Dhanû Dominion

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Dhanû is one of the great city-states within the Inner Shell of Araea. Hardened by their hostile homelands and the cold caverns of the Sheoin Region, the Dhanû's wars and raids into the rest of Araea is not a matter of want but of necessity. For generations, they have fought a losing war against the very land itself and watched it turn into a frozen wasteland.
But the Dhanû do not complain - they act.

The City-State

by Miguel Eins

The center of the Dominion and the beating heart of its people, the city of Dhanû holds its ruler and all its squabbling clans. It is the seat of political and military power within the dominion and although smaller than its rivals, the city is holds thousands of souls. It is wrapped around the shores of Lake Hoshãn and sporadically extends down the Writhing Dragon River towards the Abyss.

Important Locations

Sheoin is cold and cruel, with humanity's grasp on the caverns here shrinking with every year. It is not without its places of beauty or great value and no power other than Dhanû have a hold here.

Colonies and Reach

Over the last century, Dhanû have broken its isolation from the rest of the Inner Shell. While raiding is a honored tradition that date back to the city's founding, they have now begun to take land. The island-villages of Icaq, Mhaen and Szah in the Abyss have all fallen to the dominion. With the Abyss as their only route to the rest of the Inner Shell, the Dhanû have been forced to become skilled navigators of the subterranean waters.

Dhanû And Others

Dhanû had traditionally kept to itself. Their opinion on others are that they, although through no fault of their own, are not Dhanû. The Dhanû do not hate others, but think they they alone could survive their harsh homelands that this makes them better. It is a mix of perverse pride and jealousy that color Dhanû's interaction with the other city-states of Araea. Official contact is limited, not only due to cultural misgivings but simple distance. Travel across the Abyss is prohibitively dangerous for most city-states to attempt.
Rumors persist of certain unofficial meetings, of Dhanûians going to far away lands not to conquer but to talk, make deals and trade.

Other on Dhanû

For the most part, others consider Dhanû to be violent raiders and madmen. Those with a more nuanced view and more insight into Dhanû's situation have more sympathy, but not so much as to forgive their piracy. They have few friends and only one real partner.

The Drowning City

Dūbavum considers itself at war with the dominion. With the largest city-state in the abyss and the most holding across the black waters, Dūbavum have suffered the most from Dhanû raids.
It is not certain if Dhanû as a whole is aware of this, though some parties in the city-state are. Dūbavum is gathering forces and allies for a punitive expedition, though few wish to hazard the journey.

Slaver's Gate

Alazeta is Dhanû's lone consistent trading partner, largely due to efforts from the slavers of Alazeta. The Slaver's Gate are as unpopular in Dhanû as they are everywhere else and only a few deal with them.
But they are a necessary evil. Although the Dhanû warriors are unenthusiastic slavers, the trade with the Slaver's Gate brings in much needed supplies and food.

Ahumahi

While not as near as Dūbavum or as frequent a target, the Ahumahi hold perhaps an even greater grudge to the raiders of Dhanû. The theft of their harvests are blasphemous to the farmer-cults of Ahumahi and must be repaid in blood.
Fortunately for Dhanû, they are reluctant to travel so far from their fields. Instead, they support Dūbavum with funds and mercenaries. Raiders dread capture by the cults.

The Sheoin Region
The city-state of Dhanû lies within the cold and barren Sheoin region. Here, the land is at war with itself as competing eco-systems warp and mutate the very stone in their battle for supremacy. No matter what domains they conquer or what caverns they raid, this will always be their home.
Read More About Sheoin

by Shao Zhijiao

The Dhanûian

Proud warriors and skilled poets, the people of Dhanû are tough, rowdy folk bound tightly be traditions of obligation and expectation. While far from welcoming of strangers, any who earn the trust of a Dhanûian will find them steadfast friends willing to face the bleakest of odds without complaint.
Read More About The Dhanûian

Never have there been people with more of a chip on their shoulder than the Dhanû.

— Cerrone, Dūbavian Ranger

Important Concepts

by ArtDeepMind

Important People & Organizations

Current State

Times are changing in Dhanû. The current Exarch is old and weak, and his edicts more frequently ignored by his unruly servants. The clans smell blood in the caves and gather forces for the upcoming struggle to determine who will rule next. At the same time, Dhanû is threatened from both within and without. The cold-spreading monsters in the Lost Lands reach further into Dhanû's domain with every year. The drowning city gather their forces for retaliation, bolstered by mercenaries and zealots. Within Dhanû, cultists lurk in the darkness and shortages threaten everyone from peasant to prince.
But in Dhanû, all eyes are on the throne.

by Miguel Eins