Atmalia. (done 80%)

Half-lings (Atmals).

Hard stats: Population~1.000.000 (81% Atmals, 9% humans, 5% dwarfs, 5% other).

Important persons (famous):

The inhabitants of Atmalia are best described as halflings, small humanoids with large hairy feet. They are rather stout but less so than dwarfs. Their character is one of seclusion and distrust of outsiders from their communities and even dislike having to deal with members of different tribes. One custom that is ubiquitous in their communities is the communion with a great beast. It is not uncommon to see Atmals with large direwolves, bears, giant eagles and any other beast found in the mountains. This communion is little understood by outsiders and seems to be similar but much deeper than simple domestication seen in the empire. Some sort of mental link is established between certain beasts that live in Atmalia and the Atmals. They seem to be aligned in terms of emotions, beast and Atmal often seem to share one mind and have an unspoken understanding of each other.

The most northerly nation known, a rugged and unforgiving land of towering peaks, frozen peninsulas, and deep, verdant valleys. The nation covers 4 peninsulas and several islands which jut out of the frozen lands. Great mountain ranges span the peninsulas, guarding the lowlands from the cold winds from the north.

The Atmal territories stretch south wards along the Atmal bay. Where they border Thorgar on the most easterly border of the empire. A river separated the countries here. To the east there are few Atmals in the flat lands leading to the (I will give the name of these mountains to be the same as one of the old Melog bronze human kingdome ,Thorgar , this era and kingdoms will be called Ari Aiza). To the west is the sea and to the north the great ice expenses begin.

The many verdant valleys are dotted with small settlements of pastors, the occasional town found on rivers and rarely walled cities. Agriculture is difficult in these parts partly because of the cold and partly because the soil is very rocky. Thus the Atmalians mostly sustain themselves from herded animals, mainly goats as they are resistant to the cold and can easily manoeuvre the rocky landscape. Goat cheese and meat are staple foods here. Fruits and vegetables are signs of wealth and often imported from the south or grown in very small areas. A rich family would pride themselves with a small orchard or vegetable patch.

Atmalia is a loosely held confederation of tribes and city states. Originally a vassal state of the Atamari, halfbreeds and undesirables would be sent to the mountainous peninsulas. A great council of the tribes had been formed soon after the north star went out in response to the massive Ecrarian migration. The Atmal retreated deep in the mountains to avoid the mass migrations and simply moved back in when the majority of migrants left further south. Ever since, the elders of the 8 cities meet at the base of the largest mountain Machapuchare and choose the new Mountain king which leads for life. Today, it is a fiercely independent confederation of halfling clans. The Atmal people survive through herding, beast-taming, and an ironclad adherence to clan loyalty.

To outsiders, Atmalia appears chaotic. There is no standing national army, no centralized bureaucracy, and the "Mountain King" acts merely as a mediator rather than an absolute monarch. Yet, the nation is bound together by the Khadat—wandering, map-coated messengers who weave the isolated tower-villages and great cities into a singular, unyielding culture.

The main organisation of the Atmal is the tower village. A large stone construction that houses several families within its compound. Villages can have more than one of these structures either owned by a clan but most often a clan is based in just one tower.

There are three distinct tiers of Atmal organisation. In the sparser populated areas, where villages are often just a single tower, there are no borders between clans. The land is shared, the little land that the limited population can control. Away from the villages it is practically wilderness.

The in-between areas where the population begins to grow, villages can coalesce into a larger town. The towers are connected by walls, and the courtyards are often home to the most important shared resources, water, wells, animals and patches of arable land. Several clans can be housed in these towns. Outside of them there can be smaller settlements, in strategic places to control valuable lands or trade routes.

Around the largest cities the valuable lands are protected just as much as the city towers. Great stone walls border entire fields, trade routes are dotted with watch towers and gates are heavily guarded. The much more flat lands in the south are the powerbase of the large feudal families here, so they are protected feverously. Crossing a border here requires passing through heavily guarded stonegated checkpoints.

The capital and largest city ~55.000: Moedan-Sapari. This was the first place that the refugees from the Atamari coalesced. Since the Atmals are a fiercely independent people no centralised government was formed, the king was elected but had little power over people that did not want to follow. The name is known to mean gathering point in an old forgotten language. The city now is the home of the greatest clans of the Atmals. The area around the capital is an intricate mishmash of farm land and trade routes that are walled off. In some areas of high traffic several bridges go over another clan's road or lands. The other great cities are somewhat similar but are much more ordered as a single clan is dominant and thus this mess is not present.

