Xuxulieto

Greyhawk Settlement

Xuxulieto
General information
Realm:	(formerly) Olman Empire
Government
Alignment:	Chaotic evil predominant
Established:	-1900 CY
Demographics
Races:	(Formerly) human (Olman); (currently) yuan-ti, mongrelfolk, bugbears, bullywugs
Languages:	Tlaman
Groups
Religions:	Tlaloc (presumedly), Ranet, aboleth-worship, dragon-worship, demon-worship

Xuxulieto, more commonly known as the Forbidden City, is a forgotten settlement found in the Xaro Mountains in Hepmonaland, south of the Pelisso Swamp.

History

Xuxulieto was originally built by the Olman, but they abandoned it after the fall of their empire. Present-day Olman in the area believe the Forbidden City is where the souls of their dead enemies go after leaving their corporeal bodies, and as such they avoid it religiously.

Later, Xuxulieto was colonized by a group of yuan-ti from the city of Alocotla. A group of bullywugs settled in the swamps nearby many years ago, fleeing after being driven from other lands.

Geography and climate

The Forbidden City was built within a large rift at the peak of an old, rounded mountain. It is surrounded by sheer, crumbling cliffs from 350-400 feet in height. The flora within the rift consists solely of stunted bushes and bamboo. Within five feet of the cliff edge, however, is jungle flora typical of that part of Hepmonaland.

The city can be reached through underground tunnels carved into the mountain, or by flying, or by scaling the cliff-faces at certain points.

People

The most powerful faction of the Forbidden City are the yuan-ti and their allies, a tribe of bugbears and scattered bands of tasloi. The yuan-ti rule as arrogant lords, organizing raids on caravans in the nearby jungle and plotting to rebuild their ancient empire. They make use of the nearby bullywugs for raiding, guards, and pets. Wererats are used as spies in nearby human cities to identify the routes of the caravans.

Also dwelling in the city, surviving by hunting and stealing, are a group of mongrelmen descended from slaves captured by the yuan-ti. They are hunted by the bugbears for food and used by the bullywugs for food and sacrifices.

In the city sewers there is a ongoing war between the last human ancestors of the yuan-ti, now nearly blind from centuries of subterranean existence, and packs of jungle ghouls and allied demons. The clever ghouls seek to turn the humans into slime-beasts with their cancerous touches.

Back when Xuxulieto was ruled by humans, a race of good-aligned bat-people lived in the tunnels below the city. There is still a misty route in the subterranean catacombs that leads back to that earlier time.

Religion

The city's bullywugs worship an old pan lung dragon that they raised from an egg. The mongrelmen worship an aboleth dwelling in a nearby subterranean river. The subterranean humans worship a kindly god of darkness. In the tunnels beneath the city is a temple of Ranet guarded by an enormous serpent-queen that may be all that remains of the goddess herself.

The yuan-ti, said to be demon-worshippers, revere a god depicted as a man with a cobra's head. They have also made a pact with a tentacled being from another plane whose corruptive influence causes pillars, carvings, rooms, and other features to animate and attack.

References

Bibliography

• Cook, David. Dwellers of the Forbidden City. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981.
• Reynolds, Sean K. The Scarlet Brotherhood. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image
Xuxulieto	Settlement	Settlement,	The Scarlet Brotherhood	36, 56