Thanaros

A vast desert expanse of soil and reddish fine rock characterizes almost the entire region. The warm and dry climate is so overwhelming that it makes it difficult to travel for long distances through the inner lands, at the point that the main road is called "Thirsty Road". The population is concentrated on the west coast beyond the desert, or inland to the east, close to the Gwaldur region.

Government

Oligarchy formed by a group of ten nobles representing the different interests of the region: Trade, Sea, War, War, Religion, Agriculture, Tradition, Hunting, Construction, Magic, Population. The Lords are elected by an assembly of elders from Viriana and Pendor and their duty is lifelong. Often they are elderly philosophers enclosed in ivory towers that discuss the splendor of the past, sipping expensive liqueurs, but among them it is also possible to find some former adventurers willing to meet the needs of the ordinary people.

War

No armed garrison captivates fear on the battlefield like the Black Shields. Experienced warriors selected by a training always at the limit of potential and designed to eliminate piety and disobedience, this powerful organization is funded by the government of the region and constitutes the bulk of the armies of the territory. The population has great respect for their armies, sometimes also formed by groups of former warriors. In the past, some guilds of thieves, murderers and mercenaries have tried to gain control of the armed forces, always without success. Since 2366 CE, the leader of the Black Shields organization has been the powerful warrior Akum-Ra, a former gladiator of Pendor also known as "The Pit King".

Population

The people of Thanaros are divided into two large groups and those living in the sandy and desert hinterland are called "Powder People". Even if there are no marked differences in somatic traits, people living in the Empty Expanses have learned how to survive the numerous desert nights, or sandstorms, or the unbearable heat; those living on the other coasts have learned how to build ships, fish, model the black-colored clay found in the Gulf of Viriana, and other activities.

Religion

In Thanaros, all the Gods are adored. Due to the presence of numerous tribes far from civilization, especially in the desert, myths about fire spirits and other forms of cults have arisen over the years, mostly of chaotic alignment.

Capitals

Pendor (The Old City)

The old capital of Thanaros represents a triumph of architecture from the past: palaces with soft curved lines, decorated spires, fountains with a refined style and decorations made by expert hands are very common visions throughout this old capital. Worthy of note is the popular district, recently the target of restoration and characterized by a flourishing trade. Today almost all government buildings are empty or converted into sumptuous palaces for nobles or merchants.

History

• 341 CE The city is located in a strategic location, close to the deserts of Thanaros. At one time it was once a merchant outpost of nomads heading towards the Silk Road, a refuge for caravans and the seat of many merchant companies. For centuries it will be a centre of different powers, political and religious.

• 1538 CE While Viriana is considered Free City, Pendor is corrupted by the control of the old slavist families of the city. It will only be a matter of time before the government falls and is placed under the control of the people.

• 1845 CE The city is invaded by snake-shaped creatures from the subsoil. The Whispers Cult is founded, a mystical underground cult dedicated to their worship, whose members will infest the city for several decades.

• 1897 CE A group of adventurers find and destroy the hideout of the Whispers Cult, a maze of rooms full of snakes and other creatures. It turns out that its influence was so great that it corrupted the government representatives themselves. The following year a new group of Elders is elected on the basis of popular will.

Districts

Dances District

The district has been the subject of a recent restoration, both territorial and commercial. A large part of the population still lives in its narrow streets filled with low stone houses. It once housed the popular houses and shacks of the slaves and gladiators of the arena, taverns and famous houses of pleasure.

Shadow Alleys

Despite their name, the alleyways host the middle class of society. They are called so because of a powerful guild of murderers who once found shelter in its winding streets. Today the guild has long since disappeared and its underground headquarters have been converted into a shrine dedicated to Hardon.

The Forgotten Square

The area once housed the city centre. The area was then the scene of a mysterious magical explosion that brought some pure gold veins to appear in the surrounding terrain. Immediately the area was attacked and excavated in a short time: people began to build a house here in the hope of digging undisturbed into their land. A few years later, the dwellings form a real neighborhood and the city centre is transferred to the Glass Palace.

Points of interest

The Bloodpit

There was a time when heroes, gladiators, beasts and slaves fought both for their own pleasure and for the people of Pendor. Now the Well is a giant pile of blackish rubble in the open air. Its underground rooms are infested with spirits and obscure presences, made powerful and tormented by hundreds of years of violence, killing and massacres.

