The Borderlands: Shienar, Arafel, Kandor and Saldaea
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Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain.

In an attempt to avoid the same fate, the Borderlanders have erected signal towers all along the Blightborder at half-mile intervals. These tall stone towers afford good visibility, and are designed for ease of defense; they are equipped with a large mirror for sending signals by day, and a large iron brazier for signal fires to the darkness. When a potential threat is spotted by the watchers, they signal to a system of other towers farther from the border, who pass the message on into the heartland fortresses. The fortresses then dispatch their lancers to drive the raiders back into the Blight. The same signal towers can be used to warn the population to move to safety within the fortresses.

The watchers are extremely vigilant, but Shadowspawn still get through the border. Fades are particularly difficult to spot because of their humanlike appearance and ability to travel from shadow to shadow. For this reason it is law in all the lands of the Blightborder that no one may hood his head or hide his face inside a town's walls. A Halfman can only pass among humans if his face is shadowed or hidden. In addition, each street and alley is always well lit at night, to eliminate shadows as much as possible. The battle against the Blight affects every citizen. Though only a few can be warriors, each citizen is well aware that he or she is a part of the struggle.

Despite their mutual cause, or perhaps because of it, the border nations take great pride in their differences. The battle is the same, the code of honour similar, but their customs and dress are often qiute diverse.

Malkier and al'Lan Mandragoran
The lost Borderland nation, Malkier, once thrived under the banner of the Golden Crane. It was known for its necklace of a thousand lakes and its seven great towers as well as its heroes. Now the only remnant of that nation outside the Blight is its Uncrowned King, al'Lan Mandragoran, son of the last reigning king, al'Akir Mandragoran, and heir to the lost throne. Malker fell to the Blight in 953 NE, the year Lan was born. Though he was an infant, his parents anointed him Dai Shan, a Diademed Battle Lord, and consecrated him King. The ancient sword of the Malkieri Kings, a Power-wrought Blade, weas given to him. His life was sworn: "to stand against the Shadow so long as iron is hard and stone abides. To defend the Malkieri while one drop of blood remains, and to avenge what cannot be defended." They then sent him out of the doomed nation, with many buying his safety with their lives, while they faced their last battle.

The child was taken in and raised by the Shienarans. He never forgot his oath. At the age of sixteen he began a one-man war against the Blight and the Shadow. Called Aen'allein, or "Man Who Is An Entire People," wielding his Power-wrought Blade, Lan became a Blademaster. He probably would have continued his hopeless fight unto death but for the intervention of Moiraine Sedai in 979 NE. Somehow she convinced him that his purpose would be better served as her Warder, and bonded him.

The Eye Of The World
Young men of the Borderlands often attempt to prove themselves by going on a great quest to find the Eye Of The World, much as those in Illian hunt for the Horn of Valere. All that is known about the Eye is that it is a great object of the Power hidden somewhere deep within the Blight, guarded only by the Green Man within his enchanted grove. It was said to await those whose need was great enough. Among the legends of the Grove one said that no one would be able to find it twice, for it was constantly moving. Thsoe few who have been there say that it is not the place that moves, but rather the location of the person who needs it.

The Aes Sedai have more information about this. Click here if you are an Aes Sedai.

Shienar
Peace favour your sword.

Sigil: A swooping black hawk; the Black Hawk.
Banner: A black swooping hawk on a field of three blue and two white horizontal stripes.
Capital City: Fal Moran.
Symbols include the White Hart, personal sign of King Easar.

Shienar is a place of strong contrasts. In the far northeast, flanked by the Mountains of Dhoom and the Spine of the Dragon, it is a last bastion of civilisation on the razor's edge of the bleak corruption of the Blight and the dangers of the Aiel Waste. Winters there are cold enough to cause trees to burst as their sap freezes, yet only a short distance away the Blight swelters in unnatural heat oppressive enough to drain a strong man's will.

The struggle to survive on the Blightborder affects every aspect of a Shienaran warrior's life and thoughts. Ask any what three things he values most, he will almost certainly answer the following: Peace - because he has known only war. Beauty - because the Blight is filled with ugliness. And most of all, life - because he has already sworn himself to death. For these men death is certain. Therefore it is the quality of life tha tmatters, the honour gained, not the quantity of material wealth. Each lives his life prepared for battle, protected by heavy clothing and armour, but in death each is lowered unclothed into the welcoming dirt of the grave, with neither coffin nor shroud to protect his body. They believe all came from the earth, and they must return as they came, naked and unarmed, into the last embrace of the mother.

