Termina
A distant outpost and last port of civilization before Horizon gives way to the harsh, unpredictable sands and grit of the Kateran Wastes.
Termina is a small city that sits on the mouth of Gly'se Bay and on the edge of the Gleanlands. On a clear day, the glint from the dunes of the Kateran Wastes is visible from the watchtowers.
The city was officially founded initially as a small research outpost in 814 EP by the Lunar Forum in a bid to study the bizarre magical anomalies of the Kateran Wastes, however, the area was already being used as a sort of tribal village by what are now the tiefling wildlings. Over time, the city grew, as it provided an alternate trade route around the Oran Mountains rather than through them.
It also quickly became something of a haven for those looking to avoid the eye of the law of the bigger cities to the north. Its remote location and loose legal systems have garnered the city a reputation as a cesspool of crime and villainy. Despite this, Termina still stands as a bastion of safety amongst the danger of the wilds around it and will welcome anyone of any race or creed with little pretense or care.
Architecture and Economy Termina is a city of clay and sandstone, the only suitable building materials for miles in any given direction. Because of the relatively small amount of suitable ground to build on, many of the buildings are several stories in height, and often display a patchwork of different colored clays and stone as layers are added overtime.
The city's economy relies on a combination of fishing, crafting, and wine. Because of the relatively barren wilderness surrounding the city, most of the peoples' sustenance is pulled from the bay. Likewise, the crafting business thrives on the abundance of stone and glass made from sand sources from the edges of the Wastes. Lastly and most recently, enterprising vintners have learned how to grow fruits that can flourish in the arid environment; most notably, grapes. The best example of this can be found in the Pendent Gardens.
Notable Structures • The Pendent Gardens ○ A huge, multi-story greenhouse/indoor garden located just east of the keep that produces some of the finest wine in Horizon and Northern Kentro. It is owned by the Vingard family, who originally built the structure nearly 200 years ago. ○ The bottom sections are "free" for use by anyone who can afford a plot. The upper levels however, are exclusively reserved for the Vingards themselves. • Sandstone Keep ○ The castle that houses Termina's admittedly loose government and home to the Earl and his court. It's a defensible enough castle that also serves as the barracks of the guard and relatively small army. ○ It is generally referred to as the Sand Castle by the locals. • Sunset Tower ○ The old stone tower constructed by the Lunar Forum. The smooth, sloped walls taper off at the tip where an ivory hoop adornment glints in the sunlight. During the solstices, the setting sun lines up perfectly with the ring. It sits at the center of Ivory Square ○ The Forum uses the bottom floor of the tower as its shop. The upper floors are all dedicated to research and study and are kept under scrupulous guard against any non-members. • Ivory Square ○ The expansive central market of Termina that stretches from the dock and reaches into the heart of the city. If you can buy it legally, you can find it here. If you can buy it illegally, you can probably find it here as well. • Vingard Winery ○ The actual building where the Vingard Wine is made. It is an impressively sized building that dominates the northern section of Ivory Square. • Duskreach Library ○ A repository of an eclectic assortment of lore and history owned and operated by a slightly unnerving Gnome that goes by the name of Britix (hales from Gnomad in southwestern Kentro). He has lived in Termina for the past hundred years and has curated an impressive collection of tomes and scrolls on a whole host of subjects brought to the city over the years.
Government and City Machinations The city is technically governed by an Earl, a rather unassuming man by the name of Gerald Tullete. Anyone who has been in the city for more than 5 minutes though, knows that the real power is held by the Vingard family, specifically Anton Vingard, the Earl's right hand man and trusted confidant.
The Vingards and the Tulletes have worked hand-in-hand for several generations now, and have always made the city quite profitable for them and their friends. While crime is a big problem in Termina, it never seems to affect those that have come into the good graces of the Vingards.
