South
From Exalted Wiki
http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/index.php?title=SouthThe south is the location of the Elemental Pole of Fire and as such has an average temperature greater than the rest of Creation.
It is heavily controlled by the Realm and many of the nations and cities are either direct satraps or tributaries.
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An-Teng
Geography and Location
On the southwest cuast ut the Inland Sea the the Principalities of An-Teng, running from the Western seashore to the Fire Mountains of the South. The land itself varies from arid and dry near the coast to temperate and forested in the middle regions to harsh and brisk in the mineral-rich mountains.
Districts
The following are significant cities or locations within An-Teng.
* Salt-Founded Glory
* City of the Steel Lotus
* City of Dead Flowers: A Shadowland
* Adorned with Wisdom as a Sapphire
* Jade Plum Citadel
* Pinnacle of Mercy
* Prosperous Garden
* Port of Dragon's Jaw
The City of the Steel Lotus is the capital of An-Teng. Here, the Three Princes meet to discuss matters of state, and here, the Dragon-Blooded come to be entertained, and here, the riches of the kingdom flow in lavish display. The city was built after the Usurpation as a nexus for the new rulers and was, unusually, created as a city with roads rather than with canals, in deference to the wishes of the Terrestrial Exalted. The River of Queens flows beside it, allowing trade vessels and pleasure boats to come upstream from Dragon’s Jaws and Salt-Founded Glory or downstream from the rest of An-Teng. Those desiring to explore or tour upriver can hire boats and guides at the docks. Foreigners who are not Dragon Blooded will be charged a higher rate but have the option of working their passage upriver instead, traveling with the heavy cargo boats.
City of the Steel Lotus
The City of the Steel Lotus has been shaped by the desires of visiting Dragon Blooded, cultured like an orchid under glass. The Dragon-Blooded expect courtesans to attend them. Therefore, the Street of Sun-Kissed Flowers near the center of the city holds dozens of Houses of Courteous Attention, where a Terrestrial Exalted may be wined, dined and served by beautiful specimens of both genders. The most famous such house belongs to Jan of the Red Stone, a handsome man in his mid-50s who could still pass for a 20-year-old. A new House rising to prominence is owned by the beautiful dancer Dusk Caress but shelters several members of the Seven-Stranded Vine.
The city’s most luxurious housing, including those dwellings leased (or offered) to visiting Dragon-Blooded, lies between the Royal District and the Market District. Further out are the markets and shops and houses of the middle classes, merchants and scholars and craftsmen. Around the edge of the city, curving round from the landward side to the River of Queens, are the slums and alleyways where the poor live, where thieves lurk and cluster and plot and where those who have offended the Dragon-Blooded hide from their wrath.
Elsewhere in the city, there are shops that provide silk, ivory, carved teak, gems and other luxury trade items. These appeal to the more patrician Dragon-Blooded visitors, who like to pick up examples of the “native crafts” as conversation pieces for when they return to the Realm. Generally speaking, forged goods and second-rate pieces are not fobbed off on the Dragon-Blooded, however foolish or spendthrift they may be, as the consequences (such as the death of the shopkeeper and the burning down of the shop) tend to be alarmingly wholesale. Other foreigners, however, purchase at their own risk and should remember that bargaining is expected.
At the precise center of the city is the Palace of Threefold Magnificence, where the princes meet for affairs of state. At the moment, it is occupied by Prince Laxhander of the Shore Lands and most of his family. The palace itself is a glorious creation of gold, teak, lapis and pearl, a combination of Realm design and traditional An-Teng craft. Prince Laxhander invites visiting Dragon Blooded to dine there most evenings and has his own family attend to the Terrestrial Exalted or summons courtesans from the Street of Sun-Kissed Flowers. Set around the palace in places of honor are temples to the Golden Lord (attended by a staff of priests, priestesses and temple dancers), the Pale Mistress (totally empty) and an Immaculate monastery.
Great Market
The Dragon-Blooded expect the finest food. Therefore, the Great Market near the river is supplied with food from all An-Teng and even delicacies from overseas. This area also serves as a nexus for the trade in items smuggled in by the Lintha Family or captured by the Family from other ships and then sold on a legal market, with provenances supplied by the very best forgers in An-Teng. Commissioner Denatis of the Righteous Urn family has been assigned to the Market District for the last five years and has the ulcers and gray hair to prove it. She reports directly to Judge Pan of the Noble Peony family, who has judicial responsibility for the whole city. Commissioner Denatis is renowned for her forthright elegance, her intelligent and precise judgments and her occasional habit of anonymously hiring foreign mercenaries to exact a bit of practical justice on criminals hiding in Dragon Blooded entourages.
