Noamuth

Noamuth
The region of Noamuth is barely more than a few brush scratches on most maps. The forests run right to it's doorstep, where the mountains rise from the earth. With cool temperatures and rocky terrain it is scarcely inhabited. Farmers cannot till the rocks, and the mountain goats have been surly enough to resist domestication.

The Lauske Formation
The interior of Noamuth has long been protected by the Lauske formation, a great pile of shattered and splintered stone that pretends to be a range of mountains. The stone here is mostly soft and yields easily to the elements, but poorly to picks and hammers. Avalanches and mudslides are common occurences. On top of this the range is lacking in easily accessed valuable materials. Small amounts of jade and some small pink and green beryls can found, but little enough that no major interest has come in exploring the region.

The Gul Qu'madosfan and Gul Resk'afar
Separated by an unnamed rocky prominence of some height, the two bays Qu'madosfan, and Resk'afar form the north-western boundaries of Noamuth. The Qu'madosfan is by far the larger, but has resisted ships and traders with dangerous currents, ice flows, and hidden rocky barrier islands. More than enough ships have broken and foundered on the rocks, their crews lost to the cold waters. Resk'afar is smaller, and can be accessed by sea, but being further north is frozen over most of the year, and is only open during the summer months.

Noamuth Che'el
Also known as the Lost City, the Forgotten City, the City of Ghosts, and half a dozen other ominous names, Noamuth Che'el has stood alone on the frigid shore of Gul Resk'afar. It is known by these names because it is ultimately an unimportant city in an unimportant and hard to reach region. As such, few know about it, and fewer care about it. The only folk who make the effort to find Noamuth Che'el are mostly fishermen, whalers, and other oceanic travelers who venture far north into the icepacks, and then it is nothing more than a place to take on provisions and maybe some shore leave.

The City is nominally ruled by the Valuk, a title roughly equating to 'king' but not having the degree of absolutist power. The Valuk answers to the Valuk-el, a council of land owners, influential people, and magi. Che'el, like the rest of Noamuth is considered a human nation, but elves and elfin-blooded are the majority of the population, and the Valuk has always been an Elf by tradition.

As there is only one power base in Noamuth, there is little in the way of war, standing armies, or military outposts. The main form of combat is public dueling, which is discouraged and only legal if the forms of Kanly are followed. Kanly requires public declaration of hostilities between the two aggrieved parties, clans, or families. This limits conflict to arranged duels in predetermined locations, the presence of judges, and other measures to prevent bystanders being injured or collateral damage. Failure to follow Kanly generally ends in exile for minor to moderate infractions, execution for major ones.

Highly Visible Ninja
Drawn from the trope of the same name, there is a second option in Che'el for resolving disputes, the use of assassins. As war is rare, assassination is the best way to remove a foe or opponent without getting involved in Kanly, which only ends when one party is ground to nothing, or both agree to end the feud. The assassins of Noamuth are very good at what they do, killing and not being connected to the killing.

The Sussun Kieshee
Often shortened to Kieshee, these are the elfin assassins, and they are after a traditional thieve's guild, with a Grand Master of Daggers, Bright Daggers (master assassins), Blooded Blades (journeymen assassins), and Sheath-bearers (apprentices). Their main skills are stealth, misdirection, and disguise, and their preferred weapons are the basic dagger, garrote, or Stonefish Venom, which quickly causes paralysis and death from asphyxiation.