Overview
Calak'mul, city of the damned, sits at the base of a giant waterfall at The Edge of the World. It is a well-connected center of commerce, trade, and military training in the Sunken World. High walls and enchanted ice-arrow ballistae keep out the raving fire elementals.
Inside, there are breweries, fountains of blood, elaborate bonecages holding prisoners, and soot-stained slums. Calak'mul's primary exports are pressure-forged demonsteel, rock salt, rare volcanic minerals, and the service of the Inferni. The Inferni are known to respond to summoning rituals, and perform duties in exchange for payment.
The area around Calak'mul is hot, humid, and bright. Even when the sun is down, there is enough molten rock and lightning to keep the area well lit and flashing. It is a hellish landscape close to the planet's core. Sinkholes, lava rivers, magma vents, and vicious monsters pose a threat to anyone who ventures beyond the main roads.
Inside the city, screams often echo through the streets from prisoners begging for death. It is a brutal, violent, vicious place. The only thread of entertainment is the lecherous debauchery that takes place in Calak'mul's endless bars, taverns, and pleasure houses.
Inhabitants
Calak'mul is inhabited by the Inferni. The Inferni are a mixture of various demon- and monster-spawn. Cambions, succubi, incubi, and others of higher status run the city. Few “pure” demons are still left in the world after Vandun’s destruction. Other races, like lamia and driders, allied themselves with demons and also live in the city.
The Inferni are highly intelligent but driven to hedonistic pursuits. A rigid military structure was established to aid them in their ultimate goal: reclaim their ancestral homeland in the center of the earth.
Although that goal unites them, the Inferni are largely independent individuals who care only about looking out for themselves. It is expected that wealth, power, and rank comes only to the hardest workers who can backstab and maim their way to the top. As a result, Calak'mul is a relatively lawless place. Thieving, murdering, lying, and generally committing despicable acts are punishable by one's superiors -- but only if the perpetrator gets caught, and only if the superior cares.
Military
Calak'mul's legions are well-equipped units of fighters who wage war against the Steel Dwarves, their neighbors. The Steel Dwarves dug into a paradisical place built for demonkind long ago. They ousted the Inferni from it, and now the two species are at war. The Inferni take dwarven prisoners and string them up on the walls of Calak'mul to slowly roast in the intense heat, or harvest them for blood. Warm blood is like a fine wine to the Inferni.
Calak'mul is "ruled" by one General and one High Priestess or Priest. The General oversees the war effort against the Steel Dwarves, and commands eight legions of Inferni. The General usually seldom lasts more than a few years, as assassinations and bids for power are common in Calak'mul. Inferni lifespans are expectedly quite short.
The High Priestess of the Inferni is responsible for spiritualism, blood ritual, and gaining favor of the gods. She keeps the ancient word of the now-dead patron of demonkind, Vandun, alive. Many Inferni are fervent followers of the High Priestess, and many are not. It all depends on whether the individual believes fervor will grant them favor and luck in life.
Kaxxigan
At the center of Calak'mul lies a giant ziggurat called Kaxxigan. Kaxxigan is the spiritual heart of the city, and from it sprawls several temples, barracks, and offices for city administrators. Kaxxigan was notably once made the prison for the Demon of Holy Flame. It is immense in size, magical power, and influence over the city's fortunes. Kaxxigan contains living space for Inferni, copious torture chambers and prisoner holdings, soulforges for empowering weapons, and much more.
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