Ashura

Ashura, officially the Third Dominion of Ashura, is a country in the Nándor Peninsula of Syltör. It is usually considered the third iteration of a unified Ashuran state, a successor to the ancient Ashuran Dominions, and a vassal of the Second Aurlûnoren-Ryzani Empire. It is primarily inhabited by the Ashurans, a combination of various related Dune Elven ethnic groups. Though there are many Ashuran groups, the nation has historically been dominated by the Nabut and the Qanti. The country gives its namesake to the Ashuran Desert, the dinosaur genus Ashuratitan, and much more. Its capital is Qamiya and its most-populated city is Tyalu.

Hundred Armies Period
The Hundred Armies Period, named after the many conquests of Ashura during its time, also known as the Foreign Dominance Period, was marked by the conquest of all the former Ashuran land. Historical records of this period are sparse, with only a few outside sources giving us details. This is generally attributed to the lack of record-keeping by Azeral tribes after the Dominion's collapse, as well as the destruction of many texts by floods and storms.

Establishment of Viridian
Shortly after the Dominion's fall, the Order of the Green, a monastic order based primarily on the island of Greenhaven, invaded the Nándorian coast, primarily the region of modern-day Alda and Tyalu. They met little-to-no resistance, and continued their occupation inland. At this point, radical political shifts inside the order led to the Grandmaster establishing Viridian and reducing their focus on colonial expansion, which ended their conquests for the time being.

Territory of Alum
At an unknown point in time, the Confederation of Ryzan sent troops into the Ashuran Lands. At first, they occupied many ancient cities, including the historic capital of Qamiya, and visited the most powerful tribes in the region, threatening to attack if they did not promise loyalty to Ryzan. When the tribes refused, Ryzan began an all-out war with them, which damaged the Ashuran population significantly and caused the scattering of many tribes. After defeating all resistance in the region, Ryzan founded the territory of Alum, which officially administered the region. It is important to note that, de facto, it only administered Sneedistan and other populous coastal cities, with tribes deep in the desert acting basically independently. Though Ryzan could have enforced their authority in these regions, it would have been too costly and fruitless, as it was hard to build infrastructure, and maritime trade was much more profitable.

Scramble for Ryzan
After the collapse of Ryzan, and the following Scramble for Ryzan, virtually all the Ryzani holdings in Alum were given to foreign powers. Viridian negotiated the annexation of Sharla, which marked their first expansion into Ashura since their initial invasions as the Order of the Green. Huitca annexed the Sneedistan peninsula and a bit of desert west of it. The Takumakken Empire, which had controlled the western edges of Ashura, expanded all the way to the Sawiya Oasis. The destruction caused by the Takumakken expansion convinced many Ashuran tribes to flee to the eastern regions.

Following the partition of the Takumakken Empire, Viridian was granted all the Takumakken lands in Ashura. Slowly, tribes returned to the western lands, and Viridian began efforts to improve infrastucture in the region. They attempted to found their own settlement, named Balim, outside the Nabut fortress of Pi-Medjayim, but it was unsuccessful, as the entire population succumbed to disease. Following the failures of their investments in Ashura, Viridian decided to cut its losses. They sold their newly-gained land back to Ryzan for $50,000.

Ryzan remained the dominant power in Ashura until the collapse of the First Aurlûnoren-Ryzani Empire. It was decided that the union would be split in half, with the west going to the Aurlûnor Velande, and the east going to Ryzan. The western section included the territory of Alum, and once the dissolution occured, Aurlûnor reorganized Alum into the Erúme Province. Shortly after, Viridian voted to abolish its government, and ceeded all of its territory to Aurlûnor and Huitca. Aurlûnor was given the Ashuran parts, and organized it into the Sharla Province. At this point, Aurlûnor controlled the entirety of Ashura, marking an end to the Hundred Armies Period.