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View Full Version : [City] Eledinas, Fire of the East(feedback needed)



heretic
2005-07-04, 09:00 PM
I know its a little long, but take the time to read it
some of the stats are from races of destiny, so bear with me

Introduction:As the ship draws nearer I can finally see it: Eledinas, Fire of the East, Seat of the Black Skull Throne. The massive city stands out against the skyline like an army bearing many spears charging across the horizon, with high, thin towers supported by lower, blockier buildings. Arching walkways crisscross the lower streets and connect towers with each other. The mist clinging to the sea before me is swept away by a gust and the docks are revealed to me. The water is putrid, with refuse floating freely among dead fish. The docks themselves seem clean, but I can see just below each is a metal tube slowly trickling waste into the bay. The city needs no walls, for the north and south are protected by the mountains and the west, the sea. And they hardly need protection as it is, with the sheer number of skilled mages who make their home here.
Through the cloth protecting my face from the foul odors of the harbor, I see the colossal structure that rivets all who look upon it: The Tower of Aramil. The tower itself is a gargantuan contruction, all fasioned from strange black and silver metals, and rising to its three spiked peaks. But that is not why it is famous. On the flat area in the center of the three spikes is the mighty statue of the great wyrm Bheilorveilthion, petrified by Lord Aramil himself five hundred years earlier.

Stat Block:Eledinas(Metropolis): Magical(LE); Nonstandard(LE); Magical(LG); Conventional(LE); gp limit: 100,000; assets: 391,050,000; Population: 52,140 (37% human, 20% elf, 18% gnome, 10% halfling, 7% half-elf, 5% tiefling, 3% Illumian)

The number on the districts is how many times bigger a district is compared to normal. Each district is for each thousand people. (For those of you without Races of Destiny)

Districts:Arcane x9 (Average/Prosperous), Artisan x5 (Average), Foreign x4 (Average), Merchant x8 (Average), Military x6 (Average/Prosperous), Noble (Terrible), Racial(elf) x7 (Struggling/Average), Temple x3 (Prosperous/Average), Thieves x8 (Average)

The arcane district is the heart of Eledinas. It is the reason why so many come to the city. Mages flock from far and wide to buy and sell to the many merchants of magical wonders. The artisan district is where most of the shipyards are as well as any other shop that crafts item of a nonmagical nature. Most of these are near the docks on the lower levels. There are many taverns, inns and tour groups that cater to the common traveler, although not as big as the other districts, the foreign sector is doing alright and would be the reason Eledinas is famous had it not been overshadowed by the arcane, merchant, and thieves districts. There are almost as many merchants of mundane items as there are of arcane ones. The common folk eat up everything the merchants bring and the ships take what is left to far off lands. Eledinas' well-drilled military is one of the greatest in the realms, with one mage powerful enough to hurl a fireball for each ten men. The navy is also mighty, although less known because their port is on the other side of the island to prevent traffic troubles in the waters. Some nobles come to the city, but they are treated as commoners if they have no magic. The Eledians simply dispise anyone who has wealth or power who does not demonstrate an inherent skill to prove they deserve it. The elves in Eledinas band together and there are neighborhoods that you might think you wandered into a elven kingdom. Recently, the elves have faced some persecution from humans bitter from the war between (insert human and elven nations). This has not escalated out of hand thanks to the gaurd, the people's militia, and elven mages. Eledinas boasts numerous, but not an overwhelming amount of temples, including some questionable ones mostly to demon princes and devil lords as well as several small shrines to Tiamat, for whom Bheilorveilthion was a sort of avatar or prophet. (see religion) Finally there is the thieves district, which is not a district at all, but incompasses all the others , mainly the merchant and artisan ones. There are several large syndicates, but they are surprisingly peaceful to each other, provided they stay in their own territory. (see crime and law)
Attributes:
Trade Center: Eledinas is a center for trade in the region and has large stockpiles of goods for sale. The amount of ready cash in Eledinas has increased to 3/4 its gp limit x 10 percent of its population. In addition, the cost for purchasing scrolls, spell components, and ships is reduced by 30%.
Pilgrimage Destination: Eledinas is a holy site for followers of Tiamat as well as followers of any demon prince. The default NPC attitude to followers of any of the abovementioned deitys is unfriendly (Instead of hostile)
Cursed: Eledinas is plagued by several gates to the lower planes beneath their city. Some are warded, some are guarded, some are privatly owned and so the government cannot restrict them and some are not yet discovered. Because of the high population of spellcasters in the city even some other gates are used to study the lower planes, demons and devils. Every now and then, some outsiders escape and wreak havoc on the rest of the nearby countryside
Severe Seasons: The seasons of Eledinas have produced harsh and unpredictable weather, disrupting farming and causing all manner of problems. The affects of this usually manifest in torrential rains and thunderstorms. Food supplies are low, increasing the price by 40% and 10% of the population is suffering the affects of starvation.

