Sempere

Sempere

Sempere is the largest continent on the planet. Surrounded on all sides by vast oceans it is teeming with civilizations of all different races, beliefs and structures. There are civilizations and individual people on the continent who have mapped the whole extent of the land mass but the exact makeup of the continent remains a mystery to 99% of its inhabitants (though many of them couldn’t care less).

The continent is roughly split into east and west with limited interaction between the two halves. This is mostly caused by the Waste, a large expanse of magical wasteland towards centre of the continent. Legend has it that long ago there were four gods; the Creator (who brings life to the world), the Reaper (who ends life in the world), the Healer (who represents all that is good in the world) and the Devourer (who represents all the evil of the world). The Healer and the Devourer could not get along and they had a terrible fight on the surface of the world. The Creator, on seeing this, banished them both, sending them far into the depths of limbo but not before they had wreaked catastrophic damage to the world. This damaged land became known as the waste and it was at this time that many of the hideous aberrations and monstrosities that now walk the earth were formed. Some say this was also the birth of magic and that sorcerors and other spontaneous casters tap into the residue of this aeons old battle.

The part of Sempere to the east of the Waste is the prime domain of humans. Long ago there was a great empire of humanity called the kingdom of Gavilan which was riven by civil war. From the ashes of this war emerged three countries, Keren, Tomanda and Duatin Erethol. The Norowin, high elves, also make their home in this part of the world along with their distant tribal cousins the Qualor Ereblis. In the north and south live human tribal communities, the Suderax in the frozen north and the Plainsmen in the desert south. Bordering the Waste lies the Kul’Doran Forest, home to the ferocious, introspective cat people and north of them is a dangerous raiding community of gnolls.

Western Sempere is a much wilder place than the east with new countries and regimes forming all the time. The easterners (with the exception of the Norowin) know little about this place except for a few snippets. The island kingdom of Eladan is home to a powerful community of psychics and the sahaugin rule over a northern pirate nation. Further inland can be found lizardfolk and kobold communities as well as scattered human tribes. Legend also tells of a strange land populated by immensely powerful and autonomous mages as well as a kingdom of undeath ruled over by an immortal vampire lord.

Gavilan and the Three Countries

Centuries ago the kingdom of Gavilan represented a golden age in the history of the humans of the continent of Sempere. A vast empire spanning hundreds of miles its art and architecture were wondrous to behold but now almost entirely lost. No-one knows much about Gavilan or what caused its disintegration as almost all the written records were destroyed in the subsequent years of strife and civil war known as the Dark Ages.

Three separate countries emerged from the Dark Ages, Duatin Erethol, Tomanda and Keren. The republic of Duatin Erethol is formed of several city states allied by the treaty of Highwood. Tomanda was formed by the followers of Toman, a powerful prophet of St. Cuthbert. It is a strict military theocracy with hundreds of convoluted laws and a vast beaurocracy to defend the tenets of justice and fairness. Keren is the country formed by those lords united under a new king. The biggest of the three countries its first king, the Keren after which it is named, was a man of great courage and charisma who succeeded in uniting dozens of petty feudal lords under his banner. Together they are known as the Three Countries.

Duatin Erethol lies to the east of the Wasteland and is the most southerly of the Three Countries. To the north-east lies Tomanda and, further north still, Keren. To the North-west is the peninsula of Norowin, home to the secretive and insular high elves who consider themselves guardians of knowledge. To the east, across the Calastus mountains are the large, grassy plains of the Qualor Ereblis, nomadic tribal elves. South of the Qualor Ereblis' lands are the lands of the Plainsmen, their human equivalents. In the frozen north of the realm live the Suderax, ferocious warriors and barbarians. At one time, all this land except for Norowin and the farthest reaches of the Suderax tundra and the plains, was part of the kingdom of Gavilan in one way or another.

Dating Conventions

The history of Gavilan is split into four sections. BJ stands for Before Jereth and refers to the time before Jereth I was coroneted King of Gavilan. AJ stands for After Jereth and refers to the time when all of Erethol, Tomanda and Keren were one nation with Erestin as the capital city. DA stands for Dark Ages and refers to the time after the Breaking of the Crown when a huge amount of Erethol, Tomanda and Keren was plunged into civil war. From this point the three kingdoms use different dating systems. Erethol uses SR, standing for Since Reunification and refers to the period after the Treaty of Highwood when the lords of the different cities of Erethol formed an alliance and became a Republic. Tomanda uses AE, standing for After Epiphany and refers to the date on which the prophet Toman united the people in worship of St. Cuthbert. Keren elected a new king and their dating system works by referring to the year of a particular monarch's reign. For example Seddaer 25 would be referring to the 25th year of King Seddaer's reign. No ruler of Keren may have the same name as one who has gone before.

Duatin Erethol

Duatin Erethol is a border territory, surrounded by enemies. To the west is the untamed wasteland, consistently spitting out monsters and bands of mutated raiders at the countries borders. North of here is the Kul’Doran forest. Thought he cat people are mostly reclusive they have previously been spark to confrontation with devastating results. Further north still lie coastal lands abandoned by humans in the dark ages and now populated by large numbers of gnolls. Orc raiders are a common site in the Thunderline mountains to the south and the Calastus mountains in the east are home to bizarre creatures made almost entirely of rock that don’t take kindly to visitors.

