A (brief) introduction to Dresediel Lex

Dresediel Lex is the setting for two books in the Craft Sequence, visited in a third, and the setting for one of the games. We therefore see Dresediel Lex - sometimes shortened to DL - from a variety of perspectives at three points in recent history. City’s Thirst shows the city shortly after the God Wars; Last First Snow shows it 17 years before the rest of the Craft Sequence novels; Two Serpents Rise is most readers’ first view on the city; and the brief visit in Four Roads Cross takes place around 5 years after the destructive events of 2SR.

Where is Dresediel Lex?

Dresediel Lex is a sprawling metropolis in the south-west of Kath, a large continent equivalent to North America. DL is comparable to LA in our world, both in location and size, but given its strong associations with Central American mythologies (and the lack of official map of Kath…) it could be further south more like Mexico City.

It seems to be a city-state; in Northern Kath, at least, there is no central government.

What does Dresediel Lex look like?

Dresediel Lex is a huge, modern city with a deep history; there are ancient pyramids originally used by priests, now turned into offices; floating skyspires occupied by Craftspeople; wealthy neighbourhoods with mansions and manicured lawns; poorer districts with small, adobe houses. It hugs a stretch of coast, and has both practical, trading docks and beaches for rich tourists.

We see Dresediel Lex described in the early pages of Two Serpents Rise:

Gleaming pyramid-studded city, skyspires adrift like crystal scimitars above, the ceaseless roll of the Pax against the western shore. A ceiling of low cloud confronte the metropolis with its own reflected light.

…

Dresediel Lex sprawled below: fifteen thousand miles of roads gleaming with ghostlight and gas lamps. Between boulevards crouched the houses and shops and apartment buildings, bars and banks, theatres and factories and restaurants, where seventeen million people drank and loved and danced and worked and died.

Who runs Dresediel Lex?

As with all locations that we have so far seen in the Craft Sequence, there is no elected government in Dresediel Lex. The city was the first major location to fall to Craftspeople during the God Wars and is seen as a shining example of what a city rules by a Deathless King can be. Dresediel Lex is ruled over by Kopil, the King in Red, who rose up during the Wars to defeat the gods and ultimately took their place. To host his power, Kopil has shed his human form and now exists as a dramatically-caped skeleton, based at the top of 667 Sansilva, formerly the most important temple and now the base for his company, Red King Consolidated. RKC runs the city with Kopil at its head. Over six decades, RKC has merged with and swallowed up competitor companies to become the sole power in DL.

How do Craft and religious communities interact?

As an important Deathless Kingdom, the Craft rules in Dresediel Lex. The Quechal pantheon was cast down by the King in Red and other Craftspeople; remaining local spirits are tortured by RKC into being part of the modern Craft water purification system among other utilities. There are some that keep to the old ways, but they are few and far between. People like Temoc, the last priest of the Quechal gods, are viewed as terrorists.

What is the predominant culture of Dresediel Lex?

In modern days, DL is incredibly multicultural but a large proportion of the population is Quechal, an ethnic group indigenous to Northern Kath. However, many of the old cultural traditions that were tied up in religion have been cast aside and outlawed since the God Wars.

From what we see of the culture, including names, architecture, and religion, it is clear that the Quechal culture is strongly inspired by Central American cultures. The writer of this piece doesn’t know enough about the various indigenous cultures of Central America to comment more on which have the strongest influences on the Quechal people.

Separately to the human inhabitants of DL and the nearby desert, there is a community of Scorpionkind - large, sentient beings that look like scorpions. They are a major part of City’s Thirst and we can read much about their culture and its interaction with human neighbours.

What issues are faced by Dresediel Lex?

Similar to other locations in the Craft Sequence, there are issues related to wealth disparities and gentrification, and the balance between Craft and religion. Both of these issues are particularly blatant in the Dresediel Lex stories: the entire plot of Last First Snow is based, essentially, on a clash about gentrification, and one of our major POV characters is a religious freedom fighter or terrorist - depending on your viewpoint - against the King in Red and the Craft.

The most important issue is that of resources, particularly water. Dresediel Lex is a desert city with a constantly expanding population; the water table was drained long ago, and the traditional method of water purification (a god, since killed) no longer works. The lack of water is a major plot point in Two Serpents Rise and City’s Thirst.