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Of The Eastland

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[T]he [O]thers
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 2:27 pm


Table of Contents


Post 01 ~~~~ Table of Contents
Post 02 ~~~~~~ The Landscape
Post 03 ~~~~~~~~ The History
Post 04 ~~~~~~~ The Economy
Post 05 ~~~~~~~~ Government
Post 06 ~~~~~~~~~ Technology
Post 07 ~~~~~~~~~~~ Religion
Post 08 ~ International Relations
Post 09 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Magic
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:44 pm


The Landscape

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Covering an area of approximately 370 000 square kilometers, most of the Eastland border is formed by the Zapanizan River, which separates it from the Northland and Westland. To the south, it is bordered by the Elven Southland, just north of where the Phoenix River and Rainbow River start. The Eastland is entirely a desert and has no natural water sources aside from the Zapanizan River.

In the approximate center of the Eastland is the country’s sole settlement, the city of New Kaliningrad. With a population of approximately 48 000, it covers approximately 25 square kilometers of land, and despite the fact that it is located in the middle of the hottest desert on Arda, it is a lively and bustling city with a surprising amount of green space and vegetation. Its only water source is the massive, miles-deep well that is located beneath the palace in the city. Giant cogs and gears provide a continuous flow of water that flows through stone waterways above the city streets and gives the homes running water.

The city is built of stone, and though the workmanship is quite good, the ruins upon which the city was built are far superior in craftsmanship. Originally, the city was the home of the dwarfs, master masons, and though their city was destroyed some of their structures still exist below the street level of the new city.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:21 pm


The History

At the beginning of the world, the area which later became known as the Eastland was filled with thick, luxurious forests. When Melkor, the Evil One, first appeared on the continent of the Four Lands, he landed in this area and wreaked the most havoc. The land was completely destroyed, the trees burnt past the point of being able to recover, and the animals that survived, few though they were, had nothing to live on in the area and were forced to other regions. This left the Eastland as a barren wasteland, which over time became a desert.

Seeing that the area had been abandoned by all – people, animals, and even (seemingly) the Valar, Aulë, Vala of the earth, decided to care for it by creating a people to work the rock. He created the dwarfs, but, since he was not Eru, The Ultimate Creator, his creation was inferior to the Humans and Elves in many ways. First and foremost, they did not have a soul, like the First and Secondborns. They would live in the world, and at the end of their lifespan, they would simple cease to exist. In addition, they were vastly different physically. While elves and humans have the ability to reproduce, the dwarfs cannot reproduce with anything but a dwarf. They are smaller, rougher, and do not have the eyesight or hearing of the elves or even of the humans. Their only true skill lies in working with rock, and due to this they have become quite famous as the best masons in the world. However, they rarely work with or for any other races because, as they are fully aware of their substandard place in the world and begrudge the elves and humans their undying souls, they refuse to help them out in any way unless there is a very clear profit for them in the deal. They would rather go to war and try to destroy the beings that they envy so powerfully.

Towards the end of the Third Age, they tried to do just that. Given the opportunity by an elven prince, the Southland queen was assassinated and the countries plunged immediately into war. The result was catastrophic. The dwarf’s only city, Kaliningrad, was utterly destroyed when the elves used their own invention, the explosive black powder, against them. The dwafs were exiled to the Northland, and the Eastland came under the ownership of the elves.

After the war, the city was rebuilt by both Light and Dark Elves and given the name of New Kaliningrad. Since interracial marriages were still, for the most part, not tolerated in the Westland or Southland, the Eastland became the home of those who wished to marry outside of their own race and was thus quickly settled by both Light and Dark Elves. For the first 71 years, they were under the rule of a magistrate, and all seemed well. But by the 66th year, the magistrate was seeking his own ends, exploiting the people to enrich himself. In the year 71, his son and daughter-in-law, Estel and Lothiriel Aldrich, overthrew the magistrate, which resulted in the death of the magistrate and the exile of his wife and daughter. The people chose Estel and Lothiriel as their king and queen, and the land became a monarchy. Since Estel and Lothiriel became the rulers of the nation, the nation has been flourishing.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:57 pm


The Economy

The Eastland works with the same money system as the Westland and Southland: gold, silver, and bronze. A single bronze coin is the worth of a loaf of bread. Twenty bronze coins make up the equivalent of one silver piece, and twenty silver pieces make up the equivalent of one piece of gold. Thus, one gold piece is the equivalent of 400 bronze pieces.

The Eastland has a few natural resources that it produces: littinum, iron and copper. Aside from that, it has to import most of its resources.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:59 pm


Government

The Eastland is ruled by a monarchy, under the reign of Estel and Lothiriel Aldrich. Since they are the first monarchs of the land, it is as yet unknown whether it is a patriarchal monarchy or matriarchal monarchy.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:03 pm


Technology

Because of the desert state of the Eastland, the peoples’ focus has been on simply surviving the harsh climate rather than developing technology. The only technology they really use is the cogs and aqueducts that supply the water to the city. That being said, the glass smiths, probably due to the large amount of sand around them to use, have developed their craft beyond the skills of most of the other lands.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:07 pm


Religion

The elves pay homage to the Valar, the creators of the world, and above them, Ilúvatar, who gave them life. Mettarë, the first day of the year, is a day of looking ahead to what’s to come, and the elves celebrate it with a festival, during which they pray to the Valar for blessings in the year ahead, everything from health to keeping the city from sandstorms, food, and more. During the days of the Enderi, the three (or six) days that are not a part of any month, there is a three-day celebration of the growth of the crops, a final fun fling before the harvest begins. The final day of the year, Yestarë, is the final day of celebration, and it begins with a ritual washing of the body, symbolically washing away the maladies of the past so that they can begin the new year afresh.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:20 pm


International Relations

Though the Eastland has had poor relationships with the other countries in the past, now that it is under Elven rule they are at peace with all of the countries around them. Of course, it helps that all three nations are ruled by the same family – the Aldrich family. Most of their trade is done with the Westland, only because it is closer and thus easier to import from and export to. The Southland, being also a desert, increases the demand on the horses and people who would do the delivering.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:25 pm


Magic

The Eastland has Light Elves, Dark Elves, and elves of mixed blood, and as such they have use of most of the magic of both races. There is no guessing what may or may not appear as a magical gift to the people here.
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The World of Arda - The Four Lands

 
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