Naudus

Naudus is a fictional city-state commonly used in speculative fiction and tabletop role-playing settings. It is typically portrayed as a maritime trading hub on a crescent bay, with a protected harbor and a network of quays and warehouses. The name is said to derive from the Naudian language, meaning "edge of the sea," though the precise etymology varies by author.

Historically, Naudus is described as founded by a coalition of shipwright guilds and merchants who settled on a sheltered inlet after years of piracy along the coast. It achieved relative independence during the regional fragmentation era and maintained autonomy by balancing trade alliances with coastal kingdoms and inland principalities. Its history is often told through chronicles and maritime logs rather than formal state records, emphasizing merchants' diplomacy and navigational breakthroughs.

Government in Naudus is commonly depicted as a merchant republic or oligarchic council, with representation from major guilds, the Harbour Board, and the College of Navigators. Law emphasizes commercial contracts, maritime salvage, and property rights; piracy is suppressed but tolerated in certain sanctioned zones during wartime.

Economy centers on shipbuilding, provisioning, and long-distance trade, with a distinctive nautical culture that prizes seamanship, astronomy for navigation, and cartography. Cultural life includes public markets, ship-launch festivals, and academies dedicated to the sciences of the sea.

In fiction, Naudus often serves as a neutral trading hub or strategic chokepoint, attracting adventurers, diplomats, and mercenaries.