Turmish

Turmish was a republic with the capital of Alaghôn, and was located in the north of the Vilhon Reach. In the 14 century, Turmish was a densely populated nation, with bustling cities that were home to many mercenary companies and mercantile organizations that traded across all of Faerûn. Despite the fame of its mercenary companies, the country itself was peaceful, prosperous, and civilized. Turmish had a good reputation,with its warriors, and merchants especially, being respected and well-liked. It's welcoming people, peaceful nature, fertile countryside, and focus on commerce over warfare earned it the nickname of the heartland of the Reach. While Turmish suffered many hardships in the Wailing Years, it had recovered admirably following the Second Sundering and the ending of the The Great Rain.

Geography
"Turmish? Make sure ye take a map -- or a hire a guide ye can trust... or ten winters from now, ye'll still be trying to find yer way out o' that land. Most folk give up, I hear, 'an just settle down. Ye can find worse places in the Realms."

- Mirt the Moneylender

The country was shaped like an arrowhead, with the Orsraun Mountains on one side, the Aphrunn Mountains on another, and the Sea of Fallen Stars on the third. The Aphrunn Mountains on Turmish's southeastern border served as a shield of stone between the kingdom and the towns along the northern shore of the Vilhon Reach. The Lilit Pass was the only pass through the Aphrunn Mountains connecting Turmish to the Reach beyond.

Turmish was a beautiful country, full of gardens, orchards, well-tended farmland, and vineyards.

There was an absence of large rivers in Turmish.

Climate
The weather of the Turmish was similar to that of the surrounding Vilhon Reach, which was sub-tropical and humid. While temperatures could get low during the winter months, it rarely snowed.

Government
During the late 14 century the republic of Turmish was governed by the Assembly of Stars, who in turn would appoint a Lord of Turmish. As of the, the position was filled by Lord Herengar. While all citizens were free to vote, by the late 15 century, in practice the country was ruled by wealthy merchants, under the watchful eye of the druids of the Church of Silvanus and the Emerald Enclave.

Despite the central rule of the Assembly of Stars, as of the Turmish was somewhat politically fragmented. The other cities of Turmish were free to govern themselves however they liked, so long as they paid their share of taxes to Alaghôn. While cities are nominally expected to follow the laws of the Assembly, in practice they are left alone, with the Assembly focusing on national concerns.

Legal System
The law of Turmish was based on the Code of Enlil, which was once used by the ancient empire of Chessenta. Under these laws, both Piracy and Smuggling were severe crimes, but the enforcement of the law was loose which made punishment unlikely. The Turmish nation had no extensive customs patrols, allowing smugglers to operate widely.

Trade
Turmish was famous for its merchants. They were known to be fair-dealing, close-mouthed, and well-armed.

Major sea routes came down from the Dragon Coast and Sembia, coming nearby the coast of Turmish to either proceed onwards to the Alamber Sea or turn more sharply to enter the Vilhon Reach. The strategic location of Turmish gave it its nickname as the 'gateguard of the Vilhon.'

Mercenaries and Warriors
"The hordes of Turmish are as numerous as the waves upon the inner sea."

- Common saying in Starmantle

Turmish was famous for its mercenaries, which were widely known. Their ubiquity led to folks from other lands believing Turmish was overpopulated and a place people wanted to escape from. In truth this was less about the sheer numbers of people from Turmish, but rather due to their enjoyment of adventure and travel in other lands. Turmishan warriors were known to be honorable, impartial, articulate, and battle-skilled. Intelligent and charismatic warriors, Turmishans tended to be conspicuous and to stand out in a crowd.

Turmishan warriors were known to wear beautiful, ornate, and intricately crafted armor. This armor blended both human and elven styles, customized with spires, embossing, and fluted curves on the joints and shoulder plates. This armor often had a pointed helm. All Turmishan warriors, from the highest noble to the lowest militia, kept their armor in pristine condition and adorned with embellishments. Armor was a status symbol in Turmish, and expensive gold inlays or gem adornments were not uncommon. Armor was valued as much as one's beard.

Turmishan warriors tended to be tall, graceful, and handsome. They were carefully groomed and often wore colognes and pleasant fragrances to cover up the smells of travel, fighting, and general soldiering. Despite this pleasing appearance, Turmishan warriors, like their countrymen generally, were unconcerned with fashion. They were particularly amused by those who wore clothing inappropriate for the situation -- such as wearing silk finery while in the sewers, or bright clothing when trying to be stealthy.

Culture
The people of Turmish had a rich history and developed culture, with many influences from neighboring countries, peoples, and religions. Turmishan culture had strong early influences from ancient Jhaamdath, the nomadic tribes of the Shining Plains, Chondath, and Unther. Later in the history of Turmish, the Church of Silvanus and the Emerald Enclave played an important role in the development of Turmish culture, especially its veneration and respect for nature.

