Jakarian Empire

Though professional in demeanor normally, they still had a ruthless reputation for the way they would settle disputes - by combat. Should a deal be broken, they would slaughter anyone responsible and anyone in their way, collecting their 'blood debt', and if they had to renege on an agreement, they would meet their foe on a battlefield and offer their own blood as payment, if it could be collected in battle.

History
The Jakarian Empire was started in the first age by a group of mercenaries who were exiled from their nation and began a new start here in Terragard. They were highly trained and honed their skills, performing many tasks for nearby nations at war. They found they were quite good at manipulating the insecurities and weaknesses of the warring city-states and often played multiple sides at once, always collecting their pay.

Their business was good for a long time, and eventually they amassed a fortune large enough to construct a large fort. They named it 'Jakar' translated as 'immovable stone' in their tongue, and it was a marvel to behold. This fort attracted new members, and then families, farms sprang up around the fort as well as roads and trading routes, in a short hundred years, the city was getting large, and the Jakarian had grown in number from all the recruits wanting to join their ranks and receive their peerless training. They were now a free-standing army for hire, and they were very good at war.

Their training was unmatched on the battlefield, their children were raised as warriors first, and people second, some saw it as barely better than slavery, but the results were inarguable. They swept over any foe and were paid vast riches for it. The Jakarians desired no material wealth, and poured every penny back into arms, armor, training, raw materials, and building more fortifications. After the petty squabbles of the neighboring nations left them in shambles, Jakar rose as the new ruling nation, and they were swift to impose their laws and rule over any land they could get their lands on.

There were several uprisings against their tyranny, but barely rebellions would be started before Jakarian mercs would cull them with precision, with no regard for collateral damage.

Since the Jakarians shunned magic and all its uses, eventually the magic-wielding nations to the south went on the offensive and wiped out the Jakarian armies on their own borders, slaughtering them as they never had been before. Thus the Great Jakar Barrier was laid and the Jakarians never marched to war again. Their nation remained strong, but their influence was lost, rebellions started winning against the small soliders they had to spread across their vast empire. Eventually their rule would soften and after another hundred years, the nation was not so bloodthirsty. Always militant and highly trained for sure, but they were a defensive force now.

In the fourth age, the entire empire was overtaken by magical sicknesses and rising undead until the Great Purge, Where the Inquisition of the Elder Fire marched against the undead and succeeded in driving them back. What was left of the empire was barely anything save for the impregnable fortress of Jakar itself, now silent and empty of life.

Society
Jakarians were militant, and disciplined. Highly schooled and trained. They respected each other and were very open minded and quick to forgive slights, but only after a blood debt was claimed, not always resulting in death.

They abhorred magic and all its uses, though they did practice practical alchemy for healing and things like flares or smoke bottles. They had special tactics for dealing with mages, and created the first Mage-shackles, able to stop spellcasters from casting regardless of somatic action. They would also employ blinders to prevent mages from casting with verbal components or visual targeting. Captured mages were normally put to death, but in rare cases they were captured and interrogated.

Among their creations for dealing with mages were polished Jakarian steel shields, for reflecting spells back at casters, and magicite magnets, used to invariably attract magical projectiles or powers, to absorb the blows harmlessly.