Natural Resources
An-Teng supplies the Realm with rice and other foodstuffs, and it serves as a vacation spot for Dragon-Blooded.
History
In the First Age, An-Teng was the home to many Solars and their Lunar spouses. During the Usurpation, it became a battleground. Its royal family was slaughtered, and new royalty was set in its place by the victorious Terrestrial Exalted. The country was so thoroughly pacified that it has remained humbled and bowed ever since, with the new royalty glad to obey the Empress's wishes, and the populace slavishly obedient to any visiting Dragon-Blooded. Yet fragments of the old royal family have formed part of a Yozi-worshiping cult, the people begin to chafe under the yoke of the Realm, and ancient manses and Fist Age tombs wait to have their secrets revealed. The land is ripe for change.
Society
Dragon-Blooded society inside the city is much concerned with itself and views the locals as relative barbarians when compared to the civilization of the Realm. Rich and powerful nobles and beautiful courtesans may be invited to Exalted parties or expected to host them but should be content with this evidence of attention from their betters. Those Dragon-Blooded with better manners or with interests in scholarship, native art and history have a higher chance of actually getting to know natives of An-Teng or of forging genuine alliances.
Religion
The people of An-Teng worship two local deities — the Golden Lord and the Pale Mistress – but they also pay due reverence to the Immaculate faith, to local spirits and to any deities who could prove useful. The matriarchal family unit is the foundation of society, and traditions of respect for age and social standing do a large part to keep the country stable. In case of war, An-Teng can muster armies, including thousands of elephants, but its true strength lies in guerilla warfare, when all the local spirits turn against invaders as well as the human inhabitants. In An-Teng, an ancient dragon chained beneath a mountain turns and grumbles in his sleep, while the corpse-eating kakyi dance and gibber to the sound of iron gongs and the hidden manses of Solar Exalted are stirred by winds that whisper of masters’ and mistresses’ return.
Important People
The ranking priest of the Golden Lord, Abbot Foulu, has a long-standing grudge against the Immaculate abbot, a Water-aspected Dragon-Blooded named Santeris who was once of House Mnemon. Foulu believes that Santeris encourages the Shore Prince’s slavish devotion to the Terrestrial Exalted. In reality, Santeris dislikes the prince’s behavior, considers his regular guests to be wastrels who would be better off serving in a frontier legion and spends much of her time commanding a spy network that serves Immaculate (and ultimately Sidereal) interests throughout the Realm.
Ragara Soras Jor is the Satrap of An-Teng and, as such, is stationed in the City of the Steel Lotus, though there are imperial compounds all over An-Teng, and he travel between them regularly. Jor takes a very loose approach to governing the satrapy and is currently engrossed in intrigues to improve his standing in the Thousand Scales, break the treaty with the Lintha pirates and increase House Ragara’s influence in An-Teng. It is possible that he is paying too much attention to those in positions of authority and too little to the grassroot peasantry, popular opinion and potential rebellion.
The local social lion is Tepet Denile, who is attempting to recruit allies to his family. His methods involve spending remaining Tepet funds entertaining other young Dragon-Blooded and then using drugs, information, blackmail and similar methods to force them into alliances or to extract promises of favors. Enough young idiots come to visit An-Teng that he’s never short of prey. The Terrestrial with the greatest knowledge of An-Teng is Ledaal Catala Ceris, who has been assigned by her family to quietly analyze and report on the current situation in the country and serves in the satrap’s office as chief liaison with the local powers that be. Her natural scholarly instincts make this task a pleasant one, and she is actually liked by several noble families, who consider her cover story of research into classical poetical forms to be perfectly reasonable. In total, perhaps 100 Dragon-Blooded can be found in the City of the Steel Lotus at any time, with about two dozen employed in the actual administration of the satrapy, but the actual Terrestrial Exalted population changes frequently as families end long holidays and the Thousand Scales rotates personnel through duty assignments. Only a dozen or so are “old hands” in An-Teng who have been there for more than a few years.
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Delzahn Empire/Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro is a city known as a major trade hub and economic power in the South of Creation. Controlled by nomads called Delzahn and their ruler known as the Thri-Kahn, who has successfully maintained independence from both the Realm and the Guild for more than five hundred years by playing each one off the other.
