Bazareene

he city of Manifest is certainly the heart of the Ghostwalk campaign, but it is by no means the whole story.

Nearby countries have had their history and fortunes greatly impacted by the presence of the Spirit Wood and the Veil of Souls. They have all, in their way, had a hand in making Manifest the city it is today.

This chapter presents basic information on the countries whose politics and people may have significant impact on your Ghostwalk campaign.

BAZAREENE

Capital: Hazuk

Population: 3,079,800; human (99%)

Government: Matriarchy

Religions: Chaniud, Nessek, Phaant, Tephaneron (barbarians)

Imports: Armor, fish, textiles, grain, horses, wine

Exports: Iron, livestock, beef, lumber, glass

Alignment: LN, N (CN barbarians in the southern mountains)

Bazareene is a rigid gynarchy ruled by mighty sorcerernobles. A powerful and prosperous country, the leaders of Bazareene have nearly erased poverty from their land and have few problems with strange monsters within their borders. However, this was accomplished with an almost cruel level of oppression and rigidity, and while the common people of Bazareene may be healthy and have homes, they are rarely happy. Known for large families of nobles, with green-eyed sorcerer daughters and martial artist sons, Bazareene is seen by many as a military giant that is not so much sleeping but resting, for it has built a strong army and trained militia to repulse frequent barbarian raids, and in slack years the government uses that army as a tool against its weaker neighbors.

Major Geographical Features

Bazareene is a flat land hemmed in by tall mountains in the south and a large forest to the north.

Varlin Mountains: Although it begins as hills, this forested mountain range rises high in its middle to form a nearly impassable barrier to land travel. Exotic beasts and flying predators, such as wyverns

and small dragons, live here, kept somewhat in check by the barbarian clans that call this place home. Called “the Varlin tribes” by the flatlanders, the barbarians have a society based on athletics and strength and are distrustful of arcane magic, mainly because of centuries of fighting with the lowland sorcerers. Bazareene takes lumber from the lower reaches of the mountains and maintains a few small iron mines.

Mount Brun: This volcanic peak is an aberration, for no other mountains in the Varlin range show any signs of volcanic activity. It erupts about every seven years, and a nearconstant plume of smoke rises from its peak. These eruptions keep the nearby soil very rich in minerals. The top of the mountain contains a narrow crater with large patches of open lava, and strange fire creatures are spotted at irregular intervals.

Lake Dallin: This lake is unnaturally warm, possibly heated by the same source of lava that formed Mount Brun. South and west of the lake is a 20-mile-wide strip of magically created wasteland, a product of two sorcerers battling for rulership of the country. Strange mutated animals live in the sandy barrens and the lake’s southern shore, and weird fogs from the lake sometimes envelop the town of Sengult.

Life and Society

The native humans of Bazareene tend to be tall, with reddish-brown skin, straight black or brown hair, and dark eyes. Full-blooded Bazareene cannot grow facial hair and have little or no body hair. Each noble family has its own traditional hairstyle, and commoners usually adopt the style of the local nobles. Most nobles learn Heshar, the formal, mostly archaic language spoken by the original settlers, but the common language used by all is the Trade Tongue.

A typical person from Bazareene has some martial training and is unwilling to take abuse from strangers.

These people respect those with more power, and among their own social peers, they enjoy direct physical competitions between teams or individuals.

Blessed by fertile land and a wide variety of crops and livestock, they developed the culinary arts and are renowned for their fantastic cooking, and any decent

Bazareene chef can become reasonably wealthy in another country.

Because the nobles tend to have large families, there are many remote or incompetent heirs who must find work outside the government. The society as a whole is driven toward success and fair competition, but in a structured way that follows established rules. Nobles win positions of leadership in annual or biannual magical duels. A Bazareene soldier wears studded leather armor and a small shield, carries a short sword or hand axe, and a light crossbow. Many of the military leaders are noble monks. A militia member carries a club or quarterstaff, and might wear leather or padded armor. Barbarians carry the same equipment as a lowland soldier, although many use a spear or two axes instead of a shield.

The Arts Bazareene’s art consists primarily of nudes (male and female), battlefield landscapes, and patriotic songs. Inspiring murals are often painted on new buildings, and art galleries vie for critical spots on the major avenues of cities. Skilled painters are sponsored by various noble families, and being asked to model for a master painter is considered a high compliment.

