Nol - The Chithmarsh

         Nol is a bayou town bordering the dark swamps known as the Chithmarsh. Not surprisingly, this town is the number one exporter of the black dust, chith, which is used to control and pacify the slave workers of the Tamaran Empire. It is also quite popular among the cepn, who use a more heavily refined derivative to dull their emotions and induce the waking dream state. The town of Nol is actually built out on the bayou, a series of huge, interconnected barges that have grown into an undulating carpet of wooden structures, a great lilypad covering the black water. The overhead canopy of the bayou is so thick that light barely penetrates to the town below, even on the brightest of days. The outer radius of the bayou town is lined with piers, meant for slave and transport barges, as well as the occasional czath warship.

        Everyone in Nol is very, very quiet. Nobody shouts, nobody fights, and everyone walks lightly. Even the chith is harvested silently, sliced from its stalks by hand and taken back to town to be refined. Most business is conducted through hand signals and writing. There are no animals, no taverns, and no marketplace, and the reason is quite simple. Nobody wants to anger the prawns.

        Deep below the floating town, in the murky, lightless rootwater, dwell huge black spider prawns ranging from six to twelve feet in length. These arachnid crustaceans move about the bottom of the bayou, attracted by the town's refuse. Ordinarily, they are content feeding upon the town's garbage. However, loud noises from above stir the prawns into a frenzy, and all manner of chaos can result. The prawns will run along the underside of the town structure, creating a very unnerving sound. On occasional, long feelers will slide up between loose boards, and more than one limb has been lost to probing mandibles. As a result, everyone keeps their mouths shut, and there are stiff fines for talking. All hinges are well oiled, all doorframes padded, and even metal armor is confiscated upon arrival, along with metal weapons. It is customary to rudely slap anyone who speaks out loud, though such slaps must be upside the head, to reduce noise.

         Many gorg merchants split control of the lucrative chith trade, and their personal pleasure barges can be found throughout the dark bayou town. They are protected by czath bodyguards, who also assist in the harvesting of the floating chith plants, along with other aquatic slaves such as the lutrai and the koba. Many of the gorgs here are exceptionally well-educated, as reading is just about the only safe passtime other than sleep. Then, of course, there are the prawns. Anyone making a great deal of noise (a normal conversation is enough) will likely attract a number of the spindly bottom-feeders, which will center in on the source of the disturbance and attempt to investigate. Some of the bigger ones are capable of driving their legs and mandibles through non-reinforced wooden floors, and more than a few noisy residents have been dragged through these holes, to their doom.

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