Church

The city of Church is commonly referred to as the City of Truth, or the Quiet City. Lying is not possible within city limits. There is some magical or divine effect that prevents any being from intentionally uttering any falsehood, and thus far, no magic has been able to circumvent this. If a creature attempts to lie while in Church, he will simply find himself unable to speak it, verbally, and even telepathically. When asked about this, Brother Lu merely replies, “Lying is not allowed in Church.”
Brother Lu is an angel who founded the city over two centuries ago. He is known for being charismatic, talkative, and extremely approachable. It is said he personally invited each faith in Embril to build a temple in his city, promising freedom from persecution. He resides in the Temple of Truth, a nondenominational temple in the center of the city where anyone can go, day or night, to meditate, study, pray, or just talk.
There is no official government in Church, but Brother Lu is widely recognized as its undisputed leader. Every recognized religion, and even some obscure ones, have temples, or at least a well-tended shrine, in Church. The clergy and faithful of these various religions help police the city, deterring common crime and impudent misbehaviors. But some unknown power protects the city from major evils and wrong-doings. Being between the nations of Garamoor and Tenthell, Church has seen its share of demonic and devilish visitors over the years. And it has been witnessed on various occasions that any beings attempting serious violence or harm to anyone have simply disintegrated.

Life and Society

Life in Church is peaceful. People are not out to deceive one another, because they can’t. Business dealings, discussions, agreements, are all on the level, so no one ever feels cheated or taken advantage of. Communication between individuals, however, is usually frank and to the point. Visitors to Church often find it difficult to assimilate at first, and their sudden inability to speak, plus patches of extended silence, is an obvious giveaway to longtime residents that this person is most likely new to town.
All races are welcome in Church, and most sentient races are represented in its population. Races rarely found in civilized settlements can often be found here, such as goblins, orcs, and kobolds. Even drow can be seen walking the streets of church and interacting peacefully with others.
There is no class system within Church, other than the hierarchies within each religion. There are no politicians, no nobles, and no recognized royalty. The rich in Church are treated no differently than anyone else, which is probably why few people of independent wealth live in Church. It is the leaders of the more benevolent religions that are often sought after when any kind of official adjudication or mediation is needed, especially when Brother Lu is unavailable or already preoccupied settling a civil matter or dealing with a dispute.

Major Geographical Features

Church is a small city with a few surrounding farms. It is located along the Andarian Gulf. Other than that there is no significant terrain to mention.
Andarian Gulf: Around this important waterway is where the Andarian Empire first began to spread. Many consider the region surrounding the gulf as the birthplace of human culture. Today it is still a busy and influential avenue for trade, dotted with port cities and full of merchant ships. In addition to merchants, the Andarian Gulf also sees its share of piracy. That is one of the reasons the nations surrounding it maintain a significant naval presence. Kainan, in particular, has the greatest number of warships in the gulf, while Tenthell is a distant second with less than half as many. Garamoor has a considerably smaller navy than the others, but at least one warship can always be seen docked in its port cities.
Under the sea, kingdoms of sahuagin and merfolk compete for domination of the Andarian Gulf. They rarely interact with land dwellers, though, save for the occasional sahuagin attacks on coastal villages or small fishing boats.

Important Settlements

The city of church sits between the nations of Garamoor and Tenthell. Its city limits and surrounding farms make up a sovereign state that neither neighbor can claim.
Church (Small City, 5,100): Church is a small city full of numerous grand temples. Taverns and inns catering to visitors and short term residents are also in abundance. Its port is large for a city its size, expanded to accommodate the many travelers that visit Church. Among these travelers are often those on holy pilgrimages, visiting religious leaders, and curious tourists. A modest market area can also be found in the city, selling goods at fair prices

Regional History

Brother Lu appeared in the area in 243 AV and founded the city of Church between the two warring nations of Garamoor and Tenthell. With the aid of celestial builders, he had a settlement up and running in a matter of days, with the Temple of Truth constructed in three weeks. By the end of its first year, Church housed a temple to every widely recognized religion in Embril.
Garamoor and Tenthell did not take lightly the sudden appearance of Brother Lu’s settlement, especially when equal portions of the territory he claimed for his own originally belonged to them. Forces were sent to claim the land under their banners, but these attempts failed repeatedly as troops were pushed away by fields of magical force. When Garamoor and Tenthell resorted to using demons and devils, respectively, those beings suddenly disintegrated when they entered the city limits. After this, their efforts in claiming Church’s land ceased. Some stories additionally suggest that Brother Lu personally visited the leaders of each nation to negotiate an end to hostilities against Church and secure their generous donations of land to the City of Truth.
Since then, Church has grown, peacefully acquiring extra land, as needed, equally from both nations, without any disputes. A few times, rogue demons, pirates, and sometimes devils have attempted to attack the city or rob ships in its harbor. But those demons and devils spontaneously disintegrated and pirate ships sank for no apparent reason.
The legend of Church and Brother Lu continues to grow throughout the world, and most don’t know what stories to believe until they see the city for themselves and personally meet its founder. Many come to Church to converse with Brother Lu for various reasons, seeking the truth he is said to teach, and typically wait in line behind religious leaders, foreign dignitaries, questing adventurers, and curious folk, all hoping to have their questions answered.

Capital
Independent city-state
Government
None (Brother Lu is looked to as the leader)
Banner/Flag
None
Population
5,100 (humans 84%, halflings 3%, elves 2%, dwarves 2%, gnomes 2%, half-elves 2%, drow 1%, goblins 1%, half-orcs 1%, kobolds 1%, orcs 1%)
Demonym
Churchan
Religions
All
Imports
Almost everything (most in the form of church donations)
Exports
Books
Language
Andarian
Alignment
All

The Continent of Velen

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