Almanfaa

During one of the final campaigns of conquest carried out by the Nagarajya, they seized the island of Dzarbah. They took it from the native Tigzirin, who at that time were fractured and at war with one another. Only thirty-eight years after Dzarbah became part of the Nagarajya, the Malika of Saba invaded and conquered the nations heart on Saba, establishing the Malikate of Saba in its place.

This left the Naga forces on Dzarbah without support, and the Tigzirin were quick to exploit their vulnerability. They had long since united against the conquest, but they had been unable to dislodge the Naga while support from the south continued. Once that support was gone, the Tigzirin rose up and drove the Naga from most of the island. The only place they failed to retake was the city of Almanfaa on the islands southeastern tip. Despite their overwhelming advantage in numbers, the Tigzirin were unable to take the city, and many claimed that it was shielded by magic that made any assault impossible. They spoke of uncanny ill luck: weapons slipping from attackers hands, blades shattering on defenders shields. Each assault collapsed without achieving much, and the conflict ground down into a long siege. In time, the Tigzirin and the Naga agreed to a truce, and the island was divided between two nations, the larger country of Tigzirt and the small city-state of Almanfaa.

Inheritors of the Nagarajya

The Naga of Almanfaa regard themselves as the sole surviving remnant of the Nagarajya and dismiss the claims of refugee-founded communities such as those on Bakunawa. Their leader, Mazin Tazult, traces an unbroken line of appointments back to the final military commander of Dzarbah, who was appointed by Wainaba, last king of the Nagarajya. On this basis he asserts that he is the rightful leader of the Naga and would be king if the Nagarajya were ever restored. This position conflicts with those of other major Naga communities, such as the ones within the Malikate who follow Zahira Al-Rashid, or the refugees of Bakunawa who await the coming of the Nagavirosha, but Mazin Tazult remains firm in his claim.

Whatever grand territorial claims they may make, Almanfaa is a poor nation that barely clings to its small patch of land. They survive on fishing and a bit of trade, but their vessels are not welcome in the ports of Tigzirt or the Malikate of Saba, and they earn little from legitimate commerce. Instead, they often turn to piracy, preying on the merchant ships of their neighbors and collecting taxes in the name of the defunct Nagarajya. More than once, this has brought attempted reprisals against the city-state, but as with the original efforts to conquer Almanfaa, these attacks are plagued by strange misfortunes: ships sink, soldiers forget their skills, and every attempt to punish the city has failed.

Attacks on Almanfaa ships at sea have been more successful, and many will strike an Almanfaan vessel on sight. Some claim that more than half of all Almanfaans die at sea. Yet the city-state persists, reviled by its neighbors, poor and often starving, but shielded by a mysterious force that no one can explain.