Belona

Belona (Belonian: Bèlona) is a city on the coast of northern Arcaitia, near the Cambresian border. It is renowned as a maritime power, both militarily and in trade.
== Name ==
Bellona / Belona
Belonian, Bellonese
== History ==
The town was founded as a settlement of those fleeing larger cities during Tabasaren minotaur rule. It remained a minor, yet growing, town for centuries.
After the reunification of Arcaitia, Belona became a major city rivaling that of Parime.
=== Republic of Belona ===
Only decades into its city status, Belona broke off from Arcaitia to establish itself as the independent Liema Belona. The Maethori Cordo (Belonian: Maitori Kordu) grew to prominence in the city. At this time, Belona led the crusades into Ashan and Gomor.
With wealth and power from their ranging abroad, the Maethori Cordo came to rule Belona, further distancing it in culture and dependence from Arcaitia proper and removing themselves from the direct authority of the Yantasamno, making them a religious polity all their own. (The yansmanate in Kahina retaliated with an inquisition against the Maethori in Gretchland, which led them to flee to Chambrey.)
Growing as a thalassocracy, the Belonese reached ports and took coastal territory as far as Hamazan and Calenion, with cities in Arcaitia and the largest island in the Caufadura taken for themselves. They also regularly heckled saurian lands.
==== Troubles at Sea ====
In the 1200s 6 Belonese ships landed on Eyra, despite every invasion, however large or small, having been repelled by the island with furor. The met the same swift fate and they drew the attention of the Edhellim.
Sometime between 1300–1320, one Belonese expedition even reached Nelcronia, which they called in their records Tanisogia (< Belonian: longtang izogya). The seer of the ship detected the large island and so they sailed home for proper supplies—and a larger ship for the dragon which flew to scout ahead. The expedition never returned, though. They maintained their settlement until discovered by the nelcrons exiled to the horizon by the Gretch. The nelcrons, upon finding members of the kin that had born them so much hatred, promptly enslaved them, extracting all knowledge they could from them and twisting them into foul servants of their retribution.
==== Era of Religious Wars ====
During the wars with neighboring liemas, Belona was a small but important territory.
Scholars of the the Eldarin language and elvish history, enamored with the tales of ancient glory, styled the liema as Engwelië Mbelon (also Mbelecon by some authors), deriving their own, more archaic-sounding term for 'republic' and pairing it with an Proto-Eldarin root sounding similar to the city's name, yet mainly chosen for its meaning 'strong'.
Category:Geography
Category:Odenna
Category:Arcaitia
Category:Cities