Muktown
Muktown is a maze-like warren of narrow streets, ramshackle buildings, and dark alleys. Survival on the streets of Muktown is tough and hardening. The area is filled with cheap brothels, low-class inns, alehouses, gambling dens, and pot-shops serving meager stews. Tanneries are also located there, which makes the air stink.
The Muktown-slums of Dralio is a sprawling, chaotic shantytown that grew outside of the city's walls. Day and night blend together throughout the lean-to's, stockyards and other shacks and lined Muktown's muddy streets. While the animal-handlers, merchant-hawkers and other "outsiders" are taxed and technically "ruled" over by the High Prince and the Marquis, city officials did little to truly govern the unregulated Under city.
Government
While Muktown was nominally controlled by the High prince of Dralio proper, the district is actually run by a number of "beggar barons", so named in mockery of the high-and-mighty merchant princes and high prince himself. These criminal leaders have, surprising ly so a formal authority, a mysterious and ruthles figure that simply called "The Slum King". He holds sway over local residents by means of financial debts, blackmail, calling in favors, and the use of enforcers. The Beggar Barons operates in anonymity and their actual ranks changed repeatedly, but even so, they tended to be much more efficient leaders than the merchant princes.
Defences
Muktown is prone to attacks by costal monsters—notably Sahaguin, Sea spawn, and Merrows—owing to the fact that it was outside the city walls and abutted the Crimson Gulf at its furthest end. As a result, Muktown's volunteer Citizens' Brigade helped to protect the slum's inhabitants. In case of attack, a horn was sounded to urge the inhabitants to flee to the walls or to the Temple of the Veiled Mistress
Industry & Trade
Those wishing to circumvent the trade monopolies of Dralio's merchant princes can find black markets in Muktown.Finding a black market buyer or seller is as simple as asking the right questions to the right people, and it usually takes about a half day to track down a new blackmarketeer. However, black market dealings are harshly punished by the Portorel Authoroty and The Order of Steel, so any such venture is risky.
History
Plague
During the city's struggle with the Coast Plague in 26 AC, Muktown was the most afflicted, as the plague first appeared there. The district was soon overrun by undead, as many of the inhabitants of the district died to the plague and a man called the Beggar Baron, (later known as the Slum King) took advantage of the chaos to sieze controll and move in to his rivals turf. Eventually, the Beggar Baron unified the cartels and gangs of the slum to put an end to the undead nightmare.Eruption
When Mount Rethlek erupted in 16 AC, bringing about devastation along the entire Crimson Gulf, Muktown was nearly destroyed by the earthquakes that followed the cataclysm. A huge, canyon-like chasm replaced most of the district. However, when Mount Hotenow erupted in the the following year it devastated the small town. In the wake of the disaster, ash zombies threatened the slum's inhabitants who survived the eruption. The Slum King paid well to adventurers to venture out into the strets and cull ash zombies, slowing the creatures' rapid territory expansion and ultimately driving them off.Points of interest
- Vermin Pit; A few otyughs at the bottom of this sinkhole, along with pests and undead, consumed the garbage, rancid waste, and corpses that were dumped within
- The Throat of Lolth
Tourism
Tourists and locals who visit Mudtown often dress as characters from the Muktown Masquradew to maintain anonymity, or simply for fun.
The Slum King
Vitaly Tyukin's submission on Ancient Civilizations: Lost & Found - Character Design
by
Vitaly Tyukin
The Slum King is the De Facto leader of Muktown.ww
A Beggar Baron
Lady Arkham
by
Brian Matyas
Alternative Name(s)
The Undercity, The Beggars Nest
Type
Slum
Population
82,795
Inhabitant Demonym
Mukfolk, Skulkers, Slumrat ( Informal, Derogatory)
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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