Dakmender
Dakmender
Religion
Traditions
yes May Raid Coasts
+20% Naval Force Limit Modifier
Sons of the ReturnIn the early 1300s, the cross-gulf slave trade reached a fever pitch that saw the Mengi states break their own prohibitions on enslaving those born in the holy land, and many Ofehibi were chained and sold to the Raheni estates. When the Bhuvauri revolt freed those enslaved in the Kharunyana Delta, many of the Ofehibi chose not to remain in Rahen but instead to return to their homes.\n\nThis group found themselves welcomed with open arms in Dakmender when they landed, and quickly established thesmelves as excellent contacts for dealings with the burgeoning Bhuvauri Republic. These 'Sons of the Return' became very wealthy from the trade with Bhuvauri, and their descendants continue their trading practices, holding great wealth and sway in the politics of Dakmender to this day.
+10% Trade Efficiency
The Ivory FleetThe harbors and shipyards of Dakmender teem with ships from Rahen, Bomdan, and Thidinkai, traders who come to buy of the rich produce of Sarhal, but also of sleek white vessels equipped for war. Painted to reflect the shining sun upon the waves and adorned with elephant and rhinocerous figureheads, the Ivory Fleet defends the shores of Dakmender as well as serving as trading vessels, its many wealthy owners yielding power over the defensive fleets to the city in times of need.
-10% Galley Cost
+10% Galley Combat Ability
Jewel of MadriamilakDakmender is the greatest city in all of Madriamilak, the only great metropolis in the Holy Land of Amalik. Founded as a trading post in the days after Harimari’s conquests and the flight of the Raghamideshi, the city has grown, been destroyed, and rebuilt twice over in its millenium of habitation. All the while it has retained its importance as the heart of Madriamilak's trade with the outside world, and Dakmender is the only place in East Sarhal to rival the cities of Rahen in size or wealth.\n\nDespite its great wealth, however, Dakmender's independence has often been tenuous, and the kingdom's finances were overleveraged during the chaos of the late 1300s slave trade. These economic woes came to a head in 1421, when the Kingdom official defaulted on its debts to powerful merchant houses in Davharral. The merchants demanded payment in property and influence, and the settling of debts resulted in increasingly direct control of Dakmender by Davharral. The fallout of the acquisition of the kingdom by Davharral would lead to the many Raghamideshi invasions of Madriamilak, and see most of the coast conquered by the end of the 1430s.
+1 Diplomatic Reputation
Gate of River and SeaUsed to directing trade up river and in gulf, the merchants of Dakmender excel anywhere that waters flow. Every kingdom of the Mengi has traded with the merchants of Dakmender, every gnoll on the caravan routes knows it is a place where great wealth can be made, every Raheni merchant recalls the great deals to be made trading in iron and men at the bazaar. Shallow-draft ships sail up and down the rivers of the east, and to enter the river systems of the mengi one must first pay tithe in Dakmender, enriching the city's coffers immensely.
+10% Caravan Power
+10% Trade Steering
Philosophical SyncretismThe cultural mixing of Raheni and Mengi is nowhere more apparent than in Dakmender. Here the fashions, faiths, and fortunes of Rahen and Sarhal intermix more readily than any other city, and the population is a blended mix of folk from both sides of the gulf. The peace is kept by a broad policy of cultural acceptance and religious freedom, and the city is home to many unique traditions that blend the traditional Amalik-worship of the Mengi with reverence for the Raheni high gods and their philosophical worship traditions.
+2 Tolerance of Heathens
Haven of the AmbitiousDakmender has long had a positive attitude to disgruntled officers from other kingdoms, a leagacy of the many waves of Raheni exiles who have fled the south and come to its shores. While other states might be cautious about embracing foreign officers, Dakmender readily accepts those who have been prevented from rising through the ranks elsewhere. The wealth of the kingdom has allowed them to pay these officers well for their experience, and while not all are capable commanders, the promise of a haven for ambitious men is a strong draw for those throughout Madriamilak who find themselves without prospects.
+1 Leader(s) without Upkeep
Oyster War Blockader RunnersThe Oyster Wars of the 18th century began as a result of Cannorian entry into the Rahen Gulf pearl trade. As market demand for gulf pearls rose, the native oyster beds rapidly depleted, and the entire fishery risked total collapse. To counteract this, several conventions were called by the Jadd and Lorentish diplomats, but the great mercantile interests of the region were largely unable to agree on quotas, and enforcement of such measures was never able to completely stem the overfishing. Dakmender was one of the core markets for the oyster trade during this time, city officials asking few questions despite official policy, and it once more grew rich on the pearl trade that replaced much of the city's earilier slave economy.
+100% Fleet Movement Speed
Ambition
+50% Trade Range
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD