@Marcaya – Lore
Marcaya was not born from conquest but from commerce. Long ago, the eastern lands were a cluster of wealthy merchant cities hugging trade routes between the seas and mountains. While other kingdoms warred over borders, Marcaya’s guilds grew rich through silk, spice, and silver.
But prosperity invited treachery. Rival guilds poisoned one another, families rose and fell through backroom deals, and assassinations were as common as trade fairs. Over time, the most cunning houses survived, until the Maracyn dynasty outmaneuvered them all. By forging secret alliances and bankrupting enemies through ruthless economic wars, they transformed a patchwork of merchant republics into a single, united kingdom.
Marcaya’s society values wealth, wit, and manipulation over bloodline or brute strength. Anyone may rise in power, provided they have the gold or cleverness to outplay rivals. Nobility here is earned, not inherited, and betrayal is considered an art when done with style.
The throne now rests with @Queen Isolde Maracyn , a woman who embodies Marcaya’s cunning perfectly. With her silver tongue and merciless mind, she uses spies, informants, and gold-filled purses to bend enemies to her will. Marcaya seldom marches to war openly; instead, it weakens foes with economic sabotage, bribery, and assassinations until victory is inevitable.
Why they battle:
Expansion of trade routes and monopolies drives their hunger for land.
They seek to keep rivals unstable by manipulating conflicts.
Maharlikha’s rise threatens their influence — the locals’ loyalty to @Chocode cuts off Marcaya’s merchants from controlling central trade.