Nex
A realm forged by one of the most powerful wizards to ever walk Golarion and named in his honor, Nex (pronounced NEKS) is a realm still filled with arcane wonders and ancient scars left by Nex himself. This combination of history and magic helps to make Nex one of the most cosmopolitan nations of eastern Garund.
History
Nex was formed in the ancient past, millennia ago, before this there was no nation to speak of just a collection of city-states grew from the ancient city state of Quantium. With the rise of the legendary archmage Nex Quantium experienced a rapid rise in power and soon dominated the surrounding city states creating the nation that would be known as Nex. It was not until -892 AR, that Nex's territorial ambitions brought him into conflict with the neighbouring southern kingdom of Geb, sparking the legendary conflict with the necromancer Geb that would make both (in)famous. The war between Nex and Geb was legendary with the two arcanists battling each other for many centuries, the magic used by Geb in this prolonged war devastated the nation of Nex, while the cities were protected from these magical assault the landscape between them has yet to recover. The archmage Nex disappeared during the war (in 576 AR) after a vicious gebbite attack that bathed the whole of Quantium in a poisonous fog that killed thousands and threw the country into political chaos. Despite this infighting the remaining government managed to stave off the attack from Geb, after that a series of arcane cults, cabals and factions have ruled the country. Despite the once fearsome rivalry, the hostility between the countries of Geb and Nex has cooled since Nex's disappearance and now a brisk trade passes between the two with Nex buying much of its food from Geb. The creation of the ruling Council of Three and Nine was a compromise aimed at keeping a balance between the various factions that traditionally fight with each other for control of Nex.
Note: it is currently 4712 AR.
Nex is not a verdant, gentle land, not after the centuries of magical warfare between two magic users as powerful as Nex and Geb, all the land outside of the magically protected cities was blighted by Geb's magic, turning them into a barren wasteland. These lands are now inhabited by tribesmen, outlaws and the descendants of the magical beasts unleashed by Nex during the war (many of them created in the fleshforges of Ecanus). Interestingly the nearby island that is now know as the impossible kingdom of Jalmeray has belonged to the realm of Nex on at least two different occasions, though it now belong to Vudran expatriots.
Government
Who rules Nex is unclear to most of its people, though the most common answer would be the Council of Three and Nine. The Council itself is made up of members from many different factions, and most people are confused about who is really in control - includign many of those who count themselves amongsth the controllers.
Inhabitants
The inhabitants of Nex are for the most part human but the cities are cosmopolitan and filled with people of every race and creed. The people of Nex have had a traditional rivalry with their southern neighbours in Geb, once this rivalry was violent but now it has simmered down and there is even a brisk trade between the two nations. Outside the large cities the human inhabitants turn from cosmopolitan to insular with small tribes and bandit groups attempting to carve out a meagre existence from the blasted and desolated lands. Humans are not however the dominate species as the wastelands between the cities is roamed by foul monstrosities, relics from the ancient war between Nex and Geb many of which were created in the fleshforges of Ecanus.
Major Settlements
Quantium, population 60,000, a port city on the Obari Ocean, is the capital of the nation of Nex. The city prides itself on its diversity; xenophobia is frowned upon. The city has many palaces, hanging gardens, open-air mazes and also several reputable
universities
of arcane magic. The city's magnificence has been compared with Oppara in Taldor and Sothis in Osirion.
The city's central parade ground is known as the Warlock's Walk. Its centerpiece is a massive marble fountain. Two huge iron golems, one green and one red, silently circle the fountain, as they have done continually since the time of the archmage Nex. There are many statues of the archmage and the heroes who helped him forge the kingdom that still bears his name.
Another landmark is the impressive Bandeshar, one time palace of the archmage but now the meeting place of the Council of Three and Nine. Its lower dungeons contain an entrance to the Refuge of Nex, believed to be the location of the vanished archmage Nex.
Ecanus, population 23,400, is a city in southern Nex that was established as a fortress town during the centuries long war with neighbouring Geb. It is a sprawling city that serves as the hub of Nex's arcane powered military, here the battle mages that make up the backbone of the army are trained in a mixture of potent evocation and battle tactics. The city is also famous for its fleshforges, these building size artefacts were created by the archmage Nex himself and provide the terrifying war beasts which support the battle mages. The fleshforges are responsible for many of the nightmarish creatures which roam the wastelands of Nex, the Barrier Wall mountains, and even the Mwangi Expanse.
The city of Oenopion (pronounced oh-NOH-pee-ohn), population 8,900, in the land of Nex, is known for its alchemists. They brew potions and elixirs, many of which are exported. The homonculi they create have a reputation for cunning and dependability. The city also has a golemworks. The central lake is the site of a massive ooze colony, which has developed a hivemind. As well as being a useful means of disposing of unwanted items, the ooze has proved to be useful in divination magic.
Geb
The Kingdom of Geb began as a colony of Ancient Osirion, and takes it name from the exiled Osirani necromancer Geb who became the land’s ruler. Geb plunged the land into war with neighbouring Nex, ruled by the archmage of the same name. Powerful magics were used by both sides, and many thousands of Gebbites died in the magical crossfire. Geb responded by animating casualties into a legion of walking dead. The war with Nex is long over, but Geb retains its undead heritage. Society is divided into three castes. The quick (the living, apart from thralls), the dead (intelligent undead), and chattel (living thralls and mindless undead). The quick and the dead are treated equally; the chattel have no rights. Those who die in Geb are usually reanimated as undead. The city of Graydirge is built out of the bones of those who were unwilling or unable.
Economics
Warm winds from the Obari Ocean creates lush grassland in Geb, allowing crops to prosper. The fields are mainly worked by mindless undead, and foodstuffs is Geb’s major export. They trade food to Nex in return for rare components and luxury goods. They also trade food to Alkenstar, in return for the city state’s ice wine, which is a favourite of Geb’s nobility.
Government
The necromancer Geb, now a ghost, remains the head of state. He rarely manifests before the people, so the acting ruler is the lich Arazni, Harlot Queen of Geb. The country’s day-to-day affairs are managed by the Blood Lords, an aristocracy of powerful living and undead necromancers. The chief Blood Lord is the vampire Kemnebi, who holds the office of chancellor.
Alkenstar
The city-state of Alkenstar (pronounced AL-ken-star) has gained an unexpected level of power despite its tiny size, through the invention of firearms, a necessity for survival in the harsh, magic-dead region known as the Mana Wastes. Beyond just firearms and weaponry, the engineers and alchemists of Alkenstar have crafted and perfected technology to a level far surpassing any other region in the Inner Sea, capitalizing on the rich mineral deposits and the need for something to replace the usually omnipresent conveniences of magic.
Government
The Grand Duchy of Alkenstar is technically a vassal of the nation of Nex to the north of the Mana Wastes and Grand Duchess Trietta Ricia should, by the letter of the law, report to the rulers of that land. In practice, however, Alkenstar remains a fairly independent city-state and a force of neutrality between the rival nations of Nex and Geb. The small nation is governed by a High Parliament consisting of 73 ministers representing the various factions in the three settlements and small rural sections of the city-state's realm.
Geography
The city-state of Alkenstar is located on the banks of the Ustradi River where it plunges over the Hellfallen Cliffs in the Alken Falls. Amid the magic-dead region known as the Mana Wastes, Alkenstar is perfectly suited to act as a neutral intermediary between its neighbors of Nex and Geb to the north and south respectively.
The nation itself occupies a low valley amidst the barren Shattered Range and consists of three settlements which are often considered districts of the same large city. The primary of these is Alkenstar City, located on the edge of the cliffs and containing most of Alkenstar's population. At the foot of the cliffs lies the town of Martel, which connects to the main city via two immense towers which climb over the seven hundred feet to connect with buildings in Alkenstar City through skybridges. Linked via the cyclopean sky-bound Bridge of the Gods, the dwarven Sky Citadel of Dongun Hold produces much of the city's mineral resources, used locally in manufacturing or trading abroad. At the other end of the great bridge, on the other side of the canyon, one finds Cloudreaver Keep, which guards the city's eastern border.
History
Alkenstar began as a refuge for residents of Nex and Geb, fleeing the centuries-long war that devastated both nations. In the relative safety of the Shattered Range, they developed, primarily out of necessity, incredibly advanced technology. The rate of progress can be seen by examining the two oldest structures in the city-state, Old and New Bridge, separated by only a few centuries but noticeably different in terms of architecture and technological achievement. The city's Gunworks were founded in 1903 AR and since then the city's renown has only increased. To the current day, nations throughout the Inner Sea region contract the engineers and metallurgists of Alkenstar to craft weapons for them, such as the Taldan bombard Worldbreaker of 2009 AR and their own Great Maw of Rovagug of 4450.
Inhabitants
The Grand Duchy has a primarily human population, with most inhabitants belonging to the Keleshite or Garundi ethnic groups. The nation's proximity to (and encompassing of) the dwarven settlement of Dongon Hold brings a relatively large dwarf population into the mix, though most of these inhabitants reside exclusively in the Sky Citadel itself. Aside from the dwarven spoken in Dongun Hold, most citizens speak either Osiriani, Kelish or both. Commonly worshiped deities include Torag, Erastil, Abadar, and Irori.
Trade
Alkenstar is one of the only places in the world where firearms are manufactured and their understanding of this situation has allowed the city-state to control the supply of these weapons, keeping the price high and their coffers full. In fact, a full ninety percent of all firearms, both personal weapons and artillery manufactured in the Gunworks are kept within Alkenstar itself, both for protection and to maintain product scarcity throughout the rest of the world. In addition to exporting firearms, Alkenstar profits greatly on the commodity of its citizens' expertise in the fields of engineering, alchemy, and metallurgy, sending masters on lucrative contract jobs across the Inner Sea region and beyond. The mineral-rich mountains in which the Grand Duchy sits provide raw
materials
for export as well, such as the quartz crystals shipped through Nex to Vudra far to the east. The nation's banks, housed in the town of Martel, are known for their shrewd fiscal practices and are little trusted outside of Alkenstar itself.
As wealthy as Alkenstar may be from its manufacturing and engineering exports, the desolation of the Mana Wastes has left arable land quite scarce in the region. As a result, the city-state imports most of its food from its southern neighbor of Geb, often trading one of the few potable goods produced locally, a potent ice wine
