Gourizaga

Gourizaga, dubbed The Province of Cold Death, is a domain within the Darklands. It borders the land of Ixia, once the domain of Deathlord Ixiataaga. It was ruled by Darklord Nhorg, who obtained control of the land after removing a rival of Darklord Vashna. Its capital is Gourzaa, the only notable city within Gourizaga.

History

At some point after Darklord Nhorg's arrival on Magnamund along with his fellow Darklords, Nhorg chose Gourizaga as his domain. However, to his dismay, he found that the land was constantly invaded by the undead of Ixia. Despite this regret, he believed the power of Ixia held his keys to becoming Archlord, and recently, as of MS 5000, he had gained a degree of its power, although Nhorg would never become Archlord. He may have employed this power in an assassination attempt on Archlord Gnaag.

It is unclear what happened to Gourizaga after Nhorg's death, due to the destruction of the Transfusor by Lone Wolf in MS 5070. Additionally, in MS 5077, Lone Wolf ventured into Ixia to destroy Deathlord Ixiataaga, a quest in which he was successful, causing the undead of Ixia to freeze in place, preventing further incursions into Gourizaga.

Geography

Gourizaga is a barren, desolate wasteland to the north-west of the Darklands. It is bordered to the north by the abandoned land of Ixia, and to the east by Hourdast. Gourzaa was the only notable city within Gourizaga; most other settlements in the domain were small military camps or research posts. Its greatest fortress was Nhaaga Keep, lying on the border with Hourdast.

During Zagarna's time as Archlord, its population was 60,000, of which 17,000 were Drakkarim soldiers and 30,000 Mountain Giaks. Its inhabitants served Darklord Nhorg, who conducted experiments into the mysteries of Ixia, hoping to find the key to his rise to Archlord (which did not occur).

Gourizaga has an incredibly-cold climate, which gets worse closer to the Ixian border. Any creature that succumbed to the cold would arise as a zombie under the control of Deathlord Ixiataaga, the Deathlord of Ixia.

Politics

Gourizaga was ruled by Darklord Nhorg. Day-to-day rule was conducted by Shekkaz, a Drakkar High Captain.

Gourizaga was constantly raided by the undead of Ixia. Due to the climate and constant attacks, the lifespan of Gourizaga's forces was short, although Shekkaz proved to be particularly hardy, having survived ten years in his current role.

Gourizaga's eastern neighbour, Hourdast, was ruled by a Drakkar General, Vorrat Tlorn. Tlorn did not consider Gourizaga to be a threat to his people, due to it being a wasteland.

Design

In the first edition of The Darklands, Darklord Nhorg eliminated one of Vashna's rivals, and chose Gourizaga as a reward, thinking the remoteness of the land would be a useful way to avoid the politics of his fellow Darklords. In the second edition, it is not stated when or how he was granted Gourizaga, although Nhorg chose it. Also in the second edition, some time before or during the time of Archlord Zagarna, he was given specific duties to defend the Darklands against the undead of Ixia, and eventually gained a degree of mastery over the power in Ixia.

Gourizaga's population was also smaller in the first edition: only about 5,000 inhabitants lived in Gourizaga, including 700 Drakkarim and 3,000 Ice Giaks.