Campaign Setting - Vaults of Pandius

Overview
A nation of ancient wonders ruled by triton kings
from beneath the waves, the grasp of Adhuza
stretches across the Sea of Dread and beyond.
Once embroiled in countless wars among
themselves, the nations of Adhuza have learned
the arts of peace and cooperation, and working
together have built up one of the strongest
mercantile nations in the area. Goods and ideas
flow freely across its borders, but worship of
anything other than the True God is suppressed
with swift and violent methods. Those that
adhere to Adhuza’s dictates find themselves
growing fat with wealth, but those that oppose
them are cursed with madness by the nation’s
enigmatic immortal patron.
Geography
Adhuza covers varied territories both above and
beneath the seas, centered on the island continent
of Thanegioth. From there it extends northward
along the Dragon’s Maw, a gaping gash in the
ocean floor surrounded east and west by sharp
and dangerous reefs piercing the surface of the
seas. Volcanic vents litter the region of the
Boiling Sea, sending steam and smoke bubbling
up from the depths to disgorge into the air.
Several island chains extend from Thanegioth to
the mainland, including the Shark Chain and
Spider Archipelago.
Flora and Fauna
Climate from the mainland of Brun to Thanegioth
changes from moderately temperate all the way to
tropical, lending itself to the support of many
different creatures. Few larger life forms are
native to the island chains, however domesticated
animals such as pig and goat have take hold on
many of them and run feral. Saurian and
insectoid life forms dominate Thanegioth, with
some of them reaching staggering proportions.
Aquatic life also teams across the Sea of Dread
and its surrounds. Fish are a staple diet of the
Adhuzans and many of their neighbors, however
larger and more aggressive creatures lurk in the
dark depths as well. Dragon turtles are known to
frequent the area and are especially dangerous to
seagoing vessels that attempt passage through the
region without acquiring Adhuzan permission
first.
History
The sea kingdom of Adhuza emerged in this area
nearly 500 years ago, just a few short centuries
after the Great Rain of Fire. In the wake of the
Blackmoorian disaster many countries sank into
barbarity and lost the means for fast and easy
transport across the oceans. Adhuza, due to its
very nature has preserved this sea going mobility
and used it to become one of the foremost
mercantile nations in the world.
Wealth is not the only force that drove the
Adhuzans however, for they also have a rigid and
structured sense of order. This led them to take a
great interest in the land dwelling communities on
islands throughout the Sea of Dread and on the
shores that it bordered. In the centuries since the
Great Rain of Fire there have been many wars
and battles, but where the Adhuzan’s come, peace
soon follows. They have absorbed kingdoms
both above and below the surface of the waves,
including the shark-kin of the Dragon’s Maw,
Oltecs of Thanegioth, and the Aranean Isles.
Peoples
The Twaal tritons are the undisputed rulers of
Adhuza, having first united their own people
shortly after the Great Rain of Fire and then
subsequently conquering savage tribes of
neighboring merrow. Other sea races have
flocked to the stability and safety of the coral
cities and have been welcomed there as well.
Semi-nomadic kna traverse the sea floor in
lengthy caravans, sea giants perform as laborers
in the cities and act as special enforcers in the
armies of the Twaal. Even the enigmatic kopru
have found a role in Adhuzan society, serving as
a priestly class, maintaining volcanic temples to
Adhuza M’Thaz and leading the faithful in his
adoration.
Though often savage and brutal, shark-kin also
hold a special place in Adhuzan society. Their
ancestral homes are centered on the eastern isles
of the Dragon’s Maw, but shark-kin can be found
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