The People: Non Humans

Three major non human races are present in or around the City of Kings. This article gives a brief look at their daily lives.

The Dragonborn

The High Lightning Clan are the only Dragonborn remaining on the continent. They are the remnant of a once powerful army which served the Warlord Reptos. The Sundering, warfare and attrition have reduced them to a single remaining Clan. Whether more still live on other continents is as yet unknown.

A fiercely proud and warlike people the High Lightning Clan dwell mostly in the foothills to the West. Their society is modelled on an ancient Legion structure with strict caste roles and tight discipline. Each Caste appoints a Commander and from this Council of Four a Warlord is chosen who possesses ultimate authority over the actions of the Legion.

Rumours persist of a rift between the current Warlord Najentus and Nihlil, Chief Priest of the Temple of Vulcan, the Clans patron deity. This is vehemently denied by most but what is known is that Nihlil has not been seen for over two years and is believed to be in hiding in the Cults hidden Temple base. Some have begun to call for a new Temple Commander to be chosen in his absence.

The Tieflings

The Tieflings of the City of Kings are almost exclusively members of the Great Houses, the one time nobility of the Empire of the Warlord Reptos. Once those Houses held enormous power throughout the world, now they have been hubmled by the powers of a Cabal of Human magicians.

Of the nine Houses which once ruled now only three remain, House Trak'Ar, House Turath and House El. A dozen or so lesser Houses also remain present in the City but their fortunes have fallen so low as to be indistinguishable from the other rabble fighting to eek out a place in the City.

Having been stripped of their power in the City the leaders of the Great Houses mostly entertain themselves with fighting amongst each other for influence, prestige and petty revenge. Blood fueds exit between them going back hundreds of years and these are often played out in the Arena, through public humiliation, poisoning, or outright assassination. It is not unusual for those involved to use all sorts of thieves, bandits or other adventurers as catspaws in their schemes with one another.

One other area of contest deserves special mention, the City's ancient Role of Laws. Since the rise of the Cabal the only law in the City has been the rule of the strong. However, the City possesses a mass of ancient, often conflicting legislation now rendered obsolete. The Great Houses set great public face to still obeying these ancient laws and often expect their underlings to do so as well. Dozens of complex legal cases between the Great Houses often run for years as they continue to seek advantage over one another.

The ancient Publica, once the City's administrative heart, still sits at the apex of the City, one half of the ancient Imperial Palace. There hundreds of scribes, clerks, lawyers and Judges continue to work to enforce a legal code which has been dead for three hundred years.

The Kireshi

Little is known about the Kireshi desert nomads save that they have always lived in the desert. Some claim they warred with Reptos himself, others that they were spawned in the great Fall of Empire, part demon and part something worse. All are agreed that they are a dangerous, temperemental people who think nothing of slashing a mans water bottles and leaving him to die in the desert.

The Kireshi mostly inhabit the lands to the south and even travel into the Suns Anvil, the most inhospitable and sun baked salt flat at the heart of the desert. They are a nomadic people but rear no animals, travelling everywhere on foot and disdaining the mounts of the Pashtun who they consider weak.

The Kireshi conceal their features from outsiders. Women are always veiled while men wear painted bone face masks, the less elaborate the higher the mans status. Their society is divided into roles strictly defined by sex. Men are hunters and defenders of the tribe. Women keep the home, work magic and protect their precious water supplies. Whilst it is possible for a Kireshi to break the gender barrier such invidiuals are exiled from their own Clan to either live alone in the desert or to seek out a new Clan to join in their new role.