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Tortall 1

Tortall and Surrounding Kingdoms in 5th century HE

Sarain (pronounced sahr-AYN) is a kingdom near the Roof of the World mountain range. It is a country in the Tortallan Universe.

Geography[]

Location and political borders[]

Sarain is located to the east of Maren and has coastline along the Great Inland Sea. It is one of the Eastern Lands due to being on the same continent as the rest, but it is not culturally like Maren, Tortall, Galla, or Tusaine.

Landforms and bodies of water[]

Its western border is the Shappa River.[1] Its eastern border is the M'kon River, upon which sits Fortress Wei, the kingdom's easternmost outpost.[2]

Politics[]

Government[]

Sarain is an absolute monarchy and is ruled by a warlord. It is a highly militarized society.

Laws[]

Women's rights[]

Women cannot inherit titles or lands. The Book of Glass mentions that no woman can hold the Saren throne either.[3]

The K'miri have female chieftains and women who are high in rank but they are generally hated by the Saren Lowlanders and seen as savages.

Culture[]

Known cities and towns[]

History[]

Sarain is ruled by a warlord, who holds absolute power over his nobles and commoners. In the early 5th century HE, Sarain was ruled by the jin Wilima, a Saren noble family that came to power recently. Sarain used to be ruled by kings, not warlords. Their kings were the zhirit Kaufain[1] although it is unknown when this family ruled and when they were overthrown.

Adigun jin Wilima married the K'miri princess Kalasin and had a daughter with her, Thayet jian Wilima. In 434 HE,[4] he ascended to the throne. During Lord Adigun's rein, the situation did not ameliorate between the Saren Lowlanders and the K'miri.

In 437 HE Dusan zhir Anduo attempted and failed to take the throne. To protest the subjugation and continued violence against her people, Kalasin jumped off a balcony, committing suicide in 438 HE.[5] Lord Adigun was eventually overthrown and executed in 439 HE by one of his nobles, starting the Saren Civil War and Thayet was forced to flee the country to avoid the same or similar fate. The war did not end with Adigun's execution, however, as nobles were now jockeying to become warlord. Dusan zhir Anduo, the noble who originally revolted against Lord Adigun, tried to capture Thayet in order to marry her and strengthen his claim to the throne. Lord Dusan was also a descendant of the zhirit Kaufain.[1] Thayet managed to escape with the help of Liam Ironarm, the Shang Dragon; Alanna the Lioness of Tortall; and Buriram Tourakom. Lord Dusan's opponent wanted to kill Thayet so Lord Dusan could not legitimize his claim.

Known rulers[]

New warlord[]

The victorious warlord was neither Lord Dusan nor his opponent, but a different noble. He married a full K'mir and made peace with the tribes—something that Lord Adigun never accomplished even while married to a princess of the K'miri tribes. He has been trying to restore order and prosperity in the country.[6]

Appearances[]

Sarain only appears in Lioness Rampant, the final installment of The Song of the Lioness quartet.

Notes and references[]

See also[]

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