya''', heavily pregnant with the child of '''Puliluwaswe''', fell from a hole in the sky to the water world below. The animals saved her from drowning by building a ''walin''{{Refn|The raft, or canoe, is a common motif in Prehistoric mythology (known as walin or walwi by the Jegen, and as irniq by the Jaliq) It represents survival, and most importantly, discovery and new beginnings.}}, a great 'raft' of bones. She soon began to give birth, and brought forth two twins, a girl- Ah, and a boy- Ano. However, she soon died from the process, and her children were left in the care of the animals.<br /> <br /> &lt;nowiki&gt;***&lt;/nowiki&gt; <br /> <br /> The '''''Mazlauwa''''' forms the basis of much of Jegen theology, establishing the story of Ah and Ano's guardianship, Puliluwaswe's vengeance, and the corruption of sin represented by Galgilya.<br /> <br /> ===Middle Jegen Period===<br /> <br /> ====Dagun Kingdom ====<br /> The Middle Jegen Period marked a turning point in the political development of the Jegen peoples, as tribal clans coalesced into distinct early kingdoms. The earliest record of Jegen statehood appears in the ''Kussuyok Records'' (c. 120 B.N., Late Jaliqai Period), which refer to the region of Zuru as being divided among twenty-four petty kings. Subsequently, in the ''Book of Wezirmej'', a historical text from the Early Classic Numorite schools written around 900 N., it is noted that by 700 B.N., one dominant kingdom, Dagun, also known as Degen, under the reign of the female warrior-queen Kiya, had emerged victorious over the others. However, the precise location and other details regarding Dagun, as depicted in the '''Book of Wezirmej''', remain subjects of ongoing scholarly debate among modern historians.<br /> <br /> It is believed that a natural disaster, potentially landslides, destroyed much of the crops and stockpiles of Jegen settlements farther from the river. One of these settlements was called Dagun, ruled by the old chief Wasuru and his daughter '''Kiya'''. Dagun was one of the first clans that had shifted towards the cult of '''Puliluwaswe'''{{Refn|There is a discernible pattern in Jegen history where tribes and kingdoms in the lowlands of the valley are seen to predominantly worship the Earth Twins, while mountain clans like the Dagun adhered more to the cult of the Sun. The belief was that as the Jegen people increasingly abandoned the Earth cult for that of the Sun with the rise of the Animasani, the people of the lowlands remained faithful to Ah and Ano because of their closer connection with the river, and consequently their closer connection to the Earth Twins.|group=}}, and the possible landslides are credited to the hill clans' displeasing of the Earth Twins. &lt;blockquote&gt;<br /> ''Oh, sorrow, it has come to the first ones too,''<br /> <br /> ''Where wealth and happiness once abound.''<br /> <br /> ''And Kiya of wisdom and virtue''<br /> <br /> ''Called the god of burning sun.''<br /> <br /> ''but the gods Ayia and Andak were angered''<br /> <br /> ''From mountain prisons, rain and stone''<br /> <br /> ''they sent wrath upon the earth''<br /> <br /> ''O men, who listen, like a riddle to Degen,'' <br /> <br /> ''where faith and sorrow combine,''<br /> <br /> ''and a shadow of divine organization'' <br /> <br /> ''hangs aloft.''&lt;/blockquote&gt;''&lt;small&gt;— Psovak’s Book of Wezirmej&lt;/small&gt;''<br /> [[File:Jegen house.jpg|thumb|A typical Jegen dwelling (''gamoön'')]]<br /> These divine calamities drove the Dagun clan to expand their holdings to adjacent settlements. As this expansion, led by '''Kiya the Bright''', went on, more clans were added to form a large confederation of clans. This confederation went on to cover close to half of the settled region of the Rura Valley. When Wasuru died, he left the control of the vast confederation to Kiya the Bright. The ambitious Kiya, however, would go with her warriors on a swift, decisive campaign, where chiefs who refused her authority were promptly deposed. Returning to Dagun, Kiya declared herself Chief Paramount, a title that would change to King of Dagun in future generations. Kiya’s grandson, '''Kiuwasili''', would build his grand capital, called '''Lahaän''', on the site of Dagun. Lahaän is considered the first city of Acronite history, but the earliest archaeological evidence of a large city-like settlement would not come until almost a century later in 6400 B.N., at the early capital of the Jochi Dynasty, Kotana-Du.<br /> <br /> In its almost century-long existence, the Dagun Kingdom had five legendary Chief Paramounts, starting with Kiya the Bright and culminating in the reign of '''Muwursu I the Cruel'''. Muwursu was legendarily cruel, supposedly executing thousands of his subjects when they came to him seeking support in the winter months. The despot also infamously ordered his detail to wrangle a grizzly bear to parade through his court. Expectedly, this went horribly wrong, as the aggravated bear, made to do ridiculous tricks for the court, freed himself and brutally mauled the aristocrats in his vicinity. The young king Muwursu, who had seated himself atop the bear, was thrown against a column and rendered paraplegic for the rest of his reign. Supposedly, his paralysis only added to his cruelty, and he would famously decree for all grizzly bears to be killed.<br /> <br /> The Dagun Kingdom, while short-lived, had a legacy far beyond its rule, as it majorly helped proliferate the cult of '''Puliluwaswe''' and paved the way for future states like the Jochi and '''Tukai'''.<br /> ====Jochi Kingdom====<br /> The Jochi Kingdom is the earliest nation of traditional Acronite history firmly supported by archaeological evidence. Excavation at the last Jochi capital Mari uncovered major burial mounds and the foundations of stone buildings and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been found.<br /> <br /> The dynasty was founded by the ''ajirai''{{Refn|In early Acronite History, primarily in the Prehistoric period, an ajirai or ajir was a vagrant warrior who travelled the land to offer his sword to anyone in exchange for boarding or payment, until they eventually settle down on a fief granted to them.|group=}} Chigu, who was made the suzerain of Kannu by Kiya for assisting in her war efforts against the Snake Kingdom{{Refn|The Snake Kingdom was the name given by the Dagun Kingdom to the loose clan alliance of the lowland tribes that remained faithful to the Earth Twins or Snake cult.|group=}}. Several generations later, Chigu's descendant Kunalli led a popular uprising against the cruel final ruler of the Dagun dynasty and usurped the throne. <br /> <br /> ===Jegen Shamanism===<br /> {{Jegen Shamanism}}<br /> <br /> ==== Puliluwaswe ====<br /> Puliluwaswe is one of the most significant deities in the mythology and Shamanist traditions of the Jegen civilization and the later Jaliqai civilization, revered as the sun god and a principal figure in their pantheon. The Tulans, who established one of the largest and most powerful empires before the Numorite Landing, considered Puliluwaswe to be the ancestor of their kings and the bringer of life and sustenance to the world.<br /> <br /> In Jegen mythology, Puliluwaswe is the son of '''Nama''', the god of the primordial sea of Nasazi, and the most ancient deity responsible for the creation of life. After Nama created the two worlds of '''Nasazi''' and '''Nakwi''' and the animals and spirits that inhabited the respective worlds, he brought forth Puliluwaswe, who emerged from '''Nama's''' great eye, to bring light to the world he had created. When the creator god Nama returned to the depths of the earth, this left Puliluwaswe as the new ruler of the world. From his golden throne above the clouds in Nakwi, Puliluwaswe's furious light shone down for half of the day, until he went to sleep in his great longhouse. For many ages, as Puliluwaswe slept, the animals of Nasazi were left in pitch darkness, until the time of Ah and Ano, as the goddess Niwa showered Ah with moonlight, ruefully watching him from her celestial realm.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe was worshipped in many forms, such as Sun ('''''Kurri'''''), War ('''''Kulunapi'''''), and the Wolverine ('''''Dakuna'''''). He was called upon for protection, bravery and luck in battle, and warriors made offerings to him to join him in the afterlife. Common motifs associated with Puliluwaswe are gold, the spear ('''zida''') and the cloud.<br /> <br /> As '''Ah''' and '''Ano''' became the guardians of humanity, Puliluwaswe would lose his significance, but as his warlike worshippers spread across the region, so did his cult. All four of the major Jegen 'kingdoms' were dedicated to his cult, and the later Jaliqai also revered him, with their belief system becoming almost monotheistic surrounding Puliluwaswe. <br /> <br /> =====Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs=====<br /> The Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs, also known as the '''Animasani''', was a key religious figure in Prehistoric Acron, revered for her supposed ability to communicate with the gods and provide divine guidance and prophecies. The Oracle was associated with the sanctuary of Puliluwaswe, located on the slopes of '''Utti''' (Mount Amla). According to Jegen legend, the caverns of Utti are where Puliluwaswe slayed the serpent Kunutahsu, who guarded the site. With Kunutahsu vanquished, Puliluwaswe claimed Utti as his own, establishing it as a center for prophecy and divine communication. The Oracle's significance grew over time, evolving from a local cult site into one of the most important religious centers in Prehistoric Acron.[[File:Nikkaluzzi.jpeg|thumb|324x324px|An Uttin virgin is strangled by Kunutahsu in a modern era engraving]]Before the battle with Kunutahsu, Utti was under the serpent's dominion, with Kunutahsu guarding the sacred spring and exerting control over the surrounding land. Kunutahsu's presence cast a shadow over the region, and every night, as he slept, the poison from his body seeped into the spring and poisoned the stream that fed nearby fields. The hill-town faced a famine that winter, as the poisoned water had killed all of the year's harvest. As their granaries grew empty, the chieftain ordered a warrior to travel west to another hill-town and sell all their llama. To the chieftain's dismay, the warrior returned with a single potato, and one runt llama that their neighbors had refused. The village elders held a meeting, and concluded that the chieftain's wife '''Nikkaluzzi''' must be sent to Kunutahsu as a sacrifice. That night, Nikkaluzzi was blindfolded and began the long walk up the mountain, following the poison stream. As she slept in the boughs of a willow, near the peak of Utti, she was found by a '''''dandanku''''', or forest nymph. The nymph's name was '''Hiurasuarsuit''', and she woke Nikkaluzzi, asking what she was doing, walking blindfolded up a dangerous mountain. Nikkaluzzi explained that she was a sacrifice for Kunutahsu, and upon hearing the dreaded serpent's name, the nymph shrieked. The nymph begged her to turn back, saying that her sacrifice would make no difference. Hiurasuarsuit told Nikkaluzzi that if she would forsake her vision, she could plead directly with Puliluwaswe, the sun god. Nikkaluzzi was held down on a rock by five nymphs, and Hiurasuarsuit stripped her of her clothing and her blindfold. Then, the nymph poured a boiling tea made of a cactus{{refn|group=|It is believed that the tea was brewed from the flowering peyote cactus, which contains highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic chemicals. The cactus is still commonly used in neo-Jegenist practices and by modern shamans claiming to descend from the Animasani.}} over the woman's face and into her open mouth. The boiling tea immediately blinded the unsuspecting Nikkaluzzi, but the potent tea-induced hallucinations removed her from her pain. After telepathically pleading with Puliluwaswe in his house, the god agreed to cleanse Utti of Kunutahsu's blight and assert his authority as the patron deity of the sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Armed with his gold club, Puliluwaswe confronted Kunutahsu in a titanic battle. Kunutahsu, a formidable adversary born from the primordial chaos, fought fiercely against Puliluwaswe's strikes, coiling and darting with deadly precision. The clash between the god of the sun and the serpent of darkness symbolized the '''''Neru''''', the eternal struggle between the two Jegen cults{{Refn|This eternal struggle between night and day, the wolf and the serpent, earth and fire is called the Neru, and is the basis of many Jegen and other Prehistoric myths.|group=}}; the cult of the sun god Puliluwaswe, and the cult of earth and water, centered around worship of the Earth Twins. Despite the serpent's formidable strength and cunning, Puliluwaswe proved victorious in the end, delivering a fatal blow with his golden club. With a mighty cry, Kunutahsu fell to the ground, mortally wounded, as Puliluwaswe emerged triumphant from the battle. With Kunutahsu defeated, Puliluwaswe purified the land of Utti, cleansing it of the serpent's disease and establishing his sanctuary upon the site of his victory. The caverns where Puliluwaswe delivered the decisive blow served as the focal point of the sanctuary and housed the Animasani.<br /> <br /> Puliluwaswe chose Nikkaluzzi to be the first Oracle, giving her the powers of prophecy and the ability to pass on her powers to future Animasani. The nymphs that guided Nikkaluzzi became the ''Watniyaswe;'' also known as the Uttin Virgins, the mysterious women who served the Oracle and brewed the psychoactive tea used in the prophesying rituals of the Animasani.<br /> <br /> The myth of the Animasanis would later be used to justify the power of the oracles who served as spiritual authorities for the Jegen people well into the Numorite period.<br /> <br /> == Ancestral (Jaliqai) Period ==<br /> [[File:Tumnawalwi raft.jpg|thumb|The ''Tumnawalwi'' (Tumna Raft), a solid gold votive created by the Tumna tribe of Jegen in the Late Jegen period. ]]<br /> <br /> === Early Jaliqai Period ===<br /> It was during the rule of the mythical Upiuman's descendant Budan, that the deities Ah and Ano descended from the mountains in two canoes, bringing with them six men and six women from afar. The men were led by their chief Turul, and his wife and captain Manna led the women. Manna had legendarily dreamed of such a far-off country, and Turul deemed it a suitable place to flee to from a neighboring chief in their homeland, to whom he had already lost seven wars. After they briefly stayed at Budan's lodge, with Budan's blessing the foreigners settled in different areas of the valley, primarily the meadows and plains which the Jegen left empty, since their settlements were primarily at higher elevations. This culture is known as the Jaliqai, named after Jal, the first son of Turul and Manna who was born in the Rura region. The Jaliqai presumably had preexisting expertise in agriculture, and this paired with the more fertile locations of their settlements caused the Jaliqai group to quickly multiply in size. With them, they brought rice, which had a significant role in the population growth of the region, but more importantly, they brought the idols of their homeland, called '''''osol''''', which are iconic symbols of Prehistoric Acron and the Tula civilization. At this time, the climate began to cool and heavy rains caused mudslides in the valley which devastated the harvest of Jegen hilltop communities. Additionally, the storms led to the degradation of wooden Jegen buildings and the spreading of mold and disease. On the other hand, the Jaliqai settlements experienced severe flooding due to their flat locations, but because of the stone construction of their cities they were spared the mold-borne plagues that befell the Jegen. Once the waters retreated, however, this created the perfect conditions for Jaliqai farming, as a lot of ground cover had been cleared by the flooding and the soil was rich with nutrients. After this winter, the Jaliqai population boomed, especially at Tula. On the other hand, that winter halved the Jegen population, and many settlements were abandoned leading to many Jegen migrating towards the river to Jaliqai communities. Finally, in a last resort, the remaining fragments of the Yen Kingdom mounted an ill-fated attack against the Jaliqai, but their sick and hungry warriors were no match for the modern fortifications and well-fed warriors of the Jaliqai. This marked the end of the preeminence of Jegen culture and society, and the end of the Middle Jegen Period. Most of the remaining Jegen population was assimilated into Jaliqai society, many as slaves and laborers. <br /> <br /> Small nomadic bands and villages of Jegen people still existed into the Numorite era, with their new society under the rule of the oracle at Utti. These people were largely cooperative and as a result unbothered by successive rulers in the region. Eventually, the Jegen seem to have finally disappeared in the early medieval age. In the modern era, some people, especially those from areas with historically large indigenous Jaliqai populations, carry small amounts of Jegen DNA. <br /> ====Jaliqai Origin Myth ====<br /> [[File:Ah and gno.jpg|thumb|317x317px|Ano leads Turul and his men down the river Ash]]According to legend, the ancestors of the Jaliqai people originated from a mythical island called Asui. This island is often believed to be located somewhere in the XXX Islands, though the exact location remains uncertain. The story goes that Asui was a prosperous and harmonious land, inhabited by a thriving community. However, a great catastrophe befell the island, possibly a volcanic eruption or hurricane, prompting its inhabitants to embark on a perilous journey across the vast expanse of the legendary Earthsea{{refn|group=|The Havigsuatsiaat, also known as the Earthsea or the Primordial Sea, was the great sea that the Jaliqai believed covered all the earth and was the start of all life as well as the home of nascent gods.}} in search of a new home. Led by their chief, Turul, and his captain and wife, Manna, the people of Asui set sail in large canoes known as ''irniq''. These canoes were said to be guided by the stars and the currents of the ocean, as well as the wisdom passed down from their ancestors. After a long and arduous voyage, the voyagers finally sighted a remote land on the horizon. Their canoes led them to the mythical ''Irnuasu'', the source of the Rura river and the home of the twin earth deities Ah and Ano, who lived in a banyan that watched over the whole valley and its people. The twin deities believed that their Jegen subjects were turning away from the earth veneration cult of Irnuasu and increasingly towards Puliluwaswe's sun god cult and his Oracle of the Rocks and Cliffs. Ano saw in Turul and Manna's people that they would be the harbingers of a great change in the land, and they hoped that the new people would return to the earth. The twins told Turul and Manna that if they restored the cult of the Earth Twins and returned the caverns to Kunutahsu, the dominion of Zuru would be theirs to rule. Turul and Manna obliged, and Ah and Ano guided the Jaliqai through the mountain tributaries and brought them to the home of Budan, the descendant of Iarapia and Kurapu. As the oldest established clan, Budan's ''hutarlĭ'' were some of the few remaining earth worshippers, but his clan was one in decline, as the warlike sun-worshipping Tukai Kingdom had severed ties with Maruwa. From Maruwa, Turul and Manna's people went on to spread out throughout the valley, establishing a small settlement on the riverbanks that would grow to be the great city of Tula, one of the greatest cities of the Prehistoric world.<br /> <br /> ==== Ancestral Period Tula (4000 - 3500 B.N.) ====<br /> The city of Tula, established by Turul and Manna in about 6,000 BCE or 4000 B.N. started to develop into a larger urban center in around 3300 B.N., characterized by a grid-like street layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and large public buildings. At the time, it was not the only urban center, as sites like Ukarniq, Aumanil, and Aningan had grown into huge settlements with similarly grandiose constructions. Until the reign of Ashi I of Tula, Aumanil was the most powerful and largest city of the Jaliqai, with a population of up to 30,000 in 2100 B.N. Though Tula was lesser in size and strength than its rival cities like Aumanil and Ukarniq, it began to develop a very powerful aristocracy and became the nexus of Jaliqai arts and culture.<br /> <br /> While Tula could not be called a proper 'city', Ancestral Tula served as the first Jaliqai settlement in the region and all Jaliqai would trace their origins to Ancestral Tula. The period of Tula's establishment from 4000 B.N. to 3500 B.N. is called the Ancestral Tula period. Not much is known about Ancestral Tula except from royal annals kept since the reign of Turul and Manna that were transcribed by later scribes during the Intermediate Jaliqai period. Therefore, what is known about Ancestral Tula is almost wholly its conquests and achievements, and not much is known about the actual settlement and its structure.<br /> <br /> When Turul and Manna died, probably in the 3970s B.N., they left behind a fast-growing Jaliqai population of almost nine thousand. Of these nine thousand, almost three thousand lived in Ancestral Tula, making it the largest permanent settlement at the time, until the first 'stone cities' emerged around 3400 B.N. It is believed that Ancestral Tula was highly unorganized and had very limited permanent structures, most of the construction being wooden longhouses typical of the period. Ancestral Tula was likely arbitrarily centered around the chief's longhouse, and geographic data shows there may have been a central plaza of sorts in front of the chief's residence. Until the real establishment of the Tulan monarchy in 3500 B.N., Tula was an oligarchy loosely ruled by a chief who was elected by a council of the upper class and ruled for life. As there was no real nobility at the time, the wealthy families that sat the council could easily change in the course of a chief's lifetime, making Ancestral Tula very decentralized and unstable.<br /> <br /> The only archaeological evidence from the period of Ancestral Tula is a large structure that most likely served as a public bath, built around 3400 B.N. and in use until the Great Rebuilding of the 3300s B.N. This bath was located on the main 'square' and it is not known if it was open to the middle and lower classes or if it solely served the oligarchy.