Sagda

**Sagda** (High Zedian: *Sugdius Pompus*) is a large city and port located on a rocky peninsula on the northern coast of Birgolon. It has historically been one of the most important cities in Birgolon, and also the oldest. The city has a rough population of 127,000 - one of the largest urban populations in Birgolon.

As per the *Docineu ela Pompus* (1350), the city is divided into eight *quarters* (Birgol: *Zinar*). Sagda's First Quarter is where the majority of the ancient buildings of Sagda are, and is also the center of the regional government. Other notable districts are the Fifth Quarter, which houses many Zedian-inspired villas owned by merchant lords and foreign expats - also the Second Quarter, of which almost half is a large floral garden.

## Etymology

When Sagda was first founded as a Zedian colony, it was named *Sugdius Pompus* or *Sugdius* for short. *Sugdius Pompus* (Small Sugdius) refers to *Sugdius Beera* (Big Sugdius), a island off the coast of Skadias.

Over time, more native Birgols began to live in Sagda and eventually the name *Sugdia* became popular. By the 1400s, it had further evolved into *Sagda* - which is what most call it today.

## History

### Ancient (370 NSY - 90 NSY)

Sagda is located on a natural lookout, and was a very important geographic feature to the native Birgols. On the site of Sagda once was a large Birgol graveyard called *Szi Nekhrovka*. Along with the graveyard also was a small village in ancient times.

Around 370 NSY, the Zedian city of Igansinc was experiencing a golden age. The newfound wealth of Igansinc allowed its rulers to conduct expeditions in the land of the *Iri*. Almost all of northern Ivlon at the time was incredibly uncivilized, with the exception of a few organized societies in southern Ahremia and around Lohn. These expeditions were made to establish colonies which would serve in collecting foreign goods and shipping them back to Zedia.

The largest of these colonies were *Sugdius Pompus* at Sagda and at the Ahremian city of Itiom. Ships first landed below the modern site of Sagda in about 370 NSY, with the intention of creating a presence among the local Birgol tribes and acquiring local goods.

Sagda was planned out as a fort initially, and what is now the First Quarter was layed out in a grid street format. On these blocks were built warehouses, storefronts, apartments, and barracks. Most buildings were built in a traditional Zedian style with some modifications for the different climate. Almost immediately the Birgol tribes began interacting with the Zedians, trading bead necklaces and other novelties in exchange for various foreign foods and stones.

Eventually the political situation in Zedia became turbulent, and Igansinc's ability to maintain colonial possessions hundreds of miles away began to diminish. Starting in about 150 NSY, less and less new colonists were arriving in Sagda and many Zedian families were leaving and being replaced by Birgol populations who had moved into the city. In about 90 NSY, a diplomat from Zedia formally offered the city in its entirety to the Birgol cheif Beriovj. It only took a few more years for nearly all the Zedians to leave.

### Pre-Exelon (0 SY - 950 SY)

By 0 SY, Sagda was the only walled city in Birgolon was mostly a self-sufficient city-state. Sagda would occasionally interact with the local tribes, but the cultural and language barrier began to grow between the central Birgol people and the Sagdans. Sagdans, inhabitants of Tecurea (the only other city-state in the region) and those living under the cities' rule in the Klenax basin began speaking Cunthic, a language different from the dialects of Old Birgol spoken amongst the tribal populations of Birgolon at the time.

For most of its early history, Sagda was a pocket of civilization in Birgolon. But, over time, kingdoms in Ahremia began to develop - creating some of the city's first allies and enemies. The most notably the Kingdom of Æsterbyen and its capital at Euritas. Sagda also interacted with the fellow Birgol city state of Tecurea, and later the cities of Lacki and Sesgir formed their own kingdoms within Birgolon.

Sagda continued a very mundane and poorly-documented existence until the arrival of Elvekian forces in about 950 SY. The army of the Kingdom of Elvekia had taken most of the land in Ivlon up to Birgolon, and hoped to expand further. The newly forming empire was called the Empire of Exelon (or Elvekian Empire). Sagda was already known to the Elvekians as one of the most active settlements in the region, and after conquering the area Sagda was made the center of the Province of Birgolon.

### Empire of Exelon (950 SY - 1127 SY)

Sagda and all of northern Birgolon was taken by Elvekian forces between 940 and 950 SY, lead personally by the emperor Spoacos Corpos II. Sagda's defenses dissuaded Corpos and his men from attacking directly, and they instead opted to pillage the local countryside and force Sagda into submission. The king of Sagda at the time was a man named Dvelin Mars. Mars would eventually relent and broker a deal with the Elvekians, in which a certain amount of autonomy was to be maintained by the Sagdan monarchy in exchange for vassalage. Corpos initially excepted, but after about a year he would break the contract and place a new governor on the throne, Elmius Torquense.

As a provincial capital, Sagda's port began to attract international merchants and the population of the city grew. Sagda's original four quarters expanded to six, and several new administrative buildings were built within the city. Notable among these buildings was Cormina Castle (*Czimina Castle*), which became the residence of the governors of Birgolon.

After a small uprising in the city in 1088 SY a man named Bojko Lagadec, the patriarch of a local noble house, suggested his family to rule Birgolon as governors. He used the logic that the populous would be more content with a native family ruling Birgolon. This request was brought to the emperor in Nazka, who approved it. Bojko was given power and hereditary rights to the seat of governor, in a move considered foolish by some local nobles.

By 1120 SY, Exelon was beginning to fall apart as several of its largest and wealthiest provinces in Ahremia had succeeded to form the Kingdom of Ahremia. Seeking to expand the newly formed kingdom's influence and in an attempt to spite Exelon the second King of Ahremia, Gavineus Andalin, launched several campaigns hoping to liberate Birgolon and make it a vassal of Ahremia. Gavineus' first target was the Klenax region which included Sagda. Gavineus' campaigns culminated in the Siege of Sagda in 1127. The siege lasted about a month, at which point the governor - Skipje Lagadec - relinquished control of Sagda.

