Sîranean History

The settlement of Sîrayn

The first records of the past of Sîrayn come from legends: however, some historians have tried to
locate in time, according to the Númenórean Reckoning, the main events of the early history of
Sîrayn.
It is said in most legends that in very ancient times the deserts of Né Tava and beyond were a
verdant and lush country, but the wrath of the gods made them barren. It was in those days that the
forefathers of the Sîrani entered the valley of the Sîresha. They came in a large wave of peoples of
the same kin, originating from the north-east, where the land of Men’s Awakening stood.
These migrating peoples, called the Apysani, settled around the coasts of the Mard Isauba and
especially in the fertile valleys of the rivers that poured their waters into that Gulf.

The Apysani started to till the land and drain the swamps and bogs to make them fruitful fields.
However, they soon came to be troubled by the presence of the peoples of the desert, warlike
nomads who raided the Sîrani villages. So the Apysani learned how to build walls of bricks, and
with them enclosed their settlements, and thus the first cities were born.

The Apysani prospered in their new homes, safe from the nomads and the Orcs that lived in the
Mountains. It was at that time that the Ayten made peace with those living in the valleys of the
Sîresha and its immissaries: although the fathers of the Ayten had lived as raiders, they promised
not to war with the city-dwellers and instead roamed the barren lands and the hills with their herds,
trading every now and then with the Sîrani. Some of them took abode in oases in the Né Tava or
Kirmlesra, and kept away more dangerous nomads who would prey on the hard-working and
prosperous land-tillers.

The Apysani living in other valleys were not so fortunate, and as they were still threatened by the
nomads, the inhabitants of the Nùar river valley united their cities in a single realm, called the Black
Leopard kingdom, and later kingdom of Harshandatt. Naerphys became the most prominent city
and its Tarb, called Nhazadh, would control all the others.

The Apysani of the Mùrayn valley suffered the worst fate, as their cities were conquered and
destroyed by the Chyans, a warrior folk coming from the Great Plains of the North-east. Only
thanks to the mighty armies of the Nhazadh of Harshandatt the Chyans were stopped and they
didn’t plunder the southern lands.

The Múranian invasions

The cities of Sîrayn thrived for many years, each of them ruled by local Saulen (Ta. “Houses,
clans”). Sometimes the cities would quarrel for land, and some of them grew to be very powerful,
controlling many villages around their walls. And inside the walls, peace and prosperity brought the
rise of culture and learning. The Sîrani were the first people to write their words in letters, and they
crafted beautiful pots with clay and bronze. And in that age scholars and crafters travelled to
Harshandatt and they taught the Múranians their lore, and learned in turn the complexity of their
bureaucracy and the art of making channels to control the floods of the rivers.

However, there was not a great love between the Sîrani and the Múranians. The folk of Harshandatt
were accustomed to weapons, and they cared very much about building and delving and little about
people, and they worshipped their Nhazadh as a living god, and at his word his servants would kill
any man without explanation. Whereas the Sîrani were lovers of peace and learning, and each city
was ruled by a Tarb, and each Tarb was surrounded by patriarchs, counsellors and wise men, and he
never took a decision without consulting them.

It didn’t take too long before the Múranians began to look south, and think to use their weapons not
to defend their homes, but to conquer the homes of other people. Both Sîranean and Múranian tales
tell about Nhazadh Ephystis, who united all the cities of Harshandatt and defeated the Chyans who
attempted to assail the country. Ephystis thought that his realm could be more powerful by
controlling more cities, and he led his armies along the coast, and besieged Tûl Harar. But the city
had walls both high and strong, and its inhabitants fought bravely until the Múranians lifted the
siege. The Nhazadh plundered the undefended villages close to the city, and after some weeks
returned to his lands.

Other Nhazadhs after Ephystis brought war again to Sîrayn. The people of Tûl Harar reinforced
their walls and towers, and they never fell to the Múranians, but the folk of the villages suffered a
great deal from the marauding soldiers of Harshandatt. It was at this time that the Ayten, who had
protected for many years Sîrayn from the nomad raiders, turned against the Múranians. They were
masters of the land, and they rode camels assailing the invaders day and night and burning their
tents, only to flee as soon as the Múranians managed to rally and react. Thanks to the Ayten, the
Múranians were never able to spend more than a season in Sîrayn, running out of food and water,
and the Sîrani rewarded their neighbours by letting them supply water from their wells and trade
without limits inside their walls.

The Chyan invasions

With time, the Múranians had grown very different from the Sîrani, with whom they shared the
same origin, and their language was no more the same. But after warring for too many years against
invaders, they had turned cruel and greedy as their enemies, and they started to plunder Sîrayn. But
it came to pass that their kingdom fell and was conquered by a people of stronger warriors, the
Chyans.

The Chyans plundered all the cities of Harshandatt and they settled their warriors as leaders of the
Múranians. And then they learned that beyond Harshandatt lay the lands of Sîrayn, even more
beautiful and wealthy. So their King Xshayârshan led his armies onwards and he laid siege to Tûl
Harar. The Chyans were far more terrible warriors than the Múranians, but they could not take Tûl
Harar, as it is told that its citizens put great cauldrons of olive oil on the fire, and when it was hot
they poured it over the assailants and put it to fire, and the Chyans were madly frightened by this
new weapon. So they left the city and turned to plunder the valley of the Sîresha, and burned the
cities of Ayn and Kirm. But then they had to leave, for the dry season, Kramask, came and there
was lack of food and water, and the Ayten assailed them at night, fleeing to the Kirmlesran hills
during the day. It was at that time that the surviving inhabitants of Kirm crossed the Sîresha and
built their dwellings on the eaves of the Sára Bask, where the currents were dangerous and the
waters difficult to cross, and they called the new city Skaratayb (Ta. “Swirling Currents”)

In the following centuries, the Chyans brought war again to the lower Sîresha valley, but it was only
to plunder and not to conquer, as their lands lay far to the North and the Sîrani cities reinforced their
walls and all of them adopted the Haran defence of burning oil.

The rise of trade

The city of Tûl Harar had developed as the most important harbour on the eastern coast of Sîrayn.
Although built on the river, it remained somewhat isolated from the rest of Sîrayn (the road north of
the river was often plundered by raiders, and south of the river there was nothing but forest, and the
currents near Skaratayb made the passage very dangerous for boats). However, ships from the coast
of Harshandatt docked very often at Tûl Harar, and sometimes even galleys from the Chyan Empire
came at its docks. A few years after the Chyan invasion, other peoples from the East, the Lynerians,
came to Tûl Harar, and their ships were large and swift, and they carried new goods never seen
before. The Lynerians were a people of sailors and traders, and in the following years they came
very often to Tûl Harar to trade goods from their lands with the spices and incenses of Sîrayn. They
were divided into city-states, like the Sîrani, and in Tûl Harar they were always welcomed and
treated fairly.

Thanks to them, Tûl Harar soon grew into the largest city in Sîrayn, and peoples from foreign lands
took abode inside the mighty walls. Caravans from the other cities of Sîrayn would often bring wool
and handicrafts to its market, and in less than a century Tûl Harar had become the centre of trade of
all Sîrayn and the main harbour on the Mard Isauba. Its Tarben hired Múranian builders to erect the
most formidable fortifications, and they delved a new harbour of stone.

Trade brought great riches to all the land, so much that the wars between the cities turned their aim
from the dominion over fields to the control of trade knots. As a result, six other cities emerged as
the most powerful in the country, ruling the routes to Tûl Harar: and they were Skaratayb, Rask, Tûl
Harar, Kun Anyam, Tyarett and Tartaust. And the merchants of the last three dared the passes of the
Yellow Mountains and the Orcs living there, and they came to the land of Dûshera where black men
lived, and marvellous animals, plants and scents could be found. In that time, many Saulen rose to
power not because their might in war or their ownership of fields, but because of their trade
relations; and they erected wonderful palaces, fountains and statues and the cities rivalled in beauty
and grace. It is said that the streets were filled with merchants and artists, and the cities grew to
unparalleled size.

It was in those same years that the Sîrani - some say it was in Tyarett, others in Rask - first made
paper from the papyrus plant that grew so common on the banks of the rivers. And they would sell
it for high prices to anyone, and Sîrani scholars almost abandoned the use of clay tablets but rather
traced elegant letters with pen and ink over the white field of paper. And that was an age of culture,
and the Sîrani scholars studied every subject of lore and became renowned in all the lands, and for
the first time they kept records of history. And they were called as far as Harshandatt and the Chyan
lands to serve under the Great King and his governors and be their poets or counsellors.

Shortly after the Lynerians, the Vulmaw came. They sailed on great and imposing galleys, and they
brought new spices and many dark-skinned slaves from their lands. But not always to trade did they
come, for they would soon be renowned as pirates and corsairs, and sometimes they would even
attack villages to gather new slaves for their oars and for their trades.

After the Vulmaw, the Númenóreans came, and they were giants sailing on giant ships with no oars,
and it is said that their hulls were so large that at first they couldn't even enter Tûl Harar, and only
later its docks were enlarged to host them. The Númenóreans were at first a peaceful and learned
people, and they brought wonderful marvels from the Far West, where their home island stood.

This period, in later times, was recorded as the rise of Sîrayn and its culture, which would last for
millennia to come, unique and yet born out of the meeting of different peoples.