Geography
Geographic situation and Climate
Originally laid out in an artistically and geomantic pattern built to resemble a massive crab, Chiaroscuro has suffered much in the intervening centuries. The harbor of the city is protected by two massive spits of land, once shaped to be the 'claws' of the crab. Twin first age lighthouses still remain, shining out to sea for twenty miles when once they could be seen for a hundred. Where once glass spires and roads weaved their way over more three hundred square miles now only several dozen towers near the center of the city remain unbroken, with only a few partially unbroken towers scatted around the so-called 'new' city. The division between the old and new sectors is well defined by the sudden ending of the glass structures and the starting of more modest brick and rock buildings. When once no defensive wall was needed, the Delzahn masters of the city erected a wall of glass shards and mortar, even adding a second wall when the city grew to large to fit inside the first. All these are signs of the city's conglomerate nature, the old with the new, the wild with the cosmopolitan.
Around the city, stretches hundreds of acres of savanna, where the Delzahn nomads ride separated from the city a miles wide stretch of farm land where the city gets its food stores. Exceptionally dry the summer, the rich soil turning dusty and gray. by the fall though the land turns rich and green with life, allowing for two growing seasons before the winds and heat of summer.
Natural Resources
Chiaroscuro's only 'natural' resources are the shards of glass that remain scattered amid the ruins of the old city. This glass is made into everything, jewelry, tools, even armor and weapons. Anyone can gather the shards and work them into armor of weapons, but only the Delzahn may buy or sell it. And while there is underground trade of the stuff from the city any caught doing this is publicly whipped and possibly forbidden from trading within the city again.
Other than the glass, Chiaroscuro is known for being the center of trade for the south, just as it was in the first age. Every major trading firm, mostly trading houses owned by Delzahn Nobles, even The Guild maintains its largest outpost outside of Nexus here. Almost every trade item found in the south ends up here, whether to remain in the south of shipment to distant lands, at some point it or its buyers end up here. Halta, Skullstone, the Haslanti League, and the Denzak Merchant Ship, all at least maintain factors if not outright outposts here.
This trade is needed for both the city's wealth and for its survival; even with the farms sounding the city where growing wheat is ideal, Chiaroscuro is just too large and must import massive quantities of most everything else.
Districts
The districts of Chiaroscuro are more or less divided along one line, the old and the new. The old sections of the city with their glass spires and even some first age conveniences, such as running water, street lights, essence lighting and elevators, even climate control, are home to the wealthiest citizens Chiaroscuro, mostly Delzahn Nobles. The newer portion of the city, while nice by age of sorrows standards are less convenient.
The Old City
Located on the west side of the harbor is a the largest grouping of these remaining towers, some still reaching up to two hundred stories high. Referred to as The Old City, here dwell the wealthiest merchant princes, Delzahn Nobles, trade factors and rulers of the city. The right to live in these functioning spires is granted by the Thri-Kahn, the ruler of the Delzahn who charges vast amounts to outsiders who wish to dwell in such luxury.
The Field of Gold
To the east of The Old City, in its shadow is The Field of Gold, a square mile of slagged gold glass that is all that remains of the gold tower which once housed the city's Solar rulers. This field becomes so hot in the southern sun that by midday it is unwise for the unprotected to touch it. As such, the competitive Delzahn dare each other to run across it later and later into the mid afternoon, when the field is deadly to walk upon.
The New City
If one is not wealthy enough to dwell in one of the remaining towers, then The New City will have to suffice. On the edge of the new city, houses of stone, adobe and glass shards gathered and mortared together into artistic patters; Thaumaturge's have repaired or replaced many of the street lamps, so even here the city is well lit. But the vast majority of Chiaroscuro's inhabitants live in mud-brick tenements, hovels built out of ruins or the cast-offs from other constructions. The farther one goes from the old city sections the more like a refugee camp it looks, indeed, that's what they become as Chiaroscuro always needs labor, the ever growing city runs off of cheap labor.
Out-of-Towners Quarter
An area of the city has been sectioned off on the east side of the harbor, this is the Out-of-Towners Quarter where an open length of ground has been cleared of ruins and rubble. Here the low ranking guild members and poorer merchants stay, all those who can not afford the price to stay in the towers. This section is constantly changing in population as merchants, explorers and transients of all types conduct their business concludes but some stay at try to make it the glass city.
The Plaza
On the east side of town, near the edge, is a six block section of five story buildings s known as 'The Plaza'. This area is ruled by a god called 'Grandmother Bright' who maintains the peace, any who attack who attacks the buildings or their tenants is turned into a faceless drone, set to clean the streets and perform maintenance. Only one thousand and one people may live in The Plaza at any time, new residents can only enter when an old one moves out or dies.
During the day Grandmother Bright herself sits in a red and gold pavilion in the center of the plaza and offers her expansive knowledge of Chiaroscuro's past and translations of old realm script in exchange for a task based on the value of the service and the ability of the supplicant. Interestingly, these tasks almost always advance the safety or stability of Chiaroscuro, some seemingly small task that greatly effects the future of the city.
