Hex Crawl 23 #123: The Perfidious Village of Nekai

 Four hexes northwest, two north of Alakran.

 

"Ai, ai, Nekai! 

Perceptually perfidious!

Phenomenologically (probably) praxeologically preposterous! 

Nekai, ai, ai!" -- The gnome wizard Kaapioinen's objurgation

 

"You are from Nekai? I wish you abundance!

For every hair you have, a louse;

For every grain you have, a weevil;

For every beast you have, a leopard;

For every day you live, an ulcer!" -- saying of the Dhuga Hills

Well, it cannot be denied that Nekai has prospered. The village is the most populous of the Dhuga at just over 250 souls. Since the death of the village headman Mamitu (witchcraft is suspected), his formidable wife Keniti has ruled Nekai with little resistance. It absorbed many refugees from ruined Za-El, mostly relatives of Nekai people, as well as a colony of about 30 refugees from Dulsharna who are relegated to their own miserable huts and perform the most menial of duties. 

Goat herding, sheep herding, and small farming of garden vegetables is Nekai's livelihood. The village and its well sit atop a small aquifer, similar to the Fields of Regret (previous entry), but much more limited in scope. Only the least well-regarded herds now graze there, when the lusher and easier Fields of Regret are half a day's trot away.

The bad reputation of Nekai was confirmed by the Band of Bronze when they found the camp of the merchant Mery-Tina, whom they rescued from the Pod Caverns, raided and despoiled. Luckily, she had buried her stash of coins. The culprit villagers nearby were easily enough intimidated into returning the stolen trade goods and camels. Bullies and cowards at the same time, the character of Nekai was tested again and failed shortly thereafter. Raided by a troll in the night (which the Band of Bronze may have set loose from the caverns), many scores of Nekains fled north along the track to Yotai, instead of joining together to fight.