Sandland

The Shfaliate of Sandland
Flag of Sandland Flag Coat of arms of Sandland Coat of arms
Motto: "Mid gud ach khönung" "upon the wisest birthplace shines the sun"
Topographical map, Sandland is the northern most realm Topographical map, Sandland is the northern most realm
Capital	Nymarksborg
Official languages	Imerian The sun tongue
Religion	87% Fierce unconquerable Sun 10% The holy chronicles 3% other
Demonym(s)	Sandman
Government	Theocrazy
• Shfali	Shfali Lashi
Colonised by the absolute royal federation
Area
• Total	604,300 km2 (233,300 sq mi)

The realm of Sandland in the Scanderan languages or Ta’Tulish Sha’Miri "the holy house" in he language of the sun is the homeland of the faith of the fierce unconquerable sun and it is a land where pilgrims from the faith flocks to constantly to worship at the holiest sites, it is a land where the sun hammers down from above to large temples carved from the mountains and raised in stone. It is a land where naked ascetics sits and fasts out in the open to the admiration of the crowds and they also bring about the wisdom of the sun to those that follows. It is a land of fierce warriors as the sun god demands battle from it's followers and it is even the land of the large skull pillars. Horrendous pillars where the old warriors of the sun put the heads of the slain and built large obelisks of bronze and skulls. These large pillars are the only type of their kind in the federation as the holy chronicles horror of burial but so far have the faith of the sun argued that they are not different from the sky burials that the northern tribesmen that follow the spirit worship sect of the holy chronicles.

Geography

The geography can be divided into three separate regions, "kustmark", "högländerna" and "lågländern" or "the coastal region", "the highlands" and "the lowlands". The highlands are located in the eastern parts of the realm and large barren mountains can be found here. They are the origin of the faith and it is here one find the oldest temples cut from the mountains themselves. The lowlands are mostly large plains broken by savannah and forests amongst the hills and finally are there the coastal regions that is characterised by long white beaches. While the lowlands themselves often are only 100 or so meters above the ocean at average so are the highlands much taller and can reach heights of around 2,200 to 2,600 m above sea level.

Climate

The temperature in the highlands varies between 26 degrees as the highest temperature in the year and 4 as the absolute lowest and while the climate is often sunny and dry so are the year divided into a rain and a dry period. The rain period however is substantially shorter an lasts only from mid june to mid September. In the lowlands however so does the temperature varies between 15 degrees to 25 degrees as average in the year and the rain period is substantially longer and last through half of the year.

History

Historically so were Sandland a large collection of tribes amongst the mountain and the nomads down bellow amongst the lowlands that drove their cows amongst the ravines and valleys and on the shorelines were traders and raiders. These men worshipped gods, spirits, and even the dead in some cases so did they also have a tradition of holy men that excluded themselves from society to ponder the wisdom of the elders and the gods and so. These were called the Sha’Ifali or the wise ones that were revered as pacifist monks. Amongst these men did a young prince Mahavisha take his place and spent time fasting and pondering amongst the mountains and even attracting a few followers and being called upon by tribal leaders so that they could take part in his wisdom.

Where he broke from tradition however was how he put forward that amongst all the gods and all the spirits only the sun should be worshipped as the mightiest of the gods and that as a fierce wargod so certainly should his ascetics also be fierce warriors. His teachings were able to attain a rather large following and he set out on a fierce war of expansion first amongst the highlands and then finally down amongst the lowlands and then after that finally amongst the coast. From there the men of Sandland all consolidated the power of the realm and several of the great warlords set out on expansions and evangelical trips of their own. Swarming into Ta’ka sha’miri and other places. Trading with the Scanderans to the west and as often engaging in warfare with them.

However after the death of the great Sha’Fali Mahavisha did the tribal federation shatter into various warlords and kingdoms, however true to the wishes of the old Sha'fali so did they not engage in combat with one another and instead spread out bringing the faith abroad. This all lasted until the 17th century when an old prophesy said that a great king of salt and crowned in starlight were going to be born and unify all the realms of the sun and create a glorious empire upon which the sun did not set. One great wise monk named Hilfishi started to preach that the king had been born and a great council were gathered to see if they could name the king. To the shock of everyone did the council not name any king and not even a sunworshipper and instead were the high king of Scandera named the prophesied king and using this great council and he was invited to Sandland to be crowned it's ruler and he named Hilfishi the ruler vassal of the realm and with his patronage were Hilfishi named as a sha'fali.