Pantheonic Religions of Shalasia

A quick overview of the dominant pantheon as presently worshiped in the Imperial Sultanate of Shalasia:

Athoth, the Voice and the Heart: The heat of the sun and fire, metaphorically and otherwise. Athoth is the most-worshiped deity in Shalasia.

Aveyn, the Weaver Lord: The world of sorcerous power. Few people who are not wizards (and wizards are extremely rare themselves) have a very clear idea of what that even means. Mostly receives offerings from people who for whatever reason wish to (or fear they might) deal with (or become themselves, or already are) wizards or sorcery.

Damerok, the Prince Beneath the Sea: Fishing and undersea creatures. Mostly receives offerings from fishermen and their dependents among humankind.

The Dark Lady of Night: Darkness and the unknown. Not really openly worshiped in Shalasia, though her faith was very popular in ancient times. Does not appear to have a name other than "The Dark Lady." Is somehow bound up with the faith of Nahl (which is not a pantheonic religion, and therefore not listed here). Many people make offerings to the Dark Lady when they have anything important to do (or just for any reason need to be out late) at night, or need to keep something hidden or secret.

Darzien, the Lord of Death: The aging, death, and decay of living things. Not openly worshiped, but receives many offerings at his temples by those who fear he might otherwise come sooner (and probably from others who want him to come soon for someone else in particular; also note that "not openly worshiped" is not the same as "not worshiped.")

Ensylan, the Forest Maiden: Forests, jungles, and trees. Not a popular faith in Shalasia, but some shipwrights and rich Pashas' gardeners do appeal to her or even worship her outright.

Estel, the Lady of Starlight: The beauty and mystery of the stars. A quietly popular faith in Shalasia, though nowhere near on the order of Athoth's.

Forseti, the Just One: Law, justice, mercy and punishment, fairness, and honesty. Until recently, worshiped by some in Shalasia and given lip service by many. Since the outlaw of his church by the Sultan however, and the rebellion -- led in large part by churchmen of Forseti -- that was crushed by the Sultan's forces, most of Forseti's one-time Shalasian worshipers have fled to Espava or perished, and those who remained have mostly turned to other faiths. His name is now rarely even invoked in the Sultanate. In spite of this however, and in spite of his church's warnings to the contrary, crime levels, corruption, and other signs of injustice and dishonesty in the nation are pretty much unchanged since he was worshiped openly.

Frei, the Lady of All Desires: Love, passion, and all unreasoning emotions and desires. Frei has many worshipers throughout Shalasia, and vast ornate temples devoted to her name.

Isiyes, Mistress of Secrets: No realm; fallen from power. A relatively small number of Shalasians still do her homage, officially as a handservant to Athoth.

Karha, the Winter Maiden: Frost, ice, cold, snow, sleet, and winter. A very slim following in Shalasia is growing quickly among those who can afford to know what "cold" or the like even means -- and wish a piece of it for themselves.

Kerranas, the Lord of the Hunt: Beasts, hunger, blood, and hunting. A number of nomadic desert tribes still have totems to Kerranas, but his faith is otherwise not very popular in Shalasia.

Lanya, the Maiden of Moonlight: Virginity, the birth cycle, and moonlight. A relatively popular faith in Shalasia, depending on the circles in which one moves.

Lyosen, Maiden of Light and Music: Art and artistic inspiration. Her following in Shalasia is relatively small but fervent, and just about anyone who has anything creative to do is likely to make an appeal at one of her temples.

Makhaseth, the Great Ward: Guardianship and protection. An old and popular faith that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with combat, unlike...

Matorath, the Warlord: Battle, war, and conquest. Well-known and often invoked out of context.

Mernos, Mistress of the Deeps: The waves and currents of the sea. Mostly receives offerings from people whose livlihoods (or lives, if they're about to travel) will depend on her ocean's placidity (with of course the occasional prayer that she swallow up some enemy).

Shaer, Lord of the Dawn: Light and the advent of light, spring, birth, hope. Probably the second-most-popular faith in Shalasia, though lacking Athoth's official stamp of Imperial approval.

Sylthos, Mistress of the Winds: Weather, sailing, and breath. Typically receives the same sorts of offerings given Mernos, but also retains a small following all her own.

Thesmos, the Harvest Mother: Fertility, agriculture, child-rearing, and the home. Extremely popular along the rivers, between the cities; less so in the cities themselves and in the wide expanse of the desert.

Vammakhel, Maiden Pain: Cruelty, pain, and suffering. Not openly worshiped (note "openly" though) -- and no openly-known temples at which to make offerings. Most people who invoke her name do so in the course of wishing her attention on an enemy or (more often) a stranger who annoyed them on the streets.

Varekh, the Lord of Earth and Stone: Gravity, earthquakes, volcanic action, and the strength and solidity of stone. A modest following in Shalasia, concentrated in the northern mountains and among the desert nomads to the south.

Woen, Lord of Wisdom: Knowledge, wisdom, planning, and memory. A pretty basic, pretty popular faith in Shalasia.

Reilahren Village

The jungle Trade Network village with which Black Steel has interacted more than with any other is known as Rielahren, a name usually translated as "Fire Dance." It is concealed partly as a series of tunnels underground, but mostly within the hollow boles of enormous Grat'han trees - strangler figs or others filling a similar niche, whose gigantic hosts have rotted away. It lies along a small, unnamed branch of the Azarin river system (not visible on the large-scale regional map) that flows into the Broken Sea some miles north of Kaiimar Bay.

Population: Approximately 1,200 Grat'han humans. There is often a small group of serpentfolk present from the trade network, but according to Telaeri, they are regarded more as visiting dignitaries - or rulers, priests, or gods - than citizens of the village itself.

Government: In theory, the Reilahren tribe is ruled by its tribal chief, with the advice of the village elders and guidance from its spiritual leader, like many Grat'han tribes along the coastal plains and in other jungle villages like the Lacrethah. The tribe even uses elaborate dance-rituals through whose subleties the community at large may participate in tribal decision-making. In practice however, Telaeri has found that the Reilahren people's decisions are influenced -- or even dictated -- by the serpentfolk who visit them ... and those in turn by some other, more distant authority. In Reilahren, the serpentfolk are not regarded as merely traders, but as objects of authority, terror, and awe: Demi-gods of a serpent cult that Herring and Theril have now encountered in various forms throughout the southern reaches of their jungle explorations. In Telaeri's assessment, it is by these serpentfolk that the Reilahren people are truly governed.

National Affiliation: The Grat'han Jungle Trade Network ... or whatever form it takes in this part of the jungles.

Chief Exports: To trade partners from outside the jungles, such as (and apparently presently limited to) Black Steel, Reilahren trades goods that they received from the larger jungle trade network, including everything imaginable from within the Grat'han jungles, and even worked metal jewelry of purely Grat'han design from somewhere in the interior. What they export to other tribes in the network itself is not enitrely clear, though like most Grat'han jungle tribes they do their share of hunting, gathering, tree-harvesting, and limited jungle cultivation. It appears to Telaeri however that they actually trade away young members of their tribe -- especially young women -- who seem to be raised and trained in a particular style of mute dance. Their numbers are bolstered however by immigrant children -- especially girls -- from other tribes, many of whom go on to become dancers of the type who are regularly sent away.


