Gloomwatch

Large City: Population 18,271 (37% elves, 18% vesperkin, 15% humans, 18% lynoxi, 11.5% ettinor, 0.5% other races)

History

Gloomwatch was once a small crossroads town that connected the area now known as the Blasted Lands, the Esterburn Highlands, and the Anduskian Grasslands region, during the time of the Drakantal Empire. After the Empire fell and the Kingdom of Derunadel moved in on their territories, this small crossroad town was slowly built up over centuries to become the large trade hub it is today. Gloomwatch, Mythwell, and Valensir are all important trade hubs for different reasons. While Mythwell boasts the largest variety of magical goods in all of Arak, and Valensir is an important destination for smiths and those looking for minerals, Gloomwatch is an important stop for not only its textiles, tools, and food, but also its cultural diversity. Unlike most of Arak, Elves make up a much smaller percentage of the population in the city, and there are many more Vesperkin, Humans, Lynoxi, and Ettinor here than anywhere else on the continent.

The architecture in the city has a gothic feel to it, and its proximity to two different climates means it is usually fairly cold year-round. During the summer, it will only be a light chill that the locals can simply shrug off, but during Esten, the conditions are harsher than any other region south of it in Arak. The city's textile industry produces nearly all of the warm clothing used by inhabitants of the Esterburn Highlands. Due to the border climate and the humidity, the city is frequently blanketed by fog from the nearby mountains, which coupled with the architecture, can give it an eerie feel, especially at night. This eerie feel is not just the fog, however, as the city is notorious for organized crime and rumors of vampires inhabiting the sewers.

Government

Gloomwatch is presided over by magistrate Cathbar Olaric, a younger Elf who is descended from Belanor Olaric, a great general from the army of the Kingdom of Derunadel – though he is oblivious to this connection. Cathbar is obscenely wealthy for a magistrate -- a fact which many in the city consider questionable. He is a frequent patron of the fine dining establishment, Elegance. Despite his questionable wealth and personal life, Cathbar takes good care of the city, and keeps the roads well maintained and the city clean, and the Enforcers are trained well. The citizens' one complaint about him is his seeming lack of action regarding the Shadowhand Syndicate, an organized crime group that is responsible for robbing merchants with particularly valuable goods coming into the city.

Despite being the one large city in the Esterburn Highlands, Gloomwatch does not preside over or tax the other towns of the Highlands. The Ettinor people refuse to be part of the democracy and are self-sufficient.

Economy

Gloomwatch's economy is largely based around imported goods, with textiles being their largest industry. Despite the gloomy aesthetic that gave the city its name, Gloomwatch is home to a large fashion subculture, and the wealthy and poor alike enjoy the unique styles sported by the city's inhabitants. You can find just about any textile material in the world in Gloomwatch, including magical ones -- though only the wealthy can usually afford those.

The city is also home to a food industry. Although Elegance is the most notorious fine dining experience the city has to offer, it is far from the only one. There are a wide variety of cuisines available for those of all levels of wealth to enjoy. Regarding the food options, it is often said "If you can't find something you like, you're wrong."

Although not nearly as prominent as the textile and food economy, artisans from all over northern Arak consider Gloomwatch as the number one destination for quality tools. Some of the tools offered by the tradesmen here can be very pricey, but they are worth every silver. A knife forged by Aurelia Stormforge at Arcane Aegis will last several lifetimes without dulling its edge, though her talents lie more in protection.

There is a rather clear discrepancy between the wealthy and the poor in Gloomwatch, with the wealthy owing their fortune to nepotism and taking advantage of merchants, and the poor living in might as well be slums. The divide between the rich and poor in Gloomwatch is the most glaring and unjust in all of Arak.

Notable Locations

The Statehouse for Gloomwatch is smaller than other large cities like it. It appears more like a wealthy aristocrat's home. However, it serves the same purpose as every other Statehouse in Arak. Locals have noticed some rather shady characters coming and going from the building, but most think nothing of it.

There are numerous businesses to note around Gloomwatch, including:

