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Aoleth Mountains

2004-09-27T09:43:04Z

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This mighty mountain range divides [[Kotar]] neatly in two, running the length of the island from North to South. The land to the East of the mountains is rich and fertile and it is there that there that the nation of Kotar has established itself, while the West of the island is mainly barren land or desert and has few human inhabitants.

Bright Path

2004-09-27T09:42:05Z

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The Bright Path is composed of a series of ancient temples winding up into the [[Aoleth Mountains]] from the Eastern plains of [[Kotar]]. Each temple is said to represent a different facet of learning and insight and all are sacred to [[Solandria]], the Goddess of Light. The culmination of the Bright Path is the Temple of [[Lothae Sol]], built in the highest pass of the Aoleth mountains and commanding a spectacular view both East and West.

Although the Bright Path has been kept by Kotari priests of Solandria since the land was first colonised during the [[Seventh Age]], the temples themselves are in fact considerably older – dating back to sometime in the [[Sixth Age]]. It is not known who built the temples or why, but legend tells that Lothae Sol guards the original resting place of the [[Solinast]] - deep within the mountains. Whatever the truth of the matter, the Bright Path is perhaps Kotar’s greatest treasure – bringing many pilgrims from far and wide.

Church of the Bright Path

2004-09-27T09:40:51Z

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The first [[Saralot|Saralonian]] colonists to arrive on [[Kotar]] were followers of [[Solandria]], drawn to the mysterious island by visions of the temples on the [[Bright Path]]. After making their pilgramage to the Bright Path and the great temple of [[Lothae Sol]] many pilgrims remained in Kotar to guide future travellers to enlightenment. In time these first settlers founded the Church of The Bright Path; and this cult of Solandria remains one of the cornerstones of Kotari life to this day.

The Church wields considerable influence throughout Kotar; although the centre of its power lies in the religious capital of [[Koloth]], near the temple of [[Toloth Vae]] – first step of The Bright Path. Worship of Solandria is fundamental to much of Kotari life and the Church is greatly respected by all Kotari. In addition the Church is accorded much respect abroad, thanks to its strong links to worhsip of Solandria on the mainland.

The Church of The Bright Path has no real enemies on Kotar; the worship of [[Sulansis]] is unheard of there and the Church peacefully coexists with the religions of [[Hellani]], [[Faraya]], [[Taramis]] and [[Yaasha]]. The nearest the Church has to a rival on Kotar is in fact the [[Landholders’ Council]] in [[Vendoko]], since both groups have a strong claim to leadership of the island.

Landholders' Council

2004-09-27T09:38:45Z

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Kotari settlements are typically composed of a group of fortified manor houses, each of which protects a scattered collection of farmsteads. This arrangement is brought about by the Land Code of [[Kotar]]; which states that to lay claim to land you must be able to defend it and that if your land is defended by another then you must swear fealty to him. Thus in Kotar the noble Landholders must also be keen warriors – ensuring the safety of a number of nearby farms that pay them a tithe in return. Every farmer owns his own land, but only one who defends his neighbours and recieves their fealty in return can declare himself a Landholder.

The Landholders’ Council meets in [[Vendoko]] on the East coast of Kotar. In theory any Landholder can join the council and lay claim to an equal vote in its decisions but in practice it is unfeasible for the great majority of Landholders to abandon their holdings for any period of time. Thus in actuality the Council is composed of a small group of the richest and most powerful Landholders who can rely on their underlings to care for the day to day running of their estates. These rich Landholders then receive the backing of smaller Landholders in their area and cast their votes for them – on the understanding that they will act for the general good of the area. In a few areas this trend is upset by unions of poorer Landholders who take turns to sit on the Council while their fellows guard their land, but this fashion has yet to catch on through the majority of Kotar.

The Council takes a tithe from all Landholders and uses its resources to pay for public works such as roads and bridges and also to fund Kotar’s small standing army. This army is used by the Council to tackle especially large or dangerous groups of bandits, to track and kill dangerous animals that have crossed the mountains from the West and to put down riots, revolts or unsanctioned settlements (i.e. those that have no Landholder to defend them).

Although Kotar has no enemies abroad and little domestic strife the Council finds some trouble from the various religious cults that thrive on the island. In recent years there have been several small conflicts with the [[Church of The Bright Path]] in the West of the nation where the Church opposed the Council taking action against various small settlements in the mountains. In the end the Church has established itself as Landholder for various unsanctioned settlements in the region of the [[Aoleth Mountains]] and this worrying trend looks as though it may soon spread to the country’s smaller cults also.

Kotar

2004-09-27T09:36:19Z

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Also known as the 'Holy Isle', Kotar is a large island that marks the Western edge of the [[Azure Sea]] and of [[Amethgare]] as a whole. First settled during the [[Seventh Age]] by [[Saralot|Saralonian]] colonists, the island's population is mainly a mix of Saralonian [[Emerain]] and Karamain from [[Berellion]], although many other races and cultures are also represented within the island's fairly diverse heritage.

Kotar is a fledgling nation, with little true infrastructure or government, and for the most part each town governs itself with little interference from outside. Although this loose-knit structure is common in newly colonised Saralonian states, Kotar is unusual in that Saralot seems to have lost all interest and has made no move to forge closer ties with Kotar for centuries.

The nominal government of Kotar is the [[Landholders' Council]] with their only real rival for control of the state being the [[Church of the Bright Path]].

The closest thing Kotar has to capital city is the Eastern port of [[Vendoko]]. Other Kotarian towns include [[Koloth]], [[Tennko]], [[Koshomain]], [[Koshovan]] and [[Hanloko]].

All the major settlements of Kotar are on the fertile Eastern side of the island. The land to the West of the [[Aoleth Mountains]], which divide the island neatly in two, is arid and plagued by dangerous beasts.

The site of greatest significance on Kotar is probably the [[Bright Path]], a series of ancient temples that mark a path up into the Aoleth mountains.