Respite - The Jewel in the Desert

Respite The Ruby of the Sandsea
Population: 9,475, Size: 316 acres
Respite is a major trade center for the surrounding area, and is known for its decadence. It is governed by a consortium of guildmasters. The races live together mostly in harmony.
Description In the centre of the driest, hottest and, some would say, most uninhabitable area of the planet, there is a single shining jewel. As travellers approach they can catch the glint of this gem from a distance as the sun bounces from the crystal tower at its centre. Respite is a haven for all travellers, a place that merchants and artisans from all over come trade their wares, and where adventurers come to make a living.
The first thing many visitors notice when seeing the city the first time is its construction - it simply doesn’t look like it was built. The city sits in the middle of a giant ravine filled with water of clearest blue, across which lies the city proper. Four bridges make their way across to the central dias where the city sits. It almost looks as if the entire place had been carved from the sand itself, built like some kind of giant sandcastle - and given that the city was founded by a group of desert-wandering Firbolg, this is no wonder.
The city has all the usual laws in place, but one thing is absolute - no unsanctioned violence within the city. Sure, there are occasional fighting tournaments and sanctioned bounties may be carried out on the city streets, but under no circumstances should anyone start a fight. Doing so would find them banished from the city to never return. Rumour has it there’s something living within the waters around the city that enforces these eviction notices, should anyone dare to return.
Divided into three distinct levels, the City is easy to navigate. The reaches of Hightown is where the elite live, those who run the town or have the finest wares. It’s not just a case of money - the ruling council of the city will often endorse people from around the world to move to Respite and set up shop.
Below the glamour of Hightown is the Lowtown, filled with ordinary people, resident shops and taverns, but in the four corners are the city's main districts. Sitting on a lower level than Lowtown and looking up at the central crystal tower, each of the walled districts serves a different discipline. To the northeast there is the Cerberus Assembly, the place where the adventurer’s guild known as Orion's League was founded. To the southeast, Siren’s Repose, home to bards and revelry, and featuring a huge open top theatre at its centre that houses performances on a round. To the southwest, the Fey Arcade, a huge open-air marketplace where visiting merchants sell their wares - they say you can find almost anything here, on a good day. And to the northwest, the Hydra’s Reliquary, the home for worship in the city - anyone of any faith can find somewhere to worship their gods here.
Stood in the centre of the city is the Crystal Tower. Nobody knows what goes on here, or why it exists, but it seems to be where the city is governed from. Rumour has it that the tower is a nexus of planar energy, but no arcanist has ever managed to conclusively prove such a link. Housed in the buildings surrounding the tower is the Crystarium, a home of scholarly research where the smartest people in the world often gather to work together on improving the world.

Type

City

Characters in Location

• Orros, Gnomish Bartender.
• Petula, The White Bishop

Related Reports (Primary)

• Epilogue of Flame - The Fall of Respite