Akanûl

Akanûl was a land that once belonged to the world of Abeir as part of the realm of Shyr, but was transposed onto the plane of Toril during the ravages of the Spellplague. The land carried with it a large population of Abeir genasi who, as of 1479 DR, controlled the region that used to be Chondath and western Chessenta.

Geography
Akanûl resembled Abeir much more than Toril. The vast majority of land was a hodgepodge of spectacular spires and erratic ravines. It boasted the largest number of earthmotes and watermotes in all of Faerûn. The southern edge of the region was bordered by a large finger of the Underchasm. One of the land's more unusual feature was an enormous piece of translucent quartz known as the Glass Mesa, which citizens were forbidden to approach.

Climate
Akanûl was primarily temperate, but due to the large amount of wild elemental energy lingering from the separation from Abeir, wind patterns were erratic, as was weather. The climate in Akanûl was largely humid, due to the constant drift of mist and rain from the watermotes that floated over the countryside.

Regions

 * Akanapeaks
 * These mountains lay to the north of Akanûl, along the coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars. They were believed to be the home of a powerful gray dragon, whose name was unknown.


 * Chondalwood
 * One of the few original features of Toril remaining in Akanûl, the Chondalwood was not officially claimed by the Akanûl government, though it frequently sent foresters into the haunted forest. Once the home of the ghostwise halflings the Chondalwood was sharply changed by the Spellplague into a landscape of floating junglemotes and cavernous ravines overrun by plaguechanged vegetation.


 * Mere-That-Was
 * Formerly a lake known as the Akanamere, the Spellplague dried up most of the water and only a small remnant of the lake remained. Parts of the region were lush grasslands but the southern region contained a wasteland that was lashed by strange elemental storms.  Strange rock and crystal formations were found throughout the region.  The Mere-That-Was was almost completely uninhabited by humans or genasi.


 * Spur Forest
 * This small forest nestled next to the Akanapeaks contained strange, plaguechanged vegetation. It was the home of the Kaia, a huge, nocturnal wormlike beast.

Cities & Towns

 * Airspur
 * Built from sea to sky, Airspur was a city of wondrous sites and inventions, earthmotes, magical teleportation, and a system of pulleys and counterweights. The result was a sprawling city of mechanical and magical marvels. This was Akanûl's seat of power, where Queen Arathane ruled along with the Stewards of Earth, Fire, Sea, and Sky. Airspur is built upon the ruins of a previous human city of the same name.


 * Brassune
 * Though Airspur may be Akanûl's most prominent city, Brassune was its oldest and it was the first settlement established in Akanûl by the genasi. The city proper was, by 1479 DR, abandoned although the Firestorm Cabal, a renegade nationalist group that believed the government incompetent or negligent, maintained a large stronghold on a forestmote overlooking the ruins of the old city. There, the Firestorm Cabal stood vigilant against the threat posed by the Abolethic Sovereignty.


 * Deepspur
 * Although most genasi of Akanûl had the windsoul manifestation, those who manifested other elements gravitated to Deepspur, a city built into the sheer cliffs that sunk into a chasm in the Akanapeaks. The precious gems and metals found in the caves surrounding this city made Akanûl rich, but of late, many genasi and other humanoids have disappeared from Deepspur without a trace.


 * New Breen
 * Rising up above the Bay of Akanûl, this city stood on an earthmote and was inhabited almost entirely by genasi. The city was created in the image of an Abeiran genasi city called Breen. Waters flowed from an unseen source deep within the earthmote, spilling in a perpetual mist into the sea below. The falls encircled an island neighborhood known as Lower Breen, which was a rich and thriving trading port. The island prospered as a gateway between the east and west.


 * Tohrepur
 * This ruined city sat on the shore of the Akanamere before it dried up during the Spellplague. The city was destroyed by the Abolethic Sovereignty in 1473 DR.

Society
Akanûl was mostly composed of the descendants of the genasi refugees of the land of Shyr in Abeir. The genasi of Shyr were oppressed by the primordial Karshimis. When Akanûl dropped into Toril, the residents were overjoyed to find that Karshimis' citadel had not made the jump. The refuges set about creating a realm of their own and founded the city of Airspur on the shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Akanûl is now counted among the kingdoms of Faerûn.

