View source for M'Chek

<center>'''Avlis Countries:''' {{AvlisCountries}}</center><br>
<center>'''Avlis Cities:''' {{AvlisCities}}</center>
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[[Image:M\'Check_Map_2.png|right|thumb|200px|The nation of M'Chek]]
'''M'Chek''' is the southernmost nation of Negaria, and one of the homelands of the [[Human|humans]] of Avlis.

== Geography ==

M'Chek is a large, arid nation. Even today with the population stabilized, it is still heavily inhabited, with few unsettled areas. Farming is the primary use of land on M'Chek's plains, though there is also some herding of livestock. A few scattered forests remain, but little compared to what existed several centuries ago. There are several ranges of rolling hills (including Mikona's infamous [[The Hills of Tumult|Hills of Tumult]]), but nothing large enough to be called mountains.

Despite the arid climate and use of water for agriculture, there are several significant rivers in M'Chek, including the [[Lost River]].

== Inhabitants ==

The majority of M'Chek's inhabitants are human. These are mostly the [[Human, Civilized|civilized humans]] of the cities, and the wandering tribal [[Romini]]. The rural lands also house small tribes of [[Brownie|brownies]], [[Bugbear|bugbears]], [[Giant, Fire|fire giants]], [[Giant, Frost|frost giants]], [[Goblin|goblins]], [[Giant, Mountain|mountain giants]] and [[Ogre|ogres]]. In the cities, an even more diverse collection of races can be found. Mikona is also home to a sizeable [[Dubgaldokin|dwarf]] population.

== Settlements ==
[[Image:Countryside_of_M\'Chek.jpg|thumb|350px|Wilds of M'Chek]]

The mainland area of M'Chek is dotted with hundreds of farming villages. What follows is a list of the major settlements.

* [[Bachwood]]
* [[Derrington Keep]]
* [[Eastshore]]
* [[Equaloria Keep and Dunster Commons]]
* [[Finmaegen Keep]]
* [[The Hills of Tumult]] <small>(shown on map here, but located on [[Mikona]] Server)</small>
* [[The Lost River Caverns]]
* [[Nelthrope Keep]]
* [[The Order of the Way]]
* [[Southill]]
* [[The Warrens]]
* [[Westshore]]

== Religion ==

Aside from Mikon's widespread worship, [[Dagath]], [[Kelvos]], [[Ingoren]], [[Maleki]], [[Pelar]], [[Ptah]], [[Wilsash]] and [[Xenon]] each have significant bodies of followers in rural M'Chek. The city of Mikona proper likely contains worshippers of  every deity known to Avlis.

== Politics ==
=== Government ===
* Government: Noble Democracy. 

There are two Houses of Government in M'Chek: The Noble House and the Common House. The Common House picks its representitives from among the commoners of the nation, although rarely do any of these commoners come from outside the city. Thus most of the concerns of the Common House deal with city matters. Rarely do they interfere in matters of national action or policy, although they do have the power to do so. 

The Noble House is made up of representitives from two places: the Noble families of M'Chek, and the various large Temples represented in Mikona, namely the temples of Mikon, Dagath, Ptah, and Valok. 

This house deals mainly with foreign policy issues and affairs. Although each individual Noble family has total control over their own estate, they are expected to represent a portion of their nation's interest. For instance, all of the major Noble families have personal armies and troops, but there is also a standing national army of M'Chek to which each noble is expected to contribute a certain percentage of its force. 

The two houses of government are presided over by a Minister who executes decisions and carries out the task of administration, although they are liimited in their actions by the legislators. In addition to the Minister there is a War Commisioner who is the commander and chief of the standing army. This is a hotly contested position, that has been filled by either Nobles or reputable warrior generals.

=== Law Enforcement ===
* [[Guild:The M'Chekian Guards|M'Chekian Guards]]

=== Military ===
==== Armed Forces ====
* [[Guild: M'Chekian Army|M'Chekian Army]]
* M'Chekian Navy
* [[Equalizer|Equalizers of Mikon]]

==== Fortifications ====
* [[Derrington Keep]]
* [[Equaloria Keep and Dunster Commons|Equaloria Keep]]
* [[Finmaegen Keep]]
* [[Nelthrope Keep]]
* [[Desolation Island|Port Rasmus]]

=== Alliances and Enemies ===
Even with the war behind them, T'Nanshi and M'Chek still view each other with extreme distrust. But most of the alliances of the war were abandoned before its end. Today, M'Chek has no formal military partners.

== Commerce and Relations ==

M'Chek has trade relations with nearly every other nation of Negaria. Overland trade comes through the [[Blandenberg Protectorate|Blandenberg Protectorate]], and follows the Mikona-Blandenberg Highway south to the capitol. But most commerce is conducted by sea, using one of M'Chek's three ports.

== History ==

Legends claim that M'Chek is the site where [[Mikon]] was imprisoned during the [[The Age of the Gods|Age of the Gods]]. Following the gods' defeat of the [[Negerai]], Mikon is said to have created the human race here during the [[Time of the Dawning]]. At some point in antiquity, the local tribes coalesced into the nation of M'Chek.

Nearly a century after the end of the [[The Great War|Great War]], the foundations of [[Mikona]] were laid on the M'Chek coast. The nation prospered over the centuries, and the capitol grew into a densely populated metropolis.

By the late 1800's A.O.D., the population explosion had outpaced the capacity of the nation to produce food. Starvation, poverty, disease and death became widespread among the lower social classes. In desperation, the humans beseeched the elves to let some of their families move north into [[T'Nanshi]], but the elves refused, citing the M'Chekians' mistreatment of whatever land they live on. The elves did not want hoards of men and women coming to live on their land and potentially destroy it, or at least grow to outnumber the elves and destroy their nation through attrition alone. 
This argument got uglier and uglier over time, and eventually M'Chek began to take land from the forests of T'Nanshi along the northern border. When the elven nation responded with military force, the [[M'Chek-T'Nanshi War]] ensued. What began as periodic border incidents escalated over centuries into a "world war" involving  many nations. The extended fighting, exascerbated by a terrible plague, took its toll on both sides, and the war finally ended with the creation of a neutral zone between the two nations.

This neutral zone is named the Blandenberg Protectorate.  It extends east to west across the breadth of the land, from sea to sea.  The control of the Protectorate is in the hands of the churches of [[Dru'El]] and [[Mikon]]. Their holy warriors, the [[Avenger|Avengers]] and the [[Equalizer|Equalizers]], protect the land and her people.

The large number of casualties to the plague have eased the overpopulation problem for a time, along with the exodus of over one hundred thirty-four thousand people to help found the city-state of [[Visimontium]]. But forward-thinking leaders of M'Chek recognized that it was a temporary respite. A variety of solutions to M'Chek's food shortage are being tested to this day, including healing the ravaged land, farming mushrooms in the [[Underdark]] using [[Deglos|Deglosian]] agricultural practices, and continuing emigration to new homes, particularly [[Visimontium]].

For a list recent history, see [[Mikona#In Game Developments|Mikona server in-game developments]].

== Technical aspects ==

[[Needed files#M'Chek|Needed Files]]
<font color=green>Server: M'Chek - avlis.blackdagger.net:5131</font>

[[Category:Nations|M'Chek]]
[[Category:Servers|M'Chek]]