Vesicule

Settlement Sheet

• True Neutral Large City
• Corruption +3 • Crime +3 • Economy +6 • Law +2 • Lore +6 • Society +2
• Qualities: Academic, Defensible, Prosperous, Resettled Ruins, Romantic.
• Danger: +10
• Government: Autocracy (Lord-Mayor)
• Population: 16,428 (12,307 humans' ; 2,122 half-elves; 821 dwarves; 526 gnomes; 398 kobolds; 129 elves; 78 halflings; 47 other)
• Base Value: 10,400 gp; Purchase Limit: 75,000 gp; Spellcasting: 8th
• Minor Items: 8d4 + 2d3; Medium Items: 3d4 + 1d3; Major Items: 2d4 + 1d3

History

During the Age of Constant War, the Scapolite Empire continued to expand. After conquering the Citrine Kingdom by guile, the Emperor of Scapolite turned his gaze to the strange land of Onyx. A land invasion was out of the question. The terrain between Scapolite and Onyx was either steep with mountains or treacherous with bogs and moors. A navy was formed and sailed out of both the Scapolite homeland and the Citrine Wastes. The naval pincer strategy took the Onyxish forces by surprise and, in short order, the capital city of Acertijo was conquered.

During the invasion, several wealthy families realized that they could not hope to prevail against Scapolite's overwhelming forces. Instead, they abandoned the capital and fled to the north and east. Following vague maps and journals from old explorers, they came to an ancient monument - the remains of a giant bridge that seemed to extend to nowhere. The area around the bridge was surrounded by inhospitable terrain to prevent the passing of armies and the seas along the border were filled with dangerous monsters and devious shoals. It was the perfect place to build a new city for a new Onyx, free from Scapolite control.

Overcoming the insects, disease, terrain and monsters took determination and willpower. Overcoming the native population took martial force. The Onyxish found a large tribe of primitive elves already living near the ancient bridge. Known as the Mhzyt, the elven tribe were exiled long ago from the Sapphire Forest due to heresy.

The first interactions between the Mhzyt and the Onyxish were peaceful. However, as the city grew and refugees from the invasion flooded in the Mhzyt found themselves being pushed to the edges of their own land. There were skirmishes and battles but the Mhzyt lost all too often to superior Onyx technology. Unwilling to give up their homes, the Mhzyt accepted the dominance of the Onyx. In time, they became refugees in their own city.

When the Scapolite Empire crumbled, Acertijo was in no condition to rebuild the Onyx Cryptocracy. The Seven, the secret rulers of Onyx, proclaimed that Vesicule would become the new capital. It remains so to this day.

The Mhzyt

Elven Lore says the Mhzyt were exiled for cutting down trees in the Sapphire Forest and selling the lumber to outsiders. The Mhzyt say they were exiled from the Sapphire Forest because of their religious beliefs. The Mhzyt believe the Totems are all extensions of a single being that exists in a great beyond. In their belief system, each Totem is but a single finger of the divine, thrust out from another plane into this world. It is their belief that this supreme being, whom they refer to simply as the Great One, rejects those foolish enough to mistake mere appendages as entire Totems. Instead, the Mhzyt see themselves as the true inheritors of the power and favor of the divine.

Today, there are few pure blooded Mhzyt left. Despite their unique beliefs, the Mhzyt are a gregarious people. Over time many have interbred with the Onyxish humans of Vesicule. Most Mhzyt are half-elves (or close enough to it that it make no difference) while a rare few are either pure elven or human.