The Kingdom of Nod

General Information

The Kingdom of Nod is a relic of the First Age, it is a city carved out of a literal mountain by hand. In the First Age it was a magnificent palace for one of the Anathema, who was slaughtered in the palace during The Usurpation. When she died the mountain shifted into chaos and the series of tunnels, rooms, and chambers shifted into a maze with the people still inside. Fortunately, for those trapped inside the opulence of the palace provided them with enough resources to survive. Pockets of civilization formed in complete isolation over years before eventually those inside mapped out the labyrinth enough to link their societies and discover the outside world again. What they did not realize is that those people were spared the wrath of The Contagion and the Fae invasion by the powerful magic of it's creation.

Ever since The Kingdom of Nod has been expanding and exploring within the mountain of it's creation, still finding new ruins and relics and occasionally even pockets of people who have lived for hundreds of years within the labyrinth with no contact with the outside world. The main society that interacts with The Hundred Kingdom at large lives within the lower portions of the mountain and closely restricts access to the mountain by outsiders. They are generally isolationist in nature and protective of their mountain as a enviable resource and relic. The Kingdom is ruled by a family that traces its lineage to The Dragon Blooded that murdered the Anathema inside during The Usurpation and still sees Dragon Blooded Exalts emerge with enough frequency to lend them great power.

The Kingdom of Nod is located on the northern banks of The Yellow River approximately in the center of The Kingdoms East-to-West. It has been made wealthy due to their access to First Age relics with the palace labyrinth giving them an oversized influence on the region for their population.

Important People

Aanya Asadhi - Chief astronomer at the Royal Nodian Observatory & cousin to the Sultan. Veil has started to establish an alliance with Aanya after Veil helps deal with Sour's disruption during the Royal Banquet.
- Aanya has agreed to show Veil the Royal Nodian Observatory.
- Veil returned the stolen royal gem to Aanya without the group's permission, but furthered their alliance with this act.
- When the Circle discovered the tracking artifact after defeating the undead horde, Veil sent it to Aanya for safe keeping.
Amon Vesh - A patrician native of The Realm who Harvester encounters to get a meeting with Vikram.
- After stealing the gem, both Veil and Harvester establish a possible long-term relationship with Vesh where Vesh reveals himself a rival of Nikita and only a partial ally of Vikram with his own set of motivations. (Mostly what is best for him.)
- After Vikram's death, Harvester and Vesh come to an agreement for Vesh to take control of Nod's underworld but to rule it more responsibly than Vikram did. With Harvester checking in on him, and reporting through Simon's tea shop network. Harvester kills Nikita to ensure this smooth transition.
Full Khan Parthik Asadhi - Prince Ali's younger brother who carries the rank of Full-Khan - equivalent to a 5 Star General or Supreme Commander. Cetus, with Harvester's help, steals his Royal Gem.
Half-Khan Faisal - Southern General of Nod's defense forces. Romael has started to establish an alliance with Half-Khan Faisal.
- Romael has agreed to use his forces to protect an incoming caravan to Nod from attack, in exchange for Half-Khan Faisal's support in a broader Nodian-Orissa Alliance.
- Romael and the Circle successfully protect The Guild Caravan from an Undead Army, Barbarian Horde, and Abyssal Exalt then close the nearby Shadowland.
Nikita (D) - A high roller at The Next Best Beaver Inn with strong connections in Nod's crime scene. Arranges for the group to meet with Vikram, but is clearly out of his league with the Exalts and is left out of the meeting with Vikram.
- After Vikram's death he attempts to maneuver for control of Nod's underbelly, but is killed by Harvester leaving Amon Vesh to take control.
Prince Ali Asadhi - Prince of Nod and son of Sultan Balin Asadhi, a skilled diplomat. Has started to establish a working alliance with Harvester and Veil to investigate Vikram and Nod's underworld, especially around the attempt to steal one of the Royal Gems.
- Prince Ali tells Veil and Maiden of Seth, an advisor to his father whom he is suspicious of and agrees to arrange a meeting with Maiden and Seth.
Priya Asadhi - A close relative of Sultan Balin Asadhi, whom is suspected of setting up unnecessary Guild Caravan shipments that are arranged to be attacked by The Arczechi Horde, likely in a plot to hurt The Sultan.
Ramesh - The head of Maiden's cult of followers who is her most trusted confidant.
Seth - A mysterious new advisor to Sultan Balin Asadhi, who Prince Ali is suspicious of.
Sultan Balin Asadhi - is an Earth-Aspected Dragon-Blood from House Balin, a storied Dragon-Blooded family line with an unbroken stream of Exaltations each generation since the Usurpation. A precocious child with a keen intellect and early Exaltation, Asadhi was groomed for the Sultanate from a young age. When House Balin elected him to the position he had always been told was rightfully his, he settled into his position easily, though he brought a few of his own quirks to the throne. Most notably, Asadhi is a capable sorcerer, having learned the arcane arts from spirits and texts found throughout Nod's ancient catacombs. He spends a great deal of time attempting to engage with entities that have lived through Nod's history, the better to understand it. Intrigued by the awakening of the Entropy Devouring Maiden, Asadhi realizes that Nod still hides many secrets, even a millennium later, and is motivated to uncover them. Although he fulfills his expected duties capably and he publicly maintains Nod's isolationist policies, he privately wonders if opening Nod's doors to the supernatural champions of the Hundred Kingdoms would get him closer to discovering Nod's secrets. Still, because Nod's governmental system permits any Dragon-Blood older than Asadhi to call for a vote of no-confidence at any time, Asadhi is guarded about divulging his thoughts on the matter.
Vikram The Serpent (D) - A mysterious criminal figure whom Cetus seeks an alliance with and Harvester seeks to investigate.
- They get a meeting with Vikram after stealing Full Khan Parthik's Royal Gem, but the meeting turns bad when his sees the gem is a fake and Sour quickly kills him.
- A vial of Yozi Venom is discovered in Vikram's lair, which appears to be payment to The Hallowed Order of The Grass Spiders for a unknown job.
Zaqim – A trusted advisor of Half-Khan Faisal who handles logistics for Nods army’s, who Faisal assigned to assist Romael.

