Editing Akhentour

'''Akhentour (ah-KEN-toor)''' is a country comprising the land north and west of the [[Fangs]] on the continent of [[Dorian]]. It was established as a unified country in 1082 VR, following a bloody revolt by the [[Dwarf|dwarves]] of [[Baltanzir]] against the wood [[Elf|elves]] of the [[Diomedes]], a 30 year event known as the [[War of the Blood Trees]]. It has since generally remained a whole country with a few exceptions, such as when [[Alrenn]] destabilized the area during the [[The Alrennean War|Alrennean War]]. Most recently, Akhentour has unified again as a country and rules as a republic.

It is bordered to the west by the [[Neverender]] and to the north by the [[Frigid North]], which the country has claimed ownership over several times. Recently, the [[Akhentourian Charter]] has been ratified to exclude the Frigid North, instead granting all land rights to the indigenous peoples who live there. The Fangs border Akhentour to the east and south.

== Etymology and pronunciation ==
A map of Akhentour, taken from [[Rory Helsker IV]]'s map of Avo, ca. 4072 VR.

Akhentour is an elven bastardization of the [[Languages|Old Dwarvish]] phrase A KN TUR (ah ken turr), which translates to "Surface Land [of] Elves." It consists of three runes: A, relating to the surface or things above ground; KN or KEN, relating to "land" in more of a physical sense than a proprietary sense; and TR or TUR, referring to the elves, in particular the wood elves (TN being the rune used to describe high elves). Middle Dwarvish altered the phrase and created a compound word out of it: AhKenTur, which is basically the rune structure the dwarves use to modern day.

After the dwarves left the surface of Akhentour in 1556 VR, the Diomedian elves spread through the country and began to take over. They honored the dwarves' 500 year reign by keeping their name for the country, though they added some flourishes, mainly the "khen" and "toor" sounds due to their elvish accents naturally making those sounds. The elves also generally call the land Diomedes even though that word refers specifically to forests.

== History ==
Dates within this article will be [[Calendar|Valwyr Reckoning]]. Appropriate Dorian Slant dates will be added where necessary.

=== Prehistory & The Bronze Age ===
Prior to recorded history, the oral tradition of the Diomedian elves explains that the land of Akhentour was largely home to the wood elves and [[tabaxi]] who had settled in southern Akhentour. [[Human|Humans]] and other beings lived there as well but not in any meaningful numbers. The elves describe traveling to Akhentour from "faraway lands" in their stories, but no one had a clear idea of where they traveled from until 38th century VR, when the [[Leophynsia|Leophynsian]] elves were first contacted. It was discovered that the elves of Phynsia had their own woods known as [[Dyomedean]]; the linguistic connection could not be ignored. Moreover, more recent expeditions of the newly unearthed [[Deneshae]] have found ancient artifacts and ruins belonging to the legendary [[Tesselari]] elves, whom many believe to be the original, precursor elves to Avo.

The general consensus by historians is that the Tesselari traveled westward across [[Yonavi]] when it was originally a whole landmass, perhaps to escape the wars between the [[dragonborn]], while a second sect of elves sailed eastward into [[Leopha]], becoming the Leophynsian elves.

The tabaxi left Akhentour at some point, likely around the 400s VR, due to various infighting and civil wars in [[Morentar]] that required more tabaxi bodies for battles. Humans rose up from their absence and became a strong and prominent player in the country ever since.

Dorian (or more specifically, Morentar) was discovered by [[Storybearers]] in 826 VR; it is believed that the Diomedian elves' oral tradition accounts for the 1,000 years prior, though, of course, elven prehistory dating is iffy.

=== The Age of Magic ===

==== The First Era: The Dwarven Rebellion ====
Much of the [[Ages of Avo|Age of Magic]] historical record was lost in a fire in Berderem (now [[Garrod]]) in 1463 VR, during the First Tabaxi War. Specifically, the records from the previous 400 years, which had sat in a storage room in a [[Bearer Satellite]] facility prior to being transferred to [[Valwyria]]. This event instigated the [[Retrieval Doctrine]] in the [[Storybearer Handbook]], requiring historical literature be transported to Valwyria for copying and storage every five years.