<br /> <br /> ==== Early Tula (3500 - 1900 B.N.) ====<br /> The era of Tulan history starting with the establishment of the Tulan monarchy by Shalala I in 3400 B.N. and ending with the reign of Shanabu III in 1900 B.N. is referred to as Early Tula. The Early Tula period is characterized by the centralization of Tula and the establishment of a state ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Also during the Early Tula period, cities like Aumanil, Ukarniq, and Kanguqar reached their zeniths.<br /> <br /> ===Intermediate Jaliqai===<br /> ====Cities of the Jaliqai====<br /> Until 3400 B.N., the cities of the Jaliqai were highly unorganized and made up of mainly impermanent wooden structures. However, the establishment of the state of Ukarniq by Gaga I in 3480 B.N. and the subsequent establishment of the Iluna dynasty of Aumanil by Qamilli I in 3478 B.N. saw the need for permanent cities arise as the two city-states turned to war. In the turmoil of the conflict, fires devastated the unorganized, wooden structures that were ubiquitous at the time. Gaga II outlawed the construction of any new buildings with wood, and Qamilli I's successor, Ninni I made a similar mandate as well as ordering the construction of a huge citadel. In this way, Ukarniq and Aumanil became the first 'stone cities' of their time, only made possible by the centralization of their states. Aningan and Tula, however, were not able to make the shift to permanent structures until they established their own monarchies in the 3500s B.N.. <br /> <br /> Ukarniq is seen as the first state of the Jaliqai to rise to power, followed by Aumanil, which in turn was followed by the brief hegemony of Aningan and ended with the preeminence of Tula until the fall of the Jaliqai states. Four of the five most significant cities of the Jaliqai (Ukarniq, Aningan, Aumanil, and Kanguqar) are all situated closer to the coast in the arid southern region of Ridwan, with the one outlier being Tula, situated further inland in a more mountainous setting. <br /> [[File:Ukarniq walls.jpg|thumb|The city walls of Ukarniq, built by Windu III]]<br /> <br /> ====== Ukarniq ======<br /> Around 3950 B.N., the city of Ukarniq was legendarily founded by Princess Ziusudra, granddaughter of Turul and Manna, after she was exiled for committing adultery. She eloped from Tula with her lover Tapalazunauli, a fisherman, founding a settlement near Lake Torun.<br /> <br /> ===== Aumanil =====<br /> {{Main article|Aumanil}}Aumanil, established in 3800 B.N. by the shepherd '''Samsi-iluna''', soon grew to a major city by the Early Tula period. Due to its location on high ground in an arid region, Aumanil had a great defensive advantage and its rulers rapidly annexed the rich fields in its periphery. Aumanil operated with a similar oligarchic structure to Tula at the time, with a council of wealthy landholders electing a chieftain to serve for life. Likewise, Aumanil used a system close to feudalism, the '''''tupilek''''','''''{{Refn|Under the tupilek system, the citizens who worked on the fields outside of the city paid a crop levy determined by the size and productivity of their household. In return, they were granted 'protection', but it served more as rent paid to the council that owned most of the land. From this levy, the council sold the produce at a tremendous profit to the people of the city, primarily to artisans who didn't produce their own food but paid with the goods they made.}}''''' that was ubiquitous until the Intermediate Jaliqai period when it was replaced by a more formal tax. This system allowed the council to standardize food prices and resulted in relatively few famines and good management of crop stores. <br /> <br /> However, members of the council realized that they could profit more if they sold the crops to a middleman, destabilizing the price of food and allowing for the council to profit immensely when stores grew low in winter. This shift gave the council enormous power and wealth, while it plunged the city into famines, riots and turmoil.<br /> <br /> '''Establishment of dynastic rule'''<br /> <br /> This loose oligarchy went on for generations until '''Gaga I'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;'s establishment of a kingdom in '''Ukarniq'''. Seeing this, the peasants called on their chief, Qamilli, to do so as well. In exchange for their support, Qamilli promised to take away the power of the corrupt council and hopefully alleviate food prices. So, Qamilli and his supporters stormed the council building{{Refn|The citadel was not yet built until the end of Qamilli I's reign.}}, overthrowing the council. Qamilli crowned himself King of Aumanil, establishing the '''Iluna Dynasty''' (named for the city's founder) in 3478.<br /> <br /> '''Qamilli I'''<br /> <br /> In a great show of force, Qamilli had numerous members of the council publicly beheaded at his coronation. Qamilli was greatly loved by the commoners, when in truth, all he had done was execute a few members of the oligarchy, merely replacing them with more supportive oligarchs. Winter came, and as food prices soared, peasants took to the streets in an angry mob headed the new king's way. However, the mob was brutally repressed by Qamilli I's royal guard, ruining his reputation as a man of the people. Qamilli I, desperate to save his reputation, decreed that the state would sell crops stored from their levy at a standard price for a third of the year, alleviating the soaring costs of winter but still allowing the King and his court to turn a great profit.<br /> <br /> Qamilli I's idealistic successors often attempted to return to the transparency of the original '''''tupilek''''' system, but these attempts were thwarted by the court, who still held the same power as the council that existed before. The court of Aumanil became a hugely powerful, vastly wealthy player in Jaliqai history, and their city became the largest in its time, not even surpassed by '''Tula''' in its peak. While it was large, the people of Aumanil were terribly poor, and the city below the palace became a chaotic, unstable, and destitute place that was almost wholly separate from the citadel. Many of Aumanil's kings tried to bring order to the city by force, but the city was far too vast for this to be possible, and the King and his court simply stayed in the citadel above the city, enjoying the huge wealth of their subjects almost in a separate world. However, this made Aumanil very vulnerable to civil unrest and attack, as the common people despised their rulers and would likely do nothing to stop invaders. This led to the increased isolation and detachment of the nobility, as they fortified the huge citadel and soon would barely rule the city below, only collecting the '''''tupilek''''' but not intervening in any other way.<br /> <br /> Aumanil reached the peak of its size in 2100 B.N., with its almost 30,000 subjects making it the largest city in the region. At the height of the city's power from 2200 - 2060 B.N., the king of Aumanil held tremendous power in the politics of the region, due to the sheer wealth of the city. The king became a wealthy, desirable ally for any Jaliqai warlord, and at one point even had a formidable force of his own.<br /> <br /> '''Early rulers ''(3466 - 2444 B.N.)'''''<br /> <br /> In the millennia after Qamilli I's reign, only the reigns of 6 monarchs are known. This is the result of the record burnings under Ququr VI, who ruled in the last century of Aumanil's existence.<br /> <br /> Of these six, only three had significant achievements. These were Amata the Blond, Linark the Wise, and Linark III (the Anointed).<br /> <br /> Amata I (the Blond) was the first recorded king after Qamilli I, ruling from 3310 - 3306 B.N.. He was also notably not directly descended from Qamilli, but his relation with the founder is not known. His most significant achievement was the <br /> <br /> ====== Zenith and the Century of Poison ''(2200 - 2060 B.N.)'' ======<br /> While the '''Iluna Dynasty''' effectively ruled in Aumanil for its whole existence, little is known about the hundreds of kings who ruled in its two millennia of existence, aside from a scattering of rulers that were especially notable. A mere 20 names of kings are fully known from the Iluna Dynasty's 1,500 years of rule. Out of the five female rulers of Aumanil, only the first, Sitiyok, is mentioned. The later four, most importantly Esh-hter the Great, are only known from the almanac (''X'imisad'') of '''Ila-Ababku''' of the '''Lugul-Aradeju Yedij''', which recorded the rulers of Aumanil in its zenith, in the century from '''Ender II''' (2200 B.N.) to '''Ulva''' (2099 B.N.)<br /> <br /> During the period between 2200 and 2060, Aumanil dominated trade and politics within the Jaliqai world, with its large population, wealth, and huge influence, controlling significant cities such as Ukarniq and Kanguqar.<br /> <br /> '''Ender II'''<br /> <br /> Ender II 'the Conqueror' was the first documented king of the Zenith, ascending the throne in 2200. Ender II's rule is regarded to be the start of Aumanil's peak, ushered in by his conquering of Kanguqar. The Zenith is marked by Aumanil's control over Ukarniq and Kanguqar, and when that control was lost, the zenith was also finished.<br /> <br /> At the relatively old age of 45, in 2184, Ender personally led a small but well-armed cavalry force to the gates of Kanguqar. They arrived at sundown, hiding in a ravine near the city. In the middle of the night, a small group of Ender's warriors crept into the city, setting fire to the weapons storage and the sleeping quarters of Kanguqar's warriors. Early in the morning, Ender's larger force swept into the city, and after a hopeless last stand, the king of Kanguqar, Tauthe IV, surrendered.<br /> <br /> '''Shaunark II'''<br /> <br /> Shaunark II 'the Builder', the earliest king of Aumanil to have extensive historical records, ascended the throne in 2180, at around 30 years old. He was the bastard son of Ender II 'the Conqueror', whose main achievement was bringing the city of '''Kanguqar''' into the control of Aumanil from 2190 to 2153 B.N. Shaunark II is regarded as the second king of Aumanil's zenith, and the start of the line of Puki IV, which included such great rulers as Esh-hter III.<br /> <br /> Shaunark II is best known for his construction works in the city of Aumanil, notably building public services in the Lower City and greatly expanding the defensive capacity of the Citadel of Samsi-Iluna. He commissioned a grand expansion to the temple of Kabkabu which would not be completed until the reign of Ququr VI, and built a vast temple to Ila. The great temple of Ila, situated at the base of the citadel in the Lower City, served as a hospital and a convent for the city's people. The hospital at the temple of Ila was one of the largest of its time, and while not as advanced in its practices, it served a much larger population. The seven years of his reign were characterized by a great increase in the living conditions of the Lower City, and increasing support of the common people for their ruler. Upon his death in 2173, he was succeeded by his son '''Puki IV''', later to be known as 'the Forgiving' for his revision of the ''tupilek''.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''''The Century of Poison'''''<br /> {{Main article|List of monarchs of Aumanil}}Aumanil’s royal court reached peak decadence during this era, when '''7 of its known 20 rulers''' were assassinated:<br /> <br /> * '''Puki IV''': Beloved reformer; poisoned by his daughter '''Esh-hter II''' under noble orders.<br /> * '''Esh-hter II''': Stoned by the public at a royal procession.<br /> * '''Esh-hter III (the Great)''': Tried to curb court power; poisoned by wife '''Onartok''', who had been seduced by Lord Kadshuman’s promise of the throne.<br /> * '''Onartok''': Ruled 30 days before being poisoned by '''Princess''' '''Belit''', Kadshuman’s new puppet.<br /> * '''Ashlultum I''': Successor of Belit: stabbed by his son '''Eruk'''.<br /> * '''Iva I''': Poisoned mysteriously after ordering Eruk’s execution.<br /> * '''Ulva''': Infamous for killing Lord Murdus during a sexual act; poisoned a year later by his sister '''Onartok II'''.<br /> <br /> All seven of these rulers ruled in the century from 2200 B.N. to 2099 B.N., which is widely regarded as the peak of the zenith of Aumanil. <br /> Puki IV, 'the Forgiving', <br /> <br /> The first to die, the beloved Puki IV, was '''poisoned''' by his daughter Esh-hter II, who would later meet a similar fate. The nobility ordered Puki IV's poisoning because of his increasingly anti-oligarchic actions and his revision of the '''''tupilek'''''. Esh-hter II, hated by the peasants for murdering her beloved father, was brutally '''stoned to death''' at a procession for her brother Ashlultum I's birth. Esh-hter II's sister, Esh-hter III, known as Esh-hter the Great for her grand achievements, was poisoned by her wife Onartok on orders of the nobility. Esh-hter III, in her wisdom, had realized the corruption of the royal court and sought to dampen their influence. Hearing of this, Lord Kadshuman, the most cunning of the nobility, promised Onartok the throne if she poisoned her wife. This went through, and Esh-hter III was '''poisoned''' on a campaign, leaving Onartok to take the throne. <br /> <br /> However, Onartok would not rule for longer than thirty days, as '''she herself was poisoned''' by Esh-hter III's cousin the Princess Belit. The Princess was given a similar deal, as the nobility wanted to return the throne to Qamilli's lineage. Soon, Belit sat the throne, and her cousin Ashlultum I would sit the throne after her. <br /> <br /> Ashlultum I, in turn, was '''stabbed to death''' by his violent son Eruk, who had a reputation for his violent impulsiveness earned in illegal whorehouses. Hearing of the murder, Ashlultum I's heir Iva I ordered the execution of his brother Eruk for treason. However, Iva I would soon die as well, mysteriously dying in a brothel at age 16. <br /> <br /> 40 years later, Iva II, known as ''''Iva the Insolent'''&lt;nowiki/&gt;' lost control of Ukarniq, ushering in the end of the '''zenith''' of Aumanil. Due to his insolency, the nobility had him '''poisoned''' by his son and heir Ender III, who mysteriously disappeared in the Lower City before he could claim the throne. Iva II's second son, Ulva, came into power, an impulsive and sexually frustrated youth. Ulva would strangle the older Lord Murdus while having sexual relations with him at the age of 16. Ulva was known to do sexual favors for the powerful lords of his court in exchange for access to the treasury, and Lord Murdus proved to be a liability. However, at 17, Ulva soon met the fate of death by poisoning, carried out by his sister Onartok II on the orders of Lord Murdus' family.<br /> <br /> ===Collapse of the Jaliqai Culture (Late Jaliqai)===<br /> [[File:Erection of osols.jpeg|thumb|291x291px|Artist's depiction of the erection of &quot;wind gates&quot; (''ariks'') and the use of logs to transport them]]<br /> The collapse of Jaliqai culture, occurring roughly between 800 Before Numor and 0 N., represents a complex and multifaceted event that profoundly altered the trajectory of the region's history. At its peak, Tula was a flourishing society characterized by impressive megalithic architecture, intricate social structures, and a rich cultural heritage. However, over time, a confluence of environmental, social, and economic factors contributed to the rapid decline of the once-thriving city. One of the primary drivers of collapse was environmental degradation, particularly deforestation. The early Jaliqai settlers arrived in the Rura region with a sophisticated understanding of agriculture, utilizing stone tools to clear land for cultivation and constructing intricate irrigation systems to support their crops. However, as the population grew and demand for resources increased, the region's dense forests were systematically depleted to fuel various societal needs, including the construction of canoes for fishing and the transportation of the region's iconic &quot;wind gates&quot;, known as ''arik''. The loss of these forests, which played a crucial role in soil stabilization and moisture retention, resulted in widespread soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and decreased agricultural productivity, ultimately leading to food shortages and societal upheaval. In addition to environmental factors, social and political dynamics also contributed to Tula's collapse. As the region's population expanded and resources dwindled, competition for land, food, and other essential resources intensified, leading to social stratification and conflict within the Jaliqai society. Moreover, the introduction of diseases by the Numorites further devastated the region's population, decimating communities and exacerbating existing societal tensions. The collapse of Jaliqai civilization was not a sudden event but rather a gradual process spanning several centuries, characterized by a series of interconnected environmental, social, and economic challenges. While the exact sequence of events leading to collapse remains the subject of scholarly debate, evidence suggests that a combination of factors, including deforestation, soil degradation, overpopulation, intergroup conflict, and the introduction of foreign diseases, contributed to the demise of one of the world's most enigmatic civilizations.<br /> <br /> ==Sandbox==<br /> [[User:Tsundoku/AA_sandbox|link]]<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> &lt;references group=&quot;note&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Hedin_Autonomous_Region&diff=578037 2026-02-26T18:56:53Z

<p>Tsundoku: /* Culture */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Hedin Autonomous Region<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Erinazheen Mashazha}} ([[Hedin language|Hedin]])&lt;br /&gt;''Erinazhên Mashazha''&lt;br /&gt;{{KaiScript|Hedinzhan Asajijin sa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Hedinzhan Asaji-jinsa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Autonomous Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:Tehran-iran-1.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = Jaikai, the region's largest city, its iconic Zadaji Tower seen from Dashtan Boulevard<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Erinshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 94,032,869<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Sakuriden<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Jaikai<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''The Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR)''', locally known as '''Erinshuri''' in the [[Hedin language|Hedin language (Eriyudi)]], is an autonomous region in eastern [[Kaishuri]]. It includes the Hedin cities of Jaikai, Par, Sakuěrde (Sakuriden) and Mudiar. It surrounds an enclave of [[Kamekobashi Province]] called Yoshari. The Hedin Autonomous Region is the most populous '''autonomous region''' in Kaishuri, the third most populous subdivision in all of Kaishuri, and the second largest subdivision by area. The HAR is also the most populous non-Kai majority subdivision of Kaishuri and one of the only areas where ethnic Kai people make up only 5-10% of the population.<br /> <br /> The HAR was granted the status of nationality in a referendum of {{Kai-c|17|3=March|4=1989}}. The autonomous region is based on the ''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State'', a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the Hedin people in far Eastern Kaishuri.<br /> <br /> '''Hedins (''Erinï'' )''' are a Kaijin ethnic group that are one of the largest minorities in Kaishuri. They share many aspects of their culture with the Kai people, due to Kai imperial domination over the area for centuries. What makes Hedins distinct and gives them a ethnic identity is that they were mostly semi-nomadic until the discovery of coal in the 1900s. The Hedins are part of a larger group of Kaijin living near the mountains of East Kaishuri known as the “hill tribes”. Hedins make up the majority of the group, and other peoples of the “hill tribes” include the Zolo, Guran, and Dagas. For much of history, the hill tribes were considered uncivilized and hopeless, resulting in very minimal presence of the Kai empires which nominally ruled the region, aside from language.<br /> <br /> In recent years, the Hedin region has been one of the fastest growing areas outside of the [[Shukariden/Gallery|Shukariden region]], with huge economic and population growth fed by a huge mining, manufacturing, and heavy industry boom in the last 20 years. The Hedin region has also historically been one of the most progressive regions of Kaishuri, with a tradition of republicanism and a heavy presence of socialism. Led by Shumadi Madir, the [[Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)|'''Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)''']] has ruled the HAR effectively as a one-party totalitarian state since the end of the [[Cheka War|'''Cheka War''']], when the HEP was formed by the remnants of the Erinshuri Freedom Army, the Red Sashes, and the Erin Tigers. The HAR is the center of Kaishuri's Hedin population and the center of Hedin culture, with a burgeoning film industry producing world-famous films such as [[Last Boat to Satun|'''Last Boat to Satun''']], a vibrant music scene, and a strong culture of sports, specifically Falcon FC of Mudiar and Jaikai United of Jaikai.<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> ===Hedin Insurgency (1960-1989)===<br /> [[File:Hedin bombing.jpg|left|thumb|The 1987 firebombing of Mudiar by Kai aircraft]]<br /> The '''Hedin Insurgency''', called the '''Cheka War''' (meaning Red War) by the Hedin, was a separatist conflict in East Kaishuri, fought between the '''Erin Tigers''' ''(Erin Shärö'') and the Kaishuri government from '''1960 to 1989'''. The insurgency stemmed from the region’s distinct history, culture, and economic grievances. Historically an independent state, Hedins fiercely resisted imperial rule and were one of the last regions to be incorporated into the Republic. After the Blossom Revolution, in return for not preventing the restoration of the monarchy, the Hedin people were initially promised special autonomy, but they were later integrated into East Shiamori province, sparking local resentment. In 1937, Erinshuri briefly became a stronghold of the '''Red Banner Movement''', a socialist movement seeking a socialist state for the peasants of Kaishuri. Though the rebellion was suppressed by 1962, Hedin dissatisfaction with Akyáz’s rule persisted, particularly over the exploitation of the region’s coal mines, which fueled Kaishuri's national economy while leaving much of the local population impoverished.