The Haradi Republic
The Young Republic
The Haradi Republic is a relatively young human civilisation, established on the western coast of Harad following The Surdonian War. It was born of the refugees of Surdo, the southernmost desert province of Bandoor, after they were ferried across the Bandoori Sea by the Dragonborn just prior to the armistice fifty years ago.
The head of the republic is Emir Muhtan Amol, son of King Hahtan Amol. After the formation of the republic, seeing the dangers of an absolute monarchy in the devastation wrought by the Thraxan Empire, Hahtan relinquished the title of King for his family. He found, however, that he was much too beloved to become just another member of the government, so the hereditary title of Emir was born. The Emir would act as the head of the government, but as an equal to it's peers.
Not only did the Haradasi Draconis save the Surdonians from complete destruction as they ferried them to Harad, they then gifted the humans vast quantities of land in the west of the continent. As such, the two have been close allies since then, with the humans holding the dragonborn in almost reverence.
In contrast, the sentiment of the republic is very anti-imperial, and despite the peace between them many see the Thraxan Empire as chiefest of their enemies, with whom war is inevitable. So bloody and brutal was the Surdonian war that many still live as though it is ongoing. Many see the The Elven Confederacy in the same light as the Empire, given that they were the main imperial allies during the war.
There is a proud tradition of sorcery in The Haradi Republic as well as worship of Lunitari, possibly another reason for their disdain for both the Empire and the Elves, who outlaw these groups.
Structure
The structure is that of a republic, The Emir acts as the head of the government, but his or her rule is not absolute. Government is controlled by the senate, a conglomerate of elected officials from each member state of the republic, which are known as 'Sahibs'.
Prior to their migration to Harad, there was absolute monarchy with 'Sahibs' who controlled each small region of Surdo, so the structure was similar although the title was hereditary. The main changes were the King relinquishing that title and the absolute power which came with it, instead taking on the new title of 'Emir', and the 'Sahibs' becoming elected rather than hereditary titles. Surprisingly, possibly due to the camaraderie following The Surdonian War, there was very little resistance to the idea of the Sahibs becoming elected rather than hereditary.
Public Agenda
Publically the senate acts in the advancement, safety and comfort of all the 'people of Surdo' as they often refer to themselves as, despite many of the populace having been born in Harad. They act against the rule of individuals, citing the horrors of The Thraxan Empire and their conquest of Bandoor as the reason for this. They are committed to representation among all their people, and abhor any tyranny or totalitarianism.
Assets
Although large portions of the continent are massively hot and arid, the area on the western coast of the continent controlled by the republic is in fact quite lush in parts. Particularly around Amol, where the land is heavily supplied by the Kurdash river, lush fields of palm grass and trees grow between shimmering lakes and pools of water.
In this area, several spices grow and these form the main exports for the republic, used in food and seasoning the world over. The food that can be prepared from some of the plants which grow here is considered a delicacy in several parts of the world. This has allowed them to land on their feet even in the short time that they have existed in the continent.
Through the republican lands there are numerous settlements and fortresses, mainly people kept to the groups which they lived in in Surdo, but they have adapted to their new home very well. The armies of the republic (comprised of a Royal army and separate armies belonging to individual Sahibs commited to the republic) have grown from national anti-imperial sentiment, and they have adeptly used new resources of Harad to their advantage. The most striking of these are the famous Elephant riders, a much feared part of the Haradi army.
History
King Ashrat Amol was a king of Surdo, the southernmost province of Bandoor. He commanded the lords around him, and they were linked deeply in tradition. When Lord Madovar Thrax raised his troops and began to conquer those around him, the surdonians did not take much notice, confident that their northern cousins would stop the young lord in their tracks.
As he made his way south however, King Ashrat took more notice. He started to indirectly support the more northern lords, sending military advisors, sorcerers and covert battalions to fight with them. Even still, Madovar continued, and King Ashrat continued to fight his covert war.
