Wretinridge
The Sundered City of WRETINRIDGE was torn in half during the Astral Descent. Half of the civilization fell below and became a shattered, devastated ruin in the darkened Wasteland. The survivors in the upper half, now one of the cloud-islands of the Zephyr Archipelago, held onto hope and to one another to rebuild following 'the Ruin' (their term for Skyfall.) Over decades, Wretinridge was restored into a prosperous, sprawling city of money, mysteries, secrets, and adventure...constructed literally on the edge of the Expanse / Veil.
Foundations & History
The story of how the city came to be takes place during the Waramunt Imperium, many centuries prior to the Astral Descent. In those times, the peoples used the region primarily as agricultural lands producing crops and livestock for sustenance, supplementing their diet via hunting (commonly Wretin, which nested along the rocky ridgeline that would one day give the settlement its name.)
During a routine hunt, trackers stumbled upon veins of silver threading through the cliffs. This discovery transformed the quiet agricultural hamlet into a bustling mining settlement. Miners flocked to the ridgeline, as did other laborers, traders, and craftsmen to support the growing community.
The newfound wealth of silver attracted merchants, but dense thickets of the Mournwood stood as a formidable barrier. Thorn-choked paths wound throughout the forest, making passage somewhat perilous. In response, miners tied ribbons to mark the safest routes and laid wooden slats over the worst of the briars. Over time, these ribbons were replaced with colorful banners to guide caravans and sturdy wooden bridges spanned the trickiest stretches of the trail. The route evolved into what is now known as Banner Way and the wooden footbridges live on in Briar Bridge.
As the hamlet grew into a larger township, it became clear that a code of conduct was needed to maintain law and order among its diverse peoples. A custom was born: all who entered the town were required to leave their weapons at a pair of stone markers along the main road and swear a vow to maintain the peace. These stones markers remain, the Oathstones, at the main gate to Wretinridge...though none are required to surrender their arms in the modern era. They are seen by many as a symbol of unity and trust, a shared promise to prioritize community and cooperation over personal vendettas. Geography & Climate
Perched on the very edge of the floating landmass, overlooking the Wasteland and the shattered ruins of the other half of Wretinridge far below, surrounded by the Mournwood
Culture & Demographics
Religion
Predominantly worshippers of the The One Faith, though there are those who privately keep to the olde ways, worshipping one of the Elder Gods:
Yggdrasil
Corvus
Ouroboros
Herne the Hunter
Money and Economy
Coinage, Trade, & Barter
Technology
Law & Order
Citysguard of Wretinridge
Government/Politics
Windhall - city center, center of government
Governance in Wretinridge
Factions, Guilds, & Organizations
Guilds of Wretinridge
Noble Families
Precincts
Gloomport - shipyard & skyport / docks
Cobblestown - market district, merchant and tradesfolk, open air markets
Highgarden - grand mansions and estates of the nobility
Middentown - Midtown, artisans and theatre
Coliseum
Silkshore - "Redlight" district, brothels and nefarious pubs
Godsward - temple district
Windhall - city / government center
Spellspires (aka Seven Towers) of The Collegium - alchemy academia, library, & university
Tower of the Abjuration
Tower of Transmutation
Tower of Divination
Tower of Conjuration
Tower of Enchantment
Tower of Evocation
Tower of Illusion
Scrivner's Square - barristers, scribes, bookmakers
Coal Ridge - remnants of the original hilltop mining settlement, now home to laborers and ironworks, smelting industry
The Warrens (also known as 'Old Town') - lower income stackhouses and tenement housing at the edge Undercity & Sewers - Waste and water runoff is collected and routed through the Warrens before being funneled through engineered tunnels and shafts through bottom of the landmass, discarded into the Wasteland below.
Foundations & History
The story of how the city came to be takes place during the Waramunt Imperium, many centuries prior to the Astral Descent. In those times, the peoples used the region primarily as agricultural lands producing crops and livestock for sustenance, supplementing their diet via hunting (commonly Wretin, which nested along the rocky ridgeline that would one day give the settlement its name.)
During a routine hunt, trackers stumbled upon veins of silver threading through the cliffs. This discovery transformed the quiet agricultural hamlet into a bustling mining settlement. Miners flocked to the ridgeline, as did other laborers, traders, and craftsmen to support the growing community.
The newfound wealth of silver attracted merchants, but dense thickets of the Mournwood stood as a formidable barrier. Thorn-choked paths wound throughout the forest, making passage somewhat perilous. In response, miners tied ribbons to mark the safest routes and laid wooden slats over the worst of the briars. Over time, these ribbons were replaced with colorful banners to guide caravans and sturdy wooden bridges spanned the trickiest stretches of the trail. The route evolved into what is now known as Banner Way and the wooden footbridges live on in Briar Bridge.
As the hamlet grew into a larger township, it became clear that a code of conduct was needed to maintain law and order among its diverse peoples. A custom was born: all who entered the town were required to leave their weapons at a pair of stone markers along the main road and swear a vow to maintain the peace. These stones markers remain, the Oathstones, at the main gate to Wretinridge...though none are required to surrender their arms in the modern era. They are seen by many as a symbol of unity and trust, a shared promise to prioritize community and cooperation over personal vendettas. Geography & Climate
Perched on the very edge of the floating landmass, overlooking the Wasteland and the shattered ruins of the other half of Wretinridge far below, surrounded by the Mournwood
Culture & Demographics
Religion
Predominantly worshippers of the The One Faith, though there are those who privately keep to the olde ways, worshipping one of the Elder Gods:
Yggdrasil
Corvus
Ouroboros
Herne the Hunter
Money and Economy
Coinage, Trade, & Barter
Technology
Law & Order
Citysguard of Wretinridge
Government/Politics
Windhall - city center, center of government
Governance in Wretinridge
Factions, Guilds, & Organizations
Guilds of Wretinridge
Noble Families
Precincts
Gloomport - shipyard & skyport / docks
Cobblestown - market district, merchant and tradesfolk, open air markets
Highgarden - grand mansions and estates of the nobility
Middentown - Midtown, artisans and theatre
Coliseum
Silkshore - "Redlight" district, brothels and nefarious pubs
Godsward - temple district
Windhall - city / government center
Spellspires (aka Seven Towers) of The Collegium - alchemy academia, library, & university
Tower of the Abjuration
Tower of Transmutation
Tower of Divination
Tower of Conjuration
Tower of Enchantment
Tower of Evocation
Tower of Illusion
Scrivner's Square - barristers, scribes, bookmakers
Coal Ridge - remnants of the original hilltop mining settlement, now home to laborers and ironworks, smelting industry
The Warrens (also known as 'Old Town') - lower income stackhouses and tenement housing at the edge Undercity & Sewers - Waste and water runoff is collected and routed through the Warrens before being funneled through engineered tunnels and shafts through bottom of the landmass, discarded into the Wasteland below.
Source / Inspired by: Monte Cook Games Ptolus and GooeyCube Darkenhaven
AI Art by Midjourney
"In Wretinridge, I wandered free,
Amidst the bustle of life and industry,
But the hills and trees seemed far away,
As if the city held them at bay.
Yet in Wretinridge's heart I found a peace,
As if the buildings themselves had a soul to release,
The people there, with their dreams and schemes,
Were like the rivers and streams of my childhood dreams.
And though the city was crowded and loud,
The Criers sing unbowed and proud,
For Wretinridge's sights live bright,
The spires and domes in a radiant light.
O Wretinridge, city of my heart,
Where future and ancient both meet and part,
I'll remember you always, with your bustling streets,
Your hidden heart which forever beats."
Type
Large city
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