Naraka

Naraka is an organization of powerful Chosen that rule over an archipelago in the north-east of Vaniya. At it's head is Zoltan Kiskocka.

## History

~~Rosèport, officially the City-State of Rosèport, is an independent city-state located in northwest Vaniya, located in northern archipelago bordering the tribes of Aonachd. The land now occupied by Rosèport has been loosely settled since ancient times by inhabitants of the Kingdom of Aonachd, used at times as a whaling settlement due to the ease of access into the northern Vaniyan sea. It was not until long after Aonachd's sundering that Rosèport gained a permanent, yearlong population.~~

~~Long after the sundering Rosèport increasingly became home to refugees fleeing from the increasing violence present in the former Aonachd's lands. In a large part those who were formally of the Airgid Tribe found their way to what would eventually become Rosèport, fleeing the extreme xenophobia and beliefs of elven supremacy. For a long time, these settlers had a meager existence, living under the notice of their neighbors in numbers that never reached three digits.~~

~~Despite the rapid colonization of Vaniya by settlers from Tolreiya and Calmera, the lack of interaction with the outside world left Rosèport ignorant to any changes. Only recently, following an assault on the city by attempted small group of colonists, adventures, and former Risovians led by Count Zoltan Kiskocka, did this change. Despite having no warning of the coming attack, the rapid pace of their preparations, poor funding, and general lack of morale lead to the Count’s forces being easily defeated by the defenders of Rosèport and the Count himself being slain. Captured remnants of the Count's warband were interrogated to learn of the ongoings of the outside world, and those who swore an oath of loyalty to Rosèport were allowed to stay so long as they could prove themselves useful and loyal to the city.~~

The activities of Naraka began with the fabrication of Rosèport. Where no settlement had ever been, one would be fabricated from the ground up in North-Eastern Vaniya, where Chosen had yet to travel. It was there that a history would be created and propagated, and followers of the Naraka project would plan out the base of their power. Claiming to be a miniscule native settlement, Rosèport would offically declare itself as having defeated the forces of Zoltan Kiskocka's settler party. Zoltan Kiskocka faked his death in the process, and in his place rose the fake Queen Tinuviel. Settlers from every continent would be attracted to this newly founded city, both natives of Vaniya and adventurers of the old world. All the while Naraka stayed in hiding, controlling the city-state of Rosèport from the underground. With the glory of its false victory over the vampiric menace Rosèport rapidly ballooned in size, setting up colonies throughout the surrounding archipelago. Eventually the isle of Airgid was conquered and swallowed into this newfound empire. A short golden age was achieved, in which trade funneled wealth into the nation's coffers and culture flourished. Unfortunately, eventually Naraka's machinations would come to a head.

It was on the 21st of Erastus, Year 11 that disaster struck Rosèport. A rogue Dungeon Core would activate beneath the city, spewing out thousands of undead through Rosèport’s sewer systems overnight. Suspected to have been through the activities of Naraka, the city would quickly become enveloped by this necrotic menace and fall. Over the course of the following week nearly the entire population of Rosèport would perish, and over 30,000 people would forcibly be turned undead. Once the resulting chaos subsided the city-state would reorganize itself, forming into a great Necropolis upon the shattered souls of the previously damned inhabitants.

## Government

~~Formally Rosèport is a monarchy, however the authority of the ruling family is often only nominal. Until recent times there were so few citizens in Rosèport that there was no need for a formal bureaucracy or extensive legal code. Council meetings that consisted of the entire population were common whenever an issue needed to be decided, with the royal family acting in a role more similar to hereditary mayors than anything befitting of royalty. As a result of the recent rapid population growth the former format of council meetings have become impossible, and as a result a small fledgling bureaucracy apparatus has been formed.~~

The Naraka Organization rules the former lands of Rosèport with an iron fist. The actual role of those officially within the Narakan Organization is at times vague. Those within the Upper Cadre are effectively able to act above the law, able to do as they please without facing any consequence. Within the organization a lower beauacracy exists, formed of Municipal Councils for each individual city Naraka controls. Each city has limited control over their own council, able to elect or declare members to it as they see fit. Local laws are allowed to be written to an extent, so long as the general law as set forth by Naraka is followed above all else.

Throughout the land individuals known as Sommeliers act as active agents of the Naraka Organization. Serving as hidden agents, their identities are generally unknown to the public and are directly responsible for intelligence, counterintelligence, and disinformation activities within Naraka and abroad. Some may be assigned responsibility to areas as small as a single neighborhood and others as large as an entire town, but generally their territories do not overlap. There is no direct hierarchy within the Sommeliers and even they will not know the identities of others, but tales of their activities, often needlessly brutal and sadistic, are always whispered about with fear.