Undercity
The remains of a vast underground network stretch over most of the city, the remains of the first age subway and service conduits.
Here in the dark is the Undermarket, a black-market that has been in operation since the first age. In these the winding corridors one can acquire almost any item or service, from assassinations to rare drugs. A couple of brothels advertise their wares, the most exotic types, demons, the undead, even a raksha who only offers herself when the price is right.
It should be noted that amid these winding tunnels is the headquarters of the Court of the Orderly Flame's Intelligence division led by Ulito Swan, the daughter of the late Celestial Censor of the south, Swan Dragon. Access to this hidden chamber is imposable to find unless invited.
History
Origin and Founding
Not much is known about the origins of the Glass City, only that it was created by a whim of the Primordials and given over to rule by the Dragon Kings.
It was not until two thousand years after the Primordials were overthrown that its population grew to more than twenty million and the city really came into its own.
Early History
During the first age Chiaroscuro grew into the what was poetically called 'The Jewel of the South'. It was the hub of trade for the entire south, where massive shipments of spices and gems would be loaded onto ships and sent to all corners of creation.
All this changed when the usurpation came, when massive essence weapons and exalted warfare of all types took their toll on the pristine towers. Most notably, sorcery reduced the Gold Palace of the anathema to molten slag, all that remains today is a smooth field of gold. Despite this damage though the city was more of less intact and remained as a center of trade, even growing in size as refugees flooded in from all over the south during the Shogunate era. Still the city stood during the Contagion when nine out of ten people died. Even when the marauding Fair Folk invaded the city stood fast against their encroachments. It was not until the Scarlet Empress turned the power of the Sword of Creation upon the Seven Dragons who were using the city to stage troops and equipment, that the towers finally shattered as the land shook.
After this cataclysm it took nearly two centuries for the ruins, having become only a way-stop for caravans, to be reclaimed by a group of nomads known as the Delzahn. These wanderers have spent the last five hundred years rebuilding the Jewel of the South back into its former glory.
Government
Chiaroscuro is ruled by the Tri-Khan, the hereditary leader of the nomadic Delzhan nomads who first resettled the city after it was devastated by the Sword of Creation. The currant Thri-Kahn is Yejouj Kahn, one of the more cunning descendants of the original Thri-Kahn Tamas Kahn, a man who was known for his cunning.
Other than the Thri-Kahn the leaders of Delzahn government are the Nobles, the various decedents of the original tribal leaders, known as 'kahns'. These nobles retain the right to duel, collect taxes and race camels or horses within city limits, among other things. At currant time there are more than forty thousand noble living within the city walls. With in the noble ranking structure there are four titles in decening rank: The Kahn or Bey, with Orkahns then Pashas being the lesser rank. Traditionally the Orkahn owns all the livestock, the traditional measure of wealth, in his sept, with the Kahn then owning the livestock of multiple septs. In currant times the actual wealth usually lays in things other than cattle.
Society
Delzahn tribesmen make up more than a quarter of the local population, as such their traditions are the ones followed within the city, though they hardly expect foreigners to follow their code of honor. Indeed, the Delzahn don't believe outsiders even know what honor is.
The outsiders that do come to Chiaroscuro are usually shocked to find that dueling and racing are the primary pastimes, and that nobles regularly conduct these events within the city. The natives see these events as great entertainment, readily accepting any challenge but outsiders are often disturbed to find they are not exempt from challenges. They may refuse to duel a Delzahn commoner, but when challenged by a noble it means one must leave the city or fight. These duels are mostly non-lethal, but ones sparked by jealousy or thievery are often to the death.
Religion
The Chiaroscurans have a relativity open policy on religion and are quite flexible on the subject, something the Immaculate Order, much to their chagrin, has had little effect on. In addition to the very public presence of Grandmother Bright many Terrestrial Gods have cults openly within the city, as well as several ancestor cults. In fact the order has, in the centuries they have been here, only managed to add the Dragons to the large list of gods and spirits worshiped by the residents.
The general rule is that one worships what works and doesn't harm the city or its people. Shamans are a large part of Delzahn culture and one can found easily whenever one needs to contact minor spirits. These shamans use drugs and dance to pray, gaining a type of Spirit Sight akin to the thaumaturgical ritual. Elemental Summoning and Spirit Beckoning are also widely used.
Economy and Culture
Agriculture
Farmers work the fields bringing sugar, tobacco, silk, cotton and marijuana for exports.
