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{{Clanbox_test| clan_name=Royal Court of Greater Raktam| official_id=222| clan_image=[[Image:Ishtar.gif]]| clan_leaders=[http://www.shartak.com/profile.cgi?id=10089 King Baraka]| clan_membership=8+| clan_goals=The Greater Glory of Raktam| clan_recruit=Open to All| clan_contact=See the thread in the Natives forum or visit the Throne Room in Raktam }} ==Royal Court of Greater Raktam== ===Current Business=== Recruitment Fostering Trade Organizing Hunts ===Membership of the Court=== The Court is one of the largest clans on Shartak, and is open to all natives and the allies of Greater Raktam. == '''History of the Royal Court of Greater Raktam''' == The Royal Court is one of the oldest and most influential clans on Shartak. ====Recognition of the Crown==== Azuma and Flange were the first to pay homage to the Queen, in July '07. Skepticism of the intentions of a sovereign ruler of Raktam was deep, particularly amongst Raktam elders in the medical hut. Jhelai, the leader of the [[Cheetahs]], was amongst the first to recognise the benefits of organised resistance against foreign raiders, following the demise of the Raktamites. ====Battle of Pirates' Graveyard==== In August '07 the Queen lead a core group of Raktami warriors and their allies to defeat the [[Brotherhood of the Coast]] in the [[Battle of the Pirate's Graveyard]]. The success of this battle and the subsequent end of the Brotherhood of the Coast's attacks on Ratkam assisted the Court gain credibility. ====Expansion of Greater Raktam==== In September '07 Greater Raktam expanded, so that three new provinces were created: the Province of Babuwabia (named after Raktam's greatest hunter) extending to the northern shore, the Province of Umslopagaasia (named after its second greatest hunter) extending to the southern shore and the eastern bank of the [[Margaret River]], and the Province of the Pirate's Graveyard, extending west to the mountain. ====Battle of Archer's Pool==== In October '07 the Queen headed a relief column to fight pirates at the [[Battle of Archer's Pool]] assisting the Dalpoki. This lead to the composition: <i><b>The Ballad of the Queen's Charge</b> Verse One Good Queen Hummingbird was on her throne one day When grim news arrived of the outcome of the fray She took off her crown and she locked it away And grabbed a machete to make the pirates pay [Chorus] Oh she travelled through the jungle to kick some pirate heads Oh she travelled long, she travelled hard, and lots of blood she shed The pirates had truly outlasted their stay The Queen and her machete were going to make them pay Verse 2 She found Joey Rocket and said, "Bad luck my friend!" "You say you're no pirate so you'll have one chance on which your life depends "Pirates have sea legs so walk straight or shed your blood!" And before he could take a step she dropped him to the mud. [Chorus] Verse 3 She ran through the jungle and maimed Shinji at the pool She skewered Arr and stabbed him, he ran like a fool The pirates were many and she was but one Cadmus said surrender, she said "We'd sooner die than run!" [Chorus] Verse 4 (slower pace) And so now the Queen's ghost stands in fury by the lake The pirates in living a mockery they make The Queen's angry spectre says, "Go back into the sea!" "Pirates surrender, for never will We!" </i> The lack of following amongst the people of Raktam to travel great distance to assist their Dalpoki brethren made the Queen realise that mercenaries were needed to provide Raktam with sufficient military force to meet Raktam's strategic objectives. ====Further expansion of Greater Raktam and Outsider Recognition==== In late October '07 Greater Raktam expanded again, with the planting of a sign 50 paces to the north-west of Raktam, reading, "Province of the [[Empty Quarter]], Sovereign Land of the Kingdom of Greater Raktam", and established the Winter Palace at [[Chikram]]. On 5 November '07 the [[Eastern Federation]] formally recognised the Crown of Raktam as a sovereign power. To date no other settement has recognised the Crown of Raktam. ====Visa Levy==== In November '07 the Queen introduced a visa levy on all outsiders travelling through Greater Raktam, and went on a Royal Tour to parley with the [[Necromancers' Guild]] in [[Wiksik]] and the Eastern Federation in [[Derby]]. The visa levy has proved to be very unpopular amongst outsiders, especially after its strict