Story
The Sting Beneath the Throne
In the days when the first kings still ruled, the nobles of Zanakwe grew proud. They dressed in feathers brighter than the sun, boasting of their strength and their bloodlines. Yet among them was envy, and envy grows teeth.
One noble, Lord Tembalo, desired the throne. But he knew he was not strong enough to defeat the king in the Leopard's Trial. His body was soft, his arms weak. So he turned not to Ngolo, but to Chisabo the Scorpion, the spirit of secrets and poison.
Tembalo crept into the swamps at night, and there he whispered to the shadows. "Chisabo, teach me a way to win what I cannot by strength."
The spirit came, small as a scorpion at first, but with eyes burning like coals. She crawled upon his arm, and her voice echoed in his bones.
"To claim what you cannot win, you must strike where no eyes see. Feed me blood, and I will give you venom."
So Tembalo cut his hand and let the blood drip onto the ground. Chisabo drank, and her sting grew long and cruel. She showed him the path of poisons, how to dip his barbs in venom, how to whisper lies into ears, how to turn brother against brother.
When the Leopard's Trial came, Tembalo challenged. He struck the king not with strength but with venom hidden on his vambrace. The king faltered, his blood boiling, and Tembalo crushed him. He rose, and for a season he sat the throne.
But Ngolo and Inzoka had seen. They whispered to Mwihla the Swarm, and Mwihla's hunger fell upon Tembalo's house. His children wasted away, his slaves rotted in their chains, his wife's flesh blackened with stings unseen. In the end, Tembalo was dragged to Mbalame's Hand, where the hammer fell upon his chest, and his blood was given to Inzoka to cleanse his treachery.
Since that time, the priests tell this tale at the Night of Whispers. Nobles are reminded that Chisabo still listens, still hungers, and still waits to whisper her venom into ambitious ears.
And the moral, always spoken last:
"Strength may win the throne, but deceit always stains it."

Description

In the deepest jungles lies Zanakwe, the Crown of Blood, a mighty empire both feared and admired. Its capital, also named Zanakwe, is a wonder of the world: a white marble city rising above the choking green, its palaces and temples carved with the stories of spirits and kings. Gleaming walls dazzle travelers, cool fountains provides comfort in the palaces, but within them the empire's heart beats in blood and slavery.

Zanakwe stands upon two unshakable pillars: slave labor and blood magic. Slaves, drawn from conquered peoples, endless raids and trade toil in fields, quarries, and workshops, while their blood, shed in sacrifice or punishment, fuels the empire's sorcerers. Priests weave spells of strength, healing, and stormcalling from crimson offerings, their bowls forever brimming with what the spirits demand.

The Throne of the Tiger

At Zanakwe's core lies a tradition as brutal as it is sacred: every six years the king must defend his rule in a duel to the death. Only nobles may contend for the right to rule, and they are winnowed through a cycle of blood duels until a single challenger emerges. The weapons are always the same: a stone-headed club and a metal vambrace bristling with sharp barbs. The fights are savage, and the spirits are believed to watch closely. Victory crowns the survivor as ruler and spiritual leader, while defeat is brutal death.

The current king, Ngolo-Mwanga the Unbroken, has held the throne for thirty years, prevailing through five such duels. His survival is seen by many as proof that he is favored by Ngolo the Tiger himself. Others whisper darker things: that he drinks too deeply of blood, and that the spirits keep him alive for reasons of their own.

The Noble Houses

The nobles live in their marble palaces, marble from the White Teeth mountains, from the mining town of Tshanda. It's a pleasant life on the surface, cool fountains and pools, waited on by slaves, but beneath the surface, it's a dog eat dog world.

There is a constant shuffling for power, and intrigue and ritual duels are the way things are run. This happens between noble houses, but also within noble houses. It is believed that whoever wins a duel was right, and that a duel is a sure test of truth. That said, a knife in the back isn't uncommon either.

The nobles adorn themselves in brightly feathered garb, each family claiming descent from Akeba's feathers, while the king himself embodies Ngolo. Each family has their own distinct patterns, somewhat like family crests. The clothes are minimal and revealing, both to accomodate the jungle climate and to show their well trained bodies, as a strong body is considered extremely important. Slaves, on the other hand, are only allowed rags, at most, and many slaves have no clothes at all.

The Hammer of Judgment

Law in Zanakwe is not merciful, but crushing. Punishment is carried out with Mbalame's Hand, a massive iron hammer suspended on a scaffold above an iron anvil. The heavy hammer, weighing several times the weight of an adult man, and is suspended at a height of four men. Before each blow, priests chant to Inzoka the Serpent, calling the blood to strengthen the empire's wards.

The condemned are laid upon the anvil, and the hammer is released. Its impact destroys body and spirit alike, while priests gather every drop of blood. The crime determines the body part struck: thieves lose their hands, runaway slaves their feet, deserters their legs, rapists and adulterers their pelvis, traitors their chest, nobles their head. Though some are meant to survive, most perish from shock and blood loss. Those who live are marked as Broken Ones, reminders of Zanakwe's unbending order.

