Madhiba

General:

On the surface, the Kingdom of Madhiba is a strictly religious kingdom, devoting its everything to Deshret- the God that the people of Hilael worship. However, beneath the city and near the border of the Astorians, lies an underground Adairian influenced city under the name “Iba” that’s filled with entertainments of all sorts. Good food, brawling rings, fairs, alcohol, and a vast amount of gambling and casinos. Instead of the traditional Hilaelian religion, the people who reside in Iba worship the Adarian God and the teachings of the Adarians. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the underground city, its origins, and how it was even built in the first place, especially to the people who reside in the city of Madh. But as far as the people are concerned, it can be assumed the underground city of Iba was made in secret as an act of traitorousness and rebellion against the Hilaelian belief. However, in actuality, the story plays out relatively differently.

History:

Madhiba resides fully in a forest to the northwest however, it wasn’t always like that. Madhiba used to have a city in the southeast, in a lush plain biome. They had access to the river easily with large native animals that could feed a handful of families. But everything changed when Ąpawičhak’ya attacked. The land was razed with fire and all that lived burned down from the raid. Ąpawičhak’ya wanted this land for their own and drove out Madhibians further northwest to a forest called Burgeon Woods where they used that for wood production and hunting. The struggle of making their place in the forest was profound. The growing trees battled them for land, the animals battled them for food, and they battled each other from stress, anger, and impatience with each other. But after a time and the ash settled in the war zone, the Madhibians took advantage of their surroundings and used the forest to make their new city, with barely any help from the other Hilaelean kingdoms. Slowly but surely, the new city would spark. The Astorians during their time of strife were cleaning up the bodies, fire, and started their expansion south. But by this time, the Madhibians were accustomed to their new way of life in the Burgeon Woods and ambushed them with their skills earned in the forest. They were driven out of the land and a new feud ensued. As of current day, it is an active war zone and the land is uninhabitable and the day when the feud stops is indeterminable.
As their city grew, so did the discontent from the other Hilaelean kingdoms, this defection turned them towards the Adairians for two reasons. One comes from the fact that they are far away from the other Hilaelean kingdoms with the nearest one being on an island west of them and the hostility of the Astorian kingdom. They are essentially alone to deal with the conflicts with no way to escape. The other reason is the Adairians are a calm people, not caring for the politics of Alt-Andalus. They slowly and secretly talked to more of the Adairians but as their interest grew in conversion, they needed a place to talk in secret and so the underground city was born, not originally for gambling but a start to a “new kingdom”. It was a couple years of whispers and continuous onslaughts of Ąpawičhak’ya before they were fully integrated into their customs.

Geography/Climate:

The Hilaelean people of Madhiba reside in a dense forest known as the Burgeon Woods. It holds all sorts of magical life with a constant permeating fog sleeping on the earth’s surface. The air is moist and uncomfortable. The people, if out there for too long can feel their clothes sticking to them and becoming uncomfortably hot and cold at the same time. Sunlight is rare to get in these parts, the trees that grow there bloom exponentially more than normal. A couple days after one tree is chopped down, another one grows once more to adulthood. To the direct north is a freezing tundra of a mountain range, towering over them like a god. The rarely seen sunlight cast its rays to the sun behind it making a silhouette of an ominous looming figure. To the east is a flowing river leading to the ocean to the west. On the western bank of the Burgeon Woods is a swamp. It is the most dangerous place to be and not many people go there unless they want to. Their access to the waters are very easy if they know the path but due to the constant growth of the trees, if they aren’t experienced, there’s a high chance of getting lost.
The wildlife in the Burgeon Woods are more dangerous than average and the civilians had to adapt to the powers they hold. These monsters are what helped the Madhibians to take back their land which was stolen from Astorians. Stories emerged from Madhiba that tell tales of heroes slaying monsters, monsters conquering land, children’s tales of the Mossback Turtle, horrors of the Bog Spinner. Stories such as these are a big part of the culture of Mahiba, the mystery behind the Burgeon Woods compels people to make them feel closer to them.