Storybearers entered Akhentour three years after settling in Morentar. The first recorded event was touchdown of the [[VRS Explorer]] at Seaside, a small fishing village which would eventually become the city of [[Stonnet]]. Seaside was notable for being almost entirely [[Gnome|gnomish]] in population, a unique aspect of gnomes until the discovery of the gnomish villages along the shores in southern Deneshae.

Akhentour at the time was heavily elvish (aside from the gnomes in Seaside and the [[halfling]] clans in the foothills to the east). The Diomedian elves at the time practiced a pseudo-fiefdom more akin to indentured servitude, and their primary targets were the dwarves, conscripting them to dig deep under the country to gather precious metals to feed the elves' desire for beauty. The elves held innate access to magic and ruled over the dwarves with fear or arcane retribution should they rebel. Large cities close to the Fangs, such as Berderem and Baltanzir, were created as a place where the elves could hold dominion over the dwarves without actually living underground, which would sever certain treaties the surface elves made with the drow of the Underdark.

This pseudo-fiefdom approach lasted until the early-1000s VR, which is when the first [[Metals|orichalcum]] veins in Dorian were discovered deep underneath what would eventually become [[Kavonne]]. The elves ordered the dwarves to excavate orichalcum ore quickly, but the veins were precariously close to the seabed, and a errant mining excavation in 1022 VR broke into the seabed itself, causing tons of sea water to rush in, resulting in the [[Ender Flood]], which killed over 1,000 dwarves in the underground mining town of [[Kagvarazt]] and flooded the entire cavern completely.

The dwarves of Akhentour were furious, as they had warned the elves numerous times that a flood would occur, and began a general mining strike in 1023 VR, demanding to be released from their servitude. The elves responded by freezing all exports of food to the dwarves, which began the [[Dark Famine]] and resulted in the death of roughly 10,000 dwarves over five years due partly to starvation and partly to a plague that swept through the entire Underdark, which they dwarves believe the elves created. Eventually the drow of the [[Northern Enclave]] intervened in 1028 VR, parleying with the elves while also secretly providing food and medicine for the dwarves to bolster their health. The [[Parley of 203]] ended with the Diomedian elves acquiescing and granting partial citizenship to the dwarves, giving them set hours to work and a free day of leisure on sixth day. They also allowed the dwarves to grow their own crops underground. The drow assisted with crop management for several years after the Parley.

The drow's assistance was not completely altruistic, however. Entering into a partnership with the partially free dwarves allowed the drow to negotiate a portion of control over the orichalcum ore in the Underdark, effectively splitting the ore produced between the drow and the surface elves, leaving almost none for the dwarves. More veins were being discovered deeper underground, and both the elves and the drow were conducting research on this strange new metal, which they had not worked with before. This research was halted for some time, however, after both elven lineages quickly discovered that physically interacting with the metal ore poisoned them with the [[Arcane Malaise]]. The dwarves, meanwhile, were unharmed by the metal, and seized the opportunity to begin constructing magical weapons and artifacts with the ore in secret. By 1030 VR the dwarves had amassed a sizable army of well-armed militia, and in 1032 VR a battalion of dwarves from Baltanzir marched upon [[Diomed]], beginning the War of the Blood Trees.

The war lasted 30 years, ending with the [[Treaty of Baltanzir]] in 1082 VR, giving dwarves absolute freedom as well as control over certain areas of the Underdark, such as [[Augzennet]], Aster, Baltanzir, [[Naozenar]], and other cities. The dwarves were also granted all rights to ore mining and complete control over orichalcum stores, effectively creating the great dwarven empire in one day, one that was fully strengthened within a year.

Not much is known about the time between the treaty and the First Tabaxi War. Elven accounts indicate that the time was generally peaceful, with the dwarves returning to their underground civilization. The absence of the dwarves seems to have led to the rise of human population in Akhentour, as by the time of the war, most formerly dwarven cities were now largely populated with humans and half-elves.

