Slogat

Population: 32,000

Primary Source of Income: Coal, Iron, Furniture, Carts/Wagons/Siege Weapons, Wine

The Great Isle of Prentil is surrounded to the east and north by the Everstorm – a massive storm of hurricane strength that never moves and never dies. When the Princes Prentil and Vhridan led their remaining people away from their doomed homeland, they escaped their pursuers through the Everstorm. While within the massive storm, one of their cousins, Tal Slogat, claimed to have seen the Goddess Temp’Iri in the stormwall. His vision became an obsession, and when the fugitives found their way to land, Slogat immediately began the construction of a shrine to his goddess. Two years later, when a scouting party returned and claimed that they could see the Everstorm from the far north-eastern corner of the island, Slogat and his Temp’Iri followers immediately went in search of the storm. They soon found a place where they could see the tail of the storm day and night and here they made their home – the city of Slogat.

The Everstorm expands and contracts with the tides, so as the tides roll in, the storm moves closer and salty ocean rains mist the land. This means that on an average day, it rains at least twice in the city of Slogat. The Slogati have adapted well to their environment. Halls, homes, and buildings are built with tall, A-frame roofs, and buildings are all connected by canopies of wood, tile and thatch. Elaborate gutter systems made from split clevel vines – a hardy yet flexible hollow vine that grows in the forests south of Slogat – connect from home to canopy to hall to walkway, and all eventually lead to wells, underground rivers, or manmade cisterns. The walkways beneath these canopies and the main roads throughout Slogat are paved with crushed rock from the coal mines, allowing the Slogati people to avoid the rain and mud.

While the land of the plateau that the city is placed on is basically a swamp due to the incessant rains, the mountainsides and valleys to the south are rich with forests. And it is in these mountains and green valleys that the Slogati make their living.

The lower portion of the mountainsides are striped with seemingly endless rows of grape vines, from which the Slogati make their famous wines. The wines are unmatched in Prentil, and are sought after in every hall, pub and tavern. They are especially popular among the upper-class families of the Vhridan people, and special vintages are often featured in their famous Garden Parties.

Farther up the mountain, above the vineyards, dozens of coal and iron mines dot the mountainsides. Miners travel to the mines in carts pulled by the domesticated giant mountain goats known as Gorrad. A team of 4 Gorrad can pull a large cart laden with 6-10 miners and a full load of ore. The mining of coal and iron ore has been a staple of the Slogati economy for hundreds of years. Over the centuries, the mines have cut deep into the mountains and have become very complex. Accidents, cave-ins, and disappearances are not uncommon occurrences. Slogati miners are known to be superstitious and religious, counting on both luck and the gods to protect them. Many of the miners have shared tales of strange creatures they have encountered in the mines. These tales include giant blind snakes, dogs of stone, fire demons, and lizard people. None of these creatures have been killed or captured and brought to the surface, but the tales of them are told and believed by most among those who toil beneath the mountain.

Between the mountain peaks are the great forests of white pine, black and red oak, and silver birch. Clevel vines loop from tree to tree, coloring the canopy with their brilliant flowers that change colors throughout the year – orange and red in spring and summer, then white and blue in autumn and winter. Slogati foresters supply the city with firewood for hearths, charcoal for the forges, and lumber for the woodworkers and carpenters. Slogati woodworkings range from intricate and delicate statues to, sturdy and strong doors and furniture, to massive and powerful war machines, and all are sought after throughout the land of Prentil.

The Slogati people tend to be quiet, introspective, and driven. Success in one’s chosen career, whether it be a vintner, carpenter, miner or homemaker, is the primary motivator and basis for social standing for the Slogati. A master miner would be treated with the same respect as a master vintner, despite the fact that the winemaker’s vineyards would probably bring in ten times the amount of money as the miner’s loads. A woman who has raised her children to all be successful contributors to Slogati society is held in as high regard as the master carpenter who sells carved furniture to the Prentil elite. Wealth is not as important to the Slogati people as harmony, and although they are far from a socialist society, it is common for the wealthy to give generously to friends and neighbors.

The reserved tendencies of the Slogati often lead outsiders to feel like they are a standoffish people, but this is a misconception. It is true that the Slogati do not create much fanfare for visitors, but all are welcome to visit and spend time in their city. They do, however, expect visitors to contribute to their society in some meaningful and productive way. Traveling merchants, priests and monks, historians and scholars, and Festivs are always welcome as the nature of their profession necessitates travel and visiting. But those who travel for entertainment should expect to pick up a shovel or an axe or an apron while they visit.

Slogati people also tend to be religious. The zealous devotion to Temp’Iri has died down considerably since the cities founding, but the respect and admiration for the gods remains to this day. Most worship Temp’Iri, angry goddess of the sea, and Roggo, god of the land, but all of the Prentil gods are held in high regard. The Slogati people burn prayers to their gods, give thanks at day break and day end, and often wear amulets or tattoos depicting their immortal benefactors. Each summer, the great Sun Festival, or Festival of Dai’Dann, is held. All production in the mines and forests and vineyards is halted for a week and the Slogati people spend their time visiting with friends, sharing meals and prayers and songs, and participating in contests of skill. The contests include woodworking, axe sculpting, contests of strength and endurance, baking and cooking, and wine tasting. And for each Sun Festival, a massive bolder is rolled into the center of the city, and each Slogati – man, woman and child – is given three strikes with a massive iron hammer. If the bolder is broken before the end of the festival, then it is believed that they city will be blessed through the coming year, and the Slogat whole swung the final blow is given the coveted title of Stonebreaker.