Shrogga-pravaaz

At a Glance

The city has a mixture of buildings sized for humanoids as small as kobolds and as large as ogres side by side. The gates are massive and ominously suggest that even larger creatures might reside inside.

Temples

The Way.of the Berserk, the Temple of the Stars, the Temple of the Three Strengths, The Landlord, the Church of Chance, the Church of Endless Night, the House of Hunger, the Temple of Strife, and the Conventicle of Affliction have the largest followings in Shrogga-pravaaz. The Prince of Terror is influential among both natives and transients as well.
Temples attempt to ask for outrageous "rithes"—some as much as 50% of a person's income. Few receive this amount even from the most faithful of followers. Temples are not exempt from taxes of their own, but the prevalence of this tithe collection has encouraged the boldest of con artists to pose as clerics and attempt to collect tithes in the name of a god not represented by an established temple.

Mages & Sages

Wizards in Shrogga-pravaaz are targets of theft because the superstitious natives believe them to be replete with magical items. Their books, weapons, and even clothing arc likely to be lifted and spirited away as soon as they are out of the wizard's sight for a moment. Therefore, wizards tend to disguise themselves by carrying cutlasses and bucklers and pretending to be pirates. Grahahn Sepicer is an exception to the rule. After allowing a would-be thief to escape all the way to the nearest market, Grahahn expertly singled him out with a lightning bolt that left nearby merchants (and pickpockets and con men) with their hair on end but unharmed.

Underworld

The mines are full of stories about miners who kept gems the size of a fist without reporting them and retired. The mine owners do not stop the stories because they inspire hope and keep morale high, but if any thief is so bold as to attempt holding back on gems, the criminal is publicly executed within hours.
Oora is one thief lucky enough to elude them so far. Oora discovered a flawless gem and planted it on her husband, a drunken sot who was lucky to dig a foot a day and took all of her hard-earned bonuses. Since the guards all knew he did not work, they did not bother to search him. Once out of the mines, she gave him one last kiss—just long enough to retrieve her jewel—and never entered the mines again.

Government

Shosan-haasav, a kobold shaman, rules the city as mayor. The mayor answers to the kobold chieftain Drossen-malak Traaggar. The mayor enforces his will by a combination of spell power and loyal followers. As a last resort, he can call upon the wrath of the kobold chieftain, but Traaggar has been known to side against a mayor before and throw him to the lions in the city's arena.

Defences

A mercenary force of 125 hobgoblins and humans is on permanent commission in the city (at least, it has been since 530 I.R.). Ironically, this mercenary group has greater morale and professionalism than many regulars. The hobgoblins are often deserters from Norga-Krangrel and bring with them that nation's vigorous military training. The humans are usually former pirates (some of whom began as soldiers in Tokis originally).
The soldiers are individually powerful and their favorite tactic is to appear to break ranks as an enemy approaches, inviting a premature charge. The skilled warriors disable their inferior enemies and then reform, dividing the enemy ranks and severing communications. Captain Rolakk pays his soldiers well and they are nothing if not loyal to the highest bidder.
Shosan-haasav's personal bodyguard could overpower some small units alone. He handpicks his kobolds for skill with blade and loyalty, while he chooses his ogre bodyguards based on size and stupidity.

Guilds and Factions

The city sits near a rich collection of mines that produce one of the world's greatest concentrations of gemstones (bloodstones, opals, amethyst and especially onyx). For these valuable resources, the kobolds ask for lumber, food, textiles, and wines. Their largest trading partners are Prompeldia, Norga-Krangrel, Bet Urala, and the huge trade cities of Svimohzia. Merchants traveling the Elos Road purchase water here. Kobold merchants also take casks of water into the dozens of villages in the interior. Primary trades include gemcutting and jewelry-making.
If piracy counts as a trade, Shrogga-pravaaz has its share of masters and eager journeymen.

Points of interest

Drossen-malak Traaggar and the majority of the Kobolds actually live just west of Shroggapravaaz in a stretch of limestone canyons carved by long dead rivers. There, sustained by vast water-filled caverns, they work mines that extend much deeper than the kobolds can mine them. The kobolds on the lowest worked levels nonchalantly toss out husks of dwarven miners from long ago that were instantly mummified without even considering what caused the desiccation of the bodies. Few races other than kobolds could work the diminutive mines (4 feet high by no more than 3 feet wide).

Type

City

Location under

Elos Desert