The Ruins of Xoxl

        Once the northern mooring point of the immense seaway span, Xoxl is now mostly submerged or eroded away. What remains is inhabited by the czath, as are many of the fallen coastal cities left behind by the Creators. In recent centuries, both Xoxl and the nearby ruins of Zil were used as staging points for the conquest of Slank by the Spiral Order. As a concession for their assistance in driving off the koba, the undead allowed the two czath clans to remain within their new fortresses, so long as they kept up their oppression of the smaller reptillians and prevented them from building their stones circles. To these ends, Xoxl's Spiral Fang Clan pays high prices for koba slaves, who bear a stronger life force than most creatures their size. This allows czath slavers to sell them for even greater prices to the undead to the north, who prize the koba for their plentiful vitality and strong bones.

        Xoxl is ruled by the Spiral Fang Clan, a loosely organized guild of pirates, slavers, and mercenaries. In turn, the clan is ruled by the war chief, Crackscale. Like most of his kind, he is blunt, oppressive, and casually brutal, organizing his people by force and example. He has filed his overlapping plates down in places, giving him a cheese-grater bearhug, his favorite way of killing smaller, softer creatures. He is determined to eat one of every living thing on all of Rym - at least the ones that scream, and throws huge, rude feasts from time to time, in which slaves are roasted alive and devoured by members of Crackscale's inner circle. Independant as he is, he pays grudging tribute to the czath king, Moorfang, whose connection to the gorgs gives him a steady supply of the white dust, Awsil, in exchange for his loyalty.

The Spiral Fang Clan

        While the czath aren't exactly the most industrious and organized of beings, they are talented bullies, especially in large groups. The Spiral Fang clan has set up floating atols throughout this region to support a veritable fleet of pirate vessels. These are vessels captured by the marauding reptillians and converted. Those too badly damaged to be converted are simply smashed to pieces and added to the atols, weaponry and all. The czath hardly need the ships at all, but have found it easier to carry home large amounts of loot and slaves if they have a ship with them. They have even been cunning enough to use these captured vessels to lure other pirates to their doom. By the time the other ship is close enough to see the crude disguise, the aquatic reptillians will have already boarded from behind.

        The Spiral Fang clan most commonly preys upon vessels heading for Ixtol and Harrow. They know not to attack ships flying the Tamaran flag; all others are fair game. These include numerous Erdani vessels carrying goods from Tamara to the southern islands, even those of other czath clans. Finders, keepers. Crackscale himself rarely leaves the city, leaving it up to his sub-chiefs to take tribute (i.e. everyting) from each and every vessel passing through the clan's territory. He makes an effective leader, and is possessed of a certain crude cunning that puts him head and shoulders above those few czath who can rival his great size.

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