Fact Box for Methumn (Patreon)

Here's the fact box for the sixth (and final!) map of the Ammashi peninsula, which details the nation of Methumn, located in the south west of Sammaea.

This state will be the focus of the next high-res and textless atlas map that will be published next week, exclusively for Acolyte patrons and higher followed by the normal version the week after that. The next map after that will be a small scale map (meaning it covers a lot of area) detailing the entirety of the peninsula - something I've been eager to work on for a while.

The Encyclopaedia Elyden is already updated with all the relevant entries related to the regions and their history, so you can check them out there.

Thanks all for your support :)

As always, feel free to point out typos in the comments :)

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A history of the Ammashi Peninsula

c. 150 RM - various city states emerge in the south west of Sammaea, in what is today central and western Methumn. They were known as slavers and their slave caravans were a common sight in surrounding lands.

c. 300 - 850 RM - the slaver states ally with each other to form the states of Medhamann. Though some settlements adhere to their slaving roots, others turn to commerce, either buying or selling slaves or, increasingly as time goes by, moving goods around the peninsula, taking a not inconsiderable profit. By the end of this period the economy of Medhamann has come to revolve almost solely around slave labour and the trading of its merchants, who quickly grow into an upper class, with an increasing disparity of classes.

c. 1180 RM - the rise of the nation of Ammash in the south west of Sammaea. It grows to encompass what eventually becomes known as the Ammashi peninsula. Its capital is in the city of Hamma, which is one of the oldest permanently settled regions in the peninsula.

c. 1600 RM - in Medhamann is now ruled by a Supreme Oligarch who oversees its disparate demesnes, each of which is under the control of a plutocratic governor who ensures that tithes and production targets are met. The landscape of Medhamann has also expanded to encompass most of the coastline north of Ammash all the way to the Shakhuran Mountains and is now covered in productive farmlands or other industries, such as mines and quarries, which extract every ore and stone of worth. Its free people worshipped a moss-covered multi-armed idol of exotic countenance that polluted their dreams with carnal visions that helped to keep them complacent. This idol is now remembered as Shuu Turull, and its eventual fate is unknown.

c. 1700 - c. 1810 RM - the plutocrats of Medhamann have fallen into corruption and decadence, and are largely removed from the pitiful lives outside their palaces and citadels. They scheme against each other while their people toil in workhouses and fields to keep their rulers loving in excessive comfort. Many of the plutocrats rule by proxy, and many are clueless as to the state of their lands. Assassinations amongst the ruling classes becomes common as those beneath them struggle to make it to the top and those on the top begin to fear the loss of their position. 

Infrastructural breakdowns increase though the upper classes, secreted in their deprave bubbles of luxury care not for the concerns of their lessers and nothing is done to improve the situation. Three major industrial demesnes collapse within a few years of each other. This leads to a domino effect across Medhamann, with starvation and disease following in quick succession. The archaic bureaucracy of Medhamann cannot cope with this and the government collapses.

c. 1810 - c. 2000 RM - the Medhamanni Dark Age. The various demesnes of Medhamann become largely self-sufficient as starvation and disease continues to spread amid its economic collapse. Hundreds of thousands of slaves leave the confines of their workhouses for the first time in their lives and while not technically freed, there is no longer anyone in charge to oversee them. To all intents and purposes they are free. This influx of unskilled people are unable to rebuild many of the collapsed industries though, and the region continues to regress. Many demesnes are left leaderless as their plutocrats and their families are killed by former slaves, or deposed and otherwise replaced, adding to the chaos. People loot entire cities and manufactories for food and resources and band together in ad-hoc communities to defend against opportunists and tyrants.

Two powers emerge by the end of this period - Ramis in the north west and Phyrr in the south.

c. 1960 - c. 2180 RM - the state of Phyrr rises in the old territories of Medhamann towards the latter years of the Medhamanni Dark Age to become a major power. Its slavers launch raids south into Mehmuth and north into lands struggling amid the ruin of old Medhamanni territories. By the end of this period its territories have expanded threefold to the south, effectively wiping out half Mehmuthi people, though their remaining cities rally around a new leader and are able to stall the advance of Phyrran armies.   

c. 2020 RM - the state of Ramis emerges from the descendants of freed slaves, forming a ruling council.

