Namiza
We Abide No King Nor Colony
Namiza is a massive free territory in Arna and it is also the central trade hub between the continent to the west and the empire lands to the east. Over the past few centuries it has also become a promised land for many a refugee or outcast (or outlaw). It is composed primarily of sovereign settlement-states separated by miles of rugged wildlands dotted by the old ruins of former kingdoms.
The Free Cities of Namiza
Much of Namiza is riverland and river-boats are considered the safest method of travel. Large plantations with cash crop operations dot the humid southern coast, drug smugglers own entire ports, bandits and grifters walk every long desolate road, and the worst of the criminals run the cities in the guise of benevolent politicians. The area is also notorious for its issues with fiends giving Namiza the nickname "The Hell Gate". During The Event, a rift opened here to the lower planes unleashing an untold number of fiends into the region that have never been banished, something that has also contributed to the large number of tieflings born here. Many think it has been the meddling of demons and devils which has turned Namiza into a land of unrepentant self-indulgence and debauchery. Brothels and gambling dens are never more than a stone's throw away; religious temples, however, can be hard to find. It is, by all accounts, a godless, lawless place fueled entirely by greed and want. The silver lining is that due to its social diversity, one will never be judged by their race, religion, sexuality, or wealth. Here in Namiza, in most places, one has the freedom to worship whoever they want, indulge in whatever drugs or alcohol they wish, perform whatever magic they want, and marry whoever they want. In many places one can pretty easily get away with murder, and that also means one can easily be murdered themselves. Real Freedom doesn't slide on a scale of morality. Namiza's biggest asset is that it is the worlds largest tourist destination. There are luxury resorts of course, and cities swollen with art and music and festivities and museums. Its also a draw for people hoping to find success and wealth. Many people come here to pillage the old ruins, seeking fame and fortune as treasure hunters. Clandestine guilds run black markets full of dangerous magical artifacts from the era of magocracies. Some come to dig up evidence from the past, especially lost history from the oldest human empire to exist, Qusur, which was wiped off the map during The Event. Others come seeking admittance to the large magical academy in Emenna (one of three great magical universities in the world-and the only one not run or overseen by a government). Not everyone here has some grand agenda of course- some people who live here are just trying to survive. The northern steppes (Dakoro) are largely ruled by The Tribes, also called The Eastern Tribes to differentiate them from their cousins on the western continent of Kharza. The Tribes have existed in Namiza longer than any other group of people- even the Qusurans- and, though originally orcish, they are now composed of orcs, humans, dwarves, tieflings and many varieties of half-orcs including "Dworgs" and "Tanarukk". For a History of the region see: History of NamizaCulture
Namiza has no one solid culture- each settlement within tends to have its own unique culture. See: List of Namizan Settlements Due to the constant influx of new arrivals who bring their own traditions, religions, and aesthetics with them the cultural landscape is ever-shifting. The region has not been ruled by any large governing body in over 1200 years so there is not much to unite everyone. If there is a "culture" of Namiza, it is a culture of change, adaptation, and diversity. There did once used to be a distinct culture, of course- the culture of the Old Kingdoms of Namiza. That culture, however, was one that emerged after nearly 800 years of occupation and assimilation by The Marasen Empire that nearly wiped out their native language and religion. Not much is left of the glorious ancient empire that existed before that. Those who consider this land their heritage and who can trace their family histories back to Old Namizarak often take issue with the current state of things- the newcomers who have taken over the region and diluted what little of their culture they had left. These people, who long to bring back the days of the proud old kingdoms and run out the non-humans and easterners, are often referred to as "Purists" and they are desperate to discover and preserve any and all ancient Namizan history they can dig up. Many of them also want to revive the old gods who were slowly replaced by so-called "eastern gods" (the current Common Pantheon). Purists are somewhat rare these days and generally exist in small cult-like organizations- many disguised as 'historical preservation' organizations. Due to Namiza's past history of failed kingdoms and harsh occupations by foreign empires, the one authentically Namizan cultural mindset is one of Anti-Authoritarianism. People take their freedom seriously and they do not trust large governments of any kind. No one entity is permitted to control more than one city, though smaller towns may enter alliances for protection from nearby large cities. They are still sovereign in their own right. The region is also, despite the overwhelming diversity, somewhat Anti-Theist. The last major war before forming the Free Cities was known as the Gods War and it left a certain bitterness in the hearts of most of the regions citizens- a bitterness inherited by future generations. Most major cities may have temples- but they are not often large ones and they are not maintained or endorsed by the city government. Most cities and towns are careful not to align themselves in any official way to any particular god as they do not wish for history to repeat itself.Religion
In Namizan Culture, it's rude to be loud about your religion or attempt conversion. It's almost a don’t ask, don’t tell situation. In the past this area faced a dark time of religious wars between former kingdoms which left most of the survivors feeling a bit wary about the zealously devout, and this caution has been passed down to their children. You can find temples, sure, but they are typically more discreet- to be found only by those looking for them. Emenna is the outlier, as a major center of culture in the region. Matarva also does have one large temple to the god of the sea, and more recently a goddess of revelry. Canastel has a large temple to a god of war and Leyline has a couple of sizable ones dedicated to gods of art and craft. Some small towns do champion certain gods and some were even built around temples. You can find worshipers of gods from all pantheons. Most tend to come from the Common Pantheon, but in and around Leyline you will find more elvish and dwarvish temples or altars. Halfling altars are more rare but usually found in rural areas. Gnomish ones can be hard to find anywhere but within fully gnomish towns. Then there are the temples to the Old Gods- the deities who caused the past regional religious wars. Worship of them can be taboo but there are many sects of Purists that do so discreetly. Common deities worshiped here are involved with travel, commerce, protection, and order as well as the seedier gods of trickery and greed. The big ones are The Tradesman, The Mariner, The Soldier, The Charlatan, The Reveler, The Arcanist, The Archivist and The Wanderer. Worship of Marasen's "Elderlight Pantheon" are also very common among humans in this region. There is a massive temple atop the Godsmount called the Elderlight Monastery and it's monks are not hard to find traveling through Namiza.Magic