Unsurprisingly, Eretholiers have little time to worry about much in their lives. Add to the equation above frequent raids by Sahaugin and pirates on the northern shore and setting foot outside civilization in Duatin Erethol means taking your life in your hands. The roads of the country are very well patrolled and maintained as, without a safe means of travel, trade would be impossible. Even so, most people travel on the rivers for speed and security.

Politically, Duatin Erethol is a republic of sorts. Each habitation of a certain size has a governor who sits on the Eretholier Council. This council sits only occasionally though as the governors are almost entirely autonomous. The council acts only on matters of national safety and legislation. It would in fact be more sensible to look on Duatin Erethol as a collection of diplomatically friendly city-states. The treaty of Highwood ensures that the country is capable of acting in a unified fashion in times of needs and ensures that matters such as highway maintenance, national trade issues, defence of the land and other nationwide topics are dealt with in a manner fair to all concerned. The leader of the Eretholier Council is the Princeps. The Princeps is elected much like a king but has few, if important, powers. He may not vote on the council nor may he be a part of the decision making process. He is not the governor of any city (though his headquarters are in Duathol) and his sole responsibility is to ensure that the tenets of the treaty are strictly adhered to. He keeps the council running and keeps it fair. He has the power to instigate a vote to strip a governor of his title if he is deemed to be in breach of the accords of Highwood as well as taking other punitive actions.

Duatin Erethol is a frontier land and, as such, is very geared towards the military. Nearly every fighting man can be called upon in times of war and it is compulsory for men to undergo martial training and a year in service to the military. This year must be done at some point between the age of 16 and 30. Exceptions are possible if the person is deemed to have performed other services to the state though he must still undergo his martial training.

Two mountain ranges mark borders in Duatin Erethol. The Calastus to the east divide Erethol from the Qualor Ereblis and the Thunderlines to the south separate Erethol from the lands of the Plainsmen. A small community called Calm Cove is the only part of Erethol that lies south of the Thunderline mountains.

Camber

Sitting almost exactly in the centre of the country, Camber is the centre of trade and travel in the country as it sits on 3 rivers and several major highways. Nearly all the trade in the country comes through Camber and it is often said that the city grows fat and rich by its mere existence. The dockworkers union in Camber is almost as powerful as the governor himself. It is also reputed to be the headquarters of the Theives' Guild.

Duathol

The capital city of Duatin Erethol, Duathol was built shortly after the reformation to be the seat of the new Council. Smaller than Erestin, Duathol has its own charm. It sits on the coast in the north-west of the country, slightly further south than Erestin. Where Erestin is a fortress, Duathol is very much a modern city with wide boulevards, bubbling fountains and many green parks. It is also a moderately busy port with a thriving ship-building trade.

Erestin

The old capital of Gavilan, Erestin is the largest, grandest and oldest city in the Three Kingdoms. A fortress as well as a beautiful city Erestin lies in the foothills of the Calastus mountains in the north-east of the country. Every corner you turn in Erestin leads to architectural marvels and works of public art that are technically impossible to recreate in the modern age. It's narrow, winding streets have been the setting for many poems, plays and novels across the years.

Guldervale

Pop: 24,900 Racial Make-Up: Human 79%, Halfling 13%, Half-Elf 3%, Other 5%

Origins

Guldervale was originally founded due to the large deposits of tallite found in the nearby Thunderline mountains. Tallite is a very strong but very light stone. In the ancient days of the Kingdom techniques were developed whereby it could be worked into fantastic shapes and moulded with other blocks of tallite. Now it is used in a more conventional sense though it is still highly sought after. The nearby Guldenbrook Hills are rich in precious metals and gems as well and the city attracts a large number of prospectors willing to risk the wrath of the creatures that reside in the hills for the chance of wealth.

The southern region of the Kingdom was developed a long time after the northern region, mostly due to the dangerous nature of some of its wilderness. A concerted push by the army forced the orcs and goblins back into the mountains as well as moving the other creatures back to their homes in Reydor's Ridge and the Wasteland. The first settlement to be established in the south was Southwall, to mark the edge of the Kingdom's new territory. Guldervale and Camber followed soon after with the former being the centre for industry in the south and the latter the centre for trade and travel.

History

Guldervale grew rapidly and prospered in this time. The Southwall was completed and protected the Kingdom to the west and the orcs and goblins in the Thunderline Mountains were quiet for the most part. The biggest threat came from an aggressive tribe of plainsmen that occupied the land south of the mountains. They would frequently raid over the passes in summer, often catching the people of Guldervale by surprise. To try and counter this threat the Watchtowers were constructed. Three enormous spires were built to heights that are absolutely unthinkable in the current time. They were made of solid tallite reinforced with mithril struts and they soared to the tops of the mountains. Between the three towers the Kingdom had an unblemished view over the southern lands and plenty of advanced warning of plainsman attacks. Over time the people of the southern Kingdom turned their attention to the lands to the south of the mountains. An army headed over the hills and, after a brief but bloody battle, turfed the plainsmen out into the vast expanses of the eastern plains. Settlers from Guldervale, Southwall, Camber and Ridgeback Rise headed to the south to make a new city there in the areas now known as Calm Cove and the Sunken Lands.

