LetsBuild5e:Gazetteer

Axalvo is a plateau which slopes down north-eastwards to the Inner Sea. It's covered with a huge range of tiny nations, the fragments of the lost empire of Kuhetzib the Conqueror. Wilderness punctuates the settlement here and there - areas that no nation can claim, or that no-one wants. This gazetteer describes the nations and places that we have described so far.

Shards of an Empire

Brugo

Brugo is an orc-dominated kingdom in the far south-western corner of Axalvo. It stretches from the dividing hills all the way to the high mountains of Sellumeverni, and controls the great waterfall overlooking the southern steppes. It is ruled in name by an orc who claims descent from one of Kuhetzib's generals, but in practice the various clans are almost entirely autonomous. Some clans have settled and live much like their northern neighbours, while others still treasure the semi-nomadic ways they followed before the Imperial Era. The principal language of Brugo is Orcish, but Old Imperial is widely understood here too. (Decision: [1])

Gartihann

Gartihann lies directly north of Brugo, and spans the dividing hills, although most settlements are to the west of them. Gartihann was once the cornerstone of Kuhetzib's empire, but those days are long gone. Until the present year, it was under the direct control of an international mage guild specialising in the schools of Abjuration and Evocation. The popular revolution which drove out the mages has not yet produced a stable government; the country is run mostly by ad hoc citizens' committees and local officials. (Decision: [2]) Gartihann's population is highly cosmopolitan, reflecting its imperial past, but is more strongly slanted towards half-orcs than elsewhere, with a corresponding cultural bias to the Old Imperial language and customs.

Vikreng

Vikreng was Kuhetzib's first capital city, and is still the capital of Gartihann. The heart of the city is an ancient hillfort from which Kuhetzib began her conquests. The hillfort was re-fortified and occupied by the mages' guild, and is now entirely covered by their local headquarters. This sprawling building, part school and part capitol, has been taken over by the revolutionary government, who are slowly going through its archives and storehouses as they attempt to build a future for the nation.

Many features of the city reflect its turbulent history. The largest structure after the government building is an amphitheater, intended for sporting contests and funeral games, but now being used for citizens' assemblies. The old bard colleges were used student wizard accommodation after the bards were expelled, and now stand empty, awaiting new tenants. Former military barracks, originally of imperial construction, were recently reused by the mage guild's mercenaries before being abandoned again. Close to the city wall stands the Tower of the Shield, the last unopened Mage Guild property, sealed by a magic bubble since the revolution. A final tragic landmark on the edge of town is a burnt-out tithe barn where many militia were burned to death early in the revolution. It is currently a generalised charnel house, but awaiting possible redevelopment. Rumour about increased undead activity lend urgency to these decisions.

The city also possesses an open-air market, and inns and taverns in all districts. There is an industrial district, originally home to the imperial armourers, but now much more diversified. Close by stand empty warehouses, intended for the movement of guild raw materials and other bulk goods. Part of the warehouse district has been converted into a walled district by dragonborn for self-defence. Scattered throughout the city is workers' housing, mostly in six-story apartment blocks around small courtyards. Some has been disused or underused for many years, as Vikreng is not the city it was during the empire. Another legacy of the empire is an aqueduct, now badly in need of repair. The mages also provided a scriptorium, with the associated facilities for making ink and parchment, and a warehouse for imported papyri. Supplies are currently running very low after the guild's contract was voided. (Decision: [3])

Further Afield

A Nation of Elves and Humans

Between Axalvo and the Desert of Sphinxes lies a nation whose inhabitants are predominantly elves and humans. The people here see themselves as the inheritors of the traditions and culture of the lost elven empire on the far side of the world. These days, they mainly export diplomats to other nations, and trade extensively. One of their principal cities consists mainly of scores of ships bound together in a lagoon at the mouth of a great river flowing into the Inner Sea.

East of the Sea

On the southeastern side of the Inner Sea, far from Axalvo, is a nation where the primary language is Wáyéhì. This is the home of the greatest bardic colleges in the known world, and along with the elves, one of the great seafaring powers. The travelling kenku who sometimes reach Axalvo tell that this is a land where even the monsters are different - asuras, rakshasas and nagas feature prominently.

Geography and Cosmology
Demographics and Society
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