Governance:

The Governance of Madhiba is split, whereas above ground’s governance is relatively strict and orderly. Meanwhile below ground, the people are much more free to do as they please, with less rules and regulations. The surface city, colloquially known as Madh, is run by the religious leader of the Hilaelean culture and their god Deshret. Religious customs and norms are enforced to maintain order and uphold the semblance of a traditional Hilaelean kingdom. Because of the polarity between Madh and the underground city of Iba, the leaders of Madh try harder to show that they are loyal to the Hilaeleans even if the other kingdoms do know of the Adairian influence.
The underground city of Iba isn’t run by a single or multiple leaders but is a more complex commune than other Adarian settlements. Decision making like what buildings should be built, where, how to hide the secret formula for the elixir, and so forth is done through communicative effort by the ones living there to ensure everyone has a say. Visitors do not have a say as they will not feel the effects of their decisions. Laws are very lax as is Adairian custom like mandatory military service and absolutely no theft.

Economics:

The economy of Madhiba at the start of its growth was slow and mediocre, only contributing their access to rivers and aquatic resources as a way to “put their foot in the door” to the other kingdoms. But as they grew in size and population, more was able to be done. The trees in the forest they reside in grow at an unprecedented pace, thus allowing them to gain an excessive amount of wood that can be used for more expansion, experimentation, but more importantly, trade. Wakątakte benefits the most from this wood as they live in the mountains with very little trees around. A new relationship would grow from Wakątakte where they would trade their minerals for Madhiba’s wood. Wakątakte would then use it for railroads, infrastructure, tools for mining, decor, buildings like shrines, homes, temples, and firewood. Madhiba in return would harness the minerals by making jewelry, medals for the sporting competitions, monuments, memorabilia, and tools for chopping trees. They do not trade all of the wood they chop down and because of the necessity and want to produce wood, their architecture is phenomenal, woodworking, carpentry are huge industries that can catch anyone a pretty penny if they’re skilled enough.
From this relationship, both cities grew more than they could’ve ever imagined. This inspired the government of Madhiba to initiate an order to make a building made for traders that would wander around Alt-Andalus trading with other kingdoms for specialty items, rarities, or necessities to then bring back to Madhiba. Ąpawičhak’ya however, is embargoed because of their attacks and the root cause of the land recession of Madhiba, so they do not want any affiliation with them.
What brings in the majority of Madhiba’s money lies within the eccentric city of Iba. The city of Iba wasn’t intended to do so at all though. Its purpose in the beginning stages of its development was that it was originally a place of opportunity for any Hilaelians who were curious about the Adairian culture to dive deeper into the culture. But over time, however, this underground place quickly grew and became something more than that. With time, it became a place where people can relax, let go, and have some fun whilst still practicing and enjoying the Adairian culture. Because of this, what was originally a small secretive city for those who wanted to dive deeper into the beliefs of the Adairians, became more and more of a populated area with time. People began to congregate, and with the interest of this area growing, eventually the city of Iba was born. In Iba, there is a vast abundance of casinos, fairs, and jousting/fighting shows, which gains popularity with the people quickly, and eventually it becomes a big source of monetary income for the kingdom of Madhiba. With time, the amount of people moving into the city began to increase, and thus, they invested into making more living spaces to accommodate for the suddenly growing population.

Social Relations/Demographics:

