Dejan

Dejan is a secluded village located in the lush jungles of Gorm, surrounded by a striking yet treacherous landscape of dense foliage and ominous tar pits. The village is perched on slightly elevated ground, safe from the creeping tar that pools in the lowlands around it. Modest wooden huts with thatched roofs dominate the village, their exteriors coated in tar for added durability against the humid climate. Wooden walkways and rope bridges connect different sections of the village, ensuring safe passage over the uneven terrain and softer jungle ground.
The tar pits that dot the area are not only a defining feature of the region but also central to Dejan’s economy. Villagers carefully harvest the viscous tar using long-handled tools and sturdy wooden sledges, a dangerous task given the unpredictable ground and the frequent uncovering of ancient ruins and enormous fossils buried within. These pits are a historical treasure trove, filled with remnants of the distant past—weathered stone carvings, skeletal remains of colossal beasts, and fragments of artifacts tied to the enigmatic Tai Pyramid, which lies nearby.
Hunting is another cornerstone of life in Dejan. The jungles of Gorm teem with exotic wildlife, and the villagers are expert trackers and trappers, harvesting game for both sustenance and trade. Bones, hides, and meat are used locally or traded with passing merchants, while tar is exported for waterproofing, construction, and alchemical purposes. The occasional discovery of ancient relics in the pits attracts archaeologists, treasure hunters, and adventurers to the area, though such expeditions often bring their own dangers.

Demographics

Dejan is a rugged jungle village with a population shaped by its harsh surroundings and economic reliance on hunting, tar harvesting, and archaeological exploration. Though originally a Tabaxi and Ogre settlement, its proximity to the Tai Pyramid and the tar pits filled with fossils and ruins has attracted a significant number of humans and other outsiders, particularly traders, scholars, and slavers.
Species Distribution Humans (45%) – A mix of traders, archaeologists, mercenaries, and laborers. Many come for the tar trade, relic hunting, or as hired muscle. Tabaxi (30%) – The original inhabitants, skilled hunters, guides, and tar harvesters who know the jungle better than anyone. Ogres (15%) – Remnants of the ancient Anachak Empire, now working as laborers, guards, or enforcers. Some still claim ancestry from the fallen empire’s rulers. Other Races (10%) – Includes lizardfolk, escaped slaves, yuan-ti exiles, and the occasional adventurous dwarf or elf drawn to the mysteries of the pyramid.

Government

Dejan has no formal centralized government but instead operates under a system of pragmatic rule by strength and influence. Power is divided between local leaders, slavers, and traders, all of whom have different interests in the settlement.
The Tar Guild – A growing faction of human and Tabaxi merchants controlling Dejan’s tar trade. They regulate tar harvesting, trade routes, and prices, taxing those who wish to sell tar or relics. While they claim to represent Dejan’s interests, their primary goal is profit.
Sazer’s Slavers – Operating from their fortified outpost, Sazer’s forces have imposed their own brutal authority. They rule through fear, controlling much of the labor force and profiting from illegal slave markets. Slavers collect protection fees and enforce their own harsh justice on those who resist.

Defences

The settlement is protected by multiple layers of infrastructure designed to ensure the safety of its inhabitants and its wealth. Given its proximity to the treacherous jungle and the presence of slaver outposts, strong defenses are crucial for its survival.
Palisade Walls: A reinforced wooden palisade encircles Dejan, built from thick jungle timber coated in tar to increase durability and resistance to fire.
Watchtowers: Elevated watchtowers are placed along the perimeter, manned by sharp-eyed scouts equipped with crossbows and signal horns.
Spike Trenches: Rows of sharpened stakes and pit traps line the outer perimeter, deterring would-be attackers.
Hidden Traps: Certain paths into Dejan are rigged with jungle snares and concealed pressure plates that trigger nets or poison darts.

