Nathak
The Rhakas federation of Nathak.
| Regional Information | |
|---|---|
| Population | 135,563 |
| Capital | Citadel of the Black Sun |
| Government | Federation |
| Major Religions | Kurtack Nyruk Faith |
| Imports / Exports | Ammunition, animal fats and oils, coal, limestone, leather goods, live animals, natural gases, resins, stone, vegetables, wool |
| Total Area | 3,052,500 sq. miles |
| Dimensions | Length: 1,850 miles Width: 1,650 miles |
| Elevation | Average: 7,500 feet Lowest: Sea Level |
| Known For | Rhakas citadels, underground highways, border wars, cannons, kuru dhalsuk, federation queens |
| Primary Citadels | Citadel of the Black Sun, Citadel of the Raven, Citadel of the Yellow, Citadel of Yan Gath, Citadel of Xev |
Nathak is considered by many to be the second largest Rhakas nation. It straddles the northern ridges of the Baligrog Mountains and borders the Duchy of Harr and the Kingdom of Panthais.
It is the first and oldest Rhakas nation, having been established in 750 B.F.A.
Nathak is a rugged federation of citadels, underground highways, scattered villages, roaming Rhakas bands, and long-standing border conflict. Its five great citadels serve as the true centers of the realm, while most of the population moves across the land or lives in smaller settlements above and below the surface.
Overview
The region of Nathak is made up of the lower half of the great forest Storhet and the Hills of Bakladak. The nation runs northwest to southeast along the edge of the Baligrog Mountains, extending from the Dhunadin Sea to Vaheem: The Western Reach and the Bay of Sorrows.
Nathak is a rugged place where the earth has been burnt, dug up, cracked, and tunneled through the ages. Countless caves house many smaller Rhakas communities. Thousands of tunnels lead in all directions, with several acting as large underground highways that connect the five citadels.
Many of these tunnels have split the earth above them, creating thin cracks in the stone and soil.
Aside from the southern portion of Storhet, Nathak is a broad expanse of grassland with few copses of trees, rolling hills, and deep ravines that rise toward the dark foothills of the Baligrog Mountains.
The clouds that hang low over the Baligrog Mountains keep much of the region in constant shadow. Nathak is wet, with thick rains falling from the storms above the mountains.
Since its inception, the Rhakas kingdom has been at war with Harr and Panthais over borderlands. Yet Nathak has remained intact through the sheer force of will of the many Rhakas queens who have controlled the nation.
There are no true cities, very few towns, and many villages. Most bands of Rhakas roam the area like nomads. The only true establishments of the nation are the five citadels: the Citadel of the Raven, the Citadel of the Black Sun, the Citadel of the Yellow, the Citadel of Yan Gath, and the Citadel of Xev.
Nathak has always been a sore point for the people of Harr and Panthais. For the most part, the three nations leave one another alone. However, occasional raids into Harr and Panthais occur when a new Rhakas ruler takes power, leading to several years of skirmishes as the northern kingdoms attempt to drive the Rhakas back.
Inhabitants
Nathak sits in an area rich with many species, ranging from beasts to humanoids.
The Rhakas are the dominant humanoids in the region, but they are matched by several aggressive beasts. Most prevalent are the packs of wolves that hunt the mountains and hills. Rhakas fall to these predators more often than most outsiders expect.
There are small clans and enclaves of Formorians, several tribes of Drakos, and a tribe of Dhaga Giants.
Nathak is also home to herds of antelope, bison, and wild cattle, which are hunted by the Rhakas and other predators of the region.
Along the foothills of the Baligrog Mountains are extensive cave systems that are home to several Hydras.
Languages
Despite the fact that Nathak is dominated by the Rhakas, Rakish is not the dominant language spoken throughout the region.
Instead, Undercommon is most common. It is a lower, guttural language shared among many of the various tribes and settlements.
Rakish is predominantly spoken within the five citadels.
Life and Society
As the second largest Rhakas nation on Ta Los, Nathak is a powerful military force in the north.
Despite this, daily life within the citadels and hidden villages revolves around the same needs found in most nations and kingdoms: survival, work, family, defense, and ambition.
There is a strong urge for all Rhakas to become part of the military in one fashion or another. Still, much of daily life involves raising crops, defending villages and citadels from creatures emerging from the depths of Tav Aeduhn, and resisting marauding hordes from Storhet.
Most days are filled with hard labor in fields, farms, workshops, citadels, and military positions. Common roles include blacksmiths, alchemists, armorers, hunters, brickmasons, tunnel workers, scouts, and citadel guards.
