Yirsaad

Yirsaad is the large central province of the subcontinent of Mirau within the continent of Onthukhan, which has historically always been located in Anglunia. It consists of the icy and mountainous central region which holds the large holy city of Rezuraia and the port town of Apriney. A large ice lake forms part of a river that runs from mid-Yirsaad to right the way through Saint's Port and Ashenvale.

The Chyweld Byd
It is said according to the Arterna that the celestials created the world. In the events that followed a popular myth of events is the Chyweld Byd. In this story a great hero named Vela'ryisaan Arternathal rebelled against celestials.

In his chronicles you find one of the earliest mentions of the region of Yirsaad.

"''His path led him through forest and desert, snowy plains and ocean. He searched for a thousand years and he gave up. He stood still in a snowy forest, with trees covered in white dust that fell off in droves as soon as you touched one of them. The snow that fell somehow moved while locked to the ground, converging to a small spot in front of a pine tree.

''And so he decided to dig. With his bare hands, he unearthed the ground beneath him and formed a mountain behind him. This mountain would come to be known as Mount Arros."'' - From the Chronicles of the Chyweld Byd & Vela'ryisaan Arternathal

Yirsi Migrations
The region of Yirsaad was first inhabited by the Yirsi who are descendants of the Hyakki, who travelled north through Rathnir and settled on the continent of Astios. The Ice Elves migrated in one large group, of around a thousand men, women and children, first landing next to a settlement known as the Black Citadel inhabited by an old wizard named Morgrend. Morgrend was a powerful master of the Arcane Arts, that resided in the Black Citadel before the arrival of the Yirsi.

Morgrend settled Yirsi near the snowy mountains of Mount Arros, south Nefelis. However, each and every night he would steal children and women from the Yirsi to use them for his horrible dark experiments. Realising this he Yirsi marched with an army of their own to fight those humans, and after being utterly defeated and put to work as prisoners and slaves to the dark magician.

The Yirsi plotted their revenge for fifty years, and one day, they were ready. A rebellion started, and they were almost defeated if not for a young blacksmith who had found Morgrend's black tome, and used it to forge a deadly spearmade of divine metal that came from the sky, and called it Yirsi Yakkai (The Promise of Ice). They defeated Morgrend.

The Tales of Taeral
Around 5000 years ago the peoples of Yirsaad lived in scattered communities. From these scattered communities emerged the Yirsi daughter of a shepherd, Taeral. Her tale tells the founding of the settlement of Rezuraia around the center of Mount Arros, and the founding of House Rezuraia. In her tales she meets the God Azeras who aids her in the success of her village granting her many gifts.

Later he grants her great power to defeat the Warlord Ballambor who inhabited the Island of Redowl to the South. It was in these events that the first Rezuraian state was slowly established. The newly more fertile lands, and resolve of the people aided in its expansion and in the development of the Arternaian faith.

The First Rezuraian State
In these years Yirsaad finds a growing Rezuraian state. Westwards the state of Tyra is established and several wars are waged between the states of Rezuraia and Tyra. Isaz begins its colonisation of the North Eastern part of Yirsaad and the Isaz-Rezuraia-Xiraia Trade Route is established enabling further spread of Arternaia.

Heylusin State and Isazi Empire
The Great Elven Wars begin and many battles are fought between the Rezuraian and Isazi States in the Northern regions of Yirsaad. A betrayal leads to the collapse of Rezuraian forces into the rump state of Heylusin before the Yirsaad region becomes under the control of the Isazi State completely.

Fractured states
Eventually the Isazi States hold over Yirsaad collapses and many small states are established in its wake. Rezuraia, Herunna, Aeth and Rezaleth are established. Wars between each of the states lead the region once more into turmoil. It is during this time that the Holy Site in Rezuraia grows significantly becoming a point of pilgrimage across Nefelis.

Isaz-/Nuvon Empire
The State of Nuvon rises to the West of Rezuraia, a three way wars between the Nuvon, Isazi and Rezuraian states leads to the collapse of the Second Rezuraian State. Eventually Nuvon wins annexing most of the region.

Third Rezuraian State
Human migrations shattered most Yirsi states in Mirau. In its wakes the Third Rezuraian State was established. As human conquest collapsed most Yirsi states they fleed Southwards into the Mountains of Yirsaad. With the Human Nefelian Kingdom of huge strength to the North, Rezuraia was the last holdout of Yirsi in Mirau. A great Battle was fought where Houses Betal'lan, Nuwan, Rezuraia and Vindya came together to fight back against the humans winning an important battle at Isaz. The Long war between the humans eventually concluded with much Yirsi territory retaken. However demographically humans remained very prominent throughout Mirau. As the last holdout of Yirsi society during the war, Yirsaad remained very culturally Yirsi and retained few humans.

