Ka-Nanji is the original name of Nangalore, meaning “the Hanging Garden of Dreams.” It was built as a palatial retreat and tribute to honor Queen Zalkoré of Omu by her foremost general and consort, Thiru-taya.
History
The garden served as a retreat from the intrigues and pressures of Omu. It was renowned in its time as a beautiful, tiered palatial garden worthy of the queen it honored.
After Zalkoré made an evil bargain with an erinyes and was transformed into a medusa, the army forced her to abdicate and exiled her to Ka-Nanji. Following her exile, the garden became known as Nangalore—“the Garden of Lost Dreams.”
Current State
The site now serves as the cursed domain of the medusa Zalkoré, located half a mile from the River Olung. A tributary floods right up to the garden gate, making it accessible by boat, though the surrounding mile is boggy marsh that makes overland travel a nightmare.
The multi-leveled garden features:
- Multiple elevation levels marked relative to ground level
- Inscriptions in Old Omuan throughout (requiring DC 10 Intelligence (History) check from characters with Cloistered Scholar or Sage backgrounds, or comprehend languages magic)
- Carvings that reveal Zalkoré’s tragic story
- Hallucinogenic plants that Zalkoré cultivates
- A great variety of plants, some hostile to visitors
- Defaced statues and portraits of Thiru-taya (vandalized by Zalkoré when she believed he betrayed her)
Inhabitants
- Zalkoré (medusa) - the exiled queen who rules the cursed garden
- Eblis - serve as her sentinels and spies
- Wildlife - colorful parrots and canaries
- Occasional visitors - brave Chultans who seek Zalkoré as a jungle mystic to learn about her hallucinogenic plants or ask questions about the distant past