Zilargo

Zilargo is the homeland of the gnomes, and at first glance it appears to be a paradise. The streets are bright and clean. The universities and libraries are the finest in Khorvaire. Everyone seems happy and helpful, and crime is all but unheard of. But Zil society is filled with layers of intrigue and blackmail that are often invisible to human eyes. And below that lies The Trust, a ruthless secret police force that eliminates any threat to society.
Zilargo isn’t a tyranny. Each major city has a democratically elected ruling council and a seat on the Triumvirate that governs the nation; the Trust reports to the Triumvirate. The Zil gnomes built this system, and they are quite happy with it. Their streets are safe, and as long as you play by the rules of the game, the Trust won’t target you. Outsiders find this casual acceptance of preemptive assassination to be terrifying, but the Zil actually trust the Trust.
Every Zil gnome is in a web of intrigues. This is condoned by the Trust, as long as no laws are broken and the state itself isn’t threatened. It’s fine for a gnome charlatan to connive another gnome out of a jewel mine—as long as this is accomplished through cunning, negotiation, or deception rather than violence or outright theft, and as long as the mine stays in Zil hands. The same applies to adventurers planning schemes in Zilargo: violence will get one targeted by the Trust, but intrigue is perfectly acceptable.
The Trust itself is a network of spies and assassins. Most agents of the Trust simply pass information through dead drops; some estimate that a third of the nation works for the Trust in this capacity. When the Trust identifies a threat, it acts preemptively. If a problem can be solved without violence—by sharing a piece of information, or a whispered warning sent via message—that’s what they’ll do. But the Trust won’t hesitate to eliminate a threat, whether with poison, spell, or a blade. Typically, a target will never even see the agent that kills them.
Interesting Things About Zilargo:

• The Library of Korranberg is considered to be the finest repository of knowledge in all of Khorvaire.
• The Korranberg Chronicle is the leading source of news in the Five Nations, and gnome chroniclers travel across Khorvaire in search of stories.
• The major cities of Zilargo have temples and shrines dedicated to every religion. Most Zil explore a few faiths before settling on one; others practice multiple religions.

Founding Date

5 YK

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Trolanport

Government System

Democracy, Representative

Power Structure

Federation

Location

Khorvaire