Shakara
Shakara is a small kingdom in The Bularian Plain along the upper reaches of the Aegion River, pressing up against the southern Dragonpeaks, the Hornpeaks, and the Great Swamp. The plains here are wetter and more fertile than in the neighboring kingdom of Bularia just downstream, and farming takes place well away from the river. Agriculture is by far the most important part of its economy, with goods such as grain and cotton being traded upstream for metal from the dwarf cities of the Hornpeaks and other goods downstream from Bularia and beyond.
The kingdom is also known as a haven for fugatives, émigrés, and runaway slaves. It is often said that if one travels to Shakara their past is forgotten. The larger settlements, especially the capital Pakator, are fill dissident nobles and intellectuals, along with more then a few claiments to foreign thrones. Many workshops, quarries, and plantations employ large numbers former criminals and runaway slaves, usually paying low wages but still providing a better life than they would likelly have otherwise.
History
In the time of the areas oldest records what is now Shakara was ruled by a kingdom called Bularia, today known as Old Bularia to distinguish it from the modern kingdom. A fairly large kingdom, it controlled all of what is now Bularia and Shakara, occasionally trying to expand downstream into The Rift. Old Bularia collapsed in 2459 AY, when a half-orc Rider chieftain named Hasinar united many rider clans into a large army, attempting to take the kingdom for himself. He managed to take most of the kingdom within a few months, leaving a rump state in the far east and razing most off the old capital Kuthlar.
Hasinar was assassinated within a year and war ensued between a number of rival warlords. The rump state in the east briefly managed to expand into some of it's former territory, but soon crumbled into a similar condition during a succesion struggle. A few leaders were able to reunite the area, but never for long. Lasting peace eventually came in 3802 AY, when the last two claiments, what would become the kingdoms of Bularia and Shakara, signed a treaty between them. The date is now celebrated as a founding in both kingdoms, who largely enjoy good relations. Despite a few wars, the largest in 4458-4461 AY and the most recent ending a little over a hundred years ago, their borders have changed little since. In 4700 AY, another Rider chieftain attempted to form an army similar to Hasinar's and invade Bularia, but was stopped by an alliance between Bularia, Shakara, the Aurean Empire, and a group of allied Rider's.
Founding Date
3802 AY
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Demonym
Shakaran
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Location
Neighboring Nations
