The Seven Cities of Nephysis
The Princedoms of Nephysis are a diverse series of city stateds interconnected by trade, culture, and heritage. The current cities are centered around a vast desert known as the Trackless Storm, and the majority of them have little to no room for farming. The cities survive instead off of trade, and off of their cultivated resources in the forms of gold, platinum, artisanal goods, magical items, and geniecrafting.
The current Seven Cities are:
Katapesh: The Baazar of the Bizarre. Much can and has been written about the greaat Nephysian trade port. It is known for the conversion of raw gold and platinum into coinage, for it's dark markets, drug production from Pesh and other substances, poisons, spice sales from the south, and for it's cultivation of Genie magic. The sale of existing slaves is legal in Katapesh, but slavery itself is not, creating an odd juxtiposition. Slaves may pass through the city in bondage, but no one may be put in chains within the city. Katapesh itself is massive, boasting a population of over 200,000 people, making it by far the most populous city in Nephysis. The city possesses a prince currently, but most political decisions or matters are trade are made by an illusive cabal known as the pactmasters, hooded figures specializing in commerce dedicated to ensuring that matters of law are settled by who can make the most profit for the city. Katapesh boasts an outer and inner wall, a colluseum, a deep water port, and guiilds dedicated to just about every substance imaginable. If it exists, it can be found in Katapesh.
Okeno: The Yellow Harbor. The island city state is more a fortress than a true town. While it boasts close to 7,000 citizens it possesses nearly double that number of slavers, buyers and travelers. The fleshfairs of Okeno are the largest market of people in bondage within the Broken Spine, and the city possesses dozens of ships dedidicated to ensuring the transfer of it's cargo and the aquisition of new slaves. Upon Okeno's deep water ports stand high walls with stone provided from the nearby island mining operation. Okeno posseses a Princedom, and it's currentl leader Morio Midasi is dedicated to perpetuating the city's vile practices and expanding them. Okeno's impressive defensive fortifications, and the amount of raw commerce it brings in from buyers throughout Celasper ensures that the profits flow, and the misery the island specializes in continues unabated.
Asad: The City of Lions. The Walled city of Solku stands as the bastion of civilization in Nephysis from the terrors in trackless storm, from the horrors found within the Beehive, the threats found in the Webworks to the southwest, and from Gnoll raiders found throughout Nephysis. Founded by a joint mercenary company of Gnolls and Humans close to eight hundred years prior, the City of Lions is a sanctuary for warriors, farmers, and travelers to nearby Enki-Hai. Asad is a walled fortress city, where law is strictly enforced by Paladins of Sarenrae, and the Gnoll mercenaries of the Red Company. The city possesses a prince, chosen by secret vote for a period of ten years. Only those who have slain a Nephysian lion are eligible to vote or to be nominated, ensuring that the Asad warriors elect one of their own to serve as their representative to Nephysis at large. Asad boasts an ancient library, a citadel fortress to the god Sarenrae, and multiple inns for travellers making their way into the abandoned lands. Slavery is considered an abomination in Adand any slaves who enter the prince's domain are considered freed, by force if necessary. The city possesses about 10,000 citizens, with by far the largest population of Gnolls in Nephysis.
Sabaar: The City of Salt: Saheer is the second most populous city in Nephysis, possessing access to the only farmable land wiithin the region. The breadbasket of saheer is responsible not just for feeding the city, but for feeding much of Solku and Jidar Alshaytan as well. Sabaar also boasts access to the Sabaar Saltflats, the largest such dried lake in Mana Jacalba. There are rumors that much of the trackless storm was once fertile grassland, and that the saltflats were once a beautiful lake. Whatever the case, the salt flats of Sabaar are unique in the creation of Pesh cacti, harvested by Sabaar farmers and shipped to guilds in Katapesh for processing. Sabaar possesses about 100,000 citizens who live within the city proper, and countless more migrant travellers. Slavery is not allowed in Sabaar, but existing slaves are not freed, and allowed to pass through to Katapesh and Okeno unmolested. Sabaars current prince has reigned for close to eighty years with no signs of stopping, and rumors persist that they are not entirely mortal. Sahar-el Noor is considered a benevolent monarch, keeping things consistent within the city, and not moving to quickly to action, though tensions remain high between them and the ruler of Eayn Julim.