History

The Reilahren village has always been a highly tactile and visual society, its rituals all revolving around dance, physical contact, and a variety of facial and bodily paint designs -- including the rituals associated with community-building, communication, self-expression, and directing the course of the tribe as a whole. In recent times however - certainly within the lifetimes of older members of the tribe, and perhaps within little more than a generation - the village made contact with the Grat'han trade network, and changes to many aspects of their tribe's culture, traditions, and governance appear to have followed rapidly. Even limited use of written records did not begin until significant changes had been made by the trade network, and tribal writings remain extremely rare in comparison with those used by (for instance) Llaesira, and the tribe's extant oral and written histories are both suspect not only for the usual reasons of legend conflated with history, but because the influence of the serpent cult -- and according to Telaeri, the fear in which the serpent people are secretly held by many within the tribe -- affect the range of things about which the villagers are willing to speak even in private. The village's visible wealth is greater than that expected of an isolated jungle tribe, certainly, and may even compare favorably with the Lacrethah, though that may be a function of the latter's relatively short history as a center of trade, and this bears out their official history of abundance following their association with the trade network. Apart from that lone, broad fact however, the history of the Reilahren tribe is shrouded in mystery and doubt. The tribe's people do not relate stories of their tribe to outsiders often, and those they do are of uncertain origin -- Telaeri believes that some originated elsewhere in the trade network, and were carried to the tribe along with metal work, goods from distant parts of the jungles and -- apparently -- the children of other tribes coming to study with them.


Key Tribal Figures

Chief Rabtragu: The aged tribal chieftain of the Reilahren people -- in Telaeri's assessment, aged perhaps still more with cares than with years -- officially speaks for his village and makes its final decisions for them, but Telaeri found him so terrified of the serpent people -- too much so even to speak of them or to make significant decisions without their consultation -- as to be completely ineffective as a source of authority. He serves, if she is correct, as a figurehead or puppet for the tribe's true rulers, whom she has never met.

Turolgid: The spiritual leader of Reilahren village leads most of the tribal dances, issues blessings on important occasions, and appears to privately advise members of his tribe; if he plays any of the other roles normally associated with priests or shamen in the jungles, they have yet to be seen by Black Steel personnel. He is difficult to read behind his painted-on ritual mask, but appears to have adapted successfully as the tribe transitioned from its previous style of worship to that of the serpent cult it currently appears to follow -- and about which he has refused to speak directly. He is young enough that it is just possible he may have grown up during or even shortly after the transition, and replaced the previous shaman or priest. He is presently training his eldest daughter to join or replace him in his present role -- and though now an adult in her own right by the reckoning of the tribe, still young and unmarried, playing the part of the devoted daughter and spiritual-leader-to-be, she has been no more forthcoming than her father.

Szankrasst: The trade network leader who most often visits Reilahren village is a tall and powerful Grat'han man who delights in his chosen sibilant name, and in revealing the long serpent fangs supposedly granted to him by the serpent gods for his service to them. Llaesira referred to him as her equivalent in the trade network for the portion of the jungles surrounding Reilahren -- which would make him a regional leader of the network with broad authority within the region, answerable to no one except under negotiated terms with the tribes with which he works and his fellow regional leaders -- but in Telaeri's interactions with him, she has found that he does not truly fill this role: Szancrast defers to and, she believes, is subservient to, other serpent people who have visited the village, and answers to someone or someones with far greater authority over him and the nearby villages than he wields himself. All of this information comes from inference however; in his dealings with Black Steel, he pretends to be precisely what Llaesira believes he is.

Fraegan: Though not of course himself a member of the tribe, Black Steel's "ambassador" to the trade network is hoping to assume a position of some importance there, simply by serving as the point of contact between Black Steel and the village -- and through it, the trade network as a whole. He also hopes to continue Telaeri's work of learning more about the Reilahren people and the trade network in general, and though he is not nearly so qualified in this regard as she, he has done his best to learn from her. Originally joining Black Steel as a member of the navy, Fraegan came to Foreign Minister Matrix's attention during a clandestine operation in Shalaton, and after he expressed an interest in the diplomatic service to her, she assigned him to this post. Initially disappointed that he would not be given a place in a civilized country, he quickly became reconciled to the need to prove himself and the importance of relations with the trade network, and after discussing the post with Telaeri at some length, he has grown deeply invested in his duties here and eager to perform them to the best of his abilities.

Lacrethah Village

The permanent Grat'han jungle village with which Black Steel has been longest in contact is concealed in the jungle canopy abovethe east bank of the Azarin's main western branch (see regional map) but its exact location is known mostly by approximations and the nature of the local foliage, as mapping the jungles can be exceptionally difficult. It typically takes Herring and Theril about a week to travel there on foot along the river from the jungle's edge when not speeding their travel by sorcerous means, but measurements of that nature are obviously far from precise, particularly for travel through the jungles. The Lacrethah village (a name usually translated as "Black Feather") has risen to importance in the area because of its importance as a local center of trade: It is the only known village with active trade ties to both the Grat'han trade network and the Edge, and profits both as an intermediary between them and as the village where goods from both can most readily be found together -- as well, occasionally, as those of Grat'han elves.

Population: Something between 1,000 and 1,500 Grat'han humans. The official village population includes no non-humans, but visitors from nearby Grat'han tribes of woodland elves and even serpentfolk from the trade network are sometimes present. Though members of Black Steel (most often Herring and Theril) occasionally visit as well, the only person of non-Grat'han descent who actually resides in the village is Tomas Bardickson of Shalaton.

Government: Like many Grat'han tribes, both in and out of the jungles, the Lacrethah are ruled by a primitive power-sharing arrangement between a secular chieftain, a religious leader, and a council of elders. In the case of the Lacrethah, the elders serve an advisory role for the chief, whose decision on all tribal matters is final. He has no authority over the tribal witchdoctor (for reasons of his own, Dlakarsta prefers this term of address when speaking in the trade language, in which he now is fairly fluent) however, who has enormous influence with everyone in the village and is something more than just advisor to the chief: He cannot be refused admission anywhere in the village, and so long as he doesn't step over certain hazy lines, everyone is more or less required to agree with everything he says. Negotiation of these lines and these rules is where the business of the tribe gets very tricky, even though (or especially because) Dlakarsta and Chief Tonbrin understand each other very well, and typically support each other as much as they are able.

National Affiliation: None; the Lacrethah are an independent tribe, ruling their village and nominally the territory in which they hunt and harvest, owing fealty to -- and claiming fealty from -- none beyond their village itself. Their relationships with Black Steel or the Grat'han trade network might yet develop into something more, but so far remain strictly based on trade.

Chief Exports: Lacrethah villagers harvest fruit, wood, herbs, edible fungi, and spices from cultivated sections of the surrounding jungles, camouflaged among the local flora, and from naturally-occurring plants nearby, and hunt for meat, hide, and bone. Their primary exports however are items they acquire via trade, serving as the primary intermediary between the Grat'han trade network and Black Steel.


History

Written language has only recently been introduced to the Lacrethah people, and it is difficult to know where -- if anywhere -- myth and legend give way to factual information in their rich oral history, to say nothing of the changes that may have been introduced over the years. The village has existed in its present location for several generations at least, and has from time to time fought skirmishes with neighboring tribes (not often of humans) or beings for hunting grounds or the tribe's secretly cultivated groves, but the motives, names, and (in many cases) fates of their opposition in these skirmishes is unknown to their people. On the whole, the life of their tribe however had continued mostly the same for several generations at least prior to the arrival of Herring and Theril. Herring, Theril, and Dlakarsta shared an interest in teaching and a thirst for knowledge about the jungles and the world at large, so it was perahps inevitable once they met -- especially given The Edge's intense interest in trade for jungle resources -- that the tribe's recent history should become much more varied and interesting. In addition to initiating long-distance trade with Thornton along the river, the Lacrethah have met with representatives of the Grat'han trade network and established lucrative trade through them with distant, still-unknown-to-them jungle tribes, and have even been introduced to a nearby tribe of woodland elves, with whom the Dlakarsta and his assistant are moving through an intricate diplomatic dance toward a future as yet unknown.


Key Tribal Figures

Chief Tonbrin: The Lacrethah chieftain's imposing figure and air of calm superiority have no doubt contributed to his success as ruler of his people, but his habit of showing the same aloofness to outsiders has kept him apart from the real negotiations into which his tribe has entered with the likes of Black Steel -- as well as limiting what they know about him. While his agreement is ultimately required for every important decision of his tribe, the details of the agreements he eventually makes are almost always worked out by his witchdoctor and the elders of his tribe, sometimes without even his presence until the negotiations end. This habit may be a form of overcompensation for his youth -- few jungle tribes are led by so young a chief -- or acknowledgement of that very youth and therefore inexperience: Chief Tonbrin in effect leaves most of his intertribal -- and now international -- negotiations to those he trusts who are older and wiser than he.