enforcement by Loughbridge the tax collector at Santa's Grotto in December '07. ====Establishment of Commonwealth and Free Trade Zone==== In December '07 Greater Raktam and the [[Independent Republic of Fort Creedy]] formed a commonwealth, and the Queen dispatched a large force of mercenaries and Raktami warriors to operate as a garrison at Creedy and protect it from Durham aggression. The Queen also established the [[Grand Vizier's Markets]], a free trade zone to the south of Raktam. ====The Burgundy War==== In January '08 rogue members of the [[Durham Pistoleers]] attacked the Raktam garrison at Fort Creedy, killing several members of the garrison plus President Eptavian of the Creedy Republic. This was apparently triggered by Durham politician Ron Burgundy's comments that citizens of Durham should be secretly encouraged to kill members of the garrison. In retaliation, the Raktam garrison attacked the Pistoleers, killing several members, following orders from the Queen that the Pistoleers "be crushed". The 1st Colonial Militia, a paramilitary extremist group from York, travelled to Durham to assist the Pistoleers, and the Eastern Federation initiated Operation Moonwalk, a plan to kill Raktam garrison members who were attacking Durham Pistoleers not directly implicated in the initial attack. Under intense pressure, and facing invasion from Raktam as well as de facto invasion from the 1st Colonial Militia, the Pistoleers initiated parlay with the Court. The result of this was the appointment of former Pistoleer The Malice as ambassador to Durham, the cessation of hostilities between the two parties, and a joint operation between the commonwealth forces and the Pistoleers to repel the 1st Colonial Militia. Under criticism from other outsiders for the alliance with the commonwealth, the Pistoleers disbanded, thus inadvertantly fulfilling the Queen's directive. ====The Wiksik Insurgency and the Raktam Insurgency==== Meanwhile in Wiksik, fighting between the Necromancers' Guild and other Wiksikians resulted in the dispatch of Raktam troops as peacekeepers and observers. Following negotiations between the parties and the queen's offer of Chikram as a home to the Guild, the conflict ended in late January. In Raktam, however, insurgences repeatedly attacked the Court, hoping to bring down the monarchy. The insurgency quickly became a side issue as the queen rallied the Court to fight York intrusions upon the delta of the Margaret River in a quest for heavy swords. ===Death of Blue Hummingbird=== After disappearing for almost two months en route to the delta, in March '08 the Queen arrived back in Raktam. Fatally poisoned, the Queen formally declared SofaKing her heir, with Ezekiel Jones the executor of her will. The Queen was assasinated while in a weakened state by Booble, a Raktami insurgent. Blue Hummingbird's last words were recorded: <i>"I die with a machete in my hand, striking a blow against a hyena. Otherwise, let Raktam and the Commonwealth expand like grassland. Let all people of goodwill join the Commonwealth. And let those who stand in our way perish. The King, the Grand Vizier and my cousin will show the way. I approach Valram, and assume my throne in the sunless lands as queen of the skygods. I will be watching. Goodbye."</i> The summer palace of Raktam was declared the Queen's tomb, where her body currently rests in a stone sarcophagus, daubed with the bloody handprints of her followers. Of the Queen, scholars have described her thus: <i>A benign tyrant. Tyrannical in that she imposed taxes without consultation, executed opponents without trial, and formed treaties and declared wars with minimal involvement of her advisors. She also managed to accumulate vast sums of wealth, from fairly shady business deals. On the other hand, she dispensed first aid and gold coins lavishly upon citizens of Ratkam, encouraged criticism from non-combatants like Nihlia and engaged with them, tried to establish a free trading zone for all non-combatant traders with her own money as incentive, and tried to broker a truce in Wiksik's civil war and with the Eastern Federation motivated in both cases simply by altruism. </i> As a consequence of her death, the Queen's cousin Dappled Shadow established the [[Black Legion of the Commonwealth]], an expansionist military faction of the Royal Court which is also a religious death cult devoted to the dead queen. In early April '08, a half-caste outsider in Derby laid claim to being the daughter of the deceased Queen. The truth of this claim has yet to be determined. ===The Queen is Dead! Long Live the King!