Ghrāyam (ɡʱraː.jəm)

"The Naga may live in many cities, on many islands. But only Ghrāyam is truly the city of the Naga." - Sampratya, high priest of Ajagara in Ghrāyam

Ghrāyam is a large city on the island of Ajagar in the Sabaen Archipelago. It is the westernmost port in the Malikate of Saba, and ships traveling across the Southern Region almost always start from here.

An Ancient City

Nearly four thousand years ago, the Deva Ajagara protected the island of Ajagar from the genocide wrought by the Clarati upon the Nakaal. The Kikipua who sheltered behind Ajagara's might numbered only a few thousand, but they survived. In the centuries that followed, those survivors became the Naga.

Ghrāyam was a small village then, but as the Naga began to venture back out into the world in the aftermath of the Clarati apocalypse, the city grew. For many centuries, it was the only major port in the eastern half of the Southern Region. Even today, the closest port to the west is Kikai, over eight hundred miles away. Ships wishing to cross the Southern Region found it necessary to stop in Ghrāyam to take on supplies, and as trade around the Great Ring grew, so did the power and influence of Ghrāyam.

Hundaru's Conquest

When the great conquerer Hundaru of Telmun turned his gaze to the west, it landed upon Ghrāyam and Ajagar as a necessary step in his quest to conquer the world. Hundaru was familiar with the tales of how Ajagara had shielded the island during the Clarati's attacks, and knew that a direct attack would be useless. Instead, he infiltrated the city over the course of seven months, bringing soldiers in on each merchant ship he could until he had a small army hidden within the city. When the appointed time came, these soldiers took the priests and rulers of Ghrāyam hostage against the Deva's behavior. With their priesthood at risk, Ajagara was compelled to allow the ships of Hundaru to land and take control of the city and the island. And once Hundaru had secured certain promises and oaths from the Naga hostages, he released them to rule their city once more. They would pay tribute to the Empire, but more importantly they would allow him command of the city and the harbor, to control who might come and go. In exchange, Hundaru allowed them to choose their own governors and rule their own land, albeit as a part of the Telmunic Empire.

After the Empire

This arrangement was shortlived. When word came to Ghrāyam that Hundaru had been poisoned upon Lahat, they immediately broke ties with the Empire. In the minds of the leaders, their oaths had been made to Hundaru himself, and not to whoever might follow him as Emperor. Hundaru's generals in the west had chosen to fight amongst themselves over who would lead the empire, and his official successor in the Telmun Islands did not have the military forces available to reconquer Ajagar. The loss of Ghrāyam to the Empire cut off their control of the western routes, and is often seen as the point that the Empire lost control of all the territory west of Saba.

But simply reclaiming their home island was not sufficient. The Naga knew that in time, the Telmun could build another army out of the lands they controlled in the Southeastern Region, and that as long as they held the great island of Saba they would have access to the resources to overwhelm Ajagar. So they began to plan how to break the power of the Telmunic Empire for good, and to ensure that they would never be vulnerable to attack from them again.

The Rise of the Nagarajya

The forces of the Naga were rallied in Ghrāyam, and it was the first capital of the Nagarajya. They struck east into the Sabaen Archipelago, ousting the Imperial forces from one island after another. The Naga became a plague upon the Telmunic Empire, attacking and then vanishing over the horizon time and time again. Finally, they were able to gather enough power to conquer the great island of Saba. Many historians will say that this marked the true beginnings of the Nagarajya, but the people of Ghrāyam know better - the conquest of Saba launched from their harbor, and the Naga dominance of the Southeastern Region was hatched from the egg that was Ajagar.

The Malikate

For over a thousand years, the Nagarajya was the greatest force in the region, and Ghrāyam was the holiest city in the Nagarajya. While political power was centered in Tarshish, and wealth in Nahala, those who sought something more from life came in pilgrimages to Ghrāyam. To many, it seemed that the Nagarajya would stand forever, perhaps even growing to rival ancient Muria. But then came the Malika.

She had appeared out of nowhere in the court of the Telmunic emperor, and managed to gain control of their army. She took that army and used it along with her magic to pick off the smaller kingdoms around the Nagaraya. She found allies in the Kaphtor Islands and among the oppressed Taniyn of Qutra. With each conquest, her forces grew, and before long she had marched upon Saba itself. She bound the Devas of the Nagarajya with their True Names, and prevented them from entering the fray. Great and terrible Artifacts of glass and light accompanied her armies, spreading death and chaos among the Naga. She captured and executed Wainaba, the last king of the Nagarajya, and established the Malikate of Saba. In the course of only a few years, she threw down all that the Naga had built.

When the Malika of Saba came to Ghrāyam, she gave the city a choice. They could surrender, or she would unleash the plague-creatures from the Glass Needles upon them. Ghrāyam was filled with refugees fleeing the destruction upon Saba, and Ajagara was not responding to the prayers of the priesthood. The city leaders surrendered, and Ghrāyam became a part of the Malikate.

Ghrāyam Today

The Malika and the Malikate still rule the city of Ghrāyam today. It is the westernmost port of the Malikate, and vital to the merchants who circumnavigate the Great Ring. The Malika has not released the bindings she placed upon Ajagara, but has otherwise allowed the Naga to live and worship as they will. Ghrāyam is the capital of the Ajagariya Muhafazah, and Muhafiz Fazil Sarpatma has a palace in the city from which he governs in the Malika's name. Still, there are many dissidents in Ghrāyam wating for an opportunity to throw off the rule of the Malikate, and will strike against the agents of the government whenever they can get away with it.