Mind Refuge

A strange underground complex serves as the basis for a neutral cult of nature dedicated to divinatory and psychic practices called Whispers Cult. The access consists of an anonymous architrave that houses a portal that can be activated by members of the cult. They possess the ability to probe the minds and memories of a living creature. It is thought that most of the old slaves have been part of the cult and the most paranoid believe that secret rituals are practiced in the deep underground caves.

The Glass Palace

It is a large triangular pyramid with a triangular base made up of translucent glass slabs and divided into several floors. There are temples, noble dwellings, commercial activities and a splendid internal garden. The environment is different from the outside: fresh air, ideal temperature and a general feeling of well-being lead many visitors to spend whole days inside. The upper floors of the pyramid are accessible only to the most important personalities of the city.

Starred Minaret

This palace is located in a corner of the capital, often ignored by all visitors because of its function: a meeting place for old wizards and adventurers. The area, despite its ordinary appearance, is protected by powerful magic. Spells of transport, divination, and locating do not work. The structure is entered only by invitation and nobody knows how it is organized inside.

The Ethereal Vial

At every hour of the day and night you can see a row of people trying to buy some potions in this alchemical workshop. It is said that the owner is familiar with methods of making certain effects derived from potions permanent. In fact, he has a profound knowledge of an ancient and mysterious tome he found when he was an adventurer.

Viriana (Capital)

Viriana, the new capital of Thanaros, is located on the shores of the crystal clear waters of the gulf from which it takes its name. Rebuilt in this area to better guard the region, encouraging trade with the easier caravan route to the north, Viriana is the result of a joint architectural project between various races and along one of its streets you can come across buildings similar to those of the cities of the north, or low, flat-roofed houses typical of the south. Most of the most important buildings, however, take their shape from the large round roof used in Pendor.

History

• 245 CE In these years the coast is only a camp of nomads, ex-slaves of Pendor, liberated and criminals. The population is divided into a myriad of small villages and a group of warrior monks known as "Thirsting Wanderers" settle in the desert.

• 1412 CE The discovery of numerous treasures of the nearby caves leads one to think that the area is being used by pirates to bury treasures. The discoveries are helping to attract more and more adventurers into the city, to the point of making it famous.

• 1538 CE One evening of the tenth month, a large fleet sent by Pendor arrives in the city from the West, beginning a sea siege. Thanks to the existence of nearby caves, most of the city's inhabitants are able to protect themselves from siege. The victory settled Viriana as a Free City.

• 2099 CE The increasing influx of new inhabitants, attracted by new life and trade opportunities, has led the Thanaros government to abandon the Pendor Palaces and move permanently to Viriana. Most of the buildings in the old capital become unused: it is said that some of them were set on fire or destroyed by the owners themselves, for unknown reasons.

Districts

Reserve of the Ancients

It is a protected territory of the Natives. It is located on the top of a reddish sand mountain and the entrance is forbidden to everyone except Natives. The entire area is protected by perimeter walls and force fields similar to a large dome. The control of the perimeter is entrusted to the Natives themselves, who protect the accesses. No one enters the reserve unless they are expressly invited or escorted inside by a member of the reserve, and foreigners are not seen with a good eye.

Grey Caverns

The port consists of a series of passages and caves in the western part of the city. Here dock both fishing boats and battle ships: numerous houses have a small internal lift to transfer goods from the tunnels of the caves to the shops above. The black market is mainly located in this area and the trade takes place overnight in the grottoes of the caves.

Dust District

The wind has dragged the sand of the Void Expanses to this point, forming over time a hard, bare and compact earth. The mud, clay and stone houses are arranged on top of each other, forming strange structures sometimes pyramidal. The majority of the inhabitants of Viriana are concentrated here. Among its streets you can visit temples, shops, craftsmen, inns, pleasure houses and even the seat of the government, the Teatro dei Dieci.

Points of interest

The Ten Theatre

So called because of its large oval courtyard placed in the center of the city, the palace is the seat of the Ten Elders. Each tower contains a space designed to reflect each of the ten key principles of government and laws of the region. The Theatre Hall is of great importance, a sort of internal temple where the Ten Ten hold audience to the population that rushes to present various requests to the government. The structure is completely visitable and only a few rooms are closed to the public.

The Pit

Great area devastated by the maritime battle of 1538 EC. In case of special events, it is fenced and used as an arena to fight between adventurers, fighters, gladiators, beasts or slaves. This activity is a tangible remnant of Pendor's ancient traditions and customs.

