Empire of Kadak

Kadak was an early Estieran Elven Empire. It was established from the City of Shik, and named for a small farming settlement where the founder of the Empire, Argos, was born. Kadak gradually came to control all of Senmaria and Asryia. Kadak united all settled Estieran Elves, and also a significant amount of the nomadic Elven tribes. It was established approxiamtely 2300 BC by Argos, and collapsed approximately 300 years later.

The official language of the Kadak Empire was Kadak, the lanuage of the tribe which had established the city of Kadak, but most Elves spoke Senmarian. Argos, the first Emperor of Kadak, attempted to stamp out the Senmarian language through draconian policies, but he was unsuccessful and succeeding rulers relaxed the anti-Senmarian policies. Other languages spoken were Guitan and Edom, as Kadak expanded into those tribal areas.

In contemporary Eidenheim, Kadak is usually cited as the first Empire after Rakknorakus, but technically it was preceded by an earlier Empire of Senmaria ruled from the City of Tel Gashal.

## History

### Pre-Empire

The City of Shik was a settlement located at the point where the Rivers Girit and Pharetes meet, and was a small trading and fishing village that gradually developed into one of the most powerful cities of Senmaria, with many local tribes swearing fealty to the Merchant Guild that ruled Shik for protection and trade reasons.

The village of Kadak was a tiny farming settlement, however larger ruins were present, and a large proportion of people born in Kadak had magical ability. It is likely that Kadak was a far larger city that was destroyed in the Flood which submerged Al-Jazraby in 3500 BC. Estieran mythology claims that the pre-Flood City of Kadak was established by Sitarhi, a Mage-Lord of Ballsharoth, after the Tower of Ballsharoth was destroyed.

### Argos of Kadak

Argos of Kadak was the first King of the City of Shik. His mother was an Elven witch and his father a nomadic tribal hunter who lived in the village of Kadak. Shik guards came to kill his family, as his mother had used shapeshifting magic to infiltrate meetings of the Merchant Guild of Shik to influence them towards acceptance of magic. She used a spell that allowed Argos to breathe underwater and threw him into a river, saving him from execution. He was discovered by a small Elven tribe who adopted him, and he became a hunter. He claimed that the Elven Magelord Sitarhi appeared before him and imparted advice during this time.

His prowess with a bow led to him being employed as a Guard in Shik, and he soon became Captain of the Guard. The Merchant Guild of Shik was extremely unpopular with the populace, and Argos saw opportunity. He mobilized the Guard under his command, and overthrew the Merchant Guild, crowning himself King of Shik in 2283 BC. His first act was to declare that the Tel Gashal Empire was illegitimate, and stated that Sitarhi had commanded him to unite the Estieran Elves. He rapidly conquered Tel Gashal, and then expanded to the West into Asryia, conquering that region also. Towards the end of his life he also conquered Edom.

Argos established capitol in the previously insignificant village of Kadak, where he was born, and built a fortress there. He also named his Empire after the village. Although Argos was a phenomenal military commander, and conquered all of Asryia and Senmaria, he was not invincible and suffered defeats when he attempted to conquer the Guitan tribe to the North of Kadak, and the Eidenmen of Cainaheim to the South-West.

Argos attempted to stamp out the cultures present in his Empire and replace them with Kadak culture, which he was unable to do. He was however successful in establishing an Estieran religion based on the worship of the Mage-Lords of Ballsharoth. The religion was established on the belief that the Mage-Lords had survived the destruction of the Tower of Ballsharoth, escaping to another realm, and that they could influence events in Eidenheim if summoned using incantations and talismans. He credited Sitarhi with his success.

Towards the end of his reign his subjects rebelled, and managed to besiege him in his Fortress at Kadak, but he managed to crush the rebellion.