SHIENAR

History  After Tarmon Gai'don, the Shienarans became flush with pride that they had been the first nation to hail the Dragon Reborn, so they claimed. They instituted a holiday called the Feast of Lightning that commemorates the first battle Rand al'Thor fought with the Dark One, as the being known as Ba'alzamon was commonly called and is celebrated throughout the Borderlands but is especially sacred in Shienar. Pilgrimages are often made, north through Malkier, to Tarwin's Gap where the battle is said to have taken place….

Its thirty-year stint as a Borderland affected the Shienaran psyche deeply. When Malkier was repopulated after the retreat of the Blight, by al'Lan Mandragoran and his Queen, el'Nynaeve ni'al'Meara ti'Mandragoran, the country was left with a heavy military presence and no where to use it as well as a population boom due to the prosperity following the war. Fifty years after the great war, King Kellisar, in his first years as King, began expanding his Kingdom southward and eastward. Eastward, the formidable Shienaran heavy cavalry was turned back by the Aiel and by the mountain range called the Spine of the World. The Aiel blocked Shienaran military advancement easily, as horses, especially those bred for cavalry, are poor desert animals. The recent invention of explosives could not tame the treacherous slopes of the Spine of the World. The only direction left to expand was south….

The Shienarans pushed southward, running up to Kinslayer's Dagger. This was still held by the Aiel, specifically the Shaido, left over from their advancement west under the Dragon Reborn, but this time, the Shienarans were on ground suitable for horses. After a long and bloody stalemate, and various raids back and forth that destroyed many settlements on both sides, a treaty was signed by King Kellisar and the Shaido Clan Chief. Neither side has yet to break this 200-year-old document. However, relations remain tense, with raids on both sides continuing infrequently….

In FA 289, King Easar's son and only heir died in a suspicious hunting accident. Many blamed the Aiel, others, the new Forsaken that were rumored to be walking the land again. The King's new Aes Sedai advisor, known only as Scathach Sedai of the Red Ajah (she replaced the recently deceased Verin Mathwin of the Brown Ajah), counseled him to avenge his son's death against the Aiel. His Lord General of the Southern Marches, Indirian al'Ellrian, reminded him that the Aiel do not employ assassins and reminded the king of the Aiel War four centuries ago and their methods of dealing with those they feel need to be brought to justice. Soon, Scathach was forced to flee Shienar when al'Ellrian revealed her to be a Darkfriend and possibly one of the New Forsaken. Twelve years later, King Easar was also assassinated. Lord General al'Ellrian had been adopted into the heirless King's house some years ago and despite severe injuries incurred while protecting his King, assumed the Throne in time to prevent a civil war. However, tensions still remain in Shienar. It is now a land where neither Aiel nor Aes Sedai are welcome. Those that are allowed in are watched continuously, despite the new King's daughter being half Aiel and an Aes Sedai of the Twilight Tower. He is currently under great political pressure to remarry and disinherit her.

Culture  While they weren't true Borderlanders for very long, guarding the southern countries from the ravages of the Trollocs and other Shadowspawn has been deeply ingrained in the Shienaran heart for centuries. Often the first to give aid and the last to retreat in any conflict with the Shadow, the Shienarans have developed a very militaristic culture. This is evidenced in the common blessing, "Peace favor your sword," and a proverb, "Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain." Along with the brutal war with the Shadow, the sheer frigidity of the winters in Shienar where trees burst from their sap freezing, also shapes the people's souls.

Any Shienaran will describe three similar things they value most: Peace - because they have only known war, Beauty - in contrast to the Blight, and Life - because they have sworn to give their lives away in defense against the Shadow already. This unusual set of values shows themselves in the lives of the Shienarans by a series of harsh contrasts. A Shienaran warrior will spend his adult life in full armor, yet, in death, will be lowered naked into the ground and buried without coffin or shroud. This is called the last embrace of the mother. They honor women, most Shienarans would give their lives to protect one hair on a woman's head from getting harmed, yet they separate the sexes. They prefer a single rose to an entire garden, desiring simplicity.

All mounted Shienaran warriors are called lancers due to the fighting lances they carry and are considered the finest heavy cavalry in the land. Shienaran warriors once wore their hair in a topknot with the hair partially shaved around it. However, that style has seen a decline in recent decades in fighting with the Aiel. The Aiel find the topknot all too easy to use against their opponent in battle. Horses are still well armored and well honored in Shienar.

There are still several major cities in Shienar. The capitol has not changed from Fal Moran. Fal Dara remains the most populous city in the north. Ankor Dail still holds the Eastern Marches and guards the Spine of the World. Mos Shirare, Fal Sion, Camron Cann still add to the defenses of Shienar with each city remaining a fortress in and of itself, independent and interdependent of the whole country.