Military
The Delzahn are cavalrymen who use their horses and camels in raiding and guerrilla type warfare. When a threat to the horde is made known they launch great sweeping, highly mobile campaigns against their foes.
In recent years the city born Delzahn have added siege weapons and mercenaries, bought through the Guild, to the power they can draw upon.
Still, though, the true power of the Delzahn military comes from the Horde, which consists of every man of fighting age who calls himself Delzahn .
Technically the Thri-Kahn is in command of the full military might of the Horde, though in practice the leadership is far more loose than any used to the rigid structure of the Realm's Legions. This allows the Delzahn far more tactical flexibility than most. Unfortunately this also leads to a less unified command, which can result in a lack of planning and co-ordination.
Arsenal
When riding into combat the Horde mainly weapons usable while mounted; including the lance, long slashing swords, short bows and javelins, but especially favored by the city dwelling Delzahn are flame pieces. Nobles may be better equipped, wielding better crafted weapons and even weapons made from the steel-like glass for which Chiaroscuro is known.
Rarely seen are the so-called, 'Spahi', elite heavily armed and armored cavalry who are the only professional soldiers normally maintained. They use lances and target shields as well as heavy armor.
Delzahn heavy weapons include some leftover first age essence cannons which protect their harbor and many newer catapults and fire projectors which are deployed into the field as needed.
Defense
Chiaroscuro itself is protected by several layers of walls, all of which have overflowed. Beyond the city proper each section of the city normally has a modest wall defended by the local Khan or Orkhan. The slums are totally indefensible and the nomads beyond the city can quickly respond with hundreds of warriors. Anyone attempting to take the city or one of the Delzahn enclaves will come under hit-and-run attacks from the locals until the entire horde descends upon them in one great wave.
Important People
Mortals and Exalted
* Nazri (Chosen of Endings)
Chairman of the Convention on Fire.
* Tammuz (Lunar Exalted)
A lunar who has guided and maintained the city of hundreds of years.
* Tri-Khan Yejouj (Mortal Ruler)
Gods
* Ulito Swan (God)
Daughter of the onetime Celestial Censor of the South, Swan Dragon.
* Grandmother Bright (God)
Goddess of The Plaza. Source of first age information and translations.
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Gem
Gem is an independent city-state in the South of Creation. The city is a center for mining trade and is ruled by Rankar VII, the hereditary Despot, who maintains a monopoly on the trade of gemstones. It is engaged in a bitter trade-war with Paragon. The city is built into the side of an extinct volcano. It is also the largest mercenary-hiring market in the South.
Geography
Geographic situation and Climate
The city is built into the side of an extinct volcano. The peak of the volcano shades Gem for most of the day from the oppressive heat of the South - a heat that during the summer is almost impossible to endure. Caravans are forced to travel by night and take shelter from the sun during the day. Some of Gem's streets are built into the vast lava tubes that run through the volcano, forming subterranean markets and living spaces. To avoid the worst heat of the day, the city sleeps during the height of the day and resumes activity at night.
Natural Resources
Within the city of Gem, especially in the Sunken Bazaar (see below), any number of common or rare and exotic gemstones can be found, as well as any kind of jade or even the rare dreamstones. This has given rise to dream-merchants, who buy and sell the dreams recorded in the dreamstones. The most prized items to be had in Gem are the Yasal Crystals that are gathered from the most distant and hottest portions of the South.
Districts
The Sunken Bazaar
Also known as the Gem-Bazaar, this district is well known throughout the south. Built in the largest lava tube in Gem's volcanic home, the market is able to operate at all hours of the day and night. The marketplace is lit by lights refracted from mirrors down into the depths of stone and shone onto orange and yellow gemstones placed into the walls of the subterranean marketplace. Since the market is underground, food is able to stay fresh in the chilled air of the cavern and the city's inhabitants are able to escape the oppressive heat in the city above. The sunken bazaar also houses the Despot's jewel merchants and their guarded pavillions, where they deal in all manner of gemstones and all five types of jade.
Economy and Culture
The Despot of Gem has a monopoly on the trade of gemstones in Gem. Anyone attempting to buy or sell stones privately is either fined, enslaved or executed. Gem is also the site of the largest mercenary hiring market in the South. Gem is currently involve in a trade war with Paragon.
Slaves
Slaves are common in Gem in a variety of capacities, including gladiators, work slaves, pleasure slaves, educated slaves and even slaves to the Despot - a category to which all jewelcrafters and gem merchants in the city belong.
Weapons
Gem is notable for their use of firewands.
