Chapter 2: Gazetteer of tal’Dorei 89the reign of Drassig, the humans of Emon adopted a
dwarven oath called rudraz, an intimate promise between
two people to repay a deed or trade. Though the rudraz is
not a contract, the dwarves believed that an oathbreaker
would be forever barred from passing beyond the Bright-
guard Gates of Hilmaire (hill-MORE-uh); the gates that
allow dwarves to pass to the afterlife. Humans in Emon
treat the rudraz more lightly, often using it to seal matters
of business or politics rather than personal promises, but
breaking this oath still carries massive social repercus-
sions—few look kindly upon a person with the epithet
“Oathbreaker.”
pre JuDiCe
Though the people of Emon have come a long way since
the human supremacy of Drassig’s rule, prejudice and
discrimination still burns like a lingering fever. Overt
racism is most common in the Upper and Lower Slums,
where gentrification threatens to eradicate the culture
of one of Emon’s oldest immigrant districts. The schol-
arly elite of the Erudite Quarter and the nobility of the
Cloudtop District like to pretend they are too enlight-
ened to succumb to bigotry, their wealth and power
allows them to leave their own prejudices unexamined.
While elves and dwarves are fully welcomed into human
society for their stereotypical characteristics (elven
beauty and arcane talent, dwarven honesty and metallur-
gical prowess), tieflings, half-orcs, and dragonborn rarely
rise to Emon’s highest societal ranks.
rebirth
Emon is still recovering from its destruction at the talons
of the Chroma Conclave and Thordak’s subsequent
occupation, rebuilding the districts most marred from
the short-lived reign of the Cinder King. Thanks to the
Clasp’s underground networks and established hierar-
chies, Emonian society and culture was able to bounce
back more swiftly than any other major settlement in
Tal’Dorei. Because the last Sovereign relinquished his
power, without heirs, before he was killed by Thordak, the
Council of Tal’Dorei was able to transition their nation
from an imperial power to a republic without war or
insurrection.
However, the swiftness of Emon’s rebirth has put the
Council of Emon in a precarious position. Not only are
they socially indebted to a criminal faction, the Council
now owes vast amounts of gold to mages in the service of
the Alabaster Lyceum. These Lyceum conjurers created
thousands of tons of stone and steel, and each of their
transmuters rebuilt at the rate of one hundred labor-
ers—and the Council cannot afford to pay them for their
service, even with Thordak’s reclaimed treasure hoard.
Some members of the Council have already caved to
pressure from factions within the Clasp and the Lyceum,
and turn a blind eye to the crime and magical abuse
that run rampant throughout the city. The fragile new
republic already threatens to collapse under the cost of
its creation.