Mattahuk Alliance
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The hillsides around Mattahuk, the lands near the sea, are much less impressive than in the rest of the Great Hills area. The Mattahuk Alliance is less a true nation and more of a confederation of city-states. The ruler of each sits on the Mattahuk Council, a gathering hosted by the Mattahuk Court, a Terrestrial Court in the area. The primary concern of the Alliance is to protect the area from Delzahn invaders and ensure some kind of alliance in order to keep outside influence like the Guild from seizing too much power obliquely.
The Mattahuk Court meets in an ancient First Age manse, of Sidereal aspect. The Court proper meets on the new moon every month, while the Alliance meets once a season during the Full Moon. Generally speaking, those who gather here for these meetings are diplomats and ambassadors, though occasionally the rulers of these individual city-states may make an appearance. Once a year, during the Season of Air, the rulers themselves are expected to meet personally, during the full moon in the month of Resplendent Air.
The Mattahuk Alliance has ensured that a number of pieces of infrastructure are accomplished to their mutual good, including the maintenance of the Humble Road of Mattahuk, a road that makes a circular circuit from Shalha Bay, through Nudrom'in, Arumpai, Muvah's Doubt and back up to Shalha Bay, with its only branch leading into Toshukal (though one of the glass roads that leads to Chiaroscuro intersects it between Nudrom'in and Arumpai).
The Mattahuk once feared intereference from the Realm, due to their close association with the Matthuk Court, necessitating keeping that connection fairly secret, but they have decided they have less to worry about in recent years.
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Nudrom'in
Pop. 20,000
The ranches of Nudrom'in are famous throughout the Great Hills for their horses. The city itself sponsors a great Spring Bazaar every spring, a tremendous week-long festival where young foals are looked over and judged, with many buyers flocking to the city. This festival also features a variety of shows, including displays of horse archery, mock battles and races.
Nudrom'in, like many of the cities in the Mattahuk Alliance has a fair-sized population of settled Delzahn, and they bring their expertise with horses to the markets. Nudrom'in is a stop for many merchants to the area, as these horses can often be sold for quite handsome sums elsewhere.
Nudrom'in is ruled by a prince, named Hatmedh Bashar. Bashar is a fair man, and new to the throne, though he has the love of his people. Hatmedh is also the favored of the City Father of Nudrom'in, the Stallion of the Windswept Plains.
Arumpai
Pop. 16,000
Arumpai is the slaving capitol of the Mattahuk Alliance, which depends fairly heavily on slave labor for crops and other menial tasks. Most Guild slaver caravans make a point of stopping off here on their way to other places, usually traveling up the river from Chiaroscuro in order to do so with ease.
At the center of Arumpai is the Dias of the Ancients, an impressive platform of First Age construction that serves as the auction block for slavers in the Great Market of Arumpai. Across the square from the Dias of the Ancients is the Bastion of Prosperity, the massive Guild headquarters for the Mattahuk Alliance. The Bastion of Prosperity has incredibly extensive slave storage facilities.
Slaving is not Arumpai's only industry, however. It is also known for its light-weave clothing and fine leatherworks. Its agricultural villages specialize in the growing of cotton.
Shalha Bay
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Pop. 23,000
Shalha Bay is the Mattahuk Alliance's seaport and provides quite a prosperous market and influx of traders who make the circuit of the cities on the Humble Road. Shalha Bay itself is ruled by a house of petty nobles who call themselves the Ramelek Dynasty. Locals know that the Ramelek family is descended from a family of pirates who decided to make more out of this bay, which was used for smuggling. Eventually, it grew into the city it is today, and they remain in power. It is know that the Rameleks have some sort of alliance with the elementals of their bay, in addition to being on excellent terms with the god of the Humble Road and the City Mother of Shalha Bay.
Muvah's Doubt
Pop. 19,000
Originally called Muvah's Redoubt, this city was originally founded by wanderers who survived the Contagion by fleeing into the wilderness. Led out of the wilderness by a pair of Dragon-Blooded who found them nearly starving and at the mercy of the Delzahn, the Earth-aspect Muvah built them a great redoubt wall to protect them, while the Wood-aspect Mashis developed for them agriculture suited to the area. They departed thereafter, but not before leaving several of the local women gratefully pregnant.
In the years since, Muvah's Doubt has seen a variety of Dragon-Blooded children here and there. Usually, these are snatched up by the Realm, but the local tradition marks them as the protectors — but not rulers — of the town. The last Exaltation in Muvah's Doubt was nearly a decade ago, though, and that child ended up on the Blessed Isle, in service to the Immaculate Order.
Muvah's Doubt is ruled by the Defender's Council, a council made up of those who have sworn to lead the forces of Muvah and defend its walls against those who would breach it — particularly the Delzahn, who are not well liked here.