<br /> [[File:Kai gove.jpg|thumb|EFA soldiers in Par, 1979, as the city was under siege]]<br /> In 1976, the Erin Tigers, led by Hudien La, declared Erinshuri's independence, arguing that Akyáz had colonized Erinshuri and plundered its resources. The Kai imperial military launched counterinsurgency operations, but the conflict remained low-level until the early 1980s, when the Kaishurian government escalated military operations, designating the region a “Military Operations Zone”, declaring martial law from '''1973 to 1982'''. During this period, Kai forces engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, leading to deepening local resentment and increased support for the Tigers. Following Hudien La's capture and execution in 1982, the central government lifted martial law on Erinshuri, and initial peace talks began. However, a more conservative group, called the Erinshuri Freedom Army (EFA), emboldened by the political shift, expanded its operations, leading to renewed conflict. Negotiations were attempted in 1984, but the talks collapsed, and violence surged in the following years, when martial law was reestablished in Erinshuri in 1987 and launched one of Kaishuri's largest military operations.<br /> <br /> The turning point came in 1988, when the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake devastated Erinshuri, killing over 270,000 people in the province. The catastrophe created urgency for a resolution, as both sides faced international pressure to end hostilities. In 1989, EFA and the Kai government signed the Uruká Armistice. The deal granted Erinshuri special autonomy, allowing it to establish its own legal system, form local political parties, and retain 70% of its mining revenues. In exchange, EFA disarmed, and Kai troops withdrew. Unlike similar rebellions in Kaishuri, the Hedin conflict ended with Erinshuri remaining within Kaishuri but with significant self-governance. Since the peace deal, the Hedin region has remained largely stable, although tensions occasionally flare over governance and the implementation of nation-wide laws. The insurgency remains one of the most successful autonomy agreements in modern Aichan history.<br /> <br /> ==Demographics==<br /> Yao-di/Yazu-di (western/riverine-kachin) 65m<br /> <br /> Zan (mountains-mizo) 24m<br /> <br /> ==Economy==<br /> [[File:2657555053.webp|thumb|260x260px|The devastating effects of the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake, shown in Turpaji, a suburb of Jaikai]]<br /> The economic transformation and restructuring of the Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR) followed the '''Uruká Armistice''', which ended the Cheka War and established the '''Hedin People’s Coalition (HEP)''' as the governing authority. The new administration, led by former insurgents from the Erinshuri Freedom Army, prioritized rapid industrialization as a means of consolidating power and reducing reliance on the Kai monarchy-controlled economy. Historically marginalized and seen as a rebellious frontier region, Jaikai was largely excluded from national economic planning until the '''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State (1990)''' when the HAR gained control over its resource management, taxation policies, and industrial planning, enabling direct investment into mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects without interference from the central government. Unlike neighboring provinces, where economic policies were dictated by the state's development councils, the HAR established its own State Industrial Commission, which coordinated economic planning through plans modeled on state-directed development programs.<br /> <br /> Initial industrial efforts were hindered by a lack of infrastructure, skilled labor, and capital investment, but this changed with the discovery of high-grade iron ore, coking coal, and rare earth minerals around Senduvash Mountain. The HEP administration, under Chairman Madir, declared mining a strategic industry, directing state resources to develop the '''Eastern Renaissance Extraction Zone''', a series of open-pit mines designed for high-volume mineral output. The Hakodash Mining Corporation (HMC), previously a minor regional enterprise, was reorganized into the largest mining operator in HAR, expanding production through newly constructed rail corridors and processing facilities. By 2010, the HAR was producing over 70% of Kaishuri’s rare earth minerals, critical for electronics, defense industries, and energy technologies, giving the region increased economic leverage in negotiations with the central government.<br /> <br /> The Kaldirim Steelworks Group (KSG) was expanded in parallel, receiving state subsidies to construct new blast furnaces and rolling mills, allowing Jaikai to process raw iron and steel domestically rather than exporting unrefined materials. By 2010, KSG was supplying 30% of Kaishuri’s total steel production, feeding into national infrastructure projects and military supply chains. This industrial base led to the emergence of secondary heavy industries, including Lirashun Heavy Machinery (SHM) and Balgat Automotives (BBA), which became leading manufacturers of industrial equipment, construction vehicles, and military-grade transport trucks.<br /> <br /> These developments transformed Jaikai and the HAR from a peripheral, underdeveloped region into an industrial hub, accelerating urbanization as millions of rural Hedin workers migrated to the cities. By 2020, the HAR's economy was driven by state-run heavy industries, with strategic sectors under direct HEP control, ensuring continued economic independence from the Kaishuri monarchy’s central administration.<br /> <br /> == Tourism ==<br /> <br /> == Cuisine==<br /> <br /> === Sakuěrde ===<br /> Outside of the HAR, Hedin cuisine is very underrepresented despite the region's large population. A key difference that sets Hedin cuisine apart from the main Kaishurian regional cuisines is the much more limited use of tomatoes and dairy. Hedin cuisine places much more emphasis on soup and stew dishes, due to the cold winters and abundance of chilis. In the rest of Kaishuri, 'Hedin cuisine' typically refers to the cuisine of '''Sakuěrde''' '''(Sakuriden)''', a city known for dishes that can be quite sour compared to other regions of Kaishuri, which generally lean richer and more aromatic. Sakuěrdezhên cuisine is more represented throughout Kaishuri than other Hedin regional cuisines primarily because it is more suited to the typical Kaishurian palate, since Sakuěrdezhên cuisine uses far less chili than other Hedin regions like Par and Jaikai. The most nationally famous dishes of Hedin (Sakuriden) cuisine are '''washoi''' (lamb stewed with fresh herbs and sour green plums), '''Sakuěrdezhên kabar''' (a sour and spicy soup made with beef, sour plums, and walnuts) and '''enshori''' (a rich, garlicky, sour, and gelatinous soup made by long-simmering sheep head and feet). An adapted version of enshori, made with tripe instead, called bozhor is very well known in many larger Kai cities as a late-night food or as a hangover cure. Most bar streets in Kaishuri contain a shop specializing in bozhor that is open through the entire night. The most famous example of this is Sakurideni Street in Káibashi, a pub street which got its name from the abundance of bozhor shops owned by Hedins. In addition to bozhor/enshori, many Hedin restaurants throughout Kaishuri also offer the other famous soups of Sakuěrde, matoroi (a herbal broth made with beef shank) and voshê (an egg-thickened chicken soup flavored with vinegar). Almost all Hedin restaurants outside of the HAR that cater to Kai customers only serve Sakuěrdezhên soups, occasionally offering washoi and sometimes kabar. &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chakapuli.jpg|Washoi<br /> File:Kelle paça Hof.jpg|Enshori<br /> File:Харчо.jpg|Sakurideni kabar<br /> File:Shkembe-chorba.jpg|Bozhor in a bozhor shop in Akyáz<br /> File:Chikhirtma-7.jpg|Voshê<br /> File:147bc6ff491c4a988229a0c420788389.jpg|Matoroi<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> === Par ===<br /> While the most popular Hedin foods outside of Kaishuri are from the famously sour cuisine of Sakuěrde (Sakuriden), in the HAR, Sakuěrdezhên food is rarely seen outside of Sakuěrde itself. Instead, the most popular dishes come from Par, famous for its spicy stews. The cuisine of Par, the region being the main agricultural producer in the HAR and one of the biggest producers of chili in Kaishuri, uses chili in almost every dish, treating it more like a vegetable than a spice. Throughout the HAR, any meal will likely contain at least one of the 'holy trinity' of Pari stews, kulabiar (lotus), makai (kidney beans) and gashi (mutton). All three of these stews are almost always served with rice, as a main dish of any meal. Kulabiar (lotus) stew, the least spicy of the three, is most commonly eaten for breakfast, with green tea, rice, and fried bread (suêsh) to soak up the gravy. Makai (kidney beans) stew and gashi (mutton) stew are mostly eaten for lunch and dinner, but due to the cheaper ingredients in Makai stew, Makai is more commonly eaten for lunch while Gashi stew is saved for dinner to be enjoyed with family.<br /> <br /> Par is also a hub for the 24 million Zan Hedin people (the Zolo, Guran, and Daga hill-tribes) and their influence shows in the spicy, dry-fried small dishes called '''pakshê''' created to be easily preserved and transported by Zan hunters. In modern Par, pakshê are more of a bar snack or a side dish, alongside a main stew. Some of the most popular pakshê are zakêto (a spicy, jerky-like beef 'salad') and chatên (grilled meat tossed with chilies, spices, and mustard oil). Besides pakshê dishes, another Zan-influenced dish found in Par is pakashpê, a pork belly stew cooked with vinegar and chilies, often served at weddings.<br /> ====Zan Hills====<br /> A dish very unique to the Zan people of the hilly and rural areas is sêhên, a thick, sticky porridge made from millet flour cooked in boiling water until it reaches a smooth, elastic consistency. Sêhên was created to be heavier and more filling than rice, eaten as a staple carbohydrate by the Zan alongside vegetables, pakshê and other stews. Sêhên is not easy to find outside of the rural Zan areas, but in Par, during the '''Suêk-yahut''' festival, a Zan harvest festival, sêhên is commonly eaten according to tradition, usually with zakêto and often black coffee.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chhwela.jpg|Chatên<br /> File:Dhido.jpg|Zan sêhên<br /> File:Maxresdefault (1).jpg|Kulabiar stew<br /> File:Khasi ko masu.jpg|Gashi stew<br /> File:Rajma Rice, Raita, sprouts with potato sabji.JPG|Makai stew<br /> File:Sukuti.jpg|Drier Zan-style zakêto<br /> File:Sukuti2.jpg|More chili-heavy Par-style zakêto<br /> File:Phaksha paa.jpeg|Pakashpê<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> === Jaikai ===<br /> Hedin has a particularly strong street food culture compared to the rest of Kaishuri, especially in the capital of Jaikai, the home of iconic Hedin street foods such as vashi barada (a spicy snack mix of crispy rice and peanuts) and the wildly popular Jaikai panin (stir-fried noodles introduced by northwestern Kaishurians). Other well-known Jaikai dishes are kashaê (a spicy chicken stew) and the infamous lalicha (an extremely spicy salad made from raw minced meat).<br /> <br /> === '''Mudiar''' ===<br /> Having a colder climate than Jaikai and Par, Mudiari cuisine is comparatively richer, placing emphasis on warming stews like rashi and kashaê. In modern times, increasing availability of imported dairy products and potatoes from outside the Hedin region has resulted in adaptations of characteristic Mudiari dishes to include these newly cheap ingredients. The most famous example of this is rashi ênta, an adaptation of the chili-heavy stew rashi kêra, but with a relatively milder, creamier taste owing to the inclusion of potatoes and cheese.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Jhal Muri (Masala Muri).jpg|A street vendor in Jaikai selling vashi barada<br /> File:Jhal-Muri in Chottogram 03.jpg|Vashi barada<br /> File:Tsuivan.jpg|Jaikai panin<br /> File:Kachilaa.jpg|Lalicha<br /> File:Cooking jasha maroo.JPG|Kashaê<br /> File:Kewa-datshi-potato-with.jpg|Rashi ênta<br /> File:30.-Ema-Datshi-Recipe.jpg|Rashi kêra<br /> File:A4V3BUE3VFDQGUEQBW245KGY.webp|Taperesh kêra<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> === Feast traditions ===<br /> There are four main types of pagan feasts in Hedin culture, the wedding feast, New Year's feast, funeral feast, and full moon feast. Each of these typically contains a different combination of the main Hedin dishes. <br /> <br /> A wedding feast is usually centered around heavy, meat-based dishes like pakashpê and lalicha, as well as various roasted meats. A whole-roasted pig or lamb is often part of the wedding feast for larger families. A wedding feast also typically includes towering and highly decorated spiced rice dishes to accompany the meats. The abundance of meat at a Hedin wedding, traditionally paid for and prepared by the groom's family, lets the bride's family show off to their extended family the generosity of their new son-in-law. However, the main focus of a wedding feast is the dessert course. The desserts are traditionally prepared by the bride's family, to repay the groom's family for the generosity of the meat course. Dessert will usually consist of a myriad of baked goods, and puddings made from wheat and corn flour, mountain honey, and fruits.<br /> <br /> The New Year's feast, held on New Year's Eve, is the most unique of the Hedin feasts. It is considered inauspicious to eat rice on the New Year, so the dishes served at a New Year's feast are accompanied by breads and flatbreads instead of the typical rice. Other than this aspect, the dishes usually eaten for New Year's vary by household, but in the east and north of the HAR, near Par and the Zan Hills, the New Year's feast is often vegetarian, to pay respect to the animals which fed them for the rest of the year.<br /> <br /> The tradition of the funeral feast has its roots in the Kai imperial rule over the Hedin region, when the city of Sakuriden was established as the empire's main outpost in the region. The Kai administrators brought to the city brought with them their own cooks, who created what is now called Imperial Hedin cuisine by adapting Kai palace cuisine to Hedin ingredients. Imperial Hedin cuisine is characterized by its rich, warming, and mild stews and the use of lamb, uncommon in traditional Hedin cuisine but widely used in Kai cuisine. When one of these Kai administrators died, a funeral service was held and the guests were served Imperial Hedin dishes. It is said that a Hedin lord came to one of these funerals and so intrigued by the food, he ordered his cooks to prepare a similar feast for his mother's funeral. This started the tradition of Hedin funeral feasts, which centers around lighter-colored, more subtle dishes such as barakhtavêsa (an aromatic, creamy, stewed meatball dish, a tomato-less adaptation of the Kai palace dish '''kashim qëngji''') and gashta (a tomato-less version of the Kai palace dish '''rojana''').<br /> <br /> Throughout the HAR, the dishes served in the full-moon feast vary, but all include kabêk, a chilled pumpkin dessert cooked slowly with syrup. For the Yazu-di people, the tradition is to have orange and red-colored dishes, like kabêk, symbolizing the orange color of the moon. However for the Zan people, there are less specific traditions for the full-moon feast other than kabêk.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Kabak sekerlemesi.jpg|Kabêk<br /> File:Aşure kaseleri.JPG|'''Shêri''', a sweet pudding made with grains, served at weddings.<br /> File:Gushtaba..JPG|Barakhtavêsa<br /> File:Aab gosht.jpg|Gashta<br /> File:Ka3ek.JPG|Wedding cookies (pirêsa)<br /> File:بسبوسة.JPG|Honey-soaked cake (memerêsa)<br /> File:Mawa cake.jpg|Almond cake (darmêsa)<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> == Film ==<br /> The Hedin film industry, often referred to as '''Hedin Cinema''', has emerged as one of the most dynamic and influential film movements in Kaishuri, known for its dramatic, artful, and thriller-oriented storytelling. Rooted in the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of the Hedin people, the industry has evolved from a niche regional movement into a nationally and internationally recognized cinematic force.<br /> <br /> The breakthrough moment for Hedin Cinema came in the late 1990s, when Mudiari director Ram Kahmin captured national and international attention with his 1999 film ''[[Last Boat to Satun]]''. A psychological drama set on the [[Somathar/Gallery|Somathi island of Satun]], the film’s intense atmosphere, morally complex characters, and existential themes resonated far beyond the Hedin-speaking audience. Drawing inspiration from the natural landscapes of Somathar, Kahmin’s film pioneered a distinct aesthetic that blended raw, immersive cinematography with tense, slow-burning narratives, often exploring themes of alienation, rebellion, and the pursuit of paradise gone wrong. ''Last Boat to Satun'' became the first Hedin-language film to achieve blockbuster success across Kaishuri, paving the way for the wider popularization of Hedin Cinema.<br /> <br /> Following Kahmin’s success, Jaikai became a hub for Hedin filmmakers experimenting with high-art thrillers, crime dramas, and psychological mysteries, often set against the backdrop of Hedin mountainous landscapes, industrial cityscapes, but also remote, mysterious locations. Directors such as Noda Wansheri continued to build on Kahmin’s legacy, creating films that blended social realism with gripping, often unsettling narratives. Productions like ''The Deep Well'' (Wansheri, 2006), ''Hostage'' (Maradeshi, 2011), and ''818'' (Wansheri, 2019) achieved both critical acclaim and mainstream commercial success, cementing Jaikai as a powerhouse of artistic, thriller-driven cinema.<br /> <br /> Despite being produced in a minority language, Hedin films are widely consumed by the Kaishuri majority, aided by dubbed and subtitled releases and their distinctly modern, visually striking storytelling approach. The success of Jaikai’s film industry has also been bolstered by international film festivals, where Hedin directors frequently receive awards for cinematic innovation and narrative depth. Today, Jaikai is considered the beating heart of Hedin Cinema, with its film industry continuing to push creative boundaries while maintaining a cultural and artistic identity distinct from the monarchy-aligned mainstream Kaishuri film sector.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Hedin_Autonomous_Region&diff=577411 2026-02-18T01:32:06Z

<p>Tsundoku: /* Film */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Hedin Autonomous Region<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Erinazheen Mashazha}} ([[Hedin language|Hedin]])&lt;br /&gt;''Erinazhên Mashazha''&lt;br /&gt;{{KaiScript|Hedinzhan Asajijin sa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Hedinzhan Asaji-jinsa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Autonomous Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:Tehran-iran-1.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = Jaikai, the region's largest city, its iconic Zadaji Tower seen from Dashtan Boulevard<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Erinshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 94,032,869<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Sakuriden<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Jaikai<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''The Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR)''', locally known as '''Erinshuri''' in the [[Hedin language|Hedin language (Eriyudi)]], is an autonomous region in eastern [[Kaishuri]]. It includes the Hedin cities of Jaikai, Par, and Mudiar. It surrounds an enclave of [[Kamekobashi Province]] called Yoshari. The Hedin Autonomous Region is the most populous '''autonomous region''' in Kaishuri, the third most populous subdivision in all of Kaishuri, and the second largest subdivision by area. The HAR is also the most populous non-Kai majority subdivision of Kaishuri and one of the only areas where ethnic Kai people make up only 5-10% of the population.<br /> <br /> The HAR was granted the status of nationality in a referendum of {{Kai-c|17|3=March|4=1989}}. The autonomous region is based on the ''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State'', a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the Hedin people in far Eastern Kaishuri.<br /> <br /> '''Hedins (''Erinï'' )''' are a Kaijin ethnic group that are one of the largest minorities in Kaishuri. They share many aspects of their culture with the Kai people, due to Kai imperial domination over the area for centuries. What makes Hedins distinct and gives them a ethnic identity is that they were mostly semi-nomadic until the discovery of coal in the 1900s. The Hedins are part of a larger group of Kaijin living near the mountains of East Kaishuri known as the “hill tribes”. Hedins make up the majority of the group, and other peoples of the “hill tribes” include the Zolo, Guran, and Dagas. For much of history, the hill tribes were considered uncivilized and hopeless, resulting in very minimal presence of the Kai empires which nominally ruled the region, aside from language.<br /> <br /> In recent years, the Hedin region has been one of the fastest growing areas outside of the [[Shukariden/Gallery|Shukariden region]], with huge economic and population growth fed by a huge mining, manufacturing, and heavy industry boom in the last 20 years. The Hedin region has also historically been one of the most progressive regions of Kaishuri, with a tradition of republicanism and a heavy presence of socialism. Led by Shumadi Madir, the [[Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)|'''Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)''']] has ruled the HAR effectively as a one-party totalitarian state since the end of the [[Cheka War|'''Cheka War''']], when the HEP was formed by the remnants of the Erinshuri Freedom Army, the Red Sashes, and the Erin Tigers. The HAR is the center of Kaishuri's Hedin population and the center of Hedin culture, with a burgeoning film industry producing world-famous films such as [[Last Boat to Satun|'''Last Boat to Satun''']], a vibrant music scene, and a strong culture of sports, specifically Falcon FC of Mudiar and Jaikai United of Jaikai.