1877 RM - the capital of Ammash is moved from Hamma to Tammana, which is more central and whose culture has grown over the last centuries to surpass that of the old stagnating capital. A large dedicated inner-city is built to house the government and its various departments. 

c. 2150 RM - a period of growth and increased building in Ammash, particularly of infrastructure and monuments. Major roads are built linking distant cities and regions, bringing the people closer together.

2217 RM - to fund its public works Ammash increases taxes, particularly in rural areas, whose agriculture becomes the backbone of workforces struggling across the nation. Many regions begin to struggle. 

2218 RM - the monument known as the Strength of Ammash is completed at great cost, both material and in mortal lives.

c. 2220 RM - conflict on the isles in the south west of Ammash after taxes on its fish and crop harvests are doubled in 2217 RM

c. 2280 RM - the council of Ramis has become corrupt and is now an autocracy.

c. 2410 RM - following close to two centuries of conflict in the south of Ammash, its island territories break away as an independent state that becomes known as Sologamia (better known as the Coral Kingdom).

2417 RM - the autocracy of Ramis becomes a monarchy, 

c. 2480 - 2550 RM - the spread of Lazanism brings religious conflict to Ammash  as opposing faiths clash. This only exacerbates the collapse of the Ammashi government, which struggled over the last decades of this period. 

c. 2540 RM - the Ammashi Free-isles break away from a faltering Ammash in the wake of ever-increasing tithes, adding to its increasing instability.

2547 - 2550 RM - the Monstrance of Fealty, an important cultural artefact that is central to the political history of Ammash is destroyed in an anonymous act of terrorism that goes unclaimed. Various members of government are killed in the act, increasing the region’s tensions. The next years are characterised by various mainland territories showing their disillusionment with the increasingly corrupt ruling party, with civil conflict and riots breaking out in various places, most notably in the region of Ramerri, which leads to the city of Rameron being blockaded and ultimately falling to dissidents in 2549 RM. The capital city Tammana is stormed the next year, leading to the collapse of the government, allowing various regions to break away, leaving Ammash in chaos. 

c. 2550 RM  - Ammash collapses following years of increasing corruption and civil unrest caused by its wanton spending amid waning resources . To the east, the autocracies of Ramis and Phyrr both opportunistically preyed on the remnants of Ammashi cities, expanding their territories westward somewhat. 

c. 2550 - 3594 RM - now known as the Ammashi Struggle, this period is characterised by rival states rising amid the ruin of the collapsed nation of Ammash. It fragments into various states that by c. 2730 RM have coalesced into eight states: the two island states of the Coral Kingdom and the Ammashi Free-isles; the Kingdom of Kaphaar in the west; the League of Taanali cities in the north; the state of Ramerri in the c; the Kingdom of Habbot in the east; the Sovereignty of Ahafrat in the south east; and the Ammashi Coalition in the south.

During this time, the peninsula became known for long times of tense inactivity interspersed with short intense periods of conflict that reshapes borders and changes alliances and enmities.

c. 2570 RM - the state of Ahafrat is ruled by republic council - one of few such states in the peninsula at the time, with most other forms of government taking the form of coalitions and leagues of multiple cities and smaller states.

c. 2600 RM - by this time Phyrr has expanded north towards the Hoggotha Isz and south west into lands struggling following the collapse of Ammash, roughly solidifying the its borders. It has become a major industrial power, with its economy returning to the slave-based roots of its ancestors.

c. 2630 RM - the monarchy of Ramis is overthrown, becoming a republic once more.

c. 2650 RM - various states, cities and coalitions rise amid the power struggles and territorial grabs amid the ruin of Ammash. Most falter or are absorbed or defeated by their neighbours. Short term alliances are forged between states and trade resumes where it can, but an increase in marauding bands and scavengers makes travel between cities and states difficult, leading to decreasing contact between cities, with most communities forced to fend for themselves.

c. 2600 - 2680 RM - the Ammashi Free-isles struggle after the collapse of Ammash, and become a target to Lhaccidan slavers during this time 

c. 2630 - the monarchy of Ramis is overthrown, leading to the eventual formation of the states of Methumn and Adhera.