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Harborhead
Harborhead is a huge country in the South-east of Creation. It's climate varies from temperate (on the coast) and in the mountains through sun-parched (in the interior) to sweltering (in the jungle regions). It is threatened in the North by the Shadowlands of Thorns and the Bayou of Endless Regret, by untamed Lunar infested jungle to the East, and by the Varang city-states to the South. The West faces the Blessed Isle itself across the Inner Sea.
Harborhead is occupied by five tribes, all of which sprang from the same stock long ago, though they have not been united since the First Age. In the current age, relationships between the five vary from “wary alliance” to “outright hatred”. The temporal loyalty of any Harborheadite is first to his tribe, second to his people and finally (if at all) to his nation. The tribes raid each other constantly (and the city states to the South if a war band is big enough) and take each other as slaves as well as stealing cattle. These slaves are typically sold to the Realm or to the Guild. Though they get paid only a tiny fraction of the value of the slave in other markets, this is still such a profitable trade that many of the tribes rely on it for income. The Realm encourages slave taking because it guarantees a constant flow of prime slaves, from which they take their pick and then sell the balance to the Guild (getting a better rate as middlemen than the Guild gives the natives of Harborhead). In this way, everyone gets rich except the people of Harborhead.
Rulership of Harborhead rests with the Imperial Satrap, who “advises” the Leopard (the proper name for the King of Harborhead). Effectively the most powerful warlord in the region, almost all Harborheadites will tell you that the only Leopard worth mentioning was Blood-on-the-Horn. Blood-on-the-Horn was a daughter of Ahlat himself (born to one of the Brides of Ahlat) and used her God-Blooded power to unite the people of Harborhead into one nation; the Realm prudently conquered the land before it could become a competing empire. Blood-on-the-Horn spent the next thirty years or so resisting the Realm until she was killed in a one-on-one duel with a Dragon-Blooded of House Mnemon. Since then, the occupant of the Leopard Seat (the throne) has been picked by the Realm, and is generally seen as a worthless collaborator who can “eat my loincloth” as far as any Harborheadite is concerned.
The Realm has an extensive bureaucracy in Harborhead, based in the capital city of Kirigast. It is thoroughly corrupt, with everyone on the take, even members of the All-Seeing Eye, who are the watchdogs of corruption. The tax collectors skim off what they collect from the residents, their superiors skim off that, they all bribe the officials of the All-Seeing Eye to look the other way, and in the end the Realm finds that the proper tribute doesn't reach the Empress from the people of Harborhead. Regretfully, they are forced to go back and recover the agreed amount from the “lazy” natives, who consistently fail to pay the Realm's due. As a result, the people of Harborhead end up paying around two or three times as much in taxes to the Realm as they are supposed to. If a village doesn't or can't pay, the Realm burns it and sells the residents into slavery to pay their debt. That most people can just manage to pay their taxes indicates how rich the land is and how successful the people could be if they were not under the boot heel of the Scarlet Empire.
Another reason for Harborhead's importance to the Realm is the Bent Creek Jade beds. There is a virtual mountain of Jade there, and Bent Creek has grown into a small city containing the largest mining project in the South. Apart from the amount the corrupt bureaucracy manages to skim off, all this Jade goes straight to the Empress's personal Treasury. Now that the Empress has vanished, the Great Houses of the Realm are considering who amongst them should benefit from the riches at Bent Creek. The mines are, of course, worked by slaves; conditions are harsh and every slave very expendable since a ready source is so nearby. Individual slaves rarely last more than a couple of years at Bent Creek.
The people of Harborhead recognize the Unconquered Sun as the ruling god, and Ahlat as his right hand; the Unconquered Sun is the Chief and Ahlat is the War Leader. Some of the more aggressive tribes concentrate their worship on Ahlat. The Immaculate Order disapproves of this improper worship, but the complex political relationships of the area led the Empress herself to direct the Immaculate Order to be lenient on the subject of Ahlat's worship. In fact, this situation benefits the Realm.
The Empress recognized that Ahlat demands the sacrifice of many cattle; more than a tribe can normally spare without starving. It is, of course, better to take someone else's cattle for sacrifice and, since Ahlat is also the Southern God of War, the Bull God would be doubly honored by raids on his behalf. So the tribes raid each other and take each others cattle to sacrifice to Ahlat and their people to sell as slaves. Those who do so are rewarded by Ahlat, who makes their own cattle more fertile, and their warriors greater in battle. Which in turn makes them better at taking other peoples cattle and more of a target for other nearby tribes who want to take their fertile cattle. Thus, the Empress allowed the situation to continue for the sake of keeping the natives fighting each other instead of her own Legions; now with the Empress gone, the Immaculate Order is taking a stronger hand.