<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> ===Hedin Insurgency (1960-1989)===<br /> [[File:Hedin bombing.jpg|left|thumb|The 1987 firebombing of Mudiar by Kai aircraft]]<br /> The '''Hedin Insurgency''', called the '''Cheka War''' (meaning Red War) by the Hedin, was a separatist conflict in East Kaishuri, fought between the '''Erin Tigers''' ''(Erin Shärö'') and the Kaishuri government from '''1960 to 1989'''. The insurgency stemmed from the region’s distinct history, culture, and economic grievances. Historically an independent state, Hedins fiercely resisted imperial rule and were one of the last regions to be incorporated into the Republic. After the Blossom Revolution, in return for not preventing the restoration of the monarchy, the Hedin people were initially promised special autonomy, but they were later integrated into East Shiamori province, sparking local resentment. In 1937, Erinshuri briefly became a stronghold of the '''Red Banner Movement''', a socialist movement seeking a socialist state for the peasants of Kaishuri. Though the rebellion was suppressed by 1962, Hedin dissatisfaction with Akyáz’s rule persisted, particularly over the exploitation of the region’s coal mines, which fueled Kaishuri's national economy while leaving much of the local population impoverished.<br /> [[File:Kai gove.jpg|thumb|EFA soldiers in Par, 1979, as the city was under siege]]<br /> In 1976, the Erin Tigers, led by Hudien La, declared Erinshuri's independence, arguing that Akyáz had colonized Erinshuri and plundered its resources. The Kai imperial military launched counterinsurgency operations, but the conflict remained low-level until the early 1980s, when the Kaishurian government escalated military operations, designating the region a “Military Operations Zone”, declaring martial law from '''1973 to 1982'''. During this period, Kai forces engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, leading to deepening local resentment and increased support for the Tigers. Following Hudien La's capture and execution in 1982, the central government lifted martial law on Erinshuri, and initial peace talks began. However, a more conservative group, called the Erinshuri Freedom Army (EFA), emboldened by the political shift, expanded its operations, leading to renewed conflict. Negotiations were attempted in 1984, but the talks collapsed, and violence surged in the following years, when martial law was reestablished in Erinshuri in 1987 and launched one of Kaishuri's largest military operations.<br /> <br /> The turning point came in 1988, when the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake devastated Erinshuri, killing over 270,000 people in the province. The catastrophe created urgency for a resolution, as both sides faced international pressure to end hostilities. In 1989, EFA and the Kai government signed the Uruká Armistice. The deal granted Erinshuri special autonomy, allowing it to establish its own legal system, form local political parties, and retain 70% of its mining revenues. In exchange, EFA disarmed, and Kai troops withdrew. Unlike similar rebellions in Kaishuri, the Hedin conflict ended with Erinshuri remaining within Kaishuri but with significant self-governance. Since the peace deal, the Hedin region has remained largely stable, although tensions occasionally flare over governance and the implementation of nation-wide laws. The insurgency remains one of the most successful autonomy agreements in modern Aichan history.<br /> <br /> ==Demographics==<br /> Yao-di/Yazu-di (western/riverine-kachin) 65m<br /> <br /> Zan (mountains-mizo) 24m<br /> <br /> ==Economy==<br /> [[File:2657555053.webp|thumb|260x260px|The devastating effects of the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake, shown in Turpaji, a suburb of Jaikai]]<br /> The economic transformation and restructuring of the Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR) followed the '''Uruká Armistice''', which ended the Cheka War and established the '''Hedin People’s Coalition (HEP)''' as the governing authority. The new administration, led by former insurgents from the Erinshuri Freedom Army, prioritized rapid industrialization as a means of consolidating power and reducing reliance on the Kai monarchy-controlled economy. Historically marginalized and seen as a rebellious frontier region, Jaikai was largely excluded from national economic planning until the '''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State (1990)''' when the HAR gained control over its resource management, taxation policies, and industrial planning, enabling direct investment into mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects without interference from the central government. Unlike neighboring provinces, where economic policies were dictated by the state's development councils, the HAR established its own State Industrial Commission, which coordinated economic planning through plans modeled on state-directed development programs.<br /> <br /> Initial industrial efforts were hindered by a lack of infrastructure, skilled labor, and capital investment, but this changed with the discovery of high-grade iron ore, coking coal, and rare earth minerals around Senduvash Mountain. The HEP administration, under Chairman Madir, declared mining a strategic industry, directing state resources to develop the '''Eastern Renaissance Extraction Zone''', a series of open-pit mines designed for high-volume mineral output. The Hakodash Mining Corporation (HMC), previously a minor regional enterprise, was reorganized into the largest mining operator in HAR, expanding production through newly constructed rail corridors and processing facilities. By 2010, the HAR was producing over 70% of Kaishuri’s rare earth minerals, critical for electronics, defense industries, and energy technologies, giving the region increased economic leverage in negotiations with the central government.<br /> <br /> The Kaldirim Steelworks Group (KSG) was expanded in parallel, receiving state subsidies to construct new blast furnaces and rolling mills, allowing Jaikai to process raw iron and steel domestically rather than exporting unrefined materials. By 2010, KSG was supplying 30% of Kaishuri’s total steel production, feeding into national infrastructure projects and military supply chains. This industrial base led to the emergence of secondary heavy industries, including Lirashun Heavy Machinery (SHM) and Balgat Automotives (BBA), which became leading manufacturers of industrial equipment, construction vehicles, and military-grade transport trucks.<br /> <br /> These developments transformed Jaikai and the HAR from a peripheral, underdeveloped region into an industrial hub, accelerating urbanization as millions of rural Hedin workers migrated to the cities. By 2020, the HAR's economy was driven by state-run heavy industries, with strategic sectors under direct HEP control, ensuring continued economic independence from the Kaishuri monarchy’s central administration.<br /> <br /> == Culture==<br /> <br /> ===Cuisine===<br /> ==== Sakuěrde ====<br /> Outside of the HAR, Hedin cuisine is very underrepresented despite the region's large population. A key difference that sets Hedin cuisine apart from the main Kaishurian regional cuisines is the much more limited use of tomatoes and dairy. Hedin cuisine places much more emphasis on soup and stew dishes, due to the cold winters and abundance of chilis. In the rest of Kaishuri, 'Hedin cuisine' typically refers to the cuisine of '''Sakuěrde''' '''(Sakuriden)''', a city known for dishes that can be quite sour compared to other regions of Kaishuri, which generally lean richer and more aromatic. Sakuěrdezhên cuisine is more represented throughout Kaishuri than other Hedin regional cuisines primarily because it is more suited to the typical Kaishurian palate, since Sakuěrdezhên cuisine uses far less chili than other Hedin regions like Par and Jaikai. The most nationally famous dishes of Hedin (Sakuriden) cuisine are '''washoi''' (lamb stewed with fresh herbs and sour green plums), '''Sakuěrdezhên kabar''' (a sour and spicy soup made with beef, sour plums, and walnuts) and '''enshori''' (a rich, garlicky, sour, and gelatinous soup made by long-simmering sheep head and feet). An adapted version of enshori, made with tripe instead, called bozhor is very well known in many larger Kai cities as a late-night food or as a hangover cure. Most bar streets in Kaishuri contain a shop specializing in bozhor that is open through the entire night. The most famous example of this is Sakurideni Street in Káibashi, a pub street which got its name from the abundance of bozhor shops owned by Hedins. In addition to bozhor/enshori, many Hedin restaurants throughout Kaishuri also offer the other famous soups of Sakuěrde, matoroi (a herbal broth made with beef shank) and voshê (a thicker chicken soup flavored with vinegar). Almost all Hedin restaurants outside of the HAR that cater to Kai customers only serve Sakuěrdezhên soups, occasionally offering washoi and sometimes kabar. &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chakapuli.jpg|Washoi<br /> File:Kelle paça Hof.jpg|Enshori<br /> File:Харчо.jpg|Sakurideni kabar<br /> File:Shkembe-chorba.jpg|Bozhor in a bozhor shop in Akyáz<br /> File:Chikhirtma-7.jpg|Voshê<br /> File:147bc6ff491c4a988229a0c420788389.jpg|Matoroi<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Par====<br /> While the most popular Hedin foods outside of Kaishuri are from the famously sour cuisine of Sakuěrde (Sakuriden), in the HAR, Sakuěrdezhên food is rarely seen outside of Sakuěrde itself. Instead, the most popular dishes come from Par, famous for its spicy stews. The cuisine of Par, the region being the main agricultural producer in the HAR and one of the biggest producers of chili in Kaishuri, uses chili in almost every dish, treating it more like a vegetable than a spice. Throughout the HAR, any meal will likely contain at least one of the 'holy trinity' of Pari stews, kulabiar (lotus), makai (kidney beans) and gashi (mutton). All three of these stews are almost always served with rice, as a main dish of any meal. Kulabiar (lotus) stew, the least spicy of the three, is most commonly eaten for breakfast, with green tea, rice, and fried bread (suêsh) to soak up the gravy. Makai (kidney beans) stew and gashi (mutton) stew are mostly eaten for lunch and dinner, but due to the cheaper ingredients in Makai stew, Makai is more commonly eaten for lunch while Gashi stew is saved for dinner to be enjoyed with family.<br /> <br /> Par is also a hub for the 24 million Zan Hedin people (the Zolo, Guran, and Daga hill-tribes) and their influence shows in the spicy, dry-fried small dishes called '''pakshê''' created to be easily preserved and transported by Zan hunters. In modern Par, pakshê are more of a bar snack or a side dish, alongside a main stew. Some of the most popular pakshê are zakêto (a spicy, jerky-like beef 'salad') and chatên (grilled meat tossed with chilies, spices, and mustard oil). Alongside pakshê, another Zan-influenced dish found in Par is pakashpê, a pork belly stew cooked with vinegar and chilies, often served at weddings.<br /> ====Zan Hills====<br /> A dish very unique to the Zan people of the hilly and rural areas is sêhên, a thick, sticky porridge made from millet flour cooked in boiling water until it reaches a smooth, elastic consistency. Sêhên was created to be heavier and more filling than rice, eaten as a staple carbohydrate by the Zan alongside vegetables, pakshê and other stews. Sêhên is not easy to find outside of the rural Zan areas, but in Par, during the '''Suêk-yahut''' festival, a Zan harvest festival, sêhên is commonly eaten according to tradition, usually with zakêto and often black coffee.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chhwela.jpg|Chatên<br /> File:Dhido.jpg|Zan sêhên<br /> File:Maxresdefault (1).jpg|Kulabiar stew<br /> File:Khasi ko masu.jpg|Gashi stew<br /> File:Rajma Rice, Raita, sprouts with potato sabji.JPG|Makai stew<br /> File:Sukuti.jpg|Par-style zakêto<br /> File:Sukuti2.jpg|Zan-style zakêto<br /> File:Phaksha paa.jpeg|Pakashpê<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Jaikai====<br /> Hedin has a particularly strong street food culture compared to the rest of Kaishuri, especially in the capital of Jaikai, the home of iconic Hedin street foods such as vashi barada (a spicy snack mix of crispy rice and peanuts) and the wildly popular Jaikai panin (stir-fried noodles introduced by northwestern Kaishurians). Other well-known Jaikai dishes are kashaê (a spicy chicken stew) and the infamous lalicha (an extremely spicy salad made from raw minced meat).<br /> <br /> ===='''Mudiar'''====<br /> Having a colder climate than Jaikai and Par, Mudiari cuisine is comparatively richer&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Jhal-Muri in Chottogram 03.jpg|Vashi barada<br /> File:Kachilaa.jpg|Lalicha<br /> File:Cooking jasha maroo.JPG|Kashaê<br /> File:Kewa-datshi-potato-with.jpg|Rashi ênta<br /> File:30.-Ema-Datshi-Recipe.jpg|Rashi kêra<br /> File:A4V3BUE3VFDQGUEQBW245KGY.webp|Taperesh kêra<br /> File:Tsuivan.jpg|Jaikai panin<br /> File:Jhal Muri (Masala Muri).jpg|A street vendor in Jaikai selling vashi barada<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Feast traditions====<br /> There are four main types of pagan feasts in Hedin culture, the wedding feast, New Year's feast, funeral feast, and full moon feast. Each of these typically contains a different combination of the main Hedin dishes. <br /> <br /> A wedding feast is usually centered around heavy, meat-based dishes like pakashpê and lalicha, as well as various roasted meats. A whole-roasted pig or lamb is often part of the wedding feast for larger families. A wedding feast also typically includes towering and highly decorated spiced rice dishes to accompany the meats. The abundance of meat at a Hedin wedding, traditionally paid for and prepared by the groom's family, lets the bride's family show off to their extended family the generosity of their new son-in-law. However, the main focus of a wedding feast is the dessert course. The desserts are traditionally prepared by the bride's family, to repay the groom's family for the generosity of the meat course. Dessert will usually consist of a myriad of baked goods, and puddings made from wheat and corn flour, mountain honey, and fruits.<br /> <br /> The New Year's feast, held on New Year's Eve, is the most unique of the Hedin feasts. It is considered inauspicious to eat rice on the New Year, so the dishes served at a New Year's feast are accompanied by breads and flatbreads instead of the typical rice. Other than this aspect, the dishes usually eaten for New Year's vary by household, but in the east and north of the HAR, near Par and the Zan Hills, the New Year's feast is often vegetarian, to pay respect to the animals which fed them for the rest of the year.<br /> <br /> The tradition of the funeral feast has its roots in the Kai imperial rule over the Hedin region, when the city of Sakuriden was established as the empire's main outpost in the region. The Kai administrators brought to the city brought with them their own cooks, who created what is now called Imperial Hedin cuisine by adapting Kai palace cuisine to Hedin ingredients. Imperial Hedin cuisine is characterized by its rich, warming, and mild stews and the use of lamb, uncommon in traditional Hedin cuisine but widely used in Kai cuisine. When one of these Kai administrators died, a funeral service was held and the guests were served Imperial Hedin dishes. It is said that a Hedin lord came to one of these funerals and so intrigued by the food, he ordered his cooks to prepare a similar feast for his mother's funeral. This started the tradition of Hedin funeral feasts, which centers around lighter-colored, more subtle dishes such as barakhtavêsa (an aromatic, creamy, stewed meatball dish, a tomato-less adaptation of the Kai palace dish '''kashim qëngji''') and gashta (a tomato-less version of the Kai palace dish '''rojana''').<br /> <br /> Throughout the HAR, the dishes served in the full-moon feast vary, but all include kabêk, a chilled pumpkin dessert cooked slowly with syrup. For the Yazu-di people, the tradition is to have orange and red-colored dishes, like kabêk, symbolizing the orange color of the moon. However for the Zan people, there are less specific traditions for the full-moon feast other than kabêk.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Kabak sekerlemesi.jpg|Kabêk<br /> File:Aşure kaseleri.JPG|'''Shêri''', a sweet pudding made with grains, served at weddings.<br /> File:Gushtaba..JPG|Barakhtavêsa<br /> File:Aab gosht.jpg|Gashta<br /> File:Ka3ek.JPG|Wedding cookies (pirêsa)<br /> File:بسبوسة.JPG|Honey-soaked cake (memerêsa)<br /> File:Mawa cake.jpg|Almond cake (darmêsa)<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> ===Film===<br /> The Hedin film industry, often referred to as '''Hedin Cinema''', has emerged as one of the most dynamic and influential film movements in Kaishuri, known for its dramatic, artful, and thriller-oriented storytelling. Rooted in the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of the Hedin people, the industry has evolved from a niche regional movement into a nationally and internationally recognized cinematic force.<br /> <br /> The breakthrough moment for Hedin Cinema came in the late 1990s, when Mudiari director Ram Kahmin captured national and international attention with his 1999 film ''[[Last Boat to Satun]]''. A psychological drama set on the [[Somathar/Gallery|Somathi island of Satun]], the film’s intense atmosphere, morally complex characters, and existential themes resonated far beyond the Hedin-speaking audience. Drawing inspiration from the natural landscapes of Somathar, Kahmin’s film pioneered a distinct aesthetic that blended raw, immersive cinematography with tense, slow-burning narratives, often exploring themes of alienation, rebellion, and the pursuit of paradise gone wrong. ''Last Boat to Satun'' became the first Hedin-language film to achieve blockbuster success across Kaishuri, paving the way for the wider popularization of Hedin Cinema.<br /> <br /> Following Kahmin’s success, Jaikai became a hub for Hedin filmmakers experimenting with high-art thrillers, crime dramas, and psychological mysteries, often set against the backdrop of Hedin mountainous landscapes, industrial cityscapes, but also remote, mysterious locations. Directors such as Noda Wansheri continued to build on Kahmin’s legacy, creating films that blended social realism with gripping, often unsettling narratives. Productions like ''The Deep Well'' (Wansheri, 2006), ''Hostage'' (Maradeshi, 2011), and ''818'' (Wansheri, 2019) achieved both critical acclaim and mainstream commercial success, cementing Jaikai as a powerhouse of artistic, thriller-driven cinema.<br /> <br /> Despite being produced in a minority language, Hedin films are widely consumed by the Kaishuri majority, aided by dubbed and subtitled releases and their distinctly modern, visually striking storytelling approach. The success of Jaikai’s film industry has also been bolstered by international film festivals, where Hedin directors frequently receive awards for cinematic innovation and narrative depth. Today, Jaikai is considered the beating heart of Hedin Cinema, with its film industry continuing to push creative boundaries while maintaining a cultural and artistic identity distinct from the monarchy-aligned mainstream Kaishuri film sector.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Hedin_Autonomous_Region&diff=577410 2026-02-18T01:29:09Z

