Turmish

Turmish was a democratic republic located northwest of the Vilhon Reach on the Sea of Fallen Stars. It was a densely populated nation, famous for its mercenary companies and fair-dealing merchants that traded across all of Faerûn. Despite the fame of its hireswords, the country itself was peaceful, prosperous, and civilized. Turmish had a good reputation, with its warriors, and merchants especially, being respected and well-liked. Its welcoming people, peaceful nature, fertile countryside, and focus on commerce over warfare earned it the nickname of the "heartland of the Reach" across the Inner Sea. While Turmish suffered many hardships in the Wailing Years after the Spellplague, it recovered admirably following the Second Sundering and the ending of the Great Rain in the late 15 century DR.

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

Turmish 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 ranged on Turmish's southeastern border and served as a defensive barrier between the kingdom and the warlike city-states along the northern shore of the Vilhon Reach. One mountain pass—Lilit Pass—crossed through the Aphrunn and allowed direct access to the Vilhon.

The mountains surrounding Turmish had many active volcanoes. The Aphrunn contained Mount Kolimnis, the Orsraun contained Mount Andrus, and to the southwest was Mount Ugruth. Their periodic eruptions would play decisive roles in the history of Turmish, with Kolimnis burying the city of Gildenglade in, after threatening to in the early 1360s; Andrus destroying the fearsome Candlekairn clan of orcs in ; and Ugruth causing the downfall of house Gestin in Hlondeth in the.

Running through the center of Turmish was an ancient road called the Halondar. The road began at Alaghôn, the capital of Turmish, and continued southwestwards through the country until reaching the City of Serpents. Besides the Halondar, however, there were very few roads in Turmish. Instead, the country was covered in a maze of small and meandering country lanes, making Turmish a country that was easy to get lost in, even for invading armies.

Turmish itself was a verdant, fertile,  pastoral, and beautiful country, full of vineyards, gardens, orchards, picturesque villages, and well-tended farmland. The rolling fields were separated by hedges and dense rows of trees, which left plenty of space for wild animals. In the mid–14 century, there were only two or three cities in the whole country: Alaghôn, Gildenglade, and Nonthal. Cities were so rare in Turmish because people preferred to live close to the land. Most Turmishans lived in small villages in their beautiful countryside, enjoying their proximity to nature. There were hundreds of such villages, most too small to be marked on maps.

While it was sometimes said there were no large rivers in Turmish, in fact the Alaoreum River ran from the Alaoreum Mountains to Evenstar Lake. There was also an abundance of small streams in the country.

After the Spellplague lowered the sea level and reshaped the coastline, Turmish was left with a wild and rugged coast.

Climate
The weather of Turmish was the same as that around the Vilhon Reach, namely sub-tropical and humid. While temperatures could drop in winter months, snow was rare; instead winter would come with heavy rains. Summer months were often very hot and humid, and spring came early. The humidity abated somewhat in autumn. The Turmishans described the climate as "one with the Reach", that is, as humid as the sea.

Notable Geographical Locations

 * 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.

People
Circa 1372 DR, the population was 78% humans, 9% dwarves, 5% halflings, 3% elves, and 2% gnomes, with 1% half-elves and 1% half-orcs. The Turmishan humans were primarily (95%) of the Turami ethnicity, with the remainder (4%) being largely Chondathan. The Turami typically had curly black hair and dark-brown, mahogany-colored skin. They grew tall and muscular, had flattish faces, and were commonly considered beautiful. While most dwarves in the land remained independent in Ironfang in the Alaoreum Mountains and were suspicious of the humans after past wars, some lived in Gildenglade and Ravilar's Cloak. Elves lived in Xorhun, gnomes in Xorhun and Nonthal, and halflings in Alaghôn and Gildenglade. Half-elves avoided Xorhun but lived peacefully in Gildenglade.

In the 1400s DR, Turmish was regularly visited by those making scar pilgrimages to the Plaguewrought Land to obtain a spellscar. Moreover, a community of kobolds settled in Xorhun, joining the elves, half-elves, and gnomes, while lizardfolk resettled Morningstar Hollows before moving on to the Wetwoods in the Shining Plains.

Language
The common tongue was the Turmic language, which used the Thorass script.

Government
By the mid-to-late 14 century DR, Turmish was a confederation of three city-states, each of them a democratic republic. The capital, Alaghôn was governed by the Assembly of Stars, also known as the Free Council. Members were chosen in free elections and every citizen, whatever their race, sex, or standing, had a single vote and was in turn eligible for election. In turn, the council would elect from their number a chief speaker, titled the Lord of Turmish   or the Marcrowne of Turmish. The position included a palace and was aided by a Court Wizard. As of, the position had been filled by Lord Herengar for nine years. In elections, candidates were nominated by their peers, rather than putting themselves forward, and terms lasted only three years. This limited, but did not eliminate, the ranks of professional politicians and their political maneuverings. The councilors, known as 'assemblymen', often had to work long hours and travel around the Vilhon Reach. As a result, it was not uncommon for a merchant to nominate and lobby for a rival's election to get them out of business for a few years.