## Geography

Rosèport has long but relatively mild winters and short, cool summers. Snowfall is common in the north during the winter, but overall temperature extremes are rare. Despite its northern position it is influenced by the warning current of the Central Vaniyan Sea, leaving it much warmer than other locations of the same longitude. Average annual temperatures vary from 6 °C (42.8 °F) in the south to 3 °C (37.4 °F) in the north, and annual rainfall around 450 mm (17.7 in). Fog is very frequent. Very strong winds whip the region compelling trees to grow in twisted and bent shapes known as flag trees, where all branches on the windward side of a tree are killed or deformed by the almost constant strong winds.

Most of the island consists of a mosaic of low-growing plants, including dwarf shrubs and wind-sheared trees, cushion plants, grasses, and mosses. These plants can form an underlayer of blanket peat and boggy areas. In more sheltered areas, small stands of evergreen forest can be found. Around the island's center the lessened exposure to oceanic wind and rain gives way to small amounts of evergreen rainforests.

Agriculture is extremely limited in Rosèport, leading to most food being provided through whaling. Present agriculture can only entirely be found in farmed strawberries and barberries. Due to the near entirety of Rosèport's population being present in the coastal region of the island the interior is near completely devoid of any touches of civilization. Common sights in the inland's interior are deer, cougars, otters, and many variations of rodents. Native bird species to the interior include woodpeckers, mockingbirds, finches, and condors. The rich coastal waters and numerous rocky islets host many seabirds, including albatrosses, auks, gulls, terns, and penguins.

Other than whales, the most profitable industry in Rosèport, a large variety of fish can be found in the coastal waters. Sea bass, salmon, tuna, eel, and mussels are all commonly found in the waters surrounding Rosèport and are caught as a source of subsistence and as popular exports.

## Inhabitants

### Princess Tinuviel

~~Following her father's death at the hands of invaders, the young Princess Tinuviel ascended the throne of Rosèport. Despite styling herself as a member of royalty the island nation is so impoverished that she has little wealth to show for her supposed status as princess. The low population and rise of the fledgling bureaucratic apparatus leave her largely as a figurehead, serving to oversee ceremonies and serve as a representative of Rosèport to foreigners.~~

### Archbishop Aiden Darklaw

His Excellency Aiden S. Darklaw was invited from the neighboring land of Skeksha in order to provide spiritual guidance to the populace of Rosèport. It is due to his influence that the worship of Nethys took root among the elves of Rosèport, and his charisma and wisdom allowed him to quickly be granted the title Archbishop of Rosèport. When the time came to destroy Rosèport, it was Aiden that allowed Zoltan Kiskocka into the city. He and his 'understudies', according to witnesses who lived to tell the tale, personally joined the fighting on the side of the undead, going out of his way to target people he knew to not have any magical abilities.

## Religion, Magic, Technology, & Military

### Religion

Only Urgathoa and Nethys are recognized as proper, true Gods by law in Naraka. All others have been declared either pretenders unfit for the title of God or subordinates. Other deities who share the domains of Undeath or Magic are often considered to be directly subordinate to Urgathoa or Nethys, or occasionally merely as aspects of those two overdieties confused as unique beings. The focus on piety has effectively turned Naraka into an explicit dual-theocracy. Religious service run by the state is mandatory, and attendance to either the Church of the Pallid Princess or the All-Seeing Eye is required once weekly. Many cathedrals are dedicated to both these Gods in a unique syncretic fusion of the faiths, and house specific sections of worship dedicated each aspect of the two Gods.

The worship of Good aligned deities usually results in either death or imprisonment, depending on the specific God at hand. The severity of punishment generally depends on both the specific faith and the fervor of the enforcer, and as a result the consequences are often inconsistent. For example, despite being Good aligned the worship of Cayden Calien is often considered to be subordinate to the worship of Urgathoa under the aspect of hedonism, and thus occasionally tolerated.

The worship of pagan or false Gods requires official permission from the state, and firstly requires an official petition made by a group of individuals who follow said faith during which all must be identified. Almost always this results in the immediate slaughter of those involved, but should this for whatever reason not happen all those who take part in the pagan degeneracy must identify themselves and gain paperwork enabling them to actively worship their “God”. This paperwork must be carried on their person at all times, and all those who worship must acknowledge their God to be subordinate to the Dual-Faith in some manner. Places of pagan activity are supervised with a watchful eye, often with agents of the Dual-Faith infiltrating their ranks. Strict regulations ensure that any shrine or place of worship is unimpressive compared to those dedicated to Urgathoa and Nethys, although the degree to which this applies depends on the specific God. Those who have some connection to magic, undeath, disease, or hedonism are often looked upon fondly so long as they acknowledge the superiority of the Dual-Faith.