This is because there is an understanding amongst the criminals and thieves guilds of Termina: the guards will turn a blind eye towards their antics as long as they leave the Vingards and their associates alone. This has kept any one guild from taking over the city, and as a result most of the criminal elements of the city are unorganized. Some of the more prominent guilds include: • The Sand Sharks • The Glass Eye • The Dunewalkers That being said, the majority of crime in the city takes the form of larceny and swindling. Con artists abound in the markets and it takes a trained eye to sort the legitimate merchants from the cons. The other major player (and the source of most organized violence) is the drug trade.
Drugs and related hooliganisms. A multitude of illicit substances can be found and purchased quite easily in Termina. While you can't use them openly, the guards will turn a blind eye to anyone displaying even the slightest degree of subtlety. The most popular substances are: • Siren: (5-15 copper a gram) a dried leaf substance, usually smoked. It is a carcinogenic that causes mild hallucinations and sensory overload. Generally not addictive and a favorite at parties and new-age music festivals • Wish: a "potion" of sorts. Whether its effects are magical or alchemical is a matter of debate. Usually ingested from a small vile, its effects range from a mild state of sedation and feelings of serenity to full-blown "religious epiphanies" • Phoenix Grass: (1-5 silver a gram) a type of incense derived from certain plants that grow at the edge of the Kateran Wastes. It is usually prepared in a small bowl with other herbs and berries and then burned and inhaled. The effects cause a burning sensation and adrenaline pulses. Some say the ritual was originally used by tiefling wildling warriors on the eve of battle to bolster their reflexes. • Sand: (5-20 silver a gram) also referred to simply as Powder or Dust, this opioid is derived from a specific poppy flower native to the Gleanlands. Its raw form is used in many healing and calming remedies, but when processed and concentrated, it creates a potent effect that all but robs the user of their conscious mind; replacing it with a near-nirvana like state. The drug has diminishing returns though, and is highly addictive, as well as taxing on the nervous system. Almost all users who become addicted succumb to paralysis and eventual death.
It is the sale and distribution of these drugs that fuels most of the ire between the three major gangs. Their turf wars have gotten increasingly severe in recent years. The guards will break up the heaviest of the fighting, but seem content to let them kill each other for the most part.
Termina is a small city that sits on the mouth of Gly'se Bay and on the edge of the Gleanlands. On a clear day, the glint from the dunes of the Kateran Wastes is visible from the watchtowers.
The city was officially founded initially as a small research outpost in 814 EP by the Lunar Forum in a bid to study the bizarre magical anomalies of the Kateran Wastes, however, the area was already being used as a sort of tribal village by what are now the tiefling wildlings. Over time, the city grew, as it provided an alternate trade route around the Oran Mountains rather than through them.
It also quickly became something of a haven for those looking to avoid the eye of the law of the bigger cities to the north. Its remote location and loose legal systems have garnered the city a reputation as a cesspool of crime and villainy. Despite this, Termina still stands as a bastion of safety amongst the danger of the wilds around it and will welcome anyone of any race or creed with little pretense or care.
Architecture and Economy Termina is a city of clay and sandstone, the only suitable building materials for miles in any given direction. Because of the relatively small amount of suitable ground to build on, many of the buildings are several stories in height, and often display a patchwork of different colored clays and stone as layers are added overtime.
The city's economy relies on a combination of fishing, crafting, and wine. Because of the relatively barren wilderness surrounding the city, most of the peoples' sustenance is pulled from the bay. Likewise, the crafting business thrives on the abundance of stone and glass made from sand sources from the edges of the Wastes. Lastly and most recently, enterprising vintners have learned how to grow fruits that can flourish in the arid environment; most notably, grapes. The best example of this can be found in the Pendent Gardens.
