I decided to continue my thoughts on Aduria with my own thoughts on the
greatest of the pre-history tribes of northern Aduria. I`ve decided that
IMC, Azrai had his own tribe like the other gods of the pantheon. While
the Masetians lived in the small bay where the north-eastern Adurian
coastline turned eastward after going south, and the Andu lived in the
plains between the coasts, the Azhuri lived in and around present day
Mieres.

The ancient Azhuri constructed great cities based around temples in the
center. Their architecture used lots of triangles and squares, and their
cities were very orderly and fairly clean. Their culture wasn`t warlike,
instead focused on mathmatics, astronomy, and similar sciences. They
were a proud people, following their God. They viewed themselves as the
only civilized people in the world, much higher than the warlike Andu
plains barbarians to the south or the odd tribal peoples of the Rjuven
and Vos to the west. Only the Masetians to the far south could be
considered fellow people, not even the Basarji between the two were
cultured enough at that point.

The Azhuri were based off Babylonians and Sumerians IMC, with their
mastery of mathematics and ziggurat temples. They had great scolarly
persuits, and their priests were the most educated people in Aduria.

But then the Azhuri became too prideful, and began wanting to enforce
their superiority by conquering land and other peoples. They began by
taking the lands of the Basarji to the immediate south, driving them far
away, to the lands now known as Djapar ("Lands in the East"), where they
became a very enlightened and educated people after taking much knowlege
from the Azhuri.

With the rich lands of the Basarji under their rule, they turned to
trying to take the plains lands of the Andu. The Azhuri had become too
arrogant, and thought they knew how to conduct war. The much more
experienced Andu proved them wrong, and fought them off. Then the Andu
with the Vos and Rjuven took the fight to the Azhuri homelands,
destroying their cities after seeing all the wealth.

Centuries, if not millenia, passed, in which the scattered Azhuri people
fled south into central Aduria, where they civilized the native
barbarians (peoples not from the "Five Tribes" to the north). They
converted the local shamans into priests of Azrai, while the shamans
contributed their superstitions and dark rituals to the new religion.
The Azhuri re-built their civilization of great temples and cities
using the native people. Thankfully they did not full-scale enslave the
natives, instead integrating them into society. This would prove to be a
very powerful source to take revenge on the Five Tribes to the north.
Over time, there was little of the original Azhuri people themselves,
but their culture and society was now a part of tens of thousands of
people, outnumbering all the Five Tribes combined. Their original
history was lost to all, however. As far as these new Azhuri were
concerned, they had become civilized on their own, and their campaign
against the northern Five Tribes was one of expansion, not revenge.

As the new Azhuri expanded, they forced first the plains Andu, then the
Masetians, then the Rjuven, Brecht, and finally Vos into Cerilia. Five
hundred years passed while the Five Trives fought with the Elves and
Goblins. Then Azrai planned a great revenge, using his vast number of
new followers. The rest is history, but it is important to note that
Azrai chose the place of the final battle, just north of his original
tribe`s homeland, on the landbridge between Cerilia and Aduria. The name
"Aduria" comes from the Andu`s pronunceation of "Azhuria", giving the
"zh" a harder "d" sound.

After Diesmaar, the Azhuri civilization floundered a great deal.
Thankfully a great leader came to power. He was a scolar and wise man,
and saw that the dark and evil history of his people would eventually
destroy them. At that time the priesthoos was very elite, and the holy
texts were never seen by the populace. He decided to change this, but
published a romanticized, more peaceful version instead of the true
books, which he had destroyed or hidden away. Now the Azhuri people are
prideful still, and take revernce in the darkness and shadow stille, but
as times of calming and soothing against the day`s heat instead of evil
and deception. They still use human blood in rituals, but they see blood
as the only pure and clean substance in the world, not out of savagry
towards fellow beings. They do some pretty shocking and "evil" things
still, which I will detail at a later date. One such practice will be
based on Anne Rice`s "Servant of the Bones", which I don`t know if it
was based on actual historical truth or not, but I think is perfect for
this culture. Azhuri will be quite similar to Babylon`s Marduk.

All in all, I`m just basing them off ancient Babylonians and Sumerians.
The general people are fearful of the future and unkown, beliving their
world is at the whim of Azhuri, which they do not believe is dead, but
simply has chosen to remove himself from the world as punishment to his
people who failed him at the Great Battle. His people must now worship
him and get priestly magic from him through demi- and minor gods who
were once great prohpets or leaders before rising to divine status to
serve their lord Azhuri. Therefore Priestly magic is weak among the
Azhuri, but very pervasive.

Unlike common Cerilian belief, the Azhuri people were never united into
a single Empire. Not even during the Flight of Shaow or the Great
Battle. It has always been a very loose and chaotic patchwork of
nation-states with the occasional warlord or leader who has come along
to unite most of it before it falls aftert again after a few decades at
most. The Azhuri have a very chaotic and active history. But this energy
produces alot of great creations and advances as well. Many scientific
and cultural achievements have been started in a tiny city state
somewhere, only to be spread through-out the Azhuri people when the next
great conquest happens. Therefore, although the Azhuri people never
united under a great Empire or even federation like the Anuireans or
Khinasi did, they remain a unified society with culture and religion
binding them across political borders.

--
/ Adam Theo, Age 22, Tallahassee FL USA
// Email & Jabber: theo@theoretic.com
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