When the Kingdom split and entered the dark ages Guldervale was one of the cities that tried to push for the crown. The Watchtowers were turned inwards on the Kingdom to give advance warning of approaching armies and acting as strongholds. Guldervale was intensely involved in the strife and civil war and was in a strong position until a plague struck. Leaving the defences weakened a cabal of evil arcane spell-users known as the Circle of Nine descended on the city. Using their magic and an army of fiends they took the city, murdering most of the nobility and decimating the army. The Circle installed an evil magocracy on the city, brutally enforced by their devilish captains. The three most powerful of the Circle took up residence in the Watchtowers and the other six commissioned another tower each. The numbers of slaves estimated to have been killed in the construction of the new towers numbered in the thousands.

This was a dark time for the people of Guldervale. The Circle of Nine ruled from their evil towers of magic though they were mostly content to leave the day-to-day issues to their captains. The slave trade thrived in the city and the population grew. This was mostly because any attempt to leave the city was considered high treason. The devils took great pleasure in punishing, torturing and executing any found trying to escape the city.

Throughout the dark ages the land to the south of Guldervale had stayed apart. It had enough troubles keeping the undead of the Sunken Lands and the plainsmen to the east quiet though the latter problem had been temporarily solved with a truce. Even so they were so appalled when word of what had happened to Guldervale reached them that their king of the time, a man named Cereneas, took steps to rectify the problem. He infiltrated spies into the city who smuggled small numbers of locals out of the city. He sent in the Slayers of Domiel who sought out high ranking devils for assassination. Raids by his armies kept the devils on their toes and freed large numbers of slaves. His court wizards also spent their time harrying the Circle of Nine, disrupting their vile experiments and sending celestial creatures to plague their towers.

The Circle of Nine exacted revenge. On a fateful winter's day they gathered together at the top of the tallest tower and cast an abomination of a spell, six months in the casting. A black fog of death rolled over the south side of the mountains and covered most of the land. All caught in its wake were killed. A few survived by heading below ground into a series of caves and tunnels that had been created as an emergency hideaway. The fog settled on the land and remained for a year and a day. In this time the few survivors gradually succumbed to the fog and those that didn't found they were infertile. The Circle had killed Cereneas and his people.

At this time the celestial paragons took the case before Heironeous' court. Pelor, Ehlonna and Kord all sat an attendance as well as the neutral gods; St. Cuthbert, Wee Jas, Boccob and Fharlanghn. The paragons asserted that the Circle of Nine had gone too far, employing foul magic for genocide and that they needed to intervene. The gods present all agreed. Raziel and Domiel lead an army of celestials against the devils in Guldervale and cast them all back to hell. Pelor himself descended on the Circle of Nine, sealing them in their towers for eternity.

The people of Guldervale rejoiced for they were free. After the celestials had won the day Pelor entered the city and cleansed it of the evil taint, rebuilding it as it had been before the Circle arrived. Domiel chose from among the survivors a shrewd and honourable priest named Veren to lead the city in its new age and since that day the blood of Veren has watched over Guldervale. The priest's bloodline carry the touch of Domiel.

Veren and the people of Guldervale were instrumental in forging the truce that brought the former Kingdom out of the dark ages and formed the republic it now is. Veren was offered the position of first Princeps of the Erethol but he declined on the grounds that his city needed him more.

Factions

Now the city is still a major industrial power but its importance has grown even further as it is now a major religious centre as well. Many people also consider Guldervale to be responsible for ending the dark ages and as such the governor's voice has a lot of power in the Eretholier Council. The entire gamut of good gods from Pelor down to Estanna all have temples in the city as well as the celestial paragons who each have a following. Many of the neutral gods have homes in the city too, particularly the four present at the council which decided to save Guldervale.

Ironically the city is also a beacon for evil cults and devil worship due to its connection to the infernal realms. The presence of the devils that were banished from Guldervale still lingers and many evil clerics and wizards find in it the power to summon and commune with evil fiends. A great conflict exists in the city between the crusaders of good and the secret sects and cults of evil.

The governor of the city, currently a shrewd and insightful man named Yannick, has his hands full juggling the demands of the various factions in the city. The churches of good make many demands on him to stamp out crime and devil worship in the city and are frequently upset by what they see as his lack of commitment to the cause of good. In actual fact Yannick does what he feels is best for the growth of the city and the good of the people. There is a strong criminal element in the slums of Guldervale, mostly due to the ever-changing faces of prospectors and adventurers in the city and the Thieves' Guild flourishes in certain areas. Emissaries of the good churches also abound in these areas and the two frequently conflict. As long as Yannick keeps a firm hold on the situation however the situation rarely escalates into violence and riots.

Something he is determined to clamp down on however is the devil-worshipping in the city. The blood of a celestial runs in his veins and he finds the practice abhorrent. To this end he keeps a hefty quota of secret police and crushes such activity swiftly and mercilessly.

