Tirumala, sometimes called the "Holy City," was a rich city-state in the Beastlands ruled over by a rakshasa of the same name as of the late 15th century DR.[1]
Geography[]
The city was located among seven "holy hills" which sat at the northern end of the Curna Mountains south of Durpar and north of Estagund.[1]
History[]
The city sat atop the ruins of a Durpari settlement that had been destroyed by giants. The old ruins were reclaimed and rebuilt by Tirumala, who claimed that the site was sacred.[1][2]
Later, in the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, the city signed a unique trade agreement with Estagund which mystified the people of that realm, none of whom could believe that their raja would agree to such terms.[1][3] In truth, the raja's trusted vizier, Devang was secretly a rakshasa in league with Tirumala.[3]
Inhabitants[]
Tirumala was primarily populated by rakshasa nobility, orc and hill giant soldiers, kenku spies, and slaves of human, halfling, and kenku origins.[2] The slaves were forbidden from wearing clothing (in order to prevent them from concealing anything suspicious, such as weapons), and this rule evolved into a broader custom of public nudity among the city's residents.[4]
Appendix[]
Background[]
Tirumala may be based on Tirumala, a temple town in India situated atop seven hills. The name Tirumala comes from the Dravidian language, meaning "holy hill".
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 96. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (2019-10-13). Ed's Twitter. Retrieved on 2024-03-17.