Isagumze
Isagumze
Religion
Traditions
+15% Fort Defence
+10% National Tax Modifier
The Ghosts of IsagumzeA Cannorian traveler bursts into a tavern in the capital of Isagumze, utterly terrified, telling the confused patrons that he has miraculously escaped from a group of terrifying ghosts he encountered while visiting the nearby jungle. He saw beings with skin white as chalk, with scaly growths on their waists and backs and serrated teeth like those of a shark. When a group fitting this description enters the tavern, the traveler’s shriek of fear is drowned out by the uproarious laughter of the locals. \n\nThe ‘ghosts’ are none other than the Ikishebe hunters and warriors, who traditionally sharpen their teeth into points, cover their skin with ash mixed with tree sap (following the old belief that the sap gives them the strength of the trees), and wear cloaks and belts of lizardfolk skin. The terror inflicted on this unsuspecting traveler is nothing compared to the terror they inflict on Isagumze's enemies, whom they harass with effective guerrilla tactics, to the point that many of their foes would rather fight actual ghosts than these brave and skilled warriors.
+1 Attrition for Enemies
Kulugi AbeThe Kulugi Abe or Good People are the traditional ruling class of Isagumze, an extremely conservative warrior-elite that frequently clashes with the more reformist-minded monarchy and the progressive nouveau-riche in the capital. They consider themselves descendants of the greatest heroes of the Ikilshebe Exodus, and being extremely proud of this heritage they follow a series of distinctive practices to signal themselves as belonging to this elite. \n\nChief among these is ritualized wrestling, a fighting form that they have elevated to almost art level, and whose practitioners are among the most respected members of Isagumze’s society. The burial places of famous wrestlers are turned into wrestling rings, so that their descendants can honor them in their fights. The Kulugi Abe also settle minor disputes amongst themselves in wrestling trials, using it as a way to ask for the judgment of their ancestors.
+10% Infantry Combat Ability
Sworn Protectors of HorasheshThe Ikilshebe people have always prided themselves on being the only thing standing between their northern neighbors and the lizardfolk menace in the south, believing that the rest of their Irsukaba brethren could not defend themselves without them, much less the native Vurebindu people. The gigantic lizardfolk hordes would surely invade them if the reptiles weren’t too terrified of the brave people of Isagumze to even think about it, an idea that has generated a bit of a superiority complex. \n\nAlthough their neighbors don’t appreciate the condescending attitude resulting from this, most of them recognize the importance of their labors. However, some voices question whether the accounts of the Ikilshebe about the dangers posed by the lizardfolk can be trusted, believing that the creatures could be negotiated with, and that the ruthless and cruel practices of the Ikilshebe are only breeding more hostility between the races. This is a belief that the monarchs of Isagumze put great effort into suppressing.
+1 Yearly Prestige
Factionalist MistrustIsagumze isn’t really an isolationist state, but it isn’t an open one either, and foreign diplomats often find themselves harassed, questioned and spied on. This mistrust is a result of the rivalry between the monarchy and the Kulugi Abe, as the former frequently suspects diplomats to be secretly conspiring with the traditional nobility to fragment and weaken the kingdom, and the latter believe them to be collaborating with the monarchy to end their privileges and ban their traditions. Although this has sometimes made the relations of Isagumze with their neighbors difficult, it has also helped the country get rid of hostile infiltrators, as at least one of every three diplomats expelled or imprisoned for espionage was probably a real spy.
+25% Foreign Spy Detection
Scale HuntersLizardfolk scales are tough and resistant, providing the creatures with excellent natural armor. This didn’t go unnoticed by the warriors and hunters of the Ikilshebe during their migration, and they didn’t let the many reptiles slain during this conquest go to waste, skinning them and treating the scales to produce a high quality lizardfolk leather, which could be used to make an excellent scaled light armor. In addition to its defensive properties, the Ikilshebe soon came to appreciate this leather for its aesthetic value, and the elites of the kingdom competed amongst themselves in hunting the most beautifully scaled lizardfolk, turning them into magnificent armor as a way to show their status and stand out in battle. There is a particular preference for the serpentine naga, whose scales only the greatest chiefs and the kings wear. This practice eventually achieved so much fame both in the realm and abroad that it became one of the main Ikilshebe signs of identity, even giving its name to their recently-founded kingdom, Isagumze, Scale Hunters in Irsukaba.
-10% Shock Damage Received
The Great AmbitionAround the 7th century the great warrior Nyokyora led the Ikilshebe people in their migration to the south, pushing the lizardfolk out of their old lands and founding the kingdom of Isagumze in them. Since then, the people of this realm have seen the completion of this conquest as their sacred duty, wishing to carve out a mighty empire from the lands of the lizards and show themselves as worthy heirs of Nyokyora. This ambition even pushed them to bend the knee to Kheterata, in hopes of getting from them the resources needed to fulfill their destiny, but the authority of the Khet in Horashesh collapsed before this could come to be. \n\nThese setbacks did not demotivate the Ikilshebe, and they would continue to pursue this goal for centuries, organizing campaign after campaign against the lizards. Their firm conviction was that one day their dream would come true, and their long-wished empire would stand glorious and invincible, finally earning the approval of their god and ancestor.
-10% Core-Creation Cost
The Battle BondThe internal tensions between traditionalism and reformism in the kingdom of Isagumze find an outlet in the ambitions of expansion to the south, shared by both the conservative nobility of the countryside and progressive circles in the capital. The campaigns to the south offer a great opportunity to earn material wealth and eternal glory, both for the individual and for the kingdom as a whole, and the shared battle experiences are often enough to turn fierce political rivals into good friends. This has allowed the monarchy to avoid open conflict on more than one occasion, as men who return from war together hesitate to spill each other's blood.
-15% Stability Cost Modifier
Ambition
+0.5 Yearly Army Tradition
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD