BRC
2008-08-17, 10:17 PM
Alright, so, I'm going to DM the next campaign my group plays, I don't think any of them are on this forum, but to be safe, If you live in st louis, are of high school age, and have just done an Epic-level evil campaign, then theres a chance your in my group and therefore shouldn't read this thread.
Anyway, Iv'e GM'd other games, but I've never DM'd before, so I figured I'd post my ideas here, any maybe see what other people suggest, then maybe do a campaign diary type of thing.
Anyway, in our latest campaign (Epic level evil) Weve pretty much taken down every major good power and destroyed all the big temples to good deities. This next campaign takes place in the same setting, but after a lengthy "age of Conflict" that the evil campaign was the beggining of. All you need to know is that, by the end, all the forces of good were united behind one formerly minor diety that I made up, Yagora, Godess of the rising sun and good overcoming evil. At some point, an inquisition showed up and it pretty much stuck around, the world is mostly small kingdoms and city states technically independant but heavily influenced by the church. It is known that there were other good gods, but the Inquisition removed all details about them, including their names, from the histories, and did the same with the evil gods, though they replaced all their names with the nonsense word "Kayorak". The age of conflict ended awhile ago, the PC's are members of the Inquisition who are sent to the city-state of Inferno Bay. Oh, and the tech level is pretty much early-industrial revolution.
Alright, That's all you really need to know, here comes the Ridiculously long backstory stuff I typed up, spoilered for your Sanity.
World History
In ages past, there were many gods. Pantheons of both Good and Evil. However, Names and details of them have been long forgotten. The Yagorian Inquisition replaced all mentions of evil gods with the nonsense word “Kayorak”, and the names and details of all but one of the good gods were replaced, so as not to sway people from following Yagora. However, that time has become shrouded in mystery, known only as the Age of Conflict. Nobody knows how it started, but it was a period when the forces of good and evil clashed. These clashes took the form of everything from massive armies clashing on the field of battle, to bands of adventurers in dungeons.
Before long however, evil began winning. One by one the great temples fell, and the servants of the evil gods grew fat off the spoils of conquest. It was because of this that they were totally unprepared for the arrival of Caius Herodus. Herodus was a cleric of the minor diety Yagora, goddess of the rising sun, of good triumphing over evil. Herodus rallied the followers of the defeated deities under the standard of Yagora, and began winning great victories. Worship of Yagora swelled due to his actions, and for the first time in recent memory Evil was not just being held off, but pushed back. Today, Caius Herodus is known as Herodus the first prophet.
Years after Herodus’s death, the struggle still continued when a new and influential figure emerged, a Yagorian cleric named Amile Vigrati. Most of the clerics followed the teachings and beliefs of Herodus to the letter, and fought undead hordes and demonic armies with glorious steel and unyielding light. Vigrati however had a different method, she and her followers used subterfuge, summoning, and forbidden magic in order to fight the forces of evil. Though the Herodians condemned them as mad, they could not condemn the victories they won. They turned Evil’s own methods against itself, the most potent example of which was at the siege of the Argat Necropolis, where Vigrati and her followers infiltrated the stronghold of a powerful necromancer disguised as death cultists, then having researched necromancy themselves managed to sever the tie between the necromancer and his forces, then turn the undead against one another. Though some extreme Herodians burned Vigrati on top of all the copies of her book that they could find, as punishment for having enough knowledge of necromancy to use such a tactic, she went down in history as a great hero, and the second prophet of Yagora.
Many years later, as the last bastions of evil were under siege, a third prophet emerged. This one preached caring, healing and compassion. He and his followers would descend en-masse on areas devastated by war in order to rebuild them. His name was Arthur Shulpe, and he decided that evil grew from anger and resentment. By removing the anger and resentment through good deeds, you could stop it from beginning. He claimed he could defeat ten times the evil with a bowl of food, then anybody could with a holy sword. He was eventually assassinated, but he went down in history as the third prophet.
During the war, a counterintelligence network appeared amongst Yagora’s followers. It sought to find those that worshiped the dark gods and prevent them from doing any harm. When the last bastion of evil fell, this organization, and its unquestionable power, remained. It currently resides in the holy Doctrinopolis of Yagora, in a complex known as “The Silent citadel”, and it’s agents continue to fight the age of conflict from the shadows. They hunt down everything from demonic cults to criminal cartels, anything that threatens the peace. Those agents are members of the Most Holy Inquisition of Yagora, and they know where you live…
Religion Overview
Yagora: Good god, clerics referred to as “Priests”
The Spirits: A collection of neutral beings that maintain the world, spirits can represent locations, elements, animals ect, clerics are referred to as “Shamans”
Kayorak: Evil God, clerics referred to as “Blasphemers” and “Heretics”.