The internecine wars and the hegemony of Tûl Isra

Although Sîrani historians recorded many events in the period of the rise of Sîrayn, there was no
clear standard to measure the passing of times, and each city reckoned events after the rule of its
Tarbs. Therefore, it is very difficult to set dates for those times.
The first event recorded in Sîrayn, of which we can set a certain time, is the independence of
Harshandatt, by the comparison we can make on the Múranian and Chyan records. In S.A. 1145, the
Chyan-ruled Harshandatt was rocked by rebellion and a new leader rose, defying the authority of
the Chyan King and its vexations. As the rest of the Empire was troubled by invasions from
mountain peoples, the Great King could not avoid the loss of Harshandatt, which became again an
independent realm ruled by a Nhazadh.

Another external event we can use to set dates for Sîrayn is the years of the first great plunder by
the Vulmaw Corsairs, occurred in 1156. On that year, a whole fleet coming from Codya entered the
Mard Isauba and for weeks put to fire the coasts of the Chyan Empire and the cities of Bulchyades,
and some of their ships assailed Sîranean coasts, too.

In the meanwhile, the other cities of Sîrayn prospered but also fought fiercely for the control of
trade routes and the customs they granted, and enmity rose between rival cities, so much that they
tried to harm each other's trade as much as they could. In those years, Tûl Isra rose to a position of
great power thanks to the rule of the Gauran, which obtained the office of Tarb and held it for many
generations. The first of them is remembered as Maur Ikus, who hoarded great riches by trading
papyrus sheets and ceramic pots. His second son Madrem Ikus waged a brief war with Kun Anyam
and managed to impose free passage to Isran traders through the city territory. The nephew of his
uncle, Dinis Ikus, imposed several trade agreements on the surrounding cities, among them Baud
Selen and Rintark, and effectively enlarged the hegemony of Tûl Isra.

In the same period, other Saulen, who had become rich with trade, rose to power and were able to
hold Tarbship in other cities. However, the Tarb never became a hereditary title, as it frequently
passed from brother to brother, or cousin to cousin, and lesser offices were always granted to other
Saulen in the city.

In 1254, the forces of Tûl Isra intervened to help Kun Anyam against an Orc invasion. Afterwards,
Kun Anyam was forced to pay tributes to its defender, and it became a sort of protectorate of the
Isran armies, which kept growing in size every year. In 1258, only four years later, the armies of
Tûl Isra warred with Tyarett over the customs practised to foreign caravans, and Tyarett was forced
to heavy reparations of war and to the dropping of customs on Isran traders.
The sudden rise of Tûl Isra worried the other cities, and two years later Rask and Skaratayb formed
an alliance to contain Isran expansionism. The Gauran saw this as a direct threat to their trade and
the enemies met on the battlefield in 1266, and the allied cities had to recognise Isran supremacy by
exempting from customs all its caravans.

Twenty years passed, and Tûl Isra surpassed in size even Tûl Harar. But in 1286 the priests of
Markùr, the god of the Forest in Tyarett, led a revolt against Isran hegemony, supported by the
woodsmen who suffered from the low prices paid for hardwood by the Isran merchants. The
followers of Markùr forced their way from the villages into the city, where they battled with those
whom they blamed of supporting the Israni, and those that were not killed were exiled, and they
fled either to Tûl Isra or by boat to Skaratayb. But the Israni who were caught inside the city, and
they were 26, were captured and spoiled of all their belongings before being sent home with an
empty water-skin, for they weren't deemed worthy to receive even water from the people of Tyarett.
And those who tried to resist were sorely beaten.

The armies of Tûl Isra and Tyarett clashed at Kelen, on the road joining the cities: but although the
Israni were better equipped and trained, the Tyarettani came in great numbers and even priests and
common people joined the army with bows and slings, and the Israni were forced back to their
walls. The victory of Tyarett at Kelen encouraged the revolt of Skaratayb and Rask, who renewed
their alliance, this time bringing in Tûl Harar, and raised the tributes on the passage Isran caravans.
Before Sadayn, the flooding season, Kun Anyam rebelled as well and closed its gates to Isran
traders. And afterwards, every time by sheer will a difficult limit was overcome, and its
consequences were far greater than expected, the Sîrani would say it was "a victory at Kelen". And
just as opposite, "a defeat of Kelen" was used to address an underestimated problem that would turn
much greater than deemed.

There were other wars in the following years, and Isra was challenged by each of its neighbours.
The Gauran lost their supremacy, but still the city remained the most powerful in Sîrayn. And by
playing subtle diplomatic games, and convincing their enemies that each one could try to emulate
its example, the Israni avoided a great alliance against them, and were able to go on with their
trades, although with much less ease than before.
Shortly after the end of Isran hegemony, the Orcs of the Mountains launched several raids in the
lower valleys, and they greatly troubled the countryside of Tartaust, Kun Anyam and Tyarett, and
those cities were weakened. Since those times date a famous Sîran proverb, "when the cities are
divided, the Orcs will feast", meaning that when a group quarrels, there is always someone ready to
take profit of their division and weakness.

Religious unrest
The following decades saw the break-up of many tensions developed in Sîrayn, by the instrument of
religious cults. In Tyarett the followers of Markùr had started the revolt that would end Isran
hegemony, and made the difference at Kelen, winning the day by their will and inspiration of the
people. But the cult remained detached from political life, and after the revolt returned to the
temples.

In Kun Anyam, the cult of Miemper, patron of battle and defender of caravans, had become very
popular during the Orcish raids. Those Saulen actively worshipping and supporting the cult lobbied
against those who didn't join the cult, and by 1304 they came to dominate the political life of the
city and excluded other Saulen. In 1317, tensions broke up when the son of the Tarb Dreve Tam
was killed by a guardsman, a follower of Syrsem, god of wardens, belonging by chance to the Saul
of Tarma, who once held power in town. What followed was an escalation of vengeances that in
less than a week brought to a war amid the streets, between the followers of Miemper and those of
Syrsem, who gained many supporters among all those who didn't like the power-holding Saulen. It
is said that some members of both factions, who hoped to stop the fights, called for the help of their
neighbours, the Israni, who sent Sem Kamak of Saul Bulgan as a mediator. Sem Kamak was young
but very skilled with words, and he obtained that the leaders of the opposing factions meet to
negotiate a peace; but the Israni guards barely avoided another bloodshed, and they divided by force
the fighting leaders. The same night Dreve Tam accused the Tarma of selling Kun Anyam to the
Israni, and obtained the favour of the population. The Syrsem faction lost supporters and the temple
was burned. Many died in the streets and the Tarma were besieged in their palace. Sem Kamak
barely escaped to Tûl Isra, and when the Israni learned that their mediator had been accused of
betrayal, and wounded, and some his guards killed, they called to the Tarb for vengeance. A few
days later, Sem Kamak returned to the gates of Kun Anyam accompanied by the Tarabett and a few
hundred warriors. At Dreve Tam's refusal to surrender, the Israni stormed the gates, broke the siege
of the Tarma's palace and in turn besieged the followers of Miemper in their fortified temple, where
they had repaired. This time Sem Kamak was able to avoid the bloodshed, and he negotiated the
exile of Dreve Tam and his allies.

The exiles founded their own new city a few miles uphill, and they called it Deve Entol. The
merchant Saulen had many contacts with the land of Dûshera, and they obtained the favour of Abla
Gadel, a powerful prince controlling the valleys one the other side of the Boas Isra. Abla Gadel had
become rich and powerful with trade and looked to extend his power on the other side of the
Mountains, so he supported the Entolians with gold and granted them many tax privileges in his
valleys. In a few years, Deve Entol grew into a sizeable city and rivalled with Kun Anyam in the
offer of inns, in the application of customs and in the patrolling of the roads, so that often the guards
of the two cities clashed. This rivalry soon grew into open war, and Kun Anyam called on its Israni
allies, managing in 1336 to besiege the enemies. But Deve Entol called to its ally Abla Gadel, who
sent black warriors and elephants through the Boas Isra, and broke the siege in 1339 and in turn
besieged Kun Anyam two years later, although to no avail. In the following years, many petty wars
weakened the two cities and discouraged merchants to use the roads in their territory, and many
caravans diverted their route to Tyarett or Tartaust.
All this went on until the year of the Sadayn Grapash (Ta. "Flood of Orcs"), when bands of Orcs so
large as had never been seen came down from the Mountains and swarmed in the valleys. Deve
Entol fell after a few days of siege, and its inhabitants were killed or taken as slaves by the Goblins.
A few survivors managed to flee the fall of their city and sought for help at the gates of Kun
Anyam. The Anyamani were so wise to harbour them inside the walls, before the Orcs tide fell on
their city, too. Kun Anyam suffered for one week, before the Israni came with a large host, turning
the Orcs away and bringing relief to the wounded. Thus ended the religious strife in Kun Anyam,
and when the Orcs retreated to their holds, in late Bauga, the Israni left a garrison of soldiers to
protect the Anyamani and help them repair their city; and they did not leave.