Social Customs
The customs of the Rhakas people are as varied as their Eight Nations. Nathak Rhakas are especially superstitious, likely due to their homeland on the northern side of the Baligrog Mountains, a region filled with stories of horrific creatures.
For Nathak Rhakas, the numbers seven and fourteen are considered unlucky and are never directly said when counting. Seven may be spoken as “six and one,” while fourteen may be spoken as “thirteen-four.”
They also avoid giving or taking anything in sets of seven or fourteen, including multiples such as 21 or 28.
For Nathak Rhakas, the Lucky Devil ability does not use seven as its number, but rather six.
One of the strangest social customs in Nathak is the tossing of newborns. Newborns within a Nathak Rhakas family are traditionally tossed from the top of a temple to a group of Rhakas waiting below. It is believed this ritual brings luck and good fortune not only to the family but to the whole village.
When a Nathak Rhakas dies and is to be buried, it is traditional for a horse to be sacrificed. It is believed the spirit of the deceased should travel swiftly to the afterlife, doing so on the back of the sacrificed horse’s spirit.
Arts
The Rhakas of Nathak are well known for sculpting fine miniatures used in planning wars, battles, and, in some cases, by the young to recreate great Rhakas conflicts.
They are also known for highly detailed paintings created on cotton or silk sheets. These paintings often depict one of their deities or scenes ranging from epic battles to divine visions.
Such works are highly valued for their rarity and fragility, which many outsiders find surprising from the hands of the Rhakas.
Literature and Education
Many believe that due to Nathak’s proximity to the Kingdom of Panthais, Duchy of Harr, and distantly Ta’ Kanasiti, education among the Rhakas of Nathak has gained greater emphasis than in most other Rhakas nations of the northern and eastern realms.
Young Rhakas in all nations are educated in the responsibilities of daily life and placed into traditional castes. However, Nathak Rhakas receive more extensive training within their determined caste and profession.
Architecture
Most architecture within Nathak is a combination of heavy gray stone, thick oak wood, large white-brown bricks, and cement for aboveground buildings.
The many underground villages and towns are constructed from finely cut stone walls, thick white-brown bricks, and gray cement.
Roofs tend to be covered in ceramic tile or stone slate, never wood or thatch, to avoid damage from weapons of fire.
The Five Citadels are built from finely cut and fitted stone with heavy oak supports. They are laid out in maze-like arrangements. No citadel shares the same plan, as they were built before the Rhakas of Nathak were unified as they are today.
Lifestyles
The lifestyles of the Eight Nations of Rhakas are similar in most respects. Each Rhakas adheres to their caste, despite the loose social mobility afforded them.
Just as caste restricts what each Rhakas can do, it also determines what lifestyle an individual may obtain.
Nathak bends this slightly through a larger Nhekoon caste than is found in most other Rhakas nations. It also possesses a strong Tekoon caste with an entrenched system of aggressive, power-hungry merchants, craftsmen, and unusual landowners, the latter existing only because the five Malkatas allow it.
Despite these constraints, all Nathak Rhakas are technically free. Social advancement is possible, so long as a Rhakas possesses the right talent, ambition, and honor.
The opposite is also true. Any Rhakas, other than the Malkatas, can fall from high status to the lowliest position of Shekoon.
Kingdom Law and Government
Nathak is more a realm of self-governing states than a single unified kingdom. It functions like a federation ruled by queens who cooperate when it is honorable to work toward a common goal.
Each citadel reigns over its own region of Nathak. Like all other Rhakas nations, Nathak’s laws are based on the Nava Ahsih.
Each citadel is ruled by a Malkata, an inherited title passed from mother to daughter or from sister to sister.
Every citadel has nine to eleven ruling clans that form the lower power structure of the citadels and baronies. These clans make up the ruling class, which further divides into two gender classes and finally into four castes.
Each ruling clan is designated as Ahekoon, and they do all they can to maintain that status.
The current Malkata of the Citadel of the Black Sun is the young but powerful female Rhakas Malica Rhapach. She is backed by three clans, bringing strong legitimacy to her reign as the youngest Malkata to ever rule Nathak.
Nathak is ruled not only by its Malkatas but also by the Canons of Ahkuna, or Ahkuna Komre. This is a set of fifty rules and laws used to bring justice and honor to the realm.
The Ahkuna Komre, like many Rhakas canons, lists crimes and retributions. Major crimes such as theft, murder, and rape are considered unforgivable, not only because of their impact on the victim, but because they demonstrate disrespect for law and social order.
