Karolis - The Kandoran District

The Kandoran District is the next largest district. However, it represents the smallest amount of goods to come through Karolis. It sits on the eastern side of Karolis, inside the Paz Zar Gate. It is bordered on the north by the Soremna Dakel, on the east by the Bazaar, and on the south by the Thormenalan district.   At the heart of the Kandoran District is the Temple of Krayech. Though small by comparison to some of its counterparts in Kandor, it is an imposing structure in Karolis. The Temple serves as a place of worship for the Kandorans and catacombs to bury their dead in. The High Priest of Krayech in Karolis is Itaxshee Hulurl.
Like the Thormenalan and Haradelan Districts, the Kandoran District has caravanserai near its entrance. These caravanserais are built almost identically and allow a small convoy of wagons or pack animals to pull into a place securely and either unload or hunker down for the night before moving on in the morning.
For most Kandorans trading in the Soremna, Karolis is the end of the road. Thormenal is a very cosmopolitan area, but Haradel is not. A few Kandoran traders make it as far as Mahnlin at the west end of the Soremna Dakel, but only a few. Most will put down roots in Karolis, sell their wares, and eventually return to their home country.
Many Kandoran goods coming into Karolis are from the nomadic desert tribes. This culture is still horse-centric and prides itself on fine hand-crafted goods. Often, a “caravan” of the desert nomads will consist of a merchant and their family, a few warriors, and several horses loaded with goods. Wagons aren’t practical in the desert wastes they call home, so a more traditional approach to carrying goods is needed.
The caravanserai give traders and merchants a place to stable their animals securely, a dry and comfortable place to sleep, and surety that their goods are protected.
Most caravanserai owners and staff are paid handsomely by the merchants to report what goods are coming, going, and staying over in Karolis that the League may need to learn about. In this way, many goods are sold outside League and Bazaar channels.
Though the Kandorans worship the entire pantheon of Symker gods with Krayech as the lead, there is only one other Temple in Karolis: the Tiger Temple. The Tiger Temple is a martial temple dedicated to the aspect of war, and it is a part temple and part Dojo. The Kandoran mercenaries will go there to leave offerings, exercise spar, and train.
Typically, the Kandoran military commander in a specific location would be the leader of the Tiger Temple. Because no military is allowed into Karolis, this poses a problem for the Kandorans.
It has been suspected for years that the Kandoran mercenaries in Karolis are disguised military. They call themselves the Howling Jackals and are commanded by a dour brawler, Harkiss Xorlaz. Harkiss is as foul-tempered a Kandoran as you’d ever want to meet and ready to punch anyone in the face at the drop of a hat, an instinct she follows often.
Harkiss is actually from one of the desert tribes and is dour because the freedom she once enjoyed has been taken away from her when she was ordered to Karolis to protect Kandor’s trade interests there. She would obey her Khan, so she finds herself in Karolis without her beloved open sandy spaces at the head of a group of levied soldiers from her tribe who are loyal to her and to the mission the Ash Khan has given them.
Harkiss presides over the Tiger Temple in Karolis, though she feels like a fraud for doing so. She is a professional soldier and has been her entire life, but posing as the High Priest of the Tiger Temple makes her feel like an interloper. She is also obedient here, guiding her “mercenaries” through exercises and martial practice daily between protecting merchants and escorting their goods back through the Paz Zar.
When the Howling Jackals aren’t on duty, which is seldom, they hang out at the Turlat Irgshaxuv - The Blue Pools - a Kandoran-run tavern that has all the trappings of a Bruhl Erk - the family tents that the desert tribes use and have become such an iconic and distinct part of their culture. The inside of the Turlat Irgshaxuv is smoky and smells of spicy Kandoran beer and roasted meat. Here the Howling Jackals drink, smoke, eat, and brawl to pass the time away from home.

Type

District