Secari

### History

Of all the wars that Isernia fought to gain more territory, the war against the Secari was the most bloody by far. For several decades, the armies of Isernia attempted to march on the grand city of Solasecar, but the brutal climate of the desert wore them down on the long trek to get there on every occasion. In the end, Isernia raised a grand navy and launched the largest naval assault that had ever been seen before, and in one swoop managed to take down a foe that had resisted them for generations. As punishment for their pride and resilience, the god-king of the Secari named Akhennathen was executed, and an Isernian governor installed who administered the realm with an iron fist.

But over the centuries, when the Isernian Empire began to weaken, the few remaining clergy of Amaunator cleverly convinced the reigning governor that he was himself the latest incarnation of Amaunator on earth, and therefore the rightful god-king of the Secari. He has given himself the name Akhennathen once more as a continuation of the previous line. With this, the long dormant monarchy was restored as the Isernian Empire saw itself unable to react to this development in time. Though Secari still belongs to the Empire as a realm, like the other realms direct control over it has waned.

### Politics

With the reinstatement of the god-king, the practice of slavery has also been reintroduced, and large numbers of slaves are bought from Scelmir slavers to work the farms on the fertile flood plains that feed some of the largest cities on the peninsula.

The faith of Abadar seemed to be strong in Isernia, but after the return of the god-kings who is said to be the living incarnation of Amaunator on the material plane, it was swept away within the span of a generation and Amaunator again came to be the primary worshipped deity in the realm. This has fanned the flames of intense hatred between the Secari and the Sacronans. And to make things worse, both people claim ownership of an island which each holds to be the birthplace of their god. Demagogues reinforce this charged climate, preaching a holy war to reclaim it (and perhaps more) in the streets of Solasecar.

While the Isernian Empire stands somewhat strong, these hateful sentiments are unlikely to be put into action, but Secari has quickly become something of a powderkeg, and the situation threatens to spiral out of control. Even were the god-king to attempt to prevent this, his powerful class of devout clergymen may be too influential for their own supposed god to stop.

### Religion

Amaunator is the sun god of the Secari, embodied in the god-king Akhennathen. Rather glaringly, his core beliefs widely overlap with those of Abadar. The only great difference is his tolerance of slavery. As such, his rise in Secari also has had fairly little friction, as many Secari-born priests of Abadar have simply converted to the faith of Amaunator with no great issues, and fulfill the same duties as before.

These similarities have led to the rising of a cult, known as the “Followers of the Dual Divinity” proclaiming that Abadar and Amaunator are in fact the same god, and that to resolve this issue, the Priestess must marry her husband, the god-king Akhennathen, and join the realms of Sacrono and Secari. Akhennathen openly promotes this, as it would make the Priestess and thus Sacrono and the entire church of Abadar subservient to him, but the Priestess and church of Sacrono quite clearly rejects this idea wholly.