Zilargo

At first glance, the homeland of the gnomes appears to be a paradise. City streets are bright and clean, the universities and libraries are the finest in Khorvaire, everyone seems happy and helpful, and crime is all but unheard of. But Zil society teems with layers of intrigue and blackmail invisible to human eyes. The Trust, a ruthless secret police force, eliminates any threat to society. Zilargo isn't a tyranny. Each major city has a democratically elected ruling council and a seat on the Triumvirate that governs the nation; the Trust reports to the Triumvirate. The Zil gnomes built this system, and they are quite happy with it. Their streets are safe, and as long as you play by the rules of the game, the Trust ignores you. Outsiders find this casual acceptance of preemptive assassination to be terrifying, but the Zil genuinely trust the Trust.   Zil gnomes live within a web of intrigues. The Trust condones their actions, as long as they break no laws and don't threaten the state or the status quo. A gnome charlatan can connive to steal a jewel mine from another gnome-as long as the charlatan accomplishes the deed through cunning, negotiation, or deception rather than violence or outright theft, and as long as the mine stays in Zil hands. The same applies to adventurers planning schemes in Zilargo. Violence draws attention and deadly consequences from the Trust, but intrigue is perfectly acceptable.   The Trust is a network of spies and assassins. Most agents of the Trust simply pass information through dead drops; some estimate that a third of the nation works fr the Trust in this capacity. When the Trust identifies a threat, it acts preemptively. Trust agents prefer to solve a problem without violence-by sharing a piece of information or a whispered warning sent via a message spell. But the Trust won't hesitate to eliminate a threat, whether with poison, spell, or blade. Typically, a target never sees the agent of their demise.   Zilargo has joined the Khorvarian Empire, seeking safety among the nations of humans.