The people believe that Mbalame, the bone-crushing spirit of the elephant, hungers for these moments, and that every strike echoes his wrath across the jungle.

Religion: The Path of the Spirits

The empire's faith is not in distant gods but in the living spirits of the jungle. The king is called the Spirit-Caller, chosen to speak for them all. There are many such spirits, but these are the most important:

• Ngolo the Tiger: Spirit of kingship, strength, and war. Patron of rulers and warriors.
• Mbalame the Elephant: Spirit of wisdom and terrible power. Patron of justice and punishment.
• Inzoka the Serpent: Spirit of patience, blood, and hidden wisdom. Patron of sorcerers and sacrifice.
• Akeba the Parrot: Spirit of beauty, voice, and noble blood. Patron of lineage and art.
• Kalundu the Crocodile: Spirit of rivers, endurance, and death. Patron of those drowned and the unyielding.
• Chisabo the Scorpion: Spirit of vengeance, poison, and treachery. Patron of assassins and oath-breakers.
• Mwihla the Swarm: Spirit of hunger, rot, and inevitability. Patron of endings.

The religion is not confined to temples - every hunt, every death, every sacrifice is a prayer.

Festivals of Blood and Spirit

The Leopard's Trial

Held before the king's duel, marked by ritual hunts, gladiatorial contests, and bloodletting to honor Ngolo.

The Crimson Flow

A yearly rite when slaves are sacrificed into the Ndale River, their blood turning the waters red to appease Kalundu the Crocodile and call the rains.

The Night of Whispers

Nobles bleed themselves into bowls and sleep, seeking dreams from Mwihla's swarm-chants, which are said to foretell fate.

Blood Magic

In Zanakwe, blood is more than life, it is essence, strength, and spirit made liquid. Blood fuels sorcery, binds oaths, heals wounds, and curses enemies. The priests say it carries the breath of the spirits, and when spilled in the proper way, it can be bent to the will of man. No other form of magic is recognized in the empire. To shed blood is to call directly to the spirits.

In practical terms, blood magic works much the same as other magic, but it can only be fueled by blood. They can not use any other means to recharge mana.

Ritual Practices

The Bowl of Binding – Two nobles cut their palms into a shared bowl. Their pact, whether marriage or alliance, is sealed in blood, binding them before the spirits. Breaking such an oath invites Chisabo the Scorpion's sting.

The Red Circle

A ritual in battle where soldiers spill their own blood into the ground, forming a ward to protect them. The blood burns with Inzoka's coils, confusing the enemy.

The River's Feast

Sacrifices are bled into the Ndale River. Kalundu the Crocodile drinks the offering, and in return the rains come.

The Whisper-Bowl

A priest bleeds into a gourd and drinks it mixed with herbs. Visions follow, believed to be voices of the spirits.

Blood Magic in War

Zanakwe's armies are dreaded because their priests walk among them. Before battle, slaves are slaughtered and their blood painted across warriors' bodies. This makes them fearless, as the blood is said to carry Ngolo's roar. Arrows dipped in blood are believed to strike truer, while wounds sealed with noble blood close faster. Priests also curse enemies by flinging bowls of blood into their ranks, calling Mwihla the Swarm to rot their flesh.

The Sorcerer-Priests

Known as Izihlangu, "the Shielded," these blood-mages are second only to the king. They dress in white feathers stained with crimson, and their bodies are covered with scar-lines from constant self-bloodletting. Each priest carries a staff tipped with bone, hollowed to hold blood that can be sprayed upon an altar or battlefield.

They are both feared and revered. Some are healers who save lives through blood-working, others are butchers who use blood to destroy. All live in service to the spirits, and all believe Zanakwe's strength exists only because blood is offered without end.

Dangers of Blood Magic

Blood is power, but also hunger. If too much is drawn, the spirits themselves are said to stir and demand more. Rituals can backfire if the offering is insufficient, and Mwihla the Swarm may devour the mage from within. Many priests bear scars, not just from knives but from the unseen hand of spirits angered by their work.

Some whisper of the Scarlet Hollow, a hidden temple where forbidden rites are practiced. There, slaves are drained dry not in ritual but in cruelty, and the blood is pooled into vats to birth abominations. Its existense is denied, but the rumours persist.

Foreign Relations

The Zanakwe rarely ventures far beyond its jungle, preferring dominance through its magic and fearsome reputation. The Great Empire views them with suspicion but not hostility, preferring to trade exotic goods and slaves rather than wage a war across sea and jungle. In markets, their bright feathers, blood-crystals, and jungle spices are treasures sought after across the world.

Both empires despise each other. Zanakwe see the empire as flabby pigs, the Empire see Zanakwe as prancing peacocks.

A Shadow Over the Empire

Now, unease stirs in Zanakwe. Some villages has vanished into silence. Messengers was sent, but never returned. Soldiers were sent, but also never returned. Some nobles fear an invading enemy hidden deep in the jungle, while priests whisper that the spirits grow restless. Among the slaves, rumors spread that the spirits have turned against their masters, and that the jungle itself is rising to devour the empire.

