Magnimar, the City of Monuments
“Korvosan explorers called this the lost coast, yet it is here
that we found something no Korvosan can ever understand—
freedom. Atop the seacleft, where the giant’s bridge still yearns
for its far shore, and where the angels of Arvensoar danced
for the moon's delight, we have built a city not only to rival far
Korvosa, but any that sprawls in Cheliax or on the shores of the
Inner Sea. Magnimar is new in body, yet she is impossibly ancient
in Soul, and that soul shall carry us, her newest wards,
into a future where all of Varisia's children can live as one
in the shadow of great monuments, new and old.”
—Alcaydian Indros. founder of Magnimar
On the western edge of the land of Varisia, along the southern reaches of a beautiful stretch known as the Lost Coast, the swampy expanse of the Mushfens and the coiling length of the Yondabakari River come to a stark and dramatic end in the shadow of a striking limestone escarpment jutting from the cliffs. Varisian legends have long regarded the place as a blessed resting spot for celestial messengers, and the wanderers would often visit in hopes of seeing an angel and gaining the good fortune such a portent presaged. Yet the upthrust mass of stone itself is overshadowed by an even greater sight—the Irespan, one of ancient Thassilon’s most prominent ruins. Known also as the Giant’s Bridge, this ruined causeway juts out from the Seacleft nearly 400 feet, with its ruined pilings extending farther out to sea, giving the unmistakable impression of ancient grandeur. Be it the point at which angels descended from the heavens to bless their Varisian wards or the ancient site of forgotten commerce and travel, the region has long captivated the imaginations of those who beheld it. Its position at the mouth of Varisia’s mightiest river and at the southwesternmost safe harbor on the mainland only further ensured that the site would, one day, host a magnif icent city. Today, that city is known as Magnimar—
the City of Monuments.
The nine districts of Magnimar: The Summit:
Alabaster Distric: The Alabaster District is home to Magnimar’s richest and most aff luent citizens. Aristocrats, guild masters, and anyone rich enough to afford such a lifestyle dwell in the grandiose villas and mansions that line this district’s streets, which also house the small armies of support staff each villa requires to maintain its decadence and splendor. Shops, taverns, and the like are relatively rare here, with those that do exist typically catering to small clienteles—practically secret societies, these establishments generally do not open their doors to non-members.
Capital Distric: Although much of Magnimar’s industry and trade takes place along the Shore, the dusty blocks that surround the Irespan ring with the noisy work of sculptors, jewelers, woodcarvers, and all manner of other artisans who work in rare mediums—even magic. In Bridgeward, studios and workshops of such artisans engage in their trade and competition for students, members, and custom. Yet despite the quality of many of Magnimar’s artists, these establishments are not the primary purpose of this large district, for it is here that the city’s government is centered. Magnimar has two off icial government branches (a third, the Varisian Council, has relatively little off icial influence in the city but impacts Magnimar in other ways). Both of these branches maintain a presence in the central part of the Capital District. The office of the lord- mayor and the Council of Ushers are based in neighboring buildings: the Pediment Building and Usher’s Hall, respectively.
Naos: Home to many merchants and comfortable families, Naos is disparagingly called the “New-Money District” by local aristocrats. Despite the disdainful comments of the elite, Naos is one of the most welcoming and wellkept parts of Magnimar.
The Shore: Beacon Point: Comprising the western rim of Outcast’s Cove and ending at the statue-studded point called the Wyrmwatch, Beacon Point is a raucous home to traders, sailors, and hardworking, hard-living families of all sorts. Numerous warehouses, shipping concerns, and other businesses f ill the area, as do numerous simple but boisterous brothels and taverns. The farther one travels from this district’s borders, the more closely packed and poorly maintained the buildings get—many critics of Magnimar see Beacon Point as a metaphor for the whole city as being a shell of civility and industry wrapped around a corrupt heart.