Important Places

The Royal Nodian Observatory - At the top of the mountain of Nod sits the ancient, recently restored, First Age Royal Nodian Observatory.
The Royal Palace of Nod - An immense labyrinth of a Palace in the upper levels of the mountain of Nod where the Royal Family resides and does business.
Maiden's Manse - A secret manse controlled by Maiden and occupied by her cult of followers.
Rupan District - The forth district up from the bottom of Nod.
- The Infamous Whisper - A lavish terrace restaurant where Romael meets Half-Khan Faisal.
Suneja District - The third district up from the bottom of Nod.
- The Glimmering Pearl - An upscale bar where the group meets Nikita before their meeting with Vikram. There is a hidden passage from The Glimmering Pearl into the ally where the secret passage to Vikram's lair.
- Green Fingers - A tea shop affiliated with The Sacred Topology and Simon, where Harvester procures Drake Solar Tea and sends a discreet message to inform Simon of the events in Nod. After empowering Amon Vesh in Nod's criminal underbelly, he arranges for Vesh to report in at Green Fingers on a monthly basis.
- The Tailor’s Daughter - A fine clothing shop near an ally with multiple hidden passages where the group meets Vikram the Serpent.
- Sudden Raven Pub - A tavern where Harvester has been instructed he can drop messages to the bartender and they will discreetly make it back to Prince Ali by showing a small yellow gem given to Harvester by Ali. (Representing membership/alliance with Nod's intelligence agency.)
Sarasvathy District - The second district up from the bottom of Nod.
Rajani District - The bottom and most densely populated district of Nod.
- The Next Best Beaver Inn - A crowded, low quality brothel where Sour and Cetus make contact with the seedy underbelly of Nod.
- The Charmed Cup - A tea shop near in Rajani in the district new foreign arrivals typically congregate that Amon Vesh operates his shady business dealings.
The Echoes of Sacrifice - A field that was the site of a massive massacre that turned into a Shadowland 2 days ride west of Nod. Veil and The Circle defeated the Wendigo demons who inhabited the Shadowland and closed it through a Sorcerous Working that turned it into a memorial to the fallen.