Sarmania

Location and Geography

The city states of Sarmania are all located along the Harstor River. The Harstor river flows north along the western edge of the great Atibul mountain range and ends in the bay of Menit. On the eastern side of the Atibul mountains lies the Thismus straights and across these straights is the land of Stavishik. To the west and south of the Harstor river lies the Mubitku desert. Most of the population of Sarmania lives within a mile or two of the Harstor river though there are smaller settlements and villages located along the base of the Atibul Mountains. Though the Samanians have explored areas adjacant to the region there are no settlements on the eastern side of the Atibul Mountains. All along the length of the Harstor river both large and small canals have been dug to provide irrigation for fields. These fields mostly lie on the western side of the river while the eastern bank of the Harstor is given over to large tracts of wilderness and forests. The hot dry winds of the Mubitku desert evaporate large quantities of water from the Harstor river but then these moisture laden winds climb the Atibul mountains and cool. This cool moist air returns as rain on the western slopes of the Atibul's thus watering the forests before returning to the Harstor. This cycle is central to the religious pantheons of the Sarmanian city states, and Sarmanian culture in general. The origins of the Harstor river are unknown but near the southern extent of the Atibul range the river suddenly appears out of the desert. The river, for much of it's length is an underground river, though to the south of Sarmania there are numerous areas where the river reaches the surface for short periods. These oasis are known as Afthusen in the Sarmanian tongue and may be as small as a few feet across or as large as 20 miles long. Though no major cities are found on these oasis, small villages can be found around the larger Afthusen. These villages play a major role in trade with the city states of the The Jhera Valley to the south, and make the desert crossing possible.

People and Culture

The Sarmanian male population averages around 5'6" tall while females are slightly smaller (5'4"). They commonly have straight blakc hair, dark eyes and epicanthal folds. They may be distantly related to the Aertepians though they lack the cleft chins and are slightly lighter in color. Sarmanian culture, like other civilzations revolves around agriculture.

Language

Sarmanian, though there are slaves who speak a variety of barbarian tongues. The Sarmanian language is linguistically related to the Aertepian language, though very distantly. The two languages share approximately 20% or less of the same words. Along the southern trade route Jherakh is commonly spoken as a second language.

Domesticated Crops

Pomegranates, Citron, Almonds, Chickpeas, Vetch, Mung beans

Common Herbs and Spices

Bay Leaves, Celery Seed, Marjoram

Domesticated animals

Horses, Oxen, Dogs, Sheep, Goats and Donkey

Naming conventions

Male names often end in: rha, era, tas, vala, tyon, los, bek.

Female names often end in: gyao, iana, ona, usa, aris, riga, ella.

City States

Atiscalla

Tambylia