In the center of an immense lagoon on the
southern coast of the continent, the city-state
of Morencia is home to a population of around 500,000 people. The city ccupies a central place between
the Charneault Kingdom and the Castinella
Provinces.
History
Rise and Apogee
Legend has it that the ancestors of the Morencian
people fled south to escape the Bürach Empire’s
ethnic persecution, coming at last to a series
of small, desolate islands in a large lagoon. To
conceal their escape, the refugees devised the Mist
Spell that conjured a dense, constant fog over the
reefs and sandbanks around the islands. Since
then, only those trained by Morencia’s famous
Guild of Navigators have been able to lead a ship
through the Misty Reefs.
Thanks to that protection, the city of Morencia
quickly rose from the swampy islands. Ideally
located between several major powers in Etharis,
the young city-state focused on navigation and
trade to establish dominance over commercial
maritime routes.
An affinity for navigation, combined with a
rigorous and perfectionist mentality, allowed
Morencia to develop the fastest and most reliable
ships ever built. In time, the Morencians also
revealed themselves to be risk-management
experts, which further established Morencia’s
reputation as an inevitable trade hub.
Geopolitics
As a city relying on trade, Morencia welcomes
many travellers, the majority being merchants.
The city has devised a detailed and careful policy
to efficiently manage the constant influx of
foreigners. Merchants are welcomed but tightly
monitored, and they are forced to stay in specific
districts during the night. Citizenship is never
granted to such merchants except in exceptional
circumstances, and they are not allowed to reside
in Morencia for too long. This forces constant
incoming and outgoing flows of population that
are a further boon to the Morencian economy.
But, while Morencia limits the
influence of foreign merchants
within its walls, Morencia’s merchants
are themselves a powerful force
throughout Etharis. Morencia is the seat of the
continent-spanning Augustine Trading Company,
which works everywhere to bend the flow of
gold and goods towards itself. Within Morencia,
the Augustine Trading Company has worked to
align other entities’ interests with its own. It has
absorbed Morencia’s powerful Bankers Guild, and
through them it has come to control the city’s
Supreme Council as well.
The Castinellan Provinces have attempted to take
control of Morencia on numerous occasions, using
both force and subterfuge. Their most recent
but unsuccessful attempt involved capturing
a member of the Navigators Guild and forcing
him to lead a Castinellan armada through the
Misty Reefs. Only the cunning intervention of
the Charneault Kingdom saved Morencia from
annexation. Grand Shaman Aethorion, helped
by a small group of elven shamans, was able
to interact with the Mist Spell to bring the
Charneault Kingdom’s ships directly to the rear of
the Castinellan armada.
A terrible battle took place at Morencia’s doorstep,
and although the Castinellan armada managed
to destroy a large portion of the Morencian
fleet stationed in the Arsenal of Morencia, the
Charneault Kingdom’s ships and the remaining
Morencian defence forces led by Admiral Endoria
Onaglie managed to surround and overwhelm the
attackers. Only a few Castinellan ships survived,
though the defenders also suffered heavy losses.
Since then, the Castinella Provinces have yet
to attempt another military conquest, but they
have not given up their ambition of controlling
Morencia. They have recently strengthened
their connections with the Augustine Trading
Company, which many Morencians see as the
explanation for a series of underhanded moves by
the Bankers Guild Master Kolhys.
The truth is more complex, but many have noted
that the Bankers Guild profited immensely in the
aftermath of the Castinellan Provinces’ attack.
Backed by the Augustine Trading Company’s
coffers, the Bankers Guild offered a generous
loan for the reconstruction of the Morencian
fleet, but the offer was so generous that it
aroused greater suspicion. Finally, Doge Lorenzo
Flabenici was able to steer the Supreme Council
on another course that would turn out to be
even more dangerous. To raise the funds, the
Supreme Council opened the way to the sale of
its seats. This was supposed to allow any guild or
other community to earn a place on the Supreme
Council, but bids became so high that many had
to arrange astronomical loans from the Bankers
Guild to purchase their seat.
Moreover, the Bankers Guild itself was able to
buy the biggest share of the available seats. In
addition to empowering the Bankers Guild, this
sequence of events considerably weakened the
position of the Doge.
The Dread of the Moonless Night
The nights have become far more dangerous in
recent months, with people being found dead
in the streets and canals of Morencia. Rumours
are swirling that monsters have appeared to
punish the sinful, but so far none really know
what the cause of these attacks are. However,
the modus operandi is extremely barbaric and
strangely similar, almost ritual. The creature—or
whatever it is—always attacks when the moon
is not visible, either absent or masked by clouds.
Increasing night patrols has had no effect, so
as a last resort, the Supreme Council has hired
the famous witch hunter, Vedemir Kaltstahl, to
investigate.
Cultural Happenings
The Black Carnival
Held once per year in the heart of summer, the
Black Carnival is an occasion for Morencians to
give free rein to their base instincts. Clothed in
extravagant costumes, the citizens feast for an
entire month, indulging in incredible amounts on
food, beverages, and more licentious activities.
But recent years have seen the carnival tarnished,
as darker habits have begun to spread among the
population. Rumours tell of debauched gatherings
hosted by dark sorcerers, where torture is
conducted in exchange for massive amounts
of gold. Even if no such activities have been
exposed so far, the level of debauchery has clearly
increased, with the most critical voices already
associating this deviancy with the new threat, the
Dread of the Moonless Night.
The White Carnival
At the end of the year, six months after the Black
Carnival, Morencia is usually covered in snow.
This is the signal for a very different kind of
carnival: a chance to clean all the refuse from the
city, be it rubbish or people.
The official white mask worn during the White
Carnival is reserved for citizens, and anyone
unable to get a mask—by legal means or
otherwise—is pursued, placed in a skiff, and
exiled across the lagoon.
Noteable Locations
Noteable Perople
Factions & Institutions
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