Notable Structures • The Pendent Gardens ○ A huge, multi-story greenhouse/indoor garden located just east of the keep that produces some of the finest wine in Horizon and Northern Kentro. It is owned by the Vingard family, who originally built the structure nearly 200 years ago. ○ The bottom sections are "free" for use by anyone who can afford a plot. The upper levels however, are exclusively reserved for the Vingards themselves. • Sandstone Keep ○ The castle that houses Termina's admittedly loose government and home to the Earl and his court. It's a defensible enough castle that also serves as the barracks of the guard and relatively small army. ○ It is generally referred to as the Sand Castle by the locals. • Sunset Tower ○ The old stone tower constructed by the Lunar Forum. The smooth, sloped walls taper off at the tip where an ivory hoop adornment glints in the sunlight. During the solstices, the setting sun lines up perfectly with the ring. It sits at the center of Ivory Square ○ The Forum uses the bottom floor of the tower as its shop. The upper floors are all dedicated to research and study and are kept under scrupulous guard against any non-members. • Ivory Square ○ The expansive central market of Termina that stretches from the dock and reaches into the heart of the city. If you can buy it legally, you can find it here. If you can buy it illegally, you can probably find it here as well. • Vingard Winery ○ The actual building where the Vingard Wine is made. It is an impressively sized building that dominates the northern section of Ivory Square. • Duskreach Library ○ A repository of an eclectic assortment of lore and history owned and operated by a slightly unnerving Gnome that goes by the name of Britix (hales from Gnomad in southwestern Kentro). He has lived in Termina for the past hundred years and has curated an impressive collection of tomes and scrolls on a whole host of subjects brought to the city over the years.
Government and City Machinations The city is technically governed by an Earl, a rather unassuming man by the name of Gerald Tullete. Anyone who has been in the city for more than 5 minutes though, knows that the real power is held by the Vingard family, specifically Anton Vingard, the Earl's right hand man and trusted confidant.
The Vingards and the Tulletes have worked hand-in-hand for several generations now, and have always made the city quite profitable for them and their friends. While crime is a big problem in Termina, it never seems to affect those that have come into the good graces of the Vingards.
This is because there is an understanding amongst the criminals and thieves guilds of Termina: the guards will turn a blind eye towards their antics as long as they leave the Vingards and their associates alone. This has kept any one guild from taking over the city, and as a result most of the criminal elements of the city are unorganized. Some of the more prominent guilds include: • The Sand Sharks • The Glass Eye • The Dunewalkers That being said, the majority of crime in the city takes the form of larceny and swindling. Con artists abound in the markets and it takes a trained eye to sort the legitimate merchants from the cons. The other major player (and the source of most organized violence) is the drug trade.
Drugs and related hooliganisms. A multitude of illicit substances can be found and purchased quite easily in Termina. While you can't use them openly, the guards will turn a blind eye to anyone displaying even the slightest degree of subtlety. The most popular substances are: • Siren: (5-15 copper a gram) a dried leaf substance, usually smoked. It is a carcinogenic that causes mild hallucinations and sensory overload. Generally not addictive and a favorite at parties and new-age music festivals • Wish: a "potion" of sorts. Whether its effects are magical or alchemical is a matter of debate. Usually ingested from a small vile, its effects range from a mild state of sedation and feelings of serenity to full-blown "religious epiphanies" • Phoenix Grass: (1-5 silver a gram) a type of incense derived from certain plants that grow at the edge of the Kateran Wastes. It is usually prepared in a small bowl with other herbs and berries and then burned and inhaled. The effects cause a burning sensation and adrenaline pulses. Some say the ritual was originally used by tiefling wildling warriors on the eve of battle to bolster their reflexes. • Sand: (5-20 silver a gram) also referred to simply as Powder or Dust, this opioid is derived from a specific poppy flower native to the Gleanlands. Its raw form is used in many healing and calming remedies, but when processed and concentrated, it creates a potent effect that all but robs the user of their conscious mind; replacing it with a near-nirvana like state. The drug has diminishing returns though, and is highly addictive, as well as taxing on the nervous system. Almost all users who become addicted succumb to paralysis and eventual death.
It is the sale and distribution of these drugs that fuels most of the ire between the three major gangs. Their turf wars have gotten increasingly severe in recent years. The guards will break up the heaviest of the fighting, but seem content to let them kill each other for the most part.
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