Senghor
The port city-state of Senghor is located on the Bay of Senghor, which is part of the Fever Sea on Garund's western coast. It is on the western end of the peninsula known as the Kaava Lands (the kaava are a pygmy tribe of kech) in the southern Mwangi Expanse.23
History
In 2603 AR, when the ancestors of the local Caldaru people first came as traders to Garund from their native Arcadia, the people from nearby Boali welcomed them and offered them a plot of land on which to build a settlement that would eventually grow into the city of Senghor.45
In 2618 AR, after the people of Senghor discovered that Boali cultists were sacrificing their young people in Ghol-Gani ruins, they razed Boali, executed the cultists, and rescued would-be victims. Feeling guilty for violating Boali's hospitality, they then took in many Boali children and made marriage alliances with the few surviving young Boali nobles. The story has since passed into legend, forgotten by all but a small cabal whose members are taught to fight cult resurgence.4
Geography
The city's harbour is an architectural masterpiece, able to withstand both the very real impact of storms originating within the Eye of Abendego and the unlikely event of a massive naval assault by some as yet unknown enemy.5
Inhabitants
The Caldaru, the prominent human inhabitants of Senghor, possess distinctive characteristics that set them apart from other Mwangi peoples. These individuals exhibit notable physical traits, such as relatively tall stature, green eyes, and a range of skin tones spanning from olive to dark tan. Not only do the Caldaru differ in appearance, but their dialect also includes a collection of exclusive words and phrases that are absent from other Mwangi languages. This linguistic distinction further sets them apart from neighboring communities.6
According to Senghoran mythology, the Caldaru can trace their lineage back to a Garundi ancestry that has long faded from history. This legend finds reinforcement in the city's exceptional architecture, which is believed to reflect the cultural remnants of this ancestral heritage.6 Although the city is culturally predominantly Caldaru, its Bonuwat people are actually more populous. Sizeable minority populations of Mauxi and Zenj can also be found here.5
Economy
The city relies on maritime trade as the dangerous Kaava Lands to the east severely curtail overland routes. Much of the trade between Vidrian (formerly Sargava) and Avistan makes port in Senghor. Before Vidrian threw off its Chelaxian overlords, anyone trading with Sargava risked annoying Cheliax. This led many to offload Sargavan goods in Senghor where they could be sold to other merchants acting as go-betweens.5
In recent times, Senghor has undergone significant transformations, primarily triggered by the overthrow of colonial Sargava and the subsequent establishment of independent Vidrian. Senghor, once known as one of the few secure trade hubs within the Mwangi Expanse, boasted the region's most formidable navy. With the downfall of Sargava's colonial regime, however, certain protective measures have diminished. Previously, Sargava paid the Free Captains of the Shackles for protection, which ensured a level of security for Senghor. Vidrian stopped these payments and since then, the Free Captains have now turned to raiding the waters surrounding Senghor in order to compensate for their losses. Consequently, engaging in trade with former partners has become increasingly challenging. Although Senghor's defensive fortifications and numerous naval vessels have successfully kept these pirates from reaching the city itself, anyone seeking to trade with Senghor must navigate through Free Captain blockades—a risk that only a few are willing to undertake.6
The city's market is still a major site for the sale of quality goods from the Mwangi Expanse to merchants of Avistan for a fair price; this is in contrast to Bloodcove, where arguably the region's raw materials are shipped off north in exchange for shoddy goods and cheap alcohol. The local guards, in their distinctive black and scarlet uniforms, make sure that the market is a safe place in which to do business.5
Government
Senghor is governed by a council consisting of nobles, priests of Gozreh, merchants, and the military. Council posts are generally inherited rather than elected, but so long as the city continues to prosper there are few calls for reform.5
Cheliax has attempted to establish a trade embassy in Senghor, but has found that communications have been plagued by bad luck and constant pirate attention. So far, none of this has been traced back to the Senghor government.5
Military
The Senghor navy boasts several dozen ships, and ensures that no piracy takes place within their territorial waters. However, they are indifferent to what goes on elsewhere in the Fever Sea, making Senghor a popular destination for those who are deemed to be pirates everywhere else. This pragmatism does not extend to the slave trade. Slave ships are not allowed to visit Senghor, and Bekyar vessels are frequently refused entry merely on suspicion of being connected to the slave trade. The Bekyar city-states to the south of Senghor have reacted angrily to this racial discrimination and there have been a number of sea battles. So far, Senghor has more than held its own in these conflict, and some of the city's leaders are keen to use it as a springboard for extending the city's sphere of influence—either southwards, or even northwards to the Avistan-backed Aspis Consortium's main base at Bloodcove.5
Foreign relations
Senghor holds no interest in allowing outsiders to establish a presence in their city. Therefore, their support for the Sargavan revolution against the Chelaxian colonialists was expected. To maintain amicable relations with the newly formed nation of Vidrian, Senghor and Vidrian have forged a tentative alliance. Its purpose is to prevent colonizers from reclaiming Vidrian and to safeguard Senghor from external influences.6
The alliance encompasses trade and naval agreements, which primarily favor Senghor's interests. While the people of Vidrian initially appreciated Senghor's assistance during their nation's early stages, as Vidrian has gained independence, its citizens have begun to protest the perceived imbalances in the agreement. Vidrian's leaders are pressuring Senghor to renegotiate the terms, but Senghor has thus far resisted, escalating tensions between the two powers.76
References
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ The population grew from 26,430 to 27,189 from Heart of the Jungle to The Mwangi Expanse.
- ↑ . “Chapter 2: The Inner Sea” in Campaign Setting, 104. Paizo Inc., 2008
- ↑ . River into Darkness, 13. Paizo Inc., 2008
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 . “Senghor” in The Mwangi Expanse, 262. Paizo Inc., 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 . “Mwangi Campaigns” in Heart of the Jungle, 43–45. Paizo Inc., 2010
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 . “Mwangi Expanse” in World Guide, 90. Paizo Inc., 2019
- ↑ . “Senghor” in The Mwangi Expanse, 256. Paizo Inc., 2021
