Zuan Kingdom: History and Rumors

From The World of Layonara
Revision as of 03:11, 10 March 2019 by 127.0.0.1 (talk) (The LinkTitles extension automatically added links to existing pages (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://github.com/bovender/LinkTitles">https://github.com/bovender/LinkTitles</a>).)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Xar Zuan was a pygmy from a village now known as Zinzunzan. For a decade, Xar invaded other parts of the island that were not part of the jungle in order to cleanse it of the life forms he believed were below the pygmies. He soon amassed a large following and declared himself the leader of the pygmy people.

Xar was known for his feasting after great battles as well as his disgusting habit of drinking himself to near death after a great feast. During one of these feasts, he was murdered by his son, Zeilian Zuan, and Xar became the meal of choice. Since then, Zeilian has been the ruler of this pygmy kingdom. Like Xar, Zeilian believes this island belongs to them and no others should live on it.

Over the decades, humanoids have tried to settle this island with little success'until the recent founding of Stort. The hamlet of Stort to the far north is situated at an inlet where boats can land when they are endangered at sea.

An example of how the pygmies treat unwelcome visitors is shown in a page found just inside the Alibor Jungle, most likely from an explorer's journal, the fate of whom is unknown:

Most stand at around 4½ feet with dark, yellowish-brown skin, broad faces, and broad noses. They have large gaunt yellow eyes that chill you to the bone and haunt your thoughts non-stop. They're dressed in simple, primitive clothing, not much more than rags. Their faces have piercings all over them, and they wear these horrid, crude-looking necklaces with what looked like bones dangling off of them, probably the savages' way of showing strength.

The other five of the adventuring party are all gone. They're alive still, but gone; victims of these savage natives, pygmies they're called. They're cruel, nasty, and viciously evil. We'd been exploring the jungle, hoping to find riches, valuable artifacts, those sorts of things, when we happened to stumble upon a rather simple settlement, seemingly deserted. We decided this place was a safer place than any to rest. When all of a sudden we were set upon by these pygmy people, they flew at us from above, jumping down from the trees and attacking in a frenzy; first, with darts from blowpipes, then, with rough spears and axes, as well as their bare hands.

Seeing their number and the agility with which they moved, I had no choice but to flee. I find it hard to believe I simply left my companions there. I ran as far and as fast as I could through the black, marshy undergrowth of the jungle before I finally collapsed into a dark, twisted-looking plant. It's in that same bush that I write this. I dare not move lest they find me, and I dare not go to sleep. Partly because of fear that I might be found while asleep and have Toran-knows-what done to me, and partly because I don't think I could get to sleep if I tried. This place is like something from my worst nightmares, dark and twisted, every thing everywhere emanating evil and death.

As I was running, I could not hear a thing other than the wind rushing past and the rustle of plants underfoot. Now. as I sit dead quiet, nestled here in a bush, I can hear the sound of my companions in the distance. The fact that I can hear them is a dreadfully bad thing. Their cries of agony are echoing throughout this godforsaken place. I can hear the savage natives chanting, performing some sort of ceremony or ritual'torturing them, taking pleasure in prolonging their pain. It is truly unbearable; I have to escape this hell hole and fast!