<p>Tsundoku: /* Culture */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Hedin Autonomous Region<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Erinazheen Mashazha}} ([[Hedin language|Hedin]])&lt;br /&gt;''Erinazhên Mashazha''&lt;br /&gt;{{KaiScript|Hedinzhan Asajijin sa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Hedinzhan Asaji-jinsa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Autonomous Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:Tehran-iran-1.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = Jaikai, the region's largest city, its iconic Zadaji Tower seen from Dashtan Boulevard<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Erinshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 94,032,869<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Sakuriden<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Jaikai<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''The Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR)''', locally known as '''Erinshuri''' in the [[Hedin language|Hedin language (Eriyudi)]], is an autonomous region in eastern [[Kaishuri]]. It includes the Hedin cities of Jaikai, Par, and Mudiar. It surrounds an enclave of [[Kamekobashi Province]] called Yoshari. The Hedin Autonomous Region is the most populous '''autonomous region''' in Kaishuri, the third most populous subdivision in all of Kaishuri, and the second largest subdivision by area. The HAR is also the most populous non-Kai majority subdivision of Kaishuri and one of the only areas where ethnic Kai people make up only 5-10% of the population.<br /> <br /> The HAR was granted the status of nationality in a referendum of {{Kai-c|17|3=March|4=1989}}. The autonomous region is based on the ''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State'', a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the Hedin people in far Eastern Kaishuri.<br /> <br /> '''Hedins (''Erinï'' )''' are a Kaijin ethnic group that are one of the largest minorities in Kaishuri. They share many aspects of their culture with the Kai people, due to Kai imperial domination over the area for centuries. What makes Hedins distinct and gives them a ethnic identity is that they were mostly semi-nomadic until the discovery of coal in the 1900s. The Hedins are part of a larger group of Kaijin living near the mountains of East Kaishuri known as the “hill tribes”. Hedins make up the majority of the group, and other peoples of the “hill tribes” include the Zolo, Guran, and Dagas. For much of history, the hill tribes were considered uncivilized and hopeless, resulting in very minimal presence of the Kai empires which nominally ruled the region, aside from language.<br /> <br /> In recent years, the Hedin region has been one of the fastest growing areas outside of the [[Shukariden/Gallery|Shukariden region]], with huge economic and population growth fed by a huge mining, manufacturing, and heavy industry boom in the last 20 years. The Hedin region has also historically been one of the most progressive regions of Kaishuri, with a tradition of republicanism and a heavy presence of socialism. Led by Shumadi Madir, the [[Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)|'''Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)''']] has ruled the HAR effectively as a one-party totalitarian state since the end of the [[Cheka War|'''Cheka War''']], when the HEP was formed by the remnants of the Erinshuri Freedom Army, the Red Sashes, and the Erin Tigers. The HAR is the center of Kaishuri's Hedin population and the center of Hedin culture, with a burgeoning film industry producing world-famous films such as [[Last Boat to Satun|'''Last Boat to Satun''']], a vibrant music scene, and a strong culture of sports, specifically Falcon FC of Mudiar and Jaikai United of Jaikai.<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> ===Hedin Insurgency (1960-1989)===<br /> [[File:Hedin bombing.jpg|left|thumb|The 1987 firebombing of Mudiar by Kai aircraft]]<br /> The '''Hedin Insurgency''', called the '''Cheka War''' (meaning Red War) by the Hedin, was a separatist conflict in East Kaishuri, fought between the '''Erin Tigers''' ''(Erin Shärö'') and the Kaishuri government from '''1960 to 1989'''. The insurgency stemmed from the region’s distinct history, culture, and economic grievances. Historically an independent state, Hedins fiercely resisted imperial rule and were one of the last regions to be incorporated into the Republic. After the Blossom Revolution, in return for not preventing the restoration of the monarchy, the Hedin people were initially promised special autonomy, but they were later integrated into East Shiamori province, sparking local resentment. In 1937, Erinshuri briefly became a stronghold of the '''Red Banner Movement''', a socialist movement seeking a socialist state for the peasants of Kaishuri. Though the rebellion was suppressed by 1962, Hedin dissatisfaction with Akyáz’s rule persisted, particularly over the exploitation of the region’s coal mines, which fueled Kaishuri's national economy while leaving much of the local population impoverished.<br /> [[File:Kai gove.jpg|thumb|EFA soldiers in Par, 1979, as the city was under siege]]<br /> In 1976, the Erin Tigers, led by Hudien La, declared Erinshuri's independence, arguing that Akyáz had colonized Erinshuri and plundered its resources. The Kai imperial military launched counterinsurgency operations, but the conflict remained low-level until the early 1980s, when the Kaishurian government escalated military operations, designating the region a “Military Operations Zone”, declaring martial law from '''1973 to 1982'''. During this period, Kai forces engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, leading to deepening local resentment and increased support for the Tigers. Following Hudien La's capture and execution in 1982, the central government lifted martial law on Erinshuri, and initial peace talks began. However, a more conservative group, called the Erinshuri Freedom Army (EFA), emboldened by the political shift, expanded its operations, leading to renewed conflict. Negotiations were attempted in 1984, but the talks collapsed, and violence surged in the following years, when martial law was reestablished in Erinshuri in 1987 and launched one of Kaishuri's largest military operations.<br /> <br /> The turning point came in 1988, when the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake devastated Erinshuri, killing over 270,000 people in the province. The catastrophe created urgency for a resolution, as both sides faced international pressure to end hostilities. In 1989, EFA and the Kai government signed the Uruká Armistice. The deal granted Erinshuri special autonomy, allowing it to establish its own legal system, form local political parties, and retain 70% of its mining revenues. In exchange, EFA disarmed, and Kai troops withdrew. Unlike similar rebellions in Kaishuri, the Hedin conflict ended with Erinshuri remaining within Kaishuri but with significant self-governance. Since the peace deal, the Hedin region has remained largely stable, although tensions occasionally flare over governance and the implementation of nation-wide laws. The insurgency remains one of the most successful autonomy agreements in modern Aichan history.<br /> <br /> ==Demographics==<br /> Yao-di/Yazu-di (western/riverine-kachin) 65m<br /> <br /> Zan (mountains-mizo) 24m<br /> <br /> ==Economy==<br /> [[File:2657555053.webp|thumb|260x260px|The devastating effects of the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake, shown in Turpaji, a suburb of Jaikai]]<br /> The economic transformation and restructuring of the Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR) followed the '''Uruká Armistice''', which ended the Cheka War and established the '''Hedin People’s Coalition (HEP)''' as the governing authority. The new administration, led by former insurgents from the Erinshuri Freedom Army, prioritized rapid industrialization as a means of consolidating power and reducing reliance on the Kai monarchy-controlled economy. Historically marginalized and seen as a rebellious frontier region, Jaikai was largely excluded from national economic planning until the '''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State (1990)''' when the HAR gained control over its resource management, taxation policies, and industrial planning, enabling direct investment into mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects without interference from the central government. Unlike neighboring provinces, where economic policies were dictated by the state's development councils, the HAR established its own State Industrial Commission, which coordinated economic planning through plans modeled on state-directed development programs.<br /> <br /> Initial industrial efforts were hindered by a lack of infrastructure, skilled labor, and capital investment, but this changed with the discovery of high-grade iron ore, coking coal, and rare earth minerals around Senduvash Mountain. The HEP administration, under Chairman Madir, declared mining a strategic industry, directing state resources to develop the '''Eastern Renaissance Extraction Zone''', a series of open-pit mines designed for high-volume mineral output. The Hakodash Mining Corporation (HMC), previously a minor regional enterprise, was reorganized into the largest mining operator in HAR, expanding production through newly constructed rail corridors and processing facilities. By 2010, the HAR was producing over 70% of Kaishuri’s rare earth minerals, critical for electronics, defense industries, and energy technologies, giving the region increased economic leverage in negotiations with the central government.<br /> <br /> The Kaldirim Steelworks Group (KSG) was expanded in parallel, receiving state subsidies to construct new blast furnaces and rolling mills, allowing Jaikai to process raw iron and steel domestically rather than exporting unrefined materials. By 2010, KSG was supplying 30% of Kaishuri’s total steel production, feeding into national infrastructure projects and military supply chains. This industrial base led to the emergence of secondary heavy industries, including Lirashun Heavy Machinery (SHM) and Balgat Automotives (BBA), which became leading manufacturers of industrial equipment, construction vehicles, and military-grade transport trucks.<br /> <br /> These developments transformed Jaikai and the HAR from a peripheral, underdeveloped region into an industrial hub, accelerating urbanization as millions of rural Hedin workers migrated to the cities. By 2020, the HAR's economy was driven by state-run heavy industries, with strategic sectors under direct HEP control, ensuring continued economic independence from the Kaishuri monarchy’s central administration.<br /> <br /> == Culture==<br /> <br /> ===Cuisine===<br /> ==== Sakuěrde ====<br /> Outside of the HAR, Hedin cuisine is very underrepresented despite the region's large population. A key difference that sets Hedin cuisine apart from the main Kaishurian regional cuisines is the much more limited use of tomatoes and dairy. Hedin cuisine places much more emphasis on soup and stew dishes, due to the cold winters and abundance of chilis. In the rest of Kaishuri, 'Hedin cuisine' typically refers to the cuisine of '''Sakuěrde''' '''(Sakuriden)''', a city known for dishes that can be quite sour compared to other regions of Kaishuri, which generally lean richer and more aromatic. Sakuěrdezhên cuisine is more represented throughout Kaishuri than other Hedin regional cuisines primarily because it is more suited to the typical Kaishurian palate, since Sakuěrdezhên cuisine uses far less chili than other Hedin regions like Par and Jaikai. The most nationally famous dishes of Hedin (Sakuriden) cuisine are '''washoi''' (lamb stewed with fresh herbs and sour green plums), '''Sakuěrdezhên kabar''' (a sour and spicy soup made with beef, sour plums, and walnuts) and '''enshori''' (a rich, garlicky, sour, and gelatinous soup made by long-simmering sheep head and feet). An adapted version of enshori, made with tripe instead, called bozhor is very well known in many larger Kai cities as a late-night food or as a hangover cure. Most bar streets in Kaishuri contain a shop specializing in bozhor that is open through the entire night. The most famous example of this is Sakurideni Street in Káibashi, a pub street which got its name from the abundance of bozhor shops owned by Hedins. In addition to bozhor/enshori, many Hedin restaurants throughout Kaishuri also offer the other famous soups of Sakuěrde, matoroi (a herbal broth made with beef shank) and voshê (a thicker chicken soup flavored with vinegar). Almost all Hedin restaurants outside of the HAR that cater to Kai customers only serve Sakuěrdezhên soups, occasionally offering washoi and sometimes kabar. &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chakapuli.jpg|Washoi<br /> File:Kelle paça Hof.jpg|Enshori<br /> File:Харчо.jpg|Sakurideni kabar<br /> File:Shkembe-chorba.jpg|Bozhor in a bozhor shop in Akyáz<br /> File:Chikhirtma-7.jpg|Voshê<br /> File:147bc6ff491c4a988229a0c420788389.jpg|Matoroi<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Par====<br /> While the most popular Hedin foods outside of Kaishuri are from the famously sour cuisine of Sakuěrde (Sakuriden), in the HAR, Sakuěrdezhên food is rarely seen outside of Sakuěrde itself. Instead, the most popular dishes come from Par, famous for its spicy stews. The cuisine of Par, the region being the main agricultural producer in the HAR and one of the biggest producers of chili in Kaishuri, uses chili in almost every dish, treating it more like a vegetable than a spice. Throughout the HAR, any meal will likely contain at least one of the 'holy trinity' of Pari stews, kulabiar (lotus), makai (kidney beans) and gashi (mutton). All three of these stews are almost always served with rice, as a main dish of any meal. Kulabiar (lotus) stew, the least spicy of the three, is most commonly eaten for breakfast, with green tea, rice, and fried bread (suêsh) to soak up the gravy. Makai (kidney beans) stew and gashi (mutton) stew are mostly eaten for lunch and dinner, but due to the cheaper ingredients in Makai stew, Makai is more commonly eaten for lunch while Gashi stew is saved for dinner to be enjoyed with family.<br /> <br /> Par is also a hub for the 24 million Zan Hedin people (the Zolo, Guran, and Daga hill-tribes) and their influence shows in the spicy, dry-fried small dishes called '''pakshê''' created to be easily preserved and transported by Zan hunters. In modern Par, pakshê are more of a bar snack or a side dish, alongside a main stew. Some of the most popular pakshê are zakêto (a spicy, jerky-like beef 'salad') and chatên (grilled meat tossed with chilies, spices, and mustard oil). Alongside pakshê, another Zan-influenced dish found in Par is pakashpê, a pork belly stew cooked with vinegar and chilies, often served at weddings.<br /> ====Zan Hills====<br /> A dish very unique to the Zan people of the hilly and rural areas is sêhên, a thick, sticky porridge made from millet flour cooked in boiling water until it reaches a smooth, elastic consistency. Sêhên was created to be heavier and more filling than rice, eaten as a staple carbohydrate by the Zan alongside vegetables, pakshê and other stews. Sêhên is not easy to find outside of the rural Zan areas, but in Par, during the '''Suêk-yahut''' festival, a Zan harvest festival, sêhên is commonly eaten according to tradition, usually with zakêto and often black coffee.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chhwela.jpg|Chatên<br /> File:Dhido.jpg|Zan sêhên<br /> File:Maxresdefault (1).jpg|Kulabiar stew<br /> File:Khasi ko masu.jpg|Gashi stew<br /> File:Rajma Rice, Raita, sprouts with potato sabji.JPG|Makai stew<br /> File:Sukuti.jpg|Par-style zakêto<br /> File:Sukuti2.jpg|Zan-style zakêto<br /> File:Phaksha paa.jpeg|Pakashpê<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Jaikai====<br /> Hedin has a particularly strong street food culture compared to the rest of Kaishuri, especially in the capital of Jaikai, the home of iconic Hedin street foods such as vashi barada (a spicy snack mix of crispy rice and peanuts) and the wildly popular Jaikai panin (stir-fried noodles introduced by northwestern Kaishurians). Other well-known Jaikai dishes are kashaê (a spicy chicken stew) and the infamous lalicha (an extremely spicy salad made from raw minced meat).<br /> <br /> ===='''Mudiar'''====<br /> Having a colder climate than Jaikai and Par, Mudiari cuisine is comparatively richer&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Jhal-Muri in Chottogram 03.jpg|Vashi barada<br /> File:Kachilaa.jpg|Lalicha<br /> File:Cooking jasha maroo.JPG|Kashaê<br /> File:Kewa-datshi-potato-with.jpg|Rashi ênta<br /> File:30.-Ema-Datshi-Recipe.jpg|Rashi kêra<br /> File:A4V3BUE3VFDQGUEQBW245KGY.webp|Taperesh kêra<br /> File:Tsuivan.jpg|Jaikai panin<br /> File:Jhal Muri (Masala Muri).jpg|A street vendor in Jaikai selling vashi barada<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Feast traditions====<br /> There are four main types of pagan feasts in Hedin culture, the wedding feast, New Year's feast, funeral feast, and full moon feast. Each of these typically contains a different combination of the main Hedin dishes. <br /> <br /> A wedding feast is usually centered around heavy, meat-based dishes like pakashpê and lalicha, as well as various roasted meats. A whole-roasted pig or lamb is often part of the wedding feast for larger families. A wedding feast also typically includes towering and highly decorated spiced rice dishes to accompany the meats. The abundance of meat at a Hedin wedding, traditionally paid for and prepared by the groom's family, lets the bride's family show off to their extended family the generosity of their new son-in-law. However, the main focus of a wedding feast is the dessert course. The desserts are traditionally prepared by the bride's family, to repay the groom's family for the generosity of the meat course. Dessert will usually consist of a myriad of baked goods, and puddings made from wheat and corn flour, mountain honey, and fruits.<br /> <br /> The New Year's feast, held on New Year's Eve, is the most unique of the Hedin feasts. It is considered inauspicious to eat rice on the New Year, so the dishes served at a New Year's feast are accompanied by breads and flatbreads instead of the typical rice. Other than this aspect, the dishes usually eaten for New Year's vary by household, but in the east and north of the HAR, near Par and the Zan Hills, the New Year's feast is often vegetarian, to pay respect to the animals which fed them for the rest of the year.<br /> <br /> The tradition of the funeral feast has its roots in the Kai imperial rule over the Hedin region, when the city of Sakuriden was established as the empire's main outpost in the region. The Kai administrators brought to the city brought with them their own cooks, who created what is now called Imperial Hedin cuisine by adapting Kai palace cuisine to Hedin ingredients. Imperial Hedin cuisine is characterized by its rich, warming, and mild stews and the use of lamb, uncommon in traditional Hedin cuisine but widely used in Kai cuisine. When one of these Kai administrators died, a funeral service was held and the guests were served Imperial Hedin dishes. It is said that a Hedin lord came to one of these funerals and so intrigued by the food, he ordered his cooks to prepare a similar feast for his mother's funeral. This started the tradition of Hedin funeral feasts, which centers around lighter-colored, more subtle dishes such as barakhtavêsa (an aromatic, creamy, stewed meatball dish, a tomato-less adaptation of the Kai palace dish '''kashim qëngji''') and gashta (a tomato-less version of the Kai palace dish '''rojana''').<br /> <br /> Throughout the HAR, the dishes served in the full-moon feast vary, but all include kabêk, a chilled pumpkin dessert cooked slowly with syrup. For the Yazu-di people, the tradition is to have orange and red-colored dishes, like kabêk, symbolizing the orange color of the moon. However for the Zan people, there are less specific traditions for the full-moon feast other than kabêk.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Kabak sekerlemesi.jpg|Kabêk<br /> File:Aşure kaseleri.JPG|'''Shêri''', a sweet pudding made with grains, served at weddings.<br /> File:Gushtaba..JPG|Barakhtavêsa<br /> File:Aab gosht.jpg|Gashta<br /> File:Ka3ek.JPG|Wedding cookies (pirêsa)<br /> File:بسبوسة.JPG|Honey-soaked cake (memerêsa)<br /> File:Mawa cake.jpg|Almond cake (darmêsa)<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> ===Film===<br /> The Hedin film industry, often referred to as '''Hedin Cinema''', has emerged as one of the most dynamic and influential film movements in Kaishuri, known for its dramatic, artful, and thriller-oriented storytelling. Rooted in the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of the Hedin people, the industry has evolved from a niche regional movement into a nationally and internationally recognized cinematic force.<br /> <br /> The breakthrough moment for Hedin Cinema came in the late 1990s, when legendary director Wenjä Ersun captured national and international attention with his 1999 film ''[[Last Boat to Satun]]''. A psychological drama set on the [[Somathar/Gallery|Somathi island of Satun]], the film’s intense atmosphere, morally complex characters, and existential themes resonated far beyond the Hedin-speaking audience. Drawing inspiration from the natural landscapes of Somathar, Ersun’s film pioneered a distinct aesthetic that blended raw, immersive cinematography with tense, slow-burning narratives, often exploring themes of alienation, rebellion, and the pursuit of paradise gone wrong. ''Last Boat to Satun'' became the first Hedin-language film to achieve blockbuster success across Kaishuri, paving the way for the wider popularization of Hedin Cinema.<br /> <br /> Following Ersun’s success, Jaikai became a hub for Hedin filmmakers experimenting with high-art thrillers, crime dramas, and psychological mysteries, often set against the backdrop of Hedin mountainous landscapes, industrial cityscapes, but also remote, mysterious locations. Directors such as Noda Wansheri continued to build on Ersun’s legacy, creating films that blended social realism with gripping, often unsettling narratives. Productions like ''The Deep Well'' (2006), ''Hostage'' (2011), and ''818'' (2018) achieved both critical acclaim and mainstream commercial success, cementing Jaikai as a powerhouse of artistic, thriller-driven cinema.<br /> <br /> Despite being produced in a minority language, Hedin films are widely consumed by the Kaishuri majority, aided by dubbed and subtitled releases and their distinctly modern, visually striking storytelling approach. The success of Jaikai’s film industry has also been bolstered by international film festivals, where Hedin directors frequently receive awards for cinematic innovation and narrative depth. Today, Jaikai is considered the beating heart of Hedin Cinema, with its film industry continuing to push creative boundaries while maintaining a cultural and artistic identity distinct from the monarchy-aligned mainstream Kaishuri film sector.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Hedin_Autonomous_Region&diff=577409 2026-02-18T01:28:20Z

