The Sepik Kingdom was an Imperial principality and a remote protectorate of the Malazan Empire. This relationship of Sepik and the Malazan Empire had come about because the then reigning King of Sepik had been wise enough to send representatives to Kellanved, the Malazan emperor, proposing conditions of surrender (rather than waiting to be conquered) - which the emperor had then simply accepted - making Sepik a vassal of his Empire.