Magic users are fairly common across Namiza compared to most other places, though most are sorcerers. Lots of “wild magic” sorcerers have been born since the Event because the ritual that caused it also heavily damaged the weave of magic- and not all parts of it were fully repaired. These "frayed" regions (which usually follow magical Leylines- one of which is here in Namiza) cause a wide variety unusual phenomena which many arcane scholars love nothing more than to study. Educated Wizards and Bards can be found generally hanging about Emenna (where the academy "Panarcanica" is) and Leyline (where high elves are concentrated). Laws about magic use vary from city to city- some banning it altogether and others openly embracing even the most taboo. The first thing most magic users do when entering a new town is learn what magic use might get them locked up. In Marasen and The Provinces of Belstrad there is fear about the use of magic. In Marasen it’s heavily regulated and in Belstrad it’s a punishable offense, so most with the talent or interest in it will make their way to Namiza or Va'Sehir. Bards are more likely to be drawn to Kardath, where there is an actual literal bard's college in Yersek.Military / Law Enforcement
There is no one unifying military in this region- each city or town is responsible for protecting itself and enforcing its own laws. That said, most major settlements have been accepted into a Concordance that should any outside nation attempt to conquer or colonize any part of Namiza that all will send aid and troops to defend the territory against them. There is one massive organization that is as close to an allied military as this region gets- The Tradeguard. The Tradeguard has posts in all major cities and most towns that lie along the largest trade routes. They are not affiliated with each town's government, though they sometimes will make regional agreements with them for additional pay. They mainly patrol the roads between towns in an attempt to keep merchants and travelers relatively safe from bandits and hostile barbarians. In towns too small for a guard, they can sometimes double as a local militia. They can be hired to escort important caravans or citizens as well. Being an escort is one of the most lucrative jobs in Namiza- if not also one of the most dangerous. One of the biggest problems that come with a lack of central government is the lack of ability to stop crime. Crime is absolutely rampant, both inside cities and along the roads. No matter how rigid a city guard or militia is, they can only ever control what happens within their walls. Drugs and smuggling are a huge issue and the coasts and rivers are riddled with pirates. City governments are more often than not corrupt from the bottom up with no safeguards other than full scale citizen rebellion. The biggest criminal element in Namiza is the guild of thieves known as The Vine. Members of this world-infamous organization can be found in most major cities and towns, often wrapped up in the local drug trade or black markets. The other large crime organization is actually a monastery, The Cloister of Living Shadows, dedicated to a dark god whose members are more than happy to take on assassination contracts (they have a sister location in Kardath and facilitate some of the drug trade between these regions). This group is notoriously difficult to find and contact but is believed to be somewhere within the city of Emenna. Though most settlements belong to The Concordance, the region is not free from warfare. The Free Cities squabble with one another over everything and this can lead to violence. Cities have briefly warred in the past but as they are never permitted to own another city if it is sacked there's not a great incentive to do so most often. Most "wars" are against certain notorious barbarian tribes. There is an ever-present push and shove between politicians across most cities to consolidate power in Namiza in order to keep peace between cities, divide resources, and slow the tide of criminal activity. Many suggest a territorial governing council with delegates from each city and a united protective military, but most scorn the thought of outsiders telling them what they can or cant do. The majority of Namizan citizens believe there are other ways to stop crime and make peace that don’t involve giving up the territory's hard earned freedom from imperialism and dictatorship. Most would rather accept the crime than hand the reins of the entire territory over to a small group of people and give them control of a huge military. Overturning a city isn’t all that hard if it's necessary. These people know from their past history that overturning an entire kingdom is less of a cakewalk.Trade & Agriculture
Namiza is one of the worlds biggest trade hubs, being the sort of meeting place in the middle between the west and the east. The center of the center are the cities of Emenna and Matarva, but most other large towns along the Tarrahin River are also impressive trade centers, including Trades Meet and Three Bridges. One of the regions largest exports are cash crops from the Summer Strath region- an area of properly tropical climate where fruits like pineapple, bananas, coconuts, dates, and citrus can grow, as well as tobacco, coffee, and chocolate from the west. The other big exports (particularly to the east) are seafood and (unfortunately) a plethora of drugs. Local farmers of Namiza mostly grow the usual of wheat, oats, hops and barley, though in some areas of the south they can also cultivate rice. Produce typically grown includes corn, squash, beans, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes.
Maps
-
Namiza (Territory)
Government
Sovereign City-States
Largest Cities & Towns
Emenna, Matarva, Canastel, Leyline, Three Bridges, Trades Meet, Clawpoint, Port Yanimaz, Port Denaan, Willemport, Mullybrack
Common Languages
Common, Halfling, Elvish, Dwarvish
Trades & Exports
Discovery & Trade of Antiquities, Artificery / Alchemy, Escort Services, The Other Kind of Escort Services, Seafood, Coffee, Chocolate, Beans, Tobacco, Tropical Fruits, Sugar, Peppers, Silver, Pearls
Large Organizations
The Tradeguard, The United Couriers of Namiza (UCN), Panarcanica (Magic Academy), The Vine (Thieves' Guild), The Watchers, The Unseen Eye (Information Specialists), The Order of Scribes, Fellowship of the Lore Keeper (Monastery of Izumir), Tenants of the Elder Light (Monastery), Order of Living Shadows (Monastery of Aleth), The Treasure Hunter's Guild
Comments