Industry & Trade

Dejan is a rugged frontier settlement that survives through a mix of resource exploitation, trade, and ancient mysteries. Situated near tar pits and jungle ruins, its economy is driven by dangerous but lucrative industries.
Main Industries Tar Extraction: The tar pits provide a steady supply of high-quality tar, which is refined for waterproofing ships, alchemical uses, and trade.
Mining & Fossil Excavation: The land surrounding Dejan is rich in minerals and ancient fossils, some of which are rumored to have magical properties.
Archaeology & Relic Hunting: Scholars and adventurers flock to Dejan in search of artifacts from the lost civilizations of the Anachak Empire, fueling a thriving black market for relics.
Slave Trade: While publicly condemned, the slaver outpost in Dejan operates a lucrative trade in captured laborers .
Beast Hunting & Exotic Materials: Hunters track rare jungle creatures, harvesting their bones, hides, and venom for alchemists and traders.
Major Exports Tar & Alchemical Products – Tar-based resins, oils, and potions are sought after in distant markets.
Fossils & Relics – Ancient artifacts and preserved bones are prized by scholars, collectors, and sorcerers.
Exotic Creature Parts – The jungle yields rare poisons, pelts, and enchanted beast remains.
Major Imports Food & Fresh Water – The settlement relies on imported grains, dried meats, and clean water, as farming is difficult in the dense jungle.
Metal & Weaponry – Dejan’s blacksmiths require imported steel, iron, and weapons to arm its defenders and hunters.
Slaves– The Chain House secretly purchases captives from pirate crews and raiders.
Magical Supplies – Spell components and enchanted tools are brought in from more established magical hubs.

Infrastructure

Despite its rough nature, Dejan has developed a network of crude but effective infrastructure to support its industries and inhabitants. Most structures are built for function rather than beauty, reflecting the settlement’s reliance on hunting, tar harvesting, and trade.
Key Infrastructure Tar Processing Pits – Large, bubbling pits where harvested tar is refined for export. Wooden scaffolds and rope pulleys allow workers to transport tar to storage barrels. The fumes make these areas dangerous to linger in. Hunter’s Lodges – Raised wooden platforms serve as meeting places for hunters, where they skin and process their kills before selling meat, pelts, and bones. These lodges often double as homes. The Market Row – A series of ramshackle wooden stalls and tents where traders barter for goods. Tar, bones, relics, and dried meat are commonly exchanged. Ruined Aqueducts – Remnants of ancient stone aqueducts, partially collapsed, that once carried fresh water from a distant spring. Some sections are still in use, though others have been repurposed into hideouts or storage areas. The Bone Mill – A grinding facility where bones from ancient fossils or hunted animals are processed into fertilizer, tools, and powders used in rituals or trade.

Districts

Loung District Perched on the higher ground of Dejan, the Loung District is where the slavers, their enforcers, and their wealthiest allies reside. This district is fortified and patrolled, serving as the seat of Sazer’s operations, even in his absence.
The Chain House – A stone-walled compound where captured slaves are processed before being sold or sacrificed. The Grand Hall – A large gathering space for high-ranking slavers and their allies, filled with trophies from past hunts. Guard Towers & Patrols – Heavily armed enforcers keep watch, ensuring no one escapes and that no rebels dare approach.
Khao District Nestled near the tar pits and ruins, the Khao District is home to the tar merchants, relic traders, hunters, and independent mercenaries. It is a rough but lively place, where wealth can be made, but only by those willing to get their hands dirty.
The Tar Guild Hall – Headquarters of the wealthy tar merchants, who control Dejan’s tar trade and seek to rival the slavers' influence. The Tar-Slicked Bazaar – A chaotic marketplace where traders sell tar, preserved meats, fossils, and old artifacts recovered from the pits. The Glistening Tar – A rowdy tavern, frequented by mercenaries, traders, and fortune seekers looking for work. The Bone Mill – A fossil-processing site, secretly used by Jorik’s rebellion to hide weapons and supplies.

Assets

Dejan is a settlement of survival, trade, and exploitation, with its economy fueled by hunting, tar harvesting, and the slave trade. The upper district holds the wealth and power, while the lower district serves as the marketplace and industrial heart.

Guilds and Factions

Sazers Slaver The most feared power in Dejan, the Slavers are an organized slaving operation. They hold captives in brutal conditions.
The Tar Guild A coalition of miners, tar harvesters, and laborers who keep Dejan running. While they lack military power, they control the town’s supply of raw resources and are willing to resist exploitation. The Tarborn Guild is an extension of the Guild of Chaos.

