Makotako is the home of the once Xorian navy and over 25,000 people. It is an important trade point for ships in the Caspian and is also the only significant opposition to the navy of Lordodo. The Persians also field a navy, but it is woefully underequipped and badly trained. The other possible opponents, Poseidon’s undersea monsters, are few because the Caspian Sea is not connected to his home waters of the Mediterranean and because of Cecilia’s heroic genocide. The only known way for Poseidon’s forces to get to the Caspian without teleportation is to enter the mouth of Charybdis near Sicily and exit out at Jovy’s Spitoon.
Makotako was initially an independent trading city, transporting goods between the wider world and the Elves of Bigby’s Forest. Approximately 100 years ago Amazons conquered the city. When the Amazons joined the Xorians, Makotako was briefly independent once more before King Jevaninada I conquered it with his superior land forces. He slowly imposed Xorian law on the public giving them time to adjust and poured money into the local economy by paying for the formation of the navy. The navy now contains close to one hundred biremes.
Makotako’s main export is lumber. The city is right next to the legendary Bigby’s Forest which has an abundance of wood. Bigby’s Forest was created by a magician who lived long ago named, of course, Bigby. He is the wizard who first designed the big hand spells that are commonly used by force specializing magicians today. Bigby used his magic to solve a dispute between human loggers and the elven inhabitants of the forest. His magic still lives on today and regenerates any of the cut down trees within a few weeks. Consequently the forest’s borders have been constantly expanding as the trees are effectively immortal. Some people worry that this growth will eventually consume nearby towns, but that would not happen for at least two centuries, so the problem is ignored.
Makotako has a few farms surrounding it, but not enough to be self-sufficient. It must trade to get the food it needs. During the foreign rule of Xoria most of the residents of Makotako were either merchants, sailors in the navy, or worked in a shipwright’s shop. At the end of the Second Alliance War these industries collapsed along with the Xorian Empire. Many of the citizens of Makotako turned to crime or emigrated to survive.
The people that stayed in Makotako formed a new government to rule themselves. Rather than return to kings, the people formed an elected executive council. Unfortunately, with the city’s dwindling resources, the council has little real power. The Amazons of Dradelden now eye Makotako hungrily. It won’t be long before the city loses its independence once more.
Surprisingly, amid all these changes, a successful apparel and barber shop is run by the elf, Korias. He designs all the clothing, shoes, and haircuts that the nobility across the Magical Lands wear. His shop is called Korias’ Clothing. It is open to all, but requires five gold pieces for entry to prove that you can, “damn the expense.” Korias notably refused to become a dragovinian even though the coveted status was offered to him.