=== As blood heir to the royal throne of Raktam, [[Blue Hummingbird]] established a throne room/the Summer Palace in close proximity to the trader's hut and to the herbal hut. In March '07 SofaKing succeeded Blue Hummingbird, upon her assassination. ===Coronation of SofaKing=== In late March '08, SofaKing was coronated by [[Ezekiel Jones]] as King of Greater Raktam. [[Taiaka]] was appointed by the King the role of the King's Left Hand and Executioner. [[Achoo Pichu]] was appointed Steward of Raktam. Dappled Shadow was appointed Warlord of Raktam and Governor of the southern province of Babuwabia. [[Neil Tathers]] continued his role as Grand Vizier, with his first diplomatic mission a tour of Derby. [[Marvin]] established the [[1st Raktam Mercenary Corps]]. It is unknown if [[Jhelai]] of the [[Cheetahs]] continues his role as nominal governor of Umslopogaasia, the northern province. ===Non-Aggression Pact with Durham=== Ongoing skirmishes between the 1st Raktam Mercenary Corps, Creedists, and other allies of the Court with the 1st Colonial Militia in and around Creedy, combined with the onset of the annual Durham Headhunt by the [[Wicksick]] eventually lead Ron Burgundy, governor of Durham, in early April to agree to a non-aggression pact with the Commonwealth. the pact reads in the following terms: <i>Let it be known! As first act of SofaKing, King of Raktam under the Skygods, Protector of the Mountain, High Priest of the Bear Warrior Lodge, Barbarian-scattering Warlord and Vindicator of All Raktami, Large and Small, he wishes with the support of President Eptavian and thus the full force of the Commonwealth to propose a non-aggression pact between the Greater Commonwealth of Raktam and Creedy and the town of Durham. In light of the troubles and misunderstandings between our peoples, it is desired that a formal agreement be made to make clear the intentions of the Commonwealth and Durham. Signed by the sovereigns and governors of their lands, the pact will ensure that no group will take up arms against the other without proper notice and a formal Declaration of War. No allowance will be made by the collective groups to provide aid either material or spiritual to proxies acting to destabilize the respective governments. Let it be known!</i> ===War!!!=== While SofaKing was by all accounts a peace-loving king, he faced his greatest challenge from a vicious outsider organization known as the Greater Shartak Unification Coalition. Under the guise of island-wide unification, this group attempted to kill or enslave the entire native population of Shartak. Allied with the peoples of Wiksik and Dalpok, and united in arms with the Kingdom of Skulls, the Necromancer's Guild, Creedy and Southall, the Royal Court fought against the combined forces of GSUC invaders and treacherous Fifth Columnists. ===Trial of the Skygods=== Seeing that his reign as king was coming to a close, SofaKing began the Trial of the Skygods, a series of intensive tests to determine who had the skygods' favor to be his worthy successor. monaliza successfully completed the Trials and proved her worth to stand as the new queen. ===Establishment of the Crimson Dynasty=== With SofaKing's abdication, monaliza declared the beginning of a new era for the Court, that of the Crimson Dynasty. Dealing with the continued threat of the GSUC, as well as various mercenary wars, monaliza successfully led the Court through some of its harshest times. In the face of many external pressures, monaliza threw many festivals for the people of Raktam, such as the Shargletopia 2010 event. ===Royal Nuptials!=== Searching for a perfect mate, monaliza found a soulmate to share the throne of Raktam with her in the form of Baraka, one of Raktam's fiercest warriors and staunchest defenders. Neil Tathers presided over the Royal Wedding, blessing the couple with the finest the jungle had to offer. The two newlyweds ruled Raktam in tandem with a renewed sense of love and community. ===A Queen falls=== Anarchist assassins slew the Queen, leaving Baraka as the sole sovereign of Raktam. In his grief, he fled to the sacred mountain of his people, declaring that SofaKing would serve as regent in his stead. [[Category:Raktam]]

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