House Anadun

House Anadun holds the city of Summer's Abode, Min Nome and Khepesh Nome. Its current head is Sufet Irreth Anadun.

History
House Anadun's founding dates back to a period of strife in the mid-300s. In the vacuum created by a struggle between larger houses at the time, the Anaduns rose from being minor functionaries to taking control of the verdant region of Min Nome, far west of the Emerald River. Political jockeying over the following century saw them also receive rulership of Khepesh Nome, which spans much of the Emerald River Delta. They established the coastal city of Summer's Abode in Khepesh Nome, just west of the delta, which is now their seat of power.

House Anadun supported House Rannal ascension to the throne in the civil conflict that concluded in 547.

Although Min Nome is by some margin the smaller of House Anadun's holdings, they take pride in their traditional home. This has led them into repeated conflict with the Plains Kingdoms farther to the west. Min is far closer for raiders from the Plains Kingdoms than much of the rest of Hadash is. Problems started to escalate from 620 onwards after Misic Rannal became king of Hadash and declined to provide royal troops to patrol the borders, leaving it entirely in the hands of the realm's nobility. In 630, matters came to a head. A host of hobgoblins under a single banner, of a head hobgoblin named Tizken, along with a few ogre clans intent on gorging themselves, emerged from the west and pillaged the town of Min. While most of the populace were able to withdraw behind the walls of the fortress, their homes were looted, granaries and storerooms were emptied, businesses stripped of everything of value, and their temples were desecrated. Afterwards, the hobgoblins attempted to set light to the town, though with the Hadashi habit of building even the most meagre structures from brick and stone, the fires did not spread far.

The hobgoblins then attempted to take the fortress, but, despite a perilous moment when a band of ogres broke the outer gate, the defenders held. Within days of the attack, Sufet Irreth Anadun arrived from Summer's Abode with every soldier and every mercenary that could be found, and routed the besieging force. She continued all the way to the Plains Kingdoms in pursuit of the retreating hobgoblins, met a fresh force within the bounds of Tizken's domain, and wiped those out entirely. After liberating a number of human slaves the hobgoblins had kept, mostly from the Plains Kingdoms, though a few were Hadashi, she sent emissaries to the other petty kingdoms with messages to come and bear witness to those who would harm her people, then she went home, leaving the remains of Tizken's kingdom in her wake.

Holdings
Khepesh Nome encompasses much of the land around the Emerald River Delta, where it flows into the sea. Summer's Abobe is a coastal city just west of the delta, so called because it was originally established by the Anaduns as a place to withdraw to escape the heat of the summer. They invested into its development and it soon became a notable port city in its own right. The nome is typical of the land along the Emerald River: it is immensely fertile, aided by annual floods.

Min Nome is a verdant oasis in the dry region to the west of the Emerald River. That arid land is only sparsely populated, primarily by semi-nomadic people who herd animals there. Min Nome is the westernmost permanently settled region of Hadash. Its border beyond there is fuzzily defined at best and, in practice, is often determined by how far any of the Plains Kingdoms encroach or indeed withdraw in any given year. Min Nome is neither large nor populous, with the fertile region being mere kilometres across, but it is all the same a point of tradition and pride that the Anaduns defend it. The market in Min is the hub for the herders of the surrounding region, and is also the ordinary point of entry for caravans travelling between the Plains Kingdoms and the Emerald River. Those caravans have been scarce lately.

Current Events
The Anaduns' approach to dealing with the Plains Kingdom of Tizken came as something of a surprise to some others in Hadash, and rather less so to others. Summer's Abode is a wealthy city, the port being popular among merchants as goods are moved from rivergoing to seagoing vessels, and many assume that the primary concern of House Anadun is in mercantile affairs. Under most circumstances, they would be right. Even Min Nome, small and remote though it is, is a trading hub. However, the collective pride of the Anaduns was stung by the looting of the town. The destruction of the Plains Kingdom of Tizken certainly sent a message. There is a movement within the house to build Min Nome up to be far grander, as a symbol of the house's traditional seat.

There are a number of plausible reasons for the reduction of trade from the Plains Kingdoms. One is that some merchants have expressed trepidation about even entering Hadash, in case the wrath of House Anadun extends to them too. Others report that brigandage is on the rise and fewer merchants are travelling. Another, though more speculative, might be that one or more rulers in the Plains Kingdoms might intentionally be restricting trade. The Hadashi do not engage in normal diplomacy with the Plains Kingdoms, being reluctant to dignify them with such formal recognition, and so do not have any representatives in the courts of the various petty rulers and warlords.

House Anadun has ample reason to resent the rule of King Misic Rannal - as do most in Hadash.