Lakeshore

Emmel    Geography, Regions, and Settlements    Settlements    Brae      Lakeshore

The capital city of Brae situated on Gatbury Lake.

Demographics

Ancestries

As of the last census in order of largest to smallest population

• Human
• Elf
• Halfling
• Gnome
• Dwarf
• Orc
• Goblin
• Hobgoblin
• Other

Wealth

Business and Gold being the lifeblood of the city there is quite a lot of money in the hands of both the government and the people. Social stratification is very present here however it is not as stark one might think. Much of the population is either in the working class or business class and as such much of the population lives well above poverty. The wealthy and poor are still to be found for sure, but the larger portion of the citizens fall in the middle.

Professions

If it can be profitable or help profits it exists as a job here. The trades are very popular and competition is fierce with so many shops, but the guilds do a good job at mediating and keeping a level playing field. There are also more banks in the city than any other on the continent.

Government

While the city remains neutral ground for the 4 ruling families of Brae, the city itself is managed by a council made up of two representatives from each family and four from the guild's local population. They rule on local matters for the city, and decide on local taxes however anything larger is usually decided by the Collective, the larger ruling body of the country.

Defences

Lakeshore maintains it's own defense force separate from the families that acts as both the city watch and militia. They are very well equipped due to a contract with the Mage's Guild and a healthy flow of gold into the city.
Lakeshore is surrounded by a layered defensive wall rivaling that of any military stronghold, 45 feet in height and 15 feet thick. The city’s gates are larger than those in most fortified cities, the better to allow entry for caravans and wagons from the various parts of the country. Constructed of iron each gate is normally open but guarded by twelve soldiers. A second wall intersects halfway between the outer wall and the government buildings. This wall is 20 feet high, 5 feet thick, and constructed of stone with many large iron gateways for access to the inner parts of the city. This wall is usually patrolled in groups of 3 soldiers around the clock. A third, smaller wall surrounds the government district, which sits atop a small rise. This wall is 10 feet high and 1 foot thick, constructed of stone, and each of its heavy wooden gates is normally guarded by four soldiers. The main avenues are lit by continual flame lampposts, all streets are clearly labeled, and major intersections boast permanent guards.
In Gatbury Lake the local Sahuagin city at the bottom of lake provide defense against any naval incursions, and they also prevent ships from departing without paying the appropriate taxes and docking fees.

Industry & Trade

General

Lakeshore is a city dedicated to business. Any business, trade, or market you can think of and there's something for you here. With Lake Gatbury having a direct line to the ocean Lakeshore is a major exporting channel for the agricultural goods of Brae. As such the ports are a very popular place of employment, along with the bureaucratic offices required for keeping the massive amount of books required.

Sahuagin Trade and Sea Glass

Due to the trade agreement with the local Sahuagin population one of the goods Lakeshore obtains is sea glass weaponry and armor. A shimmering almost translucent bluish green material that some sea dwelling populations use in place of traditional metals. Lakeshore is one of only three places that produces goods made from sea glass, and is the only one the sells it. These goods are highly sought after by seafarers and fetch a rather high price.

Other goods received from the Sahuagin are shark leather and meat, wind instruments similar to ocarinas made from shells,

Infrastructure

Roads

The main roads of the city form an off-center circular grid. Impossibly wide avenues stab straight from the center to the 4 city gates, while perpendicular roads ring it in concentric circles. Smaller streets and alleys connect the larger ways like strands of a cobweb. No beggars haunt the main thoroughfares, and every building lining them is whitewashed and clean. These cobbled avenues are scrupulously maintained. In many places, arched bridges leap overhead, making the entire city feel like an enormous palace. The main avenues are lit by continual flame lampposts, all streets are clearly labeled, and major intersections boast permanent guards.

Education

There is no schooling provided by the state, but there are a large number of private schools and academies for varying levels of wealth and class that are open to all with few exceptions. The schools have a wide range of purposes and focus there studies in many different areas. Some are focused on trades such as smithing, weaving, tailoring, or carpentry while others focus on complicated math's, book keeping, or economics. All of them provide a base level of education but depending on what your goal is there is a school for that, and some are even sponsored by guilds for first pick of promising students.

Districts

The city is divided into wards by large walls circling out from the center of the city. The inner most wall is the Platinum Wall containing Ward 13. Next is the Gold Wall containing Wards 9-12, then the Silver Wall containing Wards 5-8, and finally the Copper Wall Wards 1-4. Each of the groups of wards are referred to by groups such as the Coppers refers to Wards 1-4.

Ward 1

Ward 2

Ward 3

• Gullway - A neighborhood that runs along the Copper Wall where it borders Harbor Town. A winding set of roads filled with alleys easy to get lost in, and easier still to find illicit dealings.

Ward 4

Ward 5

Ward 6

Ward 7

Ward 8

• Silvergate Bazaar - Merchant district catered towards the higher end of the money spectrum, well policed

Ward 9

Ward 10

Ward 11

Ward 12

• Rosewind Park - An upper class residential area filled with walled off mansions, well policed

Ward 13

Outside the Walls

Along the walls of Lakeshore and in the surrounding areas various sizes of urban expansion have occurred. Some have become large enough that they warrant a name and are considered part of the city. 

