- The Confederated States:
Monmurg
Wavestone
Toli
New Veluna
Westkeep
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The mainland coastal territories of the Sea Princes are divided into two states: Monmurg is to the north and Toli has the coast to the south. Because they are open to both maritime and overland trade both states are fabulously wealthy, but Port Toli, though it is not the capital of the Hold, has an edge on Monmurg...it is the largest known slave trading capital in all the Flanaess.
Pasted haphazardly upon the rocky, yet non-descript, coast the dirty brown and blocky city is hunkered down amidst the dusty hills tumbling down to the sea, sliding from the hills down to the salt water where its extensive piers and docks receive goods from all over the world. To either side stretching to the north and south are broad tan beaches inhabited by beach dwelling mollusks, sand plovers, and beach combers. The edges are guarded with random palm tree sentinels growing freely along the inland edges of the sand. Though the shore is a sandy beach, the continental shelf drops off dramatically just off shore but still the piers are built quite long to meet the deep water. Every day the vast port of Port Toli receives over one hundred ships per day. Despite the more northerly location Monmurg itself barely matches this influx; Toli is equally popular in trade. The primary commodity, though, is human lives. It would be a fair estimation to say that nearly 80% of all Olman slaves brought into the Flanaess are processed through Port Toli. This means that warehouses at the water's edge contain cages and shackles and the sound of whips cracking is audible up and down the seaside. The great market square in Port Toli caters almost entirely to the slave trade or to the slavers themselves. Though there is a brisk trade in many other goods, particularly exotic spices, fabrics, and art pieces from the south and east, the great wealth amassed by several noble families of Toli comes from the slave trade. Toli would be nothing without the trade in flesh.
The city itself is grubby and mean even though it puts on pretentious aires to be a center of education and higher civilization. Prince Cato hosts musicians from across the Flanaess in his music hall, places statuary in the streets, covers his walls with paintings and tapestries and has seven cooks in rotation throughout the week, except on holidays when all work their art in a grand feast. Every week in one mansion or another there is a gathering of the monied peoples of Toli convening in the evening to hear poetry recitations, chamber music, views of collections...mostly just to hear themselves talk and to justify their value to the state. The noble and wealthy class here is very much distinguished from everyone else and is catered to in every possible way. In all the Hold wealth and privilege holds its highest rank in Port Toli.
The city is built up and down in the hills and valleys of the coastal uplands and the streets cannot follow a regular course once away from the wide beach. Most of the city, however, is built upon a wide section of the beach almost entirely of sandstone and thin, pathetic wood. The overall impression most take away from Port Toli is that it is gritty and this follows them in their luggage for many years following. The whole state of Toli is sandy, even inland and there are indicators that the sea once occupied areas further west. Now this sandiness is used to create some vague attempt at culture and art as Prince Cato is constantly trying to garnish the buildings in his district. The medium is sad and not permanent, though. Sandstone erodes quickly and the finely crafted gargoyles of Toli rapidly become featureless blobs mounting the corners of buildings. And this is all very strange because it seems that permanence and impermanence are juxtaposed to a perfect balance here. As a side note, Toli is the major glass manufacturer in the Hold.
Though constantly eroding, the same buildings exist in Port Toli as were built when the city first blossomed. But not any of the original establishment names exist as there is nobody diligent enough to care for the names of those that came before. Everybody has a better idea; everybody is an entrepreneur; everybody wants a piece of the pie and everybody lives by the message the old Suel runes written above the gates to the city proclaim: "By any means necessary." In Toli, power and prestige are the prizes the winner takes home, but like many wealthy successors, eventually the gold runs out, the building changes ownership, the sign is removed and replaced with a different one, and a new player joins the competition to claw his or her way to the top of the Port Toli aristocracy.
Toli was founded through the efforts of an extremely motivated Antonius Cato who was banished from his homeland in the east for diplomatic reasons and came oversea to join the pirates just before they gelled into a government. His intelligence, influence, personal power, and charisma all made him one of the stronger Princes in the confederacy and as such no other Prince contested his taking of the Toli coast and the island of Sybarate which he later gave to Prince Chalmberizzi. Not unlike Brandt, the annexation of land made Cato into a strategic mastermind with interests in almost all other developing states. His growth in real estate increased his power, but it did not take long for the other Princes to recognize his play for empire and Prince Dukaque shut him down on a trumped up charge. Now that the territories are stabilized Toli focusses its energy on commerce and amassing incredible wealth. It is easily the most wealthy state in the nation.
