Local Information

1. Luchomo (human male): Nantambu's Head of Council
2. Ciko (human female glassmaker): Council representative from the Glassmaker's Guild
3. High Sun-Mage Oyamba (male human wizard): Master of the Magaambya
4. Ebele (female human restauranteur): Influential Socialite

More broadly practiced than any religion in Nantambu is the custom of leaving an empty seat. Every home has a spare chair or place at the table, every restaurant leaves one table empty even at the height of a dinner rush, and theaters always keep a box or seat open. Even the City Council has an empty chair in the corner of the meeting chambers. Only strangers are allowed to sit in these empty seats, and even then only if there’s no other option. Similarly, a stranger in need is never turned away but instead treated as a member of the family, if only for a meal—though rude guests are politely but firmly shown the door. Some claim this tradition began because Old-Mage Jatembe might return in disguise, while others believe it allows for an ancestor or deity to bring a blessing. Some simply think of it as a polite way to invite someone into their lives. Whatever their personal beliefs, most Nantambiyans are reluctant to take the last seat.

While local roads are wide enough for carts, streets are typically reserved for walking while goods are transported via the many canals. These canals also serve a secondary function. Local racing. Nearly every citizen and shop participates in the local races, with several festivals being highlighted with a larger race that can take the various participants over the entire city. These races serve two different functions. Professional teams focus primarily on winning (mostly for the bragging rights), while slower racers and shops focus on the free advertising. Sometimes purposefully building a slow boat to function more as a float to show off the various goods and services the shop serves, even throwing out free samples. This tradition is celebrated by the local population and has become an unofficial combination of a race and a parade.

1. Head of CouncilLuchomo, nicknamed “The Spider”
2. Glassmaker's Guild representative Ciko. Former student of the Magaambya.
3. Merchants and Traders consortium representative Enosha.
4. Woodworker's Alliance representative Owethu
5. Miller's and Baker's Collective representative Nobomi
6. Mongameli was voted in by popularity. Restaurant tycoon. This halfling is the only non-human on the council.
7. Glassblower's Guild representative Thuba
8. Khwezi is the head of education for the city. This is separate from the university and is primarily concerned with childhood education and apprenticeships.
9. Head of Administration is Asanda. He is the former city treasurer, but his quick thinking and excellent investments got him the votes needed for the council.
10. The last member voted in is Sifiso. She is a prominent member of the local clockwork guilds, but they do not have the power nor numbers to consistently guarantee a member on the council. As the youngest member on the council, she considers the needs of the youth her top priority.

The following are a sample of some of the prominent locations that can be found in Nantambu.

A distinct jungle clearing lies a mile or so outside the city limits. No crops grow there, nor does any animal graze in it. A field of knee-high creeping lilies with flame-shaped flowers and poisonous sap fill the area and spread for up to four miles. Locals know it as the burial site of the first force that sought to invade Nantambu, an army that made camp one night and prepared to attack the following morning. Overnight, every human, elf, dwarf, and animal perished mysteriously. The Council told the citizens to bury the bodies and equipment in this clearing and then leave them untouched. The softly glowing lilies that bloom year-round sprang up in the clearing over the next few years.

A few brave souls have ventured into the field over the centuries, and all came back describing screaming and the sound of battles raging around them. Healers harvest flowers from the field’s edges for use in medicines to treat pain, parasites, and poisonings, while less scrupulous alchemists harvest them to craft poisons. The flowers die soon after being transplanted, and this field is their only known source.

The Black Crowned Crane, located in the heart of the entertainment district, is the place to see and be seen despite—or perhaps because of—the rumors of nefarious dealings of its owner, Ebele. An adventurer in her youth, Ebele returned to Nantambu after more than a decade with multiple chest-laden pack horses in tow. She refused to open the chests or say what was in them, and locked herself in her family home for 12 days upon her arrival. Once she emerged, she threw herself into attending theater performances and sampling every high-end restaurant in Nantambu. After a few weeks, she favored the Black Crowned Crane and decided to purchase it. The previous owner won’t say what she paid for it, but he seems content with whatever arrangement they agreed to and is happily retired.

The restaurant closed for a couple of weeks for “renovations,” during which neighbors reported building noises at all hours, including when no construction crews were present. When the establishment reopened, the changes were mostly cosmetic—some fresh paint here, a new window there, different cushions—but nothing that would have required the crew size or time apparently involved. The mystery of what was in the chests and where it is now remains, though some speculate whatever it was is now hidden in the walls or floors of the Black Crowned Crane.