As if this wasn't enough some of the good churches take umbrage with each other or the neutral churches from time to time and the political alliances and enmities between religions are manifold and labyrinthine. Many of the noble houses harbour a distrust between each other as well as some are suspected of colluding with the devils back in the day. As the city is so reliant on tallite quarrying the unions of dockworkers and miners are also powerful forces. The river is vital for moving large quantities of tallite and the rare occasions where the dockworkers or miners union have taken action have caused a sharp decline in the city's profits.

The orcs and goblins of the Thunderline Mountains also have a problem with the city. They still see the land and the wealth of the mountains as theirs and have recently been stepping up activity in the mountains and raiding quarries, forcing Yannick to step up security.

Laws and Restrictions

The laws of Guldervale are much as you would find in other major cities in Erethol. The exceptions are the extreme severity with which devil-worshipping is punished (always execution). It is even an average crime to mention the name of a demon, devil or evil god.

Traditions and Festivals

The events involving the Circle of Nine have led to a series of festivals and remembrances.

Liberation Day: 14th June - A public holiday to celebrate the liberation of the city by the Celestial Host. A great parade and fair mark the day and it is traditional to exchange gifts. The day is given over to the worship of Raziel and Domiel particularly who each have a procession to their temples. It is a simple (a term denoting "less than minor" crime to wear black on Liberation Day and most people were white robes or togas.

Cleansing Day: 15th June - The day after Liberation Day is also a holiday to celebrate Pelor's cleansing of the city. The morning starts with a procession to Pelor's cathedral and each person in the procession then ritually cleans the cathedral. It is traditional for everyone in the city to give their homes a really good clean. Yannick often employs extra labourers on Cleansing Day to dredge the river and sweep the streets.

Day of Mourning: 2nd January - Whilst not a public holiday everybody in the city stops what they are doing for 10 minutes at midday to remember the genocide wrought by the Circle of Nine on Cereneas' people. Most of the citizenry wear black armbands on this day.

Devil's Night: 24th November - For one night every year a curfew is imposed on the city. It is a minor crime to be outside after dark on this night of the year as it commemorates the night that the devils descended on Guldervale. Recent times have seen a trend in poor-taste for people to hold Devil's Night parties where people attend in fancy dress. Some teenagers have also taken to dressing up as devils and playing tricks on people.

Reformation Day: 31st July - A public holiday across Erethol this day represents the day that the dark ages ended and the republic of Erethol was formed. Of course it didn't happen in one day and nor did it happen in July but it's a nice time to have a holiday. Parades, parties and fairs spring up on this day. Street entertainers and bards perform and the inns are fit to bursting. The governor of the city traditionally distributes small bags of money to the populace on Reformation Day.

Government

Yannick heads a Lawful Good government of Guldervale. The succession of governors has been pure since Domiel selected Veren as the first governor of the new Guldervale. The populace have little cause to complain under their current leadership though the procedures are in place should the governor need to step down. An election for governor is held every ten years or if one dies or steps down. A representative of the Eretholier Council comes to the city to keep charge of it and oversee the election of a new governor. The head of all the noble houses, the leaders of each church, the highest ranking government officials as well as the leaders of the dockworkers and miners unions are entitled to vote for the new governor. In addition, one representative of each city block is selected by lot to have a vote representing their block. In every election since Veren became governor his descendent has been elected and remained governor until death.

Port Blackheart

Population: 61 000 Racial Make-Up: Human 45%, Halfling 12%, Elf 7%, Undead 6%, Other 30%

“He’s got the spirit of Blackheart alright!” – Common phrase in Duatin Erethol, Tomanda and Keren referring to a merchant who can get any goods you can desire. In a more derogatory sense it refers to a merchant of base morals and no scruples, a charlatan or a trickster.

”It’s like the Black Dock in here!” – Common phrase used to indicate a place is crowded and chaotic with no seeming order or law in effect.

Origins

No records exist of the origins of Port Blackheart but what is certain is that it’s very old. In amidst the tumbledown shacks and alien architecture of its streets can be found run-down decrepit buildings of former majesty, built with now lost techniques. Brave archaeologists are often to be found wandering its streets researching and analysing the buildings they find. Well, until someone decides they might have a silver piece on them and cuts their throat for it anyway. The sprawling districts of the city each have their own style and feel and each have a varied and colourful history. Stories about the history of Port Blackheart are abundant and probably mostly lies.

What is certain is that the metropolis sits on the mouth of the river Andle, a broad waterway that cuts a path through the western half of Tomanda before spilling into the Bay of Daggers in a wide, natural harbour. The ancient port sprung up around here and archaeologists (those with enough wit to survive) have reported that the narrow, twisting, ramshackle streets of the Black Dock are the oldest part of the city. Hardly any of the original architecture remains due to salt corrosion, fire and hundreds of years of political instability and neglect but they say the weight of years of people weight down on you in the docks.

The Andle is an important waterway, passing through several large communities in Tomanda before reaching the Bay of Daggers and, as such, the port most likely grew out of this. It also has the largest deep water harbour in any of the Three Countries making it the most likely port of call for large trading vessels from foreign lands.

History

Separating fact from fiction is a challenging and largely pointless job where the history of Blackheart is concerned. The truth has been told and retold so many times that it most likely bears little resemblance to the events of the time anyway. Historians have agreed on a few general facts about Port Blackheart and these are presented below.