The other city-states had similar democratic systems and the country as a whole was well-managed and politically stable. 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 and followed the laws of the Assembly, but in practice they were left alone to deal with their own issues, with the Assembly focusing on national concerns. The Lord of Turmish had few specific duties; their primary responsibilities weere maintaining local and mercenary militias for defense of the realm against pirates and rival nations, keeping the waterways free of pirates, and generally ensuring Turmish's continued prosperity. After the catastrophe of Spellplague, however, by the late 15 century, the country was driven to the brink of chaos by the competitive and desperate merchant costers. In practice the country was ruled by wealthy merchants, albeit under the watchful eye of the druids of the Church of Silvanus and the Emerald Enclave. The head of the Assembly of Stars served as a chief administrator. At times, the Emerald Enclave seemed to wield more power. The country was a full parliamentary democracy, with each city contributing representatives to the Assembly of Stars.

Law & Order
The law of Turmish was based on the Code of Enlil. According to the letter of these laws, both piracy and smuggling were severe crimes. However, the enforcement of the law was lax and punishment was unlikely. Furthermore, there were no extensive customs patrols in Turmish, allowing smugglers to operate widely.

Well-organized mercenary companies and adventuring bands operated as local militias in Turmish. These watched and patrolled the borders and scout out the wildernesses, and so discouraged raids and monster attacks from the mountains. Meanwhile, the navy patrolled the Vilhon Reach and kept safe local trade routes.

Relations
Turmish had a strong commercial partnership and alliance with the city-state of Hlondeth and Dediana Extaminos of the City of Serpents maintained good relationships. Circa 1372 DR, Turmish was peaceable with its neighbors, but wary. While concerned about the rise of Chondath, it was hesitant to provide aid to Sespech out of worry of provoking Chondath. Turmish did not start wars, feeling that, if nothing else, it was bad for business. For their fair-dealing reputation, Turmishans were welcomed all around the Sea of Fallen Stars.

While the wild western mountains of the Orsraun were home to goblinoids, kobolds, orcs, red dragons, and others, raids into Turmish were rare, owing to defense by the Turmishan militias.

Trade
A strongly mercantile realm, trade and commerce dominated matters in Turmish, but this was balanced by the dictates of the druids of the Emerald Enclave. These limited the cities from growing past a certain size, yet kept the people affluent and only a few being especially rich. Nevertheless, there was friction—the Enclave allowed logging only in certain areas deemed healthy to the forest, but this could make work more difficult and costly.

Circa 1372 DR, the nation exported salt and glass, mostly to Procampur and Tsurlagol, respectively, in the southern Vast. Its mercenaries usually traveled to Chessenta via Chondath. Grains and timber were produced and traded locally within the Reach. Trade and luxury goods were imported from the Dragon Coast. Metals were also imported. Dwarves of the Alaoreum Mountains trade their metals and minerals to Turmish in exchange for Turmishan goods.

Major sea routes ran from the Dragon Coast and Sembia to near the coast of Turmish, where they either proceeded on to the Alamber Sea or turned more sharply to enter the Vilhon Reach. The strategic location of Turmish gave it the saying "Turmish is the gateguard of the Vilhon."

Turmish was unique in the Vilhon Reach for outlawing the slave trade. Whenever Turmish won the Southsand Games, it freed the slaves it won.

Classless Society
The people of Turmish were generally unconcerned with wealth or status, instead judging an individual's character based on their merits and deeds, and ensuring they had good merits and deeds to be judged by in turn. Accordingly, Turmishans rejected any sense of social classes and special privileges. Fashions were not followed in Turmish, and they laughed at those who wore something inappropriate or impractical for the sake of fashion in other realms. Hence, basic fashions were slow to evolve in Turmish. 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. They were usually well-educated, particularly in the areas of agriculture and business.

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 the 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's likely that the Turmishans' reputation as brave warriors and fair-minded traders came from this unusual inheritance practice.

Merchants
Turmish was famous for its merchants. They were known to be fair-dealing, close-mouthed, and well-armed, Turmishan merchants often emigrated to Battledale in the Dalelands, settling there and contributing to its diversity.

Mercenaries & 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 and warriors, who were known to be honorable, impartial, articulate, and battle-skilled. Intelligent and charismatic, Turmishan warriors were often conspicuous and stood out in a crowd.

