Industria
Demographics
The floating city has four districts. The east is the Noble's Slice, filled with the estates and palaces of the wealthy. The south west is the Merchant Slice, filled with businesses and guilds of all kinds from all places, selling goods for a range of prices and quality. The North West is the Commons Slice, where majority of the population reside. It's much less pristine as the rest of the city. The City's center is the Machinae Slice, which exclusively houses the machines that keeo the city running, and residents aren't permitted entry, no matter their class.
Government
There is no official form of government, as most of the city is controlled by rival factions and guilds, which change from district to district. However, the most wide spread law keepers are the Mechanites, warforged who built the city and maintain it. They keep the peace and built other machines to assist them in maintenance.
Defences
The city's position in the sky prevent easy attacks/sabotage. The only way into the city just based on location alone is either one of the spelljammers that import goods at the port, or the newer station for the Concordant Express, which is even harder to break into. If someone wanted to sabotage the city, they'd have to enter the Machinae Slice, and face the hundreds of machines that protect the inside. Truly, any sabotage that would happen would either have to be commited by the most skilled criminal in existence, or an insider.
Infrastructure
Everything runs from the machine in the center. Water is gathered by machines at the city perimeter from the passing clouds. Sewage is deposited into the sea several miles below. Food and other organic items are exclusively imported by ships at the docks on the western perimeter. The massive gears around the city are very common.
Districts
There are five major districts in Industria.
The Machine's Slice
The machine slice is the center of the city, where a large citadel of shining brass reaches into the sky. No one but the Mechanites knows what's inside, but it is said to be the machine that keeps the city in the sky.The Noble's Slice
The Nobles Slice is made up of, as the name says, a bunch of Noble Folk. By the power of pure peer pressure, they are kept in line. Here, the Draegek Trite effectively control any "official laws", however there are also several codes of manners and proper behaviour that are entirely enforced by phomo. This slice contains every single person in Industria who has actual dirt.The Merchant's Slice
This is the definition of Anarcho-Capitalism. There is no order in the placement of businesses, just a mess of buildings of all architectural styles selling all kinds of wares scattered everywhere. There are large golden spires, avenues of brick houses, sandstone open roof buildings, single room shops with domes of different precious metals, stone huts, and even some shops that are literally just an alleyway between two shops. This is where the most people are in the day, especially in the morning hours when the sun is less scorching and the night's chill dies down.The Common's Slice
This is the slice where the majority of the population lives. This slice is divided into four "circles", the Day Rim, the Twilight Rim, and the Dark Rim. The Day Rim is the outer most edge of the Common's Slice, where the Horizon Guard and most honest folk reside. Due to the greater guard prescence, most Illics (what the Horizon Guard call criminals) don't go here often, and those who do are usually only pocket pickers or scammers. The Twilight Rim is deeper than the Day Rim, further into the stacked housing. The only Horizon Gurd here are the more braver ones who know whats up. Here is where most Illics live and operate, as well as the lower quality business owners. Pick pockets, scammers, burgalers, and some nooks (term for low tier guild members) of crime boss factions operate much more here because they can usually get away unscathed. The Dark Rim is the center of the Common's Slice. Only the bravest or stupidest Horizon Guard will enter here, and most don't come back. Here is where all the big crime organizations operate, every big name mafia or gang leader lives here, too deep to be found by the law, or anyone else. Even the Illics of the Twilight Rim know to stay out of here, or risk a visit from the Necrolegulus.Assets
The city provides no materials of its own, and has to import almost all natural resources. However, it is still a massive center for trade and where the uber-wealthy will congregate together to display their wealth and status, so they have the several hundred platinum worth of fine jewels, metals, armor, weapons, machines, and more. As long as it isn't organic, the nobles will have it.
Guilds and Factions
The amount of factions in the city is almost innumerable, so this section will cover the biggest ones.
The Draegek Trite
This is the biggest faction among the Nobility, and controls majority of the Eastern city. Their philosophy is, as quoted by their founder Drexel, "Warkeg kyl Krogres yl Traktyseg warkagent", the Wings of Progress are flown by Machines. This faction believes in the superiority of machinery and metal. Their businesses are mostly focused on the art of artificery and mechanisms, and they are the most bothersome to the Mechanites about their origin and the functions of the city. They aren't concerned much with the health of their subordinates as much as they are with the growth of their industry and machinery. Officially the faction is headed by three large monopoly owners: Trenit Kharl of Steam Makers, Yoni Sel of the Artifice Society, and J'hal of the Spelljammer Manufacture. However, local rumor tells that Drexel still does controls things, being kept alive by the machines the faction so rigorously acquires and builds. (DM Secret: They are also known to have worked with a front of the Tiamat Cult to sell weaponry and armor in their shops to gain their wealth.)The Commerce Guild
Need some money for your shop or a home? Want a loan to pay tuition? Find yourself with too much money to store in your house? Come on down to the bank! This is the philosophy/jingle of the Commerce Guild, the guild that controls almost all the banks in Industria. They are known for their pristine and golden look, as almost all their buildings are built with the stuff. As the jingle says, they will give loans to anyone, no matter the background. However, they expect the debt to be payed always. Always. (DM Secret: The Commerce Guild is secretly controlled by the Universidad Ingenii's headmaster, who collects all the funds and debts gathered by the banks to pay himself.)Alchemy, Artificery, and Armory
The AAA is the second largest faction in the Merchant's Slice, next to the Commerce Guild. AAA is the faction that competes the most with the Draegek Trite, making weapons, armor, and potions explicitly without the assistance or inclusion of machines. Most adventurers guilds, alchemists guilds, and smith guilds get their resources from these guys. AAA expressly dislikes the city's lack of natural material and strive to make all of their products lack the use of machines as much as possible. This commodity, of course, granted them a lot of wealth from the nobles of the land below. (DM Secret: AAA also sells resources to the criminal organizations, and warring factions. They really don't care who buy's their products as long as they get payed.)Machina Muerte
Machine Muerte is the most notorious criminal organization in all of Industriae. They want the city, this beacon of order, to fall back into the chaos of nature. They are the type of people to go out of their way to destroy maintenance machines, and any and all members are commanded to be apprehended on sight and delivered to the Mechanites. No one knows what happens to them after that. Some say they are thrown off the city, others that they're crushed in the gears. Whatever the case, Machina Muerte causes the most problems for the city, and are disliked heavily by the Draegek Trite and most people. No one knows how the group started, nor where their main base is. And if anyone does, they don't share it for fear that the city's caretakers will drop the entire section out of the sky. (DM Secret: The faction is centered in a space between the Merchants Slice and the Commons Slice. Specifically at a very popular restaurant called the Gear Hold. The faction's leader is the owner, a Warforged by the name of KI-LA, a chaotic neutral lvl 6 Rogue.)Other Notable Factions
The Wheel of Wild Magic: a coalition of crime bosses located in the Common's Slice, with notable members such as Calixar (a Beholder member of the Searing Tongue), Ivanska (a blue dragon disguised as a Goliath), and Lloid (human cleric of the Cult of the Dragon). The Feline Adventuring Guild (or just Feline Guild): an establishment from the Northern lands of Russia based in the Merchant's Slice, which is staffed almost entirely by cat-folk. The guild is owned by Cryomal (white dragonborn, brother to Astaroth the new cat god). He likes hiring adventurers to pull off heists for him for good pay. He does this to encourage them to pull their own heists. Cog Rats: it is unknown whether to actually consider them a faction or not. They're just a bunch of mechnical rats that live in the city's sewer system, yet they are completely sentient. The reason some cpnsider them their own guild is due to many instances where Mechans wandering around have been revealed to be fifty of these things in a trench coat. Know one knows for certain where they all came from, but it is suggested they were side effects of the Commerce Guild's experiments. The Horizon Guard: the city's unofficial police force. Because the Mechanites only take action when their city is damaged, the Horizon Guard formed to deal with thefts, murders, and organized crime. There prime headquarters are based between the Common's Slice and Merchant's Slice. The Shipmasters: Based in the western harbors of the city, where all the spelljammers dock the Shipmasters effectively keep track of shipments coming into the city. They effectively serve as record keepers for the city's imoorts amd travel, and often work with the Horizon Guard to track criminals who enter the city. The Deathbreakers: Despite their ominous sounding name, they are actually healers. Based in the Common's Slice, approaching the Merchant's Slice, the Deathbreakers are a charity organization that heals people who are injured for completely free. This, of course, mens they have less members than most other factions, but if you ever need medical attention, these are the guys you want to see. The Necrolegulus: Most Mechans used to think that the Mechanites would clean up the remains of any deadfolk in the city, that was until a discovery made two years ago. The Necrolegulus, as mentioned above, collect the remains of the dead. They generally keep to themselves, and it is unknown how long they've been around, but most of the older Mechans think they started close to the city's founding, right around the time when the bodies started being cleaned. It is unknown where they take the remains, all that is really known is that the Necrolegulus take the dead somewhere else. And frankly, that's the way most Mechans would like it to stay.History
Industriae's founding is rather shrouded in mystery. All that is known is that the city's builders, the Mechanites, appeared in Faerune one year without explanation. They would not say where they came from nor their origins, but quickly gained their bearings with this world. Soon they began building the city, and within the course of two years it was floating in the sky above of the sea. Since then the Mechanites have held supreme law over the city, but only their set laws, those being: Do not break the machinery, Do not enter the subsurface, and Do not kill the Mechanites. Those are the rules of the city, the only official rules. The Mechanites don't care what the factions or criminals do, as long as they follow these rules. (DM Secret: The Mechanites are actually outcasts from the plane of machines, Mechanus. They left due to the lawful nature of the plane not fitting with their likings, and began exploring the planes. Eventually they landed and got stranded on the Prime Material Plane.)
Architecture
The City of Steam is a very accurate description of Industriae, considering its architecture. The city's base is primarily smooth metal sheen, with great slots where huge cogs spin. Chimneys releasing excess steam are almost everywhere, filtering out through grates that run along the streets and fill the city like a thin fog. The city's center holds a great monolith of many metals that shines like a beacon in light. It is known for its golden domed towers that tres down into the center. The buildings in the Noble's Slice are almost as shiny, built with fine metals and stones, with tall domed towers and finely decorated jewel embedded walls, some depicting scenes of wheels turning within wheels. The Merchant's Slice has many buildings of all kinds, messily mixed together with no concern for organization. From dome roofs to spires to simple taverns to great towers to many floored inns to small smithies, the variety is a stark contrast to the normal homogenity of the rest of the city. The Commons Slice holds buildings of more simple nature, usually simple one-three room homes constructed of sheet metal or stone slabs. They are often connected together, bunched up, or stacked upon one another in a great, surpsingly orderly mess, especially around the city's edges, making it easy for criminals to hide.
Climate
Due to the altitude, it is freezing almost all the time until day break, then its scorching. This is especially uncomfortable when the sun is high in the sky and the metal ground plating becomes a hot stove. Some folk in the Common's Slice will cook eggs on the street at this time. However, the coolness of the air from the sea several leagues below make it somewhat bearable. But, the sea can also be a problem, particularly when it decides to throw a hurricane around. While the city is quite far above sea level, it isn't high enough to be above the storms the ocean spits out. When a hurricane rolls in, not only do high winds come but the rain is instead replaced by a dense fog that makes seeing difficult (PCs will only be able to see for a range of 5-10 ft.) During these times, Mechans usually stay at home and hope not be blown off the face of the plane.
Luckily, though, Mechans have managed to sort when these events happen to a calender. The winter time brings the freezing cold in the nights and chill in the day, causing the streets to feel cold for once. The Summer months bake the streets in midday, and still leave nights cold. With Spring comes the semi-yearly tropical storm or hurricane that the sea throws at the city. Autumn isn't really kept track of due to the fact that nothing really grows in the city, therefore there is nothing to harvest, and no reason to really acknowledge it as anything but the herald of Winter.
Founding Date
11 years after death of Malice
Alternative Name(s)
The City of Steam
Type
Large city
Population
765
Inhabitant Demonym
Mechans
Included Locations
Owning Organization
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