ZINGARA
ZINGARA
(Medium Kingdom) -- The most powerful sea raiders next to their
Argossean rivals, the Zingarans are active supporters of the Zingaran
buccaneers (pirates by any other name). Zingara is a proud and rich
land, though often torn by civil strife and bitter feuds between
powerful
members of its nobility. A strong succession of kings and carefully
calculated expansion could easily see Zingara as master of the western
world -- land and sea.
NATIONAL HISTORY
Know, O young Lord of the blood, of the history and heritage of thy
kingdom. Our lineage is ancient and noble, extending back to the
earliest of our sires, Shemish adventurers who had trekked half the
length of the world before they discovered the Zingg Vallery and called
it home. These first settlers planted crops and vines while raising
cattle and building their first rude cities. The most remarkable
occurrence in our history arose when a tribe of migrating Picts swept
into the Zingg Valley, not to slay and burn as is their usual want, but
to settle and rule.
Today most of the Zingaran nobility still retain the fiery wash of
Pictish blood in their veins. Under the new Pictish lords, the land
thrived and life was simple, but good for a period of one thousand
years. To our east, the might empire of Acheron rose and fell, but her
evil Wizards and great armies seldom dared to enter our well-forested
lands. Acheron was borne down in flames by Hyborian tribes migrating
from out of the north, and from its ashes arose the kingdoms of
Aquilonia, Nemedia, Argos, and in time all of the great Hyborian
kingdoms.
Much blood of the original Hybori has also found its way into Zingara,
for we had Hyborian forebearers who advanced through the already
settled regions of Aquilonia to rage into the Zingg Valley. How great
was the battle when the two sides of our ancient heritage fought!
Although the Hyborians were victorious in time over the original Zingg
Valley settlers, they had come to respect the people of the valley and
they, in turn, chose to rule rather than destroy what they had found.
Zingara prospered unto the present day. Now we are a great kingdom both
upon the land and upon the sea. We are a proud people and with good
reason. Argos is our rival upon the seas, but on tland they are of
little concern to us. The Picts we have always understood at least as
well as, if not better than, the Hyborian kingdoms, and they tend to
plague us less often than they do their hated foes in Aquilonia.
Aquilonia we mistrust. It has grown too fast and too strong. Poitain is
more Zingaran by heritage and culture and we like not this joining of
Poitain with Aquilonia! Heed well now my words, my Lord, and I will
report to thee of the present state of thy new kingdom.