Turmishan warriors were known to wear beautiful, ornate, and intricately crafted armor. This armor blended both human and elven styles and was adorned with spires, embossing, and raised and fluted curves on the joints and shoulder plates     and often had a pointed helm. All Turmishan warriors, regardless of their means or rank, kept their armor in excellent 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 sellswords were so common throughout Faerûn that many people believed that Turmish must be overpopulated, or a place people wanted to escape from. The real reason for their ubiquity was that Turmishans were good soldiers and enjoyed adventure and travel in foreign lands.

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 their pleasing appearance and ornate armor, 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.

Adventurers
Turmish was a country known for producing heroes. Restless young Turmishans seeking adventure would often leave home for seven years before returning, often after serving as a mercenary in foreign lands. In turn, Turmish was a popular place to seek adventure in, regardless—or maybe because—of the scarcity of monsters to fight. Instead, ruins and wildernesses to explore and bard tales of lost treasures to seek drew them in.

Wizards
Turmishan wizards had a customary dress of green-and-black light cloth robes often tied with high-quality sashes. They also commonly wore gold jewelry, especially earrings and chokers. Wizards and other educated folk were respected and admired in Turmish. Turmish wizards did their best to earn this respect and admiration from their countrymen, maintaining high ethical and moral standards and tending to be of good nature. Turmishan wizards also gave much advice and their free time to their country. Turmishan wizards, like Turmish merchants, were famous throughout the Vilhon Reach for being fair and honest. Turmishan wizards were wise and noble, and used their intelligence and skills to collect information to protect their friends and allies. Turmish wizards tended to be diviners and excelled in the use of scrying magical items, such as a crystal ball. However, the peaceful nature of Turmishan wizards meant they were even worse at close combat than other wizards.

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, so they were fairly cosmopolitan. 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 dealt harshly with those that despoiled their land. Turmishans were welcoming and friendly and readily aided their countrymen, even strangers. However, visitors such as merchants were expected to develop a basic understanding of local culture and customs.

However, after the devastation of the Spellplague left Turmish isolated and struggling in the 1400s DR, the people grew xenophobic, becoming wary and suspicious of strangers. Many of them were restrained and serious and they focused on business while neglecting social pleasantries, seeming gruff and ill-mannered. Fortunately, Turmish was enjoying a restoration by 1489 DR.

Like much of the Vilhon Reach, the Turmishans shared the custom of painting dots on their foreheads to mark whether an individual could read (one dot), write (two dots), or use magic (three dots). This was linked to the founding of Academia Vilhonus in Chondath in the.

Large mirrors were outlawed in Turmish, owing to the fear of fetch, predatory creatures of the Abyss who used mirrors as portals to the Prime Material plane. An unsettling Turmite folk song about fetch was a popular explanation for the ban on mirrors.

Burying Valuables
Since Turmishans were known for respecting their land, they often buried valuables, partly as gifts to Chauntea and partly as "seeds" to grow future wealth. The burying of gold and gems was thought to make the land more fertile and to one day return the riches tenfold. Burying was done as a personal ritual, done at a time meaningful to the one involved, such as on a birthday (one's own or a loved one's), a wedding anniversary, or the anniversary of the first day of one's business. However, this inspired the unprincipled to become treasure hunters and it was considered theft. A stolen treasure was thought to bring misfortune for the next year. Thus, it was frowned upon to be found digging for treasure in Turmish. If the thief wasn't killed by angry merchants first, then they could expect to be convicted and punished with at least a year of hard labor.

Square-Cut Beards
"The measure of a man's worth can be seen in the cut of his beard."

- Old Turmishan saying

Male Turmishan merchants customarily wore long, square, neatly trimmed beards. The phrase "square as a Turmishan's beard" or "square as a Turmian beard", signifying that a given deal was fair or that a deed was properly or skillfully done, was common throughout the Vilhon Reach. Warriors of Turmish tended to be clean-shaven, so as not to be mistaken as a merchant.

By the late 15 century, the Turmishan square-cut beard was worn by men in general, not only merchants and it 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' or 'greetings gift' of good food to share when visiting another's home, whether for business or socializing, as a show of gratitude for the hospitality. The value and flair of the gift varied with the status of the guest; peasants were not expected to spend much. For the wealthy, typical greetings gifts ranged from a bottle of vintage Nimpeth wine to the always popular 'skullcap treat', namely a bowl made from an upturned skull full of snails.

Guesthouses
To give shelter and aid to travelers, the Turmishans erected small cabins along the roads and trails. Most were small buildings with space for six persons, but some included roofed hay pens in which horses could be stabled. These were free to use by anyone, but those who did were expected to restock any supplies they did use. Patrols of local militias checked these periodically and stayed in them when the weather was bad.

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

Days & Festivals
One day out of every nine, Turmishans would take time off work to "chase the sun", when they would rest, spend time with family, practice or learn a new skill or magic, or do anything else of personal interest. Promising to do something "on the ninth day" usually meant "when I have time".