Gods, in this world, are kind of fuzzy on directions, they neglect to write their will in the sky with fiery letters, and they don’t appear in the dreams of fifty people simultaneously, giving a clear message of what must be done. Therefore, though all Yagorian worshippers are united in their goal of battling evil and, preventing another Age of Conflict, their beliefs and methods vary. Most Clerics are members of one of three main cults, each of which follows the teachings of a different prophet, Shulpe, Herodus, or Vigrati. Shulpists
Founded after the Age of Conflict by the prophet Shulpe, the Shulpists believe that the best way to prevent another age of conflict is to cut evil off at it’s source. Unhappiness and bitterness lead to evil, and therefore the best way to fight evil is through kindness and compassion. By helping those in trouble, you prevent them from one day turning to evil.
Domains: Good, Healing, Protection.
The Herodians
The followers of Herodus believe that the best way to prevent another Age of Conflict is to have the discipline and strength necessary to fight Evil when it arises. They believe in strict laws and harsh punishments, and value martial strength. One of the oldest sects that dates back to the earliest days of the Age of Conflict, they still remain fairly popular.
Domains: War, Strength, Law.
The Vigratians.
Near the end of the Age of Conflict, the prophet Vigrati wrote a book called “ Fire with Fire”. In this book she argued that evil didn’t follow rules, and so Good should not restrain itself while battling Evil. The Vigratian’s tend to be vigilantes in their hunting down of evil, believing that the Shulpist’s to be foolish idealists, and the Herodians to be inflexible fools. They follow the principle of locating evil by any means necessary, and then destroying it in the most permanent manner possible. They also discourage regulation, believing that flexibility and adaption are necessary weapons in the war against evil.
Domains: Chaos, Trickery, Destruction.
Inferno Bay
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/bloddyredcommie/InfernoBay-1.png
City History
The Legend of the Inferno Spear
Eons Ago, a spear was crafted in the elemental plane of fire. It was a weapon of unbelievable power, merely being near it was enough to kill mortal men without significant protection against it’s heat. Throughout time, it had many wielders, some good, some evil, but all of which possessed immunity to the weapon’s effects. It burned armies and leveled cities during the Age of Conflict, and it was feared by all who saw it used in battle. During the Age of Conflict, a fire giant named Brakard came into possession of the Spear, and used it to raise a vast army known as the Blood Horde which swept across the continent of Il-hatar, crushing all those before them, as even those who could match the Blood Horde’s armies fell before Brakard and the spear. Of the many warring powers during the Age of Conflict, the Blood Horde was the most feared. However, in the 323rd year of the Age of Conflict, The surviving Knights from the Order of Herodus, whose fortress had been taken by the blood horde years before, joined with the archmage Philimus and his pupils with the intent of destroying Brakard once and for all. They met in a bay where The Blood Horde had a training camp, the knights performing a seemingly suicidal charge intent on taking a certain hill. However, this charge allowed Philimus and his apprentices to get within range of Brakard himself and cast an epic spell that pierced Brakard’s defenses and slew him. With their leader dead the Blood Horde splintered and the Knights seized Brakard’s treasury, swollen with the spoils of conquest. They used this money and Philmus’s magic to construct a great stone pyramid above the spot where the Brakard had fallen, his corpse still clutching the spear, and an aqueduct to bring water from the nearby mountains, constantly drenching the Spear and keeping it’s unbelievable heat in check. The Knights also built a fortress, and Philimus raised an island near the pyramid in order to protect it. Due to the nature of the artifact resting there, the bay was soon named Inferno Bay. Before long the remnants of the blood horde began raiding nearbye villages, causing people from all over the continent to flee to Inferno Bay, to live under the twin protections of the Order and the Archmage. And thus a city was born.
Points of Intrest and City Districts
Points of Interest in Inferno Bay
The Steaming Pyramid: This mammoth step pyramid is built over the corpse of the fire giant Brakard, and more importantly the Inferno Spear. The top has a grid of holes leading to the inner chamber that water from the aqueduct falls through, it absorbs the heat of the spear by turning to steam, which escapes through a series of vents that open on the lower steps of the pyramid. There is also a series of powerful magical wards positioned throughout the pyramid that will attack anything that attempts to get to the spear through the tiny holes or the vents will be met with extreme prejudice. Mills have been built up onto the lower steps where they use the steam from the vents to power the rest of the mill. The pyramid is loud and the area around it is humid due to all the steam. The clouds of steam coming out of it give the pyramid it’s name and can be seen from miles around.
