“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep
your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
Travel-Log
How this works
“The jungles don’t recognize time. To them, every year is the same year: one of birth, and of death.
The plants and beasts care little for the works of man, but those cities are there — oh yes, they’re
there. Toppled spires of stone and stepped pyramids heavy with vines, their golden altars now roosts for
chattering macaws. Inside, magnificent chambers stand empty, and those temples that aren’t abandoned are
the worst yet — for the things that can survive a thousand years of silence are things best left
undisturbed. The great cities, like their mysterious builders, have been forgotten. In time, they will
be reclaimed completely by the jungle. As will we all, one day.”
— Shem Ervismor, Eyes in the Dark: My Life in the Expanse
Most things can be clicked to show/hide details
This site is meant as a resource for my players and is maintained directly and manually by the GM. This site
is for use with the Serpents Skull adventure path.
If you're a player in this game and you haven't yet, visit the Character Creation tab to get started!
Welcome to the adventure, and may Pharasma have mercy on your soul.
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Home: Campaign and site details
Character Creation: Details regarding how to create a character for this campaign.
Discoveries: Details on information, magic items, and people encountered or recovered throughout the
campaign.
Explorers: Details regarding living and dead player characters, missions, campaign traits, and the strange
powers or occurrences affecting them.
Profiles: Details regarding all known allied, neutral, rival, enemy, or dead people and factions.
Surveys: A record and map of locations visited, along with a review of the party's current location.
Travel Log: A collection of discovered biographies and stories, and a running journal on the events of the
adventure so-far.
Jungle Law: Rules details for playing at the table, in this campaign, and in the jungle.
Campaign Setting Details
Each region of the golarion is unique; culture, economy, language, and societal structure vary greatly from
one part of the world to another. Here are some important details to know about this campaign's setting:
Click to Show Campaign and Character Details:
Click to Hide Campaign and Character Details:
Citizenship: While Sargava and the Mwangi Expanse are primarily home to
Chelish Colonials and Mwangi natives, adventurers of all nations have reason to journey to the region, be
they natives to the land returning home from travels abroad or foreigners venturing into uncharted territory
for the first time. However, most adventurers in the region at this time would be expected to be colonial
Sargavan or Mwangi natives, hail from either Cheliax, Mediogalti, Varisia, or the Shackles, or else at least
be from the inner sea region.
Currency: As a former colonial territory of Cheliax, settlements in Sargava
predominantly use Chelish currency - copper oars, silver ferries, gold helms, and platinum cabins, though
they refer to all coins by these names and use them relatively interchangeably regardless of mint origin.
Despite their usage in Cheliax proper, Sargava eschews the use of silver tithes, rejecting their infernal
origins. The native Mwangi tribes have largely adopted the usage of Sargavan currency over the last 600
years of colonial occupation, though they do cling to exchanging several types of trade goods in lieu of
currency, particularly dried cocoa beans, when exchanging with fellow Mwangi peoples.
Languages: Sargava uses the Taldan Common tongue as its official language,
and all official business in Eleder is conducted in Common, though the local Polyglot is spoken by far more
people, especially outside of the cities, while Dwarven, Elven, Gnome are common among those populations.
Other useful languages for this campaign include: Abyssal, Aklo, Ancient Azlanti, Aquan, Boggard, Draconic,
Giant, Infernal, Kech, Orvian, Undercommon, Sylvan, Terran, and Vegepygmy. A few secret languages (such as
druidic) and magical communication - particularly speak with animals - will both feature prominently,
but cannot be achieved by all characters. The regional dialects of Calda, Ekujae, Kibwani, Lirgeni, Mzuno,
Ocotan, and Xamba, as well as both Kelish and Varisian will be encountered throughout the campaign, but its
speakers will often also speak Common or Polyglot. Other languages may feature incidentally, but may not be
the ideal choice when choosing a new one to learn.
Prejudice: Different towns have different feelings towards adventurers, and
the native Mwangi have as much difficulty distinguishing inconsiderate adventurers from the colonists as the
colonists have distinguishing one Mwangi tribe from another. Generally, however, all non-Mwangi are treated
the same, which is usually better than the native Mwangi peoples are treated as they are rarely considered
equals and are often either second-class citizens if not outright slaves. When exposed to xenophobia, it is
usually in both directions across this divide, though some colonials look down on adventurers as
troublemakers, not much different than the pirates that frequent their towns and shipyards.
Knowledge Breakdown
The Knowledge skill is broken down into several different areas of expertise, each representing the sum of
what your character knows about a given creature, location, event, or situation. If you have no training in a
particular knowledge, you can typically not roll higher than a 10 on any one knowledge check (10 representing
information that is generally known), while any information that would rely on specialized education or
training to suss out will have a DC starting at 15 and increasing with its obscurity. Click to learn more
about knowledge:
Click to Detail Knowledge Uses:
Click to Obscure Knowledge Uses:
Lore - The Lore skill represents training in a very narrow field; not as
broad as knowledge, they are generally less useful to learn, but may (in certain instances) span more than
one knowledge field of study. Examples of appropriate Lore skill's include topics like Dogs, Elven Nobility,
Light Spells, or Tea, but not areas so broad as Animals, Elves, Nobility, Magic, or Valuables - those are
covered by specific knowledge's. If your character is trained in a Lore skill, it may be used in place of
the appropriate knowledge skill. This will usually be at the same DC as the Knowledge skill, but may be up
to 5 points easier depending on the narrowness of the Lore skill's scope. Profession and Craft skills may
also be used in place of a Knowledge when it interacts with their realm of expertise, but that is rare.
Monster Identification - Most Knowledge's allow for identifying
monsters. The DC's for these are DC10+CR for common creatures (typically CR9-), DC15+CR for uncommon
creatures (typically CR10+), and DC20+CR for unique creatures (unique or CR20+). For every 5 points you
exceed the DC, you may ask a question about the creature.
The specific uses of each knowledge skill are outlined below:
Arcana: Identifies dragons and magical beasts. Also identifies ongoing
magical effects and transmuted/conjured materials (DC20+Spell Lvl). Can also decipher arcane mysteries,
magical traditions, and magical auras. Also used in phrenology and magical rituals.
Dungeoneering: Identifies aberrations and oozes. Also identifies
underground hazard's and how to bypass them (DC15+CR). Can also identify stones, metals, and minerals,
identify makeup of caverns and underground tunnels, determine slope and depth underground. Also used in
understanding and navigating the Darklands
Engineering: Identifies constructs. Also identifies dangerous
construction and a structures style, age, or weakness (DC10-20). Can also be used in construction,
demolition, and renovation. Also used in inventions and innovations.
Geography: Does not identify creatures. Can identify a creatures'
ethnicity (DC15 or 10+Disguise). Can also recognize climate, soil, and terrain features, and represents
knowing the location of noteworthy sites and communities. Also used in astronomy and farming.
History: Does not identify creatures. Can identify past events and age
of documents, items, structures, and styles. Also used in archeology.
Local: Identifies humanoids. Also identifies class levels (DC 15+lvl).
Represents knowledge of local cultures, customs, folklore, legends, people, personalities,
organizations, and traditions. Also used in secret organizations.
Nature: Identifies animals, fey, monstrous humanoids, plants, and
vermin. Also identifies natural hazard's and how to bypass them (DC15+CR). Can also be used to identify
plants and herbs, recognize weather patterns and phenomenon, and determine if something is natural or
artificial. Also used in herbology.
Nobility: Does not identify creatures. Can recognize correct and proper
etiquette, heraldry, lineages, nobility, and succession. Also used in interpreting rank and relationship
in a court, social rounds, and social combat.
Planes: Identifies outsiders. Can also recognize planes, identify planar
features, and identify planar magic. Also used in navigating teleportation magic.
