Tenthell

Tenthell is a devil worshipping nation that officially venerates the god, Asmodeus, the ruler of the Nine Hells. At least half of the population openly worships the God of Sin by their own volition, either out of respect, greed, or fear. This has made for a rather decadent lifestyle in Tenthell. Sin, lust, and self-indulgence are encouraged and relished by those with the means to do so. Yet the abundant perversion and depravity in Tenthell has not lead to apathy and decline like some believe it would. Instead, Tenthell maintains a rigid system of laws that promotes order and stability, and leadership that engenders the advancement of Tenthite ideals and interests, both on societal and national levels.
Its government is officially a theocracy, headed by High Minister Thargis Kovil. He serves as both the high priest of the church of Asmodeus in Embril, and the leader of Tenthell. Assisting him is the Council of the Nine, a group of nine advisors comprised of church figures, politicians, and influential nobles, handpicked by the High Minister. It is also believed that the High Minister confers with powerful devils from the Nine Hells who serve Asmodeus, himself.

Life and Society

The clergy are the most revered class in Tenthell. Only a member of the clergy can ascend to the title of High Minister. Next are the nobles. This class maintains their power and influence through familial lines that boast generations of wealth. The commoners make up the majority of the citizens of Tenthell, comprised of the working class. Slaves, however, are also a large percentage of the population. Slaves in Tenthell are used for a number of purposes, ranging from labor to military to pleasure services.
Pleasure dens are famous in Tenthell. These businesses are grand, well-organized brothels which offer any services one’s perversions can imagine, and that can be paid for. Many citizens and visitors to Tenthell enjoy the services of pleasure dens on a regular basis.
Faith in Asmodeus is popular in this nation because of the promises it makes to its followers. Selling one’s soul to the God of Sin can lead to great rewards for those who serve him faithfully, either in this world, or the next. Many nobles willingly professed their loyalty to Asmodeus to enrich their lifestyle and protect their fortunes. The poorer also swear their faith in hopes of improving their station.

Major Geographical Features

Tenthell occupies the land between the Andarian Gulf and the Thorn Plains and between Garamoor and the Namarak Desert. The land is mostly flat with adequate farmland and moderate woods.
Andarian Gulf: Around this important waterway is where the Andarian Empire first began to spread. Many consider the region surrounding the gulf as the birthplace of human culture. Today it is still a busy and influential avenue for trade, dotted with port cities and full of merchant ships. In addition to merchants, the Andarian Gulf also sees its share of piracy. That is one of the reasons the nations surrounding it maintain a significant naval presence. Kainan, in particular, has the greatest number of warships in the gulf, while Tenthell is a distant second with less than half as many. Garamoor has a considerably smaller navy than the others, but at least one warship can always be seen docked in its port cities.
Under the sea, kingdoms of sahuagin and merfolk compete for domination of the Andarian Gulf. They rarely interact with land dwellers, though, save for the occasional sahuagin attacks on coastal villages or small fishing boats.
Namarak Desert: This large desert is home to numerous nomadic tribes. Throughout history, no nation has claimed the Namarak Desert and it has remained largely unsettled. Only recently, within the last century, have port towns sprung up along the Namarak coast. And those have been created to assist in trade with Port Scale in Zamilon. The interior of the Namarak Desert is mainly wild, inhabited by several dangerous monsters and animals, including basilisks, yuan-ti, and various desert dragons.
Thorn Plains: Stunted plants dot this sparsely populated scrubland. A few goblinoid and orc tribes inhabit the Thorn Plains, sharing the land with various small animals. The occasional larger reptilian creature also inhabits the terrain. No humanoid settlements can be found there, but some nomadic tribes wander between the Thorn Plains and the Namarak Desert.

