Paludis

Paludis can be found on the northern peninsula of Nieden on the marshy coast of the Palagean Sea. It is a small city-state with few residents, but a rich history. Paludis is a part of the Silver Coalition which consists of Paludis itself, the Sand Republic, Sovdal, Icarus, Najera'jad, and other nations [WIP].

City History
Paludis was officially founded on October 27th, 2020 late into the night, but the first settlements were built on October 26th which marks its unofficial founding. After the first Silver Coalition meeting Paludis was a part of, Paludis' claims expanded beyond the swamp to the dark oak forest to the northeast. The cities expansion continued.

Paludian Culture
Being a town based in a marsh, Paludis' culture has been heavily influenced by such. The general architecture has strong foundations and a mix of darker woods for the upper levels. Moss and vines can commonly be found growing on these foundations and on the wooden tops. This architecture is both a reflection of the Paludian environment, but also its peoples. Paludian people are a warm welcoming community which can be seen through the cozy wooden adobes built on top of the strong stone foundations. Alcohol is a very important staple of the town and is important for bonding with others. The Paludian flag (seen on right) is representative of a few things important to Paludians. The green represents the town's connection to its environment, the surrounding swamp. The blue represents the importance of the harbor and trade to and from Paludis. Yellow represents a bright future of prosperity and hope for the small town. Black represents the dedication of each and every resident to making Paludis the best town it can be and the bravery it has taken to overcome the challenges of living in such a harsh environment. Finally, the white in the center represents the unity of each aspect of the town through its founding and expansion. These ideas are all very important to how each Paludian handles themselves and should be kept in mind when visiting or touring the small town.

Every year Paludis celebrates the holiday of Caenis. During this holiday, the residents go out and hunt slimes for a full night both as a kind of respect to the wicked witch and to ward off potential attacks on the town. After the hunt, the town celebrates with many a drink from the tavern and a long rest to follow that.

The Mythology and Founding of Paludis
The swamps of Khanji used to inhabited by a nasty witch known by the name of Palua. The original Paludians were seeking a new home and found a marsh rich in resources. After striking gold in some of the ravines under the area, they knew this was where they were going to make a living. Palua did not take kindly to these new residents in her marsh though. Palua summoned the largest slime the miners had ever seen. The miners picked up their weapons and armor and prepared for battle. After splitting the slime into many, many parts, its numerous slices retreated back into the ground from which they came. As for Palua, she received a flaming arrow to the heart. The wicked witch of the marsh had been slain.

This was not the end of Palua's legacy though. She left behind a nasty curse the inhabitants of the swamp call murepistul. This curse condemned the residents of the growing city to a future of vines, moss, and overgrowth rampant throughout the city. As is, this curse would've dragged the buildings back down into the mud of the swamp from which they rose, but the heroes tried to prevent this. They named the town after the witch giving it the name Paludis. They never broke down the witch's hut and they celebrate a holiday each year known as Caenis.

These small respects to the witch lessened the effect of the curse and saved the town from being completely drowned in mud. Instead, the town only suffers the overgrowth of moss and vines as a result of the curse.

Paludian Geography
The geography of Paludis is an interesting topic. Being one of, if not the only, town in a marshy environment, it is in a unique situation. As mentioned previously, the buildings of the town need to be made in a way that stops them from sinking into the swamp. The harbor is very shallow and as such, larger ships cannot approach the city directly. The imports, exports, immigration, and emigration of Paludis all go either by land or from a dingy to a larger ship in the nearby deeper waters. This access to the sea is vital to Paludis' very existence as it connects the town to other areas in the Palagean Sea such as Icarus and Najerajad.

Government
Paludis does not have a formal government at the moment. It is ruled by a triumvirate of its founders, Spyseand6, Xandros87, and Peanutmaximus.