The Aqueduct: Bringing in water from the nearby mountains, the Aqueduct serves three purposes. First of all, it provides water to the pyramid, keeping it cool from the Spear’s heat. Secondly, as it falls into the city it turns a giant waterwheel that powers the great lift, and finally it provides the city with fresh water.
The Great Lift: The main way up the cliff, the Great Lift is powered by the and is essentially a mammoth elevator, it takes about fifteen minutes to go up or down the mountain.
The Glory Pit: Once The Glory Pit was where the blood horde trained it’s elite soliders with lethal tests. It has magical properties, if specially prepared it can create magical effects and modify the terrain inside itself, this is controlled from a tower on one side. Currently it serves as a gladiatorial areana, Seats, stalls, and barracks have been added, as has a vast underground complex to house various beasts, equipment, and gladiators. It is prime entertainment, featuring everything from two copper tickets for standing room seats, to expensive box seats used by the wealthy residents of the city.
The City Districts
Koboldtown: After the Age of Conflict what were referred to as Monstrous Humanoids were forced to join society. To this day they are still highly disapproved of and often live in their own neighborhoods. Koboldtown is one such neighborhood. Humans, dwarves, and halflings of the rougher sort are not unusual there, but orcs, kobolds and goblinoids make up the main occupants. It is a rough part of town, with it's legitimate workers often workingin the mines, or carrying crates at the docks. It hosts a famous, almost constant Bazaar where items of all degrees of legality can be purchased and vendors will scratch a few rune-looking symbols into anything and assign great magical properties to it.
Red Roof: Unlike the wilder Koboldtown, the district known as Red Roof is fairly law abiding. It’s residents are mostly human and tend to work either in the shipyards or up in the mills, mainly as unskilled laborers.
The Lift District: This district is positioned at the base of the great elevator which provides access to the top of the cliffs, and therefore all those who work in the mines or those who visit the city from the land must pass through it. Therefore, the district, especially along primary boulevard, hosts cafes, restaurants, shops and the like. The cities residents are usually middle class.
The Slope: This district is home to the cities craftsmen. Unlike the hustle and bustle of cheap goods sold in the Lift district, the slope is where the residents of Inferno Bay go for well made goods. Carpenters, Tailors, Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, potters and the like live and work here.. It is home to a few guild halls for the above proffesions.
The Hammer: named for the district’s shape, the hammer is part of the “Golden Trio” of districts. It is where the upper and upper middle class residents work and shop. It’s home to banks, offices, and high class services. It also hosts the Hall of Ledgers, a large circular building that hosts the merchant company offices and the majority of Inferno Bay’s economic activities, as clerks exchange slips of paper representing shiploads of goods and materials.
Bankertown: Bankertown is the home to the upper and upper middle classes. Usually the well paid professionals who work for the rich merchant companies or provide services and goods for them. It is also the home to the famous Degenard Opera House.
The Gates: The home of the city’s ridiculously wealthy. Noble families and people who own merchant companies and banks. They all live within gated compounds patrolled by hired guards and showing off their wealth to each other. Each lives within a bubble of wealth, attended to by an army of servants.
The Fort: Inferno Bay started as a fortress, the stronghold of the noble Order of Herodus. The order is gone, but the fort stands and currently hosts the city’s government. The mayor’s office and the city council are both housed here, as is the police headquarters, the city regiment, the courthouse, the prison and the . Acivic bureaucracy.
The Temple District: This district houses the great temple to Yagora, as well as the Festival Square. It’s residents are mainly middle class people who are comfortably well off. As would be expected, the church holds political power here. This district also hosts the city’s inquisition office.
The Docks: The Docks district is exactly what it sounds like. The district is home to Shipyards, warehouses, taverns and boarding houses for sailors. It also has a marketplace where sailors come to earn a coin or two selling things they picked up in far away lands and residents of the city come to earn a coin selling things to the sailors, and the each other. It’s similar to the Koboldtown marketplace, but it tends to be a good deal more respectable. Much of the docks is under the control of House Denald
The Park: Memorial Park is one of the main tourist attractions in Inferno Bay. Despite being so near the the Pyramid, it is rather peaceful. Statues show various scenes from the battle that occurred there during the Age of Conflict. The most famous of which are the Hero’s Charge, a hundred stone knights charging across the field. The other famous one is the Archmages Hill, where a statues show Philimus, his three apprentices, and twelve mages whose identities have been lost to history casting the epic spell that slew Brakard. Tours are available, as are souvenirs.