Harborhead is one of the few Realm Satrapies allowed to keep it's own standing army; the military of Harborhead is a deeply entrenched cultural tradition. The priests of Ahlat marry young girls to their god in both a ceremonial and legal fashion, increasing his followers and amount of worship. These Brides of Ahlat are raised to be warriors, and protect the Leopard as an "honor guard" stemming from the politically advantageous fiction that the king of Harborhead is a distant cousin of the Empress. These 15,000 elite amazons are dedicated to their duty, though they still view their king as a worthless lackey of the Realm.
Offsetting the power of the native military is the Realm's 47th Legion, about 3500-strong, one of the best divisions of the Imperial Army led by Terrestrials of House Cathak. It is supplemented heavily by local recruits, and around a quarter of the Legion is made up of Harborheadites loyal to the Realm. Many of these soldiers have even become faithful followers of the Immaculate Order. While vastly outnumbered by the local army, the Legion boasts around 25 Dragon-Blooded of Dynastic or Lost Egg origin, evening the odds greatly against the largely mortal Harborhead military.
Finally there is the Fire Fleet, whose base of operations in the South is Kirigast. Equipped with the most powerful ships the Realm can float (including some First Age vessels), the Fire Fleet could not only dominate the coast and blockade the ports, but the Realm could easily reinforce its position with still more Legions if the natives of Harborhead revolted. Those who plot rebellion know that they might win initial engagements, but would definitely lose the war when the Realm retaliated. So they bide their time and wait.
Other Considerations
When the Empress first disappeared five years ago, the then Leopard started to make waves, suggesting it may be time for the Realm “advisors” to get out of her country and let them rule themselves. As the “cousin” of the Empress, this was politically awkward. Consquently, the Leopard and her immediate family all ate something bad one tea time and tragically died. The survivors all disappeared somewhere, also mysteriously. The Satrap “suggested” that the court pick a new Leopard from another bloodline, and that he would be happy to continue to “advise” on behalf of the Realm. The current Leopard is a fat little Shayanti nobleman named Oshom Kurgaz who originally wanted the position of power but now realises that he is the pawn of the Realm, is hated by his own guardswomen and has no popular support.
There is a rumour that a surviving member of the Reshoom family (the last Leopard's kin) is raising an army in the remote South. There are also supposed to be other survivors locked up in the dungeons beneath the Satraps palace who've been there for the last five years. No one knows for sure who's still alive down there (except maybe the Satrap, and he sadly "knows nothing about the tragic disappearance of the Empresses remote cousins in the Reshoom family").
Ahlat, as war god of the South, is in a prime position to spot exceptional warriors, and he passes that information on to the Unconquered Sun so he can pick good candidates for Exaltation. As a result, a higher than average proportion of Dawn Caste Solars come from the South. Those who exalt in Harborhead are forced to flee immediately, as Harborhead is a popular destination for Dragonbloods who like to do a little hunting. Because there are so many Dragonblooded around (on top of those serving with the 47th Legion) it's very easy to get together an exceptionally powerful Wyld Hunt, and most Solars exalted in Harborhead are lucky to survive. The survivors are the ones lucky enough to be Exalted way out in the back country, and smart enough to immediately leave, hoping to grow in power before they can return.
The five peoples of Harborhead include:
The Totikari are nomadic cattle herders, live mostly in the hot interior and are similar to the Earth Maasai people. They value generosity highly, and will cheerfully give a guest just about anything they ask for, including a daughter to marry or the clothes off their own back. Imperial tax collectors have found that the Totikari are willing to give far more than the tax they owe if it is presented as a way to prove their generosity. The tax collector might gift the tribal chief with iron knives to defend themselves against the Fair Folk, for example, and then ask the chief to gift him with "the Empresses due" in return. The Totikari are the second most numerous native people in Harborhead, but due to being nomadic are also the most politically disenfranchised. They know they are exploited by the Realm and dislike the situation, but need a leader to unite them.
The Brakhani are the smallest population and live by cattle herding and farming of wheat, cotton, oranges, bananas and other fruit. They are skilled bead workers, and often wear lots of colourful jewelry. Bravery is the most important trait to a Brakhani, and they send out young adults against dangerous animals armed with nothing but a knife, as an adulthood test. Brakhani worship the Unconquored Sun, as well as a wealth of other deities.
The Izhalvi are both the most numerous and the most geographically scattered people in Harborhead, though most live in mountainous areas. They worship both the Unconquored Sun and Gaia, considering themselves the offspring of the two Incarnae. Respect for one's elders is the most important trait for the Izhalvi.
