Nezo

Nezo is a coastal town that extends into the lush rainforests of Paese. Its inhabitants are famed for commerce. Merchants from Nezo trade with every other city state in Paese, and a strong shipbuilding industry means they travel overseas with little difficulty, trading with many other nations.

Nezoans are often the subject of suspicion, due to their reputation for a single-minded pursuit of wealth. While they can be unscrupulous, fraud is a capital offense. The start of each week is marked by a display outside the Palace of Commerce, where the Treasurer announces the names of those to be executed for marring the reputation of the merchants of the city. Then fraudsters are put to the sword.

Anyone with enough gold can purchase residency in the city, though those with less can be sponsored by a resident or take a temporary pass until they accrue enough wealth to remain.

A common refrain of Nezoans is 'there is no hunger in our walls'. This is technically true, as the underclasses live outside the protection of its border walls, either on the waters in boathouses or in shanty towns further inland. A competition between villages occurs annually. The winning group is given money to get their most promising children into the city. Competition is fierce and cutthroat, but a child entering the city can become an apprentice and from there prosper.