Religion: Identifies undead. Also identifies haunts and how to lay them
to rest (DC15+CR for general method, DC15+2xCR for exact method). Can also recognize deities by their
holy symbols, recognize domains, recognize cults and worshippers, recognize burial rights and
procedures, and recognize religious tenets. Also used in divine interventions and deific boons.
The 10 Commandments of Tomb Raiding
While there are many tools in the arsenal of an adventurer, there will inevitably be certain challenges that
force them to rely on their innate abilities, skillful training, and tactical preparation. The act of delving
deep into dungeons is perilous, and there are several things every would-be adventurer should keep in mind,
regardless of their level of experience:
Click to Reveal the Tomb Raiding Commandments:
Click to Apostatize the Tomb Raiding Commandments:
Scout Ahead:(Recommended Skill - Linguistics) Before opening doors
or rounding corners, gather as much information as you can. Deciphering ancient writings or maps can provide
a massive advantage. Using magic to create maps, scry, or see through walls is incredible, but even
listening at a door, using a mirror to look around a corner, peering through a crack in the wall, or
(dangerously) sneaking ahead to take a peek, can all gather useful information about who to fight, what to
prepare, when to move, or where to stand.
Use Diplomacy:(Recommended Skill - Diplomacy) There are more ways to
deal with a monster than dangerous combat. Diplomacy can turn a dangerous encounter into an unexpected ally,
and even unreasonable monsters might be persuaded (or tricked) with food, gold, magic items, or spells.
Encounters bypassed are encounters overcome, and resources saved now are resources for later.
Understand the Environment:(Recommended Skill - Knowledge) Many
dungeons have their own hazards, curses, terrain, or even political dynamics. Understanding who to negotiate
with, what creatures lurk below, when to delve, where to find the treasure, how to avoid falling, or why you
shouldn't touch the water can all be lifesaving.
Break Down Doors:(Recommended Skill - Initiative) While there is a
time for quiet in a dungeon, there is also a time for action. When loot is identified or creatures are heard
on the other side of a door, acting quickly can often end a fight before it even starts. When it comes to
combat, hesitation is a character trait that is rarely rewarded.
Search for Secrets:(Recommended Skill - Perception) It often pays to
be thorough, especially in ancient or powerful places. Small trinkets may hide powerful magic, secret
passages may bypass danger, and treasures are often hidden away, buried by rubble, or disguised as something
mundane (like furniture). Watch for tell-tale signs of monster activity which may give insight into the
dungeon environment ahead.
Check for Traps:(Recommended Skill - Disable Device) Monster lairs
and ancient tombs are often warded with traps and curses. A keen eye, particularly on doors and chests, as
well as the occasional use of spells like Detect Magic will often feel unrewarded, but occasionally
prevent a horrible death. Watch for monsters disguising their undeath or abominable features, all while
feigning innocence in an effort to lure you closer.
Be Prepared:(Recommended Skill - Climb/Swim) Rope, pitons, tools,
torches, mirrors, waterproof bags, ten-foot poles. Detect Magic, Dimension Door, Light, Levitation,
Summon Monster, Silent Image, Unseen Servant. Whether you need a way up, down, or out, or you just
need some fodder to distract a monster while you run, entering a dungeon unprepared is a way to die alone in
the dark.
Set Traps:(Recommended Skill - Craft) Never forget to set traps of
your own as you try to create a safe place. Ball bearings, strings, nets, oil, and more provide all the
basics for building a safe place to fall back on, and clever crafter's and powerful conjurers can do far
more to prepare a place for combat. Just as its easy to be led into a trap, only the most intelligent of
monsters will even suspect a trap, meaning traps are a reliable way to gain an advantage.
Stay Stealthy:(Recommended Skill - Stealth) Staying stealthy can
lead to gaining information, bypassing danger, and surprising an enemy in combat. Do not explore more than
one room at once, and do not break line of sight for too long - if ever - but even pushing forward safely
one-by-one can make a huge difference.
