Founded: The Age of Abundance
Government Type: Despotism
Leader(s): The Eternal Bolas, the Ageless Throne
Population: Unknown
Area: Shores of the Defiled Lakes
Official Language(s): Common
Currency: Officially None, but many merchants still trade in Casshern Marks which often wash up on the shores of the lakes.
Overview
Ak-ta is a troubled city besieged by The Creeping Wild on one front, and the war-torn brutality of Tarisia’s ambitious Thrones on the other.
Perched across the shallow shores of the desolate Defiled Lakes—massive inland lakes, known for their eerie, acidic waters that harbor no life. The city’s structures, built to withstand the harsh environment, are constructed atop crumbling granite pillars that dip into the acidic waters. These seemingly fragile foundations belie the resilience of the city, as its inhabitants have learned to coexist with the strange nature of their surroundings. The lakes serve as both a blessing and a curse for the city, depriving it of necessary water sources afforded to other city-states by deep wells, while providing a strong natural defense.
For over five centuries, Ak-ta has been under the rule of the enigmatic and paradoxical figure known as The Eternal Child Bolas, sometimes known as the Protector of Ak-ta, Defender of the Barren Valley, and reluctant stalwart against The Creeping Wild. While appearing as a mere child, Bolas is an experienced, powerful, and ruthless sorcerer whose tyranny knows no bounds. Bolas’s rule has been marked by periodic massive ritual sacrifice performed by “volunteers” and prisoners of war. These rituals utilize corrupting magic to produce potable water from the lakes for its citizenry and fend off The Creeping Wild from the opposing shores, but in practice the rituals only further spoil the lakes.
A relentless war fought on two fronts. One battle is waged against the insidious Creeping Wild, a vicious psionic jungle that relentlessly spreads its tendrils across the land, swallowing all in its path. The other involves protecting Ak-ta from the forces of Astarte, who foolishly seek to undermine Tarisia’s only protection from the life-eating jungle.
As the first line of defense against the relentless encroachment of the Creeping Wild, Ak-ta’s inhabitants live under the constant shadow of danger. The city’s fortifications are formidable, its defenses intricately designed to take strategic advantage of the inhospitable water of the lakes, and fortified battlements designed to repel the ill-advised attacks from its neighbors.
Ak-ta, a city-state perched on the very edge of existence, remains a beacon of defiance against nature’s relentless forces. Under the rule of The Eternal Child Bolas, it endures, a fragile yet resolute stronghold against the inexorable tide of the Wild and the encroaching might of Astarte.