Kyros

The Desert of Madness and some of the surrounding plains in the east of Desina are part of the nation of Kyros. It is a nation of freedom and independence, for anyone who can survive the heat anyway. It is considered a land of barbarians by its long time rival, the Legion of Iuris.

History
For much of early history, the Desert of Madness was ignored by the imperialistic forces that swept across Desina. The desert offered very little in terms of resources, was populated by a rough, uncontrollable people, and the heat and sandstorms made any occupation costly. In the words of a general of the Tantus Empire, “There's nothing past here but sand and savages, and we got no need for either.” Because of this the people of the desert were able to develop fairly free of outside influence.

Kyrosians lived in tight-knit clans. These ranged from peaceful nomadic tribes to raiding war-bands to small, settled communities. The scarcity of life-sustaining resources like water made it undesirable to grow your clan too large. The largest communities were trading posts, and even there a clan would only stay as long as it took to conduct his business.

In the Age of Nations the Legion of Iuris would be the first to try and conquer the desert. They saw the Kyrosians as lawless savages in need of civilization and the rule of law. They came from the south with enough force to force any war-bands that would try to challenge them into retreat. They conquered clan after clan and began making plans for permanent cities and forts. Their freedom threatened, the greatest war clans called a truce and came together in massive force to harry the Legionnaires. The Legion was unable to build anywhere to escape the heat while under attack and ended up having to retreat.

The Legion would try again to invade and would again be repelled by the allied horde. The Kyrosians knew the Legion would not stop until they suffered a clear defeat. Knowing the Legionnaires only fought by lawful rules of war, they thought to lore out the Legionnaire forces by creating an official 'capitol.' They constructed Freeshield, a fort out in the middle of the middle of the most inhospitable sand dunes they could find. They stuck piled resources inside, openly declared Freeshield the capitol of the new sovereign nation of Kyros, then waited for the Legion attack. Sure enough, the next time the Legion invaded they made right for Freeshield and began a siege. The Kyrosians harassed the Legion supply lines and the inhospitable dunes left the forces with nothing to scavenge and they soon ran out vital supplies like water. They attempted to break the siege and pull back but the Kyrosians pursued them through the desert. By the time they retreated back to the Oasis they had lost more than half their number. The Legion would not invade Kyros again.

They kept Freeshield as the 'official' capitol of their nation, but otherwise the clans went back to being independent. After their taste of imperialism the people of Kyros felt their freedoms were more important than ever and they refused to live under a strong central government. After the rise of the guilds several war-bands restructured themselves to follow guild rules but most Kyrosians found guild regulations restrictive and stifling. Officially, Kyros has accepted guild philosophy but many independent war-bands still roam the desert.

Culture
Kyrosians are a fiercely independent people. Freedom and choice are the most important thing to them and they are uncomfortable in settings with a lot of rules and laws. Most live in tight-knit, small clans due the shortage of resources, but the recently strengthened caravans supported by the guilds have made growing a community more plausible and several towns have sprung up in the desert. They are a practical people accustomed to the rules of survival in harsh climates and don't find much use for luxuries such as art. Freeshield, the capitol, also doubles as the largest trading post in the region where everyone from craftsmen to raiders come to trade their wares.

Politics
Most Kyrosians live in independent clans which govern themselves. One of the founding clans of Freeshield, the Dustrights, where left to care for the capitol, making them the closest thing Kyros has to a ruling class. They have the power to call upon the other clans for aid should Freeshield be threatened.

Guild Affiliations
Kyrosians tend to not like the regulations associated with forming official guilds. Still, the Dustrights have seen it fit to ensure Freeshield has its allies in the event of attack. Official standings with the major guilds are:

Scorpions: Defensive Alliance