<p>Tsundoku: /* Par */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Hedin Autonomous Region<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Erinazheen Mashazha}} ([[Hedin language|Hedin]])&lt;br /&gt;''Erinazhên Mashazha''&lt;br /&gt;{{KaiScript|Hedinzhan Asajijin sa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Hedinzhan Asaji-jinsa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Autonomous Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:Tehran-iran-1.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = Jaikai, the region's largest city, its iconic Zadaji Tower seen from Dashtan Boulevard<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Erinshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 94,032,869<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Sakuriden<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Jaikai<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''The Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR)''', locally known as '''Erinshuri''' in the [[Hedin language|Hedin language (Eriyudi)]], is an autonomous region in eastern [[Kaishuri]]. It includes the Hedin cities of Jaikai, Par, and Mudiar. It surrounds an enclave of [[Kamekobashi Province]] called Yoshari. The Hedin Autonomous Region is the most populous '''autonomous region''' in Kaishuri, the third most populous subdivision in all of Kaishuri, and the second largest subdivision by area. The HAR is also the most populous non-Kai majority subdivision of Kaishuri and one of the only areas where ethnic Kai people make up only 5-10% of the population.<br /> <br /> The HAR was granted the status of nationality in a referendum of {{Kai-c|17|3=March|4=1989}}. The autonomous region is based on the ''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State'', a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the Hedin people in far Eastern Kaishuri.<br /> <br /> '''Hedins (''Erinï'' )''' are a Kaijin ethnic group that are one of the largest minorities in Kaishuri. They share many aspects of their culture with the Kai people, due to Kai imperial domination over the area for centuries. What makes Hedins distinct and gives them a ethnic identity is that they were mostly semi-nomadic until the discovery of coal in the 1900s. The Hedins are part of a larger group of Kaijin living near the mountains of East Kaishuri known as the “hill tribes”. Hedins make up the majority of the group, and other peoples of the “hill tribes” include the Zolo, Guran, and Dagas. For much of history, the hill tribes were considered uncivilized and hopeless, resulting in very minimal presence of the Kai empires which nominally ruled the region, aside from language.<br /> <br /> In recent years, the Hedin region has been one of the fastest growing areas outside of the [[Shukariden/Gallery|Shukariden region]], with huge economic and population growth fed by a huge mining, manufacturing, and heavy industry boom in the last 20 years. The Hedin region has also historically been one of the most progressive regions of Kaishuri, with a tradition of republicanism and a heavy presence of socialism. Led by Shumadi Madir, the [[Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)|'''Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)''']] has ruled the HAR effectively as a one-party totalitarian state since the end of the [[Cheka War|'''Cheka War''']], when the HEP was formed by the remnants of the Erinshuri Freedom Army, the Red Sashes, and the Erin Tigers. The HAR is the center of Kaishuri's Hedin population and the center of Hedin culture, with a burgeoning film industry producing world-famous films such as [[Last Boat to Satun|'''Last Boat to Satun''']], a vibrant music scene, and a strong culture of sports, specifically Falcon FC of Mudiar and Jaikai United of Jaikai.<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> ===Hedin Insurgency (1960-1989)===<br /> [[File:Hedin bombing.jpg|left|thumb|The 1987 firebombing of Mudiar by Kai aircraft]]<br /> The '''Hedin Insurgency''', called the '''Cheka War''' (meaning Red War) by the Hedin, was a separatist conflict in East Kaishuri, fought between the '''Erin Tigers''' ''(Erin Shärö'') and the Kaishuri government from '''1960 to 1989'''. The insurgency stemmed from the region’s distinct history, culture, and economic grievances. Historically an independent state, Hedins fiercely resisted imperial rule and were one of the last regions to be incorporated into the Republic. After the Blossom Revolution, in return for not preventing the restoration of the monarchy, the Hedin people were initially promised special autonomy, but they were later integrated into East Shiamori province, sparking local resentment. In 1937, Erinshuri briefly became a stronghold of the '''Red Banner Movement''', a socialist movement seeking a socialist state for the peasants of Kaishuri. Though the rebellion was suppressed by 1962, Hedin dissatisfaction with Akyáz’s rule persisted, particularly over the exploitation of the region’s coal mines, which fueled Kaishuri's national economy while leaving much of the local population impoverished.<br /> [[File:Kai gove.jpg|thumb|EFA soldiers in Par, 1979, as the city was under siege]]<br /> In 1976, the Erin Tigers, led by Hudien La, declared Erinshuri's independence, arguing that Akyáz had colonized Erinshuri and plundered its resources. The Kai imperial military launched counterinsurgency operations, but the conflict remained low-level until the early 1980s, when the Kaishurian government escalated military operations, designating the region a “Military Operations Zone”, declaring martial law from '''1973 to 1982'''. During this period, Kai forces engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, leading to deepening local resentment and increased support for the Tigers. Following Hudien La's capture and execution in 1982, the central government lifted martial law on Erinshuri, and initial peace talks began. However, a more conservative group, called the Erinshuri Freedom Army (EFA), emboldened by the political shift, expanded its operations, leading to renewed conflict. Negotiations were attempted in 1984, but the talks collapsed, and violence surged in the following years, when martial law was reestablished in Erinshuri in 1987 and launched one of Kaishuri's largest military operations.<br /> <br /> The turning point came in 1988, when the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake devastated Erinshuri, killing over 270,000 people in the province. The catastrophe created urgency for a resolution, as both sides faced international pressure to end hostilities. In 1989, EFA and the Kai government signed the Uruká Armistice. The deal granted Erinshuri special autonomy, allowing it to establish its own legal system, form local political parties, and retain 70% of its mining revenues. In exchange, EFA disarmed, and Kai troops withdrew. Unlike similar rebellions in Kaishuri, the Hedin conflict ended with Erinshuri remaining within Kaishuri but with significant self-governance. Since the peace deal, the Hedin region has remained largely stable, although tensions occasionally flare over governance and the implementation of nation-wide laws. The insurgency remains one of the most successful autonomy agreements in modern Aichan history.<br /> <br /> ==Demographics==<br /> Yao-di/Yazu-di (western/riverine-kachin) 65m<br /> <br /> Zan (mountains-mizo) 24m<br /> <br /> ==Economy==<br /> [[File:2657555053.webp|thumb|260x260px|The devastating effects of the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake, shown in Turpaji, a suburb of Jaikai]]<br /> The economic transformation and restructuring of the Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR) followed the '''Uruká Armistice''', which ended the Cheka War and established the '''Hedin People’s Coalition (HEP)''' as the governing authority. The new administration, led by former insurgents from the Erinshuri Freedom Army, prioritized rapid industrialization as a means of consolidating power and reducing reliance on the Kai monarchy-controlled economy. Historically marginalized and seen as a rebellious frontier region, Jaikai was largely excluded from national economic planning until the '''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State (1990)''' when the HAR gained control over its resource management, taxation policies, and industrial planning, enabling direct investment into mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects without interference from the central government. Unlike neighboring provinces, where economic policies were dictated by the state's development councils, the HAR established its own State Industrial Commission, which coordinated economic planning through plans modeled on state-directed development programs.<br /> <br /> Initial industrial efforts were hindered by a lack of infrastructure, skilled labor, and capital investment, but this changed with the discovery of high-grade iron ore, coking coal, and rare earth minerals around Senduvash Mountain. The HEP administration, under Chairman Madir, declared mining a strategic industry, directing state resources to develop the '''Eastern Renaissance Extraction Zone''', a series of open-pit mines designed for high-volume mineral output. The Hakodash Mining Corporation (HMC), previously a minor regional enterprise, was reorganized into the largest mining operator in HAR, expanding production through newly constructed rail corridors and processing facilities. By 2010, the HAR was producing over 70% of Kaishuri’s rare earth minerals, critical for electronics, defense industries, and energy technologies, giving the region increased economic leverage in negotiations with the central government.<br /> <br /> The Kaldirim Steelworks Group (KSG) was expanded in parallel, receiving state subsidies to construct new blast furnaces and rolling mills, allowing Jaikai to process raw iron and steel domestically rather than exporting unrefined materials. By 2010, KSG was supplying 30% of Kaishuri’s total steel production, feeding into national infrastructure projects and military supply chains. This industrial base led to the emergence of secondary heavy industries, including Lirashun Heavy Machinery (SHM) and Balgat Automotives (BBA), which became leading manufacturers of industrial equipment, construction vehicles, and military-grade transport trucks.<br /> <br /> These developments transformed Jaikai and the HAR from a peripheral, underdeveloped region into an industrial hub, accelerating urbanization as millions of rural Hedin workers migrated to the cities. By 2020, the HAR's economy was driven by state-run heavy industries, with strategic sectors under direct HEP control, ensuring continued economic independence from the Kaishuri monarchy’s central administration.<br /> <br /> == Culture==<br /> <br /> ===Cuisine===<br /> &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chakapuli.jpg|Washoi<br /> File:Kelle paça Hof.jpg|Enshori<br /> File:Харчо.jpg|Sakurideni kabar<br /> File:Shkembe-chorba.jpg|Bozhor in a bozhor shop in Akyáz<br /> File:Chikhirtma-7.jpg|Voshê<br /> File:147bc6ff491c4a988229a0c420788389.jpg|Matoroi<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ==== Sakuěrde ====<br /> Outside of the HAR, Hedin cuisine is very underrepresented despite the region's large population. A key difference that sets Hedin cuisine apart from the main Kaishurian regional cuisines is the much more limited use of tomatoes and dairy. Hedin cuisine places much more emphasis on soup and stew dishes, due to the cold winters and abundance of chilis. In the rest of Kaishuri, 'Hedin cuisine' typically refers to the cuisine of '''Sakuěrde''' '''(Sakuriden)''', a city known for dishes that can be quite sour compared to other regions of Kaishuri, which generally lean richer and more aromatic. Sakuěrdezhên cuisine is more represented throughout Kaishuri than other Hedin regional cuisines primarily because it is more suited to the typical Kaishurian palate, since Sakuěrdezhên cuisine uses far less chili than other Hedin regions like Par and Jaikai. The most nationally famous dishes of Hedin (Sakuriden) cuisine are '''washoi''' (lamb stewed with fresh herbs and sour green plums), '''Sakuěrdezhên kabar''' (a sour and spicy soup made with beef, sour plums, and walnuts) and '''enshori''' (a rich, garlicky, sour, and gelatinous soup made by long-simmering sheep head and feet). An adapted version of enshori, made with tripe instead, called bozhor is very well known in many larger Kai cities as a late-night food or as a hangover cure. Most bar streets in Kaishuri contain a shop specializing in bozhor that is open through the entire night. The most famous example of this is Sakurideni Street in Káibashi, a pub street which got its name from the abundance of bozhor shops owned by Hedins. In addition to bozhor/enshori, many Hedin restaurants throughout Kaishuri also offer the other famous soups of Sakuěrde, matoroi (a herbal broth made with beef shank) and voshê (a thicker chicken soup flavored with vinegar). Almost all Hedin restaurants outside of the HAR that cater to Kai customers only serve Sakuěrdezhên soups, occasionally offering washoi and sometimes kabar. <br /> <br /> ====Par====<br /> While the most popular Hedin foods outside of Kaishuri are from the famously sour cuisine of Sakuěrde (Sakuriden), in the HAR, Sakuěrdezhên food is rarely seen outside of Sakuěrde itself. Instead, the most popular dishes come from Par, famous for its spicy stews. The cuisine of Par, the region being the main agricultural producer in the HAR and one of the biggest producers of chili in Kaishuri, uses chili in almost every dish, treating it more like a vegetable than a spice. Throughout the HAR, any meal will likely contain at least one of the 'holy trinity' of Pari stews, kulabiar (lotus), makai (kidney beans) and gashi (mutton). All three of these stews are almost always served with rice, as a main dish of any meal. Kulabiar (lotus) stew, the least spicy of the three, is most commonly eaten for breakfast, with green tea, rice, and fried bread (suêsh) to soak up the gravy. Makai (kidney beans) stew and gashi (mutton) stew are mostly eaten for lunch and dinner, but due to the cheaper ingredients in Makai stew, Makai is more commonly eaten for lunch while Gashi stew is saved for dinner to be enjoyed with family.<br /> <br /> Par is also a hub for the 24 million Zan Hedin people (the Zolo, Guran, and Daga hill-tribes) and their influence shows in the spicy, dry-fried small dishes called '''pakshê''' created to be easily preserved and transported by Zan hunters. In modern Par, pakshê are more of a bar snack or a side dish, alongside a main stew. Some of the most popular pakshê are zakêto (a spicy, jerky-like beef 'salad') and chatên (grilled meat tossed with chilies, spices, and mustard oil). Alongside pakshê, another Zan-influenced dish found in Par is pakashpê, a pork belly stew cooked with vinegar and chilies, often served at weddings.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chhwela.jpg|Chatên<br /> File:Dhido.jpg|Zan sêhên<br /> File:Maxresdefault (1).jpg|Kulabiar stew<br /> File:Khasi ko masu.jpg|Gashi stew<br /> File:Rajma Rice, Raita, sprouts with potato sabji.JPG|Makai stew<br /> File:Sukuti.jpg|Par-style zakêto<br /> File:Sukuti2.jpg|Zan-style zakêto<br /> File:Phaksha paa.jpeg|Pakashpê<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Zan Hills====<br /> A dish very unique to the Zan people of the hilly and rural areas is sêhên, a thick, sticky porridge made from millet flour cooked in boiling water until it reaches a smooth, elastic consistency. Sêhên was created to be heavier and more filling than rice, eaten as a staple carbohydrate by the Zan alongside vegetables, pakshê and other stews. Sêhên is not easy to find outside of the rural Zan areas, but in Par, during the '''Suêk-yahut''' festival, a Zan harvest festival, sêhên is commonly eaten according to tradition, usually with zakêto and often black coffee.<br /> <br /> ====Jaikai====<br /> Hedin has a particularly strong street food culture compared to the rest of Kaishuri, especially in the capital of Jaikai, the home of iconic Hedin street foods such as vashi barada (a spicy snack mix of crispy rice and peanuts) and the wildly popular Jaikai panin (stir-fried noodles introduced by northwestern Kaishurians). Other well-known Jaikai dishes are kashaê (a spicy chicken stew) and the infamous lalicha (an extremely spicy salad made from raw minced meat).<br /> <br /> ===='''Mudiar'''====<br /> Having a colder climate than Jaikai and Par, Mudiari cuisine is comparatively richer&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Jhal-Muri in Chottogram 03.jpg|Vashi barada<br /> File:Kachilaa.jpg|Lalicha<br /> File:Cooking jasha maroo.JPG|Kashaê<br /> File:Kewa-datshi-potato-with.jpg|Rashi ênta<br /> File:30.-Ema-Datshi-Recipe.jpg|Rashi kêra<br /> File:A4V3BUE3VFDQGUEQBW245KGY.webp|Taperesh kêra<br /> File:Tsuivan.jpg|Jaikai panin<br /> File:Jhal Muri (Masala Muri).jpg|A street vendor in Jaikai selling vashi barada<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Culinary traditions====<br /> There are four main types of pagan feasts in Hedin culture, the wedding feast, New Year's feast, funeral feast, and full moon feast. Each of these typically contains a different combination of the main Hedin dishes. <br /> <br /> A wedding feast is usually centered around heavy, meat-based dishes like pakashpê and lalicha, as well as various roasted meats. A whole-roasted pig or lamb is often part of the wedding feast for larger families. A wedding feast also typically includes towering and highly decorated spiced rice dishes to accompany the meats. The abundance of meat at a Hedin wedding, traditionally paid for and prepared by the groom's family, lets the bride's family show off to their extended family the generosity of their new son-in-law. However, the main focus of a wedding feast is the dessert course. The desserts are traditionally prepared by the bride's family, to repay the groom's family for the generosity of the meat course. Dessert will usually consist of a myriad of baked goods, and puddings made from wheat and corn flour, mountain honey, and fruits.<br /> <br /> The New Year's feast, held on New Year's Eve, is the most unique of the Hedin feasts. It is considered inauspicious to eat rice on the New Year, so the dishes served at a New Year's feast are accompanied by breads and flatbreads instead of the typical rice. Other than this aspect, the dishes usually eaten for New Year's vary by household, but in the east and north of the HAR, near Par and the Zan Hills, the New Year's feast is often vegetarian, to pay respect to the animals which fed them for the rest of the year.<br /> <br /> The tradition of the funeral feast has its roots in the Kai imperial rule over the Hedin region, when the city of Sakuriden was established as the empire's main outpost in the region. The Kai administrators brought to the city brought with them their own cooks, who created what is now called Imperial Hedin cuisine by adapting Kai palace cuisine to Hedin ingredients. Imperial Hedin cuisine is characterized by its rich, warming, and mild stews and the use of lamb, uncommon in traditional Hedin cuisine but widely used in Kai cuisine. When one of these Kai administrators died, a funeral service was held and the guests were served Imperial Hedin dishes. It is said that a Hedin lord came to one of these funerals and so intrigued by the food, he ordered his cooks to prepare a similar feast for his mother's funeral. This started the tradition of Hedin funeral feasts, which centers around lighter-colored, more subtle dishes such as barakhtavêsa (an aromatic, creamy, stewed meatball dish, a tomato-less adaptation of the Kai palace dish '''kashim qëngji''') and gashta (a tomato-less version of the Kai palace dish '''rojana''').<br /> <br /> Throughout the HAR, the dishes served in the full-moon feast vary, but all include kabêk, a chilled pumpkin dessert cooked slowly with syrup. For the Yazu-di people, the tradition is to have orange and red-colored dishes, like kabêk, symbolizing the orange color of the moon. However for the Zan people, there are less specific traditions for the full-moon feast other than kabêk.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Kabak sekerlemesi.jpg|Kabêk<br /> File:Aşure kaseleri.JPG|'''Shêri''', a sweet pudding made with grains, served at weddings.<br /> File:Gushtaba..JPG|Barakhtavêsa<br /> File:Aab gosht.jpg|Gashta<br /> File:Ka3ek.JPG|Wedding cookies (pirêsa)<br /> File:بسبوسة.JPG|Honey-soaked cake (memerêsa)<br /> File:Mawa cake.jpg|Almond cake (darmêsa)<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> ===Film===<br /> The Hedin film industry, often referred to as '''Hedin Cinema''', has emerged as one of the most dynamic and influential film movements in Kaishuri, known for its dramatic, artful, and thriller-oriented storytelling. Rooted in the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of the Hedin people, the industry has evolved from a niche regional movement into a nationally and internationally recognized cinematic force.<br /> <br /> The breakthrough moment for Hedin Cinema came in the late 1990s, when legendary director Wenjä Ersun captured national and international attention with his 1999 film ''[[Last Boat to Satun]]''. A psychological drama set on the [[Somathar/Gallery|Somathi island of Satun]], the film’s intense atmosphere, morally complex characters, and existential themes resonated far beyond the Hedin-speaking audience. Drawing inspiration from the natural landscapes of Somathar, Ersun’s film pioneered a distinct aesthetic that blended raw, immersive cinematography with tense, slow-burning narratives, often exploring themes of alienation, rebellion, and the pursuit of paradise gone wrong. ''Last Boat to Satun'' became the first Hedin-language film to achieve blockbuster success across Kaishuri, paving the way for the wider popularization of Hedin Cinema.<br /> <br /> Following Ersun’s success, Jaikai became a hub for Hedin filmmakers experimenting with high-art thrillers, crime dramas, and psychological mysteries, often set against the backdrop of Hedin mountainous landscapes, industrial cityscapes, but also remote, mysterious locations. Directors such as Noda Wansheri continued to build on Ersun’s legacy, creating films that blended social realism with gripping, often unsettling narratives. Productions like ''The Deep Well'' (2006), ''Hostage'' (2011), and ''818'' (2018) achieved both critical acclaim and mainstream commercial success, cementing Jaikai as a powerhouse of artistic, thriller-driven cinema.<br /> <br /> Despite being produced in a minority language, Hedin films are widely consumed by the Kaishuri majority, aided by dubbed and subtitled releases and their distinctly modern, visually striking storytelling approach. The success of Jaikai’s film industry has also been bolstered by international film festivals, where Hedin directors frequently receive awards for cinematic innovation and narrative depth. Today, Jaikai is considered the beating heart of Hedin Cinema, with its film industry continuing to push creative boundaries while maintaining a cultural and artistic identity distinct from the monarchy-aligned mainstream Kaishuri film sector.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Hedin_Autonomous_Region&diff=577408 2026-02-18T01:27:32Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Hedin Autonomous Region<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Erinazheen Mashazha}} ([[Hedin language|Hedin]])&lt;br /&gt;''Erinazhên Mashazha''&lt;br /&gt;{{KaiScript|Hedinzhan Asajijin sa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Hedinzhan Asaji-jinsa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Autonomous Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:Tehran-iran-1.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = Jaikai, the region's largest city, its iconic Zadaji Tower seen from Dashtan Boulevard<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Erinshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 94,032,869<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Sakuriden<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Jaikai<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''The Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR)''', locally known as '''Erinshuri''' in the [[Hedin language|Hedin language (Eriyudi)]], is an autonomous region in eastern [[Kaishuri]]. It includes the Hedin cities of Jaikai, Par, and Mudiar. It surrounds an enclave of [[Kamekobashi Province]] called Yoshari. The Hedin Autonomous Region is the most populous '''autonomous region''' in Kaishuri, the third most populous subdivision in all of Kaishuri, and the second largest subdivision by area. The HAR is also the most populous non-Kai majority subdivision of Kaishuri and one of the only areas where ethnic Kai people make up only 5-10% of the population.<br /> <br /> The HAR was granted the status of nationality in a referendum of {{Kai-c|17|3=March|4=1989}}. The autonomous region is based on the ''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State'', a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the Hedin people in far Eastern Kaishuri.