Shienar

[Chris]

Capital	Fal Moran
Public Happiness	100/100
Military power	Perhaps somewhere in the order of 15,000 men, mixtue of light and Heavy cavalry
Details	Shienar is one of the Borderlands, lying in the far northeast of the Westlands. The sign of Shienar is a swooping black hawk. By tradition, the sigil of the reigning ruler is also a sign of Shienar. Shienaran men normally shave their faces and wear their hair in a topknot. Shienarans are a very polite people, which might seem at odds with their ferocity in battle and long history of defending against the Blight.Shienar has excelled at effectively deploying heavy cavalry. Shienar stretches from the River Mora on the border with Arafel to the Spine of the World, and from the Blight to the River Erinin. The nation of Shienar was formed early in the War of the Hundred Years. The governors of Hawkwing's five northern provinces met and agreed to form stable nations to preserve the peace and defend against the Blight. Merean Tihomar was the first Queen of Shienar. Like Fal Dara, known at the time of the Trolloc Wars as Mafal Dadaranelle, all of the towns in Shienar are built to function as fortresses. All are built on hills, to gain a commanding view of the countryside. They are surrounded by stone walls and heavy iron gates. Nothing taller than short grass is allowed to remain for at least a half-mile beyond the town walls. While the capital is Fal Moran, the cities closer to the Blightborder, such as Fal Dara, more closely embody the fighting spirit of Shienar. Everything except the surrounding farms is enclosed within the city walls. Fal Dara, and the cities like it, are built for strength rather than beauty. All streets and alleys are torchlit at night to prevent incursions from Fades. The closeness of the Blight to Shienar colors all aspects of Shienaran life and culture. The constant fighting greatly affects the way the Shienaran warriors view life. They consider peace, beauty, and life as their three most important values: peace, because they have never known it; beauty, because they are so near the corruption of the Blight; and life, because they are sworn to death. A saying Shienar warriors say to each other in leaving is "Peace favor your sword." To Shienaran warriors, it is the quality of life that matters, not any material wealth that is gained. Soldiers are buried unclothed, in the belief that all came from the earth, and they wish to return as they came to the "last embrace of the mother". Men and women in Shienar bathe together publicly, regardless of class or title.