IRANISTAN
IRANISTAN
(Medium Kingdom) -- The golden land south of the Ilbars mountains is
widely, albeit sparsely inhabited. Ancient and rich, Iranistan uses the
Kossaks and the Ilbars hillmen as border defenses to turn back the
swift
horse-archers of their long standing foes in Turan and Hyrkania. When
forced to do battle the well trained Iranistani army is as good as any
in
the world of Hyboria.
NATIONAL HISTORY
Hear me, my Lord, thee who rules an ancient and wise race from thy
golden capitol of Anshan. During the ages since great Acheron fell,
while Stygia's power waned, it was tiny Iranistan who slowly, wisely
expanded her borders to the current size.
Iranistan's wealth is beyond compare, but it is ancient, hoarded wealth
and must be used with discretion. Thy lands are for the most part
unremarkable, and of only modest value. Thy cultural traditions also
allow thee to tax thy various provinces only lightly. Thy population
has grown, but there is still plenty of unclaimed farming and grazing
land within thy borders, thus, thy people are not eager for expansion.
Such boorishness has been the policy of Iranistan. We have en dured
with patience where other kingdoms burgeoned with ambition and a
generation later blew away with the first great wind; always this
happens, only we have avoided such foolhardiness.
Thy predecessors have watched with concern the westward movement of the
Hyrkanians, the Turanians, and of the other Hyrkanian tribes, spawn of
Lemuria. They have become a constant threat to thy peaceful kingdom's
existence. Be vigilant, Great One, in their direction.
Thine once-feared Horse Warriors have grown slack over the generations,
thus thy kingdom today hires barbarian mercenary horsemen as the need
arises. However, there is a growing faction in thy court that favors
rapid expansion. Thou may choose to follow - - for a prudent interval -
- the course they propose with a possibility at least of success. Thou
may otherwise choose to follow the course of thy fathers and expand
only slowly as the other kingdoms of the world expend their strength in
useless gestures.
Heed well my words and I will tell thee of the length and breadth of thy new kingdom.