History

Dejan was originally established as an outpost of Cutlass Bay, serving as a forward base for explorers, smugglers, and treasure seekers venturing into the jungle. The settlement’s primary draw was the vast tar pits, which preserved ancient bones and artifacts from long-lost civilizations.
The Guild of Chaos was the first major faction to take root in Dejan, drawn by the site's untapped potential. They later established the Tar Guild to organize and control the extraction and trade of tar, bones, and relics. As the settlement grew, outsiders began to take notice of its wealth, and slavers eventually arrived under the banner of the Chain House, seeking to exploit both the artifacts and the labor force required to unearth them.
Tensions between the Tar Guild and the slavers escalated as the latter sought complete control over Dejan’s trade. Now, the settlement stands at a crossroads, caught between lawless ambition, ancient mysteries, and the ever-growing demand for the riches buried beneath the tar.

Architecture

Dejan’s architecture is a reflection of its harsh environment, history, and the people who built it. The settlement’s buildings are constructed with functionality and survival in mind, often looking weathered, stained, and battle-scarred. However, each structure also carries the mark of its owners, whether through crude superstitions, chaotic embellishments, or eerie decorations.
Building Materials Tar-Stained Jungle Wood – Due to the surrounding jungle, most structures are made of dark, durable wood, reinforced with tar coatings to protect against decay, insects, and humidity. The result is a blackened, slick look to many buildings, making them appear as if they are dripping in shadows.
Ancient Stonework – Some buildings, especially those built atop older ruins, incorporate ancient stone blocks. These stones are weathered, cracked, and carved with forgotten glyphs, often looted from the surrounding ruins or the depths of the tar pits.
Bone Reinforcements – Many of Dejan’s most prominent structures feature fossilized bones as supports, doorframes, or even carved decorations. In particular, massive rib bones form archways, while skulls are embedded in walls as grim totems.
Style and Construction Raised Buildings on Stilts – Due to the unstable, tar-laden ground, most homes and businesses are elevated on stilts, preventing structures from sinking into the muck.
Layered Roofs with Tar Paper – Roofs are steep and multi-layered, covered in tar paper or treated palm fronds to keep out the jungle rains. Some roofs sag under the weight of accumulated grime and jungle overgrowth.
Reinforced with Chains and Metal Supports – Many buildings, especially those owned by the slavers or the Tarborn Guild, are held together with chains, spiked reinforcements, and iron braces to prevent collapse. Chains often hang decoratively or ominously, swaying in the wind.
Traditional Decorations Charcoal Sigils & Painted Glyphs – Many residents paint protective sigils on their doors and walls using charcoal, red ochre, or tar, believing them to ward off spirits, jungle beasts, or curses.
Hanging Bones & Totems – Superstitious miners and tar harvesters hang small bones, teeth, and preserved eyes over their doors for luck and protection. Some of these come from tar-drowned creatures, while others are clearly humanoid remains.
Glowstone Lanterns – A few wealthier buildings are lit with glowstone lanterns, faintly pulsing blue or green in the dark, giving the town a ghostly, haunting glow at night.

Geography

Dejan is a hostile and haunting settlement, built upon a landscape that seems reluctant to support life. It is located on the fringes of a vast, bubbling tar pit, surrounded by dense jungle and remnants of an ancient civilization.
Terrain & Landscape The Tar Flats – Dejan sits at the edge of a massive tar pit, a seemingly endless expanse of viscous black sludge that bubbles and oozes, releasing foul-smelling vapors. Cracked earth and petrified wooden walkways form precarious paths across the shallower areas.
Jungle Fringe – Beyond the tar flats, the land transitions into dense jungle, filled with twisted trees, thick vines, and massive ferns. The jungle is rich with ancient ruins, most of them partially swallowed by roots, moss, and time.
Sunken Ruins – Scattered throughout the area are old stone platforms, broken statues, and skeletal remains of a long-lost civilization. Some of these ruins have been overtaken by tar, their carvings barely visible beneath the blackened sludge.
Water Sources The Black Creek – A narrow, sluggish river winds its way through the jungle, eventually merging with the tar pits. The water is dark and murky, sometimes tinged with an iridescent sheen from the natural oils seeping into it. The locals filter it carefully for drinking.
Rain Catchers & Wells – Due to the contaminated water sources, Dejan’s inhabitants rely heavily on rainwater collection and shallow wells dug on the outskirts of the jungle, where the water is less tainted.
Views & Natural Beauty Despite its dangerous and grim atmosphere, Dejan has an eerie beauty:
Glowing Tar Veins – At night, certain areas of the tar pits emit a faint, blue-green luminescence, a result of rare minerals and ancient energies trapped beneath the surface.
Towering Fossilized Remains – Some of the jungle trees have grown around massive, half-buried bones, forming a macabre blend of life and death.

