The Land of Alahala is governed by its myth. For centuries, people have believed in these myths strong enough to bring them to life. Their lives revolve around these stories of the divine brothers and their dominions. Hence, before we proceed any further, I must put down here the myth of Alahala.

Myth

In the beginning of the Vadic Age, the Holy Mother, Ama, awoke in the Ocean of Tranquility. With the birth of her consciousness, the universe grew. Empty and vast and boundless like the mother's love.

Ama gave birth to five children. They became the elements and the life forces of the universe.

Agni - Fire (Male)
Varuna - Water (Male)
Maruth - Wind (Male)
Bhoomi - Earth (Female)
Thamas - Darkness (Female)

The five siblings ruled their respective dominions with unerring precision and dedication, helping spread their Mother's life and light (Jeeva and Aathma) across the Universe. The humans lived a perfect life, free of desires and disappointments, forever immersed in the joy of life, fully aware of their inner self, in perfect harmony with the universe.

As the Mother retreated once again into deep sleep, She emanated a darkness that was more profound than the blackest part of the universe, and from her nostrils were born the wayward siblings - Maya and Yama.

Maya - Illusion (Female)
Yama - Death (Male)

Quickly, the Two spread through the world, feeding off the life force of the mortals. With their arrival came fear and love, hope and sorrow, hunger and thirst, desire and disease. The humans forgot their immortality and became mortals, bound by the limitations of their body, trapped in an eternal cycle of happiness and sorrow. The Mother, when she awoke, found the new world wrought by her two youngest children. But she could never lift a hand against them, for she knows neither hatred, nor anger. The Mother does not see good or bad, nor does she judge. In her boundless love, she gave Maya and Yama their dominions, and also set down ways for the mortals to once again discover their true nature and revel in the glory of life.

To help the mortals master their world once more, Ama, the Mother, wrote seven scrolls and gave the knowledge of summoning the powers of her children. These seven scrolls were known as the Vadic Scrolls and the practitioners were called the Amanath - Priests of Ama.

History of Alahala

Alahala in the Divine Tongue means 'from the depths'. Alahala is a continent surrounded on all sides by water and it is said to have risen from the depths of the ocean floor at the awakening of Ama's eldest sons - Agni (Fire) and Varuna (Water). Human habitation in Alahala is predominantly confined to the Three Great Tribes: Meru, the mountain dwellers; Tharu, the forest foragers; and Sarayu, the river farmers. While the tribes trade with each other and maintain diplomatic relations, tensions have frequently flared up. People of the Tharu tribe are considered uncouth by the other 'refined' tribes, often resulting in prejudice and discrimination.

The Tribes

Before the wayward siblings, Maya (Illusion) and Yama (Death) could be given their proper dominions and appeased by Ama the Mother, the two rent the world asunder, feeding the life force (Jeeva) from humans. This resulted in massive casualities and brought the human race to the brink of existence. After the Mother appeased Maya and Yama, she weaved a new reality and asked her daughter Bhoomi (Earth) to mate with three of the best men left. The children of those three couplings then populated Alahala, forming the the Three Great Tribes.

Meru
Capital: Parbat
Parbat is a mountain town situated at the top of Mount Jambu in the west of Alahala. The steep mountain crevices offer excellent natural fortifications while the valley below offers pasture land for the Meru's sheep and cattle. Though summer is brief in the valley, the four months of sunlight is perhaps the most beautiful anywhere on Alahala. The flowers compete with each other and the people themselves wear a festive look. Much of their annual rituals happen during the summer.

The Meru are a hardy lot and consider themselves to be the chosen sons and daughters of Bhoomi. Most Merus are shepherders or miners. Mining is prohibited for the other tribes and thus, the Meru's chief income comes from selling stones and metals.

The lord of Meru is also referred to by his title - Mahameru (meaning Lord of the Mountains).

Sarayu
Capital: Ayudh
Ayudh is the most populated inhabitation of humans in Alahala, situated along the banks of the Sarayu river in the north of Alahala. The fertile river plains offer excellent farming land and Ayudh's countryside is a huge expanse of wheat and barley fields. The Sarayu's dependence on agriculture has made the practices of their tribe unique. They have the Festival of the Sun every year when the beer flows and fertility rituals take place in sacred spots. The Amanath of Sarayu are the most learned in Alahala and the University of Ayudh is known throughout Alahala as the best place to learn and research the ways of the Jeeva.

The people of Ayudh consider themselves the most refined of all the tribes. It is prohibited to eat meat throughout Sarayu and they are strict vegetarians. Because of its location, Ayudh is a major center of trade in Alahala.

The lord of Sarayu carries the title of Sangsarayu - Son of the Rivers

Tharu
Capital: Irul
Irul is a tiny walled town deep in the jungles of Gandaka. Irul is the only inhabitation of the Tharu that is open to outsiders and no member of any other tribe has ever seen the countless other inhabitations hidden in the jungles. While they number only in the few thousands, the people of Tharu have mastered and adopted the jungle as their own and can turn it deadly for any foe. Their knowledge of the plants is extensive, and the Amanath of Tharu are said to contain within their ranks powerful wielders of Maya who can bend reality. The Tharu also have a very strict and curious monarchial system. Their king is ceremoniously dethroned and sacrificed at the first sign of old age. But the Tharu are also fiercely loyal to their king and will fight till the last man to protect him.

Because of their strange practices and lifestyle, the Tharu are often seen in a fearful or hateful light by the other tribes. After the last war of the tribes, an uneasy peace has enabled them to live without fighting for nearly a century.

The lord of the Tharu is referred to as Tharumitr - Flame of the Forest

The Amanath of Alahala

Amanath (singular and plural, masculine and feminine) means Priests of Ama, though a more accurate translation would be Children of the Mother. In the common tongue, they are simply called the Children. The male Amanath can be recognized by his shaved head and his topknot. The female Amanath can be identified immediately by the nose-ring that they wear.

Amanath are students of the Vadic Scrolls and are constantly in the search for the knowledge of the self. Fully initiated Amanath (after an average of seven years of training) are capable of channeling the life force, Jeeva, through their body and invoking the power of the seven siblings. Every Amanath has an affinity towards a particular god and is thus more powerful in invoking that god's powers. When an Amanath introduces himself to a fellow Amanath, he must refer to his patron god as part of his name. Certain lifestyles followed by the Amanath can actually anger certain elements around him, thus making him/her exceptionally weak in another god's powers. Thus, an Amanath whose patron god is, say, Agni (Fire), will have to perform daily fire rituals that will anger elements of Varuna (Water) and Thamas (Darkness), and will thus make him weaker in the use of those powers.

The Amanath follow strict codes of life and do not owe their allegiance to any tribe. That is in principle. But Amanath raised from a particular tribe are often known to aid their tribe even after renouncement of strings. This does make them less powerful than their true potential. The true Amanath is one who has renounced all forms of violence. But there have been some Amanath known to have taken sides during a conflict. This can be very disastrous to both the Amanath and the people he fights with. The Amanath's power can often peak during fierce battle and it can suck the life force out of him/her, leaving behind an empty shell. The effects of those powers can be devastating. For the most part, the Amanath train themselves in physical fitness and do not enter into battle with their minds to protect their Jeeva (life force).