Jidar Alshaytan: The City of the Demon's Wall: Jidar Alshaytan is not one city but two, long ago, the inner city succumbed to an unknown evil, letting in forces from the abyss into the palace of Sar-Shaba as it was then known. In those days, the Prince Sar-Shaba Harnoch-Khedan seized the throne with an army of demons at his backing, expanding the city to new heights and conquering his neighbors. His son, Azhanzar continued his legacy, and for a time Sar-Shaba was the most powerful of the seven cities. However, in his old age Azhanzar found regret, and turned from sin. With the aid of priests of Iomadae, Azhanzar gathered his children, and the greatest of their demonic warriors into the inner hall, and using a divine sealing, locked away himself and his children in the inner city of Sar-Shaba. The demons, and his own royal line, and much of the cities cultists, were trapped within. Since that day, there have been two princedoms, the Princes of Perdition rule the inner city, desperate for freedom, and to run a haven dedicated to decidence and sin. Belith Hamona, a tiefling sorceress is the current prince of Sar-Shaba. Outsiide Sar-Shaba, in the outer wall, Kebwe Menelon, an aged human man leads the outer city. A distant descendent of Azhanzar by his brother, Kebwe is doing his best to hold the city against an increasing stream of cult activity, as those within the inner walls attempt to lure potential demoniacs to break the seal, and allow them to begin an unfettered apocolyse on all of Nephysis. The outer walls of Jidar Alshaytan host a population of roughly 5,800 people. Close to 8,500 cultists, demons, and other interplanar beings call the inner city of Sar-Shaba home. Slavery is not permitted within Jidar-Alshaytan, and those who pass through the outer wall are considered free peoples.
Kinz: The City of Gold: The border city of Kinz hosts a large population of dwarves and minotaurs dedicated to a joint purpose of making it's citizens absolutely rich. Within the Platinum Labyrinth, produced by some of the first Minotaur settlers on the surface lies the platinum mines, some of the most lucrative ore deposits in all of celasper. Beneath their feat, the dwarves of Kinz harvest gold within underground caverns near an ancient lake. Some believe this lake may connect to the fabled 8th city, but attempts to explore the underground sea have not proven successful by any explorers thus far. The lake is however a vital source of water as the Tayir River continues to run dry. Slavers are allowed to pass through to or from Ibris, or along the obelisk road so long as they pay a tax to the city. A number of these slaves are typically spies from Ibris, looking to infiltrate the Katapesh markets under guise of servitude. Prince Kiza Ram's Horn is the current leader of the city. Most of her current dutys are spent dealing with fallout from Ibris to the north due to their proxy war with the Imperium, and attempting to find a way to deal with the increasingly apparent fact drouts in Kinz may ruin the city's water supply. The city hosts a modest population of about 4,500 minotaurs, dwarves and gnolls.
Eayn Julim: The City of the Golem's Eye: Eayn Julim is the gateway to Ri'am, and hosts the only safe waystation within hundreds of miles for travellers along the corridor from the infinite desert. Prince Zafira the Azure-Storm rules the city with an iron fist. The blue dragon slew the previous prince ruling the city, who he claimed was under control of unseen domiunation in an otherwise bloodless coup, with the guards immediately swearing loyalty to the dragon upon completion of the deed. Zafira believes it is their solumn duty to keep the corridor safe for travellers and build the cities defenses for the coming age. Eayn Julim is famous for the construction of constructs, which are used to defend the city from mountain raiders, and to patrol the corridor to keep it safe for caravan travellers. The city also boasts perhaps the finest university of magical studies in Nephysis, with the dragon's' children supposedly learning from human instructors in the arts of evocation magic. Slavery is not allowed in Eayn Julim, and the Azure-Storm has a habit of personally devouring any who attempt to smuggle slaves through their border crossing. The city's population is currently 8,200 and it is perhaps the fastest growing city in Nephysis. All is not well however, as Zafira has denounced their neighbor Sabaar for a multitude of crimes, though the large distance between their two nations has so far kept hostility to a minimum.
Culture
The Symbol of Nephysis is a Pheonix, which if rumors hold was the symbol of the mythical 8th city.
