The Big Four
EMENNA:
The Diamond of the West. The city of Emenna lies along the banks of the Tarrahin river and next to a large verdant river plain called the Fertile Heart. It is likely the largest city in the world- at least in population. It has a worldwide reputation as the trade and tourist hub of Namiza (and has many, many inaccurate stories about how wonderful and prosperous it is). It is one of the oldest cities in Namiza, with a hodgepodge of ancient structures built next to the new ones. There are grand museums and theaters and magic shops and exotic pet shops and libraries. It is also the location of a famous magical university (one of only three in the world). It could be ideal, a utopia, if it wasn’t utterly, utterly riddled with corruption at every conceivable level. There are massive slums in Emenna, and massive districts for the rich and famous. The middle class suffer intense rent, low wages, high taxes, and a slew of various charlatans always on the grind and looking for their next pigeon. To the thieves and charlatans, of course, it’s a paradise. Emenna’s thieves’ guild (The Vine) is world infamous.
PORT MATARVA:
Matarva is Namiza’s oldest and largest still-standing port city and it has a rich history as well, though it’s been rebuilt multiple times. This sea port lies at the swampy mouth of the Tarrahin river on the coast of the Qusura sea and is rife with unruly sailors. Outright piracy is illegal and pirates are supposed to be hanged, but the local militia don’t try all that hard by most accounts and the pirates tend to stick to the bayous of the sabira swamp anyhow. This city, like most in Namiza, has its issues with crime and the city thoroughly struggles to maintain order on a daily basis. Compared to the crime in Emenna, the crime here is considerably less violent or political. The crimes are mostly harmless but increasingly prolific. There is a cult here that worships a fey deity of revelry called Rhalla, often causing drunken chaos. Most citizens don’t seem to mind them and see these revelers as a simple nuisance; Matarva was once the most dangerous city on the continent. It wasn’t until famous paladins of the god Ilazran rooted out the mobsters that were in power that it became less of an organized crime town. If only it could get a handle on its boisterous and party loving (and drug and gambling and brothel loving) citizenry.
CANASTEL:
Canastel is a city that is slowly draining out. Most people are leaving for Matarva or Emenna, or even the safety of a small rural hamlet somewhere north. The cause, most famously, is the Red Dragon of Andun who arrived into the area roughly 100 years ago. This region used to be very prosperous, but since the arrival of this ancient and dangerous creature and more recently its two young children, the area is now their feeding ground. A vast number of surrounding settlements have been burnt to ash, the hills blackened. Only the stubborn remain, determined to fend off this creature and it’s brood until someone strong enough arrives to challenge it. There has been… many attempts, of course. Only the largest most well defended towns remain, including Canastel, and they are as defended as they can be. The houses are stone so they cannot burn and the walls are outfitted with battlements befitting a fight with a dragon. The dragon has not attempted to burn Canastel in decades but many people are tired of the constant anticipation. The dragons still feed on local farms and traveling caravans. Many have come to the conclusion that the area is not worth the trouble of defending. Some believe this city is cursed because it was built by Marasen on the smoking ruins of one of the oldest cities in human history- Narj’an- every former native citizen slaughtered and its rich and priceless history utterly razed to the ground. The arrival of this dragon may be a kind of cosmic karma for this cruel event in Namiza’s history.