The Mills: After the Age of Conflict, the Dwarves harnessed the power of Steam, and so it was practically inevitable that the Steaming Pyramid would get used. Mills built partway onto the lower steps of the pyramid in order to capture the steam escaping from it’s vents then radiate out from it. Inside, mass produced goods are created and raw materials are processed. This is where much of the city’s unskilled labor works, toiling away in the humidity created by the Pyramid. Many of the mills are owned by House Tarpin.
The Pits: The Cliffs above Inferno Bay are rich in minerals, and therefore mining is a major industry. Monstrous Humanoids, prized for their strength and darkvision, often work in these mines. The land above the mines is used for farming. Much of this land is owned by House Rockridge.
The Government and Nobility
Government: Inferno Bay is ruled by a city council and a mayor, all of which are technically democratically elected. However, bribery, graft, and political machines are so rampant that you would be hard-pressed to call it a Democracy. The City Council also commands the police force.
The Nobility and Military of Inferno Bay.
When the Order of Herodus disbanded, it’s commanders took a large share of the treasury that had been accumulated during the Age of Conflict. The children of these commanders became the Nobility for the city-state of Inferno Bay, most of them invested their fortunes. Also, because they are descended from the knight-commanders, they are required to maintain the city military. There are four major noble houses, each with a strong influence in a different area of business and each with it’s own contribution to the city military. Because open warfare hardly ever occurs anymore, the various family’s military contributions are mainly used to guard that family’s holdings. There are also many minor noble houses, most of which have attatched themselves to a major house, these minor houses usually only provide a very small number of troops to the military, usually only a small company or so.
House Marche
Head of House: The Baron Jonathan Marche
Military Contribution: The Musketeers.
House Marche was one of the first noble houses to turn it’s fortune into business and is possibly the most powerful family in the city. Their power comes not from their noble title, but from their ownership of the First Merchant Bank of Inferno Bay. Though most of the house is just as social as the rest of the nobility, the Baron and his personal circle rarely leave the Marche compound in the Gates district of the city. The Baron rarely directly interferes with politics, which makes his influence all the greater when it is finally exerted. For the city military, they provide the elite Musketeers. The Musketeers use single-shot muskets, but are famous for their skills with a rapier. Their main purpose is the guard the bank itself from intrusion, something they do solidly. The Musketeers follow a strict code of honor and are considered a throwback to the Knights of Herodus. They have a rivalry with House Denald.
House Denald
Head of House: Dutchess Anna Denald.
Military Contribution: The Navy
House Denald owns the Four Winds Trading Company, which controls much of the maritime commerce that occurs in Inferno Bay. They are one of the more politically active houses, always trying to outmaneuver and take advantage of their hated rival House Marche. To the city they contribute a navy, which is mostly used to protect Four Winds ships from pirate attacks. Due to their power as merchants, they possess more friends and contacts abroad than any other Noble Family. Under the Duke Arthur Denald, and now under his daughter Anna, house Denald has allied with other noble families and groups (but notably, not House Marche) in order to found colonies elsewhere, ensuring a steady flow of goods in and out of Inferno Bay.
House Rockridge
Head of House: Duke Elim Rockridge.
Millitary Contributions: Front Line Infantry.
House Rockridge holds power through the Rockridge mining company, and the Inferno Bay Farmers Guild. They own much of the land on the cliffs above the city, operating mines under the ground and financing farms aboveground. They have a good relationship with House Tarpin, whose factories require the raw materials harvested in these places. Because much of their holdings are outside of the city proper, bandit attacks are a constant threat. To counteract this, House Rockridge finances a standing army of frontline infantry (swordsmen and pikemen) that patrol the nearby area to protect the farms, mines, and profits.
House Tarpin
Head of House: Count Thomas Tarpin.
Millitary Contributions: Riflemen
House Tarpin is the most recent of the noble houses to come to power. Almost immediately after the invention of the Steam engine, House Tarpin bought up most of the area around the Steaming Pyramid and built several all-purpose manufacturing mills. Now they turn raw materials, either imported from abroad or bought from their allies in House Rockridge, and churn it into either refined materials, which are then sold to craftsmen on the slopes, or Finished products which are exported. They control much of the city’s manufacturing capacity through the company Inferno Industries. Their current ruler, Count Thomas Tarpin, represents an oddity. He was not born a Tarpin, he wasn’t even born a human. Thomas Tarpin was a Gnome who was adopted as a child, his amazing intellect soon propelled him through the ranks of the family. When he was chosen as the successor to Count Richard Tarpin, his uncle, there was much outcry. There have been several assassination attempts against him already, presumably from disgruntled relatives who object to the adopted gnome receiving what they see as their birthright. His rule has been very profitable however, so there are few open complaints. House Tarpin provides Riflemen to the city), which are often deployed in support of House Rockridge’s infantry.
Next Up, The PC's and my campaign Ideas.
Anyway, Iv'e GM'd other games, but I've never DM'd before, so I figured I'd post my ideas here, any maybe see what other people suggest, then maybe do a campaign diary type of thing.
Anyway, in our latest campaign (Epic level evil) Weve pretty much taken down every major good power and destroyed all the big temples to good deities. This next campaign takes place in the same setting, but after a lengthy "age of Conflict" that the evil campaign was the beggining of. All you need to know is that, by the end, all the forces of good were united behind one formerly minor diety that I made up, Yagora, Godess of the rising sun and good overcoming evil. At some point, an inquisition showed up and it pretty much stuck around, the world is mostly small kingdoms and city states technically independant but heavily influenced by the church. It is known that there were other good gods, but the Inquisition removed all details about them, including their names, from the histories, and did the same with the evil gods, though they replaced all their names with the nonsense word "Kayorak". The age of conflict ended awhile ago, the PC's are members of the Inquisition who are sent to the city-state of Inferno Bay. Oh, and the tech level is pretty much early-industrial revolution.
Alright, That's all you really need to know, here comes the Ridiculously long backstory stuff I typed up, spoilered for your Sanity.
World History
In ages past, there were many gods. Pantheons of both Good and Evil. However, Names and details of them have been long forgotten. The Yagorian Inquisition replaced all mentions of evil gods with the nonsense word “Kayorak”, and the names and details of all but one of the good gods were replaced, so as not to sway people from following Yagora. However, that time has become shrouded in mystery, known only as the Age of Conflict. Nobody knows how it started, but it was a period when the forces of good and evil clashed. These clashes took the form of everything from massive armies clashing on the field of battle, to bands of adventurers in dungeons.
Before long however, evil began winning. One by one the great temples fell, and the servants of the evil gods grew fat off the spoils of conquest. It was because of this that they were totally unprepared for the arrival of Caius Herodus. Herodus was a cleric of the minor diety Yagora, goddess of the rising sun, of good triumphing over evil. Herodus rallied the followers of the defeated deities under the standard of Yagora, and began winning great victories. Worship of Yagora swelled due to his actions, and for the first time in recent memory Evil was not just being held off, but pushed back. Today, Caius Herodus is known as Herodus the first prophet.
Years after Herodus’s death, the struggle still continued when a new and influential figure emerged, a Yagorian cleric named Amile Vigrati. Most of the clerics followed the teachings and beliefs of Herodus to the letter, and fought undead hordes and demonic armies with glorious steel and unyielding light. Vigrati however had a different method, she and her followers used subterfuge, summoning, and forbidden magic in order to fight the forces of evil. Though the Herodians condemned them as mad, they could not condemn the victories they won. They turned Evil’s own methods against itself, the most potent example of which was at the siege of the Argat Necropolis, where Vigrati and her followers infiltrated the stronghold of a powerful necromancer disguised as death cultists, then having researched necromancy themselves managed to sever the tie between the necromancer and his forces, then turn the undead against one another. Though some extreme Herodians burned Vigrati on top of all the copies of her book that they could find, as punishment for having enough knowledge of necromancy to use such a tactic, she went down in history as a great hero, and the second prophet of Yagora.
Many years later, as the last bastions of evil were under siege, a third prophet emerged. This one preached caring, healing and compassion. He and his followers would descend en-masse on areas devastated by war in order to rebuild them. His name was Arthur Shulpe, and he decided that evil grew from anger and resentment. By removing the anger and resentment through good deeds, you could stop it from beginning. He claimed he could defeat ten times the evil with a bowl of food, then anybody could with a holy sword. He was eventually assassinated, but he went down in history as the third prophet.
During the war, a counterintelligence network appeared amongst Yagora’s followers. It sought to find those that worshiped the dark gods and prevent them from doing any harm. When the last bastion of evil fell, this organization, and its unquestionable power, remained. It currently resides in the holy Doctrinopolis of Yagora, in a complex known as “The Silent citadel”, and it’s agents continue to fight the age of conflict from the shadows. They hunt down everything from demonic cults to criminal cartels, anything that threatens the peace. Those agents are members of the Most Holy Inquisition of Yagora, and they know where you live…
Religion Overview
Yagora: Good god, clerics referred to as “Priests”
The Spirits: A collection of neutral beings that maintain the world, spirits can represent locations, elements, animals ect, clerics are referred to as “Shamans”
Kayorak: Evil God, clerics referred to as “Blasphemers” and “Heretics”.