All mounted Shienaran warriors are known as lancers because of the fighting lances they carry. They are certainly the finest heavy cavalry in the land. They are also easily recognised, as each fighting man wears his hair in a topknot, with his head partially shaved around it. His weapons are always close at hand, with most fighters wearing one or two long-swords strapped to their backs and all wearing a broadsword, axe or mace at their belt. Even in the safety of the fortresses, weapons are hung in readiness on every wall, or on stands near every bed. Armour is usually a combination of leather, mail and plate, often covered by a surcoat with the Black Hawk upon it. Their powerful warhorses are armoured as well, with steel barding protecting the vulnerable head, neck and chest. The loss of a horse can mean death to even a skilled warrior during a battle with Trollocs.

Every major Shienaran town is designed to be a defensible fortress. Wherever possible the town is centred on high ground to command the surrounding countryside. The perimeter for a half-mile or more around each town is clear-cut to prevent sneak attacks; nothing taller than clipped grass is allowed to remain. This lack of cover, as well as tall lookout towers built into the perimeter walls, makes it impossible for anything to approach unseen. The formidable town gates are reinforced with iron to indure that any hostile forces that dare to cross the clearing will find no easy entrance.

Shienar is ruled by King Easar of House Togita from the capital city of Fal Moran, but like most Borderland rulers, Easar spends more time in the saddle defending his lands with his sons that giving audiences. Fal Moran is the heart and soul of Shienar, but it is the fortresses closer to the Blightborder, such as Fal Dara, that embody the true spirit of this land of eternal struggle.

Fal Dara
Fal Dara lies close to the Blightborder, part of the final line of defense between it and the cities and farmsteads farther incountry. Its wall, studded with towers, encloses shops, inns, and homes around the central fortress. Only farming communities lie outside its protection. Most of the houses within and without the walls have sharp peaked wooden shingled roofs that run almost ot the gorund. This angled design prevents the damaging buildup of snow and ice furing the long winter. At the centre of Fal Dara a dry moat, deep and wide with sharp spikes embedded in the bottom, and a second defensive wall studded with more towers, protect the inner keep, a massive fortress of stone built atop the highest point of the hill. The keep is the home of the Lord of Fal Dara, Agelmar Jagad, as well as his family, retainers, warriors and servants. His fortress, as well as the walls that protect it and the town around it, are built for strength rather than beauty, yet there is a sever elegance in the stark lines of each wall and beauty in the massive stones.

In the years before the Trolloc Wars the city that stood on its site was called Mafal Dadaranell. It was Ogier-built, consisting of grand towers, graceful arching buildings, and intricate palaces joined by wide avenues. Yet nothing was strong enough to hold back the waves of Shadowspawn flooding from the Blight. When the Trolloc Wars finally ended, Mafal Dadaranell was gone, razed to the bare earth. Those who survived decided to build another city on the site of the old one, but the Ogier stonemasons were gone. Rather thatn make a poor imitation, they replaced its elaborate design with simplicity. A single rose placed just so instead of a garden; the fortress of Fal Dara in place of the city of Mafal Dadaranell.

Though not all Shienaran towns and fortresses have such interesting histories, all are linked more strongly by their shared threat than by their allegiance to the nation. Ankor Dail holds the eastern marches and guards the Spine of the World. Other fortresses such as Mos Shirare, Fal Sion and Camron Caan each provide an integral part of the defense of Shienar, and each has its own stories, and it own heroes.

Arafel
The dancing is sweeter on the edge of a sword.

Sigil: A red rose and a white rose; the Roses.
Banner: Three white roses  on a field of red quartered with three red roses on a field of white.
Capital City: Shol Arbela.

Arafel lies just west of Shienar and is made up of more rugged country than Shienar. The men are easily recognised by their distinctive hairstyle. They wear their hair in two long braids, usually with silver bells on the braid-ends. Most of the natives of Arafel are pale skinned and appear to have unusually large eyes. Like all Borderlanders, the Arafellin maintain a strong military tradition for protection from creatures of the Blight. Arafellin warriors are skilled swordsmen. They always wear two swords, both strapped to their backs, one hilt over each shoulder, and are capable of using both at once, one in each hand. The nation is currently ruled by King Paitar Nachiman, whose sister Kiruna is an Aes Sedai of the Geen Ajah

Kandor
Sigil: A rearing red horse; the Red Horse.
Banner: The Red Horse on a field of pale green.
Capital City: Chachin.

