Skunting

Patron: Faladan Velvet (Maharaja Rakshasa)
Capital: The Hole
Primary Race: Halfling, Human, Nagaji
Primary Language: Halftalk
Suggested Traits: Bully, Duelist, Experienced, Gambler, Poor Hygiene, Quick Reaction, Silver Palm, Street Smart, Where it Hurts
Regional Feat: Hand to Mouth

Description

Skunting is a nation of contradictions.  The massive palaces and walled gardens of the rakshasa abut the slums and ghettos where their vassals fight for survival every day.  Life is structured and orderly, with everything controlled by a rigid caste system—what work you can do, where you can live, and even what you are allowed to eat or wear—but the actual act of living is a chaotic uncertainty of crime, chance, and the whims of the Tiger Lords.  Even the country has two names; the name used by its rakshasa masters, which no outsider or commoner is permitted to know, and the common name used by its oppressed populace.

History

Skunting had a history not dissimilar to Imbara in the years immediately following the War of the Traitor-Heroes, with a strong populace holding their ground against the increasingly fierce tides of monsters.  Originally part of two separate nations—the nagaji's Xorgon Tal and the human and halfling Frül Republic—they had come together with surprising vigor and it was proving to be a successful partnership.  Their borders had contracted, but much of their populace was still alive and the nearby presence of Estruaza meant their ports were able to receive supplies from the Golden Lady.

That all changed with the coming of the Tiger Lords, a displaced monarchy that claimed it had come from the southern hemisphere in the years following the Field of Broken Crowns.  In the months leading up to their arrival, plagues began to sweep through the cities of the so-called Unity of Xorgon Frül, claiming thousands including the ruling nagaji family and their council of advisors.  Weak and leaderless, the rakshasa arrived and declared themselves the protectors of the city.  No one had the power to stop them, and they so entrenched themselves during the rebuilding efforts that it would have proven impossible for the nation to survive their removal.

They quickly abandoned many of the satellite cities, consolidating a territory half the Unity's original size.  Under their rule, a system of indentured servitude sprang up, which mutated over the centuries into outright slavery, and finally into the caste system where every man was considered the property of the state.

Foreign Relations

Skunting conducts limited trade through the Tide Princes and Marukeem, the only naval powers willing to visit their ports.  They also have to deal with raiders from the neighboring Imbar islands which serve as a constant burr in the fur of the Tiger Lords.