Ponvarus
The Shining City of the Ocean
Ponvarus is the capital of the Golden Republic of Frankonia; a major centre of commerce and transportation thanks to its central location and longstanding diplomatic ties with its neighbours.
Government
The city is under the jurisdiction of the elected Prince-Mayor and their Serene Conclave, who in turn are advised by the elected Supervisors of Ponvarus' Arrondissements, the city districts. It is from the Arrondissement du Centre that all major institutions of the Republic are congregated, including the High Courts, the Frankonian-wide legislative body of the Azure Conventus, the Chancellery of the Republic, the Primus Bank, and more. Simple order is maintained by the local detachment of citizen volunteers; the Ponvarian section is known as the Trident Volunteers. High-profile and dangerous crimes are handled by the Republican Guard or the Golden State Inquisition, often in conjuction with each other.
Assets
There are a large number of enterprises in Ponvarus, as a result of both the general ease of access of goods and its role as a trade nexus. Most businesses are associated with the Septemvirate, but there are a few exceptions. Notable stores include:
The Cold Forgehammer: the place to buy arms and armour in the capital. It is run by Petrov Primakov, a human master armourer and blacksmith from the Grand Duchy of Kaliyev.
The Burning Meadery: mostly famed for its own
Fyreboran 'Dasingen' line of mead, but it also brews ale from every conceivable nook and cranny from the surrounding continents. The human Brewmaster Ola Huablå is the face of this establishment; he speaks in a very rural accent, but is otherwise very outgoing.
Shandalara's Winding Shelves: managed by the high elven loremaster Shandalara, this is both a place where books can be bought and bound. Everything from historical works to writings about the nature of dreams can be found here. The Winding Shelves are rivalled by the Grand Repositories of the Constitutional State Academy (most of which are restricted to the public), a situation that Shandalara is quite bitter about.
The Carpenter's Manual: tools and equipment used for woodworking can be found here. The friendly dwarf Ingvarad presides over the shop, and he notably supplies a large portion of the equipment used in the construction of the Seven Families' new ships.
The Strong Potion: this vast building is filled to the brim with common, unusual, and seemingly impossible potions; however, the owner, the enigmatic man only referred to as 'Potion Seller' is unusually selective in who he allows to buy from him. He always rejects potential customers wearing plate armour. None of the Seven Families have ever managed to incorporate the Strong Potion into their network of clients.
Nature's Companion: the foremost animal shelter and pet store in Ponvarus. Most of the animals here were taken in after being abandoned, but a few are bought from overseas. It is overseen by the aasimar Celeste l'Aure-Bleu, who always gives new owners a long lesson in how to appropriately care for the animals.
The Silverborn & Company Gallery: an antiques and relics shop owned jointly by Tharrir Silverborn and his family and the Ostenmanc dynasty. Its day-to-day business is handled by Khazli, Tharrir II, and Keela, his three adult children.
Oswald's Arcane Antiques and Curiosities: this shop is ground zero for a massive hoard of magical artifacts, and has an elaborate security system in case of break-ins. It is also the only shop in Ponvarus directly protected by the Republican Guard, as it has been designated a store 'critical to the infrastructure of the Republic' and that thefts targeting it would be 'detrimental to our cherished Liberty and our Lady Justice.' To this end, a platoon of Guards stand watch full-time. The eccentric halfling sage Oswald Overhill runs this arcane haven, alongside his half-elf apprentice Tara Clearwater.
The Unconquered Weave: an enchanter's abode, run by decana magica
Octavia La Baguette, a battlemage of the Golden Legion. This shop is managed as an extension of the condottieri company, and functions as one of its independent sources of income.
Guilds and Factions
All of the Golden Republic's central institutions are headquartered here, as well as a number of well-known Septemvirate-associated guilds. These are:
Government
The Azure Conventus: located on Tower Hill and overlooking the entire city itself, the Dome of the Five Lilies is the seat of the elected representative body of Frankonia.
Starstone Brewers: a loose collection of devotees of Cayden Cailean who value camaraderie and freedom. They hate slavery and injustice, and are known as vigilantes or selfless adventurers, or both. They have no standard meeting spot, and tend to gather in Ponvarus' taverns.
