After the Heroic Age the Amazon tribe entered a decline. The best of their warriors perished in the Trojan War at the hands of Achilles. Their dominance over the Black Sea wouldn’t return until the reign of Queen Saikolok. The Amazons decided their ruler through strength of arms. Saikolok had trained every day with her closest friends in preparation for the next contest for the crown. Her practiced arm easily won the contest and she took over the tribe.

Saikolok reformed the Amazons and began aggressively expanding in the Sarmatian region north of the Black Area. Military training was required for all women within her expanding kingdom. The Amazons took over another tribe by defeating the tribe’s men in combat. Next, they empowered the women of the tribe and made these new recruits their local representatives to maintain order. Some of the women stayed, while others joined the growing Amazon army. Through this process Saikolok conquered the northern shore of the Black Sea.

Queen Saikolok consolidated her power within the Black Sea before moving eastward into Cimmeria. On rampaging raids, her warriors tore through the outlying settlements and farms of Colchis, Nox, Jeutontic, Cecilia, and Makotako. The Amazons were unable to pillage the walled cities themselves. Queen Saikolok concluded peace settlements with each of the city-states in exchange for tribute. She established a colony named Dradelden to be the Amazon power in the area. Saikolok returned to Scythia and left a subordinate in charge.

The remainder of Queen Saikolok’s reign was spent maintaining the kingdom she’d built. Due to her efforts the young Amazon nation endured after her death and remained a powerful force in the region for centuries afterward.

Queen Saikolok is based on the legendary founder of the real life Amazons, the Scythians. The Scythian tribe was supposedly founded by King Koloksai around 750BCE. The information for historical Scythia is pretty limited though so it’s hard to be sure of anything.

Graz-Lokbar was the last hobgoblin ruler to unite the hobgoblins as one nation. She invaded Eastern Cimmeria, but she lacked the strategic genius of Kruk-Ma-Kali. Graz-Lokbar was forced to retreat. He military losses compounded into political losses and within a few years the Hobgoblin Empire collapsed.

Graz-Lokbar was the daughter of Graz-Khrodun, a prominent general in Kruk-Ma-Kali’s staff. After Kruk-Ma-Kali bequeathed his empire “to the strongest,” the generals fought amongst themselves for the right to the throne. After many years, Graz-Khrodun emerged as the owner of Kruk-Ma-Kali’s capital, Trung Town. When Graz-Khrodun passed away, Graz-Lokbar ascended to the throne of “Emperor of the Hobgoblins.” Her charismatic pull actually made it seem that she could reunite the Hobgoblin Lands. Many unaffiliated goblinoids flocked to her banner at Trung Town.

Graz-Lokbar led her legion of goblinoids on an invasion of Dalleer’s territory. The Björn took the city’s army out and waited to ambush the hobgoblins. The enemy entered the kill zone, but the Björn refused to give the command to attack. The hobgoblins walked past the Dalleer army and raided villages around the city. The Björn’s commanders were infuriated. They took the army into their own hands and easily vanquished the hobgoblin threat. Graz-Lokbar returned to Trung Town in disgrace. Her magnetic personality brought her followers, but she had no skill in battle. The former capital of the Hobgoblin Empire entered a steep decline.

The Graz family held onto Trung Town. Graz-Lokbar’s descendant, Graz-Toshdrun still occupies the city’s throne today. Graz-Toshdrun’s influence over the shrunken city is minimal at best. His personal guard leaves the palace monthly to collect a paltry amount of taxes from the capital and the surrounding communities. These taxes are barely enough for the guards, the palace staff, and Graz-Toshdrun to sustain themselves. They certainly don’t have the power to assist the people of Trung Town with their problems, such as the roving bugbear gangs that have moved in.