Dockway: The shouts and bustle of countless traders, fishermen, and foreign travelers stir the choppy waters of Outcast’s Cove through all hours of the day and night. Along the seasidedistrict of Dockway, salt-blasted storefronts and cramped businesses cater to the typically rough seafolk, while exotic inns and taverns serve as familiar welcomes to visitors from afar. First and foremost a trade city, Magnimar owes its prosperity to the countless foreign merchants who readily make use of the city’s reputedly safe and certainly free port. Enforcing no taxes on harborage or imports, the city welcomes business from all lands and makes the bounty of Varisia available for trade. As a result, several of the most prestigious trading coasters, mercantile families, and shipping concerns do regular business in the city, with some having even established off ices and private local shipyards.
Keystone: While impressive and intimidating buildings line Keystone’s major streets, behind them lie the townhouses and close alleys of Magnimar’s laity. It is these buildings that the majority of the middle class of Magnimar calls home. While holy houses to some of the gods can be found in other districts, Keystone features the largest number of temples, shrines, and holy sites.
Lowcleft: Nestled at the bottom of the Seacleft lies one of Magnimar’s most vibrant districts. Numerous small playhouses, pubs, brothels, hookah bars, dance halls, and a wide variety of other entertainments make Lowcleft—or “the Rubble,” as locals typically call it (as much because of the minor but frequent small rockfalls that tumble from the face of the Seacleft and land here, as to the district’s perceived low morals) —a home to the city’s artistic and avant-garde community. Many of Lowcleft’s citizens see themselves as the city’s true artistic heart and soul, and regard the fine arts of the Capital District or the upperclass entertainments of the Summit in general as falsified institutions that cater to a muse made of money. In Lowcleft, subversive entertainment, anti-establishment rhetoric, and wild social experimentation are the norm. Aristocrats often sneak down to Lowcleft to enjoy its edge just as middle-class workers often visit the district to escape the drudgery of mindless work. Those who choose to live and work in Lowcleft often regard these visitors as lesser forms of life or unwelcome intruders, yet they are always careful to avoid voicing such opinions in mixed company, since if there’s anything that binds the people of Lowcleft together, it’s an appreciation of the money these frequent visitors spend in the district’s distractions.
Ordellia: Separated from the main city by the deep waters of the Yondabakari, Ordellia simultaneously extols the virtues of diversity Magnimar was founded on and suffers from and supplies those who distrust outlanders with constant reminders of why a safe city has walls. Referred to disparagingly by many Magnimarians as the “Mush” (a play on words that references not only Ordellia’s proximity to the Mushfens, but also its highly diverse population), Ordellia is in many ways its own city, distinct from the rest of Magnimar, yet bound to it by a dependence on government support as surely as it is by the sturdy stone bridges that connect the district to the east. Long a hotbed of dissension and governmental criticism, Ordellia perhaps best embodies the spirit of freedom and leaderless rule Magnimar was founded upon. Many in the district consider Ordellia a town apart from Magnimar, taking pride in organizing their own small community militia and council apart from the city’s.
The Shadow: The Underbridge: Seedy taverns, poorly run brothels, and rat-infested gambling dens compete with salt-blasted tenement buildings and cheap f lophouses in Magnimar’s most dangerous district, Underbridge. While the Magnimarian government champions cleaning up Underbridge as one of its most important long-term goals, many council members realize that the vices of the slum attract a certain amount of business to the city and that truly clearing away the “bridge trash” could signif icantly impact the local economy. While several of the city’s religions have attempted in the past to reform and redeem the lost of this district, it seems that the denizens of Underbridge prefer to live amid squalor and danger, if only as a way to escape the demands of faith and society. It’s not uncommon to hear talk amid the citizens of Underbridge of how their district is the only one that maintains Magnimar’s purpose—that they, and they alone, uphold the values of freedom and liberty that Magnimar’s original founders held so dear. Of course, such values are crowed primarily by the bullies and slumlords of Underbridge—those who build their success on Underbridge’s desperate common folk, who have no public voice at all, and whom Magnimar sees as little more than filth to be swept under the metaphorical rug that is the Irespan.
Map to the city:
Founding Date
16 Arodus 4611
Type
Large town
Population
ca 16 500
Characters in Location
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