Alderham

Yeshen Free City on the Silver Coast

Low stonework houses and buildings, rarely taller · Popolution Roughly 12,000 · FLAG: pointed and long, brown vertical stripe near flagpole; horizontal navy blue with ship sailing on it. · Shipping Port, although fairly poor and raggedy; kind of a “hole” · Lots of low SES, a good deal of crime: Thieves and Rogues Hekkam (small wealthy area of the city, old money and some corruption; walled in on all sides) · Market: High market for gems; common weapons and armor; common mounts and common equipment; lots of seafaring equipment) · Trade: common with Kindgom Bountiful; very very rarely Maximon, common to receive goods from Coastport, a more prosperous town with more quality goods · Shipyards, very plain but lots of skilled sailors, grizzled old ones especially · Favored port for pirates of the Silver Coast · City fairly lawless, especially in poorer quarters (Stonepit and Seaside the wharfs are often decrepit · Food augmented by sea-food · At its heart, a Chaotic neutral city, although it purports to have law
Denizens of Alderham Alderham City Guard Alderham, Creatures and People

ALDERHAM TRADE

Exports
§ silver (coveted in the Kingdom Bountiful) and gemstones; this especially; turquoise and emeralds; emerald trade very profitable, to the Kingdom especially, but even to the other Free Cities

The Mining operation west of the city, among the Emerald Hills, delivers a steady supply of stone to Alderham. Here there is a high volume of wholesale trade in the emeralds--and a turquoise deemed the finest of all Summer's TaLE--derived from the ore. Gem traders from far away will brave the relative lawlessness of Alderham to purchase on site.
• The Hekkams charge a high price to emerald merchants and jewelry-smiths for them to set up shop in the Merchant's Quarter, and they back it up with threat of force--a constant patrol of this area with their soldiers/guards on horseback

§ some ship-building products, some small ships made here § ale and distilled spirits, and Breaks livestock § some iron § Breaks mining materials · Rubies and other gems · High quality copper, bronze, and some platinum § Leather goods § To the Breaks: all manner of manufactured items, especially weaponry and armor, lots of agricultural and mining implements, any luxury items
Imports § Gold and copper and platinum § Coal § Strong Wood from the Eastern Cities and the Kingdom (Kingdom wood prized for ship-building, but less commonly used (expensive)) § Steel and steel goods (especially weaponry and armor)—this is the largest trade, although steel is still made (at lower quality) here § Horses and horse goods § Luxury: Diamonds and Sapphire and other goods § From the Breaks: Tobacco and wheat/barley (a big one), cotton, hemp, leather, livestock, other quality produce, also gemstones, gold, iron, strong quality horses

S

SETTING DETAILS

Town; old architecture circular in temples, other stone buildings simple but strike the visitor as cleaner, and more colorful

• Stone quarries to the west of town, still in operation
• Sky blue and sea-green cloth and flags common
• Lots of sea-fare; town lives by seafood and numerous gardens
• Shipyards are clean and beautiful; ships with blue or green sails; fishing boats
• Trade with Alderham, although the town is self-sufficient food-wise
• Home of about 150 Yesh-him, who have a modest underground world where they preserve their knowledge and teach their ways to their young
• Common equipment generally available, as in any other town. Same with weapons and armor, although choices are generally basic in any case.
• Generally a peaceful, clean, and cheerful place, Neutral Good
• Population enjoys hearing stories and epics, and hearing beautiful music. They are aware of the Yeshen tradition, at least through the stories they hear and the music. They have heard songs in Ancient Yeshen, although they do not know the language, excepting Yesh-him magic users.

Religion in Alderham
Priests to Devid abound, and they collect money for “The Good of Alderham and the safety” that Devid brings. He is the god of Law and Order, revered by the Hekkams, but also used as a reason to collect more money from the townspeople. They have many convinced that it is the influence of this god that keeps them safe in the city. His temples are like the McDonalds of religious buildings.
Karrekon is the god of the merchants. Many of them have little shrines to him; he is not unlike a dwarf in appearance, with a nice suit and merchant’s hat (most merchants wear black hats like a small, blunt fez.) He holds a scale in one hand, and a feather pen in the other. The shrines have green cloth, brown candles, and burn an incense like sage. There is usually also a little plate of copper coins. “Karrekon Koins” are small golden discs with an image of a handshake stamped on both sides.
The Hekkams and some wealthy gem dealers follow Hali Silverstone, and the more sophisticated or guilded thieves give homage to Trystan Slickfinger. The nastiest of the pirates follow Bannobrai, and invoke him in their crimes. This god is feared by the people of Lower Alderham--he is the stuff of nightmares for children and adults alike.

Alderham is sometimes known as "City of Rogues".
City Quarters or Districts Stonepit Seaside Merchants

Religion in Alderham

Priests to Devid abound, and they collect money for “The Good of Alderham and the safety” that Devid brings. He is the god of Law and Order, revered by the Hekkams, but also used as a reason to collect more money from the townspeople. They have many convinced that it is the influence of this god that keeps them safe in the city. His temples are like the McDonalds of religious buildings.
Karrekon is the god of the merchants. Many of them have little shrines to him; he is not unlike a dwarf in appearance, with a nice suit and merchant’s hat (most merchants wear black hats like a small, blunt fez.) He holds a scale in one hand, and a feather pen in the other. The shrines have green cloth, brown candles, and burn an incense like sage. There is usually also a little plate of copper coins. “Karrekon Koins” are small golden discs with an image of a handshake stamped on both sides.
The Hekkams and some wealthy gem dealers follow Hali Silverstone, and the more sophisticated or guilded thieves give homage to Trystan Slickfinger. The nastiest of the pirates follow Bannobrai, and invoke him in their crimes. This god is feared by the people of Lower Alderham--he is the stuff of nightmares for children and adults alike.