Background Information:
Physical Discription: Eledinas is a city resting between two mountains, the sea, and and open plain on a island of about 130 square miles. The city itself lies 3/4 of the way up the western coast of the island, which is shaped like a fat, top heavy seven. The mountains lie to the north and south with the sea to the west and the grassy plains to the east. The city is a dark and grim place that is not cleaned very well, though the farther up you go, the cleaner and richer the decorum becomes. The layout of the city is everything squashed together between the montains and the sea. The only way to expand is to the plains or up. Those in power like the idea of reaching for the heavens more than being relativly removed from everything out on the plains. The lowest class people usually end up down on the lower levels or near the docks. On the lower levels the farther away from the docks or the plains, the level of income rises among residents. The same is true the farther up you travel. Most of the mighty towers are actually big apartments owned by usually a powerful mage who resides in the top. He/She will rent out the lower 75% of his tower to artisans, barristers, weaker mages, then maybe a master artisan, a medium power spellcaster, or a semipowerful politician.

Arts, Culture, and Economics: Art is highly respected and in great demand owing to the large population of magic-users. (They earn more money) Probably the most lucrative form of art being sculpting, because recent trends have made fine sculptures on your tower quite fashionable, even more so if they are enchanted to animate. Other than that, paintings, jewelry, or anything of beauty are the most prevelent art forms in Eledinas. The only form of art truly shunned is live performances of any kind other than magical. The populace views this as a waste of time unless the performer demonstrates a skill applicable in life to a hight most others cannot achieve. Economics are very good at the time, the only flagging trade is being a non-spellcaster noble or living in the elven district. (some racists have been heckling elves about the human-elven wars in other parts of the world) The major exports of Eledinas are all things magical, especially scrolls, and ships. The only major import is food, because of the erratic weather spoiling crops in the countryside.

Religion: Most Eledians worship Mystra because of the city's massive dependancy on its magic. However, because of the Eledinas' proximity to the ocean a fair amount of the population worship Umberlee and Talos. Also, because of the constant barrages made by demonic and infernal cults at the gates below the city, the ruling council has finally decided to allow them openly as long as there is no trouble. The cults are shunned somewhat, but not attacked on site like would happen anywhere else in the realms. A growing population of peasants are worshipping Ilmater due to the People's Militia. (described later)

Government: Eledinas is ruled by a council of nine spellcaters, one for each school of magic and one sorcerer. One of the number is voted to be Lord of the Black Skull Throne and has slightly more power, (mostly ceremonial) than the others. The members serve for life unless they resign, die or are challenged to a mage duel by another member. (Mage duels are quite illegal except for members) When a member is lost, the council must choose a new one by majority. The original nine were appointed by Lord Aramil himself.
The council holds an iron grip dictatorship over everything. There are lesser leaders, nearly all spellcasters that are below the council of nine and so on and so forth.

Crime and Law: Most crime in Eledinas takes place on the lower levels of the city. Although those with the most desireable possessions live higher up, they also have better resources to defend thier wealth. (usually magically) Press gangs roam the lower levels and capture random people to sell to sea captains. By the time the victims wake up, they have no choice but become a sailer or swim for it. However the majority of the crime is organized extortion and protection rackets that rarely end up in violence because the victims go along with it. Many of the extorters threaten not death, but magical disfiguration if the unfortunate citizen doesn't pay up. The council of nine doesn't really care about the extortion as long as order is kept on the streets. That is the only thing the government of Eledinas can'y abide, chaos in the streets. Gambling is legal, and if you can prove someone owes you money, you can hunt them down, and if they owe you enough, even kill them. Slavery is also legal, but discouraged. It is not a big industry at all, mostly ships bringing them in and other ships buying them and sailing away. A small minority of thieves are skilled enough to infiltrate magical premises and take what they wish. These teams almost always contain a spellcaster of their own. The final crime is mageduels. Mageduels are illegal, but they happen all the time. Generally the gaurd only prosecutes those foolish enough to be caught and they don't try hard at all to catch them. The penalties are lax as well, the mage confined to his house for a small amount of time and a moderate fine. Mageduels are only fatal 75% of the time, so they are not a risk of eliminating too many casters. The gaurds in Eledinas wear shining breastplates with a black skull on the left shoulder and a white lightning bolt on the other. They have access to many weapons, but usually carry a longsword, sap, and sometimes a crossbow in addition to their shields which carry the emblem of a red dragon on a field of blue. The gaurds try to catch troublemakers as hard as they can, except for mageduelers and most extortionests. (because they pay them off) They try especially hard to capture those who cause trouble publically and those who steal from the upper magic wielding class. The gaurds have their own mages at a ratio of about 1 mage for every 10 gaurdsmen. The laws are harsh and if you can't meet at fine, you are put into temporary servitude(for lesser fines) or sold into slavery on a ship, never to be heard from again. (for greater fines) Other penalties involve the loss of hands, fingers, ears, or other non-essential body parts.