The Fifth Moon

Inn owned by an ancient family of elves, it is suspected that it carries out clandestine trades with the natives of the Reserve of the Ancient, through hidden tunnels that pass under the thick magical walls of the reserve. If so, it would be the only known place through which it would be possible to access the protected place of the natives. The large salon is always filled with bards, songs, drunk battles, brawlers and adventurers.

Temple of the Serpent

It is a snake-shaped structure twisted around it. The interior is visible only to the members of the Worship of the Serpent, affiliated to VelShar. The members of the Cult seem strange monks dedicated to meditation and self-seeking. It is thought to be a large terrarium for snakes of all kinds, even if many people suspect that the Temple is only the upper part of a large buried dungeon. Many sages claim that in this place there are strong negative, obscure, necromantic and still unknown energies.

Red Mound

A hill with reddish ground rises to the west of the city, dominating the surrounding landscape. On top of it there is a small outpost almost as large as a small village, formed by stables, farms and mills. A headquarters of the Crossed Swords offers a caravan escort and transport service for the whole continent and uses this area as a free port for many goods coming from all regions, waiting to be sorted to the recipients. For many travelers Red Mound is an oasis of tranquility and peace where you can rest safe. Overlooking the square of Red Mound, The Sun Tavern is famous for producing good wine and excellent beer, for this reason it is always visited by groups of wandering adventurers.

Cities

Jademar

Also known as "The South Door", this city is a large merchant exchange outpost that serves as a port of call for many caravans from many regions, such as Gwaldur, Thanaros and Dreamor. It is also famous for hosting a large fortified religious district called "Dark Shelter" and controlled by some powerful clerics of Vel-Shar. It is said that the Temple hosts a legendary relic, even if only the initiates of this cult can come to know the secrets of this place.

Sorosh

Sorosh is a city built on large slabs of stone in the Velate Swamps. One does not know why an entire city is born in this unhealthy area, but the most agree that in the swamps it is possible to find numerous natural remedies to many diseases and debilitating conditions. However, during the last few years, the stones that make up the "safe" path inside the swamp are beginning to sink, forcing the people of Sorosh to carry out numerous maintenance works to ensure a constant supply of resources to those who live in this place.

Deserts

Void Expanses

The red sand desert, a central part of the region, is called the Vacuum Expanses. A solitary place, dotted with outposts of some brave traders who travel between the Old and New Capital. Abandoning the Thirsty Road is pure madness and only those who have nothing to lose try to defy the fiery sands.

Last Hope

It's the name given to the most desolate place of Aumyr and placed at the extreme South of the world, between the fiery and red sands of the Void Expanses. It is thought that the numerous bones on the ground can testify to the existence of an old cemetery of creatures buried by the centuries-old wind. The people of Thanaros know that once they have reached this extreme area, it is almost impossible to survive.

Swamps

Veiled Marhses

The tip of the territory between the Sand Coast and the Gulf of Vision is known as the Veiled Marshes. An unhealthy place, where the hot sand joins the mud brought by nearby rivers: this allows the formation of a very particular climate and almost constantly invaded by fog. Persistent and heavy, the heavy blanket of mist permeates the entire area, making the path to the city of Sorosh very difficult. A single walkway formed by huge slabs of stone above the swamp, magically illuminated by red lanterns, allows caravans to transfer and trade from the surrounding outposts, but makes the journey gloomy and depressing.

Keeps

Blackraven

Blackraven Castle was erected as an extreme refuge for the Ten Elders of Viriana in the event of a maritime attack. The structure is manned by some guards in peacetime and serves as a military deposit, although recently a group of criminals seems interested in taking possession of the Castle.

Jalamai

The Palace of Jalamai is a large fortified complex built on the red and desert mountains of the Sand Coast. Little is known about this area, even considering its solitary position. Some people, however, claim that the palace is home to an evil Queen who holds the people of the nearby village of Nur-Shai into slavery. It is possible that this Queen has discovered a great power within the walls of this ancient place.

Mountains

Morning Crest

This mountain range diverts the sea winds from the West towards the warm Flameback Mountains, forming an anticyclone that often hits the Thanaros region and contributes to its desert status. The mountains are a refuge for many creatures, especially orcs and giants. Some wolf guard explorers claim that a group of thieves and murderers are building a sort of underground temple on top of the summits, in areas known as "Rocky Meadows".

Flameback Mountains

This mountain range, formed by a group of active volcanoes, is one of the reasons why Thanaros is a desert region. The red ashes from the magma flowing on the sides of these mountains are raised by the wind and brought to the south where they are mixed with the desert sand. The Flame Back is populated by dangerous creatures from the heart of volcanoes.