1

The Land

Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)

Creation: E. Dubourg (December 2007)

Participation creation & maps design: D. Grau, S.Hœrlé, S. Landers, G. Quaglia, C. Seeman, J.E. Vacas, E. Womble, C. de Felrive
Design cover/interior: Cirdann de Felrive (February 2021) – Release V.2.3 (Sept 2023)
Cover illustration: Adam Kuczek (DeviantArt)
Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS), LPSDC, Cirdann de Felrive, Faraz Shanyar, KoTnoneKoT
All illustrations are used by permission of the artists, except some of them which have been created by unknown authors.
Of course, if authors’ names are discovered, their permission will be demanded.

The work is the intellectual property of the authors, art creators and designers. It is intended for private, non profit use.
Middle-earth, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings are intellectual property of The Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. All games—including ICE's Middle-earth
Role Playing and its translations—based on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and other works by J.R.R. Tolkien are copyright and trademark properties of
Middle-earth Enterprises. All rights reserved.
This is an unlicensed non-commercial work of fan fiction intended as commentary about the Middle-earth Role Playing game. It is NOT an official product
produced under license from Middle-earth Enterprises.
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The following file is the work of amateurs, intended to be an amusement for themselves, and hopefully, an aid to other roleplayers and gamemasters. It is conceived
to be a non-official module for MERP/Rolemaster, set in Middle-earth. All the other stuff is invented by the authors, and therefore cannot be published or used for
moneymaking without the authors’ permission. This work is exclusively intended to be used as a play-aid for role-players in their games.
There’s a lot of work to do. I hope we shall be many, enough to keep alive old Middle-earth!
1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................... 5
2.0 THE LAND ................................................. 7
2.1 The Chyan Heartlands ..................................... 7
2.1.1 Chy ..............................................................7
2.1.2 Lódenûly .......................................................8
2.1.3 The Clyan Highlands .........................................8
2.1.4 The Bulchyades................................................9
2.1.5 Ammu Bâj .................................................... 10
2.2 The Chyan Provinces ...................................... 11
2.3 The Chyan Dominions .................................... 14
2.3.1 Acaana ........................................................ 14
2.3.2 Chey Sart ..................................................... 14
2.3.3 Harshandatt .................................................. 14
2.3.4 Heb Aaraan .................................................. 15
2.3.5 Jabâya ......................................................... 15
2.3.6 Námagalûz ................................................... 15
2.3.7 The Oasis Kingdoms ....................................... 15
2.3.8 Orgothraath ................................................. 16
2.3.9 Vaag ........................................................... 16
3.0 CLIMATE ................................................. 17
4.0 FLORA & FAUNA..................................... 18
4.1 Flora ................................................................18
4.2 Fauna .............................................................. 19
4.3 Fantastic Beasts & Mysterious People ............ 22
4.3.1 Dragons ...................................................... 22
4.3.2 Giants ......................................................... 24
4.3.3 Saghirâ ........................................................ 24
4.3.4 Sheroqabâ .................................................... 24
4.3.5 Safîdaspâ ...................................................... 27
4.3.6 Other Mythical Creatures ................................. 30
5.0 CITIES & TOWNS OF THE EMPIRE ......... 31
5.1 Baljana ............................................................ 31
5.1.1 History........................................................ 31
5.1.2 The Town and its Territory............................... 33
5.1.3 Town life ..................................................... 34
5.1.4 Organisation ................................................. 35
5.1.4.1 The Arshan and the Council ........................................... 35
5.1.4.2 Military Forces ............................................................ 35
5.1.5 Politics and Power .......................................... 36
5.1.5.1 The Azimtabarâ .......................................................... 36
5.1.5.2 The Rules of Trade ....................................................... 36
5.1.5.3 The Farokmad of the Traders .......................................... 36
5.1.5.4 The Farokmad of the Artisans ......................................... 36
5.1.5.5 The Farokmad of Inn and Tavern Keepers .......................... 37
5.1.5.6 Thieves ..................................................................... 37
Eric Dubourg
5.1.5.7 The Enjhadâl (Towards 1640) ........................................ 37
5.1.6 The Town.................................................... 37
5.1.6.1 The Leisure Quarter ..................................................... 37
5.1.6.2 The Docks .................................................................. 39
5.1.6.3 The Old City (The Core) ................................................ 41
5.1.6.4 The Poor Quarter ......................................................... 43
5.1.6.5 The Old Citadel .......................................................... 43
5.1.7 People of Note .............................................. 44
5.1.7.1 Authorities ................................................................. 44
5.1.7.2 Members of the Farokmads ............................................. 45
5.1.7.3 The Azimtabarâ .......................................................... 46
5.1.7.4 Others....................................................................... 46
5.1.8 Around Baljana ............................................. 47
5.1.8.1 Jelhad ....................................................................... 47
5.1.8.2 Nhordâd ................................................................... 47
5.1.8.3 Farayn ...................................................................... 47
5.1.8.4 Lake Kasaoya ............................................................. 48
5.1.8.5 Ayanghat .................................................................. 48
5.1.8.6 Ayta Denûly ............................................................... 48
5.2 Chajapûn ........................................................ 49
5.2.1 History ....................................................... 49
5.2.2 The Town and its Territory .............................. 51
5.2.3 Town Life.................................................... 51
5.2.4 Organisation ................................................ 52
5.2.4.1 The Court .................................................................. 52
5.2.4.2 The Town Councils ...................................................... 52
5.2.4.3 Military Forces ............................................................ 53
5.2.5 Politics and Power ......................................... 53
5.2.5.1 The Azimtabarâ .......................................................... 53
5.2.5.2 The Farokmad of the Wine Dealers ................................... 53
5.2.5.3 The Farokmad of the Bargemen ....................................... 53
5.2.5.4 The Farokmad of the Craftsmen ....................................... 54
5.2.5.5 The Bokhtarâ of Chajapûn (Towards 1640) ....................... 54
5.2.6 The Town.................................................... 55
5.2.6.1 The Inner City ............................................................ 55
5.2.6.2 The Outer City: The Old City ......................................... 58
5.2.6.3 The Outer City: The North district ................................... 62
5.2.6.4 The Outer City: The Sunset district .................................. 62
5.2.6.5 The Outer City: The Trade district ................................... 63
5.2.6.6 The Outer City: The harbour and the docks ........................ 64
5.2.7 People of Note .............................................. 65
5.2.7.1 Authorities ................................................................. 65
5.2.7.2 Members of the Farokmads ............................................. 66
5.2.7.3 Priesthood .................................................................. 67
5.2.7.4 Others....................................................................... 67
5.2.8 Around Chajapûn........................................... 67
5.2.8.1 The Chaman .............................................................. 67
5.2.8.2 The Bulchyades Marches ................................................ 69
5.2.8.3 The Southern Lódenûly ................................................. 70
5.3 Jorash ............................................................. 72
5.3.1 History ....................................................... 72
5.3.2 The Town and its Territory .............................. 73

5.3.3 Town Life .................................................... 73
5.3.4 Organisation ................................................. 74
5.3.4.1 The Arshan and the Council ........................................... 74
5.3.4.2 Military Forces ............................................................ 74
5.3.4.3 The Foreigners ............................................................ 75
5.3.5 Politics and Power .......................................... 75
5.3.5.1 The Azimtabarâ .......................................................... 75
5.3.5.2 The Farokmad of the Traders .......................................... 75
5.3.5.3 The Farokmad of the Jewellers and the Goldsmiths ............... 76
5.3.5.4 The Farokmad of the Armourers ....................................... 76
5.3.5.5 Thieves ..................................................................... 76
5.3.6 The Town .................................................... 76
5.3.6.1 The Gates .................................................................. 76
5.3.6.2 The Old City and the Common District ............................. 77
5.3.6.3 The Poor Quarter ......................................................... 80
5.3.6.4 The Port .................................................................... 81
5.3.7 People of Note .............................................. 82
5.3.7.1 The Azimtabarâ .......................................................... 82
5.3.7.2 Authorities ................................................................. 83
5.3.7.3 Members of the Farokmads ............................................. 84
5.3.7.4 Priesthood .................................................................. 84
5.3.7.5 Others....................................................................... 84
5.3.8 Around Jorash ............................................... 84
5.3.8.1 Asânabar ................................................................... 84
5.3.8.2 Sarvâsheher ................................................................ 85
5.4 Kandalar ......................................................... 86
5.4.1 History........................................................ 86
5.4.2 The Town and its Territory............................... 87
5.4.3 Town Life .................................................... 88
5.4.4 Organisation ................................................. 89
5.4.4.1 The Town Council ....................................................... 89
5.4.4.2 The Shapan ............................................................... 89
5.4.4.3 The Farokmads ........................................................... 89
5.4.4.4 Military Forces ............................................................ 90
5.4.5 Politics and Power .......................................... 90
5.4.5.1 The Council ............................................................... 90
5.4.5.2 The Farokmad of the Crimson Dealers ............................... 90
5.4.5.3 The Farokmad of the Sea Traders ..................................... 90
5.4.5.4 The Farokmad of the Craftsmen ....................................... 90
5.4.5.5 The Mine Owners ........................................................ 91
5.4.6 The Town .................................................... 91
5.4.6.1 The High Town........................................................... 91
5.4.6.2 The Middle City .......................................................... 93
5.4.6.3 Military District .......................................................... 95
5.4.7 People of Note .............................................. 95
5.4.7.1 Authorities ................................................................. 95
5.4.7.2 Members of the Farokmads ............................................. 96
5.4.7.3 Priesthood .................................................................. 96
5.4.7.4 Others....................................................................... 97
5.4.8 Around Kandalar............................................ 97
5.4.8.1 The Forest of Lylia ....................................................... 97
5.4.8.2 Tower of Mahdat ......................................................... 97
5.5 Kantilya .......................................................... 98
5.5.1 History........................................................ 98
5.5.2 The Town and its Territory............................... 99
5.5.3 Town Life .................................................. 100
5.5.4 Organisation ............................................... 101
5.5.4.1 The Council of Free Men.............................................. 101
5.5.4.2 The Farokmads ......................................................... 101
5.5.4.3 Military Forces .......................................................... 101
5.5.5 Politics and Power ........................................ 102
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5.5.5.1 The Council ............................................................. 102
5.5.5.2 The Shapan ............................................................. 102
5.5.5.3 The Priests ............................................................... 102
5.5.5.4 The Farokmad of the Perfumers ..................................... 102
5.5.5.5 The Farokmad of the Wine Dealers ................................. 102
5.5.5.6 The Farokmad of the Silk Weavers ................................. 102
5.5.6 The Town................................................... 102
5.5.6.1 The Northern Districts ................................................ 102
5.5.6.2 The Harbour ............................................................ 104
5.5.7 People of Note ............................................. 106
5.5.7.1 Authorities ............................................................... 106
5.5.7.2 Members of the Farokmads ........................................... 106
5.5.7.3 Priesthood ................................................................ 107
5.5.7.4 Others..................................................................... 107
5.5.8 Around Kantilya ........................................... 108
5.5.8.1 The Parvin Hills ........................................................ 108
5.5.8.2 Meherafrin ............................................................... 108
5.6 Mijore .......................................................... 109
5.6.1 History ...................................................... 109
5.6.2 The Town and its Territory ............................. 111
5.6.3 Town Life................................................... 112
5.6.4 Organisation ............................................... 113
5.6.4.1 The Arshan .............................................................. 113
5.6.4.2 Military Forces .......................................................... 113
5.6.4.3 The Council of Trade .................................................. 113
5.6.5 Politics and Power ........................................ 113
5.6.6 The Town................................................... 114
5.6.6.1 The Old City ............................................................ 114
5.6.6.2 The Outer Town ........................................................ 116
5.6.6.3 The Lower City ......................................................... 117
5.6.7 People of Note ............................................. 118
5.6.7.1 Authorities ............................................................... 118
5.6.7.2 The Azimtabarâ ........................................................ 118
5.6.7.3 Priesthood ................................................................ 119
5.6.7.4 Merchants ................................................................ 119
5.6.8 Around Mijore ............................................. 119
5.6.8.1 The Fortress of Faredun ............................................... 119
5.6.8.2 The Pass of Dreams .................................................... 119
5.6.8.3 The Fortress of Rusht .................................................. 119
5.6.8.4 The Temple of Gift ..................................................... 120
5.6.8.5 The First Fire............................................................ 120
5.7 Pelepelplû .................................................... 121
5.7.1 History ...................................................... 121
5.7.2 The Town and its Territory ............................. 123
5.7.3 Town Life................................................... 124
5.7.4 Organisation ............................................... 125
5.7.4.1 The Arshan and the Council ......................................... 125
5.7.4.2 The District Lords ...................................................... 125
5.7.4.3 The Nations ............................................................. 125
5.7.4.4 Military Forces .......................................................... 125
5.7.5 Politics and Power ........................................ 126
5.7.5.1 The Azimtabarâ ........................................................ 126
5.7.5.2 The Farokmad of the Traders ........................................ 126
5.7.5.3 The Farokmad of the Horse Dealers ................................ 126
5.7.5.4 The Farokmad of Inn and Tavern Keepers ........................ 127
5.7.5.5 The Farokmad of the Fountainers ................................... 127
5.7.5.6 The Keepers of the Tradition ........................................ 127
5.7.5.7 Thieves ................................................................... 127
5.7.5.8 The Bokhtarâ of Pelepelplû (Towards 1640) ..................... 127
5.7.6 The Town................................................... 128
5.7.6.1 The Circles ............................................................... 128
5.7.6.2 The Spires of Strongflow .............................................. 129
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5.7.6.3 Places of note ............................................................ 131
5.7.7 People of Note ............................................ 141
5.7.7.1 The Azimtabarâ ........................................................ 141
5.7.7.2 Authorities ............................................................... 141
5.7.7.3 Members of the Farokmads ........................................... 142
5.7.7.4 Priesthood ................................................................ 143
5.7.7.5 Others..................................................................... 143
5.7.8 Around Pelepelplû ....................................... 143
5.7.8.1 The Valley of Hormdôky .............................................. 143
5.7.8.2 The Cleft of Indara .................................................... 144
5.7.8.3 Rhagai ................................................................... 144
5.7.8.4 Hamadan ................................................................ 145
5.7.8.5 The Tower of Roshan .................................................. 145
5.7.8.6 The Three Maidens .................................................... 145
5.7.8.7 Bhantrif .................................................................. 146
5.8 Samarth ......................................................... 147
5.8.1 History...................................................... 147
5.8.2 The Town and its Territory............................. 148
5.8.3 Town Life .................................................. 149
5.8.4 Organisation ............................................... 150
5.8.4.1 The Town Council ..................................................... 150
5.8.4.2 Military Forces .......................................................... 150
5.8.5 Politic and Power ......................................... 150
5.8.5.1 The Azimtabarâ ........................................................ 150
5.8.5.2 Trade ..................................................................... 150
5.8.5.3 The Skilled Shipwrights .............................................. 150
5.8.5.4 The Adventurous Mariners ........................................... 151
5.8.5.5 Nevazar’s Followers ................................................... 151
5.8.6 The Town .................................................. 151
5.8.6.1 Islands and Pools ....................................................... 151
5.8.6.2 Bridges.................................................................... 153
5.8.6.3 Places of note ............................................................ 153
5.8.7 People of Note ............................................ 156
5.8.7.1 Members of the Town Council ....................................... 156
5.8.7.2 Authorities ............................................................... 156
5.8.7.3 Members of the Farokmads ........................................... 156
5.8.7.4 Priesthood ................................................................ 157
5.8.8 Around Samarth .......................................... 157
5.8.8.1 Ahvâz ..................................................................... 157
5.8.8.2 Nehavend ................................................................ 158
5.8.8.3 Rasht...................................................................... 160
5.8.8.4 Thrizafan ................................................................ 160
5.9 Shamîsar........................................................ 162
5.9.1 History...................................................... 162
5.9.2 The Town and its Territory............................. 163
5.9.3 Town Life .................................................. 164
5.9.4 Organisation ............................................... 165
5.9.4.1 The Arshan .............................................................. 165
5.9.4.2 Military Forces .......................................................... 165
5.9.5 Politics and Power ........................................ 165
5.9.6 The Town .................................................. 165
5.9.6.1 The Old City ............................................................ 166
5.9.6.2 The Outer Town: Trade and Residential Districts .............. 167
5.9.7 People of Note ............................................ 169
5.9.7.1 Authorities ............................................................... 169
5.9.7.2 The Azimtabarâ ........................................................ 169
5.9.7.3 Priesthood ................................................................ 170
5.9.7.4 Merchants ................................................................ 170
5.9.8 Around Shamîsar.......................................... 170
5.9.8.1 Akhzamazâr ............................................................. 170
5.9.8.2 The Chy Gap ............................................................ 171
5.9.8.3 Gashtaham .............................................................. 171
5.9.8.4 The Nalronorth Mount ............................................... 171
5.9.8.5 Bakhtavar ................................................................ 172
5.10 Tenolkachyn............................................. 173
5.10.1 History ...................................................... 175
5.10.2 The Town and its Territory ............................. 175
5.10.3 Town Life................................................... 177
5.10.4 Organisation ............................................... 177
5.10.4.1 The Arshan .......................................................... 177
5.10.4.2 Military forces ...................................................... 178
5.10.5 Politics and Power ........................................ 178
5.10.5.1 The Arshan .......................................................... 178
5.10.5.2 The Merchants ...................................................... 178
5.10.5.3 The Sacred Watch ................................................. 178
5.10.6 The Town................................................... 178
5.10.6.1 The Roads ........................................................... 178
5.10.6.2 The Megaliths of the West Gate ................................ 180
5.10.6.3 Signal Towers of the Yól Ôratâ ................................. 181
5.10.6.4 The Great Outer Wall and Watch Towers .................... 183
5.10.6.5 The Four Great Gates ............................................. 183
5.10.6.6 The Outer Districts ................................................ 191
5.10.6.7 Places of Notes ...................................................... 192
5.10.7 People of Note ............................................. 196
5.10.7.1 Authorities........................................................... 196
5.10.7.2 Merchants ........................................................... 196
5.10.7.3 Priesthood ........................................................... 196
5.10.8 Around Tenolkachyn ..................................... 197
5.10.8.1 Shayarjhât .......................................................... 197
5.10.8.2 Ammu Bâj ........................................................... 197
5.11 Isvat, a Clyan Fortified Village ................. 197
6.0 SHADOW-HOLDS .................................. 199
6.1 The Tomb of Nevazar ................................... 199
6.1.1 The Marshes ................................................ 199
6.1.2 The Island ................................................... 199
6.1.3 The Tomb .................................................. 200
6.1.4 NPCs ........................................................ 204
6.2 An Orc Lair ................................................... 204
6.2.1 Orcs of the Divârayan Mountains ...................... 204
6.2.2 Castle Ogurk ............................................... 206
6.3 Pashimakan, Last Refuge of the Rointanâ .... 207
6.3.1 The Rointanâ ............................................... 207
6.3.2 Layout of the Village ...................................... 207
6.3.3 Layout of the Temple of Surkhazhdar ................. 207
6.4 The Khabburj ............................................... 208
7.0 APPENDIXES .......................................... 209
7.1 Abbreviations ............................................... 209
7.2 A Chyan Lexicon .......................................... 209
7.3 Glossary ........................................................ 212
7.4 Chyan Names ................................................ 215
7.5 Weights and Lengths .................................... 218
7.6 Table of the Rashajâ ..................................... 219

1.0 INTRODUCTION
To most of the people of western Middle-earth, the land
called Chy is a very exotic country, where the minions of the
Shadow are powerful.
The Chyans who live there have so strange customs
(polygamy, the strange system of castes, the pessimistic
religion considered as blasphemous towards the One) that for
the commoners of Gondor, it can imply only one thing: like
many other realms in the South, Chy, if not directly under the
rule of the Shadow, is influenced by it and by realms of the
Black Númenoreans, such as Anarikê or Sakal an-Khâr. Maybe
the intransigent evil Rashajâ of the Artaxshâsan dynasty or the
blatant inhumanity of the Binding King of Harshandatt who
claimed sovereignty over all lands between Harshandatt and
Anarikê were for much in these prejudices. Maybe the Chyans
are confused with some nasty Easterling tribes or with some
Mûmakan peoples. A wise man, followers of the Ship Kings,
wrote the following about the South, that has been copied and
recopied and can now be found in many atlases:
“South of river Harnen, is first Umbar, the Haven of the Black
Númenoreans, who betrayed their forefathers and introduced in their
hearts a corrupted religion. Then come the heretics from Bellakar,
who refused to be saved by adopting as their own the traditions of the
Faithful. And east the realms under the Shadow or with so strange
manners: the polygamous Chyans another Easterling race, the so
virtuous men of Anarikê who do not see that they are as heretics as
Bellakarians, the Lynîr, who would earn your esteem if they were not
ruled by so strange a regime, and then the men of Sakal an-Khâr,
similar in cultures to the Black Númenoreans of Umbar”.
Fortunately, all the travellers coming from every corner
of Middle-earth to the lands of Chy do not have this limited
view that is so characteristic of the Gondorians. Belennil of
Arthedain has another – and positive – opinion about the
people of the Bay of Ormal. He reports in “The Travels of a
Stranger in Southern Endor” that the Chyans are really a great
people, who nevertheless may act on occasion with too much
desperation or precipitation.
He also says that most of all different traditions do not
mean evil, as Shadow is everywhere, including at the locations
where one believes there is no evil agent. Shadow is not a
specificity of the South. The Chyan people are aware of that,
and try to fight against every potential member of evil
organisation. This fight encompasses all levels of the Chyan
society, including the servants, the commoners, and
especially the nobles and the priests, who act as the spiritual
and physical guides of the Chyan people.
The Chyans, who claim to be the heirs of an ancient
civilisation, are a great people, capable of lovely
constructions, of splendid literary treaties and showing
exquisite craftsmanship. The capital, Pelepelplû, is a manifest
5
demonstration of the qualities of the Chyan people. The city
is built on nine terraced hills, and linked to the neighbouring
mountains by a collection of six, multi-tiered aqueducts. The
city is a jewel, and the traveller who would go there could not
affirm that this was the works of an evil people, such as those
Easterling tribes who worship the Shadow. Few people give
up willingly to the Shadow, and if they are submitted, they try
to free themselves. This is the Chyans way of life.
The Chyans are indeed ruled by castes, but it is one more
credit to give to this people: the castes are not rigid. Through
acts of courage or merit, a commoner can become in a few
years a respectable noble – even if it is rare – a commoner has
more chance to become trader or priest for instance. There
are no deadly confrontations between the castes, there is
respect, except for the servant caste, which are despised by
all. The Chyans are fierce enemies of the Easterlings of Khand
and Orcs, whom they kill at sight. They have a long-standing
rivalry with the Aca warlords and the Múranians of
Harshandatt, a realm they managed to conquer several times
during history. Their beliefs are not far away from the
Númenorean faith, as they revere the True One God Asrûta
and his fourteen children (to whom they oppose the Demon
and his fourteen children). They are very good in battle, and
as conclude Belennil of Arthedain :
“If Chy was a desert – and Anarikê as well – then these lands
would be favoured places for Shadow to conceal and to better attack
us, and easily reduce opposition from Gondor and Arnor. Fortunately,
the Men of Chy and Anarikê fight bravely. Easterlings and Orcs are
their fierce enemies. I would have loved to see more of them, but I must
return to Arthedain. Maybe, this will perhaps allow traders from
Arthedain to come in these exotic places?...”
"Concerning Naugrim..."
Prior to the discontinuation of the MERP range, the
publisher was planning to release a booklet dedicated to the
Dwarven Companies, with a number of corrections, including
the relocation of the Bávor and Thelór Companies, and their
place of appearance in Middle-earth.... The choice was made to
continue this initiative by replacing the migrations of the people
of Bávor in the south with the house of Thelór, and leaving the
people of Bávor in the north and east of Middle-earth. The
following official MERP booklets are therefore impacted by this
choice, meaning that they should read "Thelór" instead of
"Bávor":
 #2500 - Court of Ardor
 #3111 - Greater harad
 #3900 - Shadow in the South
 #8004 - Lords of Middle-earth volume III
 #8205 - Nazgûl Citadel
6

Using this Work

This work has been written with the time setting of the mid seventeenth century of the Third Age of the Sun in mind, but
most of the information it contains can be used anytime with little adaptation. A Gamemaster who would like to play in other
times is advised to read well the corresponding chapters in the historical section as well as the notes on the evolutions of the
Chyan society in the relevant sections and use its good judgement to adapt the information provided in this module.

Important note : You will find in this work 16 sections, separated in two books :

#3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People

#3004-2 Chyan Empire : The Land

The two books are inseparable to understand the entire extent of the Chyan Empire :
Section 1 is common : the Introduction Section is the same on the two books.

#3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People #3004-2 Chyan Empire : The Land

Section 2 describes in details the history of the Chyan
Empire and provides a timeline with the most important
events for quick reference. In a first time, the reader can
concentrate on the Brief History, and skip the rest of the
section to avoid being submerged with names and dates
which are not of prime importance to understand and enjoy
the following.
Section 3 describes with details the different people
living in these lands : elves, dwarves, orcs, and men.
Section 4 to 7 are more especially dedicated to the
description of the Chyan people, their society, language
and religion (section 4), the political and military
organisation of the Empire (section 5), important historical
figures who have marked Chyan history (Section 6) and the
commerce and industry (section 7).
Section 8 and 9 should be reserved for the eyes of a
Gamemaster only, as they describe different time settings
and give information to develop adventures (section 8) and
propose a few introductory scenarios (section 9).
Sections 2 to 4 describe all the lands forming the
Chyan Empire or being under Chyan sway at different
times of history (section 2). It describes also their climate
(section 3), the known plants, common animals and
creatures, and there is a special chapter about mythical
creatures (section 4). At the end of these sections, there
are several regional maps to complete the lands’
description.
In section 5 are described the major cities of the
Chyan Empire with a lot of details. This can certainly be
skipped for a first reading, unless the reader has a special
interest in one of these cities. Each of these cities’
description includes its history, town life, organisation,
politics and power, people of notes, and associated plans
and city maps.
Section 6 should be reserved for the eyes of a
Gamemaster only, because it gives informations on some
places dwelt by the Shadow. This section describes with
details the Tomb of Nevazar, an Orc lair, and the last
refuge of the Roïntanâ, with map and plans.

In section 7, the appendices give several informations

In section 10 can be found Technical informations
such as game statistics for plants, creatures, Non-Playing
Characters appearing in the text, military units, an
encounter table and how to create a playing character
coming from the Chyan Empire.
about the abbreviations used in this work, a Chyan lexicon,
a glossary of various terms, some common Chyan names,
the weights and lengths used in the Chyan Empire, and a
complete list of the Chyan Great Kings during all the ages.

2.0 THE LAND
2.1 The Chyan Heartlands
The Chyan lands are geographically complex and the
successive migrations and invasions throughout the Second
Age (Chaialla, Múranians, Chyans) and the consequent
redistributions of the land among tribes have added a varied
and intricate population pattern.
In its majority, Chy is a relatively flat savannah.
However, three geographical features delimit more
picturesque regions and add some variety to the landscape.
The Divârayan Mountains (S. Ered Harmal) complex is
located to the north and east and separates the Chyan lands
proper from Heb Aaraan, Orgothraath, Vaag, Acaana and
Olyas Kriis.
The Ammu Bâj forest is in a rugged hilly zone at the
borderline with Harshandatt (leaving Tenolkachyn as the
main lock between the two realms). It is the greatest
wooded area in many leagues around on this side of the
Divârayan Mountains.
The Denûly (the river that the ancient Múranians called
Mur, and was the heartland of Murayn) and Acaadôky are
the most remarkable waterways of the Chyan Lands. They
meet at Chajapûn, part the core of Chy from the
Bulchyades and embrace the land of Lódenûly.
2.1.1 Chy
Chy is situated south-west of the Chy Gap, a broad pass
in the Divârayan Mountains. It is an arid, hilly area that
strides one of the most important overland trade routes of
Jaha (Ch. The World). It is named from a confederation of
Chyan-speaking tribes that settled there in the early Second
Age and is traditionally divided by the Chyans into (Upper)
Chy (area of Pelepelplû), Lower Chy (around Baljana), the
Chaman (the Acaadôky fluvial plain around of Chajapûn),
the Marz (the dry lands between the Pelplû and the Anhvîr)
and Nosharud (around Mijore and Shamîsar).
Going down the Clyan Highlands and the Divârayan
Mountains, the plateau of Chy is a strip of arid land with
sporadic groups of hills here and there. It stretches
between the mountain line to the north, the Denûly to the
South-east and the Ammu Bâj forest to the South-west. The
terrain rises gradually near the Divârayan Mountains.
Two regions are especially worth of interest. Firstly,
the group of terraces where Pelepelplû was built in the
North-west and, secondly, the Nosharud. Around
Pelepelplû, the land is a wide plateau of steppes of brown
grass, becoming dryer and dryer towards the west, before
7
Illustration: LPSDC
to merge with the deep desert of Haradwaith. Away from
the roads, crammed with caravans of traders, it is rare to
meet a traveller or even a lost herder with his sheep. The
Nosharud is a succession of plateaus, slowly rising towards
the mountains and covered by grass, almost ever dry and
brown. The land does not even benefit from rivers flowing
from the mountains, for, apart from the Banshûr and Nîjara
rivers, they are dry a large part of the year, and when there
is water, it usually comes in sudden and deadly floods. The
Nosharud has two remarkable features. To the North-east
lays the Chy Gap, the best accessible mountain port to
cross the Divârayan Mountains in many kilometres (due to
this fact the main commercial land route of central Jaha
goes along this way). To the North-west is the Thunder
Massif (Ch. Ashajatâish, "The Voices of the Kings"), a
mountain mass that overlooks the plain of Mijore. It is
always covered by grey clouds, with almost ever sounding
thunder rumbles, although rainfall is not frequent. The
names of the seven peaks that form the Massif are Haxât,
Ganashôshyn, Shôburagan, Ganachyn, Ganshô, Tasagana
and Ganagan, in memory to the seven greatest Rashajâ in
Chyan memories.
Originally (at least since the fall of the Ormal Lamp in
the Elder Days), Chy has been a savannah, with a
characteristic vegetation of small trees, fire-resistant and
ready to stand a dry season that lasts for the longer part of
the year. The water courses follow the direction NW-SE
to the Acaadôky and usually dry until the rainfall arrives in
winter. There are pools that become first mud and then dry
earth, with insects and amphibians that remain in lethargy
until the yearned water arrives. In another way, this
ecosystem is stable thanks to periodic fire bursts (some
very violent every 10-20 years) that devastate the region
but allow the more resistant plant species to be "reborn"
from the ashes. High Lhûd is the name given by the Chyans
to this savannah. The Low Lhûd is the savannah that spreads
south of the Ammu Bâj and the Anhvîr river, in the region
of Tenolkachyn. It is a dry savannah, not very different
from the High Lhûd, except that here, the temperatures
are not moderated by the altitude and can be scorching in
the hottest months.
8
Of the watercourses that flow to the Acaadôky, there
are three that are almost never completely dry: the Pelplû,
the Nîjara and the Banshûr. The most important one is the
Pelplû, that flows from Pelepelplû. Along these
watercourses, the outlook changes as from night to day:
true corridors of lush vegetation (in comparison to the rest
of the countryside) that become the nerve centre of the
animal and human lives. The Anhvîr, that flows from the
Ammu Bâj is just more than a stream, but is never dry and
marks the southern border of Chy.
The worst season of the year is in autumn, during Dayâr
month, just before the rains, because it blows a hot west
wind from the desert, taking the endurance of the animal
species of the region to the limit. Afterwards, with the
rainfall, all changes, and the Lhûd becomes covered by a
green grass for a few too short months. This landscape is
modified in some areas due to the human action. Irrigation
canals, preventive measures against the fires, farming of
several classes (even fruit trees) are the diverse factors that
have allowed this gradual change, the substitution of an
ecosystem by another one. This is a fact around the villages
and farms next to the riversides. The rest of the country is
still pristine and genuine.
2.1.2 Lódenûly
Lódenûly comprises the stretch of land between the
Acaadôky river and its tributary, the Denûly. The country
is mainly a land of rolling and uninterrupted High Lhûd
savannah, slowly rising towards the east where the last
sterile savannah meets the first thrusts of the Divârayan
Mountains. The country would be unforgiving for men if
not the rich farmlands valleys of the Acaadôky and the
Denûly rivers. In these deep, but large valleys the land is
fertile, protected from the winds and get plenty of water
from the rivers that flow during all the year round.
Irrigation canals bring water as far as possible from the
rivers to orchards and fields of vegetables and wheat.
There, is gathered together nearly all the population of the
Lódenûly, living in small villages, in the rim of the valleys
to spare the good land. The Lódenûly plateau is a wild
country, only sparsely crossed by some herders, in the
months of Mordâd and Shahrîvar, when after the few rains
of that season, sheep and horses feast on green and tender
grass during one or two short months. During other times
of the year the silence of the country is troubled only by
the whistling of the harsh winds and the howling of wild
animals.
Now then, perhaps the most curious feature is the
almost constant presence of the eastern winds along the
courses of the rivers. due to this characteristic, in ancient
times (when the Chaialla lived here) the land received the
name of Guinz-luz (Cha. Land of the Wind) and the tribe
which inhabited it was called the Guinz (Cha. Wind)
people. At Chajapûn the two main winds (the one that
follows the Denûly course here blows south-westwards,
and the one who follows the course of the Acaadôky blows
westwards) meet and form whirlwinds that are very
spectacular at certain moments. The howling of the wind
dominates the place and impresses the travellers not used
to this phenomenon. So, it is not strange that this was a
sacred place for the Chaialla. When the wind does not
blow, the Chaman (region of Chajapûn), with marshes all
around, is covered by mists.
2.1.3 The Clyan Highlands
The Clyan Highlands are located on the arid southern
flanks of the Divârayan Mountains, between Siakan in
eastern Harad and Chy. Most of the land of Cly is a rolling
and rugged plateau at about 3 000 m (10 000 feet) of
altitude, cut by deep and narrow valleys and standing well
above the scorching lowland deserts of Harad and even the
High Lhûd. It is the roughest part of the Chyan Lands, with
mountains that rise higher and higher and a series of
plateaus halfway to the top of the mountain chain. Quick
mountain streams in spring and almost dried in summer,
the Clyan rivers are feared for their sudden floods and well-
known for the deep and scenic gorges that they cut into the
Clyan Plateau.
The most important of them is the Shaiharod (Ch.
Neighing river) and the Nezhat (Ch. Pure) that join their
waters before to cut through the Clyan Escarpment in a
deep gorge (that is also the easiest access to the Clyan
Lands) and eventually meet the Pelplû at the foot of the
mount Haxât and the great city of Pelepelplû.
In this way, the heart of the Clyan Highlands consists of
mid-mountain plains called Sarhad (Ch. Cold highland) and
where pasture horses (both wild and tamed, and very
appreciated around all of the Bay of Ormal) and several
species of wild goats and oxen not found elsewhere. In this
region, vegetation is dominated by low shrubs. Only in
isolated points grow some tall grasses and there are almost
no forests, except in some of the gorges and valleys that
bring access to the plateau.
The land is roamed by the semi-nomadic Clyan tribes.
A Chyan-speaking people, the tribesmen of Cly can boast
of few mineral resources and little political unity. There is
no big cities here. The Clyan live in mobile encampments
or small fortified hilltop villages, troubled occasionally by
goblins from the Divârayan Mountains or Haradan raiders
from the scrub deserts to the west. They subsist on cattle,
sheep, and goats, mostly making their living by herding or

Illustration: Cirdann de Felrive
rug-making. The wealthiest of the Clyan villages serve as
market centres for trade with Chy and the Merchant
Kingdoms to the west. The land is at the image of its
inhabitants, harsh, rugged and tanned by sun and winds but
can reveal its generous heart to whom deserves it, in a
protected valley or after a rare rain when the highlands
cover of quick blossoming (and quick fading) flowers.
2.1.4 The Bulchyades
The Bulchyades are a hilly region stretching along the
coastline on the north-western Bay of Ormal, from the
Divârayan Mountains and the border with Olyas Kriis to
the Acaadôky. The land between the south bank of the
lower Acaadôky, the Delkhush Hills (Ch. Pleasant Hills)
and the coast is known as the Dashtâraz (Ch. Land of
prairies). The stretches of brown Lhûd between the
Dashtâraz and the mountains are called the Khoshkaraz
(Ch. Dry land). These two countries form the province of
the Bulchyades Marches and are not part of the province of
Bulchyades (see below). On the coastline, the land is
divided between the Gulzar (Ch. Garden of flowers), the
wide plain on the bank of the Ûtashî; the Khalijâ (Ch. (Land
of) deep creeks), a rugged land along the coasts between
the Gulzar and Olyas Kriis, where the bluffs fall steeply
into the sea; and the Mafâzat (Ch. Wilderness), the country
of hills and forests between the Khoshkaraz, the Gulzar, the
Khalijâ and Olyas Kriis.
The shore alternates with dizzy cliffs and beaches of
white sands and natural harbours. As a rule of thumb, from
Kandalar to Kantilya (in the Khalijâ) rocky shores, steep
cliffs and hidden deep creeks prevail, and from Kantilya to
Samarth there are more open and long beaches. In this
region the proximity of the sea mellows the climate. There
are forests here and there, and many groups of hills. Three
medium-sized rivers flow into the Bay of Ormal: from west
to east, the Ûtashî, that ends in Kantilya; the Saêná, that
9
ends in Jorash; the Delshad, whose mouth is near Kandalar;
and the Ishtô that makes the border with Olyas Kriis).
These rivers carry few waters during the dry season and get
easily overflowed during the rain season.
The population of the Bulchyades resides in three
different areas. Most people live in the wide Ûtashî river
valley, also called the Gulzar where they grow grain crops,
fruit trees and flowers. Some make their homes in the
Khalijâ, in coastal fishing villages, tucked in small and deep
creeks or clinging on the cliffs. Rare are those who live in
the Mafâzat, in fortified hamlets on top of hills or on river
banks. The latter make their living as herders or miners.
Although they produce fine fish, olives, and wine (mainly
in the well exposed seaward slopes of the Khalijâ and the
Parvin Hills), the Bulchyades are perhaps best known for
their plentiful reserves of metal. Iron and some copper can
be found in great abundance in the Mafâzat (but the richest
deposits are located in Olyas Kriis). Silver and gold
deposits have also been reported and always stir up
imagination and greed, but remain rare. Mining and metal-
crafting account for most of the region activity and the
cities of the Bulchyades (especially Kandalar) owe most of
their wealth to the trade of high-quality metalwork,
alongside with exports of fine wine (mainly Jorash),
perfume and silk (specialities of Kantilya).
Chyan-speaking, the Bulchya are actually a mingled
people and can be related to all of their neighbours. They
enjoy a stable, peaceful lifestyle, despite the fact that their
relative wealth occasionally invites unwelcome Aca raiders
from the warlike domain of Acaana, Orcs from the
Divârayan Mountains or Vulman pirates. Their culture is
colourful and vibrant and they have with time developed a
sophisticated way to enjoy the pleasures of life. In the point
of fact, they have become with time a quite different people
from the northern Chyans. A trio of silver spoons
constitutes the symbol of the Bulchyades and the Bulchy
10
banner is a red rectangle emblazoned with the three
spoons, which are arranged in a vertical row.
2.1.5 Ammu Bâj
The Ammu Bâj hills, covered by the forest of the same
name, arise at the frontier with Harshandatt. Here the
terrain is more rugged than in the savannah of the Lhûd,
forming deep vales and steep hills. The thick tropical forest
is an exception in the Chyan Lands, where the rare forests,
mainly located at the Divârayan Mountains foothills and in
the Bulchyades, are evergreen. Ammu Bâj originally
designated all the lands attributed to the Ammu tribe after
the Chyan conquest, but nowadays it only refers to the
rugged hills and close forest. The low plains in the south
are simply referred to as the Low Lhûd.
Some areas at the edge of the Ammu Bâj have suffered
deforestation, but otherwise in the heart of the forest there
are hidden vales not yet trodden by any human feet. It is
rumoured that this gorges and ravines could be the home
of spirits of the forest. These tales remember perhaps the
ancient Chaialla. The forest is impenetrable and the
undergrowth is thick under the towering green giants.
Some spots of the ground may never have been touched by
the hot sun or wetted by direct rain. Compared with the
forest itself, with the giant trees, the twisting liana, the
poisonous flowers and the sticky mosses that are nowhere
Illustration: Cirdann de Felrive
else to be seen and can kill an Airavât with the slightest
brushing, the fauna, myriads of biting insects, aggressive
spiders, lurking snakes, venomous frogs, birds of any
colours and shapes and perhaps some bigger mammals,
appear as pleasant and welcoming.
The forest seems rather mysterious and ancient, and
there are many legends associated with it. There are
numerous testimonies of the Chaialla presence in a forever
lost past. Watch stones are sometimes discovered by
audacious explorers atop hills or at the entrance of hidden
vales and some speak of more sophisticated and bizarre
stone structures lost in the deep vegetation and half eaten
by the giant trees and the unstoppable creepers. People
living at the edge of the forest also say that the woods are
alive or sentient, that some trees have eyes and guard the
forest. Tales of a witch protecting the forest and, more
credible, of bands of outlaws hiding there (and likely
propagating the previous fearsome stories to repel
undesirables) have also been reported.
“The great forest in the eastern marches, called Ammu Bâj, is ancient
and mysterious even to the Chyans, who over the centuries have developed
number of rumours and legends about it. One of them tells about a race
of ancient Men, the original inhabitants of Chy, who searched the
protection of the Forest when the Múranians came. It is not difficult to
find, here and there, remnants of some lost people, in the shape of
standing stones and grotesque statues, but, in my travels, I have never
met anyone who could say for sure to have seen one of these Men. The
statues, though, resemble vaguely others I have seen while voyaging in
the land of Drel, where the reclusive Chaialla live, and I think that
possibly they could be related to the ancient inhabitants of the Ammu
Bâj.”
“Other legends tell of walking trees, and of the Uljun King who
watches over the safety of ancient groves. He rules over plants and
animals, and birds report to him everything that happens within the
boundaries of the woods. Another legendary inhabitant of the forest is the
Ammu Witch, who protects those who search refuge into the forest. It is
difficult to say if she is a good or an evil myth, for one has to fear or rely
on her depending on his needs or attitude.”
“By far the most truthful rumour is, unfortunately, the Woodmen.
They are said to be a collection of fugitives, runaway slaves, outlaws and
criminals who searched the protection of the forest, living in villages and
stealing women from outside to further their plague. Composed of a
hundred of different races and origins, these bandits are cruel and
merciless, and feared throughout the region. Though I believe that the
legend is exaggerated, I am inclined to take care when I travel near the
south-eastern edge of the forest, as I know from my experience that many
outlaws plague the region, preying on caravans and villages alike.”
From "An atlas of Chy", by Daîruzôr the Traveller

2.2 The Chyan Provinces
Superimposed, and sometime coinciding with, the
geographical regions described above, the Chyan Empire is
divided in ten administrative provinces, usually finding
their origin in the Chyan City-states of the early Second
Age. They form the core of the Chyan Empire. Annexed
territories or vassal states can, on occasion, be added to
these ten provinces.
(Upper) Chy: Strictly speaking, Chy is a larger area and
encompasses also the lands under the authority of Chajapûn
(Chaman), Shamîsar (Nosharud) and Baljana (Lower Chy),
but traditionally it designates the territory of Pelepelplû. It
dates back from the first years of the coming of the Chyans,
with the building of the Town of the Chyans, Pelepelplû.
Now, Pelepelplû has long lost its political power, but it
remains dear to the heart of all the Chyans, as The Town
and the people of the area consider themselves, with
unhidden pride, as the true Chyans, and the dwellers of
Pelepelplû often call themselves, half joking, twice
Chyans. The area is also sometime referred to as Upper
Chy, by opposition to Lower Chy, around Baljana. The
Province of Chy also includes the Marz (Ch. Frontier), the
stretches of sun burnt-lands between the Pelplû and Anhvîr
and that disappear west into the desert. Almost all the
population live in Pelepelplû, the largest city of the Chyan
Empire, where traders from everywhere converge. There,
everything can be found, sold or bought and, by
imperceptibly charging each transaction, the hereditary
Arshan can call himself a rich man.
Nosharud: Shamîsar is the capital of Nosharud, which
spreads south of the Divârayan Mountains and the Chy Gap
to the Denûly and the northern boundary of Lower Chy,
more or less on a line following the track between Jelhad,
at the junction of the Denûly and Banshûr rivers, to the
small town of Farayn on the Nîjara. Nosharud would be a
poor land, and its hereditary Arshan a pitiable man,
without the riches of the mountains: ore and stones, mines
and quarries make the wealth of Shamîsar. Most of the
population is concentrated in the cities of Shamîsar and
Mijore, and in small mining villages on the first shoulders
of the mountains and many are living more or less directly
from mining. The Chy Gap is also an appreciable source of
income. Even if traders usually do not stay at Shamîsar,
which remains rather provincial and hard-working, they
usually rest there after the hard crossing of the Chy Gap,
before to make for Pelepelplû or Chajapûn. The closing of
the Chy Gap, a major strategic issue for the Rashajâ and the
building and manning of several fortresses in the area
provide also a living for many, as they need food and gear
for the soldiers and stone and iron for battlements and
11
weaponry. The drawback is that being on the route of
invasion regularly brings destruction and calamities to
Nosharud.
Lower Chy: The hereditary Arshan of Baljana is the lord
of Lower Chy, so called to differentiate it from the Chaman
of Chajapûn, the Nosharud of Shamîsar and the (Upper)
Chy of Pelepelplû. All together, they form the land of Chy.
The country is limited to the east, south and west by,
respectively, the rivers Denûly, Pelplû and Nîjara. The
northern border with the Nosharud is roughly on the track
between Jelhad, at the junction of the Denûly and Banshûr
rivers, and the small town of Farayn on the Nîjara.
Chaman (Chajapûn): Chajapûn has been the imperial
capital for some centuries now, since it has replaced
Pelepelplû for good, being far more convenient, in the
centre of the empire and on good roads. The territory
controlled by the town is the valley of the Acaadôky-
Denûly, from the city of Zarinûsha at the junction of the
rivers Denûly and Pelplû in the north, to the small town of
Thrizafan in the south. The borders with the territory of
Pelepelplû are ill-defined, somewhere in the steppes of the
High Lhûd. On the east, the territory encroaches a bit on
the geographical Lódenûly, until the first heights of the
plateau. As a rule of thumb, it extends west and east on the
watershed of the Acaadôky. This is, for its main part, good
farmland and a large part of it is imperial lands, providing
huge revenues to the Rashajâ. The country is so bountiful,
that the people living there usually call their land the
Chaman (Ch. Garden). The imperial farms are tended by
slaves or by free Fajusha, but who are only the tenants of
the land, in isolated big farms. The Rashaja is theoretically
the Arshan of Chajapûn, but an old tradition, that has now
become a rule, wants that he allows the people of Chajapûn
to elect a council to rule the town. The Town Council is
composed of different chambers of Vaysha, Varna and Vata
representatives and is presided by the Master of the Town.
Cly: A Shapan, who resides in Pelepelplû, officially rules
the country, but in fact the tribes are semi-independent and
obey only their local Arshanâ, who are actually no more
than tribe chieftains. Nobody really knows the actual
number of the Clyan population and some of their hilltop
villages have perhaps welcomed no foreigners for
centuries. When required, for war against a common
danger or when the High Council of the Chyans is
summoned, the Arshanâ of the tribes meet to elect one of
them to conduct the war or to be sent to the capital.
Usually, the Clyans seldom get involved in the empire
matters, being more concerned by their own feuds and
herds.
12

Lódenûly: The Lódenûly is an imperial land. The small
Arshanâ, mainly on the river valleys, have the unique
privilege to depend directly from the Rashaja. The
drawback is that, for most of them, the position is not
hereditary. The Rashaja usually uses the Lódenûly lands to
reward faithful servants. Receiving lands in the Acaadôky
and the Denûly valleys is a sign of esteem from the Rashaja,
lands in the barren plateau are seen as a subtle disgrace and
exile. The name is certainly older than the Chyans
themselves and the wises interpret it as coming from Ló-
Denûly and possibly meaning land of the Denûly, but
without a clue of its exact origin (it is not Múranian) and
even its exact meaning.
The country is rather protected, being almost in the
centre of the Chyan Lands and walled in the east by the
formidable barrier of the Divârayan Mountains.
Nevertheless, it also controls the easiest ways towards (or
from) Acaana – by the Acaadôky valley – and Vaag – by the
Denûly valley. Since the beginning of the Chyan Empire,
the Rashajâ have considered these paths of high importance
and impressive fortresses close the passes. However, in
times of trouble, or when there is an excessive confidence
in the strength of the empire, the towers are only little
manned and their battlements ill-maintained. One of these
fortresses is the tower of Nazban (Ch. Protector of
Gracefulness), built upon the very spring of the Acaadôky
that fills a pool at the foot of the tower, before to start its
journey toward the sea. Nazban closes the Rocky Pass.
Another is Ayanghat (Ch. Made of Iron), on the north-
eastern bank of the lake Kasaoya and that controls the path
to the Ayta Denûly, the gates to Vaag. It is an impressive
fortress built of black stone at the summit of a dizzy cliff
falling in the pure waters of the lake. Nevertheless, they do
not fully prevent the sporadic raids of Orcs from few and
scattered holds deeply hidden in the Divârayan Mountains
and more organised and feared expeditions of Vaagathâ
warlords crossing the mountains through secret and
difficult passes.
The Bulchyades Marches: This province owes its
existence more to history than geography and has in the
past often been a bone of contention between the cities of
the Bulchyades and the northern lands. The province is
composed of the lands called Dashtâraz and Khoshkaraz.
The Dashtâraz (Ch. Land of prairies) are the lands
extending between the lower Acaadôky and the upper
Ûtashî, including the valley of the Ardvisura and the
Delkhush Hills This was originally part of the lands
conquered by the Bulchya and that would latter be called
the Bulchyades. Nevertheless, during the Wars of the City-
states, Ashraf, a son of Taxmaspâda of Chajapûn,
conquered the country and built for himself the fortress of
13
Anaoshak (Ch. Immortal) in the Delkhush Hills. He did it
under the orders of his father, but later severed all links
with Chajapûn and created his own Arshanate and
conquered the lands to the east, the Khoshkaraz. He had to
fight several times against the armies of Chajapûn and the
towns of the Bulchyades, but, fortunately, never at the
same time for they did not manage to ally themselves
against him. The Arshanate remained independent until the
conquest by Dârayavahu I and the formation of the Shining
Gold Empire. It was then transformed into a province of
the new empire and called the Bulchyades Marches. The
Bulchyades Marches staid for a long time a subject of
argument between the imperial power and the Bulchyades
(the Confederation of the cities wanting it back) but the
land remained under more or less direct control of the
Rashaja and then the Arshan of Chajapûn until Shôburagan
re-founded the Empire in 1661. He then granted the lands
to Khudayar, his faithful general, who had to rule the land
for his Rashaja. Since then, the Arshanâ of the Marches are
ruling these lands, appointed directly by the Rashaja.
The Dashtâraz is a rather pleasant country, not as rich and
verdant as the Bulchyades, but much more welcoming than
the Lhûd of Lódenûly or Chy or than the Khoshkaraz. Here
grass is more often green than brown and is very good for
grazing. Although fat herds cannot be counted here, the
land is nevertheless not as peopled the rich Gulzar, just to
the southeast. The scarce population concentrate on the
Delkhush Hills, around the fortress of Anaoshak and the
small town of the same name, that serves as the capital of
the Dashtâraz, and along the valley of the Ardvisura (Ch.
Brilliant Waters) river. The people are typical of the
Bulchyades, an old mingling of Múranians and Chyans,
making a living from their vineyards in the southern slopes
of the Delkhush Hill and protected by the northern winds,
the trade of wine (that is cheaper, but also of lesser quality
than that from the Bulchyades), mainly with Chajapûn, and
the raising of what they claim are the best Sulan and fattest
sheep of the Chyan Empire.
The Khoshkaraz (Ch. Dry land) is a strip of lands along
the southern bank of the Acaadôky, ranging between the
eastern foothills of the Delkhush Hills to the Forest of
Arnaz, at the foot of the Rocky Pass, along the ridge on the
northern edge of the province of Bulchyades. The
landscape is very similar to the Lódenûly plateau, covered
with expenses of brown grass, but hillier. It is a poor land,
wild and little peopled where Orcs and Trolls often
venture far from their mountain lairs.
The Bulchyades: Jorash, Kandalar and Kantilya are the
major cities of the Confederation of the Bulchyades, but it
also encompasses numerous smaller cities, often not larger
that a big village. Kandalar and Kantilya are run by
14
councils, but a hereditary Arshan rules Jorash. The
Confederation itself is ruled by a Council made of delegates
from each town. The Council resides permanently at
Jorash. The Council of Bulchyades has in charge all the
external matters (trade agreements, diplomacy, etc.)
which now, when the Bulchyades are fully integrated in the
Chyan Empire, means nothing but swearing fealty to the
Rashaja and sending delegates to the imperial councils.
The province, which is composed of the Khalijâ and the
Mafâzat, is very rich and the fertile hinterland feeds a large
population and produces many goods to be traded. The
harbours are major trade centres, in relation with all the
countries of the Bay of Ormal, and where many languages
can be heard and many strange people seen on their wharfs.
Samarth: Samarth is a city-state. The territory of the town
encompasses only a small strip of land on the eastern bank
of the Acaadôky and the Astoban, the marshy delta of the
Acaadôky. Technically, Samarth is in the Bulchyades, but
first for historical reasons and then because of the pride of
the citizens of this so wealthy city, it never joined the
Confederation of the Bulchyades. The town gets all its
riches from the sea. Perhaps some fish for food, but it is
essentially the traders and the shipwrights of Samarth who
ensure it its nickname of the Wealthy. There the Vata are
the masters of the city and the town council, five members
elected only by the richest citizens, is usually in the hands
of rich merchants.
The Low Lhûd: The territory of Tenolkachyn extends
over all the Low Lhûd (south of the Anhvîr and west of the
lower Acaadôky) and the Ammu Bâj and spreads south to
the border with Harshandatt. The population can be found
mainly in villages of fishers on the coast or of woodcutters
on the edge of Ammu Bâj (but who do not dare to stray far
into this dangerous and impenetrable forest) and in
Tenolkachyn. The Province of Low Lhûd also includes the
forest and hills of Ammu Bâj.
The hereditary Arshan of Tenolkachyn has in charge not
only all the Province of Low Lhûd but also the protection
of the southern border. The commercial and political links,
between Tenolkachyn and Samarth, despite their
dissimilarities, are very strong and both cities have shared
several times the same Arshan in the past.
2.3 The Chyan Dominions
Here follows the description of several lands
neighbouring the Chyan lands and usually prey for Chyan
conquests.
2.3.1 Acaana
Acaana is a high, grassy plateau situated along the south-
eastern flank of the Divârayan Mountains. The Acaana
Rush, a broad, swift river, forms its southern boundary.
The Gaath Hills form the northern and eastern borders of
the region. The Aca folk, fierce and independent Ibavin-
speaking clansmen, herd their goats and horses throughout
Acaana. Most Aca live a semi-nomadic life, although about
a third live in the villages along the Acaana Rush on a year-
round basis. The capital of the country is Niel Arên, no
more than a large village by Chyan or Anarikanî standards.
2.3.2 Chey Sart
Chey Sart is a wide and flat grassy plain stretching
between the Divârayan Mountains to the west and south,
the serpentine Great River of the Plains (S. Talathrant) to
the north, and the Chey Rill to the east. Its most notable
physical feature, the solitary volcano known as Ulk Chey
Sart that raises almost in its centre, is revered by all Chejan-
speaking peoples as the birthplace of their culture. Aside
from the Chey Hills to the northeast, the black peak of the
Ulk Chey Sart is the only height interrupting the vast
grassland roamed by the Chey nomads.
2.3.3 Harshandatt
Harshandatt is the arid coastal region located east of the
Haradwaith Desert, north of Sîrayn and south of the Ammu
Bâj. The country is divided in two dissimilar areas. First,
the coastlands and the fertile and green valleys of the rivers
Núar and Irôlm, where all life is concentrated.
Second, the Jelhat Kurj, or Baked Earth, which extends
on both sides of the two rivers. To the south it meets with
the Kirmlesran hills and the Dalad Kirm to the southwest,
and to the north it goes out of Harshandatt and fades
gradually into the steppes climbing to the Divârayan
Mountains.
To the west, it reaches the unforgiving Mirror of Fire.
Harshandatt, the land of the Two Rivers, is inhabited by
Múranian farmers and fishermen, deeply rooted in their
beliefs and religions. The pyramids of Harshandatt are the
most impressive, their size can exceed 100m high.

2.3.4 Heb Aaraan
The hilly country of Heb Aaraan lies on the northern
slopes of the Divârayan Mountains, fast against the steep
eastern face of the Suncrown, the highest and most rugged
peaks mountains and spreading as far east as the woods on
the southern banks of lake Chyasraan. The entire land is
high above the adjoining lands and is densely wooded and
relatively well-watered.
The country had been trodden by Taarun Elves for
countless years and the name Heb Aaraan is indeed Avari
Elvish. The first Avari Elves to settled the land were
perhaps the Pái, on their journey to Mûmakan and the
Southern Archipelago, as Aaraan sounds pretty close to the
word Arana, another name for the Pái. In their own
language, Arana can be translated as Eré or Erén. Heb
could be Avarin, meaning forsaken (maybe related to the
Sindarin Eglath and the Quenya Hekla). Then Heb Erén or
Heb Aaraan could mean forsaken by the Arana.
The Taarun are a relatively sophisticated branch of the
Avari Elvish people. They are rumoured to live in several
exotic cities situated in beautiful mountain valleys. Lords
of the warlike Chey from north of the mountains, and the
more civilized Haruze from the southern slopes, have
occasionally sent armies into the mountains to find the
Gleaming Cities of Heb Aaraan. Few survivors returned
from these expeditions and these claims to have seen only
small villages of well-cut stone and hedges, guarded by
Spirits of Fire and Storm.
In a high and secret vale of the Suncrown is the
mountain refuge of Velarith (S. Gods Safety). This was
founded in the 12th century of the Third Age of the Sun by
Telgir the Mystic, a man of mixed Dúnadan and Haruze
ancestry, rumoured to be an illegitimate son of the king of
Gondor Hyarmendacil. He befriended the Taarun Elves
and, with the support of Helaman (as people in Harad call
Alatar the Blue Wizard), he convinced Orthîr, lord of
Arentaurr, to let him settle in a high valley of the Suncrown
and found there a retreat for exiled Dúnedain. In later,
more violent times its beautiful, Faerie-haunted meadows
became a mythical refuge for enslaved and hunted folk of
many races.
Although there are no active volcanoes in the Divârayan
Mountains, the titanic forces that raised the mountains still
regularly release heat from deep within the earth. The
region boasts a multitude of hot springs, some renowned
for their healing powers. The Chyasraan, the largest lake of
Heb Aaraan, is 80 kilometres (50 miles) in length, all of it
warmed by hot mineral waters, so that it perpetually
steams all through the chills of deep winter.
15
2.3.5 Jabâya
The mountain country of Jabâya stretches in the
Divârayan Mountains between the southern banks of lake
Chyasraan and the upper valley of the Ode Siak, north of
Siakan and the Clyan Highlands. Some extend it as far east
as the Pass of Dreams, although the mountains north of the
Clyan lands are plagued by fell creatures and mostly
deserted by Men. It is a hard country of mountains, high
vales, roaring cascades and glaciers, little trodden but by a
few tough mountaineers: the Jabâyarâ. In this part of the
Divârayan Mountains, passes are rare, high and deceitful,
but the Jabâyarâ do not contest their control and let trading
caravans free to cross over the Divârayan Mountains, so an
uneasy peace usually reigns throughout the region, even in
times torn by war.
The Jabâyaran villages deal in timber, animal hides and
exotic medicinal and are eager to get metalwork and salt.
The easiest and most used of these mountain tracks runs
between the forest and the northern slopes of the
Divârayan Mountains and heads straight in a narrow valley
for the Dwarven city of Námagalûz, where its splits to join
either Maresh in Arysis or Ankruz in Siakan. Although the
road is long, it is a safe one thanks to the vigilance of the
Dwarves and the main crossing of the Divârayan Mountains
between the Chy Gap and Nûrad.
2.3.6 Námagalûz
The city of Námagalûz has been built by the folk of
Thelór in the early days of Second Age. The Dwarves dug
great halls and deep mines into the highest peak between
the Suncrown and the Thunder Massif. This mountain is
called Abyazark or White Castle in Chyan and is the origin
of many legends.
Námagalûz controls an important road across the
Divârayan Mountains, that links the merchants’ cities of
Siakan and Arysis to the High Plains north of the
mountains. If it is the easiest and most used route across
the mountains west of the Chy Gap, it is not because of
nature but thanks to the hard work of the Dwarves of
Námagalûz who built there a long and winding road passing
deep gorges on high bridges and cutting through mountains
by wide tunnels.
2.3.7 The Oasis Kingdoms
Three river basins stretching south and west of the
Divârayan Mountains are the centre of life and trade in the
Oasis Kingdoms: the basin of the Ode Pezar where
Lurmsakûn lies, Arysis on the banks of the Rysis River, and
Siakan, the vale of the Ode Siak. The Ode Pezar runs
westward to the Sundering Sea, eventually becoming the
16

River Harnen, the contested frontier between Gondor and
Umbar.
The Ode Rysis and the Ode Siak flow from the snow-
touched peaks of the Divârayan Mountains south-westward
to vanish into the lifeless salt marshes of the Kref Masar,
one of the most hellish of the wastelands of Haradwaith.
The river valleys of the Oasis Kingdoms form a great
contrast with the deserts, consisting of lush belts of
greenery supporting teeming hordes of peasants and
shrewd merchants.
The easternmost land of the true Haruze, Lurmsakûn is
blessed by great wealth and cursed by its place in the world,
on the borders of the violent realms of the Variags and
Chey. The people of Lurmsakûn speak Haruze, a language
shared by their brethren living in cities and farming villages
as far west as the Sundering Sea in distant Harondor.
The Haruze, as they are fond of reminding their
neighbours, were a sophisticated trading race even before
the Poganin (Har. Foreigners or Barbarians), primarily the
Tahmarda and Variags, came to trouble them in the mid-
Second Age. Oft-conquered and ravaged Lurmsakûn still
has cities of immense beauty, surrounded by lush, irrigated
fields of grain, melons, wine-grapes, and dates.
Arysis lies south of Sturlurtsa, royal seat of Khand, and
sits squarely astride the caravan routes connecting western
and central Middle-earth to the Bay of Ormal. Its largest
city, Maresh, is the greatest city in this part of the interior
of Endor, in any time when the Variags are not draining its
wealth into their own lands.
Siakan, naming itself the Jewel of Mountain and Sun,
lies east of Arysis and west of the Clyan Highlands and its
main city, Ankruz, is a forced stop to merchants journeying
between the Chyan Empire and the western lands. Its lords
and kings, however, are oft conquered by the more warlike
Variag, Chyan and Chey peoples living just beyond its
borders.
People of Arysis and Siakan are often called Haludji,
which is also the name of their language, a Haruze dialect
strongly influenced by Chyan. While most of the Haludji
dwell in the fertile and low-lying valleys, a few ventures in
the hills and dales of the southern slopes of the Divârayan
Mountains. There they enjoy better climes and a safety
from invaders, but have a hard life raising goats and
scraping a meagre food from a rocky and avaricious soil
2.3.8 Orgothraath
Orgothraath is an Aharin nation sprawled along the
northern flanks of the Tem Tinicliat (Ahar. Stallion's Mane
Mountains), or the central ranges of the Divârayan
Mountains as the Chyan call them. Away from the
mountains, most of Orgothraath is high grassland and the
home of tough and proud Vexclar Ahar herdsmen. Nearer
the mountains, and in the river valleys of the upper Chey
Rill and its tributaries, the land is wooded and thickly
settled wherever good water can be found. A number of
well fortified trading cities mark the best river crossings
and the approaches to the mountain passes.
They are often the seats of independent kings, when
some larger empire is not ruling the land. The upper
portion of the Chey Rill forms the western boundary of
Orgothraath. This country, potentially the richest in the
area, has been the scene of countless wars between the
Chey, the Ahar and the Chyans over the centuries. For
every flourishing village or town here, there are a half
dozen ruins or rubble piles marking famous victories and
infamous massacres.
From the Chyan Lands, Orgothraath can be reached
either by the Chy Gap or through a high pass in the
Divârayan Mountains and a deep forest, named the Forest
of Dreams by the Chyan locals. The forest is dedicated to
Vohuma, the Chyan god of dreams and visions, and is
rumoured haunted by strange spirits. Travellers usually
avoid straying off the track that crosses the woods.
2.3.9 Vaag
Vaag (Old Ch. Hilly (lands)) is located east of the Chy
Gap. The land is delimited to the west by the Divârayan
Mountains and to the east by the Haxâh Hills (where,
according to the legend the Chyans stayed for some weeks
before invading Chy, the time necessary for scouts to
return).
The easiest way to reach Vaag is to take the Chy Gap,
which also is the traditional road of invasion, the Kuraav, a
very deep and narrow gorge that connects the country to
Acaana, or the Ayta Denûly, a high pass between Lódenûly
and Vaag across the Divârayan Mountains.
Vaag is a somewhat dry and hilly area occupied by
Chyan-speaking herders and Aca tribesmen. There are
several streams and rivulets that never reach the sea by feed
several little lakes.
It is along these streams and rivulets or in the Divârayan
Mountains foothills that the Chyan villages are built. The
only real, but scarce, cities were built by the Aca invaders,
and not the Chyan herders, at the time of the Great Aca
Empire in mid Second Age. The Aca also connected the
chief city of Vaag, Doyidh (Ac. City on foothills), to Niel
Arên, their capital in Acaana.
 17

3.0 CLIMATE
The country is also well known for its terrible winds,
Most of the Chyan Lands are made up of a high plateau,
sweeping the Lhûd all the year round. The worst is the hot
where the altitude mellows the temperatures that would
west wind blowing in autumn from the desert, in the area
otherwise by scorching.
of Pelepelplû.
The winters can even be found cold by people of
The winds blowing down the Denûly and Acaadôky
Harshandatt or Sîrayn, more used to a warmer climate. At
valleys (and that meet at Chajapûn to from incredible
the two extremes, the Clyan Highlands are generally
whirlwinds) are also well-known and feared by the
temperate or cold and the Low Lhûd very hot.
farmers, as they can rise in violent storms, uprooting trees
Of all the Chyan Lands, the Bulchyades enjoy the more and blowing off houses.
pleasant weather, with temperatures that always remain
Rains are rare in the Chyan Lands, except perhaps in
around 20-25°C.
the Bulchyades and the few of them come in the end of
summer, usually in the form of heavy storms carried by
southern winds from the Bay of Ormal.

Climate in the Chyan Lands and the Divârayan Mountains

Month Divârayan Clyan Highlands Low Lhûd Lhûd Bulchyades
Mountains
Nâvarshyn -15-0 °C -5-8 °C 8-10 °C 5-10 °C 15-21 °C
Snow Snow Dry Dry
Windy
Orbeshrât -20-0 °C -10-5 °C 9-18 °C 5-15 °C 15-20 °C
Snow Snow Dry Dry
Windy
Kordhâd -5-8 °C 0-10 °C 10-20 °C 7-15 °C 17-22 °C
Snow Snow Dry Dry Rains
Tiyât 0-10 °C 5-15 °C 13-25 °C 10-20 °C 18-24 °C
Snow Dry Dry Dry Rains
Mordâd 5-13 °C 7-16 °C 15-28 °C 12-23 °C 18-25 °C
Few rains Dry Dry Dry Few rains
Shahrîvar 10-18 °C 9-18 °C 17-30 °C 14-25 °C 20-26 °C
Few rains Dry Dry Dry
Windy
Mehrâ 15-20 °C 12-24 °C 20-32 °C 16-30 °C 22-28 °C
Dry Dry Dry Dry
Windy
Aberett 10-18 °C 15-26 °C 24-35 °C 20-32 °C 20-26 °C
Dry Dry Storms Dry Few rains
Windy South winds Windy Windy
Dayâr 5-15 °C 11-25 °C 20-32 °C 16-30 °C 18-25 °C
Few rains Dry Small rains Dry Rains
Windy South winds Strong west winds Windy
Azanath 0-8 °C 8-20 °C 18-30 °C 14-26 °C 18-24 °C
Snow Dry Dry Dry
Windy Windy Windy
Bahmaz -5-5 °C 0-15 °C 15-28 °C 12-24 °C 16-23 °C
Snow Snow Dry Dry
Windy
Esfazd -10-0 °C 0-10 °C 11-18 °C 10-22 °C 15-22 °C
Snow Snow Dry Dry
Windy
18
4.0 FLORA & FAUNA
The Chyan Lands and the Divârayan Mountains
incorporate five distinct ecosystems: savannah (the Chyan
Lhûd), coniferous forests (in the Divârayan Mountains
foothills, especially in the eastern part of the Chyan lands),
tropical forest (Ammu Bâj), hills (along the coast and in the
Bulchyades) and mountains (the Divârayan Mountains).
The Lhûd is the most original ecosystem of the Chyan
Lands. It is a flat dry savannah cut by deep and steep
ravines, where frequently dry streams run, and covered by
thick grasslands that often burn. It is generally windy and
the temperatures range from the scorched Low Lhûd
around Tenolkachyn to the bleak and cold Clyan
Highlands. The High Lhûd that makes most of the Chyan
Lands lies in the middle, with temperatures mellowed by
the altitude but not reaching the coldness of the Clyan
Highlands. All the Lhûds are characterised by dryness and
quasi absence of rains, except in sudden and violent
thunderstorms. The valleys, when they enjoy regular water
or have been irrigated by the work of men can be very
fertile and the Chyan Lands are sometimes nicknamed the
“fruits country”, for its impressive fruit productions and
exportations in all the Bay of Ormal.
The following are the most notable plants and animals
found in these lands.
4.1 Flora
Numerous streams and small rivers, fed by the rainfall
on the peaks of the Divârayan Mountains, water the
Lódenûly and the Bulchyades. Figs, olives, oaks, date palms
are among the most important trees of Bulchyades, while
the trees of Chy and Lódenûly are the ekcha (bearing an
orange fruit with a taste of cherry), the marauba (bearing a
fruit similar to a cross between a coconut and a pineapple),
and the ketartas.
The plants thriving in the forests of the southern
Lódenûly and the Bulchyades, on the step of the Divârayan
Mountains, attract equal attention. Their pollens and
spores are collected by Chyan herbalists for use as
medicines, enhancers and antidotes to poisons, and sent in
the markets of Harshandatt, Anarikê or even farther. For
every beneficial herb, there are dozens of dangerous
varieties. A few plants with more unusual properties are:
Akmal: Growing in mountains of Anarikê and the
Bulchyades, mainly in inaccessible locations, the Akmal is
a little shrub giving delicious fruits similar to bilberries.
Unfortunately, the plant has many thorns. Picking Akmal
fruits is a rather difficult experience, which explains its
rarity and its expensive price in markets.
Anraak: This beautiful yellow flower grows only on
coastal areas, in the humid forest of the Ammu Bâj. The
flower, when applied to a wound, stops every
haemorrhage and help to sooth the pain and speed up the
recovery. The root is a powerful hallucinatory medicine,
which heals memory loses and mental illness, but it is also
an addictive drug if used too much (may worsen memory
loses or mental illness).
Black Uljun: Up to 70 m (200’) in height, this huge
evergreen tree produces some of the finest ship-building
timber in the Bay of Ormal. The wood is very hard to
work, but anything fashioned from it will be exceptionally
strong (almost equivalent to iron). This tree is highly
prized by Chyan mariners and traders, and reaches higher
prices than silk or gold.
Emear: A coastal pine of the Bulchyades, Anarikê and
Codya, the Emear is a tree that can grow up to 50-70 m
(150’ to 200’). Every spring it yields lovely flowers similar
to a rose, but with yellow, purple or red hues. The wood
can be easily worked, and is used for masts, spars, and hulls
of ships.
Falt: It is a brittle, aromatic, yellow-green fruit
collected from the Bilkk (a tree similar to the weeping
willow) in the Bulchyades and Anarikê. The fruit is similar
to a fig. If the fruit has not a very good taste, the perfumed
Falt liquor made from these fruits is highly prized by
travellers. The slogan used by Falt traders is: “after you
have drunk a glass of Falt liquor, you won’t never again
want to make war, but enjoy forever your life and the Falt
liquor”.
Gont: This very rare plant is a grey-green lichen only
present in the mountains of the Divârayan Mountains
(mainly in Jabâya or Anarikê), which allows, if eaten, to
see by night as well as the Elves.
Ketartas: It is a sturdy shrub of Lódenûly, bearing a
fruit similar to a golden pear. A persistent legend tells that
these flavoured fruits give a long life to those who eat them.
True or false, these fruits are eaten by many, for a very
expensive price, to the pleasure of Chyan farmers.
Laeven: It is a showy, lovely orchid-like flower with
black or brown petals, growing in the warm climate of the
coastal forest of the Bulchyades and Anarikê, and in the
Ammu Bâj. One who breathes its pollen is subject to many
hallucinations and is euphoric during two hours or more.
Sometimes, the Laeven induces a trance in which one has
prophetic vision.
Nalfas: Nalfas is a relatively rare grey mushroom,
which grows only in the forests of the Bulchyades, after a
heavy rain during the autumn months (Dayâr or Azanath).

The mushrooms are very nutritive and restore full health
even after a brief sleep (about three hours). Taken very
often, it becomes very addictive and there is a danger of
death if those addicted stops suddenly to eat the
mushrooms.
Olpan: The Olpan brown moss is found only in the
valleys of the Divârayan Mountains, there it can be
encountered in great number. When properly brewed it
makes an excellent healing potion.
Rumath: This small shrub is cultivated mainly in the
Bulchyades for its tasty and sweet root (that taste a bit like
liquorice), and is exported to countries like the Lynerian
League or Sîrayn where it is greatly sought-after. The blue
fruits of the shrub, similar in form to blackcurrants, are
collected too. A sweet juice is extracted from these fruits.
This juice has calming effects on anxious or afraid people.
Tumumuti: It is a tall, tropical hardwood. The
Tumumuti is known for its resinous, yellow-red wood. It
grows to height of 25-30 m (80-100’) and is present
throughout all the southern part of the Bay of Ormal and
in the Ammu Bâj. The brittle resin is highly valued by
woodworkers who use it to make high quality varnishes.
The small and yellow leaves are ingested as an herb. Called
Usmiti, they double rate of healing fractures.
Torbachenna: Growing mainly on coasts of the
Bulchyades (never far away from the sea), these little trees
bear fruits similar to an olive, but larger, with a yellow or
green colour. The Bulchya have hundreds of ways to
accommodate the Torbachenna fruits in their cooking.
Xana: A delicate fruit tree which gives a small red fruit
in the shape of a quince, the Xana is spread out from
Harshandatt to Anarikê. The sap, as well as the nark, have
healing virtues, and goes into the composition of numerous
medicinal potions.
4.2 Fauna
The Chyan Lands offer a comfortable habitat to a wide
variety of animals. The region is perfect for reptiles,
amphibians, predators such like the black panthers, bears,
mountainous cats, cave or grey bears, as well as many birds
and insects. Some brief notes follow concerning some of
the more significant animals.
Alnak: These are fairy bluebirds, fully arboreal,
spending their time high up in the branches of evergreen
trees near running water. They live in small flocks and are
often found in the company of hornbills, pigeons, and other
fruit eating birds all congregating in trees with the ripest
figs and other soft fruits (mainly on the coasts of the
Bulchyades, Anarikê or Codya). They also feed on insects,
19
although this is a small part of their diet. They catch them
on the wing like flycatchers, flying out from a branch to
grab the insect in their bills and then returning to their
perch.
A good example of sexual dimorphism, the male and
female have totally different colouration. The male has
dark, velvety-black under parts, that glint with purple and
lilac iridescence and bright ultramarine upper parts and
crown. With his bright red eye, he is a very distinctive bird.
The female is much drabber, basically a uniform dull
greenish-blue with darker brown or black markings. She
also has the distinctive red eye.
Bear-Mole: Known as the most stupid animal of Jaha,
the Bear-Mole is also the biggest bear (about 2.5-3 m, 7 to
9’). One finds it mainly in hills and valleys of Chy and
Anarikê. They have enormous claws which allow them to
dig tunnels in which they make their lair. Bear-Mole live
indeed in particularly vast subterranean galleries. This
creature is not openly aggressive, but it tolerates nobody
on its passage, and attacks everyone who may constitute an
obstacle, even a human. Enormous, the Bear-Mole is
extremely difficult to kill, because of the thick layer of fat
which protects its vital organs. Actually, it seems that their
skull must be extremely thick, or simply their brain is not
situated at the head level, as a stroke to the head rarely stun
a Bear-Mole. Always starving, the Bear-mole eats all that
can fall under its teeth, whether human, animal or plant.
Black Panther: The black panther is similar to an
enormous cat, with a round head, a short muzzle, big green
or yellow eyes, and relatively short ears. Its tail is long and
thin, its feet are sturdy with retractile claws. As sturdy as a
lion, the black panther is able to run, jump, climb or swim,
which explains that it is a very good hunter (against
monkeys, birds or fishes, and on some rare occasions
humans). The black panther lives alone, and joins only with
another male or female for reproduction only. The Chyan
Black Panther mostly live in the Ammu Bâj but some have
also been spotted in the woods of the Bulchyades.
Black Rhinoceros: They have a massive body, a large
head, three digits on both the front and hind feet, and
thickly folded skin with very few hairs. They are 3-4 m (10-
12.5’) long and weigh about 1 to 2 tons. The forward horn
is the larger of the two and averages 50 cm (20’’) long. The
horns may be used as tools to remove bark, break off high
branches and excavate soil at salt licks. The distinguishing
characteristic of this species is the prehensile upper lip. It
uses it to pluck leaves. They feed on a variety of shrubs and
bushes. They are usually found in the transitional zone
between grassland and forest in thick thorn bush or acacia
scrub, but also inhabit more open country. They are more
20
seen in Lódenûly and Lômithâni than in other regions of
the Bay of Ormal.
The only stable bond between individuals is that of a
mother and her young. A single calf is born after a 14-16
monthes gestation. This species relies upon its sense of
smell to detect danger. They are most active early and late
in the day. They wallow during the hottest part of the day,
smearing mud on both sides and sometimes rolling on their
backs. Vocalisations include grunts and squeals when they
are excited. Large predators pray on the young. They are
not easily domesticated, even if they little fear human
presence.
Blue Crowned Crane: The males of this species of
large cranes display long blue feathers on the top of their
head and around their neck that gave them their name of
Blue Crowned. They are migratory birds that spend winter
in the Chyan Lands and summer in the north, on marshes
and rivers flowing to the Great Northern Sea. In the Chyan
Lands, they can be spotted in the marshes of the Chaman
and the Astoban. But their largest colony is without any
doubt on Lake Kasaoya, sometime nicknamed the Blue
Lake, for the tint it takes in winter, when looked at from
the path going down the Ayta Denûly, because of the huge
number of Blue Crowned Crane massed there. The sight of
the first cranes flying above the Chy Gap is for the Chyans
a sign of the forthcoming winter. Legends have it that the
Blue Crowned Cranes are messengers that Asrûta sends to
rekindle his people’s courage before the long winter and
reassure them that he shall win the fight again the Darkness
and shall shine again strong and high in the sky. Seeing a
flight of Blue Crowned Cranes is believed to be a sign that
the gods favour and support one’s endeavour and a presage
of victory and success.
Elephant (Ch. Airavât, plur. Airavatâ): The
Chyan elephant, or Airavât, is the cousin of the Zamamakil
and the famous Mûmak of the Utter South. It rises to a
height of about 2.5-3 m (8-10’) at the shoulder and reaches
a length of 4.5-6 m (15-20’). Like all of its cousins, it has
thick, pillar like legs, a loose skin and flat, padded feet.
Unlike the elephant species of the Utter South, it has short
ears, a concave forehead with two big bumps. The
creature's most notable feature, however, is undoubtedly
its trunk: an elongated nose and upper lip that serves as
both a sensory organ and as a prehensile grasping tool.
An Airavât uses its trunk to smell, gather food, drink,
and as a weapon in combat. They also have a pair of very
short tusks. An elephant family is ruled by a matriarch
(older female), and generally consist of her female
offspring and their young. A basic family unit consists of six
to twelve animals, but families of twelve to twenty
elephants are quite common. Aside from one or two rest
periods at night and a midday break, the great beast is
always active, roaming about with a swinging gait in a
constant search for security and food. This continual
plodding, though, belies the elephant's strength as a swift,
agile runner. If aroused, it can run down or bash a relative
quick foe. A typical Airavât eats about 150 kg (300 lb) of
food each day, grasping with its trunk, and placing the food
in its mouth. The food is always vegetable (leaf, seed, root,
herb, fruit). The Airavât has been tamed by Chyans who
use it for heavy work and war, just as the Mûmakil and the
Zamamakil, but they cannot compare with the majesty and
power of their greater brethren. The wild Airavât mostly
live in the Low Lhûd, at the edge of the Ammu Bâj,
although bands can also be found in the northern parts of
the Bulchyades and, lore rarely, in the better watered parts
of the High Lhûd.
Gazelle: The bush gazelle is the most common
antelope in the Chyan Lands, found in herds of twenty to a
hundred in the Lhûd. The bush gazelle has two short,
straight horns and a white double stripe on its forehead,
praised for its ability to find food on barren bursk and
steppe and to run for an hour or more at twice the speed
of a horse.
Grey Bear: They are huge beasts mostly living in
mountains and that weigh up to 700 kg (1 500 lb). They
have rough, black or brown fur. Fortunately, they are
nocturnal hunters who feed on insects, fish, mammals or
fruits. They have a remarkable sense of smell, but their
hearing and eyesight are merely average. They are mainly
solitary animals that pass long winter in hibernation. They
can be however with great difficulty be domesticated. They
are usually found in the foothills of the Divârayan
Mountains or higher up.
Grey Cheetah: The Grey Cheetah is a large feline
predator of the Lhûd. It hunts primarily in the day and is
very territorial. The Grey Cheetah is feared by most
travellers because of its size and ferocity. They usually live
in group (five to twenty males and females), with the young
(until they come in age).
Grey Wolves: The Grey Wolf is a powerful, muscular
dog with a thick coat of black or brown fur and a bushy tail.
Grey Wolves are exceptionally social animals who live in
family groups or packs that roam and hunt together. These
packs cooperate to run down their favourite prey:
generally, Iarnu, sheep and gazelles. While typically
interested only in larger herd animals, they also feed on
rodents, fish, and crustaceans and, in rare cases (during
famines), they may attack lone travellers, trappers, or
hunters. The hierarchy in the wolf pack is organised and

regulated in accord with ritualised postures, gestures, and
combat. Grey Wolves, however, do not fight over mates
except in extraordinary circumstances. Pairs normally
remain together for life. These predators are rather
common all over the High Lhûd and in the Clyan
Highlands.
Iarnu: It is an antelope, sure-footed and swift, found
mainly in the mountain pastures (Clyan Highlands, Jabâya).
It is a very dangerous prey, using two long horns to spear
opponents. Only the Lion, Grey Cheetah, Trîl or Grey
Wolves hunt such a very dangerous antelope. The red-
brown fur is highly valued by Anarikanî traders for its
warmth and its softness, but hunting the animal is very
difficult.
Kûla: It is a brightly coloured songbird living mostly in
the hills of the Bulchyades and Anarikê. Merchants would
pay more than 200 Sapi for a living bird. The plumage
gleams like gold and silver and is used for decorations and
adornment. They are kept alive for show and for their
beautiful songs.
Lion: Lions are characterised by their broad heads,
large mane, and strong, thick legs. Surprisingly, most of
their time is spent resting. They live in groups, called
prides, which are commonly made up of 3 adult males and
as many as 15 females and young. The lioness do most of
the hunting, preying mostly on Iarnu, Sulan and gazelles.
Their hunting pattern consists of a period of stalking,
followed by a quick chase and pounce. They kill by biting
the neck. They can be found all over the Chyan Lands, but
are rarer in the Bulchyades
Mulnû: Mulnû is an ibis, with long legs, long necks,
long beaks, partially webbed toes, and long downward-
curved bills. It is one the most beautiful birds encountered
in Chy. Its plumage is bright scarlet red with black primary
feathers. It is a gregarious species that lives in groups often
numbering in the thousands, especially during the breeding
season. These breeding colonies are often shared with
families of egrets, herons, and cormorants. The Mulnû
feeds by using its beak to probe through soft mud. in
shallow holes, and under plants and roots for crayfish,
snails, worms, small crustaceans, or whatever else it feels
as it probes along. They were in the past very common in
Harshandatt, but now they are more seen in the marshes of
the Chaman and the Astoban.
Ninfin: A magnificent horse, whose grace is well
considered beyond the Chyan frontiers, the Ninfin roams
wild in the Clyan Highlands. These animals are extremely
fearful but also intelligent and difficult to catch. The
Ninfinâ are very nimble and fast horses, with a coat usually
white or grey. When captured and tamed they are mainly
21
used for parade, both because of their price and because
only the most exceptional could be fit for war (nobody
would use such extraordinary animals for burden or
draught!). Excessively quick (was it not nicknamed the
flashing horse?), Ninfinâ are also very slender and most of
then cannot bear the heavy weight of an armed warrior.
Some Chyan breeders tried to strengthen the race by
crossing it with the Sulan horse, that they brought with
them from the plains beyond the Chy Gap. But the more
resistant and stronger hybrid animal, called Sulfin, has not
the same grace as the Ninfin. Sulfinâ are sold to Chy or
Anarikê to equip the cavalry. The red or chestnut coat is
particularly appreciated by the Anarikê nobles.
Snatchers: Snatchers are huge two footed reptiles
with tremendous jaws and brown scale-skin that use to
hunt on bigger animals, especially antelopes but also
humans. Smaller Snatchers are up to 1.50 meters (5’) but
the large ones can be up to 3 meters (10’) tall. They also
have two arms with sharp claws but they are less powerful
than their jaws and can easily be seized by a human.
Snatchers prefer sites which formerly were occupied by
men, such as ruins or ghost-towns but also live in caves.
They are rare, fortunately, and found mostly in the hills of
Nosharud or the northern part of Lódenûly, at the foot of
the Divârayan Mountains
Sulan: It is the horse breed that the Chyans brought
with them in their long migration that eventually led them
to cross the Chy Gap. The Sulan is somewhat taller,
sturdier and stronger than the native Ninfin, found in the
Clyan Highlands, but still does not match the powerful
warhorses bred in the West, in the plains of Rohan. After
centuries of careful improvement of the bred and crossing
with Ninfin, the Múranian horse and, some say, horses
brought by the Tahmarda, the Chyans have made of the
Sulan a good all-purpose horse as valuable for the warrior
as for the ploughman. While the original Sulanâ were
mostly of black and chestnut coats, today almost any coat
can be found, a testimony of the extensive crossbreeding.
Trîl: Trîl are huge predatory cats with black and yellow
pigmentation and light green eyes. They are predators but
some humans are successful in taming them and using them
as beasts of burden. They always appear in packs led by an
old female. They live in mountains, in Jabâya, the Clyan
Highlands and the northern parts of Nosharud.
Vuk: The Vuk is a wild Hill Dog native to the arid and semi-
arid hills of Southern Endor. Large number of them live in Far
Harad, Chy, Vaag, Gaathgykarkan, and their range extends as far
east as Horl. They look vaguely like wolves, but their snout is
larger and squarer and their pelt is a mottled, dark tan colour,
spotted with greys and brown. This colouring provides excellent
camouflage in the scrub. Given the strength of a wolf and the
22
pride of a jackal, the Vuk is a resilient creature. Partial to fresh
meat, they hunt in packs. However, when game is scarce, these
dogs quickly turn to carrion for sustenance. Adult Vuk do not
employ stealth; they hunt in packs and, rather than stalking and
attacking from ambush, prefer to run their prey to exhaustion,
circling it and giving off their yelping barks until it stumbles and
falls. Vuk are tireless runners, even the tough wild goats of the
region have little hope for survival once the wild dogs begin their
chase. They are rather common in the High Lhûd and the Clyan
Highlands.
Zurku: Related to the Gorbet of north-western Jaha
(well known in Dunland), the Zurku is a lizard with a dull
yellow colour with black and red stripes on its head and
neck. It lives in the hills of Chy and Lódenûly. It has a bright
orange, arrow-shaped patch on its back. The Zurku has no
real enemies, as it secretes a terrible mild toxin from its
skin. This toxin paralyses its victim for a period of 10-20
minutes. It is believed that this relatively harmless lizard is
a pathfinder and the legend has it that if someone is lost and
follows a Zurku, it will eventually be led them to a trail or
road.
4.3 Fantastic Beasts & Mysterious People
4.3.1 Dragons
Dragons are called Ezhdarâ (sing. Ezhdar) by the
Chyans and believed to be evil Frawartâ serving the demon
Indara. He himself goes to battle riding Atarbâna (Ch. Lady
of fire), the Queen of the Dragons, surrounded by a cloud
of fire. Dragons are numerous in legends and gathâ where
they appear a symbol of evil and corruption, perhaps even
more than the Sheroqabâ. Primordial powers of
destruction, born out of the red fire of Angra Manya, they
also are cunning and deceitful, masters of lies and
deception, whose sweet forked tongues delude and misled
those unwary enough to listen to them. The beasts are
usually represented has huge horned snakes with bat-like
wings and sometime two powerful forearms armed with
dreadful claws. They breathe fire or foul smoke, bringing
death and plagues. Those whom they do not kill, are slowly
gnawed by the most horrible diseases or by the lies the
dragons sowed in their hearts. They are beasts of fire,
believed to be born from the red flames breathed by Angra
Manya. Their blood is that very red fire and Chyans say that
they can only be killed by pure hands and faithful hearts,
otherwise they only turn into ashes before to be reborn in
a great burst of fire. Chyan Shâhirâ have it that a dragon’s
tear can give immortality to anyone who drinks it. Their
horns and scales are imbued with great power. The scales
are strong like the strongest steel and light like the lightest
silk. Their horns have the deadliest venom and those
pierced by them are eaten away by rot and abscesses. But
grinded in powder, they cure all the wrongs carried by the
dragons and relieve people from their lies.
Although Chyans indulge in describing dragons in their
tales and telling how the heroes of the past hunted them,
few of these beasts have ever trodden the lands of the
Chyans. The most famous of them is Merkampa, the Wild
Claw, son of Atarbâna and who spawned all the dragons of
the Divârayan Mountains with his mother. Merkampa, who
plagued the Divârayan Mountains for many centuries,
reached such a fame to even appear in legends of the West,
where he is nicknamed the Bane of the South.
He is a light grey cold-drake who has long terrorised
the people of the Clyan Highlands and Vaag. Merkampa’s
awakening spurred numerous tribes to move out of the
lands surrounding the Chy Passes, and the lords from lands
ranging from the Suncrown to Acaana all offered rewards
for his head, in vain. In Vaag, many tribes now revere him
as god (which is unbearable and blasphemous for Chyans).
There, Merkampa has passed into local lore as a permanent
fixture.
Ever swift and skilled in the arts of stalking and hiding,
the Wild Claw appears as impossible to kill. Although
nimble, Merkampa measures over 20 m (65’) in length.
His pale grey scales and glittering, 50 cm (20’’) claws shine
bright in the clear, dry southern night. Those who live to
speak of an encounter with the noble beast cannot help but
proclaim his beauty. However, enticing he might seem,
though, the Wild Claw is a deadly hunter who can halve a
camel or a horse with single swipe. He lives in accord with
his label. No Cold-drake has stronger or sharper talons,
and few are as skilled at using their claws to surgically slice
their prey.
Merkampa sleeps most (85%) of the time, but he
occasionally ventures out on all-night raids. His home is
said to be in a deep cave that opens in a hidden and narrow
vale high in the Divârayan Mountains. In Chyan tales,
Merkampa’s lair is said to be delved in the roots of a high
peak called Zahrasânk (Ch. Poison Rock), but nobody
knows for sure where this ominous mountain is. Some
authors place it in the highest peaks of Vaag, near the
sources of the Denûly River, others see it east of the Chy
Gap or north of the Clyan Highlands, in these mountains
that no paths are said to cross. Some even affirm that the
dragon’s secret abode is farther west, in the highest peaks
of the Divârayan Mountains, west of Heb Aaraan, not far
from Khand. But if they disagree on the localisation of the
Zahrasânk, they all agree to sing the riches accumulated
there by Merkampa in centuries of hunt and plunder.
Wherever Merkampa’s home really is, he is more often

spotted around the Chy Gap and in the open grassland
north of it, certainly because these are the most trodden
areas of his hunting ground. The numerous caravans
travelling through the Chy Gap provide him with ample
booty and sustenance. Still, Merkampa’s more typical meal
involves a mixture of wild goats and camels. He may
augment his intake of large game by feeding on
domesticated livestock, but the herders of the region now
take care to house their beasts in protected barns or
enclaves.
Several times Chyan Arshanâ attempted to kill the
dragon, and many disappeared in the attempt. Even
Lôkhuzôr, lord of Anarikê, and after him Ganagan, the
founder of the Everlasting Sun Empire tried. It is said that
while sleeping in the Forest of Dreams before trying to kill
the Dragon, Ganagan had a vision of Shraosha who talked
to him in the old Chyan tongue. The Prince then
understood that it was not him, but one of the sons of his
sons who was to kill the dragon. What the old man told
him, was to relieve Chy of its sorrows and join his blood to
that of the tall men of Olyas Kriis, the Tahmarda, so as one
day Chy could be saved from the terror wreaked by the
dragon. And Ganagan complied to the gods’ will. He
returned to Chy, unified his country and sealed eternal
friendship with the Tahmarda of Olyas Kriis.
Many years later, the young and brave Ohrmizd II,
grandson of Rashaja Abarpân I, believed to be the chosen
one. He challenged and fought the beast, but despite his
courage, he succeeded only to inflict a little wound to the
dragon. He scratched his right wing and for revenge and to
appease his wrath, the dragon flew over Cly and Chy
bringing destruction, fire and plague to the land of his foe.
No one ever saw again Ohrmizd II in Chajapûn, and many
assumed that the dragon had killed him. But his fate had
been worse and was the cause of a great evil that almost
turned back the Chyans into the hands of the Shadow (see
#3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3.5)
The prophecy told to Ganagan proved to be true
centuries after the death of the Rashaja. Lôkhuzôr II, son of
Azrahîn, King of Anarikê, and of Aldara, from the line of
Ganagan, was the one to kill the beast. Like his ancestor of
the same name, Lôkhuzôr faced with success a Chyan
Empire that menaced to return to its evil ways and then,
unexpectedly, resolved to rid the land of the vile spawn of
Angra Manya. Zadûnzar, the famous knight, traveller and
chronicler of Lôkhuzôr’s reign, and who was present when
the King slew the Dragon (TA 1799), noted this
exclamation of Lôkhuzôr when he pierced the dragon’s
heart and looked deep into his dying eyes “Hated Father, once
again you are defeated! Should you come again to trouble this
23
country, a King of Men shall still be here and defeat you, and the
Shadow that creeps about you.”
Merkampa had a sister, Piutalamba the Spitter, who
arrived in the Clyan Highlands in the beginning of the Third
Age of the Sun. She terrorised the Clyan tribes for more
than a thousand years until she perished by the hands of
huntsmen sent by Ûvatha the Horseman. Many tales about
the dragon can be heard in the Chyan lands, and not all of
them are in favour of the proud Clyan tribesmen. Some
assert that Clyan tribes worshiped Piutalamba as a god and
made bloody sacrifices to gain her protection. The most
indulgent say that the tribes living too close to the dragon’s
home had for only choice to escape or perish or to feed the
dragon if they wanted to stay in their ancestral lands. And
many eventually resolved to do so. It is also said that several
times the great conquerors of those days, such as Ûvatha of
Khand and the Chejan Fire King, sent armies to conquer
the Clyan highlands or simply cross the country. Each time
these warriors met their doom under the claws of the
dragon and it gave rise to the common belief that the
Clyans had a pact or alliance with the flying demon. Clyans
always strongly deny it and get angry at such insinuations,
but their neighbours are at the least suspicious and Chyans
from Chy would not be so surprised to learn that these half-
barbarians from the highlands had in the past again fallen
into demon worshipping and offered the blood of their
maidens and striplings in exchange of the dragon’s
protection.
This remains one of the numerous mysteries of the little
known and hardly trodden Clyan Highlands, but what is
better recorded in the chronicles is how the demon
perished. Ûvatha, Lord of Khand and then master of an
ever-growing empire whose might knew no limit nor
opposition, had been angered several times by the
destruction of armies that he sent to the Clyan Highlands.
He decided that Piutalamba had to die and pay a last tribute
to him with her scales, to make for himself an armour that
no arrow would ever pierce. He sent his best trackers and
hunters to kill the dragon, but none came back. Then the
man that Chyans call Bharâm the Fireshaper arrived from
the northern plains. On his black horse he came before
Ûvatha and offered his services, in exchange of the life of
his wife, that had been captured by Variag raiders and was
then in Ûvatha’s Andra. The fearsome hunter was said to
be of the same blood of the Fire King of Chey Sart, and like
him he could shape fire, walk unscathed through the most
intense blaze and divert the flames from him. He and his
band found and cornered the dragon. He challenged
Piutalamba and surprised her by his unseen abilities. When
he gave the last and lethal blow to the dragon, he shouted
the name of his beloved wife and plunged his spear into the
24
beast’s heart, killing her. Bharâm brought back
Piutalamba’s scales to his master and claimed his due. Then
Ûvatha laughed and threw at Bharâm’s eyes a handful of
ashes, saying that he could take what remained of his wife
or rejoin her and meet the Devourer Rakodsaol if he
preferred. Bharâm left, devastated by pain and ashamed of
having been tricked. But he had in his bag the dragon’s horn
and swore that his wife’s death would not be left without a
proper vengeance. The horn was later shaped into a knife
and Chejan shamans carved signs of power on its blade.
Legends have it that this knife alone can rid the world of
the abomination that Ûvatha the Horseman has become.
4.3.2 Giants
Chyans say that when their ancestors crossed the Chy
Gap, the land that they found on the other side was peopled
by pagan and depraved Múranians who lived under the
constant threat of and submission to Bozorgâ (Ch. Giants,
literally: the tall ones). Bozorgâ were giant men, who ate
human flesh and ruled the Múranians as lords and gods,
herding them like sheep. Seeing their cruelty, the Chyans
fought the Bozorgâ, vanquished them and forced them to
flee in the mountains, where they still hide today in remote
vales and deep caves. Then they took the land for
themselves and took care of the Múranians as the children
they were, to teach them the True Faith and the ways of
real Men.
This is one but numerous legends about the coming of
the Chyans and their conquest of the land of the Múranians
of old. It may hide some truth, maybe not, but what
Tahmard loremasters say is that Giants might have lived in
the Divârayan Mountains (and especially in the Clyan
Highlands) since the Elder Days. Rare are the Giants who
can still be found there and those live in the most remote
valleys, preferring to stay apart from other folks. They are
territorial, savage, and perhaps man-eaters as Chyan
legends have it. In any case, they have been reported to
attack Orcs, Dwarves and Men, if they feel threatened or
perhaps simply to hunt and eat them like other game.
Chyans like to describe them as ugly, terribly strong but
greedy and somewhat stupid creatures. It is said that in
their caves they keep big hoards, stolen treasures from
ancient Orkish or Dwarven holds. They like everything
that shines, like gold or silver, jewels and gems, but also
pieces of glass or glittering stones.
They are huge (often standing twice or thrice the height
of usual men), muscular, wild, playful (according to their
own standards, like a cat with a mouse) and dim-witted
creatures who are accustomed to the Divârayan Mountains
harsh climate. They are reclusive, not often residing in
larger than small family groups.
A Chyan legend tells of Rashaja Vihnu Taronish who
killed Ogakh, the king of Giants, who terrorised the
mountainous people of Cly and by so doing mustered all
the Clyans to fight against the evil Artaxshâsan. The legend
of Vishtâspa and Sarafraz, as told in the Fourth Age of the
Sun, is reminiscent of the old tale of Vihnu and may only
be an adaptation with new heroes, as the theme of kings
smiting monsters to prove their legitimacy and muster
their people is a constant in Chyan epics.
4.3.3 Saghirâ
Some Chyan legends tell of a people of small and
secretive Men who once dwelt the land of Chy, but had
disappeared long before their coming, leaving only weird
stone structures (although some pretend that it is only tales
and that it is the cruel Bozorgâ who built them when they
ruled the land). Some say that the Saghirâ (Ch. The small
ones) have not fully disappeared, but are still around,
hiding in close forests or lost, beautiful and fertile
mountain valleys. Or even sometime much closer to the
Chyans, but they cannot see them because the Saghirâ are
so small and can turn invisible at will. Those are said to
come into Chyans houses to steal food and goods. They like
fine wine and porridge, but do not eat meat. Chyans often
leave a bowl of porridge and a cup of wine at their door for
the Saghirâ and so prevent them from stealing. Saghirâ are
not bad, but cannot prevent themselves from stealing little
things and involuntarily causing mischief.
Tahmard loremasters say that the Saghirâ are perhaps
not entirely legendary. They may be a Drúedain people,
related to the Chaialla of the Utter south or the Yatali-Gan
of Sîrayn, who lived in the Chyan lands before the coming
of the first Múranians and who were then repelled to
inhospitable lands, forests and mountains. According to
those same loremasters who travelled to the elven kingdom
of Silvermist in Heb Aaraan, some of these “small people”
may dwell there, in some kind of secret alliance with the
Elves, to protect their liberty and the fineness of Heb
Aaraan. Elves of Heb Aaraan only answer by enigmatic
smiles when they are asked about the Saghirâ. Some other
wise people think the Saghirâ and the Bozorgâ are one and
same people, who once settled Chy but now only live in
legends and, with time, have been transformed into the
dreadful and savage huge Bozorgâ or the tiny malicious and
treacherous Saghirâ.
4.3.4 Sheroqabâ
Sheroqabâ (Ch. Lion-eagle) are dreadful monsters that
haunt Chyan legends. They are usually portrayed as having
a muscular body like those of the lions of Chy, a pair of
large wings, as the eagles that fall from the sky to take away

lambs have, and their head is armed with a strong beak that
tears apart the flesh of their victims. Their fur is very dark,
usually fully black or with a blue sheen. It is short all over
the body apart from the neck, where it grows in a large
mane, usually of lighter hues than the rest of the body,
sometime as golden and shiny as the sun. They are said to
live in the Divârayan Mountains and the Clyan Highlands
or in close and dark forests, where they hunt for the noblest
prey: Men. Fortunately, they are very secretive and leave
their dens only during the darkest night. They are loners
and appear only rarely in pairs and never in large groups.
It is said that the feathers of the Sheroqabâ wings are
strong like steel foils but warm as a down and can make
comfortable cloaks, impenetrable to cold and arrows.
Sheroqabâ are said to lose their feathers at the end of
summer. They then grow again, ready for winter, which is
the beasts’ favourite hunting season. Adventurous men run
the mountains where the Sheroqabâ are said to live to
collect such feathers. Legends also have it that eating the
heart of a Sheroqâb turn you blind to fear and that their
tongues, dried and grinded into powder can force anyone
to say only the truth. Others hold that such powder thrown
to the eyes of anyone makes people believe anything you
tell them.
Although the Sheroqabâ are formidable opponents in
fight and revel in hunting and killing Chyans, especially
brave warriors that they challenge in seemingly fair duels
(but they always cheat in some way), they are even more
deadly when they approach friendlily and speak. Indeed,
Illustration: unknown
25
Chyans say that they were spawned by Talahâr the Two-
faced, Demon of Lies and Seduction.
The legend has it that Talahâr made the Sheroqabâ by
spitting on ashes and therefore they are dark like night and
in their tongues are all the deceptions of the demon.
Talahâr gave them a fair and strong body so they can
impress and seduce the Chyans by a pretence of nobility.
He added wings like those of Simurg, the mount of
Shraosha, that he fears and admires, so they can fly in the
sky during the night and fall unnoticed and silently on their
preys.
Like their creator, Sheroqabâ know the past and are
crafty. They are avid for knowledge of all sorts, that they
can twist and use for their ploys to deceive their preys or
arouse fear and nightmares in their hearts. Like Talahâr,
who always shows a bright and fair face to only better sow
his lies and enslave his victims, Sheroqabâ have a double
and dubious nature: they are powerful and noble-looking
warriors, masters of many knowledge and shrewd players
of Huzvagul but also creatures of the shadow, thriving on
the nightmares and fears of their preys and using their
fantasies to better deceive them.
The Sheroqabâ exert a dubious fascination on the
Chyans. Although they acknowledge them as evil and
serving the Demon of Lies, they admire their strength in
battle and envy their knowledge of everything that was.
Many tales tell of heroes who sought a Sheroqâb in the
flawed hope to fool it and exact from the beast knowledge
and wisdom. Few are said to have ever succeeded, but the
thirst for knowledge always pushes ambitious and reckless
Chyans to stand the test.
It is said that it is Shidasp who discovered the Sheroqabâ
when they first went out of Talahâr’s den. Unsure of what
they were and whom they served, and certainly deceived
by their powerful and noble appearance, he holds a parley
with them and trustfully approached their king. But he was
tricked and surrounded by the monsters and then saw what
they really were and took fright when he understood their
purpose. He hardly managed to break free and brought
these dark tidings to the gods: the demons had spawned a
terrible plague against the Chyans, they had released
creatures of fair appearance but dark heart, cloaked in lies
and fears, to exploit Men’s fantasies and misled them,
taking them away from the paths of the gods and attract
them to the underground palace of Angra Manya. The gods
then gave life to the Safîdaspâ to fight the Sheroqabâ and
thwart the demons’ ploys (see below).
Because of their dubious nature, Sheroqabâ may appear
very differently in Chyan legends and songs. In the most
light-hearted tales, they show their somewhat noble
26
appearance described above and are depicted as masters of
good speech and poetry, with a deep knowledge of
everything that once was and a mastery of all arts. When
they meet skilled foes, they enjoy challenging them at the
Huzvagul game, the stake being either the revelation of a
secret kept by the Sheroqâb or the death of the foolish
competitor. The Sheroqabâ, who like to deceive their
preys by charming words and convincing lies, always cheat
or make up new rules to devour their unfortunate
opponent. The most popular of such legends is found in the
Song of Ganagan (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The
People, section 6.3). Ganagan was a prince of Chajapûn,
who challenged Zirak the Sheroqâb at the Huzvagul game
and tricked the monster to learn where the Amulet of
Haxâmanish was kept. He defeated the Sheroqâb at his own
game, killed him, recovered the lost Chyan relic and
eventually became Rashaja Ganagan, founder of the
Everlasting Sun Empire.
But when the lies and delusions woven by the
Sheroqabâ fail, they reveal their darkest nature, that they
are creatures of shadow and delusion who cast a dark cloud
of fear over the heart of their preys and steal into their
nightmares to carry their victims into madness. One such
(and quite late), legend is about Nevazar, the Necromancer
who brought the domination of the evil Artaxshâsan over
the Chyans (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People,
section 8.1.1Erreur ! Source du renvoi
introuvable.). It is said that he did so much to lead the
Chyans to the worship of the demons, that after his death
Angra Manya took him next to him and made of him one
of his demons.
He was then sent back to the world of Men to fulfil his
last prophecy: the return and revenge of the Artaxshâsan
and the establishment of Angra Manya’s empire. Nevazar
came back as a Sheroqâb and from his lair under Chajapûn,
he patiently stole into the Rashaja’s nightmares, exploiting
his fantasies to arise his fears and to made of him his devout
slave.
“I have just described some of the most fanciful and entertaining tales
that Chyans have about the mythical beasts that they call Safîdaspâ and
Sheroqabâ. Like many of my readers, I doubted of their existence outside
Chyan songs and epics until the day when, on a journey across the Clyan
Highlands with only one faithful and skilled Clyan guide, I saw a
Safîdaspâ. Yes, I saw one! A herd of Ninfin as white as the new snow had
just dispersed at our arrival, and she was left there, standing in the
middle of the windblown prairie, watching us. I staid still, a long time,
watching her. We spoke, or a least I heard peaceful words like a soothing
song and I had the feeling that all the folds of my heart were opened and
revealed to her. All my petty secrets and shames, all my prides, sorrows
and joys sprouted out and came back from where I had buried them. Then
my guide shouted “Look my lord! A Safîdaspa!”. What seemed like an
eternity to me had lasted but the wink of an eye. I can swear that the
Safîdaspa smiled at me, before to disappear in three leaps.
To the incredulous, I can now say that Safîdaspâ truly exist. And
therefore, I am inclined to believe that their eternal foes, the Sheroqabâ,
also do. Since then, I have spent my life trying to again see such a
wonderful creature, but to no avail. I also made research to discover more
about them and what they really are. My best guess so far is that they are
spirits sent to inhabit the bodies of horse-like creatures and given the task
of protecting Kelvar as the Elves taught our ancient loremasters it was
done at the request of Yavanna in the Elder Days. That they are said to
live mostly near the elven lands of Heb Aaraan and have more contact
with Elves than with another of the Children of Ilúvatar, supports this
mine assumption.
This drives me to think that the Sheroqabâ are some monsters
spawned in the bowels of the Morgoth’s fortress to plague and spoil the
world. Those monsters are said to have eagle-like features and I would
not be surprised if the Morgoth created them to mock and counterfeit the
mighty Eagles of Manwë. I once heard a strange and enticing tale in a
tavern of Aelinost. I met there an old and almost blind mariner from the
Lynerian city of Bulzadâr. He was in his youth a seaman on a ship
trading with our colony of Harfalas, along the perilous and feared coasts
of Zurghôr. He told me that one night, on their way back home after a
very successful journey, their ship was badly damaged by a violent storm
and got stranded. In the morning they discovered with dread that they
had landed on the coasts of Zurghôr.
They had to send a party in the jungle to cut wood and repair the
ship. There ends the understandable part of his story and begins the
ramblings of an old man whose mind is gnawed by strong liquors. What
I can reconstruct from what he told me is that the party went deep, too
deep into the jungle and had to camp and spend the night in the woods.
Then in the middle of the night, they heard a powerful roaring, like that
of a lion, but so loud that only some giant beast could have made it. He
tried to sleep again but then heard like a voice in his head, telling him
about one of his companions, revealing that he had stolen him the small
doll that he had been carving for his daughter during their trip. He
suddenly felt the desire to kill that man, to avenge himself and take back
his own.
He took his knife and stood up. All his friends were fighting against
each other, shouting and cursing and accusing one another of petty crimes
and lies and claiming revenge. He was himself searching for the thief who
took the doll, when his eyes caught a glimpse in the woods, like the eyes
of some beast. He took a firebrand and went further to see what animal
was hiding there. He peered though the dark and suddenly fell again on
the two red jewels he had first seen and there he saw what he describes as
a giant winged lion cloaked of darkness and dread. He was struck with
terror and ran like a madman into the woods as fast and as far as he
could. He did not tell me what happened afterwards, but that was
sufficient for me. It looks like he saw what the Chyans call a Sheroqâb.
Since then, I entertain the idea that these beasts originally came from the
accursed jungle of Zurghôr where horrors from lost times are said to hide.”
Roccondil of Aelinost “Myths and Legends of the Chyans.
Volume 3: The Clyan Highlands”

