Kingdom of Yam

Kingdom of Yam

Overview

After years of civil strife and wars with Orith and Magasoa, Yam has finally turned its attention to trade and industry and has found this arena to be a far more profitable one. Unfortunately, after years of peace and increased wealth, Magasoa has declared war on the nations of the Triple Alliance and they have found themselves on the front line of a viscious assualt from the Magasoan troops, including both humanoids and the infernal forces of Zykerathox. Internally, the nation also finds itself victim to insurgency from ancient cults and secret orders long loyal to Amman, who are proving a serious thorne in the side of the kingdom and forcing valuable forces to be redirected in their direction.

The Triple Alliance between Yam, Hanai and Orith has seen a tremendous rise in the confidence of these nations and their trade goods can now be found far and wide throughout Arrasia. Heavily influenced by the Karnish culture, with Karnish deities and the Karnish language predominant amongst all classes, Yam has seen its trade grow dramatically. However, their weak naval capabilities has meant that they are still heavily reliant on the nations bordering the Sea of Guardians for trade, relying on Karnish trade caravans to transport their goods to far flung places.

The influence of Amman has always been felt in Yam, with powerful cults and secret orders not uncommon. Mostly, these organizations have restricted themselves to ancient religious practices, though have become very active since the rememergence of Amman and the declaration of war by Magasoa, helping to thwart Triple Alliance activities wherever they can and overthrow the existing order. Much to the frustrations of Yam, the other two nations of the alliance - Hanai and Orith - have been slow to act against the forces of Magasoa, leaving the borders of Yam exposed and under threat. Reports of an army massing near the Magasoan borders has seen heightened tensions and some desperate politics in order to get the Alliance fulfilling it's obligations and mustering their armies to send into the fray.

Significant Trade Export

Copper Ore: The Jayd Hills are rich in copper ore, around which many small communities have grown. After the copper is extracted, it is usually taken to Portswey where it is used for coinage.

Iron Ore: Iron ore is plentiful in Yam, especially in the Marad Mountains in the south-east, where it is mined extensively by the dwarves who live there.

Precious Stones: Azurite, malachite, obsidian and rhodochrosite are all found in Yam. Usually, they are cut and exported, or used to decorate jewelry or other expensive ornaments.

Silver: Silver mining communities have sprung up around the Marad Mountains with the discovery of silver. A trickle of this precious metal has always made its way from the dwarven mines, but the recent growth of mining communities has seen it become a flood and silver is now Yam's largest export.

Brief History

After the fall of Amman, Yam emerged under the leadership of the self-styled monarch, Queen Isos The Merciless, and declared its independence. After destroying the lingering remnants of Amman, Queen Isos set about grabbing as much of the land as she could and open warfare between Magasoa and Orith, also emerging from their oppression, was vicious and terrible. Much of the fighting between Yam and Orith centered on the strategically important city of Hanai, which was constantly taken and retaken by the opposing armies. Any peace between the nations was short lived and the cost of the war high.

Weakened by the support for Amman from a large section of Yam society, which was growing stronger as each day of the war continued, Yam was eventually forced to pursue a permanent peace with their neighbors. Orith, riven with its own internal strife, was also looking for peace and the two nations sought to end their differences. One of the greatest stumbling blocks - the ownership of Hanai - was soon eased when Lord Ritchelin, one of Arrasia's great opportunists, declared Hanai's independence as a Freecity and entered into the peace talks with Yam and Orith.

Hanai was given recognition as a Freecity, with lands of its own, and Yam and Orith agreed the lines of their borders. With peace declared, Yam began the great purge to end the influence of the supporters of Amman within their newly drawn borders. Soon, civil war broke out between the two factions, but the outcome was indecisive, with spring bringing an end to a year of conflict as the armies of both sides returned to their crops. This peace was uneasy and a year later, the civil war flared up yet again. Several large battles saw the Amman supporters gain great successes. With their armies threatening Portswey and the monarch of Yam, the supporters of the crown achieved a dramatic and unlikely decisive victory on the bogs of Portswey.