Adarians/Hilaelean Interactions within the two faced city: The concept of an underground city beneath the surface of Madhiba surfaced after the conflict between Hilael and Astoria, as mentioned previously within Madhiba’s history. After the influence that the Adarians had on select individuals of Madhiba after the war for land, some began to conjure up a place where the two kingdoms can congregate, and the culture of Adair can be spread to any who are interested. The underground city was formed by an originally small group of people, who all sought to create a ‘brand new’ and ultimately more modernized new kingdom beneath the surface of Madh. However, they lacked the resources and support for this idea of theirs to flourish, considering they intended to keep this hidden city a secret from the city above ground. But with the help of the Adarian people and their resources, this underground city was created.
Ironically, considering the original intent of this city was to be kept a secret by all those who were involved, word of this new kingdom, after its enhancements were made, would quickly begin to spread. This would ultimately mean that this kingdom would be discovered by Madh within the later stages of its development. The underground city of Iba brought in quite a lot of attention and people, especially from the Adairians. Considering the fact that it drew in more people, this city also brought in a lot of money due to its vast amount of activities (particularly gambling- but also by hosting fairs and jousting arenas, and also by their vast amount of good food and drinks). Ultimately, the underground city became less and less of a secret with time.
The not so secret kingdom continued to flourish and grab the attention of many other people, (particularly the Adairians), and with this, bring in more money. Many of the people of Madh grew to heavily dislike the city of Iba, seeing as this ‘new city’ is completely different, plus the fact that they worship a completely different religion from Hilael and follow a different culture. Despite this obvious tension, nothing is done about the underground city to get rid of it. Instead of shutting the city down as they instinctually intended, the Hilaeleans merely turn a blind eye to its controversies, keeping the ‘secrecy’ in favor of the many benefits that this originally ‘traitorous’ kingdom brought.
The population of Madhiba collectively consists of sixty-five thousand people, with the numbers being split between both of the Kingdom of Madhiba’s cities. Approximately eighty percent live above the ground in Madh, and twenty percent reside below the ground in Iba's residential housing. The residents of Madhiba are relatively torn with themselves, with approximately sixty-five percent of its population liking the Hilaelians and Hilaelian culture. However, in terms of the other kingdoms, eighty percent of the Kingdom of Madhiba like the Adairian people, meanwhile seventy percent of Madhiba like the Astorians.

Cultural Influences:

While Madhiba aligns with Hilaelian values on the surface, it hides an underground population made up largely of Adairians who seek refuge and security. This underground portion of the city is unknown to most outsiders and is what gives the city its name. However small it may be, it generates a lot of profit for Madhiba as a vice capital. Influenced largely by the Adairians and their seemingly-hedonistic cultural rituals, Madhiba’s underground scene leans into the indulgence and pleasures that the rest living on the surface wouldn’t immediately disclose.
The surface population makes up 80% of the city. Here, there is a strong sense of industry present (especially in logging and entertainment) that disguises the existence of an underground at first glance. Because the city was founded as a Hilael city, the population here is mostly Hilael, with a few Astorian groups coming in and out at any given time. The other 20% of the population lives mostly underground and is mostly Adairian, who have thrived because of their business in vices; the underground attracts a lot of tourism and foot traffic from the people that know because it’s an indulgent destination. While the surface might not appear this way, the Adair population has had an extensive impact on Madhiba, as the introduction to their sacred elixir has been used and adapted to maximize profit and change people’s beliefs. Hilaelians (and Astorians) living in Madhiba don’t prioritize practicing their religion as much as their other-kingdom counterparts because of the gradual normalization of the Adairians’ elixir. While the city’s reputation has a relaxed Hilaelian view, religious beliefs (including those of surface residents) have shifted since the introduction of the Adairian underground. The city now has a more neutral attitude towards religion, with conversions and religious indifference becoming increasingly common.
Despite their changes in religious beliefs, attitudes towards Astorians have faltered. Madhiba borders one Astorian kingdom to the north and actively fights over territory with another to the east, so Hilaelians are cautious around visiting Astorians, especially those that arrive in large parties. Smaller parties are tolerated more, and single travelers even moreso. Most of the Astorian population in Madhiba comprises defected Astorian missionaries who either converted or abandoned their mission.
Madhiba also has a healthy sporting and entertainment industry, both above and below ground, which is one of the biggest cultural contributions that the city possesses. On the surface, it hosts an extremely prestigious competition where all the kingdoms’ send their most skilled to compete in athletic games to represent their kingdom. Depending on which kingdom shows and which kingdom wins, the competition positively reinforces the reputations of Madhiba and the winning kingdom because of the grandeur and scale of the competition. Below ground, Adairians have established their own illegal sporting industry. Some of these sports consist of under-the-table duels, jousts, cock fights, and illicit boxing rings.
Through these breaches of Hilael rule, tensions between the surface and the underground continue to rise, despite the visible profit the Adairians continue to bring. As the Adairians’ sentiment shifted from gratitude to entrepreneurism, native Hilaelians perceived this change as a threat towards their good-will and continue to treat it as such. In retaliation, the government of Madhiba instates multiple policies to prevent the spread of Adairian beliefs on the surface and to reclaim converts living in the underground; some of these policies include enforcing a nighttime curfew for Adairians, and unannounced federal patrol and search of Adairian homes and settlements.