The Metropolis of Nochet
Nochet had always been an important urban site for humans. During prehistoric times, the goddess Esrola held court here and the place was home to many fertility spirits. So rich was the land that the gardens were everywhere: not a bare rock could been seen unless Esrola herself ordained it should be that way. All lived in harmony under her generous rule and no one suffered in childbirth. Many were the tribes of humans that lived here. When Esrola slept, the land blissfully slept too and there was stillness everywhere. At that time, the sea was far from the land and Esrola did not have to face it; it would have been too alien for her anyway.
At the time of our campaign, around 1616 to 1620 S.T., it had a population of around 100,000.
Places of Interest in Nochet
Nochet has always been divided into eight parts; this is a throwback to the ancient friendship between the Octamonical dwarves and the Esrolan priestesshood. This friendship fascinates scholarships as any relations between non-dwarves and the Mostali would seem to be highly improbable. It was these dwarves that helped in the devising of the city. In modern times, these parts of the city are called Warrens in the Esrolian tongue.
Warren Ostenihn
This warren is dominated by one of Nochet's two main port areas. It is generally run down and ruled by a corrupt Mayor. It is the area of Nochet noted for the least measure of female dominance. Due to the port, much by way of foreign trade takes place here. Two taverns are of particular note for adventurers. One is the The Broken Oar, and is well known for the poverty of it's patrons, the secretive nature of the business conducted there and the frothiness (yet reassuring cheapness) of it's home-brewed beer. The other is The Green Gauntlet. This is of a higher class and noted for its green furnishings and wide range of beers and spirits. This area of Nochet contains a minor temple to Dormal the Sailor Prince (the western version of the Dormali faith). All other inhabitants of Nochet despise it.
Warren Vargol
This is the richest part of the metropolis. It contains the residence of three of the eight Queens of Esrolia, including that of the most powerful, Queen Aquilarna. Rich merchants (such as Karvtal Solazar) of every description and cult live here. The great temple to Esrola is situate here, a huge truncated pyramid building. All the streets have long vines growing everywhere and a law stipulates that all balconies and windows are to be decorated with exotic shrubbery and plantlife.
Warren Friskan
This area of Nochet is given over to pleasure: illicit dens of all manner of vices can be found here. Gambling is rife and several robber gangs and thieve guilds from warren Ostenihn have safe houses in this warren. There is a large contingent of Babeester Gor initiates here as well as they have their temple here. It is the only area of Nochet where slave markets are allowed to sell women. One noted inhabitant is the Openhandist dwarf adventurer Raknor Ironbelly, wanted by several gambling operations for debts.
Warren Bardesel
The second port of Nochet. Though smaller than Ostenihn, it is richer and attracts a more civilized range of visitors. However, no-one knows that one of the ship's captains normally in port is a Karantian vampire from Zarlania named Surkal Barearms. One thing of note is the great obelisk to the Pharoah which is situated in the harbour. It is of jasper that glints all day and on Clayday nights. It rises thirty yards out of the water. It appears like a great quartz and whitestone sheaf of corn. Seagulls congregate there and constantly cause a raucous cacophony.
Warren Hadagast
Closely follwing Vargol for riches, this is the most ancient part of the city with some ruins said by local legend to date back before the Dawning. Many of the more civilized cults are based here, including Lhankor Mhy, Ernalda, Asrelia and the enormous cathedrals, one to the Invisible God and the other (slightly smaller) to Invisible Orlanth. Some say the streets are haunted and despite the wealth of the inhabitants, land is comparatively cheap here. Unknown to all, dwarves from Dwarf Outpost (or Ceir Lammoth) in Snakepipe Hollow, did once have a tunnel all the way to here, though even the Mostali are unaware of this today. Arkat discovered this centuries ago.
Warren Betchula
Most of the inhabitants are normal merchants, artisans and richer farmers. Barntar is considered to be the husband god in this warren. Despite it's outward civility, at night the place is visited by riff raff from warren Ostenihn who terrorize the inhabitants and the useless Nochetian Patrola. Many protection rackets are run in this manner. The Betchulans are putting together to hire a band of mercenaries to rid them of this, but they know this will cause great conflict with the official patrols.