The Battle of Portswey proved a major turning point and the supporters of Amman were forced onto the back foot, from which they never recovered. After several more large battles, the defeated army melted away and the powerful influence of Amman and its followers was effectively destroyed and the crown of Yam secured. Though the power of Amman within Yam was ended, there still remained considerable support and cults and secret orders emerged to continue their opposition to the monarch of Yam, often in the form of assassinations or attacks against Yam interests.

Throughout this period, however, Magasoa had proved to be a thorn in the side of the crown armies, vigorously supporting the renegade supporters of the ancient regime. Border conflicts between Yam and Magasoa were common and these intensified after the victory of the crown. With the large numbers of humanoids that crossed the plains of Yam and Orith, an alliance between the three states of Yam, Orith and the Freecity of Hanai - known as the Triple Alliance - saw the combined armies drive large numbers of the humanoid tribes out of their lands. Many retreated into Magasoa, while others were dispersed into The Golden Peaks or The Jayd Hills.

With the power of the Triple Alliance behind it, Yam soon turned its attention to industry and trade. As the wealth grew, so did their taste for all things Karnish. The Karnish language soon became the chosen language of the Yam aristocracy, as did the Karnish pantheon and culture, though Ural remains the language of choice for the majority of the population. Relations between the two nations also grew and with this, access to greater trade routes was achieved. A brief border dispute with Syrámä saw a declaration of war and the activation of the Triple Alliance. Two decisive victories saw Syrámä repelled and the reputation of the alliance enhanced. In more recent years, however, the alliance has been severly tested - and strained - by the emergence of Amman from it's long slumber and the declaration of war by Magasoa on the nations of the Triple Alliance. With Orith and Hanai still reluctant to commit their troops into the war, Yam rightly feels they have been left to shore up the borders.

The Major Towns and Cities

Poryswey: (pop: 36,000) A large and bustling port city, Portswey, situated on the Aggenbor Sea, is now regarded as a key trading post and ally of Karnish. Having grown significantly during the Amman occupation, much of the city resembles the architecture of other Amman cities, with grandiose buildings lining wide, statue or tree lined thoroughfares. Unlike other Amman cities, however, the old churches and Towers of Hakkan have been demolished and the poverty of the city has been severely reduced since the growth of trade with other nations. Much of the old shanty areas have been demolished and rebuilt, with columned villas and ornate buildings all showing the new found wealth and confidence of the city.

Panby: (pop: 7,500) Once a small and insignificant fishing village on the west coast of Yam, Panby has grown significantly as an important trading post and the second most significant town in Yam. Due to its recent growth, there are almost no signs of Amman cultural influence to be found in Panby, with instead Karnish tastes having dictated the architecture of the city, with ornate columns found decorating most public buildings. The streets are wide and clean (unlike many Karnish city streets) and an impressive stone wall surrounds the entire town, protecting it from the humanoids that sometimes come south from Magasoa.

Organizations

The Black Hands of Hakkan
See Amman for a description of the Black Hands of Hakkon.

The Four Guardians
The Four Guardians are said to be powerful members of Yam society who are dedicated to the return of Amman rule. Commanding a powerful presence in both Portswey and Panby, their loyal followers are rumored to have a significant influence over the Warrell Gang (see below) who operate out of Portswey. Not much is know about The Four Guardians, except that they secretly work to undermine the growth of Yam and its connections with Karnish.

The Warrell Gang
This gang of once petty criminals has grown into a significant criminal organization that operates in the port area of Portswey. There is little that passes through the docks that they don't take some percentage of and their followers are thought to have infiltrated essential organizations in order to spy and undermine their enemies. The Warrell Gang are ruthless, torturing and murdering those who do not cooperate with them. It is widely believed that The Four Guardians (see above) have a significant influence over the gang, with some even suggesting that the leader of the gang is in fact also a member of The Four Guardians.


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