C. 2650 RM - the warlord Kerell rises, uniting various homesteads and settlements to defend against marauding tribes, ultimately leading to the formation of Habbot.  

2654 RM - the warlord Kerell becomes monarch of Habbot, becoming the primogenitor of a new royal dynasty. 

c. 2680 - 2710 RM - the Free-isles form an alliance and secure their shores by building a series of warning towers. This, coupled with a maturing navy crewed by skilled sailors and marines, leads to a wane in piracy and slave raids in the region. The alliance is short-lived and once the threat of foreign raids lessens, the islands return to their individual cultures and politics, with short-lived coalitions peppered with intense wars.

c. 2685 RM - the state of Ramerri coalesces from a series of loosely allied city-states to provide more security for its people, which helps in neutralising banditry and marauders.

c. 2700 RM  - various allied city states and territories join forces in the far south west of the Ammashi peninsula, forming the Ammashi Coalition as a means of defending against increasing roving warbands in the old Ammashi territories.

c. 2790 RM - the League of Taanali Cities is founded in response to increased marauder activity, providing more security and safety for its people.

c. 2800 - 3100 RM - Phyrr becomes the target of various incursions from the north, which cross the Sastakaur Massif. These incursions include corrupted human, plagi and serapi marauders who seem intent on pillaging technarcana and taking their own slaves north. The period comes to an end only through the technological superiority of the Phyrran people.

2836 RM - the republic of Ramis collapses following a war with Adhere sees its northern territories annexed. The remaining insular territories become known as Methumn.

2876 RM - Ahafrat becomes a sovereign state. Its people are proud and stubborn, preferring to struggle against the surrounding marauder tribes than seek help from the other states that are emerging around it.

c. 2950 - 3020 RM - Phyrr continues to be the target of massed incursions of corrupted peoples from Hoggotha Isz, though manages to stall the advance by making use of modern artillery and gigantic land ships that rapidly stall any momentum, giving its people time to construct major fortifications in its northern territories, ensuring eventual victory.

c. 2990 RM - the fragmented remnants of Ramis come together to form the nation of Methumn, which remains to this day.

c. 3000 - 3100 RM - droughts in Methumn lead to the creation of a new caste of engineers known as the Vodarchs.

3085 - 3091 RM - in Methumn the Vodarchs are challenging the ruling council for leadership. They take control in 3091 RM.

3130 - 3133 RM - Methumn almost fraactures due to internal strife and mismanagement. The actions of the mountebank Banni are crucial in stabilising the region, preventing political disaster.

c. 3380 RM - the tyrannical Imperiarch Hedral Idravayn comes to power in Phyrr, remaining its sovereign ruler to this day. They are famed for their many technarcane orthosis and grafts, which have not only largely replaced their mortal body, but greatly increased it in size, making them a fearful and awe-inspiring figure. They establish a new political hierarchy dominated by technarchs who rule each of its fortress-manufactories and city-manufactories, answering only to the deranged demands of the Imperiarch.

3392 - 3397 RM - the Sovereign Garr’s claims of sovereignty over the entirety of the Free-isles (due to flimsy claims of heritage and birth right) leads to the Garr Fallacies - an intense civil war that consumed most of the islands. The war ends in Garr’s defeat and he returns to his island fortress on Ichlash.

c. 3420 RM - a large force of marauders from the east marches upon Ramerri, razing its farms and sacking its cities, ending with the sacking of its capital Rameron and the consolidation of marauder forces on the ruins. This brings renewed unease and chaos to the region, forcing surrounding states into defensive positions. Travel across the central-most regions of the peninsula becomes very dangerous.

3452 RM - in Methumn the Vodarchs have ruled for over three centuries though are ousted by a coalition of powerful merchant guilds and trade magnates collectively known as the gilded Union.

c. 3562 RM - the Monstrance of Fealty is remade by Kaphaari artisans, with the hope of it becoming a symbol of a reunited peninsula. This marks the first act that is to culminate with the signing of the Ammashi Treaty over thirty years later.

c. 3565 RM - the lawmakers and diplomats from the Kingdom of Kaphaar and the League of Taanali cities form an alliance, and are well on their way towards cleansing their borders of marauders. They send envoys to the other major states of the peninsula asking for a treaty in which they plan to pool their resources to ridding their lands of marauder threats, so that their people might one day live in peace, and cross borders without fear.

