Itau
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Itau is a city on the far western coast of the western island of Dwilight. In the past it was known for being a pirate haven, and was ruled by several bandit warlords, who conducted various dealings on in the interior of the ancient city fortifications. Though the stone walls of the coastal city remain in serious disrepair, and few peasants live in the city proper, more return everyday to the old quarters and, after a fire destroyed much of the shanty town by the pier, thieves, rogues and ruffians have flocked to the southeastern quarter in particular and have affectionately dubbed it "Hallow's End." While the origin of the name is unknown, the southeastern quarter is known for being the last bastion of lawlessness in Itau, as well as a refuge for free trade. Its winding, dirty alleys house crude brothels, murderers for hire, and brutal gangs.
In the past, the majority of the populace lived in the hills and valleys surrounding Itau, and most villages paid hefty sums to the bandits and pirates ruling the old city for "protection" against pillaging, looting and murder. Ironically, not much has changed for these outlying villages and burgs: much of the gold that had in the past went to the warlords now goes to the tax collectors of the region, and funds rebuilding and growth in the area.
The locals of the hills, mostly to avoid working in the middle of the day, have adopted the curious custom of sleeping in the middle of the afternoon, and conducting most of their usual business - eating, farming, herding, socializing - in either the early hours of the morning, or late at night. These "hill-folk" as they are often called live in mudbrick huts, or stone cottages, or wooden cabins - they are freemen, traders, farmers and herders.
A native may be determined by how they look: they have a particular, sunburned tinge, and are not a tall people, but rather slender and lean and made hard by the elements, their skin and faces wind-weathered and ravaged by time and toil. They are often a very simple, sparse people and do not favor ornament, but yet will also tattoo themselves in wild, tribal-marked ways, in bright ink.
