Manlisan Kingdom

**Manlisan Kingdom** is a state established by the Manlisan tribe in 758 centered around the Ore Mountains. Benefitting from the immense richness of the area alongside the well-protected borders, they are passive actors on the subcontinent focused on trade and cordial relations. The King of Manlisan seat in Zobar Hakk, a colonial river port first pillaged by their people before resettling it. Their current ruler is Rodok Fairface, enthroned in 1048 AGV.

Manlisan are Westerners who came from the Worlds End Islands sometimes between the expeditions of Kharan II in 575-594 and the Deluge in 757. They lived for decades in the Istin Mountains, trading and volunteering for the viceroys of the Ore Mountains, putting down hardened local resistance. When they received an offer in 757 calling for more warriors than ever before, they simply toppled the rule, devastated the three valleys an established their realm in place of the old structures starting the Deluge. The viceroys of Ahargan and Panidutne both sent large armies, in vain as they were annihilated in 759 and 760 respectively.

These were only tactical succeses, as the Manlisan knew all too well. Ahargan was the lesser problem as they had to come on the Šyul, and the montane terrain separating the two entities was easy to protect. Panidutne have also had to cross the Šyul, but they had a shorter distance to travel. To go in front of potential woes, the Manlisan invited other Westerner tribes to travel along the rivers as ravage the regions as they saw fit. Plundering and ship-building was an integral part of their culture. Low-keel, clinker-built longships rowed or sailed the waters bringing widescale destruction to the Viceroyalties of Ahargan and Panidutne in the coming decades.

After Ahargan was toppled in 777 by a new entity, raids became more risky in the northern areas. Good relations were established between Manlisan and their new neighbours and they did everything to restrict attacks along the left bank of the Šyul. Other regions remained free prey as they were before. By 800 Panidutne started to crumble under the simultanous pressure of Aharganite expansion, widescale uprisings, secessional movements, assaults from the southern and western marauders who battled each other just as often as they met on their plundering ways.

During this period, Manlisans started to slowly abandon the piratical practices. Their population grew to the carrying capacity of the territory and they were dependent upon foreign food import to upkeep themselves. As raiding became less profitable with widescale devastation in the nearest areas. Ahargan was not able to supply all required foodstuffs alone as their soils were less productive than the southern types. Trade grew in importance as did the Thousander Faith. By 810 the third generation was born with significant exposure to the teachings of the creed. Kidnapped wives and local converts also indoctrinated their offsprings in the spirit of the religion and Manlisans started to view themselves more alike to the attacked people than the attackers.

Final push came when pagans started a riot against the Thousanders, murdering the Aharganite ambassador in the process. Although the Aharganite practiced another religion, and they disapproved the spread of the Thousander Faith, this was a turning point for the royal court. Pagan practices became increasingly suppressed, to that point that boatsmen out on the river were stopped and ordered to return if they came with raiding in the mind. Roughly the same time the surrounding areas consolidated into various chiefdoms in more or less peaceful coexistence who also disapproved the raiding practices of the wilder tribes. After the March was re-established in the 830s, Manlisan also sealed its border by enlisting several large tribes as borderguards in the Istin hills. The court in Zobar Hakk achieved an ever-growing supremacy above them until the point that they became factual vassals with appointed leaders, distinctive from the people living in the Wild woods.

Manlisan has remained since a proto-industrialised mining country focused on trade. The king does have a standing army, they can also raise a significant number of mercenaries due to their trading contacts. Main exports are metals, gems, various stones alongside fine river barges made of high-end lumber. Manlisan assumed a passive role in the happenings of the Subcontinent. They did not join the Western Realm when the loose confederation was formed, but maintained good relations with them. Same applies to Ahargan. Contact with the empire is scarce, as neither of them has much need for the produces of the other. Manlisan merchants are distinguished by their unique clothing style, as males wear jackets and trousers instead of robes that is considered usual elsewhere.