The Southwestern Arm of the Immortals
by Átila Pires dos Santos from Threshold Magazine issue 17
This brief article presents some of the southern neighbors of Gombar and Suma'a, kingdoms and peoples native to the southwestern part of the Arm of the Immortals.
THE KINGDOMS:
Noxor (Kingdom
of):
-Ruler: Negus (king) Tewodros Dengel III
-Important Cities: Noxum (capital), Gasilides, Gambor, Dardawasa, Sawosa
-Races: Majority of Tanagoro humans (Abebi ethnic group), many tanagogres, some faenare
-Languages: Abe'ez (related to Harshen and Churan/Mebrir/Yivj from Yezchamenid)
-Religion: Noxumite Church
-Coinage: Birr (silver coin), Amole Tchew (salt block, worth 1 copper coin); the foreign coin Cedi/Kudi (gold coin) is accepted at face value.
The Kingdom of Noxor (Mangesta Noxor'ya in Abe'ez) is, perhaps, the most familiar land in the region to someone native to the Savage Coast or the Known World, due to the lasting influence of the Lawful Brotherhood in this land. Noxor has the most powerful army in the area, but still fear their Zulbe and Dutse neighbors and their religion, the Asman faith.
[Image:
Noxum Castle]
Caption: Noxum
Castle
Woraf (Kingdom of):
-Ruler: Buurba (king) Amadu Tyukuli
-Important Cities: Wokrur (capital), Mbikele, Kisal (ruins)
-Races: Majority of Tanagoro humans (Woraf ethnic group in Wokrur, Keler in Mbikele), some tanagogres, some Tanagoro half-elves, orcs around the ruins of Kisal
-Languages: Woraf and Keler (related to each other and Zular)
-Religion: Asman Faith (Woraf), Kooh [Ka the Preserver] (Keler)
-Coinage: Kudi (gold coin), Tsabar (silver coin)
Once a powerful empire, the Kingdom of Woraf was reduced to its current state almost a millennium ago, when it lost control over the Zulbe and Dutse lands. The Woraf still dream of unifying the faithful of the Asman under its banner, but its main concern remains the Kisal orcs. Many times the Woraf reclaimed the sacred ruins of Kisal, and many times the orcs took it back from their hands and threatened their strongholds of Workur and Mbikele.
Now, the Woraf might have to deal with more than just orcs: Verdan sailors are curious about their ruins, which they call Guissau. They might claim them in the future as one feitoria (outpost), unaware of Woraf intentions. Will the Woraf be willing to share Kisal/Guissau with the Verdans?
Zulbe Kingdoms:
-Ruler: Shehu (elder) Diallo Sangari of Zuta Kosoto; Lamido (leader) Sow Buhari of Zuta Mooro; Lamido (leader) Wane Nolloh of Zuta Nollon
-Important Cities: Kosoto (capital of Zuta Kosoto), Mooro (capital of Zuta Mooro) and Nollon (capital of Zuta Nollon)
-Races: Majority of Tanagoro humans (Zulbe ethnic group), many tanagogres
-Languages: Zular (related to Woraf and Keler)
-Religion: Asman Faith
-Coinage: Kudi (gold coin), Tsabar (silver coin)
Dutse Kingdoms:
[Image:
Dutse knight]
Caption: A Dutse knight
-Ruler:
Each has its own Sarki (king) or Sarauniya (queen)
-Important Cities: Kobir, Garia, Datsiram, Raura, Bano (each capital of kingdom with the same name)
-Races: Majority of Tanagoro humans (Dutse ethnic group), some tanagogres, some Tanagoro half-elves
-Languages: Harshen (related to Abe'ez and Churan/Mebrir/Yivj from Yezchamenid)
-Religion: Asman Faith
-Coinage: Kudi (gold coin), Tsabar (silver coin)
The Zulbe and the Dutse people might be divided into eight small kingdoms, but they are unified in one single goal: spread the Asman faith. Usually they do this through words and examples, but they are not against spreading it through war as well.
