Nemret Noktoria

Nemret Noktoria

(City)

Nation

Darklands

Region

Sekamina

Size

Large city

Population

17,650

Demographics

88% ghoul, 7% seugathi, 2% human, 2% drow, 1% other

Government

Theocracy

Alignment

Chaotic evil

Ruler

Kortash Khain

Source: Into the Darklands, pg(s). 41

Nemret Noktoria is the hidden city of the civilized ghouls of the Darklands. It is located in distant Sekamina, far beneath the border between the Garundi nations of Osirion and Thuvia.

History

In the distant past, the well-defended tombs of Ancient Osirion made it difficult for ghouls to thrive in that country. Instead, the ghouls dug deep into the earth until they found a massive cavern deep beneath western Osirion. There they built a city of their own.

Geography

Today, Nemret Noktoria is the heart of ghoul culture in the Inner Sea region, and resembles a massive necropolis designed to resemble the Abyssal realm of Everglut, home of the demon lord Kabriri, patron of ghouls. The city's caverns are supported by columns of lazurite, with which ghouls have a special affinity.

Life & society

Within this macabre imitation of a surface city, the undead inhabitants persist in grotesque mimicry of the living, engaging in activities reminiscent of their former existence. However, their actions are forever distorted, tainted with repugnant and nauseating characteristics that pervade every aspect of their existence. The vast majority of the city's inhabitants are ghouls, but a sizeable number of seugathi can be found in the aptly named Worm District. The city is a theocracy, led by Kabriri's high priest on Golarion, the powerful sorcerer-priest Kortash Khain. He is assisted and advised by his Ghoul Court, a collection of powerful great ghuls. All the ghouls of the Darklands are expected to give a tithe of their carrion to the city's priests.

Foreign relations

Despite its remote location and unnatural character, Nemret Noktoria does maintain trade relations with the surface world, especially with Osirion and Thuvia. Its primary imports are slaves (to be eaten and sacrificed to their demonic patron), and it exports unusual magic items and forgotten lore. Ghoul priests can sometimes be found aiding certain Thuvian tribal warlords, and ghoulish emissaries are not uncommon in Geb. The Blood Lords of Geb give the city an annual gift of slaves—both living and dead. A small coterie of vampires are known to also serve as the city's diplomats and trade ambassadors, dealing with members of the surface world who are too horrified by the ghouls' appearance.

The ghouls of the city are at war with the mighty gugs of the Darklands. The cause of the conflict is unknown, and for some reason the gugs are reluctant to risk engaging the apparently much weaker ghouls.

There is also a millennia-old feud between Nemret Noktoria and the undead inhabitants of the city of Shraen in Orv's Black Desert. Any ghouls found trespassing in their vault are immediately killed. The ghouls of Nemret Noktoria also loathe ghasts, which are destroyed wherever possible.