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A Traveler's Guide to the Turamzzyrian Empire
Aldora
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Aldora is dominated by the Gattrof mountains, a wide, low range
which occupies the eastern half of the Duchy. The west of the Duchy
is inhospitable hills, broken by an occasional oasis-like valley,
the largest of which is the Valley of Hourouth. Aldora is land-locked.
Aldora has very little farm land, but the hilly terrain provides
exceptional grazing for the mountain goats and sheep that are abundant
there. The storms that sweep up from the southwest have made the
hills rocky and barren, while the protected valleys flourish and
produce some rare plant life. The climate is hot and harsh.
Elstreth
Elstreth is situated in the Valley of Hourouth between the Gattrof
mountains to the east, and a range of hills to the west. It is the
garden spot of Aldora, and is rich compared to the rest of the Duchy.
Elstreth has high walls and strong fortifications. Miles of shanties
have sprung up outside the walls, full of people making their living
on the vast amount of trade coming through the Duchy's hub. Elstreth
also hosts a satellite college of the Hall of Mages in Tamzyrr.
The House of the Paladin, a temple built in honor of Voln, was
founded in Elstreth as Voln's faithful surged in the face of numerous
conflicts with the Horned Cabal. Unlike many of the more influential
families within the Empire, the Chandrennins, led by the aging Duke
Bannon Chandrennin, are devout followers of Voln. Here, more than
any other of the southern territories, ordlyn and hathlyn are considered
equals, or nearly so, to the human majority, as Voln's brotherhood
finds worth in any who would take their endless cause against the
undead.
Weaving houses are found throughout Aldora, and the Duchy is well
known for its skilled crafters of brocade cloth. Dyes for the cloth
are imported from the Duchy's coastal neighbors, and the cloths
are traded throughout the Empire, bringing much needed iron in return.
Aldora is famed for its magnificent wineries, as the Duchy is perfect
for grape-growing. The region has become most renown for its riesling
and champagne.
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Exports
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Imports
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Meats
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Silks
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Cotton
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Iron
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Hides
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Produce
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Gems
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Grain
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Silver
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Dyes
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Wool
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Rare Herbs
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Coal
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Cloth
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Perfumes
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Wine
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As well as the traditional methods of empathy and herbal remedy,
some of the healers of Aldora practice an art called stone-tending
to care for the sick. This complex belief holds that illnesses are
caused by a division between the waters and the airs in a person's
body, and that proper application of aspects of the earth can reunite
these two forces. A stone-tender will give instructions as to how
certain gems must be placed on a person's body and for what periods
of time to relieve the illness. The most expensive stone-tenders
use emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds, while less skilled (and affluent)
stone-tenders treat illnesses with quartz, peridot, and spinels
and tourmalines of various hues.
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