Both
are famed for their warriors. For now, as they are divided, this
means mercenaries for the Sawabar Coast, Izonda and Yezchamenid;
should they ever unite, they would be a force to be reckoned with,
and Noxor's worst nightmare.
[Image:
Kobir]
Caption:
Hasumiyar Alloli (a.k.a. Common Grounds), in Kobir:
Sawabar Coast
(City-States of the):
-Ruler: Each has its own Mfalme (king), some ruled by an oligarchy called Waungwana
-Important Cities: Sawabar, Folasa, Mzibar, Tanj, Patindi, Zilwadishu, Dares (all city-states)
-Races: Majority of Tanagoro humans (multiple ethnic groups) and tanagogres (descendents of Gombar and Suma'a)
-Languages: Ki'anan (same language as in Gombar and Suma'a, related to Yavi)
-Religion: Asman Faith, including Karimci and Jayaya faces (originally same as in Gombar and Suma'a, including Sumag (Terra) and Macroblan)
-Coinage: Pesawa (electrum coin), Cedi (gold coin), Safaru (silver coin)
These seven city-states were once Suma'a and Gombar's first colonies and trading outposts. Even after achieving independence, they still keep this trading tradition alive. All the seven city-states work as harbors for the inland states, including the Zulbe (Mzibar), Kumina (Folasa), and the five Dutse kingdoms (all the others). These cities rely on Zulbe and Dutse mercenaries to protect themselves from any threats, originally from Gombar, currently from pirates and from themselves. Perhaps the greatest threat to their independence (especially the southernmost city of Folasa) is the rising kingdom of Bedon.
Kumina (Kingdom
of):
-Ruler: Hemmea (queen) Yaa Nana
-Important Cities: Kumina (capital), Denoman, Bonkyira
-Races: Majority of Tanagoro half-elves
-Languages: Atwante and Ewon (related to Bedoni, Ire and Oioba)
-Religion: Anansi (Korotiku), Aso (Arachne Prime), Asase Yaa (Terra), others
-Coinage: Cedi (shell, worth 1 gold coin), Pesewa (iron coin, worth 1 silver coin)
This matriarchal society emerged in an area both blessed and cursed by the Immortals: it has the richest mines yet found in the whole Arm of the Immortals. Gold, silver, copper, and jewels are quite common here, to the point that they are useless as money; for currency, they rather use rare objects, like shells imported from the Sawabar Coast (the "money cowry") and iron coins. Iron is actually quite rare here, and most of it must be imported from other lands, usually from the Dutse lands. This is necessary for forging weapons for the army (which includes local men and women; foreign mercenaries will be hired only in the worst case scenario).
Kumina exports not only precious metals and jewels, but also the finest fabric in the region, called Kente cloth. Clothes made out of it are quite common among the richest in Bedon, the Sawabar Coast, Gombar and Suma'a (Noxor shuns it, however). Legends tell that the Immortal Anansi (Korotiku) taught the Atwante people how to weave it from his webs. Most of the Kente are colorful and have square patterns, but a few, used by Atwante nobility, have web-shaped patterns and are black and white. This people are reverent to spiders in general and actually use giant spiders as mounts. This attracted the attention of Arachne Prime, but she is still a minor presence in the local religion.