### Magic

Those who are incapable of using magic are considered to be stateless in the eyes of Naraka. No law applies to them, and no consequences arise from their murder or imprisonment. In specific situations the magically-inept may be allowed to be considered property, most commonly through the institutions of serfdom or the many ghoul run flesh-farms. Generally though these people are left without any rights, and most were hunted down for sport in the early days of Naraka’s founding.

Due to this early culling and the high percentage of elven-blood spread throughout the people of Naraka it was incredibly rare in the first place for the magically-inept to be born. Despite this the Church of Nethys takes care to test the aptitude of those born through several methods. Infants who are unable are not immediately killed, but are seized by the state to be raised by the state. Put through a rigorous education, these children are given every opportunity to learn at least some level of magic before they become adults. Should they remain incapable by the age of eighteen a cruel fate awaits them.

### Technology

With the prevalence of magic and undead, little technology of note exists in Naraka. That little which has been adopted is traditionally what can be used for military or industrial purposes, and almost entirely through the influence of Necrotech Industries. In particular a large amount of gunpowder weaponry is possessed by Naraka, both for the purpose of shipborne cannonry and fixed defensive positions which litter the nation. The only other place which Naraka could be said to be technologically adept is in the medical sciences.

### Military

Each city subject to Naraka possesses a small militia of citizens trained to defend their homeland, however the bulk of Naraka's military force exists in the form of undead. An excessive number of forts and defensive infrastructure exists on every island under Naraka's influence, each teaming with thousands of controlled and uncontrolled corpses ready to be sprung upon by invaders or crusaders. Large and organized ghoulish legions exist in fixed positions to defend important or otherwise strategically valuable locations, and similarly many vampires have been given plots of lands to defend as their own in the interest of acting as powerful deterrents to outside forces.

Most influential in Naraka is the navy, considered vital to defend and ensure travel between the archipelago that forms the nation. A great deal of wealth is poured into its ships, which are lined with steel and possess cannons often imported or constructed by Necrotech Industries. Beyond physical ships a large number of massive behemoth undead are controlled by the state, usually the corpses of blue whales, which have been repurposed in a fusion of flesh and steel to serve as proto-submarines. Skilled in capsizing opposing ships and usually containing hundreds of aquatic undead within their gullets, these behemoths are considered the ultimate weapon of the Narakan Navy.

In the nation’s few aeries an impressive airforce of sorts is kept, full of undead capable of flight and the rare airship. Thousands of undead avians are kept in storage, both to cloud the skies if necessary and to serve as tireless messengers. Larger creatures, such as rocs and dragons, are kept in small numbers by Naraka for the purpose of controlling the skies.

## Law and Crime

### **Misdemeanors**

* Trespass
* Prostitution without a permit
* Petty theft
* Assault
* Disturbing the peace
* Public drunkenness or lewdness
* Selling shoddy or adulterated goods
* Selling drugs without a permit
* Assaulting, or disrupting a mindless servant while it is controlled.
* Raising undead without a permit
* Failure to attend church service

### **Felonies**

* Riot
* Inciting riot
* Piracy without a permit
* Destruction of property
* Theft
* Robbery
* Distribution of drugs.
* Hiding bodies
* Destroying a body without the proper permits
* Destroying a mindless servant while it is controlled
* The worship of a faith not officially permitted by Naraka
* Refusing to pay the blood tax
* Cremation

### **Capital Crimes**

* Treason
* Arson
* Bribery of an official
* Counterfeiting
* Rape
* Impersonating a kingdom official
* Destruction/tainting of the nation's food reserves.
* Worshiping Good aligned Gods
* Tampering with or damaging Ley Lines

## Groups of Interest

### Vampire Aristocracy

Following the evisceration of Rosèport a large number of Vampires were sired, most personally being created in the wake of Zoltan Kiskocka's blood-stained riot through the city. A great number of those who had remained loyal to his cause would be rewarded with unlife following the city's purge, but also those he took personal interest in during the senseless killing would be forcibly turned by his hand. In the days following the great violence these newly born vampires would serve as the building blocks of an infant aristocracy, structuring themselves as the height of an imaginary caste system throughout the newfound Narakan domain. Most serve in high ranking and prestigious positions in the newfound bureaucracy, with a small few being granted titles or plots of land to develop in Naraka's name. Most control some number of serfs to their name, usually humans who are little more than slaves by another name who act as both a source of labor and livestock for their vampiric captors.

### Ghoulish Legions

A large part of Naraka's military force comes from a large number of "civilized" ghouls. These legions were initially born of massive roving packs created in the aftermath of Rosèport's destruction, but as the chaos subsided these packs largely confedered together through Naraka's influence. Officially organized into several legions, each of which could contain anywhere from several hundred to several thousand ghouls, these legions serve as shock troops and military enforcers for Naraka. They'll often be anchored into fixed positions together with flesh farms full of goblins, ratfolk, catfolk, and other quick to breed races, kept in these static positions where it's ensured food can be made plentiful. Those in flesh farms are kept in docile, near-blind herds in filthy, isolated caves, where they are fattened up to morbid obesity to ensure the ghouls never have to go without meat. With a steady food supply these previously savage and brutish ghouls have gained a great deal of their own culture, creating cannibalistic forms of finer cuisine and cooking methods and even poetry which they share among themselves.