4.3.5 Safîdaspâ
“A deer's velvet grace mated to a goat's dancing fragility imbues the
Safîdaspâ’s equine features with an alien, ethereal quality. The whorled
horn of pearl and the drifting mane and tail of ravelled silk further
remove the opalescent Safîdaspâ from the dross of trivial life.”
This is how a Shâhir whose name has been lost
described his encounter with this fabled creature that
Chyans call Safîdaspâ (Ch. White horses). Many are those
who speak and write of this noble beast, but rare are those
who have actually seen one. It is said that the fabulous
animal is in appearance like the finest and swiftest of the
Ninfin with one or two long silvery horns on the forebear.
Their coat is dazzling white and it is said to blind any whose
heart is not pure and strong enough. They can read deep
into Man’s heart, unveil hidden secrets or awake buried
feelings. Legends also have it that they can glimpse into the
future and reveal it to those who ask with an open heart.
Chyans believe that this power comes from their horns and
say that if one possesses such a horn and plunges it into a
bowl of morning dew, images of things to come can be
seen.
According to Chyan legends Safîdaspâ live in the
mountains and high dales of the Divârayan Mountains.
Clyans hunters sometime pretend to have spotted one
among a herd of Ninfin or high in the mountains, on the
summit of an inaccessible rock as if mounting guard against
an invisible enemy. Travellers to the Chyan Lands are ready
to believe that the myth of the Safîdaspâ originated in
spotting especially beautiful and nimble Ninfinâ and that
the Safîdaspâ do not exist outside of Chyan songs, but are
simply an idealisation of the Ninfinâ into mythical
creatures.
Illustration: unknown
27
Safîdaspâ and Sheroqabâ are tied in the fantastic tale of
the Jahinayât, that has excited the imagination and dreams
of many. A late (Fourth Age of the Sun) compilation of
various sources and traditions about this fabulous vale and
its magical fountain is provided below:
From “Searching for the Jahinayât”, by Orvadasp One
Eye. A compilation of ancient lore and traditions collected
and together reassembled for the edification and enjoyment
of his people by order of Arshâdar the Devout, Arshan of
Karidan and Janyna, Beacon of the Faithful and Sun of the
World. Completed in this sixteenth year of the reign of
Arshâdar the Devout.
Follow extracts from the Dialog of Mîdhîr and Vishtâspa,
reconstructed from fragments dating from the reigns of Rashajâ
Shôburagan [II] and Ganagan [II] and collected by Orvadasp One Eye.
This dialog took place when Vishtâspa was retained by Mîdhîr, the king
of the Susanâparâ, in his magic castle of Elanthia, surrounded by the
enchanted mists of lake Chyasraan, in the Divârayan Mountains.
What Mîdhîr of the Taarun once told to Vishtâspa:
“This, Vishtâspa, is an old story that I heard many of your years ago,
before your ancestors crossed the mountains. It was told to me by Renthir
the Wanderer who came from the West and now has left to the East. In
the beginning of times and before the rise of the Sun, the gods made two
great lamps that they set on high pillars to lighten the world. But the
Black Enemy hated and feared this bright light and he came secretly out
of the night, attacked and pulled down the pillars and destroyed the
lamps, wrapping the world into his cold darkness. While the gods chased
the Enemy back to his hidden dwelling in the frozen north, Nîniel went
alone, crossing lands that had been fair and green and were then burnt
and sad. She reached a lone glen, remnant of the glade where she liked
to spend long hours, in solitude and meditation. It was in the mountains
that you call the Divârayan Mountains, raised by the fall of the lamps.
There she staid, in the night, and she wept upon the marring of Jaha, the
destructions brought by the Black Enemy and all those that she foresaw
he would bring forth.
Long she wept and cried and her tears soaked the earth and filled a
hollow in the dark stone, turning it into a small tarn. And her cries and
tears were healing and new strength and hope. But the gods grew
concerned of her missing. Her brothers, the Masters of Spirits, went across
the Great Sea and searched the entire Jaha for their sister. And when they
found her, she was still there, weeping and lamenting in her lone glen.
They brought her back with them, to the Blessed Land in the West, where
the gods now dwell, and there she forgot her sorrows and Jaha.
But not all the gods had forgotten the misfortunes of the world in
their protected land. Araw the Hunter could not forget the wide plains
and deep forests of Jaha and abandon them to the Black Enemy and his
foul creatures of pestilence and hatred who tore them with horns and
claws. Often time he came to Jaha, alone on his great white horse, and
hunted the monsters spawned by the Enemy. During one such hunt, when
he was riding on the southern shores of the great inland sea created after
the fall of the northern pillar, he spotted a huge monster, with great
ebony horns and breathing death. He shot at the beast and wounded it
and then chased it through dark woods and deep vales.
28
Often, he lost its track but always found it back. When the Hunter
is after a prey, there is not hope for it to escape. At last, he found the
monster in a high glen, where many other foul beasts were, as if it was
their resting and mating place. In rage he slew them all. Then he looked
around, and although the ground was tainted with dark blood and
littered with filthy carrion, he felt in peace and strong and realised where
he was. He remembered what Olfannor once told when he came back with
his sad sister and understood what had happened here. Nîniel had grieved
here over the ruin brought to Jaha and regained strength and hope. The
glen still remembered the goddess’ sorrows and reborn hope and he could
sense a faint feel of strength and ease and peace trickling out of it.
But the dale had become the litter of monsters and the tarn was
defiled and stank death and rot. And this made Araw angry. He staid
long there and killed many monsters that came to revel in the wallow the
dale had become and pollute the pond of green silt that was once a tarn
of clear water. Araw staid longer in his hunting grounds than ever before,
but eventually, even the greatest hunter felt weary and he came back to
the Blessed Land in the West and told of his finding and worries to the
other gods. And Manweg King called upon the Father of All and hallowed
the glen.
Then he told that servants of Nîniel go there, to cleanse the place
from its defiling and to tend it, as in his great wisdom he foresaw that
the Free Peoples would need the glen and its tarn in their long fight
against the Black Enemy. After the Sun rose for the first time, the glen
covered itself in thick and green grass and a multitude of multicoloured
mountain flowers sprouted there. They blossom early in spring piercing
the last snows and stay late in autumn until the first white flakes. It is
said that even in the midst of winter the tarn where Nîniel wept never
freezes. And Frawartâ serving the Hunter also were sent there, to protect
the glen from foul monsters and stop them from ever again tainting the
hallowed vale. Later those spirits took the shape of Ninfinâ, the most
beautiful and nimble animals, and they are called Safîdaspâ by you
Chyans.”
Note by Orvadasp “One-Eye”:
As all the ancient Susanâparâ are now believed to be gone, it is
unknown to the author whom, in their superstitious beliefs, they called
Nîniel. The most likely is that it is the goddess Tistrya. As for Manweg
King, Araw the Hunter and Olfannor the Dreamer they are undoubtedly
the gods Hitâspa, Shraosha and Vohuma. The Black Enemy is surely the
demon-king, Angra Manya. The other elements of the legend told by
Mîdhîr, such as Renthir the Wanderer, the Lamps, or the Blessed Land in
the West, remain very obscure to the author and he will not extend himself
here in academic speculations.
But the reader should not pay excessive attention to these legendary
details. They have certainly been added by later copyists and stem only
from their imagination and incomprehension of the texts they recopied or
are blurred remains of the ancient fairies’ lore, now irremediably
corrupted and, like their authors, utterly lost. The author also deeply and
sincerely apologises to the readers who would feel offended by insinuations
that Asrûta, the Sun of Jaha, was not at the origin of all, but that the
world existed before and that it is even the gods who caused the Sun to
rise. These are utterly heretical views and can only be explained by the
Susanâparâ being ignorant of the True Faith. The author here only
reports and transcribes ancient texts and this is by no means a reflection
of his opinions. Please have forgiveness.
And Mîdhîr went on: “It is said that any who go the vale and stay by
the tarn will have their troubled mind eased and will see the faint light
behind the black curtain and be given strength to face adversity and
sorrows. But be careful, you mortals, not to get engulfed in the warm
comfort and soothing homeliness that wrap the hidden glen. If you stay
too long there you will forsake your goals and relinquish any desire to
leave. You will be forever lost. I tell you, if the Safîdaspâ prevent Men
from reaching the glen, this is only for their own good.”
One night, when the silver moon rose over the mists of lake
Chyasraan, Lissalinda, daughter of the Elven-king, sang to Vishtâspa an
ancient and moving song and then told him:
“You did not understand much of this song, as the language is strange
and ancient, even for us. It is about the glen that you call Jahinayât (Ch.
Spring of Life) in your legends. But although the place is fair, this is a
tale of fear and terror. At the beginning of times, the Dark Enemy lured
many great spirits to follow him and be his servants, in search for power
and domination over the Susanâparâ and the Men and to rule the world
as kings. Among these evil Frawartâ are those that you call Sheroqabâ.
They were originally akin to the Masters of Spirits, but have lost all the
fairness that they once had and took the shape of giant winged lions to
frighten Men.
They first settled in the dark jungles in the south, in what Men call
the Zurghôr, if I am not mistaken, for some unknown design of the Great
Enemy, and some might still dwell there in the cursed forest where our
kin no longer venture. Their first king was Kabushîr, as you would call
him in your own tongue, the Black-blue Lion. He was strong and ruthless.
A mighty warrior he was, and wisest in the dark arts, even by the
standards of these cunning beasts. His path once crossed that of a creature
that you Chyans have never heard of and you should thank your gods for
that. She is a monster of utter darkness, most powerful and fearsome than
you can imagine. A creature of nightmares, wrapped in Unlight and so
terrifying that even the Black Enemy fears her and does not command
her. She is called Ungoliant in the language of the Susanâparâ of the
West. Kabushîr was deadly wounded and his spirit was progressively
consumed by the poison of the monster and he knew that he was dying
and passing into the shadows where from there is no return. And he feared
it and refused it.
As most learned king of the Sheroqabâ, who are fond of hidden lore
and ancient secrets, he had not forgotten the tales of the Jahinayât.
Although they had been passed on shrouded in the fear left by the great
killing made by Araw the Hunter, Kabushîr saw there is unique hope. In
his growing madness or irrepressible fear of being lost forever, he imagined
that he could find peace and healing if he bathed in the tarn of the
Jahinayât and drank its water to quench the fire burning in his veins. He
went to the Divârayan Mountains with his most faithful brothers and
reached the high glen where he expected to find a cure and life. But there
he only found death. The Safîdaspâ barred them the way to the Jahinayât
and a great battle took place at the gate of the fair glen. Kabushîr
challenged Simûshah, the King of the Safîdaspâ.
They fought a long time, the earth shook under their hoofs and paws
and the sky darkened at their roars. But Kabushîr tricked Simûshah and
planted his sharp beak in Simûshah’s throat and drank his blood. When
Simûshah fell, a chill dropped on the glen and froze the Safîdaspâ in a
great sadness and dread. But then galloped the Queen, Safîdanam, and
she stroke Kabushîr. He and his demons were cast out of the hallowed

glen. After the battle, Kabushîr roamed long about the forbidden vale,
restless like a mad lion, until his spirit was eventually consumed by the
terrible poison flowing in his veins. He died with terrifying cries of pain
and wrath and curse. And those who travel through the valleys around
the Jahinayât can still hear the chilling cries of the dying Sheroqâb
carried by the wind and echoing on the steep bluffs, in the narrow valleys.
And rare are those who are not turned insane by this yelling of terror.
The Sheroqabâ who accompanied their king swore revenge against the
Safîdaspâ and for then on they fight an endless and merciless war: the
Sheroqabâ to avenge their king and defile forever the fair glen and the
Safîdaspâ to protect the Jahinayât.”
And what Vishtâspa then told to Lissalinda:
“Chyan Shâhirâ tell us that in the Divârayan Mountains, in a high
and hidden vale, there is a magic spring or lake and whoever drinks of its
waters is cured of all diseases or wounds, even the lethal ones. Some also
say that these magic waters give eternal life to those who drink them and
can even bring back the dead to life. And this is the Jahinayât or Spring
of Life. But the valley is protected by demons that turn intruders into
madness and within the valley itself are guardians who will ask for the
Three Words of Faith before to allow any to drink of these waters. And
these words have been lost long ago by the folly of Men.
It is said that the last Man to see this secret valley and be granted
access to it was Rashaja Vihnu, Enemy of all Evil. The tale says that
after his first battle against the evil kings who ruled the Chyans in those
dark days, he was defeated, his army disbanded and running away. Alone
he was left in the Clyan Highlands, dispirited and wandering, having
lost all hopes of success and trust in his destiny. He was like a man
walking in his sleep, stepping straight in front of him, with neither aim
nor hope. Until he saw a Safîdaspa, the whitest and nimblest that has
ever been seen, surely their Queen. He was suddenly overwhelmed by a
strange desire and ran after the dazzling animal. He crossed deep valleys
and high passes in the mountains, always running after the Safîdaspa,
with no feel of hunger or thirst, of pain or tiredness. And then he reached
a beautiful valley, covered with multicoloured flowers, although it was
at the gate of winter, and where birds were trilling sweet and cheering
songs. And many Safîdaspâ were there, watching with compassion, and
they did not stop him.
He walked to a clear lake fed by a high waterfall whose drops were
bouncing off him like the morning dew. It is said that then he saw a
beautiful woman coming from beyond the curtain of misty waters,
wrapped in blue veils. And some say it was Tistrya who came to comfort
the young warrior and reassure his confidence. And next to her, holding
his hand, was a mighty warrior, clad in a golden armour and donning a
purple mantle. It is said that it was Shraosha, coming to give Vihnu
strength and courage to withstand his forthcoming battles against the
demons. And then Vihnu felt very tired and fell asleep.
When the warm sun licked his face in the next morning, he felt strong
and determined. All his wounds were healed and his heart was burning
of the desire to end with the evil enslaving the Chyans and he had the
conviction that nothing nor nobody could prevent him from achieving his
sacred mission. Next to him was the spear that the golden god was
carrying. And he took it. And in his right hand he had a pearl, as clear
and transparent as frozen water and later he always kept it on a silver
chain around his neck to remind him his determination and relieve him
in difficult time. And it is said that when he was old, Rashaja of all the
29
Chyans, and faced hand to hand the demon commanding to the
barbarians of the great plains, he wounded it with the golden spear and
then a great light burst from the pearl hanging at his neck.
Again, he felt strong and his wounds were forgotten. But the demon
fled in fear and anger and, as the legend puts it, killed itself out of shame.
When Vihnu awoke, the valley was desert and its quietness was only
disturbed by the music of the waterfall and the song of birds. The first
snow of the year was falling. Only the Safîdaspa who had guided him
was still there. He jumped on her back and was brought to the Chyan
lands in less time that it is necessary for a bowl of porridge to cool.”
“About the Safîdaspâ, our wise men also say that they are mortal
enemies of the monstrous Sheroqabâ and that they were actually born to
oppose and fight these beasts. When the Demon of Lies, Talahâr, created
the Sheroqabâ to terrorise and deceive the Chyans, the gods were appalled
and afraid of the misfortunes they would bring. They all met on the
Ashajatâish and discussed the matter. Fravâd spoke first and strongly. He
counselled to rise from the earth mighty warriors of stone and steel to
fight and destroy the Sheroqabâ. Daena said that only purity of heart
could face the deceptions of the minions of Talahâr. Rashnu and Vohuma
agreed that wisdom and foresight alone could see through the lies
spawned by these monsters.
Last spoke Ameretat and she softly said that without love there was
no hope to defeat evil. And all agreed. Then Hitâspa said “So be it!”. He
took the tears that Shidasp had wept on the fate of the Chyans. One from
the right eye and one from the left. And Ameretat softly breathed on them
and they shined like two pearls from the sea. Hitâspa threw them to the
Sun, to be hallowed by the One. When they fell back on the ground, they
were Simûshah (Ch. Silver light) and Safîdanam (Ch. Dew white), the
first Safîdaspâ. And they had strength granted by Fravâd and courage
from Hitâspa, and their hearts were fair and could see purity hidden in
the darkest night as Daena wanted, and they were wise as Rashnu
counselled and Vohuma gave them a bit of his knowledge of the things
that shall be. And they were loving and compassionate as Ameretat
advised. Born from Shidasp, they were like horses, white like the moon
and dazzling like the sun. Then Simûshah and Safîdanam were sent to
fight the Sheroqabâ and protect the Chyans and lead them through the
lies and treachery of their enemies. And their descendants still do it.”
A later addition to “In search for the Jahinayât”, by an
anonymous scribe :
Told to me by an old priest of Thefker, named Evádh, in the Great
Library of Naerphys-upon-Núar:
“Listen young man, and learn as this is a true and edifying story. It
is said that the Nhazadh once called Aransiros the Glorious and now more
often remembered as Aransiros the Cursed was obsessed with death. The
idea that one day he will leave this world without having time to
accomplish all the great works and conquests he dreamed of was
unbearable to him. He first commanded the best priests to make charms
and balms for him or to devise powerful spells to keep him from aging.
But none succeeded and all were ruthlessly executed by their master. But
this did not calm his anxiety of death but only swollen his anger against
the gods. Then he turned to the forbidden demons, to Sâdeh and his
servants. And they answered his call.
The demons are always on the lookout for those who stray away from
the path of wisdom traced by the gods and Sâdeh sent Senêd to make a
30
pact with the Nhazadh. Aransiros would be granted eternal life, but in
exchange he had to dedicate this life to the glory of Sâdeh. The fool
accepted and was given a magic ring that grants eternal life to its bearer.
It is remembered in our legends as the Leopard Ring, but is now lost, for
the good of Men. Aransiros was happy, he had the eternal life he craved
and all the time he could hope for to accomplish all the feats that
relentlessly sprouted from his exacerbated imagination and lust for glory
and power.
But although this lasted long in the count of mortal Men, it was not
long for Aransiros before he realised that he had been fooled. That the
eternal life he had bargained with Sâdeh was nothing but a long slavery,
that he was bound to his rash oath and had lost all freedom. He longed
even more for a true eternal life, where he could defy his dark master as
he had defied the gods. Then he heard of an ancient tale, coming from
your land: the old and odd story of the Fountain of Youth. The legend
said that in a remote and inaccessible valley of the Northern Mountains,
guarded by demons of madness, was a spring of pure water that would
give eternal life to any who drinks from it.
Aransiros became obsessed by this legend and all his thoughts were
aimed at securing for himself waters from this extraordinary spring. He
sent his best men and most faithful servants in the Chyan lands to bring
him back drops of the magic waters, but none came back. And then he
conceived that he had to go there himself, find the Fountain of Youth,
drink from it and prevent anybody else from touching it. But for that he
could not imagine better ways than conquering the Chyan lands. For
many generations, Aransiros made war against the Chyans, relentlessly
and violently. But he always failed and this only increased his desire and
anger against those who staid between him and a true life. This lasted
until the reign of your king Taxmaspâda.
Then at last Aransiros succeeded and conquered the Chyan Empire.
As soon as he was master of your land, he started searching the mountains
for the Fountain of Youth, but to no avail. And his obsession and rage
against anyone or anything that impeded him in his dreams grew
immoderate. He got so enticed by the idea of getting to the object of all
his desires, that he neglected and then utterly forgot the rule of his
empire. And this was his doom. He never found the Fountain of Youth
and the subjected people revolted against his rule and overthrew him. He
was deprived from his magic ring and executed. He died, truly and
forever, perhaps at last finding peace.
This is the sad and edifying story of Aransiros the Cursed. I hope,
young man, that you have learnt from it and will not commit the same
mistakes as Aransiros, but submit your life to the will of the gods.”
Note for the Gamemaster: Both Safîdaspâ and
Sheroqabâ are Maiar who took a material form. Safîdaspâ look
like the beautiful and nimble Ninfinâ horses. Sheroqabâ took the
shape of giant lions but they prefer to deceive humans by cloaking
themselves in illusions and appear to the Chyans as the winged
lions with an eagle beak of their legends. They enjoy manipulating
Men’s nightmares by delusions and subtle insinuations and revel
in the fear they arouse. The Jahinayât is a hollowed glen where
Nienna wept on the marring of Arda by Melkor. Despite the many
legends about its tarn, those who reach it will find nothing but a
memory of a time long gone by and an inspiration to sternly face
the Shadow.
4.3.6 Other Mythical Creatures
The Chyans believe into the existence of many mythical
creatures that are supposed to be incarnated Frawartâ (see
#3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 4.4.5) and
who protect them in time of need. Legends are numerous
about their intervention to save the Chyans at appropriate
times, like for instance the destruction of the Artaxshâsan
by Vihnu Taronish, the unity achieved by Ganagan or the
destruction of a new evil by the strong will of the ancestor
of the Phaxsharâ dynasty.
Among these mythical animals the greatest and most
powerful are Simurg, the giant eagle of Shraosha living at
the summit of the Ashajatâish, Shidasp the white horse of
Hitâspa living in the Clyan Highlands and Velhâd the Whale
of Uzdâva who can be spotted off the coasts of the
Bulchyades. All of these Frawartâ have servants to assist
them. For instance, Simurg has the Eagles of Hitâspa, who
are the fierce enemies of the Giants. Glory and Victory are
the faithful hounds of Hitâspa and the companions of
Shidasp.
Although not its servants, the Ninfinâ, the famous
Clyan horses and the best of all the horse breeds of the Bay
of Ormal, are said to be Shidasp’s descendants and are
sometime called in poetry the People of Shidasp. Velhâd
has the dolphins and the seagulls at her service. They
protect poor fishermen and mariners lost at sea. And these
are all sacred animals to the Chyans, who do not hunt nor
kill them.
Demons also are served by monstrous creatures, such
as Atarbâna the giant winged snake and mother of all
Dragons that Indara mounts when at war, or the giant
lizard Dazgara, that has the sting of a scorpion at the tip of
its tail and two powerful pincers and that hunts the soul of
the Dead with Dahaka, or also Azata the red spider of
Bushyata that is covered with snake scales and has two tails
ending with spikes like a flail and haunts the Chyans’
nightmares with her master.

5.0 CITIES & TOWNS OF THE
EMPIRE
The places described in this section are presented as
they are in seventeenth century of the Third Age, but the
descriptions can easily be adapted to other time setting
(and in most cases can be used without any change). It is
the same for the people of note. While most are quite
generic and can be used at any time, some are described as
members of the True Followers or involved into the
schemes of Huchithra (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The
People, section 8.3). In other time settings, some specific
references (such as the rebellion of the Arshan of
Pelepelplû) can be ignored and the True Followers can
easily be replaced by a secret organisation of local worthies
plotting against the Arshan or the Rashaja either for its own
interest (a group a Vata who wants more power, an Arshan
who wants to depose a weak Rashaja, the first Kharpanâ
working for Nevazar at the destabilisation of Vishtâspa’s
power about SA 2000) or agents of a foreign power such as
Harshandatt, Sakal an-Khâr or Chey Sart when these are ill
(evil)-intentioned and have an interest in weakening the
Chyan Empire from within (they can, for instance, be
agents of the Dark Ordainers working for the
disintegration of the Empire by the years 3000s of the
Second Age or spies of Harshandatt under the rule of the
Binding King in the 2000s of the Third Age).
5.1 Baljana
Baljana, the Holy City, is the third largest city in Chyan
lands (about 24.000 inhabitants). The city stands along the
Denûly river, on the road to the Chy Gap, and is
31
surrounded to the east and north by the Mountains. Baljana
had always been an important religious centre and is now,
through of the will of Rashaja Hormhîd I, the religious
capital of the Chyan Empire.
5.1.1 History
Jeraghna, twin brother of Verethraghna, Arshan of
Tabâr Chya, founded the city in SA 686, with the help of
the already settled Múranian people, but it is only soon
after that the Council of Ancients, that ruled the city, had
left its power into the hands of a hereditary Arshan (in 730)
that Baljana really entered into history. It started with the
Wars of the City-States, first between Samarth, Chajapûn
and Baljana. This war arose in 735 about the sharing of the
water from the rivers Denûly and Acaadôky between these
three cities. The conflict was resolved to the very profit of
Baljana, ruled by the Arshan Ardumanish, with the fall of
Chajapûn.
This is how started the golden age of Baljana which
became on these years the most important city of the
Chyan Empire, by submitting the lands around Pelepelsû
and Mijore. But the successors of the Arshan Ardumanish
after 805 did not keep his heritage, and were nicknamed
the greedy heir of Baljana, for they did not see the rise of
the Arshanâ of Pelepelsû. When Arshâma I of Baljana came
to power in 834, it was too late, and despite all his attempts
to reconstitute the old empire of Baljana, he failed and was
forced to recognise the supremacy of the Arshan of
Pelepelsû, Dârayavahu. This last battle signified also the
end of the Wars of the City States and the establishment of
the first Chyan Empire, with Pelepelsû as capital.
Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)
32
This defeat was the beginning of a very dark time for
Baljana. Just a few years after the submission to Chajapûn,
the city was conquered by a barbaric and nomadic people,
the Aca, which were dreadful warriors and excellent
riders. Baljana was the only Chyan city with Mijore to
suffer from plundering and destruction by these invaders
coming, like the Chyans, from the Chy Gap. The freedom
happened only in 852, with the support of an army coming
from Chajapûn, the Aca warriors were rejected to the
north. But in the process, nearly all the city of Baljana was
destroyed, and many defenders (nearly the four fifth)
perished during the battle.
The city regained some splendour during the rule of the
Dârayavahan dynasty, the city was embellished, and briefly
enjoyed the status of Chyan religious capital, during the
rule of Uvaxshtra I and Dadârshi I who chose to build their
tombs in Baljana. This splendour ended once again with the
return of the Aca from their self-imposed exile in Acaana.
Commanded by their high chief Vahauka, they chose to
attack the fertile land of Lódenûly. There, they took by
surprise the city of Baljana in SA 1145. At that same time,
the Rashaja Xshayârshan II took power by force in
Chajapûn and tried, without no success to repel the
invader. The battle, known as the Airavatâ Disaster, was
seen by the occupied citizens of Baljana as the failure and
the end of the First Chyan Empire. They tried to fight by
themselves, with the support of the Arshan Arshâma II of
Mijore (probably a descendant of Arshâma I), who
managed to free the city in 1155.
Arshâma II rebuilt the city of Baljana, once again heavily
destroyed by the war. He refused to recognise the
sovereignty of Kambûjiya II and Dâtuvahya II of Pelepelplû
or Kurû of Chajapûn, but he established peaceful treaties
with Chajapûn. A second era of prosperity began for
Baljana under the wise rule of the Arshâmahan dynasty,
once again broken by another invasion of the Aca, in 1648.
Fortunately for the inhabitants, the Aca invasion was
short, thanks to Shôburagan of Pelepelplû who liberated
the cities of Baljana and Mijore and established himself as
the first Rashaja of the Shining Gold dynasty. The Arshanâ
of Baljana and Mijore were constrained to become vassals
of Pelepelplû, or suffer the anger of the most powerful
Chyan realm. But the Second Empire did not bring
immediately prosperity to the town, with the still present
menace of the Aca raiders, despite the military garrison
placed there by the Rashaja Shôburagan and his son
Ganachyn I.
In 1712, while the Rashaja Cishpi I dealt with a Vulmaw
invasion on the coasts of the Bulchyades and Olyas Kriis,
messengers from the North announced a new Aca invasion,
and the total destruction of Baljana. Fortunately, Cishpi I
negotiated an alliance with the Aca warlord Saporpanaja,
by requesting him a single duel. This alliance enabled to
Cishpi I to free the Bulchyades and Olyas Kriis from the
Vulmaw occupation, and gave to the Empire (Baljana
included) a time of growth, peace and prosperity.
Unfortunately, if the Second Empire was truly founded
in Baljana, its fall happened also in Baljana, with a failed
assassination attempt of the last heir of the Shôburagahan
dynasty, Vishtâspa in 2011 (another and successful attempt
was lead in Samarth two years later). This meant also the
end of the Aca alliance, and the beginning of a civil war in
all the Empire. In 2039, the evil empire of the Artaxshâsan,
who claimed to be the heirs of the Shôburagahan,
established in Chajapûn and Baljana for more than two
centuries of oppression.
Quite ironically, the submission of Baljana to the army
of Vihnu and Lôkhuzôr of Anarikê in 2297 precipitated the
end of the Artaxshâsan Empire, with the fall of Chajapûn
and Pelepelplû two years after. Vihnu quickly took the
throne of the Chyan Empire, removing everywhere any
traces of the Evil Empire. Thus, started the Vihnahan
golden age, never put into jeopardy, despite all the
attempts lead by the Chey warlords and the Aca to
destabilise the Empire.
The Aca or Chey depredations were of little
consequence when compared to the grasp of the Khanîm
upon the Chyan Empire organised by the Dark Ordainers.
A serious conflict, wanted by the Dark Ordainers, erupted
between Harshandatt and the Chyan Empire in 3002,
which ended with the submission of both countries to Sakal
an-Khâr. Baljana was destroyed in 3012, following a siege
led by three different armies, coming from Pelepelplû,
Mijore and Chajapûn. This was one of the most important
battle of the Chyan realm, as even two millennia after that
battle, the Chyans recalled how destructive and bloody it
was. The last survivors of Baljana desperately fled to
Anarikê, pursued by the armies of the Rashaja of Chajapûn.
The city remained in ruins throughout the end of
Second Age, and became a den for ruffians, assassins and
thieves. These men were more or less charged by the
Rashaja to keep an eye on the Chy Gap, in exchange for the
continuation of their illegal activities. In TA 455 (twenty
years before the end of close relationships between the
Chyan Empire and Sakal an-Khâr), Hormhîd I ordered the
rebuilding of the city, to the south of the ruins, near the
river Denûly. A thick wall was raised, while residences,

shops, an open market, a citadel and administrative offices
were constructed within.
The city officially became the religious capital and the
place of burial of the Rashajâ, on direct order of the Rashaja
Hormhîd in 462, and this honour was never resigned in
favour of any other Chyan city since then. Baljana boasts to
be the native town of Arshavir, who restored the Empire
in 1304 and from where he started his Great Revenge War
against the Chey dynasty of Nosharud.
Alas, the city suffered again in 1499, with a terrible fire
that destroyed one third burning of the city. Again, the city
was repaired and survived the invasions of the end of the
Third Age, to eventually become the capital of a thriving
Vaagathâ-Chyan kingdom in the early Fourth Age.
5.1.2 The Town and its Territory
Baljana is, perhaps after Pelepelplû and Chajapûn, the
most known city of the Chyan Empire as Baljana has been
the religious capital of the Empire since TA 472.
During the Second Age, Baljana, built at three
kilometres (2 miles) east of the river in the hills, was
surrounded by long thick stone wall, with two gates and
fourteen towers, each one named after one of Asrûta’s
children. The city remained rather rustic, with mostly low
and flat buildings. It was built around an imposing citadel
and a large temple quarter, where the True God Asrûta and
his children are all well represented. The streets were
mostly narrow and unpaved, with a not so much prolific
thieves or assassin activity, in opposition with Chajapûn or
Pelepelplû. More than a merchant centre, Baljana was a
garrison city whose task was to protect the Chy Gap against
invaders like the Aca.
Baljana in the Third Age is totally dissimilar. In the
North, the Old Citadel and four temples, which were
repaired a few years after the re-foundation of the town to
the south, are the only buildings reminiscent of the old
Baljana. The remaining parts of old Baljana, for the most
part in ruins, were entirely destroyed on direct order of
the Chyan Rashaja Ardâcher V in TA 472, so as to cancel
the risk to see the ruins serving, like in the past, as a den
for assassins. Hormhîd I, following his will, was buried
next to the old temple of Asrûta, that he had restored, and
so inaugurated the new imperial Murdahzar, that was to
replace the traditional burial place of the Rashaja in the high
valley of the Hormdôky, near Pelepelplû. During the Third
Age, most of the Chyan Rashajâ are buried there, around
the old temple of Asrûta, in the plain extending in the east
of the Old Citadel.
33
New Baljana is divided into two parts, separated by the
river Denûly. The entire city is surrounded by a long thick
wall, with three gates (one in direction of Chajapûn,
another to the North towards Shamîsar, and the last
towards the Old Citadel and the East), not counting the
river accesses, and seven high towers. The city is divided
into four important quarters: the Old City (also nicknamed
the Core by the city dwellers), the Docks, the Leisure and
the Poor Quarters.
The Arshan of Baljana has nominal power over all the
lands between the fortress of Nhordâd (protecting the
Rashaja’s Road from Hamadan to Chajapûn) and the
confluence of the rivers Denûly and Banshûr at Jelhad. Just
like the tower of Kermanshad in the Marz, this tower is
under direct imperial control. The town of Jelhad is
claimed by both the Arshanâ of Baljana and Shamîsar. It is
ruled in common but in the facts, the Arshan of Baljana has
more power in Jelhad than the Arshan of Shamîsar, whose
responsibility is to protect the Chy Gap from invaders.
Very often, the Arshan of Baljana is also the Arshan of
Shamîsar, because that city is considered too small to be
independent.
The land under the authority of the Arshan of Baljana,
which is commonly called Lower Chy, is a wide plateau of
steppes of brown grass, very dry in summer and with
slightly more precipitation in winter. The country is
limited in the east, south and west by, respectively, the
rivers Denûly, Pelplû and Nîjara. The northern border
with the Nosharud is roughly on the track between Jelhad,
at the junction of the Denûly and Banshûr rivers, and the
small town of Farayn on the Nîjara.
The valley of the Denûly between Chajapûn and Baljana
is favoured with a milder climate. It was transformed
through the labour and genius of the Chyans into a plentiful
garden with some little forests, thanks to the important
water level of the river. After Jelhad, the lands around the
river are still fertile but on a limited area (five to ten
kilometres – 3 to 6 miles – around the river). Outside
these fertile areas, the land is becoming drier and drier, and
it is only near the mountains that the climate is more
favourable, with forests, rivulets and rivers.
Except for the Wind Road that connects Baljana to
Shamîsar, there are no other well-maintained roads (with
bricks). There are several tracks that leads to the mountains
(and the Chy Gap), and many have no official names. The
track, connecting the city of Jelhad to the lake Kasaoya, is
called by the villagers the River Hills Road. It is not rare to
meet a traveller or caravan of traders there, as the land near
the mountains is known for its mines of gold, silver, gems
and other various ores.
34
5.1.3 Town life
The town of Baljana was the first built by the Chyans,
away from the Múranian settlement of Emaldar. Baljana
during Second Age was a target of the invasions, and thus
the identity of the city was half religious spirituality, half
military fortress, which explains that the architectural and
artistic heritage of that time is scant in Baljana. With the
re-foundation of the city and her choice as the religious
capital, all of this changed, and many Rashajâ embellished
the city with architectural and artistic treasures.
New Baljana is without any doubt a colourful city, with
its numerous towers, its temples and its high wall.
Although this is very often despised by the Varna of Baljana,
trade is the source of the wealth of the city. Trade markets
are plenty and kept in check by the Varna families, who
deliver to the Farokmads the right to trade in the Holy
City. At the deep despair of the Varna and Vaysha of
Baljana, who would like to make their city a model of
religious and Chyan virtue, the town has also the reputation
of being the capital of pleasures where anything exciting,
pleasurable, thrilling and … illegal can be done. Backbiters
say it is a natural reaction to the religious strictness the
Varna would like to impose. The Varna says it is because of
these travellers, all thieves and libertines, who seem to
have chosen Baljana as a meeting point and they dream of
closing their city to this scum of the earth. It would have
been done since a long time, if trade was not so vital for
the survival of the town.
However, although the Baljana is an important centre
of trade, entering the city is not an easy task for everybody.
For instance, the Chey mercenaries have to give up their
swords and armours before entering and every non-Chyans
are carefully inspected and interrogated at the gates.
Chyans are generally tolerant, but here, in their Holy City,
a rash word or an ill-considered action that could be
interpreted as blasphemous have cost his life to many a
foreigner.
The city dwellers, especially the Varna and Vaysha,
consider themselves as the true keepers of the Chyan faith
and customs. There, the richest and most powerful Vaysha
make very often important donations to the cults, send
their heirs to the Temple Schools and make frequent
retreats to the temples. They usually appear in public
wearing the plain Chyan tunic, with only few incrustations
of gold and silver to show their rank. They rarely show the
usual eccentricity of the Chyan nobles in their wearing
jewels, necklaces or golden ornaments and generally have
only one or two very simple golden or silver necklaces.
The Varna of Baljana have a tendency to consider
themselves as the holders of the true and ancestral way of
worshipping the gods. They do not tolerate the deviations
of the Chyan faith that are seen in the Bulchyades or in the
far away lands of Ulshy in the Bay of Illuin. Some few
citizens of Baljana even consider that the foreign cults
(Múranian, Vulmaw, and from Anarikê to a lesser extent)
have no place in the Chyan lands.
For the Chyans of the Bulchyades, for instance, the
citizens of Baljana are seen as hopeless traditionalists, living
in temples instead of enjoying life with its pleasures. For
them, the reason why Baljana fell to invaders so often
during history is clear: the citizens consider the spiritual
matters as more important than day to day life. The
assumption is perhaps not entirely false and there is
effectively a large number of traditionalists of all sorts or
even fanatics gathered here. It is also perhaps the reason
why the town witnessed so many murders (or attempts of
murder) of Rashajâ or Otôvâ attributed to religious
fanatics: Vishtâspa in SA 2011, Artaxshâsa in SA 2043,
Ulvânad I in TA 931, Khosrô II in TA 1007, just to cite the
most famous.
Usually, the Otôva of Baljana makes a formal
admonishing against the deviant religious practices during
the festivals or at the great gathering of all the Otôvâ of the
Chyan Lands that is held at Baljana after Madysham for the
election of the Enlightener (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire :
The People, section 4.4.8.1).
Apart from the usual Chyan religious festivals, the main
festivals of Baljana are the Refoundation Day and the
Artisan Festival. The Refoundation Day celebrates the re-
foundation of the city, ordered by Hormhîd I and
completed by Ardâcher V. The date is traditionally fixed
on the 29th day of the Shahrîvar month, but it can also
happen on the 5th day of Mehrâ (the birth date of Hormhîd
I) and on the 22nd day of Mehrâ (the birth date of Ardâcher
V). These two Rashajâ are honoured by the priests of
Asrûta, all the important houses and streets are decorated
with lovely flowers, and then the priests tell the tale of the
re-foundation of Baljana at the end of the festival, and hope
for an happy future for Baljana. Not really a festival, but of
huge religious significance, are the burial ceremonies of the
Rashajâ. After the burial itself, the Enlightener has to
perform regular ceremonies during 14 years, at the
anniversary day of death of the Rashaja and, afterwards, a
group of priests of Asrûta and Rashnu have the special task
to go on with these funerary ceremonies, until the End of
the Times. These priests reside in the old temples of Asrûta
and Rashnu, that are now embedded into the imperial
Murdahzar.
Other festivals, even if not religious in essence, are kept
in check by the priests of Asrûta, who have the power to

forbid the festival if they think it is justified. The artisan
festival is the most important festival of all the Empire, as
it can be opened by the Rashaja himself. This is organised
in the middle of the Tiyât month, and there the artisans
(mainly from Baljana, but also from all the Empire) show
their marvellous work on stone, glass, crystal and
decorations (mosaic, bas-relief) are seen everywhere in the
city, and also in Chajapûn and Pelepelplû.
5.1.4 Organisation
5.1.4.1 The Arshan and the Council
Since almost its foundation, the city has been ruled by
an Arshan. But the Arshan has not the right to establish a
dynasty of his own, if the Rashaja does not give his
acknowledgement (this was not the case for Old Baljana
during Second Age, which was more like Jorash). The
Arshan is very often a member of the Rashaja’s family
(sometimes the heir of the Empire), or a respected
member of the Vaysha nobility of Baljana or the Court.
Being appointed Arshan of Baljana is considered as one of
the highest honours. From time to time, the Enlightener
himself can be chosen as Arshan. In this case, the
Enlightener usually delegates his second as Arshan of
Baljana.
There is also an informal Council to advise and help the
Arshan. It is composed, on that precise order, of the most
influential Varna, and then of Vaysha or Vata members.
The priests, who have a strong control over the city,
consider that there is no good having proliferating
powerful Vata families. The second priest of Asrûta
(obeying all orders of the Enlightener), the Otôvâ of the
most important cults in Baljana, especially Hitâspa, Ajmô,
Vohuma, Fravâd and Daena, are automatically members of
the Council. There are eight other members, chosen by the
Arshan, after an eventual proposition coming from the
priest’s members. These members are selected among
Vaysha or Vata families.
The Council takes decisions in all important matters, as
security and trade regulations, the collection of taxes, the
relations with the Farokmads, the religion matters (foreign
cults are forbidden or heavily taxed in Baljana, especially
the Sisters of Ishtra or all the Múranian cults), but the
Arshan has the last word on everything. However, the
morale influence of the Enlightener is so strong that it is
unbelievable that the Arshan could take a decision contrary
to the Enlightener will. The different posts are very often
held by priests, especially the relations with the Farokmads
and the trade regulations.
35
Of course, the priests have inside the Council more
power than the Vaysha or Vata members. During the
sessions of the Council, the priests have double votes while
the other members have only one vote. This privilege,
given by Ardâcher V at the re-foundation of the city, was
never abrogated, despite the queries of the Vaysha and Vata
families. Furthermore, the priests can revoke every non-
priest member, provided they have the majority on the
Council and the Arshan agreement.
5.1.4.2 Military Forces
The military forces of the town are divided in three
different entities, with different attributes and masters,
which does not always facilitate the things.
An important Garrison of 3000 men is affected to the
defence of the city. It is composed of imperial troops of the
High Guard commanded by an Erexshâ usually appointed
by the Arshan (through direct or indirect suggestion of the
Council). The Erexshâ usually belongs to the Vaysha. It is
recommended that the Erexshâ has respect and faith
towards the Chyan religion and that is regularly goes to
volunteer retreats in temples. This rule is also valid for all
the lieutenants of the Erexshâ. Like the civil members of
the Council, the Erexshâ can be revoked by the Council,
with approbation of the Arshan. The Erexshâ and his men
have quarters inside the city, near the New Citadel. The
mission of the Garrison is essentially to watch the walls, the
gates and the Old Citadel. In time of peace, the soldiers
have to spend one day every month as a minimum in the
temples. The soldiers have very good reputation in the city,
despite the fact that they go from time to time in
disreputable taverns for drinking and other pleasures.
The Watchers of Fravâd constitute the second military
force. They are priests of Fravâd and Ajmô. Their chiefs
are the Otôva of Fravâd or the Otôva of Ajmô, a member
of the Council. Their special duties are to control trade, to
check that the prices fixed by the Farokmads are respected,
to ensure security in the markets, and of course to collect
the various taxes. They also act as religious police, tracking
down any blasphemous behaviour or the development of
an evil cult within the town. The usual sentence is a exile
from the town without trial, but can reach the death
penalty for the worst offences. Their unchecked right to
expel anybody from the town give them an unusual power,
sometime illegally used to get rid of the concurrent of a
merchant who made a important donation to the temples
of Ajmô or Fravâd.
The Arshan Guards have to ensure the security of the
Arshan, the official buildings and all the members of the
Council. They are usually picked men, highly trained and
36
well paid. Officially they have the prerogative over the
Watchers of Fravâd but avoid to go in the markets. Their
uniform is gold and grey with the coat of arms of the ruling
Arshan in front and the symbol of the town (a blue and a
green circle, meaning the re-foundation of the town, and
the Glorious Sun of Asrûta within).
The Arshan Guards and the Garrison have in charge the
security of all the roads leading to Baljana (the Wind Road
from Chajapûn to Shamîsar, the track to Anaoshak in
Dashtâraz). They protect the travellers against occasional
thieves and more often raiders from Orgothraath or bands
of Orcs of the Divârayan Mountains mountains.
5.1.5 Politics and Power
5.1.5.1 The Azimtabarâ
The Varna keep the upper hand on many aspects of the
town life (as the Chyan religion is very important here),
but are heavily challenged by the Vaysha and the Vata
families. This easily explains the important struggles (trade
competitions, plots for power) between these three
orders, with the Vaysha sometimes in support of the Varna
of the Arshan, or lastly of the Vata. Vaysha and Varna have
magnificent palaces, decorated with the most expensive
glazed tiles and fine statues of the ancestors. Almost
everywhere the importance of the Chyan faith is recalled
with statues of the most important Otôvâ of Baljana and
monuments dedicated to the Asrûta and His Children.
The main economic branches of Baljana are controlled
and regulated by Farokmads and often hold by the powerful
families, always kept in check inside and outside the
Farokmad by the priests.
5.1.5.2 The Rules of Trade
The Rules of Trade are rather complex, but basically,
they specify the taxes amount along the year (rather
expensive during religious festivities and important
markets, rather cheap during low season), the trade hours,
the festival dates (chosen every year by the Council), the
market organisation (no merchants selling the same goods
side to side), the rights for strangers to trade (Múranian,
Vulmaw, Anarikanî) and the prices and also indicates who
is the Pishkasir of the Traders.
It is the Varna who deliver to the Farokmads the right
to trade in the Holy City. In concrete terms, every new
merchant has to pay the Narva (Ch. Religious tax) to the
priests of Asrûta (who in return accomplish a ceremony of
benediction, give chance to the traders, talent and
inspiration to the craftsmen, and pray for an happy life and
afterlife for all) and the Vahya (Ch. Defence tax) to the
fortress soldiers (who protects the city from the invaders
or the thieves, assassins and ruffians). This tax, in use in
Old Baljana and re-established by the first Arshan of New
Baljana, has never been abrogated despite the fact that the
risks for an invasion during Third Age are very low.
5.1.5.3 The Farokmad of the Traders
This is the most powerful Farokmad of the town.
Everyone who wants to sell goods have to register twice,
first at the temple of Ajmô, and second at the House of
Trade. Unfortunately for the Farokmad, an important part
of the money thus gained has to be given to the temples and
the Arshan as taxes. Furthermore, the Watchers of Fravâd
can check at every moment the authenticity and validity of
the licenses, revoke licenses and call for extra taxes if their
illegal products are sold, or if the merchant does not
properly respect the Rules of Trade, decreed by the priests
and available for reading in the Temple of Ajmô and the
House of Trade. All people can belong to this Farokmad,
but of course Chyans are favoured by more attractive taxes.
The Pishkasir of the Traders is elected among the
richest Vata for a life-long term, and can only be a Chyan.
Like all official posts, the Pishkasir of the Traders can be
revoked by the Council, with approbation of the Arshan.
The High Priest of Ajmô can present and impose his
candidate as Pishkasir of the Traders. It is recommended
that he has enough respect and faith towards the Chyan
religion.
5.1.5.4 The Farokmad of the Artisans
This Farokmad was originally part of the Traders, but
split long ago through the influence of the priests of Ajmô
who recognised the talent of the Baljana artisans, especially
glass blowers, crystal cutters (whose fame extends for
outside Baljana) and wanted to use their talent to their
advantage (for the religious temples) and to the advantage
of Baljana. The Rules of Trade are fairly similar to those of
the Farokmad of the Traders, except that the taxes are
lower and that the Pishkasir of the Artisans is very often a
member of the Council, and last that the artisans’ festivals
are usually held on the same dates every year.
Like in the Farokmad of the Traders, a new artisan has
to register twice, at the temple of Ajmô and at the Blue
House, the chief house of the Farokmad of the Artisans. A
new artisan has to prove his talent, his first work is usually
at the temples or the rather numerous fountains. A college
of established artisans then evaluates the work of the novice
artisan, and then authorises or denies him to enter the
Farokmad. If the work is average but promising of a future
talent, the Farokmad can subsidise the novice’s training.

When the new artisan is accepted at the temple of Ajmô,
then he has only to register at the Blue House to be
recognised as an established artisan.
5.1.5.5 The Farokmad of Inn and Tavern
Keepers
Because of the continual flux of merchants and
travellers coming in and out the town, Baljana offers a large
variety of inns, from basic food shops to most sumptuous
inns. The Inn and Tavern Keepers decided quite early to
regroup into a Farokmad (the second oldest one after the
Traders), mainly to avoid exhausting concurrence between
inns and prevent the establishment of non-citizens,
following the example of the Inn and Tavern Keepers of
Pelepelplû.
The creation of the Farokmad was submitted to the
Council who in return agreed and furnished a different
Rule of Trade, not as favourable as the Rule of Trade of
Artisans of course but still interesting in comparison with
the Rule of Trade the Traders are subjected to. The
Pishkasir of this Farokmad is sometimes a member of the
Council. The prices of rooms, food and drinks are
particularly constant in the entire town, depending only on
the category of the inn or tavern. The Watchers of Fravâd
track down any establishment or informal food and
beverage dealer who does not clearly exhibit his licence and
can seize all the equipment of the infringers.
5.1.5.6 Thieves
Unfortunately, despite all efforts made by the Garrison
and the Watchers of Fravâd, there are lot of thieves,
pickpockets, shoplifters and assassins at Baljana. They are
organised like others Farokmads and have some spies
among the population, priests and merchants alike. This
helps them to have a large number of preys and
opportunities. Nobody has ever managed to unify the
different thief organisations into one major powerful
Farokmad. One reason for this may be the infiltration of
some agents of the Watchers who play there a difficult
game and act in order to disallow any unification attempt,
or may be that the different movements have no real reason
to unify. There exist three different gangs operating
essentially in the docks and the poor quarters.
The gang of Shyras is composed mainly of thieves whose
principal preys are merchants who embark or disembark
valuable goods from ships. The gang of Uvyn are mainly
composed of pickpockets and marginally of shoplifters.
The last gang, controlled by Zoshra One Eye, is the most
feared and there are numerous dark tales about it. Some
tell that this gang is made up of supporters of the Demons,
37
mainly Bushyata and Aesmada. Others claim that they are
the last remnants of the Dark Ordainers, or the spies of the
Rashaja. Whatever the truth, their ranks are composed of
dangerous assassins.
5.1.5.7 The Enjhadâl (Towards 1640)
The Bokhtarâ were founded in TA 1610 by the Otôva
of Baljana, Ardvan (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The
People, section 8.3.3), and Baljana has always been their
stronghold. There, they call themselves the Enjhadâl (Ch.
The true traditionalists). In Baljana, after the death of
Rashaja Siyavush IV, who had ordered the Great Purge, the
survivors quickly started again their activities openly,
supported by a rather sympathetic feeling from the
population.
Although before the Great Purge Huchithra had a hard
recruiting there, mainly because of the strength of the
original teaching of Ardvan, after the Great Purge things
went easier for him and he gathered a rather large group,
especially among those who had lost relatives or friend
during the Purge and were most resentful against the
Rashaja. They form now a real web throughout the entire
town. They usually do not know the identity of more than
two or three other members (those that they have
introduced into the organisation or were introduced by).
Some members are more or less connected to the gang of
Zoshra One Eye. Many members are unaware of that
strange link that was probably forged by Huchithra, who
wanted to use the Bokhtarâ in order to help his son to get
power in Chajapûn in replacement of the Rashaja Khosrô
III.
5.1.6 The Town
New Baljana is divided into two parts, separated by the
river Denûly, and counts four quarters: the Leisure
Quarter, the Docks, the Core and the Poor Quarter. To
the North of the town, the Old Citadel and the temples
surrounding it, are considered as part of Baljana for defence
and religious purposes, but nobody but soldiers and priests
live there.
5.1.6.1 The Leisure Quarter
The first quarter, located to the west in front of the
port, is dedicated to leisure, whatever its form: theatres,
taverns, inns, brothels (there are more than twenty
establishments in all the quarter), gambling houses. The
narrow and unpaved streets are jammed from sundown till
dawn with drunk and excited men and women. On the
worst streets, the Guards are not seen at night. Baljana is
the capital of leisure, and also a place of choice for thieves,
38
assassins and spies, which can be found in dark corners and
in the worst taverns of the quarter. Some particular and
interesting establishments follow:
1. The Blue Velvet: This is a little tavern,
frequented mostly by merchants and
travellers. It is moderately priced, and
located in a narrow street very propitious for
deadly ambushes. The innkeeper, Neryu, is a
retired member of the Imperial Host. The
customers are fond of his tales about his
campaigns, which are real or invented. He
knows the quarter like the back of his hand,
and can provide counsels on where to go and
not to go in this quarter.
2. The Circle Lodge: This is a beautiful old
structure, and probably one of the oldest
buildings of the city. It is a refined tavern,
frequented by mariners, locals, travellers and
merchants. A great game (usually a drinking
party, arm-wrestling) takes place every
week, and every client can bet on the issue of
the game. The wine is very good.
3. The Good Time: In a little street, not far from
the port, stands one of the numerous brothels
of the city. No one exactly knows the exact
location of all the brothels, except the most
well-known. The brothel is directed by a not
really lovely woman, Berath, who offers to
her customers young and lovely women or
men (coming from Harshandatt, Codya or
even farther) to satisfy their sexual appetites.
She practices very expensive prices, and
disallow any of her subordinates to leave the
house without a special authorisation. On the
contrary, the salaries she gives to her
subordinates are very low. She is cold and not

very friendly towards her subordinates. She
wants to make most profit to open other
establishments in Pelepelplû and Chajapûn.
She is in contact with slave traders, whom she
meets in the merchant quarter (on the other
side of the river) when she needs new
residents.
4. The High Garden: Located near a branch of the
river Denûly, the High Garden is a lovely
place, with exotic trees, bushes and thickets,
all placed in an apparent total disorder. This
is a suitable meeting place for lovers,
especially on the little bridge crossing the
river, on the little lake. There are lovely
fountains and statues of several Rashajâ,
including Ganagan I, Hormhîd I and Khodâd
II, who ordered the High Garden to be built
near a little shrine to Asrûta.
5. The House of Jelhad: This is the house of the
Pishkasir of the Traders. It is a recent
building, with golden and silver ornaments
and columns outside, large and decorated
rooms inside, and an inner courtyard for
private use.
6. The House of Nordad: The house is made of
white and yellow limestone with a little
garden with bushes and water area. The
house is very simple, with ornaments of
weapons and flowers, and is the home of
Nordad, first councillor of the Pishkasir of
the Artisans.
7. The Little Tower: This is a short tower (about
15 meters high) built with raw bricks that
was, according to the legend built by
Dârayavahu I to commemorate the
unification of the Empire. Inside is a little
shrine to Asrûta, where there is always a
priest of Asrûta.
8. The Singing Bird: One of the finest inn of
Baljana. There are 40 bedrooms available on
three storeys, three common rooms, two
wide dining rooms connected to ten small
private alcoves, two large kitchens. Prices
are double as usual (and quadruple when
there is a spectacle), but the food is really
excellent and the wines and beers are divine.
The establishment is famous as far as
Chajapûn and Pelepelplû. There is very often
night dancing and singing spectacles with
young actors (either men or women), and
39
very often surprises specially prepared by the
innkeeper, Kashtô; a very friendly man who
has his entries to the New Citadel. The
surprises can be a impressing magical
spectacle, a exotic dish from eastern lands, a
discussion with a traveller from the North or
the East, or a meeting with an unknown or
not well known race, like Hobbits.
Travellers and Chyan nobles are the main
clients of that inn.
9. Theatre: It is an elegant building where people
can enjoy recitation of famous and traditional
Gathâ or the new creations of the best Chyan
Shâhirâ. The spectacles are very appreciated,
and it is difficult to reserve seats.
10. The Yellow Inn: This is not a bad place to spend
the night, compared to some others inns.
There are 30 rooms, and four common
rooms. The rooms have locks (which
sometimes work) and the beds, though of
straw, are clean. The food is passable, and the
prices are cheap. But the innkeeper,
Khorushasp, who presents himself as a
friendly self-made man, is a secret member
of the gang of Shyras, and he sometimes
practices his talents upon his clients.
There is no more bridge between the port and the
leisure quarter (in fact, in the early years there was one,
but it burnt in 1499 and was never rebuilt after). So, those
who want to go to or leave the leisure quarter, have to pay
the price for boat travel across the river to a ferryman.
However, no crossing allowed after dusk.
5.1.6.2 The Docks
Despite the navigation difficulty in the marshes
between Chajapûn and Baljana, there is in Baljana an
important port capable to welcome about 100 ships at
once. The taxation on merchandises is low, which attract
many a merchant. In the Docks quarter, there are
disreputable, average and high-quality inns and taverns,
guesthouses and artisan shops (tanners, leatherworkers,
herbalists, smiths).
11. Arshavir Square: This square with statues of
Chyan warriors and of Arshavir and his
brother Arshak were built there to
commemorate the victories of Arshavir who
expelled the Chey out of the Nosharud and
liberated the northern Chy from their yoke.
Arshavir later was crowned Rashaja (TA
1304). The statues of Chyan warriors are
40
keeping an eye on a massive Chyan
monument, built in honour of Arshavir in the
centre of the square. It is the tomb of the
founder of the dynamic and ambitious
Jahangir dynasty.
12. The Barge House: This is a tavern with a large
bar, but also a popular brothel among the
mariners. This establishment, led by Salkhâd,
a cousin of captain Hirkos, has a very good
reputation for its dwarven beer and for its
lovely girls. Everyone is accepted in the
tavern. One of his barmaids is in fact his
daughter, whom he had with a woman from
the aristocracy of Anarikê. Salkhâd would do
anything to protect his daughter, so much his
love for her is great. He would also love to
find back Yrlea, the woman he met in Abâr-
Narîk seventeen years ago.
13. The Divine Taste: This place is especially
favoured by the mariners and the merchants,
as the tavern-keeper, Bredahl, produces a
very stout mead from a blend of local herbs
and honey that is fairly inexpensive, and a
smooth Navasesh (a favourite among the
mariners).
14. Dock Office: In this flat building is placed the
administration maritime office. Here is
registered all maritime companies. This is
also here or on the docks that those who want
to go to the other river side go first. Captain
Hirkos led with skill this office, and answers
to any questions in a polite manner. He (or
his assistants) categorically refuses to
organise night travels to the other river side
or to acknowledge ships arrival after dusk.
The real reason is not employees rest
(although that will be the reason evoked for
refusal), but a persistent rumour or legend
about the assassination of Rashaja Khosrô II
(who ruled from 998 to 1007 TA) in the
docks several meters from the Office. It is
rumoured that the spirit of the Rashaja is met
sometimes on the dock, searching for those
who killed him. His assassins were mariners
and it is said that the confused spirit attacks
anybody that may look like a mariner or
bargeman.
15. Dock’s Rat: This is without any question the
worst inn of Baljana, a true hovel. The inn
offers atrocious food and drinks, very healthy
beds (for the bugs) and brawls as a standard.
Moreover, there is a placard at the entrance
door, which tells ‘’the owner choose herself
her clients’’, which means that there is only
mariners, thieves or locals there, and not at
all Varna and Vaysha. The owner, Alandra is
a ugly woman who search only profit and to
satisfy her sexual appetite upon some of her
clients. And she is repulsed beware, as she is
able to send assassins against the client who
repulsed her.
16. Ohrmizd’s Exchange: Ohrmizd specialises in
hard-to-find merchandises, which explains
his high prices. He also specialises in
campaign equipment, like bread or dried
meat and fruits, rucksacks, ropes, etc all
needed for a long expedition into the
mountains for instance. For that, his prices
are reasonable, and his merchandise is good.
He is well known by the population, but he
is more than that as he has straight link with
the gang of Uvyn. He gives some “little”
information about his clients and their
possible journey direction, and in return, he
receives a percentage on the booty. Of
course, he does not inform systematically the
Uvyn about his clients, as it could become
dangerous for his trade.
17. The Price for Life: Shayra is a very young
herbalist who has a strong supply of herbs
that are natural to the area around Baljana.
She is a rather attractive woman, not yet
married, who is always polite. She sells herbs
at competitive prices, or in exchange of
lovely wood objects and sacred objects such
as necklaces or talismans (she has a rather
strong faith towards Asrûta, as many in
Baljana).
18. Shipwright on Schedule: Next to the docks,
is the office led by Yazdgard, a Chey who
recently arrived in the city from the east and
bought this shop. His prices are expensive,
but according to the shop’s title, he repairs
the ships very well and fast. But this talkative
man has a secret: in Chey Sart he murdered a
chief of an important tribe, a revenge on his
own past. He is the only survivor of his
family, which had been murdered by Chief
Sadhanah, of the Jey tribe, the tribe Ren the
Unclean, the Eighth Nazgûl, belonged to. He

fears his past, and avoids as far as possible the
company of Chey, for fear to be recognised.
5.1.6.3 The Old City (The Core)
The city is dominated by the New Citadel built on
direct order of Rashaja Yazdgard III in TA 728 to replace
the Old Citadel, too much military oriented and
considered as a too much severe residence. Around the
New Citadel there are libraries, administrative offices and
temples dedicated to the True God Asrûta and His
Children as well as private residences for Vaysha, and
ambassadors from other countries (especially Anarikê but
also Codya and Lynerian League) and luxurious inns. The
monument to see before leaving the city is the statue of
Rashaja Ardâcher V riding a horse in front of the Office of
Estate.
As a part of the Old City, the merchant quarter is filled
with numerous inns and taverns, artisan shops, brothels,
and most of all the Ardâcher Square (named after the
Rashaja who ordered the rebuilding of Baljana), where
traders from all the Bay of Ormal meet to sell their
products. The square is at any time filled with people.
19. The Black Oak: Located in the mercantile
quarter of the city, not far away from the
docks, this establishment welcomes
mariners, mercenaries and warriors, offering
food, drink (and especially Dwarven beer, as
the innkeepers are from Thelór’s tribe), and
entertainment. True to the nature of
Dwarves, the inn is above the ground. Only
one floor of the establishment is above
ground.
20. The Blue House: This lovely residence, now
called the Blue House, was offered by the
Arshan to the Rashaja before the building of
the New Citadel. But in practice, no a
Rashaja has ever dwelt here. The history
reports that Rashaja Yazdgard III required the
building of a New Citadel, considering that
the choice between an Old Citadel too severe
and this building was not worthy a Rashaja.
Nonetheless, the residence was used by the
Rashaja to exile nobles too enterprising. At
last, the residence was given back in TA 923
to the Arshan (approximately the period
when the city became an important trade
centre), who gave the residence to the
Farokmads of the Artisans. A persistent
rumour tells that the residence was also used
as a prison, but nothing had been proved.
41
21. The Crystal House: This residence was
designed first to be the embassy for distant
Sakal an-Khâr, but with the definitive
breaking of the links between the two powers
in TA 475, the residence was quickly
transformed into an embassy for Anarikê,
following the treaty of TA 481. No
ambassador of Sakal an-Khâr ever resided in
the House, the embassy was officially given
to the first Anarikê ambassador in TA 483.
Built with fine white marble and crystal, the
residence is a testimony to the glory of
Anarikê and to Chyan friendship, with
valuable antiquities, crystal structures
representing Anarikanî kings, animals or
cities in miniature. A pale grey stone
colonnade, faithful to the Tahmarda style,
surrounds the embassy. The roof is of dark
green tiles.
22. The Four Winds Inn: This is one of the oldest
inn of the Core. Built on a hill in front of the
New Citadel. It offers, in the third storey, a
splendid view on the city (that is why these
rooms are highly researched). The 30 rooms
are furnished in valuable antiquities from all
the Bay of Ormal, with private toilet
facilities, hot running water. The food and
the wine are excellent. Prices are double to
triple as usual, a reward to the services’
quality. The innkeeper Dâtuvahya is a close
friend of the Arshan of Baljana.
23. The Grey Jar: It is a very popular tavern,
frequented mostly by mariners and
travellers. The innkeeper, Kadom Trul, is an
expatriated Vulmaw, who was in his youth a
warrior to the service of Hionvar Akuta of
Vulm Shryac, and who resigned from duty to
establish in the Chyan lands.
24. The House of Learning: It is an impressive
building where granite and colourful marble
dominate. Here are stored much books,
innumerable parchments, shelves and
engravings. One registers text treating of
particular subjects there, like the Natural
History and Sciences, Arts, the Culture and
the Literature, the History of Southern Jaha,
and legends about Mórenorë. All these books
are filed in a way known only by the
librarians. Ten librarians, who have each one
their office in the House, work directly under
the commands of the Master of the House,
42
who is usually the first councillor of the
Arshan.
25. The House of Trade: It is a large building with
two storeys. The first floor is reserved to the
meetings of the Farokmad of the Traders,
while the ground floor is divided in
numerous small shops, rented for almost
nothing to several families of Vata whose
ancestors founded the Farokmad and gained
this privileged. A market, reserved to luxury
and high-quality goods, is held twice a week
in the inner yard of the building and serves as
a showroom for the Farokmad.
26. The New Citadel: It is traditionally reserved to
the Arshan and the Rashaja. The building is
highly sophisticated and luxuriously
decorated with silver or gold incrustation on
the walls, with monumental stairs, huge
statues, paintings showing peaceful
processions of tributary people (just like the
Múranian or the Aca) and majestic lions. The
citadel is always protected by the Arshan
Guards. It is rumoured among the population
that there are several secret passages
connecting the citadel to other parts of the
city. These secrets are a reality, as only the
Arshan, his family and his more trusted
guards (including the Erexshâ) are aware of
them. One of them enables the Arshan in case
of need to flee towards the capital to alert the
Chyan authorities of an imminent danger
against the Empire.
27. The Office of Estate: The building, which
houses the administration in charge of
taxation and land property, is also well
known for its archives rooms. Here are filed
the genealogical registers of the influential
families of the city and the registry of
property. There are many parchments, and
many scribes. As it should be for any
administration, the persons in charge are not
particularly friendly, and it will be rather
difficult to find an interlocutor. As a survival
of the time Baljana was an independent city-
state, the prison directly depends from the
Office of Estate. Itis a low and flat building,
when compared to the Office building.
28. Reception Hall: This House, built with fine
wood from the Divârayan Mountains
mountains, is a striking contrast to the stone
structures nearby. This House is used by the
Arshan or the Rashaja for official declarations
or ceremonies, just like a treaty signature, a
religious ceremony, an embassy reception.
29. Swords for Knights: This is a very good place
to find high quality swords and axes. Selniz
supplies the priests of Fravâd, which is a
proof of weapons quality. Prices are usually
double or twice than the usual price.
30. The Target of Games: This is the main
establishment for games in Baljana, and it is
usually well frequented, especially by
merchants or priests. One can play there
with knuckle bones, dices and stones or bet
on duels of wrestlers or dogs.
31. Temple of Asrûta: In contrast with the
luxurious citadel, the temple of Asrûta is
rather rustic, showing in design an important
Tahmarda influence, with paintings
dedicated to peace and Asrûta, to the
superiority of the Chyan power, with
columns and great space inside the temple.
Strangers (except those obviously linked with
Asrûta’s foes) are welcome at any times
inside the temple, to visit or to attend the
religious ceremonies in honour of Asrûta in
the sanctuary. It has become a tradition that
every important ambassador comes first to
the temple to present first to Asrûta during a
religious office (spiritual presentation), and
then to the Arshan in the citadel. There are
three different sanctuaries, a lovely garden,
three fountain rooms, many meditation
rooms and some severe rooms for the priests.
There are about two hundred priests residing
permanently in Baljana, but there is enough
place to welcome there about five hundred
people. This is the second most important
temple of Asrûta of the Chyan Empire, and
traditionally the future High Priest for all the
Empire is named at Baljana. In coordination
with the Arshan, the High Priest is charged of
the organisation of Madyram and Madysham,
the Revival ceremonies recalling the great
victories of Asrûta against Evil.
32. Temple of Fravâd: Located near the Temple of
Vohuma, this is a rectangular building of grey
marble and red sandstone. Outside, the
temple is very simple, only overhung by a
golden dome. Inside, the temple is very large

and rather majestic and martial, delimited
into four different areas. The first area is the
Greeting Gate, where the priests welcome
the new initiates of the cult and the
sympathizers. The second area is a garden
(with rather exotic flowers and trees, and
lovely fountains), always kept in check by the
priestesses of Daena who have their private
temple inside the temple of Fravâd. The third
area has the form of an arena, where are
placed attributes of the god (four crossed
swords) and where are often held fights
between priests in order to elect the bravest
warrior. The last area is the private rooms of
the Otôva of Fravâd and other high members
of the cult.
33. Temple of Vohuma: This is a beautiful building
of blue marble and yellow sandstone.
Outside, there are columns depicting the
greatness of Vohuma as god of dreams and
legends. Inside, the temple is very large, with
in the centre an impressive room (about 60
meters – 200’ – large and long, and five
meters – 15’ – high). It is here that the priests
of Vohuma make their office. In the middle
of the room, there are a large fountain and
four great altars with sculpted panels
showing Vohuma. In these altars can be
placed the four gems of Asrûta.
Unfortunately, the priests of Vohuma have
only one gem, the only other known is in
Tenolkachyn. The walls of the room are
covered with sculpted panels showing
Vohuma as well as the most known Chyan
Rashajâ (mainly Haxâmanish, Shôburagan,
Vihnu, Ganagan, Arshavir), accomplishing
some of their legendary feats. There are as
well statues of the most important Rashajâ.
Other places include a magnificent garden,
many meditation and severe rooms for the
priests, and a room where only the Otôva of
Vohuma and a few selected persons (the
Rashaja, the Enlightener, the commander of
the Watchers of Fravâd, the Otôva of Fravâd,
and those who have a special authorisation
from the Otôva of Vohuma) has the right to
enter. In this secret room is kept the Fourth
Gem of Vohuma that can be used during
ceremonies by priests of Vohuma. This secret
room is always guarded by ten Watchers of
Fravâd.
43
5.1.6.4 The Poor Quarter
Like any other cities, and despite the will of the
founders, there is a poor quarter, located to the south of
the city. There, in narrow streets (just like in Second Age
Baljana), can be encountered thieves, assassins, and poor
citizens. The material used for buildings is retaken from the
old Baljana ruins, and some houses are not far from being
ruins. There, in this dangerous quarter, where the
Watchers of Fravâd avoid going by night, one can find
illegal brothels, poor and disreputable inns and taverns,
and also the headquarters of thieves and assassin gangs.
If the thieves who ruled the ruins during the beginning
of Third Age were pushed away in the mountains, they
returned slowly in Baljana, in order to re-establish their
interests in the city. The quarter is ruled by criminal bands,
who exploit poor workers and thrive in prostitution,
smuggling. They have succeeded in establishing frequent
relations with the Arshan. As far as they are discrete in their
business and never cross the line, the Arshan closes an eye
and exact some money from them.
34. The Drunken Goose: This is the most
disreputable inn in the entire city. One tells
that there are in this inn traffics of young
children (sold to be slaves in foreign lands),
of gold or silver objects (stolen from Vaysha
or Varna houses), of illicit objects (such as
drugs, or statues of cults forbidden in the
Chyan lands). This is indeed the first place of
meeting for thieves. There are many secret
rooms and passages that allow the thieves or
assassins to flee before the arrival of the
Watchers of Fravâd.
35. The Green Tower: This was once a watch
tower, this is now a popular tavern where the
customers can unofficially consume drugs
and hallucinogens substances. This is
tolerated by the priests of Fravâd who prefer
to group the customers in only one place to
better keep an eye on them. The Watchers of
Fravâd very often arrest people considered as
too dangerous. Here, one can buy noxious
substances, and from time-to-time poisons.
The innkeeper, Gugyu, is a very violent and
unfriendly person, always ready to buy illicit
objects.
5.1.6.5 The Old Citadel
The Old Citadel is an impressive high fortress, with a
donjon and seven towers. It was repaired in early Third
Age, after the re-foundation of the city. The Old Citadel is
44
very severe, which is coherent with the Chyan way of life
during the Second Age. It still plays an important role in
the defence of the Chy Gap and is well manned. Around
the Citadel, there are several old temples, dedicated to the
True God and his children. From time to time, the priests
go there for a procession (for instance a nomination of a
new High Priest, or during a Revival ceremony).
5.1.7 People of Note
5.1.7.1 Authorities
The Arshan: Hormhîd is the newly crowned Arshan
of Baljana. Since the mysterious disappearance of his
predecessor Dadfaruk (some tells that he betrayed the
Rashaja with the support of the Bokhtarâ to establish
Baljana as a independent state), Hormhîd is very cautious
in ruling the city, taking care of all the official
representatives, chiefly the Otôvâ of the cults, and the
most influential families of Baljana. He was granted the title
of Arshan through the counsel of Delhajan, the current
Enlightener, by the Rashaja. He is not a member of the
imperial family, but belongs to the second most influential
Vaysha family of Baljana. The Arshan is very young, and
some would tell that he is not suited to his charge, as he is
influenced in all his decisions by the Enlightener or the
other Vaysha family heads. He has a rather weak will, and
is more interested in hunting preys around Baljana than
ruling the city. Some tells that Hormhîd should not stay
long as Arshan of Baljana
The Erexshâ: Bowrô is the closest confident of the
Arshan (the Arshan has no official spouse, but one true
lover, Bowrô) who awarded him the official title of Erexshâ
of Baljana. He is 45 years old, has dark hairs and brown
eyes and is of an average size (1.70 m (5’7’’)) with a strong
constitution. Bowrô is the exact opposite of the Arshan,
and some may think that he could do a better Arshan than
Hormhîd. Unfortunately, Bowrô’s ancestry is Vata, and
nobody followed someone with Vata blood as Arshan (this
would be counter nature). As a coup would end with
Bowrô’s death, Bowrô manoeuvres to get power through
Hormhîd. No one (for now, except perhaps Deljahan)
suspects the link between Bowrô and Hormhîd.
The Shapan: Dinpanah was chosen by Dadfaruk and
remained in duty when Hormhîd was chosen as new
Arshan. He has a strong friendship with Deljahan and is
very efficient in his role of Shapan, which easily explained
why he was not revoked after Dadfaruk’s disappearance.
He is in fact an Enjhadâl sympathiser, and tries, through his
work of Shapan to gather friendship from high priests,
nobles and merchants, to get power, and replace the
corrupted and decadent heads of Baljana, from which the
Arshan and the Enlightener are the most representative.
The Enlightener: Deljahan was in his youth the
Otôva of Vohuma, and it was his wisdom and his courage
(he saved the life of his Rashaja during an important battle
against the Aca warriors) which enabled him to access the
position of the Enlightener. He is 85 years old, one expects
that he will soon retire from his position. Unofficially, he
stays at his position, as he fears a fierce combat between the
Otôvâ and the Varna families for the office of Enlightener,
which would be damageable for the city of Baljana. He is
aware of many secrets, just like the link between Hormhîd
and Bowrô or the lust for power of Dinpanah. He does not
appear very often at the Council, he prefers to delegate in
his place Shadudyar, the Otôva of Vohuma. And when he
appears at the Council, this is the sign that something
important is to happen (like the nomination of a new
Arshan, for instance).
The Otôva of Vohuma: Shadudyar is very young (27
years). He was born in the small village of Jelhad, and
entered in the temple of Vohuma in Chajapûn, and was
remarked there by servants of the Enlightener for his
impressive memory, his will to serve well the god and
protect His treasures. He met the Enlightener five years
ago, and was transferred to the temple of Baljana where he
became soon the Otôva of Vohuma, a great honour for
someone so young. He is now the confident of the
Enlightener, nearly his son. This is not entirely false, as
Shadudyar is indeed Deljahan’s grandson. Even Deljahan
did not discover all about Shadudyar’s existence. The truth
is behind the actions of Dadfaruk the precedent Arshan,
who ordered the abduction of Deljahan’s only son in order
to better manipulate Deljahan, who had the confidence of
the Rashaja. Unfortunately for Dadfaruk, the attempt failed
with the death of Deljahan’s son (this is the known version,
quite not entirely true). Her wife fled to Jelhad, and said
nothing about Shadudyar’s ancestry to his son.
The Otôva of Fravâd: Fejhâd was in his youth an
officer of the Rashaja. He participated in four campaigns
against the Aca warriors, both in Orgothraath and Acaana.
He retired from the army fifteen years ago, and settled in
Baljana, at the request of his old friend the Arshan Dadfaruk
(who was once his commanding officer), with the intention
to serve the priesthood as much he could. He chose to
initiate to the cult of Ajmô first, then changed to the cult
of Fravâd, more suited to his warlike behaviour. He
became one year ago, on personal request of the highest
priests of Fravâd, the Otôva of Fravâd and leading
commander of the Watchers of Fravâd. He is now 56 years
old, and neutral in the conflicts to come for the place of
Enlightener, and may be, Arshan.

The Otôva of Ajmô: Tirdâd is 44 years old, and was
chosen by his predecessor among the priests of Ajmô. He
is part of one of the wealthiest Varna families of Baljana,
and as such was placed in his early years in the temple of
Ajmô, where the priests granted him knowledge (including
of course the most important trading languages, Vulmaw
and Adûnaic, and the trading techniques) and art of self-
defence. He claims to be the Otôva of Ajmô for 5 years,
which is true and false at the same time. True, as he looks
like his twin brother who was priest, and false, as he
assassinated his brother to take his place. He thinks that no
one knows his secret, and if there is, he has some friends in
the dregs of Baljana, that could easily kill those who clearly
show disrespect to Tirdâd. Tirdâd is indirectly responsible
for several mysterious murders that happened during these
last three years. He is very rich, and would like to become
the new Enlightener, by negotiation or by force, if it is
necessary.
The Otôva of Asrûta: Tahmasp is 53 years old. He is
a distant member of the royal family. He missed his chance
to become Arshan of Baljana, as the Enlightener preferred
to choose a weak noble instead. He sees no reason why
Hormhîd was chosen as Arshan (in fact the main reason was
an enmity between the Rashaja and himself), and does what
he can for Baljana. He is candidate to the post of
Enlightener, and has many partisans inside the Council and
in the town. He is not yet aware that Tirdâd is his greatest
enemy (he does not know that the caravans belonging to
his cousin were attacked between Shamîsar and Baljana by
thieves directly paid by Tirdâd, and that several of his
neighbours fell through the influence of Tirdâd).
The Otôva of Daena: Sarubanu is 35 years old. She
is the wife of Tirdâd, the Otôva of Ajmô and the daughter
of Saousa's brother, Jelhad. She loves colourful dresses,
jewels and power. One tells that she is a personal
counsellor of the Arshan Hormhîd (and secretly her lover)
and that she influences the Arshan in every decision he
takes. She does her best to have Daena, the spouse of
Hitâspa honoured in all the Baljana temples. As Otôva of
Daena, she has in charge the three different lovely temples
dedicated to the Queen of the Stars. A rumour tells that a
merchant woman looks very similar to her, and when she
is martial and respectful of the traditions, the merchant
woman is expansive and free.
5.1.7.2 Members of the Farokmads
Jelhad: Jelhad is the Pishkasir of the Traders. As one
can expects, he is one the richest Chyan merchant of the
city, and even some nobles look at his fortune with envy.
He has many friends among the Azimtabarâ or the priests
(many of them owes him money), not because he is very
45
rich, but because he is very friendly and ready to help those
that are in need. He is 56 years old (with green eyes and
long white hair), he usually wears lovely tunics, coloured
pants and laced shoes, and rarely golden and complicated
jewels, as he really does not like to expose his fortune to
all and especially to the poor.
Shordâd: Shordâd (64) is the current Pishkasir of the
Artisans. He was in his youth a very competent glass
worker, owning several establishments in Baljana, in
Chajapûn and Pelepelplû. His marvellous works were
enough to be remarked by the Rashaja, who commissioned
him to realize stained glasses with religious scenes for his
palace at Baljana. He became quite soon after that work the
new Pishkasir of the Artisans. Very competent in his work,
he is also very competent as Pishkasir of the Artisans, and
is skilled in administration and book-keeping, which is a
dire need to keep in check all the city artisans and to punish
those who make very bad work for a very high price. He
currently plans to retire from duty, and he thinks of
Nordad, who is in fact his beloved son. One of his servants
recently discovered that Nordad was Shordâd's son and that
his mother was Saousa, a woman that Shordâd loved in his
youth. Shordâd and Saousa loved each other, but
unfortunately at that time Shordâd was a poor glass blower
and Saousa's father one of the richest merchants in town
and he refused to give his daughter to a men without a
position. They nevertheless managed to meet in secret and
soon Saousa became pregnant. She succeeds in hiding her
state until the birth of two twins, a boy and a girl. But then,
fearing the anger of her father and because she did not want
to jeopardise her beloved career, she abandoned her son in
front of Shordâd's door and escaped without leaving any
explanation with her daughter.
Nordad: Nordad is the first assistant of Shordâd, the
Pishkasir of the Artisans. He had been chosen by the
current Pishkasir two years ago, thanks to his important
skill as artisan and (but nobody is supposed to know that,
even Nordad) because he is the son of Shordâd. He
successfully organised these three last years the festival of
the artisans, in the middle of Tiyât month. He is quite
young (29), and is about to replace Shordâd as Pishkasir of
the Artisans, thanks to his influence inside the Council and
to the friendship with Shordâd. He has many enemies who
would like to discover his secrets and take his position as
second of Shordâd. But until now, his intelligence was
enough to survive against all the coups led by his enemies.
His secret is that his weakness is women, and that he would
do anything to have good pleasure with lovely women.
Arshtasp: He has recently been elected at the head of
the Farokmad of the Inn and Tavern Keepers, thanks to the
support of Dinpanah the Shapan. He now owes him a
46
favour, and will help the Shapan in his fight against the
corrupted and decadent heads of Baljana. His predecessor,
still alive, Zajhan, was very corrupted and was revoked
because of his disrespectful attitude towards the Arshan
Hormhîd.
Zajhan: Zajhan was the precedent Pishkasir of the
Innkeepers. He was revoked on direct order of the Shapan
Dinpanah because he showed some disrespect towards the
new Arshan. This was an excuse to get rid of him in the
Council. The real reason is of course his corruption, his
fortune gained in dishonest operations from the cults or
merchants under his command (the several important taxes
he created to increase not the Office of the Innkeepers, but
his own fortune). He searches now a good way to take his
revenge against his enemy the Shapan, perhaps with the
help of some friends of his in thieves or assassins’ gangs. He
perhaps plans to assassinate some closest friends of the
Shapan, and then flee in another town, where he would
start a new life.
5.1.7.3 The Azimtabarâ
Saousa: She is the mother of Nordad. After she left
Baljana with the twin sister of Nordad, she changed her
name to Saousa and and joined the priesthood of Anahita
in. Now that she has learnt the death of her father, she is
back in Baljana, with Shordâd's daughter. She hopes that
Shordâd will forgive her sudden disappearance, 29 years
ago.
Bamdat: He is 63 years old and, to be honest, a bit
senile. Unfortunately, he is also at the head of the most
powerful Vaysha family of Baljana. He is the cousin of the
former Arshan, Dadfaruk. During their youth, they fought
together against the enemies of the Empire in many a
campaign. He is persuaded that Hormhîd is responsible for
the disappearance of Dadfaruk and do his utmost to oppose
him during the sessions of the Council and to league the
other members against the Arshan and force him to reveal
the truth. Nobody really pay attention to his ravings and, if
it were not his old age and the reputation of his family, he
would have long been dismissed from the Council.
Goraze: He is 45 years old, 1.71 m (5’7’’) tall and has
hazel eyes and pepper-and-salt hair. He is from an
impoverished Vaysha family but has managed to refill the
chests of his House that counts now as one of the wealthiest
of the town. Nobody knows exactly the source of this quite
sudden fortune and he is also very evasive when someone
ask the question. The fact is that he had a deal with the
former Pishkasir of the Innkeepers, Zajhan, and they shared
the profits of their swindles. Since the eviction of Zajhan,
he is in a bad position. He would either try to help Zajhan
to take back his seat or open talks with Arshtasp, the new
Pishkasir of the Innkeepers, to make business with him.
Vaspan: He is 26 years old, strong and tall (1.74 m
(5’9’’)) and with an iron constitution. He loves riding and
hunting and spend much time outside, in the Lhûd, with
his favourite eagles. He looks like a happy man, always
laughing and smiling. It is even more true now that his
second spouse has given him his first son. There is not a
week when he does not organise a feast to celebrate the
birth. Under this happy face, Vaspan hides a dark secret.
He is a prominent member of the Enjhadâl. Indeed, he is
the chief of the armed branch and deals directly with
Zoshra One Eye. He shows him those to be threatened or
eliminated. His long rides in the Lhûd have also another
purpose than just hunting. He has learnt that a Khabburj,
one of these legendary secret strongholds of the now long
disappeared Kharpanâ (see section 6.4) is hidden
somewhere around Baljana. He is actively searching for it.
He hopes to find there secrets long lost and a good base for
the armed activities of the Enjhadâl.
5.1.7.4 Others
Shyras: Shyras is 36 years old with large black eyes that
are very successful among the women of easy virtue that he
sees. He has always been in the business of swindling and
burglaries, taking the succession of his father. His honour,
if a thief can have one, is never to kill or main a victim. He
is categorical on this point, and his men know that. Some
have already been found, dead, with both hands cut, which
is a clear sign that they had not respected the rules. Since
recently, he has a hard time with the people of Zoshra One
Eye. This gang of assassins are more and more enterprising
and aggressive (several of his men have been killed in what
looks like tavern brawls, but he is sure they have been
murdered), as if they wanted to take the control of the
town, starting by its dregs. He has started negotiating with
Uvyn, for an alliance to resists the gang of Zoshra One Eye.
If it does not work, he is ready to conclude a pact with the
Erexshâ, to definitively get ride of the menace.
Uvyn: He is 42 years old, 1.68 m (5’6’’) tall and with
a quite ruddy complexion. He is not Chyan, he came from
Dalpygis a score of years ago. Or, more genuinely, he was
brought from there. He was captured when still a boy by
Chey warriors and held in captivity during long years. On
his 21st birthday (at least he believes so as he is not so sure
of his birth date), the Chey he was with were attacked by
other raiders and, in the confusion, in managed to escape.
He made his way south and eventually reached the Chyan
Empire. Almost naturally he started a career of pickpocket
for, apart from taking care of the horses and stealing any

kind of food he could, he knew nothing else. With the
years, he gathered around him a gang of pickpockets.
Zoshra One Eye: He is 54 years old with a red and
oozing scar crossing his face, on his right eye. Nobody
knows where and how he got this wound that does not
cure, but everybody is aware that the question is not to be
asked and that, as far as the oldest can remember, he has
ever had this scar. He worships the demons and belongs to
a group of people who claim to be the inheritors of the
Dark Ordainers in Chy. Recently he has been contacted by
a strange masked man who offered him to collaborate with
the Enjhadâl, to take control over the city. He is not sure
whether this man knew his true allegiance to the Dark
Ordainers or he was just looking for a gang of assassins. But
he thinks it is a good opportunity to increase the power of
the Order, that has been in the shadows for too long, and
he could ever get ride of this bunch of cranks, once the job
done.
5.1.8 Around Baljana
5.1.8.1 Jelhad
Jelhad is a big town at the confluence of the rivers
Denûly and Banshûr. It is supposed to be ruled in common
by the Arshanâ of Baljana and Shamîsar, but the Arshan of
Baljana, more powerful, often considers the town as his.
The town in an important stop on the road between
Chajapûn/Baljana and the Chy Gap. It owes most of its
prosperity to trade and accommodation of travellers, as the
land around the town is not as fertile as it is further south
and often suffers from lack of water.
1. Arshan Palace: It dates back from the short
independence time of the town, in the early
Second Age. It houses now the
representatives of the Arshanâ of Baljana and
Shamîsar.
2. Mihmân Khâmah: Cheap and basic, nothing
else to say.
3. Fortress of Zarin: It protects the northern
reaches of the territory of Baljana as well as
the road to the Chy Gap. There, the Arshan
of Baljana does not share the responsibility
with the Arshan of Shamîsar and his troops
alone man the fortress. The name of the
fortress comes from the golden roofs that it
had at the time of its building, to honour the
Sun, Asrûta. The gold has long been stolen by
Chey invaders. They have also taken the
Horn of Shôburagan, that he used when
47
fighting the Aca, and that was kept in the
fortress.
4. Market Place: It has a statue Arshâma II of
Baljana in its centre.
5. The Northern Wind: It is a good inn, with
reasonable prices and a good alternative to
the more rustic Mihmân Khâmah.
6. Temple of Ajmô: The cult of Ajmô is the richest
of the town, thanks to the toll taxes collected
by its priests at the gates of the town.
7. Temple of Asrûta: Its walls are white, with no
other ornaments. They have been white-
washed after a burning and never
redecorated since, as the priests of the time
believed it was the will of Asrûta the walls
remain plain.
5.1.8.2 Nhordâd
Nhordâd is a big tower, upon the hill of the same name,
that is the last defence before Chajapûn on the roads of
invasion coming from the Chy Gap or Pelepelplû. Because
of its strategic value, the tower is under imperial control
and is manned by an important garrison of the High Guard
(the largest out of the capital). The tower has first been
built during the Wars of the City-States, when it was a
stake between Chajapûn, Baljana and Pelepelplû. Since that
time, it has been conquered and destroyed many times by
Aca, Chey, and the like, but it has ever been rebuilt and
enlarged. The present tower is the most formidable. It has
been built by a group of Dwarves from Námagalûz in the
reign of the Rashaja Arshavir I, to replace the tower
destroyed during the wars against the Chey kingdom of
Nosharud. The Dwarves have sworn it is indestructible by
human means.
5.1.8.3 Farayn
Farayn is a small town on the Nîjara. The river is the
benediction of the town. Even if it does not flow regularly
and can stay dry for long months, it is always better than
the arid Lhûd in the east. There is a small farming
community, toiling to make a living in irrigated fields. A
shorter track than the usual one between the Chy Gap and
Pelepelplû also passes through the town and caravans stop
here, from time to time.
Sometimes, the town also witnesses adventurers and
fortune seekers who want to explore the mountains and
have a last stop at Farayn. Many are lured by the tales of
the lost Khabburj (see section 6.4), but none has ever found
it or has come back to tell it. Farayn is a very old
48
settlement, dating back to the times before the coming of
the Chyans. Its name is Múranian, meaning the Valley of
the Far, which is how the ancient Múranians called the river
Nîjara. The first Chyans understood the name as meaning
“Exalted endeavour” (Farayân in Chyan) and kept on calling
the city with its Múranian name.
1. The Arshan Palace: Farayn boasts a high
antiquity. It already was a thriving Múranian
settlement when the Chyans conquered it
and was first a major opponent to the
ambitions of Emaldar in Nosharud, and then
one of the founding villages of the Kingdom
of Emaldar. During the time of the City-
states, Farayn, that was enriched by the
numerous pilgrims already swarming the
streets of the town, was again a powerful
opponent to Mijore, before to be conquered
by Davayâ Long Hand, Arshan of Mijore.
Then and again, the Arshanâ of the town
regained their independence from Mijore,
and they all enlarged and enriched their
Palace, that is also a strong fortress
protecting the town.
2. The Black Ninfin: The inn is of medium
quality, but it is the only one in the town.
Each day, an unique dish is offered,
depending on what Karan’s wife has
prepared.
3. The Nîjara Garden: It is not a garden, but the
largest square of the town, where the farmers
of the surroundings sell their scarce
production.
4. The Temple of Asrûta: It is a lovely little
temple built with stones coming from the
mountains. A large flat stone at the entrance
is called the Seat of Haxâmanish. Haxâmanish
is said to have taken some rest on this stone,
before to make for the Hormdôky valley and
fight the giants.
5. The Town House: It there that the Shapan and
his family live.
5.1.8.4 Lake Kasaoya
The lake Kasaoya is in the first spurs of the Divârayan
Mountains, surrounded by pleasant hills and woods. Few
people live there. Apart from scattered villages, rare
travellers and the garrison to Ayanghat, nobody trouble the
serenity of the waters.
The lake itself is very deep (without bottom, it is said)
and its waters are cold and dark. The Chyans say that there
is some magic in the waters. Everything is ever quieter
around the lake.
The animals seem to move more silently than
everywhere else and the waters always remain calm, even
when the strong wind of the north blows down the
mountains.
The people who stay long on the banks, speak naturally
low and get sleepy. During some days on the year, the mist
can be very thick on the lake. Locals say that these days,
strange shapes can be perceived on the banks, like dancing
in circles.
5.1.8.5 Ayanghat
The fortress of Ayanghat (Ch. Made of Iron) is set at
the summit of a dizzy cliff on the north-eastern bank of the
lake Kasaoya.
The fortress of black stone protects the main path in or
out of Chy in this area, the Ayta Denûly. It is mainly
directed against Orcs tribes living in the Divârayan
Mountains and Vaag raiders coming from across the
mountain.
5.1.8.6 Ayta Denûly
It is a difficult pass, crossed only by a rocky and winding
path, connecting the northern part of the Lódenûly with
Vaag.
Besides the difficulties of the path, the risk of landslides
and snow storms in winter, the pass is also disputed by two
tribes of Orcs, the Kargur-Lûsh and Naga-Ûlurk (See
section 6.2.1).
Most travellers and merchants avoid this pass and prefer
the longer, but safer way of the Chy Gap and Orgothraath.
However, because of its many dangers the pass is scarcely
watched by the garrison of Ayanghat, it remains favoured
by smugglers and fugitives.

Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)
5.2 Chajapûn
Chajapûn is the most impressive city (with Pelepelplû)
of the Chyan Empire and the second largest with 35.000
inhabitants. This is a magnificent city, with processional
avenues (mainly in the inner city), colourful walls,
numerous palaces, important temples dedicated to the
True God Asrûta and several other stranger deities.
Because of its central position, on an important waterway
and at the centre of a rich countryside, Chajapûn is the ideal
choice for a capital. For centuries, Chajapûn and Pelepelplû
have alternatively been the capital of the Chyan Empire.
But now, since the early Third Age, the capital is firmly
established at Chajapûn.
5.2.1 History
The town was founded in SA 691 by the Tabâr Amesh
to be the capital of the land Haxâmanish had granted to
them, the Lódenûly. The city quickly became an important
centre of the newly settled Chyans and opened, in 735,
what will later be known as the Wars of the City-States, by
fighting against Samarth and Baljana for the control of the
waters of the rivers Denûly and Acaadôky. The conflict
ended by the fall of Chajapûn and its submission to
Samarth, while its rival from the north took the control of
the Denûly river.
In 755, Samarth appointed an Arshan to govern the
town and dissolved the Council of Ancients (that had
already been replaced by a Council of Dominion). In 770,
citizens of Chajapûn revolted against the rule of Samarth,
49
leaded by Taxmaspâda, the son of the first Arshan and who
became the first independent Arshan of Chajapûn.
Taxmaspâda started a series of wars against its neighbours,
extending the territory of the town. It is during these years
that Ashraf, a son of Taxmaspâda conquered Dashtâraz and
later Khoshkaraz and made them an independent
Arshanate. In 780, Dârayatu, the Arshan of Pelepelsû, who
had lost his city to Baljana begged for protection and was
welcomed within the walls of Chajapûn, offered to share
the bred and the wine at the table of the Arshan and was
given a daughter of Arshan to give him sons and perpetuate
his line. But this was like sleeping with an adder. In 806,
Dârayatu led an army from Chajapûn to take back his city,
and did so. His son, Dârayavahu, a child of Chya and
Amesh, proved unworthy of his blood and, in 834,
betrayed the confidence and faith of Arshan of Chajapûn,
and took by surprise the city where he was born, murdered
his cousins and proclaimed himself Arshan of Chajapûn.
The town remained submitted to Chajapûn until the end of
the Wars of the City-States and the crowning in 853 of the
first Rashaja, Dârayavahu, who established his capital at
Chajapûn.
The Glorious Sun Empire started and ended with the
Aca. In 1145, these savage horsemen once again invaded
the rich lands of the Chyans. The empire was already
undermined by a series of weak and corrupted Rashajâ and
neither the cruel Xshayârshan II nor his son Kambûjiya II
managed to stop the invaders and prevent the
disintegration of the Empire. The glorious dynasty of
Dârayavahu ended in shame with his unworthy
50
descendants. One of them, Kurû, proved nevertheless to
have some of the blood of his illustrious ancestors and tried
to restore the empire from Chajapûn. He fought a time
against Dâtuvahya of Pelepelsû who pretended to be the
heir of the Dârayavahan. It was useless, as none of them
was strong enough to impose himself, and after their
deaths, the empire foundered in division and wars.
The Time of Discords, during which the Arshanâ of
Chajapûn tried, with successes and failures, to reconstitute
the empire, lasted until the 17th century. Once again, it was
the Aca who decided the future of the Chyan Lands. They
invaded the Lódenûly, taking and plundering the towns of
Mijore and Baljana. The country was despaired and
defenceless, but Shôburagan of Pelepelsû rose. He defeated
the invaders, liberated the towns and pursued the
barbarians until they crossed back the Divârayan
Mountains. After that, the Chyans acclaimed the new hero
and crowned Shôburagan the Great as Rashaja. He installed
the capital of the Shining Gold Empire in its home city of
Pelepelsû and renamed it Pelepelplû or Strongflow.
The town regained its role of capital, but for its shame,
with the hated Artaxshâsan. They ruled their evil empire
from Chajapûn and defiled it with temples for their dark
cults. And it was just the start of the misfortunes for
Chajapûn. When Vihnu Taronish liberated the lands, he
had to besiege the town for four long years (the Great
Siege), and it is only after the building of two huge dams
and canals to divert the waters of the Denûly and Acaadôky
that the armies of Vihnu could assault the impressive citadel
and took the town in 2300. After the starvation of the
siege, the destructions of the battle and the plundering of
the victors, the inhabitants where massacred and the town
of Dârayavahu was abandoned to the purifying flames. The
great town burned for weeks. The heat of the blaze was so
strong and the darkness of the smoke so deep, that all the
living creatures fled the area. Vihnu started to rebuild the
town as the ashes were still warm and peopled it with those
who had once fled the rule of the Artaxshâsan and were
now coming back into the liberated Empire. He made it an
airy town, with large avenues and beautiful gardens and,
perhaps feeling remorse of his cruelty, he spared and even
restored some of the rare buildings on the Hill of Winds
that had escaped the destruction.
The descendants of Vihnu Taronish ruled the Empire
from Pelepelplû until the first years of the fourth
millennium. Then, the Sakal an-Khanîm, through the Dark
Ordainers, started to spread their grasp over the northern
the Bay of Ormal and destabilised the powers in place.
They favoured the outburst of a war between Harshandatt
and the Chyan Empire in 3002. This war signed the end of
the Purifying Light Empire. Defeats and discords followed.
Manipulated by the Dark Ordainers, local potentates,
severed from the imperial authority: Baljana first and too
soon, as the town was destroyed in 3012 by the last alliance
of Chajapûn and Mijore under the standard of the ‘Rashaja
of Pelepelplû’. Soon after the destruction of Baljana, the
Arshan of Chajapûn tried his luck and declared the
independence of his town in 3014. The Rashaja Aspacanah
II had already lost any power of reaction within an empire
crumbling apart. His murder in 3016, as he persistently
refused the alliance with Sakal an-Khâr, signed the end of
an independent and unified Chyan Empire and the
beginning of years under the domination of Sakal an-Khâr.
If the so-called liberation by the mighty fleet of Ar-
Pharazôn in did not bring the resurrection of the Empire,
it allowed at least Chajapûn to build its own Arshanate. The
Arshanâ of Chajapûn (some say counselled by Khanîm
agents), after stabilising their own position, started to
dream of greater destinies and fought against the other
Arshanates that were sharing the spoil of the Chyan
Empire. The most noticeable events of these endless petty
wars, was the fight against Samarth, which ended by the
destruction of this town in 3385.
The time of the Seven Arshanates and its wars ended
only in the Third Age, when Ganagan of Chajapûn patiently
conquered the other Arshanates through diplomacy and
war and eventually reunified the Empire. His most difficult
task was the war against the great city of Pelepelplû, still
under the strong influence of the Dark Ordainers.
Eventually Ganagan was crowned Rashaja of a unified
empire in TA 223. Although Arshan of Chajapûn, he did
not dare to break an age-long tradition and established his
capital at Pelepelplû.
But Chajapûn had only to wait until 527, when after the
death of the heirless Kharad II, it was his cousin, Haydar of
Chajapûn who succeeded him on the throne of the Rashaja.
His first action as Rashaja was to move the capital to
Chajapûn and start the building of a new Apatân. Chajapûn
would then be the Capital of the Chyan Empire for the
remaining of the Third Age (except for a short time,
between 931 and 1005, when the capital was moved again
to Pelepelplû).
After that time, the history of Chajapûn is that of the
Empire but the deeds of its glorious and mighty Rashajâ are
told in another chronicles (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire :
The People, section 2.0).
In the 1640s, Chajapûn is the site of the schemes of
Huchithra to regain what he considers as his heirloom (see
#3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3) and will
eventually witness the fall of the Jahangir and the
establishment of the Dadfiruzan. When the Phaxsharâ of

Orgothraath threw down the last Dadfiruzan Rashaja in
1727, Tudhaliya, crowned as Khosrô V, establishes himself
at Chajapûn. The Phaxsharâ who accompany their king and
massively settle at Chajapûn will deeply influence the town
and its people, giving to the Chajapûn of the late Third Age
an atmosphere found nowhere else in the Chyan Empire.
Chajapûn is besieged, taken and retaken several times
during the wars of the end of the third age against
Harshandatt, before to be destroyed by Akhnameh V in
3015. The city will remain in ruins and abandoned for years
in the Fourth Age, eaten by the marshes and obscured by
the memory of unspeakable rites performed there by the
evil priests of Sâdeh during the Harshandattî domination
until the area is cleansed of its evil by the hero Shirzad, the
land drained and a new city built on this strategic
crossroad.
5.2.2 The Town and its Territory
Only a general description is provided here, for details
about the Chaman, Dashtâraz, Khoshkaraz and the
southern Lódenûly, see Section 5.2.8.
The city was dramatically modified after the fall of the
Artaxshâsan and its present configuration owes a lot to the
works started under the reign of Vihnu Taronish. Vihnu
built a new town on the west bank of the Denûly, which
will later be known as the Inner City, when new buildings
are spreading around in the Third Age. These settlements,
the Outer City, were first enclosed by a wall under the
reign of Khodâd I (started in 580) and then by Abarpân III
(started in 1568). What was once the original city of the
Amesh and Dârayavahu, on the Hill of Winds, is now called
the Old Town and is a mere district of the Outer City.
The town is built in the middle of the marshes that
spread east of the Acaadôky-Denûly and north of the town,
which is a benediction for its protection but also gives it a
rather unhealthy air. A large part of the town is thus built
on low and flat lands, some of them were gained against
the marshes only recently. The oldest part of the city clings
to the slopes of the Hill of Winds, which was a sacred place
for the Chaialla before the coming of the Chyans.
The town has under its direct administration the
watershed of the Acaadôky and Denûly, on both sides of
the rivers. The land is exceptionally rich and fertile and
benefits from a good climate. The water, which does not
come from the sky, is provided by the Acaadôky and the
Denûly rivers. This land is called the Chaman (Ch. Garden)
by its inhabitants, as a tribute to its lushness. The country
is relatively open, with few orchards, large wheat fields and
many isolated farms. These are imperial farms, tended
either by slaves or free Fajusha who rent them. The free
51
people of farmers, craftsmen and traders live mainly in
small hamlets on the riverbanks or lost in the fields. These
hamlets are surrounded by screens of trees, the only ones
in the area, that interrupt the flatness and monotony of the
plain of the Chaman.
The Province of Bulchyades Marches (encompassing
the lands of Dashtâraz and Khoshkaraz), that extend south
of the Acaadôky until the ridge that forms the northern
Bulchyades are ruled by a Lord of the Marches, appointed
by the Rashaja. The land lacks of any large town or centre
of trade and depends a lot on Chajapûn. Most of the wines
and fruits of this scarcely peopled region are sold on the
markets of the capital. Samarth and, in a less extend,
Kantilya divert a part of this production to their own profit.
The Lódenûly plateau is imperial land, given and
retrieved, following his good will, by the Rashaja to
deserving servants. Apart from the Acaadôky and Denûly
valleys, the land there is not pleasant. It is unbounded
expenses of steppes, slowly rising towards the Divârayan
Mountains foothills. If the northern part, and the Denûly
valley, is more on the sphere of influence of Baljana, the
southern Lódenûly and the Acaadôky valley looks towards
Chajapûn
5.2.3 Town Life
Almost since its foundation, Chajapûn has become a
cosmopolitan town. Although not as dependent on trade as
Pelepelplû or busy as the Bulchyades towns, the favourable
situation of Chajapûn, its rich hinterland and industrious
inhabitants attract nevertheless traders from far away.
Chajapûn echoes of the call of the merchants and the noises
of the workshops.
The town has long been the battleground of the Vaysha
and Vata for its control. The situation was settled by
Phraate V when he established a new town council in 1136,
with equilibrated powers between the Vaysha, the Varna
and the Vata. Since then, the town is a model of social
peace (which does not mean that the influential men of the
town are not competing for more power, as in any Chyan
town). It is sometime difficult to make the difference
between the Vaysha and Vata of the town at first sight, they
are both wearing richly embroidered silk robes and heavy,
sophisticated and numerous gold jewels. Nevertheless, as
anywhere in the Chyan lands, the Vaysha usually carry
ostensibly their Sohrab (as a symbol of the status of
warrior) and, for official ceremonies, large golden
necklaces.
The architecture of the town is as traditional as this of
Pelepelplû, with these rectangular, one-storyed brick
houses. If the town is (rightly) pride of its monuments,
52
palaces and temples, few are older than the time of Vihnu
Taronish (with the notable exception of the Hanging
Gardens of Shôburagan). When he moved the capital to
Chajapûn, Haydar brought with him many craftsmen and
masons to build the new Apatân. Among them were
famous tile makers of Pelepelplû, who came with the secret
of the glazed tiles. A new style quickly developed there,
with the abandon of the representations of people, animals
and landscapes for intricate flower and geometric designs.
The gates of the town are all adorned with such glazed tiles,
as well as the external face of the wall of Khodâd.
After Asrûta, Hitâspa is the most revered god at
Chajapûn, as protector of the Rashaja. Shraosha has also the
favours of the inhabitants, especially the Vaysha. As
expected, the farmers of the Chaman are particularly
devoted to Anahita, but they worship her at the temple of
Abadi on the Acaadôky bank, and the temple at Chajapûn
is quite insignificant. A major festival at Chajapûn is the
Rashaja’s Day, which celebrates his accession to the throne.
This day, the Rashaja offers a huge feast on the Sun Square,
in front of the Apatân, to all the citizens of the town. Before
the feast starts, the Seven Prophets reveal their
interpretations of the signs sent by the gods for the next
year of reign (in the secret of the walls of the Apatân) and
then the priests of the town, leaded by the Enlightener,
who comes especially from Baljana for that occasion, give
their blessing to the Rashaja and his people, in front of the
crowd massed in the Sun Square.
Chajapûn is usually a very windy place, two main winds
(one that follows the Denûly and the other following the
Acaadôky from the Divârayan Mountains) meet there and
form whirlwinds that can be very spectacular. The howling
of the winds dominates the town and impresses the
travellers not used to this phenomenon. Visitors can often
find these winds very unpleasant, but the townsfolk love
them. Indeed, when the winds do not blow, the entire area
is covered with mist and stench coming from the marshes.
When this happens, the people of Chajapûn gather to
perform a special ceremony: the Call of the Winds. All the
priests of the different cults, followed by a large crowd,
climb to the Hill of Winds. And there, around the
Whistling Stone, they chant and prey while the Otôvâ are
blowing large horns until the winds come back. This can
last several days, and during this time the town, lost in the
mist, is as dead. The shops are closed, the people remain in
their houses, both to avoid to breathe the foul air from the
marshes and also by fear of the marshes and its creatures.
They are said to try to take advantage of the mist to invade
the town and regain their lost territory. The ceremony may
be older than the Chyans themselves, a survival of ancient
Chaialla beliefs, transmitted to the Chyans through the first
Múranian settlers.
5.2.4 Organisation
5.2.4.1 The Court
The Court is described in #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The
People, section 5.1.
#3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3.7
gives a good example of the people hovering around it:
Arshanâ, priests, high officers and ambassadors. The
Apatân is also swarming of hundreds of servants, some
living in the imperial palace (like the famous eunuchs in
charge of the Andra), other in town and hurrying to the
Apatân every morning, before sunrise.
The Court is concerned by the matters of the Empire,
the administration of the town is left to the Town Councils.
5.2.4.2 The Town Councils
When, in 527, Haydar I became Rashaja after the death
of his cousin Kharad, he was Arshan of Chajapûn. This title
was inherited by his descendants, but when Khosrô II
moved again the capital to Chajapûn in 1005, he ordered
the reformation of a Council of Ancients, at the likeness of
that of the Old Days, to rule the town. This was the
beginning of more than a century of political fights of the
Vaysha and Varna (and even sometime between them), the
original members of the Council of Ancients, against the
Vata of increasing influence in the town. If these struggles
were usually mere schemes and assassinations, it sometime
took a more violent and dramatic aspect. The most famous
and dreadful of these events happened in 1135. The Vata
of the town, leaded by Gudraz, the Master of the Markets,
revolted and drawn with them a large part of the townsfolk
against the Vaysha and Varna. They first tried to murder all
the Vaysha by surprise, but after the failure of this attempt,
the revolt ended in 5 days of street fights and slaughters,
the Vaysha killing the revolted people, the people
murdering nobles and priests and the imperial soldiers
killing both to stop them. After the end of the Bloody Days,
Rashaja Phraate V decided to establish a new town council,
with new rules, giving equilibrated power to Vaysha,
Varna and Vata. The first session of the new Town Councils
was officially opened by the Rashaja, the first day of spring
1136.
The Councils are composed of three Gatherings, for the
Vaysha, Varna and Vata. Each of these Gatherings are
composed of 25 members (with life terms), elected by all
the members of the respective castes. The members of the
Gatherings elect one of them to be their representative at

the Council of the Three, for 9 years. The former members
of the Council of the Three act as Advisers for those in
charge and can be appointed to specific functions
(Representative to the High Council at the Apatân, Chief
of the Militia, Supervisor of the Harbour, etc…). The
Three and their predecessors belong no longer to the
Gatherings and are replaced at their election. The Three
are the only to take decisions, but they have to listen to the
debates of the Gatherings (at the Great Gathering, once a
month, where the three Gatherings are reunited) before to
discuss the matter, in secret, with the Advisers and after
take their decision (at the majority). To limit their power,
they do not have the full choice of the matters to be
discussed. Each Gathering prepare a list of 9 subjects and
then the Three choose 3 of them (and one month is not too
long to find an agreement) to be discussed at the Great
Gathering. Unless to say that things are often slow to
evolve. Nevertheless, in case of need, the Three (at the
unanimity) can call an exceptional Great Gathering and ask
for full power for 3 months. It is accorded with a majority
vote.
At present, the Three are Hoshang (Otôva of Hitâspa),
Sarush (Vaysha) and Balash (Vata). Meherab, now the
Representative of the Councils at the Apatân, ended his
term as Vata of the Three just 4 years ago.
5.2.4.3 Military Forces
The High Guard: A contingent of the High Guard is
present at Chajapûn. They are essentially the Elite Guard
(the Sacred Square and the Horse Guards) who ensure the
protection of the Rashaja and pomp at the Apatân. The
guard of the other official buildings and the walls of Vihnu
(those of the Inner City) are left to more ‘common’
soldiers of the High Guard. These soldiers of the High
Guard have their quarters in three different buildings near
the walls of Vihnu. There is a strong rivalry between the
soldiers of these different companies and their inn fights are
famous in the entire town. Karan, the Bow-Bearer, is now
in command of the High Guard, the Sacred Square is
commanded by Ferozgar and the Horse Guards by
Paêshatah.
The Militia: The Militia is strictly composed of
citizens of the town (the town only, not the Chaman), as it
has been since the time of the City-State. They have in
charge the guard of the walls of the town, the patrols on
the rivers and the security within the town. Their
headquarters is on the old citadel upon the Hill of Winds,
that serves also a prison and is better known as the House
of Oblivion. They have also some guardrooms all around
the town, as police and fire stations. The Militia is
commanded by Zarir a former Vaysha of the Three.
53
The Garrison: The Garrison, whose quarters are in
the (new) Citadel, is a remainder of the time an Arshan
ruled the town. It is composed of a levy from the Chaman.
Young men have to spend 2 years in the Garrison. Varna
are exempted and it is possible to pay in exchange. The
Garrison is then mainly composed of poor men who cannot
avoid it and Vaysha who act as officers. Needless to say that
these non professional troops are of poor military valour.
As an old privilege, back when it was the principal military
force of the Arshan of Chajapûn, the Garrison has in charge
the gates of the Outer City (which sometime causes
disagreements with the Militia which man the outer walls).
It is, indeed, its only function in time of peace and the
soldiers that are not on duty on the gates, spend their time
training (turning in round) in the Citadel or are employed
to clean out the ditches and canals of the eastern part of the
town. The present Erexshâ is Roshan.
5.2.5 Politics and Power
5.2.5.1 The Azimtabarâ
Since the 12th century of the Third Age and the
establishment of the Town Councils by Phraate V, the
Vaysha, Varna and Vata share almost equitably the power
in the town. If the struggles for power are less violent than
in the past, they still exist but are less caste-marked and are
mere person conflicts.
The important citizens of Chajapûn are described in
section 5.2.7.
5.2.5.2 The Farokmad of the Wine Dealers
If the Farokmad was originally founded by the powerful
wine dealers (the Apatân itself gulps down barrels and
barrels of wine every day), it now regroups also all the
greengrocers and fruiterers of the Town. They have under
their control the provisioning of the town in fresh
products, mainly from the Chaman, but also Dashtâraz
and, in a less extent the Bulchyades. Their leader, the
Master of the Markets is now Khudayad, the son of
Meherab.
5.2.5.3 The Farokmad of the Bargemen
The activity of the Bargemen of Chajapûn is mainly
concentrated on the lower Acaadôky (between Samarth
and Chajapûn) and, in a less extent, on the Denûly until
Baljana. With the metal and crystal crafts from Shamîsar
and Baljana and the luxury products imported through
Samarth from far countries, the Acaadôky-Denûly
waterway is very busy. A part on these goods are consumed
at Chajapûn (as for the Wine Dealers, the presence of the
54
Apatân is a benediction) and also redistributed, mainly
towards Pelepelplû where they took the road of the far
west. Hutan has, with the death of his brother, inherited of
the function of Great Captain of the Bargemen.
5.2.5.4 The Farokmad of the Craftsmen
Perhaps less famous than the crystal-cutters and glass-
blowers of Baljana and the smiths and arms makers of
Shamîsar, the craftsmen of Chajapûn are not less skilled.
They are perhaps more diversified than their fellows and so
Chajapûn is not known for a specific production. Tanners,
silversmiths, tile makers (an offspring of those from
Pelepelplû) and silk embroiderers and dyers are amongst
the most skilled and famous. Needless to say that, as for the
other Farokmads, the Apatân is a good client. Now the Old
Craftsman is Sahi.
5.2.5.5 The Bokhtarâ of Chajapûn (Towards
1640)
After the Great Purge of 1635, when the Rashaja
Siyavush IV eliminated the Bokhtarâ, only the secretive
True Followers, and some lucky ones who have passed
through the net remained at Chajapûn. Contrary to other
places in the Empire they do not dare to reappear openly
in Chajapûn and, although not actually a secret
organisation, they remain discreet.
The True Followers are secretly directed by Huchithra,
but for most of them (indeed only the few privileged who
know his identity) the Master of the Chamber of Chajapûn
is Paktan, the Sarân. Apart from Huchithra and Paktan, the
most important members of the True Followers at
Chajapûn are Ferozgar the commander of the Sacred
Square, Khudayad the Master of the Markets and Goraze
the Otôva of Shraosha. Farida, who manipulates her
husband, Sarush the Vaysha of the Three, is to be recruited
by the True Followers but is not yet one of them. They are
in most of the key posts in the town and prepare themselves
for action: getting rid of a weak Rashaja and leading the
Chyans to higher destinies.
For more detail about the Bokhtarâ and the True
Followers (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People,
section 8.3.3), as well as the description of Pelepelplû for
 55

the True Followers are especially powerful and influential Andra. The Apatân is permanently protected
in that town. by the Elite Guard.
2. The Arch of Arshavir: It is the most recent of
5.2.6 The Town the arches on the Triumphal Avenue. It
The town is divided into five districts in the Outer City, commemorates the victories of Arshavir who
a sixth district forming the Inner City. expelled the Chey out of the Nosharud and
liberated the northern Chy from their yoke.
5.2.6.1 The Inner City He was later crowned Rashaja (TA 1304) and
founded the dynamic and ambitious Jahangir
The Inner City, which is located approximately on the
dynasty, putting an end to decades of
city’s centre on the west bank of the Denûly, is protected
decadence and civil strife. The arch is of
by a brick wall (more than seven meters (23’) high). There
marble, with statues of Chyan warriors
are fourteen towers of defence and four gates. The inner
supporting it, at the likeness of Arshavir and
walls are secured by 1 000 guards (not always on duty) of
his brother Arshak (who disappeared during
the High Guard. The Inner City is the place of the palaces,
the wars against the Chey).
official buildings and the residence of the most important
Vaysha and Varna of the town. As time has gone, since the 3. The Arch of Vihnu: It is the first of the arches
creation of the Town Councils, some rich Vata have also built on what is now called the Triumphal
moved into the Inner City, but most of them still live in the Avenue. It commemorates the victories of
Sunset and Trade districts. Vihnu Taronish against the Artaxshâsan and is
built on the same model that the Arch on
If the Inner City is not inhabited by middle class people,
Vihnu at Pelepelplû, at the other end of the
they are not forbidden and most come there to work as
Rashaja’s Road.
servant or to sell their products on informal street stalls.
There are in this inner city some fine inns and taverns, 4. The Asrûta Gate: This gate opens to the East,
several special residences for nobles akin to the Rashaja on the Vihnu Bridge and is sometime also
family or for ambassadors from distant countries (among called the Sun Gate (a common name in
them the realm of Anarikê and the Lynerian League are Chyan towns). The gate is decorated with the
well represented), theatres, large libraries and most of all Glorious Sun of Asrûta, whose 14 rays reach
lovely gardens. Chajapûn is sometimes nicknamed as the the symbols of the 14 Children of Asrûta.
“City in Green”.
5. The Closed Gate: This gate, opening to the
1. The Apatân: Like all Rashaja’s residences, the north, is usually closed. The gate is only used
Apatân is very spacious and not too much when a Rashaja dies and that his body is
luxurious (the Chyans still recall the time transported to Baljana to be buried. The gate
when they were just nomads). There are is also called the Rashnu Gate and is
more than one hundred rooms decorated of a statue of this god.
interconnected by galleries, corridors and
“One of the most dramatic ceremony that can be observed at
secret passages, all affected to the Rashaja,
Chajapûn is the funeral of a Rashaja. When a Rashaja dies, first,
the Andra and the High Officers and all the
servants of the Apatân wander through the street of the town, clad
servants. Most of the members of the High
in black and slowly playing large drums to announce the terrible
and Low Councils (when they are
event to all the town. The townsfolk then know that, as all the
summoned) and the ambassadors reside also
people of the empire, they have to clad in black and delay any
in the Apatân, in peripheral apartments. The
parties, weddings or other joyful events for one year, in sign of
Palace is a summary of everything beautiful
mourning. Messengers are also sent all across the country, on black
and sumptuous that the Chyan Empire
horses to convey the news. The Nashalarâ then come to the Apatân
produces. There are fountains and gardens,
to prepare the body. It is first washed. The water, to prevent any
statues of rare stones and metals, paintings of
further staining, is collected in glass jars and will accompany the
the glorious deeds of the Rashajâ, of the joys
Rashaja in his burial. The body is then laid in a coffin, usually of
of life that are hunting and war, chapels to the
gold, that is afterwards sealed. Then, once the road to Baljana has
gods of the Chyans, reception halls for
been prepared and covered with black clothes, the coffin is carried
ambassadors from distant lands and the
by eight Nashalarâ to the Murdahzar. The Rashaja is surrounded
private apartments of the Rashajâ and his
for a last trip by the Sacred Square and accompanied by the court
56
and officials, all clad in black, scores of hired mourners, screaming
and weeping, and a large crowd from the town. When the funerary
cortège arrives in front of the Closed Gate, the Seven Prophets, who
lead the march, give each a rolling of drum and then the doors are
opened. Once the entire cortege has passed through, the doors are
closed again, hopefully for a long time.”
From “A mercenary life”, by Anorion of
Pelorna
6. The Denûly Garden: Two flights of steps, on
both sides of the Vihnu Bridge, lead to the
garden (it is the only access). It is, indeed, no
more than the riverside of the Denûly
covered with a thick grass but the garden is
very quiet and pleasant (especially in spring,
when myriads of different flowers are
blossoming).
7. The Embassy of Anarikê: It is an extraordinary
building, especially ordered by Vihnu
Taronish to house the ambassador of his great
friend Lôkhuzôr. Vihnu wanted it as
magnificent as possible to show the
everlasting friendship between the two
peoples and his gratitude to Lôkhuzôr for his
help in liberating his country from the Evil.
Rare marbles and woods, glazed tiles of gold,
silver and dark blue, crystals of Baljana
transform this embassy into a fairy palace.
Strangely, the building waited the early Third
Age to house an ambassador of Anarikê, for
Vihnu decided to establish the capital of his
empire in Pelepelplû as the building was not
finished.
8. The Embassy of the Lynerian League: The
embassy has been built by the Lynîr
themselves and its typical architecture
contrasts strongly on the surrounding
buildings.
9. The Gathering: It is an ancient Vaysha palace
(ironically one of those killed during the
Bloody Days) that has been transformed to
house the town Councils soon after their
creation by Phraate V. There are three large
halls for the three Gatherings (each of them
decorated with glazed tiles representing the
values of the castes) with no seats or benches.
The Great Gathering is generally held in the
inner garden or, when the situation requires
it, in the Sun Square. The front wing houses
the offices of the Three and the Advisers as
well as the Mute Room, where the There
eventually took their decisions. The front
wall is adorned of the coat of arms of the
town: A blue Y in a green field. The upper
third has a golden Glorious Sun of Asrûta for
the Varna, the lower left third, the blue
blazing sword of Hitâspa for the Vaysha and
the lower right third, four purple coins in a
lozenge for the Vata. These were added after
the reform of Phraate V as a symbol of
reconciliation and shared power between
Varna, Vaysha and Vata.
10. The Garden of Delights: It is a perfect place
for those who want to be out of sight for a
moment, with all its thickets, bushes and
trees in an apparent total disorder. Lovely
fountains and statues covered with mosses
are waiting to be discovered in the most
unlikely places. A large pool in the centre of
the garden is dwelt by white swans.
11. The Hitâspa Gate: This door opens to the
West, on the Rashaja Road that starts on the
Sun Square and ends at Pelepelplû. The large
avenue between the Sun Square and the West
Gate is also called the Triumphal Avenue for
several victory arches have been built there
on the Third Age and it is used by victorious
Rashajâ returning to their Apatân after a war.
Big statues of the dogs Glory and Victory
flank the gate.
12. The Palace of Sarush: It is a large building of
marble, with very sober and elegant lines.
The front door gives directly on a garden,
open to the public. There is another one, in
the inner courtyard, for private use.
13. The Palace of Hutan: It is a recent building (the
family of Hutan has moved to the Inner City
only 26 years ago) typical of the extravagance
(as say the Vaysha) of these rich Vata who
want to show their success.
14. The Shraosha Gate: The Gate opens to the
south and the Trade district and is, as all the
other but the Closed Gate, always open, day
and night. A statue of Shraosha, Simurg
perched on his hand, watches the gate.
15. The Sun Square: It is the main square of
Chajapûn, where the people gather for most
of the official ceremonies (Coronation,
Rashaja’s Day, to acclaim a victorious
Rashaja, etc.). The square often serves for

horse races or games of Puyendasp. The
impression of wideness of the square is
reinforced by its emptiness: no trees, no
fountains or other monuments, just a large
esplanade paved of white marble slabs.
16. Temple of Asrûta: Unlike the other temples of
Asrûta in other cities, this temple is very
similar to the Apatân. It is the residence of
the Otôva of Asrûta, who is traditionally an
influential counsellor of the Rashaja. The
temple is very large, with five different
sanctuaries, a lovely garden, five fountains
rooms, many meditation rooms and severe
but colourful rooms for the priests. The most
important treasure of this temple is fourteen
paintings on silk dedicated to the glory of
Children of Asrûta.
17. Temple of Hitâspa: At Chajapûn, Hitâspa is the
most revered of the Children of Asrûta and
the magnificence of his temple proves it. The
external walls of the temple are covered with
bas-reliefs showing the great deeds of the
Rashajâ, under the protection and help of
Hitâspa. After crossing the main gate of the
sacred precinct, one enters in a garden. This
garden is actually just a lawn with an alley of
trees conducting to the Temple. In this
garden, the Sacred Dogs (huge Chyan
mastiffs, specially selected and bred) are
running freely. Two of these dogs are always
watching the main gate, at the likeness of
Glory and Victory. The temple proper is
covered with sky blue glazed tiles. The
interior is richly decorated with woods
covered with gold foils and different kinds of
blue stones and gems brought at great
expense from far away countries. The temple
was founded by Vihnu (the first building of
the new town of Chajapûn as the priest say,
but it is more likely that it was the Temple of
Asrûta) and there is a small chapel to his
memory in the temple. Nobody really knows
whether the cult of Vihnu (as a
Khudâbandeh) started here or at Pelepelplû
at the end of the Second Age. The Vaysha of
the town have a special devotion for Vihnu
and it is not rare that they name their
firstborn son from Vihnu (or a derived name,
see Section 0).
18. Temple of Shraosha: The temple could appear
as rather modest compared to the
57
magnificent temples of Asrûta and Hitâspa or
the Zigwrat. In normal standards, it is
nevertheless a beautiful building of pink
sandstone. The walls are covered with
sculpted panels showing Shraosha and Simurg
accomplishing some of their legendary feats.
During the early Third Age, friezes of glazed
tiles have been added to bring some colour to
the walls and emphasize the sculptures. The
temple keeps the Standard of Asrûta. It is the
banner that the Rashaja carries at war and that
shows his presence among his troops. The
Rashaja usually fetches the Standard of Asrûta
in the temple, then proclaims the war on the
Sun Square in front of the people of the town.
After that, messengers ride through the
entire Empire and the allied countries to
summon vassals and call allies. The Rashaja,
accompanied by the Elite Guard, then goes to
Pelepelplû to unsheathe and brandish sword
of Fravâd. When they come back to Chajapûn
the High Guard is almost completely
mustered. It takes some more weeks to have
the Imperial Host ready for battle.
19. The Vihnu Square: In the middle of the square,
on a lawn that fills a large part of it, is a statue
of Vihnu Taronish on a war Airavât.
20. The Zigwrat: Located on Sun Square, not far
from the Denûly, this impressive tower has
seven stairs laid out in steps, with at the top
a temple to Asrûta, about 150 meters (500’)
high. The last level comprises six sanctuaries,
one room and an open courtyard. Only the
Rashaja, the Otôva of Asrûta and a few others
have access to the highest level of the tower.
The first three levels of the Tower, as well as
four other buildings around the Zigwrat, are
used by the Imperial Administration. There,
every law enacted by all the Rashajâ of the
Chyans and the genealogical registers of the
influential families are preserved. The
innumerable parchments are kept by an army
scribes in a maze of galleries running through
the Zigwrat. A prison is directly beneath the
Tower. It is reserved for dangerous
(political) criminals and spies and traitors. It
was also on the Zigwrat that on 2th day Dayâr
TA 3016 the last Rashaja of the Haxamânahan
dynasty, Aspacanah II was murdered by an
agent of Sakal an-Khâr as he persistently
refused the alliance with Sakal an-Khâr.
58
5.2.6.2 The Outer City: The Old City
To the east, between the two rivers, is the Old City
upon the Hill of Winds, where the Dârayavahan Rashajâ
had once their residence. This district has suffered a lot of
the Great Siege, but still remains the most picturesque part
of the city, with the oldest buildings. There can be found
in narrow streets and winding stairs very good inns and
taverns, as well as several towers, and lovely, if not
luxurious residences. The easternmost part, over the Old
Moat, has been gained from the marshes in the early Third
Age, but is nevertheless considered as a part of the Old
City. It is sometime called the Lower Town by the people
living on the Hill of Winds. The district is limited to the
north and west by the Denûly (crossed by the Haxâmanish
Bridge in the north and the Vihnu Bridge in the west), to
the south by the Acaadôky (crossed by the Abarpân Bridge)
and to the east by an extension of the Abarpân Wall (over
which extend the marshes). There is such a group spirit
among the people living in the Old City, that they often
consider people from the other districts as foreigners
coming from another town (the only true Chajapûn being,
for them, the Old City).
21. The Abarpân Bridge: The Abarpân Bridge is
the most recent bridge of Chajapûn. It was
built by Abarpân over the Acaadôky to link
the Old City and the Harbour and Docks
district. The bridge is of bricks, with a statue
of Abarpân III in the middle, watching
upstream and towards the rising sun.
22. The Abarpân Wall: It is the continuation of the
wall that also encloses the Harbour and
Docks district. Its construction has been
ordered by the Rashaja Abarpân to protect
the town more from the marshes than from
any potential enemy. Actually, the wall looks
more like a dam than a high wall. It is a 3-
meters high (9’) wall of stone, itself on a
large earth embankment. There is no gate
through the wall (you do not want to go in
the marshes, do you?), there are nevertheless
numerous pipes to let the drained water to
go back to the marshes (and closed by
portcullis to prevent any undesirable
creatures from the marshes to get into the
town). A ditch (that was once the limit of the
town) runs next to the wall (on town side),
to collect the waters.
23. The Cave Houses: On the southern side of the
Hill of Winds, there are several cave houses.
They have been dug just before the fall of the
Artaxshâsan, as stores for huge amount of
food in prevision of a siege. They are now
dwelt by poor people and many of the largest
and deepest extensions have been sealed long
ago, after the seizure of the town by Vihnu.
24. The Corner: It is small tavern, both a lair of
thieves and Shâhirâ who come there to
declaim their new compositions.
25. The Gallery of Art: Inside a Crystal House
designed by the artisans of Baljana which is
located also in the Seventh Terrace (#38),
the owner Hystaspa presents to all who wants
a varied selection of art (like paintings,
sculptures, tapestries) from all the countries
of Jaha but also from the unknown continent
of Mórenorë. Of all the rooms (about
twenty), one room is dedicated to the
Rashajâ during history, one another
dedicated to the Lóchan Empire, and one
another to Stoneland in the West. Hystaspa
claims to have been in his youth a tireless
traveller who explored the lands of
Mórenorë, which is the entire truth. He now
charges his sons and his employees to explore
Jaha for him. He could pass several hours to
describe the different races, the geography
and the history of Mórenorë.
26. The Garden of Victory: The garden is enclosed
by a hedge of trees and has a fountain in the
middle. On the fountain is a statue of Vihnu,
smiting demons crawling at his feet. The
garden and the fountain commemorate the
victory of Vihnu against the Artaxshâsan. The
garden itself is on the very place of the Palace
of the Artaxshâsan and the Temple of Angra
Manya, the Red Snake (the former temple of
Asrûta, transformed by the Artaxshâsan).
The buildings have been destroyed to their
foundations. Nothing remains but a worn
black slab, the Stone of Shame, that people
used to spit on and trample (but the habit is
long lost in the Third Age).
27. The Hanging Gardens: On the border of the
two rivers, the Rashaja Xshayârshan I,
according to the legend, arranged these
splendid gardens in the honour of his Clyan
wife Amytis. Exiled in this flat land she
longed for her country of mountains and so,
in these artificial mountains, she could
remember her homeland. These gardens are

composed of nine stages in terraces,
supported by vaults and pillars of brick. An
immense marble staircase connects all these
terraces, and water, by hydraulic screws, is
brought since Acaadôky and Denûly. Here is
cultivated plants and trees from all the Chyan
Empire, and even from Codya and the
Lynerian League (such as Black Uljun,
Emear, Eshetu, Luan, Natjura or Sjeju). At
the summing a platform, the mausoleum of
Amytis overhangs the junction of the
Acaadôky and Denûly rivers. The Gardens,
that were long a part of the Old Palace are
now open to the public and house several
inns and pavilions for private parties. The
gardens are also renowned for its numerous
alcoves of trees and bushes were players of
Huzvagul like to compete. The tombs of
several famous Chyan Shâhirâ are also
scattered among trees and flower beds and
serve as pilgrimage place for many of their
admirers.
28. The Haxâmanish Bridge: It is the oldest
bridge of the town (indeed it was destroyed
during the Great Siege, to protect the town,
but was reconstructed soon after, before the
building of the Vihnu Bridge). The bridge
links the Old City to the North district. The
bridge is adorned with the statues of
important Rashaja of the Chyan history. The
statues of Dârayavahu, Shôburagan,
Ganachyn, Vishtâspa are on both side of the
bridge, whereas a statue of Vihnu Taronish
stands at the top of an arch on the North
district side (that was once the entrance of
the town. Later a statue of Ganagan (on a
similar arch) was added on the Old City side.
29. The Haxât Tower: This tower, made of bricks
and 60 meters (200’) high, is the oldest
building of the city. It was part of the first
fortifications of the town, protecting the
Haxâmanish Bridge which was long the only
access to the town. According to the legend,
Haxâmanish died on this tower in Dayâr SA
694 and was buried beneath it. But some
other cities (like Pelepelplû, Baljana or
Tenolkachyn) claim also the tomb of the
founder of the Chyan Empire. The real
location of Haxâmanish tomb is, indeed,
unknown.
59
30. The House of Oblivion: This was once the
mighty citadel of the town. It is now a
gloomy building of weathered and burned
dark stones. It stands just above the steep
cliff, east of the Hill of Winds, above the Old
Moat. Many tales are told of people who,
“accidentally” fell from the top of the walls to
smash on the rocks, meters below. Its
reputation of a dismal and haunted place
dates back from the Artaxshâsan dynasty.
The Citadel was the headquarters of the
feared Kharpanâ and their military branch,
the Storm Watch, who tracked, imprisoned
and tortured there any people suspected of
disagreeing with the Artaxshâsan or not
worshipping the ‘true gods’. At that time the
citadel gained its nickname of House of
Oblivion, that is still commonly used today.
It was badly damaged during the last assault
of the troops of Vihnu, and even more by the
fire that succeeded. After being cleansed and
purified by priests, the citadel was
nevertheless repaired. It started to serves as a
prison for thieves and criminals when
Khodâd I built a new wall and the new citadel
(#46), west of the city.
“I report here for the sole eyes of the Rashaja, Bane of the
Creeping Evil, and his closest advisers, the accounts, recollected
from various witnesses, of the strange events that occurred during
the storming of Chajapûn by Vihnu Enemy of all Evils and the
valiant legion of the True God:
“While I stepped on the top of the battlement and cleared space
for the others to follow me, the fire that was already devouring a
tower on the right, suddenly started burning stronger and the black
smoke wrapped and suffocated us as if pushed by a wind that we
couldn’t feel. It was almost impossible to breathe in the hot and
thick smoke and even less to see farther that the tip of my sword. I
eventually managed to get out of this peasouper. Joined by some
Tizyarshti of my company, we rested a moment to get our breath
back under stairs climbing up the battlement we just conquered.
After the shouting of men and clash of weapons during the assault,
everything seemed quiet for a moment. Then my first Parâta
screamed. Without any apparent reason, cracks were splitting the
stairs we were hiding below and the wall behind us. I just had time
to get out before everything collapsed. I lost there two-third of my
battalion, more than the enemies killed.”
“I don’t understand, my Lord, everything was fine. We were
master of the battlement and the surviving enemies were fleeing in
front of us. It was just a matter of time before we could reach the
door of the tower and conquer it. There was nobody left to oppose
us. Then the two soldiers in front of me stopped, hesitated a
60
moment, blocking the way for all our section, and then stepped
backward, as if some formidable champion had appeared from the
door. But there was nobody, I can swear it. And then they started
running, completely panicked, pushing the others. It is then that
I fell from the wall. I was lucky to land on a heap of rubbish and
old stinky straw. But many were not that lucky and were killed or
severely injured when falling from the wall, pushed by these two
cowards or by the crowd of panicked soldiers trying to save their
life on this narrow battlement.”
“After the tough fight on the wall and on the first yard, I was
quite happy to escape the suffocating smoke, the heat of the fire,
the whistling arrows and the screaming of the dying and enter into
this dark corridor. It was barely large enough for me and, knowing
that two of my friends were following me, I was pretty confident:
no enemies behind and easy to stop anybody coming from the other
side with my shield. After a few paces in the dark, we came out
into a large hall poorly lit by some torches. Our eyes were already
used to the darkness and this dim light was sufficient to blind me
for a moment.
When I was again able to see around me, I was struck by a
terrible sight: at least a dozen of ours were lying there, dead. It
was not to see corpses that was frightening, I saw many during my
life serving the Rashaja Vihnu. No, it was how these men were
killed. I don’t know what can have caused such terrible wounds,
we were literally walking on guts, blood and torn away limbs. Only
a few of then had clean wounds, but these have clearly been killed
by their own companions and some seemed to have even killed
themselves. I don’t know who or what was in this hall and caused
such havoc, and don’t want to know, never.”
“We knew that we were close to the deepest part of the fortress.
We came here by chance, following a group of fugitives into a
hidden passage. We quickly caught and killed them. After a
moment of discussion between us, we decided to go further into the
dungeons of the prison. The cells were mostly empty and the only
prisoners we saw had seemingly been throttled a few days before.
Actually, I must say that what drove us was not the perspective to
save some prisoners, but we had heard many stories about rich
treasures hidden in the deepest of the fortress and we knew that
they were certainly not far away. Then, while we were already
thinking of all we would do with the gold and jewels awaiting us
at the end of this tunnel, we heard a strange noise. A kind of laugh,
I dare say. But not a happy and cheering one. Something that
makes your blood turning in ice and let the most valiant soldiers,
who did not falter face to iron and fire, just standing and shaking.
I don’t know how long we staid there, immobilised.
When I got back my last bit of courage, I realised that we were
only three left. All the others had fled. Very cautiously we went on
through the corridor, still lured by the idea of a rich booty. Then
a cold wind came from the dark and extinguished our last torch. I
am pretty sure that then I saw two small red lights glowing in the
dark. Something like lions’ eyes, if you see what I mean, but
bigger, more cruel and much more terrifying…I am sorry my Lord,
I don’t remember the following. I heard again this, hum…laugh,
and then I think I just ran away. Of the rest of the assault, I just
remember someone shaking me and then taking me on his back
saying something like “you fool, it’s burning everywhere, don’t
stay sitting here, the ceiling of the kitchen is about to collapse”.
This guy certainly saved my life, and I don’t even know his name.
I was found unconscious three days later, in a field not far from
Chajapûn, while the city was still burning.”
The last testimony that I recollected is the most secure, as
several soldiers gave me concordant stories, but not the least
strange and dreadful. It seems that, just before the main tower of
the fortress known as the House of Oblivion collapsed and buried
alive so many of our brave soldiers, a flying shape coming out of
the dark smoke of the fire consuming the tower was seen plunging
deep toward the ground with a deafening cry and then raised again
high in the sky, whirling around the pillar of black smoke and
eventually disappeared.”
From “Secret Report”, anonymous (Apatân
archives, western gallery, shelf 1543, silk roll 17)
31. The Old Belfry: This building was once a part
of the defence system around the Old Palace.
Now, in this location charged of history,
where Erexshâ and guards once dwelt, the
innkeeper Arshâma welcomes traders and
travellers in a picturesque inn. It is a good
place to try some of the traditional Chyan
meals (like roasted lamb and wheat
porridge). There are 20 rooms available and
all of them are comfortable. The prices are
double as usual.
32. The Old Moat: It is the moat protecting the
eastern side of the town of the Dârayavahan
(the only one not covered by a river). When
lands were gained from the marches and the
Old Town extended, the moat lost his
defensive function and was used to dry the
land and drain the water towards the
Acaadôky. Several extensions have been dug
for the same purpose, that are no more than
ditches and spread over the Lower Town.
33. The Old Palace: This rather rustic but
functional palace is now used as a painting
gallery. The Palace welcomes every year on
the 15th day of Mehrâ the painters on silk of
all the Empire for an exhibition of their
work. At the end of the exhibition, an

assembly (usually members of the court, with
a range of Vaysha, Varna and Vata and
sometime even ambassadors of foreign
countries) elects the four better paintings,
and the Rashaja himself selects the winner.
This was initiated by the Rashaja Haxâmanish
V who wanted from time to time to return to
the old residence of his glorious Dârayavahan
predecessors. And the following Rashajâ
maintained the tradition (this is after all a
logical way to spot the talented painters).
The most talented painters are after
employed by the city or the Rashaja in order
to enrich the city or the Rashaja palaces (this
explains the lovely paintings on silk of many
buildings). The palace has a long history. It
was first the House of the Ancients (at the
early time of the Chyans), the Palace of the
Arshan of Chajapûn, the Apatân of the
Dârayavahan dynasty and the Palace of the
Arshanâ of the town. All of them have added,
transformed, destroyed, rebuilt parts of the
palace that is now a heterogeneous testimony
of centuries of Chyan architecture and art.
The building is one of the rare to have
survived almost intact the siege and burning
of the town by Vihnu Taronish.
34. The Old Temple of Hitâspa: It is the oldest
temple of the town (since the destruction of
the nearby temple of Asrûta, see #26). It was
closed and used as a warehouse during the
Artaxshâsan dynasty and reopened by Vihnu.
The temple is a simple structure of bricks,
with no ornament but a statue of Hitâspa.
The interior is as strict and plain as the
outside. The temple is mainly used by the
people of the Old City. Apart from a young
priest who acts as caretaker, the temple is
usually empty. The priests of Hitâspa live in
the more comfortable New Temple (#17) in
the Inner City and come there only for the
ceremonies.
35. The Old Wall: It is the remains of the first brick
wall of the town. It was blown in many parts
during the Great Siege and latter breaches
were opened for streets. The main portions
still standing are near the Haxât Tower and
on the bank of the Denûly. The wall is so
thick (8 m (26’)) that many poor houses or
warehouses are built directly inside the wall.
61
36. Fardad’ shop: At the first sight, this herbalist
shop seems normal when it is not Fardad who
serves you. There is a large choice of herbs,
some of them unobtainable elsewhere in the
Chyan lands. Fardad is a bearded and nearly
bald man, aged of 56, who is very
communicative and friendly. He has his entry
in the Chyan Court whenever he wants and
can be considered as an important personality
of the city. People say that he is a councillor
of the Rashaja and that he has elf blood.
Despite Fardad will deny it, he is indeed a
good friend of Karan the Bow-bearer and
supplies him with useful advices on the mood
of the town concerning the Rashaja and the
affairs of state. He is a very competent
herbalist, but he also excels as a illusionist
and as a magician. He loves to prepare in his
secret laboratory potions (some of them
produce curious effects), powder and
magical objects. He would love to recreate
the gem of vision detained in Tenolkachyn.
Until now, he failed in his attempts.
37. Pishkar’s Cave: This tavern of dubious
reputation, owned by Pishkar, is set in one of
the cave houses of the Hill of Winds. It is
famous for its fresh beer and its dancers that
attract even upper-class customers in search
of not so respectable entertainment.
38. The Seventh Terrace: If one should select only
one inn in Chajapûn, this would be without
possible contest the Seventh Terrace.
Located in the seventh terrace of the Hanging
Gardens (from which its name), the inn
offers a perfect view on the city, especially
towards the High Palace and the Zigwrat.
The inn is reserved for nobles, but refuses
nobody, if they have the capacity to pay the
exorbitant price for a meal (about ten to
twenty times the usual price). The food is
divine, like the fine and rare wines from
Dorwinion in the west, the Lynerian League
or, less exotic, the Bulchyades. The
innkeeper, Hystaspa is a friendly Chyan, 62
years old. He does his best to present exotic
food and drinks to his clients, and he pays
very well his agents. He is fond of
architectural treasures, especially coming
from the Far East. Secretly, Hystaspa is an
important spy of the Rashaja. He reports to
62
his master the important reflections of some
seditious nobles while they are at his inn.
39. The Vihnu Bridge: The Vihnu Bridge was built
after the completion of the Inner City to link
it with the Old city. It is a large arch of white
stone. Statues of the 14 children of Asrûta
stand on the parapets.
40. The Whistling Stone: The highest part of the
Hill of Winds is occupied by a garden, the
Garden of the Winds. In the middle of the
garden (at the topmost of the hill) stands a
large grey boulder, with a thin crack. When
the wind is blowing from a precise direction,
the stone starts to whistle. It is believed by
the townsfolk that it brings great events to
the town and the Empire, perhaps the
surviving of a Chaialla belief. It is around this
stone that the people of the town gather for
the Call of the Winds ceremony.
Note: The exact location of the temple of the Storm God, built
by the Artaxshâsan to honour Akhôrahil, the Storm-King, has been
lost. Some suspect that it was on the top of the Hill of Winds,
perhaps close to the Whistling Stone.
5.2.6.3 The Outer City: The North district
When you take the Haxâmanish Bridge to the North
you arrive in the North district. It is mainly a residential
and quiet area, but with also some artisan shops, inns and
taverns.
41. The House of Balash: The building is of bricks,
with few ornaments, but two statues,
representing the rivers Acaadôky and
Denûly.
42. The Khodâd Wall: The wall was built by
Khodâd in the early Third Age. It is of bricks,
covered on the external side with glazed tiles
of hundred of different shades of green. At
sunset, when observing the city from afar,
the shimmering of the tiles in the oblique
light gives the impression that the wall is
moving, as if one of these green snakes of the
marshes were coiled up around the town.
43. The North Gate: The gate opens on the road of
Baljana that crosses the feared Black Field
Marsh and is not as busy as the other doors of
the town. Next to the door, outside the
town, is a small shrine of Manah, where
travellers usually make some offerings before
to head to the marshes. The entrance of the
town is not subjected to any form of toll or
taxes but the guards are checking that the
travellers are not carrying weapons. Most
guards are not too bothered about this rule
(and bribery can often ease the things).
Obviously, it does not concern Chyan
soldiers and officials and the traditional
Sohrab is not considered as a weapon.
5.2.6.4 The Outer City: The Sunset district
South of the North district and west of the Inner City
lies the Sunset district. Although an important temple
district, it is also a residential area, perhaps a bit smarter
than the North district.
44. The Arch of Balash: The Arch was built to
celebrate several victories of Balash I against
bands of raiders coming from the newly
founded realm of Alkyad in TA 1040, 1043
and 1045. These were easy victories against
disorganised raiders, the Chyans had more
difficulties against the more prepared attacks
of the armies of the descendants of Entoj
Adun. The arch is of marble, with bas-reliefs
showing the Rashaja (in the likeness of
Hitâspa) smiting foreign looking horsemen.
45. The Arch of Artabân: The Arch of Artabân was
built in memory of the great victory of the
Thousand Airavatâ (TA 1160). During this
battle, the Rashaja Artabân II annihilated an
army of Kobadan the Bloodthirsty, the Dark
Nhazadh of Harshandatt and so avenged the
shameful death of his father, Phraate V.
Phraate was captured on the same battlefield
3 years before and executed by Kobadan
himself (some say sacrificed at Akoba Deep).
This is the official Chyan version. Indeed, the
battle was a draw and both armies retreated
at nightfall. But it was sufficient for the weak
Artabân II, who considered to have saved the
honour of his family and edified an impressive
arch to make it know. The Arch of Artabân is
of bricks, covered with glazed tiles made by
craftsmen from Pelepelplû and representing
scenes of the battle, with Harshandattî killed
and fleeing, pursued by the Rashaja Artabân
II and his army. The arch is supported by two
Airavatâ, to remind the important role they
had during the battle.
46. The (New) Citadel: This fortress, just next to
the West Gate (#50), was built under the

reign of Khodâd I, at the same time of the city
walls, to reinforce their defence. The citadel
is mainly used a barracks for the Garrison.
47. The House of Meherab: The house is of
limestone with several panels of glazed tiles
with geometric designs of different shades of
red and dark blue. The house has a large inner
garden, as many of them in this district. The
son of Meherab, Khudayad the Master of the
Markets live also there.
48. The Temple of Ajmô: The temple is made of
clear limestone, with pilasters of red
sandstone. A bas-relief of Ajmô with the
allegories of the Acaadôky and the Denûly on
his both arms is just above the main door.
49. The Temple of Anahita: It a small and plain
building of bricks that can easily be missed.
Indeed, the main temple of Anahita in the
area is not at Chajapûn but in the small
riverside village of Abadi (see Section
5.2.8.1).
50. The West Gate: It is the most magnificent gate
of the town. The original brick structure has
been covered with marble and statues of
Hitâspa and Shraosha flank the doors. The
doors are covered with foils of gold,
embossed with the Winged Sun of Asrûta,
symbol of the Empire and the Rashaja. It is
this gate that the Rashaja uses to enter their
town. For the conditions of entry, see #43.
5.2.6.5 The Outer City: The Trade district
At the south of the Inner City is the busy and vibrant
Trade district. Some itinerant traders are often on the
Ulvânad bridge, offering to the travellers’ various products
(foodstuff, clothing, tools, animals, armours and weapons,
entertainment, leatherwork, herbs and spices from Olyas
Kriis, rubies from Bûr Esmer and metals, and so on). The
trade market is some streets away, and there the traders
present the same products, but at a higher price. The
activity (deserted, quiet, average, crowded, jammed) is
function of the day hour. There are artisans well established
and of renown in this quarter, some of them coming from
Baljana or Shamîsar.
51. The Chyan Knight: A very good place to find
the impressively adorned saddles used by the
Chyan Vaysha cavalry. The shop is also
crammed with young and noisy Vaysha
commenting and comparing the new arrivals
63
of pieces of equipment. Some good lances
and a few bows can also be found there.
52. The Chyan Needle: Dastan sells there exquisite
and delicate silks clothes as well as thicker
embroidered caftans.
53. The Enchanted Cave: It is shop selling
paintings of renowned Chyan Masters. In a
secret room, at the rear of the shop, Abarja
keeps masterpieces recently stolen for some
of his best and richest clients.
54. The Good Well: An average inn whose
innkeeper has a Vulmaw origin. Uriek Frul
had just arrived from Myrn Shriac in Codya,
but he has not good intention towards the
Chyan authorities. He carefully studies the
capital, before leading with his men a
tentative to assassinate the Rashaja. In the
meantime, he and his assistants serve his
clients, in great majority traders and
travellers. The food, the wine, and the rooms
are of average quality, despite the inn’s
name.
55. The House of Sahi: The house of the Pishkasir
of the Farokmad of the Craftsmen (or Old
Craftsman) is worthy of the position of its
owner. It is a masterpiece of sculptures and
carvings but in such harmonious proportions
and layout that they never appear loud or too
ostentatious.
56. The Little Tavern: A very popular tavern,
frequented mostly by bargemen and
travellers, but also by some counsellors of the
Rashaja. The innkeeper is an expatriated
Múranian, who gives to his clients’ good
wines from the Chyan Empire and the
Lynerian League and some limited food.
Reaching this tavern needs to travel through
narrow streets, which is very propitious for a
deadly ambush.
57. The Singing Sword: It is the small shop of
Kayzad of Shamîsar. He has a complete range
of swords, scimitars, sabres, cutlasses, knifes
and daggers of the best quality. Into the
bargain, there are also lot of stories of lost
mines and hidden treasures in the mountains
north of the Nosharud.
58. The Theatre: An elegant establishment where
the last novelties in epic poetry are
performed. The Rashaja sometimes comes
64

here, but is more often the Shâhirâ who go to 5.2.6.6 The Outer City: The harbour and the
the Apatân to entertain the Rashaja and his docks
guests. The spectacles are very appreciated,
To the east of the Trade district and on the other side
and it is difficult to reserve places as the
of the Acaadôky, lies the Harbour and Docks district. This
actors make very often full house.
area is built on lands gained over the marshes since the
59. The Old Harbour: It was the main harbour of reign of Ulvânad II in 14th century of the Third Age and
Chajapûn, before lands were gained on the eventually protected with a wall by Abarpân III in 1568
other side of the Acaadôky and a new and (more against the marshes than any kind of invaders). The
large harbour was built there. It is still used, district is characterised by its canals and its important port
usually for precious merchandises that are capable to welcome about 300 ships at once. The harbour
directly transported to the shops. It is also is thriving with the activity of the Bargemen of Chajapûn
there that the few ships of the fluvial patrol and thanks to a low taxation on merchandises. There are
are berthed. disreputable, average and high-quality inns and taverns, a
dock office, some guesthouses and artisan shops (essentially
60. Rewniz’s Amours: Rewniz makes coats of mail
tanners who are confined there because of the unpleasant
to measure, but other metallic pieces of
smell of their works). There are two bridges upon the river
armour can be found in his shop, as well as
Acaadôky, linking the district with the Trade district by the
fancy helmets (beautiful, but impractical for
Ulvânad Bridge and the Old City by the Abarpân Bridge.
a real fight). He supplies the Elite Guard,
which is a proof a quality (and of high prices). There is no poor quarter or really dangerous districts in
Chajapûn. However, thieves and assassins exist,
61. The South Gate: The gate has two doors, one
disseminated over the entire city, but mainly in the Trade
for carts and horses and another for
and Harbour districts.
pedestrians alone. As the wall, the gate is
adorned with green glazed tiles. A statue of 64. The Abarpân Wall: Similar to #22
Manah, just above the doors is believed to
65. The Dock Office: It is there that every
protect the city from diseases. For the
morning, before sunrise, dock workers are
conditions of entry, see #43.
hired for the day. The building serves also for
62. The Thousand Perfumes: It is a quite cluttered the Supervisor of the Harbour to collect the
shop, with baskets and bags of spices, most port charges.
coming directly from Olyas Kriis, in every
66. The Festive Night: A popular brothel, not far
available room. The most common as well as
from the docks. No one exactly knows the
the rarer spices can be found, with the expert
exact location of all the city brothels, except
help of Mahdat the shopkeeper. In the back
the most known. The brothel is certainly
shop Mahdat has also incense and other
dependant from The Singing Bird of Baljana,
aromatic plants and seeds whose smell is
but nothing is certain. Nevertheless, the
believed to repel the demons of disease and
prices, the attitudes towards the subordinates
stench. Most are useless, but some are
are the same. The girls (of mostly Chyan and
efficient to repel mosquitoes and other
Múranian origin) presented to the clients are
insects and others can even have some real
all lovely.
curative properties, unknown of most people
there. 67. The Harbour: It is a large pool with piers where
300 ships and barges can stay. Two canals link
63. The Ulvânad bridge: The bridge, that links the
the harbour with the Acaadôky, one for
Trade and the Harbour and docks districts,
entry, the other for exit. The pool is also
was ordered by Ulvânad II, when he decided
connected to the network of smaller canals
to extent the town on the east side of the
that criss-cross the district. Most of them are
Acaadôky. It is a marvel of architecture as it
no more than ditches and are used for
manages to cross the large Acaadôky (after its
draining the waters out of the district, but 2
junction with the Denûly) with a unique
or 3 of them can be used by small flat boats
arch.
to carry merchandises to warehouses.

68. Leather Boots: Unwisely situated in the
disreputable dock district, the shop of Sahi is
nevertheless the best place in town to find
good leather products. There are essentially
boots and trousers, but some very strong
reinforced jackets can also be found.
Everything is, as the Chyan fashion wants it,
very colourful, with lot of reds, greens and
yellows. The speciality of the shop, apart
from the boots, are quite fashionable small
leather caps.
69. The Tanners Ditch: It is along this ditch that
the tanners of Chajapûn are bound to install
their workshops. The area is cursed by a
persistent stench due to the products used by
the tanners and has also the renown to be
very dangerous (even more than the
remaining of the district, which is saying
something).
5.2.7 People of Note
Note that all the ‘dark secrets’ of the people described
should not be used together and at the same time (use some
of them as just rumours, if at all), to avoid transforming
Chajapûn into a town of wicked and corrupted citizens.
Most of the people in relation with the Apatân and
Imperial Court are described in #3004-1 Chyan Empire :
The People, section 8.3.7. Here is a short reminder of
those directly involved in the town life and the description
of some others.
5.2.7.1 Authorities
The Bow-bearer (Commander of the High
Guard): Karan (59), a Vaysha of small birth, is a huge and
strong man. Everything in him, from the dark tanned skin
to the numerous scars, reveals the warrior. He was a real
friend of the former Rashaja (which caused him many an
enemy) and now considers him as the Frawarti (Ch.
Guardian spirit) and personal bodyguard of the young
Khosrô. Where Khosrô is, Karan is not far behind, double
checking any room where the prince stays and tasting his
wine and food. His devotion for the young prince, makes
some people believe that he is indeed his own son, but that
is just court gossips. In the future, he will play an important
role by uncovering the schemes of the brothers Ashtad
(Arshan of Pelepelplû) and Yazdyar (Master of the House)
and preventing the abduction of the prince.
For more details about Karan, see #3004-1 Chyan
Empire : The People, section 8.3.
65
The Erexshâ of Chajapûn: Roshan is 47, and with
1.76 m (5’9’’), huge arms and ruthless black eyes looks
exactly like what he is: a reckless warrior. When he is not
training himself, he takes his job very seriously, inspecting
his troops and checking that all their equipment is ready for
war.
For more details about Roshan, see #3004-1 Chyan
Empire : The People, section 8.3.7.
Farida: She is 24 years old, very charming and
seducing, if not really beautiful. She is terribly intelligent
and cunning. After imposing an iron rule on her husband’s
andra, she easily controlled the weak Sarush. Thanks to her
eunuchs – their persuasion and the gold of Sarush – she
managed to have Sarush elected as the Vaysha of the Three,
and now rules the town through him. Her plots have not
remained unnoticed by Huchithra and his spies and now,
he plans to convince this ambitious woman to join the True
Followers.
The Supervisor of the Harbour: Mahruy is a Vata,
a bargeman who was members of the Three several years
ago, just before Meherab. Indeed, he was elected thanks to
the help of Meherab, who, seeing that he would not be able
to be elected himself, schemed to have Mahruy elected.
Even if a prominent member of the Bargemen, Mahruy is
the man of Meherab. In the past, Meherab made sure that
nobody learnt of the shady past of Mahruy (some thefts,
and perhaps worst), but kept the evidences. Now, Mahruy
is an important pawn in the game of Meherab against
Hutan. He has to ‘discover’ the smuggling activities of
Hutan. This role does not really please him, he fears indeed
that it could put light on his own activities of diverting taxes
to his own profit or illegally seizing merchandises.
The Hevazât: The Horse Guards are commanded by
Paêshatah. This awesome Clyan horseman is 34 years old,
tall (1.78 (5’10’’)), with short jet-black hair and dark eyes.
He made a career in the Horse Guards only to seek
revenge. His father was killed during the rebellion of
Ashtad, the Arshan of Pelepelplû whom he served, by an
important member of the suite of the Rashaja. Friends of
his father told him that it was by treachery, unfortunately,
they do not know the name of the murderer. Now
Paêshatah has a feud with this unknown man. After
investigations and eliminations, he suspects Karan or
Paktan. As soon as he is sure, he will not hesitate to
challenge the murderer of his father and kill him.
The Karsnaj: The commander of the Sacred Square is
Ferozgar. He is 42 years old. His short size, large chest and
strong harm makes him a formidable wrestler. He likes to
challenge the junior officers of the Sacred Square, and,
strangely, always wins. Ferozgar is from a very old Vaysha
66
family of Chajapûn (they claim to be of direct Amesh
descent). The direct forefather of Ferozgar was a hero of
the Artaxshâsan wars. He fled to Anarikê and formed the
Chyan Legion, a group of Chyans who fought with
Lôkhuzôr and were renowned for their special cruelty,
seeing evidences of evil in the most innocent practices and
killing a lot of ‘worshippers’ of the Darkness. He and his
followers were the first to resettle the Chajapûn refounded
by Vihnu. Ferozgar, perhaps by family tradition, suspects
Khosrô to be under evil influence (Karan, the Bow-bearer)
and is, ironically, an active member of the True Followers.
If ever he learnt the truth about them, his reaction would
be terrible.
The Chief of the Militia: The Militia is commanded
by Zarir, a former Vaysha of the Three. He is 31 years old,
a strong and vigorous man, the skin tanned by the sun. He
is not from Chajapûn, but from the upper Denûly vale. He
was sent to the capital by his father, a poor Vaysha, to learn
from the Court and perhaps to obtain favours from the
Rashaja. Soon after his arrival, he was elected as Vaysha of
the Three, certainly because, as a stranger, he made the
unanimity among the rival factions. Recently, attacks of
Vaagathâ plunderers have been more frequent against
isolated farms and villages of the upper Denûly. His young
brother, has sent him a messenger to inform him of this and
of the death of their father in a skirmish against the
plunderers. Zarir has to do something for his people and
his brother, the problem is that the main activity and source
of income of this impoverished Vaysha family is smuggling
with Vaag and they cannot ask for official help. A group of
mercenaries should be welcome.
The Representative of the Town Councils of
Chajapûn: Meherab is 49 years old, has pepper-and-salt
hair, green eyes and an exceedingly pale complexion and
skin. His son, Khudayad, is the Master of the Markets.
Meherab is the head of a very rich and influential Vata
family of Chajapûn that has a long tradition of competition
with the family of Hutan, the Master of the Pleasures of the
Apatân and the Great Captain of the Bargemen. This
master plotter has tentacular relations in the town and uses
them for his numerous plots. He now tries to discredit
Hutan by mounting a scheme of smuggling goods from
Samarth. In the future, in 1647, perhaps loosing his usual
cold blood and cautiousness, he will lead a revolt of the
town against the young Khosrô.
For more details about Meherab and his future actions,
see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3.
The Varna of the Three: Hoshang, the Otôva of
Hitâspa, is 61 years old, bended and with a quavering
voice, but has still all his head and wits. He is now very
concerned by a recent theft in the Old Temple. Officially
some pieces of art have been stolen, but actually someone
broke into the Secret Library. This library is a collection of
manuscripts and scrolls saved from the flames by the priests
of Hitâspa after the Great Siege. They have been kept
secret, only the highest members of the cult knowing of the
library and being allowed to consult it. They do not really
know what have been stolen (or even if something has
actually been stolen) as there is no inventory. Hoshang
fears it was something important, perhaps dangerous
(many of the Artaxshâsan parchments have been sealed in
tubes and never opened since) but he can say nothing as
these scrolls have been kept illegally by the priests of
Hitâspa.
The Vata of the Three: After years of schemes and
bribes, Balash has, at last, managed to reach the highest
position for a Vata of Chajapûn. But this ambitious
embroiderer will not stop there, he now plans to take the
place of Sahi at the head of the Craftsmen. Balash is 57 years
old, bald-headed and with dark penetrating eyes.
The Vaysha of the Three: Sarush is 41 years old.
Although physically a remarkable sample of Chyan
warriors, he is rather pedantic and stupid. In fact, his first
spouse, Farida (see below), rules behind him and does what
she wants of him.
5.2.7.2 Members of the Farokmads
The Great Captain of the Bargemen: Hutan, who
is also the Master of the Pleasures at the Apatân, has
‘inherited’ the function of Great Captain of the Bargemen
at the sudden death of his eldest brother. Needless to say
that gossips are numerous about that, but the most
probable reason is a huge fortune and relations. His family
is traditionally opposed to that of Meherab for the title of
the richest and most influential Vata of the town. Recently,
Hutan has caught a spy of Meherab among his closest
servants and fears a bad trick of his old enemy. He has
decided to definitively get rid of Meherab and looks for a
good opportunity to poison or ‘accident’ him.
For more details about Hutan, see #3004-1 Chyan
Empire : The People, section 8.3.7.
The Old Craftsman: Sahi is 46 years old, with dark
hair (always cut very short) and a pale round face, dotted
with small scars (a cruel reminder of a disease of his youth).
He is a very competent leatherworker, owing several
tanning workshops and a shop of fine leather works. When
cleaning out the ditch next to his main workshop, his
workers have recently found an old Sohrab, incredibly well
preserved in the mud. Sahi took it, ignoring its true nature.
It was first used, and especially wrought for that by Khanîm

smiths, by the priests of the Green Temple, built under the
Golden Rule of Sakal an-Khâr, for the inaugural human
sacrifices and after served for decade in the temple. The
Sohrab has been lost during the troubles that accompanied
the fall of the Golden Rule of Sakal an-Khâr, perhaps
thrown in the marshes by a priest. The dagger is blood
thirsty and was perhaps responsible of the unusual number
of murders committed in this part of the docks and harbour
district. Sahi now suffers terrible nightmares of bloody
murders and it is not long before he will himself walk in his
sleep to commit appalling murders and will be known as
the Black Leech.
The Master of the Markets: Khudayad has been
elected at this position thanks to the influence and gold of
his father Meherab. He is 28 years old (with green eyes and
an incipient baldness), a very young age for such an
important position, which has made him some enemies,
evidently suspecting that he has not been fairly elected. But
bet that his intelligence would allow him to survive his
enemies. He has not the patience and his father’s taste for
subtle schemes. He dreams of an independent Chajapûn,
ruled by the Vata, and believes that the present political
situation could allow that dream to become true. He is thus
secretly (his father does not know) member of the True
Followers. He does not really share their ideology but he
thinks to be able to use them to reach his own goals.
5.2.7.3 Priesthood
The Otôva of Asrûta: Varazdad is considered by
many priests of Asrûta as the shame of their order. He looks
and behaves more like a warrior than a priest, spending
more time in hunting and riding than in praying. He,
indeed, is from a Vaysha family of high renown, which
makes him untouchable and is certainly responsible of his
high position in the priesthood of Asrûta, in spite of his
shocking behaviour. His father was childless (or, more
exactly, sonless) and swore to offer his son to Asrûta if ever
the god gave him a son. His payer was answered and
Varazdad was thus sent to the temple to become a priest.
Varazdad is very violent and impulsive, in preach and
action. He shares most of the ideas of the Bokhtarâ, notably
about the fact that the Chyans must spread the True Faith
over the world and impose their supremacy. However, he
hates the Bokhtarâ. His only son was a convinced member
of them and was killed by the order of the Rashaja Siyavush
IV in 1635, during the Great Purge. It is difficult to say
whom he hates more from the Bokhtarâ or Siyavush and his
dynasty, and he is himself a bit confused about that.
For more details about Varazdad, see #3004-1 Chyan
Empire : The People, section 8.3.7.
67
The Otôva of Shraosha: Goraze is too young (23) to
have been a Bokhtarâ but he was easily recruited by the
True Followers. He has an open preach of strong and
indestructible support to the prince Khosrô. This allows
him to gather around him and probe potential members of
a support group of the Rashaja, and thus to discover and list
possible enemies for the True Followers. Goraze has been
recruited as a child in a small village of the Chaman,
showing very precocious gifts. He has an impressive
memory and is now extremely erudite in the lore of the
Chyan cults. This quickly propelled him at the head of his
temple. He is 1.57 m (5’2’’) tall, with brown eyes and a
very pale (almost translucent) skin. He is actually very
sensitive to the sunlight and usually avoids direct exposure
and stays in the darkest rooms of the temple. His priests
and the worshippers have strange feeling about that, as the
greeting of the sun, dispeller of darkness and symbol of
Asrûta, is usually considered as a basic act of faith by the
Chyans.
5.2.7.4 Others
The Sarân: Apart from being the chief commander of
the Chyan Host, Paktan is also the Master of the True
Followers of Chajapûn (or more precisely acts as that,
under the discreet command of Huchithra). He is an early
member of the Bokhtarâ, personally convinced and
befriended by Ardvan. He survived the Great Purge and
when Huchithra contacted him, he easily joined the True
Followers. His personal goal is to achieve the dreams of
Ardvan, but also to avenge his friends slaughtered by the
Rashaja. His mission is to watch the Apatân, finding
possible enemies (and perhaps get rid of them if they reveal
dangerous) or sympathizers. If events require the summon
of the Imperial Host, he will also make sure that the army
will not turn against the interests of the True Followers
and, why not, support them.
For more details about Paktan, see #3004-1 Chyan
Empire : The People, section 8.3.7.
5.2.8 Around Chajapûn
5.2.8.1 The Chaman
The Chaman is the wide fluvial plain of the rivers
Acaadôky and Denûly. It is characterised by large fields of
wheat, dotted with small hamlets and isolated farms. The
main villages are concentrated along the river banks and
usually command the ferries, as there are no bridges over
the Acaadôky and Denûly, except those of Chajapûn.
Another important feature are the huge marshes around
Chajapûn.
68
The Acaadôky Marshes
They spread on the south of the Acaadôky, down to the
area of Ahvâz, where the banks of the Acaadôky become
hillier and the river engages in a series of falls between
Ahvâz and Thrizafan. They are a succession of mires and
ponds, lost in a sea of high reeds. It is a paradise for insects
and birds. The marshes are usually avoided by the people
living on their surroundings, but for rare courageous men,
specialised in fowling and dangerously making a living in
trapping rare birds. With time, most of these marshes have
been dried and the land reclaimed for agriculture. Except
in the east and directly south of Chajapûn, where they still
have some of their ancient might, the Acaadôky Marshes
are today no more than a thin ribbon of wetland covered
with reeds, running along the river.
The Vanishing Forest
This marsh stretches between the Acaadôky and the
Denûly, north-east of Chajapûn and is the larger in the
area. The Vanishing Forest distinguishes itself from the
other marshes of the Chaman by being forest marsh. Many
huge and ghostly marsh trees, covered with tufts of lichens
give a rather fantastic look to the marsh. This is reinforced
by the mist that has a strong tendency to linger there in
large patches far later in the day than in the other marshes
and to reappear quite earlier in the evening. Legends of
people lost in the marshes and condemned to find their
path forever and strange creatures abound, as scary as those
about the Black Field Marsh. Saervas is sometime believed
to dwell in the marshes (at least each time an epidemic hit
the area). Some loremasters can also tell tales about the
Tomb of Nevazar, supposedly located in the marshes and
protected, in some versions by the ghosts of warriors who
had pledged him eternal allegiance or, in other versions, by
unnamed creatures of the mires, summoned by his dark
priests.
The Black Field Marsh
This marsh is relatively recent, it appeared after the
great plague in SA 3015 and the terrible flood that
followed.
During this flood almost all the Chaman was covered
with waters, transforming it into an inland sea for several
weeks. When the waters dispersed, some stayed longer
between Chajapûn and Baljana, along the west bank of the
Denûly. First people thought they will disappear with the
coming of summer, but they remained and are now known
as the Black Field Marsh.
It owes its ominous name to the battle of Four Armies
that took place there three years before the flood. Its
terrifying reputation, and the no less scary tales that
support it, come from the corpses, rusted weapons and
rotted standards of the fallen warriors exhumed by the
waters and that are said to be still there, conserved in an
ever-putrefying state, either by a trick of nature or by some
devilry.
Abadi
Abadi (Ch. Prosperity) is a small village of farmers and
fishers on the eastern bank of the Acaadôky. Its name
would certainly be as quickly forgotten by travellers as
those of the other insignificant villages of the area if it were
not the place of a famous temple of Anahita. The temple is
the site of important festivals in honour of the goddess of
fertility performed by crowd of people coming from all
over the Chaman.
People are coming from even farther in the Chyan lands
to prey the powerful and merciful Anahita of Abadi, the
place being an important pilgrimage site for any man
desperate to have sons. The more important festival is at
the end of winter, when the farmers are coming to ask for
good weather and good harvest.
The autumn festival is meant to thank the goddess for
the plentiful crops. It is less frequented than the end of
winter festival, perhaps the people are more eager to ask
for favours than to thank. However, the farmers of the
surroundings usually take advantage of the autumn festival
to perform the ceremony of the Gift of Name, for the
children born during the summer and that are symbolically
offered to the goddess, often by giving them a name
derived from Anahita (See Section 0).
“The legend says that when the Chyans arrived in this land, their
beasts started to die because of the malice of Xsathra and the demons of
the marshes. The Chyans were starving and one day, Haxâmanish
isolated himself on the riverbank to pray the True God to save His people.
Then the daughter of Asrûta, Anahita, emerging from the morning mist,
appeared to the king and gave him an ear of wheat, telling him how to
sow the seeds and harvest the grains to make food. Haxâmanish did as
the goddess told, and in few days the seeds germinated and grew and
ripened by the blessing of Anahita.
And the Chyans made gruel and bred, and its was plentiful. Later, a
temple dedicated to Anahita was built at the very place where the goddess
appeared. So says the legends. It is likely that they keep the memory of
the encounter with peaceful Múranian farmers in the Chaman who
taught the art of farming to the still nomadic and quite barbaric Chyans.”
From “Parma Soronorion: An account of journeys
in southern Endor”, by Soronto

Zarinûsha
Zarinûsha (Ch. Golden morning light) is a small city at
the junction of the rivers Pelplû and Denûly that lives
mainly of agriculture and trade. It was founded as a military
outpost by Baljana to watch the aggressive Chajapûn during
the time of the City States. Originally a dependence of
Baljana it was added to the territory of Chajapûn only in SA
3056, after the destruction of Baljana and a short time of
independence for Zarinûsha.
It was with the founding of the Everlasting Sun Empire
that Zarinûsha rose from an insignificant farming
settlement dominated by a ruined fortress to become a
thriving small city. Only 60 kilometres (40 miles) from
Chajapûn, where the Wind Road coming from the Chy
Gap meets the Rashaja’s Road from Pelepelplû and
commanding a ferry crossing the Pelplû River, Zarinûsha
is a natural stop and resting place for travellers and
merchants and takes all the advantages of it. Many inns and
taverns, a large and well equipped Mihmân Khâmah offer
all the commodities and the waiting for the ferry is the
occasion of a colourful and animated improvised market.
5.2.8.2 The Bulchyades Marches
The population of Dashtâraz is concentrated on the
Delkhush Hills (Ch. Pleasant Hills), around the fortress of
Anaoshak (Ch. Immortal) and the village of the same name
that serves as the capital of Dashtâraz, and along the valley
of the Ardvisura (Ch. Brilliant Waters) river. The
Khoshkaraz has little population and stays a wild country.
Anaoshak
The old and mighty fortress of Anaoshak seems a bit out
of place in the peaceful and quiet Delkhush Hills, in the
core of the Chyan Empire and far from any route of
invasion. It has not always been so, and at the time of its
building, during the Wars of the City-states, the fortress
was in the first line against the powerful cities of the
Bulchyades.
The stronghold has often been destroyed, but always
restored at the first signs of troubles in the Empire, to
watch the Bulchyades, always quick to reclaim their
independence or to find protection by the neighbouring
Anarikê. The old fortress is now the home of Govad, the
Lord of the Marches and is surrounded by few houses,
forming a small village that claims the pompous title of
capital of the Province of Bulchyades Marches.
Anaoshak is a calm place, almost sleepy, troubled only
by, say the old wives, the ghosts in the castle, supposedly
of the victims of Dravasp the Cruel who trapped, tortured
69
and killed many travellers when he was Lord of the
Marches, in the late Second Age.
The Tower of Paband
The tower of Paband (Ch. Secured) rises on a hilltop,
not far from Anaoshak. It is, with Puran, the only remain
of importance of the line of towers once built along the
border to watch the independent Bulchyades. The tower is
garrisoned by three soldiers of Govad who enjoy a quite
lazy life representing the imperial authority in this
backwater.
The peaceful life of the rare farmers of the surrounding
has recently be troubled by strange events. Farm beasts
have started to disappear some weeks ago and recently, a
gruesome discovery has been made: a sheep torn in two.
People are starting to speak of terrible creatures, perhaps
Sheroqabâ from the far away mountains. The old
Khudaram, half crazy, half drunk, even pretends to have
surprised two giants, arguing over the sheep and who have
fled because of his courage and the noise he made.
More reasonable people speak of a band of trolls that
may have come from the Divârayan Mountains foothills. It
is possible, but the area is usually considered as troll free,
and nobody there has ever seen one and the countryfolk
should even have difficulties to recognise one if ever they
had the bad luck to meet a troll.
The Tower of Puran
Puran (Ch. Of red colour) is an old sandstone tower,
the easternmost sister of Paband, standing at the top of a
hill overlooking the Forest of Arnaz. Contrary to Paband,
this tower has been shut for ages and is now completely
abandoned. The tower itself is still in good shape, but the
earthwork surrounding it is invaded by trees, brambles and
nettles. Actually, the tower is not completely forsaken, a
band of bandits has found a new usage for it.
They usually ‘work’ in the Divârayan Mountains
foothills, a bit more to the south-east, where the mines of
Bulchyades are located, and are living on attacking isolated
miners or, more rarely as it is riskier, the supply convoys,
bringing food, equipments and their pays to the miners.
The bandits have, by chance, discovered the entrance of a
secret tunnel, leading from the tower to the nearby forest
and built to organise rear attacks in case of siege (or to
escape unknown).
They are using the tower as a withdrawal camp to hide
if they are too closely pursued. A supply of dry food and
wine, as well as diverse equipment and a part of their booty
is kept in the tower.
70

5.2.8.3 The Southern Lódenûly of both. The building of bricks looks more
like a private house than a real palace.
Nazban
2. The Lonely Rider: This is a medium inn, with
The tower of Nazban (Ch. Protector of gracefulness) is comfortable rooms. The food, if not at the
built upon the very spring of the Acaadôky, that fills a pool highest standard, is nevertheless filling.
at the foot of the tower, and watches the start of the
3. Market Place: A large esplanade of cobbles
climbing path to the Rocky Pass and the Aca Lands. The
where a market is held twice a week. It was
tower was built long ago to protect the Chyans from the
there that the Aca warriors gathered before
ever-menacing Aca. Now, the fortress is kept only by a
to go to war for the Chyans. The habit is kept
handful of soldiers under the command of Geraming.
for family men to gather there to discuss
Geraming is more a courtier than a real soldier and
important matters or when a danger menaces
considers his appointment to Nazban as a punishment and
the town.
exile.
4. On the Road: This inn, outside ‘the walls’, is
He gets bored there, far from the life of Chajapûn. He
the usual stop for travellers. Cheap rooms
kills the time by being especially fussy with the rare
and basic food, but almost the certainty to
travellers on the Rocky Pass and stops them for hours to
find other travellers to chat with (at least in
check every detail, from their identity to every piece of
season).
what they are carrying. The worst error to make then is to
pretend coming from Chajapûn or another large city of the 5. Temple of Asrûta: It is a small and simple
Empire, unless you are attracted by the idea of an building, as old of the town. It is said that it
‘invitation’ to supper with Geraming and thousand of has not always been dedicated to Asrûta but
questions about the last development of month-old gossips. was in the early time used to worship some
strange Aca gods.
The Rocky Pass
Shajidad
It is actually a succession of passes and steep paths rising
and winding progressively from the Acaadôky valley to the It is a small town of the bank of the Abanâsard (Ch.
Aca Lands. The lower part of the pass, on the Chyan side, Cold waters), just at its junction with the Spitamarod (Ch.
is somewhat patrolled by the soldiers of Geraming and are White river).
more or less safe, at least during the day. The Aca side is
The Abanâsard and the Spitamarod are intermittent
far more dangerous, being in the middle of the territory of
rivers running from the Divârayan Mountains and flowing
the Garbark-Lûsh Orcs (see Section 6.2.1).
with something else than just a thin trickle of muddy water
only when the snow is melting. Shajidad (Ch. Created by
Acadeh
the king) was created by Aspacanah I to settle refugees
The small town of Acadeh (Ch. Village of the Aca), on from Jabâya and the Divârayan Mountains after the
the bank of the Acaadôky, was originally an Aca camp, at conquest of Ren the Unclean, in SA 2927.
the time of the alliance between the Chyans and the Aca in
More than a charitable action, it was above all a good
the Second Age. Many such settlements were then created
opportunity to colonise this inhabited part of the empire.
to house the Aca warriors serving the Chyans and their
The town, in the middle of nowhere, is not especially
families. Acadeh was the most important one and has
attractive and is vegetating.
reached the size of a small town. Because of its origin and
the laws applying to such camps, the town has no walls. 1. The Khashâyâr Avenue: A large tree-lined
street whose main feature is its almost
Many people living there are from Aca descent, even if
permanent emptiness.
none of them will admit it, often in absolute honesty.
2. The Palace: The house of the Arshan, built with
1. Arshan House: As usual in this part of the
the same optimism than the Temple of
Chyan Empire, the Arshan of Acadeh is
Asrûta, when it was still believed that the
appointed by the Rashaja and the charge is
town could become an important city of the
not hereditary. In consequence there is no
Empire.
Shapan and the Arshan assumes the functions
 71

3. The Suncrown: The only inn of the town was story is told in the long epic Arshanâgâthâ, the Songs of the
first built by a refugee from Jabâya (hence the Heroes.
name) whom the present owner claims to be
a direct descendant of. At least specialities Dukhâzadan
from these mountains are still cooked there This old and ruined castle that gloomily command the
(with some local ‘improvements’) even if the Abanâsard valley seems to have ever been there, at least as
usual customers are more coming to have a far as the people remember.
drink and a good story after a hard week of
work than to enjoy the food. It has ill reputation and the rare travellers usually avoid
it. Although now deserted, it has often been used by
4. Temple of Asrûta: An impressive building for bandits, marauding Orcs or rebel Vaysha as lair or
such a small and isolated town. It was built makeshift fortress. But despite these good reasons for
under the direct order of Aspacanah I, to shunning it, it is more the strange structure of the building
bring good luck to his foundation. that makes the local Chyan uneasy. It definitively does not
5. Town Square: It is a not so large square in the look like a Chyan fortress.
middle of the town, with a statue of The stone are well cut and so well polished that in their
Aspacanah I, the founder of Shajidad. It prime they would have shined like a mirror. They all have
serves as market place, once a week (but the same size and are perfectly adjusted. The walls are high
fresh vegetables can be found every day in but seem thin and the round towers are an oddity in the
some small shops around the square or in Chyan Lands. Although old and invaded by brambles and
nearby streets). ivy, it still looks strong.
The Forest of Arnaz Most of the towers are still standing and the walls are
only partially breached. Once inside, there is a unpleasant
The Forest of Arnaz is situated in the foothills of the
and oppressive atmosphere, although it is hardly possible
Divârayan Mountains, near the spring of the Acaadôky and
to say what causes it. Forgotten to all, this was the fortress
the Rocky Pass that leads to Acaana. It is a large and open
of Khôzagar, the Dark Warlord, and was built by
forest of cedar trees and pines, very dry because of its
Tahmarda masons.
situation high in the Chyan savannah and tucked in the
mountains. Khôzagar (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People,
section 8.2.3) was a Dark Ordainer and servant of the
But the woods are nevertheless blessed by several little
Shadow.
streams flowing down from the mountains and bringing
some freshness to the undergrowth. In spring and summer, The fortress was stormed by the army of the Bulchyades
the ground is covered by myriads of lovely and perfumed Marches in SA 3289 but was not entirely dismantled and
flowers whose scents can be smelt far from the forest, even many of the Dark Warlord secrets may still stay hidden in
before to see the first eaves. the Dukhâzadan (a Chyan deformation of a long lost
Tahmard name).
The Chyans, who do not especially appreciate the deep
woods and prefer the wide and unbounded plains have
nevertheless fell under the charm of these woods as
evidenced by its Chyan name, which means approximately
Purely Graceful. The forest appears in many tales and
pieces of poetry as the home of divine spirits and fairies. It
is notably there that the famous poet Haithyâvarshta have
situated the place of the exile of Puyende (Ch. Swift), the
Queen of the Safîdaspâ, after she had been chased from his
homeland by Huzvak (Ch. Good Speaker), the ruthless and
cunning king of the Sheroqabâ.
And it is there that she met the hero Gushnasp (Ch.
Possessing a stallion) who liberated her from her prison and
helped her to regain her land and free her people. This
72
Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)
5.3 Jorash
Jorash, the Jewel of Bulchyades, is the capital and
largest city of the Confederation of Bulchyades and the
eternal rival of Samarth for trade and refined way of life.
5.3.1 History
Jorash had not been built originally by the Chyans, but
by the Múranians. Founded in SA 484 as a small fishing
village by Múranians and Elinse from Olyas Kriis, Jorash
soon faced the invasion danger two centuries later with the
coming of the Chyans. Nearly all Múranians of the
Bulchyades were soon defeated by the Bulchya Tabâr
armies, except in Jorash, which resisted two years before
surrendering to the invaders. During the City-States Wars,
the city remained under sovereignty of Samarth, and then
freed herself some few decades before the first Aca
invasion. It was among the citizens of Jorash that the idea
of a Chyan united empire was seen as a nonsense, as it
would break the independence of the Bulchyades. This is
why they once again resisted against the united Chyan
empire, before surrendering in 899. As a result, the city
was imposed a foreign Arshan, not native from Jorash, but
coming from Chajapûn, a follower of the Rashaja. This
particular status remained valid for more than five decades.
After, the power to rule the town was given back to local
Arshan. The city became by the middle of Second Age the
most important city of the coast, after Samarth.
At the same moment of the establishment of their first
settlements in Olyas Kriis, that would later been known as
the colony of Soronórë, Tahmarda started to settle in
Jorash. They asked for privileged, such as tax exemption
and the right to be ruled following their own laws, that
were easily granted by the Arshanâ who saw in the coming
of these highly knowledgeable and skilled people a source
of many advantages for the town. This Tahmarda influence
grew stronger at the end of the Third Age when the
Bulchyades became a protectorate of Anarikê. One thing
that the historians are willing to forget is that Jorash had
been the birth place of the Artaxshâsan family, and that
they seized power after a failed Vulmaw attempt of
Bulchyades conquest. The citizens of Jorash were among
the first in 2034 to recognise Artaxshâsa as the Rashaja of
the Chyan Empire. This was the work of Nevazar, who
went to Jorash and became the closest councillor of the
Artaxshâsa. It is also told that Artaxshâsa was a distant
descendant of Cishpi II, but this story may have been made
up to justify the Artaxshâsan accession to the Chyan throne.
After the burning of Samarth in 2295, followed the
siege of Jorash, which lasted for three months. There died
three sons of the Rashaja Azarnuzeth, but before
surrendering, all citizens were put to death, and the city
burnt again before being captured by the forces of Vihnu.
Mysteriously, Nevazar died the same day. This was
probably made as an honour to Nevazar, that all the
children of Jorash accompany their master into death.
Whatever the reason, this horrified Vihnu’s and

Lôkhuzôr’s armies, who tried to save as much lives as
possible. The rebuilding of the city started a few years
later, in 2298. Because of the Tahmarda and Vulmaw
interests in Jorash (an important trading centre), Jorash
replaced Kantilya as the new capital of the Confederation
of Bulchyades, by direct order of Rashaja Vihnu Taronish
in 2320.
The importance of Jorash grew more and more during
the Vihnahan dynasty. Some Rashajâ, like Cishpi III,
Aspacanah I or Shônagân chose this city as their summer
residence (while keeping Chajapûn or Pelepelplû as the
first capital), and ordered the building of a Palace as
important as in Pelepelplû and Chajapûn. During the
Golden rule of Sakal an-Khâr, the city tried to revolt, with
no success, and suffered several important destructions in
the old city and in the port. With the liberation of the
Bulchyades and all the Chyan Empire in 3224, Cishpi, the
Arshan of Jorash decided to negotiate trade treaties and
political alliance with Anarikê, ruled by Abarzagar the
Virtuous, the new governor of Anarikê, descendant of both
Lôkhuzôr and Phursânuzîr. He did that to secure peace and
safety for the Confederation of Bulchyades and did not
wait, or even ask, the approval of Aspacanah III, the puppet
Rashaja of Pelepelplû. Aspacanah III was the last
descendant of the Vihnahan dynasty, nominated Rashaja by
the ambassador of Sakal an-Khâr in Pelepelplû. Aspacanah
III tried with no success to unify his empire under his name,
but no one wanted of him and his Khanîm or Chey
mercenaries, for he represented oppression and cruelty of
the Dark Ordainers regime. Aspacanah III died twelve
years later, and with him the Chyan unity was over for
several centuries.
Thanks to Cishpi, the Confederation of Bulchyades has
been placed into the sphere of protection of Anarikê,
enjoying peace for several centuries and dreaming of a
Chyan reunification which would happen in the beginning
of Third Age, by the hand of Ganagan, the Lord of
Chajapûn and Jorash, a descendant of Cishpi. The city once
again became the summer residence of the Rashajâ and an
important trade centre with the East. Nothing dangerous
happened to the city, until the Great Plague of TA 1635,
where many citizens died from illness and from an terrible
the sea storm that devastated the city. Jorash however
survived to the disaster, and welcomed the last heir of the
Jahangir dynasty, Khosrô the Dispossessed, fleeing
Dadfiruz, the usurper ruling in Chajapûn. Once again, the
rich country of the Bulchyades resisted to the assaults of its
enemies, with the help of Anarikê and Sakal an-Khâr,
whose kings did not want the Dadfiruzan plague to extend
to all the Chyan lands. A little less than a century was
however necessary to reduce the Dadfiruzan and to repel
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their allies, the Chey mercenaries, out of the Chyan
Empire. In 1727, the newly crowned Tudhaliya of the
Phaxsharâ dynasty, recognised to Jorash a special status,
similar to the one given to Samarth by Vihnu. Thriving
during the rich hours of the Chyan Empire under the
Phaxsharâ dynasty and surviving the wars and destructions
of the end of the Third, Jorash will join the other cities of
the Bulchyades in the restoration of the Confederation
early in the Fourth Age, disputing the siege of the Council
to Samarth.
5.3.2 The Town and its Territory
Jorash is built at the mouth of the river Saêná, a river
that carries few waters during the dry season and easily
overflows during the rain season. Jorash is the second
important step of the Flower’s Road, a road that runs along
the Bulchyades coasts, before to head towards Anarikê.
There are to the west some low hills called the Anahiturud
Hills (Ch. Benediction of Anahita) as these hills are the
most fertile of all the Bulchyades lands and produce an
outstanding wine (fiercely competing with the wines of the
Parvin Hills for the title of “best of the Bulchyades”). There
are in these hills many small and well tended villages of
farmers and wine growers.
Very often, the priestesses of Jorash go to the
Anahiturud Hills to appease the spirits of the dead who
were killed during the horrible night of Jorash’s Fall, at the
end of the Artaxshâsan rule. To the east, there are small
woods and groves, which are nicknamed by the locals the
Nekbakht Woods (Ch. Good Fortune). Some legends tell
that those who searched refuge in the forests were
protected by the spirits of the forest and those poor who
wanted to live better-found treasures. Some others tell that
Susanâparâ (Ch. Fairies of the trees) or some kind of some
human-like creatures elected to live in this area, but
nobody has ever seen them. Some inhabitants claim that
they have seen these creatures or fabulous animals, such as
Safîdaspâ or even Shidasp the white horse of Hitâspa.
The climate of the town is rather warm, even in winter,
and can be very hot in summer. The wind from the sea is
called, as in the all the Chyan coast, the benediction of
Uzdâva as it mellows the summer heat.
5.3.3 Town Life
Jorash, like all cities of the Bulchyades save Samarth, is
a town where the Tahmarda influence is very deep. This is
very understandable as Jorash was freed from the
Artaxshâsan rule by the armies of Lôkhuzôr in SA 2298,
and because of the rather numerous periods of Tahmarda
protectorate or domination. This explains an intense trade
74
exchange (especially in Jorash, Kandalar, Abâr-Narîk and
Ishtya) between Anarikanî and Chyan merchants. Jorash,
called the Jewel of Bulchyades by its inhabitants, is truly
unique, as the architects managed to aesthetically combine
the Múranian and Tahmarda architecture with their own.
Thus, can be seen on all the city many towers or long
houses, built not with raw bricks like in Harshandatt, but
with marble, limestone, and a white brilliant stone that is
extracted in the quarries near Kantilya. There are as well
columns, statues of the Rashajâ near houses. These are
usually Vaysha or Vata houses. They have two to five
floors, a inner yard or garden (including a kitchen) and a
flat wooden roof. Garden are very common, except of
course in the very poor quarters. There are still houses of
pure Múranian style, but the authorities of Jorash try to
destroy these buildings and replace them with larger ones,
with gardens. The streets are made of huge, smooth, well
fit stones. The streets of the poor districts are narrow,
dangerous, especially after nightfall. Many streets slope
slightly towards the Bay of Jorash. Sewer (another proof of
Tahmarda presence or influence) grates and drains spaced
among the streets catch rain water and waste, washing it
out to the bay through the sewer.
Just like in all the Chyan cities, it is very badly
considered to carry weapons in town (the best way to be
annoyed by the garrison patrols and to be seen as thugs by
the population), except the symbolic Sohrab carried openly
by every Vaysha as a sign of social status. The only to escape
this unsaid rule are the ambassadors of distant friend
countries, the most important Vaysha and Vata families,
their private militia and, of course, the garrison patrol.
People of Jorash are very religious, but not in the same
way than in the conservative Baljana. They are tolerant to
other faiths, except those openly blasphemous (just like the
Múranian faith). This is why there are Lynîr and Vulmaw
temples in the city. On this statement, they actively oppose
with the citizens of Samarth. Asrûta, the True God, is the
principal god worshipped here. Moreover, the town is
under the protection of Uzdâva, Anahita and Ameretat, but
the inhabitants have a special consideration for Ajmô and
Fravâd.
Jorash owns its celebrity not only for its long resistance
against invaders (just like against the Vulmaw and Sakal an-
Khâr who several times sacked the city), but also for its
particular religious ceremonies, inherited by the Múranian
early traditions. The people of Jorash celebrate, as in all the
Empire the Revival Days. The Anahita days are usually
celebrated on the last week of Kordhâd month, for the
“resurrection” of the vegetation and the defeat of winter
(or the victory of Anahita on Angra Manya, the Dark
Enemy). The most important festival is dedicated to
Fravâd, Ameretat and Anahita, it is the day and night of
Mavhelhat. The first feast was held five years after the
burning of Jorash by the Artaxshâsan mercenaries, in order
to commemorate the rebuilding of the city, to maintain the
memory of the dead. This is now considered as a
commemoration of life. Other important festivals are
dedicated to Uzdâva and Ajmô. A special festival is
dedicated to these gods at the beginning of the summer for
the start of a new trading season.
5.3.4 Organisation
5.3.4.1 The Arshan and the Council
The Vaysha families have still a great influence on the
city, the better proof being that a hereditary Arshan still
rules the city. The only concession to the fear of a future
Nevazar is that the Arshan is now, since SA 2300, assisted
by a council of nine members. The Arshan position is in
theory hereditary, though the Rashaja has the power to
dismiss the Arshan and replace him by another. This
happened only on a few occasions during history, on
request of all members of the Council to the Rashaja. The
members of the Council are elected in the wealthiest
families (Vaysha, Varna and Vata). Three of them are
directly chosen by the Arshan, three others by the Rashaja
representative (on many occasions the Arshan himself), and
the last three are elected by the wealthiest families
themselves. They are elected for a period of five years, and
can be elected no more than five times during their life.
The Varna families restrict themselves in religious matters,
following the old Chyan traditions.
As Jorash is mainly a trading city, it is not rare to have
a majority of Vata members, though Vaysha and Varna are
also represented. The members of the Council have mainly
a duty of advice the Arshan. A Council member can be
dismissed at any moment by the Arshan. In theory, the
Council has the right to acknowledge or refuse the Arshan’s
decision, but in practice they rarely actively oppose the
Arshan. The Otôvâ of the most important Chyan cults in
Jorash, especially Asrûta, Anahita, Ameretat and Uzdâva,
usually seat at the Council. But even if not members of the
Council, the priests have traditionally an important
influence on all the matters and their advices are usually
followed.
5.3.4.2 Military Forces
The Guards are under the Erexshâ command (usually a
member of the Arshan family or one of the nine members
of the council) and are garrisoned in the citadel and the
other towers of the town. The Erexshâ is directly placed
under the Arshan command. The Guards patrol very often

in the city, and are present in the walls, and also especially
in the port and the Old City (also called the High City).
The Guards is a professional militia mainly composed of
young and poor men of Jorash and the immediate
surroundings. Their training is usually weak and the only
task they can really fulfil is to ensure the police inside the
town. The high officers come from the local nobility or are
sons of established citizens of Jorash. The main task of the
Guards is to check every arriving ship and collect the
harbour taxes and to check every newcomer wanting to
enter the gates and to levy custom taxes. The taxes go for
2/3 to the Town Council Treasure, the remain going to
the Rashaja. The Vaysha families have also their own
militia, usually made up of members of their own families
or depending poor men or owning them money. They are
usually well trained and equipped (with heavy cuirass, large
shields and spears), as it is a matter of pride for the Vaysha
to have the best looking and efficient soldiers. In time of
peace, these small units have no other use than to parade in
the streets or to ostensibly train in the public squares. At
war, they form the military contingent that the Arshan of
Jorash has to send to the Imperial Host.
Jorash is the second most important harbour of the
Chyan coast, after Samarth. An important part of the
plethoric Chyan navy is anchored in the Bay of Squids.
Since the time of Vihnu Taronish, Anarikê owns the right
to keep a squadron in Lôkhuzôr Sea Arm (named in honour
of the governor of Anarikê as he freed the city by attacking
the Artaxshâsan garrison from here) and some Anarikanî
warships can usually be seen there. Both bays are relatively
far from the town, which causes an important traffic of
little boats between the town and the military anchorage
place to supply food and equipment or simply to allow the
mariners to spend their free time in town. When heavy
storms menace, the warships can seek the protection of the
trade docks, more sheltered. The harbour becomes them
overcrowded with ships of all kinds and the manoeuvre
difficult. The Admiral of the Docks resides in the Harbour
Tower, and is under direct command of the Arshan. He is
very often of Anarikê nationality, he has three subordinates
who respectively command the Chyan fleet of Jorash
(usually a Vaysha, and sometimes a member of the
Council), the trade docks (a Vata), the Anarikanî squadron.
Even when the Admiral of the Docks does not belong to
the Council, this important man is a private counsellor of
the Arshan.
5.3.4.3 The Foreigners
The numerous Anarikanî and Elinse traders who live in
Jorash have the tendency to regroup themselves in special
quarters of the town, though they are also known to marry
75
with Chyans or for the Elinse with Múranian and Vulmaw.
The Rashaja Khosrô the Dispossessed confirmed this right,
and decided to grant some districts of Jorash to the control
of a representative of a given country (Anarikê mainly, but
also Codya, Lynerian League, Harshandatt). They can live
according to their own laws and customs, provided they
protect their district against the propagation of fires,
maintain the High Wall and defend it in case of war.
Furthermore, the Rashaja acknowledged the right for
Anarikanî to be elected at the Council. This was already in
use (derogation given by a representative of the Rashaja),
but not written on the law.
5.3.5 Politics and Power
5.3.5.1 The Azimtabarâ
Unlike many Chyan cities, the Vaysha and Varna of
Jorash do not keep alone the upper hand on the
administration of the town, as they have to collaborate
mainly with the wealthiest Vata families and with some
wealthy Anarikanî (who have a limited citizenship, but can
enter the Council). Jorash is therefore the place of
everlasting plots and struggles between the wealthiest
families secure a seat at the Council. Open wars between
factions occurred in the past, but today the Anarikanî
influence is a moderating factor their struggles is limited to
trade competition. Being a trading city, the Farokmads
have evolved into powerful organisations in Jorash. Some
of them are now held by wealthy Anarikanî families.
5.3.5.2 The Farokmad of the Traders
This is the most important and powerful Farokmad of
the city. Everyone who wants to sell goods have to register
and pay for license at the House of Trade. The Farokmad
fixes prices, handles with concurrence problems and
delivers permits for trading. Only the wealthiest Chyan or
Anarikanî families can belong to this Farokmad. There can
be however Vulmaw or Múranian traders accepted in, but
it is because they are recommended by members of the
Farokmad, and they are not granted a full membership.
They depend on the mentor who introduced them into the
Farokmad and can be dismissed for any petty reason, which
make there situation quite precarious. Most of the
members of the Farokmad made their fortune by trading
the wine produced around Jorash, that is acknowledged
one of the best of Bulchyades. Foreign traders (not from
Jorash) can establish themselves in Jorash, but the
Farokmad impose on them a very heavy tax, from which an
important part is given to the Arshan. The Farokmad also
regroup small offshoots of the Farokmads of the Inn and
Tavern Keepers, the Skilled Shipwrights and the
76
Adventurous Mariners from Samarth. This rewards the
Farokmads from Samarth that gathered funds and helped
the rebuilding of the town after its destruction by the
Artaxshâsan. Which revealed a profitable commercial
adventure, after all.
5.3.5.3 The Farokmad of the Jewellers and the
Goldsmiths
After its wine production, Jorash is mostly known for
its jewellers and its goldsmiths, who can produce works of
a surprising beauty. The jewellers can cut precious stones,
insert gold and silver filigrees, and use their secret
techniques to make diadems, tajâ, elaborated sword guards
and necklaces. The goldsmiths produce lovely gold or
silver flatware (plates, cups, ewers), as well as special
commands (gold or silver leaves, used for the armours in
conjunction with the Farokmad of the Armourers). All the
jewellers and the goldsmiths are regrouped into a
Farokmad to protect their secrets of fabrication and to
avoid concurrence. Only Chyans and the Anarikanî can
enter into this Farokmad.
5.3.5.4 The Farokmad of the Armourers
This Farokmad was created by a wealthy Anarikanî
family a few years after the Lôkhuzôr re-conquered the
city. It soon took a great importance and many Chyans
integrated the Farokmad. The armourers produce fine
weapons, such as swords, battle axes, spears, javelins,
bows, except hammers that are sold by Dwarven traders of
the Thelór’s folk (this is a special agreement with the
Dwarves). This Farokmad furnishes all the commands in
weapons of the city, from the different militias to the
Guards. They usually sell their products in great open
markets on the docks.
5.3.5.5 Thieves
Thieves, pickpockets and shoplifters are the plague of
Jorash. The ineffective police force of the city has never
managed to wipe them out, but, fortunately, nobody has
neither ever managed to impose his rule over all of them.
The most important gang operates in the merchant and
docks district, and is lead by Rock of the Blade, a notorious
thief researched by the authorities for his innumerable
murders and his robbing operations. The other groups,
composed mainly of pickpockets and shoplifters, are active
in the common district. First there is the gang of Anjhâd, a
retired mercenary who was once in the army of Bulchyades
and now a deserter, who concentrates mainly on the
jewellers and goldsmiths’ shops. Second, the band of
Behbûd, who claims to be an illegitimate descendant of the
Arshan Ulvânad III, who concentrates on the noble houses.
The gang of Behbûd is slowly being infiltrated by agents of
the Erexshâ.
5.3.6 The Town
The city is built upon five hills. One thing quite
surprising for visitors is that not all the streets are named.
This is because there exists so many alleyways and little
streets. In fact, all the main streets are named, but
sometimes they are not clearly labelled or even have
several names. Anyone living on the street can tell you the
name of it, but finding a precise street will be for the visitor
a clear headache, as an inhabitant of the docks will not be
aware of all the streets of the Old City, for instance. There
are four important districts in the city: The Old City, the
Common District, the Poor Quarter and the Port.
5.3.6.1 The Gates
The city is surrounded by a High Wall. There are seven
high towers are three gates allowing the access to the city
and where merchants and travellers arriving into the town
are checked. Each gate has a "common name" by which it
can be referred to by all who visit the city, these are the
North, East and West Gates.
The East Gate is designed to honour the Anarikanî ally,
with the statues of two of the most important lords of
Anarikê, Lôkhuzôr and Phursânuzîr. This is the most
majestic gate of all Bulchyades and Chyan lands, made with
a double door of wrought iron (6 m wide, 4 m tall and 1/3
m thick (20’ x 13’ x 1’)). The pillars on either side of the
gate form an arch above the double door and have been
decorated with many brightly painted murals (it shows the
bravery of the Anarikanî men, commanded by Lôkhuzôr,
in retaking the city from the Artaxshâsan in one pillar, and
depicts in the second pillar an embassy led by Phursânuzîr
to the Arshan, a distant cousin of the Rashaja Kavadh II).
Trees and bushes have been planted on each sides of the
road which approaches the gate, to line the path for about
10 km (6 miles). Many blooming flowers and potted plants
in very decorative clay pots also line the "rainbow"
coloured road leading to the frontier with Anarikê.
The West Gate is designed to glorify for eternity the
Chyan Empire. The gate has a single stone door with
golden and silver incrustations (3 m wide, 4 m tall and 0.4
m thick (10’ x 13’ x 1.3’)). On the door, there are also
painted scenes of a glorious past (Vihnu and Ganagan’s
coronation as Rashaja of the Chyan Empire, religious
scenes related to Uzdâva and Ameretat, images of the
coasts of the sea and of flowers, a mythical scene with
Haxâmanish the founder of the Chyan Empire).

