The Unreached Duchy

Since antiquity, there have been civilizations made up of people with different ideas, beliefs, and opinions. Including those individuals who say that there’s no races besides humans and no magic; however, an island domain that has all races some and magic does exist. This quietly hidden away nation also used to be allies with the neighboring human kingdoms of Dacia and Thrace. It would even take the prisoners that were no longer manageable by human. Not only would this peaceful realm take prisoners from their neighbors but they would also accept anyone from any race that wished to live on the islands. The Dacian and Thracian Empires were not far from the island empire since all were connected by the Black Sea, so travel was easy between the Empires for all. The Dacian and Thracian Empires were on the mainland located where the Danube River meets the Black Sea. Each empire lived on one side of the Danube River and used the River as a natural border in the middle of the two Empires. There was major seafaring ports on each side of the river due to the amount of ships coming and going with cargo. Some of it was for Dacia, some of it was for Thrace, and some of it was for their quiet neighbor who made all sorts of things for both empires. The trading that took place was always beneficial to everyone. The duchy had more resources than the humans on the mainland. The islands also had active volcanoes and the people were very skilled at making things out of lava, including musical instruments which seemed quite popular with humans. There was such a harmony between the kingdoms, or so everyone that lived on the islands thought. No reason was known back then or now for why the trades between the three kingdoms declined the way it did. Many in the realm at the time believed it was because of the war that was raging between the Dacian, Thracian, and Roman Empires. No one in the domain believed that they could possibly lose their human allies. There’s always horseshoes, triple knots, crowned hearts, and spirals hanging from every balcony and in every window for decorations all year round. Multi-shades of blues, purples, greens, reds, oranges, and yellows are in abundance. Unicorns, Axex, Kongamotos, Kesaran-pasarans, and Wyverns all over living freely all over the country side. Places where the grooms come riding into their wedding ceremony on Pixiu while the brides wear bright colored dresses that matched the groom’s saddles. This magnificent country is ruled by a monarchy in love with the arts, music and visual arts. Music is a very big part everyday life and even more so during festivals; there’s two festivals each month, Alaiceaus and Cassini. Since Makara is a kingdom made up of multiple islands, there’s plenty of space that can be put between each of the races if it’s needed. We have many different races that include human, Merfolk, Kabouters, different ancestral races, and different giant races. The ancestral races, Fir Bolg and Basajaun, are some of the wisest in Makara. The giant races are some of the most skilled; the Jentil, Antero Vipunen, and Yilbegan races. The Yilbegan, for example, live up near the top of Avesta’s volcano. Their dragon scales make it easy for them to tolerate the heat from the volcano. Antero Vipunen is a subterranean giant race that lives near the base of the mountain range. The two races tolerate each other and the mountains separating them is a perfect natural barrier that helps keep the peace between them. With Makara being a nation made up of islands, there’s also a lot of shipwreck survivors in society. Every human that chooses to remain in Makara is given an option to remain human or become another race. They are given one chance to change their mind, but they’re also given two Alaiceaus ceremonies to make that decision. The music at each Festival and celebration is provided by the Royal Orchestra. The orchestra is comprised of lutes, lyres, and ocarinas. Skirophorion Day is the day that history tells us of the first people coming to Makara’s shores from the mainland kingdoms. It’s a day seen as Makara getting her freedom to be Makara. No more slaves, no more endless wars over grain, and no more threats from neighboring kingdoms invading. Makara was safe and so were the people who lived there, regardless of race. The Royal Castle was located in Skirophorion and that’s where the Huns spent most of their time. It was not an uncommon sight to see a Hun family member out in the market place purchasing goods for the castle. The Huns prided themselves on being able to connect with the people in the duchy and to be seen as the equals of their people. If the Huns decided that there needed to be a building added or remodeled in Makara somewhere, it was a common custom that one of the Hun men would be there to assist with the building for the entire project. It was a common belief among the Makaran society that the Huns were actually not royalty when people began inhabiting the shores of Makara and that the Hun family intended to do everything they could to prevent their family from becoming like the Royal families in Rome, Dacia, and Thrace – unforgiving, unrelentingly, and cruel in regard to their citizens.