Dominion of Leng

The island chain to the east of the Gnolls is the dominion of Leng, the city that is situated on the largest of the islands. Its inhabitans are humans who were once fleeing from the rampaging Gnolls and found themselves in these islands that were once home to an ancient civilization who are known as the "Mazekeepers".

Leng was once a nation of builders. The Mazekeepers pushed their magic to its fullest, making marvelous palaces, massive cities, and exquisite works of craftsmanship. They had a strange fondness for mazes, and many of their ruined cities are surrounded by them.

Now, the Lengi people converted them to temples, cities, tombs and taverns. In time, the islands became a refuge for freedmen and escaped slaves, and the towns prospered. The maze-cities are guarded by pale rodents that wear ritual masks, known as the "Besshiru", who bar entry from those with unpure intentions. These rodents are the last thing left by the old mazekeeper civilization.

Leng’s industrious inhabitants were cursed by the god Uun to become wrinkled rat like creatures, driven by an insatiable need to build, though in their haste they rarely build anything of quality. For unknown reasons, most of them moved to the Dem Helidden Peninsula, which they turned into a massive, filthy cluster of crumbling cities. But a few remain in the core of Leng, or certain other coastal holdings, where they watch from the shadows as newcomers struggle to prosper in the ruins of their kingdom, and sometimes intervene. These rare individuals are in fact the cursed elite of Leng, now immortal, and retaining enough of their former power to sometimes do good, though they usually mop about sullenly in the ruins of their proudest creations, or join their descendants in their wild industry, sometimes for decades at a time.

Salt cod, walrus tusks, sealskins, and whale oil form the greater part of s trade, as the waters in the Leng Bay are frigid and uncontested by other whalers and fishermen.

## History

During the time of the Merfolk Empire, the Ancient Kingdom of Leng was one of five kingdoms making up the wider Empire. They were infamous for using their magic to help them build massive buildings, fortresses, and mazes. Some say these fortifications were simply a precaution in case another divine backed empire launched an all out war against Leng, but others noted that was unlikely at the time, and that some of the mazes and fortresses may be preventing the wrong people from coming in contact with an unknown evil, deep within the most dangerous of the mazes. However, it is hard to say for sure in modern times. The Merfolk Empire was ruined by its own god over 1500 years ago, and much of Leng’s knowledge was lost in the process.

Most of Leng’s inhabitants were said to be cursed to become near-insane rat-like creatures, who, for unknown reasons migrated to the Dem Helidden Peninsula.

Only a few individuals remained, the Besshiru, said by some to be the now immortal cursed inhabitants of Leng’s most prominent citizens. Some believe the Besshiru were meant to be the demented ringleaders of the insane ratfolk nation, but a few seem to have somehow retained their magic and their sanity and instead help guard the deepest portions of the mazes, fortresses, and labyrinths from those with intentions they deem impure.

Almost immediately after the fall of Ancient Leng, there were some, generally pirates, fugitives, and looters, who tried to colonize Leng Island, but most such colonies disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and the island became regarded as cursed. However, in secret, some researchers from the Khenomeric Empire eventually managed to figure out the strange rules and habits of the Besshiru and other maze-dwellers and establish a few minor outposts.

Leng Island remained nearly empty until about two centuries ago, when several major cities along the southern coast of the remains of the Khenomeric Empire fell to the gnolls, prompting the elite to flee. Some who knew of the secret outposts settled on Leng Island made their way there, and established a secretive magocracy. But within a short time, the new civilization grew tired of isolation (and doing their own grunt work) and began allowing limited immigration of those willing to assimilate into their culture and accept long indentures.

Today, Leng Island is still relatively sparsely populated, but has become a moderately important trade hub and source of luxury goods, though among those with an interest in magic and history, Leng is more interesting for its carefully horded knowledge of old secrets of the Khenomeric and Merfolk Empires.

## Government

Leng is an oligarchy dominated by families descended from the original elites who fled to the island. These families are in turn served by peasants and indentures who work their land, crew their ships, and work as domestics. Originally these were the only two social classes, but over time a middle-class has formed made up of craftsmen, captains, tavern owners, etc., who bought their way out of bondage and either built a small business, or continue to work for their previous masters but with more freedom and better pay.

The heads of main families meet periodically to resolve disputes, make new laws, appoint officials, and decide on state policy.

## Economy

The island is rocky and not well suited to farming, but is still self sufficient in food, both from small farms, and the fishing communities.

Fishing and whaling generates a fairly large surplus of meat, which is mostly salted, then sold to Drunigzar. Whale oil, walrus tusks, and seal skins are also major exports.

Mining is fairly rare, other than silver, which they have an abundance of.

Many merchant ships from the north end their journey here, unwilling to compete with Drunigzar and their rock bottom rates for shipping. As a result, the harbor cities all contain large warehouses full of goods dropped off by ships from the Kingdom of Silver, Seagard, Elanxa, and others, that then will be transferred to ships from Drunigzar.