Kandor lies between the nations of Arafel and Saldaea, along the Blightborder. Though the martial arts are as highly developed here as in any border nation, the Kandori have also developed a skill for trade and alond of all the Border nations have established a highly respected guild for merchants. Though Chachin's nearness to the Blight prevents it from being a centre of commerce, the merchants have established a strong reputation and have brough much wealth back with them. Kandori men are easily spotted by their distinctive forked beards, as well as one to three silver chains worn over their coats. Kandori also usually wear an earring, and the earrings of some successful merchants are quite ostentatious. Members of the nobility also wear chains over their coats and earrings. The current ruler of Kandor is Queen Ethenielle Cosaru Noramaga.

Saldaea
My Heart rises with the sun.
To the chime of swords
I die at sunset...

Sigil: Three silver fish, one above the other; the Silver Fish.
Banner: Three silver fish on a field of dark blue.
Capital City: Maradon.

Saldaea is the largest of the Border nations. Stretching from the unbroken cliffs on the Aryth Ocean known as World's End, to the River Arinelle and the northern edge of the Black Hills, it covers more area than Shienar and Arafel combined. Its ruler, the yound Queen Tenobia, has single estates larger han the entire city-state of Mayene.

The people are known for their distinctively tilted almond-shaped eyes, as well as their military prowess. The Saldaeans' ferocity in battle is at least the equal of that of any other Border nation, and their equestrian skills are far superior. In fact, they are the finest light cavalry in the known world.

The Saldaean cavalry can perform mounted drills and maneuvers in units as large as nine thousand without a single horse or rider missing the mark. Seeming more at home in the saddle than on the ground, these men routinely perform stunts normally only done by gleemen, but all on the backs of galloping chargers. Standing in the saddle, on feet or on hands, riding two horses at once with one foot on the back of each, full-speed dismounts and remounts, and even crawling completely under and around the charging animal, are not unusual maneuvers.

The Marshall-General is responsible for defending Saldaea and commanding the military. The position is currently held by Lord Davram Bashere, who is also Queen Tenobia's uncle. Before Bashere, Muad Cheade was Marshall-General. He was believed quite mad, and was always convinced someone was trying to kill him, yet every battle he commanded ended with a decisive victory. His madness was tolerated as a small price to pay for his brilliant strategies.

War for Saldaeans is a family event, for though the women do not actually participate in the fighting, the wives of most officers and all nobles traditionally accompany their husbands on all military compaigns except for those made inside the Blight. Though girls are not taught the arts of the sword, many are skilled with knives or in hand-to-hand fighting, and many stories tell of women taking up the swords of their fallen husbands to lead the men into battle. Whether or not these stories are true, it is true that a highborn lady of Saldaea is expected to be able to ride all day while reciting poetry, then play the cittern at night while participating intelligently in discussions of how to counter Trolloc raids. The usual mode of dress for Saldaean women reflects their strength of will, consisting of a high-necked dress with long sleeves. Highborn women usually wear elaborate embroidery down the sleeves and on the collar, and the dress is often silk or brocade. Farmgirls wear the same basic style, but in wool. These farmgirls are just as fierce as their betters, known for shaving the head of any woman caught poaching another's chosen male. Men and women of all classes usually travel armed with at least a knife, though in Saldaea steel is never drawn except when the wearer intends to use it.

The economy of Saldaea is strong, with brisk trade in furs from the trappers, fine wollds from the forests, and ice peppers from the farms. These goods are often sjipped as far away as Mayene or Tear, where they command a good price from the nobility.

The Sa'sara
Despite their otherwise formidable virtue, Saldaean women can be extremely sensual. Ladies of the court are known for the subletly of their seductions, using the language of fans to communicate their thoughts to potential suitors. The infamous sa'sara is a dance outlawed by a number of Saldaean Queens for its indecency, and yet almost all noblewomen know how to dance it, though only a few may admit it publically. The sa'sara, when danced by one who knows the moves, apparently has the ability to make men's blood boil. Saldaean history records three wars, two rebellions and forty-seven unions and feuds between noble houses, as well as innumerable duels, sparked by women dancing the sa'sara. There is even a tale of a defeated queen who quelled a rebellion by dancing it for the victorious general. He is said to have married her and restored her throne, though the story has been denied by every Queen of Saldaea.

Game Mechanics
Characters from Arafel receive +1 Agility.
Characters from Kandor receive +1 Perception.
Characters from Saldaea receive +1 Awareness.
Characters from Shienar receive +1 Stamina.
Within Arafel, the Ways of the Crab and Dragon can be learnt.
Within Kandor, the Way of the Crab can be learnt.
Within Saldaea, the Ways of the Crab, Unicorn and Serpent can be learnt.
Within Shienar, the Ways of the Crab and Unicorn can be learnt.