Murak
Murak is a large, hilly island, home to the Shogunate of Murak, a state independent of Realm influence built upon ruins from the First Age.
Murak is known through the surrounding seas for its smelted metals, a rare commodity in the West, and tales of its accomplishments in artifice. Its ore-rich soil is ill-suited for agriculture, and so it imports significant foodstuffs, though abundant Western Plums provides fruit for production of Rakia Liqueur, a sweet liqueur exported widely to surrounding islands. It is located to the north of the Winding Isles and southwest of Pinapha, the shallow surrounding seas rich in seaweeds, fish, and squid, though the residents of Murak are not known as good fishers or sailors, and most vessels fishing those waters originate from the other islands of the region, selling their catches at home or to Murak in exchange for forged tools and trinkets.
The capital city of Murak was a manufacturing center of the Golden Age, and the ruined apartment blocks have been patched by local residents to use as housing, former shipyards now serving as docks for fishing and trade vessels. Murak's most valuable exports are fragments and scavenged goods from the ruins, and while both The Guild and the Realm would be eager to take such a valuable source under their control, the natives of Murak are fierce in their independence, and their posession of a handful of artifact vessels and weapons make war with the island a costly prospect for a gain whose value is considered mostly played out. Today, Murak merchant vessels carry goods for sale to the The Guild through their factor at Karathay and to the Realm through their satrapy at Sushima.
The Shogun of Murak claims to be descended from the last Shogun of the Dragonblooded Shogunate during the Fair Folk Invasion. According to local myth, the Shogun led his court to Murak at the close of the war, crushing the leaders of the Fair Folk and saving Creation though he died in the attempt. The Murak Shogun thus considers himself legitimate ruler of all Creation, the Scarlet Empress and all others to be usurpers. Grand pronouncements declare the great armies being forged in his Factory-Cathedral and demand that all others swear rightful fealty. The rest of Creation looks on and laughs, there being little historical evidence to support Murak's myth.
All is not entirely false with the story of Murak, however... the Shogun and the ruling artisans of Murak descend from mortal Ashigaru and thaumaturge-technicians who served with a unit of the Shogun's Legions stationed in the West. When the Shogunate collapsed, they kept their knowledge and traditions alive, passing them down through the generations along with the secrets of enlightening essence. The Factory Cathedral located on the island was too damaged to save, but some systems continue to function under their care, allowing them to maintain and even produce small numbers of artifacts (it also serves as palace for the Shogun). The elite military core of Murak's forces, girded in power armour and equipped with fine steel or sometimes essence weaponry, are more than a match for any surrounding island military, but despite the bravado of their state they have been carefully kept in reserve, and few neighbouring leaders are fully aware of their capabilities.