Never Split the Party:(Recommended Skill - Survival) It is dangerous
to go alone. Don't leave line-of-sight or communication for long - if ever - and don't scout physically
ahead without a plan of when they will come looking for you. Only rest in safe places, avoiding places out
in the open or cornered with only a single way out, and keep someone on watch - preferably multiple
someone's - at all times.
Tribes of the Frontier
While colonists find it difficult to distinguish between the various tribes and ethno-linguistic groups in
Mwangi, the local tribespeople recognize distinctions every bit as definitive as those between Ulfen and
Taldan - and most all of them bristle at being lumped together colloquially as simply "natives." Those that
interact with them frequently realize there are six major heritages within the blanket Mwangi ethnicity, each
containing a handful of dominant tribes:
Bekyar - The Raiders:
Click to Flee from the Bekyar...
Bekyar tend to be tall, and their hairstyles often involve long and elaborate braids, sometimes
incorporating silk headwraps. The majority of the Bekyar peoples hunt for game and raid other communities
for food, resources, and - most importantly - people. What they do with their captives varies by tribe,
which tend to fall under one of two subcategories:
Bandu - These slavers infest the Bandu Hills, which are in turn named
after this tribe, turning an already dangerous and hostile area into one fraught with enough peril that
few brave the territory, despite the promised riches. Much of their civil dealings with outsiders is
limited to human trafficking - either buying a slave or a captives freedom. Since the colonization of
Sargava, they have come to view the light-skinned foreigners as emissaries of the "northern gods," and
as such they particularly prize these captives as sacrifices to their nature spirit deities.
Yemba - The Yemba are a smaller tribe rarely encountered by colonists
but often spoken of in ghost stories as they are, if accounts are accurate, cannibals. The Yemba (whose
name translates to ghoul) supposedly live along the River of Lost Tears and its many tributaries, and
can be found by following the sounds of beating drums deep in the dark forests at night, where they can
be encountered feasting upon human flesh in a ritual presided over by witch doctors known only as the
"Yemba-bo" or "Ghoul-talkers".
Bonuwat - the Seafaring:
Click for the Bonuwat to Set Sail...
Bonuwat mostly appear along the coastline and are typically shirtless, sometimes wearing paint instead of
cloth, and they usually keep their hair cropped short, in cornrows, or shaved for the sake of being
hydrodynamic. The Bonuwat have a seafaring heritage, and their communities pop up everywhere both water and
fish can be found. These people tend to fall under one of two subcategories:
Ijo - Perhaps the friendliest of the local tribes, the Ijo spend their
days on the open waters. Their tendency to dress in little more than loincloths is a source of
embarrassment to some of the more genteel colonials, but it is a matter of simplicity to the Ijo who
spend most of their time either in or on the water under the hot sun. They sell their daily catch all
across Sargava and maintain cordial relations with most colonials and tribespeople, keeping their
clashes on and under the sea.
Ombo - These merchants have loosely aligned themselves with the pirates
of the Shackles and have adopted much of their sense of style, often wearing loose-fitting pantaloons
and jewelry, and little else. They have found the slave trade to be particularly lucrative, often
trading captives with the Free Captains on behalf of the Bandu, and occasionally preying upon the Ijo
when they're found alone in open water.
Caldaru - the Chosen:
Click to Jumble the Caldaru...
With skin tones ranging from olive to dark bronze, the Caldaru dress in long, flowing robes that take in the
breeze and cool the skin. Believing themselves to be the chosen people, the majority of their people were
enslaved or dispersed when outsiders first reached the Mwangi Expanse. Rather than assimilating, they have
absorbed much of the knowledge of these far-flung communities while maintaining their identity, setting up
their own communities to trade and sell their expertise. These diaspora congregate close to one-another
wherever they are found, looking forward to one day establishing a kingdom in a city of their own.
