Khazari

Khazari was a country in the Hordelands.

Environment
Khazari was a small mountain valley nation, formed by the encircling arms of the Katakoro Shan. The land of the valley was considered poor, and the nation had few natural resources. The landscape of Khazari was bleak and mountainous, with granite-spired mountains crusted with glaciers.

It snowed in winter but was generally dry and cold.

The Jumpa and Shyok rivers passed through the nation.

History
The Tuigan Horde under Yamun Khahan conquered Khazari. The lama Koja of Khazari served as Yamun's emissary, advisor, and historian. There, he advised that Jadaran, Yamun's son, be appointed governor of Alashan.

Places
The cities of Khazari were ordered and tidy; the city of Procampur in the Vast in Faerûn reminded Koja of Khazari of home.

Notable cities included:
 * Skarou: The capital city, located where the Jumpa and Shyok rivers met.
 * Alashan: Second largest city.
 * Hsiliang: A town of monasteries located in the north.

Culture
The people of Khazari ate simply, dining on rice, tsampo porridge, yak butter and butter tea, and kumiss.

There were a number of isolated monasteries in which lamas sought enlightenment. One was the Red Mountain Temple. They followed the Path of Enlightenment and Furo, with the Yanitsava as a holy book. The lama continuously chanted sutras, banged cymbals, and turned prayer wheels, in an effort to maintain order in the cosmos.

Economy
Most of the nation's wealth came from trade along the Silk Road, which passed through the small nation. Barley, millet, yaks, sheep, dyed cloth, and leather, along with some other basic goods, were the countries main products.

Due to the large number of monasteries in the nation, and their custom of offering shelter to travelers in exchange for donations, there were few inns.

The country was known to be expensive for travelers to pass through. Its politically divided nature made bribery the main method for dealing with bandits, as the nation was unable to deal with them militarily. This, along with the lack of other routes to the east, made the country a "necessary evil" for caravans.

Leadership
Officially ruled by a hereditary monarchy, the nation of Khazari was politically divided. Knights and governors, once titles gives out by the prince, were later passed on through families, leaving the ruler with little power to change who controlled the cities and fiefdoms. To compound the problem, the monks of the nation's monasteries were also fiercely independent, and refused to follow the prince's rulings. Shou Lung advisers to the various lords also kept the nation's leaders apart, as Shou Lung sought to take Khazari for itself.

With the invasion of the Tuigan horde, Prince Ogandi began reducing the power of the various lords, an an attempt to bring the nation under his control again.

Military
Khazari had a number of fortresses built into the few mountain passes that led to the nation.

Due to the divided nature of Khazari's leadership, the nation was unable to field a real army. This resulted in the nation being unable to eliminate the bandit groups of the region, as well as being unable to defend itself from Shou Lung and the Tuigan Horde.