The North Gate, also called “the Worship Gate” by the
city’s inhabitants, allows access to the Anahiturud Hills.
The gate, a single wood and wrought iron door, measures
3 m wide, 4 m tall and 0.2 m thick (10’ x 13’ x 0.6’). There
is no image or incrustation on that door, only flowers along
the path. The pillars on either side of the gate form an arch
above the single door and have been decorated with many
brightly painted fresco and murals (religious in nature). It
is the same for a good portion of the great wall the gate is
3. The Council Palace: It is the Old Arshan
built into. Just inside the gate is an open courtyard used for
meditation and communion with the gods (open to all, but
most often used by priest and the faithful).
It is fairly large and open to the elements. In its centre
is a large fountain, surrounded by several gazebos covered
with grapes. The gazebos are in turn surrounded by several
small fish ponds and fruit trees. The entire courtyard is
dedicated to the memory of the sacred forest of Ammu Bâj
and meant to honour nature.
4. The Embassy of Anarikê: Standing in front of
5.3.6.2 The Old City and the Common District
In the centre of the town is the Old City, which, at the
top of a hill, offers a good sight on the rest of the city. The
Old City (also called the High City) is the oldest part of the
town, with the impressive fortress, the Rashaja Palace, the
Chyan temples and the Embassy of Anarikê. The
architecture of this quarter is undoubtedly reminiscent of
old Númenor, it successfully merges Chyan and Tahmard
architecture. There are as well many lovely gardens, some
of them filled with exotic trees coming from the distant
Aegan land. There are also some lovely Chyan houses,
belonging either to Vaysha or Vata families. Here live also
in lovely houses the wealthiest merchants and the close
friends of the Council. Guards patrol and observe this area
with extreme diligence. There remains on some areas the
old wall that once surrounded the Old City, where the city
was only a big village.
The common district, spreading around the Old city,
has a lighter atmosphere. It has a slightly less rich
population and the homes are of modest size but well
maintained. The people around here are generally content.
There are some small taverns, some artisan shops, some
little but lovely garden with small lakes.
1. The Arch of Khosrô: It is built in the line of the
Vihnu Square and starts the large avenue with
5. The Erexshâ Citadel: It is an impressive
the temples and the embassy houses. The
arch is decorated with scenes of battles of
Khosrô against the Usurper Dadfiruz.
2. The Black Tower: It is a black tower of bricks,
20 m (65’) high, located in the common
district, but not far away from the Old City.
77
This tower is now used as a prison, and is
feared for its lower dungeons. The security
of this tower is directly under the
responsibility of Beyren, a second of the
Erexshâ. Secret passages in the tower allow
access to the Grey Manor, to the Erexshâ
Citadel, to the Council Palace and to the
New Arshan House.
House, where the ancestors of the
Artaxshâsan once ruled. Since, the building
had been purified from the evils of the
Artaxshâsan. It is now here that the Council
of Bulchyades sieges permanently. It is
composed of fourteen members (2 from
Kandalar and Kantilya, 4 for Jorash –
including the Arshan of Jorash, and 6 others
for the smaller cities of the Bulchyades).
the High Palace, the Embassy is the second
most important building of the entire city.
This is an old great house built with grey
granite among green lawns, roofed by a large
golden dome clad with grey marble. The
dome glitters at night, giving an easy
reference for mariners and men who look at
the stars.
The house is surrounded by a lovely garden,
with refined fountains, statues of five Old
Kings of Númenor (Elros Tar-Minyatur, Tar-
Aldarion the founder of the Venturers, Tar
Minastir, Tar Atanamir and Tar Palantír), as
well as Soronto (from which the earliest
name of Anarikê, Soronórë, was derived),
Lôkhuzôr (the founder of Anarikê as a major
power on the Bay), Phursânuzîr and
Abarzagar the Virtuous, the first King of
Anarikê.
The Embassy is a copy, in a smaller scale, of
a similar Palace in Abâr-Narîk, a clear sign
that the Bulchyades, when not under the rule
of the Rashaja, is in the sphere of influence of
Anarikê.
fortress built near the High Wall, exactly the
opposite to the Grey Manor. It is the House
of the Erexshâ and of the main land military
forces of the town.
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6. The Golden House: This is the home of ambassador. He is aware of the secret passage
Reyjen, one of the most important members connecting the House to the Black Tower.
of the Council. He sells here the finest
8. The High Bridge: The most known bridge of
necklaces, rings, tajâ, diadems of the entire
the city, crossing the river Saêná in the old
city. He has at his service ten servants who
city. The bridge is surrounded by several
act as sellers and his wife and associate, who
exotic gardens that are used by the
leads the store when Reyjen is away in the
aristocracy as a meeting place. There is on
Council Palace or elsewhere, just like in the
one side the statue of Vihnu, and on the other
docks for pleasure.
side a statue of Ganagan.
7. The Grey Manor: Located near the High Wall,
9. The High Palace: Like all Rashaja residences,
the Grey Manor was once built by a Khanîm
the High Palace is very spacious and not too
traveller coming from the East, beyond
much luxurious (the Chyans recall the time
Sakal-an Khâr and Azrathâni. This Khanîm,
when they were just nomads). There are
called Sakalthôr, fall in love with the
more than one hundred rooms (and
Bulchyades, and finished his life by building
interconnecting secret passages), all affected
this lovely house, for him and his relatives.
to the Rashaja and his family and all the
When his last descendant died a few decades
servants.
ago, the House was given to the Anarikê

There are fountains, colossal statues,
paintings dedicated to the glory of life, to the
hunting, to the True God, private chapels,
reception areas for ambassadors from distant
lands. In the absence of the Rashaja, the
palace remains empty, only guarded by a
small contingent of the High Guard that has
its quarters in the palace and never goes out.
10. Loghât Namah: In this old palace are shelved
much books, innumerable parchments and
engravings. There are books on such
different as animals and plants, arts and
foreign cultures, Chyan legends and gods,
shipbuilding and exploration of the strange
islands in the utter south. The ten librarians,
who have each one their office in the Hall,
work directly under the commands of the
Master of Loghât Namah (the House of
Knowledge).
11. The Lynîr House: It is a very old house built
some few years after the fall of the
Artaxshâsan. This is the home of ambassador
Ardazar, a rather young man who was sent
there by his government to help in the
building of a strong Chyan fleet and to
negotiate trade agreements with the Chyan
Empire. His house is typically of Lynîr
architecture: simple columns outside, a
living room where the Ambassador receives
his visitors (tinted walls, plaster floor, some
ornate decorations), the dining room (the
most pretentious room of the House, with
some gold decoration, mirrors, lovely pieces
of furniture, and statues of the Lynîr gods),
the private room of the Ambassador (the
costliest furnishing and ornamented of all the
House), and a garden at the back of the
house.
In this garden are grown some rare and exotic
trees from the lands of the Lynîr and that of
the Khanîm, and even, the ambassadors says,
from the far away Lóchan Empire, where the
Vulmaw once came from.
12. The New Arshan House: It is a rather lovely
house, built to look similar to the Council
Palace. A legend tells this house was first
built after the Great Burning of SA 2298, and
that there is still on the foundations some
burnings marks, the sign that the house was
79
built on the site of an earlier building. There
is a garden around the house.
13. The Sakal an-Khâr House: It is the most
magnificent house of the Old City, with high
columns, built with a variety if beautiful
marbles and trimmed with gleaming alloys. It
is the home of ambassador Daîruzôr, an old
man whose dream is to reconstitute the old
empire of Sakal an-Khâr.
14. The Swords of Glory: This large shop offers the
finest swords and spears of the town. It is lead
by Anjhâd, a retired mercenary of the
Bulchyades army. He is not however a
specialist of armour, which are of average
quality.
15. Temple of Anahita: The people of Jorash
mostly venerate Anahita and Uzdâva. The
temple is very large, several rooms,
fountains, and everywhere vegetation, plants
coming from all the Chyan Empire and the
neighbouring regions. There is no symbol or
paintings recalling the power of Chyan
Empire but only a glorification of Fertility
and Nature.
16. Temple of Uzdâva: The Chyans of the
Bulchyades are accustomed to the sea, which
they love, and they became talented fishers
and wise traders. The temple is very large,
with several rooms, several fountains and
several paintings picturing magnificent and
detailed sea landscapes, marine animals.
17. The Tower of Khosrô: This square tower
(about 50 m high (160’)) built of limestone
and marble of different colours is the tomb of
Khosrô III the Dispossessed. The interior
walls are decorated with battle scenes
glorifying the people of the Bulchyades and
the statues of Rashaja of the Jahangir dynasty.
The tower is surrounded by three
interconnected towers (about 30 m high
(10’)) that are the tombs of Kharad III,
Hormhîd III and Khosrô IV.
18. The Tower of the Moon: A landmark in the
old city, the Tower is perhaps one of the
oldest building in the city, but certainly the
highest in the city (about 83 m (270’)). The
tower is inhabited by an old astrologist,
Uvaxshtra, who is a councillor of the Arshan
of Jorash, and who could have Elven blood.
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The tower is made of black stone, with
several balconies encircling a green dome
top. There is in the dome several telescopes,
and in the lower levels a large library, several
sumptuous rooms, and some guardrooms.
19. The Vihnu Square: This splendid square, in
front of the High Palace and the Embassy of
Anarikê, has a statue of Vihnu riding a Clyan
horse. From here starts a large avenue with
the temples first and then the other embassy
houses (The Lynîr House, The Sakal an-Khâr
domain, The Vulmaw House).
20. The Vulmaw House: It is a quite old palace,
very elegant, once belonging to an ancient
Vaysha family who was, according to
legends, allied with the Artaxshâsan. The
name of this family has since been forgotten,
but it might have a link with Nevazar.
5.3.6.3 The Poor Quarter
To the extreme North and West are the poorest
sections of the city. The homes are smaller and for the most
part falling apart. The streets are very narrow (there are no
sewers there), the buildings are still there of Múranian
style. This area is infrequently patrolled by the Guards and
has been a hot spot for numerous crimes. There are some
night houses, popular taverns, all favoured by the
inhabitants. The thieves and the assassins reign in supreme
in these tangles of small and narrow streets. People strive
to survive, and sometimes fight between themselves.
21. The Beggar’s Market: It is a small square with
stalls and tents, where one can find less than
legal articles and substances, and where no
questions are asked. But in return the prices
are very high. There also the people of the
quarter who sell there what they have for low
prices, in order to survive. Where they get
what they sell is unknown, but it is likely they
stole it.
22. The Dreaming Brothel: On one of these little
streets, stands an old building which looks
like a respectable inn but is in fact a brothel
where the young men or women of the city
pay for good pleasure. The house is ruled by
Marda, a rather old woman who was on her
youth an explorer of the Bay of Ormal, and
who is, according to her, very influential in
the city, by her close relationships with the
Arshan.
23. The House of Pleasure: Marvain runs this low-
end brothel where pleasures can be satisfied
at low rates (1 to 2 Sapi), but you get what
you have paid for. Her girls are less than
beautiful, and her rooms less than luxurious.
It is a place where one can catch dangerous
disease.
24. Kadhama the Seer: This is the house of
Kadhama the Seer (a Chyan woman), who is
(according to her) the best seer of all the city.
She uses a combination of vegetation reading
and bone casting to read her client’s future,
and unlike many other fortune tellers, she is
really gifted with the power of limited
divination. She uses her talents to survive in
the quarter. She knows quite well the danger
of the quarter, as she was born in this quarter
about some sixty years ago.
25. The Old Tower: It is a tower of bricks and 50 m
(160’) high, where the founder of the Chyan
realm, Haxâmanish, is supposed to be
buried. This tower is inhabited by Orvadasp,
an old man who claims to be the real
inheritor of the last Arshan who was
mysteriously assassinated ten years ago. He is
seen as an old original, even if he is really a
little son of the last Arshan.
26. The Red Headed Woman: This is the most
disreputable tavern of the town. Mariners are
among the customers, but they are more
ruffians and thieves than honest mariners.
The innkeeper was an old Vulmaw pirate
who retired in Jorash, and now helps his
friends in their risky ventures (for example
kidnapping a noble’s son, getting valuable
information) in exchange for money.
27. The Red Sunset: This is a tavern, roughly
similar to the others in the quarter. The food
and drinks are pretty limited and of average
quality, the decoration of the tavern is
dreary, and the locals here are surly. The
innkeeper Xophas (probably a Lynîr or a
mixed blood Lynîr) seems friendly but he
hides a terrible secret. In his youth, he was a
dreadful pirate, perhaps linked or not with
the Hawk of Ormal (See the ICE module
Greater Harad), and he had committed
anonymously several mysterious murders.
This was done because he is a secret member
of the Dark Ordainers, a secret organisation

whose dreams is to control all the Bay of
Ormal. He continues his work in Jorash, and
eliminates those that the Order condemned
the death. He is a very qualified assassin, and
until now, no one discovered the truth (he
killed all people that could be a danger for
him). He has five men at his service, who
would die for him at his request to save him
and the secret organisation.
28. Rock of the Blade’s House: Located in one
narrow street, this is the house of a very
popular thief (and sometime assassin) in
Jorash. He is the best in using the blade in all
the city, which easily explains his nickname
“Rock of the Blade”. His real name is
unknown. He is seen very often in the
Dreaming Brothel, but also at the Red
Sunset, which means he is perhaps a friend of
the innkeeper, Xophas.
29. Ruined Houses: In several areas of this quarter,
the visitor can find many burnt houses. No
one wants to explain who burnt or destroyed
these houses, or to confirm if it is natural or
not (human action), even if many know the
truth about these burnings (a spreading evil
cult, or perhaps the actions of the Dark
Ordainers).
30. The Weapon Store: It is a dusty and littered
shop owned by Favhâd, where can be found
some weapons and armours of average to low
quality, at an expensive price. It is not certain
that the shop’s owner has a license to sell his
products. He never shows his license. The
truth is that he works for the Rock of the
Blade, who protects him.
5.3.6.4 The Port
The merchant and docks district, near the river Saêná,
is the most active and wealthiest district of all the city (save
the Old City). The trade dock is also called the Welcoming
Quarter, for it welcomes trade ships from all over the bay.
There are disreputable or popular, average to high quality
inns and taverns (where can be found mariners, traders,
travellers and Guards not on sentry duty), a dock office,
guesthouses, the Farokmads Houses, some interesting
artisans’ shops (tanners, leatherworkers, herbalists,
smiths) where are sold specialities from Jorash. Wine is the
most famous of the products sold there. It made the fame
of the town and Jorash owes most of her early prosperity
to its trade. The city’s emblem features a purple cluster of
81
grapes on a green field and a ship on a blue field. The coins
distributed in the city show as well the city’s emblem. The
quarter is about twice to three times bigger than the Old
City, and is still growing on the suburbs, outside the city’s
walls. Here are exchanged every day the finest products of
Bulchyades (including embroidered clothes, tapestries and
wine, cedar wood) or the Bay of Ormal. There is here an
important port capable to welcome about 300 ships at
once. There is a low taxation on merchandises. But this
district has seen so much crime, burning (this district is the
first to burn during a naval siege), that there is now a mild
atmosphere of suspicion and oppression. The Guards patrol
very often on the district, but they cannot see everything
and cannot verify all the products that are exchanged here.
There are so much foreign merchants speaking in
unfamiliar languages. As the Chyans are very tolerant,
there are some foreigner temples located at the extremity
of the warehouse and port districts, near the common
district.
31. The Crimson Square: Located near the Dock
Office, this establishment is a very superior
inn and also houses a theatre where very
interesting gathâ or shorter pieces of poetry
are recited by professional Shâhirâ or
amateurs.
There are three levels, about 55 separate
rooms (including 5 very luxurious rooms).
The innkeeper Tespeis is a lover of history
and books, and collects books and other
testimonies of the past in his private
apartments. He is assisted by his young
woman Cixspia and his two young children.
32. Diamond Tavern: A golden placard hangs over
this inn’s door, bearing a diamond symbol in
blue.
This is a very respectable inn, with decent
guests and excellent food and wine. Regular
customers notice that the private rooms are
always full. The innkeeper allows the
Farokmads to use them for their reunions, in
exchange for a minimum charge.
Among these respectable Farokmads, the
gang of thieves commanded by Rock of the
Blade (a very popular thief of the city, who
could be linked with the Arshan family of
Jorash) also meet there. They secretly enter,
through a tunnel hidden under a night table.
This passage also leads out of the city, in a
nearby forest.
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33. Falthar’s Curios: It is a little shop, currently
managed by Falthar (a man of Lynîr origin),
located on a little street near the Seagull
Square, the Harrow House and an important
merchant house. There old tomes or
manuscripts, many exotic and colourful
items coming from all over the Bay of Ormal
and even farther can be found. The shop of
Falthar is especially famous for the masks of
the Moguly that are sold there. The Moguly
are ancient and long disappeared Múranian
tribes who dwelt in the hills of northern
Bulchyades, in the foothills of the Divârayan
Mountains. They used, for reasons that have
long been forgotten, to bury their dead
princes and princesses with masks of precious
stone made at the image of strange and
terrifying creatures. The masks, usually
unearthed by Fajusha when ploughing or by
tomb hunters, can reach very high prices in
the markets of the Bay of Ormal. Falthar was
in his youth a great traveller like his
grandmother Jeni. Unlike her, he found that
he preferred knowledge instead of danger
and death, and that is why he ceased his
roaming ten years ago, by opening his shop.
He is really would like to find what happened
to his grandmother.
34. The Fish Inn: This very good inn had centred its
activity around sea products, which has a
great success among the city, as it is the first
inn frequented by the inhabitants, the traders
or the travellers. One has even to book long
in advance as, except if you arrive early in the
morning, there is little chance to find a seat
not reserved. This is a sign that the inn is an
excellent one.
35. Harbour Tower: This is the house of the Master
of the Docks and is flanked by two barracks
(the Dock Office) for the troops under his
command. Their main job is to collect the
custom taxes from ships desiring to enter the
harbour. There is also on the port a military
isle whose task is to protect this little part of
the city, very active.
36. The Harrow House: This is a very popular inn
favoured by mariners and travellers and
located on the Seagull Square. The food is of
average quality, like the wine. The
innkeeper, Nojhal, is a close friend of
Faljhad. A persistent rumour tells that they
are brothers and that they are natural sons of
the last Arshan.
37. The House of Ahnvad: It is a magnificent
palace, just next the main warehouse of this
very wealthy and powerful man who belongs
to the Council of Jorash. He is from a rather
ancient family, who contributed to Jorash
greatness during the rule of the last
Shôburagahan and the Vihnahan rulers.
38. The House of the Traders: The Farokmad of
the Traders is one of the most powerful
Farokmad of the city, rivalling even with the
Council and the Captain’s Docks. While the
Councillors and the Arshan hold the reins of
political power, the true economic might of
Jorash is in the hands of the merchants.
39. The Lower Bridge: It is the second bridge of
the city, located in the merchant district.
Itinerant merchants are met rather
frequently on the bridge, proposing jewels at
rather attractive prices.
40. The Old Swords: This is a general weapon
store, where correct to low quality weapons
can be obtained for cheap. This is lead by an
old man called Mavhâz who has also
everything to prepare an expedition in the
core the Bulchyades or to the Divârayan
Mountains Mountains.
41. Seagull Square: This square, where merchants
propose very often their products, is well
known as it is there that are most seen the
birds coming from the sea (especially
seagulls). This is also from there that start
every religious processions.
42. Warehouses (a to l): They are located near the
wharves and the sea, for storage of goods to
be embarked or recently debarked or boat
supplies. There are from time-to-time
thieves who try to steal from these
warehouses, especially after the arrival of an
exotic and rare cargo.
5.3.7 People of Note
5.3.7.1 The Azimtabarâ
Ajdur: He has in charge the relations with the
Farokmads and the ambassadors, a very important function
at Jorash, and belongs to the Council. Zâyunzîr sees him as
a very pretentious and selfish man, this is why the two men
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avoid discussing together. Secretly, he betrays his Arshan during the Plague. He is responsible for the collection of
by compromising him into an assassin organisation (he is taxes and the town treasury.
the secret Master of a resurgent Dark Ordainers), and
Zâyunzîr: Zâyunzîr’s family came from Sakal an-Khâr
unfortunately for him, Zâyunzîr suspects the truth. He
where the relations between the two countries were more
ordered the death of several Vulmaw officials (as they were
numerous. He is the official ambassador of Sakal an-Khâr.
about to discover the truth about him), and he is now
He considers that the Chyan Empire and Anarikê should be
planning the murder of Zâyunzîr.
submitted to the high empire of Sakal an-Khâr, like in the
Ardazar: A rather young Lynîr born in Aerann, he has past, which makes of him a traditionalist Tahmarda, proud
as objective to help the Chyans to build a strong Chyan fleet of his origin and aware of his superiority towards other
and to negotiate important trade agreements with the men, including those of Anarikê. He would love that Sakal
Chyan Empire. He is a strong-willed man, he tries to an-Khâr be most represented in the city, in the Docks or
negotiate with the Farokmads a special status for all the the Old City, and that trade and military treaties be signed
Lynîr merchants. He is supported by Zâyunzîr. between Sakal an-Khâr and the Chyan Empire.
Ashzad: He is responsible for all the meetings of the
5.3.7.2 Authorities
Council of Bulchyades. He is also called the Arshan Ear, as
he has spies faithful to him at every corner of the city, The Arshan: Amthâr II is a distant member of the
which enables him to be informed of every important act. imperial family (he traces back his ancestry to Kharad II),
He hates with passion the ambassador of Sakal an-Khâr and but he also descends from Sakhalthôr (from the Anarikê
mistrusts Nîlûzîr, for that he suspects that they want to line). Arrived in power after the mysterious murder of his
have the Bulchyades a vassal of their own countries. predecessor, he was chosen among ten Chyan candidates
Furthermore, he suspects Zâyunzîr of a crime, the by the Rashaja himself, following the counsels of Ashzad
abduction of his only son Jehzad. and Khadar. Khadar was at first designed as the new
Arshan, but he refused that honour, saying that Amthâr,
Khadar: This very nice man, he is the Master of the
knowing his prowess in battle, would be better as Arshan.
Household of the Arshan, and also has in charge the
And indeed, Amthâr is a valorous and young man, of
maintenance of all the Arshan palaces. He is a very skilful
average size (1.75 m (5’9’’)), of strong constitution, dark
and cunning diplomat. He feels no particular hate or
hair and eyes, which shows easily his Tahmard ancestry. He
suspicion towards Nîlûzîr and Zâyunzîr, unlike his friend
has not yet chosen a wife, but he has a brother, Eshnar, who
Ashzad.
is the ambassador of the Chyan Empire in Abâr-Narîk.
Lota Dran He is a very old man, tired of the Chyan
The Erexshâ: Meshdad is an old Chyan warrior who
mentality and people and who would like to return to his
has spent all of his military life in the Bulchyades. He knows
own country before dying. He only waits for the arrival of
the town like the back of his hand. He is really efficient in
a new ambassador. But several intriguing murders against
his job, but would like to resign of duty, to see other
Vulmaw in the city force him to start an important inquiry.
countries such as the distant Lynerian League.
He thinks that he is not supported as it should be by the
Chyan authorities. Beyren: The second of the Erexshâ was in his youth a
Slave of the Empire, meaning that he does not know his
Nîlûzîr: The ambassador of Anarikê (87) is of almost
ancestry. He really loves Meshdad as a father, and does his
pure Tahmard descent, and very proud of that. He was
best to support Meshdad in his job. He thinks that he will
nominated in the city ten years ago, and he saved two years
be soon the Erexshâ, and he prepares himself for this task.
ago the life of the Arshan Amthâr from a band of assassins
Also, he searches the Bulchyades to trace back his ancestry,
of unknown origin. He became so the closest confident of
he has found a man in Kantilya who could tell more about
the Arshan. He is very polite and well-mannered, but he
his past. He has not yet decided whether to make the
thinks that Anarikê is the greatest realm of the Bay of
journey or send adventurers to gather all the information
Ormal, and that the Bulchyades are rightly under the
they could find there.
influence of Anarikê.
The Shapan: Zimrathôn, chosen by the Rashaja
Reyjen: He is a young and rather too much impulsive
(under the recommendation of Amthâr II), is a loyal
Chyan, who acts as private counsellor of the Arshan. He is
supporter of the Arshan. The feasts of this lustful man are
from a very old family, tracing back his ancestry to the days
renowned in the entire town and even father for the quality
of Vihnu and Ganagan, and he is very proud of that fact. He
and abundance of the food and the exuberance of the
accessed to this position following the death of his father
entertainments.
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5.3.7.3 Members of the Farokmads
The Pishkasir of the Armourers: Shelvîr is a very
ambitious trader who tries to overcome the power of the
Farokmad of the Traders. He is very young (33 years), and
a genius on politic and economy matters. Nothing stops
him, but he avoids assassination attempts. He prefers
corruption manoeuvres to discredit the Pishkasir of the
Traders or other of his foes. He has secret contacts with the
band of thieves led by Anjhâd.
The Pishkasir of the Jewellers and the
Goldsmiths: Afiveh is the fortunate leader of this
Farokmad. Born in Pelepelplû, he was recently elected at
the head of this Farokmad. He has trading posts in several
remote eastern countries, such as Sakal an-Khâr and the
Lynerian League.
The Pishkasir of the Traders: Deljhad is immensely
rich and his family is at the head of the Farokmad of the
Traders for generations. He is 55 years old and has brown
eyes and dark hair. He usually wears dark clothes. He does
not like the Arshan who at his sense favours too much the
Tahmarda. He tries to push Ashzad to replace the Arshan.
5.3.7.4 Priesthood
The Otôva of Ajmô: Khorram is a very old man (75
years), attached during all his life to the teachings of Ajmô
(peace and prosperity). He is nearly dead, there is little
hope to save his life. Rumours tell that he was poisoned by
some unknown foes, may be through the will of the Dark
Ordainers members, or a jealous priest (one speaks of
Nariman, the current Otôva of Fravâd). Some 20 years
ago, Khorram dismantled in Jorash a secret evil
organisation, that may be linked with the Dark Ordainers
or with a gang of assassins.
The Otôva of Anahita and Ameretat: Viryada is
the young and lovely Otôva of Anahita and Ameretat. She
welcomes the poor and the ill men inside the temple, and
does her best for those who have no house to give them a
situation in the temple as servants. She is very attached to
the Chyan cult, and leads the procession to the Anahiturud
Hills every year.
The Otôva of Fravâd: Nariman is also member of the
Council and of the Council of Bulchyades. He is an expert
in politic and economic manipulations. He is a very
inspired warrior. Some tells that he owes a part of his
fortune to illegal activities, and that he has became the
current Otôva of Fravâd by killing his predecessor. In fact,
his predecessor, Farrokhzad, a close friend of Khorram was
indeed assassinated on direct order of Ajdur, and he is a
close friend of Khorram, and secretly, his nephew.
The Otôva of Uzdâva: Marduniya is a nice and merry
person. He is also the personal healer of the Arshan. He has
many contacts with the Tahmarda of Anarikê, and it is
through his intercession that Tahmarda have become rather
numerous in the Council. He is attached to the purity of
the Chyan religion, but accepts some foreign cults and their
ceremonies as long as they are not openly blasphemous. He
has strong views about the Múranians, whose religion he
considers as blasphemous, and against the greedy and
insulting merchants.
5.3.7.5 Others
Anjhâd: Anjhâd is 58 years old, with still dark and
thick hair. He is very cheerful, and never misses an
opportunity to tell stories about his former life to
customers. He is a retired mercenary (indeed a deserter)
who was once in the army of the Anarikê but now keeps
The Swords of Glory (see #14). But this is only a part of his
activities. He also controls a gang of thieves, specialised on
jewellery. He sells the best pieces of loot in his shop, kept
in a secret case in the floor.
Behbûd: Behbûd is 38 years old with dark brown eyes
and very short black hair. He claims to be an illegitimate
descendant of the Arshan Ulvânad III, but nobody really
believes him. He is usually lively, but since some times he
is more sombre. He has some troubles with his gang of
thieves. More and more often his teams are surprised by
the soldiers of the Erexshâ in the middle of their burglaries.
He suspects a nasty trick of Rock of the Blade, but is sure
of nothing and has no proof.
Rock of the Blade: Rock of the Blade looks to be in
his 40s. He is 1.68 m (5’6’’) tall, with a body both supple
and muscular which reveals an active life. Nobody knows
his true name or his origin, but some of his closest friends,
such as Xophas (see #27) or Favhâd (see #30) suspect a
link with the family of the Arshan (perhaps an illegitimate
brother). He is a very good and successful thief and,
occasionally, an assassin whose dexterity with a blade gave
him his nickname. Although actively researched by the
authorities, he has always managed to escape (usually
spectacularly) and, despite his crimes, has some popularity
in Jorash. “Slippery like Rock of the Blade” has become a
fashionable expression in town. He is the chief of the most
important gang of thieves of Jorash.
5.3.8 Around Jorash
5.3.8.1 Asânabar
Asânabar (Ch. Easy ford) is a small town on the Saêná
river, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of Jorash and

just north of the impenetrable Forest of Pishanâ (Ch. Forest
of the predecessors). It is located on the crossing of the
main tracks between Jorash and the west (Kantilya and
Anaoshak) and the hills of northern Bulchyades. And this is
the blessing of the town. Anybody who wants to go to the
mines in the foothills of the Divârayan Mountains and who
is not coming from Kandalar is basically compelled to stop
at Asânabar.
Moreover, being, with Sarvâsheher in the north, the
only settlement of importance in the area, the miners have
to come here for food and supply. Eedless to say that all the
economy of the town is oriented to lodging the incoming
miners and providing supplies to those working in the hills.
If the people of Asânabar is happy of the money they make
with the miners, they do not especially appreciate these
usually rough and quarrelsome strangers.
1. The Council Palace: This large building has
recently been rebuilt, with luxurious stones
from the Parvin Hills and statues by the most
famous masters to show the wealth of the
town citizens.
2. The Market Square: A large square in the
middle of the town. It is usually obstructed
with wagons and carts of independent miners
going in the hills to seek fortune.
3. Good Mining: A general store where
everything to start a new mine can be found.
4. The Ringing Pick: A good inn, with usually
good food and wine of the Bulchyades. Like
everywhere in town the prices are
extravagant.
5. The Shining Rock: Kaikobad, a former waiter
in the Ringing Pick, has recently started his
own inn. He has a hard time making the ends
meet, but has a good chance to succeed by
having more reasonable prices than his
former master. The food is correct and the
rooms are good, but obviously Kaikobad has
not yet found a good supplier of wine as the
drinks remain of low quality.
6. The Temple of Asrûta: As many buildings of
Asânabar, it radiates wealth, with plenty of
decorations and rich building material.
5.3.8.2 Sarvâsheher
Sarvâsheher (Ch. City of the cypresses) is on the west
bank of the Saêná river, about 200 kilometres (120 miles)
north of Jorash, on a track much less busy that her lucky
85
neighbour of the south, Asânabar. The town mainly lives
on a bit of agriculture in the Saêná valley and herding in the
hills in the west. She owes her name from the numerous
huge and old cypresses in and around the town. People say
that the trees were planted very long ago, perhaps during
the Wars of the City-States, or even earlier.
The smell of the trees was supposed to repel spirits
who were annoying the inhabitants. Some claim that these
spirits were wicked Susanâparâ (Ch. Fairies of the trees),
but this is doubtless as this name usually refers to Elves and
it is common knowledge among the Chyans that those
creatures particularly enjoy the scent of the cypresses, that
are often nicknamed Fairies-trees. But even if the reason of
the planting of cypresses is a legend, the truth is that in the
days of old, when the Chyans first came with their axes,
the forest of Parinkeshvar (Ch. Land of the fairies) in the
east was much larger and, with the Forest of Pishanâ, was
making a large expense of undisturbed close woods,
covering all the area, and climbing to the first spurs of the
Divârayan Mountains. And at that time the woods were
inhabited by Susanâparâ.
1. The Arshan Palace: It is a very old building,
perhaps one of the oldest of the small town
still standing. It is said that it was first a
military tower built there by the first Chyans
of Tabâr Bulchya to support their claim on
the land. Given the severe and antic look of
the building, it is quite possible.
2. The Central Square: It is a large square, with
the official buildings of the town and where a
market is held once a week. The square is
surrounded by a triple circle of cypresses
which give its name to the inn #3.
3. The Green Circles: The only inn-tavern of the
town. The overall quality is correct, no
more, but at least the prices are much more
reasonable than in Asânabar.
4. The Temple of Asrûta: The building of red
stone is just opposite of the Arshan Palace, on
the Central Square. There is a fountain in the
inner garden that is said to cure eye diseases
and to give the gift of second sight to the most
religious men.
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Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)
5.4 Kandalar
Kandalar, the Hanging Town, the City on Cliff, is the
most extraordinary of all these small towns on the
Bulchyades coasts, that cling on the rugged coasts and fall
to the sea. Almost invisible from the mainland, the town
reveals itself progressively when coming from the sea: first
the harbour on its island, then the Middle City, stretching
between the sea and the steep cliff, and eventually, when
close enough to distinguish the towering houses form the
supporting cliff, the High Town.
5.4.1 History
The city was founded in SA 513 as a small fishing village
by Múranians and Elinse from Olyas Kriis and named
Haphet. Haphet quickly grew in size and became the centre
of a loose confederation of Múranian villages, but was
incapable to resist the Chyan invasion and was conquered
by Tabâr Bulchya in 658. Haphet was the first city to
surrender to the Chyans due to weak fortifications. The
first Chyan decision was to rename the city Kandalar (Ch.
The City on cliff), as the Múranian original name was too
similar to the Chyan word meaning “despair”.
The time of the Wars of the City-States can be
considered as the heydays of Kandalar. Early links with the
Elinse boosted trade and the skilled mariners of the Free
Town of Kandalar soon became feared pirates operating
along the coasts of the Bulchyades and Olyas Kriis.
In 848, to face an Aca invasion, the Arshan Dârayavahu
of Chajapûn, negotiated a peace and alliance with the cities
of Bulchyades and leaded their combined armies against the
Aca. He was afterwards crowned Rashaja in 853, becoming
the first Rashaja of the Victorious Sun Empire. However,
his son Xshayârshan broke the words of his father and
conquered the Bulchyades. Kandalar fell after a short siege
in 896.
Under the Chyan rule Kandalar lost progressively of its
importance as a navy power and a major centre of trade,
shadowed by the raising stars of Jorash and Samarth. When
the yoke of the tyrant Xshayârshan II became unbearable
Kandalar, along with the others cities of Bulchyades,
revolted in 1155, taking advantage of an Aca invasion. They
won their liberty and so precipitated the downfall of the
Chyan Empire.
During the Time of Discords (12th – 17th centuries), the
independent city of Kandalar regained some of its lost
glory, especially thanks to close links weaved with the
Lynîr colonists settling in Olyas Kriis and their Tahmarda
friends. The discovery of important ore deposits in the
foothills of the Divârayan Mountains, north of Kandalar
brought also a new prosperity due to mining and
metalworking. Following the example of the Lynîr cities,
and under the leadership of Kantilya, the Confederation of
Bulchyades was created in 1296 by the alliance of Kantilya,
Jorash and Kandalar, shortly followed by other minor
cities. An alliance with the Lynerian League was signed in
1314 and its strength was soon tested by the Vulmaw attack
of 1356. Kandalar was captured but a relief force came
from the Lynerian League and expelled the invaders.
The Vulmaw menace remained nevertheless present,
with the sack Jorash in 1452 and of Kantilya in 1512.
Kandalar, with the other cities of the Confederation of
Bulchyades, accepted the offer of protection against the
Vulmaw by the Rashaja Shôburagan, who had recently
reunited the Chyan Empire. They became vassals of the
Rashaja in 1662. It was wise, as the Vulmaw repeated their
aggressions in 1686 and 1698 and Kandalar, once again,
was their first target. They were repelled by the Chyan
Army, and soon after the Bulchyades joined, on equal
terms, the Empire. But in 1712, the Vulmaw, taking
advantage of an Aca invasion, launched a surprise attack on
the Bulchyades and conquered Kandalar and Kantilya.
After an unsuccessful campaign against the Vulmaw, the

Rashaja Cishpi concluded an unlikely alliance with the Aca.
With the help of the fiery horsemen, the Vulmaw were
chased out of the Bulchyades and Olyas Kriis. However,
the Vulmaw menace was not suppressed before the Great
Naval War (1869-1875), during which Kandalar was
several times under attack.
In 1973 Kandalar, without any obvious reason but the
fiery and moving speeches of Kayzad (who was later
recognised as a Kharpan, an agent of Nevazar) joined the
general uprising of the Bulchyades against the Rashaja
Vishtâspa. The repression was quick and brutal. All the
leaders of the town were condemned to death and flayed
alive on the Market Square. In 1988, Kandalar was given
to the protection of the Tahmarda by the Rashaja Vishtâspa,
in exchange of their help for regaining his throne. The city
received a Tahmard governor, but the population felt
outraged to have been sold. The Arshan Artaxshâsa of
Jorash was therefore welcomed as a liberator some years
later by the people of Kandalar, who opened him the gates
of the town in 2040. They bitterly regretted this action
when the Artaxshâsan revealed evil.
Kandalar was the first Chyan city to be liberated from
the Artaxshâsan yoke, in 2295, just some months before
Kantilya. Lôkhuzôr himself leaded the liberation army
coming from Anarikê. To prove his good faith to the
people of Kandalar, he first chased the Arshan out of the
town and established a town council, so the citizens could
govern themselves and, secondly, ordered the building of
a new high wall to protect the town against a possible
retaliation of the Artaxshâsan. The decision of banning
forever an Arshan to rule the town was confirmed by Vihnu
Taronish in 2307 and a Council was created under the
model of that of Kantilya.
When Sakal an-Khâr extended its Golden Rule (3103 –
3224), Kandalar fell under the domination of the Dark
Ordainers and, after the destruction of the Golden Rule by
the army of the Tahmard king Tar-Palantír (3224), the
town became once again protectorate of Anarikê and
remained a vassal state during the time of the Seven
Arshanates. At that time, an important colony of Tahmarda
from Anarikê settled in Kandalar.
The city passed under the rule of the Arshan Ganagan
of Chajapûn (TA 218), after he signed an alliance treaty
with Anarikê and 5 years before he was crowned Rashaja
of a reunified Chyan Empire. The Third Age brought few
noticeable events to this peaceful provincial town, troubled
only by the recurrent fights for power over the town
Council against the different Farokmads and their factions,
especially acute in the late 1640s.
87
When in 1647, Khosrô had to flee from his capital and
found refuge in the Bulchyades, Kandalar supported the
legitimate heir of the Empire and sent troops to fight
against the usurper Dadfiruz. They made a glorious but
useless stand at the battle of the crossing of the Anhvîr.
When the menace of the newly crowned Rashaja became
stronger, in the 1650s, Kandalar and the other cities of the
Bulchyades put themselves under the protection of Anarikê
and Sakal an-Khâr and resisted against all invasion
attempts. They fought valiantly until the glorious day of
1726, when the militia of Kandalar, joining all the allies
against the great-grand son of Dadfiruz defeated for good
the Dadfiruzan and recognised on the battlefield Tudhaliya
of Orgothraath as the legitimate Rashaja.
Kandalar will ends the Third Age as a second rank city,
seeing most of the mines in its hinterland exhausted and
under the shadow of a thriving Jorash. The city joins the
new Confederation recreated in the early Fourth Age, full
of hope after the terrible wars against the Evil Kings of
Harshandatt.
5.4.2 The Town and its Territory
The Chyan name describes well Kandalar. The city is
divided into three major parts: the first on a cliff (or the
High Town), the second on a sandy coast (the Middle City)
and the third on an island (the Military District). Most of
the city dwellers cram themselves in the Middle City,
whereas the Military District is absolutely forbidden to
civilians who are neither food or equipment providers nor
city officials and the High Town is reserved (not officially
but because of the prices of land and houses) to the
wealthiest people and official and religious buildings.
Like most of the towns of the Bulchyades, Kandalar has
a relatively small territory under its direct rule. It extends
about 50 km (30 miles) around the town, along the coastal
plain and in the Delshad (Ch. Of happy heart) valley.
Towards the north-east, it reaches the first groves of the
forest of Lylia (Ch. Dark as the night). It is a relatively
rugged area, characterised by tiny hillside villages, usually
in sight of the see, but far enough to offer some protection
against pirates, who reappear regularly in troubled times.
There are small fields, in terrace and enclosed by drystone
walls, with a few crops of wheat or barley, but usually
more dedicated to olive and fig trees, rumath, cork oaks
and torbachenna. Vineyards, as everywhere in the
Bulchyades, are omnipresent. In this hilly and rugged part
of the Bulchyades, the land is not very fertile (and not
blessed by ore deposits) and most of the population make a
living from the sea.
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The sea produces a large variety of fish and seafood, but
what has made the reputation of the town is the Ganjalal
(Ch. Crimson treasure). This shell, once ground and
properly prepared (following a secret method), produces
an intense crimson dye, with a glossy sheen. The dye
powder is either exported raw or used locally to dye cotton
clothes, themselves imported from Harshandatt, with a
high added value.
5.4.3 Town Life
Kandalar has always been, even before the coming of
the Chyans, a cosmopolitan town. People of Múranian and
Elinse descent are there many, with a strong impact on the
dialect of the town dwellers. Tahmarda from the nearby
Anarikê are also common in the streets of the town.
Kandalar has indeed been a Tahmarda colony for a short
time and often allied to Anarikê in times of troubles, when
the Chyan Rashajâ were no longer able to protect the town.
Tahmarda from Anarikê are even considered as citizen of
the town, which spare them the administrative worries that
are the usual lot of new coming foreigners. Lynîr and
Vulmaw traders are also frequently met at Kandalar.
Wealthy traders, officials and important priests live
mainly in the High Town, in towering houses clinging to
the cliff and, for their great displeasure, usually lacking the
nice garden so typical of Chyan architecture. Most of the
houses there have cellars dug, sometime deeply, into the
rock of the cliff. The Middle Town extends on a much
larger space, but it is overcrowded with small people of all
kinds, foreign merchants and fortune seekers who have
heard of the rich mines of the Divârayan Mountains
foothills. It is characterised by houses of 4-5 storeys and so
narrow streets that often carts cannot even get through and
that are the kingdom of street porters.
The town has tight links with several villages and small
towns in the area (that are not officially part of Kandalar’s
territory), dating back from the early times, before the
coming of the Chyans. Haphet (Kandalar) was then the
centre of a loose confederation of Múranian tribes, created
under Elinse influence. It could have been the germ of a
real western Múranian state, without the Chyan conquest.
The links were strong enough to resist the new rule and
still today, people of these settlements gather at Kandalar
twice a year for festivals and rejoicing. Every 6 years, at the
first full moon of the new year there is a more special
gathering. During one week, people are competing in
different physical and mind games. The 6 most successful
men in these trials are then quizzed by the Otôva of
Uzdâva, who decides which of them is the wiser and
crowns him King of the Waves (as a particularly tough
swimming race between the coast and the island that is now
the Military Harbour was the main trial of the
competition). It is a survival of how the Múranians of old
used to choose the ablest leader for the confederation of
Haphet, for a period of 6 years. The Crowning of the King
of the Waves is such a special event, that nobody in the
surroundings would miss and that drains loads of onlookers
from the Bulchyades and farther.
The people of Kandalar, as in all the Bulchyades, show
a kind of nonchalance that often upset more dynamic
northern Chyans as well as a taste for rejoicing and
festivals. Besides the Crowning of the King of the Waves,
the most important and oldest of the festivals are the
Harvest Festival, in winter and the Mating of Uzdâva in
autumn. The Harvest Festival takes place when the picking
of olives and torbachennas is finished and the first oil is
pressed. Lamps are filled with this oil and burn the entire
night, illuminating the town, while people are dancing and
feasting. Many a jar of oil is also emptied in the sea, in the
harbour, as an offering to the gods, both for asking
abundant crops for the following year and to calm the
rough winter sea in prevision of the new trading season that
is to start. The date of the Mating of Uzdâva is not set at a
precise day but depends on the arrival on the shores of the
Bulchyades of myriads of small, white and translucent eel
fries, looking for the mouths of the rivers where they will
live until reaching their adult size, before to go back
somewhere in the Southern Archipelago to spawn. People
of the Bulchyades say then that Uzdâva is fertilising the sea.
This belief could certainly be considered at the brink of
heresy by priests of Baljana or Chajapûn, but here it is so
deeply part of the tradition, that it is tolerated. The eel’s
alevins are massively captured with special nets and deep
fried in boiling oil. It is said that eating them give strength
to men and fertility to women. These two festivals,
survival of old Múranian customs, celebrate the riches from
the sea and the land, from which the Kandalar owes its
prosperity.
Many rich citizens of Kandalar own mines in the north,
in the foothills of the Divârayan Mountains. The usual
practice is to have workers paid a minimum (hardly
sufficient to live), plus a bonus, proportional to the number
of ore extracted. Most of the miners are foreigners, as the
people of the Bulchyades have little taste for digging into
the earth and prefer to make a living (that is not necessarily
better) at sea or in the fields. They are also used to the
regular discovery of new deposits, the ensuing rush and,
eventually, disappointment. Moreover, the miners have a
very bad reputation of quarrelsome people, crooks and
thieves. When a new deposit is discovered, it usually causes
a first rush (especially when it is some precious ore like
gold or silver) of fortune seekers before the mining is

regulated. Mining in the Bulchyades is a privilege of the
Rashaja, in the facts held by the Council of Bulchyades.
When new ore deposits are discovered, the placers are
auctioned (in Jorash, in front of the Arshan Palace) and
anybody can bid. The new owner has then the
responsibility of exploiting the mine. This means finding
miners and equipment, and transporting them to the site
and then to ensure any kind of supplying necessary for the
mining. This can bring big money but also requires a
important investment, which makes that these mining
enterprises are usually reserved to a small number of very
rich people.
Kandalar is the favoured base for this mining industry.
As the foothills of the Divârayan Mountains can be
dangerous, especially because of the presence of orc tribes
in the mountains, mines owners usually join their efforts
and regularly large caravans of supplies, food and new
miners are gathered outside the town, before to make for
the mines. The caravans come back with the extracted ores
that are then shipped all over the Bay of Ormal. A large
part of the precious ores goes directly to Jorash, to aliment
the Farokmad of the Jewellers and the Goldsmiths.
Kandalar has a few metal workers (mainly producing
vessels) and most of the ore simply passes through the
town. However, the Rashaja has a right of pre-emption and
his representative, the Shapan, can look at any loads of ore,
decide of a price and buy it before anybody else. Needless
to say that this man is particularly hated by the mine
owners, for he rarely gives good price for the ore.
5.4.4 Organisation
5.4.4.1 The Town Council
Kandalar is now governed by a Council, which has not
always been the case for this town, not far from the border
of the Empire and therefore of high strategic importance.
In the old times an Arshan has often been at the head of the
town and its important garrison. After the Artaxshâsan
Wars and the liberation of the country by Vihnu and
Lôkhuzôr, the garrison has been reduced to a minimum
police force, as a sign of peace with Anarikê, and the
presence of an Arshan at the head of the town has been
banned forever, to forget the series of especially cruel and
vicious Arshanâ chosen by the Artaxshâsan to rule their first
line of defence against Anarikê.
The Council is composed of the wealthiest citizens of
the town and the Otôvâ of the different cults. The
ambassador of Anarikê, as a special favour, is also a
member of the Council, but cannot be elected First
Councillor. Every six years, as a prelude of the Crowning
of the King of the Waves, the Councillors elect a new First
89
Councillor, who can choose two Vice-Councillors. The
First Councillor can be re-elected and if he dies or resign
before the end of his term, the First and, if necessary, the
Second Vice-Councillor, replaces him. If ever the three of
them die or resigns, the Council rules the town by mutual
agreement until the next Crowning of the King of the
Waves. It is said that electing a new First Councillor at
another time will bring very bad luck to the town. In the
rare times the town has been left without a First Councillor
and the Rashaja has tried to impose the Shapan as the head
of the town, it has always been very badly resented by the
city people and has several times ended up with a town
revolt.
The First Councillor must follow the decision of the
majority of the Council, but has the choice of the matters
to be discussed. The Vice-Councillors have no other
functions than to advise the First Councillor and to help
him with the administrative matters. When delegates are
required for the Council of Bulchyades or when the High
Council is summoned at the capital, they can be sent or
replace the First Councillor if his presence is indispensable.
Now, Arash, Pishkasir of the Crimson Dealers, is the
First Councillor and Dagdar and Kariman are the Vice-
Councillors.
5.4.4.2 The Shapan
Because there is no Arshan in Kandalar, the Shapan
(now Hoshyar) assumes both High and Low justice rights.
Indeed, the Council, that should have inherited of all the
functions of the Arshan, has given up the judicial part to the
Shapan, keeping only a kind of Commercial Court (to
judge for instance counterfeiters). The Erexshâ being now
at Mahdat (see section 5.4.8.2), the Shapan has only a
nominal authority on him. Therefore, all things
considered, the Shapan of Kandalar is essentially a justice
officer.
5.4.4.3 The Farokmads
Trade is the main activity of the town and the different
Farokmads of Kandalar are important elements of the social
and political life. Their most influential members make up
the majority of the Council (except for a few priests and
Vayshas) and many of its deliberation concern trade
business. The most important Farokmads are those of the
Crimson Dealers, Sea Traders and Craftsmen. The mine
owners do not form a real Farokmad, but are gathered in
an informal association, essentially for the organisation of
the caravans to the mines, and are a influential group.
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5.4.4.4 Military Forces
The Garrison is now quite limited in number and
power and its main task is to watch the Arshan Citadel
(much too large for them all) and keep the Imperial
Apartments ready for the case the Rashaja decides to spend
some days there. It is also supposed to be the police force,
but it has been given up to the Citizens Militia. Most of the
Garrison has moved a bit farther north, at the fortress of
Mahdat, where the Erexshâ (Mehbazu) now resides.
Mahdat is the main border fortress in this relatively
peaceful part of the Empire. The garrison of Kandalar has
been moved there to kept a military force at the border
without breaking the word given by Vihnu to Anarikê. It
proved good, as Mahdat is much closer to the Divârayan
Mountains, where the main dangers for the Bulchyades
come from, with Orcs and, potentially, Aca raiders.
The Citizens Militia is made up of all the sonless male
citizens above 16. Between 16 and 20 they are supposed to
spend 2 months a year (in shifts) in the police stations for
training. The wealthiest can avoid this training by paying a
fine (which is often preferred by the authorities, as it bring
money to the town and reduce the costs of the militia).
After 20, they are only called in case of danger for the town
or to fight a fire. They somehow ensure the police in the
town but are chronically ill-trained. The Citizens Militia is
commanded by Kariman.
The navy of Kandalar is now a mere shadow of what it
was in the early times of the town, when the pirates of the
Free Town of Kandalar were feared along the coasts of the
Bulchyades and Olyas Kriis. Now the main naval forces of
the Chyan Empire are concentrated in the harbours of
Samarth and Jorash and the small force of Kandalar is just
sufficient to patrol the coasts. Nevertheless, the mariners
of Kandalar are still the most skilled of the Empire and are
even praised and considered worth competing with by their
fellow mariners of the Lynerian League. The navy is
commanded by Namdar.
5.4.5 Politics and Power
5.4.5.1 The Council
The Council looks more like a place where the different
Farokmads can gather, discuss and settle their problems
than a place for town politics. It is now Arash, Pishkasir of
the Crimson Dealer, who is the First Councillor, with his
friends Dagdar and Kariman as Vice-Councillors. The
elections are for next year and all the factions are setting
their schemes, either to rally support or to be sure to be in
the winning camp. The Crimson Dealers and the Sea
Traders are at daggers drawn.
5.4.5.2 The Farokmad of the Crimson Dealers
The Crimson Dealers make their fortune from the
collection, processing and sale of the famous crimson dye
of Kandalar. They have a complete monopoly on all the
transformation process. The militia of the Farokmad keeps
a close watch over the areas where the shells can be found,
to prevent poaching, as well as over the workshops where
the dye is prepared to avoid the secrets to be stolen. The
Shadru working there (the work to prepare the dye is
especially arduous) have all sworn to keep the secret and
can be sentenced to death (drowned in the harbour) if they
do not keep their word or steal some of the precious
powder.
With Arash, their Pishkasir, at the head of the town
Council they are now the most powerful and influential
Farokmad of the town.
5.4.5.3 The Farokmad of the Sea Traders
It is now the second most powerful Farokmad of the
town. But it was not like that in the past, when they were
ruling the city. Their relative downfall and the rising of the
Crimson Dealers has started with the election of Arash as
Pishkasir of the later. He proved to be an outstanding
diplomat and took control of the Council 17 years ago.
Arash is the main concern of many a Sea Trader, and they
are impatiently waiting for the old man to retire (or be
retired).
Almost everything that comes to Kandalar by sea, and
most of what is going out, pass through the hands of the Sea
Traders. One of their greatest prides is that even these
arrogant Crimson Dealers have to rely on them to ship
their dyes. The members of the Farokmad own ships and
crew, but never set a foot on a boat, leaving this dangerous
work to trusted captains, often from Kandalar (as many of
the mariners) or from the Lynerian League.
Naozad is now the Pishkasir of the Sea Traders.
5.4.5.4 The Farokmad of the Craftsmen
The Craftsmen are neither the most numerous nor the
most powerful Farokmad of Kandalar, but after the
crimson dye, their products have made the fame of the
town. Most of the members of the Farokmad are
metalworkers, doing vessels and weapons. These products
have an unmistakeable style, with plenty of gold and silver
inlays and a lavish use of precious stones and niello enamels
to bring some colours to the works (loved by the people of
the Bulchyades, but considered as overcharged in some
other parts of the Bay).
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They have also a special links with the Crimson Dealers, be found a temple to Uzdâva, but also a temple to Ajmô,
as some of the Craftsmen use the dye to produce rich official buildings and several good inns.
purple cotton clothes that reach indecent prices in some
1. The Arshan Citadel: Located near the Temple
places of Jaha. Needless to say that these Craftsmen are
of Ajmô, this impressive and severe citadel is
definitively tied to the Crimson Dealers and always support
always protected by the Garrison of the
this Farokmad in the Council. Most of the metalworkers
town, who watch also the high wall of the
being closely associated with the Sea Traders, one can
city.
easily imagine how split is this Farokmad and why it has
never managed to gain some real power in the town affairs. 2. The Asrûta Gate: The gate is relatively recent
(ordered by the Rashaja Siyavush II in TA
Khorram is now the Pishkasir of the Craftsmen.
1335) and opens on the Flowers Road,
towards Jorash.
5.4.5.5 The Mine Owners
3. The Crimson Cliff: It is the most luxurious and
It is a very heterogeneous group of people made up of
exclusive tavern of Kandalar and perhaps one
Vatas from the different Farokmads, rich Vayshas who do
of the best in the entire Bulchyades. It is
not feel embarrassed in investing in trade (usual in the
known for the excellence of the service and
Bulchyades) and even some foreigners settled in Kandalar.
the high quality of its wine cellar. The best
It is a complete informal association of people with a
wines from the Bulchyades and the Lynerian
common goal: making money in exploiting mines. They
League are kept there and matured in the
try to keep a monopoly on the mines and sometime buy
cellar dug into the rock, until the right
some in common and then share the profits, to prevent a
moment. Snacks of specialities from the
non-member from owning one.
Bulchyades that enhance the flavour of the
Apart from this almost purely financial activity, they wines are also available as well as a few, very
organise several times a year the gathering of a huge expensive rooms for prominent guests.
caravan, the Caravan, with supplies and new miners to go
4. Embassy of Anarikê: The Embassy is the exact
to the mines and have a better protection against thieves
copy of the Palace of the Shapan (see #9),
and bands of Orcs. The Caravan then comes back, loaded
built after the end of the Artaxshâsan Wars,
with ores of different kind, to be shipped from Kandalar.
when the town returned under Chyan rule
Because of too different interests of the members, they find
and that a Shapan was sent by Vihnu
it hard to organise a real military force to protect the mines
Taronish. It was a sign of good will from
and it is only when the Orc pressure becomes too strong
Anarikê to give up the former House of the
that they manage to unite themselves and pay for the wages
Governor and to offer it to the new Shapan.
of a force of mercenaries to back the local militias and
To thank Anarikê for this gesture, Vihnu
imperial forces and wipe out the Orcs from the hills, for a
offered to pay for the building of this new
time.
palace, to serve as embassy.
5.4.6 The Town 5. The Rashaja Way: It is a relatively wide (given
the scarcity of space) street, going down the
Put aside the access from the sea, the city has only two
cliff with a constant slope and many a hairpin
gates, in the East and in the North West. Both are kept by
bend. It is reserved to officials and rich
a significant quota of guards at night like during the day (10
people and abundantly guarded.
men), just like the walls girdling the city.
6. The House of Arash: The house is almost at the
5.4.6.1 The High Town bottom of the cliff, but has a nice view on the
harbour. It was bought 17 years ago by
The High Town is separated from the Docks by a high
Arash, Pishkasir of the Crimson Dealers,
cliff. There are only two accesses connecting them. First of
when he managed for the first time to be
all, the staircase of the 1000 steps, which is the den of many
elected, at the general surprise, First
thieves (in many anfractuosities of the cliff), and the
Councillor. Recent works have transformed
Rashaja Way (reserved only for the upper-class citizens,
this modest house into a model of modern
and protected by many guards). There could be also a third
good taste, with obvious influence from
secret access between the Arshan Palace and the Custom
Anarikê. The only thing this house lacks is a
Office, but nothing is really sure. In the High Town, can
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beautiful garden, but Arash has almost
completed the buying of the neighbouring
houses and plans the extension of his house
with a large garden (which will be regarded
has the most luxurious thing that someone
can have in Kandalar).
7. The House of Naozad: This is one of the oldest
buildings of the town and the family of
Naozad, Pishkasir of the Sea Trader, is very
proud to trace back their roots from the
conquest of the town by Tabâr Bulchya. They
are extremely rich and powerful, and the
house shows it. It is almost a palace, with a
inner garden (which is extremely rare in
Kandalar) and statues of the most famous
ancestors of the family decorating the front
wall, along with models of ships.
8. The Lôkhuzôr Gate: Also called the East Gate,
it opens on the road towards Anarikê and is
decorated by a relief of Lôkhuzôr offering in
one hand a Council to the town and in the
other a High Wall. It is all that remains of the
original High Wall of Lôkhuzôr.
9. Palace of the Shapan: It is exactly the sister
building of the Embassy of Anarikê. It is
indeed the original one for it was built at the
end of the reign of Vishtâspa I, when the
town was put under the protection of the
Tahmarda. The building was designed to
house the military adviser (who later became
the Governor) sent to ensure the security of
the town. This stone building is in the early
Anarikan architectural style of pure and
simple lines, that looks sometimes a bit
severe to the people of the Bulchyades. The
Palace houses now the Shapan (see #4).

10. The Staircase of the 1000 Steps: The steep
stairs join the High Town and the Middle
City, through narrow bridges jumping over
crevices and dark alleys. At nightfall, it is a
favoured spot for thieves. It is the path used
by the numerous servants going up to the
High Town early every morning.
11. Temple of Asrûta: It is a elegant, but rather
small brick building decorated with relieves
and, which is very uncommon in the
Bulchyades, two panels of glazed tiles. They
are said to have been brought there by a
Priest of Asrûta from a small town around
Pelepelplû (whose name has been lost)
during the time of the Golden Rule of Sakal
an-Khâr, to save them from destruction.
They have been kept in a secret cave in
Kandalar, until a group of workers, building
the new temple of Asrûta, discovered them
by chance.
12. Temple of Anahita: As everywhere in the
Bulchyades, Anahita is very loved by the
people of Kandalar. Pregnant women come
there to get the benediction of the Otôva to
get strong sons and to ease the labour.
Priestesses of Anahita are well-known
midwives and are always ready to help, in
exchange of a small donation to the temple.
The temple has been built around a strange
standing stone, perhaps erected by the
Chaialla, and which is said to give fertility to
women who rub their bellies against it. The
custom dates back from the Múranians times
and the properties of the stone has naturally
been attributed to the Chyan goddess.
However, along with the annual spring
festival to celebrate the fertility of earth with
orgiastic feasts, this is far from an orthodox
Chyan religious practice. The temple is an
unusual circular brick structure, with a
garden in the middle, where stands the Stone
of Anahita.
13. Temple of Ajmô: The priests of Ajmô
administer this imposing temple. This very
large temple contains two important
sanctuaries (with altar and statues of Ajmô),
several rooms, several paintings picturing
magnificent landscapes and exotic goods, as
well as trade expeditions paintings, and in a
colonnaded perimeter are statues of the most
important Arshanâ of the town and Rashajâ,
93
all three times the height of a man and carved
of fine marble, porphyry, jade and haematite.
It is very highly considered to make
donations to the temple. The funds are used
to entertain the temple, or to finance the
building of ships.
14. Temple of Uzdâva: Uzdâva is regarded as the
protector of the town, certainly dating from
the time when the mariners of Kandalar were
mainly skilled fishers and feared pirates. And
this has not changed, even when the main
activity of the town became trade in the mid
Second Age. The temple is on the top of the
cliff (one of the rare building that can be seen
when coming by land) on a dizzy ledge,
overlooking the town and the sea. The walls
are decorated with large purple hangings,
that are changed once a year. One moon after
the Mating of Uzdâva, the Crimson Dealers
and the purple dyers climb up to the temple
in a long procession, carrying the new
hangings. Then, they offer them to the god
and the priests make the exchange, throwing
the old ones into the sea. The old hangings
are supposed to be carried off by the currents
to the undersea mansion of Uzdâva.
However, it is not rare that unscrupulous and
poor people try to steal them at that
moment, as they are of the best quality and
can be sold for a good price. It is a very risky
business for the penalty for this unforgivable
crime is death, thrown from the top of the
cliff.
5.4.6.2 The Middle City
The docks are much more popular than the High Town.
There is here an important port capable to welcome about
300 ships at once. There is a low taxation on merchandises.
Here can be found the Houses of the Farokmads, some
popular inns frequented by mariners, traders, travellers
and guards not on duty, some interesting artisans’ shops
(metalworkers, cloth dyers, herbalists, smiths) where are
sold specialities from Kandalar: the crimson. The crimson
products enjoy an economic prestige among the entire the
Bay of Ormal, which is bound to the excellence of the
Kandalar weavers. The city’s emblem features the crimson
stuff inside a gold ring. The coins distributed in the city as
well show the city’s emblem.
But there is also in the docks a disreputable or low
district, a tangle of small streets, where the thieves reign is
supreme. Here, among some buildings about to collapse,
94
can be found some colourful but dangerous inns and
taverns.
15. The Black Crane: The inn is kept by Delsuz,
with the help of his two sons, Gira and
Kayzad. For an inexpensive price, the food is
good and plentiful and the rooms clean, if not
really comfortable, but it is just what most of
the customers are looking for.
16. The Docks: The harbour is very busy and there
are always several ships being loaded or
unloaded by armies of dock workers, except
in winter when the weather does not allow
easy navigation. The dock workers are
usually hired for the day, before sunrise in the
Market Square.
17. The Fishing Eagle: This is a very popular inn
favoured by mariners and travellers. The
food is of average quality, like the wine.
18. The Fruits of Bulchyades: This small shop
sells a large variety of the best delicacies of
the Bulchyades. Fresh season fruits are
especially famous, but there are also
exquisite flower jam, fresh or salted fish,
marinated seafood, goat cheese, olive paste,
soaked torbachenna and olive oil. The entire
shopfront is made of jars of different kinds of
olive oil coming from nearby villages.
19. The Jetty: The jetty closes the harbour and
protects the ships from the rough winter sea
and the sudden and destructive summer
storms.
20. Kandalar’s Best: Despite its name, this shop
offers only average quality weapons, but in
large range that can fit all the tastes.
21. The Market Square: It is the largest, and
indeed the only square worth the name in the
town. It is mainly used for the markets (twice
a week) where fresh fish and vegetables are
sold. But every day, fishers come there to sell
their products. It is also the place for festivals
and sometime, for very important matters,
of public deliberation of the Council. In the
middle of the square is a statue of Sadhanah,
an almost legendary Arshan of the city,
during the time of the City-states, who was a
great captain and pirate and brought
prosperity to Kandalar.
22. The Old Captain: Fardad is the old captain. He
has spent most of his life on sea, and now has
taken a well-earned retirement by running a
tavern in his birth town. This grumpy old
man has lost one arm and one ear with a part
of the cheek after his ship sunk and his was
attacked by the largest shark the seas have
ever born (as he says). He was saved, at the
last moment, by his crew on a raft, and then
decided he will never against stay on a boat.
He is an inexhaustible source of information,
more or less distorted by his wild
imagination, on the Bay of Ormal.
23. The Pier: It is without any doubt the best place
in town to find good purple cotton clothes.
Dagdar mainly sells large rolls of fabric, but
his daughters also make clothing that are sold
in the back of the shop.
24. The Pierced Jug: A pleasant tavern where
craftsmen, mariners and dock workers like to
meet and have some rest around a goblet of
medium quality but cheap wine.
25. The Pilot Dolphin: It is a rather disreputable
inn, a nest of the most dangerous bad lots of
the town. The inn takes its name from the
well-known belief among the mariners of the
Bulchyades that Uzdâva sometimes sends one
of his dolphins to guide a ship in dangerous
waters. Do not trust this popular belief, here
the dolphin can lead you to your last meal.
26. The Round Tower: A large and low round
tower that was built by Lynîr engineers,
commissioned by Vâyaspâra I in 1699. It was
originally designed for some of these engines
of war, which are the secret of the Lynîr
engineers, but after their destruction by the
Vulmaw in 1712, they have never been
replaced. Now the tower is mainly used by
strollers in search of a picturesque view of the
town.
27. Sarvin’s: A very good wine dealer, where almost
any kind of wine produced in the Bulchyades
can be found. Sarvin is especially proud of his
large choice of Kantilya brandies. Depending
on the arrivals, there are also some wine of
the Lynerian League and Codya.
28. The Smithy: Here one can choose amongst the
best weapons produced in Kandalar, which
means with the most intricate inlays and the

biggest gems. The quality of the blades does
not always match the decoration, but all the
daggers found there will surely be of the
utmost smartness.
29. The Town House: On the Market Square, this
former warehouse has been transformed to
house the deliberations of the Council. It is
also there that the captains of newly arrived
ships have to register and pay the taxes
decided after inspection of the cargo by the
Custom Officer. Symbols of the Farokmads
of the town, as well as depictions of Uzdâva
and Ajmô have been painted on the front wall
to give a more ostentatious look to the
otherwise dull building.
5.4.6.3 Military District
In the city island, there is a lovely exotic garden and a
military section, where are controlled every ship going to
Kandalar.
30. The Custom House: The only part of the island
open to civilians is the Custom House, where
any arriving ship must stop to be inspected by
custom officers.
31. The Exotic Garden: The garden was created by
order of the Rashaja Haydar III, who
especially enjoyed his stays in Kandalar, but
missed terribly the large and lush gardens he
was used to. He ordered to gather there a
example of all the plants, rare or common,
that can be found on the shores of the Bay of
Ormal. The island being still forbidden to
civilian, only soldiers from the navy and
officials can enjoy this charming and peaceful
garden.
32. The Military Harbour: The island is the
headquarters of the fleet of Kandalar. In the
past it was entirely dedicated to the war fleet,
but since most of the fleet has been moved to
Samarth and Jorash, a large portion of the
island has been put to another purpose and
transformed into an exotic garden.
5.4.7 People of Note
5.4.7.1 Authorities
The First Councillor: Arash is 57 years old, with an
affable face and very polite manners. He is a formidable and
cunning diplomat. He took the power in Kandalar 17 years
95
ago, coming from almost nowhere. He is from a relatively
poor family of crimson dealers. He left the town quite
young, and spent some time in other parts of the Chyan
Empire, or perhaps overseas, nobody knows exactly. But
when he came back, he managed in a few months to be
elected at the head of the Farokmad of the Crimson Dealers
and then as First Councillor. Lot of stories are told about
Arash, and his friend Dagdar: that they discovered a
fabulous treasure during their wanderings or get
acquainted with a group of dangerous assassins in a far away
land who helped them to persuade the members of the
Council to vote for Arash. The next election is coming fast
(next year) and Arash is not absolutely sure of his re-
election. Among his own Farokmad people are becoming
tired of his rule and the Sea Traders, now leaded by the
young and enterprising Naozad, show more aggressiveness
and get supports from the small Farokmads, the Vayshas
and the priests. It is time for him to get again in control of
the situation.
The First Vice-Councillor: Dagdar (59) is a very
rich and successful purple dyer, a prominent member of
the Farokmad of the Craftsmen and a personal friend of
Arash. Some say that they had some adventures together,
when they were young, that sealed their friendship. Dagdar
is now the First Vice-Councillor, supports Arash in any
matter and leads the faction of the Craftsmen favourable to
the Crimson Dealers. His enemies pretend that he is bribed
with free or very low prices crimson dyes, that allow him
to make huge profit on the clothes he sells.
The Second Vice-Councillor: Kariman (36), is
1.68 m (5’6’’) tall with black curled hair and dark eyes. He
is absolutely devoted to Arash, to which he owes is post as
Chief of the Militia, and now as Second Vice-Councillor.
The Shapan: Hoshyar is a middle-aged man (42), a
Slave of the Empire with huge experience in the Imperial
Administration. He has recently been appointed in
Kandalar, after the accidental death of his predecessor. He
is absolutely not convinced about the story told by the
Chief of the Militia and believes the previous Shapan was
murdered because he belonged, like himself, to the True
Followers. He, obviously, cannot give the true reason of
his suspicion, but has started his own investigation.
The Erexshâ: Mehbazu is quite happy of his position
and life away from the town. At the tower of Mahdat, he is
his own master, can command his troops as he wants and
spend his spare time in hunting and riding. He has a good
agreement with Ushah, a bandit hidden in the Forest of
Lylia, to attack miners and carts loaded with ore. Aware of
influence fights in Kandalar, he is thinking of offering his
services to either the Crimson Dealers or the Sea Traders
96
(to the best payers indeed) to attack specifically the
convoys from the mines belonging to members of the other
faction.
The Custom Officer: Pishkar is the most qualified
and meticulous Custom Officer. Unfortunately for him, he
is a supporter of Naozad and Arash would like to replace
him by one of his men, just to annoy the Sea Traders who
consider this function a vital for a smooth traffic in the port.
They are accusing him of malpractice, with proofs very
convincing but completely forged. Pishkar is absolutely
desperate and think of suicide unless someone can help him
to prove his innocence.
5.4.7.2 Members of the Farokmads
Naozad: Naozad is 25 years old, a very young age to
lead a powerful Farokmad like the Sea Traders. He has just
succeeded to his father who died young, tormented by the
shame of having lost the town and not being able to regain
it. He is still inexperienced but has a strong will and energy
and wants to do his utmost to avenge the honour of his
family and put again the Sea Traders at the head of the
town. Even if the Sea Traders have lost some of their
influence in the town during the last two decades to the
profit of the Crimson Dealers, the family of Naozad has
managed to retain most of its personal power. Naozad is at
the head of an intricate network of alliances and clients that
hold more or less directly a good deal of the town.
Khorram: Khorram is a very talented metalworker.
At 35, he considers himself still an apprentice, but the
quality of his works raises him at the level of the most
famous masters. He is not really interested in politics, but
his fame as an outstanding craftsman and the internal
dissension of the Farokmad, have sent him at the head of
the Craftsmen. He is now courted by both the Crimson
Dealers and the Sea Traders, but does not really know
which camp to chose or even if he will choose one.
5.4.7.3 Priesthood
The Otôva of Asrûta: Rewniz is 62 years old, but
still keeps a muscular body, covered with scares. Indeed,
he has not always been a priest. He has spent a large part of
his life on battlefields, first in the Chyan High Guard, and
then overseas, as a mercenary. He is very secretive and
nobody knows the actual reason of his change of life or even
why he left the High Guard and the country. He entered
the cult of Asrûta some years ago and showed such a
devotion to the True God that he quickly became the
Otôva of Kandalar.
Except for his physical strength, nobody could ever
imagine is former life of warrior. He is always very quiet
and thoughtful, speaking slowly and convincingly of the
True Faith. He has a special skill to avoid discussions about
his own past and manages cunningly to change the subject
and make understand that it is not appropriate to speak
about that.
The Otôva of Uzdâva: Zariab is 54 years old, bold
and with a weak body that makes him look easily 10 years
older. He is known as wise among the wises and is
extremely respected by the people of Kandalar. 17 years
ago, he made an unimaginable deal with Arash. In exchange
of his support to become the new First Councillor, Arash
made of him a rich man. It is one of the best kept secret of
the town: Zariab is a very rich man, hoarding up money
from the mines he owns in the hills. The strange thing is
that he goes on living with few and does nothing with this
gold, perhaps keeping it for something special or a long-
planed goal.
The Otôva of Anahita: Manizeh (31) is dynamic and
domineering and rules the temple of Anahita with an iron
hand. She is of pure Chyan blood, a princess of imperial
descent. She was sent to Anarikê to marry the old and
powerful chief of the Khibulabâri family. After his death,
she discovered an unknown liberty in this country, but
missing her homeland, she went back, incognito, and
entered the cult of Anahita in Kandalar. She has
nevertheless kept strong links and friendship in Anarikê and
for some years now she has been the master spy of Anarikê
in Kandalar.
Her main task is to avoid the establishment of this sect,
seen as extremely dangerous by the authorities of Anarikê,
and whose members call themselves the Redeemers or the
Bokhtarâ or more especially a group of them that seems
attracted to more violent actions (the True Followers, but
she ignores their name or even that the form a secret group
among the Bokhtarâ). Last year she had to get rid of the
Shapan who was a member of this sect, and now she
suspects the new Shapan to be also affiliated to the Bokhtarâ
as his zeal to discover what happened to his successor is
more than odd.
The Otôva of Ajmô: The young (37) Abadard has
great expectations for the cult of Ajmô in Kandalar. He
dreams of establishing Ajmô as the main god of the town,
and perhaps even have him declared protector of Kandalar.
For that he concluded an alliance with Naozad and so
counterbalancing the odd behaviour of Abadard, the Otôva
of Uzdâva, who gives such a strong support to the Crimson
Dealers, and reverting the traditional alliance of the Sea
Traders with the cult of Uzdâva. He has good hopes that
the next elections for the First Councillor will be
favourable to the Sea Traders.
 97

5.4.7.4 Others the road to the mines, where they can easily attack unwary
miners who travel alone or have been separated from the
Ushah: Ushah (26) has spent much of his youth in
Caravan.
petty crimes and ill-prepared swindling. His luck has
changed some months ago when he met, by chance, the
5.4.8.2 Tower of Mahdat
Erexshâ in the Pilot Dolphin.
The tower of Mahdat (Ch. Created by the moon),
The Erexshâ was clearly looking for some henchman
about 80 (50 miles) kilometres north of Kandalar, is built
and Ushah was there, at the right place, at the right
upon the Hill of Mahdat, just on the source of the Delshad.
moment. Their deal is that the Erexshâ can learn about the
As far in the past as Chyans can remember there has been a
dates and paths of the miners who want to go the hills in
fortress there, and before a Múranian fort.
the north, and who have to register first to the Erexshâ. He
can then make sure that no patrols will interfere with the However, the present tower has been built in the reign
attacks of the bandits leaded by Ushah and they can share of Ardâcher II (the son of Vihnu Taronish), to house the
the bounty. garrison of Kandalar and so keep the word of Vihnu
Taronish to have the town unmanned, as a proof of faith in
So far, it has worked well, but Ushah thinks that the
the everlasting friendship of Anarikê. The fortress is a bit
Erexshâ is too cautious and would like to launch a major
far from the town, but it is the closest place suitable for a
attack against the Caravan, the next time it comes back
border garrison without giving the impression to break the
from the mines, loaded with precious ores. He has already
old oath.
come into contact with Roshan, the unscrupulous captain
of the Black Gull, who agreed to board the cargo in a The tower of Mahdat is a high stone tower, just at the
hidden cove and sell it far away. Obviously, the Erexshâ top of the hill. An encircling brick and stone wall run
knows nothing of this plan. around the hill. It is the oldest part of the fortress, the stone
base being the remains of the Múranian wall and the brick
5.4.8 Around Kandalar topping, repaired many times, has been built by the Chyans
when they first occupied the fortress. Inside are barracks
5.4.8.1 The Forest of Lylia for the troops and stables for the horses. The Erexshâ of
Kandalar and his family reside here, in apartments inside
The forest of Lylia is about 50 kilometres (30 miles) to
the tower.
the north-east of Kandalar. In the past the forest was much
larger but it was heavily cut down for shipbuilding, and is A local legend says that the Hill of Mahdat was created
still for building and fire wood. Almost two-third of the long ago, before the coming of the Chyans, by a ray of light
once large, pristine and thick forest is now an open coming from the moon. One night this ray struck the earth
woodland, peopled by small communities of loggers and in a dazzling blast, that made the night like day. In the
coalmen, and farmers in the most open areas. Only the area morning, the hill has appeared at the site of the impact and
the farthest from Kandalar remains untouched by men. a river, the Delshad, was flowing from the top of the hill.
There, the woods are especially thick and difficult to walk It is said that the nights of full moon, crystals, transparent
through. It is also known as the best place to pick Nalfas, like diamonds, appear in the spring and disappear with the
particularly after the heavy rains of autumn, for those who first rays of the sun.
dare to brave the forest.
The forest is indeed said to have been the home of
Kuorind Elves, long ago, before the Chyans conquered the
land and repelled them and their Elinse friends over the
Ishtô river. Chyans, who are absolutely not woodmen,
consider close forests as loss of land and have a mix of
disdain and fear for these places. They say that the forest is
enchanted and that the trees remember their former elven
masters and friends and hate the Chyans. And so avoid as
possible to go there.
Not all Chyans are so superstitious and Ushah and his
men have recently set their camp there. It is a good place
to hide, with plenty of water and game, and not far from
 98
Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)
5.5 Kantilya
Kantilya, the White City of the Bulchyades is a peaceful
and pleasant town. The life in the former capital of the
Bulchyades seems to flow more slowly than anywhere in
the Bulchyades and the city on his white hill, lost in the
middle of a ocean of multicoloured flowers, seems to live
in another world.
5.5.1 History
The city was founded in SA 498 as a small fishing village
by Múranians living on the mouth of the Ûtashî river and
was named Kaphet. Kaphet faced the invasion 200 years
later, with the coming of the Chyans. The town
surrendered in 658, shortly after Haphet (Kandalar), as the
inhabitants were not warriors and could little against the
fierce Bulchya. The first Chyan decision was to rename the
city Kantilya (Ch. The City on the river mouth), as the
Múranian original name was too similar to the Chyan word
meaning “death”.
Kantilya boasts to have the oldest town Council among
the Chyan towns, and the archaism of its institutions
supports this claim. It is thought that the Council of the
Free Men was established soon after the beginning of the
Wars of the City-States, when the town-
people revolted against a tyrannical Arshan
and decided to rule themselves. Apart from
this feat of the citizens of Kantilya, the Wars
of the City-States were not favourable to the
city, which quickly fell under the domination
of Samarth and then Jorash. However, their
control was mild and Kantilya managed to
keep its own Council to rule the city, as long
as the taxes were paid.
In 848, to face an Aca invasion, the Arshan
Dârayavahu of Chajapûn, negotiated a peace
and alliance with the cities of Bulchyades and
leaded their combined armies to the victory
against the Aca. He was afterwards crowned
Rashaja in 853, becoming the first Rashaja of
the Victorious Sun Empire. However, his son
Xshayârshan broke the words of his father and
conquered the Bulchyades.
During the Victorious Sun Empire,
Kantilya grew slowly in size, but flanked by
the trading towns of Jorash and Samarth,
Kantilya found itself relegated to a role of
agricultural production, taking advantage of
the fertile plain of the Ûtashî. The town
followed the general revolt of the cities of
Bulchyades against the yoke of Xshayârshan II and won its
independence in 1155. The Empire collapsed at the same
time, under the blows of the Aca horsemen.
The Time of Discords (12th – 17th centuries), witnessed
the raising glory of Kantilya. The Council of the Free Men,
openly welcomed Lynîr colonists to settled in the town to
repopulate it after an epidemic of plague. They brought
with them arts, philosophy, political awareness and
military strategy, and completely changed the face and
destiny of the town.
They allowed Kantilya to win several battles against her
neighbours and to spread her cultural and political
influence over the other cities of the Bulchyades.
Frâyazanta, the First Councillor of Kantilya managed to
convince Jorash and Kandalar to form an alliance, which
became some years later, in 1296, the Confederation of
Bulchyades, when the other minor cities of the Bulchyades
joined the alliance. To Frâyazanta’s despair, he has never
succeeded in convincing Samarth to join the
Confederation, depriving it of its strong naval and trade
power. An alliance with the Lynerian League was signed in
1314, which helped to repel the first Vulmaw invasion of
1356.
 99

The Vulmaw danger was nevertheless not completely of Anarikê and so defend themselves against the
suppressed and Kantilya was sacked in 1512. To protect pretensions of more powerful neighbours. It brought 200
itself against the increasing menace of the Vulmaw, the years of peace to the Confederation, while other parts of
Confederation of Bulchyades accepted the offer by the the Empire were struggling in everlasting petty wars and
Rashaja Shôburagan, who had recently reunited the Chyan civil unrest. It was also the time of a growing influence of
Empire. It became a vassal of the Rashaja in 1662. The the Tahmarda of Anarikê in Kantilya who built the present
Vulmaw aggressions of 1686 and 1698 were repelled with walls and made of Kantilya there westernmost outpost on
the support of the Chyan Army, and soon after the the northern coast of the Bay of Ormal.
Bulchyades joined, on equal terms, the Empire.
With all the Bulchyades, the city passed under the rule
But in 1712 the Vulmaw, taking advantage of an Aca of the Arshan Ganagan of Chajapûn (TA 218), after he
invasion, launched a surprise attack on the Bulchyades and signed an alliance treaty with Anarikê and 5 years before he
conquered Kantilya and Kandalar. After an unsuccessful was crowned Rashaja of a reunified Chyan Empire.
campaign against the Vulmaw, the Rashaja Cishpi
When in 1647, Khosrô had to flee from his capital and
concluded an unlikely alliance with the Aca. With the help
found refuge in the Bulchyades, Kantilya was first a bit
of the fiery horsemen, the Vulmaw were chased out of the
unwilling to support him. The Council was eventually
Bulchyades and Olyas Kriis. However, the Vulmaw
convinced by a brilliant and moving speech of Khosrô and
menace was not suppressed before the Great Naval War
the town sent all its troops to fight at the battle of the
(1869-1875).
crossing of the Anhvîr. After this defeat, and when it
In 1973, Kantilya, under the First Councillor Parvanda became clear that Dadfiruz will have no rest until he
(who was later recognised as a Kharpan, an agent of conquered the Bulchyades, Kantilya gladly accepted a
Nevazar) started an uprising against the Rashaja Vishtâspa contingent of Khanîm soldiers and later the official
that quickly spread over all the Bulchyades. The repression protection of Anarikê.
was quick and brutal. Parvanda was condemned to death
Thanks to this help, the town, as all the Bulchyades,
and the walls of the town were dismantled, with
resisted against all invasion attempts of Dadfiruz and his
interdiction to build new ones (a new high wall was built
successors. In 1726, the city rejoiced when tidings of the
only during the Artaxshâsa rule, when the menace of
great victory against the Dadfiruzan reached the town and
Anarikê became stronger, and again during the time of the
the soldiers they send to battle came back with the new
protectorate of Anarikê over the town, at the end of the
Rashaja, Tudhaliya of Orgothraath.
Second Age).
The end of the Third Age is the story of a long decline
The city became then an easy prey during the
for Kantilya, shadowed by Jorash and Samarth that divert
Succession War, and fell several times under the
most of the trade to their harbours. Kantilya turns then
domination of local potentates, before to be conquered by
essentially to the exploitation of her rich hinterland. At the
the Arshan Artaxshâsa of Jorash in 2039. The town gave a
beginning of the Fourth Age, the city that was once the
relatively sincere support to the Artaxshâsan, at least in the
capital of the Bulchyades joins the new Confederation,
beginning of the dynasty. To punish the town, the capital
without even considering the possibility of her own
of the Bulchyades was transferred to Jorash by direct order
independence or to challenge the leadership of Jorash and
of Rashaja Vihnu Taronish in 2320. However, because of
Samarth.
the behaviour of the priests of Asrûta in Kantilya, who
never accepted the false gods of the Artaxshâsan, Kantilya
5.5.2 The Town and its Territory
kept the privilege to send its Otôva of Asrûta to the High
Council when summoned. The city, built upon hills overlooking the sea and
girdled by a wall of slightly glittering white stone is very
During the Golden Rule of Sakal an-Khâr (3103 –
picturesque. In the heights of the north are located the
3224), some especially clear-sighted councillors of
administrative and religious districts, the residential area
Kantilya tried unsuccessfully to resist the ascendancy of the
stretches along the Ûtashî, in the west, and the harbour is
Dark Ordainers.
in the south, on the sea.
However, the city eventually fell under their control
The 20.000 inhabitants of the city are a pleasant
and was freed only in 3224 when the great army of Tar-
combination of Chyan-Múranians, a large Lynîr
Palantír ended the domination of Sakal an-Khâr. Soon
community established there for centuries and merchants,
later, the Empire crumbling in pieces, Kantilya joined the
other cites of Bulchyades in 3268 to ask for the protection
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mariners and travellers from every corners of the Bay of workshops where silk is woven, and sometime dyed
Ormal. (usually in crimson from Kandalar) or embroidered,
perfumes are distilled and flowers jams are cooked. Wine
The territory of Kantilya is in striking contrast with the
is also collected there before to be shipped or distilled into
rugged other parts of Bulchyades. It is a wide and fertile
a strong and perfumed brandy. Locals say that any good
plain, spreading on both banks of the Ûtashî. The Ûtashî
meal must start with a glass of Simbar wine and end with a
plain, also called the Gulzar (Ch. Garden of flowers) was
brandy of Kantilya.
in the early days of the Chyans the bred basket of the
Bulchyades. But in the mid-Second Age, during the Time Despite all these activities, Kantilya maintains a
of Discords, people started planting flowers. It was first to relatively calm way of life. Compared to its buzzing
make perfumes, following recipes coming from the Lynîr neighbours, Jorash and Samarth, Kantilya has an appeasing,
Lands, but soon the people of Kantilya discovered that they almost sleepy atmosphere. People have a strangely slow
also could make delicate jams with the flowers. way of speaking and steady behaviour, doubled with an
indestructible optimism. People say it is because of the
The fields of flowers have given its name to the road
almost permanent soothing scents that surround the town,
linking Samarth to Kandalar, the Flowers Road. The sight
due to the perfumeries and, in the blossoming time, the
is especially impressive in spring, when coming by the
fields of flowers. The town itself looks much too small in
Flowers Road from the Parvin Hills (Ch. Hills like pearls):
its large walls and people have plenty of room to built
it is an unending patchwork of bright colours and if the
large, one-storeyed traditional Chyan houses, with inner
wind blows in the right direction, the traveller is
gardens.
submerged by heady perfumes, mixing perfectly with the
scents from the sea and the pines of the hills. The mild climate there is especially good for growing
any kind of plants and flowers. The richest citizen often
Kantilya and the Gulzar are also famous for the
places there honour in the design, lushness and exoticism
production of silk. Everything started with a incredible
of their gardens and like to compete for the “best garden of
stroke of luck during the wars against the Vulmaw. It was
Kantilya”. Fortunes have been spent to acquire and fetch
in autumn SA 1686, one of the Vulmaw ships that were
for the rarest and most colourful flowers.
raiding the coasts of Bulchyades was separated from the
fleet by a heavy storm and was stranded on the mouth of Flowers are an important part of the life of Kantilya and
the Ûtashî, just opposite to Kantilya. Most of the crew has two of its major festivals are associated with them. Namely
drowned and the survivors were slaughtered by angered they are Madyram (Mid-Winter) and Madysham (Mid-
town people who also discovered a box with a score of Summer), the two Revival Days of the True God cult. In
silkworms. Kantilya, Anahita is also closely associated with these
festivals, perhaps even more than Asrûta, as they are clearly
Mulberry trees were already growing in the area and
celebration of fertility and, with their strong Múranian
the silkworms adapted quickly to their new home. Now
twists, may date back from before the coming of the new
mulberry trees can be found forming hedges around the
religion. For Madyram people are spending the long night
fields of flowers and the wives of the Fajushas have become
in feasting and dancing in the streets and the gardens,
masters in producing and weaving silk. In the small villages
before to cheer the raising of the sun, victorious against the
that dot the Gulzar a large house where all the women
darkness.
gather is usually devoted to the works of silk.
Then they burn perfumes newly made with the flowers
5.5.3 Town Life of the year. They say that so the quintessential spirit of
Earth, Sun and Water concentrated into perfumes can join
Most of the people in Kantilya make a living from trade,
the Wind and so realise the perfect union of the Pure
taking advantage of the remarkable productions of the area:
Elements. This is believed to rejoice the gods and help to
perfumes, flower jams, silk, wine of the Parvin Hills
fertilise the earth and the sea for the forthcoming year. For
(considered to be the best of Bulchyades, a claim that
Madysham, pubescent but unmarried girls are dressed with
people of Jorash do not agree with). However, fishing
silk clothes and flower garlands.
remains an important activity for the poorer.
Accompanied by young boys of the same age dressed up
The quiet waters of the Bay of Kantilya are particularly
as hunters, fishers or warriors, they dance in file in the
favourable to this activity, without mentioning the
streets of the town, people throwing flowers and drops of
delicious oysters and mussels that thrive on the rocky coast.
perfume on them. At dusk, they all gather in the Market
Industry is not forgotten and Kantilya has plenty of small
Place, sit and start crying and yelling during all the short

night, surrounded by their silent parents. And then, at
dawn, they all burst in joy, cheer the rising sun and then
disappear in no time into their houses.
They say that the dance and the offerings are to thank
Anahita for her abundance and generosity and will give
fertility and strength to the youths. During the night they
cry for the sun, that was so strong and has given them all
until weakening itself and that will suffer from the attacks
of the darkness during the following months. Then in the
morning, they show their faith in the sun strength and trust
that he will eventually defeat the darkness.
Kantilya is certainly the most open-minded town in the
Chyan Empire concerning religion (even for a city of the
Bulchyades) and, besides Lynîr religious cults and festivals
that are for centuries now part of the culture of the town,
it is not rare to see Múranians from Harshandatt or
Vulmaw from Codya openly performing their own festivals
in the streets or in their temples.
5.5.4 Organisation
5.5.4.1 The Council of Free Men
The Council of Free Men that rules the city of Kantilya
is very old, established during the semi-legendary times of
the Wars of the City-States and is certainly one of, if not
the oldest institution of this kind in the Chyan Lands.
The Council is composed of the wealthiest citizens and
the most important priests of the different cults authorised
in the town. Every 10 years the members of the Council
elect a new First Councillor, who can choose two Vice-
Councillors. The First Councillor can be re-elected and if
he dies or resign before the end of his term, the First and,
if necessary, the Second Vice-Councillor, replaces him. If
ever the three of them die or resign, there are new
elections for a First Councillor.
The First Councillor must follow the decision of the
majority of the Council, but has the choice of the matters
to be discussed. The Vice-Councillors have no other
functions than to advise the First Councillors and to help
him with the administrative matters. When delegates are
required for the Council of Bulchyades or when the High
Council is summoned at the capital, they can be sent or
replace the First Councillor if his presence is indispensable.
It is an untold rule to avoid discussions too trade-centred
and the Council usually shows the example of a relatively
conscious and efficient organisation.
101
5.5.4.2 The Farokmads
The Farokmads in Kantilya remain relatively small and
disorganised compared to others big cities of the
Bulchyades. They mainly try to protect the interest of their
members as much of the power to rule the trade, watch the
prices and give permission to open new shops, have long
ago been given up to the Shapan. It started in the 13th
century of the Second Age, when the Farokmads of
Kantilya were much more powerful, following the increase
in political power of the town, and were fighting,
sometime violently, to impose their point of view. The
First Councillor of the time, the wise Ardumanish of the
Perfumers, managed to convince the masters of the other
Farokmads to surrender most of their power in matters to
trade to a neutral authority. It was decided that the Otôva
of Ajmô would be the most appropriate for that. When
Kantilya joined again the Empire, in the reign of the
Rashaja Shôburagan, the Otôva of Ajmô gave up his
authority to the newly appointed imperial Shapan, with the
common agreement of the Farokmads. In Kantilya, the
Shapan is therefore a very powerful man, concentrating
judicial and military powers (through his nominal control
over the Erexshâ) and supervision of the rules of trade.
5.5.4.3 Military Forces
The imperial troops are in limited number in Kantilya.
There is only a small contingent of the High Guard to watch
the summer residence of the Rashaja. Most of the troops in
the town are composed of the local militia and are all
commanded by the Erexshâ.
The militia consists of all the men between 16 and 45.
They are supposed to buy and maintain their own
equipment. At war they proudly exhibit the crest of the
city on they shield and outfit, a five-petal red rose with a
silver core on a green field. Most of these troops is made
up of footmen, the rich people forming a heavy infantry,
whereas the poorer are either bowmen used for support or
servants helping and fighting alongside their masters. The
youngest part of the militia (between 16 and 20) is
supposed to be permanently under arms, for the police or
to fight against fires. Most of the wealthiest manage
however to avoid that. All the citizens of the same age form
a same regiment, train and fight together. It is supposed to
give them a better fighting spirit and develop trust in their
neighbours in the line of battle. It seems to be efficient as
the militia of Kantilya is, after the High Guard, one of the
most trusted military unit of the Rashaja. Citizens
belonging to the militia train regularly. They meet by
regiments outside the walls of the town, and compete in
sportive and more martial games.
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5.5.5 Politics and Power
5.5.5.1 The Council
The Council of the Free Men is now ruled by Hardar, a
Wine Dealer, and Tirdar and Habub are his Vice-
Councillors. Tirdar is also a Wine Dealer, but Habub, who
is now at Chajapûn as Delegate of the Bulchyades, is a Silk
Weaver.
The next elections are in 6 years and the Council is
relatively quiet, concerned only with day-to-day problems
like finding funds to repair the high wall or building a new
fountain on the Market Place. Nothing really exciting.
5.5.5.2 The Shapan
The Shapan (now Nekdel) is certainly the most
powerful man in town. He has a lot to do and numerous
responsibilities, from rendering the justice to check that
trade is running smoothly. Fortunately, the town is
relatively quiet now, he does not have to settle
disagreement between the different power faction, besides
his own functions.
5.5.5.3 The Priests
Because of the large number of foreign cults, added to
the already numerous Chyan ones, the priests are almost
plethoric in Kantilya. It remains far from the numbers
reached in the religious capital, Baljana, but for a trading
town of the Bulchyades, usually not so interested in
religious questions, it is quite unusual. Therefore, priests
are a force that must be counted with in Kantilya. They
usually stay in national groups, the Chyans and the Lynîr
being, by far, the more numerous and influential.
5.5.5.4 The Farokmad of the Perfumers
The principal activity of the Farokmad is to produce
perfumes from the flowers cultivated in the Gulzar. The
producers of flower jams also belong to this Farokmad, as
it was initially considered as a mere by-product of
perfumes. Most of their production goes north, to the
capital and is usually sent there by ox carts. The remained
is shipped to other harbours of the Bay of Ormal (usually
as Samarth or Jorash as hub), or even farther. With silk and
wine of the Bulchyades, perfumes are the most famous and
expensive products of the Chyan Empire. The Farokmad is
now ruled by Ramdin.
5.5.5.5 The Farokmad of the Wine Dealers
Most of the wine that this Farokmad deals with is not
produced on the territory of Kantilya, but comes from the
Parvin Hills. The wine produced there is known as the best
of Bulchyades and there is a strong competition between
the wine dealers of Kantilya and those of Simbar to get the
best at the lowest possible price. This competition finds its
ultimate expression in the rivalry between the Brandy of
Kantilya and the sweet cooked wine of Simbar, both made
with the same wines of the Parvin Hills. The Farokmad is
now ruled by Hardar.
5.5.5.6 The Farokmad of the Silk Weavers
Most of the silk produced in the Gulzar is directly
weaved there and only a few is exported raw. The silk
weavers of Kantilya have under contract hundreds of
Fajushas women who take care of the silkworms, extract
the silk and weave it. The silk is then sent to Kantilya,
where it is usually dyed and embroidered and transformed
into clothing. The best pieces are often bought by the
Shapan, in the name of the Rashaja, and then sent to the
capital. The Pishkasir of the Farokmad is Habub’s father.
5.5.6 The Town
5.5.6.1 The Northern Districts
The administration and religious quarters are in the
north. There are various temples dedicated to Asrûta and
other Asrûta’s children (like Anahita, Uzdâva or Ajmô),
but also to stranger gods, like Saath, an Harshandatt deity,
or Tayûn, Talyaz and Negadash from the Lynerian League,
or even Lo-Shû, the Sky Adviser of the Vulmaw. The quiet
residential areas stretch along the Ûtashî, on the west.
They are characterised by large houses, beautiful garden
and shaded squares.
1. The Ardumanish Square: The square is just in
front of House of the Town and is the place
of the second most import market of the
town, after the Market Place. If the variety
and quality of the products found there are
the same as in the Market Square, the prices
are much higher.
2. The Ganachyn Square: This splendid square,
in front of the Temple of Asrûta, shows a
statue of Ganachyn, who was a native of
Kantilya. He was the first to order the
building of a Rashaja residence in Kantilya,
and the first Rashaja to sojourn for more than
ten days in the capital of the Bulchyades.
3. The Ganagan Garden: This large garden was
designed by the architect Marduniya who
filled it with exotic trees and plants and
statues of Rashajâ, on direct order of the
 103

