Following Tarmon Gai’don, Saldaea was left with little military strength, the majority of its famous light cavalry having been decimated, and their famous leader, Davram Bashere, fallen upon the field. Queen Tenobia, who survived the Last Battle, struggled to keep the greatly weakened nation together until her death, still childless, in 12 ATG.

A short, bloody period of backstabbing among the noble houses followed until, in 14 ATG, the young Queen Nelanna of House Gahaur was crowned. Afraid of a similar struggle for succession after her own death, she promptly married Lasham Tolanvir, a distant cousin of the late Tenobia. The eventual mother of seven children, Nelanna firmly bound Saldaea together, rebuilding its cavalry and trade during her long reign. Due to the marriage of Faile ni Bashere t’Aybara, trade with the area known as the Two Rivers grew especially strong; good relations with both Towers were also cemented, as well as the reaffirmation of old Borderland ties.

In 52 ATG, she was succeeded by her son, Elsam. Unfortunately, his premature death by disease followed shortly after, in 60 ATG. His wife then ruled as regent for their only daughter, Falenia, until she came of age in 68 ATG.

Queen Falenia has shown herself more stubborn than many before her, but this has not always been complemented by the best judgment. A few terse words and a refusal to apologize have damaged Saldaea’s relations with the Towers. Saldaea herself, while not decaying, has not prospered. A widow, Falenia’s two sons are full-grown and due to her advanced age, many among the nobles have pushed her to abdicate to her firstborn, Lohaer, but she still refuses to do so, asserting that her mind does not suffer the same weaknesses as her body. Just the same, Saldaea expects the news of either the abdication or death of Queen Falenia any day. Relations with other Borderland countries remain very strong.

One of the Borderlands, Saldaea remains ever on the alert to attacks. Military training and their famed light cavalry remain much a part of their national identity. Women are fierce and often accompany their husbands into battle. Women are expected to display a wide range of skills, from poetry, to hunting, to playing the cittern, and among the noble classes, there is an entire language of formal courtship based upon the movements of a woman’s fan.

Saldaeans can often be marked by their prominent noses and upward-tilted eyes. Saldaean women wear long-sleeved, high-necked dresses, often decorated and embroidered with coloured and metallic threads. Men wear heavy breeches, light shirts, and heavy, calf-length coats cut for riding; these coats are often decorated with colours and patterns to indicate family and military affiliations. Nobles often wear clothes of silk and brocade, with embroidery on the sleeves and collar, while commoners wear the same styles in wool. Warriors tend to wear lighter armour than the other Borderlander nations, often wearing a sword at one hip and a dagger at the other.