Mediah

Mediah is one of the main territories in the world of Black Desert. It is located between Serendia and Valencia, with its southwestern areas south of the Junaid River bordering Drieghan.

It's the seat of the Republic of Mediah, the political entity that succeeded the prior kingdom after the events of the Three Days of Darkness. Its capital is Altinova.

History

Map of the world with Mediah highlighted in red.

See also: Timeline of Mediahn history.

Ancient times

The Ancients lived here like they did on other regions of the world. There are ruins and stone colossi on the northern and western zones.

A long time ago a Barbarian Chief ruled over the land of Mediah. Nowadays, only ruins remain of his presence.

There's knowledge of maritime trade between Mediah and Lema Island some 600 years ago.

The Ancient Giants, Ancient Dwarves and Ancient Goblins all had a presence in the region.

Kingdom of Mediah

Main article: Kingdom of Mediah
According to legend, Bareeds was the founding king of Mediah and the namesake of the Bareeds dynasty.

Roughly 300 years ago, Cartian led a group of sorcerers from the southeast and founded the town of Tarif next to the Junaid River.

In the year 235 of the Elionian Calendar the Black Death struck. Not long after, the war between the western alliance and Valencia began. While the king of Mediah at the time, Bareeds II, was said to be incompetent, there was a person who knew how to profit from the situation. Neruda Shen, then an alchemist, had discovered the true worth of the Black Stones. Mediah, through the Shen Merchant Guild, reached an agreement with Calpheon. Mediah would supply the alliance with weaponry and armor at a discount in exchange for Black Stones, which Shen claimed were ideal for the production. Calpheon, clueless about the value of the stones, gladly accepted. Using the lava caves as a natural furnace, Mediah was able to not only increase production of weaponry for Calpheon at a higher rate than Calpheon was able to supply itself, but also to melt the Black Stones.

Around that time delegations from Valencia arrived to meet with guild officials. They demanded the Black Stones that Mediah was provided by Calpheon. Mediah agreed to give back a share of its Black Stones in exchange for exclusive trading rights with Valencia. As a result of the agreements with both Calpheon and Valencia, Mediah began to prosper greatly.

Twenty five years later, in 260, Calpheon discovered the true nature of the Black Stones and demanded to buy them back. Mediah declined. Furthermore, Mediah started encouraging the state religion of Valencia, Aalism.

Some time around this period the royal family of Mediah ordered a harbor and garrison to be built in the northern coast, near their castle.

Between the years 264 and 267 disaster struck. Successive typhoons, torrential rains and droughts, storms and tsunamis, even sandstorms. All kinds of natural disasters battered the land of the whole world. With the world torn by natural disasters, the barbarian tribes from far flung lands started appearing in Mediah and settled on the southern half where damage was less severe. It wasn’t long until Mediah's Lava Cave and Iron Mines were closed due to sandstorms and incidents involving the barbarians. Nagas and Fogans, Orcs (Rhutums & Red Orcs) and Ogres, even Khurutos and Saunils. All migrated from their destroyed lands to Mediah. Some even continued their journey to the west.

After a few years the Mediah Merchants Union, headed by the Shen Merchant Guild, invested a tremendous amount of its wealth into the construction of a great city. In 271, Altinova, the new capital of Mediah, was founded. Once fortified, villagers and merchants flocked to the city. These years were known as peaceful, even with the invasion of the barbarians.

When Altinova's Merchant Guild tried to gain control over Mediah, Sausans, one of the native tribes, were the hardest to deal with. In a way, the conflict between the two was inevitable, given that the Sausans used to be called the true "lord" of Mediah. Altinova's arena steered the relationship between the Sausans and the merchants to a friendlier side. However, the friendly air only lasted until the Sausans took up arms and occupied the northern fort of Mediah after the death of their hero and best gladiator, Shultz.

Two years after the foundation of Altinova a sorceress named Illezra from the village of Tarif gained the power of the original Book of Cartian and was gravely injured in the process but managed to escape. Illezra then rallied the Elric cultists, worshippers of Kzarka, and with their aid overpowered and gained control of the barbarian tribes.

After the war with Valencia ended and with the objective to rebuild their economies, starting in the year 275 Keplan, Heidel and Olvia began to trade with Valencia via Altinova.

In the year 277 the event known as the Three Days of Darkness occurred. Illezra made the Mediah Castle burst into flames and the entire region was engulfed in darkness for three days. With neither sun or moon offering light, the people of Mediah had to rely on torches to ward off the darkness. Some became hostile, and others still ran to the frontiers of Altinova, screaming all the while. As fast as it had appeared the darkness went away, and with it, Illezra.

Amid the chaos created during those years in Mediah, in the year 280 the Barbarians living around the Abandoned Iron Mine and the fierce Sezec Hunters of the northwestern Mediahn forests both infiltrated Altinova.
Altinova, a city that had enjoyed long-standing order, fell into chaos in the blink of an eye. Neither able to stomach welcoming them nor capable of banishing them outright, the Mediah Merchants Union was forced into accepting an uncomfortable coexistence with these groups. Bareeds III was the only survivor of the horrible disaster that exterminated the royal family of Mediah.

Republic

Main article: Republic of Mediah
After the event, Neruda Shen, as the chairman of the Mediah Merchants Union and de facto leader of Altinova, took effective control of what remained of the state. Since then, it's been called the Republic of Mediah.

Trivia

• Supposedly Alchemy originated from Mediah.
• According to the Legend of Bareeds, the soon-to-be founding king of Mediah crossed a harsh desert, battled against Kzarka and cut his hand after mustering arcane power. The earth where the blood of the Lord Corruption was shed became the vast lands of Mediah.