Asarius, City of Beasts
Asarius is a city that sprawls across a massive hillside in the northern reaches of Xhorhas. The city was established by the Kryn Dynasty as a cultural hub for the wilder folk of the surrounding wastes and nomadic peoples who had pledged their allegiance to the dynasty.
The Kryn Dynasty convinced these nomadic peoples to unite under their banner by promising them protection, resources, and enlightenment. Many of the wastefolk had been fighting each other over hunting grounds and territory until the Kryn stepped in and offered to bring together the tribes for the common goal of mutual survival. Some were skeptical of the Dynasty's intentions, but many were intrigued by the opportunity. The early days of Asarius were marked by conflict, but the city has since flourished.
Most of the city is spread out over the muddy hill, surrounded by walls of purple vermaloc wood harvested from the eponymous Vermaloc Wildwood. The city's interior is a chaotic mixture of wayward streets and a hodgepodge of homes. The Aurora Hold, home to Den Olios, looms ominously at the center of the city.
The southeast region of Asarius is known as the Pits, where breeding pits for war beasts and other beasts of burden can be found. The Pits are responsible for the city's ever-present smell of wet animals and dung, and the area is also home to many of the city's poorer citizens. The southwest portion of the city is called the Creets, a rustic tangle of goblinoid neighborhoods and farming communities that till the harsh land beyond the eastern walls. The entire northern side of the city is known simply as the Northroads, with Scowl Square serving as the center of commerce and the North Center as the industrial core of Asarius.
An average of four thousand Aurora Watch stand guard outside the western walls of the city, with additional reinforcements during times of looming conflict. Asarius may be a rough and boisterous city, but it is also a testament to the Kryn Dynasty's ability to unite even the most disparate of peoples under their banner.