In order to facilitate the movement of third parties, the king has created narrow neutral grounds in order for citizens to pass and reach the city. These alleyways have been contested heavily by all of the clans and thus they meander around important farm lands or are intersected by a clans trade route.

Kunjul Population: ~42,000 Demographics: 60% Atmal, 25% Human, 10% Dwarf, 5% Other (Highest non-Atmal population).

Sitting on the largest of Atmalia’s offshore islands, Kunjul is the gateway to the outside world. Space is the ultimate premium here; the city is wedged between the ocean and highly fertile, walled-off Atmal agricultural land. Expanding the city walls means destroying precious farmland, which the ruling clans refuse to do.

Foreign merchants bring massive wealth but are legally barred from buying land or wandering the agricultural zones. Consequently, the foreign quarter is a claustrophobic nightmare where merchants sleep under their own market stalls or on docked ships. Large overhangs are a staple of the buildings here and the central market goes down several stories of staked market stalls, halls and warehouses. The lower levels are all built for halflings size so the other races often find these quarters claustrophobic, it is not unusual to be delayed by traffic because a human got stuck on one of the streets.

Tension between the wealthy foreigners and the Atmal landlords is constantly at a boiling point.

Mkin-Tsikhe Population: ~28,000 Demographics: 90% Atmal, 10% Dwarf.

Located on the northernmost peninsula, this city bears the brunt of the freezing northern winds. Centuries ago, a coalition of clans lost a southern civil war and were pushed into this frozen wasteland. They survived by conquering a series of geothermally heated valleys and fortifying them with windowless, monolithic towers.

The clans here are miserable, hyper-militaristic, and paranoid. They hold onto their warm plots of land with terrifying fanaticism, producing the most hardened, ruthless Zur warriors in the confederation.

Vazibari Population: ~48,000 Demographics: 85% Atmal, 10% Human, 5% Dwarf.

Nestled deep in the warmest, most protected southern valley, Vazibari is the agricultural powerhouse of Atmalia. Because they control the best soil and hold a monopoly on rare orchards, the clans here enjoy massive food surpluses. This wealth buys them free time, leading to intricate politics, fine arts, and extreme arrogance.

The residents of Vazibari wear fine imported silks, hire the best mercenaries, and look down on the northern clans as unwashed barbarians. If there is a sprawling political scheme to bribe the Mountain King, it almost certainly originated in a Vazibari parlor.

The streets here are adorned with all sorts of art, statues on each corner of the clan's house, the walls are painted with elaborate murals. Even the cobble stones of the roads are arranged and painted in elaborate patterns.

The most striking feature of this city are the platzas, more like clan compounds unlike the rest of Atmalia; these are open to the public where pubs, restaurants and stages attract business. The area between the complexes has also become a great plaza where the clans compete for the attention of travellers and strangers.

Mgel-Kala (The Vertical City) Population: ~35,000 Demographics: 95% Atmal, 5% Dwarf.

To preserve the flat, arable land below for grazing, this entire city is built directly into the side of a massive, sheer cliff face. Navigating the city requires traversing thousands of stairs, rope bridges, and pulley elevators.

While the Atmal's unique "beast communion" is present everywhere, it is most visually striking in Mgel-Kala. The wealthy clans here utilize giant eagles, dire bats, and cliff-drakes simply to commute from the lower markets to the upper estates.

The vast wealth of the city is derived from the massive salt mines that they extract out of the mountain. The city is known to be rather dangerous for stray travelers or adventurers. As the Salt barons are known to kidnap people and shove them in their deep dark holes. Occasionally the High Kings raid these mines to free anyone that has been imprisoned unlawfully but these are far and wide as the salt from these mines are relied on the whole country over.

Kala cheese which comes from the vast salt caves which hold their temperature and humidity constant is famous the world over. Even the Palatinate emperors enjoy it on their tables.

Rkinis Population: ~39,000 Demographics: 80% Atmal, 15% Dwarf, 5% Human.

Built over a massive canyon river, Rkinis is the industrial heart of the confederation. The rocky soil here is rich in copper and iron. The air is thick with forge smoke, and the ringing of hammers echoes endlessly off the canyon walls.