Rashaja Ganagan. In this splendid garden, the different wing of the palace each day.
Sovereign Paradise is an inn prised by the However, few Rashajâ bother to change
nobles, and on some occasions by the Rashaja rooms so often, as it is only a summer
himself. It is in the model of the Seventh residence.
Terrace, an inn at Chajapûn.
5. The House of the Town: This large brick
4. The Rashaja Palace: This is the summer building houses the administration offices of
residence of the Rashajâ, with gilded domes Kantilya as well as the Room of Speeches
and pillars of black marble. The building is where the Council of Free Men meets
highly sophisticated and luxuriously regularly. The Treasure of the Town is also
decorated with silver or gold incrustation on kept there in a highly guarded room.
the walls, with monumental stairs, statues,
6. The Militia Arsenal: This arsenal holds
paintings showing peaceful processions of
weapons for the city militia and the quarters
defeated people (like Múranians or Vulmaw)
affected to the guards assigned to the city.
and majestic dogs. The Rashaja has a dozen
Twenty to fifty guards watch it at all time.
bedrooms and dining halls, three private
There is also the special quarter of the
swimming pools. If the Rashaja fears
commanding officer, the Erexshâ. A small
assassination (that arrived several times
annexe serves as prison.
during history in Kantilya), he can live in a
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7. The Palace of the Shapan: The building is on
the Ardumanish Square, not far from the
House of the Town. It serves as the residence
for the Shapan and a court of justice. Most of
the administrative matters related to trade,
like getting a permit for establishing a new
shop or paying taxes, take also place there.
8. The Silver Moon: When you enter this inn, it
is really like you go into an astronomy lodge,
so far you see different telescopes, paintings
on the sky, maps of cities and lands (some of
them are clearly imaginary, though the
innkeeper claims that these landscapes and
cities really exist in Mórenorë, a tale which
very few customers believe in). The food and
the wine are very good, but the menu is
clearly astronomical oriented, which is
perturbing for many customers.
9. The Temple of Ajmô: This large temple is a
meeting place for all the traders of the town,
who are numerous, both to thank Ajmô for
their successes or to ask for his protection in
new enterprises and simply to discuss
business in the large garden of the temple.
10. The Temple of Anahita: As everywhere in the
Bulchyades, the temple of Anahita is a large
and impressive building. It is a masterpiece of
the Chyan-Múranian architecture of the
Bulchyades, entirely built in this unique
glittering white stone of the Parvin Hills.
11. The Temple of Asrûta: In contrast with the
luxurious citadel, the temple of Asrûta is
rather rustic, showing in design an important
Tahmarda influence. There are lovely frescos
dedicated to peace and Asrûta, for which the
temple is famous.
12. The Temple of Lo-Shû: The temple is
relatively small, as the Vulmaw community
in Kantilya is not so large. However, the
astrologists of the temple are very famous
and many people are going there to ask
question about their future to the priests.
13. The Temple of Negadash: It is a fascinating
building for any amateur of architecture. It is
an unlikely mixture of Chyan building
architecture with the Lynîr genius for
decoration. The temple is so famous that it
attracts more visitors curious to see the
building than true worshippers. It relatively
upsets the priests of Negadash who have
decided that a compulsory donation should
now be necessary to enter the temple if the
visitors cannot answer basic question about
Negadash.
14. The Temple of Saath: This is the most
important temple of Saath outside
Harshandatt. Statues of crouching black
panthers guard the doors, and inside the
feline theme is repeated everywhere (though
there is a palpable Chyan influence, with a
profusion of landscape paintings and statues
of both Nhazadh and Rashajâ). Most
important are the devotion hall (where the
priestesses’ prey Saath in order to have an
happy life and a blessed future for
Harshandatt), the fountain pool, emerging
from a lion’s head in the sacred garden, filled
with tropical hardwood and plants, the
reception area.
15. The Temple of Talyaz: For someone who
knows well the cult of Talyaz and the
liturgical requirement in the building of a
temple, this temple should seem odd.
Indeed, it was formerly the house of a rich
trader of the Lynîr community who had a
great devotion to the god and offered his
house to the priests. They adapted the house
as they could for the service of the god.
16. The Temple of Tayûn: Amongst all the
temples dedicated to a Lynîr god in Kantilya,
the temple of Tayûn is the only one built
following the Lynîr architecture. It is in
stone, entirely painted of scenes depicting
the legends of Tayûn.
17. The Vihnu Gate: It is the most recent gate of
the town. The wall was destroyed to free a
passage for the Rashaja Vihnu and afterwards
a gate was built to celebrate the coming of the
illustrious Rashaja in Kantilya. The gate is
decorated with two statues of Vihnu, one in
warrior and the other in priest of Asrûta.
5.5.6.2 The Harbour
The harbour and the trade district are in the south.
There, crimson cloth from Kandalar, clothes of Murghyr,
metalwork of Xyunaï, beer of Pyarador, fine wine of
Galataj, crystal works of Baljana, and other goods from
other countries can easily be found, without mentioning

the fine products of the area: perfumes, wines and silk and
all the culinary delicacies of the Bulchyades.
18. The Black Velvet: It is a very popular tavern,
which is the meeting of mariners (some of
them could be obviously pirates). It is there
that Argan Ty realizes his trade for slaves for
his brothel, meeting with the Ahavan slave
traders, and usually on night. It arrived that
some customers of the Black Velvet,
convinced of a good job to do, integrated
freely the Open Door, but it is quite rare, as
some disappearance was signalled these days
on the Black Velvet.
19. The Frâyazanta Gate: The gate opens to the
east, on the road towards Jorash and his
named after the famous First Councillor who
is at the origin of the creation of the
Confederation. There was a statue of
Frâyazanta, said to have been made at his
likeness during his lifetime, but is has
disappeared during one of the Vulmaw raids
against the town. The statue that decorates
now the gate is of unknown origin but,
contrary to popular belief, does not
represent Frâyazanta.
20. The Ganachyn Bridge: For a very long time,
the only way to access Kantilya when coming
from Samarth on the Flowers Road has been
a ferry crossing the Ûtashî river. It is only in
the reign of the Rashaja Ganachyn that a
bridge was built. The Rashaja liked to spend
some time in the town but found the ferry
especially inconvenient and so ordered the
building of a bridge.
21. The Gulzar Delights: The shop is particularly
famous for the large range of flower jams
from the Gulzar. However almost any
culinary specialities from Kantilya, the
Gulzar and the Parvin Hills can be found
there.
22. The Lion’s Claws: Pashin sells there absolutely
anything related from close or far to the art
of fighting. Weapons, shields and armours as
well as some theoretical textbooks on subject
ranging from fencing or wrestling to
siegecraft. Most of the items are of average
quality, but some exceptional weapons may
lay hidden in this glory hole.
105
23. Mahyar’s: It is the typical inn for poor travellers
or those who do not want spending to much
money in lodging. Despite its dodgy look, it
is a safe and relatively comfortable (for the
low price asked) place to spend a night and
have a meal.
24. The Market place: An open-air market where
merchants (from any nations, but mostly
Múranians, Lynîr, Ahavans and obviously
Chyans) sell their goods. Some merchants
have permanent stalls, but space is rented
directly by the administration of Kantilya. A
small part of the market is devoted to slaves’
auction.
25. The Open Door: This establishment offers to
satisfy mariners and travellers appetites of
sex for a high price, in exchange for lovely
men or women. The proprietor is Argan Ty,
a burly man from the Vulmaw lands. It is
reputed that many of his servants are slaves
bought either in Codya (Drej Uriac), either
in Sîrayn (Tûl Harar), either by contact with
Ahavan slave-traders. There is a rumour of a
secret tunnel between the Black Velvet (a
house of more traditional pleasures, a
popular tavern), and the Open Door,
providing even greater secrecy.
26. The Parvin Gate: The gate opens to the west,
on the Ganachyn Bridge and then on the road
towards the Parvin Hills.
27. The Red Narwhal: This very good inn is kept
by Noshirwan, a prominent member of the
Lynîr community. It is a very classy inn with
excellent food, good wine (only coming from
the Lynerian League) and comfortable
rooms.
28. The Shôburagan Square: There is a large
garden with a statue of the Rashaja
Shôburagan to commemorate the peaceful
union of the Confederation of Bulchyades
with the Chyan Empire. It is a meeting place
favoured by Huzvagul and Shaja players.
29. Sweet Scents: It is the shop of Ramdin, the
master perfumer. He is rarely in his shop,
spending most of his time in elaborating new
perfumes, and the shop is usually kept by is
grand-son Jandal.
30. The Sword Edge: There is sold a large variety
of swords, knives and daggers of all origins.
106
Most of the weapons are from Shamîsar or
the Bulchyades, but more exotic blades can
be found, often bought to passing travellers
(or stolen, some murmur, but no buyer
really care).
31. The Temple of Uzdâva: It is the only temple in
this part of the town, but it has to be close to
the sea. It is mainly visited by poor fishermen
or travellers who are to start a long journey.
The custom is to bring some food for the
priests and the two dolphins that are kept in
the large pool of the temple.
32. Tirdar’s Brandies: The shop is just in front of
the workshop where Tirdar distils his
brandy, one of the most famous of the Brandy
of Kantilya.
33. The Treasure Box: It is the best place in town
to find good silk clothes. Khavar sells there
the part of his production that is not
exported. The prices are high, but much
more affordable that anywhere else in Jaha
where these products can be found, after a
long journey and many middlemen.
34. The White Hills: It is certainly not the best
liquor shop of the town, but thanks to a very
good location on the market place, it is surely
one of the busiest. At least, most of the wines
from the Parvin Hills can easily be found
there. The prices have a strong tendency to
be in function of the customers. People who
does not seem to know the prices usual in
Kantilya are likely to pay much more.
35. The Wine Cellar: It is good place to taste and
compare wines from the Bulchyades and the
Lynerian League. Despite being in a
relatively dangerous part of the harbour
district, many a wealthy man of Kantilya
cannot resist the temptation of the
outstanding wines served there for a very
decent price. The place is a strange mixture
of upper and working-class customers.
5.5.7 People of Note
5.5.7.1 Authorities
The First Councillor: Hardar is 67 years old, with a
tendency to stoutness. He has made a huge fortune in
exporting wines from the Parvin Hills. He is especially
known for having established important trading posts in the
lands of the Tahmarda, Anarikê and Sakal an-Khâr, and
making big profit there. He is recognised by all the
merchants and other citizens of Kantilya as being wise and
farsighted and therefore has been elected almost at the
unanimity as First Councillor.
The First Vice-Councillor: Tirdar is 56 years old,
relatively tall (1.76 m (5’9’’)) and muscular for a
merchant. His family has gained a great fame in producing
an excellent brandy from the wines of the Parvin Hills. He
is a good friend of Hardar, who asked his help in running
the affairs of the city.
The Second Vice-Councillor: As Second Vice-
Councillor, Hardar has chosen the young Habub (34), the
son of the Pishkasir of the Silk Weavers, in a goal of
conciliation between the Farokmads and to have a young
and dynamic man on his side. Habub, with Tirdar, are the
representative of Kantilya at the Council of Bulchyades.
The choice of Hardar revealed wise as Habub had
enough talent to be elected by this council as Delegate of
the Bulchyades at the High Council that has been
summoned at the death of the Rashaja Siyavush IV. In his
absence, it his Khavar, Habub’s cousin, who replaces him.
For more details about Habub, see #3004-1 Chyan
Empire: The People, section 8.3.7.
The Shapan: Nekdel is coming from a small village
near Baljana and has been especially appointed in Kantilya
by the Rashaja Siyavush IV with the mission to hunt down
any members of the Bokhtarâ in the town and its
surroundings. Nekdel found almost nothing there and
quickly became convinced that the merchants of Kantilya
have no interest in this politico-religious ideology. He,
however, keeps an eye open, especially on the priests of
those foreign and strange cults, that he finds potentially
subversive, if not dangerous for the Empire.
The Erexshâ: Razeveh is a child of Kantilya, coming
from one of these rare Vaysha families that tries with
difficulty to maintain a real Vaysha way of life, without
compromising themselves in trading activities. He is 45
years old, has 6 wives and 3 sons. He is absolutely not a
warrior and has been chosen as Erexshâ only because of the
reputation of his family. His great passion is songbirds that
he mostly gets from Codya or the Southern Archipelago.
He has transformed a room of the Militia Arsenal into a
large aviary.
5.5.7.2 Members of the Farokmads
Ramdin: Ramdin is a very old (74) perfumer. He is a
real artist of perfume making, always discovering new
combinations where his fellow perfumers believe that

there is nothing new left to be discovered. He has naturally
been chosen to lead the Farokmad of the Perfumers, what
he has done now for the last 30 years.
Khavar: Khavar (41) is the cousin of Habub, and his
associate. He replaces now his cousin as Second Vice-
Councillor and hopes that both this position and the
absence of Habub could help him to be elected as the next
Pishkasir of the Silk Weavers. Indeed, Habub’s father, the
present Pishkasir, is very sick and, if the deliberations of
the High Council in Chajapûn carry on (which is likely as
they do not seem to be ready to find any agreement) Habub
will not be able to come back for the next election.
5.5.7.3 Priesthood
The Otôva of Ajmô: Peroz is 64 years old, with an
incipient baldness. He is the perfect type of the peaceful
and dedicated priest. He believes that Khushmanish and his
ideas about the “Greatness of the Chyan Empire and the
True Faith” are a real danger for the Chyans and would like
to get rid of him, perhaps by having him sent in small and
lost town. With the support of Bahadur, he has already
managed to have him replaced at the head of the informal
association of the priests of the Chyans cults. Now, he
would like to find something to run him down in front of
his superiors.
The Otôva of Anahita: Laleh is an old (72) woman,
with white hair, covered with wrinkles, bended and
speaking with a faint, hardly audible voice. She is a
knowledgeable herbalist, and grows many strange herbs in
the garden of the temple. She has indeed learnt most of her
art with the teaching of Nakhtafrit, the priestess of Saath.
They are very good friends. They first spent hours in
theological discussions about their respective goddesses
before to discover a common passion for plants and
healing.
The Otôva of Asrûta: Khushmanish, as Otôva of
Asrûta in Kantilya has been sent to the High Council after
the passing away of the Rashaja Siyavush IV. See #3004-1
Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3.7 for more details
about him.
The Otôva of Lo-Shû: Darôm Tul is a genial
astrologist recently arrived from Codya (after the political
upheavals that the country has experienced). He has kept
strong links with his homeland and is organising an illegal
traffic (to avoid the very high taxes) of brandies with
Tirdar.
The Otôva of Negadash: Rashna is very devoted to
his god and spends days and night in prayers, in a small
room of his temple, far from the noise of the visitors. He
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has gained the admiration of the other priests of the Lynîr
cults and has been chosen as their chief.
The Otôva of Saath: Nakhtafrit is 67 years old. She
has spent 34 years in Kantilya, in the temple of Saath, after
she was called by the Múranian community of the town.
She was formerly in the temple of Saath in Naerphys and
when the call of the Múranians of Kantilya reached the
temple, she seized the opportunity. She saw that as a call of
his goddess to propagate the faith in a pagan land. She is
now a bit disappointed as she managed to convert only a
few Chyans, but at least the Múranians of Kantilya can now
worship Saath following the right theological canons and
not this strange mixture of Múranian and Chyan faith she
discovered at her arrival.
The Otôva of Talyaz: Katin came last year from the
Lynerian League, after the death of the former Otôva. He
was first absolutely disappointed by what he discovered.
He expected to find a trading outpost of the Lynerian
League and not this group of Chyans, speaking a debased
Lynîr language, and claiming to be Lynîr. However, they
are very religious, as they consider their faith in Lynîr gods,
as the foundations of their identity and Katin has never seen
so many worshippers in a temple, even the Lynerian
League, which rejoices him.
The Otôva of Tayûn: Gira is from an old family of
the Lynîr community of Kantilya, settled in the town for
centuries. He is a great healer (at least compared to any of
the Chyan priests), following the tradition of the Lynîr
priests and his temple his always crammed with people
coming there to be healed. They usually leave good
donations and the cult is very wealthy. He is thinking of
establishing a religious community in the Parvin Hills, that
would in fact be an hospice to help all these poor and sick
people that are so numerous since the last plague epidemic.
The Otôva of Uzdâva: Bahadur (47) is the chief of
the association of the priests of the Chyans cults. He has
recently replaced Khushmanish at this position thanks of
the support of Peroz. He hopes this new position will help
him to climb higher in the hierarchy of the Cult of Uzdâva.
5.5.7.4 Others
Argan Ty: Argan Ty is a burly man from the Vulmaw
lands. He is at the head of a criminal association that
provides slaves to the Open Door (see #25) and other
houses of the same kind all over the Chyan Lands and in
northern the Bay of Ormal. He is a very cunning man and
perfectly at ease in the dregs of Kantilya. Besides a group
of henchmen who protect him permanently, he is in
contact with some unscrupulous ship captains who secretly
brought the slaves to Kantilya. Feeling a bit old (47) for
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these adventures, he usually stays in Kantilya. However, he
sometimes takes himself the command of the Red Turtle,
a seemingly trade ship based in Kantilya which became the
Red Talon, a pirate vessel once out at sea. When Argan Ty
is not on board of the Red Talon, it his son Shagar Ty who
commands the ship.
Pashin: He is the new owner of the Lion’s Claws. He
is a Bokhtarâ, a member of the True Followers sent there
to get support amongst the upper class of the city.
However, he has quickly understood that most of the
merchants and priests of the city were not interested. He
then started to gather an odd assortment of cut-throats,
thieves and crooks.
He is extending his influence network over the low
quarters of Kantilya, waiting for a sign of his superiors to
take action and start a revolt to control the town. In the
meanwhile, he keeps a low profile. This has for unexpected
consequence to dramatically reduce the crime level in
Kantilya these last days as all his men have the orders not
to get into troubles.
5.5.8 Around Kantilya
5.5.8.1 The Parvin Hills
The Parvin Hills (Ch. Hills like pearls) are the group of
low hills extending on the peninsula west of Kantilya.
Many a rich merchant of Kantilya has there an estate to
spend the hottest of the summer. The area is famous for
two reasons: wines and white stone. The hills are mainly
composed of a slightly glittering white stone, very hard and
especially appreciated for building. Many quarries dot the
landscape and the colour of the stone has given its name to
the hills. The Parvin Hills are also favoured by a climate
and soil especially good for the production of wine. The
well orientated slopes of the hills are blanketed by
vineyards, whereas the remaining of the hills are covered
with sparse woods of pines. The wine of the Parvin Hills is
well-known throughout the Bulchyades and many a
powerful lord of the Bay of Ormal demand a bottle of it to
be on his table. Most of the production goes to Kantilya and
the small town of Simbar. Simbar is a small town, just
where the Flowers Road leaves the coast to go straight to
Kantilya and avoid the more difficult terrains of the Parvin
Hills. Simbar could have been known as no more than just
a pleasant resting place on a long trip on the Flowers Road
without the production of a very special wine. The wine of
Simbar is a sweet cooked wine, made from delicate
combinations of different wines from the Parvin Hills and
perfumed with spices from the nearby Olyas Kriis. It has
reached fame far beyond the borders of the Empire with
the crowning of Ganachyn. The Rashaja Ganachyn was
born in Kantilya and amongst all her delicacies, he had a
special taste for the sweet wine of Simbar. He always had a
glass of it before to go to bed and the wine cellars of the
Apatân were swallowing most of the small production.
Arshanâ, Shapans and Ambassadors staying at the court
spread the fashion and the wine of Simbar is now known
far away from the small town of the Bulchyades coast.
5.5.8.2 Meherafrin
Meherafrin (Ch. Blessings of the Sun) is a town on the
mouth of the Ardvisura that flows from the Delkhush hills.
It is the main town of the rich coastal plain, covered with
fields of wheat and fruit trees. The area produces a lot of
grain as well as dried fruits. The fruits are sun dried on very
specific fruit trays that give an unmistakable look to the
countryside. The town had an unsettled history. Samarth,
the Bulchyades Marches and the Bulchyades Confederation
have all fought a lot for the control of Meherafrin and its
rich lands. Meherafrin is now a member of the
Confederation of the Bulchyades, but much of its food
production goes directly to Samarth, to feed its numerous
populations.
1. The Ardvisura Bridge: The bridge on the
Ardvisura has been destroyed so many times
in the history of the town, by armies invading
the town or by the defenders and the name
has been son many times changed after each
rebuilding, that now the bridge is simply
known as the Ardvisura Bridge.
2. The Arshan Palace: It is a large building, on the
bank of the Ardvisura, surrounded by a
garden open to the public only for official
events. The Arshan of Meherafrin, Sahi, is an
old man, desperate to get a son. He has tried
anything, but none of his 13 wives has ever
given him a son, only girls.
3. The Fruit Market: It is a large square, just next
to the harbour where mainly dried fruits, but
also any other kind of food and some other
usual goods are sold twice a week.
4. The Harbour: The harbour is not made to
accommodate large sea ships, but just fishing
boats or small ship for the coastal trade.
5. The Seven Crows: The inn of Farnbag is the
only decent one in the town. Food and
accommodation are correct but travellers
should not expect a lot. Travellers being
almost forced to stay there and usually only
for one night, the successive owners have

Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)
never found any interest in improving the
quality.
6. The Shapan House: On the seafront, this is a
charming old building, that proudly shows
the burning marks caused by the three
Vulmaw invasions of the town.
7. The Temple of Asrûta: The temple is on the
Fruit Market and, following a local tradition,
the doors of the temple are always open. A
legend says that a Shâhir had once been
forced to sleep in the street because the doors
were closed and that nobody heard his calls.
In the morning, he uttered a malediction
against the town, foretelling that if ever a
traveller would find the doors of the temple
closed and forced to sleep in the cold, it
would be the end of the town. Since that time
the doors have never been closed again.
109
5.6 Mijore
Mijore the White, the Mystic City, the Path to the
Gods, the Rampart of Chy is one of the oldest cities of the
Chyan Empire, renowned for its ancient warlike prowess
and its religious vocation. In the old times the major
fortress of the Chyans in the north, it is now a centre of
pilgrimage, busy with worshippers of the True Faith
making for the holy sites of Nosharud.
5.6.1 History
Nosharud was the first land south of the Chy Gap
settled by the Múranians in early Second Age. They built
some small villages in the mountains, and soon became
expert in farming and hunting. Emaldar, founded in SA
475, was one of these villages. The village quickly grew in
size and started to impose its rule to nearby settlements.
The independence spirit of the mountaineers was however
strong and the lords of Emaldar exhausted themselves in
everlasting petty wars, loosing their control over a valley
when trying to re-conquer another. When the idea of a
110
peaceful union of tribes and villages, like what was being
attempted in distant Harshandatt and in the Bulchyades,
reached this northern land, it was too late. The kingdom of
Emaldar, founded in 626 by the union of 13 Múranian
tribes, was swept by Chyan horsemen.
The town of Emaldar fell into the hands of the fierce
Vagya in 654, after less than a week of fight, according to
the Chyan tales of the event. Emaldar was quickly renamed
Mijore (Ch. Mountain city) by the conquerors, as the
original Múranian name was too similar to the Chyan word
meaning “defeat”.
The Múranian name was perhaps a sign, foretelling the
numerous attacks that the Chyan Empire would face from
invaders coming from across the Chy Gap. It started in
Kordhâd 848, when a barbaric people pounced upon
divided Chyan city-states. They were the Aca, dreadful
warriors and superb horsemen. After less than one month
siege, they took Mijore and established here a realm
ranging from Mijore to the walls of Baljana, which fell to
the invader in 851. The cities suffered many destructions
and plundering before their liberation in 852. The armies
of Dârayavahu of Chajapûn rejected the Aca warriors to the
north and a empire was established in Chy.
During the rule of the Dârayavahan, Mijore grew in
importance. Deposits of iron, silver and gold were
discovered in the mountains and attracted miners and new
settlers. When the Aca came back in 1145, Mijore, which
had been fortified to protect the northern border, resisted
against their assaults while the rest of the Chyan Empire
was overwhelmed. The Arshan, Arshâma II, a descendant
of Arshâma I of Baljana, even pushed his advantage to send
a relief army to Baljana, which he liberated in 1155, and to
found his own Arshanate in Northern Chy.
An era of prosperity, under the wise rule of the
Arshâmahan dynasty, began for Mijore and Baljana. It was
once again broken by an invasion of the Aca, in 1648.
Fortunately for the townsfolk, the invasion was short.
Shôburagan of Pelepelplû quickly reacted. He gathered his
warriors, liberated Mijore and Baljana, destroyed the Aca
army at the Battle of Baljana and seized the occasion to
establish himself Rashaja of the Chyans. The Arshan of
Mijore was compelled to bend in front of the rule of
Pelepelplû or face the anger of the most powerful Chyan
Arshanate. But the Shining Gold Empire did not bring
immediate prosperity to Mijore. Despite the troops
garrisoned there by Shôburagan and the citadel built by his
son Ganachyn, the menace of the Aca raiders remained for
numerous decades.
It became even more difficult during the Artaxshâsan
rule (1965-2300). Nosharud was then a battlefield for
Chyans and Chey, and Mijore was plundered or destroyed
several times (sometimes by the Rashaja of the Chyans
himself, to punish the city of her numerous revolts), but
always rebuilt, unlike Baljana, as the city was essential for
the defence of the northern border. Vihnu Taronish and his
successors inherited the hostility that the Chejan king, Ren
the Unclean, felt towards the Chyans, because of Nevazar,
counsellor of the Artaxshâsan Rashajâ, who left him for
dead (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section
8.1). The liberation of the Empire from the evil rule of the
Artaxshâsan therefore did not bring at once peace to
Mijore. The defence of the city were reinforced and, after
the invasion of the Chyan Empire by the Chey who had
crossed the mountains at the Pass of Dreams, a new
fortress, Faredun (Ch. Thrice strong), was erected here, to
be an unbreakable lock.
When Sakal an-Khâr extended her Golden Rule (3103
– 3224) to the Chyan Lands, Mijore fell under the
domination of the Dark Ordainers. The city was freed for
a time (SA 3412 – TA 73) of their foul influence by the
Dwarf Shidush, and its Arshan became a vassal of Shidush,
King of Nosharud, who ruled from Shidushahr, a new city
he had built to be his fortress and capital and that would
become Shamîsar. This was the first sign of the waning of
Mijore military glory. When a war started between
Shidush and Threlin, of Thelór's Folk, the new king of
Námagalûz, Meherzad, Arshan of Mijore, attempted to
free his city and regain its old glory. But the Vaysha of
Mijore were no match for the Dwarven warriors and to
save his city from a certain destruction, Meherzad had no
choice but to conclude a dishonourable alliance with the
Arshan of Pelepelplû, a minion of the Dark Ordainers. The
Dwarves were expelled from the flat land of Nosharud (but
held the foothills of the Divârayan Mountains during
another century), and the city saved, but Mijore fell under
the domination of the Dark Ordainers and Meherzad fled
to hide his shame.
In TA 205, Ganagan of Chajapûn marched against
Nosharud and after the capture of the fortress of Shidushahr
he waged a five years war against Mijore and its Arshan who
was defeated at the Battle of Rusht in 211. A few years later
the Dark Ordainers’ influence was definitively wiped out
of the Chyan Lands after the fall of Pelepelplû and the lasts
of them fled in hiding. If Mijore appreciated being freed
from the dark influence of this evil sect, the victories of
Ganagan in Nosharud also sounded the knell of its political
supremacy in Nosharud. When Rashaja Ganagan I founded
the new city of Shamîsar on the site of Shidush’s fortress,
this was not only to improve the defence of Northern Chy.
Shamîsar became the new seat of the Arshanate of

Nosharud. Mijore only kept the right to have its Otôva of
Asrûta as a member of the High Council.
With the conquest of Chey Sart, the Shajanahan dynasty
brought some peace to the northern border and Nosharud
prospered for a time. In 1044 Rashaja Vanâyan I did a great
honour to the Arshan, Behzad. Behzad was a brother in
arms of Rashaja Vanâyan I, had ridden on his side during
many campaigns and was Great Master of the Glorious Fire
Order. To reward his friend and replace the Arshan of
Shamîsar, who had given its support to rebels in Chey Sart,
the Rashaja called Behzad’s firstborn son to be Arshan of
Shamîsar.
He also allowed Behzad to have his second-born son be
Arshan of Mijore after his death. Although the two
branches of tabâr Behzadan were to stay divided according
to the will of the Rashaja, Mijore then regained some
formal independence and no longer depended from
Shamîsar, as it had been since the time of Ganagan I. The
Behzadan were to rule Nosharud until 1160.
In 1225, the entire army of Rashaja Shajanan III was
exterminated by Chey warriors in the pay of the traitor
Artabân, Arshan of Shamîsar. Artabân became Rashaja of
the Northern Chyan Empire, with the support and
protection of the Chey and an uneasy peace was established
with the Southern Empire.
The Northern Empire and its Chey-Chyan dynasty
ended with the Great Revenge War led by the Arshan of
Baljana, the Jahangir Arshavir. Arshavir not only destroyed
the Northern Empire but also took the Taj from the head
of the Rashaja of the Southern Empire and had himself
crowned Rashaja of a new empire, the Triumphing Sun
Empire. During the Jahangir dynasty Mijore and Nosharud
again lived in peace, mostly, and the city prospered from
its mines and a swarming flow of pilgrims heading for the
shrines and holy sites of Nosharud. The northern province
was however the first land conquered by the Usurper
Dadfiruz in 1647, and the last to be freed early in the year
1728.
During the last millennium of the Third Age, Nosharud
became a disputed land, battlefield of the wars against the
Chey, and Mijore regained then some of its former military
glory, but its was not from one of her sons. In those days
the empire was divided into several warring Arshanates and
the Arshan of Mijore had reclaimed its independence. He
was engaged in bitter and unsuccessful wars against his
neighbours. On day, a young man, Vindafarnah, an
Ulshyan prince, arrived through the Pass of Dreams. He
hoped to find help among the Chyans to free his country
from the Chey. He found only wars and strives where once
raised a powerful empire.
111
Khursand, Arshan of Mijore, welcomed him but could
nothing for him. Vindafarnah in the contrary, became the
saviour of Mijore. He was a great warrior, brave and
cunning, and he led the armies of Mijore from victory to
victory. The son-less Arshan gave him his daughter in
wedding, praising the gods for having sent him a worthy
son. After Khursand’s death, Vindafarnah became Arshan
of Mijore and then crowned himself Rashaja of Nosharud,
before the conquer all the Chyan lands and build a new
empire in 2629. Although Mijore had then found back
some prestige, it was not to open better times for her and
the Chyan Empire.
Shamîsar remained the capital of Nosharud and the
Chyans went through an almost uninterrupted series of
wars and invasions during the rest of the Third Age.
5.6.2 The Town and its Territory
The warlike origin of Mijore can be guessed by its
situation of a spur of mount Zarin, protected on three sides
by the bluff, and its old and tall white battlement. The city
dominates the Safîdarrah (Ch. White valley), all that
remains of the wide territory once controlled by Mijore,
now that the city is no longer the capital of Nosharud.
Nobody really knows whether the Safîdarrah takes its
name from the blazing white stone of the surrounding
mountains or because it uses to be covered by a thick
blanket of snow in winter. The valley is overlooked by the
mighty Ashajatâish, the Voice of the Kings, sacred for the
Chyans and where Hitâspa is believed to have his palace.
On its slopes, in a high and difficult to reach vale is the
Temple of Gift, where dwell the Seven Prophets,
interrogating the mountains to unveil the will of the gods
and guide the Rashaja on the path of truth and wisdom.
The Safîdarrah is the upper vale of the Nîjara, that has
its source on the flank of the Ashajatâish in a tall waterfall.
Its waters are said to convey wisdom to whom can
understand their whispers and it is not rare for the curious
and pilgrims having some rest here, before the difficult
crossing of the mountain passes leading to the Dale of
Dreams to catch a glimpse of a hooded shape carefully
listening to the water’s song, one of the Seven Prophets.
Although the Arshan of Mijore has also claims over the
lands beyond the Zarin, the Dale of Dreams, with its deep
and clear lake and mysterious forest, this remains a wild
and untamed region, shrouded in mystery and where the
paths are only trodden by pilgrims in quest of mystical
visions or travellers too in a hurry to make for the much
easier Chy Gap.
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While the area is rich with iron, silver and gold ores,
Mijore is now more famous as pilgrimage city than as a
mining town. Here gather all those who want to see the
Ashajatâish, receive the wisdom of the Seven Prophets at
the temple of Gift, wonder at the First Fire or make for the
weird Dale of Dreams where they hope to find
enlightenment. Even its glorious past as the defender of
Chy against the northern barbarians, seems now lost in the
mist of the past, asleep in the peace and serenity of the
White Valley and only recalled by the mighty walls and far-
watching ancient towers of the impregnable city-fortress.
5.6.3 Town Life
The people of Mijore are from the warlike and
independent stock of the Vagya, who conquered the city
from the Múranians and called home the northern lands of
Chy. The Vagya kept their nomadic and martial ways long
after most of their southern brethrens had settled and their
descendants are pride of this ancestry. They cultivate an
austere and frugal way of life and deep religious feelings,
often regarding the southern Chyan as oblivious of their old
customs and straying away from the path of the True Faith.
Although the city is no longer of prime military
importance, the citizens of Mijore perpetuate the memory
of their warring prowess and the Vaysha of Mijore are
known for their fierceness and bravery in battle.
By its position at the foot of the sacred Ashajatâish and
commanding access to the sacred shrines of the Temple of
Gift and the First Fire as well as the mystic Dale of Dreams,
Mijore has developed a strong spiritual and religious
vocation. This duality is reflected in the city device: a
golden mountain and two silver swords; one, looking
right, stands above the mountain; the other, looking left,
stands below; they all stand on a black field. Although most
of the miners and passing merchants now go more readily
to Shamîsar and are over-numbered by pilgrims, they still
make a important part of the temporary population of
Mijore.
The city is packed within two concentric walls. The
Chyans have preserved the core of the older Múranian
settlement, and many tower-houses of raw bricks or white
and grey limestone reaching up to 3-4 floors can still be
seen in the Old City. In the Outer Town, typical Chyan
housings dominate, with one-storeyed rectangular, brick
building and often an inner yard.
Mijore, has been disputed by different tabarâ for a long
time. The city was at first ruled by the warlike Davayâ, an
offshoot of the Vagya. They had this simplicity of manners
and deep religiosity of the first Chyans that are sometime
regarded as backyard by people from the south. Even the
people from Baljana could be regarded as more
sophisticated and open-minded. When the Arshâmahan
came from Baljana and took power in Mijore, they brought
with them courtiers and servants who changed the
appearance of the town. This perhaps created the special
atmosphere of Mijore where, between two patrols of
soldiers and after having been bumped by a group of drunk
miners or bothered by a street merchant, one can cross a
highly educated Varna ready to discuss some points of
theology.
However, despite this apparent open-mindedness, one
must not be mistaken. The people of Mijore have very
deep-rooted convictions about respectability and decent
behaviours, especially when it comes to religion. They do
not approve, it is the least one can say, what they consider
as outrageous deviations from the right Chyan faith that can
be seen in the Bulchyades or in Jabâya. They do not always
have a clear idea of what these deviations are, but what they
are sure of is that they, at Mijore as well as in the nearby
Baljana, have kept the true spirit of the first Chyans. Mijore
is the centre of an intense missionary activity. In her
temples, priests are especially trained to teach the true faith
to other people or to correct misled religious practices.
The groups of Preachers leaving the town remain
sometime unnoticed by travellers, lost as they are in the
swarms of pilgrims that flood the town as soon as the
summer days approach.
The town is not the destination of these pilgrims, but
they usually stop there for some rest in the halls specifically
built in the temples to accommodate them, before they
resume their journey towards the mountains. The pilgrims
are attracted by the Forest of Dreams where they expect to
receive visions from Vohuma, by the Ashajatâish whose
access is forbidden but where small shrines in the
surrounding mountains are believed to offer a direct view
to the Palace of Hitâspa, by the Temple of Gift, or the First
Fire that is supposed to have been lit by Haxâmanish
himself to honour Asrûta after the crossing of the Chy Gap.
Besides the great Chyan celebrations of Madyram and
Madysham, the main festivals at Mijore are the Ahvalât
(Ch. Crossing) on the 14th day of Shahrîvar and the Rastiruz
(Ch. Day of truth) on the 1st day of Tiyât. The Ahvalât
commemorates the crossing of the Chy Gap by
Haxâmanish the Old, when he cut with his sword a passage
through the barrier of the Divârayan Mountains to let his
people reach the land promised by Asrûta. On that day, the
Vaysha muster in arms at the Square of the Blazing Light,
where a wall of wood has been erected to bar the square in
two.
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Then, mimicking the deeds of Haxâmanish, the Arshan 5.6.4 Organisation

cuts through the wall with his sword and opens a way to
the southern side of the square, where food and drink had 5.6.4.1 The Arshan
been piled up. When, following the Arshan, the Vaysha
The city is ruled by a hereditary Arshan (now Shiruy)
have completely cleared the way from the wall, all the
seconded by the Otôvâ of Asrûta (Noshzad) and Vohuma
people present are invited to share the feast. During the
(Jandal). The Arshan usually chooses also advisers among
Rastiruz, the priests of Vohuma go round the city, on the
prominent Vaysha or Varna (Ramisht, Aspandad and
top of the high wall and bless the battlement and towers,
Rozbahar). The Shapan (Jahanabad), the head of the
to protect the city. Afterwards, they are welcomed by the
Council of Trade (Vispanfria) and the Captain of the
Arshan. The Arshan then asks the Otôva one question, as
Arshan’s Guard (Zarmeher) are also usually among the
on that day the priests are said to be granted with clear-
Arshan’s advisers.
sightedness.
When the Arshan has got his answer, everybody can go 5.6.4.2 Military Forces
and pose one and only one question to the priests of
Now there is almost no imperial troops garrisoned in
Vohuma. It is said that if someone tries twice, it will be
Mijore, they are all in the fortress of Faredun, a few hours
cursed for the year and the priests will lose the gift until the
walk north of Mijore. The only present are the bodyguards
next Rastiruz. On Madyram, all the priests of the city
of the Shapan. While having his palace in Mijore, the
gather and lead the faithful in a procession to the First Fire,
Erexshâ usually stays in Faredun with his soldiers. The
in the Tâbesh Hills (Ch. Shining Hills). The priests then go
protection of the city is the duty of the Arshan’s Guards,
into the cave, praise Asrûta, the Light of Jaha, for his
recruited mostly among the Vaysha of Mijore. The nobles
creation and beg His Children for their goodwill and
are well trained in the arts of war and form a dreadful heavy
protection. After, the Otôva of Asrûta lights a twig with
cavalry. The pomp service at the Arshan’s Palace is
the First Fire and then sets fire to a large pile of wood on
especially sought after. Menial service, as watching the
the top of the hill. People then dance, feast and rejoice
gates or towers, are left to commoners or mercenaries. In
around the glowing fire during the entire the night. As the
time of danger, a levy of all men able to handle weapons
sun rises, and Asrûta appears in glory, defeating the
complement the Arshan’s Guard to ensure the defence of
darkness, everybody come to the fire and lit lamps and
the city.
torches to bring back the sacred light to their home and
protect their household against the demons during all the 5.6.4.3 The Council of Trade
year round.
Trade in Mijore is controlled by the Council of Trade,
On Madysham a huge procession is organised and led an organisation comprising the wealthiest merchants of the
by the priests of Asrûta to the Temple of Gift. After city and presided by the Arshan. All the Council’s decisions
climbing through the steep path that leads to the temple, must be endorsed by the Arshan. Its officers collect tariffs
the pilgrims are welcomed by the Seven Prophets. The at the city gate, issue permit to sell or buy goods within the
Prophets and the Otôvâ then go up the rocky summit of the city walls and check the prices and weights in the markets
Atâgah (Ch. Place of the Gift), the mountain where and shops.
Haxâmanish is said to have been welcomed by Shraosha,
who granted him the Land of the Chyans on behalf of the
5.6.5 Politics and Power
True God. After long praises and thanksgivings, they
anxiously wait for a sign by which Asrûta confirms and The Arshan, the Azimtabarâ and the Varna control the
renews his Gift, by peering at the snow capped Ashajatâish. city politics and hold all the important offices. The
traditional military power of the Azimtabarâ is now
When the sign arrives and is favourable, they burst in
somewhat challenged by the Varna. The priests have
shouting and cries of joy, followed by the people mustered
aroused in prestige and wealth with the increasing
at the foot of the Atâgah and the entire valley echoes with
importance as Mijore as a pilgrimage centre while the
merry yells and calls that can be heard far away. It is
Vaysha have steadily seen their power dwindling during the
believed that they always reach the ears of the Rashaja,
Third Age. Now a balance seems to have been reach
wherever he is, to bring the good news.
between Vaysha and Varna who rule the city in an apparent
harmony.
So far, and with the noteworthy exception of the
Bokhtarâ, no religious sect has really managed to take root
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in Mijore as the local people are usually very suspicious

about any religious movements that do not strictly follows
accepted orthodoxy. This has no deterred the True
Followers, who want to establish themselves in this
strategic town, vital for the plans of Huchithra (see #3004-
1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3.3).

5.6.6 The Town

The city is divided into the Old City and the Outer
Town. The Old City is separated from the rest of the city
by the wall of Dâtuvahya and is the oldest fortified part of
Mijore (the suburbs having long staid out of the walls). The
Outer Town, where most of the merchants and
commoners live spreads around the Old City and is
encircled by a high wall built during the reign of Rashaja
Ganachyn I. A few houses, the Lower City, are now built
outside the wall of Ganachyn, at the foot of the city, tucked
between the Nîjara and the steep cliff, where the road of
Shamîsar meets that coming from Hamadan, along the
Nîjara.
There is only two entrances to the city: the White Gate,
in the north and opening towards the most accessible side
of the city; the Red Gate, which is more a postern, opening
on a stairway cut out the cliff than a real gate.

5.6.6.1 The Old City

1. The Arshâma Tower: It is unlikely that the
tower was built by the famous Arshâma II, as
the tradition says. Better learned people
however know that it was there that Arshâma
II imprisoned his enemies and personally
interrogated them. It is also said that the
dungeons go deep into the hill and that they
communicate with the Arshan Palace.
 115

2. The Arshan Palace: This severe building was and, as few merchants are actually stopping
once a fortress built by the first Chyans on there, all the stalls usually reserved for
top of the old Múranian fort of Emaldar. It draught or pack animals have been converted
still has a rather unwelcoming and cold look, into bedrooms.
despite many works to make it more
4. The Pilgrim Rest: It is the best inn of the town,
comfortable. It is built of the same white
which counts several others, where the
stone that has been used for most of the
wealthiest pilgrims, can have a good night in
important buildings in the city and its main
a comfortable bed and a filling meal before to
gate is flanked by two contending giants, one
start climbing the steep paths to the mountain

holding a mace and the other a pick, and that

shrines.
are the coat of arms of Tabâr Arshâmahan.
5. The Red Gate: The gate owes its piercing to
3. The Mihmân Khâmah; Although not that
Arshâma I. When the Aca were busy trying
many merchants come to Mijore, which is
to break the Sun Gate, he ordered his
away from the major trade routes, a large
engineers to undermine the town wall and he
Mihmân Khâmah has been built here, more
led a bold sortie against the Aca and
to accommodate pilgrims who have not
destroyed them by surprise. It is said that
found rooms in the halls of the temples, than
during the Aca invasion of SA 1145, the
for merchants. The building is in raw bricks
116
barbarians concentrated their efforts on this
seemingly weaker door, with a giant ram.
They never managed to force it and left there
so many dead that the steep path leading to
the gate was covered with pools of blood.
The nickname of Red Gate is supposed to be
due to this story.
6. The Square of the Blazing Light: On what
was once the temple of the demon Akshâtra,
the Storm God, worshipped during the
loathed Artaxshâsan, rises now a wide square
paved of white stone and with a huge statue
of Vihnu Taronish, trampling hideous
creatures and smiting Chey horsemen.
Mijore took a special importance at the time
of the Artaxshâsan, as the Ashajatâish became
the home of the Storm God in the new
theology and the seven peaks renamed after
the seven sons of the Storm God, his generals
that blow destruction and death among the
enemies of the Chyans. Still today the people
of Mijore refer to the Seventh Wind,
Akshâtra himself, when misfortune hit the
city, and when a freezing wind blows down
the Thunder Massif in winter it as much fear
as the cold that pushes people to lock
themselves inside their houses.
7. The Sun Gate: This was once the main gate of
Mijore and now is the only passage between
the Old City and the Outer Town. By respect
to the tradition, the gate is locked at sunset
and opened at sunrise, cutting all
communications between the two parts of
the city at night.
8. The Temple of Asrûta: After the Arshan
Palace, it is the largest building of the town.
Actually, the room dedicated to the worship
of the True God is rather small. The temple
looks more like a large Mihmân Khâmah,
with three large halls to accommodate
pilgrims who cannot afford a room in one of
the inns of the town. The first temple,
destroyed during the Aca invasion of SA 848,
was built on a Múranian temple whose altar,
made of a large piece of natural crystal has
been preserved. The building is of raw bricks
only decorated with a brass Glorious Fire
atop the doors.
9. The Temple of Hitâspa: This temple also
offers accommodation for pilgrims in large
halls and the priests can provide a hot meal if
asked for. There is a friendly rivalry between
the priests of Hitâspa and Asrûta to welcome
the most possible pilgrims and last year, the
priests of Hitâspa have added an extension to
the temple, a large hall specifically designed
for accommodation. One must say that it is
the usage among the pilgrims to leave a small
offering to the temple where they spent the
night and, although most of the pilgrims are
poor, the accumulation makes the temples of
Mijore immensely rich. It is just next to the
temple of Asrûta and also opens to the Square
of the Blazing Light. It could be the exact
copy of the latter if it were not for the two
dogs chained at the door. It looks more
severe that the temple of Asrûta, if possible.
10. The Wall of Dâtuvahya: Although the town
was certainly already protected by a wall of
earth and wood when Dâtuvahya I ordered
the building of this wall in SA 935, it is the
oldest remaining stone fortification of the
town (and possibly her oldest building, for
the town has been taken, plundered and
burnt so many times).
5.6.6.2 The Outer Town
11. The Ashajatâish: This is the most exclusive
tavern of the town, where young Vaysha of
the best tabarâ in town meet for a drink and
some more exciting pleasure. Brothels are
forbidden in town, which makes the business
extremely lucrative for those who dare
breaking the law or have good relations.
12. The Citadel of Ganachyn: This strong fortress
is situated on the northern part of the Wall of
Ganachyn, on the easiest way to attack the
city. It garrisoned a large contingent of
imperial troops, before they were moved to
the fortress of Faredun during the reign of
Ardâcher II. Today it is occupied by the
Arshan’s Guards.
13. The Marketplace: On this wide square
merchants and hawkers meet thrice a week
to provision the city with fresh products. It is
also a good time to buy other goods
manufactured in the city, silver jewels or iron
blades, as during this market days
transactions are not taxed and the prices are
much cheaper. This is something that

foreigners often ignore and merchants take
advantage of it to sell them their goods the
usual price.
14. The Mountain Vale: The most famous inn of
Mijore is without any doubt the Mountain
Vale. It is having comfortable rooms and
good food, but what makes it so attractive,
besides the antiquity of the building, is the
usual presence of Shâhirâ. These wandering
poets know that the innkeeper, Kamran,
offers free food and a bed to any of them who
can entertain his customers for the night. In
its common hall, passing travellers, pilgrims,
commoners and mighty Vaysha gather to
hear tales of wonders and ancient heroes.
15. The Temple of Vohuma: Although outside the
Wall of Dâtuvahya, the building is rather
ancient. The cult of Vohuma is quite
developed in the town. Many pilgrims stop
5.6.6.3
there before to make for the Forest of
Dreams, in the mountains, in search for
visions or dreams sent by the god. Many a
pilgrim however discovers that the journey
to the mountains is not an easy task and find
a good replacement by praying on the roof of
the temple during all the night and being
inspired by the sight of the Ashajatâish at
sunrise. Pilgrims are allowed to spend the
night in the main hall of the temple.
16. The Tomb of Davayâ: Beside being a family
shrine of the tabâr Davayâ, this small
structure that looks more like an old house
than the tomb of a hero, becomes the focal
point of faithful during the Ahvalât festival.
That day, the city celebrates the coming of
the Chyans in their new land. The house is
supposed to be the very first one built by the
Chyans out of stone, during the siege of
Emaldar by Davayâ the Old. He made the
house to shelter his spouse when she gave
birth to his first son, Davayâ the Young, who
is said to have been the first Chyan ever born
under a solid roof. Later, Davayâ the Young,
although then Arshan of the town, great
conqueror and builder of the first palace of
Mijore, ordered to be buried there, with his
father who before him had made the same
choice. The house became then the
Murdahzar of the tabâr Davayâ.
117
17. The Wall of Ganachyn: The construction of
this wall was started by Shôburagan shortly
after his conquest of the town to include and
protect the suburbs that had been developing
on the three hillocks in the north of the town
since the Múranian villages set there had been
incorporated into the town of Emaldar. It
was finished during the reign of Shôburagan’s
son, Ganachyn and the tradition gave his
name to the wall.
18. The White Gate: This is the main access to the
city. The towers that flank the gate are of the
purest white marble and the door is covered
with silver plates, embossed with the device
of Mijore. A bridge crosses the moat that cuts
the hills of Mijore on its northern side and
protects the city. The gate is always guarded
and locked during the night.
The Lower City
19. The Arshâma Stairway: It is a steep path, a
series of ledges and stairs that winds down
the bluff from the Red Gate to the Lower
City. Although the shortest way to reach the
Old City from the bottom of the hill, it is also
the most difficulty and tiring and people
usually prefer to go round the cliff and reach
the city through the White Gate.
20. The Blue Inn: Cheaper and more rustic than the
Mountain Vale Inn, this inn owes its
reputation to cheap strong drinks that attire
miners in search for entertainment. The
rooms are not comfortable and consist only
in three common dormitories with no
privacy. The food is on the same level. The
innkeeper, Mardbud, claims to belong to the
tabâr Davayâ. It is true but not acknowledged
by his cousins and he has no proofs to support
his claim. Mardbud is actually the descendant
of the son of an Aca warlord with a princess
of the Davayâ family (who was abducted
during an Aca raid against Mijore).
21. The Lance of Shraosha: It is the best place in
Mijore to find weapons and armours of any
kind. Darazdast specialties are lances and
spears, but his daggers and coats of mail are
also of good quality.
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5.6.7 People of Note
5.6.7.1 Authorities
The Arshan: The old and good-natured Shiruy rules
the city with kindness and justice. He has no son and no
possible heir, all of them died during the plague and he is
considering choosing Dinpanah of Tabâr Behzadan to
succeed him. He has sent a request to the High Council to
allow him foster the young Dinpanah as his son but no
response has come yet (through Rozbahar’s underhand
schemes and well spent money it even has not yet been
examined by the Council). He fears his death, that he feels
close, will trigger strives among the Azimtabarâ, that,
knowing their rashness, could deteriorate into open war.
The Shapan: Jahanabad is a survivor, one of the rare
who made it during the plague. Although his health is still
poor and his strength is weak, he is alive. He was specially
sent to Mijore to hunt down the Bokhtarâ by Rashaja
Siyavush, but found almost none of them. His most
spectacular catch was the Otôva of Hitâspa, Ramisht,
whom he had exiled. Now Ramisht is back and has
repented. He even enjoys an increased popularity as people
start thinking that the Bokhtarâ were showing the right way
and that the plague had been sent as a punishment against
Rashaja Siyavush and his supporters. What Jahanabad
ignores is that his poor health is not entirely a consequence
of the illness: Ramisht is slowly poisoning him, enjoying
the pleasure of seeing his enemy gradually dying in front of
him.
5.6.7.2 The Azimtabarâ
Tabâr Arshâmahan: They trace back their origin to
the famous Arshâma I, Arshan of Baljana, and like the tabâr
Davayâ, which they are ferocious traditional enemies of,
they have ruled the town several times. They had their ups
(the resistance and fight against the evil Artaxshâsan, first
in an open revolt of the town and then in the Chyan Legion)
and downs (the loss of the town in TA 1225 against the
Chey). Rozbahar, the present chief of the tabâr, is craving
for taking control of the town instead of Shiruy. He has
allied himself with the rich Vispanfria and is spending
Vispanfria's gold to get support in the town and at the
Court and prevent Shiruy from having his decision to have
Dinpanah succeed him endorsed.
Zarmeher: The Captain of the Arshan’s Guards
belongs to a minor Azimtabâr that has never ruled the town
but has often assumed high positions, Erexshâ, counsellor
of the Arshan or Otôva of important cults. Jandal, the
Otôva of Vohuma is a cousin of Zarmeher and he would
like to make sure that everybody knows of their kinship, so
as to gain some of the prestige of the holy man for himself.
Zarmeher is Huchithra’s agent in Mijore. There is no real
chamber of the True Followers here, as him and his
henchmen are so far alone. He has already managed to
place some of his men at key post among the guards.
Aspandad: He claims to be a descendant of Davayâ of
the Vagya, an almost mythical Arshan of Mijore during the
time of the City-States and whose descendants ruled the
town before to be evicted by the Arshâmahan. They again
ruled the town several times, the last one being during the
Seven Arshanates, before to lose the Arshanate in favour of
the Dark Ordainers. The tale says that Meherzad, the last
ruler of tabâr Davayâ indeed sold the throne for an
unknown price (it is rumoured that it was no gold but a
more personal reward) and since that time the family has
never managed to remove that blemish on their family
honour, be this story true or invented. Aspandad dreams
of an occasion when he and his sons could save the town of
a great danger or even the empire and why not regain
control over the town. Aspandad is in league with a Chey
warlord who claims a Chyan origin and that makes himself
called Dadfiruz, the Wolf of Chey Sart. Through his
connections within soldiers in garrisoned at Faredun, he
can arrange for Dadfiruz to cross the Pass of Dreams and
allow him plunder the area and go back to Chey Sart in
safety.
What Dadfiruz does not know is that Aspandad does
not want him escape freely, but just prove the inefficiency
of Shiruy and show his own ability by leading a punitive
expedition and destroying the plunderers. By so doing he
hopes to be appointed Arshan at the death of Shiruy, or
perhaps even have the Arshan dismissed and take his place.
And what Aspandad ignores is that Dadfiruz has other plans
(see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3.5)
and that his forces are ten times larger than the announced
score of raiders.
Tabâr Behzadan: Dinpanah is the heir of this old
family that ruled the city in the early Third Age. He is the
Erexshâ of the imperial garrison and stays most the time
with it in the fortress of Faredun. He is also a friend of the
old and heirless Arshan who calls him often for advice and
relies more and more of Dinpanah’s help. Rumours say that
Shiruy would like to have Dinpanah as his successor, and
this would certainly be an excellent choice as the Erexshâ
is a capable and wise man. But for that the Arshan needs
the consent of the High Council or the Rashaja, if he
survives until the prince come of age.

5.6.7.3 Priesthood
The Otôva of Asrûta: Noshzad came from a far and
northern country long ago and, touched by the True Faith,
he became a priest of Asrûta. He showed such an
enthusiasm for the god that at the death of the previous
Otôva he was elected to succeed him. For more details on
Noshzad see, #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People,
section 8.3.7.
The Otôva of Hitâspa: Ramisht was a Bokhtarâ,
exiled by order of Rashaja Siyavush and because of the
Shapan Jahanabad. He repented and was allowed to come
back from exile by the Rashaja just before his death.
Ramisht has therefore a deep hatred against the Shapan and
has resolved to poison him and have him slowly die, making
the murder look like the consequences of the plague, as it
is well known that Jahanabad has never fully recovered
from his illness. Although officially repented, Ramisht is
still faithful to the ideals of the Bokhtarâ and envisions to
gather the surviving Bokhtarâ and have them fulfil their
goal, now that the storm has gone and that they are no
longer persecuted, although officially still banned. He
keeps a low profile, but has started probing the feeling of
some of the priests of Hitâspa.
The Otôva of Vohuma: Nobody knows how old
Jandal is, but they all are sure that he is the oldest living
man in town and many fancies that he is the oldest in the
Chyan Empire and perhaps in the entire Jaha. He can no
longer walk and is almost blind and stay most of the day in
a simple chair, in the main hall of the temple, listening to
worshippers explaining their problems and giving them
good advice and the blessing of Vohuma. The holy man is
held in great reverence in town and some believe that
Vohuma himself speaks through his mouth.
5.6.7.4 Merchants
Vispanfria: He was born in Jorash, in the Bulchyades
and arrived very young in Mijore, 50 years ago. He quickly
made a fortune selling luxury goods to the rich Vaysha of
Mijore, who he discovered are not as austere as they
pretend. He is now the wealthiest merchant in town and
the most prominent member of the Council of Trade. He
has an alliance with Rozbahar. With his gold and
Rozbahar’s tabâr prestige they hope to take control of the
city. While Rozbahar does not really intend to share the
power with a merchant, Vispanfria plans to reveal the
treachery and corruption of Rozbahar and have the Arshan
replaced by a town council, that he would be the head of.
How such a shrewd merchant managed to get such an
unrealistic plan is mystery. That the Vaysha and Varna of
Mijore would accept to be ruled by Vata is unbelievable.
119
5.6.8 Around Mijore
5.6.8.1 The Fortress of Faredun
The fortress was built by Ardâcher II to watch the Pass
of Dreams and prevent forever the Chey from using this
difficult path to cross the Divârayan Mountains, as they did
during the reign of his father Vihnu Taronish. Faredun (Ch.
Thrice strong) is perhaps not as impressive in its building
or the legends talked about it as the fortress of Gashtaham,
but with about 200 imperial guards garrisoned here, it is a
serious obstacle for any invader tempted to cross the
mountains through the Pass of Dreams.
5.6.8.2 The Pass of Dreams
To the North of Mijore there is a deep forest, that is
named the Forest of Dreams by the Chyans. A little altar
dedicated to the True God is built in the forest and priests
often go there to venerate the One and to pray for the
Chyans killed during the Chey Wars that took place during
the reign of Vihnu Taronish. According to the legend,
some prophetic visions of the future are sometimes
awarded by Vohuma to those who travel to the forest. But
the forest is also very dangerous, as there are rumours
about some dreadful monsters, spirits of the dead and
demons dwelling behind the eaves of the forest. The less
credulous say that they are just cruel forest Orcs or perhaps
elusive Susanâparâ, tricking travellers with their deceiving
enchantments.
Numerous legends are told about the ghosts of the
Forest of Dreams. They may have been people from
Jabâya, Orgothraath or Nosharud who refused to submit to
Dahaka and worship the new god, Akshâtra (see #3004-1
Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.1). They were then
cursed by the demon worshipping Rashaja and his evil
priests to non death. But other tales speak of Chey warriors
who fell in Nosharud when fighting the army of the Rashajâ
Arshavir and later Taxmaspâda II. In these tales, the ghosts
would then be Chey who, avenging in death their shameful
failure, possess the corpses of lost Chyan warriors in their
graves on the forgotten battlefields of northern Nosharud.
Both legends may have some truth.
5.6.8.3 The Fortress of Rusht
The fortress of Rusht controls the main pass connecting
Nosharud to the Clyan Highlands. The castle is now partly
in ruins and manned by a reduced garrison whose main
activity is to offer shelter to travellers who may use this
scarcely trodden road.
The fortress was built during the time of the
Artaxshâsan to prevent the rebellious Clyans to raid the
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Nosharud and was commanded by Burzasp, the Bane of Cly 5.6.8.5 The First Fire
(as he was called by the Clyans), who, seconded by a clique
In the Tâbesh Hills that go down the Divârayan
of Kharpanâ, became famous for his cruelty and his reckless
Mountains east of Mijore, lies a small cave where burns an
raids deep into the Clyan country. The fortress of Rusht
everlasting fire, fed by a few priests of Asrûta living in
became a place of sorrow and mourning for the Clyans,
hermits in the cave. This fire was first lit by Haxâmanish
where many a courageous warrior disappeared in its
and Aroustrâ, the first prophet, in honour of Asrûta and is
dungeons. At the liberation of the country by the army of
said to have never died since then.
Vihnu Taronish, the Clyan rebels took and destroyed the
fortress, a symbol of oppression and evilness. The Chyans say it is like the heart of Chy, beating its
life; wavering and fainting when the Chyans are in the
The fortress is famous in Chyan history for the
darkness and burning bright and strong when they follow
numerous battles that took place in its vicinity. Three are
the path of the True Faith, in faithful sons of Asrûta. The
especially famous. The two first battles of Rusht were
fire is called the First Fire as it was the first one lit of these
fought in SA 2631 and SA 2925 against the Chey and were
ever-burning fires, living symbol of Asrûta, Light of Jaha,
great victories of the Chyans. The Third Battle of Rusht
that can now be found in every temple of the True God.
saw the defeat of the Arshan of Mijore and the Dark
Ordainers by the future Rashaja Ganagan I, in TA 211.

5.6.8.4 The Temple of Gift

The temple is built in a high vale on the flank of the
Thunder Massif and is dominated by the rocky Atâgah,
where the legend places the meeting of Haxâmanish the
Old and Shraosha, the herald of the True God and the
formal gift of their lands to the Chyans by Asrûta. The
Temple of Gift can be reached only after a long and difficult
ascension on a rugged and narrow path climbing the steep
mountain.
The temple is believed to have been built on the very
place where Haxâmanish erected an altar to Asrûta. He
made the altar to sacrifice to Asrûta and thank the True
God for the gift of a new land for the Chyans. The temple
was built soon after and is supposed to be the first temple
of Asrûta to have been built out of stone. The temple
houses the Seven Prophets (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire :
The People, section 5.1.10).
The Thunder Massif itself, which is believed to be the
place of the palace of Hitâspa, is forbidden to any humans
and Dwarves, but numerous small shrines have been built
high in the surrounding mountains. There, pilgrims can
spend several days in prayers, trying to see signs from the
gods in the passage of the clouds, the striking of the
lightning or the sound of thunder that accompany the so
frequent storms centred on these mountains.
Priests of the True Faith, and especially those of
Vohuma, then help them to interpret these signs and to
follow the will of the gods. At the time of the revival days,
pilgrims are climbing up and down the mountains in long
and unbroken winding rows, reciting prayers during all
their way.

5.7 Pelepelplû
Pelepelplû (Ch. Strongflow), the Town of the Chyans,
the Shining Heart of Chy, the Tower of the Blazing Sun,
the Pride of Asrûta, the Spires of the Divine Light, or
simply the Town is the traditional capital of the province
of Chy. It has been, for a long part of its history, the capital
of the Chyan Empire, which has left an impressive legacy
of magnificent palaces, temples and monuments dedicated
to the glory of the Rashajâ and his people. Armies of
architects, masons and carpenters and the will of
Shôburagan have made of Pelepelplû the jewel case of the
magnificence of the Rashajâ of the Chyans. Undoubtedly,
if a traveller had to visit only one city in the South, the
choice would be Pelepelplû, despite the existence of the
marvels of Nîlûlondê and Naerphys.
5.7.1 History
As Pelepelplû is the most populous town of the Chyan
Empire and has been its capital for centuries, the history of
the town is closely interwoven with that of the Chyan
Empire.
Verethraghna, Arshan of Tabâr Chya, founded the city
in SA 686 and called it Pelepelsû (Ch. Strong warden), but
it is only soon after the Council of Ancients, that ruled the
city, had left its power into the hands of a hereditary Arshan
(in 752) that Pelepelplû really entered into history. It
started with the Wars of the City-States, a dark time for
Pelepelsû, and, in 766, the lost of important territories in
121
Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)
favour of an alliance of the cities of Tenolkachyn and
Baljana, in spite of a heroic resistance of the town. These
misfortunes culminated with the conquest of the town by
Baljana in 780 and the exile of its Arshan Dârayatu to
Chajapûn. In 806 a large army of Amesh and Chya
mustered around Pelepelsû. The army was led by
Dârayatu, now called the Roaring Airavât, who came back
to retrieve its own. He took the city by force and sat on the
throne he left 26 years before. Like his father, Dârayavahu,
was a great warrior, craving for the glory of battles and
conquests. He first took Chajapûn, the old ally of his father,
by surprise in 834 and then pounced upon an unwary
Baljana in 837. In 848, Dârayavahu was only stopped in his
attempt to conquer Samarth by the Aca invasion. He
managed to negotiate a peace and alliance with Samarth and
the Bulchyades cities and led their combined armies against
the Aca. He liberated Baljana and Mijore and repelled the
Aca over the Divârayan Mountains. The ascension of
Pelepelsû had then become irresistible and Dârayavahu was
crowned Rashaja in 853, becoming the first Rashaja of the
Victorious Sun Empire and making Pelepelsû the capital of
his empire. His son, Xshayârshan the Conqueror,
transformed and embellished the town to make it worth
one of the greatest kings of his time.
The Glorious Sun Empire started and ended with the
Aca. In 1145, these savage horsemen once again invaded
the rich lands of the Chyans. The empire was already
undermined by a series of weak and corrupted Rashajâ and
neither the cruel Xshayârshan II nor his son Kambûjiya II
122
managed to stop the invaders and prevent the
disintegration of the Empire. The glorious dynasty of
Dârayavahu ended in shame with his unworthy
descendants. The city regained some splendour at the end
of the 12th century, when Dâtuvahya II, the last heir of the
Dârayavahan revealed himself at Pelepelsû and fought for a
time against Kurû of Chajapûn who claimed also the title
of Rashaja. This feud ended with the murder of Dâtuvahya
II in 1182 and the accession to power of his counsellor
Ganashôshyn. Without any link with the Dârayavahan, he
cooled down his pretensions over the Empire and this
sealed the division of the Chyan lands into several
Arshanates.
But the real time of glory was still to come, and it is
only in 1663 that Shôburagan of Pelepelsû, after having
repelled the 3rd Aca invasion, and liberated the towns of
Mijore and Baljana became the first Rashaja of the Shining
Gold dynasty. The city was then renamed Pelepelplû (Ch.
Strongflow) and became the capital of the Chyan Empire.
It was a time of growth and prosperity for the town.
In 2039, with their accession to power, the Artaxshâsan
displaced for a time their capital to Chajapûn but in 2307,
after having liberated the Chyan Empire of the evil
influence of the Artaxshâsan, Vihnu Taronish Tasagana
moved back the seat of his throne to Pelepelplû and
restored the glory of the Empire and the town.
The glorious dynasty of Vihnu Taronish and the second
golden age of Pelepelplû lasted until 3012, when a divided
Chyan Empire was submitted to Sakal an-Khâr. The
Chyans had to wait until 3224 to be liberated from the
Golden Rule of Sakal an-Khâr by the mighty fleet of Tar-
Palantír, but the lands still remained divided into several
realms.
In TA 202 Ganagan of Chajapûn unified the Empire,
except Pelepelplû that was still under the strong influence
of the Dark Ordainers and managed to conquer this town
only in 213. In 223 Ganagan was crowned Rashaja of the
Chyans at Pelepelplû. Although coming from Chajapûn, he
did not dare to break a century-long tradition and installed
his capital in Pelepelplû.
In 527, Kharad II had to face a terrible fire that
devastated the lower Circles of the town. Quite
uncommonly, breaking the court etiquette and the Chyan
tradition, the Rashaja left the Apatân and led the fight
against the fire, personally saving several people from
death. Unfortunately, he died in the collapse of a building
when trying to save a young girl locked in her bedroom.
After his death, the poor people of the town erected a small
shrine to honour his memory. As time passed, Kharad
became the object of a special devotion from the poor
people of Pelepelplû, who consider him as a Khudâbandeh
and the protector of the town and especially its small
people. Hardly some month after this calamity, a horde of
raiders, unexpectedly mustered from the desert and
attacked the town. They were certainly lured by the
legendary treasures of the town and easily took control of
the lower Circles whose walls had not been fully repaired
since the fire. During weeks they plundered these districts
and besieged, without any hope of success, the upper town.
When tidings of the coming of a relief army from Chajapûn
reached them, they left the town in great haste, bringing
with them all that they could. They headed for the deep
desert, when a terrible sand storm swallowed them all. The
people of Pelepelplû saw in that the first miracle of Kharad,
avenging his city. Today, after a heavy sand storm, it is still
possible to discover some gold plates or silver cups,
uncovered by moving dunes and still hold by fleshless
hands. Some even murmur darker and more terrifying
stories of malediction of Kharad and undead haunting the
sands. May these stories be true or false, the dangers of the
Dunes of Kharad are sufficient to be avoided by any sensible
traveller.
Unfortunately, Asrûta had given Kharad only daughters
and so, it is his cousin Haydar, Arshan of Chajapûn who
succeeded him on the throne of the Rashajâ. At the
consternation of the people of Pelepelplû, his first action as
Rashaja was to move the capital to Chajapûn.
In 931, Ulvânad I, after escaping a third assassination
attempt, moved his palace to Pelepelplû for security
reasons and in 947, the Phaxsharâ king Mursili II sent him
an ambassador after his unification of Codya. The
ambassador made an extravagant and extraordinary entry
into the town, followed by an incredible suite in coloured
Phaxsharâ and Vulmaw costumes, with exotic animals and
magnificent presents for the Rashaja to show the wealth of
the newly unified kingdom of Codya and the friendship
between the Phaxsharâ and Chyan peoples. This entrance
had such an impact on the people of Pelepelplû, that ever
since then they organise each year, for the anniversary day,
a huge masquerade. The people of the town, disguised in
the most extravagant possible costumes, carrying fabulous
animals of wicker and colourful fabrics and fake presents
representing the symbols of the Farokmads, climb to the
Apatân and offer them to the Rashaja. The procession ends
in unbridled dancing, singing and drinking held in front of
the Apatân. When the town was still the capital of the
Empire, this festival had also the more serious purpose to
pay to the Rashaja the taxes due by the Farokmads.
These last hours of glory for Pelepelplû lasted until
1005, when Khosrô II moved definitively the capital to
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Chajapûn. It is supposed that a partisan of Pelepelplû testimony to the Rashajâ who commissioned their
assassinated him at Baljana in 1007. construction. The six monarchs, Ganashôshyn,
Shôburagan, Ganachyn, Ganshô, Tasagana, and Ganagan
The mid 3rd Age was the time of revolts for Pelepelplû.
(in chronological order) are all buried in towering tombs
In 1634, the Arshan Pashin IV, a member of the Bokhtarâ
astride their respective aqueducts. Their monuments
(see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3)
comprise six of the eighteen "Spires of Strongflow" (Ch.
revolted against the Rashaja Siyavush IV. After the
Pit-apo-Pelepelplû).
repression of the revolt, the town was given to Ashtad with
the mission to get rid of the Bokhtarâ. But for him, it was The largest of the encircling walls is in size about equal
only a footstep towards higher ambitions. He openly to the circuit of the wall round Chajapûn. Of the first and
revolted against the young Rashaja Khosrô III in 1642. The second circle the buildings are white, of the third black, of
civil war lasted until 1647, when the town was taken and the fourth crimson, of the fifth blue, of the sixth green, of
he was killed. the seventh red. Thus are the buildings of all the circles
coloured with various tints, and the two last have their
After these sad events, the town started to sleep in his
battlements one of them overlaid with silver and the other
dreams of lost glory, only disturbed by the humming of
with gold. These walls then the six Rashajâ built for
swarms of traders at her feet. It regained some of its old
themselves and round their own palace, and the people
glory at the end of the Third Age, when it became the
they commanded to dwell round about the wall.
capital of the Besieged Kingdom of Vishtâspa between
2988 and 3012, fighting against the evil from Harshandatt. In TA 1640, Pelepelplû is no longer the capital of the
In the Fourth Age the city is the centre of a kingdom ruled Chyan Empire and is now ruled by the Arshan alone. The
by the descendants of Vishtâspa and claiming to be the Arshan of Pelepelplû has nominal power over all the lands
inheritor of the Chyan traditions. comprised south of the Clyan Escarpment and west of the
Nîjara. The south and south-eastern borders with the
5.7.2 The Town and its Territory territory of Chajapûn are ill defined, crossing the arid
steppes somewhere in a line between the last northern
The setting of the town is especially dramatic: a
groves of the Ammu Bâj at the tower of Kermanshad and
multicoloured jewel of stones climbing on the mount
the confluence of the rivers Pelplû and Nîjara at Hamadan.
Haxât in a case of lush greenery. The countryside around
Although the Arshan of Pelepelplû has land claims as far as
the town is a maze of irrigation canals and fields enclosed
the tower of Kermanshad, commanding the caravan track
and protected from the winds by hedges of fruit trees. The
from Pelepelplû to Nehavend, the tower itself is under
view is especially striking coming from the west. After
imperial control. The town of Hamadan, where the Nîjara
weeks of harsh walk through the desert, the traveller first
meets the Pelplû, enjoys a special status. Claimed by the
passes between the two stone Watchdogs of Dârayavahu
Arshanâ of Pelepelplû and Mijore and the town of
(now eaten by the sands) that guard the gates of the Empire
Chajapûn, it is ruled in common by them. Which means
at the fringe of the desert. Then he discovers this luxuriant
that the town is, in point of facts, a free-town. In the west,
garden, with the town of Pelepelplû jumping towards the
the territory of Pelepelplû runs into the desert, along the
sky in its middle and the aqueducts scattering to a semi-
caravan tracks, as far a nobody else claims the contrary and
circle of grey mountains, sometime crowned with some
the horsemen of the Arshanâ can protect the travellers.
snow, that render the plain even greener than it is.
The land under the authority of the Arshan of
Pelepelplû is the most populous city in Chy (about
Pelepelplû is often referred simply as Chy, even if a master
70.000 inhabitants), and also the most known city in all
in the geographical sciences would tell you that “the
Southern Jaha. The city is built on a spur of Mount Haxât
geographical area designed by Chy encompasses also the lands
and organised within a series of nine concentric walls, or
under the control of Chajapûn and a large part of the territory of
nine terraced hills. Pelepelplû, or “Strongflow” in Chyan
Shamîsar”. The land in these boundaries is a wide plateau of
language, is linked with the neighbouring mountains
steppes of brown grass, becoming dryer and dryer towards
(named in memory to six important Rashajâ of Chyan
the west, before to merge with the desert. The only
history), by a collection of six, multi-tiered aqueducts. The
noticeable exceptions are the valleys of the Pelplû and
elevated waterways are paired and linked in order to
Hormdôky rivers that have been transformed by the labour
increase their stability. Besides conveying water from no
and genius of the Chyans into a plentiful garden. Away
less than three highland streams, they act as dual-level
from the roads, crammed with caravans of traders, it is rare
highways. Encircling the city, they also serve as
to cross a traveller or even a lost herder with his sheep.
fortifications. Each is a marvel of engineering and a
Almost the entire population live in Pelepelplû and the
124

river valleys. Apart from some mines and quarries in the
mountains in the north and scarce herds, the land has no
natural riches and the town of Pelepelplû would be poor
without its thriving trade.
5.7.3 Town Life
The town of Pelepelplû was the first entirely built by
the Chyans, away from any Múranian settlements, to
become their masterpiece. It is long now that Pelepelplû
has lost her political power in favour of Chajapûn, but this
long history has marked forever the town with
architectural and artistic treasures and the people with
pride.
The city dwellers consider themselves as the keepers of
the true Chyans traditions and cultivate a quite rough way
of life (compared to Chajapûn or the Bulchyades towns)
that they are very proud of. There, even the richest and
most powerful Vaysha keep their wealth for the intimacy
of their household and appear in public with the plain
traditional Chyan tunic. The only displays of wealth are
their magnificent palaces, decorated with the most
expensive glazed tiles and fine statues in a kind of
competition to affirm the power of their family.
The town has kept a very aristocratic and hierarchical
structure. There, Vaysha and Varna keep the upper hand
on every aspect of the town life and the Vata have not
managed to break through, in spite of the incredible wealth
of some of them. Ancestors and tradition remain the
keywords. The social level is shown by the Circle where
people are living; the higher the Circle, the higher your
social status (see section 5.7.6.1). Any visitor will be
struck by the difference between the lively lower levels
swarmed with people and the quietness of the museum-like
upper levels.
The town, especially when one climb to the higher
Circles, is crammed with old and historical buildings,
palaces, monuments, temples and shrines, memories of the
long Chyan history. The architecture of Pelepelplû is the
perfect example of Chyan buildings: low, one-storeyed
house, with an inner garden when the wealth of the owner
allows it. In the upper levels, they are decorated, inside and
outside, with glazed tiles (for with Pelepelplû is
renowned), sometime with statues or bas-reliefs. The
interior of the palaces or houses of the rich Vata is even
more grandiose. Rare woods for the beams or carved
panels, rich silk or velvet fabrics dyed with the rarest
pigments and displayed in hangings, colourful Clyan
carpets and extraordinary crystal pieces from Baljana. The
poorer house follows the same pattern but with less
expensive materials. It is nevertheless usual, even for the
poorer, to spare some money to have some glazed tiles just
around the door and, when affordable, around the rare
windows. It is a pride for the housemaster to have colourful
and bright tiles and it is also said to keep the demons away.
For same purpose, a small statue of Manah just above the
door is common.
Apart from the usual Chyan religious festivals, the main
festivals of Pelepelplû are the Phaxsharâ Masquerade (see
5.7.1), the Fresh Waters Day (see 5.7.5.5), Ajmô Rise and
Heroes’ Day. The Heroes’ Day celebrates the legendary
and historical heroes of the Chyans, among which the most
famous are Haxâmanish, Vihnu, Dârayavahu and, naturally
Kharad, the local hero and protector of the poor people of
Pelepelplû. The date of this festival is fixed at the
blossoming of the cherry trees that scatter all the
countryside of Pelepelplû. The priests of Asrûta have to
observe the buds and decide when they are to burst. This
day, the streets of Pelepelplû and the houses are decorated
with the new flowers.
Balls are organised in every squares and special cakes of
wheat, honey and dry fruits in forms of the different heroes
are baked. Especially in memory of Kharad, it is the
tradition that this day, servants and slaves get some extra
money or special gifts from their masters. The Ajmô Rise
Festival is at the last day of Dayâr, in autumn when the
trading year finishes with the departure of the Clyans and
many other traders to their homelands. It is to celebrate a
year of prosperous trade and make propitiatory sacrifices
for the forthcoming year. Ajmô is also considered as the
protector of the town and this day the Arshan and the
Farokmad of the Traders organise huge banquets, open to
everybody, where innumerable loaves of bred, pieces of
grilled meat, pots of porridge and skins of wine are offered.
Although the Vaysha and Varna of Pelepelplû often
despise it, trade is the source of the wealth of the town.
The vibrant heart of the town are the lower Circles, where
are concentrated the shops, markets, inns and Mihmân
Khâmah. There, a colourful and motley crowd sell, buy,
bargain, conclude agreements and sometimes cheat and
steal in all the languages and costumes of the south of Jaha
and farther. Traders from the green coasts of the Bay of
Ormal, the scorched Lurmsakûn, the underground
mansion of Námagalûz and the wild steppes of Khand and
Kargagis Ahar meet there, one to sell his gold and buy
spices, the other to exchange his rare furs for delicate silk.
The shopkeepers of Pelepelplû like to claim that everything
can be found and bought in their town for those who come
with their hands full.

5.7.4 Organisation
5.7.4.1 The Arshan and the Council
Since almost its foundation, a hereditary Arshan has
ruled the town. He is seconded by an informal council of
the most influential Vaysha and Varna of the town (chosen
by the Arshan). The members of this council have mainly a
duty of advice to the Arshan. The most trusted councillors
have also in charge some specific tasks. Amongst the most
prominent members of the council, Bamshad is currently
in charge of the Arshan Guard, Mahyar collects the taxes
and keep the treasury of the town and Khubyar is
responsible for the relations with the Farokmads.
The Otôvâ of the most important Chyans cults in
Pelepelplû, especially Asrûta, Hitâspa and Ajmô, seat
usually at the Council. But even if not members of the
Council, the priests have traditionally an important
influence on all the matters and their advices are usually
followed.
In Pelepelplû, Vaysha and Varna have managed to keep
the Vata away from the power, in spite of the huge
importance of trade for the town. It results a rather tense
situation that is not fully cooled down by the fact that the
Farokmads can directly address their complaints to the
council by way of Khubyar.
5.7.4.2 The District Lords
The territory under the authority of Pelepelplû is not
particularly rich and many small Arshanâ, even when
masters of huge expenses of lands, would have hardly
enough to maintain a way of life worthy of their rank. To
remedy that and to provide his vassals the splendour that
they deserve and separate them from the common people,
Abarpân II, Arshan of Pelepelplû decided in SA 1068 to
grant to his highest and most trustworthy vassals some
districts of the lower Circles. There, they can levy taxes on
the trade or incoming foreigners. In exchange they have to
reside at Pelepelplû and to ensure the security in the
districts allowed to them. These Arshanâ are commonly
called the District Lords. Obviously, this arrangement
gives a strong control of the Arshan of Pelepelplû over his
vassals. Noshzad, at the Jewellers’ district, and Kersasp, at
the Silk Dealers’ district, are the most important of these
District Lords.
5.7.4.3 The Nations
The numerous traders that live more or less
permanently at Pelepelplû have a tendency to regroup
themselves among people from the same origin. Some
districts of the lower Circles have then gradually been
125
peopled exclusively by people coming from the same
country. The Rashaja Ardâcher II confirmed this fact and
decided to grant some districts of the lower Circles to the
control of a representative of the nationals of a given
country. He started with Cly, Harshandatt and Anarikê,
but later it was extended by his successors to other peoples.
They can live there following their own laws and customs,
in exchange they have to ensure the security and fight
against fires. These districts are called the Nations and their
sizes can range from just a block of houses to the size of a
decent village. Quite surprisingly, as they are not really
foreigners, the Clyans form the most important Nation for
the products sold at Pelepelplû by the Clyans are one of the
main attractions of the town. The Nation of the Clyan is
actually a village of tents that blossoms at the gate of the
town in early autumn and disappear some weeks later.
Amongst the other important ones, there are the Nations
of Harshandatt, Arysis, Siakan. Orgothraath and Anarikê.
Codya, the Lynerian League, Tûl Harar and Bozisha-Dar
also have delegations but they are limited to small blocks of
houses. Chyans who visit the town for the first time can be
quite surprised and confused when entering one of these
districts and being stopped by the local militia for having
broken an unknown rule, completely foreign to the Chyan
habits.
5.7.4.4 Military Forces
The military forces of the town are divided in 3
different entities, with different attributions and masters,
which does not always facilitate the things.
The Garrison is composed of imperial troops of the
High Guard and the Erexshâ (now Ramin) is supposed to
be directly appointed by the Rashaja because of the
proximity of the border and the strategic importance of the
town. However, the Erexshâ is generally chosen among the
Vaysha of the town, proposed by the Arshan. The mission
of the Garrison is essentially to watch the walls and the
gates of the town. In time of peace, the service is especially
boring and the soldiers of the Garrison have a really bad
reputation of drunkards and woman-chasers scouring the
worst taverns of the town to elude their boredom. The
soldiers of the garrison wear the Imperial livery.
The Militias are different companies, levied by the
Farokmads, the Nations and the District Lords to ensure
order in the districts under their duty. The Militia of the
Farokmads have special tasks of controlling trade, checking
that the prices fixed by the Farokmads are respected, that
the weights and measures are not spurious and preventing
thefts in the markets. The other militias have usual police
power in the districts under their responsibility. The
quality and reliability of the militiamen depend on their
126
companies and their owners. The Militia of the Farokmad
shows usually a good appearance and behaviour. The
Militias of the Nations are commonly composed of
mercenaries coming from their respective countries, with
all the bads and goods that it implies. Regarding the Militias
of the District Lords, it really depends on the wealth and
commitment of their master. The uniform of the
militiamen depends on their companies and is especially
heterogeneous.
The primary function of the Arshan Guard is to protect
the Arshan and ensure security and pomp in the different
official buildings. Actually, its jurisdiction extends over all
the upper levels where the Guards have police functions.
They are usually picked men, highly trained and well paid.
Officially they have the prerogative over the militias but
generally avoid going to the lower Circles. Their uniform
is of gold and green with the coat of arms of the ruling
Arshan in front and the symbol of the town (a sun rising up
a hill, on a green field) on the back.
Common patrols of horsemen from the Garrison and
the Arshan Guard have in charge the security of the roads
leading to Pelepelplû and the protection of the travellers
against occasional thieves and more often raiders from the
desert or bands of Fauthum-Hai sometime ambushing
unwary travellers.
5.7.5 Politics and Power
5.7.5.1 The Azimtabarâ
As a rule of thumb, the Vaysha and Varna of Pelepelplû
keep the upper hand on almost all the administration of the
town and leave more mundane commercial activity to the
Vata (even the District Lords who levy taxes on trade have
no direct implications on commercial activities). One of
their main concerns is to get closer to the power, by any
means.
Among them, the members of the Council are the most
influential people in the town. Here follows a list of the
members of the Council and a short description of their
function. More details are provided in the section 5.7.7.
Bamshad: Commander of the Arshan Guard.
Bundar: Respected and wise man, without a specific
function.
Farhad: Otôva of Ajmô.
Kersasp: Lord of the Silk Dealers’ district.
Khavar: Recently appointed to the Council by the Arshan.
Khubyar: Relations with the Farokmads.
Mayar: Taxes/treasury.
Nariman: Master of the Household and maintenance of
the Apatân.
Noshzad: Lord of the Jewellers’ district.
Ramin: Erexshâ.
Ramdin: Otôva of Asrûta.
Stivant: Otôva of Hitâspa.
Zavareh: Shapan of Pelepelplû.
5.7.5.2 The Farokmad of the Traders
This is the most powerful Farokmad of the town.
Everyone who wants to sell goods have to register and pay
for licence at the House of Trade, from the farmer who
wants to informally sell some vegetables or fruits to rich
Vata who is importing silk or spices from remote countries.
Unfortunately for the Farokmad, an important part of the
money thus gained has to be given to the Arshan as taxes.
The militia of the Farokmad has in charge to check the
authenticity and validity of the licences. Only Chyans can
belong to this Farokmad, which allow them to keep control
of the trade at Pelepelplû, in spite of the huge number of
foreign merchants. This is quite badly resented, and the
Nations have at several times tried to obtain a change, but
being unable to unit themselves and overcome their
national disputes, they never obtained anything. The
Pishkasir of the Traders is elected among the richest Vata
for a life-long term. If it were not the barriers erected by
the Vaysha and the Varna, he could be the most powerful
man in the town.
“Taxes: the tax system at Pelepelplû is especially confusing, here is a
short memory jogger that will avoid you bad surprises. To enter or get out
any kind of merchandise (this include anything that can be sold, even if
you do not intend to, and that is not obviously your personal possession)
you have to pay a small amount at the gate of the town, depending on
the exact nature of the product, to the Arshan. Then, any merchant has
to pay 5% of any of his transactions to the authority controlling the area
where he is working, that is the Arshan, the Nations or the District Lords.
When you are working on an Arshan territory, you have to pay at the
House of Trade. The Nations and the District Lords have their own
offices. Finally, a licence to sell must be obtained from the House of
Trade, which amount depends on the merchandise you are selling and the
time you are intending to work. Reduced year packages can be obtained.
Be patient in the queue.”
From “A trading guide to Pelepelplû”
5.7.5.3 The Farokmad of the Horse Dealers
This Farokmad was originally part of the Traders, but
split long ago because the Clyans Arshanâ, who make the
majority of the Horse Dealers, did not appreciate to be

under the command of Vata from Pelepelplû and have the
impression to be fooled because of their seasonal presence
at Pelepelplû. The huge market that the horses represent
(a fine Clyan horse can be worth many of the most
expensive jewels) and the renown of the Clyan horses made
this possible. The wool and carpets traders tried also to do
the same, but were eventually forced to go back to the
Farokmad of the Traders. If some Chyans are selling horses
all the year around, the best horses can be found only at the
end of summer or early autumn, when the Clyans arrive in
town. Once their horses sold and essential goods for winter
bought, they ride back to the Clyan Highlands before the
passes are closed by snow.
5.7.5.4 The Farokmad of Inn and Tavern
Keepers
Because of the continual flux of merchants and
travellers coming in and out the town, Pelepelplû offers a
large variety of inns, from the most basic Mihmân Khâmah
to the most sumptuous inns. The inn and tavern keepers
decided quite early to regroup into a Farokmad (the second
oldest one after the Traders), mainly to avoid exhausting
concurrence between inns and prevent the establishment
of non-citizens. The prices of rooms, food and drinks are
particularly constant in the entire town, depending only on
the category of the inn or tavern (shown by the background
colour of the sign: white, blue, red or gold, from the worst
to the best) and the Circle (the lower, the cheaper). The
Militia of the Farokmads tracks down any establishment or
informal food and beverage dealer who does not clearly
exhibit his licence and can seize all the equipment of the
infringers.
5.7.5.5 The Farokmad of the Fountainers
This Farokmad regroups all the professions dealing with
water, from the engineers in charge of the aqueducts and
the fountains to the water sellers. They are especially
respected because of their vital importance for the town
dwellers. Each year, the aqueducts are closed for one week
to be cleaned out and the inhabitants have then to rely only
on the cisterns water. An important festival is organised for
the reopening of aqueducts, to celebrate the Fresh Waters,
flowing again from the numerous fountains of the town. At
that occasion, the overflow pipes are opened and hundreds
of rivulets are flowing down the streets of the town (which
also has also the good consequence of flushing away all the
rubbish). Pelepelplû has no sewers, except in the lower
Circles, that were built by Vihnu Taronish, but has a
complex network of pipes and gutters which collect the
waters brought by the aqueducts from the fountains and
gather them at the Arch of Vihnu, to become the source of
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the Pelplû. Most of the streets and passageways of the
upper Circles are slightly V shaped for rain water to flow
down easily.
5.7.5.6 The Keepers of the Tradition
The Arshan Pashin I created this Farokmad when he
realised that many architectural and artistic riches were
falling in ruin. The Farokmad has for mission to maintain
the historical buildings, make sure that they are not illegally
destroyed and study their history. Its members have the
unimaginable privilege to enter any house, palace or
temple that is in the Tables of Heritage to make plans and
surveys and to make sure that they are not damaged. All
these documents are kept secret in the House of Tradition
and can be consulted only by the highest members of the
Farokmad, who have sworn to reveal none of the family
secrets contained in these documents. They are subsidised
by the Arshan to train and maintain masons, stonecutters,
carpenters, glass blowers and other craftsmen to take care
of all the buildings and pieces of art in the Tables of
Heritage. After trade, maintaining the artistic heritage of
the Pelepelplû is the most important activity of the town.
5.7.5.7 Thieves
As can be expected in a town living on trade and
crammed with merchants, thieves, pickpockets and
shoplifters are thriving in Pelepelplû. Perhaps because of
the large number of preys and opportunities, nobody has
ever managed to impose his rule over all of them. There
exist nevertheless two important gangs operating
essentially in the lower Circles. The gang of Adarji is
composed mainly of pickpockets and marginally of
shoplifters. The Tricksters, ruled by Old Kayras, are a gang
of crooks whose principal preys are merchants freshly
arrived in town, stunned by the swarming inside the town
and inexperienced with the local customs.
5.7.5.8 The Bokhtarâ of Pelepelplû (Towards
1640)
The Bokhtarâ of Pelepelplû were especially influential
under the reign of the Arshan Pashin IV. The Arshan
himself was rapidly convinced by their preaching and
became a member. Doubtless under their influence, he
revolted against the Rashaja. He was defeated and replaced
by a relative to the Rashaja, Ashtad. The main mission of
Ashtad was to get rid of the Bokhtarâ, which he zealously
did. Towards 1640, all the prominent figures of the
Bokhtarâ of Pelepelplû were on the run, exiled, arrested
or executed. Because of the mission of Ashtad and his
profound dislike for the Bokhtarâ, they did not reappear in
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Pelepelplû after the death of Rashaja Siyavush IV as in many
other places in the Chyan Empire.
Nevertheless, all the Bokhtarâ had not openly revealed
themselves. Many simply felt lucky to escape the wrath of
the Rashaja and tried to be forgotten and to keep their
secret. Others were the members of the True Followers, a
secret order of the Bokhtarâ founded by Huchithra and
dedicated to radical and violent action (more details about
the Bokhtarâ and the True Followers are given in #3004-1
Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3.3). After
Chajapûn, Pelepelplû is their major stronghold. Without
showing their true allegiance, they supported and pushed
Ashtad to revolt and try to seize the crown. Among the
most important members are Farsak, the Pishkasir of the
Traders (who leads the True Followers at Pelepelplû),
Ramin the Erexshâ, Nariman the Master of the Household
and Stivant, the Otôva of Hitâspa. But there are numbers
of lesser members, weaving a real web throughout the
entire town. They usually do not know the identity of more
than two or three other members (those that they have
introduced into the organisation or were introduced by).
The true identity of the important members given above is
especially well protected, particularly Farsak’s.
5.7.6 The Town
5.7.6.1 The Circles
The town is divided into nine concentric main districts,
the Circles. They are separated by walls of stone and
distinguished by a colour. The higher Circles are dwelt
essentially by Vaysha and Varna, and some rich Vata. The
lower Circles are working class districts, animated and
crammed with traders from all Jaha. The commercial
activity is mainly concentrated in these circles whereas the
higher Circles are more residential and garden areas.

First and Second Circles: These two Circles, built
during the reign of Vihnu Taronish, are actually considered
as one and the buildings are there mainly of white. The
white was chosen as a symbol of the victory of Vihnu
against the Artaxshâsan. In his will to remove every stain of
evilness, Vihnu Taronish envisaged even to whitewash the
wall and houses of the other circles up to the seventh to
make the town a city of light, all of white and shine, but it
was never completed, and with time only scarce white
marks remain on the buildings. The White Circle is the
most peopled of the town and keeps a rather busy
atmosphere, even during the winter months, when most of
the merchants are away.
Third Circle: It is also called the Black Circle. The
building of the wall was started by Vishtâspa I and some say
the colour was chosen by Nevazar to symbolise Vishtâspa
grim stand against the Trials of the Demon King. It is a
rather busy district, full of shops and inns (of slightly better
quality than in the White Circles). Nevertheless, the
overall atmosphere is a bit quieter, perhaps even
depressed, than below, certainly because of the ominous
colour of the district.
Fourth Circle: The Crimson Circle is the last of the lower
Circles. It is the place of the luxury shops, where colourful
rugs and fine jewellery can be found. Many shopkeepers
here are foreigners, mainly from Harshandatt, Anarikê or
the Lynerian League, selling rare and expensive products
from their countries.
Fifth Circle: The Blue Circle is traditionally dwelt by
Vata whose fortune has given some pretension to higher
social position. They usually keep a house in the Blue Circle
for show, but have their trading activities on the lower
Circles. Here the houses look often more palace-like than
in the higher Circles for the Vata living in this district show
ostentatiously their wealth with richly decorated houses.
Sixth Circle: With the Green Circle really starts the
upper and ruling class of Pelepelplû. Here, live the Varna
and Vaysha of the town, whose family cannot claim enough
antiquity to aspire to higher Circles. As in the two higher
circles, it is a quiet area, where beautiful houses and
delicate palaces are separated by green and shaded private
gardens.
Seventh Circle: The Red Circle is reserved to the oldest
families of Vaysha and Varna, but apart from the general
hue of the palaces it cannot be distinguished from the
Green Circle.
Eighth Circle: The Silver Circle is almost entirely
dedicated to the Arshan, some of the members of the
Council and embassies that are there for protocol reasons,
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but have a legation in the lower Circles to be of some help
to their nationals.
Ninth Circle: The Gold Circle, at the top of the mount
Haxât is completely composed of the Apatân and the Old
Temple of Asrûta.
5.7.6.2 The Spires of Strongflow
The Spires of Strongflow are the 18 highest towers of
the town. Among them, 6 are the tombs of the Rashajâ who
have built the 6 aqueducts.
A. The Tomb of Ganashôshyn: Ganashôshyn
was the councillor of Dâtuvahya II, the last
Rashaja of the Victorious Sun Empire. He
became Arshan of the town after the murder
of Dâtuvahya II and, although he claimed the
inheritance of the title of Rashaja, he has
never put it forward because he lacked
direct blood link with any Rashaja to back
his claims and could not afford a war against
any of the other Chyan Arshanates that
would have contested him. The title
remained nevertheless, almost forgotten, in
the official titles of the Arshanâ of
Pelepelplû. Shôburagan revived it when he
imposed himself as Rashaja and founded the
Shining Gold Empire. Ganashôshyn made a
lot for the town, enacting laws, organising
the Rules of Trade and building
monuments. He also started the digging of
the irrigation canals, the first step to
transform the countryside into a green
garden. Amongst his most grandiose
realisation is certainly the first aqueduct,
built with the help of Tahmarda engineers.
It is the most audacious aqueduct, bringing
water from almost the top of mount Haxât,
ending to what was at that time the outer
wall of the city. His tomb is built at the end
of the aqueduct. It is a five-storeyed tower
of green serpentine, completely hollow,
with the sarcophagus of Ganashôshyn in a pit
in the middle of the hall. A spiralling
staircase leads to the summit platform
where the view of the town and the
outskirts is breathtaking. A part of the water
of the aqueduct is diverted into 6 fountains
flowing in waterfalls from the middle of the
tower. The magnificence of his tomb and
the memory he has left in legends make that
many people in Pelepelplû genuinely
believe that Ganashôshyn was a Rashaja.
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B. The Tomb of Shôburagan: Shôburagan, the
first Rashaja of the Shining Gold Empire,
completely transformed the town of
Ganashôshyn, making it the capital of a large
and powerful empire. During his reign, the
town was extended to another circle and he
decided to build a twin aqueduct to the one
of Ganashôshyn, ending at the new wall. His
tomb is a spiralled tower of blue basalt and
white marble. The interior, besides the
golden sarcophagus of the Rashaja, contains
numerous trophies of his victories against
the Aca, but the entrance is unfortunately
closed to the public. In his times, the
overflows of the new (Shôburagan’s) and
old (Ganashôshyn’s) aqueducts joined their
clear waters, cascading down the Mount
Haxât slopes and meeting the blued
Hormdôky a bit farther downhill. The new
river so created by the will of Shôburagan,
restorer of the Chyan Empire, was called
Pelplû. It simply means “flow” or “river” in
the old Chyan tongue, but for the poets and
Shâhirâ it also has the meaning of Spring and
Renewal, as the strong and fresh waters
bring new life when the Sun again warms
and awake the earth. The city of Pelepelsû
(Ch. Strong warden), became then known
as Pelepelplû, or Strongflow, and soon the
river of Shôburagan was seen by all as the
bloodline of the empire, flowing from its
heart to bring life to all the Chyans Land
and, as the new Empire, is was ever strong
and steady, in summer as in winter, in peace
as in war.
C. The Tomb of Ganachyn: Ganachyn, the son
of Shôburagan, continued the work of his
father, adding another circle and building a
new aqueduct, searching for water farther
in the west and adding a new strength to the
Pelplû. His tomb is a tower of intricate
columns of pink sandstone.
D. The Tomb of Ganshô: Considering the
numerous new houses outside the town,
Vishtâspa I (also called Ganshô as a sign of
sympathy for his misfortunes) built a new
wall and a twin aqueduct to the one of
Ganachyn in the early years of his reign. He
also ordered a tower of black granite for his
tomb, but the tragic events of his reign
prevented him to be buried there. The tomb
was left empty and unfinished.
E. The Tomb of Tasagana: Vihnu Taronish
Tasagana ordered the construction of the
white walls when he made of Pelepelplû his
capital. He also had a new aqueduct built
towards the east, made of white marble as is
the tomb he ordered for himself, as a
symbol of the victory of the Light against the
Darkness. The water brought by his
aqueduct turned the Pelplû into a stronger
river but the Rashaja was grieved by the
sight of the dirty waters flowing down the
streets of his city and turning the fair Pelplû
into a muddy and dark stream. He had pipes
and gutters built to collect all the clear
waters from the many fountains and pools
of the city and have them joined in his Arch
(see #25), which then became the source of
the Pelplû. The tomb of Vihnu Taronish is
made of seven superimposed towers of
marble of slightly different clear shades.
Starting with a square, the towers have then
5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 sides, finishing by a circle
topped by a spiralling pinnacle. Statues of
old kings and heroes and columns decorate
the walls. The white sarcophagus of Vihnu
is the aim of pilgrims from all over the
Chyan lands.
F. The Tomb of Ganagan: Ganagan added a new
aqueduct to the town, parallel to the
aqueduct of Vihnu and built on the same
model. With time, they have become
undistinguishable. His tomb is a single and
plain round tower of white marble with
neither decorations nor windows. It is a
perfect polished and glittering finger
pointing to the sky.
Seven other Rashajâ are buried at Pelepelplû, rather
than in the Valley of Hormdôky (see 5.7.8.1).
G. The Tomb of Vâyaspâra II: It is a hexagonal
tower, covered with glazed tiles showing
mythical scenes and animals. The platform
at the top is accessible by stairs spiralling on
the external face of the tower.
H. The Tomb of Cishpi II: This is actually three
towers, linked near the summit by
footbridges. The tomb of the Rashaja is in
the basement in the middle of the three
towers.

I. The Tomb of Fardad I: A rather cubic and
massive structure of marble of different
colours, with large windows of stained
glass. The interior is an enchantment of
changing colours. It is counted among the
Spires, because of four fine pinnacles at each
angle, rising high in the sky.
J. The Tomb of Dadârshi VI: It is a square
tower built of limestone, each storey being
indicated by a frieze of glazed tiles showing
geometric and floral designs.
K. The Tomb of Kurû I: This tomb is built
following the model of the Zigwrat of
Chajapûn. It is just smaller at the base and
appears slenderer. The walls are decorated
with glazed tiles glorifying the deeds of
Kurû I and statues of his ancestors.
L. The Tomb of Ferozgar I: This square tower
has 8 storeys, each being slightly smaller
than the preceding. The last storey is just
enough for a staircase and a small platform
at the top for one person.
M. The Tomb of Aspacanah I: It is a rather plain
tower of bricks that should have been fully
covered with marble, but it has been done
only on a third of the tower.
Three other spires are the tombs of non-royal
individuals.
N. The Tomb of Varazdad: The Pishkasir of the
Traders, died in SA 2343, was perhaps the
richest man of his time. He decided to build
the highest tower of Pelepelplû to be his
tomb. The upper part of the tower
collapsed just some days after his death, as a
punishment to have challenged the Rashajâ,
people say.
O. The Tomb of Tizrav: The favourite horse of
Vâyaspâra II was buried close to his master,
in a copy of his own tomb, for the King of
the Horses.
P. The Tomb of Syamak: The Otôva of Asrûta
died in SA 2044, killed by the Artaxshâsan
Rashaja Dârayavahu II because of his support
to the Shôburagahan dynasty. His corpse has
been lost, but Vihnu Taronish built for him
a cenotaph to honour the memory of the
hero and martyr of the resistance against the
Artaxshâsan.
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The last two spires are no burial monuments.
Q. The Tower of the Citadel: This massive
tower was built by Cishpi I to reinforce the
defences of the town and to impress any
would-be invader.
R. The Tower of Shônagân: This tower is also
known as the Sun Observatory and was built
at the highest point of the city to allow the
Rashaja Shônagân to wait for the rise of the
sun and be the first to see its rays.
5.7.6.3 Places of note
Given the size of the town, only the most important or
typical buildings and monuments are described in the
following. Some places that appear in the text may not be
listed here.
1. Glacis: The space around the town is
completely free of buildings and trees over
100 m (330’). It is primary for military
reasons, to refuse any kind of shelter to
potential assailants. However, its main use is
a camp ground for caravans, especially the
Clyans in autumn, and to organise the horse
races that the people of Pelepelplû are so
fond of.
First Circle
2. The Arch of Ganagan: It is built in the
line of the Arch of Vihnu and starts the
triumphal alley that victorious Rashajâ
traditionally go up on their Airavât. The arch
is decorated with scenes of the last battle of
the Rashaja against the Dark Ordainers and
has three arches, in the middle flows the
Pelplû.
3. Azman Horses: Azman is a permanent
horse dealer, he has good beasts, but it is not
by this Chyan that you can expect find the
best horses.
4. The Blue Ketartas: A lair of cut-throats
and shoplifters (white rated), in the middle
of the Covered Market, it is nevertheless the
place where many unwary travellers end as
it looks like a respectable inn.
5. The Mihmân Khâmah of Bozisha-Dar:
It was built to offer some shelter to traders
form Bozisha-Dar that cannot afford inns or
that are looking for a safe place to stay, with
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people speaking their home language. The
Mihmân Khâmah has a large courtyard
where horses and camels are attended and
wagons can be parked. There are also, on the
left wing, three dormitories and sixteen
rooms for individual or group of merchants
who can afford them. Food is usually
prepared in the courtyard, either by the
merchants themselves or by Narseh, the
tenant of the Mihmân Khâmah who sells it
for some coins. The rear wing is a large hall
with lockable stores where the merchants
can keep their merchandises.
6. The Mihmân Khâmah of Harshandatt:
It is basically identical to #5.
7. The Mihmân Khâmah of Tûl Póac: It is
basically identical to #5 but also serves a
market where two-humped camels from Tûl
Póac are sold.
8. The Clyan Pool: Nothing more than a
large trough, where the freshly arrived
Clyans traditionally water their horses.
9. The Column of Unity: On a column
supported by soldiers representing the
tabarâ Chya, Amesh, Ammu, Vagya, Cly and
Bulchya stands Dârayavahu, father of the
Chyan Empire.
10. The Covered Market: It is really a town
within the town, encompassing what could
be ten blocks of houses. The market is an
incredible maze of small shops linked by
winding passageways, stairs and footbridges.
The first shops were those of some carpet
dealers, but rapidly many other shopkeepers
joined them. The streets were covered to
protect the customers from the sun, first by
simple awnings and then by vaulted roofs. It
is still extending and each year some new
shops are relied to the existing structures. It
is certainly the better place to discover rare
and exotic products in Pelepelplû (and that
is saying a good deal). Unfortunately, it is
also a paradise for pickpockets who can
easily disappear into the dizzying muddling
of narrow passages.
11. The Dying Sheroqâb: With regard to the
food, perhaps the best inn of the White
Circles, but with a deplorable reputation
because of several murders committed there
(white rated).
12. The Flower of Bulchyades: A nice but
small tavern (red rated), with excellent wine
from the Bulchyades. It is also possible to
have some snack there.
13. The Horses Market: It is a large hall
whose roof is supported by a forest of pillars.
Each pillar is decorated with figures of
glazed tiles that give their name to the bays
(e.g. the jumping horse, the red Airavât or
the torbachenna tree). Here the Clyans are
selling the best horses that can be found east
of the Great Anduin.
14. Leather Saddles and Iron Wheels: The
shop offers everything for preparing a
commercial expedition. In the backyard,
there is even the workshop of a cartwright
for mending or buying wagons.
15. Nekdel’s: Originally a carpet dealer,
Nekdel has made his reputation by selling
Clyan wool (and stolen pieces of art).
16. The Pride of Cly: Kavay is the only Clyan
horse dealer presents in the town all the year
around. He has very good contacts with the
best Clyan horse breeders and, if you are
rich enough, you can order there a Ninfin
(that will be captured in the Clyan Highlands
within one or two years).
17. The Raging Bear: It is a general weaponry
store, where correct to low quality weapons
can be obtained for cheap. If the weapons are
not as good as they look, the coats of mail
are excellent and the shield and helmets are
pretty acceptable.
18. The Red House: Antef is from
Harshandatt and in his shop every kind of
herbs, balms, pills, potions or drugs are
available to cure anything from an ankle
twist to the most dreadful disease (at least he
claims so). He has good connections in Tûl
Isra in Sîrayn and sells some of the famous
elixirs produced there at a good price.
Statues of Manah and different amulets to
protect you from the demons are also
available. If the stuff sold by Antef is often
dubious, he is a remarkable healer, when
asked politely and with purses of gold.

19. The Rugs Den: Certainly the best place to
get one of this highly famous Clyan carpets,
the prices are unfortunately in proportion.
20. The Spear of Hitâspa: A large inn, just
within a stone's throw from the Town Gate.
Many foreigners in search for a bed
inevitably arrive there, for their misfortune:
the rooms are infected with bed bugs and
expensive and the food is revolting (blue
rated thanks to bribes).
21. The Spiky Arrow: The shop is specialised
in bows and arrows, but other throwing
weapons can also be found.
22. The Three Brothers: It is a small carpet
shop, run by the brothers Ramdin, Ramin
and Ramyar. If the carpets are not always of
the best quality (or even genuinely Clyan),
you can nevertheless expect good stories and
legends about the Clyan Highlands.
23. When the Sun meets the Moon: A small
tavern of the Covered Market, open all the
night and usually frequented by deliverymen
and street porters when they have a free
moment or to have a snack in the middle of
the night (white rated).
24. The Wool Market: Usually Clyans are
processing themselves the wool of their
sheep, in beautiful and sought-after carpets
made during the long Clyan winter.
Nevertheless, some is exported and the best
one can be found in the Wool Market of
Pelepelplû. It is just a small street where all
the shops are selling raw wool.
Second Circle
25. The Arch of Vihnu: A triumphal arch
erected by Vihnu after his victories against
the Chey. It is surrounded by four big
fountains, showing scenes of battle and
victory. They gather the waters coming
from the overflows of the aqueducts,
fountains and pools of the city and are
considered as the source of the Pelplû,
which then flows down the triumphal
avenue, out of the city. Chyan Vaysha
accompanying the Rashaja to war are in the
habit of jumping into the nascent Pelplû with
their horses as the legend says that the horses
133
will then be invulnerable and the charges of
the Vaysha cavalry unstoppable.
26. The Mihmân Khâmah of Lurmsakûn:
It is basically identical to #5 and is also used
by traders from Siakan and Arysis.
27. The Flying Mulnû: A good inn (red rated)
kept by Behruz of Kandalar. The specialities
from the Bulchyades that he serves are
famous all over the town. Behruz makes
deliveries for feasts and receptions to the
best houses of the town.
28. The House of Cly: It is there that the
Farokmad of the Horse Dealers gather in
autumn, when the Clyan traders come back
to the town. The building is empty during
the rest of the year, just guarded by the
Clyan Guard. It is a band of 15 young men,
coming from all the Clyan villages. Among
all the candidates, 15 are chosen by a horse
race around the walls of Pelepelplû. They
stay during one year, guarding the House of
Cly, and are relieved the following year. It is
a great honour for a father to have his son in
the Clyan Guard, and when they go back
home, they are welcomed as heroes. The
House is a building of bricks with a frieze of
glazed tiles showing warriors on horses at
the top of the wall.
29. The Lôkhuzôr Statue: The statue stands
in the middle of the square of the same
name. It was erected by Vihnu, in memory
of his friend and ally. Lôkhuzôr himself
inaugurated the statue, the day he
symbolically entered the Glorious Fire
Order and was granted the title of Brother
of the Rashaja. This title was especially
created for him, and only granted to one
other man, Psousèn III of Harshandatt, in the
first years of the Fourth Age of the Sun, as
the Tahmarda say.
30. The Mercenary Market: In this large hall
of bricks, mercenaries from all southern Jaha
are offering their services to traders
organising a caravan and feeling the need of
a military protection.
31. The Red Airavât: A fairly decent inn (red
rated), with good beds and nice alcoves for
discreet conversations and business.
134
32. The Shrine of Kharad: It is a small square
building of bricks, rather simple and with
almost no decoration, but a statue of Kharad
II. The place is nevertheless especially
striking for it is crammed with withered
flowers, dried fruits and pieces of wood
coarsely carved. They are all votive offerings
from the poor people of the town, thanking
Kharad to have saved a son from a disease or
spared a house from fire. The Shrine is
always full of people coming to pray for help
or thank for a favour. In front of the shrine,
informal dealers are selling flowers or fruits
as well as pieces of wood showing houses or
undifferentiated figures that can be bought
and offered to Kharad.
33. The Thirsty Barrel: This tavern is where
the worst element of the Garrison can be
found, enjoying some fights between to
booze-ups (white rated).
34. The Thousand Colours: The best spice
dealer of the town. The shop is a delight of
bright colours and subtle scents.
35. The Two Daggers: Tirandaz imports
Chyan daggers especially from Shamîsar.
Good knives and swords of many styles are
also available there.
36. The White Fountain: It was built by
Vihnu Taronish, to celebrate the completion
of his aqueduct. It is built of white marble
and the water flows through the mouths of 7
demons trampled and slaughtered by
Hitâspa on his horse.
37. The White Ninfin: A blue rated inn,
offering correct and plentiful food for a
reasonable price.
Third Circle
38. The Old Weaponry: The shop is dusty
and littered, but with some patience, any
kind of weapon can certainly be discovered
there for a good price.
39. The Tears of Tistrya: This fountain is a
portico of black stone from the top of which
myriads of small drops are falling in a
shallow basin.
40. The Temple of Asrûta: The new temple
of Asrûta was built by Vihnu Taronish on the
ruins of the Storm God temple both to
symbolically show the victory of the Light of
Asrûta against the Darkness and, more
prosaically, to offer a larger and more
convenient worshipping place to the people
of Pelepelplû. The temple is built in the pure
Chyan tradition: a plain rectangular brick
building, with no external decoration but a
panel of glazed tiles showing a rising sun
whose rays are running through allegorical
figures of dying demons. The interior is far
more impressive, with statues of the gods
made of precious ivory and gold, dressed in
the most delicate silk, interwoven with gold
threads. The floor is of polished marble of
different colours and the walls are
completely covered with glazed tiles of the
brightest and most colourful hues. The walls
of the Room of the Fire are completely
carved in exquisite stone lace and covered
with gold and gems reflecting the light of the
fire. The garden is open to the worshippers.
It is a quiet place where worshippers can
praise the majesty of Asrûta between crafty
fountains and exquisite flowerbeds and
under the shade of mighty trees. Under
these beauties are darker secrets. The visible
part of the Storm God temple had been
destroyed but the tunnels and underground
chambers dug during the reign of the
Artaxshâsan are still there. The sole known
entrance is closed – hopefully for good – by
a thick steel door whose key is secretly
transmitted from Otôva to Otôva.
41. The Temple of Daena: Being she who
brings light in the night, Daena is perhaps the
most revered goddess of the Chyans after
Anahita. Her temple is especially renowned
for the lovely garden and its pools and
fountains, where the stars are reflected. In
the nights without moon, when the darkness
is the most terrifying, the priests and the
worshippers gather there during the entire
night to pray. At dawn, they light torches
and scatter through the entire town,
chanting the glory of Daena.
42. The Temple of Rashnu: It is also called
the Black Temple as it is entirely built of
dark stones. It is not really the place
favoured by the townsfolk, but, as Rashnu is
the guide to the Garden of Asrûta, Chyans

keep offering him during all their life, with
perhaps an increased attention when their
hair starts whitening. An annex to the
temple houses a community of Nashalarâ
whose duty is to collect and take care of the
corpses sometime found in dark alleys and
claimed by nobody.
43. The Temple of Tistrya: With After
Kharad, Tistrya is the god most revered by
the poor people of the town. It is especially
the disabled and mutilated who worship her
at Pelepelplû. The temple is always full of
these people, looking for some consolation
from the goddess and help from the priests.
Next to the temple, a house tended by the
priests of Tistrya is especially dedicated to
the housing of mutilated and wounded
soldiers.
44. The Starlit Night: A quiet tavern where
Shaja fanatics meet for long and contested
games during all the night (blue rated).
Fourth Circle
45. The Drunken Lion: The meeting place of
the golden youth of Pelepelplû, this tavern is
very animated, with good vine and
outstanding beer from Námagalûz (gold
rated). Refined and expensive hookers can
easily be found there.
46. The Flight of the Eagle: You want to find
a good hunting eagle or you need some
equipment to hunt with your eagle. This
place is for you.
47. The Fountain of Ganashôshyn: This
fountain was erected in the early Third Age
by the Farokmad of the Traders to honour
the memory of Ganashôshyn, for having
enacted the Rules of Trade that are still
today organising all the commercial
transactions at Pelepelplû. The basin is said
to be decorated by carvings of everything
that can be sold and that are intermingling in
a complex frieze. If the traders are usually
throwing some coins to get luck for their
next deal, a usually game for kids is to
identify as many as possible objects in the
frieze.
48. Gold and Silver: The place is indeed two
shops that communicate with each other.
135
One is owned by Upamana the Goldsmith,
the other by his brother, Paband the
Silversmith.
49. The House of Afiveh: Afiveh has recently
been elected at the head of the Farokmad of
the Innkeepers and the glazed tiles showing
a round bred and a pot above is front door
are brand new.
50. The House of Harshandatt: It is not so
big a house, but of very harmonious
proportions with very fine glazed tiles
showing the town of Naerphys (a not so well
appreciated reference to the competition
between the two towns for the title of First
Marvel of the Bay of Ormal). Its exact
function has fluctuated in the ages with the
status of Harshandatt. It has been the
Embassy of a powerful neighbour and a
shelter for citizen of a vassal state. As the
other embassies that have not simply closed
their doors when the capital was moved to
Chajapûn, the House of Harshandatt houses
now just a small delegation of officials from
Harshandatt. Their main function is to
provide some help to the traders coming
from Harshandatt.
51. The House of Karan: Karan is a spices
dealer, perhaps the most successful in the
town, it can easily be seen from the glazed
tiles on the walls, showing people from
strange and remote lands picking berries on
trees that are not less strange for the eyes of
the townsfolk of Pelepelplû.
52. The House of Trade: This palace houses
the almighty Farokmad of the Traders. The
facade is built of dark basalt, but being
almost completely covered by large panels
of marble, the dark colour of the supporting
wall is just seen as outlines. The marble
panels are decorated with bas-reliefs
showing the benefits of trade, bringing
prosperity and peace. The interior garden is
especially famous and can be freely visited
when it is not used for private parties given
by the most prominent members of the
Farokmad. Licences for trading at
Pelepelplû can be bought there.
53. The Memorial of the Battle of
Pelepelplû: In the middle of the Vihnu
Square stands a statue of Vihnu Taronish on
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the top of a representation of the town of
Pelepelplû and crushing Chey warriors.
54. The Pillar of Shôburagan: On each side
of this huge square pillar are glazed tiles
panels showing the victories of Shôburagan
against the Aca, the liberation of Baljana and
Mijore and the coronation of the Shining
Gold Emperor.
55. The Rising Sun: One of the best inns of the
town (gold rated). The innkeeper, or more
exactly the owner, for now Afiveh rarely
gets down to it, is the Master of the
Innkeepers.
56. The Silky Night: The best shop to find
delicate silk or rare fabrics. The place is own
by Shergir (see #69 and 5.7.7.3).
57. The Singing Fountain: It is the overflow
of the Cistern of Shôburagan, one level
above. The water is projected in the air
before scattering and falling down on
thousands of small polished stones. The
stones are then hitting the metallic basin,
producing faint ringing as so many small
bells.
58. The Temple of Ajmô: Ajmô is, with
Hitâspa, the protector of the town. Apart
from the obvious relation with trade, the
main source of wealth of the town, Ajmô is
also believed to have saved the town from
Indara by defeating him at the Shaja game.
The Farokmad of the Traders has paid for the
construction of the temple and his
responsible for the subsistence of the priests.
The building is of pink sandstone, decorated
by a row of pillars in the front and glazed
tiles showing the main commercial activities
of the town.
59. The Temple of Anahita: As a goddess of
fertility, she is naturally especially
worshipped by every Chyans. If the town
dwellers have a rather routine way of
worshipping her, the farmers of the
surroundings are far more attached to her
cult. Twice a year, before the sowing and
after the harvests, they come to town.
Before the sowing, processions of maidens
bring to the temple seeds to be blessed by
the priests and eggs as offerings. After the
harvests, the fathers offer fruits and ripe ears
of rice to their goddess.
60. The Temple of Haurvata: In the
courtyard of the temple, railed off from the
street, is a strange water clock. A statue of
Haurvata stands on a rock and water is
flowing from his hands, filling two cups,
symbolizing the passing of time. When the
Rashaja or the Arshan of the town dies, the
water is removed and dispersed in the street
of the town by a procession of priest as sign
of mourning.
61. The Theatre of Cishpi: It is an open-air
theatre built by Cishpi II. He was a great
amateur of the Huzvagul game and decided
Pelepelplû deserved a place to organise large
and renowned competitions. The tiers of
seats are in a half circular shape, supported
by the rock of the mount Haxât. A wall,
decorated by the statues of most famous
Chyan Shâhirâ closes the theatre. It is a very
simple construction as the competitors for
the Huzvagul, need nothing to prepare
themselves and everybody from the
audience can go down the stairs and
challenge the victor of the previous round.
The theatre is also used for more formal
recitations of the long Chyan Gathâ.
62. The Vohuma Gems: It is a very good
jeweller’s shop where desert amber from
the Mirror of Fire and fine pieces of crystal
from Baljana can also be found.
Fifth Circle
63. The Arch of Shôburagan: It was built
just some meters back to what was the Gate
of the Town to commemorate the
unification of the Empire and the victory
against the Aca.
64. The Cishpi Square: This large square
commemorates the victory of Cishpi I
against the Vulmaw. At the three angles, are
statues of Chyan, Lynîr and Anarikanî
soldiers and in the middle a statue of Cishpi
I, breaking a Vulmaw ship in his hands.
65. Cistern of Shôburagan: This
underground cistern collects a part of the
water from the aqueducts of Ganashôshyn
and Shôburagan. Apart from 4 little sheds

that protect the entrances used by the
fountainers to maintain the cistern, it is
completely invisible. It is the largest of the
cisterns of the town and extends over 5
levels. The cistern is an incredible maze of
large halls and tunnels where the fountainers
can easily boat on. The primary aim of the
cistern is to keep water in case of need, but
during the week preceding the Fresh Waters
Day (see 5.7.5.5) it is the main source of
water for the townsfolk. As the cistern is
relied to only a few fountains, during that
time the 4 sheds are open and water is
collected and distributed throughout the
town by people especially hired by the
Arshan.
66. The House of Farsak: The family of
Farsak has been at the head of the Farokmad
of the Traders for generations. The
magnificence of their familial house shows
shamelessly the wealth accumulated. Farsak
is used to organise big receptions in his
gardens and being invited is regarded as a
proof of one’s own importance and
respectability among the Vata of Pelepelplû.
67. The House of Javidan: The house of the
Master of Tradition is rather simple, made
of bricks, with just some stringcourses of
glazed tiles of different colours. At the top
of the wall, a frieze of bas-reliefs shows short
panels of the striking events of the history of
the town.
68. The House of Nived: Two elaborate
fountains flank the door of the house of the
Master of the Fountainers. The front wall is
also covered with 3 panels of glazed tiles
showing an aqueduct, a fountain and, above
the door, a representation of the Fresh
Waters festival (see 5.7.5.5) under the
symbolic protection of Uzdâva.
69. The House of Shergir: Shergir has made
is wealth by importing and selling silk. He
has recently moved to this old Vaysha house
and has lost no time to add rich decorations
of glazed tiles and statues on the front wall
to show his success.
70. The House of Yavisht: The family of
Yavisht is old in the business of jewellery and
the house is decorated with glazed tiles
137
showing the ancestors of the family, with
rich and sophisticated jewels in their hands.
71. The Temple of Manah: Peace and alliance
treaties are usually signed in this temple by
the Rashajâ (and a priest of Manah is always
requested to bless these treaties). The walls
of the temple show glazed tiles with Manah
repelling with her bare hands’ armies of
demons of stench, carriers of diseases. A
statue of Manah, showing her left hand in
sign of peace is also at the top of the main
gate of the town, to protect it against plagues
and war.
72. The Temple of Uzdâva: Although far
from the see, the cult of Uzdâva is especially
popular in the town. His association with
water makes him of crucial importance for a
town that depends so much on irrigation and
the water brought by aqueducts from the
surrounding mountains. The fountainers
have a special devotion for him and maintain
the temple. The villagers from the
countryside, come in procession each year in
spring, when the snows melt, to ask for both
fresh waters pouring into their irrigation
canals and not too violent melting to avoid
catastrophic floods.
Sixth Circle
73. The Citadel: It was built on the wall of the
sixth Circle by Ganashôshyn to protect the
town. Now, the citadel has lost most of its
defensive function and is more a show of the
imperial authority than a menace for any
enemy. Actually, apart from the imposing
tower of Cishpi (see 5.7.6.2), it is a rather
unimpressive building, at least for a town
like Pelepelplû. The walls of the town are so
formidable, that the need of more
sophisticated defence has never been felt.
Perhaps boasting, the Arshanâ of Pelepelplû
are used to saying that the valour of the
Chyans Warriors are worth any kind of
fortification. The fact is that the town has
been taken by force only a few times in its
long history. The Citadel serves also as
prison. Any people arrested by the Arshan
Guard or the militias must be transferred
there to be judged by the Shapan or the
Arshan, following the gravity of the crime.
However, the militias usually keep their
138
prisoners by their own (in what is often no
more than a room with a strong door and no
widows) or simply avoid being hampered
with prisoners.
74. The Garden of Serenity: It is a lovely
terraced garden with several ponds and an
artificial river, dedicated to Vohuma. It is an
ideal place to spend some time out of the
crowd of the town and to recover a bit.
75. The Legation of the Lynerian League:
It is the former palace of a rich Vaysha, given
as a gift to the Lynerian League after the sole
son and heir of this Vaysha was saved from
pirates by a Lynîr ship. It explains the
presence of an official Lynîr delegation so far
from their usual coastal trading posts. The
front wall is decorated with glazed tiles
showing the coats of arms of the Lynîr cities.
The interior is separated in two wings. One
of them is no more than a trading post where
representatives are buying goods and
sending them to the Bulchyades harbours on
behalf of some rich merchants. The other
wing is a more traditional consulate.
76. The High Garden: It is installed on a
natural terrace where a cliff has made the
building of the town wall unnecessary. The
garden is rather rocky, but although they
prevent the growth of large trees, the
eroded rock formations make the main
attraction of the garden. Now that the cliff is
no longer in the first line of the town
defences, steep stairs have been cut into the
cliff, allowing reaching the garden from the
Fifth Circle. The stairs join together some
natural and artificial platforms were benches
give some rest and offer breathtaking views
of the town and the bluff.
77. The House of Tradition: This building
houses the Keepers of the Tradition and,
more importantly perhaps, their archives
(see 5.7.5.6). The monumental doors,
flanked by statues representing the
foundation of the town by Verethraghna of
Tabâr Chya are guarded by soldiers from the
Militia of the Farokmad and the Garrison.
The garden of the house, that can be
accessed by a side door, presents a number
of old statues and panels of glazed tiles saved
from the destruction.
78. The Khubchehr Garden: It was once the
garden of the palace of Khubchehr that has
long been destroyed by fire. Khubchehr
offered the garden to Asrûta to thank the
God for sparing his and his sons’ lives in the
fire and moved to the Red Circle (see #91).
79. The Palace of Kersasp: It is the house of
the lords of Mahafrin (an expense of steppes
south-west of Pelepelplû) who were the first
to settle at Pelepelplû and where granted the
rich district of the silk dealers (see 5.7.4.2).
The wall of the palace is decorated with
glazed tiles showing views of the hereditary
lands and some of their most famous
ancestors.
80. The Palace of Khavar: This two-storeyed
house is rather extravagant in Pelepelplû. It
was built by a Vaysha who emigrated there
when the Vata took the control of his home
town of Samarth. The walls of the ground
floor are decorated with a large panel of
glazed tiles showing the sea and the coastline
of Samarth, whereas the first floor has views
of the mountains surrounding Pelepelplû.
81. The Palace of Noshzad: The Vaysha
family living there has under its rule the
Jewellers’ district (see 5.7.4.2) and has now
three diamonds as its coat of arms. Its
homeland, almost at the fringe of the desert
is especially poor. They have been granted
the rich Jewellers’ district as a reward for
their fierce defence of the border against the
first raid of the descendant of Entoj Adun
(see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People,
section 2.0)
82. The Temple of Ameretat: It is an elegant
small building in the middle of a garden with
the most delicate and exquisite flowers that
can be found in this part of Jaha.
83. The Temple of Atana: In Pelepelplû
Atana is mainly revered as the keeper of the
Fire of Asrûta. Her Female Warrior
attribution has long been forgotten there,
but she is still represented with a blazing
helmet and a spear on the front wall of the
temple. When a son is born in a family, it is
the custom to come there to light a lamp at
the Fire of Atana and put it in the room of
the baby to protect him from the demons.

84. The Temple of Vohuma: The temple is
built of limestone with green serpentine
pillars. Statues of a rabbit and a cow are
supporting the door lintel where four golden
diamonds are engraved (one for each of the
Wisdoms of Asrûta).
Seventh Circle
85. The City Garden: A column at the north
end of the garden commemorates the
foundation of the town. Other columns,
scattered all around the garden and often lost
in the plants have been erected to people
who deserve well of Pelepelplû.
86. The Hall of the Mighty Ones: It was
commissioned by Vihnu Taronish soon after
the completion of the new temple of Asrûta.
It was intended to be the most magnificent
temple ever built to thank all the gods for
their help in chasing forever the evilness
from the Chyan Empire. It is a temple
dedicated to all the gods of the Chyan
pantheon, under the responsibility of the
priesthood of Asrûta. The visitor first
crosses two sacred precincts through
monumental gates, each decorated of statues
of the faithful children of Asrûta. Then,
passing through lovely gardens, he enters the
temple itself. It is a kind of Zigwrat, but the
terraces are supported by elegant arches on
thin columns, giving the building an almost
airy look. Each of the eight terraces is
dedicated to a couple of the Children of
Asrûta, with a specific shrine for each god
and goddess. The last terrace has no
building, but a giant golden orb, reflecting
the sun as a symbol of Asrûta. All the walls
are covered with glazed tiles, of different
background hues for each terrace and
showing the mythological deeds of the gods.
87. The Haxâmanish Monument: On the
north side of the Haxâmanish Square, the
monument consists in a statue of the King on
his horse, cutting the Chyan Gap with his
sword and crossing it in a jump.
88. The House of the Shapan: Here lives the
Zavareh, Shapan of Pelepelplû. The façade is
completely covered with glazed tiles
showing geometric designs of all the possible
shades of red.
139
89. The Palace of Bundar: The palace is
decorated with a frieze of charging Airavatâ,
in memory of the ancestor of the family,
who is said to have saved the life of
Haxâmanish. It was when the Chyans first
met Airavatâ and, by fear of them, the
stallion of king threw him down to the
ground.
90. The Palace of Nariman: If this palace
looks unimpressive with its walls of bricks
and only two panels of glazed tiles it is
nevertheless the house of an ancient and
powerful Vaysha family. They make a point
of honour in living in the purest Chyan
tradition and reject any kind of conveniences
or luxury that could make them forgot their
past of horsemen and warriors.
91. The Palace of Khubchehr: It was built by
Khubchehr after the burning of his palace in
the Green Circle (see #78). Now the family
of Mahyar inhabits the Palace. They have
come from Chajapûn at the same time of
Ashtad and have rapidly gained a prominent
position in the Council.
92. The Palace of the Shapan of Cly: The
Shapan of Cly, now Delir, resides
traditionally at Pelepelplû for the Clyan
never managed to agree on a capital that
could house him. No Shapan has ever
complained about that, as the Palace at
Pelepelplû is doubtlessly far more
comfortable than anything the Clyans could
offer. It is also far safer than any Clyan
village, always the possible target of a raid
from an enemy tabâr. The drawback is that
the Shapan of Cly has absolutely no power
and that his functions are limited to officially
welcome the first caravan arriving from Cly
in autumn and open the race that will decide
of the 15 members of the Clyan Guard (see
#28).
93. The Temple of Shraosha: The temple is
covered with glazed tiles showing mighty
warriors and defeated foes (at the image of
the neighbouring peoples) on a purple
background. A bas-relief of Simurg, the
giant eagle, watches the door and steers at
any intruders with his ruby eyes.
94. The Statue of Haxâmanish III: This
statue commemorates the martyrdom of
140
Haxâmanish III and the sacrifice of his army
to save Ishtya. It was offered by the citizen
of this town as a symbol of their eternal
gratitude.
Eighth Circle
95. The Embassy of Anarikê: The Embassy
of Anarikê is, with those of Harshandatt and
the Lynerian League, the only one still in full
activity. It is actually two houses, linked
together by a colonnade that cuts through a
lovely garden. The garden is open to the
public as well as the left house where copies
of Tahmard masterpieces can be seen. If the
embassy has been kept open, it is essentially
for prestige reasons, to ensure the presence
of Anarikê in a town where all Jaha is
meeting.
96. The Palace of the Arshan: With time and
since the capital has been moved to
Chajapûn, what was once a simple house has
been transformed into a palace that many
kings of lesser realms would be happy to
have. It is composed of 5 buildings scattered
in a garden, some being relied by covered
walks, other completely independents. The
whole is enclosed by a wall with three gates.
The front of the Main Building opens on the
street and the Main Gate cuts it in two. The
gate is decorated by statues of Hitâspa and
Ajmô, the protectors of the town and
guarded by soldiers of the Arshan Guards,
whose barrack is included in the palace
complex. The right wing is reserved for
official receptions whereas the left one is the
Court of Justice. Relied to it by a covered
walk is the Palace strictly speaking, where
the Arshan has is own apartments and
Andra. Just next to the Palace, and also
relied to it by a covered walk, are the
Outhouses, where live all the servants of the
palace. Facing it, across the garden, is the
Arshan Guard barrack, just next to the West
Gate. Finally, in the rear of the garden are
the stables, shared by the horses of the
Arshan and those of his Guards. This
building is also open to the street by the
North Gate, usually reserved to the
servants’ use and deliveries.
97. The Palace of Bamshad: It is an old and
traditional building of bricks, decorated
with fine glazed tiles. The garden opens
directly on the street, on the rear of the
house and has an independent gate.
98. The Palace of Khubyar: The glazed tiles
of the front wall are especially famous and
are said to be the masterpiece of Thraeroana
the legendary Chyan tiles maker who has
also decorated the main hall of the Apatân.
99. The Palace of Ramin: The palace is
decorated, on its four sides, with statues of
the ancestors of this oldest Vaysha family of
Pelepelplû (as they claim it).
100. The Temple of Fravâd: The temple is
built of bricks covered with glazed tiles
showing friezes of spears and swords,
flanking depictions of mighty warriors,
horses and Airavatâ, trampling dead
enemies. Although Fravâd is often more
associated to the destruction of war and its
irrational side than to its glorious aspect, it
is nevertheless in that temple that the
Rashaja comes before to go to war. There he
prays for a quick destruction of his enemies
and unsheathes the Sword of Fravâd whose
lame can be seen only in time of war and that
is believed to carry fear and disruption into
the enemies of the Chyans. Once the peace
gained, the first concern of the Rashaja is to
put again the sword in his sheath, by fear that
it could unleash new wars.
101. The Temple of Hitâspa: With the
temples of Asrûta and Ajmô, it is most
important temple of Pelepelplû. Indeed, as
protector of the Rashajâ, Hitâspa is also
supposed to protect his capital. The building
is in bricks and the door is guarded by two
statues of giant dogs, Glory and Victory. A
sacred horse is kept in the temple, the finest
of the white Ninfinâ. In case of the crowning
of a new Rashaja, this horse is used for the
ceremony (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire :
The People, section 5.1.1). When the horse
has passed away, his remains (after the flesh
has been eaten by vultures) are kept in urns
exposed all around the garden wall, under a
panel of glazed tiles representing the horse.
Priests of Hitâspa are then sent in Cly, to
find a perfect white Ninfin, a true son of
Shidasp.

Ninth Circle
102. The Apatân: The Apatân, whose
construction was started by Shôburagan is no
longer used by the Rashaja, who resides now
at Chajapûn. The palace extends over almost
the entire ninth Circle. It is a maze of
luxurious rooms, courtyards, pools and
corridors decorated with glazed tiles
showing royal and mythological scenes,
golden woods, crystals from Baljana, rich
silk and velvet curtains and hangings and the
finest Clyan carpets. Several gardens bring
some life to these sleepy rooms. There,
ingenuous fountains, bird and tamed animals
are surrounded by exotic and rare flowers
and trees. Some of these gardens as well as
several rooms of the Apatân, where are
exposed presents from the most powerful
sovereigns to the Rashajâ of the Chyans, are
open to the public (At least those who obtain
the authorisation from the Master of the
Household, Nariman, who has also in charge
the maintenance of the Apatân).
103. The Old Temple of Asrûta: The Old
Temple of Asrûta is part of the palace
complex built on the summit of the mount
Haxât. Since the construction of the New
Temple under the reign of Vihnu Taronish,
only the Rashaja and his court used it. It is
now dwelt by a few priests whose principal
functions are to keep the Fire of Asrûta and
to greet every morning the sunrise from the
eastern platform by the blow of three
immense horns that wake the entire city.
The Fire of Asrûta is the oldest ever-burning
fire of the Asrûta temples. It was kindled by
the Rashaja Dârayavahu I and has never failed
since then. It is the object of a special
devotion and once a year, at the start of
winter, the Rashaja brings some twigs from
the four corners of the Empire to give
strength to the fire and make it face
successfully the darkness of the winter. Now
that the Rashaja is at Chajapûn, it is the
object of an important pilgrimage, leaded by
the Rashaja. For this occasion, the doors of
the temple, that were once build to let the
people of Pelepelplû enter the temple but
were sealed after the inauguration of the
New Temple, are opened to allow the
Rashaja, his suite and then the crowd of
worshippers entering the temple.
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5.7.7 People of Note
5.7.7.1 The Azimtabarâ
Bundar: He is a nice and old man from an old family,
reputed and respected for his wisdom and warrior abilities.
Kersasp: He is the lord of the Silk Dealers’ district.
This provides him a comfortable income in taxes and few
expenses as the area is rather quiet. His militia is limited to
5 soldiers and a captain, wearing the black livery of their
master. Kersasp is old (69) but still a strong and feared
warrior. He has sworn fidelity to Ashtad when he came to
the town, and will keep his words, but he is also faithful to
the Rashaja.
Khavar: His family came from the Bulchyades where
he still has lot of relations. Recently Ashtad granted him a
seat at the Council. He wants to use the contacts of Khavar
to obtain an alliance with the Bulchyades or push the
Vaysha of Bulchyades to take the power there.
Kubhyar: He has in charge the relations with the
Farokmads, a very important function at Pelepelplû.
Kubhyar is a strong-willed man, completely devoted to
Ashtad. He is now trying to negotiate a tax increase from
the Farokmads. He had recently some hot discussions with
Farsak, the Master of the Trader about that. Farsak hates
him.
Mayar: He is from an old liege family of Ashtad and
owes him his position (he is responsible for the collection
of taxes and the town treasury). His devotion to his lord
goes as far as being his henchman for important and discreet
operations.
Nariman: He is the Master of the Household of the
Arshan, and so has also in charge the maintenance of the
Apatân. Nariman is a very skilful and cunning diplomat. He
is a member of the True Followers and as for mission to
secretly watch Ashtad and his suite and try to get rid of
anybody who could give him “bad ideas”.
Noshzad: The Lord of the Jewellers’ district is the heir
of a family of warriors. He hates to stay in town and most
of the time he is in his ancestral lands, with a band of
horsemen (his militia), chasing Orcs from the Fauthum-
Hai.
5.7.7.2 Authorities
The Arshan: Ashtad is a member of the imperial
family, a distant cousin of Siyavush IV, who was granted
the town of Pelepelplû after the revolt of the former
Arshan. His task was to get ride of the Bokhtarâ and bring
back the town under imperial rules. If he achieved it quite
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well, it has also awakened his ambition. The death of
Siyavush IV and the Regency made the rest. He has decided
it is time to him to reach higher summits and that he must
be Rashaja. Either eliminating the prince or having himself
elected could be a mean. Now, he is looking for a majority
at the High Council. He will not hesitate to use military
force if some people need to be convinced of his legitimate
rights. Ashtad is 37 years old, has thin black hair and dark
eyes. He is short and almost as large, but not of fat and has
proved to be a formidable warrior. When he is not on a
battlefield, he is a rather mellow and nice man. He has no
special hatred against the young Khosrô, even perhaps
some regrets that he will certainly have him to be killed to
achieve his goals. He has 16 wives and 6 sons. He has a
youngest brother, Yazdyar, who is the Master of the House
of the Apatân at Chajapûn (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire :
The People, section 8.3).
The Commander of the Arshan Guard: Bamshad
is an old warrior and a man of integrity. He is the worst
nightmare of Ramin, who fears that if anything were openly
done against the Rashaja Bamshad would oppose them. He
is a great fan of horse races, has bet a big money and lost a
lot. He owes a large sum of money to Shergir.
The Erexshâ: Ramin is a man of action, perhaps
sometime too reckless and hot-tempered. He is a member
of the True Followers, charged to induce Ashtad to act and
to prepare the Garrison for a war. Some untrustworthy
men have already been transferred far away, pushed to
resign or have “mysteriously disappeared”.
The Shapan of Pelepelplû: Zaraveh was chosen by
the late Siyavush IV (under the recommendation of
Ashtad), to support Ashtad in his task against the Bokhtarâ.
He hates them and has done his utmost to destroy them at
Pelepelplû. He is also a true friend of Ashtad and will give
and an indestructible support.
The Shapan of Cly: Delir, is a rather slow-witted
man. He is happy with his position, enjoys life and its
pleasures. His feasts are renowned, but sometimes a bit to
unbridled for the puritan Pelepelplû.
5.7.7.3 Members of the Farokmads
The Pishkasir of the Traders: Farsak is immensely
rich and his family has been at the head of the Farokmad of
the Traders for generations. He is 45 years old and has dark
eagle-like eyes that pierce you like arrows. He likes to wear
colourful tunics and rich jewels and his beard is always
impeccably dressed and perfumed. He is an old member of
the Bokhtarâ and has been convinced by Huchithra (see
5.7.5.8) of the necessity of strong action. He has secretly
organised the True Followers of Pelepelplû. They are now
in almost every key position of the town. He wants to push
Ashtad to revolt (at best he can be Rashaja, at worst gain
the independence of Pelepelplû) and hopes he could then
obtain more power for the Vata. He also uses the True
Followers to spy his commercial competitors, organise
some accidental fires of their warehouses or simply get rid
of the most dangerous ones.
The Pishkasir of the Horse Dealer: Aurvataspa, is
the Arshan of a Clyan tribe famous for the strength and
swiftness of their horses. He has succeeded is father as
Pishkasir of the Horse Dealers. As many of the Clyans, he
is present in the town only in autumn.
The First Innkeeper: Afiveh has been recently
elected at the head of the Farokmad of the Inn and Tavern
Keepers, thanks to the money of Farsak. He now owes him
a favour, which makes him feel very uncomfortable for he
knows that the man, under cheerful appearances, can be
very dangerous.
The Keeper of Tradition: The old Javidan has
recently tried to diversify his activities by setting up a
commercial expedition to Maresh in Arysis. It was a
complete failure and now he has big problems of money.
To solve them, he plans to sell some of the secrets kept in
the House of Tradition and is prospecting for potential
discreet purchasers.
Pishkasir of the Fountainers: Nived, although his
young age (29), is a genius of hydraulics and the inheritor
of ageless experience. His family has, for generations, the
envied charge of maintaining the aqueducts of Ganashôshyn
and Shôburagan.
Shergir: This silk dealer is very ambitious and skilful
in the art of trade. His commercial successes have allowed
him to acquire a magnificence house in the Fifth Circle. He
is not ready to stop there. His wealth, his relations, his
numerous debtors amongst the ruling class of Pelepelplû,
make him feel strong enough to brave the redoubtable
Farsak.
Yavisht: He is the heir of an old family of jewellers.
They came from Harshandatt, but everybody has forgotten
that. He is respected by the other traders of Pelepelplû and
known as being a man of his word. He has trading post in
several remote western countries, over the great desert.
Karan: He has made a lightning rising among the spices
dealers and is now certainly the most thriving of them. His
young age and shy attitude should not mislead, he is a
formidable businessman. As usual when someone is
successful, backbiters murmur that he owes a part of his
fortune to illegal activities and that he has even subsidised
a revolt in a far southern country. According to them, the

new king is now sending him regularly packages of
unobtainable spices as payment for his support.
5.7.7.4 Priesthood
The Otôva of Asrûta: Ramdin is strictly attached to
the tradition and the old ways, he is known to be especially
upset by the way Anahita is worshipped in the Bulchyades.
Ramdin is 65 years old, but looks even older, a living
mummy. He is a Varna whose all forefathers (as far as it can
be recalled) have been devoted to the cult of Asrûta. He is
usually cloistered in the Temple of Asrûta in Pelepelplû,
going out only to utter terrible and feared sermons against
those whose do not follow the orthodoxy of the True Faith.
The Otôva of Hitâspa: Stivant is perhaps as strict and
attached to what he calls the “true Chyan ways” than
Ramdin but he does not limit himself to fiery speeches. He
is a member of the True Followers and hopes that they will
inspire the Chyan Empire with more pride and ambition.
He suspects the true identity of their master at Pelepelplû
and his troubled by that. He would certainly never accept
to be under the orders of a Vata and if he confirms his
suspicions, it could lead to a major crisis among the True
Followers.
The Otôva of Ajmô: Farhad is usually a nice and
merry person. But since a while he stays long hours in his
room and show clear evidences of a lack of sleep. Some
weeks ago, a young novice has unfortunately broken an old
clay statue of Ajmô left in a storeroom for decades or
centuries. To his surprise, there was a copper tube inside
and, in the tube, a long piece of silk with writings looking
like Chyan but unintelligible for him. The tube was brought
to Farhad who, after recognising Old Chyan, started the
deciphering. It revealed more difficult than expected as the
text is in verses and following the Chyan habit, each
sentence can have two or three different meanings. Farhad
is progressing slowly in his work and he is not yet sure
whether the text is a collection of old tales about
Sheroqabâ, Safîdaspâ and other giant or forbidden lore
miraculously preserved from the time of the Artaxshâsan
dynasty.
The Otôva of Uzdâva: Nashak has just been chosen
to succeed to his beloved master who died recently. He is
56 years old and he is the living proof that the food is
excellent in the Temple of Uzdâva. His main concern now
is to enter the Council. He is absolutely beside himself with
anger because the Arshan has not yet proposed him a seat
at the Council. He has even not answered any of the 76
letters that Nashak has send to him to subtly remind the
Arshan that the cult of Uzdâva is one of the most influential
in the town.
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5.7.7.5 Others
Adarji: He is the chief of a large and well-organised
gang of pickpockets and shoplifters working essentially in
the Covered Market. He is actively researched by the
militias but so far has also escaped all their traps. The
captains of the militias suspect that there is a mole among
them who informs Adarji.
The Ambassador of Anarikê: Inzilurud is at
Pelepelplû for years (actually he was born there) and know
and loves the town. Besides the pleasure of living in a so
colourful and buoyant town, it is an ideal place to make
contact with people from far countries and get information
from them. Actually, he is at the head of a large and
widespread network of spies and informants providing him
precious details about the last events in the surrounding
countries.
The Ambassador of Harshandatt: Saath has a high
sense of duty and knows that his presence there is useful
for his homeland, but he misses terribly the banks of the
Núar.
The Legate of the Lynerian League: Ramazir is
from the town of Emelcyn and indeed his main business is
to fulfil the contract he has with a rich trader from this
town. He buys stolen jewels and sends them discreetly to
Samarth where they are shipped to Aerlond.
Old Kayras: He is the chief of the Tricksters, a gang
of crooks whose favourite preys are foreign merchants,
freshly arrived in town and unaware of its rules and
dangers. They usually offer to take in charge all the
administrative formalities, to find customers or a good
place to sell for a quite reasonable amount, but never come
back. One of their best working tricks is to rent an
apparently safe warehouse that they can after easily burgle.
Kayras is said to be quite old but few of his men have
actually seen him. He has very good relations with some of
the most respectable traders of the town, for whom he
occasionally works to make sure that new competitors do
not settle in town or are ruined before their business really
starts.
5.7.8 Around Pelepelplû
5.7.8.1 The Valley of Hormdôky
The Hormdôky (Ch. Blue River) is a wild stream
flowing in a succession of waterfalls and rapids from the
Clyan Escarpment. In the low valley, the stream is tamed
by successions of embankments, irrigation canals and
dams, before to join its waters to those of the Pelplû, near
Pelepelplû. The valley is the bred basket of the town, since
144
the first organised irrigation works commissioned by
Ganashôshyn and is patterned by canals, fields and orchards
and small hamlets.
The land and its people belong to the Arshan of
Pelepelplû and the production is fully used to feed the
townsfolk. If the valley is famous for the quality of its fruits
and its two rice harvests per year, it is however because of
the Imperial Murdahzar of the high valley that its name has
crossed the borders of the Chyan Empire. There the Chyan
Rashajâ have been buried until the fifth century of the
Second Age, around the Tomb of Haxâmanish.
One of the numerous legends about the death of
Haxâmanish says that he died under the collapse of rocks
after fighting against a giant near the spring of the
Hormdôky, east of Pelepelplû. An impressive chaos of
stones where the river flows through is today presented as
the Tomb of Haxâmanish (one of the many of them).
To confirm this legend, a rock just above the chaos and
that can, under a certain angle, look like the face of an
horrible giant, is said to be the giant who killed
Haxâmanish, changed in stone by Hitâspa, to watch until
the end of the days the tomb of Haxâmanish as a
punishment for his murder.
After his accession to the crown and the funding of the
Victorious Sun Empire, the Rashaja Dârayavahu I
expressed the desire to be buried close to his ancestor and
a tomb was dug into a cliff near the Tomb of Haxâmanish.
His successors followed the example and until the reign of
Hormhîd I, almost all the Rashajâ have been buried in the
upper dale of the Hormdôky, either in tombs cut into the
rock or in towering tombs.
The Murdahzar ceased to be used in the mid fifth
century of the Third Age. Darasha, the Otôva of Asrûta at
Chajapûn and favourite councillor of the Rashaja Hormhîd
I, convinced him to re-found Baljana and to make it the
religious capital of the Empire and the Murdahzar of his
dynasty to leave an imperishable testimony of is greatness
to the Chyans.
Some murmur that the real reasons of Darasha was to
avenge himself from his rival of Pelepelplû who had been
elected Enlightener instead of him, and to deprive him of
his most prestigious office of Warden of the Tombs. An
unfinished tomb dug in the cliff north of the Haxâmanish
Tomb is said to be the one Hormhîd I started before he
decided to build another one at Baljana.
Kharad II, the grandson of Hormhîd I, is the last Rashaja
buried in the valley in the Third Age, as the people of the
Pelepelplû refused to see the remains of their hero moved
to Baljana and shut the doors of the town when the imperial
emissaries came to take the sarcophagus.
The Arshan of Pelepelplû and the Otôva of Asrûta
share the duty to protect and maintain the tombs. A temple
of Asrûta, in a small wood not far from the Tomb of
Haxâmanish, houses a group of priests who watch the
tombs and perform ceremonies for the peaceful rest of the
Rashajâ. If the towering tombs are well tended, the tombs
cut into the rocks, in places that are often difficult to
access, are often half abandoned (the priest keep it secret,
but some have even been completely lost).
5.7.8.2 The Cleft of Indara
North-east of the Murdahzar of the Hormdôky is the
Cleft of Indara. It is said to be the place where Ajmô
defeated Indara at the Shaja Game and so saved Pelepelplû
from the claws of the demon. The legend says that the rage
of Indara was so strong to have lost, both the game and the
town, that he gave a formidable stroke in the mountain,
breaking it in two. Then he fled through the cleft, deep
inside the earth in his underground castle, launching
promises of vengeance against Ajmô.
The cleft is indeed quite impressive, with steep and
polished black walls on each side and plunging deep into
the ground. Stinking and suffocating smokes are rising
coming from the bottom, that are certainly at the origin of
the legend saying it is the entrance of the Castle of Indara.
The Chyans usually avoid the area, which remains
especially wild and dangerous.
5.7.8.3 Rhagai
On the Rashaja’s Road, from Chajapûn to Pelepelplû,
Rhagai is the last stop before to reach Pelepelplû. It is a
small agricultural town that is unfortunately too close to
Pelepelplû to fully enjoy its position at the crossing of the
Rashaja’s Road and the Yól Ilahat, the main caravan track
going to the Twin Oases of Tûlaim and Shand and
Harshandatt. The town is protected by a wall of bricks that
need some repair to be able to withstand an attack.
1. The Palace of the Arshan: Although it is a
small town, being Arshan of Rhagai is rather
pleasant, and Mahdat does not complain: he
has decent revenue and few concerns.
2. The Garrison: A quite pompous name for a
small building housing a score of badly
trained militiamen.
3. The ferry landing pier: There is no bridge
across the Pelplû at Rhagai and travellers

coming from the south have to take the flat
barge of Husrav to join the Rashaja’s Road.
4. The Main Square: Also called the Vihnu Square
because of its statue of Vihnu. Fresh products
from the hamlets of the surroundings are sold
there every day.
5. The Temple of Asrûta: A modest but elegant
edifice that is the only religious building of
the small town.
6. The Blue Stream: It is a lovely tiny inn, often
empty, for the despair of Dastan the
innkeeper. Travellers usually hurry towards
Pelepelplû rather than staying at Rhagai,
hoping for better lodging and food. They
miss the best stuffed-trout of all the Chyan
Empire.
5.7.8.4 Hamadan
Hamadan is built at the meeting point of the rivers
Pelplû and Nîjara. It is a rather large and thriving town,
taking advantage of its position on important rivers, busy
roads and rich countryside.
The town was claimed by the Arshanâ of Pelepelplû and
Mijore and the town of Chajapûn. Eventually the dispute
was settled by an agreement, putting the town under a
common rule of representatives from the three pretenders
and two delegates of the townsfolk forming the Town
Council. The town is exempted of taxes by its three
“owners” and, as the Council never manages to find any
kind of agreement on any matters, the town is in fact free
from any lords.
The town is completely surrounded (except on the
Pelplû bank) by a wall of stone, the pride of the townsfolk.
1. The Town House: It is where the Town
Council meets.
2. The Blue Tower: It is more a simple barrack for
the local militia than a real tower.
3. The Shapan House: Because of the special
status of the town, the Shapan is the only
representative of the imperial authority and
the only able to dispense justice.
4. The Bridge of Trade: It crosses the Nîjara and
is always packed with informal dealers selling
everything from fruits to jewellery.
5. The Gatehouses: They are small shelters for the
militiamen guarding the gates of the town.
145
The doors are closed at nightfall and opened
at dawn.
6. The Market Place: The main square of the
town, where a market is held twice a week.
7. The Temple of Asrûta: A traditional one-
storeyed brick building, decorated by some
glazed tiles.
8. The Temple of Ajmô: As for many trading
towns, Ajmô is the protector of Hamadan.
9. The Golden Fish: A good inn, with comfortable
rooms and nice fish specialities.
10. The Standing Goat: A more expensive inn than
the Golden Fish, but, if the food is not so
fine, the keeper can on the other hand
provide pleasant company for the night to
interested guests.
5.7.8.5 The Tower of Roshan
It is the ancestral castle of the family of Jamasp. The
tower was built on a barren hilltop at the time of the Wars
of the City-States to protect the town of Pelepelplû from
Chajapûn and Tenolkachyn. At the time of Dâtuvahya II, it
was given to the ancestors of Jamasp. The castle has been
destroyed and rebuilt many times in its history, each new
construction being simply added to the remains of the
former.
The present inhabitants would have much pain to make
a plan of the building and forgotten corridors are often
discovered at the occasion of repairs. Although the land is
completely barren, the toll levied on the traffic on the
caravan track between Nehavend and Pelepelplû allows
Jamasp to remain in his ancestral lands. Moreover, the
presence of a fresh spring is a good reason for travellers to
stop at Roshan, providing some income to several families
working in an inn and other facilities for voyagers.
5.7.8.6 The Three Maidens
These three towers in the hills east of Rhagai were built
during the troubled times of the mid Second Age by three
brothers, sons of the Arshan of Pelepelplû.
They were in revolt against their father and built these
towers as stronghold from which to harass the so vital trade
of the town. Nobody remember how this feud ended, but
what is sure is that the Three Maidens remained lairs of
bandits for years, until they were cleansed for good by
Ganachyn.
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Now these towers are ruined, but still offer a good
shelter for those who want to spend some time away from
nosey people.
5.7.8.7 Bhantrif
To call Bhantrif a city is quite a stretch. The city
numbers 1 700 full time inhabitants, but during the caravan
season that number often doubles. Bhantrif is the last
civilised (barely) settlement before leaving the Chyan
lands. It is almost 50 kilometres (30 miles) from
Pelepelplû, and on the fringe of the Clyan Highlands. It is
a wild and dangerous place. Loosely it is controlled by the
Chy province, but in truth it is the caravans, which control
the town.
Bhantrif is blessed by several oases that provide plenty
of water for the town, and that is the reason that it has
grown in importance. Several wealthy merchants control
everything that happens in the town, and most of the other
people that live there are little more than slaves to the
merchants.
The merchants maintain a small, privately funded
town guard that is there to keep the inhabitants under their
control as much as to protect the town. The people of the
town are a widely diverse group. There are people from
the Chyan lands, and all over Harad, and Khand, and even
those from farther away. Some of the inhabitants come
from north of the Harnen River, and beyond the southern
and eastern edge of the Bay of Ormal. For many they
reached this city, and their funds were gone, and they
became stuck in the town's service.
The town is surrounded by a large, but poorly
constructed wall. The wall is 6 m (20’) high and 5 m (15’)
wide. Unfortunately, it is made from sandstone, so offers
little real protection. The town also maintains a small
tower on a hillside a few kilometres to the north-west. A
watch is kept there for incoming caravans, and also for
bands of desert Orcs that are known to raid the area.
For the most part, the town is left alone. For large
armies it is too far out of the way to be of any real strategic
value, and the town guard is strong enough to resist smaller
forces. The caravans have also been known to lend their
support to protect the city, for without it's food and water,
they would have to endure another week on the road
before getting re-supplied.
Izadyar’s Mihmân Khâmah
Izadyar is an old Clyan who built himself his Mihmân
Khâmah, two days walk from the Pelepelplû, on the road
to Siakan, not far from the old stone Watchdogs of
Dârayavahu. His Mihmân Khâmah is always busy with
merchants as this road is one of the most trodden of the
Chyan lands and besides his two wives and 11 children, the
help of 5 servants is not too much to cater for everyone.
It is indeed a Mihmân Khâmah of very high standing.
Food is offered to the travellers for a modest price, private
rooms are available in quantity and fodder is provided to
pack-horses, -camels and -donkeys. The Mihmân Khâmah
is protected by a high and thick brick wall, both against
potential brigands and the strong and cold winds blowing
down the Clyan highlands or the occasional sandstorm
coming from the nearby desert.
Inside there is a well that always provides fresh water
aplenty and three large buildings: Izadyar’s house (where
his entire family and all his servants pack together), the
stables and the accommodations for travellers. Those who
do not want to spend or cannot afford the fees asked for a
proper room can go to the common room on the ground
floor, sleep in the inner yard or, even cheaper, pitch their
own tent outside and only get food and water for
themselves and their beasts from Izadyar.
Izadyar’s Mihmân Khâmah is very famous, as it is the
first when arriving to the Chyan lands from the west and
travellers know that they have a last reach their destination,
the fabulous land of Spices and Silk when they first eat
Izadyar’s famous chick pea soup and Chyans who leave the
Empire know that they will get there their last decent and
proper meal before to make for barbarian and strange
lands. For many, Izadyar’s Mihmân Khâmah is perhaps
more the Gate of the Empire than the now crumbling
Watchdogs erected in a forgotten past by a powerful
Rashaja.
Newcomers to the Chyan Lands will find here people
from all the lands of Jaha and hear many tales of wonder
and might. Those used to come here, know how dangerous
the place can be for the credulous and adventurous as many
are the stories of those who engaged in foolhardy and
unreasonable adventures after listening to some fantastic
tale told by travellers or being sold by a strange peddler
some antic parchment or marvellous artefacts from far way
lands or lost kingdoms.

Illustration: Faraz Shanyar
5.8 Samarth
Samarth the Wealthy, at the mouth of the Acaadôky,
the main Chyan river, is an important trading and
cosmopolitan city that is well known in all the Bay of
Ormal for its wealth and the excellence of its shipwrights.
The citizens have the reputation to enjoy life and leisure,
which contrast strikingly with its western neighbour city,
the warlike Tenolkachyn.
5.8.1 History
Kiphetaba was the first city to be built in the Bulchyades
by Múranians, with the valuable help of their Elinse cousins
from Olyas Kriis. Just like her sister cities, Kiphetaba soon
faced the Chyan invasion two centuries later and was the
first city to surrender, in SA 666. The first Chyan decision
was to rename the city as Samarth (Ch. The Sea Capital (of
the Ammu)). During the city-states period, Samarth arose
as the first city in the Bulchyades, and participated into
numerous conflicts. These conflicts were decisive for the
choice of a hereditary Arshan to rule the city and lead its
armies.
During the Victorious Sun Empire, the town started to
become a centre of shipbuilding and sea trade, thanks to
147
the special links built at that time with the Sîranean city of
Tûl Harar. During the unfortunate war of 655 against
Harshandatt, a group of Ammu warriors was separated
from the main army and eventually settled at the mouth of
the Siresha river and in Tûl Harar, where they mingled
with the local Sîrani. When the army of Rashaja
Xshayârshan marched against the city of Tûl Harar, after
the conquest of Harshandatt in 907, the Rashaja was
surprised to receive the embassy of Chyan speaking citizens
of the city who pleaded the case of Tûl Harar. The Rashaja,
who had many descendants of the Ammu as counsellors,
accepted to spare the city and even to accept her as a free
ally. Some of these ambassadors came back with the army
of the Rashaja to the Chyan Lands and stopped in Samarth,
the city of their kin. It was the beginning of a long
friendship between the two trading cities of Samarth and
Tûl Harar, that lasted over the centuries.
One on the most (in)famous son of Samarth is Nevazar,
the tyrant who established the Artaxshâsan rule on the
Chyan Empire in the Middle of the Second Age. Nevazar
may have been related to the Arshan family of Samarth but
all the archives of that accursed time having been burnt and
the name of Nevazar removed during the following
dynasty, nothing had ever been proved.
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In 2175 the Arshan of Tenolkachyn and Samarth,
claimed to be a descendant of Vishtâspa, and severed all
links with the Artaxshâsan. He changed his name to
Haxâmanish IV, and declared war on the Artaxshâsan. This
secession was reduced only after a long war that claimed
the lives of three successive Rashajâ. Eventually the city
was taken and burnt by the Artaxshâsan in 2225. As a
punishment, the town was afterwards under the direct rule
of the Rashaja represented by a Shapan.
In 2295, perhaps under the influence of Lôkhuzôr’s
agents, the people of Samarth revolted and joined Vihnu of
Tenolkachyn in his war against the Artaxshâsan. The Chyan
army and reinforcement from Tenolkachyn and the
Bulchyades met at Samarth and the siege lasted thirty days
before the town was set in fire by its own people (an event
that is remembered as the Great Burning), just before the
arrival of a Tahmard relief force that drove away the Chyan
army and opened the way to the liberation of the Chyan
lands from the Artaxshâsan evil rule.
After the glorious reigns of the Rashajâ of the Vihnahan
dynasty, Samarth was thrown into the revolts, wars and
foreign conquests that marked the end of the Second Age.
Several times besieged, the city met a harsh fate in 3380,
when it was taken and completely destroyed by Khôzagar,
the Dark Warlord of Chajapûn. However, the site did not
remain long abandoned and the Seven Islands quickly
housed again refugees from all the Bulchyades and farther
fleeing wars and misery. There they rebuilt a new city that
was simply called Samarth, for respect of the tradition.
The first dynasties of the Everlasting Sun Empire saw
again Samarth rising from a group of terrified refugees into
a big and wealthy city, welcoming important communities
of Lynîr, Khanîm and Codyans, developing trade with their
home countries and filling the chests of the city.
When Rashaja Khosrô, later known the Dispossessed,
escaped death from Dadfiruz’ hands in 1652, he first found
a refuge in Samarth which refused the rule of the Usurper
and joined the Bulchyades in an alliance against the
Dadfiruzan. The secession of the coastal cities lasted until
the fall of the Dadfiruzan. During the following dynasties,
Samarth grew even more in wealth, being the centre of the
Chyan naval expansion, housing the war fleet of the empire
and having its shipyards working relentlessly.
During the wars against Harshandatt at the end of the
Third Age, Samarth is a stake disputed by both countries
and passes through several sieges until this terrible day of
2839 when the city is taken by Aransiros II the Destructor,
burnt and its entire population slaughtered. It is in 2861,
one day before his death, that Vindafarnah III ordered the
city to be rebuilt under the name of Vindafarnadeh. While
the city was effectively rebuilt (on the east bank of the
Acaadôky, from the former district of the Strand, as the
Seven Islands were then lost in the marshes), it was never
called Vindafarnadeh, but Samarth, as ever.
Like most of the Chyan Empire, the city fell under the
blows of the Harshandattî in 2947 but freed herself from
their yoke in 3012 when its citizens rose, massacred the
Harshandattî garrison and joined the rebels of Vishtâspa II
and so ended the Third Age in glory.
5.8.2 The Town and its Territory
Samarth is built on seven islands at the mouth of the
river Acaadôky (it is the only island city in all the Northern
Bay, save Myrn Shriac). On the west, the large and
intricate network of islands, marshes, sandbanks and dead
riverbanks of the Acaadôky delta (the Astoban, Ch.
Unconquerable waters) makes a natural and almost
impossible to cross wall. Only a few particularly smart and
knowledgeable fishermen are able to make their way
through this boggy maze. On the east, the Acaadôky River
is bordered by small cliffs of red sandstone, last sprouts of
the Bulchyades hills, cut by narrow gorges, notably the
gorge of the Jamshad River, which joins the Acaadôky at
Samarth. Between the deadly marshes and the steep cliffs,
lay the seven islands of Samarth the Wealthy.
Samarth is linked to the Yól Ôburâ, the great Chyan
road that runs from Chajapûn to Tenolkachyn by the
Hopping Road, a succession of bridges and causeways that
goes with difficulty through the bogs and marshes of the
Astoban. The town is also the start of the Flowers Road
that runs along the Bulchyades coast, joining the principal
towns of the region before to head towards Anarikê.
Water routes are also especially important for Samarth
and its traders. There are almost regular connections with
the major trading towns of the Bay of Ormal and travellers
can easily find room on a trading boat for a moderate price
(but they have to bring their own food and tent to sleep on
the board). The Acaadôky also connects the town with the
core of the Chyan Empire, and especially to the capital,
Chajapûn. The river is easily navigable until Chajapûn (and
even a bit higher towards Baljana), apart from the Falls of
the Acaadôky almost midway to Chajapûn. They are more
a succession of rapids than a real waterfall but are very
difficult to negotiate (and quite scenic with big rocks and
impressive white waters), especially when sailing
upstream. There is a portage track along the rapids. The
ships coming from Samarth (often sea ships as the river is
deep enough for them) unship their cargo and passengers
that are embarked some kilometres upstream on barges

from Chajapûn. This offers enough work for numerous
porters and carters who live all the year round at this place.
The climate of the town is rather warm, even in winter,
and can be very hot in summer. The wind from the sea is
called the benediction of Uzdâva as it both mellows the
summer heat and blow away the miasmas of the Astoban,
bringing bad smells and diseases from the marshes. In
summer, the best moments are the early mornings and the
evenings and nights when the heat becomes less
suffocating.
5.8.3 Town Life
Samarth is a town where the Múranian influence and
the mixing of the people are, even for the Bulchyades
standard, very deep. The contrast between quite
conservative Baljana, for instance, is striking.
As the space for building is restricted, citizens of
Samarth have kept the old Múranian building techniques,
with high brick tower-houses of 4 or 5 floors. The streets
are very narrow and often half covered by buildings
overhangs. The streets of the poor districts (Lost or
Tortoise islands) are dangerous, especially after nightfall.
The rich people usually prefer thus to use small boats to go
through the numerous canals of the town. Even if some
districts can be considered as not safe, it is very badly
considered to carry weapons in town (the best way to be
annoyed by the garrison patrols). The Sohrab that every
Chyan men carry openly is not considered as a weapon but
as a sign of social position.
People of Samarth are especially fond in feasts,
especially by night, that are truly mild there. They enjoy
gathering to listen to poetry, eat sweets of fruits and honey
from the Bulchyades or grilled fishes or seafood and drink
wines late in the night. Rich people do it usually in their
own yard garden, whereas poorer people meet in public
gardens. Some very wealthy Vata or Vaysha have two
gardens. One for their private use and another that they
open to public at sunset. It is a way to increase their
popularity and their influence in the town affairs. As the
space is quite restricted in Samarth, having a garden is a real
luxury.
The population of the town is mainly of traders and
fishers. Many of the little folk are working in the shipyards.
The Vaysha have long lost their influence in the town
affairs, in profit of the Vata, and many of the old Vaysha
families reside in a dignified poverty in old palaces of
Cutwater Island, pursuing old pure Chyan traditions,
giving an old-fashioned atmosphere to this island. There is
a large community of Sîrani merchants, especially from Tûl
Harar, who started to settle in the city early in the second
149
millennium of the Second Age. First came merchants, soon
followed by scribes and scholars and poets. Those were
then in great demand in the Chyan lands, and every Arshan
wanted his Sîrani poet to sing his great deeds and those of
his ancestors or a Sîrani scribe to write down his wealth and
possessions and make sure that his claim would survive
men’s short memory. Lynîr and Tahmarda also are
numerous here, but not as much as in the other port cities
of the Bulchyades, where they have been eagerly welcomed
and sometime even asked to settle to improve trade. In
Samarth they faced the competition of the well-settled and
established Sîrani who strove to keep their advantages for
themselves alone.
A part of the custom taxes is traditionally used to
subsidize the biggest festival of Samarth that
commemorates the Revolt and the Great Burning of SA
2295. A large floating wood tower is built in the middle of
the big Pool that is set to flame at the climax of a festival
commemorating the siege of the town and its burning,
where people from the different islands disguise
themselves, playing the role of the People of Samarth, the
Bulchyades and Tenolkachyn armies, Azrahîn army,
Urushkhâd Army, Ciryamir army and the Artaxshâsan
army. Three months before the festival, a naval joust
opposes the dwellers of the seven islands plus the Strand to
decide which quarter will have the honour to play the best
parties. The two losers will play the Artaxshâsan army.
Twice a week, boats of sellers of every kind of
products, from greengrocers to local craft retailers gather
at the Big Pool, transforming it into a real floating market.
It is then possible to cross the Big Pool, jumping from boat
to boat from Fishers Island to Long Island. This market is
essential as it is the main source of fresh land products
(vegetables, fruits, milk) from the mainland for the city
dwellers.
As everywhere in the Chyan Empire, Asrûta, the True
God, is the principal god worshipped. Moreover, the town
is under the protection of Uzdâva and Ajmô and the people
of Samarth have a special devotion for them that they
worship together (there is a common temple for the two
gods). A special festival is dedicated to these two gods at
the beginning of the summer when, with the end of the
winter and spring storms, sea sailing becomes safe again
and a new trading season starts. The cult of Anahita, mixed
with an ancient Múranian fertility cult takes in Samarth
quite unleashed aspects. People are coming from far away
to these ceremonies. The cult is regularly condemned by
the priests of northern Chyan lands (but the citizens of
Samarth, along with their priests, seem to remain deaf to
these warnings) and has a large part in the reputation of
luxury and lust of the town.
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5.8.4 Organisation
5.8.4.1 The Town Council
Since the Middle of the Second Age (after the
restoration of the Chyan Empire by Vihnu Taronish, in SA
2300), the city has been ruled by a Council, composed of
five members, who make all the necessary decision in all
important matters, as security and trade regulations,
though they usually leave smaller decisions to lesser
officials. The Arshan status was abolished in SA 2300, in
fear that another Nevazar could come. This particular
status proved its efficiency, except during the time of the
evil influence of Sakal an-Khâr at the end of the Second
Age. The members of the Council are traditionally chosen
among the nobility, the traders, the priests and the
warriors. They are elected for a period of five years by the
wealthiest families, and can be elected no more than five
times during their life.
5.8.4.2 Military Forces
The garrison is under the Erexshâ command and is
garrisoned in the citadel and the other towers of the town
and ensures the guard of the city only gate, the Sun Gate.
The Erexshâ is under the Shapan command.
Samarth is the harbour of the largest Chyan war fleet.
The smallest warships and the mariners are housed in the
War Harbour whereas the largest warships are anchored in
the western part of Long Island or in the Little Pool. The
Admiral of the Large Water, commander in chief of the
Chyan Navy resides in the War Harbour and is under the
direct command of the Rashaja.
The town militia is mainly composed of young and poor
men of Samarth as an easy mean to have food and house.
Its first, and indeed only, task is to check every arriving ship
before allowing it into the harbour and to levy custom
taxes. Unusually, these taxes are not considered as the
Rashaja’s, but go directly to the Town Council Treasure.
This privilege was accorded by Vihnu Taronish as a gift to
the town for its revolts against the Artaxshâsan and a
tribute to the city dwellers courage during the Great
Burning. When they understood that the town was ready
to fall, they decided to burn their city and the fleet and to
flee into the marshes of the Astoban. This was very
courageous but useless as it was done only one day before
the arrival of a relief force conducted by Azrahîn, son of
Lôkhuzôr (indeed the only result of the town burning was
to guide Azrahîn fleet, allowing it to navigate by night and
to surprise the Artaxshâsan army, ready for the plunder, at
dawn).
5.8.5 Politic and Power
5.8.5.1 The Azimtabarâ
Since a Council, whose members are elected in the
wealthiest families (usually Vata, more rarely Vaysha as
most of them they have lost their power long ago), governs
the town, Samarth is the place of everlasting intrigues and
struggles between the great families to gather more power
and to secure a seat at the Town Council. These struggles
are usually limited to trade competitions and plots to put
his pawns in key positions, but it can degenerate into more
violent actions and even to open wars. 56 years ago, a
terrible war between the Azimtabarâ, the Sardines War
(because it started with the attribution of the monopoly on
Sardines fishing) proved disastrous. It began with only and
quite conventional strange accidents and sudden deaths and
ended with street fights between the partisans of the
different factions. The Shapan had to intervene with
imperial troops to stop the war and re-establish order.
The main branches of Samarth economic activities are
controlled and regulated by Farokmads often hold by the
Azimtabarâ.
5.8.5.2 Trade
Trading is the main affair in the town and is strictly
regulated by the Prosperous Merchants. This Farokmad
fixes prices, handles with concurrence problems and
delivers permits for trading. It is almost impossible to do
business in Samarth without belonging to this very
powerful Farokmad, as other traders are thus usually
leaguing to ruin you. New members are carefully selected
and belong generally to the same families. It is exceedingly
difficult for strangers or people without strong support of
the main families to establish themselves as independent
traders in Samarth.
5.8.5.3 The Skilled Shipwrights
Ship building is one of the most famous and lucrative
activities of the town. The shipwrights are regrouped into
a Farokmad to protect their secrets of fabrication and to
avoid concurrence. They also control the timber supply
from the forest of Ammu Bâj. The presence of shipwrights
is quite odd in a Chyan city as Chyans prove little
capacities, or simply taste for seafaring. Following the
tradition, this dates to the time of the Glorious Sun
Empire, when some descendants of Ammu warriors who
had settled in Tûl Harar came back to the city of their
parents. They brought with them a taste for coastal trade
and a tradition of shipbuilding. They soon discovered the
exceptional quality of the hardwood of forest of Ammu Bâj,

and the ships from Samarth quickly acquired their fame all
over the Bay of Ormal.
Three major kinds of boats are made at Samarth, a large
cargo boat, a warship and a fishing boat. The two first ones
are of Sîranean tradition. Indeed, the secrets of their
building have been passed from generation to generation
since centuries and in the middle of the Third Age they are
far from state-of-the-art ships. The cargo boat is large and
round hulled with two masts and no oars. Even if a bit
oldish and slow compared to trade boats that Lynîr and
Vulmaw are now building, the Chyan model is still
appreciated because it is incredibly strong and stable. Its
simple building makes it easy to mend in case of necessity
and very versatile to transport any kind of goods. The
warship is a galley with two rows of oars, a bronze ram and
a single mast with a small sail. The Lynîr mercenaries who
usually man the Chyan navy often joke by saying that this
ridiculously small sail is just worth exhibiting the Rashaja
colours when entering the port. Contrary to the trade
boats, that are bought by traders from all around the Bay of
Ormal, the warships are almost exclusively made for the
Chyan navy. Not that the trade of these ships are forbidden
to foreign countries, but they are completely outclassed by
newer kinds of warships, stronger, faster and more
manoeuvrable. It is only the regular order of these warships
by the Rashajâ that sustains the production by the shipyards
of Samarth. This policy has even placed the Chyan navy at
the first place, at least in number of ships, in the Bay of
Ormal. More original are the small flat fishing boats made
at Samarth. They are made and specially adapted, with
their flat hull, to fish in the marshes of the Astoban. They
are moved by an stern oar, or more commonly by a pole
taking advantage of the swallow waters.
5.8.5.4 The Adventurous Mariners
This Farokmad regroups the ship captains and their
crews. Usually, a ship captain and his crew does not belong
to a ship, but are kind of mercenary mariners, renting
themselves for a trip, the ships belonging to Chyan traders.
At the Sea Mihmân Khâmah, on the Strand, captains
looking for a job put themselves into auction and give their
service and their crews to the most offering bidder. It is the
tradition not to refuse, even if the ship is known to be very
bad, but the owner rich enough to win the auction. The
captain and his crew is then under contract for a round trip.
Renowned captains with a good crew can earn a huge
amount of money in only one trip as the bidding can rise
quickly.
The mariners are, in a large majority, foreigners,
essentially Lynîr or Vulmaw as few Chyans dare to face the
sea dangers.
151
5.8.5.5 Nevazar’s Followers
It is a “secret” organisation dedicated to the memory of
the Saviour of the Chyan Empire. It is a mix of historians,
collectors and half-crazy people waiting for the
accomplishment of Nevazar prophecy. They are gathering
everything they can find related to Nevazar in the house
that is supposed to be his birthplace. They meet there
regularly. During these meetings, they present to each
other the results of their researches and perform
ceremonies for the memory of Nevazar and praying for the
coming a successor of the Artaxshâsan.
The town authorities are aware of this organisation
(Karan and Hoshyar belong to it) that is officially
forbidden. But they do nothing against it as they consider
it armless and they know that lot of people is coming to
visit the town just for the chill of attending a secret and
forbidden ceremony.
5.8.6 The Town
5.8.6.1 Islands and Pools
Long Island (A)
It is a long and narrow island that separates the group
of islands on which Samarth is built from the sea. A thick
but not very high wall, falling abruptly into the sea,
protects its southern bank. Its purpose is more to protect
the town against the rages of Uzdâva than to repel any
invader.
With Cutwater Island, it is the only rocky island of the
town and is mainly a residential area, with some fishers on
the eastern shore (as the western shore of the island,
bordering the little Pool and the War Harbour is reserved
to large warships). The island can be reached only by boat.
War Harbour (B)
It is an artificial island, built between SA 1869-1880.
Its construction was hastily ordered by the Rashaja
Haxâmanish III at the beginning of the Great Naval War in
order to have a real war harbour to protect the fleet. Its
construction was hindered by many technical difficulties
and accidents (some said sabotages) and the harbour was
completed and operational only 5 years after the end of the
war.
It is a perfectly circular island, protected by a high
stonewall. The only entrance is through a narrow channel
opening of the Little Pool, which is just sufficient for one
ship and can be blocked by 4 iron rods coming from the
two towers that protect the entrance. This was designed at
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the time of Haxâmanish III, now Chyan shipwrights are
building much larger warships that have to anchor on the
Little Pool, on piers on Long Island. The Island serves also
as barracks for war mariners and warehouse for supply and
food destined to the warships. It is the residence of the
Admiral of the Large Water, the commander in chief of all
the Chyans war fleets.
The island can be reached only by boat.
Tortoise Island (C)
It is the westernmost island of the town and the end
point of the Hopping Road that crosses the Astoban
through series of bridges and causeways and links Samarth
to the Yól Ôburâ (Tenolkachyn-Chajapûn road). The island
is quite marshy and is cut by a lot of channels to drain the
waters and allow easy access to the docks. Being of
relatively easy access from the western mainland, this
island is the house of the famous shipwrights of Samarth,
who need an important supplying in wood from the Ammu
Bâj hard woods that make their ships world famous.
With the docks and warehouse for trade with the
western mainland and the shipyards, Tortoise Island is very
busy and dwelt by relatively poor people working there.
The name of the island comes from the myriad of river
tortoises that flood the Astoban each spring, and many of
them get lost in the island shores and channels and are
caught in huge amount.
Fishers Island (D)
This is also a quite damp island, with lot of channels,
but not as much as Tortoise Island. As its shores are largely
open to the Big Pool, it is the place where fishermen have
naturally gathered. It is particularly busy in the morning,
when the night fishers (who fish with lamps in shallow
waters close to the shores) are coming back and cross the
high sea fishers who are leaving for the day.
Main Island (E)
It is the largest island of Samarth. The council Palace is
built on its southern shore, overlooking the Big Pool and in
front of the War Harbour. Many palaces of Vaysha and
most wealthy Vata are built here. They are competing to
have the largest and most beautiful palaces.
Cutwater Island (F)
A rocky island, it is the place of the old Kiphetaba. The
Old Arshan Palace and the Temple of Asrûta are built here.
The name of the island comes from the black rock at the
northern end of the island, cutting the flows of the
Acaadôky River. The oldest buildings of Samarth can be
found on this island and many of the oldest and most

prestigious, but usually not as wealthy as they pretend,
Vaysha families have their houses there. A quite outdated
atmosphere is given by these old buildings, the calm of the
streets and the proud Vaysha, following the old Chyan
ways that contrasts vividly with the other parts of the town.
Lost Island (G)
This is an especially marshy island. It was completely
submerged during the terrible flood of Tiyât TA 1439,
hence its name. Even today the buildings there are
continuously and slowly sinking into the damp ground and
need to be rebuilt (on the older ones) at least every 10
years. It is the poorest island of Samarth.
The Strand (H)
It is the only part of Samarth built on the mainland.
With Tortoise Island, it is the main trading district of the
town, being on the Big Pool and on communication with
the road toward Kantilya. Although its vital importance for
the town, it is quite small, squeezed between the main bed
of the Acaadôky and the Red Cliffs. Many warehouses are
thus dug deeply into the cliffs. It is overshadowed by the
Citadel and the esplanade, the thin strip of land between
the cliffs and the city wall dedicated to military training.
The Big Pool (I)
It is the largest pool of Samarth, between Long Island,
the War Harbour, Fishers Island and the Strand. It is closed
to the south by the Long Breakwater that separates it from
the sea. It is the main fishing and trading harbour of the
town.
The Little Pool (J)
Between Long Island, the War Harbour and Tortoise
Island and, to the west, the marshy wastes of the Astoban,
this pool is exclusively dedicated to warships, all other
boats are strictly banned from that area.
5.8.6.2 Bridges
Haxâmanish (a) and Shôburagan (b) Bridges:
Between Main and Fishers islands.
Taronish (c) and Ganagan (d) Bridges: Between
Main and Cutwater islands.
Kambûjiya II Bridge (e): Between Fishers Island and
the Strand. It is a moving bridge: its central part is made of
iron and can be lifted to allow sea ship to sail up the
Acaadôky River to the Falls of the Acaadôky.
Twin Bridges or Large Bridge (f): Between Cutwater
and Tortoise islands. It was two footbridges, very close to
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each other. But when Ardâcher V, after his trip to
Tenolkachyn decided to visit the town, they were found
too small for the Rashaja and it was decided to link the two
footbridges by a boardwalk. Later it was transformed in a
true large stone bridge.
Hump Bridge (g): Between Cutwater and Lost islands.
It is very humped to allow passage of large ships. It was the
first built of a project to allow sea ships to enter Samarth
and go to Chajapûn. As the bridge revealed very difficult to
cross for carts and even pedestrians, the project was
abandoned. A dwarf engineer proposed then the idea of the
moving bridge (Kambûjiya II Bridge).
Lovers Bridge (h): Between Main and Lost islands.
Supposedly named after two young lovers who jumped
from the bridge to kill themselves because their parents
refused to let them get married (others tell that it is because
it is the bridge rich people cross to go, by night, in some
special houses in Lost Island).
Wooden Bridge (i): Between Tortoise Island and the
Hopping Road. The Bridge is in wood to be burnt easily in
case of necessity.
5.8.6.3 Places of note
Long Island (A)
1. Crystal Clear: It is a shop importing crystal
artwork from Baljana. The prices are very
high.
2. The Black Shark: It is a high black and spiky
tower, looking, when seen from a distance,
like a black shark, hence its nickname, that
has today become its official name. It is on the
western end of Long Island.
3. Harbour Tower: It is the house of the Master of
the Militia and is flanked by two barracks for
the troops. Their main job is to collect the
custom taxes from ships desiring to enter the
harbour.
4. The Remora: It is a small tower, just on the
other side of the channel accessing the Little
Pool from the Black Shark. It was built with
difficulty on a marshy and sandy island. Its
small shape, just next to the black Shark has
given its name. It is the prison of Samarth. Its
lower dungeons, often flooded are especially
feared. At sunset a chain between the black
shark and the Remora closes the Little Pool.
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5. The Sea Flower: It is an upper-class inn,
frequented by nobles and wealthy traders.
The food is very good, especially the sea-food
and the wines from the Bulchyades and Lynîr
lands are excellent. The innkeeper, who was
a famous horse acrobat in her youth, has a
secluded backyard inn, famous for poetry,
dancing and girls and reserved for very
specials guests.
6. The White Shell: It is a large white fortress,
protecting the entrance of the Big Pool at the
eastern end of the Long Breakwater. It as
vaguely the shape of a scallop shell, hence its
name.
7. Zimrathôn House: The house is quite old, but
the young Zimrathôn has started works to
give the house a more fashionable look.
Tortoise Island (C)
8. Farewell: All equipments you need for your
ship, from ropes to tar can be found here for
a good price. Certainly, the best of the many
shops of that kind in the town. Always very
busy.
9. The Old Lady: It is an herbalist shop kept by a
young man (the son of the Old Lady who
founded the shop). A large variety of herbs to
cure nearly everything can be found there.
For special customers, the shopkeeper may
provide some illegal herbs and even
uncommon poisons to rich and discreet
clients. A not so false rumour says that the
Old Lady has provided the different factions
with poisons during the Sardines War, 56
years ago, that witnessed an uncommon
number of strange accidents and sudden
death of the members of the most influential
families of Samarth.
10. Shipyards: The famous shipyards of Samarth are
all concentrated on Tortoise Island.
11. Temples of Uzdâva and Ajmô: The wealth of
the city is so bound to sea trade that Uzdâva
and Ajmô are worshipped together. Half of
the temple is a large pool that communicates
with the sea. There the sacred boat of Uzdâva
is kept. Once a year, during the main Uzdâva
festival, the sacred boat goes out the temple
and reaches the high sea, just out the Long
Breakwater, to collect seawater. This water
is then blessed by the priests of Uzdâva and
distributed to the people of Samarth. It is
then usually poured on boats and ships to
protect them. Some people also sprinkle
their front door with it to keep evil demons
away.
Fishers Island (D)
12. Behbud House: It is a magnificent palace, just
next the main warehouse of this very wealthy
and powerful man.
13. Bundar’s Bazaar: It is a small shop where every
kind of little equipment can be found for a
moderate price. If the desired object is not
found, Bundar can arrange to find it in a short
delay.
14. Temple of Anahita: Citizens of Samarth have a
quite luxurious conception of Anahita, well
fitted to the reputation of life pleasures of this
wealthy town that would certainly chock a
priest from the north Chy lands coming in the
town for the first time.
15. The Whale and the Gull: It is a nice tavern.
The Whale is a huge old Lynîr mercenary,
who after many campaigns in many armies
and wars is now retired. The Gull is his
daughter, a tiny blond girl, always running
from one table to another. The Lynîr wine is
especially reputed (and certainly smuggled,
but as the Whale count the most powerful
and influential city dwellers among his
guests…).
Main Island (E)
16. The Black Pearl: It is a very good inn, kept by
Khavar of Chajapûn. The inn was built on the
ruins of a tower built by Cishpi I to
commemorate the alliance with the Aca
warlords. Rumours of treasures and secret
chambers hidden under the inn and dating
back from the foundation of the town are
persistent. The first Arshanâ of the town are
also believed to have been buried there.
17. The Council Palace: It was built in SA 306 to
house the town council, soon after it was
decided to suppress the hereditary charge of
Arshan. There is a large and very nice garden

in the inner yard, where the public sessions
of the council are supposed to be held, but
they are becoming rarer and rarer.
18. Hoshyar House: It is a large, but ill tended
palace as the family has experienced recent
bad luck in their commercial enterprises.
19. Shamîsar Marvels: Zinawar sells a large variety
of quality blades from Shamîsar for a very
good price. His collection of daggers is
especially impressive. He is the official
supplier of the garrison and some of the
richest men of the town can be seen in his
shop.
20. The Sea Garden: It is a small garden, accessible
only by boat, with calm areas where men like
to meet to play Huzvagul competitions.
21. The Shapan Palace: It is no more than a large
noble house, requisitioned by the first Shapan
sent in Samarth and has not really changed
since. The only addition is a loggia where the
Shapan gives judgements and where criminal
corpses are exposed.
22. The Sword of Hitâspa: It is an armoury with a
very good choice of Bulchya weaponry. The
prices are as high as the quality.
Cutwater Island (F)
23. The Arshan’s Gardens: A small garden just
next to the Old Arshan Palace. It is said to
have been created and designed by
Kambûjiya II after his victorious campaigns
against Chajapûn to rest from war and cure
his wounds. Now it is not well tended and
half abandoned, but still famous for its rose
garden.
24. The Cutwater: It is a black rock north of the
island of the same name. Its shape has given
its name to the island. It is said that
Múranians, and certainly before Chaialla
people, held religious ceremonies there.
Now, it is the place of a shrine to Asrûta,
whose ever-burning fire is said to protect the
town from the marshes that regularly plague
the town and is especially revered.
25. Dadfiruz House: It is a quite old palace, very
elegant, of an old Vaysha family.
26. Farrokh House: It is not really a palace, but a
beautiful house. Its garden is open to public,
155
and food is distributed to poor people there
every sunrise.
27. House of Nevazar: Nobody is really sure that it
is his actual place of birth, and it is not
officially recognised (no officials will readily
show the house). It should be asked to well-
informed and secretive people. The house is
a shrine for nostalgic and venerated by a not-
so-secret society (not officially forbidden,
because it brings tourists and money to the
town and does not seem very dangerous).
28. The Old Arshan Palace: It is a very old
building, perhaps the oldest of the town with
the temple of Asrûta (many burning marks
are still visible, as a memory of the sacrifice
of the citizens during the Great Burning of
the Haxâmanish IV revolt). The influence of
Múranian architectural style is quite visible.
The Old Arshan Palace is now used to house
the archives of the town
29. Temple of Asrûta: It is one of the oldest
buildings in the town, it was built just after
the conquest on the site of an important
Múranian shrine to visibly show the
superiority of the conquerors’ True God.
The old Múranian shrine, after centuries of
over building, is now a deep crypt of the
temple.
Lost Island (G)
30. Tattoos for Two: Khurmand and her brother
Zarman do very colourful and impressive
tattoos for a very cheap price.
The Strand (H)
31. Arash’s Den: It is a shop, next to the
import/export company of Arash where
almost all products from the Bay of Ormal
can be found.
32. The Long Breakwater: The breakwater closes
and protects the Big Pool. At one end it joins
the city wall in the Strand that climbs to the
Citadel, on the other end a small tower
houses a signal fire to show the entrance of
the harbour. This tower was built by
engineers from Tûl Harar, in as a small copy
of the Lighthouse of this town and as a
remembrance of the links that join the two
towns. A chain between the White Shell and
the signal tower can close the channel
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entering the Big Pool, but it is usually left
open, day and night.
33. Citadel: It is an impressive fortress built above
the Red Cliffs. It is the house of the Erexshâ
and of the main land military forces of the
town. The Esplanade that spread between the
cliffs and the city wall at the north of the
Citadel is reserved for military training. The
only civil uses of the esplanade are the horse
races and horses’ games during the festivals.
34. The Gate of the Sun: It is the only real gate of
Samarth. The way opens just next to the
citadel to the Flowers Road towards
Kantilya, after a long and weary climbing of
the Red Cliffs through a road dug in the rock
of the Jamshad gorge.
35. The Ghost Ship: It is the inn of Shahvir the
Mariner, who has never set foot on a boat,
but likes to imagine himself a great traveller.
He delights his guests with tales about foreign
and strange countries. His knowledge of the
shores of the Bay of Ormal, thanks to hours
of chat with mariners, is surprisingly
accurate. His stories about far seas and
islands, especially the southern Archipelago
are more…fantastic.
5.8.7 People of Note
5.8.7.1 Members of the Town Council
Behbud: He is certainly the richest man in the city and
the huge amount of money he has spent to secure his
second election at the Town Council has only slightly cut
into is wealth.
Dadfiruz: The family claim to be of Ammu blood, the
Chyan tribe that conquered the town. The Old Dadfiruz is
the only survivor of the Sardines War. He is very cunning
and of high diplomacy. Around his neck, a red line reminds
of a strangulation attempt. It is said that he possesses a wide
collection of poisons that he uses, in small quantity, to
immunise and protect himself against poisoning attempts.
Zimrathôn: He is the youngest elected member of the
Town Council. A quite successful trader, his family is
freshly coming from Anarikê and claims rather pure
Tahmarda blood. His election was a surprise, just by one
vote. Well-informed people say that it is the result of an
agreement between the richest families to find someone
neutral in the power struggles between the two main
factions (his predecessor died in an non-elucidated boat
accident).
Hoshyar: The family suffered several bad commercial
lucks these last years, with three shipwrecks in a row and
is at the hedge of ruin. They depend for their survival on
Behbud funds and vote as him in the Council.
Farrokh: Farrokh is the Otôva of the Temple of Asrûta
and is very ambitious. Thanks to an alliance with Dadfiruz
he managed to be elected at the Town Council two years
ago and does not want to stop there.
5.8.7.2 Authorities
The Shapan: Husrav has recently arrived in the town.
He is a Slave of the Empire and really wants to have the law
of the Rashaja applied in Samarth. He is of Clyan origin and
is quite disgusted by the atmosphere of lust that he feels in
the town and is eager to make some order in that mess. He
is looking for some allies in the town but is not ready to
make any compromises.
The Erexshâ: Karan is an old Chyan warrior who has
spent almost all is military life in Samarth. He knows the
town like the back of his hand and his enemies pretend that
he has perhaps too much contact with the thieves and
smugglers. When he really wants to do his job, he could be
surprisingly efficient, but he often feels too bored to do so.
The Admiral of the Large Water: Burzin is a Lynîr
mercenary. Nobody knows is real name and everybody
uses his Chyan name, Burzin. He loves to navigate and
commands often himself the admiral ship. He insists on
constant training and the mariners have perhaps never been
as well trained.
The Master of the Militia: Marbud is an old soldier,
not very skilled and showing little initiative but who has
slowly climbed the military ranks. Now he has reached the
highest position that his capacities could allow and he is in
a semi-retirement at the head of the Militia (a bunch of
under-trained and dispirited young men who are here just
escape poverty).
5.8.7.3 Members of the Farokmads
The Prosperous Merchants: Behbud is the
Pishkasir of the Prosperous Merchants. With the control of
this powerful Farokmad and his position in the Town
Council, he is not only the richest man in the town but
certainly also one of the most influential. People in the
street often nickname Behbud, the Arshan.
The Skilled Shipwrights: Homyar began very
young as an apprentice shipwright long ago. He has slowly

climbed all the levels of the Farokmad and has recently
been elected Great Shipwright. Every member of the
Farokmad recognises and praises his science in shipbuilding
and the young men are literally fighting to become his
apprentice. Now his main concern is the supply of hard
wood from the Ammu Bâj as the last shipment has three
weeks delay, which is very unusual.
Adventurous Mariners: The Adventurous Mariners
is not a Farokmad like the others as the ties are not so
strong between the members. The members are simply
elected by the others who recognise their navigation skills
and serves mainly as a quality proof for potential
“purchaser” at the Sea Mihmân Khâmah. Delir is known as
the best captain of Samarth and is informally considered as
the Great Captain of the Adventurous Mariners.
Nevazar’s Followers: Kamran has had a passion for
Nevazar’s life since many years and spends hours in
research for every piece of archives about Nevazar and
collecting every objects or clothes that are supposed to
have belonged or simply been touched by the “Great Man”.
He is armless, but someone with darker purposes could
certainly find treasure deeply hidden under heaps of craps
in his collection.
5.8.7.4 Priesthood
Mahburzin: He is the Otôva of Ajmô, he is quite
young and has accepted this function some months ago and
is very exited to rule such an important temple. His temple
is very rich thanks to the generous gifts of the population.
With Afiveh, they have decided to enlarge their common
temple, but they have not yet made their mind concerning
the new plans and the architect.
Afiveh: The Otôva of Uzdâva is an old, wise and calm
man, the complete opposite of Mahburzin. He spends lot
of time distributing food and clothes to the poor of the
town and provokes pieces of gossip by sometime visiting
sick people and providing them some relief.
Gulroxa: The Mother of the Anahita temple is a young
and beautiful young woman who has lot to do to refute all
the attacks of the Sisters of Anahita from Chajapûn and
Baljana. They want to have the temple, lair of lust and
depravity, closed and specially to see the customs of the
sacred prostitution and the real orgies that are the
celebration of Anahita stopped forever. Fortunately, she
has the support of all the Samarth population and
authorities.
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5.8.8 Around Samarth
5.8.8.1 Ahvâz
Ahvâz is the only fortified and most picturesque village
of the area. It is built on a small hill overhanging the straits
of the Acaadôky river. An enough steep and very little
maintained road leads to the village. This road, that Chyans
call Yól Cèkene (Ch. Road of the Vale), links Samarth to
Chajapûn on the east bank side. It is very little used by
merchants because of the proximity of the main and much
more maintained Yól Ôburâ on the other bank, and also
because of the rather frequent floods, the marshes and the
presence of thieves.
There are approximately 400 to 700 inhabitants in this
village, for their majority farmers and hunters. There are
some fishers, but the profession in itself attracts only very
little people, because of the Falls of the Acaadôky (between
Ahvâz and Thrizafan), which are rather difficult to cross.
The Falls are rather rich in varied fish, and the rare fishers
know particularly prolific places for fishing, in the isles in
the straits.
1. High Wall: It is a large wall with seven little
turrets high of 6 meters each, which makes of
them the best observation post of all the area.
Three doors allow access to the small city,
one in the south in direction of Samarth, one
in north east in direction of Chajapûn, and
finally towards the river, giving on the small
port and the High Bridge.
2. The House of Chubin: The house is located at
the centre of the village, it is traditionally the
residence of the chief of the village. Chubin
is the chief of the village, a potbellied man
who seeks to maintain the order in his village,
without too much success.
3. The Rashajâ Square: The square had statues of
the most important Artaxshâsan Rashajâ
(Kambûjiya III, Vishtâspa II). Little after the
defeat of the Artaxshâsan, the statues were
destroyed by the population of Ahvâz,
wishing to avenge themselves on a symbol for
these two centuries of oppression. Little time
after, statues in honour of Vihnu and
Vishtâspa I were raised, and they always
stand proudly, recalling that there is always a
hope against the evil forces.
4. The Soft Fish: The ensign is enough speaking,
with two gilded carps. The inn is located near
the High Square. The innkeeper, Farzan is a
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44 old year man, rather communicative and
enthusiastic, who is very good in telling very
interesting stories of his own country. It is
the best inn of the city, where the fishers, the
militia men and the farmers meet. There are
twenty rooms available, two large rooms for
the meals (including a veranda). Farzan is
secretly a sympathizer of the True Followers,
but he is recently kept in check by the metal
worker of the close shop, Burzafrah, who
suspects him of wanting to betray his Rashaja
(he does not have a proof but he prepares to
create some, so that the militia men can
arrest a man whom he appreciates only
little).
5. The Locks of Yesteryear: It is an old shanty
house (undoubtedly the oldest of the village,
which must date from time preceding the
arrival of the Chyans), stuffed with secret
passages leading towards the caves and the
Falls of the Acaadôky.
The shop, very well maintained, is directed
with an iron hand by Burzafrah (38 years), a
proud man with some many small manias (to
persecute his employees, to spit, to scrape his
head) who hates with passion his colleague of
the inn of Soft Fish, for the simple and good
reason that this last married the woman with
whom he was madly in love in his youth. He
has recently opened a small bar (see #6) in
the dependences of the shanty house, a bar
where in the evening strange meetings are
held.
6. Tavern: It is an annex of the Locks of Yesteryear,
recently opened by Burzafrah.
7. A building in ruins: Nobody any more wishes
to remember that it was a temple in the past.
The boldest speak (and discreetly) that it was
a temple of Asrûta, and that the last
sacraments to Rashaja Vishtâspa were given
in this place. Others speak of thieves who
would have been introduced there recently in
the village, while stealing the architectural
treasures of the temple (including one
splendid translucent gem).
8. The High Tower: It is the residence of the local
chief of the militia, and the militia men who
patrol in the village and in the
neighbourhoods.
9. The High Bridge: It is the last large bridge on
the Acaadôky before Samarth.
10. The New Temple of Asrûta: The Otôva is
Gushtasp, a man rather open and full of
goodwill, some of them not always of the
best taste.
5.8.8.2 Nehavend
Located close to the sources of the river Anhvîr (Ch.
Swift stream), Nehavend is a small town of 500 to 800
inhabitants, which was built little after the foundation of
Empire (SA 879) by colonists coming from Samarth, eager
to exploit the richness of the forest of the Ammu Bâj.
The city has been several times put to fire and taken, by
Múranians, Aca or even the Orcs. It was victim of the
internal revolts of the Empire, in particular during the last
years of the Artaxshâsan dynasty (Hunting Night against
Witches, which cost the life of many Chyans under the
futile pretext that the restricted army of Vihnu had taken
refuge over there), after the fall of the Chy Empire in SA
3012 with the building of a fortress and the occupation of
Sakal an-Khâr or following the Great Plague. Because of
the proximity of the forest, the city became the most
important religious centre of the area, with mainly the
worships of Vohuma and Anahita.
The defence of the city is ensured by a 3 meters high
wall, built with stone (coming from the sandstone and
limestone quarries of the area) and with wood of the
Ammu Bâj. There is all around the city seven signalling
towers (including Kermanshad, the most important and
the most remote at 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the north).
The visibility is rather good, owing to the fact that the area
consists in vales, so that every alarm at one signalling tower
is quickly reflected to Nehavend. The purpose is not really
to ensure the resistance of the city, but rather to convoy in
safety the population towards Samarth or Tenolkachyn.
The interior of the city is arranged around two principal
streets placed almost perpendicularly. In contrary to
Samarth, the inhabitants gave up the Múranian style of
building, to adopt the so characteristic building style of
Chajapûn. Outside (or the new city), which overflows
somewhat from the walls (which appear rather old and not
very suited to undergo a siege), there are the dwellings of
woodcutters, farmers and hunters, houses of 1 to 2 floors
usually. In the surroundings of the city, and even until
Rasht, there are huts of isolated woodcutters and farms.
In the centre of the city, one can find some inns and
taverns of quality, some towers, and especially luxurious
residences belonging to nobles of Samarth and Chajapûn

wishing a little calm when compared to the vibrating
activity of these big cites. During centuries following the
building of the city, some houses were destroyed, and
replaced by splendid gardens, though there is always an old
district with small narrow and paved streets, with buildings
of Múranian style (high brick tower-houses of 4 or 5
floors).
Many legends are told about the forest, and Ramburzin,
the innkeeper of “At the Edge of the Anhvîr” is a famous
storyteller and claims to know everything. He is not the
last to tell what he knows to his customers about the forest.
There would be first of all the tomb of Aroustrâ, the
famous prophet of the True Faith, and in this tomb, there
would be a sacred gem forged by Vohuma, which would
have infinite powers. In the most inaccessible parts of the
forest, some Wild Men would live in full safety, avoiding
both Chyans and Múranians.
There are at least splendid birds, which are highly
researched by the hunters of Nehavend to be resold at gold
price in the markets of Chajapûn or Samarth (for more
details about the Ammu Bâj, see section 2.1.5).
1. At the Edge of the Anhvîr: It is a sympathetic
small inn located on the bank of the Anhvîr,
with a splendid terrace at the edge of water
and a rather exotic garden, with some trees
coming from the remote Lynerian League.
The inn is held by Ramburzin and his wife
Gulbadan, a sympathetic couple. The inn is
frequented by a majority of woodcutters and
farmers of the area.
2. The Old House: Here lives Bagoas, the Arshan
of the city. This is a man feared by all the
population. His movements of fury are rather
destructive and particularly feared. It is a
man all devoted to the cause of Rashaja, and
when it is question to diffuse the description
of enemies of the Rashaja, he makes
diligence. He has the high hand on the militia
of the city (about 50 men-at-arms).
According to legends, a Rashaja would have
died in this house, one speaks also loudly of a
witch who would have been responsible for
his death. The Rashaja in question could be
Dahaka or more probably Vishtâspa II.
3. The Bridge on Anhvîr: Itinerant merchants
are met rather frequently on the bridge,
proposing to the traveller’s curios or jewels
at rather attractive prices.
159
4. Treatment of Wood: At one kilometre (0.6
miles) from the bridge, this centre of cutting
up and loading enables to convey wood in
barges (or by flotation of whole trunks) in
direction of the shipyard of Samarth.
5. In the Old Books: Meherzad is an old original,
collecting the books of the Chyan and
surrounding cultures. His archivist,
Rambehesht, although very qualified, seems
much more dreadful. He has a long black
tunic and always hides a curved sword finely
worked in his sleeve.
Unfortunately, his piercing glance, his black
hair, his assured demeanour has much to
alarm. Rambehesht is secretly an infiltrated
agent of the Orcs of the desert, a Artaxshâsan
Rashaja or of Múranians (according to the
timeframe), and seeks to get his hand on the
richness of the city (in particular to discover
if the legends about a gem of Vohuma hidden
there are true).
6. The High Tower: The High Tower is what
remains of an old fortress built on order of
Ganachyn I , and which is now occupied by
the militia of the city. The three stairs were
arranged to accommodate in the first and the
second floor the guards, and in the third floor
the apartment of the Erexshâ, Thufhîd, a
rather stern man for whom only battles bring
joy. A secret tunnel was recently discovered,
and goes north to a few kilometres in
direction of Kermanshad. A rumour states
that a network of tunnels would connect all
the signalling towers, this network, if there
exists, has not yet been discovered.
7. The Prison: It is undoubtedly an old dependence
of the fortress of Ganachyn I, which is now
used as prison.
8. In the Gilded Den: It is a small tavern located
in the district of the port, and frequented in
great majority by the workmen of the
Treatment of Wood, and very little by
fishers.
9. The Port: It is indeed only a small landing stage
with some boats, a tavern and a storage area
for timber. It is a favourite meeting place of
for merchants (a market is held there three
times per month).
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10. Temple of Anahita and Vohuma: It is located
in the centre of the city. Religious offices take
place every day. The Otôva, Sharivâd, has
been established in city for 30 years.
Religious processions are held regularly into
the forest, to honour Anahita and Vohuma
there.
11. Several recently burnt buildings: Nobody
will dare to acknowledge it, but it was people
which opposed with force to the established
order, who were removed to be placed in
prison.
12. The High Square: The square has a statue of the
Rashaja Cishpi I. Three times per month a
market is held there.
5.8.8.3 Rasht
Just like many Chyan villages, Rasht is a village of
fishers and hunters. There are about 30 houses, for a
population of about 250. There are approximately one
third fishers, one third hunters, and the last one third being
women and young children.
The fishers usually take their fish near the Falls of the
Acaadôky or on the sources of the river Anhvîr. Both the
fishers and the hunters sell their products in the big markets
of Nehavend, they rarely risk to go to Chajapûn or Samarth
(except for a prized product), for fear of the thieves.
There are no inns, no taverns and no trade shops except
for the General Store, owned by Fawnâd. In his shop, the
(rare) visitors can find food, everything for travelling in the
Chyan lands, maps, memories and curios from not-so-
distant Chajapûn and Samarth, little statues of Rashajâ, for
twice the usual price. Fawnâd can give to the travellers
some rooms for the night, which means in the inhabitants’
homes. Fawnâd is the chief of the village. He is assisted by
five of his friends who assume the function of Village
Protectors.
There was once a bridge upon the Anhvîr near Rasht,
but it has been a very long time since the bridge is in ruins.
The bridge was probably broken after a revolt inside the
Chyan Empire or an invasion from Harshandatt. With the
bridge useless, the inhabitants repaired their houses by
using the bricks of the bridge.
Crossing the river is still possible, but it is risky,
because of the rather high current. Those who want to
cross the Anhvîr without swimming have to go either to
Nehavend, either to the ford at Thrizafan.
5.8.8.4 Thrizafan
Thrizafan (Ch. Three-mouthed) is located to the north
bank of the river Anhvîr, and not far away from the
Acaadôky. Thrizafan is an ideal step for caravans travelling
between Samarth and Chajapûn. The city was built by
citizens coming from Chajapûn around SA 1120, under the
rule of Haxâmanish II. There are about 200 houses, for a
population of about 500. There is a little wall surrounding
the village (only covering two third parts of the village
itself), which was built to protect the village against the Aca
invasions, but also to protect the village against those of
Abadan (about 70 houses, a population of 200), who are
jealous on the prosperity of Thrizafan.
Some battles happened between the citizens of the two
villages (because of Thrizafan’s prosperity, some family
rivalries or hate, and the different origin foundation for
Abadan, built by citizens of Samarth around SA 1090).
1. The tavern of the West Wind: This
establishment is operated by two twin
brothers, Mejhâd and Lejhâd, whose
speciality is beer and hard liquor only.
2. Pishkar’s House: No one really knows where
Pishkar came from. Sometimes, he says that
he came from Anarikê, other times that he
was a native of Chajapûn and a member of the
Rashaja’s family (which seems rather
dubious). What is certain is that Pishkar is a
qualified master of lore (which could
substantiate the Tahmarda version), and may
also be a sorcerer. He is indeed very
imperious (as if he was the master of the
village) and independent.
3. Warehouses (a to f): They are used as storage
building for grain and preserved foods, for
fish and boats store. One of these warehouses
was mysteriously burnt some few months ago
(a), and some fear that it could be villagers of
the not-so-distant village of Abadan, jealous
of Thrizafan’s prosperity. There are from
time-to-time thieves who try to steal food
and treasures stored in these warehouses.
4. Pishkar’s Warehouse: This warehouse is
carefully kept by 6 guards. There is inside
fine food, aging wines, hard brandies from
Kantilya, fine clothing, three tapestries
(stolen in Chajapûn), four statues of Rashajâ
and fine jewels.
5. Guard’s House: Immediately next to the
warehouse, stands the house for the guards