History of Alderham “government”: The Hekkams were a powerful family of nobles that rose in power two hundred years ago, as they gained power by control of the gem trade. They became very wealthy and influenced the politics of the free city, which was once in the hands of a loose federation of councilors and merchants. They built a stronghold to keep out others, and from which to rule. They bill themselves as protectors and entertainers and benefactors of the populace, holding great festivals and forging alliances with the influential people of the city, and there is a city council, but it has little real power. Their influence is corrupt, and they buy these alliances with money, and threats. o They employ a secret society of thugs and stooges who will do their bidding. They have great influence over the mining companies, especially the YETC, and they share much in that wealth in return for providing protection and land. o They are often thought of by the more well-to-do as helping hands and noble people who provide good things. o There are plenty that are cynical, but they are caught up in the debauchery of the city: drinking, whoring, and fighting, and they have no power to act on their cynicism or dislike. The Hekkams throw festivals, and entertain, and make sure that the respectable people see them as benefactors and friends. They entertain merchants in their palace; they donate to guilds (that won’t stir up trouble), and they provide protection for the mining companies in their favor.
History of Alderham: Alderham was founded originally by the Yesh-him that came from across the sea. They soon settled, and they forgot their roots in the midst of struggle in a tough land. This was roughly 500 years ago, and the history is all but forgotten. Only a few Yeshens still know the secret, and this is mostly vague. If they insist that it is true, they are scoffed at by the people. Generally the people are afraid of enchantment, and of the idea that the old myths could be true.

GOVERNMENT

A free city governed by Yeshens; but often shunned by out-of-towners’ general populace as being strange or unusual Strong defences (Drellor fortifications) employed against the threat of “strange powers” along the coast. No one knows where the strange influences come from, but there are odd creatures afoot (lizard-fishmen, ghouls, fearsome giant coyotes, and nasty brigands), and the city has long been well-defended. Every young Mothari, unless under apprenticeship in magic, must serve on the guard for three years.

TRADE

Exports
§ silver (coveted in the Kingdom) and gemstones; this especially; turquoise and emeralds; emerald trade very profitable, to the Kingdom especially, but even to the other Free Cities

The Mining operation west of the city, among the Emerald Hills, delivers a steady supply of stone to Alderham. Here there is a high volume of wholesale trade in the emeralds--and a turquoise deemed the finest of all Summer's TaLE--derived from the ore. Gem traders from far away will brave the relative lawlessness of Alderham to purchase on site.
• The Hekkams charge a high price to emerald merchants and jewelry-smiths for them to set up shop in the Merchant's Quarter, and they back it up with threat of force--a constant patrol of this area with their soldiers/guards on horseback

§ some ship-building products, some small ships made here § ale and distilled spirits, and Breaks livestock

A free city governed by Yeshens; but often shunned by out-of-towners’ general populace as being strange or unusual Strong defences (Drellor fortifications) employed against the threat of “strange powers” along the coast. No one knows where the strange influences come from, but there are odd creatures afoot (lizard-fishmen, ghouls, fearsome giant coyotes, and nasty brigands), and the city has long been well-defended. Every young Mothari, unless under apprenticeship in magic, must serve on the guard for three years. § some iron § Breaks mining materials · Rubies and other gems · High quality copper, bronze, and some platinum § Leather goods § To the Breaks: all manner of manufactured items, especially weaponry and armor, lots of agricultural and mining implements, any luxury items
Imports § Gold and copper and platinum § Coal § Strong Wood from the Eastern Cities and the Kingdom (Kingdom wood prized for ship-building, but less commonly used (expensive)) § Steel and steel goods (especially weaponry and armor)—this is the largest trade, although steel is still made (at lower quality) here § Horses and horse goods § Luxury: Diamonds and Sapphire and other goods § From the Breaks: Tobacco and wheat/barley (a big one), cotton, hemp, leather, livestock, other quality produce, also gemstones, gold, iron, strong quality horses

Corruption in city government has crippled the flow of goods and services in Alderham, and Coastport’s nobles are trying desperately to keep this from happening in their city, with only some success. Woodsedge is a different story, with less drama. It considers itself a democracy, and in truth it comes fairly close to that. They people there have bought into (and trust) their councilors’ and lords’ authority, and they feel they have a say in it. Each city has its own emphasis in terms of trade. Alderham is the continent-wide place to buy and sell gemstones, and they also deal in stone of different kind, for building and carving. Alderham is a good place to sell stolen goods, as the wharfs are notoriously un-patrolled; perhaps coin has exchanged hands as well, for the right to trade this way. Alderham is considered a less expensive place to trade, with less options as well, unless you are in the business of gemstones or jewelry, or other finely wrought art objects.