Government
The Azure Conventus: located on Tower Hill and overlooking the entire city itself, the Dome of the Five Lilies is the seat of the elected representative body of Frankonia.
The Chancellery: the gargantuan complex known as the Cardinal Estate is home to the Chancellery. It is built and decorated in the iconic Classical Frankonian style; marble, decorated pillars, elaborate artworks, open spaces; the ultimate manifestation of Frankonia's soft power is concentrated here.
The Republican Guard: the permanent defenders of the Republic make their headquarters in the Grand Barracks of Justice. These include the Constabulary, which handle criminal investigations, and the living quarters for the Guards stationed in the capital.
The Golden State Inquisition: the zealous detectives and investigators of the State Inquisition have their headquarters in the Lion's Circlet, a tower in the western part of the central Arrondissement.
Golden Legion: just outside the city walls, a small unit of the Golden Legion is encamped. They mostly provide checkpoint security, and let other organisations keep order in the city.
Trident Volunteers: the city's ordinary peacekeepers have their barracks in Gozreh's Point.
Free Order of the Steel Falcon: nominally devoted to Iomedae, this radical knightly order is generally seen as a propagator of Frankonian values. Their seat is in the Dawn Keep.
Golden Legion: just outside the city walls, a small unit of the Golden Legion is encamped. They mostly provide checkpoint security, and let other organisations keep order in the city.
Trident Volunteers: the city's ordinary peacekeepers have their barracks in Gozreh's Point.
Guilds, orders, and associations
Hellknight Order of the Nail: commanded from the Bastion of the Nail, this order of Hellknights specialises in infrastructure and community protection. They were part of the original settlement of Ponvarus, and have always stayed out of Republican politics.Free Order of the Steel Falcon: nominally devoted to Iomedae, this radical knightly order is generally seen as a propagator of Frankonian values. Their seat is in the Dawn Keep.
The Crossfares: this is the name for the part of the harbor district that houses the local branch offices of the Seven Families.
Great Trade League: a global guild of merchants whose purposes are the furtherance of commerce, the expansion of existing trade routes, and the enrichment of its members. The Blue Edifices in the Trade Arrondissement are their home.
Starstone Brewers: a loose collection of devotees of Cayden Cailean who value camaraderie and freedom. They hate slavery and injustice, and are known as vigilantes or selfless adventurers, or both. They have no standard meeting spot, and tend to gather in Ponvarus' taverns.
Companions of the Last Eagle: a guild of adventurers and glory-seekers with a specific focus on honour and sportsmanship. Their organisation is located in Hyron's Retreat, in the Rose Arrondissement.
For cherished Liberty and the People of Ponvarus!
Maps
-
Ponvarus
Founding Date
1309 AM
Alternative Name(s)
Shining City of the Ocean
Type
Capital
Population
600 000
Inhabitant Demonym
Ponvarian
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
- Ambrosine Clandestane
- Angelique Delecour
- Axelle L'Estocq
- Calixte Durand
- Celeste l'Aure-Bleu
- Clovis d'Emmondif
- Djahar
- Edwige de la Fleur de Lys
- Éminence Garderique
- Frances Graf
- Fritz Salamandra Droganora Fitzgerald IV
- Gael Prometteur
- Hakon
- Helaine Le Soleil
- Ingvarad Ironsaw
- Irène Garderique
- Jaspert Merandure
- Jeanne de La Brouhaha
- John Starcross
- Joruba de Ponvarus
- Lothaire LaFlamme
- Octavia La Baguette
- Odile Lachance
- Ola Huablå
- Oswald Overhill
- Penelope Terzidi
- Petrov Primakov
- Pierre L'Hareng
- Raphael Thibodeaux-Vaillancourt
- Scimitar
- Séraphine Capperonnier
- Shandalara Carnetil
- Solomon Strong-Arm
- Tharrir Silverborn
- The Potion Seller
- Théodore Cazal
- Timothy Headsmasher-Volontis
- Valerie Acadyle
