the Vassal State of Tartak

[vorropohaiah]

So, as I work on recreating the labels on the Inner Sea poster map, I'm still working on fleshing out the individual regions that will be visible in it.

Tartak is such a place. I actually finished this a week-ago though wasn't able to edit its write-up into a presentable form until today. So here it is:

Tartak low-res.jpg

Built on the ruins of the Fourth Age Karthan empire, Tartak has a history of occupation, alternating between Parthis and Korachan for various times throughout its history. This and the threat of the Atramenta that hovers all-too-close in its southern territories has moulded its inhabitants into a cautious people, who trust only themselves. They expect and accept little help if offered and value self-reliance above other traits. They are expert trackers and survivalists, and are known across the Inner Sea for their training and taming of the ferocious bipedal replies known as phylacters - a dying vocation, but one that represents Tartakasid culture abroad more than any other.

Tartak borders the Atramental phenomenon called the Camorrean Shadow, which is an insidious tainted influence that encroaches daily from the south. Its corrupting influence is kept at bay through the diligent work of Atramentists who train ceaselessly to use the Atramenta against itself, as well as the hundreds of monolithic siphon engines that work tirelessly in filtering the Atramenta, weakening its influence in nearby lands. The by-product of this is the processing of raw Atramenta into what is called umbra - a valued fuel and mutagenic agent if filtered correctly. This is pumped to the city of Sahim via a combine length of 800-miles of well-guarded pipelines, where it is shipped to Parthis.

In 967 RM the nation was abandoned by the Korachani interreges, ending 548 years of rule there. This left a power vacuum that was eventually filled by Pardis, the Parthisan Exiled King. He took over the western reaches of Tartak in 1098 RM, leaving Korachani descendants in control of the north and south-east, as 2 separate entities. Pardis, granted long-life through unknown means, and his family ruled for another thousand years, until the east, united by a new period of Korachani occupancy, moved west, hunting the descendants of Pardis. This period lasted until 2053 RM, when the water-supply of the city of Sher (then the centre of Korachani Tartak) was poisoned. The entire region was thrown into chaos until 2060 RM, when Pardis managed to take control of the east following much bloodshed. At the same time he had squandered much of his troops fighting Parthis. This cost Pardis the war with Korachan, which was able to reclaim Tatak by 2064 RM, moving the capital to Liraet.

Tartak was last occupied by Parthis in 2132 following the successful siege of the city of Liraet the previous year, ending 68 years of Korachani rule. Since then the nation of Tartak has been a vassal to Parthis, slowly assimilating its secular culture - its religious leaders slowly exiling themselves to the wastes to the south, never to be heard from again.

This reason behind the interest shown in Tartak by foreign powers was simple - resources. The western and northern lands of Tartak were rich in nickel, cobalt, quartz and other resources and were heavily exploited, leaving hundreds of square miles devastated, lain bare by unsightly strip-mines that remain as testament to Parthisan and Korachani influence there.

Following the signing of the Covenant of Khuraur in 3478 RM - which saw the nation of Karakhas sundered into two (Khuraur in the west, bordering Tartak; and Karakhas to the east), Khuraur slowly became more open to trade with Tartak, and it too became a vassal of Parthis in 3752 RM, fully opening up trade between the two regions.