Auriga

Auriga is the home of the Saemu people. It is a tribal kingdom nestled among the thick jungles to the southeast of Akara. Rulers are decided by a vote of tribal chieftains and govern for life or until unseated by other means.

Relations with the Akara range from indifference to openly hostile, particularly among tribes bordering the Serpent's Tongue, many of whom are descended from refugees who fled the sacking of Troezon during King Kailan's Southern Crusade in 5AU. No embassies or representative of either kingdom resides in their courts and most interaction is carried our locally in the form of raids and counterraids, and the rare barter or prisoner swap done over the only bridge over the river near Troezon.

Auriga is a vast tract of massive green trees and humid, vibrant jungle. The jungle is full of vast orchards of fruiting trees that provide ample food for the Saemu and a multitude of animals not seen anywhere else in the known world such as the hakobune, a tall, long-legged deer with spikey plates lining its back and large backswept antlers and a long feathered tail which serves as a mount for Saemu nobility. The spectrecat is a large feline which is one of only a few animals known to be sensitive to magical energies. They are ethereal in nature and are capable of passing through solid objects, appearing and disappearing at will. They do not seem to prey on bipedal creatures and are a spiritual animal to the Saemu. To see one in person is considered a sign of good fortune.

The largest city, though not always the seat of government, is Akseki. It is the ancestral home of the Saemu and has grown into a center for trade, education, and agriculture as the volcanic soil is quite fertile. In the nearby mountains there is an ancient passage that leads through the mountains to the vast steppes of the east. The tunnel is guarded constantly but the rare trader or traveler, driven mad by the months long journey through the dark emerges from time to time.

Bahi is the largest coastal settlement in Auriga and sits astride the lucrative trade route between Akara and far away Angko in the east. Corsairs are known to operate from its harbor as well as the offshore islands from which they attack Akaran shipping. Such attacks can only go on for so long before the Royal Akaran Navy takes notice and dispatches a patrol force. In the face of such power Auriga can do little to challenge the show of force in their waters and the privateers bide their time until the waters are once again open to them.

Once a small fishing and mining city, Ara is now a fortified redoubt, nestled against the Serpent's Tongue River and the sheer rock face of the Jadestone Mountains. If Akara ever launches another full scale invasion with the intent to permanently seize lands, Ara will have to be taken as it is capable of launching attacks on supply lines and encircling armies as they push deeper into Auriga.