Port Atahu Nui GD
Locations In the City (District)
- Beggars' Palaces (Old City)
- Executioner's Run (Old City)
- Refuse Pit (Old City)
- Goldenthrone (Merchants' Ward)
- Merchant Prince's Villa (Merchants' Ward)
- Grand Souk (Merchants' Ward)
- Temple of Savras (Merchants' Ward)
- Temple of Gond (Merchants' Ward)
- Temple of Sune (Merchants' Ward)
- Jewel Market (Merchants' Ward)
- Royal Docks (Harbor Ward)
- Statue (Harbor Ward)
- Harbormaster's Office (Harbor Ward)
- Lighthouse (Harbor Ward)
- Fort Atanuei (Harbor Ward)
- Warehouse District (Harbor Ward)
- Dry Dock (Harbor Ward)
- Red Bazaar (Market Ward)
- Fish Market (Market Ward)
- Grand Coliseum (Market Ward)
- Hall of Gold (Market Ward)
- Public Bathhouse (Market Ward)
- Dye Works (Market Ward)
- Temple of Tymora (Malar's Throat)
- Dinosaur Pens (Tiryki Anchorage)
Demographics
Members of every race and nationality can be found in Atahu Nui, but few of them ever travel more than a hundred yards beyond the city walls. The native peoples are divided into those that are commonly known and those whose presence is legendary or only suspected.
Commonly Known - Zulticans (humans), Aarakocra, Batiri (goblins), dwarves (including albino dwarves), pterafolk, and tabaxi.
Special - Weretigers are suspected to be present in small numbers; explorers and hunters sometimes report seeing grungs (frog folk) deep in the jungle; and Yuan-Ti are rumored to be making a resurgence in remote areas.
A crew of Frost Giants have come to The Badlands seeking the Ring of Winter.
An expedition of Luxen Wizards is hunting for the Soulmonger, but the presence of these bands is still unknown to the larger population.
Dinosaurs are revered as the children of Ubtao
Monpoke are the tended flock of the wife of Ubtao, and are similarly revered by some tribes.
Finally, the deep jungle is overrun by skeletons, zombies, ghouls, and other types of undead. Everyone is all too aware of their presence.
Government
No other city exists in the Badlands, so Atahu Nui represents an important leyline to the jungle for certain exotic goods, materials, and treasures. Until recently, the city was under the firm control of Mirajawah, a foreign nation. Nine years ago, Nirajawa was forced to relinquish the city to a wealthy and powerful consortium of Zultican traders backed by the Ytepka Society, or risk a bloody conflict that probably would have ended with the city winning its independence anyway.
Seven Zultican traders have since grown into influential merchant princes, enticing folk from around Semestria with their exotic wares.
Defences
About half the city's population lives crowded together outside the walls, where they're always exposed to sudden attacks by carnivores or undead. A volunteer citizens' brigade keeps watch for approaching danger. When residents of the outer wards hear the long blast of warning horns, day or night, they scramble for the safety of the Market Ward and Merchants' Ward until the all clear sounds.
Industry & Trade
Outside the main walls are three slums: the Old City to the southwest, where many buildings are remnants o older, pyramidal construction; Malar's Throat to the south, where buildings cling to the walls of a lush canyon spanned by rope bridges; and Tiryki anchorage to the southeast, where explorers and river folk gather.
Taxes are high in Port Atahu Nui, but those rich enough or lucky enough to be employed by one of the major mercantile groups live in relative safety inside the walls of this ultimate frontier city. Hundreds of people live in the wards outside the walls, including those whose employment or business interests are in those wards. They have learnt to survive fairly well, dealing constantly with disease and threats from the jungle. Many dream of, and work towards gaining, employment with any mercantile group so they can move inside the walls.
Infrastructure
Atahu Nui is a city of walls within walls. Burgeoning wealth has driven the city's richest residents to raise defenses against the jungle's dangers, and possibly against the dangers they perceive from the cit's less-well-off districts, which all ie outside the main wall. The walls are impressive barriers of massive, fitted stone. Like other structures in Atahu Nui, they're decorated with colorful paintings of geometric designs, animals, and mythic figures.
