The lands of the Arthe city states were stable for hundreds of years. This had partly been because of the intermittent wars that some had participated in, or their administrative prowess had them underwater trying to extract the taxes from those they currently claimed. As the years progressed and the art of administration became more refined, more attempts to find land for themselves began to increase. This ran into another problem. In years prior, it was assumed that most of the mountainous land had been largely empty before the arrival of Arthe settlers. This was no longer the case, as migrating tribes already inhabited the lands to the north and east of the Arthe.

The oligarchs of Cambrius decided to attempt a different strategy rather than force. Sure, the current inhabitants, the Dindaram, could be driven out of their lands, but that would take time, money, and be a waste of good men. All they wanted to do was mine the land after all. This whole conversation had begun over the good business sense of the oligarchs recognizing that iron was the new metal of choice for many metalworkers. The metal was cheaper, and more abundant than the native copper and foreign tin that made up bronze. The foreign oligarchs in Celsinus may not be happy if Cambrian iron took up more of the metallic market share... but that was a Celsinian problem.

The supplies were gathered, and a delegation of the oligarchs themselves set out into the mountains during the summertime. They brought along protection (their guards) and gifts, to display their wealth and connection to exotic trade that the leader(s?) of the Dindaram would also enjoy. When they finally arrived, they realized that the Dindaram did not have a city, or even one council to properly negotiate with. They had to go around to at least twenty disparate tribes to negotiate for the rights to mine these mountains, with the added concession of subjugation to Cambrius. In return for a peaceful transition, there would be no taxes levied on the Dindaram tribes for three generations. This offer procured a high success rate, as the disparate tribes did not stand a chance at fighting the guards of the oligarchs if they refused.

So it was that Cambrius had their first subject peoples on edge of their territory, which would not go unnoticed by the other city states. After all, small tribes existed all around Lautus and Celsinus as well...

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