==== The Second Era: The Rise of the Tabaxi ====
In 1460 VR, a large group of tabaxi from northern Morentar, led by Dines-on-Three-Fish, crossed through [[Southbrook Valley]] in the Fangs with a sizable army and took over the town of Greenlands (now [[Lilingbroke]]), beginning the First Tabaxi War. Dines had previously conquered several parts of Morentar and was beginning a swift imperialist push northward to take over the rest of the continent. His reasoning was that tabaxi had lived in all of Dorian prior to the introduction of other beings, mostly the elves, who he claimed "pushed them out." Much of southern Akhentour was unprepared for the assault, and didn't have time to defend themselves. The tabaxi pushed all the way into Diomedes before the Diomedian military was able to hold them at bay.

Meanwhile, separate forces moved into Teveren and took over several cities in the south there. The speed at which the tabaxi moved into northern Dorian was shocking, and their sheer numbers made it difficult to retaliate quickly. By 1466 VR, Dines-on-Three-Fish and his army had made it into Diomed and killed Queen [[Viyevallyn]], and Akhentour became tabaxi-controlled. With the tabaxi conquest at [[King's Pride]] in Teveren a year later, Dorian began an over 800 year imperialist rule by the tabaxi, establishing their Second Era. It is largely believed that Dines' success as a military leader was due to him finding the [[Spear of the Ancient]], which granted him tremendous magical power and political sway. This, coupled with the tabaxi's swift development of magic after uncovering a [[Weave-points|Weave-point]] deep underneath [[Deroa Fortress]], gave the tabaxi army a level of magical ability unseen in Dorian at this point. Even the sorcerers of Kavonne were unable to withstand the tabaxi advancement.

Strangely, after their imperial advancement and establishing of several tabaxi military occupation points throughout the country, Akhentour was left mostly alone by the tabaxi, who essentially ended up taking over for the elven leadership in all ways, as they had little interest in conquering dwarven lands underground. This further allowed the dwarves to separate themselves from the surface dwellers and further strengthen their burgeoning clan kingdoms. Many scholars also believe that Dines-on-Three-Fish was wary of heading into dwarven territory as he knew the dwarves had access to significant magical power of their own via orichalcum artifacts. In the end, Akhentour was devoid of the things the tabaxi wanted, namely access to orichalcum (which was thoroughly mined at this point) and trade shipping routes, and so they established a proxy kingdom in Garrod but otherwise left the country to its own devices. Teveren, on the other hand, was the site of many skirmishes, including the Second and Third Tabaxi Wars. The tabaxi's attempts to control Teveren over their 800 year rule is what ultimately led to their downfall.

==== The Third Era: The Age of 1,000 Kings ====
By the 2200s VR tabaxi rule was waning as they had stretched themselves too thin across the continent. A number of petty squabbles within the tabaxi empire in Teveren caused political fractures that effectively in turn created numerous smaller baronies vying for power. Various astute peoples of Teveren and Akhentour took advantage of this instability, leveraging further fractures and in-fighting until it reached a boiling point in 2298 VR, when a full-scale tabaxi civil war (the [[Third Tabaxi War]]) exploded in southern Teveren, between tabaxi imperialists who wanted cohesion in their military occupation, separatists who wanted to form their own governments in Teveren, and "empathists" who wanted to leave Teveren entirely and return the land to the people who originally lived there. The Third Tabaxi War was short and brutal, best known for its level of magic use: some of the first "reality-warping" spells were cast during the war, which arguably began the arms race for the most powerful magic in Avo, signaling the end of the Age of Magic.

In the end, the Teveren Tabaxi Imperial Army was absolutely decimated by an allied separatist-empathist militia, forcing the imperialists who survived to retreat back into Morentar. The separatists were so splintered at this point, and the power vacuum created by the tabaxi was so great, that upwards of 100 different people sought for rule over Akhentour, Teveren, and Dorian itself, beginning the Age of 1,000 Kings. This roughly 400 year age was fraught with strife; no less than 600 people fought for the throne of Akhentour during this period, up until the [[Wizarding Wars]] and the [[Catastrophe]].