### Ahremian Occupation (1127 SY - 1256 SY)

The whole of northern Birgolon was split between Ahremia and its ally of the Kingdom of Lohn. The northern valleys were given to Lohn as the Principality of Tecurea, while Sagda was left to Ahremia as the Fiefdom of Sagda. Skipje Lagadec's, the last governor of Birgolon, cooperation with the Ahremians allowed him to stay in power - but as the Viscount of Sagda, second to the Count of Sagda - a position held by various Ahremian aristocrats. Under Ahremian occupation Sagda grew to accept some Ahremian customs and the further separation of Cunthic from Birgol.

The power of House Lagadec also grew under Ahremian occupation, with most Lagadec family members owning large estates outside the city. More peasants from the countryside fleeing poor working conditions began to work in the city as manservants, peddlers, and dock workers. In 1153 SY a cobblestone road was constructed between Tecurea and Sagda, built mainly by slaves gathered from the south of Birgolon. Many refugees from central and southern and Birgolon also began living in and around the city.

In 1180 SY a new set of walls was constructed that essentially walled the entirety of the peninsula, leaving some room open for habitation - land which would later become Sagda's seventh and eighth quarters. An influx of new slaves from Ahremian campaigns in Birgolon during the reign of Wyroldus Andalin allowed Lundtz Lagadec, 2nd Viscount of Sagda to construct a new castle to replace the aging Cormina Castle. This new building was named Narcomina Castle (*Nerczimina Castle*). Only a few years later in 1197 SY Sagda would be overwhelmed by migrants from southern Ahremia whose land had been destroyed by the War of the Two Houses. Many of these Ahremians were used to further construct royal infrastructure in the city. After the war was over, the new king Colgemate I offered many of these Ahremians open land in Althura; many of them would refuse and continue to live in Sagda.

By the 1220s, the flaws of the Ahremian occupation of Birgolon began to show. The newly wealthy Port of Au-De-Jure in southern Birgolon became a hotbed for rebellious activity and the struggling Kranorian government in Ahremia had trouble maintaining its outermost possessions. After years of small uprisings, a peasant-born militant named Cadoc Ethi'um led a rebellion in 1249 SY which would drive Ahremian soldiers out of the Port of Au-De-Jure. Cadoc and his followers would easily claim the city of Lacki later the next year, and by 1252 SY the whole of Birgolon except for Tecurea (controlled by Lohn) and Sagda had been seized. Cadoc wished to make Sagda, historically the most important city in Birgolon, the capital of his new kingdom but conquering the city became a challenge. King Phylacus Kranor of Ahremia did not want to lose Sagda, a city with a population of over 60,000, to the Birgols. In 1256 SY the situation was clear to Cadoc and he began to setup his place of rule in Alziron, the renamed Port of Au-De-Jure. Birgols were able to finally seize Sagda in 1257 SY, but by that time Alziron was firmly the capital - but the takeover of all Ahremian possessions in Birgolon allowed the Kingdom of Birgolon to officially form.

### Kingdom of Birgolon (1257 SY -)

Through careful negotiation the former viscount Bojko Lagadec (II) was allowed to resume his post as the Duke of Sagda. Under a familiar rule, the vassalized Duchy of Sagda got off to a good start under Alziron's rule. Birgolon would remain stable for only about fifty years when a foreign usurper named Pippin the Younger took the throne of Birgolon from the Ethi'um dynasty.

After 34 years of rule under Pippin, the Birgol aristocracy began yearning for either the Ethi'um family or another native house to take rule in Birgolon once again. The first of these rebellions, led by Rovoadan Ethi'um in 1349 SY was a failure. It was at this point that the Duke of Sagda, Osman Lagadec, took it upon himself to dethrone Pippin. With the support of most of Birgolon's nobility, he led a swift and successful incursion into Alziron and had Pippin exiled from Birgolon.

House Lagadec would remain in power as the kings of Birgolon up until the present. Since Osman's rebellion, the rulers of Sagda and Birgolon as a whole have become intertwined - although Alziron still remains the capital. The current Lagadec ruler of Birgolon is Turien Lagadec.

## Layout and Geography

Sagda's layout is unlike almost any other city in Ivlon. Having been founded as a colony, the city was planned in a grid design by its Zedian founders. Even after the Zedians had left the city, this grid street pattern was continued. To this day, Sagda is one of the few cities in Ivlon with a street layout like this.

Sagda is divided into eight quarters. When the city was in its early days, there were only four quarters - thus the word quarter (which in Birgol and Cunthic is *zinar*) was used. Presently, there are eight but the wording stuck. The first two quarters represent the extent of the city when it was still a Zedian colony. Many old Zedian temples and public buildings still stand in this area of the city. Most other quarters except for seven and eight became populated when Sagda was the capital of the Province of Birgolon. The last two quarters are where many of the peasants of the city live. The port, although not visible on the map, is mainly located along the eastern and northern edges of the city.

## Culture and Traditions

Sagda is primarily a port city, and many of its traditions have to do with the sea. Sagda is famous for various seafood dishes as well as its Zedian architecture. A few holidays occur in the city that are unique to the area. The first of these is held of the 3rd of Frost's End, and marks the date of Sagda's founding. On this day local fishermen take their boats out to sea and then land below the city at the rough spot where Zedian ships landed thousands of years prior. Later in the day festivities are held in the old town of the city.

Sagda is also the only city in Birgolon to speak the country's northern dialect, Cunthic. Most residents of Sagda speak both Cunthic (a separate language from Birgol) and the common north/central dialect of Birgol.