Tadukhepa

*First to live. Last to die.* - **Common phrase of Tadukhepa**

## City Nation of Tadukhepa

Nestled in the foothills of the Teeth, Tadukhepa resides along the Karma river. With easy access to both the mountains and the raging source of the river, Tadukhepa is an economic powerhouse of the Sand Seas, fueled by easy access to both water and to valuable ore and mineral deposits. The mines of Tadukhepa are in business, year round, with a sizable portion of the population devoted to the dangerous work of mining. As the years have gone by, the mines have gotten deeper, and the mineral workers of Tadukhepa have grown smarter and more advanced in their work to compensate.

The Ramaltas of Tadukhepa is generally considered the wealthiest of all of the Ramaltas, not only commanding wealth through a mineral rich society but also because he or she is in control of the centrally located hepa within the Ramal Nations. This geographic advantage means that Tadukhepa is often hosting foreign emissaries from the other city nations and also hosts the semi-annual Challenge Festivals. Subsequent to the wealth and power of the Ramaltas in Tadukhepa, the people of the city also enjoy a slightly higher standard of living than the other hepa as the availability of wealth and good jobs, both in and outside of the mines, means that the average commoner is better able to afford education, training, and material goods at market.

Tadukhepa was the first city nation to be brought under the control of a Ramaltas in 102 AF. Thus, the famous saying of Tadukhepa, "First to live. Last to die." finds its origins in that historical fact. The city is well developed, a center of culture and knowledge with many civil structures devoted to the study of academics, sciences, and literature. The city streets are likewise bustling, with sprawling stone roads stretching out from city center where the palace of the Ramaltas is located as if a wheel in all directions. The mighty Karma runs through the city, with several key bridges having been built over her to allow for easy access. Massive trenches and spillways have been constructed which border the river allowing for flood waters to be diverted out away from the city and into the rich, neighboring farmland.

## History of Tadukhepa

Tadukhepa was a small town as far back as history records. However, it did not become a burgeoning power until the rise of the first Ramaltas. The small town always bordered the Karma and a meager subsistence could be achieved through shallow mine operations and farming. However, like much of the Sand Seas, the original **Tadukhepa** was plagued by a constant need for defense from raiders and other undesirable factions which roamed the Sand Seas.

The first Ramaltas, Zannanza Aiari, arrived in Tadukhepa as a conqueror of the nearby raiding bands. With a promise to the people of Tadukhepa that he could control the desert surrounding the city and thus promise them safety in exchange for control of the city, the people relented. At first, this relationship was tense, but Zannanza, an ambitious man, soon showed the people of Tadukhepa that his true goals were to grow the city into a geographic powerhouse. With the constant danger ceased and with a leader devoted to the betterment of the people, the city of Tadukhepa quickly began to prosper and grow. The mines grew larger, and income generated through trading of these resources caused more infrastructure to be built. Within a decade, smaller villages further north of Tadukhepa began requesting the protection of the Ramaltas and became vassals of Tadukhepa. The might of the city continued to grow as did its population.

When the other Ramaltas became established, Tadukhepa became a natural meeting point for groups all over the Sand Seas. Thus, after some time, the Ramaltas of Tadukhepa began establishing foreign civil structures to house emissaries and diplomats as well as the necessary infrastructure to host delegations. The city continued to grow into a meeting place and melting pot of the cultures of the Sand Seas. It was just over a hundred years after the Ramaltas came to Tadukhepa that the Ramaltas of the Sand Seas came together to formally create a loose alliance known as the Ramal Nations and funded the Southern Highway.

## Life in Tadukhepa

As with most of the cities of the Ramal Nations, life in Tadukhepa is typically mundane with the citizens milling about their chosen professions during the day to day. A large portion of the populace is dedicated to farming, and the farms which support the appetite of Tadukhepa stretch further north down the Karma but are also surrounding the city, being fueled by the spillways that have been built around the river. Still, more of the populace spend their days in the mines of Tadukhepa which are ancient and have been dug deeply into the Teeth. With entrances now far from the city center, small mining villages have sprung up further south into the Teeth which are supported by caravan from the city. They ship their ore downriver on barges to the city or often beyond to the subsequent Atta.

As a large city, many citizens of Tadukhepa are also dedicated to the governance and maintenance of the city, filling low level government positions or in civil industry. As a meeting place of the Ramal Nations, many people in the city also work in the industry of servicing the needs of foreign dignitaries and emissaries in what could be best described as an industry of tourism. Still more people are dedicated to the healthy education, science, and literature scene that Tadukhepa has nurtured over the centuries. In short, as a large city with a strong economy, Tadukhepa provides much meaningful work for its citizens.

To the average citizen, the Ramaltas is seen almost as a deity for the history of how Tadukhepa went from a desperate, tiny town to a powerful city thanks to the power of the Ramaltas is taught to every child who is born in the city. The people are immensely prideful of their Ramaltas and happy to live under his or her rule. The Ramaltas who holds power over Tadukhepa inherits a history of expansion, wealth, and forward thinking that they must obey or be crushed under the weight of. As such, the continued reign of the Ramaltas in Tadukhepa continues to see a forward thinking, well educated populace into the future.

 Return to Ramal Nations Back Story

--Neil (talk) 16:03, 25 October 2016 (AST)