==== Post-Catastrophe ====
One would think that the Catastrophe would cease all war within Dorian, but instead, after the ashes settled, the fight to become ruler of Dorian raged on. Over the next 300 years, various factions broke Akhentour and Teveren apart into smaller nations supported by cities, towns, and even villages, while the tabaxi in Morentar continued their bloody civil war on their own lands, vying for their own leadership.

Meanwhile, in Teveren, one high elf was beginning to rise in popularity and strength: [[Alectrius Dorian]]. Son of a potter, Alectrius was born in the Volschakt, the lower merchant's ward, in King's Pride in 2457 VR, and enlisted himself into the King's Royal Army roughly 100 years later. He rose through the ranks quickly and many in King's Pride, especially the clergy, thought him to be some type of unification messiah. (Prophecies of a Unification were popular in Dorian at the time.) Over the next century his army of King's Pride grew stronger and he began squashing other potential rulers in the north. He also single-handedly created the Teveren navy, which sailed around Dorian to attack Akhentour in the west. Alectrius studied the swiftness of the tabaxi military and used their tactics to his advantage; by 2665 VR, he had taken over Akhentour and Teveren, uniting them as the land we now know as Dorian. By 2668 VR, he had even infiltrated [[Ixthetlan]] in Morentar, a relatively easy assault as the tabaxi were scattered after their wars. He united the entire continent, calling it Dorian and beginning the long reign of the [[Dorian Empire]].

==== The Fourth Age: The Dorian Empire ====
Alectrius Dorian began his reign by sending fifteen crusades, known as the [[Alectrian Crusades]], across Dorian to "clean it up," as the retreat of the tabaxi prior left the country with a power vacuum that was quickly filled by nefarious types. The crusades lasted nearly 300 years and created many enemies against the new Emperor.

Most of the crusades focused on Teveren, but four of them occurred in Akhentour: The 5th Crusade cleared out the fey incursion within the elven ruin [[Sildewell]] in the foothills east of Lilingbroke, the 8th Crusade decimated the gnoll populations in the [[Painted Hills]] north of Diomedes, the 9th Crusade (which occurred simultaneously as the 8th) aided the Diomedean elves in crushing various goblin camps throughout Diomedes, and the 12th Crusade was an ill-fated attempt to subjugate the [[Otharga]] orc tribes in [[Stonnet Fields]]. Each of these Crusades had their own repercussions, but in general the Alectrian Crusades are known as the beginning of the "adventuring" lifestyle popular with many in modern day, as when each Crusade ended, many crusaders, beaten and battered by the Alectrian "iron fist" style of military rule, became mercenaries and sellswords instead, which in turn eventually developed into the more strict "guild-style" adventurers we know today. In fact, the [[Kavonne League of Adventurers]] was founded during this time, in 2931 VR, making it one of the oldest certified adventuring guilds in Avo.

The 600-year reign of the Dorian family was one of political upheaval and intrigue, marked by a swift advancement of nobility and land grabs throughout the continent. The Crusades made a lot of enemies of the Dorians, which ultimately ended Alectrius' life when he was assassinated by unknown forces in 2925 VR. Alectrius' son [[Kazwic Dorian|Kazwic]] took over as Emperor. Known as the Vile King, Kazwic ruled terribly, creating a permanent [[Crusader Corps]] which ruled as military stewards in nearly every city in Dorian. The Corpse, as they soon were called, were not as powerful as the ones Alectrius founded, but were much larger in size and availability.

Alectrius also began a system of despotic rule, beginning with having his children rule each country on their own as Grand Princes or Princesses, a tradition that ended with the end of the Empire.

Ultimately, little changed in Akhentour over the Dorian Empire. The seat of power was established in Berderem (now Garrod), though that would often change to Kavonne or Stonnet depending on who was ruling at the time. Due to the near-constant attempts on Dorian family members' lives (successful or not), the title of Emperor eventually became largely ceremonial, as it was clear that it would be impossible to rule anything if you were assassinated. Thus, over the centuries the imperial rule was delegated at first to a pseudo-city-state structure, before an official tricameral Parliament was founded in Kavonne in 3049 VR. The Parliament was not very friendly toward the general populace of Dorian, however, being run by the upper crust of society as well as clergy, which only strengthened hatred toward the Empire.

