Trinity of Udamna's
Udamna is the name of three things, it is a city, it is the island on which the city was built, and it is the principality in which both are located. Two of those are exonyms.
The ancient name of the city was Udamna, it was named in the old tongue of the islanders, and when it fell into the fold of the continental kings, they named the entire island after the main city from which it was ruled, and so too, were the ruler here named Princes of Udamna, and this, the whole archipelago was named such.
Island Kingdom
Udamna functioned as an island nation for a long time before it was subjugated by the Yavinian mainlanders. People first settled here during the stone age, when people from the north and east floated here on their rafts, sometimes very much by accident, and over time, the people here developed their own society and culture. Most of their ethnic mix originates from the early Yavinians, but over time, their appearance and language has diverges significantly, and their have nearly as much in common with the dendorians as the people of westingham.
History
In the beginning, they were no more than small island tribes, but over time, the had a head start when it came to seafaring technology, as for them this was a way of life, rather than simply a tool to get from place to place. They had the bet ships in the early bronze age, which is probably how they avoided becoming an elven province, who were the biggest seafaring nation throughout most of history.
They formed an island confederation, at first rule from one of the smaller islands, which despite is size, had much better farmland, but it wasn't long before the were unified by a monarch, which started their history as a kingdom.
They remained a regional trade power for much of the bronze age, and they were the link between the elves and the dwarves, and the continental humans, who at this time, were still very much focussed on land warfare, and hadn't developed much of an very yet, or a merchant culture.
But the Kings of Udamna were all too eager to fill this role for them, and they were a wealthy nation during the bronze age.
They reached their peak during the years of the Eshen Dray, who had unified all of the western human lands, and funneled all their trade to the islanders, as they didn't have any navy themselves, but just as the Eshen Dray had brought them wealth, and plenty, so did their fall bring the Udamna to their lowest, and when the subsequent continental kingdoms decided to form their own shipping industry, it wasn't long before the islands became a mere continental puppet state, and later, they were fully integrated into Western administration.
Culture
Even after what has now been millennia of continental rule, the Udamna have maintained their individuality and a distinct culture. They can also be easily distinguished from other humans by their darker skins, and short statures.
They are the people of the sea, and they love nothing more than taking their boats out for a fishing trip, or to go diving between the rocks for shellfish, or crabs.
They do still cultivate crops, and they are the only of the Western nations that grow rice, but their meal of choice is one plucked from the sea.
They love anything that swims, and all shells and crustaceans, but they have also incorporated a variety of sea plants into their diet, something the continentals find most revolting.
They also have access to a number of tropical plants, most notably coconuts, but also some fruit trees, such as bananas.
They like to dress in colorful clothing made from cotton, but their boots need to be made from waterproof leathers, and they all have one of the signature Udamna coats, which are made from polished seal leather, and protect them from wind and rain when they are out at sea.
Terhikai Gate
The one thing that made Udamna the primary city of the islands, is the presence of the Terhikai gate in the mountains nearby, it is a source of magic and power, and the leaders of this city have used it since its discovery to boost their successes. after their decline, it was granted to the mages, who after the holy wars of the continent, built their academy around it, which blew new life into the Udamna economy, and attracted many interested parties to their archipellago.
The mages made them relevant once again.
Ship Builder
The Udamna were credited with the creation of the first multi-mast ships, which were bigger and could transport much more cargo, this technology is use to this day by all nations for the construction of the largest vessels.
On the flip side, they also built the fastest ships, which were much smaller than the average, these were used more in their navy and could decimate enemy fleets with their quick maneuvering. This technology is now mostly used by pirates, who like to use hit-and-run tactics and need the added speed to avoid getting caught.
Influence
While Udamna is no longer independent, or very important in the world of trade, they are one of the more influential of the provinces of Westingham, due to their control of the Mage academy, arguably one of Westinghams most important assets, this is why Udamna was promoted from a regular Duchy to a Principality.
Strategy
Besides having been genius seafarers, in the past, their islands have also been a great contributor of their independence, the much larger elves fleets were never able to subjugate them because the islands are simply too many, and these people had shipwards in places where the elves could never think to look.
Now, these islands are one of Westinghams most valuable coastal defense systems, as they provide a way for them to nearly infinitely conjure new ships out of thin air, and any who wish to land on the mainland without boing cut off from their sea-based supply lines, will first have to subjugate these islands, and still, none have ever succeeded.
Comments