The Zawadi

== The House of Zawadi ==
The house of Zawadi made its pact with an ancient bronze dragon named Mashika. The Zawadi family controls the river points through which water flows into the shell. This in combination with springs under their control means they have near-complete control over the irrigation and water access within the shell, as well as river trade. They are a militant family, controlling the largest army of any one sovereign power in the shell. They also have a navy. They are known to enjoy combat sport and history, funding both historical education and research as well as combat training and tournaments in their kingdom. Their capital city is known for housing an abundance of museums, holding a collection of ancient artifacts and pristinely kept historical records. They are known for being firm but fair rulers, with a robust legal system and very little tolerance for corruption among their bureaucrats. 
The process for choosing the heir for the head of the Zawadi family is rooted in their value of combative strength and skill. They are selected by a tournament from a pool of candidates suitably close to the ruling line. A descendent is eligible to compete if they are the grandchildren of the head of house two generations before them, or the children of the current head of the house. They must be from the generation following that of the current head of house. The tournament is held when the youngest of eligible candidates turns 16. Sometimes a head of house will invite someone not traditionally eligible to compete, usually their nieces or nephews. The winner of the tournament becomes the direct heir. They then reaffirm the bond with the current head of Mashika’s dragon line.
The Zawadi Head of House usually makes appearances with their dragon counterpart and the other descendants of Mashika are said to watch their cities disguised as birds. Actually encountering one of the dragons is a rare, but not unheard of, occurrence.
Category:Noble Houses