In 3275 VR, [[Urmenator Dorian]] was killed in a coup by his own son [[Erlighein Dorian|Erlighein]], in a broad attempt by the Usurperites to dethrone the Dorian family, a coup that was ultimately successful, causing the Dorian Empire, which was already fragile at this point, to collapse quickly. Thankfully, unlike last time with the tabaxi, the Parliament was already set to split into its component parts, creating the Three Kingdoms. Akhentour's first king was [[Gyrellyn Sercori]], wood elf and High Lord of the former Parliament.

==== The Fifth Era: The Three Kingdoms ====
The Fifth Era ushered in an unprecedented era of peace, lasting over 300 years, as the kingdoms each focused on rebuilding following the collapse of the Dorian Empire. Akhentour spent this time rebuilding itself as an independent country, returning rule of the nation to Berderem, which was renamed Garrod in 3289 VR, along with several other areas in the country. When Modur was discovered by Irolean sailors in 3547 VR, a brief rush toward colonizing the island brought Akhentour into prominence when Stonnet sent a sizable naval force to establish a colony there. A tense "turf war" of sorts began between Iro, Akhentour, and even Valwyr for some time, with each wanting to establish a colony and assume control of the island. However, once contact was made with the Irolean elves, Akhentour quickly withdrew, as the Diomedean elves rejected colonization once they discovered indigenous peoples living on the island.

Later, when Deneshae was revealed in 3985 VR, Akhentour along with Teveren were among the first to establish contact with the dragonborn monasteries of [[Isoasar]].

During the Alrennean War, Akhentour attempted to bolster its defenses for the onslaught of Alrenn, but was not prepared for the sheer size and magical acumen of his undead hordes. While it was not razed in the same way Teveren was, Akhentour suffered tremendous casualties, as nearly 80% of the population was killed and transformed into more undead. Alrenn's first lich form was ultimately contained by Demetrius in 4062 VR, using powerful magic still largely unknown by scholars, likely ancient Age of Magic level spells. Alrenn's body was lost after the battle and no one is quite sure how it was retrieved by the Wardens or how Alrenn became Dovar. But 20 years later, in 4082 VR, Dovar the Lightbringer appeared at the Temple of the Gods in northern Akhentour, attempting to "bring peace" to the world by sucking the life from it -- a shade of what Alrenn did 20 years ago.

Dovar was ultimately defeated by the Dragonslayers of the Redfang Guild with the aid of a Warden known as Korth. However, defeating Dovar also destroyed Alrenn, who was being kept in a liminal state between life and death within the sentient ooze that called itself Dovar and was presumably feeding off of Alrenn's arcane energy. Alrenn was then reformed later near his phylactery in the city of Resington on Wengar Island, which was being studied by Lucretia Voss, a former pirate and Eye of EOD. Alrenn returned as a demilich and persuaded Lucretia to travel to Garrod, where they prepared the first soul sacrifice to raise Alrenn to lich form again. The sacrifice was intended to be Ian van Montelle, but the Dragonslayers with the help of the Guildmasters of Redfang managed to defeat Alrenn and destroy his phylactery for good.

==== The Sixth Era: The Rebuilding ====
Alrenn's second and final defeat was a huge symbolic moment for Akhentour and Dorian in general. Aloysius Pridd of the Redfang Guild left Akhentour shortly after to tend to the rebuilding of Teveren, while nobility from the three Akhentourian city-states of Kavonne, Diomed, and Wodesville united in the Grand Hall of Kavonne in early 4083 VR to re-establish the country of Akhentour yet again, creating the Council of Beings.

In 4084 VR, the Dragonslayers squashed a rebellion in Urster. The Ursterites wished to be free from the newly formed country, and it was discovered that their reason why was due to a coterie of vampires who had been protecting an aberration known as an atropal within the mines below the city.

