Khamria

Khamria
Image	Agriculture in Baviare Vale
Location	Khamria Location Location of Khamria on the continent of Méniail
Continent	Méniail
Country(ies)	Arânzeni Confederation • Order of Servants • Barerte Tribes
Largest City	Lavierin
Subregions	Baviare Vale • Barerte Waste • Şire Bișit
Spirits	Kúsi • Yala • Mevi • Uravayañ
Native Races	Arânzeni • Mundari
Population	c. 900,000

Introduction

Khamria is a region of mountains, highlands, and savanna in the center of Méniail. It surrounds the Domain of Yairan, which is enclosed by the Așdilu Mountains. Its subregions are the Baviare Vale, the Barerte Waste, and the Şire Bișit. Khamria is inhabited by the Arânzeni, a human people, and the Mundari, who are native to it. Its largest city is Lavierin, the capital of the Arânzeni Confederation.

Etymology

Khamria comes from Ḫamriya, the Mundari word for soil or earth. The early human settlers adopted the word as the name of the region.

History

See also: History of Khamria

During the Great Erosion (c. 63,000–55,000 BME) the Namuril built refuges beneath Khamria and settlements in the Baviare Vale. When it ended, Yairan withdrew to the Domain of Yairan and the Namuril left the Vale.

In the Age of Ascendance the spirits Yala and Kúsi settled in the region. Kúsi created the Mundari, who live in the high mountains and hold most of the Barerte Waste.

Humans entered Khamria from Gosterra in 300 ME and founded Lavierin in 302 ME. Under the influence of Yala and Kúsi they became the Arânzeni. After 150 years as tribal bands, a number of them formed the Arânzeni Confederation in 450 ME. The tribes of the Barerte Waste refused to join and still live in its north and south.

The Oinien of Orinilure extended the Namuril passages into the Deep Roads, which link the cities of the Vale to Orinilure.

Geography

See also: Geography of Khamria

Khamria is mountainous and arid, with few rivers. It is bordered by Gosterra to the northwest, Balúrail to the southwest, Aráinia to the north, Orinilure to the northeast, and Arezilur to the east, with the Southern Ocean to the south.

Subregions

Khamria has three subregions. The Baviare Vale is a highland basin and the most populated part of the region. The Barerte Waste is a desert basin in the west. The Şire Bișit is an area of broken, earthquake-prone ground in the east. They are separated and enclosed by the Așdilu Mountains, the Ilergierze Mountains, the Bogh Mountains, and the Mazissage Mountains.

Climate

Most of Khamria is arid, with low rainfall, hot summers, and cool winters. The highest peaks are cold throughout the year. The Baviare Vale is more temperate and receives some seasonal rain.

Flora and Fauna

A Slameoth

See also: Flora and Fauna of Khamria

Vegetation is sparse outside the Baviare Vale, where highland savanna supports grasses, shrubs, and scattered trees. Animals include the Slameoth, a large grazing herbivore, long-legged birds, and predatory cats.

Goverment and Politics

Khamria has no single government. Three groups hold territory in it.

• The Arânzeni Confederation is a union of six city-states under the authority of the Council of Lavierin. It holds the Baviare Vale and claims the Barerte Waste and the Şire Bișit.
• The Order of Servants is the political body of the Mundari. It is a loose theocracy and holds most of the Barerte Waste.
• The Barerte tribes are Arânzeni who refused to join the Confederation. They live in the north and south of the Barerte Waste as separate tribes, with no common government.

The Barerte tribes and the Confederation are on reasonable terms. Both are in conflict with the Order of Servants, which holds that humans are a pestilence on the land.

Economy

The economy of Khamria is based on stone. Quarrying, stonecraft, and the mineral trade are the main industries of Lavierin, Lepigisțil, and Gareag. Agriculture is concentrated in the Baviare Vale around Ingur and Luropiră, which supply the other cities. Most external trade is with the Oinien of Orinilure and travels by the Deep Roads. Yacinsa provides archival and scholarly services to the rest of the Confederation.

Demographics

The population of Khamria is about 900,000.

Group	Population estimate
Arânzeni of the Confederation	760,000
Arânzeni of the Barerte tribes	60,000
Oinien	50,000
Mundari	30,000

The Arânzeni of the Confederation live mainly in the cities of the Baviare Vale. Oinien live in several of those cities, particularly Gareag. The Mundari live in small bands in the mountains of the Barerte Waste. They are giants. Most have a single eye, and some have two.

Culture

See also: Culture and Society of the Arânzeni

Arânzeni culture values continuity and tradition, and its institutions are expected to remain unchanged across generations. The Yacinsains record and interpret history, law, and genealogy. The principal festival is Ioriea, held in Lavierin at the turn of the year. Arânzeni art consists mainly of sculpture and painting.

The Mundari are a tribal people and are fiercely territorial. Their religion holds that humans are a pestilence on the land. Two-eyed Mundari are regarded as too human and are often expelled.

Native Spirits

The following spirits are associated with Khamria.

Ascendant Spirits

• Kúsi, spirit of talus, loess, and strata
• Yala, spirit of history and memory
• Mevi, spirit of justice
• Uravayañ, spirit of salt flats and dry riverbeds
• Dañi, spirit of mist and fog, whose presence lies on the border with Balúrail

Ancestral Spirits

• Mount Arînzbianz, a peak of the Așdilu Mountains
• Săilean, guardian of Lepigisțil
• Iorie, spirit of the Ioriea festival
• Biseri, spirit of the Deep Roads

See also

• History of Khamria
• Geography of Khamria
• Flora and Fauna of Khamria
• Arânzeni Confederation
• Domain of Yairan