Birpud

At the bottom of a foggy desert quarry lies Birpud, a town built around the entrance to the mysterious Nazwarin Caverns. The Nazwarin Caverns are a vast underground cave system that was famously deadly to traverse, until recently. After a group of adventurers cleared the small part of the Nazwarin Caverns starting at Birpud, many refugees from the Caverns emerged from the darkness, seeking to build a new life above ground. These refugees have joined together with a group of Bariyan settlers from Seqhad to build the town of Birpud and uncover the mysterious below the sands.
The largest central building is the mansion-sized Ziggurat of Nazwarin, a fully excavated and repurposed flat pyramid-like structure that now serves as the central area of residence in Birpud. Within the flat and square ziggurat are small residencies, market stalls, armories, storage rooms and more. It is believed that the Ziggurat of Nazwarin used to function as a prison complex for the Blue Flame; a destructive ancient cult that was dealt with centuries ago.

Demographics

The most common inhabitants at Birpud are the Seqhadi that settled there a few years ago. Other inhabitants mostly include refugees and immigrants from the nearby areas. The most common inhabitants are:

• Seqhadi: these are the groups of Bariyan settlers hailing from Seqhad. They were first sent there by Trade Prince Warda Nassir to investigate Qurio, but it eventually became its own independent settlement. They are mostly historians, archaeologists and various researchers, making them relatively friendly.
• Mezzoloth: a race of humanoid instects that was once under the dark control of a Yuan-Ti warlord in Qurio, now freed from their pact. The mezzoloths often act as mercenaries, finding fulfilment in working for an employer of any kind. The Mezzoloth are in possession of the Book of Names, the ancient demonic artefact that allowed others to control them as long as they had the book in their possession. Entho'Mere acquired the book from the Yuan-Ti warlord, and gave it back to the Mezzoloth to give them back their free will. It's currently deep within a heavily secured vault within Birpud.
• Crystal Galeb Duhr: a rare subrace of guardians originating from the Nazwarin Caverns. A handful of freed hostages made their way to Birpud to start a life among the researchers. These crystal galeb duhr have an affinity for magic, and tend to act as the town's magical line of defense. The crystals growing on their bodies enable them to shoot beams of arcane energy. There is some tension between them and the Mezzoloths, since they were the Crystal Galeb Duhr's captors.
• Myconid thralls: a rare few of the refugees came out of the caverns with fungal growths all over them. These undead individuals are resurrected by and connected to the Myconid Sovereign within the Nazwarin Caverns. They operate within a kind of religious group that reveres the Myconid Sovereign as its deity. Even though they are friendly and open to anyone, they are seen as eerie zombified individuals with no free will.

Government

Birpud is largely ungoverned. The city's defenses and decisions on trade, infrastructure and other assets are largely made by Hashu Nassir, who founded the settlement. Much of the matters within the settlement revolve around the Nazwarin caverns and expeditions leading into it, leaving governing at a lower priority.

Industry & Trade

Birpud trades mostly in treasures, precious minerals and supplies of sandstone. Whatever items are found or mined within the caverns that the settlement doesn't require themselves are sold off to merchants from Tazdahur, Al Jafer and Seqhad.

History

Birpud was originally an abandoned set of ruins with an entrance to the Nazwarin Caverns. When a group of adventurers cleared the caverns from a dark presence, the entrance was safe for archaeologists and researchers to settle at Birpud to study the caverns. It was revealed that an ancient city named Qurio laid deep in the heart of the Nazwarin caverns. Delegations of settlers from Seqhad became the first to arrive at Birpud, turning the strange ruins into a research outpost and eventually into a thriving town.
Over time, more and more refugees emerged from the cavern entrance, all finally free from the darkness below. With the guidance of these refugees, researchers have begun to lead expeditions down to the depths below, hoping to uncover more of the deadly abandoned city of Qurio. The first few expeditions were succesful, bringing the town ancient relics and artefacts from below, at the cost of the lives of many of the expedition members.
After a few years, some of the researchers presumed dead emerged from the caverns, now covered in fungal growths. These Myconid thralls were shunned at first. When it was clear that they did possess some of their personality and memories of their former lives, they were allowed to remain. After a few weeks, they formed a religious group around the Myconid Sovereign, the being that had brought their dead bodies back to life.

Tourism

Birpud sees many adventurers that wish to travel into the Nazwarin caverns. Some enter the caves alone and do not return. Most join larger expeditions planned by Birpud's inhabitants, and offer to protect and assist them.

Founding Date

15th of Blautsnaer, 2210

Alternative Name(s)

Gates of Nazwarin

Type

Village

Population

400

Related Ethnicities

• Bariyan

Owner/Ruler

Hashu Nassir

Characters in Location

• Aya
• Captain Zekar
• Hashu Nassir
• Ishnar
• Kuari
• Rusty
• Scout
• Smithy
• Tinker
• Umberhulk