Taklakot

Desolation of Taklakot
Capital	Gyanima
Demonym	Taklakotian
Government	Dictatorship
Ruler	The Mad King of Gyanima (de jure) Hakaba or none (de facto)
Population	Unknown
Currency	Kote
Resources	Mostly destroyed

Taklakot was a once-mighty nation located in the Mountains of Morn in Southern Magnamund. It was mostly-destroyed by the God Kai, and later fell under a curse, causing people who spent time in the land insane.

History

Taklakot was founded by a violent caste of Tianese warriors called the Blade Throne. It became a powerful, belligerent force in Southern Magnamund, only needing the numbers and magical support to conquer even more.

Shasarak became that savior. He brought them the Sun-stone, which gave the nation great prosperity. A temple worshiping the power of the Sun was created to harness the power of the Sun-stone, which was used to power advanced machinery and grow crops. This power brought great wealth to Taklakot; however, in time, this power drove the Taklakotians to become greedy, decadent and corrupt. Additionally, the power was stolen from the God Kai, who one day, in anger, wiped out the entire country with a column of fire, creating what is now known as Desolation Valley. This event is known as the Great Blast. The city of Gyanima is the only city left from the civilization as it was protected from the blast by the mountains; today, the city is known as the Forbidden City.

However, Kai was not the only deity who looked upon Taklakot. The greed of the Taklakotians, combined with their destruction, opened a link to an ancient Evil, whose touch cursed the land of Taklakot. This curse drives all mortals in Taklakot mad.

For causing the Great Blast, Shasarak punished the Taklakotians even further. Using the Song of the Dead, he summoned Deathgaunts to for the first time on Magnamund, who ensnared the spirits of the dead Taklakotians into the Neverness. This transformed them into Deathgaunts themselves, bonded to Shasarak, to become part of his spectral army. The forest of Fernmost survived the Great Blast, although its flora and fauna became mutated, and few have explored it since.

Centuries later, Taklakot remained a nation that was almost dead. Gyanima was reduced to a city of anarchy, where gangs thrived and hunted slaves for entertainment. It was led by the House of the Mad Kings of Gyanima. Neighbouring countries banished their worst criminals and madmen to Taklakot, where they were driven insane by the curse, and formed societies of wild men, who bred, hunted, and ate other humans. The latest king was served by the Wizard of Taklakot, Hakaba. However, Hakaba and his fellow cultists of Tharrayn are the real power behind the Mad Kings.

In MS 5103, if the player investigated Shasarak's lair in The Dusk of Eternal Night, they ventured into Gyanima with Blazer and Grey Star. They were met by Hakaba, who was defeated, and the three progressed into Shasarak's lair in Gyanima. They then found a magical chamber, guarded by Deathgaunts, only kept at bay by Azawood leaves. In this chamber, a Shianti Power Cube was found, which led to various chambers where Shasarak investigated and experimented on various things, including Sun-stone shards, the Centre Path of Magic, M'lare Crystals, and a Visionary Chamber. One teleportation chamber was found, leading to Fernmost, which itself contained a teleportation portal to the Sadi Desert. Here, Grand Master read of the nature of Shasarak's Sun-stone experiments, discovering that an explosion close to where the fabric of the Material Plane was weakened, could open a portal to the Pit of Eternal Pain, where Agarash the Damned was trapped — and that one place to do so was in Naaros itself, where Agarash was sealed away — which must have been the plans of the Naarvakim.

Geography

Taklakot is a desolated wasteland located in the southern peninsula of Southern Magnamund. It lies to the south of Lissan and Andui, west of Forlu and Fernmost (its former territory), and north-west of Karnali. Before it was reduced to a wasteland, it was a beautiful, modern nation, with lush fields and crops that were maintained by machines powered by magic.

The curse that sits on Taklakot is so powerful that even a Kai Grand Master can be affected despite being barely within sighting distance of Gyanima.

Politics

Taklakot was initially ruled by the Blade Throne, the veterans of Tianese warriors who founded the country. After Shasarak's arrival, he became their ruler, until the destruction of his country by the god Kai. The country was subsequently ruled by the House of the Mad Kings of Gyanima, although in reality, it is the cultists of Tharrayn that pull the strings of the puppet Kings. The latest known ruler, as of MS 5050, is the unnamed Mad King of Gyanima, who is a puppet of the Wizard of Taklakot, Hakaba.

Economics

Taklakot has no economy to speak of, and no resources due to its destruction. However, its currency is stated to be the Kote.

Demographics

Taklakot's population is unknown. It is, however, populated by Madmen, who form primitive tribes. Criminals banished to Taklakot are inevitably driven mad themselves. These Madmen breed, hunt and eat other humans.

In the gamebooks

Taklakot may be visited by Grand Master, Blazer and Grey Star should the player choose to investigate Shasarak's lair in The Dusk of Eternal Night. Grey Star will transport the trio to Shasarak's lair using a Temeris Potion, where they encounter and fight Hakaba and his henchmen. In the lair, one path from the chamber with a Shianti Power Cube leads directly into Desolation Valley but Grand Master is forced to retreat due to the radiation.

Design

In The Magnamund Companion, page 14, Taklakot is spelt "Taklokot".