Parigus

Large Town: Population 4,621 (89% vesperkin, 7% human, 4% other)

History

Parigus is an odd town at the border of the Rathmora Colin, west of Catarvoss. The town is in the center of a large forested swamp, the Repenos Gamezir ("dead water swamp"), which acts as a natural defense against the Rathmora Colin. The town was established during the late Upheaval period, but was subject to a nasty Wellspring anomaly in the early Reckoning period that caused dark clouds to gather over the entire swamp and the town which made the waters of the swamp hazardous. Oddly enough, the clouds that gather over the town are only visible upon entering the swamp, and cannot be seen from afar, despite the fact that the clouds are a constant which never dissipate; blanketing the town in a constant gloom. The Myrmidoni have been avoiding the town because the path into the town is so treacherous that they have lost dozens of soldiers to the swamp's deadly waters. Though living in Parigus is difficult due to the hazards of navigating the roads to the town, residents have remained due to the defense it gives them against the empire.

The town has been the site of a number of skirmishes over the years, but two major battles are still referenced in modern day. In the late Reckoning period, as the constant Wellspring eruptions were beginning to subside, the Rathmora Colin attempted to move in on Parigus, hoping to capture it and then move on to Catarvoss. Sometime late in the month of Aellen, the Myrmidoni crossed the Maconeross river to the northwestern side of the Repenos Gamezir and began advancing towards the town through a thick blanket of fog. As they entered the swamp, they were met by soldiers who were tipped off by a defector from the Myrmidoni forces. The Myrmidoni were significantly stronger and began to push Parigus' soldiers back. However, once reaching the half-way point, Parigus' soldiers encountered a large number of spirits charging towards them from further into the swamp. Believing they were being attacked on two fronts, the soldiers prepared for the worst; however, the spirits charged past Parigus' forces and set upon the Myrmidoni, overwhelming them as the Myrmidoni had no magical capability to repel the spirits. The battle, known as Nornazell il Dimos, or "battle of the misty morning", marked the beginning of the bond between the townsfolk of Parigus and the spirits of the swamp.

More recently, only a year ago, the Myrmidoni made a discovery that allowed them to combat the spirits within the swamp. Prior to the Homatheshari go Dimos, or "battle for the ancestral spirits", the metal known as Esciten was primarily used by the Myrmidoni for shields and occasionally small armor pieces; and once it had accumulated too much charge from absorbing magic, it could be thrown at the enemy to use as an explosive. However, it was discovered that when Esciten absorbs charged Flow, it is able to discharge by striking the metal against something. The Myrmidoni were able to sneak past Parigus' scouts and targeted the spirits of the swamp, using their Esciten weapons to attack and destroy many of the spirits within. Fortunately, Parigus was able to respond before the Myrmidoni reached the town, using Rodan gas and newly formulated explosives from Artus to drive them off. This event has caused an outrage in the community, whose bond with the spirits of the swamp made it feel like an attack on their families.

Government

The town is part of Art Hunahunari and is represented by Speaker Dremin Zaputir, a broad-chested muscular Human man in his 30s who is often dismissed due to his appearance as being an oaf or a brute; but he is one of the most well-educated men in the town, having a large personal library he has cultivated in his home. He has been trying to integrate At Matica in the town to make the lives of its residents easier; but the townsfolk have been slow to accept change.

Economy

Parigus has few unique export materials. The swamp surrounding the town is home to the Ropandus plant; a strange green sac that forms from a skin of swamp scum that inflates from gas escaping the necrotic waters, which forms Rodan gas. Rodan gas has a handful of uses, but is most useful medicinally as a pain reliever, as the gas causes those that breathe it in to no longer be able to feel any pain. The gas does, however, cause intense hallucinations, making it hazardous to harvest, as breathing in a stray fume could cause you to wander into the water and die. The gas inside these pods glows in the presence of spirits, so the townsfolk will often request the spirits to drift ahead of their boats to locate them.

Though Rodan gas is quite valuable, it is limited in supply. Parigus being on the border of the Rathmora Colin is in a strategic position, and Art Hunahunari is incentivized to ensure its continued survival; thus, Parigus receives monetary stipends to keep its economy alive and ensure its residents are able to keep the town running. Each resident receives a monthly stipend that they may use as they wish. Due to the abysmal economy, housing in Parigus is very cheap.

