Krokotopia

A barren realm of ancient ruins and brutal deserts, Krokotopia exists at a crossroads of Spiral Paths. It features one of the most ancient civilizations in the Spiral, which has recently been reborn. Home of the humble Manders, Krokotopia is a world of treasure and secrets, buried beneath the scorching sands.

When most hear the name Krokotopia they think of pyramids and monuments, the ancient ruins of the Kroks who ruled Krokotopia ages ago. Few know that the scaly pharaohs who ordered their construction were not natives of Krokotopia at all: thousands of years ago the Kroks came to the barren world, drawn by hints of magical power. Much of what arcane scholars know as the magical arts were first devised by the Kroks in their catacombs and palaces. Those palaces were built by the Manders, the true natives, whom the Kroks placed in servitude. The Krok Pharaohs ruled in majesty for centuries, until their empire vanished in a single night. The Manders returned to a humble life, happy to be free at last.

In the times since Krokotopia has emerged as a rich potential colony: the Manders cultivate many expensive spices and unguents, and the ruins contain unimaginable hoards of gold and treasure, waiting to be carried off by the brave and lucky. The Manders also have no imperial ambitions of their own, making Krokotopia an irresistible prize to the other empires of the Spiral. The Marleyboneans established a firm colonial presence in Krokotopia a few decades ago and were quick to establish a dominant presence. Valuable as its resources might be, Krokotopia’s true value was geographic: the desert world hosts the only known stormgate to Rajah, richest and most important of all Marleybone’s colonies.

The Marleyboneans set up an amiable relationship with the Manders, happy to trade and willing to give any concessions to keep the windlanes open. Other imperial powers have a presence in Krokotopia, but only the Dogs of Marleybone have naval bases.

In recent years two events disrupted a long period of stability. The first came, strangely enough, from within: the Kroks, it seems, were not dead but merely slept. The Great Awakening saw the sudden reemergence of angry Krok mystics and their minions – the Marleyboneans were hard pressed to deal with this new, magical threat, but agents of the crown finally defeated Krokopatra the new Pharaoh. The Krok threat, however, is far from over – aggressive Krok cults worshipping ancient gods are springing up all over Krokotopia. The Marleyboneans have so far only prevailed over them because their enemies are so divided, and so archaic.

The second destabilizing factor was the war between Marleybone and Valencia. During the conflict Kane made a serious play for Krokotopia, hoping to cripple his enemy’s economy by cutting all ties to Rajah. Kane was defeated and the Armada disbanded, but renegade Clockworks in Krokotopia are still fighting, hoping to set themselves up as warlords with a power all their own. For much of its history Krokotopia has been a prize fought over by powers from distant worlds – sadly, this is unlikely to change anytime soon.