Tethyr

[Velaryon]

Located on the west coast of Faerun, Tethyr is just north of Calimshan and south of Amn, the Silver Marches, and Waterdeep.

Tethyr is roughly 350 miles by 600 miles, with a thin peninsula jutting westward another 250 miles or so. Its total landmass is slightly smaller than Texas.

A land of nearly two million people, Tethyr is composed of roughly 75% humans, 20% halflings, and 3% elves, with the rest being divided between numerous other species.

The most common religions are Helm (a god of law, protection, and guardianship), Ilmater (a god dedicated to relieving suffering), Siamorphe (a demigoddess of nobility and royalty), Torm (god of duty and loyalty), and Tyr (god of justice). These churches all have associated knightly orders as well.

Tethyr is a dry, warm land of rolling grasslands, with a sizeable forest, several small mountain ranges, and two important rivers. Two major trade routes pass through the land, allowing Tethyrian furniture and chests (renowned throughout Faerun) and crops to be exchanged for spices, weapons, and magic, the nation's primary imports.


Government:

Common folk are ruled by counts, who are responsible for collecting taxes, maintaining local government, hiring law enforcement, and raising militias in times of conflict.

Counts in turn are ruled by dukes, who report directly to the Queen. The Queen maintains an advisory council consisting of the King, eight dukes, the Archdruid of Mosstone, and representatives from the elven, halfling, dwarven, and gnome populations in the country.

Due to favors repaid after the war, there are a fair amount of newly ennobled counts and even a few new dukes. Although a noble's influence is usually directly tied to the amount of land they own, many of the new nobles still must prove themselves to the people of Tethyr before gaining common acceptance and respect.

[Velaryon]

History:

The land now known as Tethyr was, in ages past, part of the dwarven empire of Shanatar. That empire fell nearly four thousand years ago, and ruins of its major cities still exist underground. Finding a way in is both difficult and dangerous, and although it is rumored that much of the treasure from the empire remains, few go looking for it and fewer are ever seen again.

The elves have also lived in Tethyr since time immemorial, though their forest, the Wealdath, is but a fraction of the size it once was.


As of 1375 DR (the current year), Tethyr is six years removed from a decades-long civil war. Queen-Monarch Zaranda Star Rhindaun and her husband, King Haedrak III, emerged as the victors, and have slowly restored peace and stability to the region for the first time in living memory.

But the land is hardly without conflict. The elves remain secluded in their forest, wary of human influence and preferring, as most elves do, to keep to themselves. Tethyrians in general are distrustful of outsiders that meddle in national affairs. But Queen Zaranda and King Haedrak are heavily indebted to foreign powers for assistance, and Haedrak himself is considered a foreigner by most, though he is of ancient Tethyrian blood.

Tethyr maintains an alliance with Calimshan to the south, although relations are not always smooth. Relations with Amn to the north are not so good. Five years ago, Amn was ravaged with its own internal problems, and two of its southern cities seceded and became part of Tethyr. At the time no one cared, but as Amn begins to stabilize, a few radical people call for the retaking of its former land from Tethyr.

[Velaryon]

Side note: I decided to add up the populations of all the cities, as well as the elves, to see how many people are living in the countryside. The numbers revealed more than 3 million non-elves living outside the cities, making up about 88% of the population.

This seems unrealistic to me, so I slashed the total population for the country in half. It's now a little less than 2 million. The people living in the countryside still make up the majority, but now it's by an amount that I find more believable. The original post has been modified to contain the new number.

[Velaryon]

Made a small adjustment to the first post. It seems that the church of Siamorphe has its own knightly order as well

[Velaryon]

Culture:

The number five is considered unlucky in Tethyr. This superstition has roots in antiquity, but some events in living memory have contributed to the belief as well. Many of the events that have led to this superstition center around the royal family of Tethyr:

-King Coram IV died of five stab wounds to the chest; the murder was committed by the captain of his guard, who was paid five bars of platinum for it.

-King Teremir was the fifth son of his family. His reign fell apart within 25 months.

-King Coram II was also a fifth son. He was killed after five years on the throne by Teremir II, who became King afterward.

-King Errilam was a third son, but fifth child of his father. His reign ended with the beginning of 90 years of strife with the elves.

-The five daughters of Princess Kessynna all died in Waterdeep when all five were slain by mimics disguised as pillows.


Superstition surrounding the number five is so prevalent that many folk go out of their way to avoid occurrences of the number five. Many families will have no more than four children, and take steps to avoid the possibility of a fifth. Buildings are often constructed with only four windows, or at least seven (avoiding the number six so that even if one should break, there will not be five windows). No public building, and few if any private homes, have exactly five steps. And so on.

[Velaryon]

Counties and Duchies of Tethyr:

This map shows the borders of the various counties and duchies in Tethyr. It's a scan of the map on the back of the AD&D 2nd edition Tethyr book that I have. It's not a very detailed map at all, but it gives you a rough idea of the political divisions within the country.



Heavenforth Manor is located in County Bardshyr, of which Thallatos is now the Count. It's part of the duchy known as the Purple Marches.

Zazesspur is located right on the border of County Starspur and County Vintor, but is considered part of Starspur.

Myratma is located in the very southwestern tip of County Elemetar, even though the map kinda makes it look like it should be part of County Vintor.

Darromar is located in the southeastern part of County Rivershire (though you'd expect it to be part of County Ithmonn since the city used to be called Ithmong).

The northern half of the Forest of Mir (before it curves south around the eastern end of the Marching Mountains) is mostly located in County Mirkazar, though the western edge of the forest extends into County Monteshi. When you guys traveled into the forest, you actually went past the border of County Mirkazar into the part that's claimed by Calimshan.

[Tyrrox Zym]

Cool map, thanks.

[Velaryon]

The fact that it's a bit crudely drawn and lacking a lot of features is frustrating to me, but I'm glad to have it nonetheless.