Such crimes create a debt that can be repaid only by the perpetrator forfeiting their life, a reality that transcends even the rigid social hierarchy.
Generally, a wrongful act against a member of one’s own social class requires repayment, either in money or blood.
Other greater crimes include treason, sedition, and crimes against the nation or the whole of Rhakasdom.
Lesser crimes, such as burglary and damage to property, result in punishments ranging from amputation, beatings, incarceration, exile, penal labor, and confiscation of property.
Technology and Crafting
Nathak sits upon numerous mineral veins used in the construction of aradgah and other technology, ranging from coal to a few red ore sites.
Rhakas, like many other species, are technophobic and often believe such items corrupt the soul. However, they are exceptional builders of rifles, cannons, trebuchets, and ballistae.
Rhakas-built versions of these weapons tend to have longer ranges and inflict more damage when they hit.
| Nathak Heavy Weapons | |
|---|---|
| Weapon Types | Rifles, cannons, trebuchets, ballistae |
| Bonus | +2 Base Damage |
| Range | +250 Maximum Range |
| Legal Status | Outlawed in numerous regions due to devastating nature |
Additionally, the Rhakas alchemists of Nathak have produced a special weapon called the kuru dhalsuk.
Though it may be considered technological, it is a simple device capable of causing devastating damage. It is a six-inch-diameter orb with an activation button. Once activated, it explodes shortly thereafter. It may be thrown or set in place.
| Kuru Dhalsuk | |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Orb Detonator |
| Damage | 10d10 |
| Radius | 15 feet |
| Timer | Can be set to explode from 1 turn to 30 turns |
| Cost | 2,500 silver pieces |
Features and Important Sites
Citadel of the Black Sun
The Citadel of the Black Sun is situated in the center of Nathak and built along the Mesas of Rhazak. It is considered the seat of the nation, and homage is paid to it by the other four citadels.
Built in 360 B.F.A., it was the first major Rhakas construction in the region.
The citadel is many-towered, nearly 1 mile in diameter, and built into and around the mesa known as the Dark Rise, or Turak Girim.
Its roots go deep into the earth and connect to the vast tunnel systems extending throughout the region. It connects to the Dark Path, the largest underground highway tunnel, which leads to the Citadels of the Yellow and the Raven.
The Citadel of the Black Sun is home to Malkata Malica Rhapach and her clan.
| Citadel of the Black Sun Information | |
|---|---|
| Type | Capital citadel |
| Region | Nathak |
| Built | 360 B.F.A. |
| Location | Mesas of Rhazak, around the Dark Rise |
| Diameter | Nearly 1 mile |
| Ruler | Malkata Malica Rhapach |
| Connected Route | Dark Path |
Citadel of the Raven
The Citadel of the Raven was built in the Hills of Bakladak from black granite stone.
Long before the Rhakas claimed it, the citadel was built by the ancient Renarthians as a place to watch over the Pass of Gartuk, which leads into the Accursed Lands of Vishraan.
After the fall of the Renarthian Civilization, the citadel stood empty for several centuries. It was slowly filled with monsters until Queen Gurthlag Ironfist and her tribe of Rhakas came through the pass and overtook the citadel in 745 B.F.A.
| Citadel of the Raven Information | |
|---|---|
| Type | Ancient fortress citadel |
| Region | Nathak |
| Location | Hills of Bakladak |
| Original Builders | Renarthians |
| Claimed by Rhakas | 745 B.F.A. |
| Material | Black granite stone |
| Known For | Guarding the Pass of Gartuk |
Citadel of the Yellow
The Citadel of the Yellow stands on the Hill of Bajhra Lurik, meaning North Sword.
It strikes a magnificent sight as it peers down into Harr and glares upon Storhet. Built from deep yellow stone drawn from the depths of Tav Aeduhn, the citadel is nearly half a mile in diameter and rises roughly 900 feet into the air above the hill.
Its main tower ascends an additional 200 feet, casting a long shadow over the lands of Harr.
The Citadel of the Yellow is well known for its Towers of the Magi, where Rhakas alchemists and spellcasters work to create new spells and access great and dangerous powers.
| Citadel of the Yellow Information | |
|---|---|
| Type | Citadel; arcane and alchemical stronghold |
| Region | Nathak |
| Location | Hill of Bajhra Lurik |
| Material | Deep yellow stone from Tav Aeduhn |
| Diameter | Nearly half a mile |
| Height | Roughly 900 feet above the hill; main tower rises an additional 200 feet |
| Known For | Towers of the Magi, Rhakas alchemists, spellcasters, dangerous powers |
Citadel of Yan Gath
The Citadel of Yan Gath is only a few hundred years old. It was built as a port and harbor so that Rhakas could trade with the west and south.