<br /> <br /> '''Hedins (''Erinï'' )''' are a Kaijin ethnic group that are one of the largest minorities in Kaishuri. They share many aspects of their culture with the Kai people, due to Kai imperial domination over the area for centuries. What makes Hedins distinct and gives them a ethnic identity is that they were mostly semi-nomadic until the discovery of coal in the 1900s. The Hedins are part of a larger group of Kaijin living near the mountains of East Kaishuri known as the “hill tribes”. Hedins make up the majority of the group, and other peoples of the “hill tribes” include the Zolo, Guran, and Dagas. For much of history, the hill tribes were considered uncivilized and hopeless, resulting in very minimal presence of the Kai empires which nominally ruled the region, aside from language.<br /> <br /> In recent years, the Hedin region has been one of the fastest growing areas outside of the [[Shukariden/Gallery|Shukariden region]], with huge economic and population growth fed by a huge mining, manufacturing, and heavy industry boom in the last 20 years. The Hedin region has also historically been one of the most progressive regions of Kaishuri, with a tradition of republicanism and a heavy presence of socialism. Led by Shumadi Madir, the [[Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)|'''Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)''']] has ruled the HAR effectively as a one-party totalitarian state since the end of the [[Cheka War|'''Cheka War''']], when the HEP was formed by the remnants of the Erinshuri Freedom Army, the Red Sashes, and the Erin Tigers. The HAR is the center of Kaishuri's Hedin population and the center of Hedin culture, with a burgeoning film industry producing world-famous films such as [[Last Boat to Satun|'''Last Boat to Satun''']], a vibrant music scene, and a strong culture of sports, specifically Falcon FC of Mudiar and Jaikai United of Jaikai.<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> ===Hedin Insurgency (1960-1989)===<br /> [[File:Hedin bombing.jpg|left|thumb|The 1987 firebombing of Mudiar by Kai aircraft]]<br /> The '''Hedin Insurgency''', called the '''Cheka War''' (meaning Red War) by the Hedin, was a separatist conflict in East Kaishuri, fought between the '''Erin Tigers''' ''(Erin Shärö'') and the Kaishuri government from '''1960 to 1989'''. The insurgency stemmed from the region’s distinct history, culture, and economic grievances. Historically an independent state, Hedins fiercely resisted imperial rule and were one of the last regions to be incorporated into the Republic. After the Blossom Revolution, in return for not preventing the restoration of the monarchy, the Hedin people were initially promised special autonomy, but they were later integrated into East Shiamori province, sparking local resentment. In 1937, Erinshuri briefly became a stronghold of the '''Red Banner Movement''', a socialist movement seeking a socialist state for the peasants of Kaishuri. Though the rebellion was suppressed by 1962, Hedin dissatisfaction with Akyáz’s rule persisted, particularly over the exploitation of the region’s coal mines, which fueled Kaishuri's national economy while leaving much of the local population impoverished.<br /> [[File:Kai gove.jpg|thumb|EFA soldiers in Par, 1979, as the city was under siege]]<br /> In 1976, the Erin Tigers, led by Hudien La, declared Erinshuri's independence, arguing that Akyáz had colonized Erinshuri and plundered its resources. The Kai imperial military launched counterinsurgency operations, but the conflict remained low-level until the early 1980s, when the Kaishurian government escalated military operations, designating the region a “Military Operations Zone”, declaring martial law from '''1973 to 1982'''. During this period, Kai forces engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, leading to deepening local resentment and increased support for the Tigers. Following Hudien La's capture and execution in 1982, the central government lifted martial law on Erinshuri, and initial peace talks began. However, a more conservative group, called the Erinshuri Freedom Army (EFA), emboldened by the political shift, expanded its operations, leading to renewed conflict. Negotiations were attempted in 1984, but the talks collapsed, and violence surged in the following years, when martial law was reestablished in Erinshuri in 1987 and launched one of Kaishuri's largest military operations.<br /> <br /> The turning point came in 1988, when the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake devastated Erinshuri, killing over 270,000 people in the province. The catastrophe created urgency for a resolution, as both sides faced international pressure to end hostilities. In 1989, EFA and the Kai government signed the Uruká Armistice. The deal granted Erinshuri special autonomy, allowing it to establish its own legal system, form local political parties, and retain 70% of its mining revenues. In exchange, EFA disarmed, and Kai troops withdrew. Unlike similar rebellions in Kaishuri, the Hedin conflict ended with Erinshuri remaining within Kaishuri but with significant self-governance. Since the peace deal, the Hedin region has remained largely stable, although tensions occasionally flare over governance and the implementation of nation-wide laws. The insurgency remains one of the most successful autonomy agreements in modern Aichan history.<br /> <br /> ==Demographics==<br /> Yao-di/Yazu-di (western/riverine-kachin) 65m<br /> <br /> Zan (mountains-mizo) 24m<br /> <br /> ==Economy==<br /> [[File:2657555053.webp|thumb|260x260px|The devastating effects of the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake, shown in Turpaji, a suburb of Jaikai]]<br /> The economic transformation and restructuring of the Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR) followed the '''Uruká Armistice''', which ended the Cheka War and established the '''Hedin People’s Coalition (HEP)''' as the governing authority. The new administration, led by former insurgents from the Erinshuri Freedom Army, prioritized rapid industrialization as a means of consolidating power and reducing reliance on the Kai monarchy-controlled economy. Historically marginalized and seen as a rebellious frontier region, Jaikai was largely excluded from national economic planning until the '''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State (1990)''' when the HAR gained control over its resource management, taxation policies, and industrial planning, enabling direct investment into mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects without interference from the central government. Unlike neighboring provinces, where economic policies were dictated by the state's development councils, the HAR established its own State Industrial Commission, which coordinated economic planning through plans modeled on state-directed development programs.<br /> <br /> Initial industrial efforts were hindered by a lack of infrastructure, skilled labor, and capital investment, but this changed with the discovery of high-grade iron ore, coking coal, and rare earth minerals around Senduvash Mountain. The HEP administration, under Chairman Madir, declared mining a strategic industry, directing state resources to develop the '''Eastern Renaissance Extraction Zone''', a series of open-pit mines designed for high-volume mineral output. The Hakodash Mining Corporation (HMC), previously a minor regional enterprise, was reorganized into the largest mining operator in HAR, expanding production through newly constructed rail corridors and processing facilities. By 2010, the HAR was producing over 70% of Kaishuri’s rare earth minerals, critical for electronics, defense industries, and energy technologies, giving the region increased economic leverage in negotiations with the central government.<br /> <br /> The Kaldirim Steelworks Group (KSG) was expanded in parallel, receiving state subsidies to construct new blast furnaces and rolling mills, allowing Jaikai to process raw iron and steel domestically rather than exporting unrefined materials. By 2010, KSG was supplying 30% of Kaishuri’s total steel production, feeding into national infrastructure projects and military supply chains. This industrial base led to the emergence of secondary heavy industries, including Lirashun Heavy Machinery (SHM) and Balgat Automotives (BBA), which became leading manufacturers of industrial equipment, construction vehicles, and military-grade transport trucks.<br /> <br /> These developments transformed Jaikai and the HAR from a peripheral, underdeveloped region into an industrial hub, accelerating urbanization as millions of rural Hedin workers migrated to the cities. By 2020, the HAR's economy was driven by state-run heavy industries, with strategic sectors under direct HEP control, ensuring continued economic independence from the Kaishuri monarchy’s central administration.<br /> <br /> == Culture==<br /> <br /> ===Cuisine===<br /> &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chakapuli.jpg|Washoi<br /> File:Kelle paça Hof.jpg|Enshori<br /> File:Харчо.jpg|Sakurideni kabar<br /> File:Shkembe-chorba.jpg|Bozhor in a bozhor shop in Akyáz<br /> File:Chikhirtma-7.jpg|Voshê<br /> File:147bc6ff491c4a988229a0c420788389.jpg|Matoroi<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ==== Sakuěrde ====<br /> Outside of the HAR, Hedin cuisine is very underrepresented despite the region's large population. A key difference that sets Hedin cuisine apart from the main Kaishurian regional cuisines is the much more limited use of tomatoes and dairy. Hedin cuisine places much more emphasis on soup and stew dishes, due to the cold winters and abundance of chilis. In the rest of Kaishuri, 'Hedin cuisine' typically refers to the cuisine of '''Sakuěrde''' '''(Sakuriden)''', a city known for dishes that can be quite sour compared to other regions of Kaishuri, which generally lean richer and more aromatic. Sakuěrdezhên cuisine is more represented throughout Kaishuri than other Hedin regional cuisines primarily because it is more suited to the typical Kaishurian palate, since Sakuěrdezhên cuisine uses far less chili than other Hedin regions like Par and Jaikai. The most nationally famous dishes of Hedin (Sakuriden) cuisine are '''washoi''' (lamb stewed with fresh herbs and sour green plums), '''Sakuěrdezhên kabar''' (a sour and spicy soup made with beef, sour plums, and walnuts) and '''enshori''' (a rich, garlicky, sour, and gelatinous soup made by long-simmering sheep head and feet). An adapted version of enshori, made with tripe instead, called bozhor is very well known in many larger Kai cities as a late-night food or as a hangover cure. Most bar streets in Kaishuri contain a shop specializing in bozhor that is open through the entire night. The most famous example of this is Sakurideni Street in Káibashi, a pub street which got its name from the abundance of bozhor shops owned by Hedins. In addition to bozhor/enshori, many Hedin restaurants throughout Kaishuri also offer the other famous soups of Sakuěrde, matoroi (a herbal broth made with beef shank) and voshê (a thicker chicken soup flavored with vinegar). Almost all Hedin restaurants outside of the HAR that cater to Kai customers only serve Sakuěrdezhên soups, occasionally offering washoi and sometimes kabar. <br /> <br /> ====Par====<br /> While the most popular Hedin foods outside of Kaishuri are from the famously sour cuisine of Sakuěrde (Sakuriden), in the HAR, Sakuěrdezhên food is rarely seen outside of Sakuěrde itself. Instead, the most popular dishes come from Par, famous for its spicy stews. The cuisine of Par, the region being the main agricultural producer in the HAR and one of the biggest producers of chili in Kaishuri, uses chili in almost every dish, treating it more like a vegetable than a spice. Throughout the HAR, any meal will likely contain at least one of the 'holy trinity' of Pari stews, kulabiar (lotus), makai (kidney beans) and gashi (mutton). All three of these stews are almost always served with rice, as a main dish of any meal. Kulabiar (lotus) stew, the least spicy of the three, is most commonly eaten for breakfast, with green tea, rice, and fried bread (suêsh) to soak up the gravy. Makai (kidney beans) stew and gashi (mutton) stew are mostly eaten for lunch and dinner, but due to the cheaper ingredients in Makai stew, Makai is more commonly eaten for lunch while Gashi stew is saved for dinner to be enjoyed with family.<br /> <br /> Par is also a hub for the 24 million Zan Hedin people (the Zolo, Guran, and Daga hill-tribes) and their influence shows in the spicy, dry-fried small dishes called '''pakshê''' created to be easily preserved and transported by Zan hunters. In modern Par, pakshê are more of a bar snack or a side dish, alongside a main stew. Some of the most popular pakshê are zakêto (a spicy, jerky-like beef 'salad') and chatên (grilled meat tossed with chilies, spices, and mustard oil). Alongside pakshê, another Zan-influenced dish found in Par is pakashpê, a pork belly stew cooked with vinegar and chilies, often served at weddings.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:A0d7d0ecdef149aa9dc711bc798557b1.jpg|Chatên<br /> File:Dhido.jpg|Zan sêhên<br /> File:Maxresdefault (1).jpg|Kulabiar stew<br /> File:Khasi ko masu.jpg|Gashi stew<br /> File:Rajma Rice, Raita, sprouts with potato sabji.JPG|Makai stew<br /> File:Sukuti.jpg|Par-style zakêto<br /> File:Sukuti2.jpg|Zan-style zakêto<br /> File:Phaksha paa.jpeg|Pakashpê<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Zan Hills====<br /> A dish very unique to the Zan people of the hilly and rural areas is sêhên, a thick, sticky porridge made from millet flour cooked in boiling water until it reaches a smooth, elastic consistency. Sêhên was created to be heavier and more filling than rice, eaten as a staple carbohydrate by the Zan alongside vegetables, pakshê and other stews. Sêhên is not easy to find outside of the rural Zan areas, but in Par, during the '''Suêk-yahut''' festival, a Zan harvest festival, sêhên is commonly eaten according to tradition, usually with zakêto and often black coffee.<br /> <br /> ====Jaikai====<br /> Hedin has a particularly strong street food culture compared to the rest of Kaishuri, especially in the capital of Jaikai, the home of iconic Hedin street foods such as vashi barada (a spicy snack mix of crispy rice and peanuts) and the wildly popular Jaikai panin (stir-fried noodles introduced by northwestern Kaishurians). Other well-known Jaikai dishes are kashaê (a spicy chicken stew) and the infamous lalicha (an extremely spicy salad made from raw minced meat).<br /> <br /> ===='''Mudiar'''====<br /> Having a colder climate than Jaikai and Par, Mudiari cuisine is comparatively richer&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Jhal-Muri in Chottogram 03.jpg|Vashi barada<br /> File:Kachilaa.jpg|Lalicha<br /> File:Cooking jasha maroo.JPG|Kashaê<br /> File:Kewa-datshi-potato-with.jpg|Rashi ênta<br /> File:30.-Ema-Datshi-Recipe.jpg|Rashi kêra<br /> File:A4V3BUE3VFDQGUEQBW245KGY.webp|Taperesh kêra<br /> File:Tsuivan.jpg|Jaikai panin<br /> File:Jhal Muri (Masala Muri).jpg|A street vendor in Jaikai selling vashi barada<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Culinary traditions====<br /> There are four main types of pagan feasts in Hedin culture, the wedding feast, New Year's feast, funeral feast, and full moon feast. Each of these typically contains a different combination of the main Hedin dishes. <br /> <br /> A wedding feast is usually centered around heavy, meat-based dishes like pakashpê and lalicha, as well as various roasted meats. A whole-roasted pig or lamb is often part of the wedding feast for larger families. A wedding feast also typically includes towering and highly decorated spiced rice dishes to accompany the meats. The abundance of meat at a Hedin wedding, traditionally paid for and prepared by the groom's family, lets the bride's family show off to their extended family the generosity of their new son-in-law. However, the main focus of a wedding feast is the dessert course. The desserts are traditionally prepared by the bride's family, to repay the groom's family for the generosity of the meat course. Dessert will usually consist of a myriad of baked goods, and puddings made from wheat and corn flour, mountain honey, and fruits.<br /> <br /> The New Year's feast, held on New Year's Eve, is the most unique of the Hedin feasts. It is considered inauspicious to eat rice on the New Year, so the dishes served at a New Year's feast are accompanied by breads and flatbreads instead of the typical rice. Other than this aspect, the dishes usually eaten for New Year's vary by household, but in the east and north of the HAR, near Par and the Zan Hills, the New Year's feast is often vegetarian, to pay respect to the animals which fed them for the rest of the year.<br /> <br /> The tradition of the funeral feast has its roots in the Kai imperial rule over the Hedin region, when the city of Sakuriden was established as the empire's main outpost in the region. The Kai administrators brought to the city brought with them their own cooks, who created what is now called Imperial Hedin cuisine by adapting Kai palace cuisine to Hedin ingredients. Imperial Hedin cuisine is characterized by its rich, warming, and mild stews and the use of lamb, uncommon in traditional Hedin cuisine but widely used in Kai cuisine. When one of these Kai administrators died, a funeral service was held and the guests were served Imperial Hedin dishes. It is said that a Hedin lord came to one of these funerals and so intrigued by the food, he ordered his cooks to prepare a similar feast for his mother's funeral. This started the tradition of Hedin funeral feasts, which centers around lighter-colored, more subtle dishes such as barakhtavêsa (an aromatic, creamy, stewed meatball dish, a tomato-less adaptation of the Kai palace dish '''kashim qëngji''') and gashta (a tomato-less version of the Kai palace dish '''rojana''').<br /> <br /> Throughout the HAR, the dishes served in the full-moon feast vary, but all include kabêk, a chilled pumpkin dessert cooked slowly with syrup. For the Yazu-di people, the tradition is to have orange and red-colored dishes, like kabêk, symbolizing the orange color of the moon. However for the Zan people, there are less specific traditions for the full-moon feast other than kabêk.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Kabak sekerlemesi.jpg|Kabêk<br /> File:Aşure kaseleri.JPG|'''Shêri''', a sweet pudding made with grains, served at weddings.<br /> File:Gushtaba..JPG|Barakhtavêsa<br /> File:Aab gosht.jpg|Gashta<br /> File:Ka3ek.JPG|Wedding cookies (pirêsa)<br /> File:بسبوسة.JPG|Honey-soaked cake (memerêsa)<br /> File:Mawa cake.jpg|Almond cake (darmêsa)<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> ===Film===<br /> The Hedin film industry, often referred to as '''Hedin Cinema''', has emerged as one of the most dynamic and influential film movements in Kaishuri, known for its dramatic, artful, and thriller-oriented storytelling. Rooted in the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of the Hedin people, the industry has evolved from a niche regional movement into a nationally and internationally recognized cinematic force.<br /> <br /> The breakthrough moment for Hedin Cinema came in the late 1990s, when legendary director Wenjä Ersun captured national and international attention with his 1999 film ''[[Last Boat to Satun]]''. A psychological drama set on the [[Somathar/Gallery|Somathi island of Satun]], the film’s intense atmosphere, morally complex characters, and existential themes resonated far beyond the Hedin-speaking audience. Drawing inspiration from the natural landscapes of Somathar, Ersun’s film pioneered a distinct aesthetic that blended raw, immersive cinematography with tense, slow-burning narratives, often exploring themes of alienation, rebellion, and the pursuit of paradise gone wrong. ''Last Boat to Satun'' became the first Hedin-language film to achieve blockbuster success across Kaishuri, paving the way for the wider popularization of Hedin Cinema.<br /> <br /> Following Ersun’s success, Jaikai became a hub for Hedin filmmakers experimenting with high-art thrillers, crime dramas, and psychological mysteries, often set against the backdrop of Hedin mountainous landscapes, industrial cityscapes, but also remote, mysterious locations. Directors such as Noda Wansheri continued to build on Ersun’s legacy, creating films that blended social realism with gripping, often unsettling narratives. Productions like ''The Deep Well'' (2006), ''Hostage'' (2011), and ''818'' (2018) achieved both critical acclaim and mainstream commercial success, cementing Jaikai as a powerhouse of artistic, thriller-driven cinema.<br /> <br /> Despite being produced in a minority language, Hedin films are widely consumed by the Kaishuri majority, aided by dubbed and subtitled releases and their distinctly modern, visually striking storytelling approach. The success of Jaikai’s film industry has also been bolstered by international film festivals, where Hedin directors frequently receive awards for cinematic innovation and narrative depth. Today, Jaikai is considered the beating heart of Hedin Cinema, with its film industry continuing to push creative boundaries while maintaining a cultural and artistic identity distinct from the monarchy-aligned mainstream Kaishuri film sector.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=Hedin_Autonomous_Region&diff=577407 2026-02-18T01:27:01Z

