Imarru-Lugal
| Imarru-Lugal | |
|---|---|
| Motto: Bringing Light to the Edge of the World | |
| Country |  The Hexarchy |
| Established | 1690 AN |
Imarru-Lugal is the name of a city founded by The Hexarchy on the Wilhelm Isles in the early days of 1690 AN. The settlement, given a name that literally translates to "Light of the King," was founded for exactly two reasons: to extend trade to neighbors places out of The Hexarchy's sovereign reach, and to extend diplomacy abroad. These days, the name now refers directly to the city, with Dromosker Island now referring to the wider territory. The territory was conquered in the 1690's AN by soldiers of fortune under the Hexarchy's flag, and the commander of the expedition cemented his rule over the island. His descendants now rule the territory in the Hexarchy's name, although the new regime is both entrenched and very highly autonomous from the central government.
Both the city and the territory it presides over is entirely self-governed. While not considered one of the Realms, the territory's importance as an offshore embassy of sorts as well as a vital trading link lends the city and the island considerable importance. As The Hexarchy lacks a blue-water navy, it depends on maintaining friendly diplomatic ties with nations from both the Raspur Pact and the territory's growing maritime neighbor in Çakaristan to deter aggression against the isolated territory. The island, nonetheless, is still equipped with a very strong security force to deter pirates, as well as a very large (and increasingly loyal) native population infamous for its cannibalistic practices. (This same reputation for vicious cannibals has, ironically, kept pirates away while directing commerce towards the island's capital port city, where such a reputation no longer exists.)
The city's freeport status is a tool that both the settlers and The Hexarchy's central government hope to act as a tool to modernize the nation through trade, as well as establish a source of income due to the island's resort-like climate -- especially in the countryside outside of the relatively small port city. These factors, in tandem with the island's excellent location, are hoped to bring the island (and its mother country) significant investment opportunities at home and abroad, and to serve as a model of the country's ongoing modernization. The main factor initially holding back trade since the Askerr War in 1690-91 AN was the city's relatively small area, although control over the island was secured through separate arrangements with the natives over "mana rights." By the 1720's, increasing home rule powers led to the signing of the Treaty of Portpur, which established a customs union with the surrounding Çakari territories in the Skerry Isles.
History
Pre-Colonization
Early Settlement
As of 1690, the island had only about 50,000 inhabitants in total, sent in small waves in privately chartered vessels from the mainland. This consists in part of new settlers (about a quarter of the population), traders (about ten percent) and skilled construction workers sent to accommodate them (another 15 percent). A significant portion of the population (nearly 40%) also includes travelers heavily laden with debt, who exchanged a trip there and fifteen years of (paid) labor in exchange for having their debts, crimes, or other minor transgressions against others (and the state) forgiven. The remaining portion of the population is a security force meant to keep the islanders safe from either malcontent laborers or from pirates.
Interactions[1] between these settlers and the original inhabitants of the island, initially amicable, quickly broke down following an unfortunate banquet held on the lake-island settlement of Calēkhōpraksis which ended in an emissary's spilt entrails roasting on a grill before his eyes whilst native braves wetted their spearpoints in the gaping abdominal wound. The culinary redistribution of mana that ensued helped to embolden the lugals of the seven inter-connected 'swamp valleys' radiating from the lake in preparation for the interesting times ahead.
This resulted in an all-out war waged against the islanders in an effort to subjugate them and successfully colonize the island, since failure would have egregious political consequences back home. To this day, the resulting war is permanently etched onto the Askerr minds of the island, and is sometimes held as a day of grief, when the lugals took in evil mana from a source that proved to be their destruction.
The Askerr War
The so-called "Great" Askerr War was the conflict fought in the wake of The Hexarchy's settlement of the island of the same name. The conflict was fought between the settlers of the island, who were from various places of The Hexarchy (and elsewhere), and the natives of the island, who had proven unable to be subjugated by past settlers of the island. The natives, prone to cannibalism and constant warfare with others, successfully resisted all prior incursions deep into the island and instead practiced cannibalism on the very people claiming to be their colonial rulers.
Following the murder of an emissary at the hands of the cannibals, the Chief of the settlement, Eru Tepesh, vowed to subjugate the natives and bring peace to the island. Following his decision to bring the island's secretly imported dragons to bear, the war was greatly shortened -- at extreme cost to those natives that opposed his rule over the island the longest. Although the bulk of the fighting occurred only in the first few months of the war, the conflict still lasted until late 1691, due to the fact that natives from neighboring islands continued to wage a guerrilla campaign until they themselves were subjugated at the hands of other local powers.
Modernization (1692-)
Following the conclusion of the war, the regional government was reorganized into several key areas, with the capital still situated at the territory's namesake to the eastern end of the island. Several naval and army bases were established by the settlers at scattered points, and the natives' cannibalistic practices were harshly curtailed in an effort to modernize the local laws, force a swifter long-term subjugation process, and control the local chiefs by restricting the amount of mana they had access to. With the island's long era of constant violence at an end, the natives themselves began to adapt to their new rulers' customs, which surprisingly mirrored many of their own.
With a new supreme overlord on the island (himself answering to a bigger man far away), the natives found themselves wielding their weapons for a renewed purpose. The island's infrastructure was rebuilt and enhanced such that the islanders had never seen this level of prosperity. Food and resources flowed like water, and the population immediately began to grow as the natives' children experienced a much lower mortality and more settlers moved in from the mainland. By the end of 1693, a rail network existed that connected the island's major settlements and allowed for peaceful trade to exist between the Hexarchians, the Dromosker, and their neighbors across the Skerry Sea.
The full pacification of the island was considered complete in 1699, with the inauguration of Sargon Gilgamesh-Pilagga Azulpolassar, second son of Praetor Gilgamesh II, as the ceremonial Prince of Imarru-Lugal. The governor Eru Tepesh was made Duke of Dromosker Island, in recognition of his efforts to settle and pacify the island. While the Duke was expected to step down as governor in 1700 AN following popular elections on the island for the same post, he instead cemented power by securing native loyalties. He succeeded in passing control of the island to his son, Eru Tepesh II, in 1702. Eru II consolidated native loyalty and control of the island to the degree where he was immovable as a political leader. In 1724, he was installed as Prince of Dromosker Island on the election of the new Praetor, Sargon Azulpolassar I.