In 1348, two years before the Sadayn Grapash, a similar religious break-up happened, as the
followers of Asharta, god of war, blamed of Ayten of attacking caravans and stealing water, in spite
of the Tradition of Hospitality established after the invasions from Harshandatt. A rebellion and a
battle of three days in the streets brought the followers of Asharta to power, and they outlawed all
nomads from their territory. Those Saulen who opposed the cult of war found haven in Skaratayb,
so that the alliance between the cities was no more.
The cult of Asharta found followers mainly among soldiers, guards and the poor city-dwellers. The
priests dressed in red robes and they wore red headbands decorated with bright feathers, and all of
them brought a sickle or a faranj. After the revolt, the positions of power were all occupied by
priests, and many people took their vows and wore the red robes, only to become privileged
citizens, eligible to power, exempted from taxes and with the right to bear weapons.
For ten years Rask was dominated by the cult of Asharta, and it was a time of fear and decadence,
for the Ayten would often attack the Raskan caravans for retaliation, and a custom war erupted
between the city and its neighbours, so that trade suffered dearly, and many caravans found
alternative paths to avoid Rask. Inside the city, dissent grew strong but the priests of Asharta would
accuse everyone who was suspected to oppose them, and he would be jailed or even executed if it
was judged too dangerous.
At last the situation grew extremely difficult, and the size of Rask had shrunk significantly, and
there were many abandoned houses inside the walls. In 1358, the many Ayten Tanet allied and
formed a circle around Rask closing it day after day. They conquered the wells and burned the
caravans and the fortifications of the followers of Asharta. After a few weeks the city was
surrounded and there was no way out, and the Ayten Alaka announced that they would lift the siege
only on presentation of the head of the masters of the cult. For eight weeks Rask suffered the siege,
and even water became a precious and rare good inside the walls. In the end, the Raskani revolted
and many priests renounced to their robes and turned against their masters, who had caused their
demise. It was at that time that the army of Skaratayb came to the walls, and the Tarabett spoke to
the Ayten Alaka; and he promised them the heads of the masters of the cult of war, and the renewal
of the hospitality tradition. So the Ayten let the Skarataybani pass, and they entered the city and
brought order: most members of the cult of Asharta renounced to their allegiance, and their temple
was put to fire. The masters of the cult were captured and the Tarabett, in his mercy, had them
beheaded by his soldiers rather than turning them alive to the Ayten. But it is said that two of the
masters found safety by leaving in the night on a boat. But they carried with them too much gold,
and they were recognised by the Ayten and captured, but their fate the Ayten do not tell. So ended
the cult of Asharta in Rask, and it was never renewed, nor its temple rebuilt.

The conquests of Baud Selen

During the Sadayn Grapash, the citizens of Baud Selen, whose armies were the strongest in
Chennacatt, helped most of their neighbours against the Goblins. At the end of the invasion, Baud
Selen effectively protected the towns and villages along the upper Sîresha for many miles. In the
aftermath, the Saulen of the city took their chance to increase their power and over the following
twenty years they conquered all the towns and villages of upper Sîresha, whose forces had been
weakened. In 1371 they reached the joint between the Sîresha and Maudar, and they were stopped
by the forces of Tûl Isra. In 1376 they completed the conquest of the valley of Sol, and in 1382 they
completed the conquest of Chennacatt, imposing their hegemony to Tartaust.

The rule of Baud Selen lasted many years, and it was mainly based on the payment of tributes to the
main city by subject towns, which obtained its alliance in case of war. The warriors of Baud Selen
became famous and its armies the largest in Sîrayn. However, the territory remained quite poor and
trade was limited, nor the Tarben of Baud Selen did anything to improve the situation, rather
exploiting their allies. Baud Selen was transformed into a mighty fortress, almost unpregnable, and
it attracted the best smiths and armour-makers of Sîrayn. Mines were opened in the Bru Isra and the
Tûr Betark, obtaining fair quantities of copper and iron, which were not enough however to start a
real ore trade.

The conquests of Tûl Isra

For more than one century Sîrayn was quite calm. The Orcs came down from the Mountains a few
times, but the Sîrani were ready to repel them, and the cities waged some minor wars that didn't
change the balance of power at all. Baud Selen remained the most powerful city, but Tûl Isra and
Tûl Harar vied for the title of richest, and their size grew. Under the rule of Isra, the Maudar valley
was peaceful and many channels were built to control floods, and the road was always free and in
good repair, so that traffic increased along the Yòl Maudar.

Tûl Isra and Baud Selen had been rivals for long time, and during the previous centuries there had
been some minor battles over the borders. Many Selenani were hostile to Tûl Isra, seeing its power
and wealth grow steadily, while the hegemony of Baud Selen didn't see the upper Sîresha thrive,
and some revolts occurred, every now and then, especially in Tartaust that was large and far from
its protectors. Additionally, the development of the Yòl Maudar diverted a lot of traffic along the
Yòl Chennacatt: tensions between the two cities grew, and most Selenan Saulen pushed for war.
Others had more interest in developing ties of alliance, especially those trading in ores. Over the last
century, the mines of Bru Isra had slowly exhausted, and Tûl Isra was the main supplier of metals to
the smithies of Baud Selen. To these added the land-owners, largely dissatisfied with the policies of
the Tarb about fields. In 1511, civil strife erupted in Baud Selen: the family of the Rabis, who
controlled large part of the army and smithies, pushed for a special tribute to be levied on allies to
finance a siege of Tûl Isra. The opposed faction, headed by Tarkas, land-owners and herders,
defended the need to build channels and dams before risking wars whose results were unknown.
The Tarkas and their allies were blamed as supporters of the Israni, and it was said that they were in
league with them to keep the price of ores at a high level, and the Rabis tried to outcast them from
all positions of power. There was battle inside and outside the walls, for the Tarkas fled to their
estates on the hills and there rallied their allies, and called for the support of the Israni, who
promptly sent their armies. With their help, the Tarkas faction retook Baud Selen with a night attack
and the Rabis fled to Tartaust, and all of their possessions in Baud Selen were confiscated by their
enemies. The hegemony of Baud Selen was thus divided, and the reward of Tûl Isra were other
agreements that prompted the construction of inns and caravanserais owned by and reserved to
Israni travellers. The Israni also built a tower inside their caravanserai, and there they left a small
garrison to protect their Selenian allies from the threat of Tartaust.

The other cities saw with relief the fall of Baud Selen, the main aspirant for dominion in Sîrayn.
The alliance of Rask, Skaratayb and Tûl Harar had taken the name of League of Sîresha, and it
raised the image of Sîresha, goddess of the river, half-maiden and half-fish, as its device, a silver
goddess on a blue field. The League took its chance to strike on Isra before it gathered too much
power, and threatened again the freedom of other cities. The opposed armies met the following year
at Rintark, but the battle didn't see any clear winner. At the same time, though, an army issued from
Tartaust, comprising the exiled Selenani led by Rabis Saul, besieged Baud Selen. The city managed
to resist for one week, then the Isran army joined the defenders and repelled the Rabis and their
allies. With this brief war, Tûl Isra imposed her power and sovereignty over central Sîrayn, and the
cities of Baud Selen and Kun Anyam swore an alliance with Isra, to promote peace and trade inside
their territories.

Ten years passed, during which the Israni didn't attempt to extend their power, nor other cities
oppose them. Then another strife among nobles divided Tyarett. In that city, that had remained
outside the war on Tûl Isra, there were two important factions: on one side, the merchant Saulen
had many links with other cities, and tried to keep peace and goodwill to carry on their business; on
the other side, there were the land-owners and the woodsmen who were quite aggressive and
preferred to avoid an excessive presence of strangers, and among them the priests of Markùr were
still popular, and they roamed the land dressed in green robes and animal hides, and they preached
to the people to keep harmony with the earth and live a simple life. And they worshipped Markùr in
the tallest trees, to whom they offered a part of the first harvest or hunt of the year.
The two factions often quarrelled and during the war they didn't manage to make a decision. Ten
years later, the last of a series of quarrels sprang from the building of a bridge over the Akhûlsu
river: the bridge took many years to be built, but before completion it was swallowed by a fire. The
priests of Markùr said that the building of the bridge was against the will of the gods, and no more
trees were to be felled for the construction; in turn, the Faryan Saul, who had many interests in
developing the right bank of the river, accused the priests of having burned the bridge. Tensions
turned to fights in the countryside and moved to the city, until the Faryan Saul and some of their
allies were outcasts, and they sought help in Tûl Isra.

The Israni were very happy to help them, and the command of the army was given to Ras Maskan
of Màsra Saul. The Tarabett led the Isran forces and their allies against the Tyarettani, and on the
field of Kelen avenged the sore defeat of almost 250 years before; they wasted the farms of the
political opposers, and the priests of Markùr were hanged on their holy trees as an example for the
people. Ras Maskan knew that should Tyarett withstand a siege for more than one week, the other
cities of Sîrayn would bring help to the defenders, therefore he didn't waste time or mercy, and
bombed the city with catapults while the elephants and a part of the infantry forded the Sîrsis
upstream. The fear of the Israni was such that many people abandoned the city, and those who
remained were a little hindrance for Ras Maskan's army. Tyarett was conquered and the Faryan
took the Tarbship and distributed political offices among their allies; but the new Tarabett of
Tyarett was an Isran, one of the captains of Ras Maskan.

The fall of Tyarett was so swift that the other cities didn't have the time to raise an army and come
to its help. When the battle was over, Skaratayb gave haven to the outcasts, and its Tarabett Falan
Jaun of Raim Saul insisted on the need to intervene; but at that time Tûl Harar was troubled by
raiding bands from Harshandatt that threatened an invasion, and it refused to give its troops to fight
the Israni, so its allies preferred to wait for a better time to fight Tûl Isra. In the meanwhile, many
Saulen of Skaratayb and Rask intermarried with the outcasts of Tyarett, and they sent spies in the
occupied city.