Gods, in this world, are kind of fuzzy on directions, they neglect to write their will in the sky with fiery letters, and they don’t appear in the dreams of fifty people simultaneously, giving a clear message of what must be done. Therefore, though all Yagorian worshippers are united in their goal of battling evil and, preventing another Age of Conflict, their beliefs and methods vary. Most Clerics are members of one of three main cults, each of which follows the teachings of a different prophet, Shulpe, Herodus, or Vigrati. Shulpists
Founded after the Age of Conflict by the prophet Shulpe, the Shulpists believe that the best way to prevent another age of conflict is to cut evil off at it’s source. Unhappiness and bitterness lead to evil, and therefore the best way to fight evil is through kindness and compassion. By helping those in trouble, you prevent them from one day turning to evil.
Domains: Good, Healing, Protection.
The Herodians
The followers of Herodus believe that the best way to prevent another Age of Conflict is to have the discipline and strength necessary to fight Evil when it arises. They believe in strict laws and harsh punishments, and value martial strength. One of the oldest sects that dates back to the earliest days of the Age of Conflict, they still remain fairly popular.
Domains: War, Strength, Law.
The Vigratians.
Near the end of the Age of Conflict, the prophet Vigrati wrote a book called “ Fire with Fire”. In this book she argued that evil didn’t follow rules, and so Good should not restrain itself while battling Evil. The Vigratian’s tend to be vigilantes in their hunting down of evil, believing that the Shulpist’s to be foolish idealists, and the Herodians to be inflexible fools. They follow the principle of locating evil by any means necessary, and then destroying it in the most permanent manner possible. They also discourage regulation, believing that flexibility and adaption are necessary weapons in the war against evil.
Domains: Chaos, Trickery, Destruction.
Inferno Bay
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/bloddyredcommie/InfernoBay-1.png
City History
The Legend of the Inferno Spear
Eons Ago, a spear was crafted in the elemental plane of fire. It was a weapon of unbelievable power, merely being near it was enough to kill mortal men without significant protection against it’s heat. Throughout time, it had many wielders, some good, some evil, but all of which possessed immunity to the weapon’s effects. It burned armies and leveled cities during the Age of Conflict, and it was feared by all who saw it used in battle. During the Age of Conflict, a fire giant named Brakard came into possession of the Spear, and used it to raise a vast army known as the Blood Horde which swept across the continent of Il-hatar, crushing all those before them, as even those who could match the Blood Horde’s armies fell before Brakard and the spear. Of the many warring powers during the Age of Conflict, the Blood Horde was the most feared. However, in the 323rd year of the Age of Conflict, The surviving Knights from the Order of Herodus, whose fortress had been taken by the blood horde years before, joined with the archmage Philimus and his pupils with the intent of destroying Brakard once and for all. They met in a bay where The Blood Horde had a training camp, the knights performing a seemingly suicidal charge intent on taking a certain hill. However, this charge allowed Philimus and his apprentices to get within range of Brakard himself and cast an epic spell that pierced Brakard’s defenses and slew him. With their leader dead the Blood Horde splintered and the Knights seized Brakard’s treasury, swollen with the spoils of conquest. They used this money and Philmus’s magic to construct a great stone pyramid above the spot where the Brakard had fallen, his corpse still clutching the spear, and an aqueduct to bring water from the nearby mountains, constantly drenching the Spear and keeping it’s unbelievable heat in check. The Knights also built a fortress, and Philimus raised an island near the pyramid in order to protect it. Due to the nature of the artifact resting there, the bay was soon named Inferno Bay. Before long the remnants of the blood horde began raiding nearbye villages, causing people from all over the continent to flee to Inferno Bay, to live under the twin protections of the Order and the Archmage. And thus a city was born.
Points of Intrest and City Districts
Points of Interest in Inferno Bay
The Steaming Pyramid: This mammoth step pyramid is built over the corpse of the fire giant Brakard, and more importantly the Inferno Spear. The top has a grid of holes leading to the inner chamber that water from the aqueduct falls through, it absorbs the heat of the spear by turning to steam, which escapes through a series of vents that open on the lower steps of the pyramid. There is also a series of powerful magical wards positioned throughout the pyramid that will attack anything that attempts to get to the spear through the tiny holes or the vents will be met with extreme prejudice. Mills have been built up onto the lower steps where they use the steam from the vents to power the rest of the mill. The pyramid is loud and the area around it is humid due to all the steam. The clouds of steam coming out of it give the pyramid it’s name and can be seen from miles around.
