Hisost Yamok
Hisost Yamok
Religion
Traditions
+15% Cavalry Combat Ability
+10% Domestic Trade Power
Born From LittleThe Keygas River forms the northern border of Amilak’s domain, beyond which lie savannas and deserts full of roaming gnollish packs, no civilization to be found. Yet, many Mengi sought to expand into this hostile, empty land. They built settlements on the west bank, initially as trading posts with the gnolls. Over time, these settlements grew into proper cities in their own right, even as they came increasingly under attack by the wild barbarians. Yet by the 1300s, all but four of these kingdoms were gone, hugging the great bend of the Keygas between Matamot and Dakmender.\n\nIn 1309, a disgraced prince from Matamot named Sanzon crossed the Keygas with an army of mercenaries, seeking to build a kingdom of his own. Over the course of 5 years, he conquered the four remnant kingdoms of the left bank, founding the kingdom of Hisost Yamok. Sanzon would go on to reign for another 33 years, pushing inland and decreeing a series of laws that incited a wave of immigration to his land. His successors would continue his immigrant friendly policies, helping to develop the seemingly untameable savanna.
-10% Construction Cost
Seble, The Indomitable QueenIn 1442, Raheni colonizers, looking to expand their reach further up the river Keygas, assassinated the king of Hisost Yamok. The kingdom was left with only his 9 year-old daughter, Seble, available to take the throne. The plan was that his death would throw the nation into chaos, but this goal was so nakedly obvious to the people of Hisost Yamok that it backfired. The country rallied around Seble and swore revenge on the Raheni colonizers for their vain attempts to tear the country apart.\n\nSeble herself grew up to be a particularly ferocious foe to the Raheni, and a constant thorn in their side for her entire life. Fueled by revenge, she led an invasion force at the age of 18 into Madriamilak's northern coast. In a string of remarkable victories, she laid siege to the outposts of Prukakhin and Davharral, eventually forcing them to flee the colonies.
+10% Morale Damage
Divine DiarchyThe northern border of the holy lands of Madriamilak is very clear: Everywhere north of the Keygas River was not part of Amilak’s domain. This led the people of Hisost Yamok to have a slightly different relationship with their faith than other Mengi. You and your neighbors lived beyond the frontier in lands not blessed by Amilak and had to band together and use every resource you could find to survive and stay true to your beliefs.\n\nThese beliefs were influenced heavily by the large fieldstalker gnoll population that lived in the region. Unlike their brethren elsewhere in Sarhal and Bulwar, most fieldstalker gnolls never adopted demon-worship and instead followed Kvangahga, a faith that also valued resourcefulness and interdependence. Although the humans still primarily worship Amilak, it’s not uncommon to find tools branded with the symbol of Kvanga as a nod to the two gods, seen as working in tandem with each other.
+2 Tolerance of the True Faith
AwirenyaSince ancient times our people have seen rhinos as sacred animals, worthy of respect due to their strength and indomitable spirit. Killing one is seen as great sacrilege and punished by death. Only those born of noble blood are worthy enough to become Awirenya, the Rhino Riders.\n\nThey see their rhinos as friends and companions, both when riding through savanna and when charging into battle. To be an Awirenya is to obtain great prestige, as even among royalty only those who are chosen by the animal themself to create a bond of rider and mount can win this title. Those who are rejected are often wounded or even trampled to death.\n\nTraditional Awirenya charges were simple yet effective. However as warfare changed, so did the tactics. In the era of gunpowder it became popular to put steel armor on the rhino, to help its skin repel bullets more effectively.
+0.25 Cavalry Shock
The RabwagBefore she came of age, Seble had been fed story after story of the Raheni’s decrepit actions and told that she must lead the Ofehibi people in the name of revenge. This much she absorbed and saw as her duty to perform, but where she differed from her advisors was that this should be the sole duty of the Ofehibi. She had been taken on many expeditions to meet with gnoll traders to secure weapons for her army as a teenager, and was impressed by the guards that traveled with the gnoll caravans, who towered over her own royal guards once they dismounted their rhinos.\n\nAt the age of 16, in her first decree dictated solely by herself and not the regency council, she announced that the many gnolls living in Hisost Yamok would be integrated into the military. These would be known as the Rabwag; a lightly armored infantry unit that moved in a loose formation, able to keep up with the pace of the rhino cavalry. The increased speed of these forces is a large part of why Seble was able to out-maneuver the Raheni forces in the capture of the northern coast of Madriamilak.
+15% Movement Speed
The Sarkamipi StruggleWhile historically the people of Hisost Yamok had enjoyed a cordial relationship with the fieldstalker gnolls that lived to the north, that started to change as the gnolls organized into a singular state. This new rising power, Haraagtseda, quickly became an existential issue when their expansionist intent grew more clear.\n\nIn 1481, Haraagtseda invaded and laid siege to the capital city. Reinforcements were able to break the siege before the situation grew too dire, but the event prompted the then 48-year-old queen to start reinforcing the northern border. The homeland of Hisost Yamok wasn’t blessed with naturally defensible terrain, so the fortifications were built out of earthwork with large moats dug around them and a short stone wall on the other side. These Grass Forts, as they were known, were quick to construct and significantly more effective than their simplistic structure would lead one to believe.
-15% Fort Maintenance
A Gnollish Mengi KingThe border with Haraagtseda continued to be a dangerous place for very many years, long after Queen Seble passed away. The growing tension extended to the gnoll population who lived in Hisost Yamok, with voices growing larger each year that they couldn’t trust the military if it was staffed with gnolls. Seble’s great-grandson, King Imra, made it his task to reform the army and ensure no gnolls could hold a position higher than a basic foot soldier. Any gnoll who tried to give orders would be court-martialed and possibly executed.\n\nWithin a week of passing the decree, a coup d'etat was staged against Imra and he was beheaded by one of his gnoll generals, who assumed the throne. This threatened to break out into a full civil war, but the new gnollish royal family had the full support of the Awirenya. Generations of rhino cavalry riders had fought side-by-side with their gnollish comrades. To demote gnolls to second-class citizens was seen by them as treason against the state itself. Any human or gnoll who tried to break this historic bond was not seen as worthy of leading their country.
+2 Max Promoted Cultures
Ambition
+1 Diplomats
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD