Rivertide
Rivertide is a vibrant and orderly city in Eastern Arvor. The city bore the brunt of the Red Realm's aggression 100 years ago, but thanks to The Unkillable Bastards and the bravery of its citizens, they managed to rebuild. Excepting Necromancy, Rivertide has a rich magical tradition, and is home to many gifted arcanists. The extraordinary alchemist Donnie Julias called it home.
Government
While other religions are permitted to practice and build temples, the dominant church in Rivertide is the Church of Kelemvor and the city is a theocracy run by the High Priest and Keeper of the Balance of the Kelemvorean Church. The High Priest is chosen by The Sodality, a council of four elder priests. The elder priests are elected by the Cardinal Chapels (North, South, East, and West). The election of a new high priest is signified by blaring of the organ pipes outside The Spire. The High Priest rules for life out of The Spire. The High Priest appoints the Death Wardens - Paladins of Kelemvor - to oversee the boundaries of life and death. The Death Wardens were once a powerful force, but they are in decline in recent years.
Necromancy Ban
As the holy city of Kelemvor, Lord of the Dead, the practice of Necromancy – large or small – is strictly forbidden without writ from the High Priest. The priests of Kelemvor work to care for the sick and heal the wounded, but once a soul passes on in death, they can never be brought back. Necromancy is punishable by death in the public square.
Industry & Trade
Rivertide is an active hub for trade. In addition to a lively fishing industry, the city's outskirts are home to some of the finest vineyards, vintners, and brewers in Arvor. Moderation is key, but this is more honored in the breach than in the observance.
Some of Arvor's finest Alchemists study in Rivertide. Trouble Brewing is a guild providing alchemical services across East Arvor, and they are based at Trouble's Brewed in Rivertide.
History
Human settlers reached the eastern mouth almost 1000 years ago. At that time, it was largely home to gnomes and halflings, with some members of the elven diaspora. The city grew up under the influence of the city of Redacre, and 750 years ago Galvyn I consolidated power in the Red Realm, sending Bartolemus the Conqueror to formally secure control of the region on his behalf.
Bartolemus was granted regency in Rivertide and passed this title down to his son, Bartolemus II. Soon, the whole region was plagued by war, and Rivertideans who opposed the oppressive monarchy (Human, Halfling, Elf, and Gnome alike) rose up in civil war to expel their oppressors. Bartolemus II's magi used necromantic magic to raise the dead rebels, turning them on their former comrades. Kelemvor's Death Wardens struck back with righteous fury of Kelemvor, murdering the ruling class and hanging them in the streets. Rivertide became independent in 870 GS.
In the aftermath of the war, the people of Rivertide looked at their streets, littered with the formerly reanimated corpses of their friends and neighbors, and vowed to give them all the proper sendoff. The Death Wardens were viewed as most equipped to lead the city, and instructed the people to begin building great tombs to honor the dead, allowing whatever tradition of burial was customary to them. Originally distinct structures, as the tombs grew they were connected by tunnels and shared chapels, called The Tombs of Balance. By divine decree, Rivertide became the official seat of the Kelemvorean Church.
Points of interest
The palace in the center of town was largely destroyed following the war, and a temple to Kelemvor was built behind the inner walls in its place, placing their god in the center of their life both figuratively and geographically. The worshippers of Kelemvor came to believe that the greatest way to move on to the afterlife was through the complete destruction of ones earthly form. They constructed the continent's largest crematorium in the Tombs of Balance, feeding its smoke into a chimney extending one hundred feet above the temple of Kelemvor. The city's government was built around this chimney, and it is called The Spire.
Architecture
The city is visually notable for its distinctive architecture: tall towers, colorful domes, and ornate statuary peek out from behind its walls, all gathered round the tall chimney in the center of town marking The Spire, its primary temple and seat of government.
Beneath Rivertide lie miles and miles of ancient tombs and crypts. Some existed long before the city was formally settled, and it’s said that there are many unmapped and undiscovered.
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