Kenkoa

Kenkoa, known historically as Kenkoa the Great and more recently as the Corpse City, is the largest city in the Naganti Desert. It is one of the oldest settlements in Axildor, and perhaps in Orbis as a whole, widely accepted to have been one of the first large settlements of the Solpharans during their invasion around 2500 b.Au, through which they maintained control of the whole north of Orbis. Kenkoa has seen dozens of wars and sieges throughout its five millennia history, however the sheer number of occurrences during the Age of Petty Kings has left it a ghost city.

Once a metropolitan city of equivalent scale to Argentum, Kenkoa now no longer has the population to sustain the massive sprawling cityscape. Crime, banditry and more sinister professions have taken root in the unoccupied spaces of the wider city, which has resulted in a walled enclosure being built at the centre of Kenkoa to separate the law abiding inner city to the criminally infested outer city.

The inner city hosts the Palace of Kings, as well as three pyramids: The Grand Library of Kenkoa, the Tomb of Ignotus Aurum, and the Hall of Small Pleasures. There is a Masonry Guild, a Brewers Guild and a Cartographers Guild. It hosts the Cathedral of Kossuth, where religious worship of the fire deity is believed to have been founded. It also has temples dedicated to Imix and Zaaman Rul. A church of Salino is also situated across from the Font of the City, a grand water fountain that supplies the city with its water but whose source is unknown. Many churches, such as those dedicated to Cumulus, Anima, and a series of older gods, have over time fallen into disrepute and been claimed by the migrant kenku which flock to the city.

The outer city, situated between the giant outer walls of the city and the less impressive but better kept inner walls of the city, has for several hundred years been descending into a greater sense of lawlessness. Several criminal syndicates are known to operate in the area, such as the Brass Hand, the Desert Sons and the Scarlet Band Gang. These syndicates use the city as bases to create illegal substances to ship to other towns and cities and often engage in turf wars. They also provide protection rackets for those living in the outer city.

It is common for marauding bandits to take shelter within the city, should they do something warranting their pursuit by other locations in the Naganti, (primarily Kindali.) Frequent sightings of hyenas within the city has led many to speculate that a Cult of Yeenoghu exists, but this has never been conclusively proven. The outer city provides sanctuary for many creatures that would otherwise be rejected by society - kenku, roachlings, kobolds, goblins, etc. The sick and infirm are also often moved to the outer city to prevent the spread of disease.

Though the largest city in the Naganti, Kenkoa's sparse population and mostly ruinous landscape means that in recent years it has fallen under the jurisdiction of the market town of Kindali. In the year 618 a.Fe, the baron of Kenkoa was overthrown and a ruling council put in its place, formed of the guildmasters and priestly orders within the city. Though no bloodshed was reported in this coup, the baron was never subsequently seen. As Kenkoa had already fallen to many bandit lords and self-styled kings in the preceding centuries, the Council of Kenkoa was granted administrative power over the city, whilst still ultimately paying fealty to the Count of Kindali.

In the year 643 a.Fe., the ruling council was itself overthrown and a self-styled Lord of Kenkoa now rules the city.