Atahu Nui is not hospitable to horse-riding so they have dinosaur races through the city that is a spectacle many people wager on. They clear the streets and spectators get up on roofs and walls to be able to see.
Assets
Atahu Nui is a bastion of civilization and commerce in a savage land. The amount of business that unfolds here and the cash that moves through its counting houses would make any merchant of Greyhawk or Lyros jealous. It's also a colorful, musical, aroma-filled, vibrant city in its own right. Other than trade, the biggest attractions are the weekly dinosaur races through the streets. Locals and visitors alike wager princely sums on the races' outcomes. The city also boasts grand bazaars, glorious mansions, and temples, circuses, and gladiatorial contests.
The Ztu Ztu (zoo-zoo) fruit is also a key part of the city's trade, with its magical attributes being of considerable interest to wizards, conjurers, magic-users, and sorcerers around the world.
Guilds and Factions
There are seven Zultican merchant princes who have agreed to run the city between them. Each owns a mercantile group in the town, separated by differing trade interests over which they have a legal monolpoly (for example weapons, magical items, or buying/selling dinosaurs).
History
The harbor of Atahu Nui was originally founded as the final bastion for the southern tribes against the undead that teemed in the Zultican rainforest. The city was built over the remnants and rubble of the previous kingdom Atahu, which had fallen during the conquest of Ras Nsi.
A high stockade wall of stone was erected facing towards the jungle, staggered by three well-guarded gates.
After the Zultican's immediate safety was secured, they began rebuilding their culture, creating beautiful works and crafts with supplies they were able to scavenge from the jungle. Over time, several trade ships found their shores, and began trading for these exotic goods.
Before long, representatives of Mira Jawah appeared on boat and struck a deal to allow permanent housing to be built for their representatives. They taught the Zulticans some of their technologies, and worked together to build a naval stockade to project the port from pirate threats. A great chain mechanism was built that in times of danger could be raised to guard the harbour from enemy ships.
Over time, the Mira Jawans began to convert the Zulticans to their gods and culture, though some stubbornly hung on to the traditions of the past.
After several decades of relative peace, a calamity known as the Spell Plague befell the continent. Zulticans, having always lived in the magically dense rainforest, were especially bereaved, and many perished.
Mira Jawah used many resources to help support the Zulticans during this time, but also to enrich themselves in the process. They soon claimed control over the trade of the entire city, which had grown to be a trade destination for the entire continent for it's unique wares.
With the help of the Triceratops Society, Zulticans were able to unite enough to reclaim control of the city, at least on paper. The Zulticans brokered a deal that allowed the 7 most powerful merchant princes to control the city. What the triceratops society hadn't anticipated, however, was that Mira Jawah would still exert large influence in the city through bribery and manipulation of the Merchant Princes, as well as the city guard.
Architecture
The city is defined by four steep hills. The westernmost hill, called Temple Hill because it's home to the temple of Savras, is completely walled off from lower ground. A wide stone bridge crosses on arched columns from Temple Hill to Throne Hill, site of Goldenthrone. A second bridge connects Throne Hill to the soutern slopes site of several merchant princes' villas. East of the harbor, the Hall of Gold gleams atop the cit's talest hill, Mount Sibasa, which is connected by bridge to he neighborhing Yklwazi Hill (pronounced yick-ul-WAH-zee), site of the Grand Coliseum. Steep, stepped streets and terraces surround each hill.
Geography
Atahu Nui hugs the coastline at the south end of the bay in the Badlands. No other city exists in the Badlands (that is known to civilization), long the coast or anywhere else, except in ruins or overrun by monstrous creatures. Until recently, Atahu Nui was under the firm control of Amn, a foreign nation. Nine years ago, Amn was forced to relinquish the city to a wealthy and powerful consortium of traders backed by the Ytepka Society, or risk a bloody conflict that probably would have ended with the city winning its independence anyway. Seven traders have since grown into influential merchant princes, enticing folk from up and down Semestria with their exotic wares.
