[hider= Serravun ("Co-GM" state to the South... Dwarves with a heart for trade. Hail, Salt and Honey!)][center][h2][b][color=a0410d]Serravun[/color][/b][/h2][/center] [center][hider=The salted sweet scent of paprika, honey, and acrid desert air][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/4b/a1/7f/4ba17f151271bb2fa218419347b0d1d6.jpg[/img][/hider][/center] [h3]Flag:[/h3] [b][color=0076a3]Djbel Hematite[/color][/b] Preservation. Djebel the Barren, as those in the North call him, is in want of an heir. Fourteen women have met his chambers, each the culprit of his lack of successor. After the first few dwarves he set his sights further afield, wedding the myriad species kissed by the sun. Though each wife marks a sigil of shame on his house, their annulments have found them to be valuable ambassadors in returning to the lands of their people. As a populace, the people of Serravun are lovers of fine drink, spicy food, and fantastical stories from abroad. A cheerful and vibrant culture of art and trade. But beneath this crust of exuberance, is a deep fear of being home to a land that is fickle and dangerous with greater powers and threats deep to its south. The Sunswept winds blow a haunting breeze, and many know it would be wise to find allies in the green lands of the North, beyond the sea, where the sands can not touch them. If asylum cannot be given, it may need to be taken. [h3]Government Type:[/h3] [b]Oligarchy[/b] (Dictatorship). [hider=Djebel Hematite][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1425682749582344316/1432441552860348557/content.png?ex=690110a7&is=68ffbf27&hm=38f41400ca75846a4e98c9f265638a7c686151551d4853d5cc431a9f0c3b3bfe&=&format=webp&quality=lossless&width=493&height=740[/img][/hider] rules because Djebel Hematite provides. At least in his sphere of influence. In reality he is one of many petty kings who rule in a confederation of “markets.” The sustainment of Serravun is fragile and based on the lore and values of its rulers, married well with the desperate need of each other’s tradelines for survival. Amongst the bramble and rock, few families have established themselves as the elite, and they watch over each other's stability with ravishing interest. Sultan of the Salt Throne, was chosen from among the great trading families. His council, the Majlis of Scales, includes guildmasters, scholars, and emissaries from allied cities. [h3]Claim:[/h3] The southern expanse. The vibrant chaparral at the door to the Sunswept. To its far east lies a desolate swamp. To its west, the equally vile crags of merfolk infested shipwrecks. Hoping to climb in power and safety via markets afield, it can only look North. [center][b][h3][color=a0410d]The Salted Jewel of Serravun[/color][/h3][/b][/center] [b]Geography [/b] Serravun realm stretches along a rugged, salt-kissed coastline dotted with natural harbors and honey-colored cliffs. Terraced vineyards, olive groves, and hives of wild amber bees flourish in the mild chaparral climate. To the south, the [b]Sunswept[/b] begins; a vast desert that serves as both a barrier and a bridge, for through it flow the caravans that bring spice, ivory, and silk from far lands. The dwarves have built their cities in harmony with this terrain: low, sprawling structures of carved limestone, decorated with intricate tilework and brass lattice. Dome-topped halls shimmer in the heat haze. The scent of salt, citrus, and beeswax fills the air. [b]Culture [/b] The Serravi are known for their refinement, eloquence, and sense of color. Their artisans blend metal and mosaic, crafting filigreed armor and gem-inlaid weaponry that are as much art as wargear. Hospitality is sacred. Travelers arriving in Serravun are greeted with honeyed dates, salted almonds, and chilled water, a ritual said to honor both guest and host under the sun’s eye. [b]Economy & Trade[/b] Salt is the lifeblood of Serravun. Great terraces of crystalline pans near the coast produce mountains of it, traded across continents for food, metals, and more unsavory favors. The dwarves’ mastery of salt preservation makes their goods — especially their cured meats and dried fruits — prized, and better yet, transportable. Equally famed, and the lever of Djebel’s climb to power, is their [b]honey[/b] — harvested from desert and coastal bees that feed on wild thyme, cactus blooms, and salt-tolerant flowers. Serravi honey is so dark and thick it is said to never spoil. Its byproducts of wax, mead, and perfumed balms sustain entire guilds of beekeepers, known as the [b][color=a0410d]Order of the Amber Veil[/color][/b]. Caravans move inland through desert trade routes, while merchant ships sail north to foreign ports. The Serravi dwarves are shrewd traders, with their markets a riot of color and noise: tiled plazas packed with shouting vendors, cascading silks of every color, spices, jewelry, and the laughter of bargaining dwarves. [b]Architecture & Society[/b] The cities of Qazradûn are masterpieces of geometric beauty. Walls of sun-bleached stone, covered in turquoise tiles and golden calligraphy. Narrow, shaded streets open into grand plazas where fountains bubble and minstrels play long-necked horns whose haunting shrillness adds melody to the streets clamoring din. The capital, [b][color=a0410d]Mazahir[/color][/b], is famed for its [b][color=a0410d]Amber Bazaar[/color][/b], a palace of translucent stone and honeycombed towers that glows with a warm light at dusk. The dwarves here prize scholarship as highly as smithing. Guilds of navigators, merchants, and scholars record trade winds, desert routes, and the languages of far-off peoples. In the evenings, dwarves gather in tea houses — debating trade law, reciting poetry, and plotting the [i]integration[/i] of northern markets. [h3]Military:[/h3] S: Artillery Known all over Evoin, the contraptions of Serravun are a menace when (painstakingly) deployed. Much of their regions are well fortified, relying on the overwhelming ordinance to maintain their hold, or seize new ground. A: [hider=Shocky Bois][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0f/01/b5/0f01b5ec6d73f4fa62fb0aa4c3ef1576.jpg[/img][/hider] B: Navy C: Infantry D: Ranged F: [hider=Cavalry][img]https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/36/59/65/365965e6c9f9205172caa3a675ca9648.jpg[/img][/hider] [h3]Demographics:[/h3] 78% Dwarves 22% Other [h3]Agents:[/h3] ~ [u]Dynasty[/u] Merchant Level 2: Djebel Hematite Polymath Level 1: [hider=Baak Al-faiq][img]https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/4c/0b/33/4c0b3319f7a76e60c0cbda48909f731b.jpg[/img][/hider] ~ [u]State[/u] Statesman: [hider=Safwah Said][img]https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/cf/7a/bd/cf7abd1ab87278f79e6000e641016fbd.jpg[/img][/hider] General: [hider=Mimoun Oufkir][img]https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/cf/8e/78/cf8e7866c3366eeeb0b567482e122da4.jpg[/img][/hider] Admiral: [hider= Ruhul][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d7/ef/16/d7ef162a1e1bee0a86d0aeca70df9aa8.jpg[/img][/hider] Infiltrator: [hider= Jamthal Yorlik][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3f/86/29/3f86298d00d7a24462c1a8ba1a970cbc.jpg[/img][/hider] Archmage: [hider=Jaffik][img]https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/d6/c8/c4/d6c8c4fbfd6f08bff414261f9f7a19d0.jpg[/img][/hider] [h3]Estates:[/h3] ~ [u]Dynasty[/u] Port: Shop - Buy Salt! ~ [u]State[/u] Palace: Level 2 Workshop - Salt! [h3]Relations:[/h3] Fuck Galia (respectfully) Double fuck Clemento... actually, we don't talk about that situation. Losing a [s]war[/s] * advanced trade relationship* to a pimple of city state. Pray the [b]Whisper of the Sands[/b] does not find out. Orc refuse, soulless creatures to the highest bidder. Remind us to offer more cash next time. [/hider]