za3k > aldenmarsh > maps > xuxuwell
Population: 200,000
Capital City: Makasis
Climate: Moderate
Geography: Grasslands, Hills
Languages: Common, Draconic, Infernal (rare)
Exports: Magic
Imports: Food, stone, metal, labor, crude metalwork, weapons and armor
Economy: Trade taxes and exports
Species: Mixed. Tieflings, dragonkin, humans, gnomes.
Laws: Liberal (cities), liberal or stricter tradition-based (tribes)
Government: Federation (per-city and per-tribe)
Bordering nations (clockwise): Lorille, Mond, Copper Kingdom, Ocean, Senly Faye
Xuxuwell has two main areas. The north is more civilized, with some big cities. The cities are a few hundred years old, and are built in a Gothic style. They have known connection to the Hells, some scary history, scary places, and ruthless people living there. There's strong magic traditions in the cities, divine and arcane.
The countryside has tribes which have their own traditions. Some are nomadic, others aren't. There's dragons in the countryside.
Overall Xuxuwell doesn't have much of a central government--each city and tribe is fairly independent. The land isn't divided into states, rather some areas are claimed by a tribe and city, and most is not claimed by anyone. The nominal "capital city" is Makasis, the largest city. There is a central government square with standing representatives and embassies from the tribes and cities.
There are two Hellgates in Xuxuwell--large, permanent portals to the Hells themselves. One is outside Makasis, the other is in Seven Walls.
Makasis or "Spike City" is the largest city in Xuxuwell. It has a reputation as a den of iniquity where anything can be bought for the right price. It's the place to go to aquire power at any cost--whether powerful artifacts, personal contacts, or information. It attracts ambitious adventurers and mages like moths, and as many leave alive as dead. Makasis about fifty miles away from one of the two Hellgates. Rumors have it that the politicians are all in the pocket of the Hells--whether it's true or not, they're corrupt enough that it's believable. Slavery is legal in Makasis.
Wendmar is the holy city of Pelor, Hextor, and Kord. It's large and sprawling. The three factions are currently in an uneasy truce. It's the oldest major city, but has been rebuilt several times after repeated wars. The city is home to all kinds of religious churches, cults, scholars, libraries, and charletans. It also seems to attract more than its fair share of devils and tieflings. There are a few monestaries outside Wendmar well-known for their martial skill.
Weirmont, more commonly called "The City of Dogs", is the only major city in the hills. It's fairly large, with several suburbs. The city has a high population of werewolves and other were-people. It exports magic items and services. There are several prestigious training schools for mages and clergy in the city.
Haven is a large mixed-race walled city, founded as a safe haven for anyone. It waged an active war on the Hells 20 years ago and lost, and there is some worry the city may not be able to defend itself now. It's a cultural mixing pot. It's generally a cheerful place, but it's poorer in recent years. The city walls are packed tight, and the ghost towns outside the walls are inhabited only by the very old.
Seven Walls is the only city directly ruled by the Hells. It's medium-sized. A military force keeps it under draconian martial law. It has a reputation for being clean and crime-free. Devils rarely visit the city, but terrorize the citizenry when they do. It's not particularly known for anything else. It's a port city and manufactures salt and metal parts. There is a Hellgate in the city itself.
A human tribe. They're known as backwoods savages. They live in bamboo forests, where they construct grass-and-bamboo huts. They're very resistant to any kind of social or technological change. They have a rigid caste system for jobs, but a fairly liberal society. They believe in reincarnation, in some way that doesn't always make sense to outsiders. They have deep oral storytelling and performance traditions--many bards and famous heroes grew up in Janth.
A tribe of mixed dragonborn and gnomes. They're nomadic, travelling with the weather, and mostly live by hunting. They're medium-size. They let outsiders stay as guests, but generally don't open up. They're held in a somewhat romantic light by civilized Xuxuwell. Part of the tribe's coming of age is a journey abroad--especially powerful or ambitious tribe members may leave for years or decades before returning. Shamans and stealthy hunters could be from Aventrax.
A tribe of dragonborn and tieflings living in the southeast hills, partly below ground. They are very secretive with outsiders, and repeat visitors usually find previous visit spots abandoned. They're believed to be stationary, not nomadic. Rumors say they worship or serve the metallic dragons in the hills. They mostly avoid the other tribes. Incursions on their territory meet with violent responses from the dragons in the area, while the tribe itself stays out of sight.
A southern gatherer/farmer tribe, who move between different semi-permanent settlements according to a calendar. They live both in the meadows and hills. They live in tents or stone huts, and each settlement has a farm. Elves, humans, and tieflings are all part of the tribe, but kept racially segregated. They have an incredibly strict system of ritual cleanliness and taboo, which some outsiders have called inhumane. They export clerics and paladins, who rarely convert anyone outside the tribe.
Mortia is a very large desert island off the coast of the Senly Faye, owned by Xuxuwell. No one lives there.