3567 RM - the Ammashi Coalition is the first entity to accept the proposition of the Ammashi Treaty. This encourages other states from following in their path, paving the way for the signing of the Treaty.

3594 RM - the Ammashi Treaty is finalised, as Ahafrat, the only state to repeatedly refuse the tenets of the Treaty, finally agrees to join. The Treaty is ratified in the neutral city of Ramina, where envoys from each of the by-then seven recognised states of Ammash drink wine from the remade Monstrance of Fealty before letting blood into it to symbolise their unity. This marks the end of the Ammashi Struggle with the hope of a period of growth to come.

c. 3594 - c. 3630 RM - the signing of the Treaty has various effects on the states of the peninsula. Together, they formalise their borders, which leads to an increase in travel and trade as the largest of the marauder groups are dealt with systematically, their members executed and their bases razed, particularly the lawless state that has emerged in over the ruin of Ramerri, which is finally neutralised. This leads to a new time of prosperity.

However, the destruction of their common foe eventually leads to a casual abandonment of the Treaty by the end of this period, with various states eventually acting against its spirit, if not its letter, marching against their supposed allies in their search for new resources, or using petty political affronts to justify wars intended to expand borders. Today only the great city of Ramina still upholds the spirit of the Treaty and its Marshalls travel across the old Ammashi territories spreading word of the Treaty, using the symbol of the Monstrance, which remains in their city to this day, to raise awareness and hope of unity amongst the increasingly disparate peoples of the peninsula.

3633 RM - under the auspices of the Ammashi Treaty, the Taanali League unites as a single state, known as Taan an,  which survives to this day as a constitutional monarchy

3705 RM - the coalition government of Ammash is formalised into a singular state, under the leadership of a republic council based in the city of Satamma. This brings further stability and prosperity to the region. At the same time Ahafrat falls under the first of consecutive incompetent rulers, that together severely weaken the influence of the region.

c. 3740 - 3743 RM - A series of aggressive councillors in Ammash look to the unstable nation of Ahafrat in the east. The threat of invasion leads to the collapse of the Ahafrati government and Ammash absorbs most of its western territories as native forces in the east form a solid defence.

3743 RM - the Tyrant of Ahafrat marries into the ruling dynasty of Habbot to save what remains of his land after its western territories were absorbed by the Ammashi Coalition.

c. 3759 RM - The Ammashi council fragments after various votes of no confidence and accusations of corruption and nepotism. Its territories fracture into various small states, leading to the extant loosely united states of Ammesh that exists today.

c. 3770 RM - the Gilded Union, the government of Methumn, has descended into corruption and is now an autocratic oligarchy. the capital city of Araroby is now a fortress with few people other than merchants entering or leaving.

3779 - 3780 RM - a relatively bloodless social revolution takes place in Kaphaar, which sees its old plutocratic council overthrown and replaced with a more modern meritocracy. The nation becomes known as Kephuaan after this.

3782 RM - a parliament is founded in Taan An, though the Emperor remains in a ceremonial role.

3835 RM - the royal house of Habbot becomes little more than figureheads, and the newly-risen merchant caste coming to wield most power in the state, which becomes known as Habot.

3889 RM - the emperor of Taan An is assassinated by unknown assailants. This begins a long period of introspection where the state cuts ties with distant foreigners, becoming more insular and less accommodating to foreigners as a result.

3915 RM - Kephuaan enters into a landmark agreement with Taan An to collaborate on technarcane research and infrastructure projects.

3931 RM - mandated free education coming into effect across most urban centres of Kephuaan, in line with its meritocratic ideals. The state becomes known for its progressive views and wide-spread educational institutions, ultimately becoming a centre of innovation and excellence in the Ammashi peninsula.

3940 - 3955 RM - A cultural revolution takes place in Kephuaan, with arts and culture flourishing, marked by state patronage of hundreds of artists and scholars, many of whom go on to become influential in the region.