It is rumoured that the legendary mage, Ponifer, who killed Madovar during the assault on the capital of Drem in the south east, was a Surdonian trained sorcerer. Despite this setback however, Madovar's son Emperor Nero Thrax I continued his conquest. Not long after this, King Ashrat died of natural causes, and his young son Hahtan took over the throne and continued to delay the imperial advance.
Eventually, Hahtan was forced to turn to defence as Nero landed on his doorstep. So began The Surdonian War.
Due to the tactical advantage lended to him by the geography of Surdo, King Hahtan managed to hold the imperial forces back for 6 years, a heavier resistance than any other region had offered before them.
Despite their best efforts the Empire's resources were too great, and the Surdonians were pushed back to the coast by the Bandoori sea, where an unexpected ally, the Dragonborn of Harad, ferried them to safety across the sea and granted them vast quantities of land in the west of their continent so as to rebuild.
The Dragonborn had thrown their lot in with King Hahtan, and the Elves threatened to enter the war on the side of the Empire - world war loomed. It was then that King Gredan Sampala, of The Western Peninsula, entered the war on the side of the Surdonians and the Dragonborn. Nobody is sure what led him to this decision, but his involvement tipped the scales, and the exhausted imperials knew that they had no chance of defeating him as well - as his troops were fresh and prepared while his were weary and beaten down. The result was the armistace.
Despite significant efforts by the Surdonians, Surdo was not returned to them, and they did not have the strength to fight for it.
Hahtan Amol relinquished the title of King, and changed it to Emir, so as to lower his own status to that as an equal to the elected Sahibs who contributed to the new republic. Due to his status as a wartime monarch and the love his people held, they would not accept his lowering to the same level, so the Emir remains the head of state in the republic.
Hahtan died at age 76, and left his son, Emir Muhtan Amol, to head the republic. He oversaw the continued development of the capital city of Amol, as well as the harvesting of spices and establishment of trade routes with the other civilisations. They have quickly become a dominant power in the world, much to the chagrin of the empire.
Military
The republic doesn't have it's own army, although each member state does. The Amol family have the strongest of armies, and this is often referred to as the 'Haradi Army'.
One of the defining features of the Haradi Republic is their respect for innate magical ability and wild magic, and the sorcerers who are the result of it. In direct opposition to the Elves and Imperials, they help young people with suspected sorcerer ability to hone their skills without losing the beauty of the chaos which comes with it.
Religion
Much like elsewhere in the world, worship of Paladine is common. One significant difference in the republic is, however, worship of Lunitari, a god of chaotic magic. His worship is assumed to be related to the republican attitude towards chaotic wild magic and the abilities of those who use them.
One of the main points of contention between the republic, the empire and the elven confederacy was religious suppression. Elves had always suppressed the worship of Lunitari, seeing wild and uncontrolled magic as dangerous and untrustworthy. Rumour existed that they actively pursued and interred young people who had shown innate wild magic ability.
Through a century of political influence, the elves had managed to influence the Imperials to adopt a similar strategy.
Any peace that might have been found before the war was dashed by the cultural insult that acceptance of this policy into the republic would have been.
Foreign Relations
The republic share a deep alliance with the Haradasi Draconis, owing to the life debt that they owe the dragonborn for their assistance during the war.
On the contrary, republican attitudes towards the The Elven Confederacy and The Thraxan Empire are sour in the former and often deeply hostile in the latter.
They often see something of a camraderie in the Dwarves, likely due to the fact that the dwarves handily crushed an imperial invasion during The Rise of the Thraxan Empire. The dwarves, however, were largely ambivalent about their brief skirmish with the Empire, and so it is unlikely that they share the same view towards the Republic.
Among our Dunes of Gold
Founding Date
1784
Type
Geopolitical, Republic
Capital
Demonym
Republican
Leader
Head of Government
Government System
Democracy, Parliamentary
Neighboring Nations
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