Foreign Relations All information presented here is from the cultural perspective of the people of the Viszudar. Your character could conceivably know all of the information presented here. The Viszudar is at a strategically advantageous chokepoint, located in the middle of the Landsend range of mountains. The Landsend spans hundreds of miles, and contains numerous natural limestone caves reaching untold depths. The Viszudar is suspended above the river Glimmer, a salty river sourced by the Glimmerlake to the north. West West of the Viszudar is the Gaskhar Waste. It is a desolate plateau nearly stripped barren of life. Tenacious, woody shrubs, hardy wildlife, and of course, goblins, find this place their home. Amidst the desolation, ruins of the goblinish empire of the past can be found. Rumor suggests, deep, deep below the ground, holdouts of the old ways of goblinkind can be found. To the people of the Viszudar, these are mere rumors. Generally, the people of the Viszudar are hostile to the goblins of the west because of the wars of their distant past, and the arbitrarily bellicose attitude of modern goblins. Further west lies the mysterious land of the Adreassians. Not much is known of them to the people of the Viszudar. Rarely, trading convoys arrive from the far west, and are often in excellent condition despite the journey. It is said the old road placed alongside the western edge of the Glimmerlake was placed by the Adreassians in times long ago. Men bearing the aspects of dragons are often in the places of highest esteem in the caravans. It is rumored the Adreassians and Glimmer Dwarves are silently locked in an ages-long, silent war. These days, this war never erupts into bloodshed, but it gives outsiders a rough approximation of their matched military strength. Generally, the people of the Viszudar are neutral to the Adreassians because of the great distance between their people and lack of gain on either side in a conflict. North To the north lies the Glimmerlake. In the abyssal depths of the waters of the salty lake, there is an immense, magically reinforced bubble. Here is where the dwarves of Rivenport call home. They refer to themselves as Glimmer Dwarves, and they are led by the Golden Trade-Prince, Halamakûr-Azod, Lord of Rivenport, Benefactor of All Peoples. Rivenport has waygates around the world of Rennisilon. While they do not quite literally go everywhere, as waygates are expensive to construct, they go to many civilized places. The closest waygate in the proximity of the Viszudar is on a small artificial island in the center of the Glimmerlake itself. To reach it, one would have to pay the tariffs required of the dwarven ferrymen, and then the fees required to gain entry passes to Rivenport itself. Once one is inside, assuming one has ample gold to pay the constant fees, one is free to travel the world and purchase almost any delight imaginable. Rivenport is a many-tiered city. The general shape of the city occupies the transparent sphere protecting it from being crushed by the weight of the salty water pressing down on it at all times. Nearly all of the available space is occupied and put to good use. With the waygate system, the Glimmer Dwarves have outposts at nearly every major city and have temporary forward operating bases in any mine they prospect precious metals or stones. The design, location, magic, and artifice of Rivenport make it nearly impossible to assault. Likewise, an assault on the Viszudar would be equally ruinous to Rivenport's economy, military, and most importantly, reputation. The Thal trade regularly with the Glimmer Dwarves. Generally, this consists of exports with the intent to stockpile a hoard of gold that would make a dragon blush, but at times dwarven artifice and foreign slaves are purchased as well. This is not as easily accessible as the Thal would like, however, with the punishing transportation fees, taxes, and tariffs the dwarves carefully calculate and add on to nearly every transaction. Generally, the people of the Viszudar are friendly, but not allies, to the Glimmer Dwarves because the trade between the two factions is mutually beneficial. The people of the Viszudar, however, would not like to be roped into the many conflicts the Glimmer Dwarves find themselves in across the globe. Sometimes, it is better to remain at an arm's reach. The Glimmerlake is surrounded by wetlands and salt marshes on all sides. In this vast expanse of treacherous lands lives the Silverglade elves. Little is formally known about the Silverglade elves, other than their capricious nature. Sometimes they will be willing to trade, and other times they raid Viszudar trade delegations to the Glimmer Dwarves. Rumor says, farther to the north, in the