Dlakarsta: The witchdoctor of the Lacrethah tribe rejects terms like "priest" and "shaman," insisting that of the titles he has heard translated for him, only "witchdoctor" conveys the proper air of mystery, danger, and power over spiritual and physical well-being associated with his role among the Lacrethah. It must be noted as well that, though he normally speaks only in his native Grat'han tongue, Dlakarsta's comprehension of the Eastport Trade Language is strong and growing; according to Tomas, he has made a point of learning the tongue, together with as much information about Shalasia and the world beyond the jungles -- particularly including Shalasian sorcery -- as Tomas is able to convey. Dlakasta has shown himself to be very forward-thinking and open to ideas from outside, slow to make changes in the traditions of his tribe, but swift to adapt those traditions and his own actions in impossible-seeming ways when circumstances so dictate. He is a quick judge of character, and a good one in Theril's estimation; he has no compunctions about speaking with people he likes and respects on an informal basis in the privacy of his quarters, so long as eh expects them to know how to behave toward The Witchdoctor when before strangers or the other members of his tribe.

Tomas Bardickson: A young wizard from Sarema by way of Shalaton, Tomas recently found himself apprenticed to a wizard seeking immortality through undeath. Tomas's ultimately successful efforts to see the wizard's plans destroyed and the wizard himself slain entangled him with an organization that was itself perhaps more dangerous still: The Black Guard of Shalaton. When he managed, through an old acquaintance with Thaqz, to persuade Theril to extract him from his entanglements, he felt that the only place in which he could feel safe from the reach of the Black Guard would be miles away from civilization; Theril obliged by finding him a place as apprentice to Dlakarsta of the Lacrethah tribe, deep in the Grat'han jungles. Far from objecting to a Shalasian understudy, Dlakarsta embraced the charge and has been working closely with Tomas ever since, combining their knowledge of Grat'han and Shalasian traditions and innovations to strengthen the place of the Lacrethah -- and one another -- in the larger world to which the Lacrethah has recently been introduced.

The Imperial Sultanate of Shalasia

Shalasia is among the largest and most prosperous nations in the world known to Black Steel, and (perhaps not coincidentally) one of the greatest naval powers as well. Bounded by the Sharna and Trevesh rivers (and a perpetually disputed line between them through the mountains) to the north and the northern foothills of the Hammer Mountains and Tornbring Vale to the south, Shalasia proper is geographically centered in the vast reaches of the Shalasa desert, but its centers of population and political power are centered along the rivers and mountains to the north. (See regional map.) The Sultanate's holdings also include a number of islands in the Broken Sea region, the largest of which is East Shalasia, the large and mountainous island -- itself the size of a small country -- that lies directly east of the city of Shalaton. One of these islands also harbors Shalasia's most important naval port outside of Shalaton and Sarema themselves, the military base of Port Alseyn, which commands the entire western Broken Sea.

Citizenship and class in Shalasia determine one's rights under the law, and are mostly based upon personal wealth and political influence -- both of which are normally, though not exclusively, acquired via inheritance. Slavery is entirely legal in Shalasia, and slaves have no rights at all except as the property of their masters, but any citizen of Shalasia or an allied country is accorded enormous freedoms of action ... so long as it does not cross the interests of higher-ranking members of the Shalasian class structure. While the wealthy and powerful in Shalasia do not have specific rights or legal recourse to enforce their will outside of their own properties and estates, there is little or no meaningful legal recourse for a citizen threatened or mistreated by order of a powerful entity like a church leader or Pasha, even when the mistreatment is theoretically against the law. Nevertheless, by working within one's own class and keeping one's head down until one can gain power of one's own or the assistance of powerful friends, it is possible to thrive and even rise in power in Shalasia from any level of society. Even slaves have been known to rise to positions of power after winning the sympathy of a free citizen and being purchased out of slavery.


Government: Absolute power in Shalasia supposedly rests in the hands of the Sultan, but of course the reality is far more complex; the Sultan and his advisors regularly consult with key members of innumerable power groups on every subject before formulating so much as a statement from the Imperial Seat, to ensure the nation's political framework continues to forward the larger goals of the Sultanate, and that the international situation continues to favor them. In addition to (and often overlapping with) powerful merchant companies, great wizards, and church authorities, many of Shalasia's interests are controlled by the nation's vast aristocracy, from the powerful Pashas among whom most of the country's usable land is divided to the lesser nobles of Shalaton who might own no more land than the grounds of their personal villas. As well, diplomats from far-flung lands, such as Black Steel's foreign minister and ambassador to the Sultanate, occupy positions of importance in the Sultan's court, as the impact of the Sultan's decisions upon Shalasia's relations with her present and potential allies is necessarily an important consideration in the plans of the nation.


History: The rise of the Shalasian Pashas and the original Sultanate are matters more of legend than of history, and some of the current Pashas can trace their ancestry for dozens of generations, all the way to records of their family heritage that are counted among the earliest historical records of the region -- some even including perhaps-fanciful linneages dating back through many generations of oral history or invention to legendary names or deities. The present Sultan is among these, and his linneage does arise from the Shalasian Sultans who ruled the region for centuries before the Al-Samir revolution, but it is only in recent times that the name of Sultan was revived by Sultan Thoshmon III, who was previously known -- like the last twenty-seven of his predecessors on the throne -- as the High Pasha, a sort of "first among equals" at least in name.

Shalasia's existence as a united country stretches back beyond the horizon of history, though the extent and reality of its unity has varied from century to century, and even from generation to generation. It was long ruled from the Holy Imperial City of Aphera, which lay on the river Sharna near its northernmost extreme, until "barbarians" from the north -- the ancestors of the present-day people of Espava -- possibly in response to Shalasian designs upon their land and people, crossed the Sharna and laid waste to the city. No reliable contemporary account of the battle has as yet been found intact, and modern historians still debate what actually occurred, but either the defeat of Shalasia's military force in the region was so complete or the sack and burning of Aphera (according to some, by surprise or subterfuge) was so dispiriting or Shalasia was so divided for other reasons that Shalasian forces were forced to withdraw from the northern Sharna region, and would not regain lasting control there for centuries. The ruins of Aphera can still be seen, much ravaged by time, war, weather, squatters (particularly in the periods of Espavan control) and occasional floods, but with rubble cleared and other ruins dug up or cleaned and polished in recent times thanks to an active restoration effort by Shalasia. The ruins are now a popular site for visits by historians, the curious and wealthy, and certain desert nomad tribes who seem to regard the journey as something in the nature of a religious pilgrimage.

The sack of Aphera resulted in a major shift in the Shalasian political landscape. The capital was moved to the nation's most important commercial port -- and a location far from the "barbarian" front -- in spite of its location near the extreme eastern edge of the lands and population centers controlled at that time by the Sultanate. While the new capital, then called Ge'ar Sultanri, exerted enormous influence over its near vicinity, sheer distance -- in a period when long-distance travel and communication were difficult in the extreme -- limited its effectiveness as a true center of national rule, to the extent that the Pashas of western Shalasia became rulers of close-knit but independent fiefdoms in all but name, paying only token fealty and tribute to the distant Sultan.