Warren Salvost
This area was once attacked by trolls many hundreds of years ago and was then rebuilt; hence it's architectural style is at odds with the rest of the city. Instead of whitestone, many houses are either wattle and daub or mud brick from the harbour. It is the cheapest place to live in Nochet. Over the years, the coast has moved nearer this side of Nochet, and though it does not have a port it is now quite near the sea. However, an intervening swamp surrounds it and this gives rise to ocassional infestations from insects. The main inhabitants are peasants, farm worker and poor adventurers. One other thing about the place is that a limp uzko called "the giggling troll" originally from Warren Cezzlen walks around it being a general pain. He is well known to the children. His sayings include those of doom, saying that "Humans think they safe in Time. Not so. Uz know. Uz know Chaos kill all soon like us killed."
Warren Cezzlen
This is the most north-west part of Nochet. It contains the largest non-human population, that of dark trolls. These are originally from the Shadowlands and are called "uzkomal" (man trolls) by normal troll tribes. Here the wall around Nochet is in it's greatest state of decline. Some of the humans that live in Warren Cezzlen worship Argan Argar as husband god openly and are allowed to by the authorities: they have proved that they are loyal to the earth goddess in defending the city in past attacks, some of them even against trolls. They speak of the Pharoah as "Mangod" and look on him as a friend. After he took over the Holy Country, one of the first things Belintar the Stranger did was befriend these trolls to prove he had no overriding bias against their species.
People of Prominence
Queen Aquilarna Musqilleth, Ruler of the Zuralfarni
Nochet being a theocracy, it's ruler is the High-Priestess of the Esrolan religion. This one, the 102nd since the Dawning, is cunning, young, active and very beautiful. Her magical powers grow all the time. Because of the death of the Pharoah at the hands of Harrek the Berserk she has proclaimed a thirty year period of mourning. Even now she is trying to bring him back to life and is contemplating a city-wide ritual in 1622 S.T. to bring this about. According to her law, all must wear a significantly-sized black piece of clothing when in Nochet in honour of the period of mourning. As a ruler she is better at influencing opinoin through words and rituals rather than through laws and deeds. The ultimate penalty in Nochet is stoning, though this is done rarely due to the great reverence for life. This tolerance does not apply to chaotics however, who are wiped out immeadietly on coming to light. The Zuralfarni are an exotic tribe of earth spirits that the ruler of Nochet alone has access to.
Surkal Barearms
Posing as a somewhat roguish ship's captain, this is actually a Karantian from the far island of Zarlania. (Karantians are a race indistinguishable physically from Wareran humans but are prone to vampyrism and have an average lifespan of 170 years. Zarlania is a large island roughly a third of the way from Corflu to Magasta's Pool and is that island detailed in the RuneQuest supplement, [1]Griffin Island. The Karantians ruled an ancient and necromantic empire in the south-west portion of that island.) He is some 268 years old and is in reality a powerful member of the Vivamort vampyre cult. After the Opening of the seas, he decided to explore the world and has been as far as Kralorela where he learnt martial arts. His ship is called [1]The Golden Gryphon and it bears a gryphon figurehead. His first mate is a zombie whilst the ship's priest is also a vampyre from Zarlania who wears a turban. He is also known as Arksus Gree and is a powerful adept. Normally people are reluctant to deal with the [1]The Golden Gryphon's crew due to stories of bad luck. Surkal is well known for never carrying a weapon apart from a small knife - he doesn't need to due to his martial arts and his damage boosting spells. He normally weighs anchor is Warren Bardesel.
Sharjeda Mysticeye
This Ulerian priestess is now in her fifties but is still considered by all men, no matter what their age, to be extremely attractive. Many stories are told of what pleasures she can bring a man, enough to make him loose his mind and reasoning. She has silver, strong hair down to her shoulders which is curly and lustrous. She wears a tiara with a design of infinity runes across the top, each loop being set with a different gem. Her eyes are blue and clear, and she normally wears a cyan robe made of silk tied with a silver loop. This robe is tied tight enough to show off her figure; slim, yet curvaceous and captivating enough to endanger jealousy in any twenty year old lady. She can walk silently and all those within 10 metres of her must overcome her POW (20) with theirs to avoid feeling uplifted, whole and at peace with everything and everyone - she gained these powers on a HeroQuest. She says she has travelled far, and the Queen of the Zuralfarni is jealous of her as it is said she once seduced the Pharoah, even though he had sworn to abstain from relations with anyone outside his eight wives and thirty-two concubines. Her presence in Nochet brings much excitment and longing in the menfolk.