<p>Tsundoku: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Infobox settlement<br /> | name = Hedin Autonomous Region<br /> | native_name = {{KaiScript|Erinazheen Mashazha}} ([[Hedin language|Hedin]])&lt;br /&gt;''Erinazhên Mashazha''&lt;br /&gt;{{KaiScript|Hedinzhan Asajijin sa}} ([[Kai language|Kai]])&lt;br /&gt;''Hedinzhan Asaji-jinsa''<br /> | native_name_lang = <br /> | settlement_type = Autonomous Region of [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | image_skyline = File:Tehran-iran-1.jpg<br /> | image_alt = <br /> | image_caption = Jaikai, the region's largest city, its iconic Zadaji Tower seen from Dashtan Boulevard<br /> | etymology = <br /> | nickname = Erinshuri<br /> | coordinates = &lt;!-- {{Coord}} --&gt;<br /> | population_total = 94,032,869<br /> | subdivision_type = Country<br /> | subdivision_name = [[Kaishuri]]<br /> | subdivision_type1 = Seat<br /> | subdivision_name1 = Sakuriden<br /> | subdivision_type2 = Largest city<br /> | subdivision_name2 = Jaikai<br /> | website = &lt;!-- {{URL|example.com}} --&gt;<br /> }}<br /> <br /> '''The Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR)''', locally known as '''Erinshuri''' in the [[Hedin language|Hedin language (Eriyudi)]], is an autonomous region in eastern [[Kaishuri]]. It includes the Hedin cities of Jaikai, Par, and Mudiar. It surrounds an enclave of [[Kamekobashi Province]] called Yoshari. The Hedin Autonomous Region is the most populous '''autonomous region''' in Kaishuri, the third most populous subdivision in all of Kaishuri, and the second largest subdivision by area. The HAR is also the most populous non-Kai majority subdivision of Kaishuri and one of the only areas where ethnic Kai people make up only 5-10% of the population.<br /> <br /> The HAR was granted the status of nationality in a referendum of {{Kai-c|17|3=March|4=1989}}. The autonomous region is based on the ''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State'', a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the Hedin people in far Eastern Kaishuri.<br /> <br /> '''Hedins (''Erinï'' )''' are a Kaijin ethnic group that are one of the largest minorities in Kaishuri. They share many aspects of their culture with the Kai people, due to Kai imperial domination over the area for centuries. What makes Hedins distinct and gives them a ethnic identity is that they were mostly semi-nomadic until the discovery of coal in the 1900s. The Hedins are part of a larger group of Kaijin living near the mountains of East Kaishuri known as the “hill tribes”. Hedins make up the majority of the group, and other peoples of the “hill tribes” include the Zolo, Guran, and Dagas. For much of history, the hill tribes were considered uncivilized and hopeless, resulting in very minimal presence of the Kai empires which nominally ruled the region, aside from language.<br /> <br /> In recent years, the Hedin region has been one of the fastest growing areas outside of the [[Shukariden/Gallery|Shukariden region]], with huge economic and population growth fed by a huge mining, manufacturing, and heavy industry boom in the last 20 years. The Hedin region has also historically been one of the most progressive regions of Kaishuri, with a tradition of republicanism and a heavy presence of socialism. Led by Shumadi Madir, the [[Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)|'''Hedin People's Coalition (HEP)''']] has ruled the HAR effectively as a one-party totalitarian state since the end of the [[Cheka War|'''Cheka War''']], when the HEP was formed by the remnants of the Erinshuri Freedom Army, the Red Sashes, and the Erin Tigers. The HAR is the center of Kaishuri's Hedin population and the center of Hedin culture, with a burgeoning film industry producing world-famous films such as [[Last Boat to Satun|'''Last Boat to Satun''']], a vibrant music scene, and a strong culture of sports, specifically Falcon FC of Mudiar and Jaikai United of Jaikai.<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> ===Hedin Insurgency (1960-1989)===<br /> [[File:Hedin bombing.jpg|left|thumb|The 1987 firebombing of Mudiar by Kai aircraft]]<br /> The '''Hedin Insurgency''', called the '''Cheka War''' (meaning Red War) by the Hedin, was a separatist conflict in East Kaishuri, fought between the '''Erin Tigers''' ''(Erin Shärö'') and the Kaishuri government from '''1960 to 1989'''. The insurgency stemmed from the region’s distinct history, culture, and economic grievances. Historically an independent state, Hedins fiercely resisted imperial rule and were one of the last regions to be incorporated into the Republic. After the Blossom Revolution, in return for not preventing the restoration of the monarchy, the Hedin people were initially promised special autonomy, but they were later integrated into East Shiamori province, sparking local resentment. In 1937, Erinshuri briefly became a stronghold of the '''Red Banner Movement''', a socialist movement seeking a socialist state for the peasants of Kaishuri. Though the rebellion was suppressed by 1962, Hedin dissatisfaction with Akyáz’s rule persisted, particularly over the exploitation of the region’s coal mines, which fueled Kaishuri's national economy while leaving much of the local population impoverished.<br /> [[File:Kai gove.jpg|thumb|EFA soldiers in Par, 1979, as the city was under siege]]<br /> In 1976, the Erin Tigers, led by Hudien La, declared Erinshuri's independence, arguing that Akyáz had colonized Erinshuri and plundered its resources. The Kai imperial military launched counterinsurgency operations, but the conflict remained low-level until the early 1980s, when the Kaishurian government escalated military operations, designating the region a “Military Operations Zone”, declaring martial law from '''1973 to 1982'''. During this period, Kai forces engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, leading to deepening local resentment and increased support for the Tigers. Following Hudien La's capture and execution in 1982, the central government lifted martial law on Erinshuri, and initial peace talks began. However, a more conservative group, called the Erinshuri Freedom Army (EFA), emboldened by the political shift, expanded its operations, leading to renewed conflict. Negotiations were attempted in 1984, but the talks collapsed, and violence surged in the following years, when martial law was reestablished in Erinshuri in 1987 and launched one of Kaishuri's largest military operations.<br /> <br /> The turning point came in 1988, when the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake devastated Erinshuri, killing over 270,000 people in the province. The catastrophe created urgency for a resolution, as both sides faced international pressure to end hostilities. In 1989, EFA and the Kai government signed the Uruká Armistice. The deal granted Erinshuri special autonomy, allowing it to establish its own legal system, form local political parties, and retain 70% of its mining revenues. In exchange, EFA disarmed, and Kai troops withdrew. Unlike similar rebellions in Kaishuri, the Hedin conflict ended with Erinshuri remaining within Kaishuri but with significant self-governance. Since the peace deal, the Hedin region has remained largely stable, although tensions occasionally flare over governance and the implementation of nation-wide laws. The insurgency remains one of the most successful autonomy agreements in modern Aichan history.<br /> <br /> ==Demographics==<br /> Yao-di/Yazu-di (western/riverine-kachin) 65m<br /> <br /> Zan (mountains-mizo) 24m<br /> <br /> ==Economy==<br /> [[File:2657555053.webp|thumb|260x260px|The devastating effects of the 1988 Kamekobashi Earthquake, shown in Turpaji, a suburb of Jaikai]]<br /> The economic transformation and restructuring of the Hedin Autonomous Region (HAR) followed the '''Uruká Armistice''', which ended the Cheka War and established the '''Hedin People’s Coalition (HEP)''' as the governing authority. The new administration, led by former insurgents from the Erinshuri Freedom Army, prioritized rapid industrialization as a means of consolidating power and reducing reliance on the Kai monarchy-controlled economy. Historically marginalized and seen as a rebellious frontier region, Jaikai was largely excluded from national economic planning until the '''Statute of Autonomy of the Hedin State (1990)''' when the HAR gained control over its resource management, taxation policies, and industrial planning, enabling direct investment into mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects without interference from the central government. Unlike neighboring provinces, where economic policies were dictated by the state's development councils, the HAR established its own State Industrial Commission, which coordinated economic planning through plans modeled on state-directed development programs.<br /> <br /> Initial industrial efforts were hindered by a lack of infrastructure, skilled labor, and capital investment, but this changed with the discovery of high-grade iron ore, coking coal, and rare earth minerals around Senduvash Mountain. The HEP administration, under Chairman Madir, declared mining a strategic industry, directing state resources to develop the '''Eastern Renaissance Extraction Zone''', a series of open-pit mines designed for high-volume mineral output. The Hakodash Mining Corporation (HMC), previously a minor regional enterprise, was reorganized into the largest mining operator in HAR, expanding production through newly constructed rail corridors and processing facilities. By 2010, the HAR was producing over 70% of Kaishuri’s rare earth minerals, critical for electronics, defense industries, and energy technologies, giving the region increased economic leverage in negotiations with the central government.<br /> <br /> The Kaldirim Steelworks Group (KSG) was expanded in parallel, receiving state subsidies to construct new blast furnaces and rolling mills, allowing Jaikai to process raw iron and steel domestically rather than exporting unrefined materials. By 2010, KSG was supplying 30% of Kaishuri’s total steel production, feeding into national infrastructure projects and military supply chains. This industrial base led to the emergence of secondary heavy industries, including Lirashun Heavy Machinery (SHM) and Balgat Automotives (BBA), which became leading manufacturers of industrial equipment, construction vehicles, and military-grade transport trucks.<br /> <br /> These developments transformed Jaikai and the HAR from a peripheral, underdeveloped region into an industrial hub, accelerating urbanization as millions of rural Hedin workers migrated to the cities. By 2020, the HAR's economy was driven by state-run heavy industries, with strategic sectors under direct HEP control, ensuring continued economic independence from the Kaishuri monarchy’s central administration.<br /> <br /> == Culture==<br /> <br /> ===Cuisine===<br /> &lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Chakapuli.jpg|Washoi<br /> File:Kelle paça Hof.jpg|Enshori<br /> File:Харчо.jpg|Sakurideni kabar<br /> File:Shkembe-chorba.jpg|Bozhor in a bozhor shop in Akyáz<br /> File:Chikhirtma-7.jpg|Voshê<br /> File:147bc6ff491c4a988229a0c420788389.jpg|Matoroi<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ==== Sakuěrde ====<br /> Outside of the HAR, Hedin cuisine is very underrepresented despite the region's large population. A key difference that sets Hedin cuisine apart from the main Kaishurian regional cuisines is the much more limited use of tomatoes and dairy. Hedin cuisine places much more emphasis on soup and stew dishes, due to the cold winters and abundance of chilis. In the rest of Kaishuri, 'Hedin cuisine' typically refers to the cuisine of '''Sakuěrde''' '''(Sakuriden)''', a city known for dishes that can be quite sour compared to other regions of Kaishuri, which generally lean richer and more aromatic. Sakuěrdezhên cuisine is more represented throughout Kaishuri than other Hedin regional cuisines primarily because it is more suited to the typical Kaishurian palate, since Sakuěrdezhên cuisine uses far less chili than other Hedin regions like Par and Jaikai. The most nationally famous dishes of Hedin (Sakuriden) cuisine are '''washoi''' (lamb stewed with fresh herbs and sour green plums), '''Sakuěrdezhên kabar''' (a sour and spicy soup made with beef, sour plums, and walnuts) and '''enshori''' (a rich, garlicky, sour, and gelatinous soup made by long-simmering sheep head and feet). An adapted version of enshori, made with tripe instead, called bozhor is very well known in many larger Kai cities as a late-night food or as a hangover cure. Most bar streets in Kaishuri contain a shop specializing in bozhor that is open through the entire night. The most famous example of this is Sakurideni Street in Káibashi, a pub street which got its name from the abundance of bozhor shops owned by Hedins. In addition to bozhor/enshori, many Hedin restaurants throughout Kaishuri also offer the other famous soups of Sakuěrde, matoroi (a herbal broth made with beef shank) and voshê (a thicker chicken soup flavored with vinegar). Almost all Hedin restaurants outside of the HAR that cater to Kai customers only serve Sakuěrdezhên soups, occasionally offering washoi and sometimes kabar. <br /> <br /> ====Par====<br /> While the most popular Hedin foods outside of Kaishuri are from the famously sour cuisine of Sakuěrde (Sakuriden), in the HAR, Sakuěrdezhên food is rarely seen outside of Sakuěrde itself. Instead, the most popular dishes come from Par, famous for its spicy stews. The cuisine of Par, the region being the main agricultural producer in the HAR and one of the biggest producers of chili in Kaishuri, uses chili in almost every dish, treating it more like a vegetable than a spice. Throughout the HAR, any meal will likely contain at least one of the 'holy trinity' of Pari stews, kulabiar (lotus), makai (kidney beans) and gashi (mutton). All three of these stews are almost always served with rice, as a main dish of any meal. Kulabiar (lotus) stew, the least spicy of the three, is most commonly eaten for breakfast, with green tea, rice, and fried bread (suêsh) to soak up the gravy. Makai (kidney beans) stew and gashi (mutton) stew are mostly eaten for lunch and dinner, but due to the cheaper ingredients in Makai stew, Makai is more commonly eaten for lunch while Gashi stew is saved for dinner to be enjoyed with family.<br /> <br /> Par is also a hub for the 24 million Zan Hedin people (the Zolo, Guran, and Daga hill-tribes) and their influence shows in the spicy, dry-fried small dishes called '''pakshê''' created to be easily preserved and transported by Zan hunters. In modern Par, pakshê are more of a bar snack or a side dish, alongside a main stew. Some of the most popular pakshê are zakêto (a spicy, jerky-like beef 'salad') and chatên (grilled meat tossed with chilies, spices, and mustard oil). Alongside pakshê, another Zan-influenced dish found in Par is pakashpê, a pork belly stew cooked with vinegar and chilies, often served at weddings.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:A0d7d0ecdef149aa9dc711bc798557b1.jpg|Chatên<br /> File:Dhido.jpg|Zan sêhên<br /> File:Maxresdefault (1).jpg|Kulabiar stew<br /> File:Khasi ko masu.jpg|Gashi stew<br /> File:Rajma Rice, Raita, sprouts with potato sabji.JPG|Makai stew<br /> File:Sukuti.jpg|Par-style zakêto<br /> File:Sukuti2.jpg|Zan-style zakêto<br /> File:Phaksha paa.jpeg|Pakashpê<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Zan Hills====<br /> A dish very unique to the Zan people of the hilly and rural areas is sêhên, a thick, sticky porridge made from millet flour cooked in boiling water until it reaches a smooth, elastic consistency. Sêhên was created to be heavier and more filling than rice, eaten as a staple carbohydrate by the Zan alongside vegetables, pakshê and other stews. Sêhên is not easy to find outside of the rural Zan areas, but in Par, during the '''Suêk-yahut''' festival, a Zan harvest festival, sêhên is commonly eaten according to tradition, usually with zakêto and often black coffee.<br /> <br /> ====Jaikai====<br /> Hedin has a particularly strong street food culture compared to the rest of Kaishuri, especially in the capital of Jaikai, the home of iconic Hedin street foods such as vashi barada (a spicy snack mix of crispy rice and peanuts) and the wildly popular Jaikai panin (stir-fried noodles introduced by northwestern Kaishurians). Other well-known Jaikai dishes are kashaê (a spicy chicken stew) and the infamous lalicha (an extremely spicy salad made from raw minced meat).<br /> <br /> ===='''Mudiar'''====<br /> Having a colder climate than Jaikai and Par, Mudiari cuisine is comparatively richer&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Jhal-Muri in Chottogram 03.jpg|Vashi barada<br /> File:Kachilaa.jpg|Lalicha<br /> File:Cooking jasha maroo.JPG|Kashaê<br /> File:Kewa-datshi-potato-with.jpg|Rashi ênta<br /> File:30.-Ema-Datshi-Recipe.jpg|Rashi kêra<br /> File:A4V3BUE3VFDQGUEQBW245KGY.webp|Taperesh kêra<br /> File:Tsuivan.jpg|Jaikai panin<br /> File:Jhal Muri (Masala Muri).jpg|A street vendor in Jaikai selling vashi barada<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> ====Culinary traditions====<br /> There are four main types of pagan feasts in Hedin culture, the wedding feast, New Year's feast, funeral feast, and full moon feast. Each of these typically contains a different combination of the main Hedin dishes. <br /> <br /> A wedding feast is usually centered around heavy, meat-based dishes like pakashpê and lalicha, as well as various roasted meats. A whole-roasted pig or lamb is often part of the wedding feast for larger families. A wedding feast also typically includes towering and highly decorated spiced rice dishes to accompany the meats. The abundance of meat at a Hedin wedding, traditionally paid for and prepared by the groom's family, lets the bride's family show off to their extended family the generosity of their new son-in-law. However, the main focus of a wedding feast is the dessert course. The desserts are traditionally prepared by the bride's family, to repay the groom's family for the generosity of the meat course. Dessert will usually consist of a myriad of baked goods, and puddings made from wheat and corn flour, mountain honey, and fruits.<br /> <br /> The New Year's feast, held on New Year's Eve, is the most unique of the Hedin feasts. It is considered inauspicious to eat rice on the New Year, so the dishes served at a New Year's feast are accompanied by breads and flatbreads instead of the typical rice. Other than this aspect, the dishes usually eaten for New Year's vary by household, but in the east and north of the HAR, near Par and the Zan Hills, the New Year's feast is often vegetarian, to pay respect to the animals which fed them for the rest of the year.<br /> <br /> The tradition of the funeral feast has its roots in the Kai imperial rule over the Hedin region, when the city of Sakuriden was established as the empire's main outpost in the region. The Kai administrators brought to the city brought with them their own cooks, who created what is now called Imperial Hedin cuisine by adapting Kai palace cuisine to Hedin ingredients. Imperial Hedin cuisine is characterized by its rich, warming, and mild stews and the use of lamb, uncommon in traditional Hedin cuisine but widely used in Kai cuisine. When one of these Kai administrators died, a funeral service was held and the guests were served Imperial Hedin dishes. It is said that a Hedin lord came to one of these funerals and so intrigued by the food, he ordered his cooks to prepare a similar feast for his mother's funeral. This started the tradition of Hedin funeral feasts, which centers around lighter-colored, more subtle dishes such as barakhtavêsa (an aromatic, creamy, stewed meatball dish, a tomato-less adaptation of the Kai palace dish '''kashim qëngji''') and gashta (a tomato-less version of the Kai palace dish '''rojana''').<br /> <br /> Throughout the HAR, the dishes served in the full-moon feast vary, but all include kabêk, a chilled pumpkin dessert cooked slowly with syrup. For the Yazu-di people, the tradition is to have orange and red-colored dishes, like kabêk, symbolizing the orange color of the moon. However for the Zan people, there are less specific traditions for the full-moon feast other than kabêk.&lt;gallery mode=&quot;packed-hover&quot;&gt;<br /> File:Kabak sekerlemesi.jpg|Kabêk<br /> File:Aşure kaseleri.JPG|'''Shêri''', a sweet pudding made with grains, served at weddings.<br /> File:Gushtaba..JPG|Barakhtavêsa<br /> File:Aab gosht.jpg|Gashta<br /> File:Maxresdefault (1).jpg|Kulabiar<br /> File:Ka3ek.JPG|Wedding cookies (pirêsa)<br /> File:بسبوسة.JPG|Honey-soaked cake (memerêsa)<br /> File:Mawa cake.jpg|Almond cake (darmêsa)<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> ===Film===<br /> The Hedin film industry, often referred to as '''Hedin Cinema''', has emerged as one of the most dynamic and influential film movements in Kaishuri, known for its dramatic, artful, and thriller-oriented storytelling. Rooted in the distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of the Hedin people, the industry has evolved from a niche regional movement into a nationally and internationally recognized cinematic force.<br /> <br /> The breakthrough moment for Hedin Cinema came in the late 1990s, when legendary director Wenjä Ersun captured national and international attention with his 1999 film ''[[Last Boat to Satun]]''. A psychological drama set on the [[Somathar/Gallery|Somathi island of Satun]], the film’s intense atmosphere, morally complex characters, and existential themes resonated far beyond the Hedin-speaking audience. Drawing inspiration from the natural landscapes of Somathar, Ersun’s film pioneered a distinct aesthetic that blended raw, immersive cinematography with tense, slow-burning narratives, often exploring themes of alienation, rebellion, and the pursuit of paradise gone wrong. ''Last Boat to Satun'' became the first Hedin-language film to achieve blockbuster success across Kaishuri, paving the way for the wider popularization of Hedin Cinema.<br /> <br /> Following Ersun’s success, Jaikai became a hub for Hedin filmmakers experimenting with high-art thrillers, crime dramas, and psychological mysteries, often set against the backdrop of Hedin mountainous landscapes, industrial cityscapes, but also remote, mysterious locations. Directors such as Noda Wansheri continued to build on Ersun’s legacy, creating films that blended social realism with gripping, often unsettling narratives. Productions like ''The Deep Well'' (2006), ''Hostage'' (2011), and ''818'' (2018) achieved both critical acclaim and mainstream commercial success, cementing Jaikai as a powerhouse of artistic, thriller-driven cinema.<br /> <br /> Despite being produced in a minority language, Hedin films are widely consumed by the Kaishuri majority, aided by dubbed and subtitled releases and their distinctly modern, visually striking storytelling approach. The success of Jaikai’s film industry has also been bolstered by international film festivals, where Hedin directors frequently receive awards for cinematic innovation and narrative depth. Today, Jaikai is considered the beating heart of Hedin Cinema, with its film industry continuing to push creative boundaries while maintaining a cultural and artistic identity distinct from the monarchy-aligned mainstream Kaishuri film sector.</div>

Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=File:Mawa_cake.jpg&diff=577406 2026-02-18T01:25:38Z

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Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=File:Dhido7.png&diff=577402 2026-02-18T00:49:25Z

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Tsundoku https://wiki.conworld.org/index.php?title=File:A4V3BUE3VFDQGUEQBW245KGY.webp&diff=577397 2026-02-17T22:49:19Z

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