Nautyl’leh (Not-tell-lay)

Nautyl’leh is the ancestral home of the kegani and the largest city in the Aurrus Sais. To those above the waves, the city entrance is large, but nothing particularly grand. It is a large, pale cave with spires extending from its top and sides. However, the view beneath the water tells another story. The terrestrial entrance is simply the top of a massive conch shell, with the remaining volume of the shell hidden beneath the amber waves. Massive spikes jut out from the shell, with the few that breach the surface casting an eerie shadow over the seascape. The bottom of the conch rests on the seafloor, but the city itself exists both within the shell and outside of it. Steps have been carved from the entrance of Nautyl’leh and descend all the way down along the shell walls. Many of the buildings are supported by a strange mixture of Venusian coral and metals found on the seafloor giving the atmosphere of the interior city an even more alien atmosphere than one would expect. While one can surprisingly find gas lamps in the city, there also appear to be light sources based around bioluminescent algaes and the bulbs of an anko, meaning that visitors don’t have to stumble in the dark. Deeper in the city, the air bubble contained by the shell gives way to the sea water. As the steps continue down into the water, so do the buildings, even when the exit of the shell opens up to the open waters. These buildings are made of hardier materials than those built in the shell interior. Heavy stone and metals support them from both erosion and rough tides. Obviously, this section of the city does not get nearly as many visitors as the upper city, and as such is mainly used for housing and for matters that the residents would rather not have outsiders looking into. Those who do visit the city will find some of their customs strange. Before you enter there is a mandatory offering you must partake in. Whether this be food, materials, or luxury, it does not seem to matter, simply that you pay tribute. Travelers often say to always be aware of what you say and do in the city of Nautyl’leh. The residents have strange customs and as such may be offended, or worse, enraged. This ties largely into the religious beliefs of the city residents which are largely a mystery to outsiders. Most of what is known is that the religious leader and city leader are one in the same: The Hollow King. The Hollow King is a descendent of a specific type of kegani that most closely resembles a hermit crab. Little is known about them as they are seldom seen in public, but this is what is known. Their shell has been passed down from ruler to ruler for generations, with the shell seemingly growing from bits of coral and other alien material being added. The Hollow King, like all other kegani, is said to be descended from Basatan, an ancient beast whose shell the city of Nautyl’leh itself is contained in. This beast has been long dead, but The Hollow King seems to be set on preparing for its return, whenever that may be.

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