COUNTRIES
CHAPTER 4:
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a strong vein of iron was discovered nearby and continues to draw workers. The flatlanders bring beef, glass, and high-quality iron, which they trade for leather goods, carvings, and other unusual items for which the barbarians have no use. Doru (Large City, 14,500): This sprawling city is enveloped in the stench of cow dung, for the land around it is perfect for grazing and holds thousands of head of cattle. Doru is unusual for its many magically enslaved and dominated ogres, which perform menial tasks requiring great strength. The ogres are owned by the city government and are considered valuable property, for humans and other “civilized” races cannot legally be enslaved. Falar (Large City, 21,300): South and west of the westernmost point of Lake Dallin is the city of Falar, which marks the border between Bazareene and its neighboring country, Durrath. A city of tall spires and high arched gardens, and surrounded by small parcels of cropland and copses, Falar is a beautiful sight and a peaceful retreat for the Bazareene nobles. Despite this impression, there is a large but subtle military presence here, for the nobles ruling it are paranoid and guard western Bazareene against “incursions” by Durrath (of which there have been none in the past 300 years, Bazareene being the more determined aggressor). Out of sight of the western gardens and summer palaces of the nobles are fortifications built into hills, valleys that have been bent with magic to thwart invasion, and frequent patrols by well-armed soldiers. Hazuk (Metropolis, 64,200): The capital city of Bazareene is filled with buildings erected with magic, including a huge palace of shining marble. The city is the center of order in this land; every resident has an identification pass and is used to frequent military patrols and stern, inflexible laws. For those interested in sorcery it is a haven, for many idle or heirless nobles take on students with the inborn ability to work magic. As the culinary center of the region, any and all kinds of food can be found here, with fabulous restaurants on every street. One minor noble family specializes in teleporting goods and people to other parts of the country for a suitable fee. Khiras (Large City, 21,300): Founded as a trading post with the elves of Sura-Khiri, this place grew into a formidable city surrounded by irrigated croplands. While the elves still meet here to trade with humans, relations are cool between the races because of Bazareene’s logging activity here and in other parts of the country. The city is protected by a magically fortified wall, for it is regularly attacked by suicidal squadrons of yuan-ti. Sengult (Large Town, 4,900): With the wasteland just a few miles away and on the border of an unnaturally warm lake, Sengult is a strange town. Subject to occasional attacks from the monsters of the wasteland and unknown things that crawl about in the fogs from
the lake, the people who live here know to lock their doors at night and walk about armed in the day. Sengult is primarily a fishing town, but it exports luxury glass items made from the colored sands in the barrens. Headstrong nobles come here to battle the barrens monsters, which draws much ire from the locals, who believe that this only provokes more attacks. Theno (Large City, 18,600): This city’s major industry is logging, which puts it at odds with the elves of the forest. While the city’s primary enemy is the yuanti that raid nearly every season, angry groups of elves sometimes attack loggers, undermine logging equipment, and hurl long-distance spells at the city walls. Theno has a thriving soap industry, utilizing the scrap wood and shavings from the timber harvest. Throngeth (Metropolis, 25,600): This was once a dwarven city, with a few large well-defended buildings on the surface and several broad levels underground. The last dwarves living here apparently disappeared just before the first humans came to this region, leaving many dwarven goods scattered about. Humans started settling here to learn dwarven lore from old stone tablets and scour the Undercity for valuables. Monsters and undead have taken root in the lower levels, and work is ongoing to seal off the more dangerous areas so they do not become a threat to the thriving human-worked dwarven mines in the upper levels. The city’s name is a human corruption of the original Dwarven name, discovered in some of the early records that have now been lost. Plots and Rumors
Because of Bazareene’s heavy use of magic, events that threaten magic or those who wield it can be serious disruptions to daily life. Last Generation: The scions of all of the noble houses of Khiras are considering a massive strike against the yuan-ti, including an invasion of Coil itself. The elder nobles fear that if this attack fails, not only will it draw reprisals from the yuan-ti, but it may mean the end of several noble lines. It is possible that yuanti have enspelled some of the scions and are using them to set up a great ambush. Turnabout: A noble exiled to the barrens has been animating the monsters there as undead and sending them against Sengult, but she promises to stop if restored to her position as mayor of Theno. Her children don’t want her back and dislike the nobles of Sengult anyway, so a compromise is unlikely.
HIKIRIAN PENINSULA The city of Manifest is built at the center of a forest on a piece of land called the Hikirian Peninsula. The coastal area consists of sandy and rocky soil, with many beaches made of pulverized seashells. The inland soil (roughly defined by the edge of the forest) is rich and supports many kinds of plants. Several tribes of lizardfolk live on the eastern coast and occa-
