Nex
| Nex | |
|---|---|
| |
| (Nation) | |
| Alignment | Neutral |
| Ruler | The Council of Three and Nine |
| Government | Bureaucracy |
| Languages | Common, Kelish, Osiriani, Vudrani |
| Religions | Abadar, Calistria, Irori, Lamashtu, Nethys, Norgorber, Pharasma |
- This is an article on the nation of Nex. For information on the person of the same name, see Nex (person).
Nex (pronounced NEKS)[1] is a cosmopolitan realm on the southeastern coast of Garund, filled with arcane wonders and ancient scars. It was established by the mighty wizard-king Nex, who vanished four thousand years ago.[2]
Contents |
History
The nation now known as Nex grew up around the ancient city state of Quantium. With the emergence of the legendary archmage Nex during the Age of Destiny, Quantium experienced a rapid rise in power and soon dominated the surrounding area.[2]
War with Geb
In -892 AR,[3] Nex's territorial ambitions brought him into conflict with the neighbouring southern kingdom of Geb. Thus began Nex’s legendary conflict with the necromancer Geb that would make both (in)famous.
The war between the two powerful wizards lasted centuries, as each had found methods of greatly prolonging his life. Geb’s magic devastated the land of Nex with powerful necromantic magic; the cities were protected but the rural areas became a barren wasteland that remains to this day.[2] The land between the two nations become so thoroughly contaminated by their fighting that it was permanently transformed into the spellblighted desert known as the Mana Wastes.[4]
In the waning years of the conflict, Nex unsuccessfully besieged Absalom in 166 AR (creating the famous Spire of Nex), and gained control of the isle of Jalmeray in 253 AR. The archmage eventually gifted Jalmeray to the legendary maharaja of Vudra, Khiben-Sald.[3]
Disappearance of Nex
In 576 AR,[3] Geb launched a potentially decisive attack on Quantium, covering Nex’s capital in a lethal fog which killed thousands of its citizens.[2] Nex fled into the demiplane known as the Refuge of Nex, and has not been seen since.[5] The lesser wizards of Nex somehow managed to keep Geb from conquering the country in Nex’s absence, and the war eventually petered out. Over time, an uneasy truce was brokered, and eventually trade was established between the two nations. Today, Nex imports most of its food from Geb, as its own land has still not recovered from the devastation of the war.[2]
Government
Government in Nex has been a chaotic, complicated process ever since the archmage Nex disappeared over four millennia ago. Nex’s rule had been unquestioned, but when he disappeared, the country was thrown into chaos.
Since then, a variety of strange sects, arcane cabals, and cults of personality have ruled the country, each claiming some sort of insight into what the archmage Nex's plans were for his now abandoned citizens. The external threat from Geb finally united the country enough to spur the creation of the Council of Three and Nine, a ruling body which still tries to unify the various squabbling factions.
The result is a government that is mired in bureaucracy and political infighting, but despite these weaknesses, Nex has never been conquered, and there are no signs of the Council of Three and Nine faltering.
Despite this, some factions—most notably the Arclords of Nex—clamour for a resumption of the war against Geb on the grounds that it must surely be the will of the archmage to destroy the enemy nation.[2]
Geography
Nex was devastated by the centuries of magical warfare between the two powerful wizards. All the lands outside of the magically protected cities were blighted by Geb's magic, turning them into a barren wasteland. These lands are now inhabited by tribesmen, outlaws, and the descendants of the magical beasts unleashed by Nex during the war (many of them created in the fleshforges of Ecanus).[2]
Some hardy animals still survive in these barren lands however, including the territorial Axe beak.[6]
Settlements
Nex's towns have been in existence since the Age of Destiny, although some have weathered the time better than others.
- Ecanus: Southern fortress town, home of the fleshforges
- Khulo: Former pleasure retreat, now part of an inescapable prison
- Oenopion: City of alchemists
- Quantium: Cosmopolitan capital, and grand memorial to the vanished archmage
Features
- Elemion River: Forms border between Nex and Katapesh
- Miasmere: Heavily polluted waterway off the coast
- Isle of Black Palms: Haunted island north of Valkus
- Ndele Gap: Pass between Shattered Range and Brazen Peaks
- Shattered Range: Forms western border with Mwangi Expanse
- Ustradi River: Flows from Alkenstar past Ecanus
- Valkus Isle: Prison island in the Obari Ocean
- Well of Lies: Ancient dungeon complex closed by Nex
References
- ↑ Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 247. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 130-131. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 35. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
- ↑ James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 110. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
- ↑ James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 133. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
- ↑ Amanda Hamon, Philip Minchin, Jason Nelson, et al. (2013). Animal Archive, p. 16. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-487-7
| |||||