For now, Ngolo-Mwanga the Unbroken rules unchallenged. But in Zanakwe, blood always calls for more blood.

Possible Secrets

The Jungle is Alive

The villages are going silent because the jungle itself has gained a taste for blood, and gone carnivorous. Maybe it's even the birth of another entity like Montosho?

The King's Blood

Whispers say Ngolo-Mwanga the Unbroken no longer bleeds red. Those who have seen his wounds claim the blood that spills is black, thick as tar, and does not dry. Some priests believe he has absorbed too much of Inzoka's essence and has become something not quite human. Others think he is already dead, kept moving by blood magic alone.

The Scarlet Hollow

The hidden temple is real. Deep beneath Kalunga Mire, priests of Inzoka drain captives in vast ritual pools. They say the spirits drink from these crimson lakes, but the truth is darker: something in the depths drinks too. The priests call it The First Serpent, a being that even Inzoka once feared.

The Lost Duel

Records claim every royal duel has been public, but one was not. A past challenger defeated the king but vanished before dawn. The priests declared Ngolo had reclaimed his throne, yet some say the real king was slain, and the man on the throne now was an illusion woven of blood and spirit.

The White Marble Curse

Quarry slaves speak of veins of stone in the White Teeth Hills that bleed when struck. The priests say it is merely iron, but miners tell of faces in the rock, whispering at night. Some believe the marble itself is alive, the bones of ancient spirits forced into the temples against their will.

The Broken Ones

Those who survive Mbalame's Hand are supposed to live crippled and shamed, yet a secret order of them moves through the slums. Their crushed limbs are seen as a mark of pride. They claim the spirits speak through their wounds and that Mbalame's true hand has chosen them for vengeance.

The Vanished Villages

The villages that vanished may not have been destroyed. Scouts say the jungle has changed, trees thicker, vines moving, paths gone overnight. Some think Mwihla's swarm has taken root there, building a new hive that breathes and grows. Others whisper the jungle itself has risen in revolt, and that the slaves who fled now serve a spirit older than all others.

The Feathered Conspiracy

Certain noble houses have begun importing feathers from foreign lands, dyed and shaped to resemble Akeba's sacred plumage. The priests call it vanity, but spies claim the feathers carry enchantments, spells that shield the wearer from blood magic. The houses that wear them may be plotting to overthrow Ngolo-Mwanga without fear of his sorcery.

The Hidden Lineage

One family in Zanakwe, long thought extinct, secretly descends from the first king, the mortal chosen by Ngolo and Inzoka. Their blood is said to carry both strength and wisdom in equal measure. If revealed, they could claim the throne by divine right. But the priests of the current king hunt them, for their existence would unravel the crown's claim to the spirits.

Adventure Hooks

The Missing Tribute

A caravan carrying gold, feathers, and slaves bound for the capital has vanished on the road through Okundra. The nobles demand its recovery before the next festival, but the trail leads into an area said to be cursed by Mwihla. The players are hired to find the caravan, but the jungle itself resists their passage.

The Duel of the Feathers

Two noble houses claim the same ancestral design for their feathered garb. Honor demands a duel, but the chosen champions are both too valuable to risk. The nobles seek outsiders to fight in their stead, promising freedom, gold, or noble favor, though losing could mean being offered to the spirits.

The Blood Tax

A new edict requires every town to send a measure of blood each season to the capital. The local governor has been overcollecting, draining the weak and the sick to meet his quota. When a rebellion brews among the commoners, the players must choose whether to suppress it, aid it, or escape the chaos before Mbalame's Hand comes down on all.

The Festival of Claws

During the great festival before the next royal duel, outsiders are permitted in the city for trade and spectacle. The players might take part in gladiatorial games, escort nobles through drunken streets, or investigate when one of the priests is found dead, his body drained of blood, but with no wound.

The Slaves' Flight

A group of slaves has escaped the quarries, fleeing into the jungle with a stolen relic carved from the Marble Throne. The king's guards offer rich reward for its return, but finding the fugitives means entering deep into the forbidden jungle where even spirits tread softly.

The Silence of Trekanda

The jungle village of Trekanda, known for its delicacies, has gone quiet. No caravans or scouts return. The players are sent to investigate, discovering a city abandoned, but with signs that its people left in perfect order, leaving everything behind.

The Painted War

A border feud erupts between two Zanakwe provinces over hunting rights. Both sides hire mercenaries to fight in the jungle. The players find themselves trapped between blood-painted warriors, strange spirits, and priests eager to turn the battle into a grand sacrifice.

The Healer's Bargain

A dying noble offers a fortune for anyone who can find a certain priest rumored to know a blood-working that restores lost youth. The players must find this priest before the king's agents do, as the ritual's price might demand blood not from the old, but from the living.

The Broken Idol

A sacred statue of Ngolo the Leopard has shattered in the capital's main temple, an omen of disaster. The priests blame saboteurs, the nobles accuse each other, and the crowd panics. The players are tasked with finding the cause before the panic turns into a riot, or before someone decides another sacrifice will calm the spirits.

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