Before the Breaking of the Crown it seems that the port on the mouth of the Andle (it’s real name is lost to us and it is generally referred to as Andleport) was a good sized, bustling port town, one of the wealthiest in Gavilan. Most long range trading or ambassadorial vessels put in here and the steward oversaw a prosperous, clean city on the up. Embassies from many foreign powers were located here and it was a diplomatic as well as trading centre.

Then came the end of Gavilan. As the country was plunged into civil war and the dark ages, Andleport was not spared. The city changed hands many times in this period but no regime lasted more than a few years. Not until Lord Elvar Seidar came along anyway. Lord Seidar was born just before the civil war commenced and his family were turned out of their estate and went on the run. The two were captured by pirates and Elvar’s father was killed. The pirate captain took a shine to the boy after he killed one of his men in single combat though and kept him on as a cabin boy. Elvar showed great promise and, before his 20th birthday, he had killed the captain and taken over his ship. For 8 years he built a large force of pirates that operated in the seas to the west of what is now Tomanda and he gained a fearsome reputation amongst the land dwellers for ruthlessness and brilliant strategy.

This wasn’t enough for him though, he burned inside at the thought of the land that had been taken from him and his family and was determined that he would become a Lord again, in more than just name. So it was that he planned an attack on Andleport. The city was in the midst of a tyrannical regime and the population were on the brink of revolution. Seidar sent in insurgents to spread the fire of revolution and, one night he and his ships sailed into town and with the revolutionaries behind them, displaced the despot.

The citizens of Andleport rejoiced in their new Lord and Elvar Seidar was moved by their support. He set himself up as the ruler of Andleport and declared it a free port, free from law and restriction, where any creature of any race or code could come to trade and work. The other Lords of the time scoffed at Elvar’s declaration but the people loved him and changed the name of the city in support to Port Blackheart, after the name by which Elvar was known to the authorities. The precedent of rebellion and independence was set and it has become a tradition in Port Blackheart to flout the established law and rub the faces of their neighbours in their freedom.

Lord Blackheart ruled over the city until his death and since then a succession of widely varied rulers have overseen Port Blackheart’s development from a respectable, progressive port to a filth-infested cesspool frequented by pirates, freebooters, mercenaries, outcasts, rebels, criminals, monsters and other unsavoury types. The laws and rules of the city come and go with each regime and the city is in a state of constant flux. Power is held by those strong enough to take it and every ruler walks a fine line between appointing strong people under them to keep enough control to keep the money rolling in and making sure those same underlings are never in a position to overthrow them.

The list of colourful rulers of the city are too long to tell all of their stories here. At one point or another the city has been ruled by demons, orcs, vampires, pirates, soldiers, mind flayers and even, on one particularly memorable but short occasion, by a halfling.

During the Dark Ages Port Blackheart survived by dint of its usefulness to the various factions at war. It was a stable port for goods from other lands to come in and the different armies all had representatives in the Port bartering for goods and supplies and attempting to foil their rivals’ deals and schemes. With the end of the civil war some worried that Blackheart’s time of prosperity was over but this was far from the case. With the re-establishment of law and order in the surrounding lands, Port Blackheart became the only place to acquire certain black market goods as well as doing a roaring trade servicing those elements of society who would have been shot on sight in most ports.

Occupying a position on the border between Tomanda and Duatin Erethol, Port Blackheart would be a great asset to either nation but neither can risk the wrath of the other by moving in to occupy the city, not to mention the fact that taking it would be no simple matter due to the sheer number of fighting men within the city limits. Both countries, as well as many others, maintain embassies in Port Blackheart ostensibly for “diplomatic” purposes. In reality, all of the countries need to keep an eye on the situation in the city as highly volatile and potentially dangerous items and people come through the city on a regular basis. The authorities in Port Blackheart don’t tolerate other countries openly sweeping criminals of the streets but they turn a blind eye to many of the embassies’ darker practices. If a country wants you bad enough you’re not safe from them, even in Port Blackheart.

Today, Port Blackheart operates much as it always has. The city is ruled over by the Bloody Duke, a fearsome character who is rarely glimpsed in public. Few people know anything about him and rumours abound as to his real nature and motivation. He took the rulership of the city twenty years ago on one bloody night, killing the previous ruler and all of his lieutenants. Most of those who were present on that night are dead and those that remain don’t like to talk about it. When the populace woke up to a new ruler the next morning there was initial unrest about how the Bloody Duke would change the city but mostly he seems to have kept with tradition, appointing his lieutenants and mostly staying out of people’s business. Still, there is unrest in some quarters about the mysterious origins and eventual purpose of the Bloody Duke.

Geography

Port Blackheart sits on the sluggish Andle river. Further out of the city the waterway is clear(ish) and fast flowing but as it gets to the city the weight of detritus and effluent discharged into it slows and thickens it into a muddy runnel. It is rarely referred to by it’s proper name in Blackheart, variously called the Sludge, the Swirl, the Slick, the Stink, the Crapstream, the Muck and, at their most complimentary, the River. A good amount of trade comes down the river from Tomanda and it’s also vital in transporting goods from the docks into the city itself.