Atahu Nui is a bastion of civilization and commerce in a savage land. The amount of business that unfolds here and the cash that moves through its counting houses would make many a successful merchant jealous. It's also a colorful, musical, aroma-filled, vibrant city in its own right. Other than trade the biggest attractions are the weekly dinosaur races through the streets. Local and visitors alike wager princely sums on the races' outcomes. The city also boasts grand bazaars, glorious mansions, and temples, circuses, and gladiatorial contests.
Enemies surround Atahu Nui on all sides. The jungle teems with ferocious reptiles and murderous undead, priates prowl the surrounding sea, and the mouth of the bay is home to a greedy dragon turtle. Characters who question locals can learn rumors that might help them survive the perils of the Badlands. The characters can secure gear and guides before leaving the city. Syndra Silvane is too weak to accompany them or provide any additional support.
Districts in the City
Old City
Three ancient, vine-overed ziggurats tower above this crumbling wrd. The whole district is a juxtaposition of ancient and decaying (but still occupied) stone structures interspersed with flimsy new huts and longhouses of bamboo and thatch. The Old City is run by "beggar princes" in a mocking parallel to the merchant princes of the city proper. They have no official authority, but each of them sits atop a web of debts, favors, incriminating information, and loyal muscle that allows them to get things done with an efficiency that the merchant princes sometimes envy. Unlike the merchant princes, whose positions are based on wealth that passes from generation to generation in the same family, the identities and even the number of the beggar princes changes continually. The Old City is run down but it isn't a slum or a haven for thieves. Most of the residents are lower-class laborers or struggling artisans who can't afford the higher rents of homes inside the city walls.Merchants' Ward
The western half of the city is called the Merchants' Ward because it's the site of the Grand Souk and because many of the merchant princes' villas are there. In genera, this is the upper-class section of the city. The majority of the city's merchants and traders actually live and work in the Market Ward.Harbor Ward
Atahu Nui's harbor can accommodate ships of all sizes. The enclosed, eastern portion of the harbor is reserved for the use of the merchant princes, but the rest of the docks are available for use by any ship. If the characters wish to travel by sea, they can book passage on the Brazen Pegasus at a cost of 10 gp per day (for the whole party). A 60-foot sloop built for speed, she has a single mast flying a square mainsail plus two triangular foresails, one aft sail, and a small topsail.. All that canvas gives her a top speed of 10 mph under ideal conditions. More information on the ship can be found in the book on page 21.Market Ward
The Market Ward is where most of Atahu Nui's regular shops are located and where most of its trades-folk, merchants, and other middle-class residents live and work.Malar's Throat
This region outside the city walls is Atahu Nui's slum district. Two sheer, jungle-draped ridges flank a deep ravine. Ramshackle buildings cling to the sides of the ridges, each structure seemingly built atop the lower one's roof. During heavy rain, runoff pours down the ravine, through Ubtao's Jaws (the large gate in the city wall facing Malar's Throat), and down the paved streets to the harbor, often sweeping along unattended baskets, dead animals, and even clumsy or unlucky residents in its tow. Foot bridges of rope and bamboo hang above the ravine. Some of them are 200 feet long or longer and sway a hundred feet above ground, terrifying the faint of heart. Skilled thieves have been known to drop hooks on thin lines from the bridges and "fish" purses right of victims belts.Tiryki Anchorage
This district east of the city is populated by animal trainers, river folk, explorers who need inexpensive lodging, and other rough-and-tumble sorts. Smugglers prefer the unregulated docks of the anchorage over the policed and inspected docks of the harbor, despite the shortage of dock workers and beast-powered cranes to assist in loading and unloading. Unlike Malar's Throat and the Old City, Tiryki Anchorage has no fortified temple or ancient stone ziggurats where residents can take shelter against undead or carnivores. Most people dash for Tiryki Gate when the alarm sounds and hope to get through before it's locked ahead of them. Fortunately, the animals in their pens are more sensitive to approaching enemies than humans are, so few creatures are able to sneak into the area undetected.
Alternative Name(s)
Zultica
Type
Metropolis
Population
12,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Zulticans
Characters in Location
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