Turmishans were friendly and readily aided their countrymen, even strangers.

Burying Valuables
Since the Turmians are known for respecting their land, they often buried valuables, partly as gifts to Chauntea and partly as "seeds" to grow future wealth. It was frowned upon to be found digging in Turmish.

Classless Society
The people of Turmish were generally unconcerned with wealth or status, instead judging an individual's character based on their individual merits. Accordingly, Turmishans rejected any sense of social classes and special privileges. Fashions were not followed in Turmish, save for in the capital city of Alaghôn, which was more beholden to cultures across the wider Sea of Fallen Stars. As Turmish was a republic, the citizens often took pride in their pragmatism, their lack of elaborate ceremony, and general absence of aristocratic pretensions. They could be a serious and business-minded people unconcerned with the luxuries of social niceties.

Square-Cut Beards
Male Turmishan merchants customarily wore long, square, neatly trimmed beards. The phrase 'square as a Turmishan's beard', commonly heard throughout the Vilhon Reach, meant that a given deal was fair. An old Turmish saying was that ' 'The measure of a man's worth can be seen in the cut of his beard.' ' Warriors of Turmish tended to be clean-shaven, so not to be mistaken by someone of the merchant classes.

By the late 15 century, the Turmishan square-cut beard was not as ubiquitous as earlier. Traditionalists continued to wear the beard, but it was not uncommon for men to go clean-shaven.

Guest Dish
The people of Turmish customarily brought a guest dish when visiting another, a popular dish being an upturned skull full of snails.

Inheritance Practices
Turmishans in the countryside had unusual inheritance practices. It was common for farmers around the age of forty to leave their farms to their inheritors and leave to go pursue a life of a merchant or soldier. Some stayed near their farm and tended to a nearby wood, and others joined the farmland monasteries that were common across Turmish. These 'retirees' tended to be patient, calm, and confident in battle, with their bodies strong from a life of hard work but not broken by overwork. It is likely that the Turmishans reputations as brave warriors and fair-minded traders come from this unusual inheritance practice.

Archery
Archery was commonly practiced in Turmish, with many farmers being quite skilled with a longbow.

Religion
While the people of Turmish worshipped many gods, Silvanus played an important role in their country, due to the influence of the Emerald Enclave.

Within Turmish were hidden monasteries dedicated to Selûne, Chauntea, and Loviatar hidden amongst the farmlands. These were not fortresses, but large gardens with open air altars and glades for worship. These monasteries tend to focus on fertility rites.

Festivals

 * Feast of the Moon:
 * Also known as the festival of lovers, this joyous celebration was celebrated throughout all of the Reach during Highsummer.


 * Reign of Misrule:
 * Beginning on Marpenoth 10, a tenday after Highharvestide, the citizens of Turmish would break their religious and mercantile vows by yelling and fighting with one another in the streets, so long as they didn't kill anyone or cause serious harm or destruction. Non-natives were prohibited from joining in these revelries.

Origins
The Turami people migrated to the region from their native lands around the Alamber Sea when they were displaced by the Mulan after the fall of Imaskar in. After finding these sheltered fertile lands, they settled down.

The Turami tribes near the Akanapeaks were incorporated into the empire of Jhaamdath. Following Jhaamdath's destruction by the elves of Nikerymath in the, the Turami tribes migrated to the Jhaamdathan province of Granite Grates in what is now present-day Turmish.

The coast of what became Turmish was once home to the nation of Scarbala, a country of fisherfolk and pirates. When Scarbala tried to expand inland and was met with raids from angry satyrs, concurrent attacks from vengeful victims of their piracy and several years of harsh winters destroyed the nation. The coast was also subject to attacks from koalinth and ixitxachitls.

Alaghôn and the Formation of Turmish
In, the port city of Alaghôn was founded on top of the ruins of a dwarven mining settlement, and soon became a major trading hub of the Sea of Fallen Stars. In the, a mercenary leader named Dempster Turmish declared himself mayor of the city. This precipitated a brief civil war that Dempster's mercenaries swiftly won for him. Dempster expanded the lands that he controlled, conquering all of the towns and villages that surrounded his city for thirteen years. By 145 DR, Turmish had taken control of the lands up to the lowlands of Hlondeth and set their eyes upon the city-state.

Assaults on Hlondeth
Dempster died in his sleep in 150 DR and his wife Florentine took over from him. Florentine was far more interested in mercantile ventures than continued expansion, ordering a halt to the wars of conquest. Florentine was assassinated after only four years in power, leading to a leadership contest that lasted 116 years.