Airspur was a glittering three-dimensional city built into a series of elemental spires and earthmotes. The upper regions of the city were not actually directly connected to the ground below. It was ruled by Queen Arathane and the Four Stewards of Earth, Fire, Sea and Sky. The court was entirely composed of genasi. The Stewards oversaw specialized sections of government, while the Queen controlled the major action of government. The Steward of Earth headed up the spy network of Akanûl. The Steward of Fire served as the general of the army and was primarily concerned with the defense of Airspur. The Steward of Sea was also known as the Lord of Coin and oversaw the business of the realm. The Steward of Sky served as final arbiter of disputes and enforced the laws of Akanûl.

History
Historically, Akanûl was a nation-state located in the continent of Shyr on Abeir, Toril's long-forgotten twin world. There, Akanûl was ruled over by the tyrannical primordial Karshimis, who reigned from a fortress of burning ice. During the Spellplague, however, a large portion of Akanûl was transferred from Abeir to Toril, in the location of Chondath and Chessenta. Upon discovering that Karshimis had failed to make the transfer, the genasi of Akanûl celebrated their new-found independence and set about forming their own realm, which continues to exist into the present day.

Roughly half a century after this, Akanûl faced its first major threat as a nation from the Abolethic Sovereignty. During the ensuing war the capital city of Brassune was laid to waste and the Akanûlian fled to the south, building the city of Airspur on the ruins of an ancient Chondathan city. As of 1479 DR, Akanûl was at peace, though many of its citizens remained concerned about the growing power of their northern neighbor.

Government
As a genasi-dominated nation, Akanûl's social structure, while largely authoritarian, was highly meritocratic in nature and most genasi could aspire to great heights if they were talented and worked hard enough. Ruling over the kingdom but bound by the rule of law was Akanûl's sovereign, currently Queen Arathane, who ruled from an enormous floating spire. Queen Arathane played a large part in Akanûlian society and was responsible for the ultimate well-being of her citizens, which she took very seriously.

Though the queen was an important and powerful figure she was legally required to delegate many of her responsibilities to the Four Stewards, each a minister representing one of four elements — fire, water, earth, and wind — and who were responsible for a portion of the kingdom's affairs, ruling from their own private fiefdom, known as a thronemote. The Steward of Fire, Magnol, was responsible for the management of Akanûl's military defenses and was the realm's commander-in-chief, while Tradrem Kethtrod, Steward of the Earth, was the nation's chief of intelligence. Myxofin, Steward of the Sea, ran the nation's economy. Lastly, Lehaya, the current Steward of the Sky, was the realm's primary executive officer, charged with ensuring the smooth regulation of the queen's law.

Although the Four Stewards primarily existed as administrative assistants and advisers, they also held a considerable amount of power over Akanûl's monarch. By royal decree of Arathane's mother, the previous queen, the Four Stewards were legally empowered to override the king or queen's authority through a unanimous vote. However, should there be any split in the ranks, the monarch's word remained law.

Military
Akanûl's navy was known as the Waveriders.

Foreign Relations
Akanûl was on friendly terms with the risen empire of High Imaskar and their neighbors across the Sea of Fallen Stars, Aglarond. The shadovar of Netheril also had an embassy in Airspur, a fact which damaged relations with the western nations surrounding the Sea of Fallen Stars, such as Cormyr. Akanûl was, however, hostile towards the other major Abeiran exclave in Faerûn, Tymanther, owing to a longstanding grudge with the dragonkin of that land and engaged in brief skirmishes with the land's military forces in Chessenta. Likewise, despite their common blood Akanûlians despised the slave-keeping genasi that ruled large portions of Calimshan, regarding them as depraved and decadent.

Demographics
Status in Airspur was primarily racial. Genasi made up the bulk of the population and were given preferential treatment by both the government and local merchants. The refugees of Shyr and their descendants were guaranteed their basic needs by the decree of Queen Arathane. Other races in the city were mostly mercenaries, explorers, or specialized crafters and tradesmen. They were never allowed to hold office.