The clans that control the riverbanks operate massive water-wheel forges, holding an economic monopoly over the creation of the chainmail and bucklers used by the Zur. The city is a hotbed of corporate espionage, as rival clans constantly try to sabotage or intermarry with the forge-clans.

The Iron Clans suffered a great revolt, as their smithies and miners were not allowed to leave the city, or even talk to strangers, the workers had had enough. The revolt was put down violently but cut deep as many skilled artisans were lost. The clans that survived decided to make their workers not want to leave, so the inner quarters of Iron Clans are paradises on earth. As long as they produce and do not leave the city they get to enjoy all the luxuries that Atmalia can muster. When the artisan is old and has produced several more artisans through apprentices, they are poisoned with a slow acting poison.

Gzavani Population: ~45,000 Demographics: 85% Atmal, 10% Human, 5% Dwarf.

Sitting at a natural geographic chokepoint between the peninsulas, Gzavani is a massive, sprawling city dominated by the petty rivalries of dozens of mid-sized clans. It is the unofficial headquarters of the Khadat, and its massive taverns are always filled with messengers exchanging gossip.

The main conflict here is urban sprawl. Clans constantly sue each other or fight ceremonial Sakh-Roba duels over where one clan's wall ends and another's begins. It is the best place in the country to hire a mercenary or get completely lost in the crowds.

The clans here get rich by imposing heavy taxation on the caravans passing through. The roads leading to Gzavani are very well maintained and heavily patrolled. Numerous check points check the caravans and log what they are caring for, ready to be taxed once inside the city. The clans are even known to damage and block any other ways or roads that do not go through Gzavani in order to funnel as much traffic through the city. Even adventurers and travelers have to pay a fee for the use of the road.

A common trick the Gzavani guards employ is telling travelers that if they do not wish to pay all they have to do is step off the cobbled road only to immediately arrest, or attempt to, the offender for trespassing on private clan property.

Tsmind-Aro Population: ~15,000 (Year-round) / Swells to ~85,000+ (During Sakh-Roba season) Demographics: 99% Atmal (Year-round).

Built directly at the base of the great mountain, Machapuchare, Tsmind-Aro is a quiet, highly religious city maintained by ascetic clans who tend to the massive white-sand arenas and giant communal stew-pots.

Twice a year (during the spring thaw and late autumn), the population explodes. Tens of thousands of Atmals arrive for the Sakh-Roba championships and the gathering of the 8 Elders. The logistics of feeding and policing 70,000 fiercely independent clansmen in a city built for 15,000 is a nightmare, and blood feuds frequently threaten to spill out of the arenas and into the crowded tent-camps.

Because of the inaccessibility of the landscape the identity of the Atmalians mainly gravitates around the extended family and tribe. The isolation of these communities resulted in vast differences between them. Some common ground between tribes and clans is maintained by a special class of messengers called the Khadat, a word derived from “to weave”. The Khadat are the life blood and the main reason behind the little contingency between the Atmals. Having a place of honor and respect they are immune to any blood feuds, to kill a Khadat is one of the few universally illegal actions in Atmalia as they are seen as an extension of the spirit of the mountain.

The Khad carries messages, carved on sticks with a special script only known to the Khadat, as their journeys are often long unpredictable and burdened with valuable goods, the script is more of a reminder to the khad than a full message, as large lengthy letters only take up space and weight. Through the khad most transactions happen between villages and clans, even if they live in the same settlement having a Khad as an arbiter oficialises the exchange, they are even invited at weddings.

In fact a Khad is irreplaceable for an Atmal wedding. The celebration is planned months in advance and a troop of Khadat are hired to bring all sorts of luxuries for the wedding. Foods and spices, exotic drinks from the south, jewellery and fabrics. Further if the wedding happens between communities the bride herself is brought in with an escort of Khadat. A khad also offers the first toast and initiates the festivities with his best story as to connect the wedding to the rest of the world.

Beyond these a Khad is the source of gossip, news and messages. When visiting a tower-village they are at the center of attention at the evening meals, telling stories, playing songs, showing off trinkets and telling of the outside world. This pays for the stay and food.

