KADDASTREI - THE CAPITAL CITY

Metropolis: Conventional/Magical; AL LN; 100,000 gp limit; Assets 136,670,000 gp; Population 27,334; Mixed (73% human, 6% dwarf, 5% gnome, 5% halfl ing, 4% elf, 2% half-elf, 1% half-orc, 4% other).

Kaddastrei is the grand capital of Kaddas, the last remnant of an ancient empire and still a rich and powerful nation. Many state capitals follow the models of military cities or trading hubs (as presented earlier), but Kaddastrei is a city built for no other purpose than to be its nation’s capital.

Kaddastrei and Kaddas proper are currently ruled by King Rumeius IV. The monarchy of Kaddas is passed on to the oldest child in a commonly seen system of succession; at the same time, custom demands that the ruler be versed in the arts of wizardry. Thus, Kaddastrei’s power center is both conventional and magical.

ARCHITECTURE

The official edifices of Kaddastrei 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 palace itself is as large as a small village. It contains not only the king’s living and working quarters, but most of the city’s governmental offi ces, an entire military garrison, and a magical laboratory used by King Rumeius and the other royal wizards.

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. Even modest homes likely have at least two stories, with some boasting as many as four or five. As often seen in a military city, many of Kaddastrei’s roofs are flat. They can serve as archery platforms should the city ever face invasion, but they more often function as vantage points from which citizens can view the monarch and other nobles passing in procession.

LAYOUT

Kaddastrei is surrounded by a layered defensive wall rivaling that of any military stronghold, 32 feet in height and 15 feet thick. It has hardness 8, 1,170 hp, and a break DC of 70. The city’s gates are larger and more numerous than those in most fortified cities, the better to allow entry for royal or ambassadorial processions. Constructed of iron (hardness 10, 60 hp, break DC 28), each gate is normally open but guarded by six royal soldiers (5th-level human warriors). A second, smaller wall surrounds the palace, which sits atop a small rise. This wall is 10 feet high and 1 foot thick, constructed of stone (hardness 8, 180 hp, break DC 40). Each of its heavy wooden gates (hardness 5, 20 hp, break DC 23) is normally guarded by four royal soldiers.

The main roads of the city form an off-center circular grid. Impossibly wide avenues stab straight from the palace to the many city gates, like beams from a sun, 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 fl ame lampposts, all streets are clearly labeled, and major intersections boast permanent guards.

Kaddastrei Map Key

The keyed locations on the Kaddastrei map indicate various districts of the city. For a general discussion of these features, see City Districts beginning on page 34. Walls and gates are discussed under Layout.

1. Primary defensive wall
2. City gate
3. Secondary defensive wall
4. Gates to the keep
5. Civic district
6. Elf neighborhood
7. Embassy district
8. Fine shops
9. Lord’s Keep
10. Magic district
11. Noble estates
12. Park district
13. University
14. Wealthy residential district
15. Average residential district
16. Coliseum/arena district
17. Garrison
18. Gnome neighborhood
19. Guildhall district
20. Halfling neighborhood
21. Marketplace
22. Temple district
23. Caravan district
24. Inn/Tavern district
25. Necropolis
26. Prison district
27. Red-light district
28. Shantytown
29. Slave quarter
30. Slum/Tenement district
31. Tannery district
32. Theater district
33. Warehouse district

PERSONA

The people of Kaddastrei know the importance of their city, and they can be arrogant and pompous as a result. Visitors often find them tiresome. Nevertheless, the population is quite cosmopolitan. Citizens view other races, unusual cultures, and strange magic with tolerance, if not outright welcome.

Crime in Kaddastrei falls under the purview of several accredited thieves guilds, all of which have standing arrangements with the city guard and with the crown. So long as they keep a tight leash on their members and avoid robbing or assaulting anyone important, the criminal guilds operate with minimal interference. While many in power dislike this arrangement, they recognize that the alternative would be a larger number of independent, unrestricted criminals. The guilds enforce the protection of individuals designated as off limits and eliminate competition by outside thieves, performing both functions far more efficiently than the city watch could manage. This situation perpetuates a belief, at least among the capital’s wealthy, that this “ultimate city” is practically free of crime, while it alienates the poor who suffer the depredations of the guilds.