The Aqueduct: Bringing in water from the nearby mountains, the Aqueduct serves three purposes. First of all, it provides water to the pyramid, keeping it cool from the Spear’s heat. Secondly, as it falls into the city it turns a giant waterwheel that powers the great lift, and finally it provides the city with fresh water.
The Great Lift: The main way up the cliff, the Great Lift is powered by the and is essentially a mammoth elevator, it takes about fifteen minutes to go up or down the mountain.
The Glory Pit: Once The Glory Pit was where the blood horde trained it’s elite soliders with lethal tests. It has magical properties, if specially prepared it can create magical effects and modify the terrain inside itself, this is controlled from a tower on one side. Currently it serves as a gladiatorial areana, Seats, stalls, and barracks have been added, as has a vast underground complex to house various beasts, equipment, and gladiators. It is prime entertainment, featuring everything from two copper tickets for standing room seats, to expensive box seats used by the wealthy residents of the city.
The City Districts
Koboldtown: After the Age of Conflict what were referred to as Monstrous Humanoids were forced to join society. To this day they are still highly disapproved of and often live in their own neighborhoods. Koboldtown is one such neighborhood. Humans, dwarves, and halflings of the rougher sort are not unusual there, but orcs, kobolds and goblinoids make up the main occupants. It is a rough part of town, with it's legitimate workers often workingin the mines, or carrying crates at the docks. It hosts a famous, almost constant Bazaar where items of all degrees of legality can be purchased and vendors will scratch a few rune-looking symbols into anything and assign great magical properties to it.
Red Roof: Unlike the wilder Koboldtown, the district known as Red Roof is fairly law abiding. It’s residents are mostly human and tend to work either in the shipyards or up in the mills, mainly as unskilled laborers.
The Lift District: This district is positioned at the base of the great elevator which provides access to the top of the cliffs, and therefore all those who work in the mines or those who visit the city from the land must pass through it. Therefore, the district, especially along primary boulevard, hosts cafes, restaurants, shops and the like. The cities residents are usually middle class.
The Slope: This district is home to the cities craftsmen. Unlike the hustle and bustle of cheap goods sold in the Lift district, the slope is where the residents of Inferno Bay go for well made goods. Carpenters, Tailors, Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, potters and the like live and work here.. It is home to a few guild halls for the above proffesions.
The Hammer: named for the district’s shape, the hammer is part of the “Golden Trio” of districts. It is where the upper and upper middle class residents work and shop. It’s home to banks, offices, and high class services. It also hosts the Hall of Ledgers, a large circular building that hosts the merchant company offices and the majority of Inferno Bay’s economic activities, as clerks exchange slips of paper representing shiploads of goods and materials.
Bankertown: Bankertown is the home to the upper and upper middle classes. Usually the well paid professionals who work for the rich merchant companies or provide services and goods for them. It is also the home to the famous Degenard Opera House.
The Gates: The home of the city’s ridiculously wealthy. Noble families and people who own merchant companies and banks. They all live within gated compounds patrolled by hired guards and showing off their wealth to each other. Each lives within a bubble of wealth, attended to by an army of servants.
The Fort: Inferno Bay started as a fortress, the stronghold of the noble Order of Herodus. The order is gone, but the fort stands and currently hosts the city’s government. The mayor’s office and the city council are both housed here, as is the police headquarters, the city regiment, the courthouse, the prison and the . Acivic bureaucracy.
The Temple District: This district houses the great temple to Yagora, as well as the Festival Square. It’s residents are mainly middle class people who are comfortably well off. As would be expected, the church holds political power here. This district also hosts the city’s inquisition office.
The Docks: The Docks district is exactly what it sounds like. The district is home to Shipyards, warehouses, taverns and boarding houses for sailors. It also has a marketplace where sailors come to earn a coin or two selling things they picked up in far away lands and residents of the city come to earn a coin selling things to the sailors, and the each other. It’s similar to the Koboldtown marketplace, but it tends to be a good deal more respectable. Much of the docks is under the control of House Denald
The Park: Memorial Park is one of the main tourist attractions in Inferno Bay. Despite being so near the the Pyramid, it is rather peaceful. Statues show various scenes from the battle that occurred there during the Age of Conflict. The most famous of which are the Hero’s Charge, a hundred stone knights charging across the field. The other famous one is the Archmages Hill, where a statues show Philimus, his three apprentices, and twelve mages whose identities have been lost to history casting the epic spell that slew Brakard. Tours are available, as are souvenirs.
The Mills: After the Age of Conflict, the Dwarves harnessed the power of Steam, and so it was practically inevitable that the Steaming Pyramid would get used. Mills built partway onto the lower steps of the pyramid in order to capture the steam escaping from it’s vents then radiate out from it. Inside, mass produced goods are created and raw materials are processed. This is where much of the city’s unskilled labor works, toiling away in the humidity created by the Pyramid. Many of the mills are owned by House Tarpin.
