Opportunity
Opportunity and its people for hundreds of years were known as The Travelers. The city was known as the moving city as they roamed Saol, a beacon for the lost and forgotten. After the war against The Chaos, they settled in the Golden Expanse, in a rich fertile oasis among the rocky plains. They are farmers, blacksmiths, merchants, miners… simple folk all. They believe in peace, charity and the beauty of the world. Truly diverse, the city welcomes all. They follow the belief that only through connectivity and community does the world become a better place.
Demographics
Opportunity, in truth, is a pseudo-city. Sprawling for a hundred miles are towns and villages that consider themselves Opportunity. In the center is a massive castle known as the City Square where the Arbiters oversee thier "city". Their main god is Kavadra (The Unifier) - Goddess of Community, Cooperation and Endurance. They are close to the pseudo-element of spirit.
Government
The city of Opportunity is ruled by an order of Paladins known as The Arbiters of Opportunity or sometimes just The Arbiters. Because the city of Opportunity is actually a sprawling collection of towns and villages, each area has a high ranking member of the order they look to for guidance. The Arbiters do not refer to themselves as rulers but instead advisors who guide the people toward the values of hard work and neighborly love. The headquarters for the order are in the City Square, the massive castle at the center of Opportunity. From here a council of thirteen make the decisions on how best to guide this land.
Districts
A City of Cities
Opportunity is made up of nearly one hundred towns and villages within fifty miles of a center castle. All of the named towns and villages also consider themselves Opportunity. Opportune towns benefit from the protection of Kavadra and the direct influence of the Paladins or High Paladins who guide them. When the towns produce beyond their needs, their surplus is sent to any that may be struggling and when a town is struggling the Arbiters ensure the town is provided for. This sense of greater community ensures those under Opportunity's banner never feel the sufferings of hunger or poverty. Although those that see themselves frequently surrendering their gains may find themselves questioning this system.The City Center
Many outsiders refer to the large castle and surrounding village in the center of Domlaudder as Opportunity, while in truth the City Center is more of a capital within a capital. The castle, known as the Hall of Guidance is the seat of the Arbiters of Opportunity. A stoic, plain building that speaks to the humble nature of the order. The city itself with a population of nearly ten thousand acts more as a massive village. Although the Arbiters tend to lean Human, the population of the City Center is a blend of nearly all races of Saol. The City serves as a beacon for those lost and forgotten and who seek to join and contribute to a community higher than themselves.Meadowlands
Outside of the City Center, there are major areas that receive guidance from a High Paladin, either due to size or strategic importance. To the North of City Center towards the City of Unity is the a large stretch of land called the Meadowlands. These sprawling fields are home to many farmers, woodsmen, smiths, etc. A large town in the center called Lowgarden is the ancestral home to the Halfling race, now on the verge of extinction. The people of the Meadowlands consider themselves 'The Truly Simple Folk' a misnomer as they believe through intellect and hard work they have found the ideal way of life. The area is overseen by a stern High Paladin woman named Delilah King King.Duskwoods
Towards the Ironside Mountains lies a never ending woodland called the Duskwoods. Named for the constant blend of shade and light one would see as the walk through a forest. The peoples of Opportunity share these woods with the many Forest Gnomes and Wood Elf communes. There is a mutual respect for nature and the land in these woods, and the woodsmen of Opportunity promise to never cut more than is needed and the hunters treat the animals the same. Because of the density and quality of the woods here, Fortitude and Ironside would love to harvest this area, but the Paladins and people of the woods keep them at bay. A young Paladin named Lukas Cadwell Cadwell oversees this area from a sprawling center village called Duskpoint.The Western Plains
Towards the Golden Expanse lies a massive craggy dryland called the Western Plains. Towns and villages in this area are sparse, as are the species that are brave enough to make their home here. The land is not great for farming, trees are few and far between and the coast is a distant vacation spot. However, under the small mountains and mesas that litter the plains is actually the highest source of raw gold in Saol. The mining towns thrive and as Saol enters an economic boom, the demand for gold is sky-rocketing. Overlooked by the Paladins, there is an arrangement with the Saolan Mint which exports the gold and provides the City of Cities with the technology, tools, etc. that is necessary to keep Opportunity competitive with the other capitols. An earth Genasi Paladin named Jarvaari the Wise the Wise oversees these lands from a humble fronteir town called Gully.The Soutern Coasts
