The Final Command II

The war in the south is won, but two dozen ships stay behind on secret orders from the now-dead Elehwa. These ships - laden with captives, wives and settlers - are to set up a city just upriver from Adelphã, and begin farming the Gorã valley.

Obem was his name, the man left behind by Ngkora, the man who now ruled the river. Well, sorta.

The Gorã - as it was known to the native Del-Del - was a vastly important river that provided the south with grain. Naturally, the Hlāvang wanted a piece of the pie, and what better time to take it than during the biggest naval campaign in history.

And so it was; whilst the Hegēni were squabbling over who was to rule Adelphã and Ghargharã, the Hlāvang were shipping craftsmen from Nbahlari, befriending native tribes and subjugating their enemies. In an unprecedentedly quick manoeuvre, a sizeable city was built there within a decade. It was known as Ngkora.

Now, Ngkora was the first planned Hlāvang city, and as such it was the pinnacle of modernity; sewers poured into collecting pits, water flowed into homes from nearby hills, and smelters burned next to a canal for easy lumber. Asoritan architects, hired for their expertise, had a large influence on the city's architecture and layout. Traditional A-frames gave way to node houses, shrines to the spirits gave way to Sun-Queens and stars, but at its heart, Ngkora was a Hlāvang settlement.

In order to appease the Asoritan commanders, Ngkora’s raison d’etre was copper. The slag, the heat, the flame-flecked smoke, all of these were the price that the citizens paid for their true mission -- Rice. Hundreds of tonnes were shipped north yearly, in exchange for crafted goods from the now-complete Kalada-Athala canal. To stave off pirates, a merchant navy was maintained. This ensured that the route to Nbahlari remained free of blocks.

Now, that's not to say that copper refining wasn't important - to most, it was the main attraction of the city, and allowed it to rise in wealth phenomenally quickly. But, to the family ruling it - Obem's lot, the Sixth - its real importance was evident in the paddies surrounding it.