Rivershore
The seat of Duke Malerius Hamonnet, and the capital of the Hamonnet Duchy. What separates this and any of the other county capitols such as Vernoff, is that here, the Nobility holds complete control over the city, as its purpose is and always has been to facilitate trade and the resupply of ships travelling River Lionel. In an environment like that, coupled with the lack of any significant outside threats to the city, the churches have not been able to grab hold of much power, in all the time that the city has existed. It is in fact, a remarkably stable city, and has maintained its low unrest through heavy guard presence, and backroom dealings with shadier individuals. This is done in an effort to make the churches presence and power in the city as small as possible, as they are the only threat to the nobility's grip on power.
In their efforts to do this, the Arcanic Order has presented itself as a powerful ally, providing knowledge and abilities that were only available through the churches. They have therefore quickly climbed up in the balance of power, pushing the churches even lower. They have also revolutionized the Port of Rivershore, using their powers to speed up loading and unloading of ships, as well as the maintenance. Even an average mage can prove as good as 10 men, with half the time and pay. However they are not as common, so magical assistance is only available to the eastern dockyard, the most expensive.
Because the nobility can rarely agree on anything between themselves, and the nobles each control parts of the city guard, in the past the Duke did not has as tight of a grip on power personally. However, a month or so ago he introduced a new group, the Hamonnet Royal Guard. This group of just 6 paladins has proven highly capable, and have enabled the Duke to keep the other nobles in check. Nothing is known about them, other than that they come from the north east, and belong to the Holy Order of the Bloodied Fang.
In their efforts to do this, the Arcanic Order has presented itself as a powerful ally, providing knowledge and abilities that were only available through the churches. They have therefore quickly climbed up in the balance of power, pushing the churches even lower. They have also revolutionized the Port of Rivershore, using their powers to speed up loading and unloading of ships, as well as the maintenance. Even an average mage can prove as good as 10 men, with half the time and pay. However they are not as common, so magical assistance is only available to the eastern dockyard, the most expensive.
Because the nobility can rarely agree on anything between themselves, and the nobles each control parts of the city guard, in the past the Duke did not has as tight of a grip on power personally. However, a month or so ago he introduced a new group, the Hamonnet Royal Guard. This group of just 6 paladins has proven highly capable, and have enabled the Duke to keep the other nobles in check. Nothing is known about them, other than that they come from the north east, and belong to the Holy Order of the Bloodied Fang.
Districts:
The city is separated into almost a dozen districts, some of them outside the city. These districts were formed as the population separated, and different groups lived closer together, and closer to the places that interest them. They are listed here, going from the western to the eastern districts of the city. (for more details and the shops at each location, visit each article)- The Hamonnet Castle is the most well protected part of the city, as it houses the Duke and his family, their servants, the royal court and the royal treasury. Under it is the dungeon where criminals are sent to serve their sentences. The wall surrounding it is tall, with the gate open all day, inviting anyone who wishes to partake in the royal court, or approach the Duke.
- The Church District, the religious center, also contains the homes of the important cribes and other workers. It is well maintained, as the churches still have more than enough money to sustain themselves. The largest of the temples is the temple of Artis, Empire God of Trade, as many small and large merchants donate to thank, or ask for fortune from their work, and safety for their caravans or ships.
- The Ahridian Quarter is a small community of humans who come from the far off Ahridian Desert. Caravans and ships from there sparsely arrive here, and sometimes people decide to spend their lives in the city. The community is relatively affluent, as they run and receive support and work positions in the temple of Artis in the city. There one can find specialty shops and items, coming from the exotic land of Ahridia, such as potions, food, drink, and authentic lodgings.
- Northern Rivershore, is the most exclusive community in Rivershore, and only the rich and powerful are allowed to live there. It is home to noble Lords and Ladies, the permanent representatives of counts, as well as high ranking members of the Arcanic Order. It is also the home to the most expensive and specialty shops, such as magical items shops operated by the Arcanic Order, jewelry shops and others.
- Maestro Ravakan's Spectacular Circus, is not as much of a district as it is a permanent fixture on the southwestern entrance of the city. The circus arrived in the city a around 10 years ago, and due to the high demand and interest from the people, it has extended its stay indefinitely. It has also grown, and expanded its show, as well as the connections it has with the locals. It provides a large variety of shows, from impressive showcases of the talent and skill of the performers, to battles between spectacular creatures, fully staged and fakes of course, as the creatures are wildly expensive to acquire.
- Central Rivershore is the middle class and second largest district of the city. It is where most shops and businesses are, and where visitors go to when they arrive and are looking for a place to stay. Its inhabitants are mostly humans who originated from the city, though there are small gnome and halfling sub-districts here. Guard presence in this district is average and there is not too often trouble brewing.
- Southern Rivershore is a slightly poorer extension of the Central Rivershore district, and while the average inhabitants here are slightly less economically secure, they tend to be more interested in trading and operating in the Cortret Bazaar. This is also where criminals that are not related with the Syndicate tend to live, outside the western district.
- The Port of Rivershore is the largest district, and is made up of the 3 dockyards, as well as the extended housing and businesses that are next to the ports. This is where the majority of the people working at ships or the docks stay, with the exception of the Dwarven population.
- The Cortret Bazaar, named after Cortret Hamonnet, who was the duke that pushed the city to become the trade center it is today. It is a very large open bazaar, that requires minimum paperwork to participate in. A large number of vendors, some permanent, some not, operate here and sell any manner of goods, from meats and fish cough in the river, to rare trinkets, magical, or not.
- The Dwarven Quarter is where the majority of dwarves live in Rivershore. Their muscular and sturdy bodies, as well as love for drink and manual labor, make them great candidates for dockworkers, and as such they are employed in all dockyards. It is however a low quality area, with drunks and fights being common sights there. However the dwarves prefer this, in order to keep their culture and history alive, and share their stories with one another.
- The Eastern Quarter is the poorest district, and was formed outside of the city, as most of its inhabitants are criminals and members of the The Syndicate. It is the center of smuggling and other operations that aim to transfer goods to the city via the river and the Eastern dockyard. Those who live here have to either pick poverty, or becoming criminals, and even at a young age kids learn to pick pockets and steal from the bazaar.
Government
The Duke overseeing the city is Duke Malerius Hamonnet. Under him are a number of Lords and Ladies who oversee different parts of the city, and duchy. The Empire Nobility holds the highest authority in the city, controlling a strong guard presence in the middle and eastern parts, and are the most influential faction.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure in the city is of good quality, as money is plentiful in the pockets of the Duke, and transporting goods for trade is the main purpose of the city. It has a network of roads connecting all the districts into the main road, named Hamonnet Avenue, which connects the entrances, the port, and the castle. The sewer system is also in good condition, and Rivershore has one of the largest and state of the art sewer systems in the Empire, being able to dump everything into river Lionel. Lastly, it has an impressive dockyard, the Port of Rivershore. The port is separated into three docks, each with their own dockmaster and workers.
Guilds and Factions
In order of power, the factions in the city are:
- The Empire Nobility
- The Arcanic Order
- The Syndicate
- The Church of Artis
- Others
Writers note, there will be more details added to the city as the players in my campaign explore it, check in again in a few weeks for the full city.
Maps
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Rivershore
Type
Large city
Population
Around 350.000
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