### Fire Giant Tribes

Fire Giants have been known to wander the isles that would become Naraka for centuries, existing as nomadic tribes until the great sundering of the land left them largely stranded on isolated islands. Small tribal groups still exist within deep within the nation's mountainous terrain in inhospitable volcanic peaks. At their head is indisputably a venerable giant named Surtr the Ashen, known for having skin so deeply torched and blackened by fire that he spreads shimmers of ashes into the air with his every movement. These tribes exist in an uneasy alliance with Naraka following several peace accords. In return for providing transportation for these giants between islands and allowing them to worship their own god they've contributed incredible skill in metal working and expertise to Naraka's industries, along with powerful and brutish, heavily armored soldiers.

### Elvish Natives

While a great number of the natives were wiped out during the slaughter in Rosèport, the city of Airgid, later renamed to Argent, would remain largely untouched. The city's population of largely native elves had been conquered by Rosèport during it's time as an illusionary queendom, however despite the instability control would quickly be reasserted by agents of Naraka once the chaos subsided. A relatively light touch is applied to these elves by Naraka, and the natives of Argent are spared much of the slaughter and carnage that they would otherwise face. Because of this a good amount of traditional elven culture is allowed to flourish.

However, as this traditional culture was never stamped out intense xenophobia is common among natives of Argent. Many of the elvish natives still hold view of elven superiority, treating those of other races as little more than animals. Those who consorting with lesser races, and by nature the Half-Elven spawn of such relationships, are treated with intense revulsion and disgust.

### Argent Fae

In the dense Sylveria Woods that cover the Island of Argent, many varieties of fey infest the lush and vibrant landscape. Any land beyond the reach of major cities are known to be the domain of the fey, where they freely roam and do as they please. These Argent Fae exist in all shapes and sizes, with some faeries no larger than a hummingbird, while other behemoths tower above the trees. Many are known for their mischievous nature; most commonly being associated with the Spring Court. I

Most notably there are the Satyrs - creatures that appear half-human and half-goat. Playful and mischievous beings, they're known for their love of music, dancing, and wine. They can often be found frolicking in the fields and woods, playing their flutes and causing mischief wherever they go. Satyrs have little in the way of society, and many live solitary lives. They have been known to unite in times of great danger however, and even in times of peace, bands will form in orgies of music, revelry, and excess.

### Underwave Denizens

Subsisting on an archipelago, a massive amount of undersea life is present beneath the waves in Narakan controlled territory. Most of these undersea denizens make little contact with those above the waves, and few are aware of the nation that exists above them. Those that are aware however are often prolific merchants, transporting a great deal of resources between Naraka and what lies below the sea.

Most notable among these settlements in central Vaniyan Sea is the Blood Reef, a massive settlement of Sahuagin and Merfolk that count several thousand among their numbers. The city was named for the treacherous coral reef that surrounds it, which has claimed the lives of many sailors who have ventured too close. The undersea dwellers of the Blood Reef are fierce and territorial, and the Sahuagin who live there can often barely suppress their bloodlust enough to maintain anything resembling a functional society. Violence within the Blood Reef is common, with titles and influence won and lost so rapidly that dealing with the city’s leadership is near impossible.

The sea to the north of Vaniya sees relatively little activity compared to the central sea, however this does not mean the waves are empty. Often called the Ocean of Frozen Dreams, ghosts and animated dreams seem drawn to these frigid waters for reasons unknown. Speculation abounds as to the reasons for these phenomena, ranging from a powerful artifact to a dimensional portal usable only by incorporeal creatures.The ocean itself is also home to vast numbers of fish and krill, which provide food for a great variety of large predators; besides whales, megalodons, and whaler jellyfish and are all found to the north of Naraka, and often are hunted by fishing settlements situated in the northernmost islands.

### Risovian Remnants

The oldest supporters of the Naraka Project are the remnants of the former nation of Risovia. Many settlers previously from Orashin and it's other cities fled to serve Naraka following Risovia's dissolution. This is an overwhelmingly diverse group, made of those from the Dragalla Alliance followed Zoltan Kiskocka's lead, many Norsemen from the Barbaian Kingdoms where Risovia's patronage originated from, along with even a handful of Sarian remnants whom with Naraka found sway. If any caste system could be said to exist, those who remained from the days of Risovia could be said to be at the top, serving exclusively in close roles to the Narakan elite.