Reg'naat (Rehj-naa)
The Jewel of Land and Sea
This shining city is the single standing bastion of mortals located within the Regani Desert. A dry and arid climate where little can live and grow, the Regani people have endured against all odds to create the most beautiful and bustling city in all the Mortal Realm. An expansive and ever-welcoming port city, merchants from all city-states travel far and wide to their shore. Their exotic riches draw the attention of mortals and dragons alike. Many things can be found and nearly anything can be bought for the right price.
A City of Water and Gold
Located within the desert, the government relies heavily on the use of the Grand Canal to guide and control the waters of the Reg'naii River through the city. The river brings life granting water to its citizens from the deep inland, underground basins and flow outward into the ocean. This canal also brings in massive trade from the other city-states. The river supplies water for drinking and cultivation of crops and is the city-state’s most valued and protected resource. A close second are their vast metal mines to export great valuables. Such resources however, act as extremely tantalizing targets for dragons to claim and the government is constantly at work to protect them. The city is primarily a trade city and prospers greatly off the hordes of visiting merchants. Much of the state’s culture has evolved around this and many of its most prosperous individuals have risen through the cutthroat trade business, forming powerful syndicates to protect their interests. Most citizens are more flexible to whatever strange circumstances present themselves when compared to the other city-states, so long as they stand to gain from whatever is presented. Reg’naat stands out as well regarding how it is ruled. Every other city-state has a recognized and official state government, Reg’naat is instead lead by an unofficial coalition of the state’s most powerful merchant lords. Each representing their syndicate’s interests. Many assumed that the state would have collapsed long ago to internal strife as the syndicates competing interests for increasing profits and territory would have sparked civil war. The syndicates know that nothing is worse for business than dragon attacks and civil war would leave them all vulnerable to even more of these. The syndicates work tirelessly to try and maintain a balance of protecting the state, and by extension their profits, while also playing their schemes against one another.Everyone Has a Price
Reg'naat has a standing military force of comparable size to most of the other city-states. One of its primary roles it finds itself in is as a peacekeeping police force within the city to try and keep syndicate conflicts from escalating. The military is heavily bolstered by a veritable army of mercenaries and sell-swords hired by the merchant syndicates. The army of mercenaries rivals, if not surpasses, the standing guard in size and is preferable to the syndicates this way. While they primarily act to protect the syndicate interests, dragons are bad for everyone’s business and are frequently loaned out to the army to support their operations. This effectively creates the largest armed force of any city-state. Their extensive trade connections also allow for the city-state to acquire special resources from the different corners of the Mortal Realm such as the occasional academy mage, guns or even the rare dragon rider loaning their services.Dragon Slaying
The practice is officially condemned, though the syndicates (and by extension all of Reg'naat) are mostly apathetic to any dragon slayers within the city. Most prefer to avoid resorting to their services and use their soldiers or mercenaries. Dragon slayers represent a costly and risky expense. When desperate their services are contracted, however the government will act quickly to punish any agents they deem to be stepping out of line or causing problems for business.
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Trade Partners
Merkonus remains begrudging trade partners due to the regular large shipments of metals and ores needed for the city's horde of mechanical projects. Reg'naat is happy to provide these materials for large profit and keeping trade channels open for easier means of smugglers to deliver precious black powder products and weapons. Merkonus is aware of this illegal trade and works hard to stamp it out, but must work with hands partially tied to keep the flow of materials running.
Trade Partners
Deuria and Reg'naat remain on friendly terms due to the high amounts of trade between the two cities. Deuria gets access to a wide variety of precious metals and gems used for their research and development of new projects. Meanwhile, Reg'naat gets access to the large amounts of food and coin. Outside of this, they largely stay out of each other's way.
Non-aggression pact
Reg'naat cares very little for Dracheim and their title as traitors. Dracheim has little to offer in trade, so it is of little interest. Reg'naat acts as a mild supply line of food supplies to the north to help alleviate some of the heavy restrictions placed on them by Deuria. Reg'naat only keeps these lines open as a means of attempting to get their smugglers' hands on a coveted Dragon Rider egg.