The rebellion of Tyarett and the fall of Rask

After six years, the situation had normalised, and the threat of an invasion from Harshandatt was
gone. Falan Jaun obtained the support of Tûl Harar and Rask, and rallied an army. At the same time,
the Tyarettani revolted against the Isran hegemony, the city expelled the Isran garrison and the
Faryan Saul, and its new Tarb was Asjal Mur of Osman Saul, who had lived in exile and married
Falan Jaun's sister, officially joined the League of the Sîresha against Isra. The Israni reacted
swiftly: Ras Maskan, who was still Tarabett and knew well the territory of Tyarett, led the armies of
Isra and once again he showed no mercy. He vanquished the army of Tyarett and during the night
fell on the city. The Isran punishment was an example for all rebels, because Tyarett was
completely razed and its inhabitants dislodged. Some of them became slaves, others were forced to
settle in villages where they felled trees or collected clay for the victors. While Tyarett was still
burning, Falan Jaun marched on Rintark and reached the walls of Tûl Isra, and lay siege to the city.
But the following day Rask Maskan came from the East: the defenders made a sortie, and the
armies of the league were dispersed and fled the field. The Israni chased them and killed a great
number of enemies before they could reach the safety of the walls of Rask.

For the following three years Tûl Isra and the League of Sîresha recovered. Falan Jaun sent
messengers to Tartaust, asking its Tarb to join the League against the tyranny of Isra. It is said that
the Tarb agreed, but he didn't send any troop, waiting to see which side had more chances to win. In
1533 Ras Maskan, who had earned the nickname of Swift among his citizens, and the Cruel among
his enemies, led an offensive against Rask, striking from the west. He carried with him many siege
engines, and bombed the city where Falan Jaun and the armies of the League had fortified. For a
full season Rask resisted, and some Ayten Alaka assailed the besiegers during the night, destroying
the siege machines, but in the end divisions and quarrels spread among the allies. Tartaust was not
coming to their relief, and the captains of the League blamed one another; the Raskani rumoured
that the forces of Tûl Harar wanted to leave and look for the safety of their walls, and they were
already negotiating secretly with Ras Maskan to leave the city. In spite of the attempts of Falan Jaun
to pacify the sides, one night some Raskani put to fire the ships of the Harani, thus convinced to
prevent their flight. The result was a battle that shed blood all over the harbour and spread chaos
inside the besieged city. Uncontrolled rumours of betrayal and murder moved from house to house,
and Ras Maskan took profit of it to launch an assault with all his forces. Breaking through the
western gates, the Israni took most of the city. It is said that at this time the Haran Tarabett, Raman
Shas, met with Ras Maskan and negotiated the retreat of his forces from the falling city. At this
Falan Jaul could not react: he tried to defend Rask until the end, when he was taken prisoner by the
Israni. He was later turned over to his home-city as a hostage during the negotiation of a peace, by
which the League was formally ended, and Rask passed under the protection of the Isran armies.
The new administrators of Rask were all chosen by the Isran Tarb, and many Israni figured as well
among the counsellors of the Raskan Tarb.

It is told that Falan Jaul had opposed to the peace as long as it imposed the end of the League; and
that as soon as he returned to Skaratayb, he resigned from his office as Tarabett and moved to Olyas
Kriis, where he lived for a short while as a mercenary captain, and later he settled in Ishtya, for he
said that he had no more hometown, and that freedom had died with the peace sworn by the Tarb of
Skaratayb and the betrayal of Tûl Harar.

The revolt of Rask

Nineteen years after the Isran conquest, the Raskani revolted, and they expelled the foreign
garrison. Those Saulen loyal to the Israni were outcast as well and a new Tarb took the power. Rask
immediately called for the alliance of Skaratayb, which happily joined its old ally. But the Raskani
would not seek for help among the Harani, still remembering their betrayal.

When the armies of Isra came to Rask to punish the rebels, the flag of Sîresha was dancing in the
wind; yet it was the last time that it was raised. The Israni conquered the city after two months of
siege, and it is said that during that siege Falan Jaul returned to fight, though old, from Olyas Kriis,
bringing with him Lynerian and Elinse mercenaries. It is also told that he fell fighting at the gates,
but his body was not buried in Rask, and no one knows the place of his tomb, his name almost
forgotten. The Israni restored the old rule of the Saulen loyal to them, and there were new marriages
and the sons of Raskan Saulen were educated in Tûl Isra ever thereafter, and many of them felt
more Israni than Raskani. The same happened a few years later for the other allied cities.

Two years later the Israni gathered another army and they marched on Skaratayb. The defenders
stood against them valiantly, and after one week of siege they were saved by the intervention of
Haran troops. No peace was sworn, though, but only a truce that allowed trade to move but
predicted future conflicts, as the Israni knew that as long that Skaratayb remained free, its would be
a haven for all the opposers of Tûl Isra in Sîrayn.

The fall of Skaratayb and the slavery of Tûl Harar

Twenty-two years of uneasy truce passed, and there were many small skirmishes between the
border troops of Tûl Isra and Skaratayb, supported by the raids of the Ayten, who were often denied
the right to use the wells. Such conflicts escalated until Skaratayb called for the help of Tûl Harar.
The decision of the Haran Tarb to send troops was seen by the Israni as a breaking of the peace of
1556, which forbade alliances between the two cities.

In 1578 a huge army issued from Rask and marched to Skaratayb. The city withstood the siege for
one month, but in the end it capitulated and the Israni filled the administration with people from
other cities, and the army with Israni. Two years later, the army of Isra surrounded the walls of Tûl
Harar, last of the free cities of Sîrayn, the haven that was never conquered by any enemy.

Five years did the walls of Tûl Harar resist to the Israni and their allies, and they used boiling and
flaming oil, or new war machines that cast stones against the siege towers, and they mounted
catapults on broad ships and used them against the Israni, striking from the river. It was a long and
difficult siege for both sides: the Israni needed to eliminate their last enemy in Sîrayn, and Tûl
Harar hosted inside its walls all the political opposers of the Isran rule, coming from all over Sîrayn,
people that would have been executed if captured by the enemy. It is said that during the siege the
Tarb started the habit of meeting with all his counsellors from other Saulen and the representatives
of foreign communities - the Lynerians, the Chyans, the Múranians. And this was the beginning of
the Karstet ir Maubezain. In that council it was suggested that the only way to save Tûl Harar's
people and their freedom was to call for the help of a powerful neighbour, but the Lynerian League
could never muster quickly a force to save the city, so the choice fell on the realm of Harshandatt.
The negotiations were long and difficult, as they were kept secret to all outside the council. Finally,
in Kramask 1585, the Nhazadh Ethyris III marched south with a great host and broke the siege of
Tûl Harar, and the armies of Isra retreated to Skaratayb. In later years among the Sîrani it became
common to say "selling himself as a slave like Tûl Harar", to address a situation in which one, in
order to avoid an unpleasant situation, puts himself in a worse one out of cowardice or stupidity.
But actually Tûl Harar managed to avoid a harsher rule than that of Harshandatt, for its Saulen
retained their power and the opposers of Tûl Isra remained safe, under the protection of the
Nhazadh's armies. And if thereafter they had to pay high tributes and worship different gods, still it
was a little price to keep the Israni away.
The rule of Isra
Tûl Isra decided not to attack again Tûl Harar, protected as it was by Múranian armies, and so
ended the wars of conquest of the Queen of Maudar, and now of Sîresha too. The period of wars
had been very hard for the lands of Sîrayn, but the rule of Isra proved wise and it was a time of
peace and prosperity for the Sîrani. True it was that all power remained in the hands of the Isran
Saulen, who distributed it among relatives and faithful allies. But the end of internecine wars and
the huge financial power of Isra greatly benefited all the country.

Great dams and channels were built not only on the Maudar, but on the Sîresha, the Sîrsis and the
Akhûlsu, and floods were tamed, so that the people of the countryside suffered less from the fury of
water and could use it for more rewarding ends. In 1589, Tyarett was rebuilt anew and its territory
became the most fertile region of Sîrayn. In those years, the Sîrani grew in number and hunger was
almost eliminated from the country. New lands were put to field, the cities grew, too, thanks to the
availability of food, and Tûl Isra reached the size of 200.000 people. A good part of those
inhabitants were members of the Isran administration, an unprecedented apparatus whose
complexity and size ruled the land efficiently and responsibly. The Isran Saulen built for themselves
wonderful palaces and gardens, and the Tarben embellished the capital with statues, fountains and
covered markets. Sîrayn became the breadbasket of the South, its crops sent to the cities of Olyas
Kriis or the Chyan Empire.

The roads became safe and many of them were well-marked. The Yòl Deve, between Skaratayb and
Rask, and the Yòl Maudar, between Rask and Kun Anyam, were paved, and trade grew
substantially. Not only was land trade improved, but also trade on waterways: the rivers were filled
with barges and dhows carrying goods, and between 1606 and 1618 a channel was delved in
Skaratayb, letting travellers along the Sîresha avoid the dangerous waters of the rapids, and reach
safely the port of Tûl Harar.

