Ruby Isles: Suntha

Nestled in a quiet cove on Nefk's southwestern coast lies the small port town of Suntha. The narrow inlet is surrounded on three sides by steep, jungle covered hills, protected from the harsh wind and weather spit out by the violent Sea of Tongues. The northeastern face is the highest, contrived mainly of flat rock, glistening from the dozen or so trickling streams that plummet from the towering summit. About halfway down the rock face, a jutting ledge is home to a massive, somewhat wrecked ship. Those wondering just how it got there are free to ask the owner, who dubbed it The Sepent's Luck, now the most popular tavern in Suntha. A narrow switchback leads up to it from the shallow pools below.

The bustling dockside is always heaped with ships, mostly merchant caravels and the grim, bloodstained vessels of the serpenteers, rugged men and women who make their livings hunting sea serpents and selling the hides and teeth. The deadly beasts are a constant threat to sailors traversing the waters near Nefk and some deeper bodies beyond. Some of the smaller serpents occasionally appear in Suntha's cove, but are usually dispatched by the many serpenteers guaranteed to be in port at any one time. A few have caused considerable damage to ships and buildings alike, though, taken by surprise.

Suntha is a hub for merchants and traders in the Ruby Isles. Independent stalls are set up in the less busy part of town for those merchants who are not members of the Ruby Consortium, while members have access to more prime ground near the docks. The Consortium monitors and manages all trade within the Ruby Isles, and most of the islands' port towns are run by one of their Princes. Any merchant who wants to sell their goods must acquire a Traders License from the Office of the Ruby Consortium, located in the northwestern part of Suntha.

Access to the mist-shrouded jungle hills beyond Suntha is limited to a series of caves within the cove's high rock face. Any trails end about halfway up, and those brave or foolish enough to venture into the heart of the jungle must navigate the winding tunnels, which are mostly unexplored. The main way is generally lit with bracketed torches to lead travelers safely through, but sometimes, strange, nameless things emerge from the darkness and snuff out the lights, lying in wait for unwary travelers.

Most people in Suntha have never seen a Dwarf and Elves are extremely reclusive, keeping close to their fabled home, the lost isle of Ydlon. Halflings are more common, with many of them sailing down with Humans from the North Country for the weather and the juicy tropical fruits.

Each year at midsummer, a great race is held for the brave and foolish, a ship race that takes the contenders around the entirety of Nefk. There are longer, safer routes, and more deadly shortcuts. Vessels must beware of the giant rocs at the northeastern edge of the island, which can snap a ship's mast in half like a twig and sweep sailors away to the hungry hatchlings waiting at their cliff nests.

Ever since the men of the North Country settled the island, there has been fear of those they displaced for the land. They arrived in a time of war, coming upon a massive battle between two awesome foes. The Elves of Ydlon, steeped in mystic secrets and ethereal grace, against the twisted Tzeejg, a deadly race of shape-shifting snake men. With their forces weakened from battling the Elves, the Tzeejg were powerless to stop the men of the North Country from conquering their lands, even with their black sorcery. They were slain by the score, retreated and vanished from the face of Nefk. The remnants of their gilded cities stand like watchful sentinels all over the island. The Elves retired to their island home of Ydlon.

There are whispers that the Tzeejg will rise again, that they brew powerful magic and muster their serpentine forces, that they are even now among the people of Suntha, using their shape-shifting powers to disguise themselves and weave a cloak of deceit and lies over the town.