Leng is mostly content to allow others to handle merchant shipping, but they do have a few merchant ships they use for secretive trade deals with Okhost, Tenzin, and Elanxa among others.

## Foreign Relations

### Okhost, the Astromancers, certain druid factions, Elanxa, and a few more secretive societies

The inner circle of mages on Leng consider themselves, and the elite of these other factions to be among the last few true heirs of the Khenomeric Empire’s traditions. Although they don’t trust them, they do sometimes trade ancient secrets and knowledge with them.

### Drunigzar

Has become a major importer of salted meat from Leng as its population has outgrown its marginal land. They are also a major purchaser of whale, walrus, and seal parts like skins, oils, and carved tusks and bones, as well as silver. Leng regards Drunigzar as a nation of greedy weasels (particularly due to their trade with the hated gnolls), but still value their coins and willingness to ship Lengi products further south at cheap rates.

### Seagard, Elanxa, Avangar, and the Kingdom of Silver

The main trading partners for goods going northwards, Leng trades oil, seal skins, silver, carved tusks and bones for coin, silver bars, and metals (Leng is mostly a net exporter of silver, but also import some from Seagard, who use silver bars for many of their purchases).

### Ruins of the Merfolk Empire

As the core of both ancient Leng, as well as the surface component of the merfolk kingdom of Akuwamaden, the Ruins have nearly as many hidden treasures and guardians as Leng Island, plus a few Besshiru. The modern Lengi often launch expeditions to the Ruins, but the area is considered too dangerous for permanent inhabitation.

## Geography

Leng Island and its smaller siblings are sunny and dry, though not as warm as the mainland due to cold ocean currents. The islands are natural fortresses, as the oceanfront mostly consists of tall cliffs with piles of jagged rock at the bottom. The few breaks in the cliffs have been blocked with maze-like fortress, towns, and cities. Although many such constructs are now empty, finding ones way through the mazes aren’t easy, and some still have dangerous guardians.

Away from the coasts are a mix of rocky grasslands, pastures, fields, and small forests. Many ruins are still considered dangerous and are given a wide berth, though as population growth is low and the island was only recently settled, there is no shortage of land, and many other areas are left empty as hunting grounds for the wealthy families.

## Demographics

### Humans

Humans make up the majority of the population. The elites are “South Coast Khenomerics”, an ethnic group that could be easily mistaken for Azanese, though there is no known linkage. Most folk allowed to settle the island since then are from similar groups, though some are from ethnicities further north along the coast. In the port cities once can find all sorts of folk from the eastern side of the continent. Lengi are known for their archaic clothing taken from their region of the Khenomeric Empire. Light skirts, robes, gowns, tunics, and loin clothes are common, and many, but not all female fashions involve bared breasts.

### Monsters

All sorts of strange golems, hybrids, undead, bound demons, and stranger things can be found deep within the mazes. They are few in number, but very powerful, and no two seem to be completely alike. In theory they never leave the deepest parts of the mazes, but in practise some say they can leave to wipe out communities that displease them, or if commanded by the Besshiru. This hasn’t happened on Leng Island for a while, but may still happen in the Merfolk Ruins if the stories are to be believed.

### Besshiru

Said to be the cursed elite of old Leng, they sometimes appear in the mazes to provide snippets of information, misled adventurers, or even command monsters. Their goals are mysterious, but some believe they want to guide the new Lengi to develop a culture similar to the old Lengi, but deeply fear capture, and therefore only appear to those who seek them out in the mazes. They also seem to be guarding something though, secrets they believe are better off forgotten.

### Squid-folk

These foul creatures are said to be the cursed elite of the eastern merfolk civilization. No two look completely alike. Some also have masses of tentacles for arms, faces, heads, or legs, while others look more octopus like, or are covered in growths of seaweed, mussels, coral, barnacles, and/or sea lice. They seem to flip between aggressively sadistic and deeply depressed, and as a result few land dwellers are ever happy to see them. Luckily they are rare, even around Leng Island and the the Merfolk Ruins. Despite popular believe, they have nothing to do with Squid Island, though they have been encountered anywhere in the eastern ocean as far north as Kentgorod, and as far south as Kinalonga.

## Religion

The Lengi mostly worship the old gods they brought with them when they went into exile. Two particularly popular goddesses are Tauora, the bull-headed goddess of war, bravery, and athleticism, and Kagal, the goddess of mystery, knowledge, and magic.

## Military

The Lengi tend to think defensively, not surprisingly since their islands are natural fortresses, made all but impenetrable by the old Lengi.

Magic is their main asset. They use a mix of Khenomeric magic, old Lengi magic, plus tricks they picked up across the globe. Alchemic bombs, fire projectors, and pyromancy are particularly popular against ships, while golem creation, plant magic, certain tricks derived from necromancy, and enchantments are also popular.

Soldiers tend not to wear heavy armor, and the bow, short sword, javelin, and spear are the preferred weapons.