The Pits: The Cliffs above Inferno Bay are rich in minerals, and therefore mining is a major industry. Monstrous Humanoids, prized for their strength and darkvision, often work in these mines. The land above the mines is used for farming. Much of this land is owned by House Rockridge.
The Government and Nobility
Government: Inferno Bay is ruled by a city council and a mayor, all of which are technically democratically elected. However, bribery, graft, and political machines are so rampant that you would be hard-pressed to call it a Democracy. The City Council also commands the police force.
The Nobility and Military of Inferno Bay.
When the Order of Herodus disbanded, it’s commanders took a large share of the treasury that had been accumulated during the Age of Conflict. The children of these commanders became the Nobility for the city-state of Inferno Bay, most of them invested their fortunes. Also, because they are descended from the knight-commanders, they are required to maintain the city military. There are four major noble houses, each with a strong influence in a different area of business and each with it’s own contribution to the city military. Because open warfare hardly ever occurs anymore, the various family’s military contributions are mainly used to guard that family’s holdings. There are also many minor noble houses, most of which have attatched themselves to a major house, these minor houses usually only provide a very small number of troops to the military, usually only a small company or so.
House Marche
Head of House: The Baron Jonathan Marche
Military Contribution: The Musketeers.
House Marche was one of the first noble houses to turn it’s fortune into business and is possibly the most powerful family in the city. Their power comes not from their noble title, but from their ownership of the First Merchant Bank of Inferno Bay. Though most of the house is just as social as the rest of the nobility, the Baron and his personal circle rarely leave the Marche compound in the Gates district of the city. The Baron rarely directly interferes with politics, which makes his influence all the greater when it is finally exerted. For the city military, they provide the elite Musketeers. The Musketeers use single-shot muskets, but are famous for their skills with a rapier. Their main purpose is the guard the bank itself from intrusion, something they do solidly. The Musketeers follow a strict code of honor and are considered a throwback to the Knights of Herodus. They have a rivalry with House Denald.
House Denald
Head of House: Dutchess Anna Denald.
Military Contribution: The Navy
House Denald owns the Four Winds Trading Company, which controls much of the maritime commerce that occurs in Inferno Bay. They are one of the more politically active houses, always trying to outmaneuver and take advantage of their hated rival House Marche. To the city they contribute a navy, which is mostly used to protect Four Winds ships from pirate attacks. Due to their power as merchants, they possess more friends and contacts abroad than any other Noble Family. Under the Duke Arthur Denald, and now under his daughter Anna, house Denald has allied with other noble families and groups (but notably, not House Marche) in order to found colonies elsewhere, ensuring a steady flow of goods in and out of Inferno Bay.
House Rockridge
Head of House: Duke Elim Rockridge.
Millitary Contributions: Front Line Infantry.
House Rockridge holds power through the Rockridge mining company, and the Inferno Bay Farmers Guild. They own much of the land on the cliffs above the city, operating mines under the ground and financing farms aboveground. They have a good relationship with House Tarpin, whose factories require the raw materials harvested in these places. Because much of their holdings are outside of the city proper, bandit attacks are a constant threat. To counteract this, House Rockridge finances a standing army of frontline infantry (swordsmen and pikemen) that patrol the nearby area to protect the farms, mines, and profits.
House Tarpin
Head of House: Count Thomas Tarpin.
Millitary Contributions: Riflemen
House Tarpin is the most recent of the noble houses to come to power. Almost immediately after the invention of the Steam engine, House Tarpin bought up most of the area around the Steaming Pyramid and built several all-purpose manufacturing mills. Now they turn raw materials, either imported from abroad or bought from their allies in House Rockridge, and churn it into either refined materials, which are then sold to craftsmen on the slopes, or Finished products which are exported. They control much of the city’s manufacturing capacity through the company Inferno Industries. Their current ruler, Count Thomas Tarpin, represents an oddity. He was not born a Tarpin, he wasn’t even born a human. Thomas Tarpin was a Gnome who was adopted as a child, his amazing intellect soon propelled him through the ranks of the family. When he was chosen as the successor to Count Richard Tarpin, his uncle, there was much outcry. There have been several assassination attempts against him already, presumably from disgruntled relatives who object to the adopted gnome receiving what they see as their birthright. His rule has been very profitable however, so there are few open complaints. House Tarpin provides Riflemen to the city), which are often deployed in support of House Rockridge’s infantry.
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