Lowdown
Tribal village in the Rift Delta
My exploration of the northern extent of the Pachuco jungles led me to the edge of Silver Lake. West of this lake there is a lowland delta, which I am told is prone to flooding during the rains of springtime. Surveying the valley delta to the west, we explored a large island which the locals call Lowdown. According to legend, Lowdown was once the home of a powerful Orad kingdom built by survivors of a pestilence called the “Second Cataclysm."
During our journey we visited Lowdown and came to a village there of the same name. The inhabitants spoke to us in the Pachuco tongue but were quick to point out that they were not of the Pachuco tribes. They insisted that they were children of the Silver Clan, a community of tribal nomads which I am told dwells primarily in the hilly plains beyond the northern shores of Silver Lake. One day I should like to visit the summer hunting grounds of the Silver Clan and behold the stones of their sacred city, Enderwilde.
Demographics
Most of the inhabitants of Lowdown are descendants of the Silver Tribes based north of the Silver Lake. A small minority of the population is made up of hunters, trappers and other journeymen of the wilderness. The permanent population of Lowdown is largely made up of agrarian freeholders.
Government
Lowdown is governed by a chieftain named Toktamish, who is the latest leader of Lowdown's ruling line of Elzar margraves. Toktamish rules as the sole sovereign of Lowdown and his word is law throughout the islands of the Rift Delta.
Defences
Toktamish keeps a troop of around 60 guards equipped with war canoes. The village of Lowdown used to have a ring of defensive palisade walls that protected its overland approaches, but no more. The old fortifications were never maintained and lay only in ruined traces.
Industry & Trade
Fishing and trapping are significant sources of trade and livelihood in Lowdown. Such forage goods are traded for clothing, building materials, and metal crafts, which Lowdown merchants acquire through commerce with the Silver Clan trade hub of Enderwilde. Most exchange is done in barter, but merchants of Lowdown will accept Enderwilde and Pachuco silver coins as legal tender.
Infrastructure
The people of Lowdown live a fairly primitive existence. While there is ample evidence on the island (such as ruined watermills and irrigation canals) to suggest that earlier generations of Downlings possessed advanced technical knowledge, the current inhabitants have forgotten this lore. Today the people of Lowdown live by meager subsistence farming and foraging using technology that is mostly stone age. What few textile and metallurgical implements the Downlings do possess were acquired through trade with more advanced neighboring tribes.
Assets
Margrave Toktamish possesses large amounts of precious silver ore, which he keeps concealed in numerous secret caches hidden throughout Lowdown Island. These caches are the singular source of Toktamish's wealth and power and he guards them vehemently. For this reason he does not allow hunters, trappers, or travelers of any kind to explore the bush country of his domain.
History
According to Margrave Toktamish, his people, the Elzar tribe, are descended from the last line of Orad kings, who ruled the delta realm of Elowdee over four centuries ago. After the decline and fall of the last sons of Orad, the Elzar clan inherited Lowdown Island as well as the marshlands of the Rift Delta.
Architecture
There are few permanent structures in Lowdown. All of the buildings are made of bamboo frames lashed to canvas or animal skin covers.
Geography
Lowdown is nestled on the edge of a marshy river delta. The waters are shallow and hard to navigate, especially in areas in which overgrowth has risen to obscure lines of sight and undergrowth hampers the ability to row. The island itself is covered in heavy jungle tree cover and interspersed with various human settlements, both abandoned and inhabited.
Natural Resources
Fish and game are plenty on Lowdown Island, but outsiders are rarely permitted to hunt on Elzar territory. Downling tanners and furriers turn a decent trade in skins, but otherwise Lowdown lacks significant production of trade goods.
Lowdown
Type
Village
Population
200 permanent inhabitants in the village and 2000 in the surrounding lands
Inhabitant Demonym
Downlings
Characters in Location
Toktamish Elzar
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