Some centuries after the establishment of Ge'ar Sultanri, it appears that the arts of sorcery in the region had developed to the point of permitting effective long-distance communication. Most Shalasian historical records from this period have unfortunately been destroyed, and the remainder are mostly cryptic, unreliable, or both, but inference from later documents seems to suggest that Shalasia functioned in practice as a truly united nation again for something over two centuries leading up to the Al-Samir revolution. For reasons that remain unclear due to the sketchy historical record from that period, communication between the eastern and western portions of the Sultanate appear to have broken down somewhere in the neighborhood of a half-millenium ago, with the Pashas of western Shalasia again drawing away from the Sultan's influence. This trend appears to have gone largely unresisted until the reign of Sultan Omiran IV, sometimes called the Sorceror-Sultan, though whether he in fact wielded magical power or relied on that of others remains in doubt. He managed through a combination of magical power and military might to project his rule and influence across all of present-day Shalasia, and even into large portions of present-day Espava. His new Sultanate was short-lived, as the Pashas of western Shalasia led a revolt of the powerful Shalasian aristocracy. Now known as the Al-Samir revolution, it ended in the death of Sultan Omiran IV and most of his near family, and the ascension of a distant cousin to the throne as the first High Pasha -- a title held by the nominal rulers of Shalasia until Thoshmon III, after years (and perhaps generations, as previous High Pashas may have prepared the ground) of careful planning, scheming, and political maneuvering, reclaimed the title of Sultan in the wake of the Fall of Isiyes.


Key government figures: (extremely incomplete list)

His Imperial Majesty, Sultan Thoshmon III: The Imperial Sultanate of Shalasia is ruled by an extremely temperamental and unpredictable monarch, seemingly led more by his emotions than by policy. Nevertheless -- and perhaps in part for that very reason -- he is a beloved by the common people of Shalasia, and has had a strikingly successful reign, to the point of crushing a would-be rebellion and Espavan invasion and re-establishing the institution of the Sultanate in his own name. This success may well derive in part from the ground laid by his predecessors, and it may even be that he is a shrewder man than he chooses to appear, but most astute political observers give most of the credit to his two most-trusted advisors: Pashas Richella and Zavalier.

Pasha Richella, Radiance of Athoth: The highest religious authority for the church of Athoth in all of Shalasia -- and by that token, the Pasha of vast and rich estates -- is also the chief advisor of Sultan Thoshmon III, and arguably the most powerful man in Shalaton, or perhaps all the Broken Sea region. Though famed for his ruthless political cunning, Shalasia's Radiance is one of the best-loved figures among the people of the country, in part no doubt because of his religious position -- the population is predominantly Athothian, and though many other faiths are tolerated, Shalasia is officially an Athothian nation -- but also perhaps because his ruthlessness is so thoroughly employed in the service of Shalasia itself.

Pasha Zavalier, Grand Wizard of Shalasia: A mysterious, shadowy figure to most of the people of Shalasia -- and indeed the world -- the Grand Wizard of the Sultanate is a powerful Pasha whose lands and title (like those of Shalasia's Radiance of Athoth) though life appointments, are conveyed by his office rather than by heredity. Of course, Pasha Zavalier has managed to parley these and certain holdings that he possessed prior to his appointment into sizable additional titles and estates that are his to bequeath, and has further transformed the position of Grand Wizard itself into one of the most influential and important posts in the Sultanate; if Pasha Richella is the Sultan's right hand, Pasha Zavalier is his left. The full extent of this influence is not known to many, but certain members of Black Steel have worked with him closely, and have some idea of his real power. As well, Theril had several opportunities of meeting him socially, and found him an affable, expansive, naturally well-mannered gentleman ... with perhaps just a streak of iconoclastic independence and anti-authoritarianism.

Her Majesty, Theora Arastani: The Sultan's officially wedded wife naturally has significant influence in the Shalasian court, as well as in Arasta, born and raised as she was into that nation's royal family. Shalasia is a decidedly misogynistic country by Black Steel's standards, and her power is not what perhaps it would be in a more enlightened country, but she knows what levers to pull to accomplish her political objectives, and does not hesitate to use them. She is accounted very beautiful, even by the standards of royalty (who can afford to take rather extensive liberties with their natural appearances) and this no doubt provides her some degree of additional influence in a court dominated by men, but the effect is small in comparison to her family connections and her relationship with the Sultan.

His Imperial Highness, Ad-Sultan Justinon: The Sultan's first son (and second-born child) stands to inherit the throne upon his father's death, although at present he is still in his early-mid-teens, several years from the age of majority. Reputedly more headstrong and unpredictable even than his father (but less temperamental and less emotionally driven in Black Steel's experience) the Ad-Sultan is a wild teen, habitually evading his minders and sneaking off into Shalaton, where he apparently has wide connections of his own among the aristocracy, and is supposedly at home even in the back ways of the tent city; he seems to delight in mixing with people below his station (a group which by Shalasian reckoning includes just about everybody). In spite of all this, he is regarded by most as extremely -- even dangerously -- intelligent, capable, and self-possessed. It is worth noting that, whatever mischief he may manage to get into outside the bounds established for him, he has always emerged intact and unruffled back into the world of the court. He is no doubt helped by his sheer popularity -- the Ad-Sultan is better loved among the people of Shalasia than probably anyone else in existence, including even his father the Sultan or Pasha Richella himself -- but Shalaton presumably harbors madmen, enemies of the state aware of his idiosyncrasies, and any number of dangerous characters who wouldn't recognize him in whatever disguises he wears in the streets. That he never yet has come to harm suggests that he's either been tremendously lucky, or that he has tremendous hidden resources to call upon at need.

Pasha Fokahre: The powerful and popular Pasha of extensive mountainous estates near the border with Espava -- estates that include some of the most important iron mines in the region -- and a long-time advisor to the Sultan, Pasha Fokahre does not play in the same league as the likes of Shalasia's Radiance of Athoth or the Grand Wizard of Shalasia, but is nevertheless an important political figure in his own right, and at court represents the interests of numerous other northern Pashas and Shalasian citizens with skill, diplomacy, and no little success. His political ties now also extend beyond Shalasia, as he was recently betrothed to the Honorable Matrix: The Foreign Minister of the Scabbard-Edge Confederation and its ambassador to Shalasia. The engagement is said to be a love-match, and though the Confederation's growing importance in regional politics makes it an appropriate diplomatic move as well, the attraction between the two is manifest to anyone who has seen them together; some old friends have sworn they can actually hear the Pasha's blood start to race whenever he sees Matrix step into the room.

Sarema

Shalasia's second-largest city and its most important western seaport lies on the mouth of the river Sharna, right on the border with Espava. (See regional map) While Sarema lies entirely south of the Sharna, its influence extends throughout the local region, to the extent that its much smaller Espavan neighbor across the river, officially known as Dezin, is often referred to colloquially as "North Sarema." Like Shalaton itself, Sarema consists of often-lavish stone structures clustered mostly along the river and coast, surrounded by a sea of temporary structures (mostly pavillions and tents) and the whole serves as a center of trade between Shalasia and the sea -- the sea in this case being the Great Ocean itself.

Population: More than 70,000 permanent residents, with some estimates exceeding 200,000. As in the case of Shalaton, "temporary" residents, including full encampments of desert nomad tribes, put the real population somewhere over 300,000. While Sarema is an overwhelmingly human city, the goblinoid and beastman populations are significantly higher than Shalaton's, even though the city is somewhat smaller overall. Moreover, while dwarven and elven merchants do pass through, they have formed no permanent communities (even by the tent city's loose standards of "permanence") of any significant size.

Government: Most of Sarema and its immediate environs are ruled by the powerful Pasha Masalles, though national Shalasian law holds a heavy influence, with many laws passed that in effect apply to the city of Sarema alone. As in Shalaton itself however, some of the city's powerful merchant organizations carry enormous influence with the local (and to an extent even the national) government. Moreover, many Pashas of western Shalasia own palatial homes and estates in and around the city which are officially regarded as lands under their own authority.

National Affiliation: The Imperial Sultanate of Shalasia

Chief Exports: Crafted goods of all varieties, from pottery to furniture to jewelry and swords -- in fact however, this might be extended to /all/ goods of all varieties, as this center of trade is likely to have anything and everything imaginable available for sale, passing into, out of, or through town from somewhere.


