- "Surakešlib, the heart of Bulwar, the cradle of our civilization and the center of our world. There is no place in Halann that can be compared to the land blessed by the waters of the Suran and Buranun."
- ―Nuršin Gillu-Gameš, Bulwari Scholar
Bulwar Proper is the eponymous core of the region of Bulwar, and encompasses the lands of the lower and middle Suran plain, the Drolas peninsula and the Šad Sur mountains. The cradle of bulwari civilization, it houses some of the oldest cities of humanity, like Bulwar and Brasan.
History[]
For most of its history, the region was divided into city-states or petty kingdoms that competed for hegemony in the region, with some short-lived exemptions that managed to unite most of the region, like Suranšes, the kingdom with capital in Azka-Sur founded by Barid szel-Sur; Šinazanšes with capital on Akalšes or foreign countries like Castanor, Dameria or Aakhet's Kheterata. The Day of Ashen Skies severely affected the region, with more than half of the Drolas Peninsula, the Brasan Coast, and the Kuzaram Lowlands being completely submerged. The Buranun river changed its course, and instead of flowing into Anzabad it joined the Suran in Medurubar.
After Jaher's landing in Brasan in 1002 AA, the region became the heart of the Phoenix Empire, and became richer thanks to the lack of wars in the region and the creation of infrastructure like the Golden Highway. The fall of the Phoenix Empire after Jexis' death engulfed Bulwar Proper in wars between the Successor states, and after the Cinder wars, the region ended up being divided in the realms of Irrliam, Elizna and Varamhar.
In the late XV century, Jaddar Jexiszuir began the Jaddari conquest of Bulwar, uniting the region for the first time since the fall of the Phoenix Empire. The city of Sareyand was rebuilt and renamed to Jaddanzar, and became the official capital of the Jadd Empire. Bulwar Proper would experience a second period of prosperity under the Jadd Empire, until the Deioderan civil war started in the XVIII century. Mid-war, the cities of the lower Suran plain declared independence, establishing the Surakeši League.
Geography[]
The region is bordered by the Harpy Hills in the north, the Serpentspine and Far Bulwar in the east, the Salahad in the south and the Divenhal in the west. With the exception of the Šad Sur, the region is a semi-arid alluvial plain, dominated by the Suran and Buranun rivers and their tributaries. The Naza lake in the east is the largest permanent body of water in the subcontinent.
Bulwar Proper includes the following regions:
- Naza Plain, that includes the lands between the lake and the Harpy Hills and the Serpentspine.
- Middle Suran Plain, that stretches from Eduz-Vacyn to Kalib and Kumarkand.
- Lower Suran Plain, that stretches from Kalib and Kumarkand to Medurubar, where the Suran joins the Buranun.
- Brasan, that stretches from Medurubar to the mouth of the Suran.
- Drolas Peninsula
- Šad Sur mountains
Economy[]
The region is mainly agrarian, thanks to the fertile soil due to the Suran and Buranun rivers. Grain is the main product, but the region also produces cotton, spices, sugar, and grapes.
The region also has a mining industry, centered on the Šad Sur mountains, a source of copper and gold. The Orean region near the Serpentspine is also a source of gold.
The cities are centers of production of cloth, silk, paper and glass. Azanerdu glass is one of the most famous products of the region.
Demographics[]
Bulwari humans are by far the largest group, being divided into three different cultures:
- The Zanites inhabit the middle Suran plain, their biggest cities are Bulwar and Akalšes.
- The Brasanni inhabit the lower Suran plain and the Drolas peninsula, their biggest cities being Brasan and Anzabad.
- The Šadnatu inhabit the Šad Sur mountains, their biggest city being the eponymous Šad Sur.
Elves are the second largest group, and they are scattered throughout the region, mostly living on Irrliam, Traz Buranun, the east Naza and Jaddanzar. While the majority are Sun Elves, the inhabitants of Jaddanzar are Desert Elves.
Gnolls are the third largest group, and they can be found mostly in the Šad Sur mountains that they share with the Šadnatu.