In the same period Tartaust remained a small and isolated town in the upper Sîresha. It managed not
to be submitted to Tûl Isra thanks to its remoteness, and the friendship of many Ayten Tanet that
protected the lands of Chennacatt, but it remained largely outside most trade routes, and it survived
by the passage of some merchants trading along the road to Tulwang and Hyarn, and the production
of wool and rugs, on which the main profit was made by Israni traders who would carry the goods
to the markets in the east. And the city frequently paid tributes to Isra.

Tûl Harar prospered in that period, and if it wasn't a golden age for art and freedom, certainly it was
for trade. The protectorate of Harshandatt made of the city the main harbour for Múranian goods,
and many Múranians moved inside the walls and surpassed in number and power he Lynerian
community. There was peace on land, and the rise of Olyas Kriis, whose first cities were founded
around 1300, and joined the Lynerian League in 1350, ensured peace on the seas. In 1356, there
was another assault on the coasts of the Mard Isauba by the Vulmaw corsairs. The intervention of
the fleet of the Lynerian League and its ability to force order on the seas marked the beginning of
what is called the Lynerian Peace, a period of time in which the waters of Ormal were ruled by
Lynerian ships and corsair activities were halted. The Lynerian Peace greatly benefited trade in
Sîrayn, and in this time many Lynerians took abode in Tûl Harar and some of them became
shipwrights, building ships for the most prominent Saulen of the city. With their help, in the
following years Haran sailors dared for the first time the high seas.

The building of the channel of Skaratayb increased the ease and quickness of transport from Sîrayn.
In those years, the office of Tarb was finally abolished and the Karstet ir Maubezain was
established, opening its doors to the representatives of the foreign communities. The relations with
the Nhazadh and his soldiers were good, as Harshandatt obtained huge tributes from the port, and
what was left was still a great wealth to the city merchants. Relations with Tûl Isra relaxed with
time, and the Harani no longer tried to break the Israni dominion, nor the Israni to conquer the port.

The Chyan invasion

Eighty years after the siege of Tûl Harar and the end of the wars in Sîrayn, the country was quaked
by a new invasion. In 1663, the realm of Harshandatt had crumbled under the armies of the Chyans,
led by their King Shôbûragan. Two years later, the Chyan host marched to the walls of Tûl Harar,
and the city, deprived of the Múranian garrison, had to surrender to the northern conquerors. It was
the first time that Tûl Harar fell to invaders, and it happened without a fight, as its local army had
been disbanded eighty years before. So it is still said in Sîrayn "let the Harani defend their own
walls", meaning that a person must take care of his own problems without relying on someone else,
as the best person to take care of one's interests is of course one's self.

From Tûl Harar, Shôbûragan campaigned in the valley of the Sîresha and defeated the armies of
Isra: by 1669, the Chyan King had conquered Skaratayb and was spending the season of Sadayn in
Rask. The following year the Israni finally stopped the Chyan armies a few miles from the walls of
Tûl Isra, and they had serious difficulties because they had never faced cavalry: the Chyans rode
strong and swift horses from the North, and they fought on horseback unlike any other people in the
South. In 1671, the Màsra Saul came to Tarbship, and its patriarch, Balan Zayan, who had been
Tarabett years before, decided to send emissaries to the all the Ayten Tanet. Before the Isran rule of
lower Sîresha, the Tanet of that region had been the most wealthy and powerful thanks to the
Tradition of Hospitality, that had been abolished after they opposed the new rulers. The emissaries
of Tûl Isra proposed to the Ayten, and especially to those Tanet who had fought against Isra
decades before, an alliance, in exchange of the right given to their ancestors.

Starting from Kramask of 1672, the Ayten suddenly assailed all Chyan bands and stopped all
supplies and reinforcements coming from Harshandatt, effectively isolating the royal host. If the
Chyan horsemen were swift, they could not match the Ayten camel-riders, who knew better the
ways of the land and carried on night ambushes and chases in the rocky hills, where the Chyans
were easily lost and dared not to go too deep. In 1974, a plague hit the Chyan garrisons stationed in
Rask and Skaratayb, and Shôburagan decided to risk it all and attack Tûl Isra, to decapitate its
enemy and divide the resistance. The Isran army met the Chyans between Tûl Isra and Rintark, in a
place that was later called Auganazin (Ta. "Drowning Rider"), for the river carried downstream the
corpses of men and horses for days after the battle. In that battle, the Isran host came from the
South, raising the standard of the golden diamond on the blue field, against the golden-rayed sun on
a white field, the device of the Chyan King. The clash was terrible for both sides, but as the Israni
started to back towards their walls, pushed by the Chyan cavalry, many Ayten Tanet came from the
east, where they hid themselves among the barren hills away from any road, and they pushed the
Chyans into the Maudar river. Shôburagan fled with his royal guard towards Rintark, where he
fortified as the road to Rask was blocked by other Ayten bands.

Thus, in 1675 Balan Zayan met at the gates of Rintark with the Chyan King and they swore peace to
each other. Shôbûragan and all his troops left the lands of Isra safely, and they surrendered the
conquered cities to the Israni. And after the country was free of Chyan invaders, the Tarb of Isra,
together with all the Balebytt of the allied cities, met with all the Ayten Ennet and Alaka, and Balan
Zayan swore the Oath of Rintark, which was sculpted on a column erected on the tallest point of the
town. By that Edict, the Ayten people received the eternal right to use the wells of the Sîrani, and to
wander as they liked in their lands, as long as they caused no harm to the local dwellers. And the
Ennet swore that the Ayten will be eternal friends of the Sîrani, the river-dwellers, and that they
would share victory and defeat with them.
So ended the Chyan invasion, and Balan Zayan became a hero among the Sîrani and the Ayten, but
it is told that he never rejoiced of the victory, as he could not wrest Tûl Harar from the Chyans. This
was because, as tales tell, Shôbûragan would not surrender it at any cost. Afterwards, Tûl Harar was
integrated inside the Chyan Empire, and it received a Chyan Arshan, and many Chyans emigrated
in the port. But the Karstet continued to meet informally, and the Arshans never managed to stop
that habit, but learned that by achieving the consensus of the Saulen and the communities
everything could be done more easily than ignoring their opinions. Tûl Harar still kept its role as the
main port of Sîrayn and Harshandatt, and although the power of the Saulen was now only
consultative, the prosperity of the city was not harmed.

There is a Sîrenaean legend telling about magicians from Harshandatt who fled the fall of their
kingdom and called for the help of Balan Zayan. They fought in the battle of Auganazin on the side
of Isra, raising a sandy winds to disturb the enemy army on the march and hide the Ayten forces,
and they made the currents of the Sîresha more dangerous and wild, so that of the Chyans who fell
into the river, no one found escape by swimming. After the battle, the magicians were given houses
in Skaratayb, as a watch on the border, always looking towards their ancient home, and ready to
repel any invasion from Chy. Balan Zayan had imposed on the magicians an oath never to involve
in Sîranean politics, and that oath they and their disciples always respected. The Múranian mages,
joined by Sîranean colleagues, founded a Society of Magic, and Skaratayb became the main centre
of magic lore of the South; in the centuries to come, young people were sent from as far as Codya
or Bozisha-Dar to study with the renowned masters of Skaratayb.

The decadence of Sîrayn

Balan Zayan was perhaps the last Tarb of Isra to rule over a golden land: Isra reached the height of
its wealth and power just before the Chyan invasion, and after it the country started to quickly
recover from the damage of war. After Balan Zayan's death, Isra and the lands of Sîrayn started a
very slow decadence that, two centuries later, would bring the fall of the Isran state and the division
of Sîrayn.

Starting from 1680, Vulmaw corsairs reappeared in the Mard Isauba and they plagued trade. In
1691-92 they raided the coasts, and plundered the cities of Bulchyades. The League didn't intervene
directly against them, marking the end of the Lynerian Peace. Trade diminished, and the markets of
Tûl Harar and the Mard Isauba lost a part of their shine.

In the same years, Orcs multiplied in the Mountains and soon came down to the valleys of Sîrsis,
Maudar and Sîresha for raids almost every year. Trade with the lands south of the Mountains was
seriously harmed, and agriculture suffered too. In 1714 the Sadayn Ghors (Ta. "Flood of Death")
covered most of Sîrayn with water and mud: all the settlements built close to the rivers were
damaged, thousands of people drowned and tens of thousands lost all their belongings. Tûl Harar
suffered most, as both its islands and the docks were hit by a mud wave which destroyed everything
it met, and the city lost a third of its inhabitants. Following the Sadayn Ghors the Orcish raids
diminished, partly because many Orcs had died on the Mountains, and partly because there was
little left to plunder in Sîrayn. The harbours and watering channels, the dams and the reinforced
banks built over centuries were erased, and many people moved away from the river, settling on the
heights for fear of new floods, and many abandoned agriculture for animal-husbandry. Plagues and
famines ravaged the country long after the flood. The damages of the Sadayn Ghors, combined with
the Orc raids, took decades to be healed, and Sîrayn was wounded for a long time.

More than sixty years after the Sadayn Ghors, the western Ayten clashed with other nomads,
coming from the Né Tava. The Ayten called these peoples Turten (Ay. "Robbers"): they rode swift
horses and they mastered the short bow and the scimitar. In 1796, the Turten took the oasis of
Tarnet Bazain and dislodged the Ayten Tanat who had ruled it for centuries. Since that year, they
often raided the upper valley of the Sîresha, and more than once they came under the walls of
Tartaust and Baud Selen. Some of the Ayten were submitted and served them as slaves, other fled
into the wilds joining the eastern Tanet, a trying to hold what lands they could.

