Limani has a rich history as it evolved through the centuries from small fishing village to the largest trading hub in
Eshil. Nowadays, the tales of legend surrounding this place can be found is various books that have been distributed all around the world.
Small Village, Large Trading Pact
Back in the olden days, before the
Kingdom of Illtresi had properly established itself, Limani was a small fishing village. A couple hundred people lived in this area, enjoying the quiet days the sea, river, and plains had to offer.
This mindset of enjoyment has rooted deep in the community. Early on, they learned how to work together and help each other out so they can survive anything nature brought them. It was a common sight to see villagers flock to the farmlands when harvest season started. As payment, the farmer would give everyone who helped a share of the harvest before taking the rest to storage.
Their mentality allowed the villagers to govern themselves. Those who could spare the money, left a monthly contribution in the community jar. Others signed up to execute the projects, such as creating or restoring roads and equipment. That way, everyone pitched in to keep the village thriving.
Expanding Business
As time moved on, the villagers of Limani realised that they cannot do everything themselves. However, they knew they had something to offer. Two self-proclaimed merchants set off to travel to the neighbouring villages. There, they asked if there was something they needed. Most villages further inland had a desire for fish, so the merchants setup a small trading contract that Limani would provide them with fish. In return, the other village provided Limani with something they had, such as meat, eggs, or cloth.
Within two years, Limani had a great handful of trading pacts with multiple villages. As a result, a few people produced carriages and small cargo boats. Utilising these vehicles, they could trade large sums of their fish and grain and take an equal amount back home. With their transportation fleet growing rapidly, more villages wanted to trade. As such, more people flocked towards Limani in search of work, either in the trading or production industry. The village grew to the size of a town, housing almost one thousand people that permanently worked as merchants and builders.
Many other villages wanted to trade with each other, but did not have the means to do so. A few watchful merchants of Limani saw this as an opportunity, and rented their vehicles so these villages could trade as well. Word spread around fast, and Limani began to facillitate more in inter-village trading. They had a fleet of vehicles specifically designed for the trading business, after all, and the capacity to increase production. This renting business provided another stable income for the town, along with the trading business.
Battle for the Trade
On the other side of the river
Nacheilchomòr, the Grilashi empire was expanding. The river has always been the natural border between the empire and the free villages surrounding Limani. Over the years as Grilashi governors occupied the lands on the other side, they wanted to trade with the people of Limani. Merchants crossed the river in small boats to the docks of Limani in hopes of gaining a trading contract.
In the early days, Limani granted these pacts to the Grilashi villages and merchants. However, it soon became apparent that these people were not a reliable business. They often did not adhere to the agreed prices for the goods, or tried to oversell and make a profit the foul way. After some deliberation, Limani decided to end the trading pacts with the Grilashi Empire, until they could prove that they are a reliable business partner.
The governors of the Empire did not take lightly to this announcement. Their true colours began to show in their next actions. They were intoxicated with the greed and riches, and thus were very jealous of the wealth that Limani accumulates. At first, they tried sending spies to the trading district to obtain trading pacts, or blueprints for the vehicles they use for transporting products. However, the merchants discovered these counterfeit traders very quickly, and made them return to the empire, warning that they would not be kind next time they tried to pull off something similar.
Within days, Grilashi soldiers arrived at the riverbanks of
Nacheilchomòr, setting up tents and clearly preparing to cross the river with force. The farmers who spotted these soldiers first, notified the town's counsil. The news came as a shock, as no one in the city thought that a simple business threat would lead to an attack. However, they did not want to risk underestimating the risk and gravity of the situation.
Preparing for Battle
A handful of messengers left that same day before nightfall, travelling to the neighbouring villages with whom they had trading pacts. An envoy of three diplomats made their way to
Matona to ask for help. The local militia was rounded up and took their tactical positions. Everyone in town at that moment, citizen, traveller, or merchant, put their hands together to set up the defenses for the town led by the Defence Marshall. The marshall handed out weapons to those that wished to help out at the frontlines.
The Battle for the Shores was gruesome. With the excellent defences setup and the advantage of the river, the militia of Limani was able to hold of a large chunk of the frontal assault. They used everything at their disposal to make it difficult for the enemies to cross the river. A small squad managed to manouvre a handfull of trading boats into the river, blocking the Grilashi boats from making it to the other shore. However, the only way to truly be in their way, they had to set the boats on fire. This squad gave their lives to protect their bretheren. It was an essential and pivotal moment in the battle, that ultimately bought enough time to ensure victory. A memorial still stands in the town's center to honour them.
As the battle raged on, the envoy had arrived at Matona. The diplomats spoke with the king of
Illtresi, asking to aid them in their defence against the Grilashi Empire. To their relief, the king offered to sent his army to the shores of Limani that same day. It took nine days for the army to arrive at Limani. The King did not want to provoke the Grilashi, which would certainly happen if they were to move the troops over the river. Instead, they had to march all the way to Limani.
The Pushback
It was worth the wait and the struggle. The Illtresi army arrived just in time with the element of surprise at their side. The Grilashi soldiers finally made it to the shores as Illtresi troops ambushed them on the beach. The Limani militia had a moment to catch their breath and joined the fight full of adrenaline and a boosted morale. Together, they pushed the Grilashi troops back across the Nacheilchomòr.
However, they did not stop there. They set foot over the river themselves as well. Why? A few Grilashi soldiers secretly crossed the river and surrendered. These soldiers did not want to fight, but were forced to do so. As humane as the towns people are, they did not put these soldiers in prison, but provided them with a comfortable bed and food. One day, one of them spilled the beans and told one of the mothers the situations back home. Apparently, people in the empire were treated like slaves, forced either to do backbreaking work or join the army to conquer more land. The govenors are out for wealth and riches, that is all they think about.
Moved by the story, the local militia was determined to try and set these people free of this terror. When the Illtresi army arrived, they convinced them to join the cause pitching it as a way to expand their influence and bring peace to the region. Teamed up, they crossed the river and began a long campaign to free the region of the Grilashi Grasp. They pushed the empire so far back, that they had to cross the
Rudeilemòr for the Illtresi to stop chasing them.
The liberated region, together with Limani and its surrounding villages, voluntarily joined the Illtresi Kingdom as a token of gratitude for their help. The villagers of Limani helped to set up land and water infrastructure that benefited the trade most. As a town, it gained the utmost respect from the kingdom. As citizens from Limani helped all over
Eshil, they started to settle there. However, they always kept the town close to their heart and made sure that they would let their trade go through fellow former villagers or through the town itself.
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