Harbor Town

Located in the massive stretch between the Copper Wall of Ward 3 and Gatbury Lake, Harbor Town is vital piece of Lakeshore as most of the shipping industry involves the docks. The town is large enough to have its own districts and neighborhoods. 


Places of Note

• The Salt Lick
• The Dragon's Hoard Tavern
• Fork in the Road

Guilds and Factions

Adventurer's Guild

Lakeshore is home to the Maplewood Hall of the Adventurer's Guild. This hall is a towering monument to the power and standing of the guild with sheer white walls of marble with gold ornaments topped by the signature red roofs Lakeshore is known for. The wood used in its construction is all red maple which stands out against the white walls, and intricate wood carvings abound the hall. Within is ample room for an exclusive tavern, lodging for adventurers, and an administrative office that handles all manner of requests and paperwork for the guild and it's local relations. Below the hall is one of the testing chambers required for moving up into the advanced ranks of the guild.

Mage's Guild

The Lakeshore Campus of the Mage's College is comprised of a single tower, however do not let fool you into thinking it small. This tower is the second largest in the city and contains several thousand students and faculty at any given time. Ringing around the tower in perpetual motion are the signature protection stones that shield the tower from attack and magical intrusion, they give off an eerie glow at night that shifts colors the longer one looks at them. The lower floors are more mundane and used for the academic sides of the guild while the upper floors are treacherous, filled with illusions and magic that distorts reality and confuses the senses. Only those of high standing in the guild or exceptional powerful mages can traverse these floors and learn their secrets.

The business side of the guild here controls the market on magical items in the country and has a very lucrative deal worked out with the local government, and the city guard are well stocked with tools suitable for maintaining order and subduing even some the more powerful mages.

Messenger's Guild

The guild hall here is little more than a plain stone building with whitewashed brick to look rather unassuming. Perfectly situated at a midpoint between the Silvergate Merchant District and Rosewind Park this building sees more than its fair share of traffic from business owners and the rich looking for couriers. The guild itself has little interest in politics or business and instead focuses itself on comradery and competition amongst its members.

The House of Crows

Their presence here is just barely tolerated as it is much easier to have the criminals police each other rather than have it be attempted by the guard. The Crows keep the petty crime to a reasonable level to avoid attention and avoid concentrating crimes in any particular area. However the spy network they've set up is unparalleled as anywhere large sums of money trades hands the Crows will have eyes on. This is not well known though and the guild works hard to keep up the appearance of lowlife cutpurses with a code rather than an information network.

Nerrocen Tribe

The local Sahuagin tribe that lives at the bottom of Gatbury Lake.

Local Gangs

• Moonscars
• Murks

History

At the discovery of a city of Sahuagin living at the bottom of Gatbury Lake the government struck a deal with them and provide payments of goods and resources, never money, in exchange for protection and a peaceful symbiotic relationship with trade.

Points of interest

Places

Adventurer's Guild Hall and administrative office

Mage's Guild College

Messenger's Guild

Tourism

Under the Big Top

If business isn't your thing the other attraction to see in the city is the Wild City Reserve and Circus. On any given day you can travel the park and see a whole host of animals, beasts, and monsters from all over the world in habitats that replicate their native environments. Once a month the owner and lead performer Lady Passion Zayis puts on a spectacular show with all manner of beasts performing for the audience in concert with daring feats, it really is quite a sight to behold.

Architecture

The official edifices of Lakeshore are grand and towering showcases, with sweeping arches and tall spires crowned by bright pennants. Though built primarily of granite, these structures bear white marble facades. The lower levels have bright windows of stained glass, while the upper stories are pierced by arrow slits. The government building itself is as large as a small village. It contains not only the city’s governmental offices and entire military garrison, but offices for each of the families and guilds in Brae.

Nongovernment buildings, such as shops and private homes, are also of far nicer construction than in many other cities. Citizens keep their property clean, and many whitewash their houses. The residential areas tend to be very close quarters with row styled housing. What they lack in width they make up for in height, and even modest homes likely have at least two stories, with some boasting as many as four or five.

Geography

Situated in the wide expanse of the Lower Wolfplains Gatbury Lake is the only other geographic location of any importance for miles in all directions.

Natural Resources

The plains around the city is stocked with fertile soil for farming, and the lake provides some much needed variety to the Braen diet.

Seems like everyone I meet there is some kinda 'business owner'. Tell me, if everyone owns their own business, who works in 'em?

— Kreeg

Type

Capital

Population

68,000

Location under

Lower Wolfplains

Owning Organization

Brae Collective

Characters in Location

• Winsome Landy

Related Reports (Primary)

• Escapades: Oh Captain, My Captain
• Summer in the City

Links

A list for further reading of any mentioned articles

• Brae Collective
• Adventurer's Guild
• Mage's Guild
• Messenger's Guild
• The House of Crows
• Sea Glass