Climate

Hot & Humid – The air is thick and oppressive, clinging to the skin with heat and moisture.
Fog & Vapors – At dawn and dusk, thick, choking fog rises from the tar pits, carrying a scent of burnt resin and decay. This haze sometimes plays tricks on the eyes, forming shifting figures in the mist.
Sudden Rainstorms – The settlement experiences violent but short-lived rainstorms, causing mudslides and revealing buried artifacts within the tar.

Natural Resources

Dejan, nestled at the edge of the dense jungle and tar pits, is surrounded by a wealth of natural resources that the inhabitants use to survive, trade, and develop their settlement. These resources come from both the forests and the earth itself, making them crucial to the settlement’s economy. While some resources are easily exploited, others require hard work and ingenuity to obtain.
Wood from the Forests Timber & Lumber – The dense jungle around Dejan provides an abundant supply of hardwood, such as ironwood and tarwood, which is used in building structures, furniture, and for fueling the forges. The ironwood trees are especially prized due to their durability and resistance to rot, making them ideal for building the defensive walls and bridges in Dejan.
Tarwood Sap – The tarwood trees, found near the edges of the tar pits, secrete a dark, viscous sap that is used in various industries, including as a waterproofing agent, sealant for boats, and even in chemical processes like making tar-based concoctions. The sap itself can be boiled down into a thick, sticky substance, useful in weapon crafting or alchemy.
Metals & Stone from the Earth Tar Pits byproduct – The tar pits themselves are a unique source of natural resources. While life crystals may not lie beneath the tar, there are valuable minerals, such as sulfur, obsidian, and iron-rich ores that can be extracted and processed for construction, forging, or crafting purposes. The obsidian found in the area is especially important for the creation of sharp tools, blades, and ritual objects.
Metals and Stone – Beneath the earth, veins of iron, copper, and stone can be found. The mines around Dejan are critical to the extraction of these materials, with the dwarves being especially skilled at mining and smithing the metals into usable tools and weapons. Dejan also has quarries that produce limestone, sandstone, and marble, all of which are vital for building structures and crafting works of art.
Gemstones & Fossils – Occasionally, prospectors discover small gemstones, fossils, or rare minerals buried deep within the earth or exposed along the edges of the tar pits. These are highly sought after for their beauty, magical properties, or use in trade.
Tar & Resin Tar – The tar pits themselves offer a unique resource in the form of tar, which is collected and processed by the settlement’s inhabitants. This viscous substance is used for a variety of purposes, including waterproofing, construction, and as a base for alchemical concoctions. The black tar is also used in the production of weaponry (especially blunt weapons) and for crafting armor that is resistant to water damage.
Resin – The jungle trees around Dejan produce resin, which can be harvested and refined for use in various industries, including as a sealing agent for ships or as a component in alchemical brews. This resin is sometimes traded with foreign settlements for its preservative properties.
Exotic Flora & Fauna Herbs & Medicinal Plants – The jungle surrounding Dejan is teeming with exotic plants, many of which have magical or medicinal properties. Some are used to create potions or elixirs, while others are used in traditional healing practices.
Wild Game – The region is home to a variety of wildlife, including jungle cats, boars, and venomous snakes, all of which are hunted for meat, skins, and materials. Fur and bone are especially valuable in Dejan, as the raw materials can be used for clothing, armor, or crafting.

Population

1500

Inhabitant Demonym

Dejani

Location under

Gorm