The states of Apriney and Vindya were established in North and Western Yirsaad following the conflict.

Anglath and Gnome Wars
In the years that followed there was a great rivalry between the three states of Yirsaad. Wars between each were thought with Apriney eventually being annexed.

n the east, in the lands of Phoenix, there was a race known as the Gnome race. It is unknown how this came to be, but there was a conflict between the Yirsi of Isaz and Yirsaad and the Gnomes. This war, which lasted a long time, led to years of oppression by the Gnomes toward the Yirsi. They were cast as slaves, forced to do labour in the sand mines, horrible places for Yirsi.

The states Rezuraia and Vindya merge to form the nation of Anglath (which has been named the precursor to the future Anglunian State) and manage to hold the Gnomish expansion at bay in the mountain forces of Yirsaad, and win a great victory that enables momentum to change and allows for the gnomes to be pushed back out of Mirau.

Viodoxa Colonisation
The Anglath State continued to expand and build the beginnings of Yirsi Nationalism and an Anglunian identity until it (along with the rest of Nefelis) was conquered by the Rathnir colonial power of Viodoxa under the Osteri Plagosi Trading Company. House Vindya flee Southwards. An Anglunian nationalist revolt centered around Yirsaad and Isaz leads to the withdrawal of the Viodoxan forces and the establishment of the Anglunian State.

Kingdom of Anglunia
The province of Yirsaad has since the establishment of the Anglunian State, been primarily controlled by the Rezuraian Noble Family, with House Threnvanyi owing the city of Apriney as subordinate. Being used as staging grounds during the Andoran-Lechjan War and the LARP Rebellion it has served as an important strategic region for Anglunia. The incumbent ruler Zehros Elzar-Rezuraia has held many influential positions in Anglunian society including as the Yirsidan of Anglunia which for the length of his reign moved the capital from Isaz to Rezuraia.

In recent years much development has taken place in the region with vast new infrastructure projects including new ice highway stations, roads and bridges. As well as the development of improved city walls and a grand new port intended to house the Anglunian Velstmorad Fleet Group.

Second Zeladar Crisis
With the resurgence of the Zeladar cult in Anglunia it threw the nation into disarray. As the cultists incursion reached a crescendo, its attention fell upon the holy city of Rezuraia. The cultists belief that to corrupt the holiest of site of the Arterna would be enough to bring forth Zeladar into the world once more. Cultists descended upon the holy city in all their might in a last act to resurrect their patron. The Anglunian Military bolstered the ranks of the Rezuraian Holy Order to counter them on the battlefield. The resultant skirmish resulted in street by street fighting across Rezuraia, with the cultist's and their demons confronting the Arternaian forces at every turn. Zehros led his Holy Order into the fray in protection of the great tree, slaying many cultists and beasts of Zeladar's creation. Eventually Yinsaghal Eliyawin-Nuwan, (who had been possessed by Zeladar) and Yizawan duelled one another enacting a ritual to summon the Arterna to dispel Zeladar for good. The Arterna froze Zeladar along with the rest of Anglunia sending a sheet of ice and snow across the realm.

War of the Mad King
In the year 217 TE following the conclusion of the Zeladar Crisis Yirsidan Yizawan seized Livya Dardellan-Lochatlan of House Lochatlan sparking the outbreak of another civil war, namely the "War of the Mad King". Zehros and the Rezuraian's maintained neutrality for the earliest years of the conflict. Still grieving the losses of the Yinower's Rebellion as well as having been the site of the final battle against Zeladar, Zehros was hesitant to involve himself in other war.

The region of Yirsaad was fortified, closing it off to Yizawan's forces. This effectively closed off much of the realm to Yizawan's forces, with the great mountains and fortifications providing a barrier to all who would wish to travel across by foot.

Following the confession of Yinsaghal to Zehros that he had found Yizawan dead in Isaz Keep, the Rezuraians aligned themselves with Yinsaghal the chancellor. But a few days later the final battle of the civil war took place in the forest of Yirsaad. Forces Loyal to Yinsaghal marching from the North and the Solianens & Lochatlans from the South. Meeting in a great clash it was a hard fought battle resulting in a full retreat of the opposing forces and the capture of rebel leaders.

Geography
Yirsaad is the central province within the subcontinent of Mirau. To the South and center stretches a vast mountain range hosting the tallest peaks in Anglunia namely Mount Arros and Mount Kyshar. This mountain range has often formed historic borders between nations and provinces, currently separating the regions of Yirsaad and Andor. Over most of the region is is a tundra filled landscape, with large spruce forests to the North and East. In the most North Western area of the province it begins to transition to more moderate climates featuring oak and birch forests. Yirsaad borders the sea on both sides, hosting large ports in the towns of Rezuraia and Apriney on the coast of the Velstmorad Sea to the West. Northwards is the river border with the towns of Rannikko and Isaz that runs along the Aulera River. To the East is the vast Axauth Bay. In the South Westerly direction you can find the island of Redowl, which is separated by the Eyira River.