Bedon (Empire of):
-Ruler: Oba (emperor) Ore-Ohuan II
-Important Cities: Bedon (capital), Giafra, Ulo, Ugwu, Osimiri
-Races: Majority of Tanagoro humans (Bedoni and Ulo ethnic groups), many Tanagoro half-elves
-Languages: Bedoni and Ire (related to Atwante, Ewon and Oioba)
-Religion: Many different pantheons, with Korotiku and Calitha Starbrow, usually as main Immortals
-Coinage: Cedi (gold coin), Ego (silver coin)
[Image:
Bedoni legionnaire]
Caption:
Bedoni legionnaire
Bedon could be called the "Thyatis of the West" or the "Tropical Thyatis", since it has a lot in common with the imperial city: thick walls, organized legions with long shields and short swords protecting it, and a very practical people living in, and ruling it. The Bedoni and Ulo peoples are known for being practical, bending or changing tradition in the name of efficiency. The Bedoni are the governors and soldiers of the empire, while the Ulo (especially those from Osimiri) are the merchants, worthy rivals to the neighbors of the Sawabar Coast. A century ago, the Ulo were independent people of allied city-states, the Afra Confederacy, but they're not bitter for their defeat, as they found ways to prosper in this new condition.
Bedoni
legions are now marching north, either aiming for Kumina or Folasa.
It won't take long for Bedon reveal its next target.
[Map:
Southern Arm of the Immortal]
Caption: Nations of the Southwest Arm of the Immortal
http://pandius.com/southern_arm_of_the_immortals.png
BRIEF TIMELINE:
c. 1700 BC: Tanagoro colonists arrive at the western side of the Arm of the Immortals. The new settlers are welcomed and are promptly integrated into the Churan society. They learn the Proto-Churan language, which is the basis for the modern Churan, Mebrir and Yivj languages of the modern Yezchamenid Empire, and also the ancestor of the Abe'ez and and Harshen languages.
c. 1500 BC: Growing tensions within the Churan Empire result in groups of Tanagoro and mixed Tanagoro/Oltec (Pitchan) leaving the region. They settle the region south of the gyerian lands, founding a few city-states. These are the ancestors of the Abebi and Dutse. Those who stay in the Churan Empire (the Mebris) eventually revolt.
c. 500 BC: Yav, known as Mulogo, convinces the Tanagoro people of the Serpent Peninsula to sail across the Western Sea and settle on the Immortal's Arm (eastern coast). They do not interact with the western Tanagoro city-states.
c. 400 BC: The prophet Mulogo reappears and leads the People of Yav from the Immortal's Arm back to Thanegia Island.
Hard-pressed by nearby orcs, most of the Tanagoro of the five city-states follow Mulogo, but a few stay behind. They are eventually defeated by the orcs, and are pushed either farther north or underground. Those who went north eventually crossed the Yalu Bay and settled the lands west of Cay; they are the ancestors of the Oiobá people of the Yalu Bay. The other group split, some going straight west, others going straight south; the former are the ancestors of the Sawabar, the latter the ancestors of the Bedoni, Ulo and Atwante.
The city-state of Kisal falls to the orcs before Mulogo comes to rescue his people. The survivors go west, to one of the few valley areas that cross the Arm of the Immortals. There they find a more defensible land and are able to resist the orc attacks. Eventually they meet the Abebi and Dutse, and with their help, rebuild their civilization. They will eventually become the Woraf, Keler and Zulbe.
c. 300 BC: Tanagogres arrive at the Arm of the Immortals and begin to colonise it. They bring the Proto-Sawabar under their banner and buy gyerian lands. Eventually, they found the kingdoms of Suma'a and Gombar. These kingdoms are able to overtake much of the trade routes abandoned by the disorganised Kanastenid Empire.
To the south, the Abebi-Dutse and Woraf-Keler-Zulbe states eventually merge, forming the Woraf Empire.
c. 150 BC: Gombar and Suma'a slowly begin to colonise the region south of the Woraf Empire known as the Sawabar Coast.
