Isolation of Anzu-Nergal & Nippur
After the collapse of military authority from The Hexarchy north of the Fort Defiance area, the regions surrounding Naith, Amon Dae, and Luna's Vale became economically and politically stranded. Lacking concrete connections to the outside world, the constant trade in agricultural products with the outside world ceased, and there was a shortage of grain products in the area. While there were sufficient local stores and arable land to feed the region for the next ten to fifteen years, the strain beyond that point would be too much for the natives to handle.
The isolation of these two territories would lead to them holding an impromptu summit, then negotating with Hurmu for their integration, with Emperor Anarion of the Imperial Federation and former Senator of the Lakes as both a proxy and guarantor of native rights. These negotiations resulted in the Anzu-Nergal & Nippur Act of 1757.
Background
Anzu-Nergal
The mineral wealth of the region known as Anzu-Nergal was enormous due to years of internal development by 1756 AN, but the area lay in a nigh-impossible passage of the central Keltian Mountains, among the tallest and most treacherous in the world. This restricted trade strictly within its own region to a north-south axis, excepting the agriculturally productive city of Amon Dae. The north axis had already ceased to exist following the Lysstyrer cataclysm a few decades prior, and the region was forced to find ways to become self-sufficient while transporting its substantial mineral wealth south to the rest of The Hexarchy to support trade. By 1750 AN, however, other mineral sources had been discovered near Marduk and the country had entered a series of political crises, leading to its near-collapse during that year and had barely salvaged its core territory by 1757 AN.
By that point, it was already too late, and its entire northern territory had broken off or otherwise become lost to The Green. Naith was one of the few that was naturally fortified, highly populous, technologically advanced, and self-sustaining enough to negotiate with other powers for economic and political guarantees. However, Naith and the surrounding cities were unable to attain their own independence in the aftermath of its sudden loss of contact with their erstwhile overlords. Their compact territory in the middle of Keltia's impassable mountain ranges, and high population also an invasion a near-impossibility, but the vulnerability of this territory was still obvious to any trained eye. The regional population of nearly 10 million needed to resume trade and find new political guarantors, or face hard choices as the years dragged on.
Nippur
Nippur's situation was the polar opposite. Known until only a few short years before as New Nippuur, the region was founded with assistance by Karnak to resettle displaced natives following political strife in Eridu and the rest of The Hexarchy several generations ago. However, the region remained sparsely populated due to slow growth. With barely half a million people in total, nearly a third was concentrated in the settlement of Pi-Memphis, named after a forgotten place in its original sponsor of Karnak.
However, its old friend Karnak was far away and unable to assist Nippur's territorial defense on its own, especially with the loss of its own authority in West Karnak and the Great Sandy Desert. The loss of Pschent Sozer With The Hexarchy in a state of near-collapse for nearly a decade, the already-isolated territory was left to fend for itself. And the small population simply could not accomplish this feat with a stretch of open, level coast that large. Its borders with the recently formed realm of Samhold and Karnamark were largely undefined, the territory lacked a credible means of self-defense, and it depended entirely on neighbors for trade.
With both territories facing a similar set of long-term problems, integration with a neighbor was the only feasible possibility. Hurmu was the only obvious choice for both regions, but both territories wished to approach the matter from a position of strength, whether together or separately.
The Naith Summit of 1756 AN
Needs Are Expressed
The two regions acted quickly, and held a summit at Naith, as well-defended as it was from incursions from The Green and nigh-impossible for a foreign hostile power to attack. Seeing the attempted coups on Dromosker Island, the natives were unwilling to take any risks, and eyed their much larger neighbors with intense suspicion -- likely also the result of decades of covert influence campaigns from The Hexarchy and foreign propagandists alike.
While integration with the only other credible power of Hurmu was the only obvious choice, Nippur almost entirely lacked a bargaining position and Anzu-Nergal lacked the political connections needed for any diplomatic breakthroughs. Afraid of annihilation either by conquest or the slow passage of time next to a much larger neighbor, Naith wished to began seeking guarantors of the natives' rights within this region. And Anzu-Nergal's representatives agreed, for the fact that they could achieve maximum advantage at the negotiating table.
