Life is like a river,
​and all rivers lead to the sea.

Whether your river flows easily or whether it faces many rapids, in the end our lives will drain into the ocean and our differences will melt together. There, our troubles will wash away, and there we can finally meet again - at the end of our course, and on the other side of the sea.
​~ Bakí Saying

The Queendom of Bakíra

Bakírans proudly claim to be the most beautiful people of Lîramor, and Bakíran Royals are said to be so beautiful, they must cover their faces outside the Palace so as not to bring shame to the Commoners.

In an effort to maintain a pure Bakíran pedigree, Royal Auditions are held every two years across the peninsula in which the most beautiful and talented young Commoners may be chosen to live in the Palace and marry other Royals. The children of these Nobles are then sent back across the land to marry Commoners and spread their chosen Lineage.

Women are revered in Bakíran society, and are believed to hold the power of their Lineage in their wombs. Ever since Queen Shaíla's reign, there has always been a Queen ruling Bakíra, and the Queen is considered to have the purest blood. Most Bakíran Queens have even taken many husbands to spread the purity of their Lineage the farthest.

Of Lîramor's four great deities, Vashava, the Goddess of the Ocean and Water, is Bakíra's matron goddess. She's also associated with love and mercy, and is normally sculpted with a tender smile to symbolize her soft-hearted nature. According to legend, Vashava created the Bakíran peninsula out of the sea, and it was she who led the people there. Now her statue can be found in temples across the region, and because she is the provider of water, Vashava is often prayed to for rain.

Due to Bakíra's arid conditions, most cities are centered around waterways, and nearly all transportation is done by sea. Bakírans are masters at shipbuilding and seafaring, and the ocean plays an important role in every day Bakíran life, from fishing, to trading their fine crafts such as silks, wine, and jewelry. Water is so important to the Bakíran people, that every town has a public bathhouse, as cleanliness is considered to be divine. After bathing, most Bakírans spritz themselves in jasmine and rose petal perfumes which are said to please the Goddess Vashava.

Though Bakíra is often called the most idyllic realm of Lîramor, those who are not blessed with beauty would be quick to say that life in Bakíra is only ideal for those who meet its standards.

Important Locations in Bakíra:

Ylîb

City of Sand and Stars
Emblem: Three Dunes

Ylîb is a small coastal village and is Sondja’s home town. Located on the edge of Bakíra’s borderlands with the Wastelands, it's considered to be at the ends of the earth by Bakíran standards.

Habîsh

City of a Thousand Silver Fish
Emblem: Two Intertwined Eels

Known for its hospitality and busy harbor, Habîsh is where the finery of Bakíran civilization meets the rugged desert of the borderlands. It's also Tarklef's home town.

Séra Kel

City of Wine and Splendor
Emblem: The Grapevine

Séra Kel's lush vineyards produce high-quality wine, and because of the consistent waters of the Séra River that flow through this port, Séra Kel is blessed with fertile soils.

Belúkay

City of Reveries
Emblem: A Mask

As Bakíra’s largest city, Belúkay has exquisite markets, and during the time of the Royal Auditions, it puts on some of the most lavish Masquerades of the realm.

Balandra

Royal City of the Sea
Emblem: A Seastar in a Silver Ring

Balandra is the capital city of Bakíra and is the seat of the Queen at the Royal Palace. Due to its exquisite architecture and ocean vistas, the city is known to be an alluring place that no one ever wants to leave. But there are those who warn, "Once you hear the things Balandrans say about you when they think you're not listening, you'll run for the Condemned Desert."

Much of the city of Balandra is built onto man-made islands in the bay that are separated by canals and bridges. The Palace itself sits on a natural island connected to the city's harbor via a sand bar. It is in the Palace's Hall of Mirrors that the Queen's final judgment of the Royal Auditions takes place.

The Backbone

These hills that run along Bakíra’s interior are said to form the backbone of the sea serpent, and they’re home to the wandering Shadrúîn tribes, the original people of the peninsula. 

The Shadrúîn are nomadic herders, and are now only found in the wild and barren areas.

Eratos Island

Some call it cursed, others call it haunted, but either way, few people know where this mysterious island is located, and even fewer have dared to go there.

Hundreds of years ago, its last resident was Queen Màelyka who was fleeing from her husband, the Leper King. He chased her there, and neither were ever heard from again. It's said that they either lived out their days at Eratos happily and in love, or were swallowed by the sea to become ghosts of the castle.

Books based in Bakíra:

The Aqua Trilogy

Aqua Trilogy Book I
​Masquerades

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Aqua Trilogy Book II
​The Eye of Envy

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Aqua Trilogy Book III
A Spell Unbroken

Other Realms of Lîramor ~