The citadel sits half in the Dhunadin Sea and half upon its shores, with the seaports occupying the lower portion of the citadel.
It is connected to the other citadels by the underground highway of Dol Ghax, which extends all the way to the Citadel of Xev.
The Citadel of Yan Gath takes its name from the ancient water dragon that once made its home in the underground sea caves along the base of the citadel. It was named for the beast after it was slain by Clan Hadaku.
| Citadel of Yan Gath Information | |
|---|---|
| Type | Port citadel |
| Region | Nathak |
| Location | Half in the Dhunadin Sea and half on its shores |
| Connected Route | Dol Ghax |
| Named For | Ancient water dragon Yan Gath |
| Known For | Trade with the west and south; underground sea caves |
Citadel of Xev
The Citadel of Xev is considered the sister citadel of Yan Gath. It is a port citadel and was only recently completed, with its final stone laid just 20 years ago.
Unlike Yan Gath, the walls of Xev extend nearly a quarter mile into the Bay of Sorrows. It offers a much larger port for the many ships that use it as a safe harbor against pirates of the bay.
| Citadel of Xev Information | |
|---|---|
| Type | Port citadel |
| Region | Nathak |
| Location | Bay of Sorrows |
| Completion | Final stone laid 20 years ago |
| Relation | Sister citadel of Yan Gath |
| Known For | Large safe harbor, pirate protection, walls extending into the bay |
Organizations
The Abyss Seekers
The Abyss Seekers, known in Rhakas as Phach Utilim, are of particular interest to the Rhakas of Nathak due to their pursuit of the power resting within Jinhuurs.
The Phach Utilim is an ideological faction made up of roughly 200 Rhakas within the Citadel of the Yellow. They focus on advancing the learning and philosophy of ancient Speghiz’iech.
The Abyss Seekers are often involved in developing new schools of thought, new sciences, and qi-empowered devices.
The Courageous
The Courageous, known as Ndah Izit’if, is a large division of Ohkam that operates as the military arm of the Citadel of the Black Sun.
They number 10,000 strong and are used both as protectors of the region and as infiltrators and spies operating in the northern realms of Harr and Panthais.
Company of Tevzagia
The Company of Tevzagia is a Rhakas adventuring company from the Citadel of Xev.
The organization consists of several groups of mercenaries and merchants. It has established numerous locations throughout Ta Los and Kralis, including one operating location on the 3rd moon.
The company is primarily in the business of tracking down lost and ancient items, as well as moving and selling various products.
It is also known to have several groups of adventurers who act more or less independently of the central company.
Major NPCs
The following is a brief introduction to some of the major people of note within Nathak.
Malkata Malica Rhapach
Malkata Malica Rhapach is barely twenty years old and has become the most powerful and youngest Malkata to ever rule Nathak.
She inherited the title from her mother, who was assassinated when Malica was 15 by an unknown and still uncaptured assassin.
Malica is striking in appearance, with long braided purple-blue hair, fore-tusks engraved with gold, and a red tattoo of her clan upon her forehead.
She is known for her care of others, bravery, and fierce devotion to her clan. Intelligent and charismatic, Malica has been trained since birth to lead and inspire.
Malkata Macu Kirrank
Malkata Macu Kirrank is the current Malkata of the Citadel of Yan Gath.
She is well known for her sharp business sense and has forged numerous alliances with merchant companies to the west and south.
Macu is middle-aged and known for her sarcastic tone, intelligence, and wisdom. While loyal to Malkata Malica and her rule, she envies the young ruler’s position and looks for ways to take the crown without dishonor.
Grymish Rhapach
Grymish Rhapach is the commander of The Courageous and an old soldier.
Though older, he has a massive physique, standing close to 7 feet 6 inches. It is rumored that ogre blood runs somewhere in his ancestry. He has deep red hair, dark gray skin, and bright blue eyes.
Grymish is known for his primal sense of justice. In his youth, he was known for unusually fast reflexes and aggressive tendencies, training himself “to turn fear into aggression.”
He is often thought of as feral, as though he has been sanded down to black or white, them or him, yes or no, live or die. His planning and decision-making are cold and hard, guided by predator-like thinking.
Cities and Settlements
Beyond the Five Citadels, there are no settlements larger than a town within the borders of Nathak.
There are many villages scattered across the plains, both above and below the surface of the earth. These settlements serve as farming communities, tunnel homes, hunting camps, trade posts, military outstations, and clan territories.