Demography and Population
Katapesh: ~200,000
Sabaar: ~100,000
Okeno: ~7,000
Asad: ~10,000
Jidar Alshaytan: Inner: ~8,500, Outer: ~5,800
Kinz: ~4,500
Eayn Julim: ~8,200
Territories
1. The House of the Beast: A temple dedicated to Rovagog, built within the mountains of Jibal Alramad.
2. Mirazha: An abandoned town and waystation destroyed by a mysterious force.
3. The painted flutes: A series of canyon pillars upon the Ivory Road
4. The trackless storm: One of the largest deserts on the continent, though supposedly it was once home to fertile land.
5. Zolurket Mines: An abandoned mine east of Kinz that once produced platinum and rare gems.
6. The Lightning Stones: A sacred series of stones for the dragons of the golem's eye.
7. The crouching Jackal: A sacred monument looking south over the Trackless Storm.
8. The Creeping Watcher: The Jackal's Twin, looking north over the Trackless Storm.
9. The Tome of the Agate King: An ancient tomb holdding a former Nephysian prince at it's heart.
10. Gembasket: Believed to be the home of an ancient red dragon, and a rival of the Dragon Prince of Eayn Julim.
11. The Shrine of the Sleeping Dove: Dedicated to Sarenrae, and marked as a shrine by her paladins.
12. Palace Mortales: An ancient dragon resting ground transformed into a lovely waystation and hotel by the locals of Sabaar.
13. The Evergrowth: a lovely domain filled with herbs used in the concoction of potions in Sabaar.
14. The Beehive: An ancient chasm filled with mantis like horrors, it may connected to the Tiv Sul Reaches further to the north.
15. Selkelas: An ancient weapon laying buried within the desert.
16. The Three Stars: A series of ancient pyramids built by Nephysian Kings that hold the secrets of Mythic Power.
17. The Lost Temple: A religious site to an unkown deity.
18. Suketh'ma: The mud bog and an entrance to the Vargus Swamp.
19. Floaters Pond: An Oasis north of the Salt Flats of Sabaar.
20. The Observatory: Used by schoars of Asad to stare out at the shifting constellations for use in mapping the trackless storm.
21. Bug Harbor: A tiny village at the edge of the evergrowth supporting local alchemists.
22. El Fatar: An old and abandoned city, displaced in living memory due to the drying of the Tayir River.
23. Finderplane: A transitory city for those who wish to travel to Malphet to the south populated primarily by gnomes.
24. Commonfiield: A series of small farming communities for workers south of Sabaar.
25. Pyrefield: A genasi bandi stronghold for escaped Genies in Nephysis.
Military
Each city state maintains a local militia, but the princedoms have come together in the past to combat large threats, specifically in facing the imperium and the Masacali Consulate.
Religion
Sarenrae, Iomadae, Abadar, and Nethys are by far the biggest religious presences in Nephysis, with a number of entities worshipping darker gods such as Rovagog or Yeenoghu.
Laws
Slavery Positions:
Katapesh: Allowed
Sabaar: Allowed
Okeno: Actively Encouraged
Asad: Illegal, Strongly Enforced
Jidar Alshaytan: Illegal, Strongly Enforced
Kinz: Taxed
Eayn Julim: Illegal, Strongly Enforced
The number one law within Nephysis is to not disrupt trade, other laws are independent to local governments.
Trade & Transport
The Obelisk Road is the largest system of transport in Nephysis over mainland, but certainly naval imports exist through Katapesh and Okeno bringing in trade from Bengion, Sardis, Alba, and beyond. Overland, Ri'am and The Spice Coast are the two greatest trade partners of Nephysis with Tamarem providing vast quantities of foodstuff for internal use. Ibris provides little trade to Nephysis due to the unreliable nature of the Ibrisian canyon networks.
Genies once allowed for near instantious transport between the great Nephysian cities, but the gates are long since dorment, trapping the Genies who ran them within the cities of Nephysis. Some scholars have tried to reactivate the gates, but the knowledge to do so is considered lost, with the destruction of the eighth city. Most city leaders operate under the assumption that if the Fire Gates were somehow repaired, it would only lead to war between neighbors that is currently impossible with the trackless storm.
Do As You Will, But Do Not Interfere With Trade
Alternative Names
The Seven Princedoms
Demonym
Nephysian
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Gold, Platinum, Pesh
Official Languages
Neighboring Nations
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