Mankata

On the northeastern island of Mantirrus, connected to Hydra by a narrow neck of land about wide enough for two wide carts to travel, with sharp cliffs on either side, is the realm of Mankata, ruled by the Laibon, or high king of many tribes. The humans of this human-dominated realm are largely dark-skinned, ranging in shade from a light ochre hue to a deep near-indigo, though their hair colors and textures can vary quite a bit, thanks to the blood of other races on Therafim, most notably fey and merfolk. Mankata is ruled by the Laibon, who works together with the Council of Elders to decide matters of state. The Council of Elders is elected every decade by the citizens of Mankata, numbering one council member for every full forty able-bodied adults able to bear weapons that any tribe or city can muster. The Council of Elders largely deals with civil matters, legal concerns, and disputes between the tribes that make up the people of Mankata, often requiring them to travel a great deal over the realm, while the Laibon's authority is in commanding the armies of Mankata, gathering and mustering troops, and counting able-bodied warriors from different regions as he does so, to allow the tally of elders to be elected to the council to be chosen.

Most of the land of Mankata is light forest, much of which has been cut down to make way for herding and farmland, possible because Mantirrus gets slightly less rain than the rest of Hydra, thanks to the intervening Obsidian Fist range, which means that topsoil is not washed away in the deluge that hits most of Hydra during the wet season. This makes the land quite fertile, and excellent for agriculture, forming the solid base of the Mankata military, which relies on the food from these fertile lands to keep operating.

Normally a reasonably large, military-minded nation like Mankata might prove to be a danger to its neighbors. However, in this case, Mankata's behavior is perfect for its situation, since its closest neighbors are the dwarves of Obsidia in their nigh-impenetrable mountain fastness, and the yuan-ti of Cobra's Hood, to say nothing of the many countless tribes and dangerous creatures that lurk in the Jungle of Hydra. It is this second group that keeps the Laibon awake at night, for the yuan-ti are constantly scheming to subvert and overthrow Mankata, and bring it under the dominion of the Cobra's Hood, swallowing the human nation like a snake swallows bird eggs.

There are three major classes of people in Mankata, named after animals, even though they are primarily human in composition. The first are the cattle people, those who tend to the farms and herds of the land, who hold the size of their flocks, and especially their cattle, to be a sign of their wealth and prestige. Then there are the jaguar people, jungle tribes that are only barely tamed, and willing to work with the other people of Mankata. Finally, there are the lion people, who have forsaken their former tribes, whatever they might be, in order to serve the Laibon as part of the army of Mankata, whenever and wherever they might be called to serve. The lion people are known to form their own tribal groups, apart from others, based upon their military squads, and bring their families with them. There is also a special group, called Amazons, an all-female tribe of lion people who found that they could fight as well as any man, and desired to have a separate unit to allow them to better do what they felt was their calling. Leaving their husbands and children among their former tribes, Amazons are considered equal with men in the normally patriarchal society of Mantaka, and are known to be some of the most dangerous archers and spear users in the army of the realm.

Military service is required of all who citizens of Mankata are able to serve, for a period of four years, starting at the age of twenty-one (among the humans, at least), when a person is considered an adult. Outsiders, such as those from mainland tribes, who wish to become citizens of Mankata must also serve in the military for four years if they are able, to show their devotion to the nation.

Major Races: Humans; Halflings; Scaleyfolk; Beastfolk.

Government: Republican Monarchy

Nation Alignment: Lawful Good

Major Cities:
Karna: The capital of Mankata, standing right on the border between the narrow neck leading to the mainland of Hydra, and the rest of Mantirrus. Karna is the Laibon's city, where military forces are mustered to make sorties into the Jungle, and also to rally for defense against any assaults from the jungle, either from hostile tribes, from yuan-ti forces, or from rogue beasts and monsters, either from the land or from the sea. Karna is also close to some of the most fertile farmland of Mantirrus, and the major point of trade between Obsidia and Mankata.

Khalid: Noted for its flat-topped roofs, taking after the style found in Crescent's cities, Khalid is the northernmost city of Mankata, far from the front lines of Karna. As such, Khalid is a trade city, shipping the products of its fruitful fields over all of Therafim, trading primarily with Crescent and Heaven's Tear. Khalid is also the least lawful of all the cities of Mankata, and there is a sizable criminal element that has taken root in this city, though they are nowhere are large or as powerful as in other parts of the world, thanks to regular efforts from the Laibon to keep order in the realm. This city has also been subtly infiltrated by the yuan-ti, though they must be constantly on the watch to keep from being discovered and rooted out. From Khalid, these covert yuan-ti agents often stage infiltrations to points all over the rest of the world to carry out the yuan-ti agenda.

Shikadi: Just north of Khalid, Shikadi is the biggest farming community of Mankata, and the home of the Bazaar, where all manner of things can be bought and sold. It is here that farmers come from all over to sell their goods and buy the things that they need, and where all travellers can almost certainly find whatever they need…provided that it is legal, of course, for the Council of Elders do not hesitate to call upon the Laibon if they feel there is a need for intervention to prevent corruption of the marketplace.