Far from the City Center lies the Soutern Coasts, a series of trade towns and fishing villages under the guidance of a large city called Nothus. Because of the distance from any other major city, the bounties of the Southern Coast are plentiful. Additionally because of the distance from the City Center, towns of the Southern Coast tend to take a more practical approach to the tenets of Kavadra, and a less strict view of the communal nature of the Arbiters. This is represented in the High Paladin, Helen Maclear Maclear, one of the oldest of the order.Guilds and Factions
The Green Hand Collective
By the tenets of Arbiters of Opportunity, opponents who surrender (as long as their crimes are minimal) and wish to join Opportunity must be given the chance to prove their worth. This includes the goblins, orcs, hobgoblins and bugbears that litter Domlaudder. In an effort to work with the people instead of being constantly slaughtered by marauding adventurers, these typical foes have united under the banner of the Green Hand Collective. Members are by association, under the protection of Arbiters; and adventurers who harass them are subject to punishment. Although many blatantly involve themselves simply for the tactical advantage it provides, some truly wish to shed the evil reputations of their species and live among the common folk. Their headquarters is located in the small hamlet of Goodberry in the Duskwoods.The Fieldworkers Union
A subject of major controversy, a collective of farmers, fieldworkers, woodsmen and townspeople from the Meadowlands have organized into a union. Led by Lemrig the Kind, the fieldworkers union believe that as the main source of food and workers for Opportunity, their needs must be prioritized over the needs of The City or the distant districts. The argument is that the better off the union is the better off Opportunity is as a whole and thus is in line with utilitarian views of the Arbiters. Many argue however that this is counterproductive to communal nature of Opportunity and their true motives are greed.Opportune Imports/Exports
Opportunity can not survive without its connection to the rest of Saol and the strongest way to stay connected is trade. Every district has a small contingent of Opportune Imports/Exports with its main headquarters located in The City Center. They, under the influence of the Paladins, manage all trade in and out of the districts and ensure these dealings remain beneficial to all of Opportunity.The Arbiters of Opportunity
The Arbiters of Opportunity are an order of Paladins who believe in the ideals of social oneness and communal focus. The Arbiters view themselves as servants of the people who put their skill, talent and magic to use guiding the lands of Opportunity.The High Paladins
Based on merit and selected from among their peers, the Arbiters elect thirteen members of the order as High Paladins, who guide the remaining Arbiters in their endeavors in maintaining Opportunity. Of the High Paladins, four govern the areas surrounding the City Center, eight serve as the governing council for all Opportunity and the last serves as the High Paladin of the City Center itself. The final position, currently held by Natalia Quartermaine Quartermaine does not vote on the council except in the case of ties and also serves as the representative for Opportunity on the World Council in Unity.Points of interest
The Elemental Portal
Deep in the Golden Expanse lies the only known tribe of Fire Genasi in existence, as well as the only known portal into the Elemental Planes. Having appeared only in the last fifty years, this portal is a topic of heated debate among the cities of Saol. Fortunately because it falls in the borders of Domlaudder, it is under the jurisdiction of the Arbiters who believe it is important to approach them peacefully and delicately. Regarding the portal itself, unfortunately, because it leads directly to the Plane of Fire it is inaccessible by the majority of the peoples of Saol. The tribe is mainly secretive but serves as a sort of diplomatic center for the rare Genasi that finds themselves on the material plane. Their ambassador, @Ruby Dawnseeker claims the tribe is on a mission of mutual learning and may be key in expanding Saol beyond its Chaotic borders.
Founders
Alternative Name(s)
The City of Community, The City of Cities
Type
Capital
Population
105,000 (approx. 10,000 in the City Square)
Inhabitant Demonym
Mainly human and halfling. However all races are welcome and can be found in Opportunity.
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