Starting from 1801, the Lynerian League was torn by a civil war among its city-states. In that period
the Vulmaw increased their raids and the port of Tûl Harar was almost besieged, in spite of the fleet
that the Chyan King had ordered to build to protect it. The consequences were felt all over Sîrayn,
and combined with two years of famine, brought to uprisings that shook Isra during all Kramask
1805, forcing Tûl Isra to use the army against the rebels in Tyarett and Rask. In 1807, with the
Lynerian war raging in the seas and the cities of Isra hungry and angry, the Turten issued from
Tarnet Bazain and conquered Baud Selen. They proclaimed the city their kingdom and defeated the
armies of Tûl Isra, when they tried to dislodge them. Over the following years, their raids reached
the countryside of Tûl Isra and Rask.

In the following years many Saulen went poor, and people emigrated from one place to the other
seeking fortune. The poor and the immigrants were not represented inside the government of any
city, which was controlled by the powerful Saulen allied with Tûl Isra, and tensions grew inside the
city walls. In 1843 Kun Anyam was shaken by a revolt of the poor. They suffered from the
shrinking of trade, the raids and the famines, and they accused the powerful Saulen to be the cause
of their plight. Fights erupted in the streets until the army of Isra intervened and forced peace by
arms. Although the revolt was stopped, Kun Anyam remained a lawless city in the following years,
where guards would rule during the day and thieves and desperates would rule the night, terrifying
the weak and helpless and especially the strangers from outside the walls. The same happened in
1846 in Tyarett, and in the process the wheat stocks caught fire and the region was plagued by
famine for all the year.

Five years later, the Nhazadh Djeser I accused the Israni to be unfair merchants. After Shôbûragan's
conquest, Harshandatt had revealed very resistant to Chyan domination, and the defeat in Sîrayn
didn't allow the Chyans to control the country by force of arms. So the Great King himself had
decided to restore the realm as it was and put on the throne a friendly ruler: while the Nhazadh was
still revered as a god by his people, he recognised the right of the Great King to rule the world in his
stead. This way, Shôbûragan the Múranian kept their religion and their cultural identity, and the
Chyans kept their supremacy over Harshandatt as a vassal kingdom, at first ruled by a Múranian
Arshan, and later by the Nhazadh himself as a personal dominion under the protection of the Great
King.
Following the Nhazadh's complain, the Chyan King Vâyaspâra vowed to defend the Múranian
people under his protection, and repeat the "rightful plundering" made by Shôbûragan 179 years
before. He led his host into the lower Sîresha valley, and they plundered the villages and forced
Skaratayb and Rask to pay tributes.
By that time, the armies of Isra had become a mixed force constituted part of skilled but expensive
mercenaries, good to repress revolts as they showed no mercy, but undisciplined and unpopular
among the common people; and part by unskilled militias, mainly conscripted in the countryside as
the inhabitants of the cities managed to corrupt the Charazain and escape the military. Quarrels
were common and discipline non-existent, and it was clear that Tûl Isra couldn't defend itself, let
alone its allies, from any enemy. Some say that Vâyaspâra could have conquered all Sirayn with his
armies; but he left shortly before Sadayn and returned to his capital in the North. Truth may be that
the Great King understood well enough that Sîrayn was a bee-hive, easy to take and to break,
impossible to hold. Should his soldiers had stayed during Sadayn, they would have been troubled by
riots, Ayten raids and betrayals by the local guides, during a time when floods and diseases were all
too common; and he would have no queen-bee, a Nhazadh, to keep the Sîrani quiet and defend his
right to rule. Thus Vâyaspâra preferred to take the honey of the rich Sîresha, and leave before being
trapped in the land by Sadayn.

In 1865 a Kun Anyam was again troubled by revolts and many members of the administration were
murdered and their houses plundered. Tûl Isra reacted by sending the army and its mercenaries
slaughtered the rebels. By a special order of the Tarb, all prisoners were enslaved and sent to work
in the mines on the Mountains. The revolt had nonetheless left the city a battlefield for days, and
many houses were ruined or even burnt, and Kun Anyam lost one every ten inhabitants to death or
slavery.

Four years later, a new war was fought between the Lynerian League and Codya, and trade was
gravely harmed again. Disorders erupted in Tûl Harar, especially among the lesser traders and the
poor members of the larger foreign communities (Múranians and Chyans), who didn't have a Saul
or a tight group to help them and suffered most from the situation. The disorders were met by
Chyan guards, but the streets became increasingly dangerous during day and night.

The fall of Isra

Since the times of Balan Zayan, the state of Isra had plunged from the most wealthy and
acculturated realm in southern Middle-earth to a land plagued by famines and uprisings, ruled by
tyrants, roamed by mercenaries, brigands and foreign raiders, dotted with cities full of thieves and
murderers, all in little more than two centuries. By the end of the 17 th century of the Second Age,
the alliance of Tûl Isra, completed in 1585, was sustained more by tradition and habit than effective
power, and the Saulen of every allied city had become practically independent. Marriages with Isran
Saulen were less frequent, and even the movement of nobles from city to city had become difficult
in a besieged country.

In 1894 a popular uprising in Skaratayb expelled the main Saulen, and the rule was divided between
the minor ones. It is said that the revolt was supported by some Haran Saulen, who wanted a
territory to manipulate for their ends. The Tarb of Tûl Isra levied an army to crush the rebels, but
both Rask and Tyarett refused to send any troop, with excuses about potential revolts in their own
territory. Eight years later, another uprising helped the Saulen of Rask to stop sending any tribute to
Isra and exclude from the administration all the nobles supporting the alliance. When the Israni
marched against it, Rask obtained the support of Skaratayb, and it is said that the Saulen paid the
Turten to help them by raiding the western borders of Isra.

In 1906 the end of the state of Isra came with a bloody coup by some minor Saulen, the Daulis,
water-carriers and farmers, and the Dìrs, weavers and dyers, who forced their way into the
administration. The Tarbship was given to Bulgan Saul, and the role of the ancient Màsra and
Gauran was heavily diminished. The bloody coup gave the last allied cities, Kun Anyam and
Tyarett, the occasion to severe all their ties with Tûl Isra.

The invasion of the Storm King

The Númenóreans had long visited the shores of Ormal for trade, and around 1800 some of them
even took residence in Tûl Harar and the cities of Olyas Kriis. One century later they founded cities
of their own on the coasts of Middle-earth, subject to the rule of their princes, in the name of their
King.

One of such princes, brother of the King of Nùmenor, came in 1904 to the western shores of
Middle-earth and there he founded a kingdom of his own that he called Cìryatandor, or
Anbalukkhôr in the vernacular language of the Númenóreans. The prince, called Cìryamir, built a
city in the mountains, called Zadan an-Adûn, the Tower of Sunset, and he also became king of the
peoples of Tulwang and Hyarn, whom he protected from their neighbours. That kingdom became
also known as Mountaincleft in the Common Tongue of Ormal, as its capital was built among the
mountains, in a region of deep valleys and crevasses.

Cìryamir had a son, called Herundil, Akhôrahil in Adûnaic, and he was ambitious and cruel. He
dealt in sorcery and it is said that he made pacts with demons and exchanged his eyes with two
magical stones that let him saw things invisible to common men. It is said that with the help of
demons he killed his father and took the crown. In 1918, he became king and married his sister to
avoid a separation of inheritance: he was already known as the Blind Sorcerer, but took the name of
Storm King, and his armies were always accompanied by the spirits of the wind, whom Herundil
ruled and commanded. In a few years, the Storm King conquered all his neighbours and submitted
all those who stood against him. From his large and powerful kingdom he then looked eastwards,
where he saw the division of Sîrayn and the road to the Sea of Ormal.

In late Bauga 1929, a great sandstorm fell on Baud Selen, and after the storm the armies of
Anbalukkhôr fell unexpected on the Turten, conquering the city. The oasis of Tarnet Bazain was
already in their hands, and after Sadayn the invaders took Tartaust and occupied all the towns and
fortresses of Chennacatt. The Storm King led his army, and his followers were composed of a small
number of Númenórean veterans, heavily armed, battalions of people from Hyarn and Tulwang as
light infantry, and auxiliary troops of camel- and horse-riders from the Né Tava and Zajantak, tribes
akin to the Turten. They were fell and cruel and showed no mercy for their enemies, and
everywhere they went terror preceded them, and many preferred to flee rather than stand and defend
their houses. Of those who tried to oppose them, the survivors would become slaves distributed
among the bravest soldiers of the army.

The Storm King spent the following Sadayn in Tartaust, where he inspected the mountain passes
and ordered the construction of a fortress on the Boas Chennacatt. He then returned to Zadan an-
Adûn, and he left his general Wyatan to lead the eastern host. Wyatan was a young officer, and in
spite of his young age and his half-Númenórean birth in Tulwang, he was an excellent warrior, a
good tactician, and a general trusted and loved by his soldiers.

