Krypteia

Capital of Philosophy

Krypteia is major, mercantile hegemonic polis, most akin to Athens by way of Korinth. The polis itself sprawls across multiple islands, connected by bridges ranged in a circle around an endless maelstrom at the very heart of the sea. Ancient and long wealthy, the city is marked by many great architectural works and extensive statuary, with marble in extensive use across the majority of its construction, though it does not gleam so brightly as a century ago when it was better maintained. The polis also leads a hegemony of many small towns and minor poleis in the archipelago, and so when someone refers to Krypteia they sometimes mean the Krypteian League of which it is the foremost member.
The great Halkon copper mines of northwest Krypteia, and the nearby tin mines of Gystri, make Krypteia one of the primary sources and vendors of bronze to the Ithean and Khefri worlds, helping ensuring the polis's prominence in regional politics. Krypteia was also once one of the only known sources of mithril, a mirror-bright silvery metal of surpassing lightness and strength, but the mine became thoroughly cursed and infested with fiends during the Daemon Winter, and subsequently mostly sunk below the waves. However, an increase in general trade since that time has more than made up for the loss of revenue from the shining pit.
Earlier in history, Krypteia had a gallic government of a senate of first citizens, led by a tyrant from the powerful Agyr kobold clan. A century ago, however, the government collapsed at the height of its influence during the apocalyptic Daemon Winter, due to the death of tyrant Akkedis and most of his inner circle. A mighty duo of a Vandel witch named Niu Dai and her unsent shade companion Ukalekto seized power in the polis after reappearing from the cursed mines, and after "encouraging" certain recalcitrant politicians to retire early, reformed it into the raucous forward-thinking Athenian style democracy that it is today.
Krypteia has since become the most prominent Ithean center of philosophy, heka, and alchemy. Each of its eight islands is associated with a different school of magical doctrine, as briefly described in the revised Wizard class entry. It is also the most notable cultural melting pot of the Thousand Kingdoms, having many Khefiri influences and even Vandel traditions due to Niu Dai's legacy. Krypteia is consequently often now accused by the leaders of its chief rivals in Xyria and Pelekys of being "insufficiently Ithean" and a debasement of the Tyrian legacy. This was used as one of Pelekys's excuses in starting the recent Kervelos war over the Mesodo passage, but is repudiated by (most) Krypteians as isolationist nonsense - yet it is an argument that does find fertile ground in the hearts of some of its most prominent citizens, who argue the polis should look once more to its traditions for strength in this age of strife.

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Krypteian PCs

• Proficiencies: You gain one bonus skill (Insight, Investigation, or Persuasion), and a second bonus skill (Arcana, History, or Religion).
• Dilettante: Your broad experience and exposure to different ideas allows you to sometimes accomplish something you don't actually know how to do, but could have learned. At the start of your turn, you may elect to gain one feat that you don't know but do meet any requirements for, and use it for one round. YOU MUST CHOOSE THE FEAT BEFORE IT IS YOUR TURN AT THE TABLE or you will have to do something else that turn. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you take a short or long rest.

Type

Large city