The city is split politically into 6 districts, each with a lieutenant who holds power in their area and is ultimately answerable only to the Bloody Duke. Because of the wide variation in creatures that live in the city there are areas beyond count in the city that have been adapted to suit the needs of their occupants. Some of the most famous areas are detailed below:

The Black Dock – The oldest part of the city is the main dock. A vast deep-sea harbour it sees a lot of traffic coming into and out of the city. Legitimate luxury goods from far off places arrive alongside narcotics, slaves and stolen goods. The streets of the Black Dock are narrow and twisting and most of its residents are the dock workers and fishermen that work from down there. The notorious Greet Street is found here, where the Welcoming Committees wait and watch for travellers new to the city ready for the picking. Many new arrivals into the city don’t survive past Greet Street and there is a special outlet of the Protection Guild on the docks offering bodyguard services to new arrivals in town.

The Top – Sitting atop the only hill of any note in Port Blackheart is the Lawless Fortress, the castle that serves as the residence of the current ruler. Over time various rulers have added various amendments and extensions to the fortress until it is now and arcane, twisting monument full of secret wings and rooms, most lying empty, their original uses forgotten. The area around the fortress is called the Top and it is here that you can find most of the embassies in the city. The streets are wide and well lit and this is the one area of the city patrolled by guards who, if you’re lucky, might intervene if you were being mugged. They might not though.

The Dark – The great poet and commentator Verdicus once said “The Undead are the most civilized of the unholy monstrosities that walk the earth. Were it not for their hatred of the living one might almost think they could thrive among is in our cities.” Port Blackheart puts this theory to the test with the Dark, the Undead quarter of the city. In this part of town every road is covered and every window boarded up. No light gets into the Dark and the roads are lit by lantern. Blacked out carriages wait at the edges of this realm to take it’s denizens to business appointments across the city and every building has an access to the Other Road (see below). The Dark is not solely the realm of the Undead but also of any creature that prefers to keep out the light. This includes Drow, Orcs and worse.

The Wyrd – In civilized society there are a great many restrictions placed on the practitioners of magic. Many wizards and warlocks find it restrictive to practice magic and research properly under such conditions and find their way to Port Blackheart where there are no such restrictions. Disdainful of the presence of other creatures they automatically gravitated to their own kind and the Wyrd was born. In this part of the city, right on the edge of town, the wizards build their towers and grounds and work in happy solitude. At night strange flickering lights and sounds often emanate from here. A small community has built up to service the wizards with specialist traders in components, items and rare tomes. It is generally considered a bad idea to wander the deserted streets of the Wyrd though as you never know when a wizard is looking for a new test subject and people can and do disappear from the streets of the Wyrd on a regular basis.

Riverside – Port Blackheart is a prosperous city and many of the people who make their money from the city live there. There are many districts of the city where these merchants live, some more affluent than others, but Riverside is for the wealthiest of the wealthy. Each of these men lives on a walled estate with plenty of guards to ensure their safety. Seeing an opportunity, the Protection Guild recently launched a domestic arm which currently operates in wealthy districts like Riverside. In exchange for a large contribution, the Domestic Protection Guild builds walls and gates around the district, keeping out the undesirables and puts well trained guards in the streets to make it safe. Areas such as Riverside have become havens of safety and security in the city though, as you might expect, this costs an arm and a leg. It by no means ensures the safety of it’s residents either. Like any soldier in the city, the Domestic Protection Guild’s guards can be bribed, their just more expensive.

The Other Road – Not really a district of the city but rather an adaptation, the Other Road is an answer to the problem of congested streets in the city, not to mention those inhabitants who would rather not be out in the light of day. Built below the level of the sewers, the Other Road is a series of tunnels, ladders and steps that go to most places in the city. The price you pay for travelling away from prying eyes or the sun is simple, the Other Road is a dangerous place. The kinds of people and creatures that frequent it are the worst of the worst of Port Blackheart, the kind that would kill you as soon as look at you. Before you travel the Other Road, make sure your affairs are in order.

There are many other districts and areas of the city of great colour and history that you will discover as you move around.

Economics

Anything you can imagine comes through Port Blackheart. Exotic goods, some legal, some illegal arrive daily in the Black Dock and are sold in the vast market places and auction halls of the city. The goods leave Port Blackheart by boat mostly, the road out of Blackheart goes through Tomanda or Duatin Erethol and all travellers heading that way are searched very carefully.

This black market trade is the greater part of Blackheart’s economy but it is supplemented by both normal trade and tourism. As well as the contraband and luxury goods that come through the city, a great deal of normal trade goes on too. If you’re willing to brave it you can often get a good price for normal goods in the port as the competition is so great, the law of supply and demand almost always goes in favour of the buyer.

The port is also a stop off point for pirates, mercenaries and freebooters with blood money or stolen goods burning a hold in their pocket. Hundreds of these types are to be found in the taverns and brothels of the city at any one time and the city is happy to take their gold. There is a certain poetic justice the fact that the scum that arrives in the city to spend their ill-gotten gains are just as likely to be found dead and stripped in an alleyway as an unsuspecting pilgrim who got on the wrong boat. No-one is safe in this place.

