Kingdom of Anushken
| Capital | Mipmi |
|---|---|
| Head of State | King Aslat Anushken |
| Government Type | Monarchy |
| Cultures | ~78% Hasaapian, ~12% Silnarian, ~5% Dun Menti |
| Religions | 75% Hasaapian, 20% Silnarian, 5% Qinism |
| Population Density | Moderate |
| Population | 20 millions |
The Kingdom of the Anushken is a nation of Hasaapian people, though it's rulers may be foreign they have adopted local customs. The Hasaapian people had always existed along the Hasaap river, hemmed in between the nomadic tribes to their west and the capricious Silnarian Empire to their east. For centuries the Hasaapian people waged war upon the Silnarians, resulting in a back and forth conflict seeing the Hasaapians make great gains before being pushed back to their river. In 1001 PS, the Hasaapian tribal confederation was suddenly invaded by Ursinoid marauders from much further west, sailing straight down the river to seize Mipmi. Rather than simply plundering as the raiders would normally, they came to conquer. The invaders established the Anushken Dynasty, imposing their rule over the tribal confederations. After several years of warfare against the Silnarians, the Anushken King stole away much of Western Silnaria and imposed his rule over a vast swath of land.
The modern beastkin state is just as capricious as the Silnari they conquered. Whilst claiming to respect tradition the King has obliterated tribal structures in an attempt to copy other realms. The average Hasaapian is an exploited agricultural labourer, many of whom take to banditry to make ends meet. The Kingdom is one of the most prolific exporters and users of Slaves in the known world, the thought of being captured in a raid or in battle is utterly terrifying to those who know what it entails.
Government
In years past the Kingdom masqueraded as a tribal federation, that the King was somehow subservient to the wishes and needs of the many Hasaapian tribes. Under the rule of it's current King, this is no longer the case. The King rules with an iron fist, with absolutely no limit to his power and authority. Whilst the King faces periodic opposition to his power, he simply demands any who seem to oppose him to a duel where he publicly butchers them to assert his authority. The King delegates rule between two ruling bodies, the Despots and the Metropolitans.
The Despots are the nobility of the Kingdom. They are almost exclusively Ursinoids, with the occasionally loyal Canifor warlord. They govern vast tracts of land in the name of the King and raise armies at his command, in return they are granted protection from outside powers and relatively low taxes. The Despots receive no aid from the crown in dealing with internal matters, keeping them constantly preoccupied with ambitious warlords beneath them trying to topple them. The only areas not ruled by despots are the King's personal demesne, the cities and Eastern Rulmilia, which the King has been unable to assert lasting authority over the Brayer and Silnarian population.
The Metropolitans are the King's favoured merchants, his best administrators with a distinct lack of moral scruples. The Metropolitan councils govern the cities in his name and act as the only local government there. Unlike most mayoral and council positions across the world, the Metropolitans sole purpose is to maximise the extraction of wealth from the citizenry. The Councils self-select new members, but all must swear direct loyalty to the King himself and failure to meet the King's tax demands frequently result in executions.
Locations
- Mipmi - The traditional capital of the Hasaapians, a city located at the end of the Hasaap river. Even before the war with Silnaria it was the primary center of trade in the region, with the now highly productive Meshet iron mines and the vast amounts of cheap grains the Kingdom produces it's now the largest trade port in the west bar none.
- Meshet - The City of Iron. The Meshet iron mines are famous worldwide for their abundance and quality of their material. The Metropolitans of Meshet employ Silnarian indentured artisans to work the metal whilst relying on thousands of Canifor labourers to work gruelling hours in the mines.
- Atshim - The City of Chains. Those unfortunate to have been taken in a raid or captured post-battle end up in the vast slave markets of Atshim. The Metropolitans of Atshim are masters of both suppressing slave revolts and advertising their 'products' across the world, often purchasing merchant wharfs and harbours in faraway Kingdoms to more efficiently ship their cargo overseas. The city centre of Atshim is extremely wealthy, rivalling the most prestigious cities in the world in terms of opulence. Meanwhile the city hosts a massive slum on its outskirts, where many turn to criminality and where criminality ultimately results in slavery as punishment
The Anushken Kingdom also consists of other important provinces of note:
- The Great Lake provinces, one of the population center of Hasaap - densely populated and cultivated with commerce between them. The Hasaap river river - the center of the Hasaapian civilization - Haukkajoki river valley - the eastern most reach of Hasaapian civilization - alongside the province of Atshim.
To the far east, Silnarja, Sithran and the Glens are conquered province that are culturally, a mix of East Rulmi and Silnarian...