(used for the protection of the warehouses in
particular and the city in general). The house
has three storeys. Inside, there are a common
room, the barracks (when the guards sleep),
the armoury (with some bows, spears, axes
and arrows), a game room, and a secret room
that connects to a tunnel going beneath the
surface to Abadan.
6. The Yellow Tavern: This tavern is operated by
two Vulmaw, a fighter and his assistant. Lufra
Srôl, the owner has four rooms and two
dining rooms in which are shown landscapes
of Codya, mainly Myrn Shriac and Drej
Uriac.
He sells light lunches, beer, ale, mead and
hard liquor. Lufra Srôl is in fact one of the
numerous agents of the Codyan ambassador,
and he usually sends reports of his
observations about the caravans or armies’
movement. His major concern is actual
identity of Pishkar and he would gladly
accept any help to uncover the truth about
Pishkar.
7. Temple of Ajmô: As an important place of trade
with the caravans, it seems suited that the
God mostly revered here is the God of Trade
and Craft, Ajmô, although Anahita and
Hitâspa are revered too. The Otôva
Darazdast is a very old man who tries to
maintain the purity of the cult against all
evils. With the help of his assistants, he tries
to protect the temple, mainly the altar of
Ajmô and several other jewels which are very
precious.
They were a gift given by the ambassador of
the Lynerian League after the great naval
war, as a reward to the people of Bulchyades
for his implication in the war against Codya.
The fact that the altar is now in Thrizafan is
unexplained, perhaps was it placed here for
its protection?
8. Darazdast’ House: It is the residence of the
Otôva Darazdast, near the Inn of the Rising
Shidasp.
9. The Gardens of Ajmô and Anahita: Near the
river, they form a convenient place for walk.
Inside, there are a very good tavern and
statues of the most important Rashajâ of
history.
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10. Inn of the Rising Shidasp: Bahram has an
Airavât’s head stuffed and hung up on the
wall above the bar. He often claims to have
killed it himself. His inn has 26 rooms. The
meals are of very good quality. He has a good
wine cellar and the beer and ale are also
good. He has two waitresses/cooks and a
groom working for him. His inn is usually
frequented by the travellers of the caravans
and by the villagers (mainly the fishermen).
11. Pishkar’s House: All doors have complex
locks.
12. The port and the Great Square: It is a
meeting place for the fishermen. From here,
the fishermen go on the river (and especially
in the straits) to get some fish that they sell
back on the markets of the city.
13. The marketplace: Here thrice a week a market
is held where everything that can be expected
in a small town can be found.
14. The Caravan Ground: Here the caravans that
pass through the city pitch their tents and
picket their animals amidst dust and bustle.
When nobody is present, this area is a simple
open field, dotted with a number of large and
small sheds that stand empty, waiting for the
next arrival.
Tents of all colours and sizes spring up here
near the walls. The merchants are mostly
men of the Chyan Empire, Harshandatt or
Anarikê. Other merchants are more
considered as a “curiosity”.
15. The ford of Thrizafan and the Yól Ôburâ
road: The village of Abadan is at five
kilometres (3 miles) to the south.
16. The Ruined Tower: This was once the
residence of the Arshan of the village, but it
is now burnt. No one knows why and when
this tower burnt, it was probably the act of
thieves, or may be a wrath of some unknown
people (the Rashaja and his subordinates)
against the previous Arshan (who
mysteriously disappeared).
17. The House of the Farokmads: It is the
meeting place for the different Farokmads of
the city.
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Illustration: Shahriar Shahrabi (IRCSS)
5.9 Shamîsar
Shamîsar, the Castle of the North, the Bulwark of Chy,
the City of Iron, is the largest town of the otherwise barren
land of Nosharud. It is the major garrison town defending
the Chy Gap against the barbarians of the north and owes
its nicknames to its warlike tradition. It is also a rich city,
echoing with the sounds of metalworkers forging the good
iron extracted from the Divârayan Mountains.
5.9.1 History
The history of Shamîsar starts during the troubled time
of the Seven Arshanates at the end of the Second Age of the
Sun. Nosharud was divided into several Arshanâ fighting
for supremacy and the land was the prey of adventures’ and
mercenaries’ ambitions. The most astonishing of the them
was Shidush of Námagalûz, he convinced his King that the
instability in Nosharud was a danger for the Dwarven City
and with a small army entrusted by his king he conquered
here his own kingdom. In 3381, to serve as capital of his
domain and stronghold against his enemies, he built
Shidushahr (Ch. City of Shidush), that would later become
Shamîsar. The City of Shidush was built by masons and
stone-cutters of the Thelór's Folk and was strong and awe-
inspiring, but in spite of its founder will, it did not grow
larger than a big village surrounding a severe fortress. From
there, Shidush ruled as King of Nosharud until the year 73
of the Third Age. He had already welcomed many a refugee
from Námagalûz, fleeing the tyranny of the newcomers,
Threlin the new king and his supporters who had left the
city of Falek-Dûm, near the Inland Sea in the North. King
Threlin claimed all the possessions of the former Lord of
Námagalûz, and Nosharud among them. War was
inevitable and the last battle took place in sight of
Shidushahr. Shidush was defeated and killed and his people
forced to flee far in the east, in the land of Lynahar where
many of their kin had already found a refuge.
The Dwarves of Threlin did not enjoy their new
conquest for a long time. The Arshan of Mijore, who had
ruled the town as a vassal of Shidush, tried to seize the
occasion of the war to win the independence of his
Arshanate. But the warriors of Thelór's Folk proved too big
a piece for him and he was forced to call to his help the
Arshan of Pelepelplû, a minion of the Dark Ordainers. The
Dwarves were expelled from the flat land of Nosharud (but
held the foothills of the Divârayan Mountains during
another century), but the Arshan fell under the domination
of the Dark Ordainers, who afterwards controlled that land
until the time of Rashaja Ganagan I.
In 205, Ganagan of Chajapûn marched against
Nosharud. He hoped for a quick victory against Khordad,
a so-called vassal of the Arshan of Mijore but more
genuinely a brigand who used the mighty fortress of
Shidushahr as a base for raiding the country and ransoming
travellers on the road to the Chy Gap. But, contrary to his
expectations, Ganagan had to besiege Shidushahr for more
than one year as the fortress withstood all his attempts of
storming. The war against Mijore would last 5 more years,
until Ganagan definitively crushed the Arshan of Mijore
and the Dark Ordainers near Rusht in 211.
After the war, the unification of the Chyan Lands and
his crowning in 223, Ganagan remembered the Dwarven
fortress of Shidushahr and, considering Mijore too remote
from the Chy Gap (and some say distrustful of its people
who had followed the hated Dark Ordainers for such a long

time), he decided to restore the old fortress and to found
there a new city, Shamîsar, the North-Fortress, to be the
command centre of the armies protecting the Chy Gap and
the northern passes, and the new capital of Nosharud. With
Baljana in ruins, Shamîsar quickly became the major town
in the north of the empire.
One of the most famous sons of Shamîsar is Mujahâdh.
In 743, with no successors from the line of Ganagan, the
Empire once again crumbled into civil wars. Claiming to
have been adopted by the last Rashaja on the battlefield, the
Arshan of Shamîsar, Mujahâdh, was one of the many
pretenders. After seven years of wars, against his Chyan
rivals and Chey and Aca raiders called by them, he unified
most of the Chyan lands and firmly sat on the throne,
establishing Shamîsar as northern capital of the Empire
(status that the city would keep until 855) and founding the
Mujahan dynasty, that would rule the Chyan Empire until
916
After he had restored the dwarven citadel, Ganagan I
installed there an important garrison of his best troops.
This was wise, as the first millennium of the Third Age saw
numerous raids or attempts of invasion by Orcs or Chey.
They all failed until the ill-fated day of 1225, when the
entire army of Rashaja Shajanan III was exterminated by the
Chey warriors in the pay of the traitor Artabân, Arshan of
Shamîsar. Artabân became Rashaja of the Northern
Empire, with the support and protection of the Chey. The
Chey tried to expand their hold farther south, but with no
success, as the re-founded Baljana resisted all their
attempts of conquest. They nevertheless sent many raiding
and foray parties deep into the Southern Empire and were
instrumental in the weakening the empire of the
Shajanahan, who soon also faced internal revolts and civil
strife.
The Chey kingdom ended with the Great Revenge War
led by the Arshan of Baljana, Arshavir, and his brother
Arshak. Arshavir acted for himself, without reporting to
the court of the weak Kavadh VI, the last Rashaja of the
Southern Empire and whose power did not extend far from
the walls of his Andra. The prestige gained by Arshavir with
his dashing victory against the Chey Kingdom of Nosharud
enabled him to seize the crown from the weak hands of
Kavadh VI, initiating the prestigious Jahangir dynasty.
During the Jahangir dynasty, Shamîsar and the empire
enjoyed a period of prosperity. Nosharud was however the
first land conquered by the Usurper Dadfiruz in 1647, and
the last to be freed early in the year 1728. During the last
millennium of the Third Age, Nosharud became a disputed
land, battlefield of the wars against the Chey. In 2257,
Rashaja Aldhrâd II seeing with concern the northern
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province depopulated, offered land in free-holding to Ahar
people fleeing the conquest and exactions of the Chey.
They mainly settled in Shamîsar and in the land north of the
Banshûr and east of the Argavan. One of their descendants
even became Arshan of Nosharud in 2354 as a reward for
the invaluable help and stern resistance of the Ahar against
the Chey. Shamîsar was conquered in 2619 by Vindafarnah,
the Ulshyan general of the Arshan of Mijore, and it is from
its fortress that he proclaimed the restoration of the Empire
after decades of divisions and wars.
Until the end of the Third Age and still long in the
Fourth Age Shamîsar will play her role of fortress on the
route of invasions, withstand many a siege and the
Nosharud witness numerous battles on its barren fields.
5.9.2 The Town and its Territory
The town is built on five hills, or more accurately on
two hills that form the Old City and three hillocks of the
plateau sloping down the Divârayan Mountains. The two
hills and the steep ravine of the Argavan (Ch. Of red
colour) offer an easy protection which was certainly the
reason why Shidush chose the place for the building of his
city. Although the Argavan is often dry, and when not can
cause sudden and deadly floods, wells dug in its bed furnish
sufficient water to the townsfolk during the dry seasons.
While the Old City is tucked between the two hills,
overlooked by the Shidushark (Ch. Shidush’s Castle) and
the Arshan Palace, the largest part of the town, which
makes up the Trade and Residential districts, spreads freely
over the three other hillocks, with abundance of squares
and open spaces.
Since TA 231 Shamîsar has replaced Mijore as capital of
Nosharud, the northernmost province of the Chyan core
lands, which spreads south of the Divârayan Mountains, to
the Denûly and the northern boundary of the Lower Chy,
more or less on a line following the track between Jelhad,
at the junction of the Denûly and the Banshûr rivers, and
the small town of Farayn on the Nîjara. The land is poor
and cannot sustain a large population. The few rivers of the
region, apart from the Nîjara, are almost always dry and
the Fajusha living there toil the soil for little reward. The
land is hardly better for the few herds of sheep that roam
about the Lhûd in search for a meagre meal of hard and dry
grass. The rugged and almost uninhabited plateaus of
Nosharud rise in successive waves towards what the Chyan
pretend to be the highest mountains of the Divârayan
Mountains: The Thunder Massif that culminates with the
Ashajatâish, the Voice of the Kings, sacred for the Chyans,
where Hitâspa is believed to have is palace.
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The scarcity of the population of the area has been a
nightmare for all the Rashajâ who tried to improve the
security of the northern border of the empire. Although
naturally well protected, as the only easy crossing of the
Divârayan Mountains there are the Chy Gap and, in a less
extent, the Pass of Dreams, the Nosharud has a long
“tradition” of being the gate for invasions, starting with the
Chyans themselves. It seems that the series of awe-
inspiring fortresses and the numerous towers of smaller
size and holds built by generations of kings, like the famous
fortress of Gashtaham which guards the Chy Gap, have
done nothing to protect the Chyan lands and are even seen
as a challenge by any would-be invader. As a testimony of
this long history of wars and invasion, the land of Nosharud
is studded with ruined castles and towers that are now
more likely to hide vile brigands and foul beasts than the
mighty warriors of old. It is true that the Chyan Empire is
a tempting prey for nomads of the central plains of Jaha.
Nosharud itself offers the prospect of a rich plunder and the
possibility of a quick withdrawal. Indeed, while the land
surface is unrewarding and even deterring, the
underground hides great wealth. Important deposits of
iron of a rare quality, of silver and of gold have been
attracting prospective miners from far away. Miners,
mainly concentrated in small villages in the foothills or
even higher in the valleys of the Divârayan Mountains,
form indeed a noteworthy part of the population of
Nosharud.
5.9.3 Town Life
If it were not for the mines, Shamîsar would look like a
severe garrison town, where merchants would stop only
forced. But with the discovery of ore deposits in the nearby
mountains, Shamîsar has become a cosmopolitan town, at
least by northern Chyan standards. Most of the resident
population is Chyan, but merchants from Orgothraath,
Siakan, Harshandatt, Anarikê or the distant Lurmsakûn,
Bozisha-Dar and Codya are not uncommon. People with
Ahar blood, those descendants of the refugees settled in
Nosharud during the time of Rashaja Aldhrâd II, and even
of Chey descent, form a noteworthy part of the townsfolk.
Here this distrust of foreigners and attachment to old
customs that is the hallmark of northern Chyans seems
somewhat less pronounced. The city is a hub for anyone
tempted by making fortune in mining in the mountains and
a large part of the population is composed of transient
workers and miners. With the soldiers from the nearby
fortresses, spending some of their off-duty time in the
biggest town of the region, miners and passing merchants
make a busy, exuberant and sometime hot-tempered
temporary population that contrasts vividly with the locals,
usually more severe, quiet and less vibrant and who have a
tendency to consider foreigners as just another kind of
these barbarian invaders that the town has seen coming
back and forth so many times. Shamîsar certainly cannot
compete with Pelepelplû, Chajapûn or Samarth for the title
of first trading city of Chy, but it shows some activity and
merchants stopping there after crossing the Chy Gap, or
making for it, can expect good business. There are always
plenty of miners coming to re-supply or buy equipments
and several powerful Azimtabarâ have accumulated great
wealth and can show themselves very generous with
anyone who would bring them a rare marvel from far away.
Merchants also come here to buy the famous blades of
Shamîsar, that have the reputation among the Chyans of
being the strongest and sharpest made by humans. What is
not directly swallowed by the numerous fortresses and
garrisons of Nosharud is exported over the entire Chyan
Empire and farther.
Blades are only the most famous of the metalworks
made at Shamîsar. The iron ore extracted from the mines
is directly smelted into iron in the mountain valleys and,
even if a large part is then sent to Námagalûz, Shamîsar has
developed an active metalworking industry, benefiting
from the rare quality of the iron and the skill of her
metalworkers. While the production of iron is subjected to
very small imperial control and taxation, silver and gold
are imperial monopoly. The mines can be exploited freely,
but before to be sold any ingot of these precious metals
must first be seen by one of the Shapan's assistant, who
stamps it with the imperial hallmark, showing that the tax
has been paid and that the metal can be sold. The Shapan
can also buy these metals at a rather low price, when the
imperial treasure is in need.
The architecture of the town has kept a rather
unpolished, almost rough aspect, despite the great wealth
of some of the inhabitants of Shamîsar. There are very few
paved streets and stone pavements can be found only in
front of the most important buildings (such as the temple
of Asrûta or the Arshan Palace). The Old City has a strange
feeling, where the old original buildings of the Dwarves,
striving to adapt their architecture to mannish dwellers,
mingle with Chyan construction of the early Everlasting
Empire. The outer city looks perhaps more Chyan, with
typical one-storeyed rectangular, brick houses with inner
yards. Because of the relative scarcity of water, the inner
gardens that the Chyans love so much, are not as lush as
farther south and a large and well-watered one remains a
luxury. Apart from the usual Chyan religious ceremonies,
the main festivals at Shamîsar are the Dayodân (the revolt,
in memory of the uprising against the Dadfiruzan in TA
1728), on the 15th day of the month of Dayâr, and the
Nelyadûza (Ch. Mutual friendship), a festival of miners

who celebrate their friendship with Ahar settlers. This last
festival takes place during the month of Mehrâ and lasts
between one week to ten days. The date is chosen to
commemorate the days of SA 2354 when Ahar settlers and
miners entrenched in the mountains and decisively fought
together against the Chey raiders, saving the Chyan Empire
from invasion. In addition to these festivals, public prayers,
feasts and procession are organised to honour those Rashajâ
who had gained a military fame in the Nosharud, such as
Haxâmanish V, Ganagan I, Arshavir and his brother
Arshak, Taxmaspâda II or Vindafarnah I.
5.9.4 Organisation
5.9.4.1 The Arshan
The city is ruled by a hereditary Arshan seconded by
five individuals selected among prominent Vaysha or
Varna. The Arshan has the right to establish a dynasty of his
own. But when it happens that Shamîsar and Baljana are
ruled by a same Arshan (which is frequent because the
Arshan, who is supposed to find the resources necessary to
feed and equip all his troops from his territory would not
be able to sustain the huge number of troops necessary to
watch the borders with the only resources of Nosharud),
his successor must be approved by the Rashaja, when he is
not directly chosen by him. Members of the Arshan's tabâr
or of friendly or allied families are entrusted with specific
charges, like the command of the Arshan's private guard,
the collection of taxes or the control of the mines. The
Otôvâ of the cults most revered in Shamîsar, those of
Asrûta, Hitâspa and Ajmô, are traditionally close
counsellors of the Arshan.
5.9.4.2 Military Forces
Because of the strategic importance of the town and the
fortresses that command the Chy Gap, all the military
forces in Shamîsar are under the direct command of the
Arshan. A local custom, dating back from the early years of
Shamîsar, when the city was intended to be a fortress-city,
watching the northern border, also wants that the Erexshâ
is appointed by the Arshan and receives his orders from him
and not from the Shapan.
While the Arshan usually commands himself only the
troops garrisoned in Shamîsar (his personal guard, an
important contingent of the High Guard and, in time of
war, the local levy), the Erexshâ, as second in command,
is entrusted with the mobile troops patrolling and
protecting the roads joining Shamîsar and the Chy Gap as
well as the mountains passes. The border fortresses,
including the fortress of Gashtaham that watch the Chy
Gap, are under the command of officers chosen by the
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Arshan. Garrison life is not of the taste of Chyans, who
prefer riding over the Lhûd and posts in these fortresses are
not sought after.
5.9.5 Politics and Power
The city politics is completely dominated by the
Azimtabarâ and some influential Varna. Being a relative of
the Arshan or from allied family is almost a prerequisite to
access any position of power. The palaces of the
Azimtabarâ of Shamîsar, just like most dwellings, are built
with stone, bricks and wood with no particular refinement.
A foreigner would certainly find it difficult to distinguish
these palaces from common houses, but the people of
Shamîsar know them well as the most powerful Azimtabarâ
have marked the history of the town for generations.
A Council of Trade, presided by the Arshan and
composed of the wealthiest merchants and craftsmen of the
town (chosen by the Arshan), decides of the prices of the
different goods and gives the necessary authorisations to all
traders who want to settle in Shamîsar. Except for the taxes
that all merchants have to pay to the Arshan (for the town
security), to the Council of Trade (for maintenance of the
marketplaces and the right to sell goods) and the special
taxes on gold and silver production, there is no other tax
to pay, even for the non-Chyans. Metalworkers and
innkeepers are the most represented commercial
professions in Shamîsar, but even them are not organised
in Farokmads. The concept of associations of traders to
limit competition and improve their rights is alien to the
people of northern Chy. Fully turned to its military
functions, Shamîsar has never been a fertile ground for
religious fanatics and sects, contrary to its southern sister,
Baljana or even the old Mijore. Recently, the Bokhtarâ had
little success here, but most have been eliminated during
the Great Purge in 1635. Huchithra has sent one of his most
gifted servants here, Shergir, in a attempt to establish a
chamber of the True Followers in Shamîsar (see #3004-1
Chyan Empire : The People, section 8.3.3).
5.9.6 The Town
The town is divided into three main districts: The Old
City, separated from the rest of the town by the wall of
Ganagan and that is the original Shidushahr and the oldest
part of Shamîsar; the trade district to the north and east;
and the residential district to the west. The three gates, the
Iron Gate, the Shidush Gate and the New Gate,
respectively open to the North, East, and South. The Old
City is still separated by a wall from the rest of the town
and can be reached by the Shidush Gate, the New Gate or
the Inner Gate.
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5.9.6.1 The Old City
1. The Arshan Palace: It is a severe building,
looking like a fortress, with thick walls and
small windows. The interior is more pleasant
with a large garden decorated with statues of
gods and heroes. The front wall has recently
been destroyed to open the garden onto the
Sun Square.
2. The Cutting Edge: This shop selling good
Shamîsar blades is kept by Khubruy, the most
renowned smith and armourer of Shamîsar.
There is a wide variety of blades, most of
them unmounted and the purchasers can
select the hilt and guard that they prefer. The
shop has a speciality of Sohrab of the plain
Shamîsar style.
3. The New Gate: The gate has been opened by
order of Vanâyan I, for the wedding of his
daughter with the Chey king Midarayân III
celebrated in the city, as she was persuaded
that entering the city through a gate that had
seen so many warriors and blood spilling
before would bring her back luck.
4. The Inner Gate: The gate is now always open to
allow easy access between the Old City and
the Outer Town. Backbiters say that the
hinges are so rusted that trying to close the
gate would break them. It has been pierced at
the time of Arshavir I, when it was decided
to extend the fortifications of the city to
include the suburbs extending widely on the
hills north of the city.
5. The Ringing Hammer: It is the shop of
Bahadur. Now that the Dwarf is working
exclusively to finish the order of the Rashaja,
his two sons are running the shop. They sell
a large variety of music boxes or other
wonderful toys of their own production and
also serve as retailers for productions coming
directly from Lynahar. There, first quality
mining and smith tools can be found along
with a few weapons, especially long swords
and daggers heavily decorated, as Chyans like
them.
6. The Shidushark: This strong fortress is situated
on the smallest but highest and steepest hill
of the town. It is the original fortress built by
Shidush and his dwarven masons. On the
slopes of the hill can be found the oldest
buildings of the city, several dating back to
the time of Shidushahr and of indisputable
dwarven facture. It is the main defence of the
town and closely watches the Shidush Gate.
7. The Shidush Gate: This gate, pierced in the
wall of Ganagan, has been for a very long
time the only gate of the city and is named
after the founder of Shamîsar, Shidush, an
adventurer and mercenary coming from the
Dwarven hold of Námagalûz. A statue,
supposed to represent the hero, is set in a
niche above the gate.
8.
he Temple of Asrûta: The building could
almost be mistaken for a private house,
without the huge golden sun above the door.
It has no window and is built like a
prison…and that was its purpose, before
Ganagan’s Anarikanî architect suddenly
realised that in the plans of the new city he
had forgotten what any Chyan would
consider as the first building to lay the
foundations of: a temple for the True God.
To hide his blunder, he quickly transformed
the prison into a severe temple, fit to please
the taste of the northern Chyans and saved
face.
9. The Temple of Hitâspa: It is a severe
construction, of grey stone and adorned with
only two statues of Hitâspa’s hounds flanking
the main door. The inside is not more
welcoming and everything in the architecture
is meant to impose respect and a sense of
simplicity and austerity that seem to fit the
Vaysha of Shamîsar, who are the principal
worshippers of the god.
10. The Sun Square: The square is on the slope of
the hill, just below the Arshan Palace. It is
there that people gather to listen to the
Arshan’s proclamations or for public
religious ceremonies.
11. The Tower of Shame: This grim tower raising
above the Arshan Palace is commonly used as
prison for petty criminals, in the absence of a
dedicated building.
12. The Old Marketplace: It was the first market
of the town and is still quite busy on market
day, even if now most of the commercial
activity is moved to the (new) Marketplace.

Most of the houses surrounding the square
are armouries or jewellers’ workshops and it
is there that the best samples of Shamîsar
Sohrab and other blades can be found.
13. The Wall of Ganagan: The wall was built
during the reign of Ganagan I, after the first
Rashaja of the Everlasting Sun Empire
founded the city of Shamîsar around the
fortress of Shidush, that he had himself
partially ruined during his war against the
Arshan of Nosharud.
5.9.6.2 The Outer Town: Trade and Residential
Districts
14. The Art of Mining: This shop is led by a
courageous Chyan, Shosrô, who came from
Jabâya ten years ago when his family was
massacred after a Chey raid. Here you can
find all useful things for a journey in the
mountains, as well as valuable advices about
expeditions (the area to go, the material, the
population in the mountains, the recent Chey
raids).
15. The Comforting Night: This is the largest inn
of the town, where can be found single and
comfortable rooms, a food of quality (the
Navasesh, coming from the Clyan
mountains, is especially famous). Very often,
there are dining spectacles there, with
Shâhirâ reciting heroic tales of the past or
dancers and musicians. Someone who wants
to know the last rumours of Shamîsar or the
Nosharud or to make contacts in the mining
business has to go there and spend well his
gold.
The innkeeper, Uvahya, is a native from
Baljana. Thirty years ago, he was sent in
embassy to the Arshan of Shamîsar to settle
one of these problems that arise regularly
about the common administration of the
town of Jelhad by the two cities. He fell in
love with Shamîsar and his people and, after
finding an issue to the diplomatic problem
that satisfied both towns, he settled in
Shamîsar with his two spouses and three sons.
He soon built there a reputable inn where
traders from Baljana are numerous and feel at
home. He is now fully accepted by the locals,
who consider Uvahya as a close friend, as if
he has always been living in the city.
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16. The Iron Gate: The gate takes its name from
two doors of wrought iron. They have been
built by Dwarves of Námagalûz for the
highest price in gold, silk and perfume that
any Chyan Rashaja has ever paid, but
Arshavir I was adamant on having an
unbreakable gate for his northern fortress.
And indeed, it has never been forced. When
the Chey took the city in TA 2077, they
found it easier to breach the walls.
17. The Jumping Iarnu: The worst place where
unwary travellers may end up to spend the
night in Shamîsar is without any doubt this
inn. Although nothing has ever been proved,
the owner, Manush, is suspected by some to
organise the so common robberies of his
customers. Some even murmur that several
travellers that are supposed to have left the
town unnoticed have indeed been murdered
by Manush. They then add, with a smile, that
it is not for nothing that Manush's pigs are so
fat. The food is excellent.
18. The (New) Marketplace: The square has been
cut through old houses in a flat area of the
Trade district to allow a large and convenient
place to organise daily markets of fresh
products to the townsfolk and (mainly) to
supply the miners that come in number to
Shamîsar with food and equipments.
19. The Mihmân Khâmah: Just next to the Iron
Gate and the Marketplace, it is a spacious
building where traders can rest in safety for
the night, for a very low price. It is reserved
for merchants and common travellers have to
turn themselves to the few inns of the town
or camp outside the town.
20. The Northern Star: Although mainly famous
for iron, the mines in the mountains also
produce some silver, and Bundar owns one
of the few shops selling jewellery made of this
silver. There are mainly large necklaces with
heavy medallions and wide bracelets. Bundar
makes himself the jewels and the shop is open
only during the afternoons.
He arrived in town only some years ago, and
because of the style of his work many believe
he must have learnt his art with Dwarves. He
never confirmed or refuted the story and
many are speculating how this could have
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happened as it is well known that Dwarves
are jealous of their secrets.
21. The Steaming Cauldron: The tavern is
frequented by the scum of Shamîsar, but if
you are desperate for a free meal, it is the best
place as Raham, the innkeeper, always keeps
a huge cauldron of porridge on the fire to give
to needies who ask for. It is said that it is to
honour a promise that he made to an old man
who helped him when he arrived in town
with nothing, after his family has been
robbed and killed when they were making for
a mine that his father had won after a bet.
22. The Temple of Ajmô: This is perhaps the most
welcoming of all official building in Shamîsar.
It is built of brick, and the front wall is
adorned with numerous relieves showing the
benefit of trade, that bring wealth and peace
to the men. Inside the temple is a lovely
garden, kept green during all the year at great
expense. The temple has been recently
renovated, statues covered with gold and the
front wall decorated with glazed tiles
brought from Pelepelplû for a fortune by the
Otôva, Hoshedar.
23. The Treasure Chest: Mahvir sells here a large
variety of dried plants that he collects himself
in the mountains. Anything can be found in
the shop, from a root that can cure a
toothache to flowers that ensure the birth of
a son or prevent Xsathra from making the
milk get sour. In some occasions, Mahvir can
prepare special blends for special purposes,
when customers ask and pay for.

24. The Wall of Arshavir: The wall has been built
after the capture of the city from the Chey by
order of Arshavir. He wanted to transform
the city into an impregnable fortress that
would prevent forever the Chey from
coming back. He himself marked the layout
of the wall by planting poles with Chey heads
driven in their tips. They staid there for years
after the building of the wall, as the
townsfolk believed they were repelling
demons and Chey away from their city.
25. The White Rhinoceros: This small tavern on
the Marketplace is open day and night. It is
always busy, vibrant of onlookers needing a
rest after browsing, merchants in need of a
quick meal after installing their stales before
the coming of customers or porters sneaking
here for a drink between two deliveries. The
tavern is famous for its beer from Námagalûz
and its smoked meat.
5.9.7 People of Note
5.9.7.1 Authorities
The Arshan: The entire family of Jangi died during
the Plague and he was the only to miraculously survive after
fighting between life and death for weeks. He was
extremely affected by the event and has completely
changed since. Before, he was a man who enjoyed the
pleasures of life, a great drinker and hunter. Now, he can
speak only of god wrath and pretends that he has been
spared from the demons grasp only to claim the will of god
that the Chyans must propagate the True Faith to the entire
world. For more details about Jangi, see #3004-1 Chyan
Empire : The People, section 8.3.7.
The Erexshâ: Although a seasoned warrior, veteran of
many campaigns, Kayzad appears as a simple man, almost
shy, doing efficiently his job and avoiding the honours.
Since the departure of the Arshan, summoned to the High
Council, he is the full master of the large military forces of
the town and the surrounding fortresses.
If this were not sufficient to keep him busy day and
night, he also has to face these strange and numerous
disappearing around the Nalronorth Mount. People are
starting to be frightened and the craziest rumours are
circulating in town. To top it all, the Shapan, whose
hostility to the Erexshâ is well-known, is watching him and
Kayzad has no doubts: at his first false step, the Shapan will
happily ask for his dismissing.
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The Shapan: Syamak is a young man (31), a Slave of
the Empire who has quickly made his way through the
imperial administration and who does not intend to stop
there. The departure of the Arshan to the capital has left
him in charge of all the civil powers and if it were not this
silly local custom that the Erexshâ should depend directly
from the Arshan, he could be the master of the town.
At least, he thinks to have found an easy way to get ride
of the Erexshâ and to have him replaced by a man of his:
the strange disappearing around the Nalronorth Mount. He
just has to wait until the situation rots enough to make his
report and have the Erexshâ displaced, and make sure that
the officer will never solve this strange case…
5.9.7.2 The Azimtabarâ
Dinyar: His family is the wealthiest of all Azimtabarâ
in Shamîsar. The fortune of the family comes from mines
in the mountains. Not that they are exploiting themselves
the mines, it would be shameful for a Vaysha family, but
they own many of the mountain valleys where the mines
are set. Indeed, before the discovery of ore deposits, the
tabâr was extremely poor, relegated to rocky unproductive
mountain vales. Their luck changed when a dwarf of
Námagalûz asked for audience and bought for almost
nothing a piece of land, high in the mountains. When news
of rich iron deposits eventually burst, they discovered their
mistake and since then they have never sold a bit of land
but, instead, rent it with high profit.
Khudayar: Khudayar is the head of tabâr Behzadan
that ruled the city during most of the Shajanahan dynasty.
They originally came from Mijore (where a younger branch
of the Tabâr still lives), called in TA 1044 by Rashaja
Vanâyan I to rule the city and replace its Arshan who had
given its support to the rebels in Chey Sart. They were
replaced at the head of the city in 1160, when the Arshan,
Khanvant, was killed during the battle of the Thousand
Airavatâ. His eldest son was too young to rule and the city
was entrusted to the Rashaja’s Cupbearer, until the son of
Khanvant comes of age. This never came. He died, some
say poisoned by the Cupbearer, who eventually had his
own son, Artabân, appointed Arshan of Shamîsar. Artabân
later revolted against the Shajanahan dynasty and became
Rashaja of the Northern Chyan Empire in 1226. When
Arshavir took Shamîsar in 1290 and overthrew the Chey-
Chyan dynasty established by Artabân, tabâr Behzadan
expected to be re-established as Arshan, but their hope was
not met and the province of Nosharud was given to tabâr
Jahanan. Since them a deep hatred exists between the two
tabarâ and Khudayar has decided that the absence of Jangi
to the High Council and the events in the capital will offer
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him a way to get his own back. He is on the lookout for the
first occasion.
Tabâr Jahanan: The ancestors of Arshan Jangi have
been ruling the town since its liberation by Arshavir and
Arshak in TA 1290. They are strong and faithful supporters
of the Jahangir dynasty.
5.9.7.3 Priesthood
The Otôva of Asrûta: Rakhoh is an old man, wise
and peaceful, who sees with apprehension the plots for
power and wealth that are developing in front of him. He
is a very close counsellor and friend of Arshan Jangi. When
the latter was summoned to the High Council, he entrusted
Rakhoh with the city, although unofficially, asking him to
keep good watch on the Erexshâ and the Shapan, fearing a
clash between the two men that could only be detrimental
for the city. Out of friendship Rakhoh accepted. Now he
regrets it as he sees the situation slowly slipping out of his
helpless hands and he is desperate to find a way to keep
peace in his beloved city while he has no power, but only
spiritual influence.
The Otôva of Hitâspa: Shergir is a good, and likely
the best, friend of the Erexshâ. They both are from
Akhzamazâr and played more than one bad trick to the
good people of this peaceful village when they were only
turbulent boys. They were separated when they were just
10. Shergir, son of a Varna was sent to the temple of
Hitâspa in Shamîsar to study and become a priest and
Kayzad was sent by his father, the local Arshan, to the
brother of his first spouse in Baljana to learn the arts of war.
They met again only five years ago when the war-scared
Kayzad was appointed Erexshâ of the town and since they
meet as often as their duty allows it. What the Erexshâ
ignores is that Shergir is a True Followers, with orders to
establish a Chamber in Shamîsar and to ease any attempt by
the Shapan to get ride of the capable Erexshâ and replace
him by a puppet. It really breaks Shergir's heart and so far
he has not really moved. He would like to find a way to
both satisfy his master (he knows that it would be
dangerous for him to disobey) and to help or alert his old
friend.
The Otôva of Ajmô: Hoshedar is a son of Shamîsar,
from an old and influential Varna family dedicated to the
cult of Ajmô for centuries. Incidentally, it is also one of the
wealthiest family of the city (with that of Dinyar), that
owns many mines in the mountains and some shops in the
city. They prefer to stay discreet on the source of their
wealth, as Shamîsar is not in the Bulchyades, and here it is
badly considered for Varna to get involved in business. To
have this forgotten, Hoshedar’s family has spent fortunes
in the cult of Ajmô, and Hoshedar recently paid for the full
renovation of the temple, making it the most ostentatious
of Shamîsar. This is perhaps Hoshedar’s mistake, as this
display of wealth is not of the taste of everybody, especially
among the Varna.
5.9.7.4 Merchants
Bahadur: Bahadur is one of the few dwarves settled in
Shamîsar. He is from Thelór's Folk. His great-grand father
came from Lynahar because he was longing for the land of
his ancestors and wanted to see again the high peaks of
central Divârayan Mountains before to join his forefathers
in the halls of Mahal. Unfortunately, he died in Shamîsar.
His sons carried his body and buried him in the mountains
he loved so much and then settled in Shamîsar, attracted by
the many possibilities of wealth their skills in metalwork
offered them in this industrious city. As one could expect,
stories about the Dwarves quickly started to be heard in the
inns and taverns of Shamîsar:
“the Dwarves came here to retrieve some old treasure buried in
the time of Shidush and in Bahadur’s shop is hidden a secret door
opening on tunnels running under the city, dug by his fathers, him
and now his sons and cousins in search of the Lost Treasure of
Shidush”.
All legends and gossips, for sure…Bahadur exceptional
talent in mechanical works and old age makes him the
uncontested head of his family. He is now extremely busy
finishing what he expects will be his masterpiece. Some
years ago, when hunting in the Lhûd, the Rashaja Siyavush
IV heard of a Dwarf, master in making incredible music
boxes in the shape of birds. He had Bahadur summoned and
after examining some sample pieces, he ordered Bahadur
to built a hundred of these music boxes to put in the garden
of the Apatân to make it as lively in winter as it is in
summer. If the result reaches the expectations of the
Rashaja, Bahadur would be covered with gold. Since that
time, Bahadur had not had a single moment of rest. He does
not really know if, as the Rashaja died, the promise will be
honoured or even if his birds will ever reach the Apatân,
but now he is so much enthralled by his work that he cannot
stop. And his motto is “always finish a work when you start
it”.
5.9.8 Around Shamîsar
5.9.8.1 Akhzamazâr
Akhzamazâr (Ch. Green tomb) lays on the slope of a
hill, on the bank of the Banshûr river, not far from the Chy
Gap. It is a pleasant little town where merchants often rest
before the crossing of the Chy Gap or prepare themselves

for the crossing, especially those who have decided to avoid
Shamîsar, heading directly for Chajapûn and Baljana or
coming from these cities. The name of the city comes from
a huge round mound covered with thick green grass. It is
said to be the tomb of an ancient hero whose identity is still
debated. The locals claim it is the tomb of Gushnasp (see
#3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 4.1.4) and
some, as often in the Chyan lands, also say it is
Haxâmanish's. Those who do not believe in legends usually
prefer to see in this barrow the tomb of an ancient and
powerful Aca or Chey lord.
1. The Arshan's Tower: The tower, that was in
the past the residence of the local Arshan, is
a bit away from the town, on a hillock
commanding the Banshûr valley. Although
the Arshan is now living in town in a more
comfortable house, the tower is still
maintained as it is the only fortification worth
the name in the town (which is only
surrounded by a ditch and thorny edge,
enough to deter wild beasts or even
marauding Orcs, but that certainly cannot
stop a decided party of Chey raiders).
2. The Black Horse; It is the only true inn of the
town (but most townsfolk are ready to
provide a place to sleep and some food in
exchange of an handful of coins). The rooms
are small but comfortable, and the food
prepared by Ugarth is an interesting mix of
Chyan traditional cooking and Orgothraathi
delicacies.
3. The Mihmân Khâmah; The building is very
large and offers more room that seems
necessary for the passing merchants. The
keeper, Mahyar, asks for only a few Sapi but
does not the cooking.
4. The Temple of Asrûta: The temple is in the
middle of the town, on the main square (that
also serves as marketplace). It is of the
yellowish limestone that comes from the
quarries cut inside the steep cliffs that line the
northern bank of the Banshûr.
5.9.8.2 The Chy Gap
The Chy Gap is a relatively large (5 kilometres – 3 miles
– at its narrowest point) and easy pass crossing the
Divârayan Mountains. One of the busiest trade routes of
this part of Jaha passes through the Chy Gap, connecting
the wide plains of Central Jaha to the Bay of Ormal and the
southern lands. Coming from Orgothraath, the track raises
171
slowly until it reaches the summit of the pass where a
Mihmân Khâmah has been built for travellers to spend the
night in safety. Brigands and bands of Orcs (especially the
Naga-Ûlurk from the east, who consider the Chy Gap as
their hunting ground) are usually discreet during the day,
when Chyan soldiers patrol the pass, but at night they
become a real danger that cannot be dismissed by wary
travellers. After the Mihmân Khâmah, the track goes down
quite quickly, on a winding and steep path that reaches the
Chyan Lands, just after passing below the fortress of
Gashtaham.
5.9.8.3 Gashtaham
Gashtaham (Ch. Very strong) is the main Chyan
fortress commanding the Chy Gap, built on the eastern
spur of the Divârayan Mountains. It was the last hold of the
Artaxshâsan supporters, commanded by a Kharpan skilful
in necromancy who reanimated the dead during the night
to have his full forces ready to withstand the assault during
the day. The siege lasted months, until one day the armies
of Vihnu Taronish found no more opponents. When the
victorious soldiers entered the fortress, they find it
completely empty and nobody has ever found the corpses
of the Artaxshâsan soldiers or learnt what happened to
them. The fortress has since the reputation to be haunted
and that sometime soldiers garrisoned there disappear
without explanation. To be sent to Gashtaham is
considered by Chyan soldiers as the worst punishment.
5.9.8.4 The Nalronorth Mount
The Nalronorth Mount is a relatively low round hill,
that would remain unnoticed by travellers without the
strange and mysterious monolith standing at its top. The
stone is more than three human sizes in height but can be
embraced by grown-up. It is smoothly and perfectly
polished and shines in the sun. From afar it looks like a
gigantic steel needle pointing to the sky. According to the
Chyans, it has always been there and they suppose that it
was erected by people living there before their arrival:
Múranians or those strange wild men that are no longer and
that appear in old Múranian tales and are believed to be
children of the earth, born from the lightning-stones, that
sometime fall from the sky.The monolith has always been
avoided by Chyans, who fear that demons gather here
during the night. It has recently become a big problem for
the military authorities. Several mysterious disappearances
of miners or herders has been reported, each of them has
occurred close to the Nalronorth Mount. The problem has
not yet been resolved, but the Erexshâ simply suspects
some wild animal like grey wolves or perhaps a solitary
lion.
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5.9.8.5 Bakhtavar its smelting and expedition to Shamîsar where it

will be auctioned to the metalworkers, for the
Bakhtavar (Ch. Fortunate) is the largest of these
great benefit of the Rashaja’s treasure. Once a
numerous small settlements that scatter the foothills of the
month, when the Iron Caravan comes back from
Divârayan Mountains in Nosharud. Most of them are
Shamîsar, it does not travel empty loaded, but
villages of miners, that regroup themselves for protection
bring back food supplies and equipments to be
against the bands of Orcs who, although less numerous than
sold to the miners and a casket of gold and silver
east of the Chy Gap thanks to the vigilance of the Dwarves
to buy iron ore and charcoal. Unless to say that
from Námagalûz, remain nevertheless dangerous. It is a
the imperial monopoly on this trade arouses the
thriving little mining town set between the foothills of the
covetousness of many. The Shapan of Bakhtavar
Divârayan Mountains and the eaves of the Mahzarin Forest
is assessed by a Warden of the Woods, who has
(Ch. Golden moon). The first mine in the valley was
to make sure that trees are planted in the
opened in TA 613, by Kamdele, who came from the
Mahzarin Forest to renew those cut by the
Bulchyades and found here a silver vein. This soon attracted
coalmen and enforce the rules on woodcutting.
numerous adventurers and fortune seekers, but no other
This is a unique case in the entire Chyan Empire,
silver was to be found, only iron. This was a
that is perhaps at the origin of the long-lasting
disappointment for many, but the iron proved of a rare
prosperity of Bakhtavar.
quality and the informal settlement of tents and shelters
quickly grew into a small town. Bakhtavar officially 4. The Smelting Houses: Although no metalwork
received her first Arshan in TA 851, when Rashaja is produced in Bakhtavar, the iron produced in
Mujahâdh II decided to increase his control on iron the mines is smelted here, and then, the pig iron
production in the foothills of the Divârayan Mountains, is sent to Shamîsar (and a part to Námagalûz) to
that had before remained a wild and unruly area. Now, the be forged and transformed. Once a month a big
old silver mine of Kamdele is showing some signs of caravan, the Iron Caravan, leaves the town with
exhaustion and the Arshan, Arasti, is worried for the future all the monthly production.
of Bakhtavar (and of his tabâr). With the advice of
5. The Temple of Asrûta: The temple is built just
Nawazish, he is considering sending envoys in the far away
next to the Arshan Palace and has the same
Lynahar, to hire Dwarves of the Thelór's Folk, that in the
severe look, with small windows that allow
far past were friends of the Chyans, to prospect the hills
little light to pierce through but make good
and perhaps find new veins of precious metal. He has heard
firing slits. The Otôva, Nawazish, is an old and
of a family of Dwarves from Thelór's Folk settled in
grumpy man and a very good friend of the
Shamîsar, perhaps they would accept to be his
Arshan. He grows in the temple garden plants
emissaries...or perhaps do the job themselves.
and herbs, most of them uniquely to enhance his
1. The Arshan Palace: This old building looks cooking and for their pleasant smell, but he has
more like a fortress than a palace. Its function is a great knowledge of anything that grows in the
actually the protection of the little town and its Mahzarin Forest, especially mushrooms that he
people, as there are no walls (but just a moat, enjoys very much.
partially filled with dirt) to protect Bakhtavar.
6. he Temple of Ajmô: The temple is the meeting
The previous Arshanâ have all tried to give a
place of all the miners who fervently pray the
more pleasant look to the palace, by planting
god and more ardently put their right hand on
trees and having a garden. The result is
Kamdele’s pick. The pick is kept on a pedestal
disappointing, the palace still looks like a severe
in the main room of the temple and is said to be
and unwelcoming fortress.
the one used by Kamdele when he first
2. Coalmen’s Huts: The Mahzarin Forest is dotted discovered silver. It is believed to bring luck to
with coalmen’s huts. They produce the charcoal miners and its fame is so big, that all over the
necessary for the iron smelting and many say Chyan lands, those who want to try their luck in
that they are the only in Bakhtavar to make good finding precious ore, come here to touch the
money from the working of the mines. pick and get a bit of Kamdele’s good fortune.
For all the miners, this is the biggest treasure
3. The Shapan House: The Shapan of Bakhtavar
kept in Bakhtavar.
has for main function to buy all the iron
extracted in the mines of Bakhtavar, supervise

Illustration: Faraz Shanyar
5.10 Tenolkachyn
Tenolkachyn, the Fortress of Vigilance, the Bastion of
Chy is the most formidable fortress-town of the Chyan
Empire, watching the ever-present danger from the south,
from Harshandatt and the lands beyond. Her strong
battlements and high watch towers have been sung in many
an epic of wars and battles, heroic deeds and glory, but the
town is also the home of a peaceful and busy people of
craftsmen and merchants.
“It was just after noon on a day like most in this region, hot and
humid, bright and clear (bordering on tropical), with just a hint (a tease
really) of coolness upon the breeze (carried inland by winds which flow
northward from the sea). I could feel the wind as it moved across the hot,
exposed, flesh of my arms and legs (granting me only a brief reprieve from
the heat) as I climbed the long, iron rung, ladder upward (along the
inside of a support tower built into the city's great outer wall) to take my
post (as one of several look-outs) atop the city's West Gate.
There would be five of us on watch that day, two veteran soldiers,
standing watch in the cool and shadowed doorway of the gate's two
support towers (with, I would imagine, long and illustrious careers in the
city's grand army) along with myself and two other new recruits (fresh
out of training camp) assigned to pace beneath an unrelenting sun and
keep vigil on the road below.
This was my first time on watch here, standing on top the high stone
walkway which overlooks the Yól Ôratâ (the road which stretches from
173
the Shining Gold Gate to the far horizon and beyond (as far as the eye
could see), to the frontier and the lands which border Harshandatt). Not
far below, I could see the mammoth forms of our Chyan fore fathers:
Haxâmanish, Ganashôshyn, Shôburagan, Ganachyn, Ganshô, Tasagana
and Ganagan as they line the Victory Road from the West Gate to the
forward most guard post (used to greet dignitaries and emissaries from far
away lands who are then escorted into the city to see the Arshan), their
forms and likenesses carved from towering pillars of white marble.
Looking overhead, I could see the solid frame of the gates massive
iron "lock-arm" (some 8 and one-half meters tall and quarter a meter
thick) which was bowed at its centre (to form a slight arch) above and
just behind the walkway. It was inlaid with streaks of gold, which fanned
out, to encircling the heavy metal beam, from a golden inlaid disk at its
centre, which seem to shine as bright as the sun in the clear noon sky.
"Your first time along the walk?” asks one veteran, now stepping out
of the shadows and into the light, a broad smile upon his weathered face.
“Yes sir.” I answer back humbly and a bit embarrassed at my evident
display of awe and wonder.
“It is quite a sight to behold, a grand testament to this city's
greatness! I too marvelled at its magnificence the first time I took watch
above these gates, so many, many years ago." he pauses a moment in
remembrance, then turns and faces east. "From here you can see the whole
of Tenolkachyn in all its splendour, from it's rocky steppes, to it's bustling
market streets and temples. Only the Arshan, in his palace high atop the
Citadel, has a better view than this!" again he pauses, chuckling to
himself. "There is no other city quite like it in all the Chyan Empire, and
I should know, for I have seen them all!”
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The old veteran again breaks a wide smile, his face a glow with a
pride of accomplishment one can only acquire after many years of devoted
service to the empire.
“What's that?” interjects one of the new recruits (standing only a few
steps away), his arm pointing out to the west.
“It is a signal,” exclaims the other veteran, now stepping from out of
the shadows, a tense and worried look etched upon his face, “from the
Tower of Haxâmanish!”
Instantly all eyes turn to the west. “It is not time for them to signal
us,” the older of the two veterans’ comments aloud, “something must be
wrong.” he then concludes while still studying the far horizon.
“What are they saying old man?” asks one of the recruits, his voice
quivering with nervousness.
“Harshandatt is coming!” he replies and all gasp.
“What!? Harshandatt is coming...” another of the shaken recruits
begins, then is cut short by one of the older veterans. “Silent, young fool!”
he interrupts the young recruits stammering.
“The signal towers of Ganagan and Tasagana have already fallen,
we have precious little time left to warn the city!”
Instantly both veterans turn and face one another atop the stone
walkway, high above the West Gate, each knowing (instinctively) what
they must do.
“I will sound the alarms and send word to the soldiers to recall all
workers from the fields.” states the older veteran, “We must also begin the
evacuation of the refugees and the poor from the districts outside the East
Gate,” adds in the other, “they must be moved inside the safety of the
city's walls, where they can be protected and word must be sent to the
Arshan at once!” and with these last parting words spoken, the two
veterans spring into action (as nimble and quick as any new recruit)
leaving me alone to stand the watch with two frightened and fumbling
recruits.
“What shall I do?” I frantically yell out towards the fast moving, fleet
footed, veterans (as each begins to descend the wall). “Stay your post and
watch after the new recruits,” comes back the reply, “We will return as
quickly as we can. Keep a look out for further signals from Haxâmanish
and above all, do not panic!”
Soon the city may be under siege and he says to me “do not panic!”,
when then should I panic?
Soldiers begin to scramble in all directions as the sound of many
loudly blowing trumpets and ringing gongs fill the air. In the city (far
below), merchants close and empty their shops of patrons as people begin
to flee the crowded streets and market places, seeking refuge in homes and
temples surrounding the Citadel.
Much time passes, while in the city scenes of chaos and confusion
begin to unfold. Fear, panic and uncertainty have taken hold of the city's
many inhabitants. I, myself, am overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds
flooding in around me (my body beginning to shake with nervousness),
but I am not afraid and keep telling myself to remain calm and alert.
“What do we do?” plead both recruits in my charge. “Remain calm
and at your posts, keep a sharp look out to the west for…” and then I see
it.
“Haxâmanish is signalling again!” an astonished recruit confirms my
sighting.
“What are they saying?” asks the other, beginning now to show signs
of fear and panic.
The signal is sporadic, almost frantic, and difficult for me to read.
“They can now see the size of the army approaching them and it is
massive!” I say aloud and without thinking, “Our soldiers stationed in
towers beyond Haxâmanish have abandoned their posts and are in full
retreat, they are being pursued by the enemy and...” my stomach begins
to turn at the utterance of these last words, “...they may not reach the
safety of our gates in time.”
Then, without warning, the signalling abruptly ends...
“Why have they stopped signalling?” asks a frightened recruit. “I am
not sure...” I timidly admit.
“But I am.” announces one of the old veterans, who has just now
returned to his post. “Look there, where the Victory Road crosses the far
horizon, can you see it?”
In the distance (straining to see clearly) I can see what appears to be
a wall of dust forming.
“What is it?” I ask unsure of what it is I see.
“It is the wake made by a mighty army, by the hooves of its many
horses, as it approaches the city.” the older veteran of many wars recalls.
“How many are they?” asks a recruit.
“Far more than we, I'm afraid.” comes the reply. “May our defences
hold til aid from our allies can arrive.”
Suddenly I am afraid...”
A Soldier's Account: 14 Tiyât in the year 2680 TA
“My Lord! My Lord! Harshandatt is coming!” cries a young palace
servant as he runs (bare foot) across the long, cool, marble of the Palace's
grand entry hall in search of Arshan Berezavant.
“Be calm, young one, I am here.” Arshan Berezavant answers from
the balcony of his study. “I am not yet blind nor deaf, I know what is
happening...” he continues, while gazing far off to the West. “I've been
awaiting the coming of this day for many years now.” he then concludes,
smiling to no one but himself.
“Arshan Berezavant?”
Turning and stepping back into his study, Arshan Berezavant
continues his address to the Four Pure Elements, Fire, Wind, Water and
Earth, symbol of the Creation of Asrûta, with only a young palace servant
and the Gods to bear witness.
“So Harshandatt has finally sent it's mighty army against us - to
seek retribution for our continued forays into their lands along the borders
of the disputed territories which lay between our two great nations. Very
well then, let us see what their grand army is capable of... let us see if
they can find a way to assail the Great Outer Wall of Tenolkachyn! Better
we should know now, than after Chy is engulfed by war.”
Agape, the young palace servant repeats aloud that word whose
meaning seems to escape his young mind. “War?!”
“Yes, young one, war. It was always part of the plan, as it has always
been thus between our two nations, since long before I was named Arshan
here. Who am I to change what is and what will always be? We have both
been idle for far too long, this day was bound to come... only this time
we are ready for war!”
A Servants Account (from the Arshan's Palace): 14
Tiyât in the year 2680 TA
Note: The “plan”, the Arshan is speaking of, was conceived and
laid out long ago by Rashaja Khordhâd III to mount an invasion

of Harshandatt (the old enemy), while it lay idle and ill prepared
for war. The Chyan Empire (now well prepared to mount such an
invasion) was only awaiting some provocation to justify a new
Holy War against the Binding King of Harshandatt, their long
time enemy.
5.10.1 History
Tenolkachyn was, in the early Second Age, a simple “a
warrior camp” located only ten kilometres (6 miles) from
the sea. It was settled erratically just a few years before the
attempted conquest of Harshandatt by the Chyan army (the
first date universally acknowledged in the history books is
the middle of the seventh century). One century later
(perhaps corresponding with the second invasion of
Harshandatt), a permanent settlement was established atop
a low, flat, hill surrounded on three sides by rocky steppes.
But it was only in 1085 that the small Chyan outpost built
its first great fortress atop the hill out of wood and stone.
In the middle of the Second Age, the village became an
important fortified city, which purpose was to protect the
Chyan Empire against invasions from Harshandatt. The
Great Outer Wall, commissioned by the Rashaja
Shôburagan and built almost entirely of stone, was finally
completed in 1667. Soon after this, the city's pre-existing
wooden outer wall (which now exists just inside the newly
built stone wall) was systematically torn down to provide
much needed building materials for housing within
Tenolkachyn's greatly expanded Inner City. It was also at
that time that the city was named in Chyan language the
"Fortress of Vigilance" (Ch. Tenolkachyn), and used quite
extensively during the Harshandatt invasions. Unlike many
of the cities in nearby Harshandatt, Tenolkachyn has never
faced destruction, but provided instead great protection
and a base by which invasions, led by either Múranians or
Chyans, were mounted.
When the Shadows fell over the Chyan Lands, with the
establishment of the Artaxshâsan (2039-2300),
Tenolkachyn showed the way of resistance. In 2175, the
Arshan of Tenolkachyn and Samarth claimed to be the heir
of the last Rashaja Vishtâspa (who was called Ganshô by his
last supporters in Tenolkachyn, a mix Múranian-Chyan
word whose approximate meaning is “Martyr” or” Strong
against Fate”) and revolted. He crowned himself Rashaja
with the name Haxâmanish IV and resisted against the
Artaxshâsan until 2225. He was eventually overpowered,
fighting alone against the evil. But his legacy and the spirit
of rebellion against evil was not forgotten in Tenolkachyn
and, soon later, the grand-son of Haxâmanish IV, Vihnu
Taronish Tasagana revolted against the Artaxshâsan and,
with the help of the Tahmarda of Anarikê, succeeded in
destroying the evil rule of the Artaxshâsan and was
175
crowned Rashaja of the Chyan Empire in Chajapûn in
2300.
During the troubled time of the Seven Arshanates, at
the end of the Second Age, Tenolkachyn used her military
strength and alliance with Harshandatt to become a
powerful city state. The city was nevertheless conquered
by Ganagan of Chajapûn who reunified the Empire in 223
TA. After his death, a new megalith and Signal Tower were
commissioned by his son to honour the memory of the
Rashaja (they will be the last ones built during the time of
the Third Age).
In the Third Age, Tenolkachyn played fully its role and
served as a base for numerous expeditions in Harshandatt,
either against the country or to help it against evil rulers or
invaders (Haruze in the 5th-7th century, Kobadan 12th
century, Southern Dragon and Sîrayn 15th century). These
interventions ended up with the signature of the
Tenolkachyn Agreement in 1617 between the Rashaja
Siyavush IV and the Nhazadh Raelach, defining a basis for
equal-to-equal relationship between the two kingdoms.
This rapprochement proved wise, as during the
dictatorship of Dadfiruz and his successors, Tenolkachyn
severed her links with the Chyan Empire, protected by
Harshandatt. The town was captured several times but
always liberated by the Nhazadh and Tenolkachyn had
eventually an important role in the fight against the last
successor of Dadfiruz in 1727. Tenolkachyn acknowledged
the new Phaxsharâ Rashaja and became once again a part of
the Chyan Empire for a long time of prosperity and peace
with Harshandatt.
Unfortunately, peace never lasts long enough and the
end of the Third Age was marked again by numerous wars
against Harshandatt and its evil kings during Tenolkachyn
played more than ever its role of fortress-city. Peace came
back only at the dawn of the new Age, with the victory of
the Rashaja Shôburagan II against the Evil (In 62 FA a
megalith is built to honour this Rashaja and his father
Vishtâspa III).
5.10.2 The Town and its Territory
Tenolkachyn, is the 6th largest city in the Chyan Empire
and boasts a population of between 10.000 to 15.000
inhabitants, most of which are soldiers, merchants and
farmers by profession, in that order. The town, located
about 10 kilometres (6 miles) north of the Great Water
(the Bay of Ormal), is built atop a low flat hill, surrounded
on three sides by rocky steppes (located to the north, south
and east). It is encircled by seven tall watchtowers and
protected on all sides by a high stone wall. There are two
major roads (the Yól Ôburâ to the north and the Yól Ôratâ
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to the west) which lead to the city and four main gates (the border with Harshandatt. The land is not so different from
North, South, East and West Gates) which enter into the the Lhûd, that forms the major part of the Chyan Empire,
city. but there the climate is no longer mellowed by the altitude
and the summers are scorching hot. The savannah always
There are two important roads leading to Tenolkachyn.
keeps a brownish hue, except during a few weeks in spring,
The First one is the Yól Ôburâ ("the Shining Road"), laid
when the clouds that usually break in storms only over the
between the cities of Tenolkachyn and Samarth. The
Ammu Bâj, decide to bring also some water to the plain.
second road has two different names, Yól Usta "the
Then the low Lhûd explodes in greens and flowers
Sanctified Road" or Yól Ajahât "the South Coast Road". It
blossom, to the great benefit of the savannah fauna who
is the older of the two roads and runs between the forest of
feasts on this bounty, before the return of harsher times.
Ammu Bâj, Tenolkachyn and Shayarjhât. From these roads,
Great winter fires are common, when the grass is dry and
the city may be entered by four different gates. The guards
thick, and are always feared by the people, has nobody
are particularly watchful, especially when they deal with
really knows when and where they would stop once
Múranians or Vulmaw. The West Gate (or the Shining
started.
Gold Gate), opens to Harshandatt,
and on a road which is named (by
Chyans only) the Victory Road (Yól
Ôratâ), as a recall of the numerous
conquests of Harshandatt by the
Chyan armies, with great battle
fought and glorious victories won.
Of course, there are important
guard posts and buildings around
this gate. The three other gates
open respectively to the North, to
the South and to the East.
The city is divided into four
sectors: the first one is referred as
the "Citadel", on the top of the
highest hill (as usual in Chyan
cities). The citadel is traditionally
reserved to the Arshan, directly
named by the Rashaja. The second
and most important quarter is the
old city, where there can be found
the best and most gracious inns and
taverns in the city, merchants
selling exotic and rare luxuries and
items, temples of worship to the
Chyan god (as well as some temples
for other cults, mainly Múranian)
and many artisan shops. The last
two quarters are the mercantile and
festival quarter (filled of theatres,
music houses, and night brothels)
and the military quarter (mostly
near the city's high outer wall).
Tenolkachyn is the capital of the
Low Lhûd, a wide expense of
savannah ranging from the towering
trees of the Ammu Bâj to the vast
sea and from the Acaadôky to the

To the north is the great forest of Ammu Bâj, a lush and
impenetrable tropical forest. The forest is the place of the
tomb of Aroustrâ, one of the first prophet of the Chyan
religion and a shrine where the priests of Asrûta very often
go in order to meditate and practice religious ceremonies
in honour of Asrûta. For more details about Ammu Bâj, see
section 5.10.8.
To the South is the small town of Shayarjhât, the port
of Tenolkachyn. It is an active port for coastal trade and
ships from Samarth and the Bulchyades Cities, Harshandatt
and Sîrayn are common. The importance of this trade, and
of the port, grows during the Third Age. See section 5.10.8
for more details about Shayarjhât.
5.10.3 Town Life
Tenolkachyn has always had a warlike function. The
town provides one of the only key access to the Chyan
Empire from the South and West, and as a consequence,
has been built into an impressive fortress. One tells that
"when the city falls, then the Chyan Empire shall fall". This
axiom has proved to be true at several times during the
turbulent and violent history of these lands. Soldiers are
common in the streets and have given to the town a
reputation of sad and dull garrison city. This belief is
especially widespread through the more buoyant cities of
Bulchyades.
It is true that soldiers strolling around the streets are
legion and that warlike screams and clashes of weapons are
almost more usual that laughs of kids, calls of fishmongers
or jokes of street comedians. However, the city has a
vibrant community of merchants and craftsmen who make
good business with Harshandatt in time of peace and
benefit from the coastal trade in the port of Shayarjhât.
Even in darker times, when war is at doors, the soldiers in
the town are good clients and consume lot of drink, food
and supplies of any kind.
It is also true that the architecture of the town has a very
martial and functional look, with many towers and walls,
barracks and bastions and but are parks, gardens, squares
and fountains. The houses themselves look a bit forbidding,
with small openings and rare windows, as withdrawn into
themselves. The reason is purely practical, to fight against
the blazing sun of the Low Lhûd summers. The style is
reminiscent of what is found in Harshandatt and Sîrayn.
The houses are in cob, white washed and with usually three
to four storeys with ingeniously placed openings that allow
the winds to cool inside.
But one must not be fooled by the severe look of the
people of Tenolkachyn. They are Chyans, with perhaps
more Múranian blood than the people of Bulchyades, and
177
they love feasts, dancing and rejoicing. They show their
true nature during the numerous festivals of the Chyan
religion.
Besides the big events that are the revival days of
Madysham and Madyram, the Palm Date and the Bounty of
Sea festivals are the most famous. The Palm Date festival is
held outside the town, on the Green Walk and celebrates
the coming of the spring rains, bringer of life. The Bounty
of the Sea Festival does not, indeed, take place in
Tenolkachyn, but in the little fishing town of Shayarjhât.
The people of Tenolkachyn go there in pilgrimage each
year, to thank Uzdâva for its generosity. The people of
Tenolkachyn are not so dependent from the sea for there
living as are the fishers of Shayarjhât, but by attending the
festival they remember a very long and harsh drought that
hit the town long ago. During months, the people of
Tenolkachyn had nothing to eat, all the crops being burnt
by the sun, and they survived only thanks to the fish and
seafood brought by the fishers of Shayarjhât and that
seemed inexhaustible.
Another important festival is the pilgrimage to the
Tomb of Aroustrâ. Aroustrâ was one of the first prophets
and is especially known to have been a companion of
Haxâmanish and to have supported and guided him in the
most difficult moments. He is believed to have advised
Haxâmanish to go through the Chy Gap, where the land,
so long searched for, awaited the Chyans. After a long life,
he decided to live like a hermit at the edge of the Ammu
Bâj. He ended his days in a small cave with a spring of fresh
water that is now a sacred shrine for the Chyans and a site
of pilgrimage. The Wisdom of Asrûta stayed long in this
cave, but for security reason they have later been
transported to the temple of Asrûta in Tenolkachyn (See
Places of Note #4).
5.10.4 Organisation
5.10.4.1 The Arshan
The town is ruled by an Arshan, normally
commissioned by the Rashaja, but which tends to become
hereditary during the Third Age. Although the town is not,
by far, the richest of the Chyan Empire, the position is very
coveted because of the military and strategic importance of
the city and its fortress. The Arshan keeps most of the
powers in his hands. He is advised only by a Military
Councillor, the Erexshâ, and a Civil Councillor, the Otôva
of Hitâspa. The Otôva of Asrûta is supposed to be a neutral
adviser, asked only when both the Military and Civil
Councillors disagree with the Arshan. But, in anyway, the
Arshan has always the last word. The Shapan, depending
directly and only from the Rashaja, is the only authority in
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town really independent from the Arshan. In Tenolkachyn,
the Farokmads have never been more than informal
organisations and the Vata never managed to gain the least
influence on the affairs of the town.
5.10.4.2 Military forces
The military forces of Tenolkachyn are, as one can
expect, impressive. Besides the Garrison that is made up of
a local levy and mercenaries, in the direct order of the
Arshan, the Citadel is also protected by the largest
contingent of the High Guard, after the border fortresses
in the North.
The Garrison has in charge the daily needs of the town
in police and surveillance of the walls and towers of the
town. It is mainly composed of mercenaries and
supplemented by a feudal levy from the town and the
surroundings only in times of war. The High Guard is
commanded by the Erexshâ and, sometimes, by the heir
presumptive sent to Tenolkachyn to learn the arts of war.
When it is the case, the prince also assumes the role of
Arshan (and the Arshan becomes his first adviser). The
soldiers of the High Guard patrol in the surroundings and
man the watch towers and the Citadel. In case of an
invasion from the south, the High Guard and the citadel of
Tenolkachyn have to hold the position and defend the
border, until death if necessary, before reinforcements
come from the North (which is not possible after several
weeks). They all know that, but being in post in
Tenolkachyn is one of the most rewarding places to be
(after the Apatân) and they all trust the strong battlements
of the city. Each year, the 12th day of Shahrîvar, all the
soldiers of the town have a ceremony to honour and
commemorate all their predecessors who fought and died
to protect the Empire, the Rashaja and the True Faith. This
date is chosen to commemorate that day of TA 1157 when
the garrison of Tenolkachyn offered an desperate resistance
against the hordes of Kobadan the Dark Nhazadh, until the
coming of the Rashaja Phraate V, but only to be massacred
with him.
5.10.5 Politics and Power
5.10.5.1 The Arshan
Fardad, like all his predecessors, holds the town in a
iron fist. He knows the importance of his charge, even if
the situation with Harshandatt is quiet now. To be frank his
main concern is not the army or a threat of invasion, it is
the troubles in town caused by a group of Vata who are
claiming the right to rule the town with him, as it is done
in the cities of the Bulchyades. It is absolutely unacceptable
for him. In his refusal he is supported by his two
Councillors, the Erexshâ (Sarafraz) and the Otôva of
Hitâspa (Javidan). But the Shapan (Vaspar), coming from
Kandalar, considers favourably the requests of the Vata. He
has nothing to say in this matter, but he can make reports
to the Apatân. This worries a bit the Arshan as only direct
order of the Rashaja can overrule his decision.
5.10.5.2 The Merchants
It is a complete informal association of Vata, leaded by
Stivant, Kayras and Pishkar. They would like that the Vata
had more power in the town and are trying to unite and
organise the Farokmads in a way that they can put pressure
on the Arshan. They count on the benevolence of the new
Shapan, Vaspar, but for now they have a lot to do to settle
down their own quarrels between merchants and to show
that the Vata are an important and full element of a town,
even when it is mainly devoted to war.
Kayras tries to spread the idea that a war, with
Harshandatt for instance, and a siege of the town could be
a good opportunity to make their point. Without the
support of the population, and especially the richest of
them, the Vata, the town would have no chance to sustain
a long siege. He starts to be heard and some are starting to
imagine how they could deteriorate the relations with
Harshandatt (borders fight, histories of Chyan merchants
abducted or killed in Harshandatt, …).
5.10.5.3 The Sacred Watch
This is an old-age secret organisation. It was created
almost with the town and aimed at hunting down spies of
Harshandatt from the town. After centuries of existence,
it is still alive but the purposes of the members have slightly
changed. They are now a kind of military-religious group
devoted to preserve the true essence of Tenolkachyn. They
have therefore completely destroyed the Bokhtarâ in
Tenolkachyn and are very vigilant to prevent any new germ
to grow. They also consider the movement of the Vata as
suspicious. They are still waiting to know more, but they
believe that according more power to the Vata would bring
no good to the town. Tenolkachyn must remain what it has
always been, a military bastion of the Chyans. No room
there for merchant’s business.
5.10.6 The Town
5.10.6.1 The Roads
There are two main roads which lead to the city, they
are the Yól Ôburâ ("the Shining Road"), which runs north
ultimately connecting Tenolkachyn with the Chyan capital
of Chajapûn, and the Yól Ôratâ ("the Victory Road"),

which runs west from the city's "Shining Gold Gate" (the
West Gate) to the frontier lands bordering Harshandatt.
The Yól Ôburâ ("the Shining Road") was built in the
Second Age, during the reign of Ganachyn, to honour and
give testament to the greatness of the Rashaja Shôburagan
("the Shining Gold King"). The road itself, which is mostly
unpaved and some 4 meters wide, connects Tenolkachyn
to the neighbouring city of Samarth (about 220 km (140
miles) to the north) and finally to the Chyan capital of
Chajapûn (another 180 km (110 miles) further north).
The real marvel of the Yól Ôburâ construction begins
20 km (12 miles) outside Tenolkachyn East Gate ("the
Greeting Gate") where the packed earth road from
Samarth gives way to a magnificent highway formed from
large, flat, interlocking stones of quartz rock (worn smooth
by centuries of travel) which glistens and shines in the
sunlight giving the road its "mirrored" or "shiny"
appearance from afar. It is the road most travelled upon by
merchants and common folk of the region who do business
in Tenolkachyn and is thus always well maintained.
The Yól Ôburâ is lined with many ancient date palms
and a wide array of other vegetation for about a kilometre
(0.6 miles) outside the East Gate of the city. Irrigation
channels, carved deep into the earth on either side of the
road, help to keep "the Green Walk" lush, vibrant and full
of life for travellers year around.
The Palm Date Festival (the time when the date palms
lining "the Green Walk" are ready for harvest) is held here
every year. It is an event marked by great celebration along
the walkway with lots of food, song and drink, lasting well
into the night (of course with a significant increase in
visitors along "the Green Walk" there is a like increase in
security, with many more soldiers than normal being
assigned to keep a vigil over the festivities).
No animals or livestock are permitted to be sold on the
Green Walk (for the obvious reasons of smell and the mess
which might offend some travellers or visitors to the city),
nor are weapons or armour of any type sold outside any of
the city's four gates.
The soldiers stationed at the East Gate and along "the
Green Walk" keep a wary eye open for trouble (they are
always on the look out for anything out of the ordinary) as
they mingle with road weary travellers, carefully checking
over nearly all who enter the city through this gate.
“As we approached the great city of Tenolkachyn from the Northeast,
travelling along the Yól Ôburâ ("the Shining Road") from Samarth, we
clearly saw the weathered outline of the fortress city's tall towers and
great outer wall (high atop the low, flat, hill directly ahead of us)
silhouetted against the clear blue sky. As we approached within a
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kilometre of the city, the packed earth road gave way to very smooth stone
highway lined with many palm trees which are kept green and lush by
stone lined water channels cut deep into the earth along its length.
Then we saw many city workers ahead of us clearing the channels of
leaves and debris, repairing cracks and replacing several missing stones
along their length (it would appear, judging by their clothing and
general appearance, that these workers were most likely citizens of the
lower class). Just ahead of us, another small group of workers (possibly
slaves or indentured servants) were using long iron pry bars to tear away
a large section of broken and crumbling quartz walkway from the centre
of the road.
Nearby, a foreman (sitting on the back of a camel, in the shade of a
large, old growth, palm - whip in hand) continued barking out orders to
his men as they began to remove large (replacement) stones and several
buckets of mortar from the bed of an old but very sturdy looking horse
drawn wagon close by.
Further down the road, we saw many merchants and travellers from
abroad carrying and carting goods towards the East Gate ("the Greeting
Gate") to sell in the city. We then also noticed several Chyan guardsmen
mingling with the crowds as they made their way towards the city gate,
asking travellers about their business and inquiring on the types of goods
they had for trade.
Just ahead, we began to see a stretch of small tents and booths lining
the roadside (which now began to gradually slope upward between very
sheer and rocky steppes which rise on both the left and the right sides of
the road), offering various wares and services for sell or trade.
As we continued our long trek towards the city, we could not help but
notice that the air has become thick with the aroma of incense, spice and
many different foods from abroad. The smell of freshly cooked meats and
bread (prepared with exotic herbs and seasoning) began to overwhelm our
senses as they fanned past us, carried aloft on the warm, light, breezes,
which swirl above your head.
There were many fresh fruit and vegetable stands along this path to
the city, offering a wide variety of native foods and exotic dishes to entice
hungry, road weary, travellers (like ourselves).
As we continued to walk (now becoming very hungry) we could not
help but find yourself searching every pocket for some bit of loose change
you may have overlooked.
This was what the locals of Tenolkachyn refer to as "the Green
Walk", that stretched of road, 1 kilometre outside the East Gate, which
was lined with all manner of greenery, small shops and eateries.
These small shops lining the Yól Ôburâ outside the East Gate (or
"Greeting Gate") sold mostly food, drink and "trinket" items (such things
as cheap jewellery and souvenir type stuff) of a personal nature, as well
as providing for purchase some travelling supplies (such things as rations,
camping equipment, blankets, clothing, etc.).”
From “A mercenary life”, by Anorion of Pelorna
The Yól Ôratâ ("the Victory Road") is the more ancient
of the two roads which lead to the city (having existed prior
to the building of the city's great outer walls and watch
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towers and probably built during the First Chyan Empire,
perhaps by Haxâmanish the founder of Chyan Empire).
Varying in width from between 4-5 meters (13’-16’),
it is made primarily from packed earth and spans a distance
of 140 km (90 miles) connecting Tenolkachyn (from it's
West Gate) to the frontier bordering Harshandatt. Over
the course of 10 years (beginning in SA 1665 and lasting
until 1675) the road under went a major feat of
reconstruction in which its full length was completely
repaved in cobblestone.
Note: By the middle of the Third Age, the cobblestone used to
pave "the Victory Road" will have been, once again, reduced to
rubble, returning the road to its former state of packed earth. This
is the direct result of the heavy and constant pounding it receives
by the city's cavalry, over the passing of many years, which travels
the roads length on a daily basis in order to patrol the frontier,
which borders Harshandatt.
During the reign of the Rashaja Vishtâspa Ganshô, the
construction of five huge megaliths (depicting the
likenesses of the rulers Haxâmanish, Ganashôshyn,
Shôburagan, Ganachyn and Vishtâspa Ganshô) was
commissioned by the Arshan of Tenolkachyn to line "the
Victory Road" from the city's West Gate to its forward
most guard post 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) away.
It was also at this time that the first 5 signal towers
lining the Yól Ôratâ were built (the first being constructed
20 km (12 miles) away from the West Gate, with the same
distance between each succeeding tower, heading towards
Harshandatt).
Note: Each signal tower was named after the ruler it was meant
to represent starting with Haxâmanish (the tower which is closest
to the West Gate) and ending with Ganachyn (the furthest most
tower from the gate).
Upon Vishtâspa's death, a new megalith in his likeness
was commissioned and added to the others lining the
Victory Road - thus a tradition of adding megalithic
representations of past rulers to the Victory Road was
instituted (likewise, the same tradition of adding signal
towers to the road was also adopted).
The Yól Usta ("the Sanctified Road") is yet another
road which leads to and runs through the city of
Tenolkachyn (from north to south). The Yól Usta ("the
Sanctified Road"), as it is often times called, stretches south
from the forest of Ammu Bâj to the North Gate of
Tenolkachyn, where it continues through the Inner City
(past several temples) to the South Gate. Passing through
the South Gate the Yól Usta becomes the Yól Ajahât ("the
South Coast Road").
The Yól Ajahât, as it is now referred to, winds its way
steadily south to eventually meet the sea in the small port
city of Shayarjhât (a total length of 110 km (70 miles) from
forest to coast).
Over the passing of many centuries, the devout
travelling to the forest of Ammu Bâj for worship and
meditation along the Yól Usta have placed small colourful
stones in and along their path which have given the road the
appearance of being paved with multi-coloured
cobblestone (this tradition of placing coloured stones in the
road is continued to this day).
A similar tradition has developed along the Yól Ajahât.
During the annual pilgrimage to the small sea port city of
Shayarjhât (for the Bounty of the Sea Festival), sea shells
are gathered by the inhabitants of Tenolkachyn to spread
along the roadway upon their return to the city. Over the
many years the shells (crushed and whole) have been
trampled into the packed earth of the road to form a layer
of "loose" shell similar in texture and appearance to gravel.
5.10.6.2 The Megaliths of the West Gate
Lining the Yól Ôratâ immediately outside the city's
West Gate stand several huge megaliths. Each megalith is a
perfect representation of a Chyan Rashaja (starting with
Haxâmanish and ending with Vishtâspa III at the close of
the Third Age).
Standing 7.5 meters (25’) tall, each is carved out of
pure white marble blocks (each being 2 meters (6’) high)
placed one atop the other (to form a single finished figure).
They are placed approximately 100 meters (330’) apart
from one another atop 3 meters (9’) round, 1 meter (3’)
high, stone platforms of polished granite.
Note: The number of megaliths will vary depending on the period
in which one runs his adventures, but there are no megaliths
present before the reign of the Rashaja Vishtâspa Ganshô. It is
indeed during the reign of this Rashaja that the Arshan of
Tenolkachyn commissioned the building of the first megaliths
(those from Haxâmanish to Vishtâspa).
Soon after the passing of Vishtâspa, Tenolkachyn, like
all the Chyan Empire, fell in SA 2042 to the Artaxshâsan
rule. They pretended to be Vishtâspa's inheritors, and built
several megaliths to their greatness. Artaxshâsa, the first of
the Artaxshâsan chose carefully an architect to represent
him for eternity along the Yól Ôratâ.
Unfortunately, he was assassinated before the architect
could begin the work, but the project was not dropped, as
Dârayavahu (died in SA 2081), Xshayârshan V (died in SA
2167), Vishtâspa II (died in SA 2235) and Vâyaspâra (died
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in SA 2294) commissioned also a megalith to be point. The single door to each tower (which can be barred
represented for eternity. from within) is located on the ground floor. Each is
constructed of very thick (forged) metal and is able to
Unfortunately for them, Vihnu Taronish Tasagana, the
withstand great assault from the outside.
new Chyan ruler who replaced the evil Artaxshâsan rulers,
ordered the destruction of all testimonies honouring their Inside each tower is a stone staircase which travels along
evil rule and restored the megaliths of Vishtâspa, left in its inside wall to a second floor, then onward to a third
abandonment for two centuries and add one to his likeness. floor and finally out the top of each tower (some 15 meters
(50’) above the ground floor). Inside each tower there
But the Chyan struggle against evil did not die with the
exists: a ground floor (used by soldiers as a "commons"
Artaxshâsan, as seven centuries later, the Chyan Empire,
room), a second floor (used for sleeping quarters) and a
like all the realms of the Bay of Ormal, fall into the Golden
third floor (used as a "look-out" station with large windows
Rule of Sakal an-Khâr, through the will of the Dark
and balconies to allow clear vision and use of bows). In
Ordainers.
addition to these three floors, each tower is equipped with
Even with the fall of the Ordainers with the offensive a cellar (3 meters high by 9 meters (9’ x 100 sq feet)
of Tar-Palantír's army against Sakal an-Khâr, the Chyan square, accessible by use of a trap door) used to store food,
Empire remained weak and divided into seven separate water and supplies which has been built into the hill (or
Arshanates, an easy prey for a resurrected Dark Ordainer rocky mound) on which each tower rests.
sect. The true liberation happened in TA 202, with the
Note: The trap door on the ground floor of each tower
accession of Ganagan as Arshan of Chajapûn. Ganagan
opening to the cellar is usually hidden out of sight, concealed by
united the Chyans and was crowned Rashaja in 223.
rugs or furnishings. Each of the signal tower's cellar has been
Upon his death in TA 233, his successor Shônagân fashioned with some sort of "secret" escape tunnel, which exits out
commissioned the building of a new megalith and signal the side of the hill (or rocky mound) on which each is built. The
tower along the Victory Road. This was to be the last entrance and exit to this escape tunnel are well hidden, but known
megaliths and towers to be ever added during the time of to each soldier stationed at that tower.
the Third Age along the Victory Road, despite the fact that
The top of each tower (which is approximately 3
other Rashajâ had also commissioned the building of
meters (9’) round) is flat. A metal scaffolding (4 meters
megaliths to their greatnesses.
(13’) tall) has been built atop this to support a large, round,
Indeed, these commissions were never executed (for metal platform (which is reachable by way of two (metal)
various reasons) during the time of Third Age (due in part ladders), on which rests a large (1.5 meter (5’)) round
to Aca invasions, the Plague and the rise of the Binding mirror mounted on a rotating and pivoting metal stand.
Kings in Harshandatt). Only at the start of Fourth Age, in
This huge reflecting mirror is used to signal and send
FA 62, were completed the new megaliths and signal
messages from one tower to the next and/or back to or
towers, in honour of Rashaja Vishtâspa III and his successor
from the city of Tenolkachyn. The open scaffolding (which
Shôburagan II (who were able to dismantle the Binding
is just a "skeletal" frame, constructed to protect but not
King Rule in Harshandatt and give back peace to the
obscure the mirror from the sunlight) then continues
Chyans).
around and above this platform to the towers ultimate
5.10.6.3 Signal Towers of the Yól Ôratâ height of 24 meters (80’) (where it tapers to a point). The
mirror requires the use of 2 men to position and operate
The signal towers that line the Yól Ôratâ ("the Victory correctly.
Road") from the West Gate to the frontier bordering
Harshandatt are about 24 meters tall (or almost 80 feet in
height from base to tip) and separated from one another by
20 km (12 miles).
They are all built atop pre-existing hills or rock
mounds, which line "the Victory Road" (with several
tower sites being located 2-3 km (1.2-1.8 miles) away
from the main road) which vary in height according to
elevations necessary to maintain a clear line of sight for
signalling. The towers are made of smooth stone (with
round bases roughly 6 meters (20’) across) that taper to a
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5.10.6.4 The Great Outer Wall and Watch
Towers
The city of Tenolkachyn is protected (on all sides) by a
very high outer wall and encircled by seven tall
watchtowers. The city's great, stone, outer wall is 15
meters high and 2 meters thick (50’ x 6’), with a base 3
meters (9’) wide (which tapers into the 2 meter (6’) thick
wall at about 3 meters (9’) above the ground). The top of
the wall has a walk way which is accessible by any one of
the seven watch towers which line its length. In addition to
the watch towers, four massive gates (the "Worship",
"South Coast", "Greeting" and "Shining Gold" gates) have
been built into it which provide entry into the city.
Seven massive stone watch towers, each measuring 4
meters round (at the base) and just over 24 meters tall (13’
x 80’), have been built into the great outer wall which
encircle the city. Three of the towers were constructed
between the city's North and East Gates, with three more
towers being constructed between the East and South
Gates, with the last and final tower being built between the
South and West Gates of the city. Lookouts stationed high
on the city's Citadel command the best views of the
surrounding landscape to the northwest and due west the
city and thus no watch towers exist between the North and
West Gates.
Each tower has been divided into 5 distinct levels, with
the third level of each opening onto a walk way which runs
along top the great outer wall (which connects all seven
towers to one another) and the fourth opening to a partially
closed observation platform topped with a copper plated,
tapered, dome.
There will always be between 10 to 15 city guardsmen
stationed here at all times.
5.10.6.5 The Four Great Gates
Four huge gates were built into the great outer wall,
which surrounds Tenolkachyn to grant travellers access to
the Inner City. Each gate has a "common name" by which
they can be referred to by all who visit the city, these are
the North, South, East and West Gates. The "common
name" not only tells travellers which gate one is referring
to but also communicates its location in the city. The
following is a detailed description of each of the four Great
Gates of Tenolkachyn:
The North Gate
Also called "the Worship Gate" by the city's
inhabitants, this gate straddles the Yól Usta or "the
Sanctified Road" as it enters the city to the north from the
Ammu Bâj Forest.
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The gate has a single door (3 meters wide, 4 1/2 meters
tall and 1/3 meters thick (9’ x 15’ x 1’)) made of ancient,
fire retardant, sacred wood gathered from the Ammu Bâj
Forest when the great wall which surrounds the city was
first being constructed. The gate arcs slightly at it's centre
and is attached to one of two large stone pillars (one located
on either side of the gate) by massive wrought iron hinges
embedded in the gate. Two massive wooden "lock-arms"
(located inside and attached to either pillar of the gate) can
be lowered (like the "stop arms" at a train crossing - one at
a time, one above the other) behind the gate and locked in
place there (reaching from one pillar, across the gate, to
the other adjacent pillar).
The pillars on either side of the gate form an arch above
the single door and have been decorated (all but covered)
with many brightly painted fresco and murals (religious in
nature), as has a good portion of the great wall the gate is
built into.
On either side of the road which approaches the gate
sacred trees and bushes (transplanted saplings from the
Ammu Bâj) have been planted to line the path or about 1
km (0.6 miles). Many blooming flowers and potted plants
in very decorative clay pots also line the "rainbow"
coloured road leading to the sacred forest.
Beyond the gate and painted frescos, to either side,
ancient ivy and creepers climb the surface of the great wall
slowly making their way to and over the walkway high
above (where they are periodically cut back and removed).
Many of the intertwined creepers bare colourful flowers
whose sweet aroma fill the air for up to a kilometre away
in all directions.
Just inside the gate is an open courtyard used for
meditation and communion (open to all, but most often
used by priest and the faithful). It is fairly large and open to
the elements. In its centre is a large fountain, surrounded
by several grape covered gazebos which are in turn
surrounded by several small fish ponds and fruit trees. The
entire courtyard is dedicated to the memory the sacred
forest and meant to honour nature. The Yól Usta continues
its trek into the Inner City through this garden, passing
several major temples, before reaching the city's South
Gate.
The South Gate
Also called "the South Coast Gate" by the city's
inhabitants, this gate straddles the Yól Usta as it becomes
the Yól Ajahât or "the South Coast Road" as it leaves the
city from the south towards the small seaport city of
Shayarjhât. The gate is an exact copy of the North Gate,
both in terms of architecture and technology.
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The East Gate
Also called "the Greeting Gate" by many who live and
travel to Tenolkachyn along the Yól Obura or "the Shining
Road", it is considered to be the "main gate" of entry into
the city.
The gate has a pair of double doors, each is
approximately 2.5 meters wide (5 meters combined), 7
meters tall and 1/3 meters thick (8’ x 23’ x 1’), is made of
quarried stone. Each is affixed to large stone pillars (to
either side of the gate) by massive wrought iron hinges
embedded in the stone work of the gate and attached
pillars.
Both doors have been decorated with a large, intricately
chiselled, raised pattern of pyramids which completely
cover both it's inner and outer faces. A large metal "slide
bolt" can be pushed into position behind the closed doors
of the gate (through large iron rungs embedded in the
inside face of each door) and locked in place to prevent the
forced opening of the doors from the outside.
Chiselled into the face of either pillar flanking the gate
is the following greeting:
"Greetings to all who enter our grand city, we are honoured by your
presence! What wealth we have to show, what hospitality we have to
offer, what knowledge we have to impart and what protection we can
offer will be granted freely to all who will give the same in return and
"you" we will call friend in all languages. Enter through these hallowed
gates and be called friend!"
The West Gate
Also called "the Shining Gold Gate" by the citizens of
Tenolkachyn and visiting dignitaries from abroad, this gate
marks the beginning of "the Victory Road" or Yól Ôratâ as
it stretches out to meet the frontier which borders
Harshandatt.
This fortified gate was built around a pair of double
doors, each being approximately 2.75 meters wide (5.5
meters combined, when closed), 8.5 meters tall and 1/2
meters thick (9’ x 28’ x 1.6’), is made of quarried stone
sleeved in metal (to prevent their cracking under heavy
assault from outside).
On the West Gate, each door is rectangular in shape,
slightly peaked to the inside edge (in order to form a single
arc at their top when closed), affixed to large stone support
towers (located on either side of the gate) by massive
wrought iron hinges fastened to the metal sleeves of each
door which are then bolted through the entire door itself.
Their outer faces are dotted with many razors sharp 15 cm
(6’’) long barbs placed 2.5 cm (1’’) apart from one another
in all directions.
Centred at the base of each door is a 1.25 meter wide
and 25 cm high (4’ x 10’’) opening which passes
completely through each door. Small bars built into the
door itself form a grill across the opening just wide enough
to pass a large spear tip through. These opening have been
specially built to dissuade enemy forces from gathering too
closely in front of the gates, where soldiers stationed within
will use spear thrusts and even billowing fire to drive back
or even cripple their enemy. High above and just inside the
gate doors (but still visible to any approaching the
gate) is a thick metal "lock-arm" (7.5 meters long and 1/4
meters thick (25’ x 10’’)) which is slightly bowed at its
centre and decorated with inlaid gold (which fans out from
a central disk to encircle the heavy beam) which seems to
shine like the sun in the day time. It is lowered and raised
by a sophisticated pulley system (located within the gate's
two support towers) down channelled grooves which run
along side the support towers flanking the gate. They can
be locked into place, cradled within the grasp of several
huge (blunt) iron hooks (securely bolted and attached to
the inside face of each door), to prevent the forcing of the
gates inward.
Above the two doors of the gate is a walk way which
crosses the space between the two support towers,
connecting one to the other. This walk way is accessible by
use of external ladders (located inside and just to the side
of either door of the gate) or from the inside of either
support tower. Battlements atop the walk way and to
either side of the support towers (running along the top of
the great outer wall) are lined with many small (1 meter
tall, 60 cm round at the base (3’ x 2’)) pyramids set 60 cm
(2’) apart from one another which are used for cover by
look-outs and trained bowmen alike.
This gate is almost always closed (but usually remains
unbarred), only opening to egress or receive soldiers who
have been assigned sorties to Harshandatt, emissaries who
have arrived from abroad seeking an audience with the
Arshan or dignitaries who have or have concluded official
business in the city. There will always be between 20-50
well armed soldiers stationed here who reside in barracks
constructed just inside the gate.
Dimensions of the West Gate: Each rectangular stone
door is approximately 2.75 meters wide (5.5 meters
combined - when closed) or close to 9’ wide each (18’ wide
when closed) - approximately 8.5 meters tall or close to
28’ high. The "lock-arm" for the West Gate is then 7.5
meters long (25’).
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5.10.6.6 The Outer Districts clustered rather close together, but still given enough space
to ensure its own sense of self-identity. Many narrow cart
On either side of the Yól Ôburâ ("the Shining Road"),
trails and well-worn foot paths criss-cross the district,
built beneath the shadow of the city's great outer walls is
connecting individual camp-sites to one another, their
an expanse of refugee camps and poor housing districts
livestock pens and the road.
often times referred to collectively as the "Shanty Towns
of Tenolkachyn". The entire district is governed over by a council of elder
men and religious heads which have been appointed to
There are two distinct districts of people living outside
maintain law and order within the camp and handle most
the East Gate of the city (separated from one another by
of its internal disputes (often times the result of clashes
the road which "splits" apart the two groups), the Poor
between different tabâr and people of varying cultures
District located north of "the Shining Road" and the
living in close proximity of one another). The council
Refugee District (often times called "the Village of
avoids the involvement of city authorities in camp affairs
Tents"), which lies to the south.
whenever possible.
Each district begins
approximately 100 meters (333’)
away from the Yól Ôburâ and
covers a wide expanse of flat,
rocky, steppe outside and just
below the city's great outer wall.

The Refugee District

Populated almost entirely by
refugees who have fled oppression
and persecution in other parts of
the Bay of Ormal, "the Village of
Tents" (as it is often times called)
is a relatively undeveloped
grouping of small "tent" camps,
separated (in most cases) by race
and tabâr affiliation.
The entire district has been
divided up into many individual
plots (ranging in size from quite
small to rather large), which are
granted out to arriving groups of
refugees for their individual use.
Whenever possible, a fair amount
of space is set aside (around each of
these plots) for future group
expansion. In this way, the district
can control the dispersal of
refugees (ensuring that no rival
groups are placed right next to one
another) and help avoid problems
with over crowding.
Each camp may contain from as
few as one large communal tent to
as many as several dozen individual
tents (which can vary greatly in
size). All the camp-sites are
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A bi-annual "contribution" (determined by city
officials) must be collected from all refugees living in the
district by members of their appointed council. This money
pays for the district's occupation of the land on which the
refugees have erected their camps, the unlimited use of city
resources (such as water, irrigation, sewage and garbage
disposal) and the occasional patrol of the camps by city
guards, whose presence help to deter major crime and
ensure the peace.
During times of war there is no guarantee that refugees
from this district will be given safe haven within the Inner
City, for every citizen of Tenolkachyn (even those living in
the out-lying Poor District) will always be given the first
opportunity to seek shelter within the city.
The Poor District
Located outside the city's Great Outer Wall, just north
of the Yól Ôburâ, is Tenolkachyn "poor district". It is a
wide, rocky, area criss-crossed by many narrow streets and
alleyways (which pass between crowded blocks of houses
made of stone or adobe) populated (not wholly, but in
most part) by the poor and lower class of city (by those
citizens who can no longer, for one reason or another,
afford to live or conduct business within the Inner City).
It has become a place of squalor, grossly over populated
and plagued with many problems (like rising crime and
poor "basic" sanitation). Infrequent patrols by city guards
have made it a favourite place for criminals and small black
markets to conduct business while remaining virtually
unnoticed by local authorities. The combination of these
and many other factors have made "the Poor District" a
rough and often times dangerous place to visit, live or do
business in. Merchants, along with many of the poor living
outside the protection of the city's walls, are forced to pay
a bi-annual "contribution" for their protection and use of
city resources.
During times of war or kin-strife (or in the event of an
attack against the city), the poor living in this district will
always be offered safe haven within the Inner City until the
passing of any such threat.
Note: Many of the stands and shops which line "the Green Walk"
are owned and run by merchants who live in this district.
The Fields and Farming Terraces
Immediately surrounding Tenolkachyn to the north,
south and east are several large, many layered, stony
terraces. These terraces have, over the passing of many
years, been converted into rich farmland through the
introduction of enriched soils and irrigation.
Each farming terrace has been made easily accessible to
farmers and field workers by the creation of several cart
trails and footpaths which wind back and forth across their
faces. The enriched soils of the terraces provide the city
(year-round) with a wide variety of native fruits and
vegetables. Terrace workers are often times recruited (or
pressed into service) from the Refugee and Poor Districts
of the city.
Below the rocky slopes of the farming terraces are
expanses of lush grazing fields. Water running off the
upper farming terraces have help to transform the normally
dry lower savannah surrounding Tenolkachyn into tender
green fields of prime grazing land which is used by herders
who live and do business in the city. Beyond this "green
belt" of tall grasses lies the dry, open, savannah (which is
also a good source of grazing for larger heard animals which
inhabit the area).
5.10.6.7 Places of Notes
The Citadel
1. The Citadel: It is also the Arshan’s palace and houses
its family and his closest officers. Only the Erexshâ,
the commanding officer of the High Guard in
Tenolkachyn resides in the Vishtâspa Tower (#8).
The building is very sophisticated and luxuriously
decorated with silver or gold incrustation on the
walls, with monumental staircases, colossal statues,
paintings showing peaceful processions of tributary
people (just like the Múranian or the Aca) and
majestic lions. The citadel is always protected by a
contingent of the High Guard. It is rumoured
among the population that there are several secret
passages connecting the citadel to the other part of
the city. The existence of these secret passages is a
reality, as only the Arshan, his family and his most
trusted guards (including the Erexshâ) are aware of
them. One of them enables the Arshan to flee,
should a need arise, towards the forests of Ammu
Bâj in order to alert Chyan authorities of any
imminent danger which threatens the Empire.
2. Temple of Fravâd: The temple is a part of the
Citadel and most of the worshippers are soldiers. It
is built in a tower of the citadel and presents no
particular ornaments, but a statue of Fravâd. It is
there that the Arshan and the Erexshâ have to pray
during a complete night before to lead the troops of
Tenolkachyn to battle.

