The Akalate of Zanšap (Bulwari: "Lower River") was a vassal state of the Kingdom of Irrliam. Its location was adjacent to the mountains of the Šad Sur and the Dasma river.
History[]
Zanšap was a remnant of the Šadnatu Akalate, which was founded after the Šad Sur was conquered in the late 5th century by a former Aakhetian commander named Barseen. In the following centuries, the small mountainous Akalate became richer and richer thanks to the gold mine in Šad Uraš and the slave trade, until most of it fell in the early 9th century to a gnollish invasion led by Jix the Goldseeker.
After Jaher’s landing in 1001, the Akal of the Šadnatu Kingdom, Bavar III, submitted to him under the condition that the Sun Elves would help him take back the lands of his ancestors. The promise was fulfilled in 1004 when the gnolls were completely driven out of the Šad Sur and Bavar was named governor of the area.
After the fall of the Phoenix Empire, the Akalate became independent again but barely participated in the Cinder Wars, too occupied with the constant gnollish raids.
Multiple gnollish invasions in the 13th and 14th centuries almost completely destroyed the akalate. The Šadnatu people retreated to the city of Zanšap, sought protection by the Kingom of Irrliam and became a vassal state.
Culture and Politics[]
Most of the people of Zanšap were used to living in harsh mountainous environments but since adapted to the lifestyle of the western Suran plain. For the duration of the Age of the Phoenix, they were always extremely loyal to Jaher and the sun elves in general after getting their land back.
The Order of the Zenith[]
The Order of the Zenith was an elite religious order composed of Zanšap’s best soldiers. Unlike most, however, they didn’t answer to the temple or the Council, but directly to Taelarios Irrliazuir, the sun elf who unified the sun cult after Jaher’s death. Their main mission was to track and deal with the heretics that refused to believe that the Saviour’s divinity passed onto the sun elves or who outright rejected Him. Their second, unofficial, mission was to ‘convince’ the other Sun Cult leaders to fall back in line behind Taelarios.
The Umaslu[]
During the last month before the winter solstice, when sunset draws near, the mountains of the Šad Sur cast a shadow on the hill adjacent to the city of Zanšap that very much resembles a sheep. During these shorter days, the Zanšapi tended to respect the tenets of the Sun Cult to the letter to support Surael in his fight against Darkness. The day of the solstice was called ‘Umaslu’ or ‘the day of the sheep’ and families gathered around a big plate of ovine meat before praying for the return of longer days. The practice latter spread to other parts of Bulwar during the 16th and 17th centuries and is now practiced by most followers of the Sun Cults.
Notable Locations[]
The Ekluzagnu[]
Ekluzagnu, also known as Grixekyr in gnollish, was the capital of the Šadnatu Akalate. Its name, roughly translated to “stone palace”, was not an exaggeration: the city was literally carved into the mountain. Initially an ancient Bulwari fortress, it was transformed into a capital by the gnollish matriarch Zehia, destroyed by the Xhazobine, partially rebuilt under the rule of Castan III and destroyed again by Aakhet. When Barseen took control of the place, it was little more than a pile of ruins. His son Bavar I, with his Akalate flourishing, ordered the restoration of the old fortress and turned it into a palace. As the excavations continued and more of the ruins were uncovered, the palace became a town, then a city, until it officially became the capital in the year 542.
Foods and Dishes[]
The Kasiyaru[]
The kasiyaru is a plant that only grows in the area around the city of Zanšap. Though the locals have always credited this to Surael’s blessing, more modern botanists think it is likely due to a unique combination of rich soil brought by the numerous rivers flowing through the province, high exposure to the sun and the mountains’ protection from the dry desert winds. The seeds of the plant, once ground, produce one of the most exquisite spices in the world and the flowers are gifted to young men and women on the day they reach their seventeenth birthday to celebrate their entry into adulthood. The cultivation of the kasiyaru was so important to the Zanšapi economy and culture that it has long been one of its primary symbols, and even featured on the Akalate’s flag.