History

While habitations along the banks of the river Sharna are probably among the earliest human settlements in the Broken Sea region, and in one form or another have existed continually ever since, and coastal trade made the river mouth an important local population center before the development of writing, the city of Sarema in its present form is little more than a thousand years old, when it became in effect the capital of the de-facto state of West Shalasia following the sack of Aphera and the capital's relocation to Shalaton (then called Ge'ar Sultanri). The Al-Samir revolution that reshaped Shalasia's political landscape nearly four hundred years ago began here among the Pashas of the west whose seats of power lay in and around Sarema.


Important Landmarks (extremely incomplete list)

Fort Dezin: Though it lies on the north bank of the Sharna's mouth, in Espava, and in fact houses a significant detachment of the Espavan armed forces, most people regard the local Espavan fortress and the surrounding city of Dezin as simply the "Espavan side" of the greater city of Sarema. Dezin itself is colloquially known as North Sarema, and its population consists mostly of merchants whose livlihood lies in trade (openly in time of peace, secretly as smugglers when legitimate trade is forbidden) between Espava and Shalasia; those who serve or prey upon them; and Shalasians fleeing justice, creditors, or revenge on the far side of the river. Indeed, it is an open secret that many among the troops of Fort Dezin itself clandestinely cross the river to Sarema proper when on leave.

Hall of Assembly: A wide stone structure with an enormous golden dome, lying near the center of Sarema's permanent core (but naturally far northwest of the geographic center of the city if the vast tent city is included) officially resides within the jurisdiction of no single Pasha, answering only the laws of the Sultanate. It is here that the various Pashas with interests in the city meet on neutral ground to form policies and alliances, air and resolve their disputes, and mete out justice when required. The building itself is several hundred years old, and served its present function for all the Pashas of the west for centuries, surrounding the Al-Samir revolution -- which itself was (arguably) born and (certainly) nurtured within these walls.

Ocean Harbor: The vast natural harbor created by the bay of Sarema is supplemented by an enormous man-made breakwater, sheltering shipyards and docks second only to those of Shalaton itself. The harbor here is perhaps more cosmopolitan even than the capital's, receiving most of Shalasia's trade from the west, the north as far as Eastport, and even the far east.

Palace of Masalles: The sprawling wings and many-fountained gardens of the chief Pasha of Sarema rival even the Sultan's in Shalaton in many respects. Though far less extensive than the Imperial Palace grounds, which serve a far more varied purpose, and not nearly so ancient -- even the oldest structures here have stood for only a few hundred years -- its lofty spires and sheer extravagance seem calculated to inspire envy even in a Sultan or a king.

Rafesh Castle: The symbol (and active military projection) of the Imperial Sultan's might in Sarema is the enormous stone fortress whose walls stretch hundreds of meters along the river Sharna and out along the coast, sheltering the local naval yard. One could well imagine that nothing could escape the castle's countless ever-vigilant eyes, were one not aware of the smuggling of goods and people across the river that has occurred perpetually, in war and peace, for hundreds of years at least.

River Docks: Several kilometers upriver of the Sharna's mouth, lofty stone buildings begin to give way to shabbier structures and sometimes-makeshift piers where riverboats and ferries are constantly putting in and out, on journeys upriver or across to Dezin. Many wealthy merchants and Pashas have their own, usually better-kept docks and piers connected to their own homes and estates further down the river, but nowhere are they as crowded or as heavily used as here. The region of the city near the actual harbor is as rowdy as might be expected of any district dominated by sailor-choked docks, but those docks seem downright geneteel in comparison with the river docks upstream.

Temple District: While some individual Pashas have shrines erected to specific members of the pantheon -- some of them even lavish in the extreme -- the primary center of worship in the city is the official Temple District mandated by Pasha Masalles. While the temple to Athoth overshadows all others present, and several faiths have no visible presence in the district (given the nature of the faiths in question, whether their temples are absent or cleverly hidden must be in some doubt) the city deals with them in an essentially egalitarian fashion, and manages to keep the peace between them admirably well. Even the local temple to Isiyes was not significantly ravaged following the outlaw of its religion in Shalasia, though this may have resulted in no small part from Sarema's distance from the capital and the opportunity it gave the faithful to secure the temple and protect or remove its more movable valuables ahead of more general rumor. Since the worship of Isiyes became permissible in Shalasia again, at least to those who acknowledge her subservience to Athoth, the temple has even been reopened, though the worship service has necessarily changed.

Tent City: Like Shalaton's, the great majority of Sarema's people live, work, or do business in a vast, ever-changing city of tents and pavillions that extend far beyond the river and coast toward the desert. Most of the people here are desert nomads who come to trade through the city with the outside world, as well of course as those who seek to do business with them, or who simply lack the resources to live or work in the heart of the city, and criminals out to prey on nomads or other likely victims. As in Shalaton, while the vast majority of the city's wealth is concentrated along the river and docks, and most of its goods do pass through there, the actual business of trade mostly happens in the vast open markets of the tent city.

Shalaton

The capital city of Shalasia lies at the mouth of the river Lesh, just north of the vast Shalasa desert, on the coast just west of the large island of East Shalasia. (See regional map) Like the rest of the country's "mainland" of course, Shalaton in fact lies on the separated subcontinent that divides the Broken Sea from the Great Ocean between the Anvil and Channel Straits. The city of Shalaton itself is a vast, sprawling center of trade and commerce, its large and numerous stone buildings clustered around the river and harbor, but surrounded by endless-seeming fields of tents and pavillions in every landward direction -- even into the desert itself. Shalaton is always loud with the cries of tradesmen in daylight, and often well into the night. It is truly a city that never sleeps: Even in the wee hours of the morning, its perpetual flow of commerce and intrigue only shifts to a quieter tone and more secretive -- often more dangerous -- activity.

Population: At least 100,000 permanent residents, with some estimates exceeding 300,000. If travelers, merchants, and other visitors -- consisting in large part of desert nomad tribes who set up temporary encampents around the city, sometimes for months at a time -- bring the real total population of the city at any moment above 500,000. While the vast majority of the city's population is human, a small percentage -- but nevertheless an enormous number, particularly in the more squalid districts -- have some degree of goblin blood, and the city even tolerates a few beastmen of different varieties, at least in its most miserable areas, or as slaves. Some number of dwarven and elven merchants are usually also present, including a very small number (at least in proportion to the enormous overall population) who have settled down permanently ... and according to Berlokh, there is even a population of resident Sheltzin.

Government: The city of Shalaton is divided with its surrounding lands into a number of fiefdoms controlled by important Pashas attached to the Court of Shalasia. Local laws are established in different districts of the city by these individual lords, but all are ultrimately subject to the Sultan of Shalaton, whose presence in the palace makes itself felt across the entire city.

National Affiliation: The Imperial Sultanate of Shalasia

Chief Exports: Textiles, artwork, pottery, and iron implements and weapons, as well as refurbished, refashioned, or merely re-priced versions of the city's innumerable imports.


History

The river Lesh has been inhabited along most of its length since prehistoric times, and the river mouth has been an important port apparently since the first oceangoing ships were built on the Broken Sea. The city of Amfah-Lesh grew up there as nomads from the desert, farmers from the floodplains, and miners from the mountains came together with traders from the seas to exchange their goods. It has been the center of Shalasian government since the sack of Aphera over a thousand years ago, when the present Palace of the Sultan was built and the city of Amfah-Lesh was re-named Ge'ar-Sultanri. Its name was changed again almost four hundred years ago, following the Al-Samir revolution, to Shalaton -- the name it retains today.


Important Landmarks (extremely incomplete list)

Basilica of the Sultanate: The largest and most lavish temple to Athoth outside of Havandia -- or, according to some observers, in the entire world -- is the massive, ornate Basilica in central Shalaton. Its diamond-hearted Sun Tower and marble fountains are famed from Hei-Setesh to Illenia, and though the Eminence of Shalaton is officially the presiding priest, the Basilica is often addressed by Pasha Richella himself on important occasions. Whenever a service is in progress, the interior of the Basilica is filled with rank upon rank of the wealthy and powerful among the city's elite, while commoners throng in the enormous courtyard.

