Szenk

Szenk (fully known as the Vassal Republic of Szenk) is a province of the Nothindrian Republic, located on the north-eastern part of the continent of Shavhan. It is a cold region, characterised by perilous mountains and long, winding fjords.
The emblem of Szenk is a three-headed serpent. The regional capital is the city of Azszhavar.
Descended from the Chakrou, Szenk was once a powerful kingdom which rivalled Nothindria, until the Nothindrians eventually won a series of devastating wars, vassalised the nation, and killed their king. To this day, the people of Szenk quietly hope for a return of their monarchy, and independence from the Republic.
Culturally and aesthetically, Szenk is very similar to Nothindria, with some influence from the nearby Zongols and Chakrou.
The hidden fjords and ravines of Szenk make it ideal for pirate hideouts, and as such the region has been plagued by piracy for a long time.
==== History ====
It is unknown how long people have been living in the region of Szenk, the earliest records of the area come from the expeditions of explorers from the Chakradei Empire during the age of Sho'Xin. After these explorers encountered the Nothindrians slightly further on, they established settlements and outposts to engage in trade with these islanders.
After the collapse of the Chakradei Empire, many Chakrou people fled to places where the Zongol hordes would struggle to reach, including the cold mountains and fjords of Szenk. The population of these northern trade outposts began to grow rapidly. Soon, the area was united under the banner of a charismatic general, who crowned herself Queen Zunan the First and established the Kingdom of Szenk.
At some point later, the Kingdom changed it's national religion from the Chakrou belief of Xinism, to the local "mythos" belief based around Lilyakaarta and Kryvyakhy. This helped slightly improve relations with the Zongol tribes and the Nothindrians.
For the next few centuries, Szenk and Nothindria were competing for control over the northern seas. For a while Szenk had an advantage as it was a unified nation, while the Nothindrian Isles were still split between various Clans.
However, in the 15th Century, the Tsarina of Novorosshka funded several group of Szenkian pirates and smugglers to work for her and raid Szenkian ships. The pirates could keep anything they stole, and were promised safe harbour and repairs at Nothindrian ports. The pirates became such a plague on Szenk's economy, that the kingdom lost most of its fleet, could not maintain its fishing operations, and thus entered a famine. With the kingdom weakened, the Tsarina launched a full assault on their shores, intending to conquer.
The King of Szenk at the time was Zoltan the Third. His first response was to reach out to his allies among the Chakrou Free Cities, however they did not want to get involved as they did not want to lose their trade with Nothindria. With Nothindrian ships besieging Azszhavar, the capital, the King decided to evacuate, taking most of the population away to hide in the fjords and crevices. For the next few decades, he waged a guerilla war against the occupying Nothindrians, who had taken all the major cities, but were not familiar with the area. Zoltan became known as the "Shadow King", and was a major symbol of hope for the Szenkians living under occupation. It is rumoured that during this time, Zoltan and his loyal followers turned to worship of the Dark Goddess Shidiqura.
The Tsarina oversaw her newly-captured territory brutally, and would not rest until the Shadow King was captured and executed. Eventually, the King's secret palace was uncovered, and he and his family were captured. However, there are many legends about the day of the Execution. All agree that the King's family were killed, but one rumour states that the man the Nothindrians executed was not the king at all, but somebody who looked vaguely like him. Another, less credible, rumour states that the king disappeared into a shadow just before the headsman's axe hit. The Nothindrians will assert that the King was killed that day, but many Szenkians quietly hope that their Shadow King will return to free them.