Astran League

The Astran League is a collection of states and cities working together under a united banner.

Actual Summary

The history of the Astran League is tied to the history of Suhder, which is where the League was established in the first place along with being the most influential city state within its ranks. Suhder profits from a combination of factor unrelated to its divine origins; its geography allows for easy access by water on all sides while its location shelters it from major storms. Throughout the year the weather is fair and the fertile soil allows for many different types of agriculture.

Right after the Crepuscular Annihilation most of Vayan was either in shambles, chaos, or both. One of the very few places that was not, however, was Suhder. Having been the citadel of the Astral Alliance it was right at the very heart of their war effort, and well protected from attack. Even with the gods having left the prime material plane the mortals living within the city would soon realize exactly what had happened and using their relative prosperity soon found themselves at the heart of the most prosperous city on this side of the world. The Council of the Faithful was established to take charge in the first year PCA. The city flourished and became a hub for trade and refugees, which allowed it to expand economically and in number of inhabitants.

12 PCA saw the tensions between Suhder and the Mohnian Coalition rise to a boiling point when a Mohnian ship was boarded, its crew killed, and the shipment of food and textiles on board stolen. The Suhderian authorities pointed at pirate activity around the Lunarest Bay while the Mohnian saw this as a direct attack on their established authority and declared war.

[TO BE FILLED IN]

The Century of War

Having been content to keep to itself and surrounding areas for the first few centuries a number of factors coincided to create the circumstances for what would become the Astran League around the 4th century PCA:

• Economically and culturally Suhder had stagnated for decades, and as a result a growing lower class of people had consistently been poor and mistreated.
• A strict, social hierarchy had formed since the CA and the lower class, or "classless", was not only growing in numbers, there was also no way to move up in class.
• Suhder's neighbors had continued to grow and had started to encroach on its borders, with minor conflict and skirmishes already having occured. The Bazition Kingdom to the east, the Trepun Hegemony to the west, roaming bands of barbarians to the south, and the Mohnian Coalition to the north were exerting military, economic, and political pressure on the once mighty city state.
• The Council of the Faithful had been following a pacifist doctrine since its inception and refused to answer incursions of Sudher's territory.

On the 26th of Pelir, 402PCA a coup was successfully lead against the Council by the Ptarian General Hrak. Acting under what he called the blessing of Bahamut Hrak marched into the Council Palace, arrested the Council on grounds of treason against the gods by allowing enemies of Suhder to claim its sovereign territory. Hrak then replaced the Council with new members, handpicked by him while adhering to the criteria of the Council's traditions. This council appointed him with a single directive; to protect Sudherian sovereignty by whatever measures he thought necessary.

Thus began the Century of War.
While the existing standing army of Suhder was small, Hrak was in many ways the perfect one to lead the charge. Besides being a skilled fighter and master tactician, his charismatic demeanor and decades long call to end the oppression of the classless had made him very popular amongst many people. With a promise to put and end not only to the enemies of Suhder, but also the Castes Hrak gathered himself an unusual army. Not only would most of them not be allowed to serve in Suhder's military normally, these people were ultimately not loyal to the Council - but to Hrak.

Castes

Celestials (Councilors) Radiant (Clergy) Ptarian (Military) Commoners (Merchants, etc) Serfs (Slaves, workers) Classless

Summary

Established a mere 43 years after the Crepuscular Annihilation as an agreement between the followers of 8 different deities in Suhder it has since expanded to encompass half the continent of Vashora and over three-quarters of the mortals living on it.

Its core tenant is to bring harmony to those who live within its influence. This is brought about by enforcing what is seen as fair and just, where one should not take advantage of another for their own gain.

The League’s foundation rests on the absence of the gods in Vayan, and an effort of those left behind to do good by how they interpret the words of those deities they follow. While the League doesn’t limit who can be worshipped only a small number of deities and their followers are in places of political influence, namely: Pelor, Lathender, Selune, Bahamut, and Arven. Regardless, the followers of Nehzen do enjoy a special place as the guides to the recently departed, and followers of Mystra often fulfil a stronger role as ambassadors to the Spirelink Alliance.

Suhder

The capital of the Astran League and the largest city on the continent, known also as the “throne of the gods” or “Jewel of Varosha”. It is situated on the northern part of the continent where the Inmer Waterway connects to the Lunarest Basin.

Founded long before the Crepuscular Annihilation Suhder is said to have been the home to both Pelor and Selune in the second and third era. With that in mind the city and its denizens are the center of the ever decreasing worship of the gods.