thick of the salt marsh, lies the salt willow, the heartbough of their people, and their elusive hideaway, the Banehollow. The Silverglade elves will tolerate the people of the Viszudar, at best. At worst, they prey on their trade caravans and capture their people to sacrifice to their heathen, bloodthirsty goddess. The Silverglade elves are far more ruthless to the Glimmer Dwarves. They show no mercy to them, and will even fearlessly attack dwarven patrols when outmatched and outarmed. Rumor suggests the Silverglade elves hold a grudge against the Gilmmer Dwarves for causing the Glimmerlake to be as salty as it is, and by extension, poisoning their heartbough. Tensions are high between the two factions, regardless of who fired the first shot, or who is more at fault. The Silverglade elves are led by Alathea Uuviathu, iconoclast of the south, mourner of the saltland whispers. Generally, the people of the Viszudar are unfriendly, but not immediately hostile to the closest of the elven diaspora. As a baseline, the humans are wary of the elves for aforementioned reasons. South To the south of the Viszudar is the bay of Balvir, named after the first Brave, an honored ancestor of the people of the Viszudar. The bay opens up into the shallow sea. South of the shallow sea lies the land of haunted ice. The land of haunted ice is a dangerous place, wracked with blizzard and even more dangerous denizens. The Fortisskari, a tribe of snow elves, makes the shores directly south of the Viszudar their home. With vessels of warpwood icebreakers, they make short work of any maritime interlopers in the area. The Iskhar-Yog deliberately avoid the shallow sea for this reason. Somewhat inland, their heartbough, the boreal heart, is surrounded by formidable natural fortifications and enchantment. Beyond the lands of the Fortisskari, little is known. Rumor has it frost giants, living in harmony with their animated venerated dead populate the polar peaks further south. It is said the Fortisskari are led by a titanic elf named Hviskri Angdri, terror of the south seas, warden of the polar peaks. Generally, the people of the Viszudar are hostile to the Fortisskari, because they appear to be aggressive to all outsiders and staunchly isolationist. The people of the Viszudar are neutral to the frost giants of the polar peaks, if they exist, because no formal contact has been made with their people. East To the east lies the lands of the Iskhar-Yog. The lands of the Iskhar-Yog are quite fertile compared to the lands of the Viszudar. In times long gone, the Iskhar-Yog were a booming maritime empire. Nowadays, they are a disparate people, clinging on to legends of glory long ago, ruled by a self-styled emperor. Emperor Nebuëmenses XXIV, in short, is an inbred maniac served by a few cities clinging onto times of yore. With this prestige, and despite the decline of the Iskhar-Yog, he still commands a moderate amount of power. Of these cities, the port city of Gol-Galoon is the closest to the Viszudar, and the ripest for raids. The people of the Viszudar, especially the Thal, have a longstanding tradition of raiding the outlying settlements of the Iskhar-Yog, and even at times their outlying cities like Gol-Galoon. As the Thal see it, they have a continued military campaign against Iskhar-Yog, and would take credit for their collapse. The truth of the matter is far more nuanced, although the unchecked raids certainly have contributed. The Iskhar-Yog largely have their hands full with domestic matters and the state of their crumbling empire to worry about barbarians pillaging their hinterlands. Generally, the people of the Viszudar have a contentious, unfriendly relationship with the empire of Iskhar-Yog. This is a product of their frequent raids for goods and captives. In times long past, the empire of Tlan-Atai was subjugated by the Iskhar-Yog. The denizens of the Tlan-Altai are known as the Ashig, in recent times. 'Ashig' means subordinate or gladiator in the Yoggite tongue. The history and culture of the Ashig have been nearly wiped out. Mere mentions of their former glory is scrawled on antediluvian tablets strewn across the world, and it is all but certain the days of glory are behind them. This is all but certain, because the Yoggites have selectively bred the Ashig for servile natures and the ability to be useful, but quite docile and easily dominated. Such is the fate of a conquered people. As such, for many, especially familiar with the empire of the east, the sight of a snake-man Ashig is no cause for alarm. Ashig who do not have this attitude are rare, but exist. Many of them blend in with their subjugated fellows, plotting a return to greatness for their kind, or an escape from bondage, one must assume.