Growing tensions within the Woraf Empire, due to trading issues between the Empire and Gombar and Suma'a, result in open revolt. The Abebi and Dutse claim their independence once more. Mercenaries from the fragmented Kanastenid Empire to the north (especially Churan and Midan warriors) arrive to support the revolt. These mercenaries become heroes and their religion, the Zaranasterism, become popular among the Abebi and Dutse. In the end, the Woraf Empire is defeated and thirteen kingdoms are founded: the five Abebi kingdoms (Noxum, Gasilides, Gambor, Dardawasa, and Sawosa), the five Dutse kingdoms (Datsiram, Bano, Kobir, Garia, and Raura) and the three small Zulbe states (Zuta Mooro, Zuta Kosoto, and Zuta Nollon).
c.250 - 300 AC: Noxum conquers its Abebi neighbors, one by one, eventually creating the Abebi-unified kingdom of Noxor.
c. 300 AC: An Abebi princess named Kebra makes a pilgrimage to the holy sites of Zaranasterism. Eventually, she learns about the Lawful Brotherhood and travels to one of its outposts. When she returns to Noxor, she brings with her ten LB priests and a chest that bears one relic of Ixion. Over the next few decades, these priests will influence the Noxumite Zaranasterism, turning it into a syncretic hybrid.
c. 300 - 400 AC: The Noxumite version of the Zaranasterism found its way into the Dutse kingdoms, slowly becoming popular there as well.
c. 450 AC: The city of Raura becomes the centre of a religious revolution. One Zaranasterist priest called Asman publicly denounces the excesses of other local priests. He also denounces Zaranasterist "monotheism" as a lie. He is forced to flee Raura, seeking refuge in the city of Kosoto. There, he meets an injured Enduk, whom the Zulbe were caring for, and learns more about the origins of Zaranasterism. He then creates a new version of Zaranasterism, closer to the Enduk faith. This new religion (given the name of his creator, Asman, after his disappearance) quickly becomes popular among the Zulbe. When the priest Asman returns to Raura with a Zulbe army, the new religion starts to spread in Dutse lands as well.
[Image:
Great Temple of Raura]
Caption:
Great Temple of Raura
c. 450 - 600 AC: Zulbe and Dutse conquests in the region help to spread the Asman faith and its official language, Harshen. Noxor forbids this new faith within its borders, but it gains many followers among the Woraf (but not the Keler).
c. 700 AC: The seven Sawabar colonies (Sawabar, Folasa, Mzibar, Patindi, Zilwadishu, Tanj, and Dares), now all under Gombarian rule, revolt. They hire mercenaries from inland (especially Zulbe, but also Dutse) to help their cause. Eventually, the colonies become independent of Gombar, but the mercenaries replace Gombarians as the masters of these cities. The Asman faith spreads into this region.
c. 800 - 1000 AC: Through the Sawabar Coast, the Asman faith reaches Davania, going as far as Izonda. It also reaches the Yezchamenid Empire in the north, but it is still a minority faith there.
c.
900 - 1000 AC: The militaristic city of Bedon, close to the southern
end of the Arm of the Immortals, defeat the rival Afra Confederacy
and, using its superior weapons and tactics, the latter akin to those
used by Thyatian legions. They also begin to build large
fortifications.
[Image:
Ore-Ohuan II, ruler of the Empire of Bedon]
Caption:
Ore-Ohuan II, ruler of the Empire of Bedon
1004 - 1009 AC: Wrath of the Immortals. Followers of Ixion and Valerias fight followers of Vanya, even within the Noxumite Church and the Asman faith.
RELIGIONS OF THE
REGION:
[Image:
Noxumite Church]
Caption: Noxumite
Church
Church of Noxor:
The Church of Noxor is one of the two descendants of the Zaranasterism from Yezchamenid in this region (the other is the Asman faith). Like Zaranasterism, its main Immortal is Ixion (called Tsehaye in Noxor). It began to deviate from Zaranasterism c. 300 AC, when an Abebi princess named Kebra made a pilgrimage to the holy sites of the Zaranasterism and returned home with ten Lawful Brotherhood priests and a chest containing a holy relic of Ixion. From that point on, it began to include other lawful Immortals, especially those recognised by the Lawful Brotherhood, including Vanya (Danya), Tarastia (Fitihi), Thor (Atekalayi), and Odin (Semayi; who was already part of Zaranasterism). Despite this, it still bears the same core message of Zaranasterism (which is similar to the LB) of free will, and rewards for the righteous in the afterlife
[Image:
Atekalayi (Thor) fighting a dragon, Noxumite art]
Caption: Atekalayi
(Thor) fighting a dragon, Noxumite art
Asman Faith:
The Asman faith is another reinterpretation of Zaranasterism, and is actually an answer to the Noxumite Church and its perceived "polytheisation" of the Zaranasterism. It began with a Dutse Zaranasterist priest of Raura called Asman, who was appalled by other Dutse who accepted the Noxumite Church. He responded by debating with other priests, both Zaranasterist and Noxumites, and came to the conclusion that both faiths actually followed more than one Immortal. When he began to gather followers in Raura, the city leaders began to see him as more than just a nuisance and he had to flee, seeking refuge in the neighboring city of Kosoto.
