Tajun

The ancient city of **Tajun** is the capital of the city-state of the **Douxdom of Tajun** and is a major city in Neala. It is located on the island Maklan Magna, part of the Maklanoi island group. The city now known as Tajun has undergone some name changes through its history, first known as **Thal Kastra**, then **Taiunopolis**, then the modern Tajun. Formerly a superpower, the sacking of the city's royal palace by Kertavus Magnus of Atero and later the city sacked and ruined by Tuma of his Skrall Empire have left this former jewel in an impoverished state. However, with the return of the oceans and Tajun's prime location on the coast, profits from seafaring business are helping to put Tajun back in a place of renown; it is only a matter of time before this old master of the world is as good as new and its future infinite in possibilities. much wealth is coming in form plentiful fish populations but it is causing the douxdom to butt heads with the 'barbarian' natives of neighboring Ketoteir, their guardian Thasos often destroying fishing fleets and trading ships to secure his homeland. The former Doux of Tajun, Tarix ton Abnakh, had a peaceful agenda with the people of Ketoteir despite the qualms of opportunistic merchants; however, the ascension of his son Varis tes Abnakh shows that such policies are disregarded, and a questionable relationship with the ancient Ao warlord Takadox with aims to wipe out Ketoteir and matoran colonize those islands and create benefits for both parties despite differing views on things.

Thal Kastra was a fortress created by Thallasanon during the Core War. After the Shattering, the city was ruined and so its denizens fled and built the temporary home of Madeka until Neronikus uncovered water in Thal Kastra, and so with his help rebuilt the fortress into a habitable town, later growing into a city. After the rise of Taiunus Magnus, Thal Kastra, renamed into Taiunopolis, conquered much of Neateir and the city-state became a superpower, making it one of the richest cities on the planet. Taiunopolitan power fell with the rise of Kertavus Magnus, the empire falling with the sacking of the royal palace by kertavus' men. After the Resurgent Crisis, the new Adat ruler of Taiunopolis, Abnakh Adat, oversaw an influx of Adat population, causing an gradual cultural shift away from pure Nealite and a mix with Adat to the point that Taiunopolis was renamed into the modern Tajun. Tajun enjoyed its new life until it was sacked by King Tuma in the Skrall War. The city has slowly been rebuilding during the reigns of Doux Tarix and Doux Varis.

## History

### Foundation as Thal Kastra

Tajun was founded under the name of Thal Kastra during the early stages of the Core War by the Element Lord of Water Thallasanon as a spring board from which to engage in the Nealite Theater of the war and secure the Sea of Liquid Sand as his to control. Thallasanon's citizens of the island nations of the endless Ocean have close cultural ties Neala so securing this place, with the plan of securing the neutral zone of Atero last, was seen as imperative for sake of morality boost, men supply and economics. Thallasanon's presence on Maklon Magna gave the city, surrounding islands and coastal country a larger reserve in water when compared to areas outside of his direct control.

After the Core War ended in the Shattering of Spherus Magna, Thal Kastra, like many cities, became heavily ruined and so survivors moved away from the city and lived on the dried coast of the mainland in the new town of Madeka. The Tesarite hero later known as Neronikos eventually headed to Tajun in his mission to help people have access to water. Stories of Thallasanon made him journey to the abandoned islands of Maklanoi with a small excavation crew where they eventually uncovered much rubble and found left over sources of water underground, and they built wells out of ruin debris to better access them. He told the Thal Kastrites of this, and their tribal king had his people move back to Maklan Magna. These wells, being separate from the mainland, would give them an advantage in the future, for unlike in the mainland, the wells and waterworks of Maklon Magna would be free of the strategic destruction performed by war leaders to gain advantage over rival settlements.

### Taiunopolis

About 2200 years before the Battle of Bara Magna there rose a Rex of Thal Kastra named Taiunus, and he reformed the city-state to become worthy of a well oiled machine, then preached about how it was his mission to give their people back all their land from the foreigners that had pushed Nealites to the coast thousands of years before. Honored by the people as Taiunus Magnus (the Great), he renamed Thal Kastra after his own great honor as Tauinopolis (City of Taiunus) then restored the largely abandoned settlement of Madeka. After Madeka, Taiunus took control of villages on the north skrall River coast and fortified them into castles/forts to defend from possible Vulkhanate aggression, and to serve as a chain of communication. With these continental foundations, he ordered that Tesara become its deserved vassal or be punished. Tesara regarded the threat as a bluff, but was soon found wrong as Taiunus besieged and sacked the city, massacring the entire district of Tesse and leaving Arrah to serve as a frightened slave. With the only major competitor in hydraulic distribution in the region, and thus such benefits of economics stabilized, Taiunus and his troops of high morality ordered that Atheradat surrender the Nealite holy city they ruled from or face similar punishment that Tesara faced. Knowing that no bluffs were to be had here, Atheradat opened the gates, and many monuments constructed since the Adat people took over control of Atero with smashed, the rulers were forced to intermarry Taiunus' distant cousins, and Atheradat formally renamed to it's ancient name of Ateiropolis.

Through all this time, the rising empire of Taiunopolis was experiencing expected raids from the barbarians of the Vulkhanate, hence why Taiunus Magnus fortified villages into castles, but with such rapid expansion the Khan of Vulka justly felt threatened by the upstart Maklan Rex and rallied the tribes of his Khanate, and called for his Bone Hunter kinfolk to the east to prepare for war against Taiunopolis. The Khan knew that Taiunus would seek to destroy Vulka for his ancestors had destroyed the ancient Nealite city of Akkar and built this replacement near it. He was correct, for after 4 years of stabilizing his new realm, with emphasis on his policy of Re-Nealization, Taiunus called for the extermination of the Bone Hunters, the plague of Neateir since the Ruining of Paradise, starting with the skull-mask wearing savages of Vulka (for who they wore in remembrance of their divine prophet-king Ezen Galyn, but the style had spread throughout Neateir). For 9 years there was constant fighting between the Taiunons and the Bone Hunters across the arid wastes and old ruins across Western Neateir, notable battles like the First Battle of Fotius Hills and the bold Northern Campaign.