Notable Locations

• Repenos Gamezir - The "dead water swamp" is a dense forested swamp surrounding Parigus with nothing but dead withered trees and deadly water. The roads in and out of Parigus aren't so much roads as bridges constructed from stone, as any wood making contact with the swamp water rapidly rots. The water of the swamp necrotizes flesh on contact, which can rapidly break down a living person's body. Those that die within the swamp rapidly rise as undead, shambling through the muck, as its necrotic properties continuously regenerate their undead forms. These properties appear to be isolated to the swamp, however, as removing the water from the swamp causes it to revert to normal water that you can even drink; though it isn't very clean. The swamp is also host to a number of spirits of those who have died in and around Parigus who defend the town. It is believed that the necrotic properties of the swamp are responsible for preventing the spirits of the swamp from becoming corrupted and turning on the town.
• Nashar il Abithor - The "storm temple", located in a clearing in the Repenos Gamezir, is a small stone building buried in the muck of the swamp. The "temple" is long abandoned, but appears to have once been a place of worship dedicated to Aellor. Though clouds are constant over the swamp, there is never rain or weather more severe than strong winds; however, a few times a month, a storm will gather directly above the temple and lightning will strike a rod on the top, producing a sonorous sound that can be heard all throughout Parigus. Speaker Dremin is not a magically talented man, but from his own research, he believes that there must be some magical significance to the location to warrant the temple's presence.
• Mithudan il Entus - The "grave of Mithudan" is an oddity; located within the Repenos Gamezir, there is a simple grave marker sticking out of the water marking the location of the body of a man known simply as Mithudan. Once a Human that lived in Parigus during the Reckoning period, Mithudan fell overboard from his boat and perished in the swamp's deadly waters. However, for unknown reasons, he did not rise as undead; and perhaps more disturbingly, his body remains perfectly preserved by the water, unchanged from the day he died. The locals consider him a holy figure of sorts, believing that Lekaris preserved his body, and that it is good luck to touch his nose, which protrudes slightly from the water.

Culture

Locals living in Parigus have been molded by its hazardous conditions, and tend to find the risk exciting. The Vesperkin in particular enjoy playing risky games and taking ill-advised wagers. There are those betting on who can lower their face the closest to the swamp water, baiting the undead in the swamp and trying to lure them into holes, or inhaling Rodan gas and trying to avoid falling into the water. Though this behavior is certainly foolish, the locals are simply bored and looking for a thrill. This also takes the form of pranks which while often light-hearted, can quickly become dark. The town has had to pass several laws regulating the distribution and use of Rodan gas to stop people from using it as a cheap tool to bamboozle their friends.

The local food in Parigus is rather depressing. With the harsh environment of the swamp, not much can grow in town. The locals have had to import soil and use raised platforms with stone planters to effectively grow anything, but the swamp water will kill anything watered with it, so growing anything in mass quantities is very difficult. There are some foods available, such as mushrooms and the Sureneris ("poison grain"), a specialized grain which resists the necrotic properties of the swamp water, but which is dangerously poisonous if not cooked properly. The locals have had to get creative, supplementing with fish from the lakes to the east, as well as food donated from Catarvoss, who are grateful to have the town on the border keeping the Myrmidoni at bay.

The townsfolk have a festival called Eshar il Bezir ("celebration of spirit"), which falls on the last week of Esten each year, during which the spirits of the Repenos Gamezir are invited into the town and celebrated in thanks for their protection. Though the spirits cannot eat, offerings of food and other items are left out in the hopes that they can appreciate them or potentially smell them. During the festival, a number of games are played and parades performed incorporating the spirits so that they can feel like a part of the community. The celebration occurs during fourth span on each day of the festival, and townsfolk will often paint themselves with pale blue paint and religious markings to resemble spirits themselves.

Defenses

The town needs very little in the way of proper protection given the Repenos Gamezir surrounding it. Besides being dark and difficult to navigate, the waters of the swamp are deadly, necrotizing flesh on contact; and those who die within the water rise as undead. The constant darkness also makes the swamp a breeding ground for lost spirits, whom the Myrmidoni in particular fear. The townsfolk have a bond with the spirits of the swamp that cause the spirits to attack the Myrmidoni on sight, while ignoring merchants.

Due to the Myrmidoni's fear of the spirits in the swamp and its natural defenses, Art Hunahunari has stationed a large number of soldiers here in order to protect their borders and have scouts available to warn of approaching invading forces traveling towards Catarvoss. They have made good use of the swamp's resources, setting up traps along the northwestern passage out of town, to guard against the Myrmidoni in the event that they are brave enough to cross the swamp. These traps include a number of hidden caches of Rodan gas rigged with Tevanoden to react to the presence of living creatures and shatter, rupturing the gas sacs.

Crime

Despite the monetary stipends provided to residents of Parigus, there will always be those that struggle or want more. Thievery is not uncommon in town, and violence is not unheard of. However, with the increased military presence compared to other settlements of its size, the residents are more careful about the crimes they commit. Murderers are simply tied up and tossed into the swamp, and then the resulting undead is either used as fertilizer for crops, buried, or killed.

One disturbing fact of life the townsfolk must contend with is the paranoia that comes with agents of the Rathmora Colin occasionally infiltrating the town in an attempt to destroy it from within. This has happened on dozens of occasions in the last ten years alone. A group called Dumoscanori has been established among the local chapter of the Legion in order to root out these intruders, but the anxiety among the town's residents wondering which of their neighbors might be a spy has taken its toll.