LEYLINE:
Leyline is unusual compared to the other major settlements in that its history is not incredibly long and rich. It’s a bit old by human standards, but not by the standards of the elves who built it. It lies deep in the Hullvudd forest, the largest tract of woodland in Namiza. There is something special about these woods and they house many unusual spirits and creatures. Elvish traders from Astrithyr were drawn to the heart of this forest and found it was the center of a powerful arcane leyline- magic just seemed to work easier here. Spells were naturally stronger than they should be. So they founded a small woodland town, and almost magnetically, others were drawn here over time.This leyline had other effects, they found out. A great many incredibly talented artists and musicians have been born here, as well as natural born sorcerers. Oddly, many dwarves from the Ulad Mountains who came in this direction to bring their wares down into Namiza ended up staying here instead of returning home. The town got a reputation for its beauty, the talent of it’s craftsmen, and its unparalleled entertainment. After the mysterious fall of the city of Zenam, the town grew rapidly. Travel through Thiabet Valley had become very dangerous as a result so people detoured through Leyline instead. Already a decent trade hub between Namiza, Astrithyr, and Ulad, it then became part of the largest trade route between Namiza and the East. It has continued to grow and become a strange mixture of dwarven and elvish society and style. There are humans too, as per usual, and many forest gnomes choose this city if they come here, but it is still largely consisting of dwarf and elf kind and, naturally, a fair few "dwelves" as well.
List of Large Towns
Trade’s Meet, Trispan, Ishan, Mizdah Crossing, va’Sharo, Stillwater, Highview, Port Yanimaz, Port Senina, Aneza, Farbridge, Clawpoint, Harimith, Willemport, Port Denaan, Halhurst, Timberstead, Fort Menaroe
Vilanna & Tanilarin (elvish)
Ghezlanh, Droghill, Silverift & Glanderin (dwarvish)
Bendbee & Mullybrack (halfling)
Edina's Post, New Gulthar, Geirrghall, Grey Shore, Anezah, Solderbaz (rock gnomish)
List of Medium to Small Towns & Villages
Asmari, Cutlass (pirate port), Visdak, Brokebridge, Pitstop, Highview, Stair's Bottom, Yursin, Midway, Green Ferry, The Crossbones, Troutrun, Gerust, Halhurst, Sabira Crossroads, Mudbriar, Kapell, Roosev, Ziraket, Jackal's Cross, Islecross, Klim, Port Tulmara
Garvury & Teemore (halfling)
Undercliff (gnomish)
Ohska, Khorzam & Yeemig (Non-Concordance)
Manichimu (tabaxi)
Zenam: The Fallen City
Zenam was a city built not long after the region became a free territory, and it had become Emenna's greatest rival quickly. It was originally built as the first line of defense should Marasen attempt to take its old colony back. It was a military city originally but later it became a beacon for arcane scholars as it sat on the same magical Leyline that the elvish town
of Leyline also sits on. It was on it's way to being one of the great magical centers of the world. Roughly 50 years ago (in 2451 PE) a mysterious event occurred, the nature of which is entirely unknown. All that is known is that in a single night every citizen in the town perished. Whether it was the meddling of the mages, some kind of fiendish plot, or something else is unknown. Thiabet Valley, which the town sat in the north of, became increasingly dangerous- over the next few months less and less people traveling through it to and from Namiza and Marasen made it to the other side. Many that did were utterly traumatized- too much so to even speak on what they saw, their minds broken by the experience. Nowadays no one makes it through alive. Four years after this event a group of gnomish arcane scholars came from
Geddri and set up a station in the western hills with the intent of discovering what happened in Zenam and what is affecting the valley. This little research post eventually grew into a proper gnomish den-city, called Geirrghall. They are working on various ways to enter and explore the region safely.
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The Many Ruins of Namiza
Namiza is home to countless ruined towns and cities- the result of the rise and fall of many kingdoms. It is also due to the fact that Namiza is a dangerous place, and not all towns that have been built were able to survive the beasts, bandits, and barbarians that roam it. Some of the ruins are well known and even lie as trail markers and camping areas along trade routes. This includes the ruins of
Hallar's Light, Kilgora, Vhandwel, Ostdalen, Lumberfell, Yaqur, Irinza, Asseniaraz, Ir'bazul, Surkhaz & Erazh (dwarvish),
Lythyn, & Rynsha (elvish). There are also two massive ruins of former cities-
Khasirak, which was the capital of the kingdom of Dakoro, and
Obora the capital of the kingdom of Irdrissa.
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