Sarenmen

Sarenmen is a city (and sometimes kingdom) in Bindaela. The city is named after the outcropping of white rocks upon which it was built. It is located in the Bindaela valley at the northern edge of the foothills. The city proper has been heavily fortified since ancient times and has often served as the seat for feudal kingdoms with the same name. The city currently rules over a small kingdom in central Bindaela.

Etymology
Sarenmen derives from Proto-Noulaenic thraen (white) and mein (fortress). The city's internal keep is built on a high outcropping of white rocks, yielding the name.

History
Sarenmen was settled in prehistoric times as a summer home for semi-nomadic goat herders in the Bindaelic valley. A permanent settlement was established on the rocks that give the city it's name in the 324 BNE. It was ruled as an independent city state during the pre-Noulaenic era.

Sarenmen was coerced into an alliace with the powerful Bindaelic city of Narmein in 12 BNE. In 4 BNE, Narmein was attacked by raiders and Sarenmen, along with three of its allies, failed to respond as required by the treaty. This resulted in the Four Kingdoms war, which ended with King Iacothios of Sarenmen (then known as Thraenmein) being slain at the Battle of Falinmal Hill. Sarenmen was then incorporated into the new Noulaenic Empire founded by King Dramthios of Narmein.

Sarenmen attempted to regain independence after the destruction of Noulian in 25 NE. The duke of the city, Besthios, a son of the slain Iacothios, declared himself king. Noulian was rebuilt and empirial forces laid siege to the city. Besthios son, King Iacothios II of Sarenmen, surrendered hoping for clemency, but was executed in 38 NE. The empire installed an imperial prince, Prince Aesthios, as Duke of Sarenmen.

Sarenmen became a minor city during the First Noulaenic Empire as there was little perceived need for secure fortifications within Bindaela, especially given the relatively small size of the outcropping the city was built upon. The value of the fortifications became clear during the crisis of the eighth century, however, as Sarenmen was one of few cities to be relatively untouched by raiders during this period.

Sarenmen again became an independent seat of power during the period between empires. The city was invaded by Casalanouic forces in 771 who established the Casalanouic Kingdom of Sarenmen. The kingdom helped to maintain the nominal independence of the city of Noulian itself in exchange for formal recognition from the Emperor, although the King of Sarenmen forced the emperor to abdicate in favor of one of his sons by a Noulaenic Princess in 790 NE, beginning a line of Casalanouic emperors that lasted for a century. Sarenmen also controlled the fortress city of Sarenfalan which commanded a strategic position along the valley.

Sarenmen briefly resisted the advance of the Kingdom of Calbaena in the early 11th century but was quickly forced to withdraw to the safety of their walls. Calbaena ignored Sarenmen, as their objective was Noulian, which was left without allies by the Sarenmen retreat. The Emperor abdicated and the city was passed to King Sarsis of Calbaena, who declared himself the first Emperor of a restored empire and moved his capital to Noulian.

Sarsis played on old alliances from the previous empire and was able to arrange diplomatically for the King of Sarenmen, Aesis III, to abdicate and continue to rule as a Noulaenic Duke. The long period of regional peace that followed saw Sarenmen once more reduced to a minor status.

Declining central authority and trade during the second empire saw the rise of a more agricultural, feudal system of government, and the Duke of Sarenmen grew more influential during this period due to his securely fortified city and command of substantial farmland. The city was untouched during the civil war that led to the sack of Noulian in 2012 NE and once again found itself the dominant city in the region as Noulian's population collapsed.

Sarenmen became a de facto independent kingdom as the imperial goverment, moved to Carasilaen, lost control of Malaena. It formally declared independence following the empire's loss at the Battle of Nilfalum Bay in 2022. The city's territories grew to include Noulian and Saranfalan and the kingdom began to refer to itself as the Western Noulaenic Empire, with the king giving himself titles and rights historically reserved for emperors. These titles are not respected outside of the Kingdom (or even within the city of Noulian itself) and the Kingdom is universally referred to as the Kingdom of Sarenmen by outsiders. Today it rules over most of the Sarabal River basin east of the Carasac River and north of the Sarabal River in Bindaela.

Geography
Sarenmen sits on the edge of the foothills to the north of the Sarabal River in western Bindaela. The city's central feature is a large outcropping of white rocks that rises 15 m above the surrounding plain. A steep, rocky ridge extends into the foothills to the north beyond the outcropping and contains several springs that provide water to the city. At times the city has had a significant collection of outbuildings on the plain surrounding the outcropping, though these have never been considered part of the city proper.