The weather along the sea is balmy most of the year, but one month of the summer, the heat is unbearable as the fetid air hangs sluggishly amongst the hills and houses of the city. Even the winds over the sea are becalmed, the sea becomes warm, and the sharks cruise the waters waiting for dead cargo from the slaver ships to be jettisoned. The filth of the city causes a rising stink that ferments and hangs like a mist in the streets. Usually the noble families leave Port Toli at this time and visit their summer homes in Berghof or Fairwind.
Outside Port Toli the land is hilly and scrubby and planted with many rows of citrus and olive trees. Animals and native peoples were systematically killed or pushed off the land; nothing will impede progress. Predominant plant life when it is allowed to grow wild is sage and creosote brush, pinyon pines, and closer to the coast oleander is common. Coyotes have flourished amongst humans here, as have jackrabbits and rattlesnakes. Away from the orchards, antelopes abound and are hunted by lions. Also in the hills can be found wild boar, quail, babboons, hyenas, and ostriches.
Vittorio Cato is the son of Antonius Cato. Those who knew Antonius say that Vittorio is the spitting image of his father with his thin but straight frame, bald head, piercing blue eyes, beaked nose and an uncanny awareness and as his father taught him everything he knows, Vittorio behaves much as his father did. He too is a wizard of great power. This is a man who treats every event as an opportunity for personal advancement. There is hardly an event that the Prince attends where there is not some accident, some horrible news revealed, some damning evidence uncovered...and still all of the aristocrats pay him undaunted homage as their captain in fair seas. He does not rule through fear, but through the boundless stupidity of the people with the money who are constantly and desperately trying to procure his attentions. On the other hand, Cato does not particularly respect his soldiers, since he is such a potent mage, and the city guards are not paid well for their service. As such, the law in Toli is lazy and easily bought. But always, Prince Cato keeps up appearances. He is not indulgent or obviously cruel and whenever possible he is the benefactor of many causes in his city. Still, everyone knows that their leader is up to his neck in shady deals, wicked plans, and the blood of those who were problematic and conveniently dispatched. In the Council, Cato is always very vocal and has something to say on almost every issue. To some extent the weight of his opinion matches that of Tarrick's and for the most part his allies in regard to policy tend to be Dukaque and Kael while his rivals are most definitely Prince Morgen and Prince Chalm (formerly Chalmberizzi). The other princes watch and carefully balance Cato's pro-slavery stance and his over reaching influence. Everyone has read what is over Cato's gate; he is watched carefully. Despite his seething anger over it, Cato is characterized in art as the rat.
Dervin has been around a long time. This is not in the least remarkable because he is an elf. Originally hired by Antonius as an agent and creator of discontent, he has remained in the employ of the Cato's for quite some time. Basically, a good fellow with his pulse on the emotional history of the world, he has allowed himself to be bought by one of the most conniving personages of the age. Originally Antonius recognized his talent and used him to foment unease in the as yet unjoined Duchy of Berghof toward that state's mage protectors. Now he travels about having adventures and returning to Toli to tell stories to the court and then give Cato the political information he requires. In a strange way, Dervin has divorced himself from the idea that what he does ultimately serves evil ends, and betwixt the wine, women, and song he gets by just fine.
Recently Cato got the rare opportunity to get to know a couple of ship captains from the far north. Travelling a great distance these journeyers from the icy north came south to find adventure and get paid. Cato, knowing skill when he sees it, was happy to oblige and now they serve as the vanguard to any assault by the Toli navy.
Wastrich Tychris, the foremost historian to the Hold, resides in the city of Port Toli. He is an older gentleman and has traveled far across the lands governed by the princes. He is known personally by all of the princes, liked by some and disliked by others, mostly because above all else, Wastrich is honest in his storytelling. Over the years he has amassed a number of artifacts he keeps in his mansion along with a sizable amount of wealth. He dresses in fine clothes and speaks with precision. He attends only about a quarter of the high class engagements that occur in Port Toli every year, and though his travel is reduced significantly because of his age, he still is not above taking a ship to Monmurg or the islands on occasion. He is a devout worshipper of the goddess of fate and time, Istus.
MBC Report: The MBC has passed through Toli on several occasions and at one time was hijacked by Cato to perform a jungle penetration to recover the remains of the long lost Prince Luschan of Keoland. Cato was acting as agent to the Hold in this capacity and helped orchestrate and fund the journey and in Monmurg acted as an advisor and speaker for the Hold in the matter. The MBC also have become Tychris' biggest fans and he theirs' as they work together in solving mysteries all over the Hold.
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