Mauxi - the Mysterious:
Click for the Mauxi to Follow the Herd...
The Mauxi typically wear head wraps to protect themselves from the sun while favoring a variety of colorful
robes and textiles. These people are typically nomadic and peaceful, but ready to defend themselves. The
mauxi are further subcategorized by the heard animals they follow across the expanse, with the following two
being predominant:
Bas'o - These Mauxi follow the antelope heard in and out of Sargava, not
caring for the borders drawn by the colonials anymore than the herds mind them. While peaceful, they
have learned to be distrustful of strangers, and are not to be trifled with, having a deeply ingrained
warrior culture ready to react violently to perceived challenges or threats.
Elephant People - Scattered groups of nomads living alongside their
elephant companions, these groups are collectively known as the elephant people. While not numerous,
their incorporation of mighty elephant cavalry alongside ivory spears make them dangerous to challenge.
The communities have themselves forgotten their ancestral name, having thought of themselves as
"elephants in man-skin" for generations.
Vidric - the Naturalized:
Click to Send the Vidric to Work...
With a skin tone ranging from fair to ebony, the Vidric people are those who have spent generations under
colonial rule (either willingly or as servants), and after generations of intermixing and learning the ways
of their colonizers, they no longer identify with the ethnic traditions or heritages of their ancestors.
These people tend to wear a mix of Chelish and Mwangi clothing and worship gods from the inner sea (but with
decidedly Mwangi traits). The name "Vidric" is derived from the ancestral name of modern Sargava, and those
who visibly support independence or revolutionary movements tent to wear chains or a pair of chain-less
bracelets, though some view this tendency as tacky or confrontational. While they no longer have truly
distinct heritages, they can be further subcategorized slightly:
Colonial Natives - These people are descended from Chelish colonists,
but were born and raised in Sargava, it being the only country and culture they know. While the culture
and traditions of the inner sea are dominant amongst them, their style and lifestyle are shaped by their
new environment. Many colonial natives speak polyglot (though it would be scandalous if they couldn't
also speak proper common), and some have incorporated local religious adaptations into their own
beliefs. Generations ago, it was disgraceful to intermix with the local Mwangi, but today intermarriages
are not looked down upon, only uncommon, and multi-toned children join their fair-skinned families in
the upper-crust of society.
Mulaa - The Mulaa people are those whose ancestors come from Eleder and
the M'neri Plains, and their culture has been shaped by their peaceful interactions with the bonuwat and
zenj, alongside generations of being preyed upon by the Bekyar. The first group to be conquered by
Cheliax when they established sargava, they are also the most fully integrated, and while they occupy
the lower rungs of society in Eleder, the majority of them make up Sargava's middle class.
Kalabuta - The Kalabuta people are those who have lived in Kalabuto for
generations, and while they have come to identify with the colonists more than their own heritage, they
still retain some cultural idiosyncrasies. Their numbers and distance from the rest of sargava have also
given them more independence than their Mulaa counterparts, though they're proximity to the Bandu Hills,
the Mzali, and the Screaming Jungle makes their lives decidedly more dangerous. The vast majority of the
Kalabuta remarkably poor.
Zenj - the People:
Click to Divorce the Zenje and Zenju...
While closely related and sharing many customs, the Zenj are clearly divided between the matriarchal
savannah dwelling Zenje and the patriarchal jungle dwelling Zenju. Despite their differences, the Zenj
typically see themselves as one people who happen to be living in different communities, and they often
trade freely, celebrate together, and even come to one another's defense or aid, though they rarely
inter-marry due to cultural differences regarding gender. Legend says that long ago they were one tribe when
a patriarch who was afraid of hunting a predator insisted that a vegetarian diet was far healthier, causing
the two groups to split. While pronounced the same, the details of these two subcategories are as follows:
Zenje - The semi-nomadic matriarchs of the savannah, these people move
between settlements they have constructed that they only occupy for a few months at a time, following
the herds of their prey. The most popular Zenje fashions incorporate animal skins, with rarer animals
denoting ones status.