The Krantiri are found in the coastal regions, and they mostly live as fisher-folk. They are not well organised, and are often taken advantage of by the other peoples. This is surprising, as Krantiri value cleverness above all else. They are fond of dance plays and make masks and huge puppets of woven grass to perform historical stories. The coastal village of Hashumbii is an example of a Krantiri settlement.
The Shayanti are clever merchants and currently the most politically powerful of the five peoples. Shayanti work together well and help each other out against outsiders, and many of the most wealthy individuals in Harborhead are Shayanti. They are known also for their poetry, and their wandering warrior-poets are dangerous to meet on a dark road. Shayanti believe that the bonds of family are the most important responsibility of any person. Most Shayanti worship Ahlat directly.
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The Lap
The Lap gets its name from its unique location: The mountain was long ago carved into the shape of a meditating hermit sitting in a cross-legged posture. Much of the city nestles into the "lap" of the mountain, though some outlying houses spill out across the broad legs. Many of the structures consist of interlocked adobe buildings. Along with Gem, The Lap is one of the twin powers of the Southwest and often trades its excess grains, maize and squash in return for the riches of Gem. The two cities are connected by a well-traveled trade route known as the "Diamond Road", and The Lap provides troops to patrol the road. The Lap is also the location of Gate 52, one of the gates into the Celestial City of Yu-Shan.
The identity of the meditating hermit is questionable, but it is known as the Old Man or the Last Supplicant. This wonder of the First Age was quite literally defaced during the Great Contagion. Those who ascend to its shoulders can see for hundreds of miles around, from the distant islands of the Western Ocean to the dark clouds of smoke that pour from the smithies of Nexus.
The small valley of fertile land between the Last Supplicant's legs is known as the Verdant Triangle. There are three tunnels that lead from the base of the mountain into The Lap, that can be sealed off - at which time, The Lap is almost completely inaccessible. The Lap has enough stored and preserved food to last two or three years, even with a full export of crops. This stockpile is one of the largest in Creation, and "starving The Lap" is synonymous with a futile gesture. Bandits that occasionally raid farms face retaliation by the Imperial forces garrisoned there.
The Lap is governed by a council of landholders who prop up a figurehead on the throne of the kingdom, while a Golden Triumvirate, rather than a single satrap, represents the interests of the Dynasty. While the three members of the Golden Triumvirate, Cathak Sijip, Ragara Aloru and Peleps Tuchet represent his or her family individually and squabble amongst themselves, they always vote unanimously on all public decisions. For the council's part, they rarely argue with the Dynasts, generally acceding to the Realm's wishes. The council's pliant character has helped keep their city free and the children of the junta at home and not in the Scarlet Court as hostages.
The Lap itself is closely allied with The Realm, a fact that The Realm uses as a lever against many city-states in the Southwest. When The Realm desires stability in the region, city-states wishing to purchase part of The Lap's regular surplus must pay two, three or even four times as much per unit to prevent stockpiling for rations or extended sieges. The threat of withholding agricultural exports to warring city-states weighs heavily on The Lap's neighbors, leading many to attempt more diplomatic measures prior to outright war.
Militarily, The Lap is one of the mightiest forces that The Realm supports. There is an imperial legion deployed there, and each of the three triunes commands several thousand house troops, bringing the total number of imperial troops deployed there to just over 10,000. In addition, there are an equal number of local soldiers. The actual government of The Lap fields one legion organized along imperial lines and 6,000 gendarmes suited for little more than supporting tax collection and chasing bandits. In addition, the various magnates have several thousand individuals tasked with plantation security loyal to them as well.
The close proximity of the Deathlord, First and Forsaken Lion, who rules over The Thousand and The Legion Sanguinary, is ever a concern and does nothing to comfort The Lap or The Realm.
The Last Supplicant
Multiple contradictory canonical explanations for the massive statue of the meditating hermit exist.
* It is an ancient spirit carved by a long-retired lesser elemental dragon of earth. He has been slumbering since the First Age and remains naïve regarding the events of the last several thousand years, including the destruction of his face. He stands 1,500 feet in height and has the strength of mountains but dislikes making physical efforts in favor of meditation.
* It is an enormous public works project from the first age, one of the Eight Gifts of Celestial Grace, made in to a dragon-line projector and Essence flow controller, capable of regulating and reshaping the geomancy of the South.
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Paragon
Paragon is a city located at the confluence of two small rivers amid verdant almond and olive groves. The city is built near the ruins of a First Age state known as The Domain of Stately Order, the principal city of which is known as Dari of the Mists, or Dari for short.
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Varang City States
Varang is a nation of cities in the south known for its rigid caste system. A citizens' profession and function is chosen at birth by Astrology.