As well as their own private endeavours, the ruler and his lieutenants take a cut of everything that happens in the city. It is the responsibility of each man (for want of a better word) in the chain to ensure he’s not being swindled by those below him (or not more than he’s happy with at least). The system largely works well, with weak links in the chain soon being disposed of and replaced. Obviously, this means that everyone in a position of power puts great stock in intelligence gathering and information and the ruler of the city needs to have the best information network of all to ensure that his tenure at the top is not too temporary.

Laws and Restrictions

Concepts such as “law and order” are unknown in Blackheart (except for the occasional, short-lived attempt by some regimes to clean the city up). There is no city guard and no watch, anyone that can afford it hires there own guards to protect them and their effects and those that can’t afford guards try to travel in numbers to reduce the risk of attack. Crime itself is a moot point in the city. There is only crime if there is law, without the latter everything else is just existing. Power belongs to those who take it and you have to be ready to defend what’s yours. If you have something someone wants then they’ll try and take it, one way or another, and it is your own responsibility to make sure they only do so if you’re happy for them too (i.e. they pay you a lot). Newcomers to the city rarely last long without employing the help of a member of the Protection Guild. These people act as guide and bodyguard, protecting their employer and helping them find the parts of the city they need to be in. Wherever you see someone with a guild seal offering their services you can be confident that they won’t lead you down an alley where there friends are waiting to attack you and steal all your belongings. Well, probably not. Well, maybe. The guild does try to build a reputation for not employing people with these kinds of tendencies and harshly punishes those members it finds engaged in such activities but it’s not infallible.

The laws of the city change with the regime but, except on a few occasions, they mostly leave the laws as they are. And when I saw “laws” I mean “law” as there is only one standing law in the city and that is the law of fire. It is generally considered that the only real threat to the city is fire, something backed up by various occasions across history when the city has been consumed by raging infernos that have claimed thousands of lives and destroyed acres of property. There are three levels of fire crime:

Accidents – Any accident that causes fire damage to a part of the city is punishable by having the hands removed. The criminal will also pay everything they have to the city to be put towards repairs.

Avoidable Accidents – Any avoidable accident (i.e. using fire irresponsibly but without intent to destroy) is punishable by death. The criminal’s estate is claimed by the city to cover repair costs.

Arson – Any arsonist will be placed in the dungeons of the Lawless Fortress where they will be abused and tortured for the rest of their long, long life. The criminal’s estate is claimed by the city to cover repair costs.

Very, very few instances of arson occur in the city and even the wizards in the Wyrd take extreme care with fire. The last point in the law is that no inflammatory creature (i.e. a creature that can cause things to set on fire by its presence such as a hell hound or fire elemental) is permitted within the city boundaries. The punishment for bringing one in is the same as Avoidable Accidents unless they set something on fire when it is Arson.

Beyond this, there is no law in the city. Each person lives by their own set of rules and if you feel someone has broken those rules you are free to try and punish them how you will. Most inns, taverns, brothels, shops and other public places have a set of laws by the door that apply within that shop. Of course, those laws are only worth the establishment’s abilities to enforce them.

Traditions and Festivals

Given the lack of organised government in Port Blackheart they aren’t really big on public holidays and festivals. The days marked below are the ones acknowledged by most or part of the citizenry to some extent.

Revolution Day: November 1st – According to tradition, this was the day when Lord Blackheart stormed the city and incited the city to overthrow the current regime. It’s celebrated by most residents as the day that the city’s grand free tradition began. Traditionally people dance and sing in the streets on this day and it is generally frowned upon to commit crime or exact retribution on this day.

Flame Day: August 27th – Port Blackheart has suffered across the centuries from fire, the worst of which happened over two hundred years ago and resulted in widespread death and destruction. On Flame Day these fires are remembered and a great procession heads to the temple of Indigant, the god of fire, to pray that fire can be averted for another year.

Festival of Unity: May 8th – Every so often, Port Blackheart does end up with a ruler concerned with the populace’s welfare and matters of social tension. One such ruler was Maifus Estray, a wandering priest who somehow ended up in charge of the city. With racial tensions running high he decided to instigate this festival where it is traditional for every citizen to buy a drink for another citizen of a different race to his own. The very first Festival of Unity turned into a race riot resulting in hundreds of deaths and ever since then the Blackhearters have held it close to their hearts. The day starts with all the citizens drinking together and now tends to end in a mass brawl. Still, it’s relatively good natured.

Southwall

A marvel of the age of Gavilan, the Southwall extends dozens of miles from the Kul'Doran forest to the north and the Thunderline mountains to the south. At the very south-west of the country the city of Southwall houses and enormous garrison who are the first line of defence against the horrors the Wasteland spews out. For centuries the Southwall has stood, never faltering against the threat of the Wasteland. Due to it's large garrison the city operates under fairly constant martial law where criminals are punished extremely harshly.

Keren

Where Duatin Erethol and Tomanda turned their backs on the ways of ancient Gavilan, Keren has always held itself as the true successor to that great empire. They seek to emulate Gavilan in every way possible and try and recapture it’s former power. As such they pump a great deal of funds into architecture, education, road maintenance and the other things the king considers to be “civilized”. The result is that Keren, of all the Three Countries, has a common populace most heavily taxed and suppressed. The peasant’s life in Keren is a hard one and a thankless one and many visitors to the country have wondered whether they wouldn’t prefer their money to be spent on irrigation and medicine.

