Svowmahni

At a Glance Svowmahni perches atop a hill on famous Cape Thahz. At first glance the city rivals Bet Kalamar in size and spectacle, but a visitor soon notices that the houses are larger and the poor section of town does nor sprawl outside of numerous walls like in the larger city. Instead, the city's walls surround nearly all of its buildings, and towers full of armed guards stand vigilantly atop them.

Temples

The Hall of Oaths, the largest temple in Svowmahni, contains an enormous library, from which scribes render copies of "The Word," legal documents, and any ancient works written in Svimohzish they can and. Nearly any literate person can find work there, although the pay is barely more than room and board for most. Ardent (that is, tithing) followers might earn a few gold pieces, and highly skilled artists can gain a reputation, if not great wealth.
The current High Priest, a former merchant named Hilano Aziri, is new to the post. As a partial celebration of his promotion and partial show of power, Hilano conducted a mass wedding of some 2,000 couples from around the island. Following the ceremony (held in the market the day of a double new moon), Hilano appealed to the newlyweds and guests to participate in a faith magic spell that protected the entire city with a magic circle against evil spell. For a full year, no undead or magically summoned creatures may enter the city. He intends ro renew it as needed.
The city's folk also support large temples to the Knight of the Gods, the Eternal Lantern, the Raiser, the Powermaster, the Eye Opener, and the Dark One. Worshippers of any religion may find clerics and temples of their faith here.

Mages & Sages

Hreathwrot, a pale Fhokki from the far north, lives in an apartment in the city. A white dragon killed his family and all of their neighbors when it attacked out of the north in 369 C.M. (558 1.R.) Now, Hreathwrot wants to live as far from the snow as possible.
Shazan Wavemaster bills himself as a "marine navigator." He is indeed a careful and effective navigator. Many captains refuse to hire him anymore, however, since he has a reputation for chasing down pirates and plundering them. His services run 2,000 to 5,000 gold pieces per voyage - each way!

Underworld

Like any large port city, Svowmahni has its share of smugglers. The thieves' guild conducts the majority of these crimes. Guildmaster Vohrol owns a half dozen sailing boats, and they sneak out to a tiny uncharted island, fifty miles off the coast, to meet merchants (usually Brolenese) wishing to avoid certain taxes. 
Svowmahni's thieves' guild is the largest on the island. The light share it demands of its members, the potential for real wealth, and its extensive resources (the guildhouse has maps of virtually every warehouse, noble home, and worthwhile target in the city) combine to make it a benevolent guild up to which the competition cannot stand.

Government

Ozhvinmish's cumbersome eastern government bears the burden of busy trade and a plethora of would-he merchants who think that having money gives them the rights of the nobility. A huge social conflict has been rising in intensity for the past two generations, with each new generation bringing more wealth to the merchants.
Ahzimian, the Steward of Eastern Ozhvinmish, fears that an ancient way of life is about to change, and his son Merazan will see a different kingdom when he grows to adulthood in another ten years. Ahzimian has begun reforms that limit the rights of the rising merchant class, but his efforts come too late to stop the rising tide of merchant power. Merchants already house themselves in armed manor homes and surround themselves with mercenary armies. Their Assembly of Guilds, which was meant to monitor craftsmen and artisans, now controls the valuable port, the city gates, the training and licensing of craftsmen, mercenaries, and the hiring of ship crews.

Defences

Nearly a thousand each of Ozhvinmish's formidable heavy cavalry (lamellar armor, large shield, sword and heavy flail) and light cavalry (padded armor, lance and scimitar) patrol the city and roads nearby. Another thousand crossbowmen (leather armor, heavy crossbow, and hand axe) and a like number of marines (leather or no armor, longsword, and one or more daggers) support them. The number of soldiers stationed in the city is huge, but half the marines stationed there are actually at sea at any given time, and a third of the other troops are in the field.

Industry & Trade

Svowmahni is where most Ozhvinmishii trade rakes place and where the majority of foreign trade occurs. The city's port draws traders from the Kalamaran nations, the Elos Bay, and Pel Brolenon. Easier access makes it a better port than Monam-Ahnozh, and friendlier local merchants (and lighter tariffs) make it more attractive than Ashoshani.
Miners bring gems and lesser stones from the lmomena Hills to export to the rest of the world via Svowmahni's port. Horses from the eastern plains, grains from across the northern edge of the island (including barley, but more often wheat and oats), and soap leave the island from Svowmahni and foreign silver, platinum, armor, and perfume (from Tarisato) are greedily taken in exchange.

Points of interest

A wide, three-tiered fountain cools the citizens and provides a beautiful background for the city's doves. The fountain is often the scene for weddings, the start of parades, and a common landscape background for local paintings.
A massive five-story inn and tavern - the First Inn - charges travelers over ten gold pieces a room, but each room has its own bath! A powerhouse named Ghatha runs it; he needs no bouncers to keep the peace in his place.
The city also keeps all of the dead kings of Ozhvinmish. Six dozen black-and-silver garbed fighters in Full plate and eight clerics of the Speaker of the Word guard the Royal Tombs. Their fancy longswords are not just ceremonial, however, and the guards have no sense of humor when it comes to protecting dead kings. Over 200 kings and royal family members are entombed behind and below them, and none of the guards wants to let disasters involving grave-robbing or undead happen on his shift.

Type

Capital

Population

123,100 Svimohzish humans, gnomes, and dwarves. Fewer than 5,000 of the citizens are demihumans.