Atgolia flag
Capitol: Chaier
Official Religion: Cabal Angels
Major Cities: Harat-i-sharif, Khostpazni, Mazalabad, Farah Pul, Kabdulla, and Chotier.
Citizens: The people are known as Atgols. Their complexion is an Asian-tan; sallow-featured, hooded eyes, aquiline noses; charcoal to black hair; brown eyes.
Culture: Bedouin dress, head wraps, status/caste cords. The men religiously wear the combination of a hijab with turban; the women wear a Burka, though the style and allowed colours change depending on her marital status (bright colours for unmarried women; dark blue or black for married women; white or grey for widowed women).
Historical Notes: Atgolia is a land with a complex and divided mix of geography. Their Peterak Canyon is one of the most impressive in the world, with naturally formed towers of stone streaked with red, gold, browns and white stripes from their composition over eons. At the end of this valley the mighty Achar river begins winding its way to the Sea of Pearls. It was such a vibrant and richly alive river system that enabled life to flourish in this otherwise blistering hot and arid landscape. The Ghoti Desert in Nordvestan Atgolia is the largest and harshest desert in the world, its mineral rich sands one of the most important for remineralizing the oceans.
In the writings of the ancient Atgolian Bedouin Pharoahs, their people originated in the Frontierslands, making an epic exodus up through the Amera continent in a great judgment. While much of the writings are apocryphal, there are many parallels with the deciphered writings in the Second Age of Man as written on the Droksvan Tablet. The legends of a great cataclysm that punished the arrogance and hubris of their ancient forebears was paid out in this crusade, leaving their cities, lands and possessions behind to embark on the hundreds' years long journey north until they reached a 'water spun with gold and singing fish' (the Sea of Pearls does indeed have a great amount of gold and pearls to be sifted from its sands, and the waters through the Tothak Straight when the tides go out churns fish up to the surface), where they would 'brave the undertow to find safe purchase on a land pressed down into the world to be their holiest place' (the undertow refers to the Tothak Straight itself, the pressing down has been attributed to the Peterak Canyon, and the subsequent building of the Sun Wheels of Bethet are indeed the holiest of lands in Atgolia and have since been listed as one of the world's 7 Wonders.)
(Influences: Afghanistan, Iraq)