Personal Annals of Hanavus
Purpose
To record the voyage of Hanavus to the island of Rahadis close to Lesser Sedfaya, the easternmost province of the great Satrian Empire.
Historical Details
Background
During the reign of Axsayarad, the Satrian Empire had reached its military and cultural zenith. His treasury augmented by booty from his conquest of Diakos and Aurakae, the King of Kings sponsored an expedition to Rahadis, the Satrian name for a legendary island home to a race of immortals. On Rahadis, it is said by traders from the east, that gold is as common as sand, the water is sweeter than honey and fruits larger than a man's head can cure any ailment. Intrigued but skeptical, Axsayarad selected a group of four nobles to lead the fleet he would send, including Hanavus.
He was a noble hailing from lands north of Narshagud. Not from among the Exalted Twelve, he was nonetheless a capable man, elevating his family's status from minor landowners to a force to be reckoned with in the imperial court during his own lifetime. Hanavus was both a fine warrior and learned. His greatest talents were at sea, where he served his king during the wars raging during the first decade of the latter's reign. Through merit, he rose to command fifty ships, a modest fleet but still insignificant among the thousand the Satrians brought during their invasion of Diakos. It was Hanavus who played an instrumental role in the Battle of Hyratae, where the regrouped navy of the Diakan city states were dealt a catastrophic defeat by the Satrian armada. His ships outmaneuvered the Diakan ones and cut off their retreat. Such was Hanavus' valor during the engagement that he was in contention for the governorship for the newly conquered Diakos. Unfortunately, he lost that honor to Nafarana, a Satrian from a bloodline far more esteemed than his own and the general who subjagated the Diakans on land. Despite being denied an opportunity for exceptional political power for one of his station, Hanavus acquired huge amounts of gold, silver, and marble statues to take with him back with him to Satra. For his contribution to the Satrian victory at Hyracae, the King of Kings bequeathed him a generous amount of land and an impressive estate close to his ancestral home. Hanavus moved his family and worldly possessions into his home, but kept the old one as a reminder of his more humble origins.
Hanavus subsequently gained greater presidence at Axsayarad's court. His sons were promoted in the army and the imperial administration, while his daughters garnered several high-ranking suitors. He himself took a second wife, much to the chagrin of Apamas, his first. The new setting caused much trouble to the uninitiated Hanavus, both familial and political in nature. To secure an alliance with an immensely wealthy family, he forced one of his sons and one of his daughters to divorce their spouses and remarry. Although causing much sorrow to his children and considered distasteful in Satrian culture, the divorces were completed. His new wife soon grew heavy with child. The prospect of another heir pleased him, but enraged Apamas. Should the baby be born a boy, he would present competition to her own sons, as Satrian inheritance laws allowed equal opportunity for all sons to inherit his father's assets.
Hanavus' problems didn't cease even after taking a sojourn away from court. Other nobles, jealous of the newfound attention this up-jumped sailor experienced by the King of Kings, attempted to undermine him. Powerful friends, luckily, ensured his protection. The family whose lands were confiscated and given to Hanavus were his most ardent enemies. Several assassination attempts ebbed away at their rapidly dwindling coin, but none succeeded and the family was caught and executed. Frustrated with the challenges of court life, he yearned to retire to his lands and reap the incomes. If he must deal with the problems resulting from his new position, it was better to know how would cause him trouble.
Reprieve came during the tenth year of Axsayarad's reign and the forty-eighth year of his life. Rumors of Rahadis had reached the King of Kings' ear. Privately, he decided to send a modest fleet to confirm what he heard. Lavishing gold and supplies on the expedition, he sent them on their way. Three months later, on the final day of spring, fifty-five ships set sail from Staxara, Satra's largest port. From there, they meandered through the Great Channel and into the Eastern Gulf and then outbound into the World Ocean. They stopped after forty-one days at Jhanpur, capital of Lesser Sedfaya and the easternmost city under Satrian rule. It was there that Miyapurus, leader of the expedition, was found dead in a brothel with his throat slashed and his purse stolen. Whispers later told of the Satrian getting into a scuffle with local men over whores coveted by both parties. Suspects were quickly apprehended by local authorities. After a quick trial, the men responsible were executed in the public square. Hanavus was promoted, commanding ten ships as opposed to five before. Following two weeks of rest and resupplying, the fleet cast off for the final leg of their journey.
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