Nargila

The city of floating palaces.   Nargila is a stationary aquatic community with both air and water breathing residents.  The community gets it name from the four interconnected floating palatial ships that are permanently moored here.  The popular legends hold that the four ships were the pride and joy of four gnomish communities that came from islands whose names are now largely forgotten.  The legend goes on to say that four rulers three kings and a queen named, Perva the Beautiful, all agreed to meet in neutral waters to decide which of the three kings would be allowed to marry the queen and form a dynasty for the gnomes throughout Aquaticus.  At the time of the meeting centuries ago, the three kings took turns hosting lavish feasts and games to woo the queen.  Little did they know, she had no intention of marrying any of them.  The kings being gnomes and spoiled rulers had never faced not getting what they wanted.  The queen would keep all of them playing against each other as she had her people on her ships marry into the lesser ranks of the three kings.  The legend says that after almost 60 years of trying to become “the king”  to marry the queen they decided among themselves that she would never choose any of them.  All four rulers agreed to a meeting to discuss how the gnomish people would move on from this stalemate.  Still the brightest of the four the queen said “Let the last one of us to leave this place be the supreme ruler over all gnomes.”

Pride being what it is to a king, the three sent more support ships to their home islands demanding huge amounts of stores to be able to stay as long as needed to become the ruler over all the gnomes.  So began the waiting game.  Having been anchored in the waters for so long several of the gnomes took to going into the water to search below for things that would help their ruler gain an advantage.  Over the next 60 years some of these gnomes either through repeated exposure to the water or through some magical event grew gills and were able to breath both air and water.

Now sons and daughters of all four rulers left at home gave up on their parents and took over leadership in one form or another where the four rulers had originated from.  When the supply boats came they refused to fill them anymore.  Whether they planned it so or the Great Spirit had a hand in it all four were cut off from getting supplies within the same year.  ANother council was held by the four rulers and they were in great distress over this and that it could mean having to leave to go home and retake their own thrones.  Perva once again played on their fears, she claimed to have found an unending source of all the supplies she would need so the other three could concede and name her ruler over all gnomes.  Since they had basically spent their lives in a fruitless game of trying to achieve the title the refused knowing they could not hope to stay as long as she claimed she could.  They returned to their grand ships and sent out scouting parties far and wide looking for supplies of all kinds.  In the end they would begin trade with many places and peoples.  Soon, trade became as much of a focus as the need to remain to be the supreme ruler.

Now 100s of years later, the royals on the four palace ships have held onto the idea that one day one or more of the other ships will leave.  These gnomes, now known as the lost royals trade for raw materials and sell many finely crafted items and things harvested from deep in the sea.  The hereditary rulers and their petty courts are still technically in charge of each of their ships and the people on them.  In truth, all but the royals have long since moved on and have developed great crafting halls and places of magic on the ships.  Most are intermarried so that in truth they are one unified people.  Many of the gnomes who choose to adventure come from here as there is nothing “new” here.

Visitors are welcome to trade with the gnomes through the Imperial agents that are stationed on each ship.