Bottomborough
While some large cities boast a long, deep, complicated history, Bottomborough is a recent city, a relatively new addition to the landscape. Built from a small village on the banks of the Nadi River into a bustling city, Bottomborough benefits by being far enough from the sea to avoid storm damage yet close enough to the Eldevere Forest and rich field lands to have dependable, steady resources. Although now close to 100 years old, the city grew so fast (and is still growing) that there is no real city planning; shops, craftsmen, taverns, inns, gambling halls, and even guard posts and government buildings are randomly strewn about on curving, complicated roads and alleys.
Broad wood walls surround the city, while thick stone walls protect Noble Row on the western edge of the city. Gates to the main city are monitored; individuals may enter as they please, but wagons are inspected for items that might need to be taxed. Gates to Noble Row, where the wealthiest merchants and noblemen maintain their mansions, are guarded and patrolled, and only select individuals and laborers with the correct papers are allowed to pass those gates. Roese Bloodsight rules Bottomborough, as well as Oakhall and Overlook to the north in the Eldevere Forest, with an iron fist. Guards and militia overseeing the city report to him, and he treats them as his own personal guard.
Nearby resources make this an ideal place for craftsman to ply their trade so long as they are careful not to anger any of the upper class. The real reason for Bottomborough’s growth, however, lies in its darker nature. Anything can be bought here for a price. Almost all business activities and other transactions are legal, though also regulated and taxed. Gambling, prostitution, and even slavery are all legal here. It is rumored that the city hosts the headquarters of an assassin’s guild that is licensed by Roese Bloodsight himself. The official laws of the Principality of Olduvar outlaw many of these activities, particularly the slave trade, but in Bottomborough, money and wealth create their own laws.
While Roese is an elected leader chosen by the noblemen of the city, he acquired his power through blackmail, extortion, and sheer physical force through control of the city’s guardsmen and militia. He maintains his position the same way, and is broadly disliked, but his firm control of the militia and the guardsmen is something that other noblemen and merchants can’t break. The fact that almost all of the noblemen and wealthy merchants of the city benefit somehow by the lax laws helps cement his power.
Settlement
Bottomborough, City of
Type
City
Owning Organization
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