1. Elegance - The city's premiere fine dining restaurant, Elegance, is host to many of the city's elite and wealthy foreigners. The price tag is far too steep for the average local, so many can only dream of getting to taste the lavish food the restaurant boasts. The restaurant has a shady reputation, however, as locals have made connections between the restaurant and the Shadowhand Syndicate, the organized crime group responsible for robbing many wealthy merchants entering the city. It has been noted that the city's magistrate, Cathbar Olaric, is a frequent patron, and has been seen inviting the restaurant's owner, an Elven man named Malmagor, into the Statehouse several times.
2. The Farting Gargoyle - This iconic inn is a curiosity to many travelers due to its name, but also due to the comical statue mounted above the entrance of a gargoyle -- or rather, its buttocks. When the inn was first opened, the owner had commissioned a gargoyle statue to hang above the doorway to fit in with the gothic theme of the city's architecture, and after completion, the statue was mounted. However, the owner tried to cheat the stonemason out of his payment. In a fit of rage, the stonemason went to the tavern and destroyed the face and front of the statue. Rather than commission another one, the cheapskate owner simply turned the statue around so its buttocks were visible. At the time, the owner's behavior was scandalous and caused the owner to lose a lot of business -- however, that was a long time ago, and the current owner and the city's residents simply find the appearance of the entrance amusing. However, there is no shortage of pranksters who like to use spells or alchemical concoctions to leave an "odor" on the statue, which led to the inn's patrons giving it its iconic name. The current owner is a Human man named Wayne Altard.
3. Beyond the Veil - This small shop owned by a Vesperkin woman named Rose is the sole establishment in Gloomwatch catering to those searching for enchanted items. Though merchants coming to Gloomwatch are primarily there for other things, some still bring these items across her doorstep so she can pick at them before they head for Mythwell. As a result, on top of a handful of common and uncommon items she produces herself, she carries some rare and very rare items as well, and she has the security to back them up as well. Anyone attempting to steal from her shop better be prepared to spend the rest of their life as a chicken.
4. Texa's Textiles - One of the largest tailoring shops in the city, the head seamstress Texa and her apprentices produce quite a large volume of the city's custom garments. Texa is fortunate because her family was moderately wealthy and was able to afford to purchase some enchanted tools so that she could more quickly produce her goods. She has several enchanted needles which allow her to simply "draw" a seam and they will rapidly sew the fabric together.
5. Arcane Aegis - The largest smithy in Gloomwatch, owned by a Human woman named Aurelia Stormforge. She is a skilled armorsmith whose son, Belmont, is apprenticing under her. Her son has some minor magical talent that he has put to use by enchanting Aurelia's armor, which made her the sole producer of enchanted armaments in the city. Her son hopes to one day enroll in the Ars Aurum Academy in Mythwell to improve his talents, but money has been tight ever since his father, Aurelia's husband, died of an illness.
6. Griswold's Tinctures - This small potion shop is operated by a nervous man named Griswold who seems overly excited about experimenting with dangerous ingredients. The Enforcers make semi-regular visits to Griswold's whenever these experiments inevitably go boom. He mostly deals with enhancement potions, but also sells potions of healing. However, his true passion is solvents and ordinances, such as Alchemist's Fire, Acid Flasks, and Tanglefoot Bags. He is particularly proud of an invention of his own, which he calls "Gumsnare", an explosive that covers everything in the area of effect in a sticky substance that requires strength to escape.

Culture

Gloomwatch is a charming city, despite the name and the dark aesthetic. The city's inhabitants have two great loves -- fashion, and food. Fashion is something that every resident partakes in to varying degrees, though some can't afford to keep up with the latest trends. Despite the assumption that the wealthy would be the biggest snobs about fashion sense, people of all social or economic statuses seem to have their strongly held opinions about what garments are "in" and what colors are "out". Though trends change throughout the year, there are only a few colors that are always "in" and a few that are always "out", and wearing the wrong colors around town might earn you a funny look or a rolled eye. The "always in" colors seem to be black, white, brown, red, and purple, while the "always out" colors seem to be yellow and green. Your fashion sense may not cause you to be refused service, but it will get you laughed at publicly by some.

The city also has strong opinions about food. Like most of Arak, Gloomwatch enjoys the spicy food, as beyond the Arakian culinary traditions, Emberberries help bring warmth to the bones, and are one of the larger food imports. There are a number of restaurants where you can try a variety of strange foods from all over the world and new recipes run rampant. Unfortunately, not every enthusiast who opens a restaurant in the city has what it takes to keep up with the fast-paced innovation throughout the city. Of late, the trend seems to be making spicy versions of Myrian food, which usually involves chicken, honey, garlic, rosemary, and peaches.

The city has its own unique festivals and holidays as well. On the first of every month, locals are encouraged to ignore the current fashion trend and choose their wardrobe with wild abandon, hoping that someone will throw together the right combination of old and new to spark a new trend. It's mostly just for fun, but it's not unheard of for trendsetters to be given coupons for discounts at the city's various tailors for their innovation. There is a festival held at the beginning of each year called "The Gloomfeast" where chefs around the city will gather in the city commons selling their most popular dishes from the previous year in market stalls.

Defenses

Gloomwatch, like all large cities in Arak, is protected by walls, though unlike most cities in Arak, there is also an inner wall that separates the wealthy aristocrats from the rest of the residents of the city. The Statehouse lies on the wealthy side of this dividing wall. The walls in Gloomwatch are only about 10 ft. thick, but that is more than enough, as the only real threats to be found in a climate like this are Yetis and tundra Goblins, which are handled by the local Bone Collectors and Emerald Company mercenaries. The walls are a standard 30 ft. high and have a scarce array of ballistae to deal with the occasional stray creature.

The local Enforcers are well-trained thanks to the diligent maintenance of the magistrate. However, they seem to have some gaps in their patrol routes, especially when wealthy merchants pass through. The Enforcers do their best to warn wealthy merchants entering the city to guard their goods well and never leave them unattended, but there's always a few who don't listen. They don't have to deal with outside threats often, and are usually dealing with thieves around the city and the occasional report of creatures prowling the sewers.

Crime

Gloomwatch has its fair share of crime, just like any other city. Where it differs however is the presence of the Shadowhand Syndicate, an organized crime group that is responsible for marking wealthy merchants entering the city and robbing them, as well as other crimes around the city. The group is well hidden, though many locals suspect ties between the group and the fine dining establishment called Elegance. Many have noted that the merchants who seem to end up being robbed or who go missing in the city are almost always invited to dine at the restaurant.

The merchants who are victimized by the group almost always are blissfully unaware of the theft until they return from the restaurant, but occasionally someone proficient with magic will pass through and be alerted to the theft while it is in progress, and when that has happened, the merchant usually goes missing before they can report it. Conveniently, these robberies always appear to happen in the blind spots of the patrol routes of the Enforcers.

Additionally, it is thought that a killer may be active in the city, as many people go missing at night when the fog is thick, and people have reported hearing screams coming from the sewers. Despite thorough investigations, no bodies have been found in the sewers -- only blood. The Enforcers seem eager to put the matter to rest, but have no leads in the case. Many have gone so far as to spread rumors that the sewers are home to a group of vampires, though experts in such matters have tried to quell those rumors, making it clear that such a creature is a rarity, and that it may be some other kind of creature.