Bazareene dancing is based on abstractions of the martial arts forms used by the royal bodyguards, resulting in an energetic style with many spins and jumps. Dancing is a popular recreation, and the government sponsors competitions to keep the general population alert and fit.

Roles for Character Classes

Barbarian: The only barbarians native to Bazareene are the Varlin tribes. Considered primitive and foolish for their fear of arcane magic, the barbarians rarely find acceptance among the lowlanders.

Bard: The bards of this nation are either painters or musicians studying styles appropriate for dance and marching. The common attitude is that bardic magic is weak compared to true sorcery, and bards are respected for their artistic skill rather than magical power.

Cleric: Clerics of Chaniud are respected in Bazareene, although they are still secondary to the sorcerer nobility. The signing of contracts (including marriages) must be witnessed by a cleric of Chaniud to be legal.

Druid: Other than in remote towns, druids are almost unheard of in Bazareene. They are considered

backwater versions of clerics, using primitive animal and plant totems to work their magic.

Fighter: Most adventuring fighters received training in the Bazareene military. Veterans who have actually served in an armed conflict are greatly respected.

Monk: Every large city or metropolis in Bazareene has an academy that teaches the traditional martial arts styles. The academies normally train foundlings and orphans but must accept kihu-sherem nobles, as well.

Paladin: Very rarely is a holy champion of Chaniud born in Bazareene, but from time to time such a person comes to the notice of the church. These paladins are trained to destroy the evil enemies of the nation and often have an extremely narrow view of right and wrong.

Ranger: Normally used as scouts for the military, rangers suffer some of the stigma that druids do, but their nature skills partly negate that.

Rogue: The only rogues who are tolerated in Bazareene are merchants and traders, who use their skills to evaluate and market goods. The government uses magic to root out thieves’ guilds, so those with criminal inclinations usually relocate to smaller communities or other lands.

Sorcerer: The beings of the highest status in Bazareene are sorcerers, whether of noble or common bloodline (although the long-standing theory is that commoner sorcerers are the bastard offspring of nobles, or descendants of such unions). Commoner sorcerers can easily find employ in any city or the military.

Wizard: Compared to the natural art of sorcery, wizardry is a laughingstock to the people of

Bazareene, something to be pursued by fools with no real talent for magic.Most wizards in Bazareene come from small communities, trained by doddering old practitioners and misunderstood by the locals. History

The native people of Bazareene have lived in this area since before the establishment of Manifest. Chased out of their homeland to the west because of political

differences, the fugitives were granted passage through the land of Durrath by its king and came to rest in the Renlar Fields, pushing the resident barbarians south into the Varlin Mountains. Suffering repeat attacks by barbarians from the south and yuan-ti and elves to the north, two sorcerers at opposite ends of the country developed nearly identical spells that changed the unborn to produce gifted green-eyed children who would help turn the tide. These children, the female sherem-lar sorcerers and their male kihu-sherem guardians, came to power, drove back their enemies and cemented Bazareene’s borders. Two bloody revolutions in the past 800 years eradicated many of the weaker members of the nobility, each time allowing a new generation of spellblessed leaders to take control. Now the greatest generation of sorcerers, the sherezem-lar, has just come to adulthood, and in the near future these young nobles will heat the blood of the people of Bazareene and drive them to do something great and terrible. Important Sites Given the high proportion of sorcerers born here, the cities of Bazareene rely on magic for many things. Belark (Large City, 16,600): This most remote city of Bazareene keeps testing the waters for independence, for it is far enough away to chafe at taxation from the capital without seeing many of its benefits. Most of the people here work in logging, herding, or soldiering, as they must rely on their own might to repel wild tribes of elves and forest monsters. Of all Bazareene’s true cities, this one uses the least sorcery, and the nobles here seem to have failing bloodlines for the art of magic. Brunwall (Small City, 10,200): Built at the base of the volcano, Brunwall is a mining city, drawing a steady supply of iron and occasionally a few yellow diamonds. Protected from lava flows by a tall stone wall created by sorcery, all large buildings in the city have a basement level used when the mountain hurls rocks, hot ash, and poisonous gases from the sky. One minor noble family has accepted nearautonomy over operations here in exchange for the JJ responsibility of magically protecting the city from the more dangerous natural hazards. Occasionally some of the fiery creatures from the volcano attack the city, but these attacks have become more rare in the past few decades. Dalagath (Small City, 7,500): This city exists mainly to trade with the Varlin tribes. In recent years,