Before Sadayn 1933 Wyatan besieged and conquered Tûl Isra, looting the beautiful city and
sending many treasures to his king, and then he moved to Rask, which surrendered to him and thus
saved its walls and the life of its citizens, but not the properties, as they were forced to surrender all
their valuables and their animals, and the fields out of the walls were taken by soldiers or by the
king. After Sadayn Wyatan conquered Tyarett, where he awaited for some time for reinforcements
from the west. During that time, his army enslaved large part of the population of the countryside,
and the walls of Tyarett were teared down, together with all the towers belonging to the Saulen's
patriarchs.

In 1935 Wyatan marched on Skaratayb, where the Múranian garrison of Tûl Harar had joined the
defenders. In that battle the Society of Magic actively helped the besieged, and the army of
Anbalukkhôr was defeated and routed by the harsh desert winds, the wild waters of the Sîresha and
the hostile spirits of the wood, where many soldiers disappeared. However, Wyatan had brought
with him magicians, too, and siege engines, trebuchets casting balls of fire inside the walls. At the
end of the battle, Skaratayb was so ruined that its inhabitants abandoned it and move to the safety of
Tûl Harar. Some of the magicians moved their Society to Tûl Harar, but many others didn't trust the
future and they sailed to Olyas Kriis, so that the library of the Society, reportedly the largest ever
collected in southern Middle-earth about magic, was divided and never composed again.
Five years later Wyatan, having received reinforcements from the west and built many siege
engines, marched against Tûl Harar. For three years the city was besieged but resisted, and the
Ayten of Kirmlesra attacked the invaders and destroyed their supplies, so that Wyatan lifted the
siege and moved against the Tanet. As a result, all the Ayten turned against him and for years there
were battles all over the land. Wyatan then ordered to guard all the wells against the Ayten and
poison those which couldn't be held. The war was hard and cruel on both sides, and the chaos
augmented as the Múranian garrisons of Harshandatt entered the lower Sîresha valley and tried to
push Wyatan back from that land. The general retreated to Rask, where he was besieged for two
years, but later he broke the siege and routed the Múranians, thanks to magicians sent by his king,
commanding the spirits of the dead who spread fear in the hearts of the besiegers.

In 1979 the last Ayten Tanat, the Folk of the White Camel, surrendered to Wyatan and accepted the
rule of the Storm King. In 1983 Wyatan marched towards Tûl Harar, but the armies of Harshandatt
met him near Ayn and gave battle again. In that occasion the Nhazadh Psousèn showed up among
his soldiers, and such was the warriors' pride that the soldiers of Wyatan were overwhelmed. The
Nhazadh personally led the charge that routed the invaders, and celebrated a great victory back in
the capital. For the following seven years, Wyatan remained in Rask, and launched small raids to
test the defences of Harshandatt. Then in 1990 he led the main host to Tûl Harar and besieged it,
while he sent a part of his warriors northward, cutting the sea-port from the rest of the realm. The
siege was the hardest ever suffered by the city, but it could have resisted for decades, thanks to its
fortifications and the naval superiority which replenished the food supplies very easily. There were
many battles on the borders, without no clear winner, but in 1995 an army led by Ethrys, son of the
Nhazadh, broke the line of Wyatan's forces and marched on Tûl Harar to break the five year old
siege. Some say that Ethrys was young and inexperienced, and that he was sent because he was the
son of the Nhazadh and would give courage to the soldiers. But others whisper that Wyatan had
some influence in the court of Naerphys, and by his order many suggested the young man as a
general against the menace of Anbalukkhôr. And they also say the Wyatan, wanting to swell the
pride of the young general, left the way open to Tûl Harar and let Ethrys free the city while he
retreated to Rask. Ethrys was welcomed as a saviour by the Harani and his success made him
overconfident, so that, against the counsel of the citizens, he collected his forces and chased
Wyatan, to destroy his host on the run before it reached the walls of Rask. But Wyatan was waiting
for Ethrys not far from the swamps at the mouth of Sîrsis, and his horsemen fell from the hills on
the back of the Múranian army, and vanquished it. Then, after the slaughter, Wyatan marched on
Tûl Harar, left virtually defenceless, and took it. So Tûl Harar fell again without a fight, marking as
true the famous Sîranean adage. It is said that Ethrys didn't die in battle, but he was captured by
Wyatan, and in scorn put in a cage and hung on the western gates of Tûl Harar, to look down on his
defeat until he starved. That tale has never been proved true, but if it happened, it would not be the
cruellest action of the Storm King's general.
From Tûl Harar, Wyatan launched his invasion of Harshandatt, who was calling in vain for the help
of the Chyan King, Defender of the World. The kingdom fell three years later, its capital burned to
the ground by the very defenders not to let it fall in the hands of the enemy; by 1999 Wyatan was
the complete master of the land. Then he stopped his host, leaving the Chyan Empire fall by itself,
divided among its weak King and its litigious princes.

The rule of Anbalukkhôr

At the beginning of the new millennium, the realm of the Storm King stretched from the coasts of
the Western Sea to the Sea of Ormal, ruling over many different peoples, most of them of Apysan
origin. The Storm King resided in Zadan an-Adûn or in its eastern capital, Ny Chennacatt built on
the Mountains. From there, he overviewed the rule of his governors and directed his armies
invading the lands south of the Mountains: Ûsakan, Tantûrak, Gan and Dûshera.
The Storm King built a great paved road at the feet of the Mountains, the Royal Road, which linked
the two capitals: although meant for his armies, the road served well to merchants and many goods
from Nùmenor now passed by land, through the ports on the Western Sea, to Tûl Harar, where they
spread all over the Sea of Ormal. Another road was built from Ny Chennacatt and Tûl Harar, and in
that time the stone bridge over the Sîresha was built by Númenórean engineers. Dams and channels
were restored and Sîrayn became again the breadbasket of the South, although its wheat now moved
westwards to feed the armies of the Storm King. But the channel of Skaratayb was not restored, and
it fell in ruins.

The governors of Sîrayn were all foreigners: Númenóreans held the main cities, while men of
Tulwang and Hyarn ruled over less important territories. The Saulen were excluded from power and
those suspected of plotting against the Blind Sorcerer were imprisoned and never seen again. Spies
were everywhere, foreign guards and garrisons ensured the order in Sîrayn, and many Sîrani joined
the army and were sent to other lands. A few families became rich with trade, and Sîrani traders
were the most wealthy in the realm, but they were deprived of any power or influence, and only
with good relations with the governors did they rise among the other Sîrani. Corruption was
widespread in all the lands, and slavery increased dramatically: most slaves worked hard in the
fields, as all lands were now owned by the King and their revenues collected by his governors.

The First Age (Years of the Sun)

People of Mornerin origin migrate through the area, some of them take home in the forest, others on
the banks of the Sîresha.
Later the Kirani arrive. The Mornerin leave for the south, the Kirani establish themselves on the
Sîresha.

