Vitaurum

The Portwall is a small island off Vitaurum’s eastern coast.
It has acted as a natural barrier against sea invasion for Vitaurum’s history,
and is also one of the few areas of the country which can consistently grow
healthy crops.

Culturally, many people in Vitaurum enjoy rousing music and
bloodsport. In some shadier regions of the country, sentient beings are pitted
against each other in fights to the death. These matches bring in tons of
revenue through gambling.

Mayors of the cities are generally pawns of one crime lord
or another and hold very little real power of their own.

crime lords essentially hold sway over the country’s economy. Vim Darklighter was the big boss for almost a century. After his death, a new crime lord calling himself Eighth Son, a rising “star” in criminal enterprise, began to amass power. He became the head of Shapeir’s economic consortium, the largest in the
continent. He criminal empire had been expanding before he was captured and sent to trial by the Sandstriders.

Vitaurum is home to many precious gems, some rare species of
high-value animals, and materials for stoneworking. The average Vituaran takes
to working in mines, hunting, security/caravan work, or farming (if living on
the Portwall). Most are poor and indebted to one crime lord or another.

The slave trade is also highly popular among the crime lords
of Vitaurum. The Grey Council speaks out against slavery but turns a giant
blind eye to the problem.

#### Military

The
Vitaurum military is not very large, when compared on a transnational scale. It
is not even the largest force in the continent; that title belongs to the
“security” forces of the Shapeir Economic Consortium.

#### Threats

The
crime lords each play their own political games, many times with deadly
consequences. Oftentimes fights between warring parties will break out in city
streets without regard for innocent life caught in between. The government and
crime syndicates alike have been known to put out hits on anyone from a rival
crime lord to even children.

Various wagoneer gangs roam the deserts, looking to pounce
on travelers or caravans and steal their supplies. These gangs modify normal
caravan wagons to be deadly instruments, installing swords on the spokes of the
wheels, harpoon guns, and even crude flamethrowers to the back. Living in the
desert has chipped away at the higher functions of their mind, leaving them
highly aggressive.

Scorpions, some as large as dogs, also live in the desert,
as well as species of coyote and vultures.

#### Religion

The
Grey Council claims to be a theocracy acting in the name of a higher power.
However, they never give specifics, and the general population doesn’t care
enough anymore to ask.

The Grey Sisters are an order who practice spirit and ancestor
worship. They aren’t completely cloistered but generally avoid leaving their
temples as much as possible.

Plenty worship members of the Council of Three, and there
are temples to each in every city. Asmodeus also has a strong following here,
and his temple can be found in every city as well.

#### Magic

There are
no formal wizarding schools in Vitaurum. However, magic users often offer to
tutor those with innate ability – for a fee, or for future services. Most magic
users end up in the employ of a crime lord.