Climate
The climate of Yirsaad is reflected by its biome geography. In the much of the area it reaches sub-zero temperatures for most of the year, however in its most North Western points it gives way to slightly more temperate climates.

Flora
The flora of Yirsaad is often adapted to the cold climate and can be seen its characteristics.

Aeyya'yuhi (Lunar Rose)
The Lunar Rose is a plant that will only flower in moonlight, most typically on a full moon; on which they must be harvested. These plants are commercially grown all over Mirau and a form the economic basis for many towns and villages. The flower itself only can only be used as a decoration, and because of its difficulty to transport it is fairly expensive.

The plant as a whole is not completely useless; the flower can be made into dye. The dye will give a rich blue, and due to the scarcity of this extravagant hue it is considered a luxury product. The stem of the plant contains a powerful hallucinogen, to ward off grazing herbivores that would eat the Lunar Rose in the wild. The drug is typically consumed orally by people, though it can also be absorbed through contact with the skin. Farmworkers must wear gloves while working to avoid hallucinations. Rich Anglunians will often bathe in water with the drug dissolved in it to become intoxicated.

Bitterberry
Bitterberry shrubs are found in small clusters, often found growing together at the roots of trees. The leaves have a gentle green color, are rich in nutrients, and bear useful oils. Bitterberry oil has properties that makes it ideal for making ointment, commonly used by Anglunians to alleviate rashes and burns.

The berries themselves are a glossy deep purple. They have a bitter taste, hence the plant's name. Skilled cooks and bakers can use these berries to make dishes; they are used to make jam and pastry fillings. Bitterberry tea is produced from dried berries, and many local Mirauans are fond of the tea's bitter taste.

Ar'xanlyma
The Ar'xanlyma (Clipeus limedactis) is a member of the Bovidae family, its common name when translated to Traveler's Tongue means 'shield cow', a rather direct description of its appearance. Throughout the years having been adapted to strong predators of northern Mirau such as its dragons, the Ar'xanlyma has a shield on its back as protection. This makes it one of the most invulnerable animals to predators not big enough to overpower it. Herds of Ar'xanlyma are commonly found in the North Western region of Yirsaad.

Aellyi'hykka
The Aellyi'hykka (Spelunics Gelida), giant ice spider in Traveller's Tongue, is a member of the Araneae order, while similar in appearance to other more common species, Aellyi'hykka are large ambush predators, covered in a thick layer of white fur. Aellyi'hykka have adapted to live in the cold darkness of the caves, they greatly prefer ambushing creatures that find themself close to their caves entrance, sometimes to find sustenance they're needed to leave their lairs and search for food elsewhere. These large spiders are similar to tarantulas in both movement and sensory capabilities, except Aellyi'hykka have a special layer of fur covering the tips of their pedapalps that allows them to percieve the presence of other creatures in the surrounding enviroment, almost paragonable to sharks electroreceptors.

Snow Leopards
The snow leopard is a species of large cat native to the snowy mountain ranges across Eldham and Rathnir. The snow leopard's fur is whitish to grey with black spots on the head and neck, with larger rosettes on the back, flanks and bushy tail. Its muzzle is short, its forehead domed, and its nasal cavities are large. The snow leopard shows several adaptations for living in a cold, mountainous environments. Snow leopards are of particular importance to House Rezuraia who feature them in their coat of arms.

Polar Bears
The polar bear is a large bear native to tundra climates and its surrounding areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can interbreed. The polar bear is white- or yellowish-furred with black skin and a thick layer of fat. It is more slenderly built than the brown bear, with a narrower skull, longer neck and lower shoulder hump. Its teeth are sharper and more adapted to cutting meat. The paws are large and allow the bear to walk on ice and paddle in the water.

Arctic Fox
The Arctic fox is a small fox native to tundra climates and commonly found in Northern Mirau. It is well adapted to living in cold environments, and is best known for its thick, warm fur that is also used as camouflage.

Stoat
The stoat is a mustelid commonly found in tundra and forested regions. In Anglunian society they are commonly kept as pets.

Vazhein Hounds
Vazhein hounds originate from the Northern mountains of Mirau and are descendents of the ancient Canis Miroua (Mirauan Common Hound) domesticated and bred by the local Yirsi populace for hunting and prtoecting their livestock. Compared to their modern cousisn, these hounds are quite larger, closer to the size of wolves. Albeit most of their heigh being in long strong legs used for climbing up various surfaces. They have a slick pelt and sharp pointed ears, formally coming in hues of browns.