Zenju - The highly stationary patriarchs of the jungle, these people
live in long homes and live an agricultural lifestyle. They tend to wear simple textiles and are well
known for medicinal herbs, making them tempting targets for Bekyar raiders, and for knowing how to
safely cook foods that are ordinarily poisonous - often morbidly joking with outsiders about the chefs
lack of skills while they dine on the ordinarily-deadly meals.
Click to Catalogue the Remaining Native Tribes:
Click to Jumble the Native Tribes:
Amongst the native Mwangi Humans, the Lirgeni, Mzali, Uomoto, and Yamasan peoples occupy various
settlements far outside of sargava, and consider themselves distinct tribes, though they typically share a
heritage with one of the other major groups:
Elves - The Elves native to the Mwangi expanse are collectively
known as the Mualijae, though they have splintered into three distinct groups: the Alijae, Ekujae, and
Kallijae. According to their oral tradition, their ancestors stayed behind at the time of earthfall
instead of returning to Sovyrian - the home of the elves - having been given a charge to protect
golarion from Dahak - the great darkness. The Ekujae claim their ancestors defeated Dahak, at the cost
of many lives, and they remain vigilant against its prophesied return, guarding its eternal prison. The
Kallijae claim their ancestors failed and the Dahak possessed them, and only by eschewing violence and
purifying themselves can they keep the Dahak contained. The Alijae, meanwhile, broke with tradition and
wrote their stories down - according to them, the truth is somewhere in the middle - the Dahak was
severely wounded but was unable to be defeated, and instead began controlling its elven captors, and
they have been on a mission to study the Dahak and learn how to destroy it, once and for all.
Dwarves - The native Dwarves are
typically either of the Mbe'ke or Taralu clans if they didn't sail in with the colonists. The Mbe'ke
clan live very traditional dwarven lifestyles and are descendants of the people of High King Nkobe, who
subjugated a clan of cloud dragons; meanwhile, the Taralu clan no longer practice most dwarven
traditions, instead engaging in totemism and both ancestor, dragon, and star worship, revering the
magic-ravaged cloud dragon named Tanin and swearing to keep and mediate peace at all times.
Other Core Races - Rarely native Song'o halflings or Matanji orcs are
encountered, but the sight of one is the exception to the expectation. Most other inner-sea races,
including Gnomes and most Halflings, Half-Elves, and Half-Orcs are not
native to the area but some (particularly Gnomes) have come in droves with the colonists.
Other Races - There are also communities of several other intelligent
(but not always humanoid) races native to the expanse - most of whom are hostile - including:
Anadi, Biloko, Boggard, Catfolk, Charau-Ka, Conrasu,
Gnoll, Goloma, Grippli, Kaava, Ketch, Kobold, Leshy,
Lizardfolk, Mbaiki, Sabosan, and Shisk. There is also a relative abundance
of intelligent flora and fauna (especially amongst the Apes and Gorillas), as well as fevered rumors of
both Planar Scions and Serpentfolk, those these are likely tall-tales.
Locations across the Mwangi Expanse
Where We Are Now: The Korir River
Known to the locals simply as "The River," this river flows through the entirety of the Mwangi Expanse,
flowing down from the shattered range, through the jungles and hills, past countless ruined civilizations, and
emptying in to the ocean to the west through large delta's. The word "Korir" is a portmanteau of the polyglot
words for Serpent's Tears, suggesting a river that is winding, sorrowful, and endless.
The large number of waterfalls and rapids coupled with the jungle terrain make both navigation and portaging
difficult, and while this does reduce the number of crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and enchanted dolphins
frequently encountered, it does have the added threat of large snakes dropping on passing prey from branches
hanging over the river.