The Second Age

1-10 The Yatali-gan settle the Sàra-Bask, fleeing their old lands in Chy.
10-100 Apysani peoples settle around the Mard Isauba.
400-550 The Sîrani are troubled by invasions of nomads from the Né Tava.
c. 500 First cities rise in Sîrayn
c. 550 The Ayten emerge as a distinct people and they roam Sîrayn, stopping their usual plundering
activities.
625 The city of Naerphys in Harshandatt conquer other cities and founds the Black Leopard
realm.
c. 650 The Chyans threaten Harshandatt
747 A new dynasty comes to rule Harshandatt. The Nhazadhs start to be worshipped as living
gods.
760 The new Nhazadh of Harshandatt brings his army to Sîrayn and besieges Tûl Harar. The
walls of the city resists his assault, so the Nhazadh plunders the countryside.
760-906 After him, several Nhazadh campaign south but they are always turned away by the
nomads of Kirmlesra and the cities. The Ayten of Kirmlesra are granted access to any well and free
trade in the territories of the cities of lower Sîresha.
906 The Chyans conquer Harshandatt.
910 The Chyans campaign in Sîrayn. They plunder the lower Sîresha valley and burn the cities of
Ayn and Kirm. The citizens of Kirm found Skaratayb.
c. 950 Trade increases in Tûl Harar thanks to the Lynerians. Along the Sîresha, trade routes
develope.
c. 1000 Tûl Isra, Tyarett, Rask, Skaratayb, Tartaust and Kun Anyam emerge as the main cities
holding control of the trade routes and the supply of goods to Tûl Harar. They impose their
dominion to lesser towns and wage petty wars between themselves.
Invention of paper. Age of culture, influence on Harshandatt and the Chyan Empire.
Vulmaw ships appear in the Bay of Harar. Most are merchants, but others are corsairs assailing
ships and even villages.
c. 1100 Númenóreans start visiting periodically the docks of Tûl Harar
1145 Harshandatt recovers its independence
c. 1200 The Gauran become the most prominent Saul (Ta. "Family") of Tûl Isra. The city becomes
very powerful and controls all the Maudar valley.
1211 A group of Ironfist exiles from Namagalûz found the city of Mablâd-dûm.
c. 1250 Tûl Isra starts to dominate the towns along the Sîresha from Baud Selen to Rintark.
1254 The armies of Tûl Isra force Kun Anyam to heavy tributes for defending them from Orcs.
1258 The armies of Tûl Isra defeat Tyarett and force it to heavy tributes.
1260 Rask and Skaratayb form an alliance against Tûl Isra.
1266 The forces of Tûl Isra defeat the allied cities and impose their hegemony.
1286 The priests of Markùr, god of the Forest in Tyarett, lead a revolt against Tûl Isra and expel all
Israni and their allies from the city. The forces of Tyarett defeat the Israni at Kelen. On the same
year Rask, Skaratayb and Kun Anyam revolt. The first two form a new alliance with Tûl Harar.
c. 1300 Isra wages several wars with its neighbours, always keeping its supremacy in Sîrayn but
never able to impose permanently its hegemony to major cities. In the same period, the Orcs launch
several raids into the foothills, plaguing Kun Anyam, Tyarett, and Tartaust.
In Harshandatt power shifts from the Nhazadh to the Council.
The Lynerians found permanents outposts in Olyas Kriis.
1304 In Kun Anyam, the followers of the cult of Miemper come to hold most of the positions of
power inside the city. The Saulen who follow the cult slowly marginalise those outside the lobby.
1317 In Kun Anyam religious strife erupts between the cults of Miemper and Syrsen. After a
mediator from Tûl Isra is attacked by the followers of Miemper, an Isran army imposes peace inside
the walls. The followers of Miemper are exiled.
1318 Deve Entol is founded along the Yol Isra south of Kun Anyam by Miemper outcasts. Built to
withstand a possible Anyaman or Isran assault, the town sets out to surpass Kun Anyam.
1320 The Entolian merchants obtain the support of Abla Gadel, a prince of Dûshera, wishing to
increase his power over the Mountains and trade routes. He supports Deve Entol with gold and
grants its merchants advantages in trading in his domains.
1336 The forces of Kun Anyam and Tul Isra march on Deve Entol and begin a destructive siege of
the town which lasts three years.
1339 Allied forces from Ti'ersh and Dûshera break the siege of Deve Entol: the Isran and Anyaman
forces retreat. A diplomatic resolution is sought to ensure the future of both cities.
1341 The Entoliani and their allies march on Kun Anyam. Much of the city is damaged or
destroyed. No decisive victory is achieved by either side, though only the rapid deployment of Isran
troops averts the fall of Kun Anyam.
1348 In Rask the followers of Asharta, God of War, took the power. The alliance with Skaratayb
is abandoned and the Ayten are outlawed in the city territory.
c. 1350 The Lynerian outposts of Olyas Kriis join the League.
1350 The "Sadayn Grapash". Great tides of Orc and Goblin bands descend into the southern regions
of Isra and Chennecatt. The town of Deve Entol is overrun and a few survivors flee to Kun Anyam
seeking refuge. Kun Anyam itself is besieged, and saved only by Isran forces. Baud Selen protects
many villages with its armies and increase its power.
1351 After the Orcs return to the Mountains, an Isran garrison is left in Kun Anyam to defend it and
help rebuild it. Baud Selen starts a campaign of submission of the villages and towns along the
upper Sîresha.
1352 Raman Sahra of Màsra Saul, from Tûl Isra, becomes the Tarabett of Kun Anyam. Many
marriages occur between the two cities in the Maudar valley.
1356 Codya launches an invasion of Bulchyades, but the intervention of the Lynerian League forces
it to retreat. Beginning of the Lynerian Peace.
1358 The Ayten besiege Rask, with the favour of Skaratayb, until the population rebels against the
priests of Asharta. The army of Skaratayb intervenes and establishes the rule of the old Saulen,
developing marriage alliances with prominent Raskan houses.
1382 Baud Selen imposes its hegemony to Tartaust and completes the control of Chennacatt.
1511 A quarrel between the Saulen of the Rabis and the Tarkas in Baud Selen prompts the
intervention of Tûl Isra, who supports the second. The Rabis flee to Tartaust, and the military
hegemony of Baud Selen wanes.
1512 The forces of Tûl Isra defeat the League of Sîresha at Rintark. On the same year, Tartaust tries
to besiege Baud Selen but its forces are turned away.
1522 In Tyarett the Saul of the Faryan is outcast from power by other Saulen and the priests of
Markùr. The Faryan look for help in Tûl Isra.
1524 The forces of Tûl Isra take control of Tyarett and establish the Faryan as puppet-leaders,
exterminating the priesthood of Markùr. An Isran is nominated as Tarabett.
1530 Tyarett revolts to Isra and joins the League of Sîresha. The city is razed before the League can
intervene.
1533 Israni invade Rask and impose to the city their hegemony. A few Raskan outcasts are
established as puppets of Isran administrators, and another Isran becomes Tarabett.
1552 Rask revolts with the support of Skaratayb.
1554 Rask is submitted. Many Isran nobles marry Raskan nobles and become the new nobility.
1556 Skaratayb is besieged by the Israni, but the help of Tûl Harar turns them away.
1578 The Israni conquer Skaratayb
1580 The Israni besiege Tûl Harar
1585 The Israni are turned away by the intervention of Harshandatt, called by Tûl Harar. Tûl Harar
becomes a protectorate of Harshandatt.
1589 Tyarett is rebuilt and settled by Isran people.
1618 The channel of Skaratayb is completed.
1663: The Chyans conquer Harshandatt.
1665: The Chyans conquer Tûl Harar.
1669: The Chyans conquer Kirsmlesra and the lower Sîresha.
1675: The Israni make an alliance with the Ayten and defeat the Chyans at the battle of Auganazin
(Ta. "Drowning Riders"). The Chyan King leaves unharmed Sîrayn and surrenders the conquered
cities. Oath of Rintark, by which the Ayten are granted right to use Sîrani wells.
1679: The Nhazadh is restored in Harshandatt as a religious figure. He recognise the Chyan King as
Protector of the World and rightful ruler of Harshandatt.
1680 Vulmaw pirates start again to plague the shores of the Bay of Harar.
1691-92 The Vulmaw raid all the cities of the Chyan Empire. There is no direct intervention from
the League.
c. 1700 Orcs multiply in the Mountains and seriously harm the trade between Sîrayn and
Dûshera.
1714 The Sadayn Ghors (Ta. "Flood of Death") wastes Sîrayn and leaves the land wounded for
decades.
1718 The Orcish raids in Sîrayn are stopped.
c. 1760 The western Ayten Tanet clash with the Turten.
1796 The Turten conquer Tarnet Bazain and dislodge the Ayten. They start plundering the upper
Sîresha.
c. 1800 The armies of Isra become dominated by mercenaries and untrained militias from the
countryside. City-dwellers escape the military by corruption.
Númenóreans start to take residence in important cities on the Mard Isauba.
1801-1811 War of the Phaimonians among the Lynerian cities. Trade shrinks in the Sea of Ormal.
1805 - Two years of famine, combined with the shrinking trade, result in a series of uprisings all
over the kingdom of Isra.
1807 - The Turten conquer Baud Selen and defeat the Isran armies. They push their raids to Tûl Isra
and Rask.
1843 Uprisings in Kun Anyam are crushed by mercenaries.
1846 Uprisings in Tyarett lead to famines.
1848 - The Chyans and Múranians raid the lower Sîresha valley, plundering the countryside and
forcing Rask and Skaratayb to pay tributes.
c. 1850 The power of Tûl Isra start to wane and its grip over the other cities becomes weaker.
1865 Another uprising in Kun Anyam is crushed mercilessly, and leaves the city partially ruined.
1869-1875 War between Codya and the Lynerian League. Trade shrinks again in the Sea of Ormal.
Uprisings in Tûl Harar.
1894 Skaratayb declares its independence from Tûl Isra. Tyarett and Rask refuse to levy troops to
punish the rebellious city.
c. 1900 The Númenóreans found colonies on the eastern coasts of the Sea of Ormal.
1904 The Númenóreans establish the kingdom of Anbalukkhôr on the shores of the Western Sea.
1906 Rask declares its independence, with the support of Skaratayb and the Turten.
1912 A bloody coup in Tûl Isra changes the balance of power. Kun Anyam and Tyarett severe all
ties with the ancient capital.
1918 The Blind Sorcerer becomes Storm King of Anbalukkhôr.
1929 Early in the year, the Storm King attacks Baud Selen. By the end of the year, all of
Chennacatt has fallen to his forces.
1930 The Storm King sends his general Wyatan to conquer Isra and the lands east.
1933 Early in the year, Rask and Tûl Isra fall to Wyatan’s forces. Late in the year, Tyarett
succumbs.
1935 The forces of Wyatan attack the city of Skaratayb. The combined forces of Skaratayb and
the Chyan garrison of Tûl Harar are able to win the battle at the expense of the city which is ruined
in the process.
1940 Wyatan re-assembles his forces and starts a 59 year campaign against Tûl Harar and
Harshandatt. He arouses the anger of the Ayten, who attack his soldiers all over the country.
1979 The last Ayten submit to Wyatan.
1983 The army of Harshandatt, led by Nhazadh Psousèn, stops Wyatan near Ayn.
1990 Wyatan besieges Tûl Harar.
1995 A Múranian army led by prince Ethrys frees Tûl Harar but falls in a trap of Wyatan and is
vanquished near the swamps of Sîresha and Sîrsis. Wyatan takes Tûl Harar.
1999 Harshandatt falls one day before the new millennium. The Storm King places governors in
each province and city and begins his rule in the South.
2008 Jì Indûr is crowned King of Mûmakan and starts a series of conquests that will lead to his rule
of the South.
2013 Herundil accepts a Ring of Power and becomes the fifth Lord of Man to fall under Sauron's
spell.
The Chyan Empire divides after a civil war for succession.