Fallen Church of Isiyes: Not far from the Palace and the Basilica lies the still-intact structure of an enormous church, much vandalized but virtually untouched by the ravages of time. This is because the ravages of time haven't yet been given much opportunity: The Church of Isiyes was a vibrant place of worship until its faith was outlawed in Shalasia following the recent Fall of Isiyes. Most or all of the vandalism -- including the theft of all its relics and ornaments and the destruction or defacement of most of its symbols of worship -- took place within the three months (much indeed within the first few days) through which the ban lasted, before it was lifted for those who acknowledged the subservience of Isiyes to Athoth. No attempt has been made however to restore the church since then; worshipers of Isiyes in Shalaton now perform their devotions in a lesser annex to the Basilica of the Sultanate, and no one else has seen fit to move into their former church. Improbable rumors about the place -- hidden treasure known only to the former high priest, hauntings, and the rest of the usual run of nonsense associated with abandoned buildings -- are already current in certain quarters, and the ruin's steeple is still adorned by the skull of the last high priest of Isiyes, its bone long since stripped clean by carrion birds.

Grand Shipyard: Though all its wood is imported -- from countless nations around the sea -- the Grand Shipyard of the Sultanate is reputedly the greatest (and certainly the oldest and most extensive) ship-building and repair facility in the known world. The Shalsian government Naval Yard lies across the mouth of the river Lesh from the extensive Palace grounds, but is small in comparison with the vast merchant yards stretching out beyond, toward the city docks. The quality and number (or even existence) of drydocks among the slipways and construction yards noticably declines with distance from the Naval Yard, and the regular city docks, beyond the far end of the Grand Shipyard, include some of the most squalid neighborhoods in all of Shalaton (so long as certain portions of the Tent City are excluded) -- but a few wealthy merchants do see to it that certain neighborhoods around their private docks are well-policed and largely free of both drunken sailors and those who like to prey upon them.

Offices of The Day: A large stone building -- in fact a converted warehouse -- that backs on the river Lesh in east-central Shalaton now houses the staff, equipment, records, and secrets of The Day, the only daily newspaper known to Black Steel personnel, and the paper with the widest circulation. The means by which the paper is produced -- an endless-seeming quantity of identical scrolls -- is something of a mystery, though not perhaps unique: Thorm Casati reports that the Dwarves of Korv appear capable of producing books in similarly inexhaustible-seeming quantitites. The Day brings in news from all around the city, and even from distant lands, through a network of specialized researchers and reporters, and disseminates it at absurdly low prices -- barely more than the cost of parchment and ink -- across the city.

Palace of the Sultan: The ever-expanding palace complex of the Sultan of Shalaton includes grounds that extend far along the south bank of the river Lesh from its mouth, and well along the coast to the south. The central Hall and Court have remained essentially unchanged since their construction more than a millenium ago, but its wings and towers have been expanded, and outbuildings added and extended, over the centuries. At present, the palace complex includes not only the home and court of the Sultan, but those of several important Pashas, a number of embassies, including Black Steel's, and separate theaters and dining houses, as well as extensive and carefully-husbanded gardens.

Solo's: While it wouldn't (yet?) make most travelers' lists of important city landmarks, Solo's Restaurant is developing a reputation with the wealthy citizens of the city, and it is naturally important to Black Steel since it is owned and operated by a member of the Black Steel cabinet. Solo's is famous for its unusual layout and entertainment, but more especially for its fare, which includes authentic Grat'han dishes and ice-cold beverages and desserts (thanks to the cold-storage chamber maintained by Theril's sorcery).

Tent City: While Black Steel's activities have mostly occurred within the "permanent" core of the city, consisting mostly of stone buildings concentrated around the coastline and the river Lesh, the majority of Shalaton's real population lives (or at least temporarily stays) and works or trades in the tents and pavillions that perpetually cover the fields and sands surrounding the city proper. Many of these residents are desert nomads passing through and stopping to trade, but they also include numerous merchants who particularly seek business with the nomads in their own style, and large numbers of people who simply can't afford permanent housing. The vast majority of the city's business is actually transacted in the Tent City, in temporary bazaars and open markets, though most of the goods bought and sold here pass through the permanent sections of the city in one form or another as it travels to or from ships ... and much of the wealth from these transactions winds up lining the pockets of merchants who live in the better neighborhoods there. Of course, the Tent City is also the region most frequented by the city's numberless, oft-thriving /illegal/ "businesses."

Villa District: Many of the powerful merchants and minor Shalasian nobles who make Shalaton their home live in the various stone villas and mansions, mingled with parks, shrines, museums, and certain highly-specialized businesses that discreetly cater to such whims as the wealthy people of Shalaton wish to follow close to -- but not within -- their homes.

The Scabbard-Edge Confederation

Known as "The Black Steel government" in everyday parlance, or even just "Black Steel," the federal government that oversees The Scabbard, Thornton, and the rest of The Edge is officially known as "The Scabbard-Edge Confederation" on diplomatic papers, and in any context where it sounds more impressive or appropriate. In these contexts, the name generally carries the implication that "The Edge" includes most of the jungles and coastline between the Great Divide and The Scabbard, though in reality Black Steel controls only a few small areas in the region, mostly in the immediate vicinity of Thornton. (See regional map.)

The federal government handles foreign relations, from diplomatic negotiations to trade rights to the national defense, but imposes few domestic laws -- all of the few relating either to dealings with foreign people and foreign powers, to establishing basic freedoms for all its citizens that no local government can deny, or to making it possible for the federal government to perform its function. No domestic taxes are imposed; the federal government receives all of its income through customs tariffs and (extremely widespread) investments in local businesses. Local governments have a high degree of local autonomy however, and may impose their own taxes and laws so long as they fall within the laws of the Confederation as a whole. Local rule has shown a tendency toward government by some form of popular vote, but this is not strictly required according to Confederation law -- indeed, as Alluarten and Thestrinarra (and for a long time, the town now known as Thornton) demonstrate, there is no strict requirement for any local government to exist at all -- so long as the people's basic freedoms are not denied by whatever power structure may form instead.

Government: The Scabbard-Edge Confederation's governing body consists of a 24-member cabinet, though there are also two members of the cabinet staff who are accorded voting privileges under certain circumstances, and all officially-appointed ambassadors have the right to introduce legislation, though not to vote on them. The full cabinet meets only occasionally, and its primary role at present is to confirm, reconcile, or overturn the provisional decisions passed by "Interim Councils" -- which amount to cabinet meetings that require smaller, and therefore more achievable, quorums.

History: Black Steel's original leadership was a tight-knit group initially driven together by circumstances and necessity on Lost Soul's Island off the Fire Coast, and forged into a unit by the need to resist their would-be masters in the pirate fiefdom that soon claimed them for its own. This original core prepared and led a group of sailors and warriors, disgruntled with their pirate leadership, to escape the fiefdom and come south to the Broken Sea, their ships laden with recovered pirate treasure. With the development and growth of The Scabbard and later The Edge, the original core has expanded to meet the needs of the people they rule, and whom they serve.

The Scabbard-Edge Confederation has evolved organically into its present form as a series of compromises between its various component factions: Between members of the original Black Steel leadership, later important additions to its ranks, and the towns of The Scabbard and Thornton. As the needs of the young nation have changed, the Cabinet has evolved to meet them, maneuvering the people best-suited to handling the needs of the nation into the best positions from which to do so.

Key government figures: (The Central Cabinet)

Brenlyth Mytras: The Scabbard's highest elected official, the chairman of its Town Council, always represents the Confederation's capital city on the Central Cabinet as Minister of the Scabbard. The current office-holder, Brenlyth Mytras, is a the innovative head of the progressive political party that won this year's Scabbard election in a landslide.

