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Anaxas
Prime God: Hulali Population: 11 Million Races: 85%H, 5%W, 10%G Climate: Desert & Tropical Capital: Thul Ka Rulers: Emperor Un Fera Main University: Thul'amatMugrobi Languages: Estuan Currency: Anaxi concord

The Kingdom of Mugroba lies to the northeast of Anaxas, directly south of Hox. It is comprised of a vast expanse of desert punctuated by several long, winding rivers which serve as highways for trade and travel; the largest and longest of these rivers is the Turga. It is currently ruled by the youthful Emperor Un Fera, a boy of twelve. The prime god of Mugroba is Hulali, the River God. The capital city is Thul Ka, or the White City, home to the palace of Ashu'tei.

The adjectival and demonymic form of "Mugroba" is "Mugrobi". The word "Mug" is used in a non-pejorative way to describe a person from Mugroba or one of Mugrobi descent.

Population

Mugrobi people are dark-skinned with white teeth and black or blue eyes (see Genetics and Appearances).

Mugroba's people are mainly human, making up around 85% of the total population. Wicks are a small percentage, maybe 5% total. Galdori make up a slightly larger portion of the population (around 10%), with many immigrating to Anaxas to attend school.

The number of galdori has gone up in Mugroba since the founding of Thul'Amat, while the number of wicks has substantially lowered; many Mugrobi wicks have moved on to Anaxas, where they make a better living plying their trades on land rather than by sea. A good number of Mugrobi wicks and humans currently live and work in Old Rose Harbor in Anaxas, or in the Muluku Islands. The Mugrobi Plague wiped out a large portion of the small wick villages, causing many wicks who were not nomadic to become so.

Society

Their society is unusually egalitarian - galdori are considered superior to the majority population, but the gap between rich and poor is comparatively smaller than that of Anaxas, and humans, wicks and passives (known there as "imbali") are treated relatively well. Wicks, humans and imbali make up the majority of traders from that area, and can be quite wealthy and successful, as they are less hindered by their government than their neighbors to the south.

Although there is no significant hostility from the galdori towards the other races, galdori do consider themselves above the humans and do not commonly associate with them. All public offices are still held by the galdori. Humans are not prohibited from earning a living or owning property, however, and on some level the Mugrobi people understand that the old ways are dying out. However, they tolerate the situation in Anaxas.

Their political system is slightly different from that of Anaxas; their monarchy is based on a family line rather than an elected King and Queen.

Topography

The terrain of Mugroba is harsh and unforgiving - many foreigners find it unbearable. The ergs are broken up by many winding rivers, which serve as the only roads. Without them, desert life would be impossible.

The islands off the Mugrobi coast, however, are covered with lush jungle.

Culture

Mugrobi people are mostly unflinchingly moral. Lying is considered incredibly damning, so many Mugrobi think of ways around a lie, often by obscuring the truth with metaphor or invented parables. A backhanded insult is sometimes called a "mug compliment" in other countries, including Anaxas.

As in Anaxas, intelligence and the pursuit of knowledge are of infinite importance to the Mugrobi galdori, but also to the humans and wicks. Mugrobi humans and wicks are allowed to read and write, and the literacy rate is quite high. Keeping diaries, collections of poems and memoirs is a common activity among Mugrobi citizens; letter-writing, although an imperfect passtime given the unreliable nature of the post, is also very common. Many Mugrobi galdori have "quill friends" that they correspond with in Anaxas or Hox. This is an expensive thing to do, but it is considered an academic pursuit.

The Mugrobi equivalent of Brunnhold is Thul'amat (or Thul University) in Thul Ka. It is a relatively new institution, built in the last 100 years to replace the destroyed Dejai Temple (a religious school).

The Mugrobi people are fluent in Estuan as their primary language, though the spoken language of Mugrobi is still used in many cities and villages. It is a very lyrical and flowing language; the Mugrobi people carry over the poetic speech patterns into Estuan, giving them a unique way of speaking replete with metaphors and colorful descriptions.

Religion is also important to the Mugrobi people, though they are less superstitious than the Anaxi. Their prime god, Hulali, is mainly accepted as a metaphor for the prosperity in their lives. They live by the moral code that dictates that goodness done to others will become goodness received.

Mugrobi culture is against interfering in the affairs of other countries; they are reluctant even to comment on the state of things in Anaxas. This non-invasive policy is contrary to their attitude in ancient times, when the galdori conquered the desert and seemed intent on building an empire, but this imperial attitude does not persist today.

Trade

Mugroba was originally a nomadic land, before the rivers began to form, making river trade and permanent civilization possible. The values and traits of a nomadic society remain with the Mugrobi people, and the tradition of travel remains in practice with the river traders to this day. Trade is the main source of income for Mugroba, and as such, many Mugrobi people are artisans, crafting luxuries for other countries to enjoy. They take immense pride in their work. Not all Mugrobi craftsmanship is decorative; in Thul Ka, there are many schools where advanced technology is developed by the deft minds of Mugrobi engineers. Many of the great inventions of the twenty-seventh century were developed in Mugroba.

The Muluku Islands serve as the main hub of the spice trade with Anaxas. Apart from spices, Mugroba exports artisan wares, exotic fabrics such as silk, jewelry, books of fiction, and unlicensed spells. Mugroba also trades with many other kingdoms.

International Relations

Mugroba and Anaxas

Mugroba and Anaxas are very close, both in trade and in the friendliness that exists between the two kingdoms. Trade has only strengthened the bond between them. Several years ago, before Emperor Un Fera took the throne, his father Emperor Un Deduo and Anaxas' King Taelin were great friends. Many Mugrobi children go to Brunnhold to study magic, and some Anaxi children go to Thul'amat to study for part of their education.

Several years ago, the nomadic people of Mugroba were suffering from a mysterious plague of unknown origin. A good portion of the Anaxi army was sent to aid in relief efforts. Although the Mugrobi Plague has begun to taper off, several regiments of the army have stayed behind to keep an eye on the situation.

Mugroba and other kingdoms

Mugroba's relationships with other kingdoms are generally genial, with most of the trade being done via the Muluku Islands. Hox, the isolationist country to the immediate north of Mugroba, has nothing to do with them, and their relationship of late is frosty but polite; there is some lingering resentment for Hox's refusal to give aid to Mugroba during the time of the plague.

See the map of the Headlands.