Mardark

**Trigger Warning: Past mentions of slavery and violent abuse of women**

## Common Knowledge

There are a few city states were Merfolk live and flourish. These city states are spread around the ocean floor of Temporis. The most well known are Mardark, Kiny’orenk, and Khione but there are others that are not yet known. There are also efforts currently to rebuild and re-establish the city state of Lumeria.

## Topography and Climate

Located in the Metri Sea it is of a mild to warm temperature due to its location and the depth of the sea floor in that area as it is quite deep. This city has a lot of rocky terrain around it and cavern systems below the seafloor as well as some small underwater volcanoes and lava flows.

## Population

Mardark generally only houses Merfolk as they often see the Beast-Folk aquatics as “lesser” versions of them even though they don’t share ancestors. There are a few merchants and such that are not specifically merfolk but permanent residents of those cities are only Merfolk.

## Exports and Trades

Due to the rocky terrain and close volcanoes many of this city are blacksmiths or miners. There are fine jewelers and other such artisans as well. Even though there is a large amount of war arms, the society and people are not overly militant.

## Government

A strong republic leads this city with representatives serving for 5 years, elections are on an alternating schedule based on city region so that there is a consistent change within the government instead of becoming an entirely new government every 5 years. Both men and women can be represented and representatives, though there is a slight majority of men over women.

## Military

There is little military to speak of. They have a small militia that can deal with small threats, if there is a large threat they call upon Kiny’orenk to help them defend their city.

## Social Hierarchy and Culture

It is a patriarchal society but there is only a slight difference between men and women. There is almost no difference on how they are treated but women do have a slightly harder time getting a job that a man is also applying for. The women are currently trying to get true equality with men and it is slowly being shifted and put into law, it is not a volatile time for Mardark.

### Celebrations and Holidays

There are no real city wide celebrations. There are individual celebrations for birth, death, etc. but those are contained to family units.

## Alliances

Mardark has a military and trade alliance with Kiny’orenk.

## Enemy Countries

This city state doesn’t have current enemy countries or cities.

## Founding and History

Mardark was founded in 2871 AB, because of overpopulation in Kiny’orenk, and governed by the Dision Kingdom, with a history of cruelty and exploitation of its citizens, specifically the women. It was not as bad in Mardark, which did not house the actual ruling family, in Mardark there was a strong bias towards men as the better and loose segregation. When the Queen’s Revolution won against the old kingdom Mardark as a whole decided to refuse the rule of the new queendom in Kiny’orenk, which was offered but not forced upon them. They created their own government and have, through trial and error, made progress towards the society they want. They have nearly achieved true equality and are relatively happy now.