Minister Grynne: Friendly, unassuming, and sometimes shy, Grynned heads Black Steel's Ministry of the Interior, and can always be seen around The Scabbard, keeping an eye on the nation's investments and his ministry's projects around the city. He is quietly competent at the wide-ranging duties of his job, and probably knows every one of the thousands of Scabbard citizens by name.

Admiral Lynethizon: Black Steel's Minister of the Navy is thoroughly familiar with all forms of battle on the high seas; he learned some of his dirtiest tricks in the course of many years as a pirate captain before throwing over his pirate lord to escape with Black Steel. Though his first responsibility is for the flagship Avenger, Lynethizon's responsibilities on the Central Cabinet include ensuring the safety of Black Steel's extensive transport fleet and the many civillian ships that make its harbors their ports of call. He and Scaelorrel naturally work very closely together, to the point where some like to say that Lynethizon is actually Assistant Minister of Defense and Scaelorrel the Assistant Minister of the Navy.

The Honorable Matrix: Black Steel's Foreign Minister and ambassador to Shalasia (the title of "Honorable" is traditionally granted to all ambassadors; it is not a reflection on her character) is an expert negotiator and diplomat; it was Matrix who famously brokered the peace treaty now in force between Shalasia and Espava. She can dominate a room with the sheer force of her commanding presence, in part perhaps simply because of her devastating beauty. Matrix gives everything to her career and the Confederation's foreign interests as a matter of course; though it is said to be a love match, this surely has informed her engagement to be married to Pasha Fokahre, an important member of the Court of Shalaton, with major land-holdings in the iron-rich hills of northern Shalasia.

Chairman Noble: The head of the Cabinet and chair of its meetings, Noble resides in The Scabbard and rarely leaves -- except on vitally important occasions such as the battle for Kaiimar, on which he went to lead Black Steel's troops personally. He is deeply attached (though not officially engaged) to Captain Goldenrod, the Minister of Court Affairs and head of one arm of the Trident -- Black Steel's primary military force.

General Scaelorrel: An expert strategist and tactician, the Black Steel Minister of Defense is responsible for the overall disposition of the nation's armed forces, especially including its Trident rapid-response teams. Scaelorrel is regularly consulted by the other members of the Central Cabinet, to ensure that key locations can be properly defended, and their plans and initiatives will not endanger national security.

Thornton and the Edge

Black Steel's first settlement on the edge of the Grat'han jungles (pun probably intended by somebody) lies on the northern delta of the Azarin river system, at the end of the Grat'han bay just south of Tornbring Vale, between Korv and the Anvil Strait. (See regional map) The fortified harbor town of Thornton watches over the rest of "The Edge" -- the fields and mines of Alluarten, Thestrinarra, and (in theory) Volkrendas: The three Counties officially presided over by Solo, Broxte, and Quazar. The rich natural resources of The Edge are themselves much in demand in Shalasian markets and beyond, but it has also become a center of trade for the local Grat'han natives, including a growing number of jungle villages who send barges of raw material down the river in exchange for luxury goods which their crews can carry home along the river banks. Overseas commerce with Thornton is currently handled mostly by the Silver Star, Merlesy, and Tower merchant companies out of Shalasia, with smaller shares handled by the Brookwind and Sea Ray companies, and by a number of smaller concerns based in or cleared by The Scabbard. Though now more settled than it was upon its inception a few years ago, Thornton is still a fortified town at the edge of civilization (pun presumably intended by someone once again) and is perpetually in danger from everything from Sea Raiders and warlike tribes of Grat'han natives to Seashore Sirens and werebeasts, to say nothing of monstrous creatures out of the jungles. Alluarten and Thestrinarra now serve as an increasingly effective buffer, but Lord Protector Charracks and his monstrous army still have their hands full holding the borders against still-more-monstrous beasts.

Population: Over 4,500 official citizens, primarily human, but also including a number of goblinoids and wolfmen.

Government: Law and trial in the city of Thornton is decided by popular referendum, with the quirk that voters willing to fight for their opinion are more heavily weighted than those who are not. Proof of willingness to fight is determined by actual "judicial combat" -- fought with bare hands at the center of justice, in a manner prescribed by law, and provider over by an elected official known as the town's Head Magistrate. The office of Head Magistrate is theoretically held for life, but the city's laws include provisions for removing the office-holder from power. The Counties of Alluarten, Thestrinarra, and especially Volkrendas, theoretically subject to their respective Counts, and policed by Charracks and his army when matters get completely out of hand, are essentially ruled by frontier law.

National Affiliation: The Scabbard-Edge Federation (AKA Black Steel)

Chief Exports: Grat'han furs, grains, legumes, wine, meat, and preserves; fine jewelry, especially of platinum from the local mines; various Grat'han handcrafts, ranging from weapons to artwork.

History

The fertile Azarin river delta has long supported a wide range of human, goblinoid, and beastman tribes, changing and replacing one another from one generation to the next, if not every year or every season. Creating a permanent foot-hold on this dangerous coast was a major project for Black Steel, spearheaded by Foreign Minister Matrix, who arranged for the original fortifications with help from the Silver Star Merchant Company, who enjoyed exclusive trading rights with The Edge for the next two years, and still have one of the largest contracts for shipments in and out of Thornton to this day, controlling a full quarter of its maritime trade. With Lord Protector Charracks and his small army defending the fortifications as they were built, and then the town itself and its surroundings, the project appears so far to be a success -- Thornton itself has already grown to more than five times the permanent population of the largest-known Grat'han tribe ever known to inhabit the region -- but only time will tell how permanent the new settlement can be in the face of the Grat'han coast and its myriad dangers.

The Counties of Alluarten and Thestrinarra, theoretically the fiefdoms of Counts Solo and Broxte, respectively, were only surveyed properly within the past year, by the Rat Pack and Daryan's elite team, with some help from Counts Broxte and Quazar near the end. They owe their Counts only lip-service allegiance, as they are functionally just a collection of independent frontier communities, including the native tribes that lived there before The Edge came to be, and who by arrangement with Black Steel now contribute to a varying extent to -- and of course benefit from -- the increasing security of their homes in the dangerous region. The County of Volkrendas on the other hand, Count Quazar's theoretical fiefdom, is the nearest to the jungles of the three, and has never been properly surveyed. It is known to be home to a native tribe hostile to the idea of Black Steel rule, and may harbor dangers as yet unknown. Though a few hearty souls from Thornton have dared to move out there, it is a County of the Edge in name only.

Important Landmarks

Alluamona: The single largest native tribe in the three Counties lies on a branch of the Azarin river in Alluarten. (It is the Azarin itself that gives both Alluamona and Alluarten -- Grat'han words meaning roughly "River home" and "River's Tide" respectively -- their names.) Its people work closely with their neighbors from more civilized lands, and welcome visitors from the north.

Aluazarin: The full Grat'han name for the Azarin river means approximately, "River with the might of mountains." The many-branched Azarin probably originates among the mountains of the Great Divide, winding and branching far down through the jungles before it flows out into the Edge delta -- the largest and northernmost of its many outlets.

Charracks's Lot: A large open space near the center of Thornton, fenced off from the rest of the town, is owned by Charracks, and earmarked for the construction of his temple to Vamakhel, Maiden Pain. Awaiting further research, materials, and planning, the project has not as yet progressed even to preparing foundations.

Embassy House: Built -- and reserved when necessary -- to provide appropriate housing for foreign dignitaries, the Thornton Embassy House is modest by the standards of Shalasia or even The Scabbard, but stands out here by sheer contrast with the rest of the rough-and tumble city. It is rarely used by Black Steel officials for various reasons, but its rooms are regularly rented to important visiting merchants, or to wealthy citizens of Thornton itself for celebrations. It has proven especially popular for costume parties.

