Tarabon

[Chris]

Capital	Tanchico
Public Happiness	50/100
Military power	Perhaps somewhere in the order of 20,000 men, mixtue of light cavalry and light infantry. Would have more but is a relatively unstable nation.
Details	Tarabon is located on the west coast of the Westlands, along the Aryth Ocean. It's capital city is Tanchico, located at the mouth of the River Andahar. In FY 1006, three nobles of Artur Hawkwing's regional government, Lord Haren Maseed, Lady Tazenia Nerenhald and Lord Boral Amadia, took Tanchico and formed a nation. Lord Boral was murdered, subsequently Haren became King and Tazenia became Panarch. Tarabon is ruled jointly by the Panarch and King, who are always of the opposite sex. The Kingship is hereditarily passed and the Panarch is elected by the Assembly of Lords. The Panarch wears the Crown of the Tree made of gold trefoil leaves and a stole embroidered with trees. The Panarch is equal to the king in authority, and is responsible for collecting taxes, customs and duties, while he determines how the money is spent. The Panarch has authority over the Civil Watch and the Panarch's Legion, while he controls the rest of the army. She is in charge of all courts with the exception of the High Court of the King. The Assembly of Lords is comprised of actual lords, though the Assembly's only real power is to vote for the Panarch. Being comprised largely of port cities, excise and custom are charged in Tarabon. Customs men are marked by a brass key on a chain around their necks. Tarabon has very few sea ships, so it relies mainly upon exports. One of Tarabon's most important products is olive oil. Another main export is fringed rugs, each of which can easily bring in a full purse of silver. Tanchico is the capital city of Tarabon and one of the oldest surviving cities in Randland. Tanchico is spread over the steep hills embracing Tanchico Bay at the mouth of the River Andahar, Three separate peninsulas jut into the harbor: the Verana to the east, the Maseta in the center, and the Calpene nearest the sea. These peninsulas are guarded by a dozen fortresses that surround the harbor, and each peninsula has a "circle" or assembly arena among its buildings. The smallest of these, the Great Circle on the Calpene Peninsula, can hold thousands of people to watch horse races or displays of Illuminations. The largest arena is the King's Circle, located on the Maseta Peninsula. The Panarch's Circle is slightly smaller than the King's Circle and is located on the Verana Peninsula, as is the Panarch's Palace. Part of the Panarch's Palace is believed to have been built as far back as the Age of Legends. One of the walls bears an ancient frieze depicting animals no living man has ever seen, and numerous skeletons of these animals are displayed in the public part of the palace. The central hall of the palace is lined with rows of white columns and lit from tiny carvings in the walls just below the ceiling and contains a grand display of all types of ancient artifacts, unmatched anywhere. The exhibit includes priceless cuendillar figures, rare sculptures, and even an angreal. It is open to the public, noble and commoner alike, three days a month as well as on feastdays. Alcurna is a small village located in northern Tarabon near the Almoth Plain. The village is located on the river Andahar. Elmora is one of the major towns of Tarabon. It is halfway on the road between Tanchico and Amador and on a major trade route. Nassas is a town in southeast Tarabon just across the border from Amadicia. Serana is a village in Tarabon that lies halfway between Elmora and the border of Amadicia. It is a halfway point for merchant trains travelling between Tanchico and Amador and has many inns. It is located about 400 miles south of Tarabon's border with Almoth Plain.