An off-duty Gadiran diver admiring their loot.

The Gadirans are a proud and insular people; their reptilian forms perfectly adapted to the harsh coastal environment they call home. Native to Gadira, an independent city-state perched on a rocky outcrop off the mainland of Edenhorde, the Gadirans have built their society on a foundation of wealth, trade, and isolation. Gadira is accessible solely via a narrow tombolo—a strip of land that is only passable at low tide—vigilantly guarded by the city’s well-trained armed forces. This strategic positioning ensures that Gadira remains impervious to invasion, allowing the city to control those who enter its walls. The city restricts entry to only those who carry a unique token denoting native status, licensed trade privileges, or the favor of the city’s elites.

The Gadirans owe much of their prosperity to the sea. Wealth flows predominantly from the ocean’s depths, where skilled divers harvest treasures that sustain the city’s elite. With their reptilian physiology, these divers possess the extraordinary ability to hold their breath for extended periods, allowing them to plunge deep into the ocean and retrieve valuable items. From shimmering pearls to ancient artifacts from the Old World.

Nets, spanning the waters around Gadira, serve a dual purpose: they trap drifting goods that float by and deter the more dangerous creatures lurking beneath the waves. Pontoons, crafted from timber acquired through trade with the Larriks, serve as platforms for fishing, diving, and trade, effectively expanding Gadira’s territory beyond the rocky shores.

An armed Gadiran (employed in an unknown private army) looks towards the city menacingly.

However, despite their prowess in exploiting the ocean’s resources, the Gadirans have little interest in naval exploration. The treacherous waters surrounding their city are fraught with dangers—sharp rocks, violent currents, and deadly sea creatures make travel by sea perilous. As a result, Gadira lacks a navy, preferring instead to focus on defense and maintaining control over the narrow passage to the mainland.

For all their wealth and strategic advantages, the Gadirans are a people divided. Internal strife, driven by the ambitions of powerful families and rival factions, constantly threatens to tear the city apart from within. The governance of Gadira is a tangled web of corruption and influence, with power resting in the hands of a board composed of entrenched elites and wealthy newcomers. These factions vie for control, each seeking to expand their influence while undermining their rivals.

Corruption is endemic in Gadira’s political system, with bribes, favors, and secret deals shaping the city’s governance. The elites maintain their grip on power through wealth, fear, and manipulation, while the rising merchant class—the "new money"—seeks to carve out a place for themselves in the upper echelons of society.

Beyond the walls of Gadira lies a different world—a lawless periphery where order gives way to chaos. Larriks and dissident Gadirans carve out a rough existence among the crumbling ruins and makeshift structures. This area, known as the Fringe, is a stark contrast to the wealth and order of the city proper. It is a place of barter and black-market trade, where fish, salvaged treasures, and pirated goods flow freely.

The Fringe is a haven for those who cannot or will not live under the strict control of Gadira’s ruling factions. It is a place where the city's rules do not apply, and survival depends on cunning. Despite the lawlessness, the Fringe plays a crucial role in Gadira’s economy, acting as a gateway for goods that would otherwise be forbidden or heavily taxed within the city walls.

Inside the walls of Gadira, wealth and luxury are the defining features of life. Even among the lower classes, there is a constant desire to flaunt affluence, with modest possessions often repurposed and displayed to create an illusion of wealth. This culture of display extends to the city’s elite, who indulge in lavish spectacles designed to showcase their power and sophistication. These events, held in grand halls and on the floating pontoons that stretch out into the sea, are as much about politics as they are about entertainment. Larrik performances, imported for novelty and exoticism, are a favorite at these gatherings.

Despite the outward show of culture and refinement, Gadira is a city steeped in a culture of weaponry. Weapons are not merely tools of war but symbols of status and power. The city’s leaders engage in ceremonial displays of armed prowess, using their swords and daggers as extensions of their authority. Among the lower-status Gadirans, concealed blades are standard, and many districts within the city are known to be dangerous for those who venture into them unprepared. Serious violence, while rare, is not unheard of in Gadira. Disputes between factions, personal vendettas, and even assassinations occasionally rock the city.