Ostia

Ostia is the main port for the city of Rome. About 15 miles down the well-paved road from the capital, ships from all over the Empire dock here to commence trade. There are many shops and warehouses here, and thousands of people work and shop in the city.

Demographics

60% Hill Folk 
12% Desert Folk 
8% River Folk 
8% Elf 
4% Dwarf 
3% Aarakocra

Defences

Ostia is surrounded on three sides by a tall stone wall. There are strong gates guarding each roadway into the city. The river side is not defended by a wall, but the Roman navy patrols the area to prevent a waterborne invasion. A Century of Praetorian guards keeps the peace here.

Industry & Trade

Ostia is a major trading center. Some twenty trading guilds have a major base of operations in the Forum of the Corporations. Thousands of goods pass through the port and down the road to Rome each day. It serves as the largest trade center in the Empire, and the primary source of getting commodities into the city of Rome from the farthest limits of the Roman Empire.

Points of interest

Forum of the Corporations

The Forum of the Corporations has a square design. Along the outside of the square along 3 sides are rows of shops - each having a counter and a long open window, with walls on the other three sides. Along the south side of the square is the theater of Ostia. A row of columns runs along the interior of the forum between the center and the shops. In the very center is the Guild Temple, dedicated to the goddess Ceres. The most notable detail of the Forum of Corporations is the intricate black and white mosaics that lie in front of each shop. These mosaics indicate the professional associations of each vendor as well as inspire a sense of nostalgia for the distant homes of each of the merchants. The forum is adjacent to the theater of Ostia and people pass through the forum before and after performances.
The following are some of the trade guilds are represented here:

• The Bluff Mines - Dwarves from the Bluff Lands who sell iron and copper (mosaic: twin pick-axes)
• The Ivory Carvers - Desert folk who sell ivory from Africa (mosaic: A pair of elephant tusks)
• The Olive Pressers - Sellers of olives and olive oil (mosaic: an olive tree)
• The Grub Vintners - Sellers of Grub Wine (mosaic: a glass of wine with a grub inside it)
• The Papyrus Weavers - Sellers of fine Papyrus (the superior product for making Scrolls or spell book pages) (mosaic: a scroll)
• The Latin Wineries - Wine from Latium (mosaic: three bottles of wine)
• The Marble Quarriers - Can be contracted to quarry marble and bring it anywhere in the Empire (mosaic: a columned archway)
• The Shipwrights - Builders of ships - they have sketches and designs, and can build ships to order (mosaic: A sailboat)
• The Potion Makers - Healing Salves, Potions of Healing (regular) are available, along with more mundane/non-magical potions (mosaic: a flask beside a mortar and pestle)
• The Cat Breeders - River folk who breed and sell domesticated cats, Abyssinians mostly (mosaic: sleeping cat)
• The Fishermen's Guild - Sellers of all sorts of seafood (mosaic: fish)
• The Grain Growers - Sellers of bulk grains such as wheat, rye, and oats (mosaic: wheat plant)
• The Silk Merchants - Sellers of fine cloth (mosaic: bolt of cloth)
• The Leather Tanners - Sellers of fine leathers and leather armor (mosaic: animal skin)
• The Dwarven Smiths - Sellers of finely made metal weapons and armor from the Bluff Lands (mosaic: hammer and anvil)
• The Antiquities Exchange (annex) - Facilitators of trade in fine "antiquities" (magic items). Mosaic: (a wand with a star over it).

Maps

• 

  Ostia

  Ostia is the port-city of Rome, home to about 15,000 people and a major center of commerce.

Population

15000

Inhabitant Demonym

Ostian

Location under

Rome

Owner/Ruler

Emperor Valerian

Owning Organization

Roman Empire

Characters in Location

• Zialle al-Sel

Related Reports (Primary)

• Session 36 - Things that should not be
• Session 37 - Of Secret Cults and Secret History