Chand is a small nation nestled to the south of the Khravest mountains and the FFFF forest. It is situated at the south end of a very useful passage through the Khravest mountains to Cwengae. It is a country which only recently regained independence.
Chand first developed as an independent nation when the druids of the Ganthic Wood began to reclaim their lands. Chand was originally the northern retreat of the Liva family, which controlled most of the Ganthic region. It became their remaining stronghold, resisting the druids until finally falling to the Ganthic druids in 3674.
It was reclaimed by Ossavia led by the expansionistic Jaldon family in 4430, when their troops came through the mountain pass in force. They quickly fortified the region, and started pushing back the Ganthic hold on the territory. Ossavia hoped to use Chand and the nation-states of Zia and Rodlath to the east to crack Cuthian defenses, as well as raid into Dalyria, Theluran, and Bariston. Although Cuthia never fell, Dalyria and Bariston suffered many raids by ogres from Chand.
In 4626, the raids mysteriously ended. The ogres fled northward into the mountains, and the lands were reclaimed by another race - the Irda. The irda wished to secure the land so they might find peaceful meditation to combat their own darker natures; the ogres fled from their enlightened brethren. The Irda invited humans to return.
The irda are quite rare even now, and most live camoflaged among humanity. Most outsiders are not even aware of their presence. Their philosophies have attracted others seeking a more meditative and austere approach to life. Monasteries were founded, mystics flourished, and a simple lifestyle developed. The irda rarely appear except on rare occasions, and their appearance is always a happy one among the humans of Chand.
Cuthia doesn't know what to make of their neighbor. Something about Chandian philosophy baffled the Cuthians. Orcs have raided, but found little of interest (as well as some very strange, but indistinct, magics). Dalyria regards Chand as an ally and trades with them. Chand is also historically allied with Cwengae; many Chandians have Rhambar blood in their veins. The hobbits of Bariston thinks the inhabitants are weird, but their curiousity drives the more adventurous hobbits to explore Chand. The gnomes of the HHH hills have tried to prank Chandians without much success. Gray elves living in hidden mountain holds within the Khravest mountains have recently initiated contact with Chand, but the elves of Theluran do not trust either the humans or the irda.
The majority of the population are human. There are a few gray elves
who visit for trade or exchanges of information.
Chand is not large enough to have any autonomous regions. All of
Chand is largely one culture, and controlled by the central XXacy.
The rulership of Chand is evenly split between the irda and the
humans. The leaders are typically sages, scholars, mystics, and
ascetics. The leader of the monasteries is also part of the government.
One of the few irda that has left Chand is Naivan, an irda wizard.
She has recently taken the role of ambassador to several nearby
nations, and splits her time between Cuthia, Bariston, Fenorri, and
Theluran. Though she travels in public as a human, when she meets with
the leadership of the nations and duchies, she adopts her normal form.