There were two major festivals celebrated across Turmish. On these days, all businesses and all but the most vital government offices would shut. These were:
 * The Feast of the Moon: Also known as the "Festival of Lovers", this joyous celebration was celebrated throughout all of the Vilhon Reach during Highsummer, on the first full moon after Midsummer.  In the 1300s DR, it was a time of drinking, dancing, revelry, and even debauchery. Nevertheless, many couples were already married, married in the week before, or married on the night, for it was customary for newlyweds to consummate their marriages on this night too. Lovers met in new and unfamiliar locales, going there separately along different routes. In the 1400s DR, it was a time for Turmishans to relax and enjoy their rewards and to spend time with friends and family. Turmishan merchants made sure to return home in time. But cultists of Malar particularly used this time to kidnap people to hunt and slay, especially with wild animals. After the Time of Troubles, militia patrols increased to combat them, and the lovers armed themselves too.
 * The Reign of Misrule On Marpenoth 10, a tenday after Highharvestide, the citizens of Turmish would break their religious, guild, and mercantile vows and social restraints by engaging in destructively exuberant celebrations, minor civil unrest, and yelling and fighting with one another in the streets, so long as they didn't kill anyone or cause serious harm or destruction. Monks might break a vow of silence to talk and laugh and paladins might be rude and get into barroom brawls. Non-natives were prohibited from joining in these revelries, and were not excused for their actions if they did.  While it lasted no longer than a day, and the memories might last a lifetime, it was a crime to even talk about what anyone did during a Reign of Misrule. Every Turmishan understood the customs of the Reign of Misrule, even children, it was so deeply ingrained in the culture.

Religion
Turmishans worshiped a number of gods, including Chauntea, Lliira, Silvanus, Eldath,  Helm, Talos, Tyr,  Loviatar, Nobanion, Selûne, and Tempus. The evil sea-goddess Umberlee was despised in Turmish and worship of Talos was outlawed in Alaghôn.

Lliira's following in Turmish grew greatly during the Time of Troubles after Waukeen went missing. The many merchants of Turmish began to switch their supplications to Lliira, Waukeen's friend and ally, making Lliira's church one of the wealthiest in Turmish. In the mid-to-late 14 century DR, the Lliiran church had a major temple in Gildenglade.

Deep inside Turmish's rolling pastoral countryside were several large garden-monasteries dedicated to Selûne, Chauntea, and Loviatar. Worship took place at outdoor altars, often located in glades, and focused on fertility rites.

There was a great temple of Loviatar in Turmish that was destroyed during the Godswar in the.

History
Built on the ruins of ancient Jhaamdath, the beginnings of Turmish lay in the founding of Alaghôn in the. Yet it was not until the rise to power of Dempster Turmish in the and his subsequent expansions that the modern nation was founded.

Turmish alternated between being ruled by merchant families, strong lords, wizard conclaves, and even a dragon. However, following the resignation of dragonslayer-made-king Corwin Freas in the and the establishment of the Assembly of Stars, Turmish was governed as a democratic republic.

The Spellplague of the, and the ensuing Wailing Years hit Turmish hard, though they escaped the destruction that befell Chondath to the south in what became known as the Vilhon Wilds. The shrinking of the Sea of Fallen Stars harmed Turmish's trade, which was bitterly felt in a country so dependent on commerce. Constant raids from vampires or Erlkazar made Turmishans wary of outsiders.

Following the Second Sundering in the 1480s DR and the concurrent Great Rain, many crops failed in Turmish and famine was widely felt. The Emerald Enclave performed a great ritual that hastened the rains, bringing the Inner Sea to the level it was prior to the Spellplague, and magically restored the farmlands and crops of the country. With its great cities reconnected to the Inner Sea and to trade, along with an agricultural boom, Turmish enjoyed an upturn in fortunes by 1489 DR.

Cities

 * Alaghôn: The ancient port city channeled nearly all the trade that Turmish had with the rest of Faerûn for centuries, It was the most popular port on the southern fringes of the Inner Sea.
 * Ayakar: A seaside trading town situated along the the coast of northern Turmish.
 * Gildenglade: 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 flooded into a bog and was inhabited by lizardfolk.

Notable Turmishans

 * Caladnei, Royal Magician of Cormyr serving Steel Regent Alusair Obarskyr

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Jewel of Turmish
 * Azure Bonds &bull; Song of the Saurials • The Ring of Winter • Tymora's Luck • The Council of Blades
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Dreams of the Red Wizards (Breaking Umberlee's Resolve • Blood in the Water • Saving Silverbeard • Foreign Affairs)
 * Dreams of the Red Wizards (Breaking Umberlee's Resolve • Blood in the Water • Saving Silverbeard • Foreign Affairs)