The Old City
3. The Ashraf Inn: This establishment is reserved to
the higher classes of the population (“Ashraf” in the
dialect of Tenolkachyn means “noble”). Its keepers
rarely accept strangers, except if they are well
known (such as the ambassadors of distant nations).
The Ashraf Inn serves a very good quality food, with
the best of the best wines of the Bay of Ormal
(including the sacred wine of the Lynerian League
or the finest of the Bulchyades). A secret passage
directly connects the inn with the citadel for private
use of the Arshan.
4. Temple of Asrûta: The temple is perfectly in match
with the city, a severe building outside, but
luxurious indoors. A Tahmarda influence is certain
in the painting representing the Children of Asrûta
and the symbols of the True Gods. Besides the
sanctuary (where is shown from time to time the
Wisdom of Asrûta), the temple comprises as well a
lovely garden (with very old trees – some think that
these trees could have seen the Chyan empire
foundation back in Second Age), a fountain room,
many meditation rooms and severe rooms for the
priests. There are about fifty priests residing
permanently in Tenolkachyn, but there is enough
place to welcome there about two hundred people.
There are very often processions to the forest,
where, according to the legend, Aroustrâ, one of
the first prophet, is buried. Wehzan, the Otôva, is
the only to have access to the Wisdom of Asrûta, a
gem of vision, which had been given in a forgotten
past by the Elves. This gem (the priest does not
know exactly if this gem is unique or not), has a
similar effect than the Palantír of the North
Western Jaha (but far less powerful).
5. The Temple of Hitâspa: It is the most important
religious building of the town after the Temple of
Asrûta. The Cult of Hitâspa is very famous in
Tenolkachyn, both among the numerous soldiers
who consider the god as their patron and the
townspeople who see in Hitâspa the protector of
the town. When the city is besieged, the temple is
full of worshippers, who spread of the Vihnu
Square, to pray the god for the saving of the town.
6. The Tomb of the Heroes: In this arch, that gives
access to the Vihnu Square, are buried Kobadan II
and Amesis II. Kobadan, prince of Mejhat, was a
fierce opponent of the evil Nhazadh Aransiros II
and, by his sacrifice and that of his soldiers, he
certainly saved Tenolkachyn and the Chyan Empire
193
in TA 2817. The hero was entombed here, and later
his son, Amesis II the Exiled, who was forced to flee
Harshandatt to escape Aransiros II and found a
refuge among the Chyans.
7. The Vihnu Square: The square is the largest open
space in the Old City, named after the most famous
Arshan of the town. The people gather there when
the Arshan has important speeches to make. The
townspeople usually fear the call of the great horns
of the citadel, as when the Arshan has to speak to all
the citizens, it is often to announce wars and
possible sieges for the town.
The Military Quarter
8. The Vishtâspa Tower: This great tower was built
in SA 1980, on direct order of the Rashaja Vishtâspa
I. One supposes also that the tomb of the Rashaja
Vishtâspa I, assassinated in Lothron 2013 in
Samarth, is also somewhere in the caves. The tower
became a weapon arsenal during the Artaxshâsan
rule, and later, at the re-foundation of the Chyan
Empire, a residence for the most trusted lieutenants
of the Arshan, including the Erexshâ and his
followers.
The Mercantile and Festival Quarter
9. Haxâmanish Square: The market place is named
after the Arshan of the town who revolted against
the Artaxshâsan and showed the way to freedom to
the Chyans. A market is held there everyday, where
the townspeople can buy fresh products from the
Farming Terraces and fish from Shayarjhât.
10. The Merchant Hall: It is a very spacious building
where the merchants meet every week to sell their
products. Different nationalities of the Bay of
Ormal are represented there, but mostly can be
seen Chyans, Anarikanî, Múranians and Ahavans
merchants. Products from Harshandatt and Sîrayn
can be found here at very good prices (the cheapest
might be smuggled goods). Metal fittings from Tûl
Isra are among the best bargains one can make here.
11. The Slumbering Lion: This establishment is
located under a residential house. Smoky, low
ceiling and lit only by blazing lights and infrequent
lanterns, the Slumbering Lion is a popular meeting
for artists and intellectuals. Food is limited but
good. On the contrary, the keepers have a wide
selection of wine and beer.
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12. The Simin Eyes: The Simin Eyes (Ch. Silvery eyes)
is a very popular brothel among the higher classes
(like some important counsellors of the Arshan)
located near the southern high walls. The brothel is
directed with an iron will by Friyana, a young
woman, who just inherited from his father Fariburz.
This is the official version she tells everywhere.
The truth is that she poisoned little by little the
previous owner she hated most of all (she thought
that Fariburz killed most of her relatives, despite it
is not true). She is now a covered agent of the
Harshandatt realm, and she is in straight
relationship with Lyghtos, one important councillor
of the Nhazadh of Naerphys who is the real
responsible for Friyana family’s death and for
Friyana’s recruitment. If she by chance learned the
truth, she would probably kill Lyghtos or try to do
it, and manage to avenge Fariburz’s death.
Outside the town
13. Guard Post of the West Gate: Located
approximately 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) outside the
city's West Gate (straddling "the Victory Road") is
Tenolkachyn's forward most Guard Post. The small
2 1/2 storeyed building was constructed just prior
to the erection of the first megaliths and signal
towers, which line the Yól Ôratâ as a place to greet
emissaries and dignitaries from afar. It is manned by
no less than a dozen soldiers (who are relieved every
24 hours by a fresh group of guardsmen who arrive
each dawn on horse back from the West Gate)
whose duties include receiving emissaries and
dignitaries to Tenolkachyn and couriering messages
and supplies to the signal tower of Haxâmanish (the
first signal tower along the Yól Ôratâ). The building
itself is not large, standing approximately 16 m tall,
24 m wide (crossing over the Yól Ôratâ) and 8 m
deep (53’ x 79’ x 26’). It is surrounded by several
large boulders and ancient date palms.
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5.10.7 People of Note
5.10.7.1 Authorities
The Arshan: Fardad is a warrior born, dreaming only
of battlefields and glory. He now spends most of his time
in Chajapûn, in the High Council for the regency, since the
death of the Rashaja Siyavush IV. But he escapes as often as
he can to come back to his beloved town and enjoy some
days hunting in the Low Lhûd with his friend Sarafraz, the
Erexshâ. The Erexshâ replaces him during his absence. For
more details about Fardad see #3004-1 Chyan Empire :
The People, section 8.3.7.
The Erexshâ: Sarafraz is 36 years old and 1.71 m
(5’7’’) tall. He could be the brother of Fardad, at least in
mind, if not in body. He knows nothing else than war and
weapons. He has spent most of his life in the High Guard,
before to be commissioned in Tenolkachyn, a great honour
for him. When he is not riding and hunting in the Low
Lhûd with Fardad, dreaming of military glory, he trains his
troops as if war had to be declared tomorrow. He is a
member of the Sacred Watch, responsible for its military
branch. When the Arshan is absent for the High Council in
Chajapûn, he replaces him. He hates that as he believes it
keeps him too much from his men and his horses.
The Shapan: Vaspar has recently arrived in town, just
after the death of his predecessor by the Plague. He comes
from Kandalar and is much more used to the ways of the
Bulchyades than this warring city. He is 59 years old, 1.69
m (5’7’’) tall, with eyes as dark as his hair is white. He has
been contacted by a group of Vata just after his arrival,
asking for support in their request to the Arshan for more
involvement of the Vata in the affairs of the town. He is
favourable to this request, but thinks, as a newcomer, he
has to move carefully, the time he knows better the town
and all the ins and outs of this story.
5.10.7.2 Merchants
Kayras: Kayras is coming from Jorash. He is a quite
skilled jeweller. He has told nobody the true reason why
he left Jorash and decided to settle in Tenolkachyn, which
not especially famous as a trading city. He pretends that it
is because there is no opportunity for a young man (he is
26) in Jorash and that he feels great potential in
Tenolkachyn for trade, especially now that the relations
with Harshandatt are becoming more settled. He became
quickly a friend of Stivant and they decided to ally
themselves. The truth about Kayras is that he is a member
of the True Followers, sent there to re-form a Chamber,
foment troubles in the town and, perhaps, deteriorate the
relations with Harshandatt.
Pishkar: He is dealing hardwood from the Ammu Bâj
and is mainly in business with the shipwrights of Samarth.
He has spent long nights with Stivant, in various inns,
drinking the best wine and dreaming of a Tenolkachyn
where the Vata would have a word to say. When Stivant
told him that he wanted to start action to make their dream
true, he did not hesitate a minute. However, he is more
concerned now about his people working in the Ammu Bâj.
Many have disappeared, or have been injured or killed in
accidents (fall of a tree, bitten by a snake) and the
production of timber for his clients in Samarth is almost
stopped. He has some stocks, but he does not know how
long they will last.
Stivant: He is 57 years and extremely rich thanks to
the trade with Harshandatt. He owns several small ships for
coastal trade, anchored in the harbour of Shayarjhât. It is
long now that he has thought of putting some pressure on
the authorities of the town to give more power to the
Vaysha. The coming of both Kayras and the new Shapan,
precipitated his action.
5.10.7.3 Priesthood
Otôva of Asrûta: Wehzan is loved and seen as a true
saint by the people of Tenolkachyn. Many will do his order
without hesitation. He is now in Chajapûn, at the High
Council for the Regency. See #3004-1 Chyan Empire :
The People, section 8.3.7 for more details about Wehzan.
Otôva of Fravâd: Dinyar is a tiny little man, almost
as shy as he is ugly. He never goes out of his temple and
few, even among his priests, have ever heard him spoken.
Long ago, in his youth, he was the best spy of the Rashaja.
For him, he accomplished many missions that nobody else
could have succeeded in. Now, after years of good work,
he just wants peace and calm (and also to hide from his
numerous enemies). He has lost nothing of his skills and his
small size does not diminish his dangerousness. Besides
being a master in poisons and sneaky actions, his hands are
weapons more lethal than the sharpest daggers.
Otôva of Hitâspa: Javidan is 45 years old, quite
young for such a high position in the priesthood, but with
a character of a 100-years old man. For him, any change,
any move in one direction or another, would reveal bad.
He is so conservative in any aspects, that he has even
refused to repair the temple after the heavy storms of last
spring. He is the religious leader of the Sacred Watch. He
was in the first rows during the fights against the Bokhtarâ
and many of the members of the order pretend that his
hands are bloodier than any mercenaries’ will ever be.
Now, his new target is the Vata Stivant, Kayras and Pishkar
who want to overturn the right order of the things in

Tenolkachyn by confiscating the power and relegating the
Vaysha and Varna in second roles (as he sees it).
5.10.8 Around Tenolkachyn
5.10.8.1 Shayarjhât
Shayarjhât is a little city located at 10 kilometres (6
miles) from Tenolkachyn. It is the port of Tenolkachyn,
but apart from the many ships putting into port there, with
goods to trade or passengers to Tenolkachyn, it is very
quiet. The main activity is fishing.
1. Harbour: The harbour is very large (capable of
welcoming 200 ships at once) and, for a traveller
who discovers the Chyan Empire, it can seem a bit
pretentious for the small town of Shayarjhât. It is in
fact the lungs of Tenolkachyn and his very busy
during the good season.
2. The Roshan Tower: This great beacon tower is the
oldest building of the city, supposedly built by the
middle of the Second Age. It is used as granary food
by mariners. The striking structure also provides a
guiding light through the dark nights and the fog,
giving the Chyan name to this tower, the Bright
Tower.
3. The Sea Inn: This inn, which is located at about one
kilometre from the city to the north, is built on piles
on the beach. The innkeeper Mezendir (an
Anarikanî coming from Pelnatej) was an old
mariner who established there with his family (his
Chyan wife Almera and his two children). The food
is very good, only products of the sea are served to
the clients, along with Anarikê wine. There are
three important dining rooms (including an outside
one – the Veranda – where the sea can be seen), a
kitchen and a bar. Upstairs there are about 20
private rooms and two commons rooms. One can
access the inn by foot (when the sea is at low tide)
or by boat, when the sea is at high tide and the inn
is surrounded by water.
4. Vishtâspa Square: A statue of Vishtâspa stands in
the middle of the square. This statue was edified in
SA 2315 by Rashaja Taronish, “Enemy of all Evil”.
According to local tales, the last followers of the
assassinated Rashaja Vishtâspa spent several days
there to find a last resting place for their Rashaja.
This square, when not used by Asrûta priests, is
used every week for a little market, where sea
products are predominant over others.
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5.10.8.2 Ammu Bâj
It is the only tropical forest of the Chyan Empire. The
forest has remained pristine in most of its extent, except in
the south, near Tenolkachyn, where it has suffered some
deforestation due to logging activities. Chyans do not like
forests and are generally reluctant to go through close and
dark forest like the Ammu Bâj. This, with the dangers, real
or legendary, of Ammu Bâj have protected the forest from
extensive destructions. However, the forest is the only
source of quality woods (especially some rare hardwoods)
for the construction of ships in this area. The southern edge
of the forest, the closest to the big towns of Samarth (and
her famous shipyards) and Tenolkachyn are therefore
dotted with small villagers of wood cutters. The forest
moves back slowly, but not as far as it could have been
expected, as if the trees are re-growing faster there. For
more details about the forest of Ammu Bâj, see section
2.1.5.
5.11 Isvat, a Clyan Fortified Village
Isvat is typical of the Clyan fortified villages, set in a
spur made by the deep gorge of the Shaiharod cutting
sharply in the Clyan plateau and protected by steep cliffs.
The village is very difficult to access by a steep path,
climbing up the cliff and the mountain. Earthen houses are
clinging wherever some space is available for building. In
summer, the village is almost occupied only by women,
kids and elders as men are then with the herds in the
pastures. Isvat is well positioned to control an easy pass
between the Clyan Highlands and the headwaters of the
Chey Rill, north of the Ashajatâish and that can be accessed
by following the Shaiharod up to its source.
1. Tower of the Arshan: It is the residence of the
traditional leader of the village and his family. The
tower of 4 floors and is more a symbol of power
than an effective protection, but it can be seen far
away and see far away the dangers. It is the pride
of the village.
A. A more comfortable house for the Arshan’s
family.
B. A granary for the few grains grown by the
villagers or traded with lowland farmers. It is
an insurance against harsh winter and bad
weather and is a common possession of the
village.
C. Earth wall separating the Arshan house from
the village and offering a last retrenchment in
case of danger.
2. Stairs: Steep stairs carved in the rock leading to
the Arshan house.
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3. Wall: Earth wall that protects the village. In front
of the flattest and most accessible part, a dyke
doubles it. A tower, just higher than the wall
protects the entrance.
4. Path: Path leading to the village, it runs as
possible on flat part of the spur, to allow to see
the soonest possible any traveller or enemy going
on the path.
5. Stockade for horse: It is used when the
weather is not too bad. When there is rain, wind
or snow, the animals are brought to the ground
floor of the houses.
6. Stockade for sheep.
7. Temple of Asrûta.
8. Stairs: A steep path and intermittent stairs leads
to parts of the village on different levels.
9. Path: It is a steep and “secret” path running down
the cliff.
10. Central square: It is a not too irregular area
where people of the village can gather and meet
when an important decision for the tabâr must be
taken.
11. A typical house:
- Ground floor for animals and/or workshop for
smith, baker, potter, reserve of wood, coal traded
at high price with dwarves or the towns of the
lowland or dung.
- First floor: A large all-purpose common room
that is only used as bedroom in summer but where
all the family find refuge in winter.
- Roof: It is the place for women to weave rugs, dry
fruits for winter, clothes, cooking, various
storage.
- A cistern for rainwater.
People like woollen, thick robes, sheep hides, and
warm sheep cap. If summer can be burning, even with the
mellowing altitude, the winter are especially cold and
snowy, often completely isolating the villages for months
and people have to live then in a complete autarky relying
only on reserves made during summer. An important part
of their life is the long travel to the lowlands’ towns,
especially Pelepelplû, where they sell horses, sheep, cheese
and butter, wool and rugs and buy grains, coal and raw iron
in autumn, after spring and summer spent in pastures and
before the rushing back to their villages before the first
snows. They are good horsemen and fierce warriors. Petty
wars between villages or just raids to steal sheep and horses
are not uncommon. They have quite despised for people
living in the mildness and luxury of the lowlands towns and
even if the Clyan herders goggle at every marvel of the
Pelepelplû market they often look with compassion to the
city dwellers, loosing their true traditions and being
effeminate by too easy life.

6.0 SHADOW-HOLDS
6.1 The Tomb of Nevazar
The Tomb of Nevazar was built in the utmost secret at
the beginning of the Artaxshâsan rule. It was the last thing
Nevazar ordered before he went to Mordor to be the
Mouth of Sauron. Nevazar himself chose the place. He felt
there a strong power. A power already felt by the Chaialla
and suiting his dark plans to remain there after his death.
Only a few Kharpanâ knew the exact location of the tomb
and were entrusted with the burying of Nevazar and the
performing of the last rituals. Some of them were later
watching the tomb against unwanted intruders and
performing the regular rituals to keep the spirit of Nevazar
bound to Arda.
6.1.1 The Marshes
The tomb is situated in the remotest part of the marsh
of the Vanishing Forest. The marshes are an intricate maze
of backwaters, bogs, quicksand and islands dotted with
ghostly trees. Mist is often covering the landscape at dawn
and dusk. A flat boat, as those used by fishers from the
small villages around the marshes could be of some use but
the adventurers will have to carry it across islands and less
watery portions of their travel. The progression in the
marshes is extremely difficult and exhausting. Apart from
the difficulties of the terrain, the marshes abound in
myriads of nasty animals: leeches, snakes and insects of
every kind. Mosquitoes of an especially aggressive species
are omnipresent. The villagers can sell a balm of foul smell
that somewhat repel them. At nightfall, thousands of frogs
start croaking, making it difficult for anyone to find sleep
(if they manage to find a stable and not too wet ground to
stretch out). Some venomous snakes are the most
dangerous creatures that haunt most parts of the marshes.
In the deepest riverbeds, a local species of huge gavial is
also present. It looks like a giant crocodile but eats only
fishes and is harmless, if not provoked.
The Tomb of Nevazar acts as a focal point for all evil
things haunting the area. When the adventurers get closer
to the tomb, the usual fauna of the marshes will get rarer
and rarer. Even the unbearable mosquitoes will be less
numerous, offering some relief to the adventurers. This
relief will be short as evil creatures of the marshes will start
to watch the adventurers, waiting for an opportunity.
6.1.2 The Island
The Tomb of Nevazar was built on a low rock, an island
in the marshes, that was once a Chaialla shrine. Seven
standing stones are still standing at the top of the rock,
199
covered with mosses and lichen. They are completely
weathered and it is not possible to say whether they are
carved with human or animal figures or it is a whimsical
trick of nature. Inside the circle of stones, a building of
black stones had been edified. It is of obvious Chyan
architecture, but gives an unpleasant feeling. The four
angles of this square structure are supported by statues of
grimacing demons of the Chyan pantheons (Indara,
Xsathra, Talahâr and Akshâtra the Storm God). The lichen
that is covering the building gives them a more fantastic
look, masking their forms and creating the impression that
the walls are slowly shaking. It houses thousands of little
creatures, insects, spiders and small reptiles, degenerated
by the evil influence of the tomb and gazing at any
intruders. At night, these innumerable staring eyes can
make the strongest minds falter. The walls are plain and
without openings but a large iron door on the north-
western side. If the adventurers are the first to visit the
tomb, the door is still standing, completely rusted and
covered with mosses and slime.
Note: The description supposes that the priests in charge of the
tomb have disappeared (killed by villagers, by former adventurers,
by the marshes pestilence,…). If one of the priests has survived the
others, then before he died, he left the keys in a casket at Chajapûn
in the Old Temple of Hitâspa. If the priests are still there, the
temple and the crypt are well tended and the temple houses the
priests.
1. Temple: The interior of the building is as dark
and plain as the external walls. The demons
standing on the four angles are also looking
towards the inside of the building. An altar
stands in the rear of the hall, with the remains
of the last human sacrifice made by the dark
priests of Nevazar for their master. Behind
the altar, two stairs lead to #2. If the doors
have already been broken before the arrival
of the adventurers a mewlip may have
established its home in the temple. The four
statues of demons have Intimidate (Fear) 10.
Do not tell the adventurers who have failed
to withstand the fear. For all the time they
stay in the tomb they will be more likely
subject to different kind of hallucinations
(statues stare at them and grin when they pass
in front of them, wall that move to crush
them in narrow passages, ghostly figures
disappearing in the dark, faces in the water
looking at them, snakes brushing them,
etc…).
2. Crypt: It is the former shrine of the Chaialla. The
walls are roughly cut in the stone and four
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pillars have been left to support the ceiling.
The walls were once adorned with Chaialla
paintings, but they are almost fully faded now
and covered with mosses and sticky slimes.
Blasphemous incantations and symbols of the
Chyans demons are superimposed to these
old paintings. A stone sarcophagus stands in
the middle of the crypt, between the pillars.
It is of black stone and shows no adornments.
A dark stain on the top could be blood. The
cap ledger is sealed with lead to the bulk of
the sarcophagus. Inside the skeleton of an old
man (for those who can identify it) lays with
a wooden staff on is left and a golden ring still
on the third finger of his right hand. Pieces of
rotten fabrics can still be seen.
Note: If the tomb has already been plundered, the cover
is broken, the bones, half gnawed are scattered on the
floor and the artefacts have disappeared.
The right hand of the skeleton is absolutely
normal, which is an indication that it is not
Nevazar. The wooden staff, in spite of its carving
of grimacing creatures twisting around it, is a
vulgar piece of wood. The ring is cursed (it gives
a malus of –5 to any tests to avoid Fear). Pushing
the sarcophagus reveals a shaft of 1 m x 1 m (3’ x
3’) plunging into the ground. By examining the
floor, under the crusted dust, it is possible to see
masonry forming a square of about 2 m x 2 m (6’
x 6’) partly hidden by the sarcophagus. It is the
filling of the original shaft.
6.1.3 The Tomb
3. Shaft: It is 10 m (30’) deep. Rungs have been cut
into the wall (every 30 cm (12’’)) to climb
the shaft down. The 10th from the top is a
trap. It will fall (as well as all others over 2 m
(6’)) when someone uses it, causing a fall of
7 m (23’). The shaft is sufficiently narrow for
anyone strong enough and not too small to
stop or at least slow down the fall. At the
bottom of the shaft, a 10 cm (4’’) thick stone
slab (1 m (3’) large, 1.50 m (5’) high) closes
the entrance to #4. It will certainly be a long
and painful work to break the stone with such
a tiny room to move. When the slab gives
way, an old, putrid and suffocating air
coming from the long-sealed tomb complex
submerges anyone in the shaft. After crossing
this door, the adventurers will find it difficult
to breathe, any sustained effort will make
them quickly out of breath and the torches
will burn faintly. Some parts of the burial
complex have been flooded by leaking water
from the marshes. It is possible that the
rotting of organic material has produced
pockets of methane that could explode in
contact of fire.
Note on the traps: The tomb has lot of traps. This first
one is meant to warn the adventurers and not to be deadly.
Many of the traps have certainly been affected by rusting
and moisture over the years. Some may not work at all, work
just enough to give a fright or be as deadly as the first day.
4. Corridor: It is 1 m large and 1.50 m high
and 10 m long (3’ x 5’ x 30’) (as the shaft, it
has been narrowed by stone masonry). A slab
of stone similar to the one of #3 closes its
end. When walking on the flagstone (a), it
triggers 4 crossbows hidden in the wall and
slightly shifted in order to cover a large angle.
Obviously, the trap works only once. In (b),
there is a thin iron thread 5 cm (2’’) long, just
at the middle of the ceiling. It triggers, when
a head rubbing against the ceiling moves it, a
scythe, 30 cm (12’’) from the ceiling. The
scythe swings round, cuts in a 1 m (3’) radius
every head and rearms itself in the wall, next
time swinging in the other direction. The
thread is Challenging (TN 17) to see, but the
slit for the scythe is Routine (TN 12) to see,
if someone has enough light and looks at the
ceiling and not on the ground. (c) is a slab on
an axis. If someone walks on it, the slab

turns, projecting the victim in a pit (1m x
1.50m x 5m (3’ x 5’ x 15’)) with 3 pikes at
the bottom and after a half turn, goes back to
its position. The slab needs a minimum of
pressure to be triggered, so it is difficult to
discover it by just testing the ground. It is also
difficult to jump over the pit because of the
low ceiling.
5. Guard Room: The room is 3 m large, 5 m long
and 2 m high (9’ x 15’ x 6’). On both sides
there are lined statues of 8 Chyan warriors
and in front of them the funerary ledgers of
Artaxshâsan warriors who were unwary
enough to swear everlasting fealty to
Nevazar. The tombs contain Skeletons that
animate themselves when people not serving
the evil enter the room.
6. Corridor: A flight of stairs goes about 2 m (6’)
down and starts to be flooded at about its
half. In the following rooms there is water
about 1 m (3’) high that had leaked from the
marshes. There is nothing living in the water,
but it is dark, muddy and slippery and can
make the detection of some of the traps and
treasures difficult (or render some of them,
like the pit trap in #7 harmless, apart from a
plunge in muddy water). It is also favourable
for nervous breakdown of people obsessed by
water creatures. In any case, with the
darkness and the faint and putrid air, it makes
the progression in the tomb even more
difficult and oppressive. The corridor is 1 m
large and 1.60 m high (3’ x 5’3’’).
7. Funerary chapel: The room is 5 m large, 10 m
long and 2 m high (15’ x 30’ x 6’). The
presence of an altar and various religious
objects (chandeliers with partly burnt
candles, golden censers and chalices
incrusted with gems, stands with half rotten
priests robes (all of dark colours with
embroideries, but the original hues are no
longer discernable)) makes it clear that it is a
funerary chapel. A golden dagger is on the
altar, between two chandeliers. The walls are
covered with glazed tiles showing scenes of
the life of Nevazar and, opposite to the
entrance, a depiction of the Prophecy with a
tall black warrior crossing the Chy Gap with
hordes of demons and Nevazar opening the
road, holding what looks like a bright sun in
his right hand (this last scene was added after
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the death of Nevazar). In (a) there is a secret
door Simple (TN 5) to find that opens on #8.
To open the door, it is just necessary to put
the dagger on a slit in the left hand of Nevazar
(the scene makes it obvious that he holds
something on his hand). In (b), there is a
secret door Challenging (TN 15) to find and
that leads into #10. To open the door, the
eye of a grimacing demon must be pressed.
In (c) is a pit trap protecting the entrance to
#12 (not dangerous because of the water,
but it forces to swim some meters). The last
ritual to retain the soul of Nevazar was
performed there, before the tomb was
sealed. There is still a silver cup with dry
blood and the dagger on the altar that have
served for the ritual.
8. Corridor: 1 m large, 1.60 m high, 5 m long (3’
x 5’3’’ x 15’).
9. False treasure room: The room is 3 m large
and 6 m long and 2 m high (9’ x 18’ x 6’). It
contains amounts of coins (indeed copper)
and vessels. They seem to be of gold and
silver but are just plated. They are all covered
with water and are not visible before
someone slips on them. When more than 200
kg (440 lb) are added to the room, a stone
slab shuts the door and water starts to flow
from the joint between the wall and the
ceiling. The water partially flooding the
tomb is mainly due to leaking from this trap
and stains can been seen at the top of the
walls (but do not forget that the light is
scarce). The room is filled with water within
10 min. Once half filled, it divides by 2 the
difficulty to break open the door, thanks to
the water pressure. Some of the iron fittings
of the rotten chests can be used as leviers to
open the door. The slab is 10 cm (4’’) thick
and weight 350 kg (770 lb). It slides up, and
when a sufficient space is freed, it will stop
the water level from increasing. The coins
and vessels can be used to block the door.
Once this trap triggered and if the door is left
open after the escape of the adventurers, the
water inside the tomb will slowly increase,
requiring about 2 hours to completely fill the
tomb complex.
10. Corridor: 1.20 m large, 1.60 m high, 5 m long
(4’ x 5’3’’ x 15’). In (a) is a pit trap that
opens when more than 120 kg are on it
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(when plunderers are coming back from
#11). The pit is 1.20 m x 1.5 m x 5 m. (4’ x
5’ x 15’)
11. Treasure room: The room is filled with
furniture of high craft and precious materials
that emerge from the water. They are all
heavy and bulky but have real valour (if
someone manage to get them out of the tomb
and the marshes). Some of the wooden
furniture is unfortunately completely rotten
by water.
12. Corridor: 1.20 m large, 1.60 m high, 5 m long
(4’ x 5’3’’ x 15’). When walking on the last
slab of the floor, it triggers the release of 4
pikes from the floor (one each meter along
the corridor, in the middle of its width).
Because of the water the housing holes are
Challenging (TN 17) to discover.
13. False tomb: 6 m large, 8 m long, 2 m high (18’
x 26’ x 6’). The statues of 4 demons (Indara,
Xsathra, Talahâr, Akshâtra the Storm God)
support the ceiling and the walls are covered
with glazed tiles of red and black hues. In the
middle of the walls are statues of foul beasts:
a snake (S), a Sheroqâb (G) and a cockroach
(C). From the water emerges a platform with
a sarcophagus on it. The sarcophagus is of
black stone and adorned with carvings of
snakes, worms and insects. The cap ledger is
sealed with lead. Inside is the skeleton of a
man with a staff and a ring similar in shape to
those in #2. Both are cursed: the ring gives –
10 to any tests to avoid Fear and the staff has
80% chance to attract any crawling – from
maggots to snakes – animals in a 100 m
(300’) radius. The corpse is this of a dark
priest of Nevazar. The sarcophagus houses
also a powerful Barrow Wight, custodian of
the tomb. When pressing the tongue of the
Sheroqâb (G) in its open mouth, the
Sheroqâb starts moving as if opening a door.
The more the tongue is pressed, the more the
statue moves. When the arm is about half
inside the mouth, it slaps close and crushes
the forehand of the victim. If someone
presses the fangs of the Snake (S), it opens a
false door in the same way. When the fangs
are half pressed, it triggers needles with
poison from the fangs. The poison (Potency
+10, Treatment +15) causes a decay of the
flesh. It starts slowly like a minor infection
around the wound and seems steady during
one week, then it becomes flashing and eats
all the body like leprosy within days if not
cured. When pushing open the wings of the
Cockroach (C), it opens on #14. The wings
can only be moved once the mouths of the
Sheroqâb and the snake have been shut. On
the ground and under water are iron caskets
Difficult (TN 20) to pick open because of the
rust. They contain:
- 2 daggers +1 to Thrown, but with 80%
chances to come back to hit the
thrower.
- 2 helmets +1 Perception (Hear), but with
80% chances to amplify a strong
sound and to deafen the wearer.
- Necklace with a blue gem: +1 bonus on
Stamina tests to resist Weariness
when casting spells, but with 80%
chances to consume all the
weariness levels of the caster.
- Ring +1 bonus to use Intimidate (Fear). It
shrinks each time it is used. The
first time it makes it impossible to
remove without a wound to the
finger. The second time it enters
the flesh. And the third time it cuts
the finger.
- Books: They are all rotten.
- Chalice: It purifies water, but has 80%
chances to double the Potency of
any poison in the water.
- The statues of the demons in the angles are
also carrying:
- A longsword, a spear, a mace and an axe.
They are all +1, but with 80%
chances to also drain Vitality of the
wielder in the same amount of the
inflicted damages.
- 4 large shields that are very light and look
strong, but break at the first blow.
14. Tomb of Nevazar: It is a circular room of 5 m
diameter and 2 m high (15’ x 6’)). The room
was protected from the water flooding the
other parts of the complex, but when
opening the Cockroach door (C) in #13, it
also lets the water enter and the room is

rapidly flooded to the same level as anywhere
else. The walls are covered with glazed tiles
depicting scenes of the life of Nevazar: his
revelation of the Truth, his meeting with the
Storm God, the Chyan Lands prospering
thanks to his good advices, him presenting as
an offering the Artaxshâsan Rashajâ to
Talahâr and Nevazar as the Mouth of Talahâr.
In the middle is the sarcophagus of Nevazar.
As the others, it is sealed with lead. The
corpse is completely withered and shrivelled
but otherwise intact. The real staff and ring
of Nevazar are at his side and on his hand. The
lead seals are protected by 6 runes that have
Intimidate (Fear) 15 when broken. Falling to
resist them pushes the victim to attack
everybody around him like a mad or even to
attempt kill him or herself. If Nevazar is
awaken, anybody who has failed to resist the
runes will obey him, commanded by him as
if they were undead. There are some objects
of valour in the room:
- A wooden stand with a priest robe: + 2
bonus on all tests to use Sorcery and
+2 to Defence.
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- A collection of books describing forbidden
spells and rituals of sorcerers and
necromancers.
- A silver necklace with a black gem that
allows to cast Shadow of Fear
without Stamina tests.
- The Ring of Nevazar (black iron with silver
inlays): +5 Persuade (Charm) and
Intimidate (Fear) and +3 Observe
(Sense Power).
- The Staff of Mordor: It is of black ebony with
carvings of men and women dying
in terrible pain. When held by an
evil sorcerer, they seem to be
contorting themselves by pain and
crying for help. Once the bearer
controls the staff (Willpower TN
15), he can use its Enslave Undead
ability (this is a new ability, see the
Supplement LotR RPG for the
Chyan Empire).
Note about the treasures: Every object found in the tomb
is cursed and/or adorned with pictures and symbols of Chyan
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demons. The situation inside the tomb (darkness, difficulty to
breathe, water, potential danger) is not very favourable for full
and thorough examination of them. It would also be very difficult
to sell them in the Chyan Lands. Anyone will recognise them as
demoniac which, depending on the time setting, may lead the
would-be seller to a death penalty for demon worshipping or to
attract the unwanted attention of real worshippers of the demons.
In most cases, no Chyan will touch or accept to buy these objects.
A “go out of my shop” will be the more likely answer.
The cursed objects, when not stated otherwise, bring
some kind of bad luck to the carrier. This can easily be
implemented by role-play and can also traduce itself by
some small malus to test rolls against disease and poison or
when testing for clumsiness. During a pitched fight, the
characters carrying these objects would also be chosen as
first aims by their enemies (especially if these are shadow
creatures).
In any case, using an enchanted item found inside the
tomb is considered as casting a spell of sorcery with regards
to the corruption rules.
6.1.4 NPCs
Skeletons
They are awkward, but fight recklessly, until 'death'. They
have a +5 defence bonus against thrown weapons.
Barrow Wight
The Barrow Wight will attack only if its sarcophagus is
opened or if the mouths of the Sheroqâb and the Snake are
closed and that someone tries to open the Cockroach’s
wings to enter #14. It first raises fog from the water
flooding the room, then appears as red eyes and fully
materialised itself from the fog after 2d6 rds. The Barrow
Wight has no weapon and uses just spells to frighten
and/or paralyse its victims, and then throttle them by
hands. It has Intimidate (Fear) 5 permanently. Only elven,
sacred and weapons specially designed to fight this kind of
creatures can inflict full damage (the others make half
damages). Once ‘killed’ the Barrow Wight dissipates, but
it regains 2d6 pt of Health/1min, and can materialise again
when it has regained its initial level. It cannot leave the
rooms #13 and #14 and is linked to Nevazar. If he is
destroyed, so is the Barrow Wight. The Staff of Mordor
can control it.
Nevazar (lich state)
As long as the priests are performing the required
rituals, the soul of Nevazar remains bound to his preserved
body. Opening the sarcophagus awakes him as a lich.
Although an Undead, the lich is not affected by the Staff of
Mordor.
Nevazar (Ghost)
If the priests have disappeared and ceased to perform
regularly the ritual to retain the spirit of Nevazar bound to
his body (or if the GM prefers to have a ghost rather than a
lich in the tomb), the spirit of Nevazar is nevertheless still
lingering inside the tomb because it has been retained for
too long there. It can manifest itself if someone enters the
tomb.
It has basically the same characteristics as the lich (plus
the skill Persuade (Charm) 8, as long as it has not
manifested its evil shape or attempted something harmful),
but has no physical shape. Therefore, it cannot use its
physical abilities and cannot be destroyed by physical
means, but only be repelled by magic. It can only fight his
enemies by using his spells and non-physical skills and
abilities. With the spell Shadows and Phantoms, it can
create a foggy shape and then (and only then) use Icy Touch
or a dagger of shadow. Both are illusions and play on the
fears of its enemies. A victim must succeed a TN 15
(average of Willpower and Wisdom) to understand and
convince him- or herself that it is only an illusion or suffer
the normal damages.
6.2 An Orc Lair
6.2.1 Orcs of the Divârayan
Mountains
The Ogurk-bâsh is a large and powerful tribe of goblins
living in the south of the Divârayan Mountains, north of the
Bulchyades, not far from the border with Anarikê. They
have specialised in raiding the mining settlements of
northern Bulchyades and Anarikê, as far east as the Aca
Gap. They get an incredible wealth from that, as the
humans, lured by the mineral riches of the mountains, ever
come back. Chyans lords of the hills and sometime the
militias of the Bulchyades towns launch, from time to time,
expeditions against the Ogurk-bâsh to secure their supply
of ore. Nevertheless, many Orcs always manage to escape
in the depths of the Divârayan Mountains and these
expensive warlike adventures bring nothing but a short
relief to the inhabitants of the foothills. Because of their
wealth, the Ogurk-bash are often divided by internal feuds
and coups to take power are frequents. Nevertheless, they
have been unified several times in their history and even
managed to impose their dominion over almost all the
Divârayan Mountains, from the Chy Gap to Anarikê. The
last time, it was under the rule of Gorshuk Yellow Fangs,
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who launched a series of war against the other Orcs tribes of the army of Gorshuk Yellow Fangs far south from their
of the mountains. He held sway over a large part of the homelands and the lights of their victory feasts, setting
mountains but was finally defeated and his empire ablaze the dark Chyan night over the mountains, have long
collapsed with him when he attacked the fierce Naga-Ûlurk been seen by the terrified villagers in the plain. If the Orcs
of the Chy Gap. can really raid the Chy Gap only in troubled times for the
Chyan Empire (as no Rashaja can leave this vital road
The Garbark-Lûsh is a small tribe of Orcs that is often
without watch), the Ayta Denûly, a difficult and high pass,
under the domination of the Ogurk-bâsh, and so they hate
is an easier and usual prey. Although guarded by the
them. Now, they have won their liberty in the aftermath of
formidable fortress of Ayanghat (see Section 5.1.8.5) on
the defeat of Gorshuk Yellow Fangs and even managed to
the lake Kasaoya, it is relatively easy for the smugglers to
rule over the Kargur-Lûsh. They control the Rocky Pass,
elude the vigilance of the soldiers thanks to the difficult
between the Chyan Lands and the Acaana. Even if the
terrain (or easier, but more expensive, by bribing the
lower part of the pass is patrolled and protected by Chyan
soldiers) and avoid paying the taxes. Smuggling is indeed
soldiers from the tower of Nazban (see Section 5.2.8.3),
quite common between the Chyan Lands and the Vaag and
the top of the pass and the Aca slope are spied by the
Orgothraath, to the delight of the Naga-Ûlurk.
Garbark-Lûsh and any traveller should be well-advised not
to be caught by the night on this portion of the road. The Shaga-Lûsh is a fiercely independent tribe living in
the peaks and vales between the Chy Gap and the
The Kargur-Lûsh is a small tribe of goblins, living in the
Ashajatâish massif. They often plunder the small mining
mountains, between the Rocky Pass and the Ayta Denûly.
villages in the southern foothills of the Divârayan
The land is poor, there are few human settlements in the
Mountains. Their raids are known and feared for their
upper plateau of the Lódenûly and the only travellers who
rapidity and efficiency. It is true that they have no other
make their way through the mountains are rare adventurers
choice as both the warlike Arshanâ of Shamîsar or Mijore
lured by forgotten tales and prospectors hoping to discover
keep a vigilant watch on the northern fringe of Nosharud
rich placers in this almost unexplored portion of the
and accumulate impressive trophies of their wars against
Divârayan Mountains. The Kargur-Lûsh is actually an
the Shaga-Lûsh. The Shaga-Lûsh left a bloody trace in the
offspring of the Garbark-Lûsh. Igark, Skull Smasher
Chyan chronicles for the great raid of TA 391,
revolted long ago against his father and tried, following the
remembered as the winter of the red swarm by the Chyans,
custom of the Orcs, to throw him down his throne. It was
when allied with the Burkashûr they invaded Nosharud and
too early an attempt. Igark’s coup failed and he just had
even besieged and tried to take Mijore. They staid in the
time to escape with few supporters (too much
lowlands, plundering and burning for long months, before
compromised to stay). He founded a new tribe, surviving
the brothers Bharâm I and Sapôr II joined their forces and
with difficulty in an empty area, a bit farther north of the
repelled them.
homeland of the Garbark-Lûsh. The hatred between the
two tribes is strong and the wars usual (the Kargur-Lûsh The Burkashûr live in the southern branch of the Clyan
often raiding females from the Garbark-Lûsh). Now, the Escarpment, roughly between the Ashajatâish massif and
Kargur-Lûsh are dominated by the Garbark-Lûsh for their the gorge of the Shaiharod. They were once a powerful
chief allied himself too quickly with Gorshuk Yellow Fangs tribe and are remembered in Clyan gathâ for their great
and has been abandoned with the defeat. But there are migration across the Clyan Highlands that led them to
rumblings of rebellion against their Garbark-Lûsh lord and dwell the mountains where they can now be found. It is
his bodyguards. suspected that this great migration was the aftermath of a
war between the Orcs and the Dwarves of Námagalûz.
The Naga-Ûlurk live between the Chy Gap and the
Those latter wreaked such havoc on the Orcs, that the
Ayta Denûly, which both are their hunting ground. It is
survivors had no other choice but to find a refuge in the
difficult to say which from the Naga-Ûlurk, in the north,
high peaks of the Clyan Divârayan, that are said infested
or the Ogurk-bâsh, in the south, are the most powerful
with giants, dragons and Sheroqabâ, or to leave the
goblin tribe of this portion of the Divârayan Mountains. But
mountains. The Burkashûr chose exile. The wars with the
what is clear, is that they are fierce foes, pursuing and
Clyans were long and bloody, but the Burkashûr,
killing each other as often as they meet. The last clash
diminished and weakened, eventually managed to blaze a
between the two tribes was when Gorshuk Yellow Fangs
path for themselves across the barren plateau and settled in
tried to conquer and impose his dominion over all the
the northern slopes of the Clyan Escarpment. Both Clyans
Divârayan Mountains between the Chy Gap and Anarikê.
and Burkashûr have kept a strong hatred of each other and
He was utterly defeated by the Naga-Ûlurk and for nights
still sing the exploits of their respective heroes during these
the warriors of the Naga-Ûlurk hunted down the survivors
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bloody wars. The exact extent of the Burkashûr caves and
tunnels across the mountains is not known, as after a few
violent and ruthless retaliations from the Rashajâ after raids
a bit to close to the Chyan capital, they have kept a low
profile, preferring a meagre pittance plundered from their
age-old Clyan enemies to the risk of awakening the wrath
of the powerful Rashaja. But Chyans know only too well
that they are there and that if the guard falter, they will
spread again onto the plain.
The Karakashûr are a weak and scattered tribe living in
the Clyan Divârayan. They once formed a powerful Orc
nation controlling all the mountains from the Ashajatâish
massif to the fringes of the Elven Kingdom of Silvermist.
But that was before their Great King, Shakat Nagâshar
Stone Cleaver decided to add the treasures of the Dwarven
city of Námagalûz to his already immense hoard.
The war against the Dwarves did not go as he expected
and his best warriors never left the dreary tunnels of the
Abyazark. With the defeat came rebellions among his ranks
and the retaliation from the Dwarves. Shakat Nagâshar was
killed by the Dwarven-king Azadafroz and his people
mercilessly hunted down. A group escaped across the
Clyan Highlands and became known as the Burkashûr.
Some even tried to find refuge in the desert among the
Desert Orcs, but they all died. A few tried their luck in the
peaks of the Clyan Divârayan and still live there, more
often the prey of dragons or other monsters that haunt
these mountains than the hunters and proud warriors they
used to be.
6.2.2 Castle Ogurk
It was originally a natural cave complex that has been
enlarged by generations and generations of Orcs.
1. Main entrance: The doors are of stone and are
at the likeliness of the surrounding rock. One
must be just in front of the door to make the
difference.
2. Entry hall: This room is usually guarded by 3-6
goblins who also operate the doors.
3. Watch room: Several skilfully hidden firing
slots allow to protect the doors and to watch
for intruders.
4. Watch room: As #3.
5. Corridor: A large and dark passage.
6. Main Hall: A large natural cave where most of
the goblins spend their time. When they are
not arguing about worthless matters, they
usually sharpen their weapons or improve
their garments for the night raids. There is a
small lake alimented by oozing water at the
bottom of the cave.
7. Smithies: It is there that the more skilled Orcs
forge some weapons that only Orcs have the
secret of (barded blades, spikes covered
clubs, halberd with the most eccentric and
twisted heads).
8. Sleeping cave: Some Orcs, stronger than the
others, have managed to secure the rare small
caves where they can sleep alone and quietly
and keep some personal possessions.
9. Cave of the slaves: Slaves captured during the
raids (mainly humans, but there are also
some Orcs of other tribes) are kept in this
filthy and stinking cave.
10. To the mines.
11. Throne hall: The king of the Ogurk-bâsh lives
almost on his throne (he fears too much that
someone else would sit on it if ever he does
not watch it). He is surrounded by his
‘court’: the best pieces of his harem, his
bodyguards and his sons and the shaman of
the tribe (whose main function is to ask the
spirits when to launch a raid and to prepare
potions to give strength and vigour to the
king).
12. Royal apartments: It is just a small cave where
the king has a paillasse and keeps his treasures
(his weapons, all the gold he managed to
hoard and a collection of skulls of his ‘most
interesting’ dead enemies).
13. Cave of the Shaman: It is there that the shaman
prepares the potions which the king is so fond
of. There is a collection of ingredients that
range from macerated bats to mosses and
fungi. He does not believe that they really
give back his vigour to the king, but the
important is that the king believes so. More
useful are the divining bones and shells and
the curing herbs.
14. Secret exit: It opens a bit higher in the
mountains and is closed by a huge rock. On
the inside side there are two crowbars to tilt
the rock over and free the passage.

6.3 Pashimakan, Last Refuge of the
Rointanâ
6.3.1 The Rointanâ
The Rointanâ (Ch. Having a body of brass) are the
descendants of the Imperial Guard (also nicknamed the
Invulnerables) of the last Artaxshâsan Rashaja. They
managed to escape the wrath of Vihnu Taronish after the
fall of Chajapûn by fleeing to the Divârayan Mountains.
They founded the village of Pashimakan (Ch. Last Abode)
in a deep valley on the Vaag side of the Divârayan
Mountains and there, after having abducted women from
the nearby valley villages, they created a real tribe. The
Rointanâ live only from plunder and terrorize the
surroundings. With time they may have been destroyed by
local warlords or become a “normal” tribe, keeping only
vague memories of their ancestors, but still speaking Chyan
and transmitting a special hatred for the Empire as well as
the dark cults of Angra Manya (or Surkhazhdar, the Red
Snake as they call the demon), and the Storm God inherited
from the Artaxshâsan.
6.3.2 Layout of the Village
1. House of Rayomand, the chief of the warriors and
of the village.
2. Watch tower.
207
3. Palisade: It is a simple wall of tramped earth, with
no covered way.
4. Well and drinking trough.
5. Typical house: It is made of wood, more rarely of
stone and mud. The roofs are usually made of
large flat stones supported by beams. They
have usually only one storey, but a cellar
might have been dug out. A small corral for
horses and sheep is generally next to the
house. A complete family (3 generations) live
in the same house.
6. Gathering place: Where the men (warriors) meet
to discuss important matters (who and when
to raid), before the chief takes his decision.
7. Path to the Temple of the Red Snake, a long
staircase.
8. House of Azarzushnes, the priest of Surkhazhdar.
It also serves as a casual temple, when it is not
required to go to the Temple of Surkhazhdar,
in the mountains.
6.3.3 Layout of the Temple of
Surkhazhdar
The temple is high in the mountains, accessible only by
a long, steep and winding path. In many a place the path is
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very faint and people can easily get lost without a guide. Clyan Escarpment that wedges between Pelepelplû and
The temple is almost entirely underground, only the facade Farayn, some others pretend that it is somewhere in a deep
has been cut out and carved in the rock. dale of the High Lhûd, south of Pelepelplû or perhaps
around Mijore or even in the Lódenûly plateau. Legends or
Entrance: There is no door, but the wild animals
truth, nobody knows for sure, even the agents of Vihnu
usually do not dare to enter the temple, even if it remains
who captured a few Kharpanâ during the purging of the
unoccupied most of the time. The carvings on the wall
Empire and interrogated them. They revealed nothing,
imitate the front wall of a Chyan temple. There is no other
unless the agents of Vihnu kept the secret for themselves
ornament.
and used this hidden place for their own purpose. Some
First vestibule: A small room where the priest stops pretend that there have been several Khabburjâ during the
to get dressed in his sacerdotal vestments and the entire Artaxshâsan era. They were used and then
worshippers make first prayers to appease the god. abandoned for security, thus confusing the enemies of the
Main hall: It is there that the ceremonies and Kharpanâ and creating the legend of the Khabburj. But
sacrifices to Surkhazhdar, are performed. At the end of the also, they say that among them there was one most
room, there is a huge statue of a twisted red snake, raising important and most secret. It was the first one, built in the
his head. In front of the statue, a large pit full of venomous Clyan Escarpment, and that was used during the entire
snake is used for the sacrifices. The victims (people history of the Kharpanâ. It even may have served as a refuge
captured by the warriors of the tribe during their raids or for the lasts of them, after the fall of their masters, the
unwary travellers stopping for a rest in the village) are just lucky ones who knew where to find this safe haven. It could
pushed down the pit. On the right-hand side there is a be that some Kharpanâ lasted there for some time, trying
statue of Akshâtra, the Storm God, reaching the ceiling. to bring back the ancient rule, before to die out history.
The room is lit by two rows of candelabras during the
ceremonies and is large enough for a hundred of people.
Stairs: Behind the statue of Surkhazhdar, the Red
Snake, a door opens on stairs going down.
Chamber of the God: This is the most sacred place
of the temple, where only the priests and the chiefs of the
Rointanâ (and the future victims) are allowed to go. It is a
natural cave that has been discovered thanks to the
directions of the god (a snake entered a crack in the wall).
In the middle of the cave, amongst enchanting stalactites
and other concretions, is a small lake. The god is said to
come out of the lake when called with appropriate rituals
and sacrifices and to speak with and advise his priest. The
room also contains the Book of Storms, a gift from the
Storm God (it is said) and an heirloom brought by the
Rointanâ in their exile. The power contained in the book
is so strong and scary that even the priests of the Red Snake
do no dare to use it and the book is kept locked. The
Rointanâ are waiting for the one who could use this power
and bring back the faithful Rointanâ to their homeland, as
the legend foretells.

6.4 The Khabburj

It is said that, beside the temple of Angra Manya in
Chajapûn, the Kharpanâ possessed another high quarter,
the Khabburj (Ch. Silent Tower). It was a secret place,
where the most promising novices were taught the dark
arts and the future spies where trained. Many believe that Illustration: KoTnoneKoT
the Khabburj is located in a high valley of the spur of the
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7.0 APPENDIXES "x" or “ch” are pronounced like the "ch" in the Scottish
"Loch Ness"
A “^” indicates a long vowel.
7.1 Abbreviations
The tonic accent is always on the first syllable.
Gaming terms:
GM: Gamemaster Andra (Seraglio): The area reserved to women in a Chyan
NPC: Non-Playing Character house.
PC: Playing Character
Apatân (Palace): Any palace where the Rashaja resides.
Languages: Arshan (Noble man, literally Hero): Hereditary or
appointed city governor, Vaysha family patriarch or leader
Ac. Acâan of Clyan tabarâ. When the imperial power is weak or non-
Ap. Apysaic existent, Arshanâ assume full authority over their land and
the term can then be appropriately translated by king.
Ahar. Aharin
Astoban (Unconquerable waters): A generic name for
Ch. Chyan every kind of marshes, but it is used as a proper name for
Cha. Chaialla the Acaadôky delta near Samarth.
Hal. Haludj Azimtabâr (Mighty family): This originally referred to
rare Vaysha families, those akin to the Rashaja and having a
Har. Haradaic (or Haruze) silver taj. It rapidly became a byword for any powerful
Khuz. Khuzdul family, either Vaysha or Varna or even wealthy Vata in the
later times.
L. Lynîr
Bahanin (Ever Victorious): It is the nickname of the
Q. Quenya
Imperial Host.
S. Sindarin
Delnavaz (Caresser of heart): A kind of viol with 4 cords.
Ta. Tazinain
Dinaz (approx. poem): Short poems often about love, and
Tw. Tawaren playing on words to give different possible meanings.
Va. Vaaghan Divârayan: The Chyan name for the mountains called
Ered Harmal (S. Mountains of the Golden South) in the
West. The mountains range from Nûrad in the north to the
hills of Olyas Kriis in the south, before disappearing in the
7.2 A Chyan Lexicon deserts of Codya. Divârayan can mean either Wall of Iron
or Wall of the Noble Men, depending where the speaker
Chyan is pronounced like English, with the following puts the stress.
specificities:
Erexshâ (Commander): Commander of the imperial
"a" is pronounced like the "a" in "dark" garrison in town citadels or fortresses.
“e” is pronounced like the "e" in "were"
“i” is pronounced like the "i" in "pity" Fajusha (Commoners): One of the Chyan castes.
"o" is pronounced like the "o" in "obey" Farokmad (Prosperous men): Chyan name for trade
"u" is pronounced like the "u" in “ruse” guilds or associations of craftsmen and traders. Apart from
"y" is pronounced like the "y" in “yes” the Bulchyades and some big cities in the North, where
"c" is pronounced like the "ch" in "cheese" they can be very structured, the Farokmads are usually only
“h” indicates a glottal stop (except in the groups dh, kh, lh, very loose associations.
th and zh where it is more a slight expiration)
"j" is pronounced like the "j" in "jail" Frawartâ (Guardian spirits, sing. Frawarti): They are
“r” is trilled (like in Spanish) minor deities of the Chyan pantheon, serving the gods and
“sh” is pronounced like “sh” in “English” being sent by them to help the humans in their struggle
"z" is pronounced like the "su" in "treasure" against the demons. Most of them are servants of Hitâspa
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and Shraosha and dwell in the Ashajatâish that they protect
from intruders. Some of them are evil. It is believed that
Safîdaspâ, Sheroqabâ and Dragons are Frawartâ who
assume a material shape. The Chyan Varna are divided
about the exact nature of the Susanâparâ, some believe they
are some kind of Frawartâ.
Gâth (approx. epic): Long epics telling the fabled stories
of heroes, usually fighting against malevolent demons or
mythical evil beasts.
Huzvagul (Flower-good speaker): A poetry competition
game.
Jaha (World): The part of the Creation of Asrûta where
Men lives, the physical world, Middle-earth, Arda or Eä as
Chyan cannot make the difference. The Creation of Asrûta
also includes the Outerworld and the Underworld, the
worlds of Gods and Demons. Jaha, the intermediary world
is in communications with both the world of the Gods and
the world of the Demons and there is no strict or material
boundaries between them. The Outerworld is not limited
to the heaven and the stars, but a special mountain top,
copse, tree or lake may actually belong to it. For instance,
the palace of the gods on the Thunder Massif is part of the
Outerworld, and so does the mansion of Uzdâva, under the
sea. Likewise, a dreary rock, a gloomy marsh or a close
forest may be ramifications of the Underworld. Gods,
Demons and minor spirits travel more or less freely
between the 3 worlds and unwary people may walk, in
some circumstances, into the Outerworld or the
Underworld.
Khabburj (Silent tower): It is the secret fortress of the
Kharpanâ. The legends say that there are many of them,
hidden in the Chyan Lands, but the name originally refers
to the first, most secret and most important of them.
Kharpanâ (Greedy throng of priests, sing. Kharpan): The
servants of Nevazar, necromancer priests, secret agents
and spies. The word is still used as a despising nickname for
priests who abuse their power or are suspected of heretic
practices (especially demonic cults).
Khudâbandeh (Servant of the Gods): It is the name given
to heroes or Rashajâ who are believed to have been granted
the Gift of Immortality by Asrûta (before all the other good
men and women, who have to wait for the End of the
Times) and live an eternal afterlife in the Court of Hitâspa,
on top of the Ashajatâish. They are especially loved by the
Chyans because they are usually more sensitive to their
sorrows and hardship and can help alleviate them.
Lhûd (Savannah): The name of the high plateau savannah
specific of the Chyan lands. It is divided in High Lhûd
(usually simply Lhûd) in nearly all the Chyan lands and Low
Lhûd in the area of Tenolkachyn, where the altitude
quickly drops. The vegetation remains there a savannah but
the temperatures rise faster than the altitude drops and
transforms this area in a scorching hot plain.
Madyram (Mid-Winter): The main Chyan religious
festival. Also called First Revival Day.
Madysham (Mid-Summer): Or second Revival Day, a
religious festival.
Madyzaram (Mid-Spring): A relatively informal and
familial religious festival.
Mavhelhat (Love-bud): A very familial festival dedicated
to Ameretat, held in the first week of spring.
Mihmân Khâmah: A building where travelling
merchants can find a shelter for the night and often a warm
meal. They are found essentially in the northern provinces
of the Chyan Empire, both in towns or in the open, at
major crossroads or at the top of mountain passes. The
most isolated and vulnerable are often fortified and also
house a small military garrison (at least when the imperial
power is strong enough).
Myzad (Food offering): The traditional sacrifice offered
to the gods.
Murdahzar (Garden of the dead): The name given by the
Chyans to the places where monumental tombs are erected
for rich Vaysha or Varna or the Rashajâ (as commoners are
usually buried inside their houses). Although not actually
sacred places, they are usually revered and the tombs of the
heroes of the past, especially those that have become
Servants of the Gods, are sites for pilgrimages. They are
usually found at important and visible places (crossroads,
city gate, mountain pass, hill-top).
Nahna Karen (Gift of Name): Religious ceremony during
which a name is given to a newborn child.
Nashalarâ (Corpse-bearer, sing. Nashalar): The funerary
priests, a caste of Múranian priests considered as impure
and specifically dedicated to handling with the corpses and
to cure sick people.
Navasesh (Soothing): An alcoholic drink made of
fermented milk.
Otôva (Chief Priest): Head of a temple, whatever the cult.
Pishkasir (Master (of the Farokmad)): The leader of a
Farokmad.
Puyendasp (Swift horse): A very violent horse game.
Rashaja (Great King, plur. Rashajâ): The Chyan
Emperor.

Robad (Tambourine): A small tambourine especially
favoured by the Clyans.
Rointanâ (Having a body of brass): It was the name of the
Imperial Guard of the Artaxshâsan Rashajâ. They were also
nicknamed “the Invulnerables”.
Safîdaspa (White horse, plur. Safîdaspâ): The Safîdaspâ
are creatures of legend, in the shape of the fastest and most
agile Ninfin that have one or two long slivery horns on their
forehead and are of the most dazzling white colour,
believed to blind any whose heart is not pure and strong.
They are said to be able to read the heart of Men, unveil
and awake their deepest feelings and have a limited grasp
of their future. Their eternal foes are the Sheroqabâ.
Sarân (Chief Groom): The name of the general in chief of
the imperial host. Also, the name of the most powerful
piece in Shaja game.
Sarhad (Cold highland): The highland plains typical of the
Clyan country: bleak and cold, covered with short grass
and cut by deep and narrow gorges.
Shadru (Servant): One of the Chyan castes.
Shâhir (Wandering poet, plur. Shâhirâ): The Shâhirâ are
the most commonly encountered Chyan poets. They
wander from town to town, reciting old Gathâ wherever
and whenever people are ready to listen to them (which is
often). The tradition wants that offering them a roof and a
morsel to eat brings good luck into a household. Shâhirâ
transmit their lore only orally to an apprentice (usually
their son) and despise settled poets who write and sell
poetry. They are keepers of a tradition that can be traced
back to well before the Chyans crossed the Chy Gap.
Shapan (Truthful man): Representative of the Rashaja in
the empire. He has power of high justice and has in charge
the local imperial military forces (the Erexshâ is under his
order).
Sheroqâb (Lion-eagle, plur. Sheroqabâ): It is a mythical
creature, said to have the body of a lion and the head and
wings of an eagle. They appear in Chyan legends as masters
of lies and deception, with a deep knowledge of ancient
lore and a great taste for word plays. They are the
incarnation of all that is vile and the opposite of the
Safîdaspâ.
Sohrab (Glowing): The wide ceremonial dagger, usually
heavily decorated with gems and precious metal inlays and
that the Vaysha carry as a token of their high position.
Susanâparâ (Fairies of the trees, sing. Susanâpari): The
name that the Chyans give to the Elves or any other human-
like fairy creatures living in the woods. The Chyan Shâhirâ
211
sing the beauty and wisdom of Arenavachi who was the
Queen of the Susanâparâ and appear as the confident and
adviser of the gods in numerous tales.
Tabâr (Family, plur. tabarâ): Translating “tabâr” is
difficult. It actually means something like “descendants of a
common ancestor”. The early Chyans used it with an
extremely large meaning, indicating a group of people
more or less akin and all their servants. It can then be
translated as “tribe”. After the Chyans settled in their new
land and become sedentary, tabâr took the more restrictive
meaning of a direct line of descendants and excluding
servants and dependants.
Taj (Crown): A kind of high crown made of metal and
worn exclusively by Chyan Vaysha. They are either of gold,
silver, bronze or copper, depending on the exact status of
the Vaysha tabâr. Arshanâ usually have silver tajâ and the
Taj, the crown of the Rashaja, is the only one in gold.
Tajbanu (Lady of the crown): The first spouse of the
Rashaja, or Queen.
Tahmarda (Tall Men): It is the most common name given
by the Chyans to the Númenoreans. Other names found in
the old chronicles are Daneshvara, the Learned Ones, and
Paktana, the Long-lived. With time, Tahmarda tends to
refer more particularly to the Númenoreans of Anarikê,
while the colonists of Sakal an-Khâr are called Khanîm,
following the fashion (tinged with a strong hatred during
the Golden Rule at the end of the Second) the colonists of
Anarikê had to refer to their southern kindred. During the
Third Age, with the fading of the distinction between
Númenoreans and natives in Anarikê, Tahmarda is used as
a common synonymous of Anarikanî, applied to anybody
coming from that land.
Vidavan (Law against the demons): The theological
reform of Dahnâ, after the downfall of the Artaxshâsan
dynasty, forbidding any form of cult rendered to the
demons.
Varna (Priest): One of the Chyan castes.
Vata (Merchant): One of the Chyan castes.
Vaysha (Noble-warrior): One of the Chyan castes.
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7.3 Glossary
(Kadar) Abâr-Narîk (Ad. Citadel of the Iron Eagles): Capital city of
Anarikê.
Abyazark (Ch. White Castle): The Chyan name of the mountain where the
Dwarven city of Námagalûz is dug. Also refers to the city itself.
Adek: People of Burskadekdar.
Aelinost (S. Lake City): A Númenorean outpost in Olyas Kriis, founded in
SA 1660.
Aerann: A city of the Lynerian League.
Ahar: Nomadic people inhabiting the plains north of the Chy Gap. See
Kargagis Ahar.
Ahava: A land in the Ivory Peninsula, the large peninsula which extends south
of Sîrayn.
Ahavan: People of Ahava, known as slave traders.
Akalaî-Zaj: An accursed city in Acaana.
Akhôrahil: One of the 9 Ringwraiths. Also called Kherondil by the Chyans
and known as the Storm King (or the Storm God or Akshâtra by the Chyans).
His dominion is centred on Anbalukkhôr, west of Sîrayn.
Alkyad: A kingdom founded in the Ered Harmal by Entoj Adun, an aggressive
Haruze warlord, who claimed to be the descendant of the Ringwraith Queen
Ard the Vain. Named after its capital city built in TA 1038.
Amesh: One on the five original Chyan clans. Settled in Lódenûly.
Ammu: One on the five original Chyan clans. Settled in the Low Lhûd and
Samarth.
Anarikanî: People of Anarikê (Olyas Kriis).
Anarikê (Ad. Land of the Eagle): See Olyas Kriis.
Anbalukkhôr (Ad. (land) of the ship-king): See Mountaincleft.
Apysaic: The dominant language family in south-western Endor. The first
Apysaic speakers settled to the south-west of the Utter Harad, in the areas called
Hyarn, Elorna, Zimrathâni, Drel, and Pel. The second wave entered Harad
over 1500 years later and came to control the Far Harad.
Ard: Queen Ard the Vain or Adûnaphel. One of the 9 Ringwraiths, whose
dominion was in Near Harad.
Arentaurr (Tw. Forest of the Arana): One of the Gleaming Cities of the
Taarun Elves in Heb Aaraan.
Arysis: An oasis on the Ode Rysis, between Siakan and Lurmsakûn, on the
southern flanks of the Ered Harmal. Its capital is the rich merchant city of
Maresh.
Ashajatâish (Ch. Thunder Massif): Mountain in the Ered Harmal, west of
Mijore. It is sacred to the Chyans who believe that their god Hitâspa has is abode
on its top.
Asrûta: The Sun and True God. Father of all gods and demons and creator of
everything in the Chyan religion.
Bellakar: A land in the Far Harad, stretching along the coast of the Belegaer,
south of Umbar and north of the Bozisha-Miraz. It is sometime divided into
Mardruak, Felayja and Bellazen, from north to south.
Bellakaze: People of Bellakar.
Bozisha-Dar (Ap. Gift of the Goddess): A hub for trade and the main city of
the Bozisha-Miraz. Called Harshport by Westron speakers, the city overlooks
the point where the river Rijesha empties into the great Bay of Tulwang.
Bozisha-Dar is often simply referred to as “the Dar”.
Bozisha-Miraz (Ap. Dowry of the Goddess): The Apysaic name for the lands
that would roughly be called south-central Far Harad by Gondorians. The
highlands called Raj are the cultural centre and richest region of the Bozisha-
Miraz.
Bozishnarod: People of the Bozisha-Miraz.
Bulchya: One of the five original Chyan tribes, who settled in the Bulchyades.
Burskadekdar: A high plain in the east of Endor.
Cajanians: People of Coàjanîr.
Cevra: An island of the southern Archipelago. Conquered by Harshandatt in
the mid-Third Age.
Chaialla (Cha. Clifflings): A Drúedain people who lived in the Chyan lands
before the coming of the first Múranians. Also called Iauradaníl or Old Little
Folk in Sindarin.
Chey Sart: The Chey Nation. The ruthless Chey horsemen live in a wide plain,
north of the Chy Gap and between the Talathrant River and the Chey Rill,
where the only remarkable feature in the solitary volcano called Ulk Chey Sart.
Chya: The most important of the five original Chyan clans and who gave its
name to the Chyans. Settled in Chy.
Ciryatandor (S. Land of Ciryatan): See Mountaincleft.
Ciryatanórë (Q. Land of Ciryatan or Land of the Ship Builder): Land name
after the Númenorean king Tar-Ciryatan. See Mountaincleft.
Cly: One of the five original Chyan clans. They settled in the Clyan Highlands
and kept their nomadic traditions.
Coàjanîr: The coastal lands of Harshandatt (named after the city of Coàjan).
Codya: A country in the east of the Chyan Empire, on the northern shores of
the Bay of Ormal, between Lômithâni and Olyas Kriis. It is the main realm of
the Vulmaw in the Bay of Ormal.
Codyan: People of Codya. Mostly of Vulmaw stock.
Dalpygis: A hilly country in the north of Kargagis Ahar.
Dhaht: A country of steppes and desert north of the Lynerian League.
Dilikhran: Nomadic people living in Dhaht.
Doyidh: Capital of Vaag.
Drej Uriac: An important Vulmaw city in Codya.
Elanthia: One of the Gleaming Cities of the Taarun Elves of Heb Aaraan.
Emaldar: Old Múranian name of Mijore.
Emelcyn: A city of the Lynerian League.
Ephydis: A Lynerian city in Lynahar.
Far Harad (W./S. Far South): A generic term used by the people of Gondor
to refer to the country (mostly wastelands and deserts) stretching south of the
Harnen River (see Near Harad) and as far as the foothills of the Yellow
Mountains in the south and the Ered Harmal in the East and bounded by the

Belegaer in the West. The Far Harad includes lands such as Bellakar, the Raj,
Tulwang, Anbalukkhôr, Arysis, Siakan or Harshandatt.
Gaathgykarkan: A low steppe-land in the south east of central Endor.
Greater Harad (W./S. Greater South): See Sîrayn.
Haphet: Múranian name of Kandalar.
Harad (S. South): How the people of Gondor call the vast area located below
the river Harnen, south of Gondor and Mordor. Harad is also called
Haradwaith, a label which more genuinely refers to the people of the region.
Haradaic: The dominant language family in northern (Near) Harad. Haradaic
is associated with the Haradrim (Haradwaith) or Haruze as they call themselves.
Southern Haradrim, however, generally speak various forms of (northern)
Apysaic.
Haradrim (S. Southern People or Southrons): How the people of Gondor call
the various confederations of Haradaic and Apysaic-speaking peoples who
reside in Harad. Also called the Haradwaith.
Haruze: How the people living on the banks of the Harnen River call
themselves.
Harshandatt: The Kingdom of the Black Leopard or the Land of the Two
Rivers. The land stretching south of the Chyan Empire, on the coast of the Bay
of Ormal and along the banks of the Núar and Irôlm rivers.
Harshandattî: People of Harshandatt. Often called Múranians by the
Chyans.
Heb Aaraan (Tw. Forsaken by the Arana): The mountain country around the
great Chyasraan lake in the Ered Harmal, west of the Clyan highlands. It is
peopled by Taarun Elves.
Jabâya: The mountain country that stretches in the Ered Harmal between the
southern banks of lake Chyasraan and the upper valley of the Ode Siak, north
of Siakan and the Clyan Highlands. Home of the Jabâyarâ (Mountain Men in
old Chyan).
Ibaavi: People of Ibav.
Ibav: A low, flat land located between Lóchas Drûs and the Bleak Mountains,
in the east.
Idurâk: People who lived on the headwaters of the Niss River, north of
Lômithâni and the Lynerian League. They gave their name to the upper valley
of the Niss River.
Inyalonî (from Q. Inyalóna, Female island): First Númenorean outpost
founded in Olyas Kriis, in SA 1625.
Jí Indûr: One of the 9 Ringwraiths who extended his dominion in the Utter
South, in Tantûrak and later in the Southern Archipelago.
Jodiar: Other (Múranian) name of Tûl Jodia.
Jojojopo: A land in the east, on the southern shores of the Gulf of Ibav.
Jôpi: People of Jojojopo.
Kaphet: Múranian name of Kantilya.
Kargagis Ahar: The Confederation of the Ahar, the main people living in the
plains running east of the Talathrant and the Chey Rill and north of the Chy
Gap.
Kherondil: Chyan name of Akhôrahil.
Kiphetaba: Múranian name of Samarth.
213
Kykurian Kyn: A country on the southern shores of the Bay of Illuin, west of
the mouth of the Talathrant. Peopled by the Kalion, worshippers of the Dragon
Hilyarumor.
Llikh: An island of the Southern Archipelago. Became the centre of a short
lived Chyan princedom in the mid-Third Age.
Lômithâni (Ad. Land of the Night): A Númenorean colony on the bank of
the Niss River, between Codya and the Lynerian League. Also called Lônithâni
(Ad. Land of the Haven, S. Londor) or Dorondor (S. Land of the Oak).
Lurmsakûn: The westernmost of the Oasis Kingdoms, south of the Ered
Harmal and neighbouring Arysis, Khand and Pezarsan. Often considered as the
easternmost realm of the true Haruze of Near Harad.
Lynahar: A kingdom ruled in common by Dwarves and Lynîr, in the
mountains north of the Lynerian League.
Lyneria: The first city built by the Lynîr on the coast of the Bay of Ormal.
Lynerian League: A League of city-states formed in ancient times by the
Lynîr, a confederation of different peoples, famous for being sailors, merchants
and explorers. The Lynerian lands lie on the north-eastern shores of the Bay of
Ormal, north of the Zurghôr Jungle and south of Lynahar.
Lynîr: People of the Lynerian League.
Maresh: Main city of Arysis.
Mejhanîr: Country of Mejhat, in northern Harshandatt.
Mejhat: Big port city in the north of Harshandatt.
Memphet: A important Harshandattî citadel at the border between
Harshandatt and the Chyan Empire.
Merkampa: A dragon living in the Ered Harmal and Vaag.
Mogul: Land onf the Moguly tribes. Present-day Bulchyades.
Moguly: Múranian tribe who lived in the Bulchyades before the coming of the
Chyans.
Mountaincleft: Kingdom of the Ringwraith Akhôrahil, west of Sîrayn. Also
called Anbalukkhôr, Ciryatandor or Ciryatanórë.
Mûmakan: A land in the Utter South, home of the famous Mûmak.
Mûmakanar: People of Mûmakan.
Múranian: People who lived in Murayn before the coming of the Chyans.
Chyans use the name to refer to their descendants, subjects of the Empire, and
to the people of Harshandatt.
Murayn: The name given by the ancestors of the Harshandattî to Chy and the
Denûly valley.
Myrn Shriac: Vulmaw capital of Codya.
Naijin: A fortress city of the Vulmaw in the desert, north of Codya.
Námagalûz: The great dwarven city of the Ered Harmal, east of lake
Chyasraan. Called Abyazark by the Chyans.
Near Harad (W./S. Near South): How Gondorian call the lands on their
southern border, along the valley of the Harnen River. It may goes as far south
as Umbar, especially when this port city is under Gondorian rule.
Nhazadh: Title for the ruler of Harshandatt.
Niel Arên: Capital of Acaana.
214
Númenor (S. West-land): Also called Westernesse. It is the large, fertile
island continent located in the middle of the Great Sea (S. Belegaer) and home
of the Númenoreans, that the Chyans call Tahmarda. It was raised from the seas
at the beginning of the Second Age and destroyed by a cataclysm in SA 3319.
Númenorean: People from Númenor. The Chyans call them Tahmarda.
They were great sailors and warriors but also men of lore and wisdom. They
founded colonies in the Bay of Ormal and dominated most of its shores before
their downfall at the end of the Second Age of the Sun
Odhâren: Name taken by the Ringwraith Ren the Unclean in the Third Age.
See Ren.
Olyas Kriis: A peninsula, also called Anarikê (and Soronórë), between the
Bulchyades and Codya. This hilly land is peopled by descendants of Elinse,
Lynîr, Chyan and Númenorean settlers.
Orgothraath: The wooden land just north of the Chy Gap, on the headwaters
of the Chey Rill.
Orgothraathi: People of Orgothraath.
Ormal (Bay or Sea of): The sea south of central Middle-earth, according to
legends formed by the fall of the southern lamp of the Powers in the Nights of
Time. The Bay of Ormal is the centre of civilisation of southern Middle-earth.
Ovatha: One of the 9 Ringwraiths. His kingdom was in Khand and the central
plains of Endor, west of the great Talathrant River.
Pelnatej: A city of Olyas Kriis.
Pelorna: A city of the Lynerian League.
Pezarsan: An eastern kingdom of Near Harad, on the Harnen River (called
there Ode Pezar), west of Lurmsakûn.
Raj: The fertile highlands located in south-western Far Harad. It is the major
centre of culture and trade of the Far Harad. Bozisha-Dar is its chief city.
Râkhe: A wild people of the Southern Archipelago.
Relmether: A kingdom on the Talathrant River, north-west of Chey Sart.
Relmetherim: People of Relmether.
Ren Jey: One of the 9 Ringwraiths. Called the Unclean or the Fire King. He
ruled over the Chey and extended his dominion over a large part of the great
plains of Endor, east of the Talathrant. In the Third Age he made himself called
Odhâren the Fierce.
Rycolin: People of Rycolis.
Rycolis: A lands of hills in the great plains of Endor, east of the Tem-Eskam
dorsal and on the headwaters of the Forbesir, the great river of the Far North.
Sakal an-Khâr (Ad. Southern Coast): Greatest Númenorean colony in the
Bay of Ormal, on a peninsula south of the Zurghôr Jungle. It revolted against
the King of Númenor at the end of the Second Age and turned into a strong
imperial power in the Bay of Ormal, before the rebellion was crushed. Again a
major power in the Bay of Ormal in the early Third Age.
Sâre: People of the Southern Archipelago. Known for indulging in piracy.
Siakan: An oasis along the Ode Siak, west of the Chyan Highlands and south
of the Ered Harmal.
Silvermist: Chyan name of the elven kingdom in the woods and mountains
around the mist covered lake Chyasraan in Heb Aaraan.
Sîrani: People of Sîrayn.
Sîrayn: The lands along the Siresha River, south of Harshandatt. Called
Greater Harad by the people of Gondor.
Soronórë (Q. Land of the Eagle): Name given to Olyas Kriis by its first
Númenorean settlers. Later called Anarikê. See Olyas Kriis.
Strongflow: The common name of the Chyan great city of Pelepelplû.
Suncrown: The highest mountain in the Ered Harmal, west of lake
Chyasraan.
Talathrant (S. Plain-river): The great river which crosses the central plains of
Endor. It flows north, from the Ered Harmal to the Bay of Illuin. It is called
Samûda by the Chyans, a deformation of its Chejan name: Sam Uta.
Talathrim (S. Plain people): The group of peoples originally living in the
central plains of Middle-earth.
Tantûrak: A former Númenorean colony in the Utter south. Home of the
Ringwraith Jí Indûr.
Thelór's Folk: Dwarven people who built the Námagalûz in the early days of
Second Age. Over the centuries, this people has become very divided, founding
independent cities in the Yellow Mountains, from the remote city of Naragurs
in the far west to Zâramgathol in Lynahar in the east.
Tûl Jodia: The major city of Ornad, between Harshandatt and Sîrayn.
Tûl Póac: An oasis in the great desert of Haradwaith. A major trade centre
and caravan city between the Raj, Sîrayn and Harshandatt.
Ulshy: A land on the southern shore of the Bay of Illuin, between the mouth
of the Talathrant and the northern spurs of the Tem-Eskam.
Ulshyan: People of Ulshy. Akin to the Chyans.
Utter Harad (W./S. Utter South): How the people of Gondor call the lands
south of the Yellow Mountains.
Vaag: The hilly country stretching in the Ered Harmal, north-east of the Chyan
Empire, between the Chy Gap and Acaana.
Vaagathâ: People of Vaag. They are akin to both the Chyans and the Aca.
Vagya: One on the five original Chyan tribes. They settled in Nosharud.
Velarith (S. Gods Safety): The mountain refuge in the Suncrown massif
(highest peak of the Ered Harmal), founded by a Gondorian mystic in the 12th
century of the Third Age.
Vulm Shryac: An island of the Southern Archipelago, first to be conquered
by the Vulmaw coming from Womawas Drûs on the Far Eastern coasts of
Endor.
Vulmaw: People who came from the far Womawas Drûs and settled first in
Vulm Shryac. They later conquered Codya. Great seamen and traders, they are
also infamous pirates and slave traders.
Zurghîr: Savage tribes who live in the jungles and marshes of Zurghôr.
Zurghôr: The unforgiving jungle between Sakal an-Khâr and the Lynerian
League. It is rumoured to be home of unknown and unspeakable horrors from
a long-forgotten age.
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7.4 Chyan Names

Chyans usually have only one name. As they are especially imaginative to devise new names, there is generally few risks of
confusion. When necessary they can precise their identity by giving the name of the ancestor of their family or the name of
their father. The new-born child receives his name during a special ceremony, the Gift of Name, which is one of the most
important domestic religious festival (see #3004-1 Chyan Empire : The People, section 7.4.3).
The following tables give examples of the most common Chyan names for boys and girls.

Names of boys Names of girls

Abadard One who possesses prosperity Aredetfredhi One having a righteous father
Abarja Most strenuous Arenavachi Speaking the truth
Adarbad Protector of fire Armaiti Humility
Adarburzin Fire of exaltation Arta Righteous
Adarfiroz Fire of victory Artdokht Righteous daughter
Adarfra Fire of glory Aryenish Of a noble lineage
Adarmard A man of power Arzu Wish
Adarvan Fire protector Asha Righteousness
Adel Just Ashishvangh Good blessings
Advi Needing no protection Azarmidokht Beloved daughter
Afiveh Extremely good Bahmanbanu Lady with a good mind
Airyaman Noble mind Bahmandokht Good minded maiden
Amavand Powerful Bakhtavar Fortunate
Anoshiruvan Having an immortal soul Banudadhush Lady with justice and intelligence
Arash Righteousness Banugul Rose-like lady
Arasti Adorned Banugushnasp Lady who possesses a male horse
Arawaostra Possessing a white stallion Banuhufriya Loving lady
Arshak Straightforward Banuhufriz Well-born lady
Arshâma Having the might of a hero Banuhuram Lady with joy
Arshis Blessing Banuhururish Lady shining like the sun
Arta Righteous Behafrid Well created
Arvand Courageous Behruz Good day
Ashtad Rectitude Behzad Well born
Aspandad Bountiful humility Dadhush Born intelligent
Aspandyar Bountiful friend Dadhushfarrokh Born with auspicious intelligence
Aspantaman White one Delara Adorner of heart
Aurashaspa Possessing swift camels Delaram Comfort to heart
Aurvatasp One having swift horses Delbahar Heart of the spring season
Azadafroz Shining nobly Delbanu Loving lady
Azadchehr Of noble appearance Delbar Loving
Azadmard Noble man Deldar Keeper of heart
Bahadur Valiant Delkhush Pleasant
Bahman Good mind Delnavaz Caresser of heart
Bahmard Good man Delruba Ravishing of heart
Bahram Victorious Delshad Of happy heart
Bahramdad Created by victory Dinbanu Lady of faith
Bakhtafrid Blessed by fortune Fahnik Virtuous
Bakhtyar Friend of fortune Farida Proud
Barman High minded Farkhonda Happy
Behbud Good leader Farnaza Intelligent
Behzad Born of good family Freny Beloved
Bundar With a noble lineage Goharafrid Created by nature
Burzafrah Having exalted glory Gulafruz Dazzling like a flower
Burzasp Having tall stallions Gulafshan Dispersing like a flower
Burzincheher With an exalted face Gulandam Having the form of a flower
Chubin Having a wooden mace Gulbadan Having a body like a rose
Dadafarin Created by justice Gulbaher A spring flower
Dadbandad Law-conforming Gulbanu Flower-like lady
Dadfaruk Shining by law Gulbarg A rose leaf
Dadfiruz Victorious by law Gulchehr Having a countenance like a rose
Dadmeher Just law Gulestan Garden of roses
Daneshvar Possessing knowledge Gulkhandan Smiling like a flower
 216

Names of boys Names of girls

Darazdast Long-handed Gulkhurshid Sunflower
Dastan Strong Gulpaekar Rose-faced
Davrameshi Having stout sheep Gulroxar Rose-faced
Delawar Liberal Gulrukh Rose-faced
Delir Brave Gulshirin Sweet like a rose
Delsuz Sympathetic Homai Well proportioned
Dinpanah Having protection of the religion Hufriya One who possesses much love
Dinyar Friend of religion Hutosh Well-formed
Dravasp Having healthy horses Hutoxi Diligent
Emet Hope Katin Belonging to the house
Erezwand Righteous Keherafrid Made of chestnut or bay colour
Faravindad Obtaining glory Kerbanu A lady of felicity
Fardad Endowed with splendour Khubchehr Good looking
Farhad Cutter of stones Khubrui Of fine features
Farrokh Auspicious Khurmand Possessing glory
Farrokhan Glorious Khurshidbanu Lady like the sun
Farrokhbondad Having a happy family Khushchehr Of pleasing face
Farrokhnezad Of blessed purity Khushmand Happy
Farrokhzad Auspiciously born Khushnama Of nice appearance
Farzan Wise Khushnawaz Pleasingly caressing
Ferozgar The triumphant Mahafrin Blessing of the moon
Frahimrawa Exalted soul Mahaziver A lady with golden ornaments
Frahisrva Celebrated Mahbanu Moon-like lady
Frashaoshtra Having useful camels Mahchehr With features like the moon
Fravak Forthright speaker Mahdokht Daughter of the moon
Goberu Cattle nourisher Mahin Like the moon
Goraze One who organises Mahinbanu Lady like the moon
Gushnasp Possessing a stallion Mahkhurshid Moon and sun
Gushtahm Of a strong family Mahpaekar Having a face like the moon
Gushtasp Having a ready horse Mahperviz Excellent like the moon
Habub Having good animals or cows Mahrokh Having a face like the moon
Hoshang Knowledge and intelligence Mahtab Shining moon
Hoshedar One who increases holiness Mahzarin Golden moon
Hoshedarmah One who increases reverence Makhmal Velvet
Hoshyar Clever Manizeh A jewel of a lady
Huafrid Well-created Meherafraz Exalted by love
Huafrita Well-loved Meherafrid Created by love
Huchithra Having good origin Meherafrin Blessings of the sun
Hukhshthra Good ruler Meherafruz Kindled by love
Husrav Of good fame Meherangiz One that creates love
Hutan Well-bodied Meherbanu Lady of love
Huvaspa Having good horses Meherchehr Having features like the sun
Huzvak Good speaker Meherokh With a face like the sun
Ishvat Desired Meherpaekar Of a face like the sun
Izadyar Friend of God Morvarid Pearl
Jahanabad One who makes the world prosper Naheed Immaculate
Jamasp Possessor of sturdy horses Nazbanu Graceful lady
Janafruz One who cheers, kindles life Nazchehr Graceful looks
Jangi Brave Nazneen Graceful maiden
Kamdele Desire of the heart Naztab Shining grace
Kamran Successful in every undertaking Nekakhtar Of good stars
Karan Active Nekbakht Of good fortune
Kaykhusru Of good fame Nekchehr Of good appearance
Kersasp Having lean horses Nekdel Of good heart
Khanvant Shining Nezhat Pure
Kharad Wisdom Parvana Butterfly
Khordad Created by glory or grace Purgav Having many cows
Khorehomand Possessing grace Rakhshandeh Shining
Khorram Happy Rambanu Lady of joy
Khorushasp Having pleasant horses Rokhsar Bright face
Khubchehr Having a fine face Roshan Shining
Khubruy With a good face Roshanaf Bright
Khubyar Having a good friend Roshanak Bright woman
 217

Names of boys Names of girls

Khudabax Gift from God Roxenda Flashing
Khudadad Created by God Samanrukh With a patient face
Khudamard Man of God Sarafraz With an exalted head
Khudamorad Desire of God Sarosh Obedience
Khudaparasht God's devotee Shaker Sweet
Khudaram Joy of God Shakerbanu Sweet lady
Khudayar Friend of God Shakernaz Delicate as sweet words
Khufiruz With good victory Shirin Sweet
Khurdad Perfection Shirinbanu Sweet lady
Khursand Contented Simin Silvery
Khushchehr Having pleasing features Simindokht Silvern girl
Khushmanish Having a good heart Tabendeh Shining
Khushmasta Extremely joyous Tanaz Having a delicate body
Khushnawaz Sweet comforter Vispanfriva Beloved of all
Mahburzin Exalted moon Zarin Golden
Mahdat Created by the moon Zarmandokht Daughter of time
Mahyar One whose friend is the moon
Mardbud Chief amongst men
Meherab Lustre of friendship
Meherafshan Devoted in love
Meherasp Friendly horse
Meheryar Friend of love
Meherzad Born of the sun
Namdar Famed
Naoshad New joy
Naozad New-born
Nariman Manly minded
Nashak Friend of all
Nawazish Gift given by God
Nekchehr Having a good appearance
Nekmard A good man
Nevazar Intrepid as fire
Noved Good news
Orvadasp Possessing swift horses
Peshotan Wisely active
Pirangushnasp Having old male horses
Pishkar Zealous in his duty
Porgav Having abundant cattle
Rakhoh Independent
Ram Joyfulness
Rambax Bestower of joy
Rambehesht Joyful heaven
Ramburzin Exalted joy
Ramdin Joy of religion
Ramgushnasp Joy in possessing a stallion
Ramin Joyful
Ramisht Most joyful
Rayomand Full of glory
Roshan Shining
Safna Bringer of prosperity
Sahi Straight
Sarafraz Conqueror
Sarosh Obedience
Sherfiruz Victorious lion
Shergir One who holds the lion
Shidasp Possessing shining horses
Shidush Shining shoulder
Shirmard Lion-like man
Shiruy Lion-faced
Shirvanshah Lion-like
Shirzad Born of a lion
Smardis Exalted
Spityur One who possesses white lambs
 218

Names of boys Names of girls

Sriroxna Having beautiful oxen
Stivant Steadiness
Surin Brave
Tahm Valiant
Tahmasp Having strong horses
Upamana High minded
Urvakhsha Joyful
Urvatatnara Man of perfection
Vardanis Of a brave family
Vasna Omnipresent
Vishnasp Possessing a stallion
Vispanfria Beloved of all
Vourunemangha Of wide homage
Wehafrid Well created
Wehshapur Good prince
Wehzan Well born
Yavisht Young
Zaosh Willing
Zaran Golden
Zarmeher Exalted love
Zirak Clever
Zirakzadeh Wise born

Chyans also usually make up names for their children in honour of a god or a hero of the past. The most common
constructions are:
X-badan: Possessing a body like X X-frya: Beloved by X
X-bandeh: Servant of X X-hir: Possessing the essence of X
X-banu: Lady of X X-mah: Mouth of X
X-dad: Born of X X-morad: Desire of X
X-dokht: Daughter of X Nim-X: Half as mighty as X
X-dyar: Friend of X X-parasht: Devotee of X
X-farin: Created X X-pur: Son of X
X-frid: Blessed by X X-ram: Joy of X

7.5 Weights and Lengths

For the commodity of the reading, usual metric and imperial measure systems have been used in the text. However, Chyans
have their own system of weights and lengths.
Lengths
Ninfinmûi: The breadth of a Ninfin mane hair. It is more used as an expression to refer to something very thin, like high quality silk,
than as a real length measure.
Bahar: Length of one joint of the thumb (about 3.2 cm or 1 ¼ inch)
Vajjab: Span from tip of thumb to tip of little finger extended (about 21 cm or 8 ¼ inch)
Kallah: Ordinary stature of a man (about 1.70 m or 5’7’’)
Farsang: Distance that a man can walk during one Chyan hour of daylight (about 4 km or 2.5 miles)

Weights
Chyans use weights to measure liquids or grain quantities.
Nukhûd: Weight of a local variety of very small chick-pea (about 0.2 g or 1/144 ounce). It is usually used to weight gems or drugs.
120 Nukhûd = 1 Miskâl (about 24 g or 0.8 oz).
120 Miskâl = 1 Mân (about 2.9 kg or 6 lb 4 oz)
1/3 Mân = 1 Sihyak (about 960 g or 33.3 oz), means literally one-third.
30 Mân = 1 Shajamân (about 86.4 kg or 187 lb 8 oz), the weight of Rashaja Shôburagan the day of his crowning as the legend says.
2 Shajamân = 1 Shuturvar (about 172.8 kg or 375 lb), the load a Chyan camel can carry.
Gold or other precious metals are usual kept in the form of pierced disk ingots of 1 Mân, from which 120 golden Shôbu coins or 360
silver Sapi coins can be minted.
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7.6 Table of the Rashajâ

Note: Note that the numbers following the names of the Chyan Rashajâ used in the text are for clarity purpose. Chyans do not use them.
Victorious Sun Empire Kavadh I (2656-2660)
Dârayavahan dynasty (853-1162)
Haxamânahan (2660-3016)
Haxâmanish I, the Old (654-694)
Kurû I (2660-2693) related to Haxâmanish V
Dârayavahu I (853-880)
Kurû II (2693-2742)
Xshayârshan I, the Conqueror (880-911)
Khashâyâr I (2742-2751)
Dâtuvahya I (911-953)
Haxâmanish VI (2751-2787)
Ariyamna I (953-981)
Ferozgar I (2787-2826)
Ariyamna II (981-1020)
Uvaxshtra III (2826-2869)
Kambûjiya I (1020-1049)
Dâtuvahya III (2869-2895)
Uvaxshtra I (1049-1071)
Kavadh II (2895-2919)
Dadârshi I (1071-1103)
Ferozgar II (2919-2923)
Haxâmanish II (1103-1145)
Aspacanah I (2923-2987)
Xshayârshan II (1145-1152), his br. Kurû at Chajapûn (1152-1178)
Aspacanah II (2987-3016)
Kambûjiya II (1152-1165)
Tirdâhan dynasty (3020-3281)
Dâtuvahya II (1171-1182) reigned only at Pelepelplû
Tirdâd I the Musician (3020-3043)
Ganashôshyn (1182-1191) counsellor of Dâtuvahya II, Arshan of Pelepelplû
Farhâd I (3043-3073)
Vâyaspâra (1191-1222), Arshan of Pelepelplû
Ferozgar III (3073-3089)
Tirdâd II (3089-3103), no Rashaja appointed by Sakal an-Khâr after Tirdâd’s death
Shining Gold Empire Ântîcûs I (3110-3127)
Shôburagahan dynasty (1661-2013) Sûlûkûs I (3127-3144)
Shôburagan I (1661-1682) Farhâd II (3144-3160)
Ganachyn I (1682-1692) Tirdâd III (3145-3153), revolted against Farhâd II and the Dark Ordainers
Xshayârshan III (1692-1698) Sûlûkûs II (3160-3180)
br. Vâyaspâra I (1698-1702) Ferozgar IV (3180-3193)
br. Ardâcher I (1702-1707) Ântîcûs II (3193-3233)
Ganachyn II (1707-1709) Sûlûkûs III (3233-3255)
Cishpi I (1709-1735) Aspacanah III (3255-3280)
Dadârshi II (1735-1753) Aspacanah IV (3280-3281)
Vâyaspâra II (1753-1762)
Vâyaspâra III (1762-1799)
Cishpi II (1799-1835)
Everlasting Sun Empire
Cishpi, Arshan of Jorash (3268-3295)
Vâyaspâra IV (1835-1862)
Artabân, Arshan of Jorash (3295-3324)
Haxâmanish III (1862-1870)
Shônagân, Arshan of Jorash (3324-3356)
Fardad I (1870-1913)
Ganagan, Arshan of Jorash (3356-3389)
Uvaxshtra II (1913-1965)
Vihnagan, Arshan of Jorash (3389-2428)
Vishtâspa I (1965-2013) a.k.a. Ganshô
Cishpi, Arshan of the Bulchyades (3428-TA 26)
Haxâmanish IV (2172-2221) [revolted Arshan of Tenolkachyn and Samarth]
Shônagân, Arshan of the Bulchyades (26-58)
Ganagan, Arshan of the Bulchyades (58-112)
Creeping Darkness Empire Cishpi the Child, Arshan of Chajapûn (105-147)
Artaxshâsan dynasty (2039-2299) Artabân the Fair, Arshan of Chajapûn (147-181)
Artaxshâsa I (2039-2043) Shônagân the Lion, Arshan of Chajapûn (181-203)
br. Dârayavahu II (2043-2081) Ganagan Sweet Tongue, Arshan of Chajapûn (203-223), br. of the preceding and
Kambûjiya III (2081-2125) Rashaja in 223
Xshayârshan V (2125-2167)
Dadârshi III (2167-2199) Ganagahan dynasty (223-527)
br. Vâyaspâra V (2199-2205) Ganagan I (223-233)
Dadârshi IV (2205-2208) Shônagân I(233-265)
Vishtâspa II (2208-2235) Ardâcher III (265-298)
Dadârshi V (2235-2261) Kavadh III (298-305)
Vâyaspâra VI (2261-2287) Kharad I (305-379)
br. Dahaka I (2287-2294) Sapôr I (379-383) grand-son of the preceding
Azarnuzeth I (2294-2299) Bharâm I (383-399) his br. Sapôr II at Chajapûn (383-409)
Yazdgard I (409-428), son of Sapôr II
Purifying Light Empire Ardâcher IV (428-446)
Vihnahan dynasty (2300-2660) Hormhîd I (446-469)
Vihnu I, Taronish (2300-2335) a.k.a. Tasagana Ardâcher V (469-518)
Ardâcher II, Chey Victor (2335-2353) Kharad II (518-527)
Cishpi III (2353-2401)
Dârayavahu III (2401-2427) Haydahan-Ganagahan dynasty (527-743)
Fardad II (2427-2463) Haydar I (527-545)
Dadârshi VI (2463-2498) Tahmasp I (545-580)
Dadârshi VII (2498-2556) Khodâd I (580-599)
Kambûjiya IV (2556-2581) Yazdgard II (599-625)
Ganachyn III (2581-2612) Hormhîd II (625-678)
Haxâmanish V (2612-2637) Kharad III (678-703)
Cishpi IV (2637-2656) Yazdgard III (703-736)
Kharad IV (736-743)
220

Mujahan dynasty (743-916) Dadfiruz II (1710-1726)

Mujahâdh I (743-781) Hormhîd III (1690-1710)
Vihnagan I (781-799) Vahyazdâta I (1726-1727)
Siyavush I (799-821) Khosrô IV (1710-1727)
Vihnagan II (821-844)
Mujahâdh II (844-865) Phaxsharâ dynasty (1727-2139)
Duvarayadh I (865-878) Khosrô V Tudhaliya I (1727-1761)
Abarpân I (878-893) Izadyar I Tudhaliya II (1761-1783)
Duvarayadh II (893-916) Mursil I (1783-1827)
Khudayar I (1827-1861)
Ulvanahan dynasty (916-1007) Khorram I Muwatalli I (1861-1907)
Ulvânad I (916-953) Khudayar II (1907-1915)
Haydar II (953-965) Mursil II (1915-1954)
Kavadh IV (965-977) Izadyar II Arnawunda I (1954-1979)
Khosrô I (977-998) Ramdin I Arnawunda II (1979-2023)
Khosrô II (998-1007) Hormhîd IV Muwatalli II (2023-2061)
Mursil III (2061-2086)
Shajanahan dynasty (1007-1304) Khudayar III (2086-2117)
Shajanan I (1007-1029) Mursil IV (2117-2131)
Vanâyan I (1029-1046) Khorram II Muwatalli III (Aberett 2131-Mordâd 2132)
Phraate I (1046-1053) Varahran I (Mordâd 2132-Mehrâ 2132)
Phraate II (1053-1077) Sharbaraz, an Aca usurper (Mehrâ 2132-Aberett 2132)
Vanâyan II (1077-1090) Varahran II (Aberett 2132-Shahrîvar 2135)
Phraate III (1090-1115) Purandokht I (Shahrîvar 2135-Mehrâ 2137)
Phraate IV (1115) Hormhîd V Khurazzad I (Mehrâ 2137-Aberett 2138)
Instability, ten rulers (1115-1119) Mursil V (Aberett 2138-Dayâr 2139)
Orodâyan I (1119-1123)
Murasa and Arazandar (1123-1125) Aldhrâdan dynasty (2139-2345)
Vologese I (1125-1127) Aldhrâd I (2139-2164)
Artabân I (1127-1129) Khordhâd I (2164-2176)
Phraate V (1129-1157) Khordhâd II (2176-2186) br. of the preceding
Artabân II (1157-1173) Khordhâd III (2186-2223) br. of the preceding
Shajanan II (1173-1191) Bahmard I (2223-2257)
Artabân III (1191-1195) Aldhrâd II (2257-2281)
Vologese II (1195-1199) Aldhrâd III (2281-2311)
Shajanan III the Irresolute (1199-1225) Bahmard II (2311-2345)
Chajapûn Nosharud Khushnawazan (Aca) dynasty (2345-2523)
Vologese III (1226-1253) Shahrvaraz I (2345-2353)
Artabân IV (1225-1244) Hurihhûd I (2353-2371)
Orodâyan II (1253-1270) Shahrvaraz II (2371-2392)
Phraate VI (1244-1258) Sarafraz I (2392-2443)
Vanâyan III (1270-1288) Hurihhûd II (2443-2469)
Artabân V (1258-1272) Shahrvaraz III (2469-2481)
Vanâyan IV (1288-1304) Mahyar I (2481-2483)
Midarayân I (1272-1288) Sarafraz II (2483-2523)
Midarayân II (1288-1294)
Mahyaran dynasty (2523-2594)
Farzan I (2523-2541)
Triumphing Sun Empire Aldhrâd IV (2541-2558)
Jahangir dynasty (1304-1649) Farzan II (2558-2594)
Arshavir I (1304-1317)
Siyavush I (1317-1350) Anarchy (2594-2621)
Ulvânad II (1350-1377)
Vindafarnahan (Ulshyan) dynasty (2621-2947)
Abarpân II (1377-1402)
Vindafarnah I (2623-2648)
Arshavir II (1402-1428)
Taxmaspâda I (2648-2672)
Siyavush II (1428-1462)
Taxmaspâda II (2672-2699)
Ulvânad III (1462-1499)
Vahumisa I (2696-2731)
Arshavir III (1499-1523)
Gaumâta I (2731-2745)
Ohrmizd I (1523-1547)
Gaumâta II (2745-2763)
Arshak I (1547-1563)
Vindafarnah II (2763-2789)
Abarpân III (1563-1579)
Vahumisa II (2789-2826)
Siyavush III (1579-1600)
Vindafarnah III (2826-2861)
Ohrmizd II (1600-1607)
Vahumisa III (2861-2906)
Siyavush IV (1607-1641)
Taxmaspâda III Sherfiruz (2906-2944)
Regency (1641-1645)
Taxmaspâda IV (2944-2947)
Khosrô III (1645-1654)
Harshandattî Domination (2947-3015)
Dadfiruzan dynasty (1654-1727)
Vishtâspahan dynasty (2988-FA 13)
Jahangir of the Bulchyades (Anarikê protectorate)
Vishtâspa III (2988-3015) Arshan of Pelepelplû, Rashaja in 3015, murdered the
Dadfiruz I (1654-1665)
night of his crowning
Khosrô III the Dispossessed (1654-1673)
Shôburagan II (3021-FA 13) Daughter of the preceding, sole woman to have ever
Bardiya I (1665-1710)
be crowned Rashaja
Kharad V (1673-1690)