There, closer to the mountains, he met an injured Enduk whom the Zulbe had found while patrolling the outskirts of the city; he was being kept under their care until he was strong enough to return to Eshu. Asman took this chance to learn more about the origins of Zaranasterism. Based on what he learned, he created a new version of Zaranasterism, closer to the Enduk faith. He wrote this new faith in a book called the Kalmomi ("words" in Harshen).
Asman emphasised that there is only one Immortal worth worshipping - Ixion (called Idah by him, another form of the Enduk word Idu and the Dars word Mizara-Idan). He rejected the concept of the two independent spirits, Spenta Mainyu and Angra Mainyu, but argued that Idah had two different faces or humours: Generosity (Karimci) and Strife (Jayaya), which means that he would be generous to the righteous but would fight the unjust. Also, the Enduks and Shedu were angels of Ixion, and should be helped in their return to Nimmur. The faithful should pray five times a day, according to the position of the sun in the sky, and these prayers should be made towards Ganiya na Rana, “the Peak of the Sun”, just south of Eshu.
The Zulbe enjoyed this simplified version of Zaranasterism, and were interested in conquering and dominating Raura (under the guise of returning Asman to his original home). They were successful in doing this, and unifying, briefly, the Zulbe and the Dutse. The union didn't last, but the new faith spread among those peoples. Even if the firist (priests) of the Asman faith couldn't avoid the fragmentation of the empire, at least they were successful in reminding followers of the importance of Jayaya (strife), and bring the faith outside the region, beginning with the Sawabar Coast and the Woraf Kingdom.
It's interesting to note that, outside the Zulbe and Dutse regions, the Asman faith gained a polytheistic bent, much like Zaranasterism. It's not rare to find priests of Karimci face or the Jayaya face at the Sawabar Coast or Izonda. In the latter case, Ekara N'iombo, the current ruler, is actually a priest of Karimci. Almost always Karimci is another name for Valerias; Jayaya, on the other hand, can be used by different Immortals in different regions, but usually Vanya or Hel (and neither in Izonda, each having its own independent church there).
It's
unknown what happened to Asman, except that he vanished some time
after the brief unification of the Dutse and Zulbe. The faithful
claim he went to Eshu and met Gildesh. Asman then rode on Gildesh and
were taken to Ixion.
[Table:
RW Equivalents]
RW EQUIVALENTS:
|
Izonda |
Sahelian empires (Mali, Songhay, Kanem-Bornu) |
|
Gombar, Suma'a, Sawabar Coast |
Swahili Coast, a little bit from Akan/Ashanti |
|
Kumina |
Akan/Ashanti and Dahomey amazons, a little bit from Zimbabwe, a little bit from fantasy Drow |
|
Zulbe |
Islamic Fulbe/Fulani |
|
Dutse |
Islamic Hausa |
|
Woraf and Keler |
Wolof and Serer |
|
Kisal |
Guinea Bissau, but in ruins |
|
Noxor |
Ethiopia |
|
Bedon |
Edo-Bini |
|
Ulo (Afra Confederacy) |
Igbo (Aro Confederacy) |
Images
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