Few explorers dare navigate the waters all the way to the shattered range, and none have successfully managed
to bridge the gap and sail from one end of the continent to the other. While the shattered range is the most
obvious perilous obstacle, most explorers get lost just traveling through the screaming jungle, with its heavy
daily rains, low obscuring fog, endless chattering monkeys, and heavy dreams which pull people into fevered
nightmares and sleeping sickness. Fatigue takes many, and eventually, sleep takes all. It is said that all
people dream of the jungle and its treasures...
Destination: Ruins of Tazion
The ruins of Tazion stand as a remnant of a forgotten age, an outpost of ancient Azlant lost in the southern
Mwangi Jungle. Little remains within its walls, with most of the settlement having crumbled or been buried
centuries before. The majority of Tazion’s structures remain unidentifiable. Centuries of weathering and
erosion have transformed the once-splendid architecture into little more than scattered stones, curious
topography, and fetid tar pits. Few could have ever suspected that the ruins possess the key to finding the
lost city of Saventh-Yhi, and its secrets are ripe for the taking.
Rumor says that a tribe of ape-men, known as charau-ka, now inhabit the ruins, though they wouldn't share its
secrets in the unlikely event they discovered any. From the ruins, they have reportedly established a temple
in the shape of a serpent's skull; this temple is now the ape-men’s main encampment, where they gather to
share information and deposit relics they have found in the ruins as offerings to their new snake-god.
The Charau-Ka are dangerous, xenophobic abominations, whose very name translates from polyglot to
"Beware-Them," though it is unclear if they are named after the phrase, or if the phrase exist because of the
abominations. As mysterious as they are dangerous, and as fetid as they are strong, it is unwise to try to
communicate with them, as while semi-intelligent, they are unlikely to speak unless they can use speaking to
bait their victims into a trap. Those who find themselves encircled by Charau-Ka frequently take their own
lives to prevent capture, out of fear of being brutalized and transformed into another of their kind.
Sargava at a Glance
Beset by devil-binding pilgrims and inescapable debts to pirate lords, as well as generations of resentment
from the nation’s subjugated indigenous peoples, the colony of Sargava remains a bastion of northern culture
and civilization in the heart of the southern wilds. Once part of a vast and mighty empire long since fallen
to dust, as evidenced by the crumbling ruins still lurking beneath the veneer of lush farmland and verdant
jungle, Sargava’s rich landscape is home to fierce Mwangi natives and even fiercer predators of the deep
jungle, as well as a dwindling population of northern colonials who seek to uphold their ideals of culture and
breeding at all cost, straining against the tides of resentment that may soon sweep them into the sea and
return the land to its original owners.
Founded over 500 years ago by Prince Haliad I as part of Cheliax’s expansionist Everwar, Sargava stood as the
jewel of the empire for centuries. But when Aroden died, the empire was thrown into chaos, and Sargava’s ruler
backed the wrong house in the Chelish Civil War. House Thrune took control of Cheliax and sent a flotilla of
warships to retake the colony that had supported their enemy in the bloody conflict. Grand Custodian Grallus
anticipated the onslaught, however, and made a fateful alliance with the Free Captains of the Shackles.
Swooping out of Desperation Bay to pounce on the unsuspecting Chelish Navy, the pirates’ superior fleet
swiftly ended the threat to their southern neighbor, and extracted a mighty price from Sargava for their
efforts. To this day, vast portions of Sargava’s wealth flow into the Free Captains’ coffers for past
assistance and assurance of continued naval protection.
Financially weakened by the Free Captains’ high demands and cut off from many of their former trade partners
to the north, Sargava faces an even larger threat from within. The native Mwangi people, inspired by the
teachings of a mysterious, undead child-god in the nearby city-state of Mzali, move ever closer to open
rebellion to free themselves from colonial rule. While Cheliax no longer has an official stake in Sargava’s
government, the colonial Sargavan minority maintains control of the vastly larger native population. But the
natives know that they have the resources of the entire Mwangi Expanse at their backs, and that Grand
Custodian Utilinus’s government is in a poor position to quell a rebellion.