In 4090 VR, Garrod was officially reopened as a city once again, after a joint task force of former citizens and Axebreaker dwarves spent years cleaning out the city of the remaining undead and rebuilding. The next year, 4091 VR, Garrod demanded a seat on the Council of Six and was granted it, and the Akhentourian government became the Pax Ultima, along with a newly ratified Akhentourian Charter which officially separated the country from the Frigid North, which was returned to the indigenous people who lived there.

=== Geography ===

==== Location and Borders ====
Akhentour is located in western Dorian, and is the smallest of the three official countries there. It is bordered on the west by the Sorukia Gulf and the Neverender. To the north is the Frostbite Taiga and the Frigid North. To the east and south are the Fang Mountains.

==== Geology and Topography ====
The majority of Akhentour is made up of plains that gradually slope westward toward the coast. The Frostbite Taiga in the north is split by the Frozen Cliffs, which extend from the Fangs westward to the ocean, where they then turn right to become the coastline for the Frigid North's western side. A vast conglomeration of foothills, famous for being inhabited by dozens of halfling tribes, extend westward from the Fangs. The Painted Hills make up the northern part of central Akhentour, while Karsec Hills extend further from the southern Fangs and are home to the orcs and a vast array of mines and quarries.

Akhentour is dominated in the center by the Diomedes, a deciduous forest that once extended throughout the entire land south of the Taiga, but has since been heavily deforested, mainly in the south. In the far south, Garrod is surrounded by the Deadwood, which was formerly Garrod Forest before Alrenn's forces sucked the life from the area. Since Alrenn's death, the Garrod Natural Conservatory has begun reforesting procedures with the aid of archdruid Bravan Tesserani.

Northern Akhentour is dominated by Lake Fatu and the coniferous Kavonne Wood. Beyond the shoreline to the west lies Andala Island, which is uninhabited.

==== Climate ====
The climate of Akhentour is mostly warm, especially in the south, and drier than in Morentar, but not as dry as Teveren. The land is known for large storm cells, particularly in the north as the cold north winds battle the warmer southern winds. Most sailors prefer to sail south along the shoreline from Kavonne, rather than straight west, as the northern turn of the Neverender is much more treacherous than the south.

==== Administrative Regions ====
Since the formation of Pax Ultima, Akhentour has been divided into three administrative regions, known as provinces. The new Charter recognizes the Frigid North as its own sovereign land, but not its own nation, as the tribes of the north did not wish to establish nationhood. The three provinces are:

'''Cercida, or Northern Akhentour.''' Named after Avred Cercida, the archbishop who founded the Temple of the Gods, Cercida is bordered by the cliffs to the north and latitude line 43°N extending east from the ocean to the southern edge of Lake Fatu, then following its shoreline to the Fatu River before breaking south to follow the Urster River to the Fangs.

'''Diomedes, or Central Akhentour.''' Encompassing the land south of the demarcation of Northern Akhentour's southern border, to the Oste River.

'''Stonnet, or Southern Akhentour.''' Encompassing the land south of the Oste River to the eastern and southern Fangs. Named after the city of Stonnet and the surrounding Stonnet Fields.

Each province has a capital, and set of provincial laws that fall under the purview of greater country law.

==== Overseas Territories ====
Akhentour currently has no overseas territories that it governs officially.

=== Government ===

==== Government and Politics ====
As of the 6th era of Dorian, the government of Akhentour is a representative republic known as the Pax Ultima. It is a tricameral parliament.

The '''High Council''' is composed of 3 senators each from the larger cities of Akhentour: Diomed, Garrod, Kavonne, Stonnet, and Wodesville. In addition, one senator is selected from certain towns with smaller, but still sizable, populations. Currently those towns are Lilingbroke, Monitska, Urster, and Urthagura. The High Council are tasked with adjudication of "common" laws made by the Low Council and the People's Seat, as well as intercontinental and foreign relations. The High Council is appointed via popular election every five years, can serve five terms total, and cannot serve past a certain age (defined by the type of being). They meet in the Grand Hall in Kavonne.