Important Settlements

Tenthell maintains its roads, promoting trade and travel between its major settlements. Its coastal cities are densely populated, while its eastern ones are considerably smaller. Order and law are prominent in Tenthell, making it reasonably safe. Laws and agreements are followed to the letter. Even visiting devils are generally well-behaved and rarely trouble those they encounter. At first, Tenthell might appear as a den of debauchery and perversity, but those not accustomed to Tenthite ways should remember, such behaviors are simply not against the law in Tenthell.
Aslux (Metropolis, 65,000): This is the capital of Tenthell. The city traces its history back to the days of the Andarian Empire, when it was known as Enmar. However, with the founding of Tenthell, the city was renamed to Aslux. It is a large and populous city with a great port. Aslux sees many visitors and boasts several fine inns and taverns, as well as pleasure dens. The administrative center of the city contains the High Minister’s Palace and the Chapel of the Nine. A block away is the Grand Temple of Asmodeus, the largest temple of Asmodeus in Embril. The noble district is to the north and east, while commoners mostly live to the south and west, near the docks. Aslux also contains two significant market areas, one adjacent to the docks, and one closer to the city’s center. Adjacent to the central market is the Grand Gladiator Arena, where slaves, prisoners, monsters, and brave volunteers fight in battles to the death for the entertainment of a cheering crowd. The majority of devils in Tenthell can be found in Aslux. It also has the majority of the country’s tiefling population.
The current magistrate of Aslux is Darwen Inderock.
Cloven (Small City, 9,500): This city sits in the northeast corner of Tenthell. A garrison of troops is always stationed there as a precaution against a sudden invasion from Garamoor. Caravans come and go from Cloven, trading with Zamilon to the east, and some trade with Pasplithene to the north is also seen from time to time, particularly by independent traveling merchants. The city has a little bit of everything, not specializing in any one thing. If one looks for a craftsman with a particular skillset, one can typically be found. Many adventurers venture from Cloven into the Thorn Plains, looking for lost treasures or hunting monsters to sell to the gladiator arenas of Aslux and Shole.
The current magistrate of Cloven is Molor Lundy.
Holdrid (Small City, 8,000): The pace in Holdrid is slower than in the rest of Tenthell. It sees little visitors from outside of the nation, trading mostly with the other cities of Tenthell. The city supports farms in the region, providing tools, workers, and an outlet to sell and trade surplus yields. There are also several ranches south of Holdrid, breeding horses. Holdrid horses are known for their strength and resilience, and are often sought after. Nomads from the Namarak Desert have been known to trade in the horse markets of Holdrid, as these steeds can withstand desert travel.
The current magistrate of Holdrid is Timarin Pazil (tiefling).
Shole (Large City, 23,500): A popular port and the first one found on the eastern shores when entering the Andarian Gulf, Shole usually stays busy. Many merchant and military vessels can be found here at any time. There is also a separate dock area dedicated to fishing boats. Shole caters to travelers of all kinds and provides several inns, taverns, and pleasure dens for visitors to enjoy. In addition, Shole contains a gladiator arena that sees many daily patrons. It is not as large as the arena in Aslux, but it still holds thousands of spectators willing to pay for some brutal entertainment.
The current magistrate of Shole is Pandar Res.

Regional History

The region of present day Tenthell was originally part of the Andarian Empire. After the empire collapsed, the settlements mostly became independent city-states, with the occasional kingdom rising, then eventually falling in a failed attempt to unite the area. When the demon horde appeared in East Andaria and began rampaging to the west, small scatterings of the chaotic creatures broke off in different directions. A few of them even made it as far as Shole before being hunted down.
After the defeat of the horde and the beginning of the Age of Valor, demonic influence steadily grew to the north, spreading from East Andaria. Eventually Garamoor was founded and made efforts to convert all the eastern territories of the Andarian Gulf into demon worship. Before they succeeded, cults worshipping Asmodeus began forming in the region. Devils, being a natural foil for demons, these cults grew in popularity, until they spread to those with true power and influence.
In 166 AV, worshippers of Asmodeus took control in Enmar and founded the nation of Tenthell, making the city its capital and renaming it Aslux, after a pit fiend who helped them take power. Asmodeus was made the state religion. The founders wished to honor their god, the Supreme Master of the Nine Hells, and make their new nation a spiritual tenth hell, thus the name Tenthell was chosen.
The creation of Tenthell led to the immediate start of the Demon-Devil War. This war is really just an extension of the Blood War that has been fought between devils and demons since the creation of both species, unfathomable millennia ago. Battles between these two nations were more numerous as first, but with neither side making any real progress, and with the creation of the city of Church between them in 243 AV, most of the open hostilities have stopped, or at least ceased temporarily. But technically, the two nations are still at war.
In 375 AV, Tenthell invaded and conquered the island of Enera, looking to expand their territory and claim a key island in the Andarian Gulf, hoping to counter Kainish expansion. The king and prince of Enera were executed, but the queen and princess were spared. A magistrate was placed in charge of the island. Shortly after they conquered Enera, however, Kainan declared war on Tenthell and invaded the island. Kainish forces defeated them and they were forced to give up control of the island in 376 AV.
Since then, there have been no open hostilities with Kainan, but Tenthell monitors that nation’s expansion with mistrust. They also have their eternal enemies, Garamoor to the north. To the east, the threat of Zamilon, led by a great wyrm red dragon, continues to expand as well. In the meantime, Tenthell keeps its borders open for trade and attempts to maintain civil, if not good, relations with its neighbors while trying to consolidate its own powerbase. But many in Tenthell, and many outside of this nation as well, believe that the rulers of Tenthell have made pacts with devils loyal to Asmodeus, which would see troops of devils from the Nine Hells come to their aid should they ever truly need it.

Capital
Aslux
Government
Theocracy
Banner/Flag
Black background with a red pentagram
Population
1,680,000 (humans 88%, tieflings 3%, gnomes 2%, half-elves 2%, halflings 2%, dwarves 1%, elves 1%)
Demonym
Tenthite
Religions
Asmodeus
Imports
Armor, fruits, gems, grain, ivory, livestock, metal, ore, slaves, timber, weapons
Exports
Fish, glass, jewelry, pearls, spices, wine
Language
Andarian
Alignment
LN, LE, N

The Continent of Velen

Open full size