Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave, who is someone forbidden to quit their service for another person (a slaver), while treated as property.
It is said that the gnoll Krah either invented or popularized slavery as a profession. To this day the gnolls are synonymous with slavery, and were seen as the scourge of the Age of Antiquity, enslaving many (mostly human) peoples across the Sarhal and Bulwar to sell to the great early civilizations of the time such as Kheterata and the Genie remnants in the Fangaula savanna.
Bulwari Slavery[]
The relationship between the Bulwari and slavery is ancient and complicated. Records indicate that the Sun Cult prohibited slavery during its classical period, but scholars still debate about the specifical date. The widespread theory, based on the works of (Biegel’s chronicler), states that the taboo arose in response to the Great Xhaz, around 650 BA, as slavery became permanently associated with the Xhazobkult. Other scholars, the most prominent being Nuršin Gillu-gameš, believe that the taboo could be older, and even predate the Cult, dating back to the Karqašlu Empire.
The founding myth of the Bulwari as an ethnic group is that they were slaves to the djinn, and later to gnolls, so it makes sense for them to have developed a rejection of slavery in the early stages of their civilization. However, we find evidence of Bulwari being enslaved by other Bulwari during most of their history, until the taboo on slavery was fully enforced from the Age of the Phoenix onwards. The Jaddari conquest of Bulwar ended the institution of slavery in Bulwar by conquering the Harra oasis and the Šad Sur mountains, the last strongholds of the gnolls in the subcontinent.
Before the Age of the Phoenix, Bulwari slave owners were generally shunned by their communities, becoming dependent on gnoll trade and rule to survive. Contrary to popular belief, the major source of Bulwari slaves was debt slavery, not warfare between city-states, kingdoms, and gnolls packs. We also find a large number of slaves coming from Sarhal and Rahen, especially during the Merchant Queendoms period of the Age of Petty Kingdoms, when the Suncrown Gnoll rule of Bulwar was at its heigh.
Raheni Slavery[]
Placeholder, to be added soon. Rahen.
Sarhaly Slavery[]
Placeholder, to be added soon. Sarhal.
Cannorian Slavery[]
Age of Antiquity[]
As the legendary human empire of Castanor was founded by liberated slaves, Cannor as a whole had a tumultous relationship with slavery. Slavery under Castanor largely depended on the emperor at the time, with some like Castan the Progenitor, being the founder and former slave, was vehmently against slavery. Others such as Castan Beastbane and Castan Giantsbane were said to tolerate the enslavement of non-humans, and others like Castan the Great was said to have built the expansion of his empire by enslaving defeated tribes.
It would be a breakaway state of Castanor, the Damerian Republic, that would benefit greatly with slavery, as by that time the members of the republic had been born of colonists, merchants and Cannorian tribes, who overall were far from the influence of Castanor proper and thus held no qualms in the Castanorian origin story of liberated slaves.
Orcish Slavery[]
The end of the Greentide was the defeat of the orcish clans that threathened Escann. The rise of the adventurer-formed countries of Escann coincided with the Rediscovery of Aelantir, which increased demand of reliable and sturdy labourers to form the foundations of colonies and later on, its massive plantations. What began first as a resolution to get rid of their orcish prisoners to these colonial initiatives (which surviving orcish kingdoms partook in to, selling rival clan members) eventually became a booming business that gave the Escanni kingdoms wealth in order to rebuild the land. They justified this as 'Repatriation through Slavery', as a way for the orcish race to atone for their deeds in the Greentide.
Largely due to the influence of Lothane Bluetusk, the founder of the Corintar, slavery was seen by the Corinites as a form of evil and many devout early corinites refused to take part in the trade. Even after his passing and the rise of zealotry within the Corinite faith, many firebrands began to equate slavery as a form of decadence that should be attributed to the likes of their decadent counterpart: the Regent Court.
Anbennarian Green Orc Trade Ban[]
While it originated as a Corinite ideal (which, despite its origins under Corin who fought against orcs in the Greentide, saw slavery as an evil act), various princes and merchants of the Empire of Anbennar managed to pass an edict in the imperial parliament to ban the trade of orcish slave in Anbennar in 1589.
As this did not ban the keeping of slaves themselves, this is seen by contemporary historians as a law motivated by political concerns rather than moral ones to counter the growing threats to the Empire, such as:
- the growing power of a resurgent Escann, made up of countries forged by former adventurers, now growing rich in enslaving their former orcish invaders
- the rise of the imperial city of Vertesk, which was at the centre of the slave trade via the river Alen - which tipped the balance of power between them and two other mercantile powers of the Dameshead, Beepeck and Damescrown
- the rediscovery of Aelantir and its many plantations reliant on orcish slaves, spearheaded by imperial rivals like Lorent, chartered companies like the Calasanni Trading Company and independent pioneers in the Trollsbay and beyond
The edict had varying degrees of success and enforcement, and during its early years it was hardly enforceable due to the Emperor's limited authority within the Empire of Anbennar - and states like Vertesk even outright refusing to acknowledge such the edict. However the ban did eventually work, and its unprofitability caused the Escanni slavers to abandon mass breeding and enslavement by the time of the Witch Kings Era, which in turn drastically slowed the export from places like Vertesk.
Any trade that still existed instead made its way south to the city of Nathalaire, but it would not reach the same heights as Cannor before the ban. This too eventually dwindled as the route was more precarious, with slavers having to deal with heavy taxes from Corvuria, gnollish raids in the Daravan's Folly and imperial-sanctioned privateers patrolling the western Divenhal Sea, making the smuggling of slaves from Escann a profession only for the most dedicated individuals - over time slaves became just one of the many smuggled goods for Nathalairey sailors, rather than a full-on enterprise.
Despite this, orcish slaves still existed in Escann and parts of Cannor like Silverforge, but with the rise of Corinism, and later the ideals of enlightenment, it largely fell out of fashion and seen as a form of decadence and barbarism. Even during the Witch Kings Era, when Escann suffered under the yoke of powerful mage-kings, slavery remained unpopular except for the most sadistic of monarchs. Some witch kings saw it as uncouth and unbecoming of their nations, as they had often tried to mimic and legitimize themselves to their western counterparts, doing little to revive slavery as a major trade. Rósande was one of the few exceptions, though the keeping of slaves there is largely seen more as term of twisted prestige than for economic purpose.
In Aelantir, however, slavery flourished, and many plantation owners, especially in placed like Marlliande tripled their efforts in producing their own orcish slaves born in the continent rather than relying on Cannor. While they initially relied on Nathalaire and other alternate sources of shipped slaves, by the late 17th century they had largely become self-sufficient in their sources of orcish slaves.
Aelantir Slavery[]
Placeholder, to be added soon. Aelantir.
Orcish Slave Revolts[]
While slavery thrived in Aelantir, the increasing number of orcish slaves and their conditions gave rise to several rebellions and resulted in free former-slave states such as Ozgarom and Freemarches. Freemarches, a state of half-orcs came about from a revolt led by Varbuk in 1597, wreaking havoc in Dalaire before fleeing and establishing their land in the Forest of Cursed Ones where they were seen as a non-threat by Cannorians.
Ozgarom, led by Bramash Chainbreaker in the 1560s, originated during a large-scale orc rebellion on Endralliande. Thousands of orcs took over Endral's Coast and soon overtook the entire island. By 1566 they moved to Soruin and attacked the Eborian colony in Green Landing, massacring colonists and establishing Ozgarom. This surviving, anti-Cannorian, orcish state was a major push towards Anbennar banning slavery in 1589 in part for fear of the danger an uprising presented.