The '''Low Council''' is composed of delegates from each formally designated municipality (i.e., towns, villages, hamlets, etc) within Akhentour. Each municipality gains one delegate per 100 inhabitants of that municipality. The Low Council is tasked with creating, adjudicating, altering, and removing countrywide laws. The laws created by the Low Council supersede any provincial or municipal laws. Councilors are elected by popular vote every year, can serve ten terms total, and cannot serve past a certain age. They meet in the Lerosa Hall in Kavonne.

The '''People's Seat''' is a populist parliament composed of any and all citizenry of Akhentour. Its main job is to air grievances and collect information the Low and High Council can use to begin forming laws and edicts. The People's Seat has seven facilitators who are elected every year by popular vote, but anyone from Akhentour can attend any meeting. Facilitators have no term or age limits. They meet in the Perembale Auditorium in Kavonne.

Below the country government, each province of Akhentour has a provincial government made up of a single, smaller parliamentary of 51 members, the 51st member being the governor. which overseers regional affairs. Then, below that, each city has a municipal government made up of a mayor and advisors, though each town and city can change the details of this government greatly, and some do not even have a municipal government.

==== Economy ====
Akhentour's economy is budding currently, following the decimation of the country by Alrenn's forces. Most of the country's economy centers around mining and logging activities, followed up by a strong agricultural center in the Fertile Lands near Lilingbroke. However, exports have all but ceased other than trading with the dwarves of the Underdark. In fact, much of the economy in Akhentour is being kept aloft by old money from the former nobility whose assets have been liquidated to create a fungible currency while the country imports much of its necessary goods. The Pax Ultima is working hard to re-establish trading routes while also finding new routes, particularly with their nearby neighbors to the east, Deneshae and Isoasar.

==== Demographics ====
The official Storybearer census of 4088 VR determined the population in Akhentour to be roughly 500,000 inhabitants, a mere fraction of the nearly 2.6 million inhabitants counted in the previous census in 4055 VR. Moreover, the population went from majority human (74%) to majority wood elf, thanks to the elves' largely successful defense of Diomed during the Alrennean War.

The demographic breakdown is:

41% elf, wood

24% human

13% halfling

6% elf, high

4% dwarf

4% gnome

3% dragonborn

2% tabaxi

3% other

Monstrous and beastling race population is estimated at 50-80,000.

=== Religion ===
The majority of people in Akhentour follow the Lotus cosmology, with many outwardly worshiping either Eto, Ota, or both. Ota remains the patron deity of Kavonne and Garrod. However, Akhentour has always allowed freedom of religion in its country, codifying this concept with the creation of the Temple of the Gods over 2,000 years ago, one of the oldest and largest citadels in Avo and one of the only citadels which emphasizes non-denominational worship. Wodesville has no official patron deity, and Diomed worships the Lotus as a whole. There is also a sizable section of Padoran worship within Akhentour, constituting roughly 1% of the population, primarily in Stonnet.

Akhentour is not known for cult or sect worship, aside from the various denominations of the Shadow Gods within the Lotus, which are colloquially called cults despite having a clear affiliation with Shadow God worship. A few ill-conceived cults have popped up throughout Akhentourian history, the most recent being the vampiric cult that arose during the Urster Rebellion of 4084 VR.

=== Culture ===
A portrait of Bula, done ca. 4082 VR as part of her inauguration into the Havenshield tier of the Redfang Guild. Artist: Julie Redfang.
Compared to the rest of Avo, Akhentour has a reasonably mild cultural impact. Its largest contribution is the various arts provided by the wood elves of Diomed, including dance, calligraphy, and runic scriptures written across the trees of Diomedes, known as ''al'yeh darwi'', or "tree hymns." Not much of Akhentourian culture has been exported to other lands, leaving it relatively unknown to outsiders. However, many cultural things from elsewhere have enjoyed much popularity in Akhentour; the Club and Fist Dance, for example, a sport originated by the orcs of Dakorun in Leophynsia, was imported to Wodesville by Bula, one of the Dragonslayers, who is part Dakoruni on her father's side. The Dance has enjoyed immense popularity since its inception into Akhentour.