Nazair is a land located south to Amell Mountains, adjacent to the Great Sea. It used to be an independent kingdom with political and dynastical ties with the Northern Realms, these ties were however severed by the Nilfgaardian ocupation and desolation of the capital city of Assengard.[1]
History
Early history
Before the Nilfgaardian invasion, the royal power was concentrated mostly along the rivers and coastline, while the rocky, hilly interior was inhabited by independent clans of highlanders competing each other for resources. This brigand interior was mostly avoided by merchant trails,[2] while the nobility participated in cultural contacts with the North.[1] The royalty occasionally intermarried with Nordling dynasties, like in case of Princess Becca, wife of king Cerbin of Cintra.[3] Dukes from Nazair controlled even parts of modern-day Toussaint. The most famous of them was probably Adam of Nazair, who - in attempt to irrigate the Nazairian part of his realm - unwillingly created the famed Sansretour Marsh.[4]
Nazair's relation with Cintra was severed by King Corbett of the latter.[3] At least one war took place in the heart of Nazair, when Assengard was sacked by people from as far north as Redania; one of them was Nivellen's grandfather who took a bathtub and blue rose seedlings from the city.[5] Another war took place in 1233 when Nazair invaded Cintra for loot, but was defeated by Queen Calanthe's troops at the Battle of Hochebuz.[3]
Nilfgaardian province
The conquest of Nazair by the Nilfgaardian Empire, though cruel, was described as unusually difficult.[6] The capital city of Assengard was desolated,[1] but many of the interior highlander clans avoided subjugation and still cause troubles for imperial forces.[2]
In 1260s Nazairi nobles and highlanders rebelled against the Empire. Emperor Emhyr var Emreis tasked Major General Markus Braibant to handle the situation. Braibant's forces, including an unit commanded by Dacre Silifant and Ola Harsheim, did indeed calmed the rebellion - in a massacre.[7]
During the Second and Third Northern War, the Empire formed its own units out of the Nazairi, consisting of arbalestiers and a large cavalry brigade.[8][9]
National Emblems
Before the conquest, Nazair's coat of arms was a blue rose against a gold background.[1] This design was also a part of the modern (post-conquest) coat of arms.[6] Royal family members sometimes used a crest depicting a silver ship on the sea.[10] There was also another symbol sometimes used in national heraldry, that of two axes with their blades facing away from each other.[2]
Emblems in the infobox are speculated to be used during the Nilfgaardian period and are based on the official ones.
The following illustration has been created by Wiki editors basing on official description and/or depictions.
The following illustration has been created by Stanislav Komárek, Sapkowski's associate and translator.
The following illustration has been used in CD Projekt's The Witcher franchise.
Geography and climate
Nazair is situated just south of the Amell, through which the Slopes and Riverdell can be reached via Marnadal Stairs or the Theodula Pass. North of Nazair lie Cintra and Upper Sodden, to the east is Mag Turga, the river Yelena borders the province to the south, and to the west is the Great Sea.
Society
TBA
Economy
The country is famous for its silver[11] and cinnabarite[4] mines. Local artisants specialize in the production of refined silver vases[11] and skillfully detailed ceramics.[6] The cinnabarite is used to die inks.[4]
Nazair is particularly known for its cultivation of azure rose found only in this region, with a faint purple shade at the tips of the petals.[5] Cuttings are in great demand and are oten smuggled out of Nazair to be sold for outrageous prices.[6]
Locations
Trivia
- In the Blood and Wine expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, during Capture the Castle, the Nazairi soldiers use a great number of Dutch profanities; this includes rotzak ("scumbag"), schijtlijster ("coward"), stront ("shit") and piemellikkers ("cocksuckers"). They also use the word kusse, later explained by Regis to refer to a vagina. This is akin to Dutch kut and its older form kutte, which carry the same meaning (though kusse is more likely from Danish, where it means "pussy"). Most if not all of these words are very likely Nilfgaardian.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Stanislav Komárek
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wiedźmin: Gra Wyobraźni
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Dynastic descriptions
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Blood and Wine expansion
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Last Wish
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 The Witcher Role-Playing Game
- ↑ The Tower of the Swallow
- ↑ The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- ↑ Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
- ↑ Originally designed by Mboro and adopted by CD Projekt in Ciri's family tree in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