The Monument: The Tower of Aramil was the tower of the great moon elven mage Aramil Snoweyes, 500 years ago. Back then Eledinas was under the power of an opressive king (Not that much different than now) and Aramil challenged him to a mageduel and won. It was then the king revealed himself to be the great red wyrm Bheilorveilthion and fought Aramil again on the flat top of Aramil's tower. The battle raged for several minutes, with spells shaking the ground and Bheilorveilthion laying waste to the tower, onlookers, and Aramil. It ended finally when Aramil, mortally wounded, cast his last spell and petrified the wyrm, where other mages quickly warded him from being turned back to flesh.
The unknown part of the story was that one mage, Shaefarr, cast a mighty gaeas on the dragon, so that should it ever be made flesh, it will serve him. Shaefarr also rigged the wards around the creature so that he himself could easily free the beast. One last secret Shaefarr conceals...he waited for Aramil to proclaim the new leadership, (The council of nine, including Shaefarr himself!) then killed the elf on his deathbed. Shaefarr now has gained lichdom and sits on the Black Skull Throne. To this day the stone dragon is poised, muscles taut and maw open, on its hind legs with wings extended and claws rending the air. Waiting for his master's command...

Power Struggles: The main power struggles in Eledinas are its four main power centers jockeying for power. The first and most obvious is the Council of Nine. (LE) Second is the various organized crime rings running protection rackets. (LE) It doesn't help that many of these individuals have infiltrated the government or are well known, powerful figures. Next is the people's militia, (LG) a group of volunteers who protect the common folk from harm. They frequently clash with the city gaurd, because they can legally arrest somebody as well. The milita use this power to arrest innocent peasants who have been accused of a greater crime and try them in their own court, which is lenient to the extreme. The Council of Nine is beginning to view the People's Millitia as a rebellion begause of their different viewpoint and growing power. The militia has been known on numerous occasions to disobey the Council and ignore orders from the gaurd. The Militia has many spellcasters, although they are mostly adepts and clerics of Ilmater. Finally there is the gaurd, (LE) which is beginning to realize they should have more power. The leadership in the gaurd is contemplating asking for more interrogation rights, (already very brutal) checks and balances from the gaurd to the Council, and more freedom to search homes and generaelly take rights away from the common folk. The captains of the gaurd are tenatively prepared to hold the city hostage until their demands are met. They figure the council has no power without them, which is partially true. The gaurd is forgetting, however, that the council consists of 9 level 15+ spellcasters.

Adventure Hooks:
Low level: The PCs are hired by underlings of underlings of the council of nine to infiltrate the gaurd and assess the situation and pick out who the traiters are. However, the gaurd learns of this and attempt to capture the PCs. In the nick of time they are arrested instead by the people's militia on a small misdemeanor. (curfew broken, littering, etc.)
They then have to argue their case in court, possably helped or hindered by a less than honest judge...

Medium level: The PCs are hired as assassins by the gaurd to eliminate key wizards who might cause the most trouble as their plans are enacted. But the whole thing is a setup, because the gaurd knows the council of nine have been looking for the PCs, hoping to use them for a similar purpose. The gaurd, knowing the council can pay more than they can, desperately intercept the council's messages to the PCs hires them and sends them to kill a mage beyond the party's skill. The mage, thinking the communications have gone through, is not prepared for attack. The PCs must make a choice as the gaurd's true intent is revealed: kill the mage anyway and pretend they didn't know they were set up or to let the mage hire them and go after the traitorous gaurd.

High level: One of the gates beneath the city is "liberated" by a cult of (insert demon name here), while another is liberated by a cult of (insert devil name here). It is up to the PCs, (being high level) to battle through the raging soon-to-be new battlefield of the blood war and close the gates. (the council is busy fighting outsiders and preventing their city being torn into little itty bits)

Epic level: Something in the old lich Shaefarr snaps, and he begins a mighty quest to rid the world of life. He successfully slays all but the other two liches on the council and then frees the dragon Bheilorveilthion. The trio of liches and dragon begin to blow the hell out of everything until the PCs stop them.

so I got bored
All comments welcome

heretic
2005-07-05, 12:01 PM
Reserved in case I run out of room

and please, please, please tell me what is wrong with my city and what an idiot I am

CombustinPorcupine
2005-07-05, 06:40 PM
Fine then your a complete and total idiot (and I know this for a fact).

Also what does perified mean?

Martinus
2005-07-05, 08:10 PM
I think he means ''petrified''

which means ''turned to stone''

is that correct, heretic?

heretic
2005-07-05, 10:55 PM
yes, my bad.

error corrected

Adghar
2005-07-06, 01:32 AM
which means ''turned to stone''


Not necessarily: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=petrified



and please, please, please tell me what is wrong with my city and what an idiot I am

Eh. I only skimmed it but I think it's still okay. I don't think it'll win though. I personally thought it was kind of bland but I'm commonly wrong.

CombustinPorcupine
2005-07-06, 09:52 AM
I know he meant petrified and I know what petrified means I just prefer to correct things like that. Also another thing that catches my attention is that there is only about 8,000 more humans that elves yet he mentions that the elves are picked on by the humans regularly.

heretic
2005-07-06, 12:53 PM
A majority is a majority and humans are prone to picking on people. They also have almost a 2:1 advantage

Also dictionary doesn't always mean a book listing the words of a language : http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dictionary

for all we know you cited an electronic spell checker (which doesn't know the meaning of the words it spells)

And yes, you are right. My only chance of winning is getting the prize awarded by Gray Watcher.

Edit: porcupine, please make a city so I can criticize it