Dicrices (die-KREE-seez)

Located several miles south of the Republic of Decrowed, Dicrices is a small island ruled by a lax government. Travel between all local countries is allowed with no restrictions, making it a popular refuge for runaways and criminals. The majority of the population is poor and uneducated, with often violent gangs crowding into the best places.

Geography

Dicrices is a small island, formerly covered in foliage, sand, and trees. After it was colonized centuries ago, the landscape was destroyed by construction and mining. The main city, Keshre, grew along the northern shore over several years, with streets connecting in a jagged maze of buildings that become smaller as they grow closer to the factories at the south end. Beyond the city, the rest of the island is a dark mess of broken rock from the mining that was done for years. Only the southernmost shore has

by Lilliana Casper

any resemblance to the tropical island it was when it was first discovered.
Keshre was built rapidly as a place for settlers to live. As miners moved to the island, the city grew closer to the center of the landmass so that the workers could live within walking distance of the mines. The miners were paid very little and their homes were forced up next to each other and constructed out of leftover timber and cheap wood. Factories soon grew up between the miner's district and the rest of the city, providing jobs for the citizens.
Past what is now called the Gutters are the remains of the jewel mines. Stripped of their precious resources, the mines serve only as deep

holes and tunnels for the gangs to hide bodies. The land around the mines is scorched black from a hundred years of fire pits for light. Beyond the mines is the rest of the island. While most of the jungle has been razed to the ground to make room for mines, a slender strip of land at the southernmost shore has been left untouched. Supposedly, this land belongs to one of the wealthiest merchants in Keshre, but no one knows who that is.

History

Dicrices was discovered shortly after Decrowed was established. The Decrowans who settled there soon discovered the precious jewels that were hidden deep underground and miners were sent to the island within a few years. Keshre, the only city on the island, was built quickly as more people moved to Dicrices to make a fortune or simply make a life. Dicrices was originally under the control of Decrowed but broke off as soon as the island's merchants were wealthy and powerful enough to rule alone.

The government on Dicrices was never strong, and it only grew weaker as the years passed. Wealthy merchants and businessmen ruled the island, selling the jewels their miners brought up for exorbitant prices, and almost none of them had any idea how to control an entire country, no matter how small. As such, crime began to fester in the darkened streets of the miner's district, which soon became known as the Gutters, and criminals from the mainland learned that ports rarely checked for identification.

We'll go south, to Dicrices. They don't check names there. We'll be safe, they won't find us. You can have our baby, I can get a job, and then we can move on from all of this. We can disappear there, Riya, we can survive. We'll just be normal people, not fugitives.

— a refugee talking to his wife

Over the years, Dicrices became a hub for criminals, gangs, and anyone wishing to escape. After the discovery of Joseph's Hand, Dicrices fell into even more crime as the more righteous of the country's citizens left for the new island. It also became a popular place for refugees to stop before making their way to a new country. Fugitives from Decrowed's rulers fled there and after the rebellion against House Halkran, many allies of the Flaming house escaped to the island.
In recent times, Dicrices has become slightly more organized, with criminal gangs binding together in tight circles. Whispers in the Gutters claim that an uprising is coming, but rebellions have been attempted and have never succeeded. If a revolt is being planned, its orchestrators may find it more difficult to overthrow the merchants than they believe.

Dicrices is a mess! It's even worse than the Wilds. I don't know how anyone could live there, truly I don't.

— someone who does not like Dicrices

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Alternative Name(s)

Shadow City; Dark Haven; The Gutters (the worst parts of the city)

Type

Island

Location under

Narthica

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Portals in the City

While the concept of portals is accepted but considered far-fetched in most parts of the world, in Dicrices they are considered a rule of life. For reasons no one has looked into, Dicrices has had cases of mysterious people appearing since the year it was first populated. Portal experts believe there may be a permanent portal somewhere on the island, possibly in the Gutters of the city, which is where most reports originate. The majority of the portal-transfers who appear in the city are poor and they rarely speak of their old worlds.

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It's strange how similar this place is to my home. Yes, the air feels different and the languages are more varied, but the way the gangs rule and the way the government doesn't care about the poor is so much like Resstar. Maybe I can survive here, in this city where no one knows my name.

— a portal-transfer from Vishteljerer

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by Lilliana Casper