Mandiron

*Pronunciation: man-DIH-ron*

**Mandiron**, known as the **City of Temples**, is a city state located in the Mandiron Region of Midway Isle and part of the Confederation of Free States.

## Leadership

The city is ruled by Queen Nitya. Her eldest child and heir to the throne is Princess Trayi. Her next child is Prince Dahak, who would very much like the throne, even if he had to kill his mother and sister to get it. Her other children are Princess Leena and Prince Chaitan. Princess Trayi is married to Neerav and has a son called Arnav and is pregnant with a second child. Prince Chaitan is married to Eniya.

## History

### Tileq civilisation

The area was initially inhabited by the Tileq tribe. They worshipped the god Famos, however at some point, he died and his energy was absorbed into the surrounding land. The entire civilisation was also destroyed with him, leaving only traces of its existence behind, with the exception of the Temple of Famos which remained intact. The area was then left uninhabited for centuries afterwards.

### Modern day city

The location was eventually discovered, with the ruins of the temple being found, and evidence of the great civilisation that has long since perished. It was then realised that a god was once worshipped here based on writings and pictures found in the ruined temple, and that he died and the energy still lingers in the area. The location soon became a pilgrimage destination for people hoping to experience the energy or even harness it. People gradually started to move there and make money from all of the visitors by building shops and taverns. The town quickly grew into a sizeable city led by a very wealthy man called King Rachit who had travelled from the west. During the reign of King Vagesh, everyone who wasn’t a human was either killed, enslaved or kicked out of the city. They had built up a powerful naval force and began raiding other cities, bringing back slaves and valuable artifacts. Queen Hruti abolished slavery after repeated slave revolts, however discrimination still continued afterwards. The current queen is Nitya Dalavi. To this day, a strange, slightly eerie and almost supernatural feeling can be felt upon entering the city.

## Demographics

The population of the city is 37,000. 20% of people are considered wealthy and 30% live in poverty with 5% living in extreme poverty. Although the city itself is very wealthy, it has one of the greatest wealth inequalities in the region. Most of the population is human, and there is a moderate amount of discrimination against any race other than humans or that closely resembles a human. Due to the supernatural nature of the place, many of the citizens are wielders of magic, and if successful, are able to enhance their magic using the natural energy.

## Geography

The city stretches along part of the coast where the seaports can be found as well as beaches and headlands. Off the coast are several islands that contain buildings and coastal defences. Further inland are hills with part of the city built on the slopes of the hills. Even further inland are areas of grassland and farmland. A river flows through the centre of the city. The entire area is surrounded by more hills and the Mountains of Mandiron with several mountain passes. The Mandiron Swamp borders part of the city and the coast.

## Industry

The city is best known for its impressive temples and museums and elaborate architecture. Temples can be found of different gods and religions and museums containing relics and artifacts from all over the known world. People travel from far and wide to visit, which has allowed Mandiron to gain money through tourism. The lotus flower is very symbolic to Mandiron and can be seen in a lot of artwork and on the flag.

## Military and defence

Mandiron has a very well trained and formidable army, equipped with a variety of weapons including swords, spears, axes, maces and crossbows. They have fancy and elaborate armour with a black, blue and gold colour scheme. The city has a powerful naval force called the Jahaaj Bal with ships for transporting soldiers, large gunboats and smaller boats designed for ramming enemy ships. The army has a mounted unit called the Ghoda Bal, consisting of armoured horses, rhinos and elephants. Those that are skilled enough are able to tame and ride the frog hippos that inhabit the nearby swamp. The Jaadoo Bal is an order of magic wielders that serves the army. There is also a small force of elite, very highly trained soldiers called the Kuleen Bal that carry out specific operations, such as assassinations. They are mostly equipped with swords, daggers and crossbows and wear dark coloured armour. Their leader is Sahil Malhotra who is one of, if not the best swordsman in the city and is one of the most feared men in the area. The local security force within the city is called the Suraksha Bal, and they are known to patrol the streets in a very intimidating manner. They are also known to be very corrupt and can arrest anyone at any moment, where they may get beaten or killed. Those of certain races are at a greater risk. The city center is surrounded by a defensive wall defended by guards with longbows and catapults behind the walls.

## Behind the scenes

Mandiron was created by Coggus as part of Free States lore. It was his third city to be created, and it drew inspiration from India, Ancient Rome and British imperialism. The name means 'temples' in Hindi.