An attempt from Chondath to conquer Turmish united the country behind Alesam Mischwin in the. This war, known as the Stalemate, ended in one but the stability caused by a leader finally being chosen remained. Chondath would try to take Turmish on two further occasions over the next few decades, failing both times. House Illistine proposed a mock war every Shieldmeet between Turmish and Chondath, the winner of which would gain a reward of slaves, resources and trading privileges, while ensuring that the two nations would remain at peace.

Disasters and Druids
In the, a fire in Alaghôn crippled Turmish's navy and destroyed its food stores, causing a rise in piracy and widespread famine. Turmish's noble houses, rather than working to help solve the issue, bickered with each other over who was liable for the damage. It therefore took over a decade of reconstruction to repair the damage. The saw the establishment of the House of Silvanus on the Isle of Ilighôn where powerful druids kept close watch on the ships travelling off the coast of Turmish.

Over a century of small incursions from orc and goblin tribes culminated in the War of 512 when the Candlekairn clan destroyed three Turmishan cities and carried off all of their accumulated wealth. When Mount Andrus erupted five years later, all hope of recovering that wealth was lost.

In the, druids from Gulthmere Forest and elves from Xorhun appealed to Arton Githsberry, the then ruler of Turmish, to stop logging in the forest in order to let the trees grow back. Arton appeased them with a show of consideration, but had no intention to stop collecting timber. The druids continued to pressure Turmish, becoming quite the thorn in Turmish's side by the.

Magocracy and Merchants
In the, the rulers of Turmish, a conclave of wizards calling themselves the Windlass, decided that they had enough of the druids in the region and launched an attack on both Cedarsproke and Ilighôn. Both attacks were halted before they could do any damage by the magic of the druids and their giant allies. The Windlass were executed, replaced by Alaghôn's merchant families. The druids of Ilighôn, now a formal organization known as the Emerald Enclave, had established themselves a force to be reckoned with.

The saw the merchant families of Turmish lose their temporal power to a dynasty of warlords, the first of whom established Turmish a powerful military nation. Their martial strength saw them through the 1018 DR Rage of Dragons quite safely, but the ever-increasing population was feeling the pressure of running out of space so, in the, the warlord Sjorn Sendreth initiated a war against Ironfang Deep. It was a protracted war that diminished Turmish's wealth to an unexpected level. Sendreth sent people out to bring back treasure which could fund the war effort - a tactic that worked spectacularly - Turmish was wealthy once more.

Wyrm and the Stars
Unfortunately, one such group of treasure hunters was tracked back home by the ancient blue dragon Anaglathos in the, who slew Sendreth and claimed Turmish for himself, killing or charming any who opposed him. The next five years were known as the Time of the Wyrm in Turmishan histories.

Anaglathos's rule was brought to an end by a paladin by the name of Corwin Freas, who led the rebellion against Anaglathos and personally slew the dragon. He was then acclaimed Turmish's king by a grateful populace. However, after a reign of only one year, Lord Freas dissolved his own monarchy and established the Assembly of Stars to rule Turmish instead.

14 & 15 Centuries
With a few small exceptions, such as the Plague of Dragons in the for example, Turmish had grown into become a democratic nation that was peaceful, safe and content, if occasionally a little overcrowded.

The Spellplague changed Turmish's fortunes for the worse, as the Sea of Fallen Stars drained away, leaving Alaghôn's port miles from the new shoreline. Turmishans became xenophobic as bandit raids from Erlkazar terrorized them and they were cut off from their neighbors. Nonthal took over as Turmish's most prosperous city as Alaghôn became increasingly dilapidated, while Sapra became the nation's only port. In the, the city of Gildenglade was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Kolimnis.

After the dissipation of The Great Rain, the Sea of Fallen Stars had risen to water levels not seen since before the Spellplague. Turmish's great cities were once again connected to the Inner Sea and its trading opportunities. This, along with a great agricultural boom aided by the Emerald Enclave, brought an upturn in the country's fortunes.

Cities

 * Alaghôn: The ancient port city channeled nearly all the trade that Turmish had with the rest of Faerûn for centuries, before the waters of the Inner Sea receded. It was the most popular port on the southern fringes of the inner sea.
 * Gildenglade: Before it was destroyed, Turmish's second-largest city was a haven for non-human populations, home to many of the dwarves, half-elves and elves of the nation.
 * Ravilar's Cloak: A wild and rowdy mining town nestled in the foothills of the Orsraun Mountains.
 * Centaur Bridge
 * Nonthal
 * Jathrin's Jump
 * Xorhun: This community of elves and gnomes hearkened back to the communities of the ancient elven civilization.
 * Cliffs of Atin

Ruins

 * Ironcloak
 * Morningstar Hollows: A former farming village that had since been flooded into a bog and inhabited by lizardfolk.

Geography

 * Aphrunn Mountains
 * Mountains of the Alaoreum
 * Orsraun Mountains
 * The Orbrekh: A branch of the Orsrauns that was home to a family of giants, who protected the surrounding area.