[u]Name:[/u] Republiqa do Aepiranto - Republic of Aepiranth

[u]Leader(s):[/u] Under the able stewardship of Anselmo Verengio, Duego of Aepiranth, the Sunset City has flourished tremendously and has come into its own as the mercantile and financial center of gravity of the known world. The son of an unremarkable burgher family, Anselmo demonstrated remarkable talent for recognizing business opportunities and by his 21st year he had amassed a sizeable fortune. His savant-esque financial acumen earned him a nomination to the Electorate of Aepiranth. With the passing of Duego Morizio Urbana, the time came to elect a new Duego. Several of the electors conspired to keep a rival merchant from assuming control of the republic, and so threw the election to Anselmo instead - a capable and assumedly harmless alternative. And so at the relatively young age of 26, Anselmo Verengio was the Duego of Aepiranth - ruler of the Sunset City.

For 45 years, Duego Anselmo has ruled Aepiranth and in so doing, governed much of the trade in the known world. And business has been good. Modest taxation and a laissez-faire approach to governance has attracted traders that once had their port of call in Saolo Grosso or the Maltempati Isles and Aepiranthine Soli are the standard coinage in numerous ports around the world.

But it seems that the Duego's shrewd rule may soon be reaching its end. Two years prior, Anselmo suffered a grievous apoplexy. Though the Duego survived the spell, the episode seemingly erased the Duego's incredible intellect. Despite the Sunset City being the home of many of the world's greatest physicians and apothecaries, none could restore Anselmo's mind. Anselmo today is a doddering shell of his former self, slurring and drooling at the mouth as he struggles enunciate simple words. The Duego now rules in name only; without his unifying governance the Electorate and the powerful merchants are free to act upon their own agendas.

[u]History:[/u] Into the chalky, white cliffs of the headlands of Verscona, ancient man established a city at the base of the Pillar of the Sun: a mammoth seastack of alabaster-white rock joined to the headlands by a spit of wave hewn rubble. The white rock, both soft and immaculately pristine, proved ideal for carving homes and edifices into the cliffs. The cliffs and headlands served as natural windbreaks and harbors, respectively. The harbor prospered, and was eventually chosen as the seat of a great empire of men that dominated much of the West. The Pillar of the Sun was carved into a magnificent citadel adorned with arching buttresses, garden balconies, and crowned with a brilliant dome of bronze and stained glass. At dusk, the westward cliff faces reflected even the dimmest rays of the orange and purple hues cast by the setting sun, as if the white stone itself shone with diminished sunlight. The city was thusly named in their ancient tongue [i]Aepiranthium[/i] - City of the Sunset Stone.

As all realms of man, elf, and dwarf ultimately do, that empire of men fell into decline and was lost to history. Pirate warlords, seafaring elves, and a number of other ephemeral rulers took control of the Sunset City, occupying for a brief time a throne where mighty emperors once sat. Battles for the city despoiled the city, until Aepiranth was little more than a ruin occupied by petty despots. At some point, one of these tyrants recognized that the impressive structures and citadels of Aepiranth were worth nothing if the city did not function, and so efforts were made to rebuild the great city and incentivize trade.

These investments paid off handsomely, and merchants slowly returned to Aepiranth. More modern rulers largely let traders be, and spent much of the tax revenues in recruiting mercenaries to fend off corsair raids and restoring the ruins to their former splendor, keeping only a modest cut for themselves. After generations of fostering a climate suitable for mercantile endeavors, these efforts have culminated in Aepiranth resuming its place as the trade capital of the world, and its rulers have been rewarded for said efforts with enormous fortunes.

The ruling class of Aepiranth now seeks to preserve the fortunes they have accrued, primarily by keeping lucrative trade routes open and preserving the regional status quo. To this end, the Duego and Electorate of Aepiranth have invested large sums in interfering in the affairs of neighboring realms, and they have seen mixed results. Preserving Treblea from land-hungry neighbors has so far proven effective, while efforts to contain the expansion of the Flowering Republic have largely failed. These attempts at foreign meddling have attracted a thriving industry for foreign mercenaries and spies in the Sunset City. And with the enfeebling of Duego Anselmo giving the city's most powerful merchants free reign to do as they please, it is probable that business will be good indeed for sellswords and informants in the Sunset City for the foreseeable future. 

[u]Location:[/u]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/joprDz8.png[/img]