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Auburn

Profile

  • Kind: City
  • Founded: Ancient, once a city of scholars
  • Size: Large, 26 000 people
  • Environment: Coastal, a mountain close by
  • Government: Governed by a council
  • Military: Land defense is light, just a small city watch
  • Overall condition: Magnificent, with some roads and buildings a bit worn
  • Known for: Naval forces and raiding, and the great fair every three years

Geography

  • Some farming outside the city.
  • An important and magical flower that grows exclusively here.

Layout

  • Auburn was raised in layers: its hall and grand houses sit on the bones of an older town, whose sunken streets became the sewers below.
  • There are forgotten crypts below the city.
  • The stewardship is only passable, and some roads and buildings have grown a bit worn.

Districts

Docks

Poorer than the rest of the city, open to all, with limited housing kept mostly for trade and little crime.

  • Places: 2 Shipwrights (one of whom promotes loyalty and prevents crime), a Smithy, a Weaver
  • Services: a House of Leisure (an entertaining place with a well-known bard), an Inn, 2 Taverns, a team of priests

Temple

  • The Door: a normal-sized but incredibly rich temple.
  • Places: Archives, a Relic shop, a Potion shop (especially related to magic flowers), a Bank & Exchange
  • Services: Scribes (the top one being a master of history), Priest guidance (a full guild of philosophers), Hands of Divine (an expert)

Industrial

A normally rich quarter, lightly guarded and open to many, with the city's usual crime and no homes.

Notable:

  • Big Foundry, Smelting (recently growing and well-known for its beauty). There are special forges here, and the forges have access to a special gas that helps refine the metal. It seems to come from the mountain, and happens only on specific occasions and rites. A group of so-called 'fire mages' seems to run enchantments to make it burn.

  • Textile production (using magic flowers, also used as arenas for the Champion, making him very rich).

  • Common: a Miller (very generous and helpful to everyone but poor, and the mill is getting old), a Weaver (creates dresses suitable for magicians, but the merchant is poor due to the scarcity of mages) and a Smithy

Economy

Market:

  • At the Teproll, anyone may sell. Spots are taken first-come, no one is turned away for bringing goods from elsewhere, and other markets crop up around the city.
  • There is an ample market that can be filled by anyone on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Encouragement to create other small markets in various places.

Trade & Resources:

  • The city relies mostly on fishing.
  • Magic Flowers: These flowers grow exclusively in the fields close to this city and make people more beautiful while removing wrinkles.
  • The Waking Arts, a practiced discipline of mind and awareness.
  • Wants: Food, beverages, minerals
  • Gives: Weapons, flowers

Society

A magnificent city whose people are good-natured and wealthy, ancient in history and neutral toward strangers. Every three years it holds its great fair, days of festival and renowned contest drawing competitors from across the realms under a sworn truce, so old enemies meet without bloodshed.

Culture: Redders

Demographics: mainly Redders (90%), some Algeronians (5%) and some Northerns (5%).

Religion: A moderate, neutral faith: people believe but keep the peace, live and let live.

Relations

A reluctant protectorate of Algeron, largely self-governing and barely cooperating, and forbidden to mint its own coin.

Trading of specific goods with Algeron is enforced, as both are highly dependent on each other.

Algeron promised no port or fortress near Auburn, the price of Auburn's protectorate. It now strains that promise. As the blighted land nearby recovers and grows fit to settle, Algeron has tried to grow Coldwharf, but raiders, unopposed by Auburn, keep it a village. It leans on Siren's Fountain too, but builds no fortress.

History

  • Long time ago, Auburn was a city of scholars, a rare meeting-ground where every race could gather, study, and trade knowledge in peace.
  • The city was overtaken by a dragon who killed everyone who went in there.
  • The previous city fell when the dragon, long ago, called up the sea with old magic and let the waves take it. The ruin gave the Red City its name.

Notable People

  • The Champion: The city holds a renowned warrior who is using his position to overrule the council and create a tyranny. He organizes melee and bloody tournaments to make the city warrior-like.

Currents

  • There is less fish to eat, and something is causing this decline.