Akalsey Bistajkran

### Pronunciation

37% dwarf, 29% centaur, 20% gnome, 2% halfling, 2% human, 2% syrinx/owlin, 2% other and mixed, 1% gnoll, 1% elf, 1% orc, 1% troll, 1% giant & goliath, 1% Asimar

Akalsey Bistajkran straddles the border between Thudwharaḥ (specifically the Everlasting Kingdom of Thutganaḥ) and Kyinyeih (nation of the cursed centaur kings). Dwarfs occupy positions of authority all over the city, and the acclaimed warrior-skad Agundow Ragaseyn acts as an advisor to Blood Eagle, the curse-marked mayor of Akalsey Bistajkran.

All the dwarfin warrior-skads are treated with deep respect throughout the centaur kingdom, though the majority of them reside in Akalsey Bistajkran.  These “fighting poets” are both great entertainers and veteran adventurers, whose heroic deeds are considered second only to the accomplishments of the Curse-Marked Princesses themselves.  (To hear them tell it, however, they are always in some way instrumental to the various princesses’ victories.)

By virtue of their experience in the world at large, the leaders of the dwarfin community in Akalsey Bistajkran are regarded as the elders of the warrior-skads.  Currently, a council of three warrior-skads ~ Baragan the Blind, Bikarrig Whale-Swallower, and Amadga Dragonbreaker ~ holds court in the Undercroft, where all matters of justice pertaining strictly to dwarfs are decided.  This is also where visitors (both non-dwarfs, and dwarfs from other lands) may formally address the dwarfs’ leaders.

A large population of gnomes lives in the area, primarily on the southern bank of the Breeze of Frost river in a village called Krut'alhoporhdhmeyon.  The residents have operated the region’s ferries for centuries, and their reputation as expert navigators of the river’s mountain-cold waters inspired their settlement’s name.  Inhabitants of Akalsey Bistajkran consider Krut'alhoporhdhmeyon a city district, albeit a remote one, but the gnome ferry captains maintain their independence from the city proper, despite recognizing Curse-Marked Mayor Blood Eagle’s authority.

Krut'alhoporhdhmeyon gnomes enjoy the variety of travelers to whom they provide passage; they often meet at the Broken Bug Inn in the village square for humorous impersonations of the day’s most interesting customers.  Terhni Rindelhshi, the Broken Bug’s proprietor, has a reputation for brewing a potent whiskey he calls throatburn, which he provides free to any outsiders staying overnight in his inn.  Even the hardiest stoics fall victim to the whiskey’s influence after a single glass, their drunken antics providing unparalleled entertainment to regular patrons and earning the gnomes the goodwill of their brusque neighbors.

Each year, in homage to local traditions, the gnomes halt their work on the river to hold a mock linnorm hunt in Akalsey Bistajkran's central promenade.  Krut'alhoporhdhmeyon's mayor and chief ferry captain dons an elaborate linnorm costume bolstered by illusion magic, and the village youths hunt and “slay” him in a daylong event consisting of equal parts parade, feast, and scavenger hunt.  Inhabitants of Akalsey Bistajkran publicly tolerate the festival’s annoyances, loudly denouncing the day off as a gnome eccentricity they only have to suffer once a year, but many secretly appreciate the diversions it offers.