Nippur was designated to find the intermediary required for talks with the Senate of the Lakes. Among those currently or recently sitting in Senate of the Lakes, only one filled a position of trust among the natives, a respected position within Hurmu, and holding access to sufficient military force to hold any guarantees within (and against) any other they felt necessary: Anarion the current Emperor of the Imperial Federation. The best way to reach this faraway ruler was through his distant grandsire -- and his successor within the Senate of the Lakes: Nobunag'an Ral IV, Emperor Emeritus of the Imperial Federation, who enjoyed unparalleled influence in that nation.
An Intermediary Is Chosen
Their mutual intermediary chosen, the two territories agreed to approach Nobunag'an, whose terms were bluntly laid out: their guarantor would need to have a permanent stake in the resulting debate if the Hurmu Senate were to be convinced of anything substantive. Negotiations were swift: the guarantor would be given a purely ceremonial title as head of the realm, while governance would be kept local. However, their heir would need to be both close to one of these territories, and be an actual ruler within their government. The three parties approached Anarion, their would-be guarantor, who accepted these terms, on the additional stipulation that the new "Overlord" would not be the next Emperor of the Imperial Federation, as that would lead to an eternity of low-level conflict of sovereignty with Hurmu, and strain relations between the two powers after three decades of hard-won (if quiet) cooperation.
Nippur rejected the concept of a foreign-born leader eventually ruling the territory. They felt it would be a several-way conflict of interest, despite the benefits involved. However, they accepted Nobunag'an on different terms as an intermediary for a separate conversation. The council of chiefs elected to pursue purely domestic leadership, and were willing to trade off external political and economic independence. The territory was small and the economy insufficient for sustained growth, they felt, so more direct relations with Hurmu's other realms would be more preferred. As an act of gratitude, they granted Nobunag'an a hereditary chieftain's title, with attendant chieftain's rights within Nipper, along with lands near the capital. But, this boon would only be granted on condition that Nippur received autonomy and related guarantees at the end of negotiations.
Anzu-Nergal, in contrast, was eager to have such an important house as their nominal overlord, despite necessary changes they would be obliged to implement in the coming years. The lords of the region had two dozen choices for an heir to their nominal overlord. Emperor Anarion had a great many children, all of whom were extremely competent individuals after some fashion or another. And most were unmarried, increasing possibilities of territorial prestige through intermarriage, and only one could become Emperor. Naith's leadership foresaw that, three generations from their present circumstances, they would enjoy a much-enhanced position. They would boast a native-born overlord with several extremely lucrative gifts for the territory: they would hail from a long-lived family, a world-class family name, and they would claim direct descent from ruling leaders of three of Micras's great powers (Cakaristan, Imperial Federation, and the Order of the Holy Lakes) -- even if said powers did not always see eye-to-eye.
Negotiations with Hurmu
Thanks to the leverage and connections Nobunag'an brought to the table, the Senate of the Lakes was open to the old Ralgonese leader's proposals. Negotiations were swift. After a few weeks of talks within the Senate, both territories got nearly every political concession they asked for, based on their relative size and importance.
Anzu-Nergal named Anarion as Overlord of Anzu-Nergal in immediate response, as a token of their commitment and as a strong guarantor of their rights within the Realm of the Holy Lakes, and named Naith as the territory of the capital. They asked for the large cities and environs of Naith, Amon Dae, and Luna's Veil to be incorporated as part of their Realm. They did not receive these concessions, but retained the metropolitan area surrounding Naith and retained certain native title privileges in exchange. These cities, in return, pledged loyalty to the Order and forswore future attempts at rejoining the Hexarchy while the Order held sovereignty within Keltia. Anzu-Nergal could resume trade to the north posthaste for agricultural products, and also continue exporting its vast surplus of mineral output. This would bring the region and its nearly ten million people to greater prosperity.
Nippur named Pi-Memphis as its capital. While they accepted the reduction of native-held territory and the suzerainty of Samhold and Karnamark, in exchange they gained both complete autonomy within their designated territory within that Realm. Nippur also received native title concessions within both Nippur and in Samhold and Karnamark, granting certain land and coastal rights to the natives. This action would place their people in a better position than they were under The Hexarchy and bring prosperity to both sides due to the greatly extended coastal access offered by Nippur.
