[b]Clan Name:[/b] Petty Kingdom of New Hayastan [b]Jarl/Chief/King Name & Description:[/b] Tigranes the Fourth [b]Alias:[/b] The Steelmarch [b]Government Type:[/b] Petty Kingdom [b]Non Human Species Descriptions:[/b] None. [b]Location:[/b] [IMG]http://i67.tinypic.com/er0mis.png[/IMG] [b]Religion:[/b] Believers in Yorven and Zazsha. [b]Clan Description:[/b] New Hayastan prides itself on being the most 'civilized' part of the Broken Lands, with its capital, Armavir, being a walled settlement that resembles a Salished township more than it does a Jarl's hill-fort. Hayastan also prides itself in its promotion of literacy and metallurgy, as well as its promotion of the 'Southern' tradition of armored heavy cavalry; Cataphracts. But compared to the [i]actual[/i] Salished Empire, Hayastan has lost a lot of knowledge and learning as it picked up the ways of the north, and shares a lot in common with the 'savages' it co-exists with than it admits. New Hayastan has a high level of social stratification (relative to other kingdoms), with the heirarchy starting with the 'Petty King', then the 'Nahakars', or great nobles, and after that the Azats, Ramiks, and Shinakans; Lesser Nobles, Artisans, and Peasants. Slavery is practiced, but in theory, people are only enslaved if they had broken the 'Code of Honor' promoted by Yorven or are descendants of those who had broken said code up to the third generation. In theory. [b]Clan History:[/b]Long ago, there was a mountainous kingdom called Hayastan, whose people believed themselves secure in the mountains, even against the Salished Empire. This was not the case, as, through sheer weight of numbers and technological superiority, the Salished overcame the Hayastani fortress-cities and forced the people into either vassalage or slavery. All except for one prince, Artazvad, who mustered a fleet of refugees and braved the cold of the north, preferring freedom to subjugation. Artazvad ended up sailing into the Broken Lands and was granted an audience with the current High King, who granted them a peninsula to the far west, which had been settled only by shepherds and minor tribesmen before. There, the realm of New Hayastan was established, dedicated to the worship of Yorven, who was known as Ahura in the original Hayastani homeland. The ways of Old Hayastan, however, were strange and alien to the other people of the Broken Lands, and the Hayastani had to defend themselves against many threats. They were up to the task, blending the advanced knowledge of metallurgy and engineering they brought from the South with the fierce spirit of the north and a loyalty to whoever was the current High King at the time. And the current High King, though a boy, is assured of this loyalty...as long as his Regent-Mother remembers her debt of gratitude... [b]Regional Geography/Resources/Economy Details:[/b] New Hayastan is mostly mountains and is rich in Iron, Gold, Silver, Copper, and Tin. Outside the fertile mountain valleys, the land is largely desolate; good only for sheepherding and farming. The coasts, meanwhile, are wealthy with fish and seals, as well as narwhals. However, timber is in very short supply, due to previous generations of New Hayastani stripping away the forests of pine trees that once covered the land. Not merely that, but New Hayastan is a frequent importer of luxuries from the Salished Empire that it still calls foes, but which they still bargains with for silk, spices, and new books from the 'Old Homeland'. [b]Important Characters:[/b] Tigranes the Fourth - Austere, honorable, and brave, Tiriganes the Fourth is a middle-aged man who plans to step in as protector of the High King. [b]Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions:[/b] Armavir - A mountain city surrounded by a large stone wall whose gate is decorated by carvings of winged lions. New Trabzon - A coastal city dedicated to fishing and trading; its harbor is frozen every winter. Tushpa - A city in the mountains dedicated to the mining of ores and the forging of arms and armor. [b]Relation to other Factions:[/b] - Enemy of Clan Varvudda (if permitted by [@Gorgenmast]). - Trading partner of Broken Hammer Clan (if permitted by [@The Wyrm]).