Keren is not as military-focussed as Duatin Erethol. The biggest threat to Kerenese safety comes from the seas as both vicious Suderax raiders, more locally reared pirates and aboleth and sahaugin mean the coastal regions of Keren must be constantly watchful for danger.

Norowin

The Norowin are a race very similar in appearance to the Qualor Ereblis, Drow and other elves yet it is a connection they consistently deny. The Norowin claim that they are the original elves from home the Qualor Ereblis and others are derived, via cross-racial intermingling. They are an isolated, introspective people concerned mostly with the pursuit of knowledge. They are fiercely protective of their land and knowledge and it is unusual indeed for outsiders to be let into their land.

Those that have visited tell of impossibly tall spires of grace and beauty, library-fortresses containing the knowledge of the ages. They seem to have no farming or military and they do not trade with outsiders so nobody knows how they survive. Great swathes of their land is untouched, primeval forest, marsh and meadow that has not known farming or the hand of mankind.

Plains (Doora Desert)

The vast plains and deserts to the south east of Sempere are populated by fierce, proud tribal folk. The kingdom of Gavilan and the Three Countries have been at war on and off with these plainsmen for centuries and the borders of their land ebb and flow with the tide of these wars. The Qualor Ereblis too have had military encounters with the Plainsmen though these are few and far between and the two generally show a healthy respect for each other.

The Doora Desert (as it is known to the citizens of the Three Countries) is an inhospitable place and the Plainsmen are justly proud of their ability to survive in such an environment. They are a people schooled in conflict and forged in suffering though and they are fearsome opponents in battle. There are many threats within the desert that prey on the plainsmen and they are frequently involved in small internal skirmished with each other and with small communities of desert dwelling creatures that emerge.

Qualor Ereblis

The lands of the Qualor Ereblis are mile upon mile of beautiful, unspoilt plains and rolling hills. The elves are master horse rearers and drive great herds of their animals across this country. They live nomadic lives, concerned only with their tribe, their horses and their land. Outside affairs are of very little interest to them except in story. The storytellers of the Qualor Ereblis are famed throughout the east of Sempere and they are some of the few of the elves to be seen out and about in the world. These prospective storytellers, as part of their training, travel in the world for 30 years, learning about the stories of other cultures and, hopefully, taking a hand in some stories of their own.

There are no cities in these lands, the Qualor Ereblis take their homes with them and theirs is an idyllic life, rarely spoilt by conflict. Occasional monsters find their way down from the Calastus mountains to the west but most of their eastern border is protected by the Plainsmen. They are hardy foes in battle though, fighting with wild abandon and impossible grace. There are ancient tales of a time when the kingdom of Gavilan tried to take the land of the Qualor Ereblis but had to withdraw after heavy losses. From that time on the kingdom claimed the Qualor Ereblis’ land as their own but never encroached on it again. The elves didn’t care, they knew who was in charge.

Suderax

You will often here the people of the Three Countries muttering that they are surrounded by savages. They are referring partly to the Plainsmen and the Qualor Ereblis but mostly they are referring to the Suderax. Chaotic and ferocious, these giant men from the cold tundras of the northern archipelago are unceasingly warlike and invasive. They raid constantly, anywhere their ships can reach, and their unrestrained, manic fighting style often makes them seem little more than animals.

The land they come from is every bit as inhospitable as the Doora Desert. Freezing cold for most of the year, the archipelago experiences a brief summer for a month when the snow mostly melts away to reveal a grey landscape of scree and rubble. The Suderax live of fish mostly as well as several breeds of goat and cow particularly suited to that lifestyle. The rest of the food they have is raided or (occasionally) traded. Their society is tribal, but static. They have towns and villages, though none as big as any in the Three Countries.

The only face the “civilized” lands ever sees of the Suderax are their manic raiders but they have their own culture and traditions and life in their villages is passably similar to life in any village anywhere. Still, their life is hard, constantly competing with the weather, unproductive landscape and the local giants and trolls, who organise frequently and violently to attack Suderax communities.

Tomanda

The most central of the Three Countries, Tomanda is a theocracy of St Cuthbert. Toman was a prophet of the just god who, through great force of personality, united the squabbling local barons at the end of the dark ages into one country under the protection of St Cuthbert. The land is a hospitable one, with more rain than southern Duatin Erethol but milder winters than Keren. They are a great farming nation, producing vast quantities of grain and cereal that is shipped to neighbouring countries. Their ruling elite are exclusively religious and, though the other gods are held in high regard, St Cuthbert’s church is the state religion. Every habitation has a church of St Cuthbert of some size and great amounts of the taxes charged go to the restoration of churches and the spreading of the word of St Cuthbert.

Missionary knights travel the length and breadth of Sempere, even into the west, bringing word of St Cuthbert’s judgement to the masses. Tomanda and Duatin Erethol are military allies. Tomanda has few threats on its borders but acknowledges the fact that Duatin Erethol protects its southern border from the hordes of the Waste and other threats. Every year, thousands of Tomandan soldiers make their way to Duatin Erethol for a military tour of duty and this fact makes them close allies. There are still bones of contention among them though, the major two being Duatin Erethol’s primary religion being Heironeous rather than St Cuthbert and the problem of Port Blackheart.