The Khadat don't have any structured organisation, there are no ranks or standardisation, no official induction into their ranks, one becomes a Khad by doing the job of a Khad. An aspiring Khad might be lucky and be taken as an apprentice of an experienced khad, helping with heavy burdens, learning some routes and copying his map on his chocka. This means that any one can pose as a Khad, buy a horn and paint a coat. Being able to distinguish a fake is a very useful skill in Atmalia.

The final interesting point on the Khadat are their garbs, the Chokha, large woollen coats, are adorned and painted with paths and stars, doubling as maps, they have many pockets to carry goods. These coats are adorned with materials from the various parts of the peninsula where the khad has been and returned. No one chocka is the same and often only the owner can read the maps painted and woven on them.

The Zur are the closest thing that Atmalia has to a standing army. They are best described as bodyguards and ceremonial warriors. Clad in chain mail over their colourful woolen coats, wielding a buckler and straight sword. Every noble house of any import has a troupe of Zur protecting the head, the family and the household. Further they act as champions for blood feuds between important families. A Zur can choose to take on any feud if he wishes it but often they keep their services for powerful people where if a feud would grow out of hand hundreds could die in a fight.

The Sakh-Roba are heavily ceremonialised fights made so as to avoid deaths among the Zur when championing for a house in a feud. These fights are great events in Atmalia and are only held in certain seasons. In the spring just after the thaw and late autumn after the harvest.

Great crowds gather to see these fights, great goat stews are started being refilled with all sorts of ingredients throughout the weeks that the fights take place. As more people arrive they bring with them different ingredients from their part of the country.

The fights start with the introduction of the feud. Servants from the feuding houses come out in the white sand arena. The banners present the issue of the feud and what is at stake, what the losing house will pay. The stakes of each house is then judged by the crowds, by the common people. If they think that the stakes are too low compared to the others they make great noise and throw empty pots in the arena as a sign for the offending house to throw in more to the pot. Astute readers will notice that there is no objective metric to the value of each pot so if a house is not popular with the commoners they are sure to be less favorable.

The start of the fight is signified by ceremonial music, the whole fight is meant to take place in rhythm with the music.

Then the first round of four starts. The four rounds signify different aspects of the mountains.

The first round, “Wind”, striking is forbidden. The fighters are meant to engage in dance. They perform the "Eagle Dance." They must circle each other, performing high leaps, spins, and knee-drops. They kick at the opponent's head but stop one inch away.

The second round “Stone”. The rhythm of the music changes, becoming heavy with drums. In this round the fighters are allowed to strike each other but only in the torso, thighs, shoulders. The posturing and dancing must also be continued. The strikes must also be in rhythm with the music.

The third round, “Ice”. This is "Stand-Up Wrestling." They lock arms and try to throw the opponent to the sand. They must maintain eye contact the entire time. Again points are given on form, the dance, showmanship and difficulty of the throw.

In the final round “Sting” the fighters are armed with poisoned daggers. The poison is not lethal but it paralyses the area where the dagger strikes. The fight in this round is again characterised by dancing and posturing to the rhythm of the swelling music, when the music reaches a frantic crescendo the fighters must strike each other. The fighters are not allowed to stab, as it is seen as unskillful (and too deadly), if one of the fighters manages to land a slash then the fight is stopped, the slash inspected and rated. If done skillfully enough, and deep enough then the winner is declared, if not then the round is restarted.

The Zur are often chosen, either by the fact that their parent was a Zur or a patron chooses a promising person. The patron is responsible for the Zur, to feed him and provide shelter but mainly to buy his chain mail. The Zur are more structured and have a brotherhood that ensures that the Zur from different clans and families are trained properly, in combat and in honorable ways. The training is done by having a debutant squier for a zur, taking care of his armor, carrying his belongings and of course helping in fights. The induction into the full ranks takes place after a vigil watch, the debutant is sent to stand guard in a remote path. He is then not to leave the post for any reason for 3 days. With no food, water and in the unforgiving weather of Atmalia.

After the 3 days the debutant is given his mask to his helmet and admitted to the ranks of the Zur.

There are several ranks of Zur, the higher ranks embroider their mail with gold and brass to signify their status and wealth. They are even permitted to advise the high king.

The next in line are the Khevzur, often old veterans blacken their armour and declare neutrality in order to judge over Zur affairs in feuds and in the ceremonial fights. They are also called upon to be generals in times of war.