The Hedge: (Pun, as always, presumably intended by somebody, somewhere down the line.) The borders of Alluarten are defined by a thickly-tangled hedge of thorny Grat'han bushes: A spiky living wall averaging three meters in width and height, extending all along the hundred-kilometer land borders with Volkrendas and the wilds. The remnants of the branch that once extended between Alluarten and Thestrinarra can still be seen as well, but they have been much broken up by patrols, travelers, and settlers since Thestrinarra was included within the hedge-wall. The outward-facing Hedge grows increasingly wild and intermittent as well, as the powerful spells that originally brought it into being do not maintain its unnatural existence.

The Old Wall: The high stone walls that originally described the outer limits of the Edge settlement still contain the majority of Thornton's buildings, but the gates are now open at all hours except in time of actual imminent attack, as the town has increasingly spilled out into the near regions of Alluraten and Thestrinarra. The name itself of course is a local joke: Though vital in the Edge's early days and still useful in times of serious danger, the wall was outgrown very rapidly by its community: Construction of the "Old Wall" -- so-called today -- was completed less than three years ago.

The Thornton Project: The largest and best-known alehouse in the Edge, near the center of the Thornton proper, which functions when necessary as the town's center of government, now bears the name unofficially used for the government itself -- and to an extent, the town and all of the Edge. A "Thornton Project" is a local idiom, from the name of a prominent local citizen, for any scheme at once too risky to consider and too lucrative to refuse.

The Scabbard

Black Steel's home base is the largest island in a small archipelago in the western reaches of the Broken Sea, near the center of the region bounded by the Grat'han jungles to the south, west, and (on a large peninsula) southeast; the Shalasa desert to the north; Port Alseyn to the northeast; and the Anvil Strait to the northwest. (See regional map) Much of the trade between Korv and the lands surrounding the Broken Sea now passes through The Scabbard, whether as a way-point or as a center of trade, and it has become the largest center of commerce between the Grat'han jungles and the northern world outside of Havandia itself. Increasingly, the trade of the eastern Broken Sea with distant lands like Eastport or even near ones like Arasta and Espava, has been passing through the Scabbard too, taking advantage of the Anvil Strait when weather or politics render passage through the Channel Strait too fraught with risk.

Population: Over 8,000 official citizens, including humans, elves, goblinoids, and several varieties of beastmen, plus a few very small minorities. The actual population at any given moment is usually above 10,000 if merchants, ships' crews, and other visitors are included.

Government: 100-man Town Council, its members elected annually with Council voting power proportional to the number of citizens who voted for them. 10 Daily Council members are elected from within the Council as a lawmaking committee, and a Head of Council is elected from among these ten to chair both the full Town Council and Daily Council, and serves personally and with an appointed assistant in the federal Cabinet as well.

National Affiliation: The Scabbard-Edge Federation (AKA Black Steel)

Chief Exports: Carvings and carpentry, especially of rare woods; wine; fine jewelry, especially of coral and pearl; worked metal, especially weapons of highly carbonized steel.

History

The island on which The Scabbard is built, with its small natural harbor, was probably first colonized from Grat'ha by canoe or raft many centuries ago, and repeatedly in the ages since. Sometime within the past few generations, it was discovered by Arastan sailors -- victims of a shipwreck, according to the local story -- who built a village at the mouth of the island's little stream, sheltered within its natural harbor. The local stories vary, but the then-existing human population of the island was presumably absorbed, slain, or driven into the woods, where goblinoids and elves -- having presumably crossed the sea by the same means as early Grat'hans -- already had established firm footholds. Kerriville survived primarily as a fishing village, with only occasional contact with Korvan or Havandian merchants or Shalasian patrols, until the arrival of Black Steel.

The Black Steel ships that arrived at Kerriville harbor were the longships Blade and Mask, preparing to establish a base in the region for operations in the Broken Sea. The forces aboard the ships had been trained by pirates to raid, sack, and destroy towns and villages far better defended than Kerriville, and were heavily armed, supported by catapults in the ships' bows and their people's sorcerous powers. Moreover, they were expecting the arrival of reinforcements in the longships Mayhem and Siren before many more days could pass. Then-Captain Glaxtiks, commander of the Blade and the local fleet, regarded the battle as already won, if battle there would be, but decided to parley in spite of this. Never renowned for his skill with words or diplomatic savvy, he nevertheless arranged to speak personally before the people of Kerriville at the traditional site of their village councils: The church of Thesmos that dominated the Kerriville skyscape. Glaxtiks gathered a group of officers he regarded as capable of fighting their way free of any ambush, and went before the gathered people of the town. There, Glaxtiks made his famous speech -- famous for its bluntness and since-proven honesty -- in which he explained Black Steel's intention of building a large, wealthy, thriving, and powerful community on the site of Kerriville, and described the alternatives faced by the people of the village: They could become the origin and center of the new community, ruled lightly and helped to grow and develop by Black Steel, or they could perish under Black Steel blades so that the new town might be built over their dead bodies. Glaxtiks famously didn't stay to listen to the debate, but gave them time to decide their answer. He was gratified when they agreed to all his terms.

Since then, The Scabbard -- renamed some time after Black Steel's arrival -- has lived up to Glaxtiks's promise. With trade and immigration from around the Broken Sea and beyond, it has grown into a cosmopolitan city of nearly ten thousand humans, goblinoids, elves, and beastmen of various kinds, with many more passing through each month, and though it now addresses the outside world -- which it almost never did at all in its years as Kerriville -- as part of the larger Scabbard-Edge Federation, in which the old Black Steel forces play a leading role, The Scabbard itself is still ruled by its people -- among them, its longest residents, many of them prominent citizens, who form the nucleus around which the city has grown: The people who once were citizens of Kerriville.

Important Landmarks:

Canal Network: A series of deep, artificial saltwater canals lead from the harbor into the heart of The Scabbard's commerce district, used primarily for business dealings between the people of the city and the harbor's merfolk colony.

Church of Thesmos: Still the most popular center of worship in the city, much expanded since its days as the town center of Kerriville, the church is still presided over by High Priest Skeltzi, as it has been for a generation.

Demon's Circle: According to local legend, the Shalasian arch-wizard (and itinerant entertainer) "Magnifico" Mandello summoned a terrible demonic being in the center of this clearing, then banished it from the world for another century. The ground still shows char-filled ravines scored -- at least so the tales claim -- by its claws in an attempt to break free.

Fenris Amphitheater: A large and beautifully-appointed outdoor theater at the heart of the western "resort" section of the city, set a little apart -- but readily accessible -- from the just-completed villas and other upper-class guest lodgings. The Fenris has lately drawn quality performers from around the Broken Sea as well as the Scabbard itself, and while standing-room tickets are very affordable, the theater's private boxes are a hot commodity.

Guardian's Bronze: A sculpture on the harbor's breakwater depicts one of the city's recent heroes: A rough-looking woman with a broken nose, facing into the prevailing winds with a look of defiance, apparently in the act of working sorcery.

Merfolk Colony: A thriving community of merfolk has been steadily growing along with the Scabbard's land population, inhabiting the deeps of the harbor, ever more cooperative and involved in Scabbard politics and trade. Their kelp farms and nets, and some of the larger stone and coral structures of their village, can be seen from the water's surface around low tide when the winds are calm.

Scabbard Keep: The seat of the Scabbard-Edge Federation, functioning primarily as a meeting place, garden, and indoor theater, and the residence of official heads of state, but designed to take in and protect the citizens of the Scabbard in case of siege or other emergency.

Scabbard University: An increasingly important center of higher education with a sprawling wooded campus and a growing library. The university is heavily subsidized by the federal government, and the most knowledgeable Cabinet members offer semi-regular guest lectures in their fields of expertise.

Storytellers' Circle: The Scabbard's circular "town square" has become the site of a growing bardic tradition, with nightly performances by amateur tale-spinners and local favorites, organized by some of the city's leading citizens.