Baar Dysh
From World of Kralis
| Regional Information | |
| Population: | 300,000 (75% Junde, 10% Dwarven, 5% Isande, 5% Firbog, 5% other) |
|---|---|
| Capital: | Parlung |
| Government: | Monarchy, Ruled by Hiraga Jo |
| Major Religions: | Elal and Akiri |
| Imports/Exports: | Jewelry, wooden items, clothing, quilts, fabrics and carpets |
The mountain kingdom of the monks, Baar Dysh is a unique realm set within the Desaryn Mountains. It is a land of mixed cultures of dwarven, firbog and junde, and is home to several schools of martial arts the greatest being the School of the Iron Dragon. The mountain nation had been in existence since around 8,000 B.F.A. mostly as a loose organization of villages, monk temples and little else. In 400 B.F.A., Grand Shadiak Higo Sotan in an effort to protect the villages and monasteries of the region unites a number of the villages and monasteries of the Yaris Valley and founds the Baar Dysh Empire. He also brings forth many reforms and the power of Baar Dysh grows rapidly creating a powerful mountain empire. The people of Baar Dysh crown Higo Sotan as Emperor-King. Over the next few centuries worship of Elal becomes the established religion, making his worship the most widely recognized through out the empire, even to the exclusion of other faiths.
In 50 B.F.A. under relentless attacks by invading orcs, Baar Dysh is divided and conquered, its lower regions between Dardura Sheva and the Sea of Dragons falls under the rule of orcs creating the orc realms of Nazaru and Baztha.
Baar Dyshian culture has developed under a number of influences. The high mountainous terrain with its short growing season and cold weather have greatly encouraged a reliance on pastoral farming. Continual contact with the dwarven realm of Garandor and Dardura Sheva have greatly influenced the development of the Baar Dyshian culture. The worship of Elal has exerted a particularly strong influence on the culture. This religious influence can been seen in great detail in the art, literature and music of the region. Traditional worship of Elal has taken on a unique form in Baar Dysh, a strong shamanic form that concentrates on the heart-mind-body influence of Elal. This tradition has led to a cultural influence of mind and soul over body and can be seen in the various martial arts schools in the Empire.
Baar Dyshians are very conservative in their dress. Women tend to wear a single cotton-wool dress of a dark colors with a dark wrap with colorful stripes. Men tend to wear long cotton-wool pants, with low soft boots with a cotton-wool shirt under a leather vest. Except for the monks of the various temples who tend to shave their heads, most Baar Dyshians wear their hair long or in traditional braids that are embellished with a complex pattern or set with sculptures made from wood, ivory or other jewels.
The geography of Baar Dysh consists of high mountains, lakes and rivers lying between Dardura Sheva, Garandor, Nazaru and Baztha. The realm is often referred to the "roof of the world" by most southerners, as it comprises a number of table-like lands that dominate most of the areas where villages have risen. The various villages through out the empire rely heavily on raising livestock and the numerous valleys are alive with hundreds of different herds of sheep, cattle, goats, and horses.
The atmosphere is severely dry most of the year and the average snowfall is less than three feet a year. There are very few large copses of trees, but those that do exist are made up of short, hardy conifer trees and low blue-green bushes as well as wildgrass of various types.
The greatest feature of the empire is the Rehmara Glacier that fills the entire Dujin Valley in the western mountains. The majority of the lakes found in the area are filled from the run off from this glacier.
