A to Z Challenge: Gibbons, the Eastern Quarter of Jarlsburg

I was feeling under the weather yesterday and while I wrote this up, I didn't get to post it.  I hope to get caught back up today.

Jarlsburg is a medieval fantasy city of my creation that is the location of the Pathfinder and DnD Next games I have run in the past.  This A to Z is my effort to better introduce others to the locale and continue to flesh it out while the game is on hiatus.

The sprawling metropolis of Jarlsburg is split into four quarters with Gibbons being the eastern most.

Gibbons is kropish for "sanctuary" and the majority of the quarter is dominated by Zorgor.   Zorgor, or "labor" to the Krops, is filled with numerous industries such as baking, sewing, smithing, and gem working.  Most of the area that became Zorgor was a slum known as Dribble,  the krops that settled the area were citizens loyal to King Feonker XII that had fled their homeland in the wake of the Denoweir Revolt over a hundred years ago.  And through hard work they renewed the area in less than a decade.

To the north of Zorgor is the neighborhood of Nodens, another kroppish word meaning "rest" or "sleep".  Nodens is a respite from the kroppish settlers daily work grind, it is filled with small gardens and trees, well-crafted and smartly painted houses with sculptures and murals throughout the community.  If you live in Nodens, you watch your neighbors back and they watch yours, to be accepted there is to become part of a much larger family.  The community has all most no crime and is ever vigilant against it.

Meanwhile, to the south of Zorgor is what remains of Dribble, the home of many of the workers who have either been expelled from Nodens or deemed unfit to live there.  Sadly, many of the tenements here are owned by the community of Nodens as a whole and they use this sway to create a secondary class of citizen to do the most dangerous jobs in Gibbons.  Essentially they have recreated the problems that led to their King's overthrow and the rise of the Denoweir Union in their homeland.  While it's not impossible to leave Dribble for Nodens, it is practically unheard of.

Other smaller communities in Gibbons include Molly (known for providing housing many students to Essex College), Mont de Viln (where the Essex College campus resides as well as the cheapest ale in the city), and Lowel Place (a three block span that has become uninhabited because is haunted by the victims of St. Kiln, the Hobo Guild is responsible for keeping everyone out).

Molly is also the home of the now defunct Fraternity, Orko Frodo Ookla, which has become the current headquarters of the secret society known as the Phrenologists.  The arcane order toils amongst the shadows of the many nations of the Twin Rivers with a central goal to unlock the potential of the mortal races.  While their order has been outlawed in nearly a dozen nations in the region, only a select few in the city, outside of their order know they operate in Jarlsburg.

A to Z Challenge: Follet, Guildmaster of Hobos

Jarlsburg is a medieval fantasy city of my creation that is the location of for Pathfinder and DnD Next games I have run in the past.  This A to Z is my effort to better introduce others to the locale and continue to flesh it out while the game is on hiatus.

The Hobo Guild has been officially chartered within the city for over thirty years now, it's services utilized been many of the most powerful people in the Twin Rivers region.

Follet is the leader of the Hobo Guild and has been since its charter was signed.  Or at least, Follet is the title of the position held by the Guildmaster.

Most people assume Follet is name, not a title.  Since it's establishment nine people have held the position and it is only vacated upon the Guildmaster's death.  While many assume Shemmy's Social Club, the Thieve's Guild of Jarlsburg is the city's most ruthless organization, it is in fact the Hobo Guild.

The current Follet is Chandler Montpelier, fifth son of Duke Norn Montpelier of Lathe.  Chandler found his way to Jarlsburg upon sobering up from an epic drunken stupor and realizing his fortunes were as good here as in his homeland began the daunting task of trying to gain a seat on the Oleander Council.  However, within a week he found himself homeless, penniless, the only shelter given by the Hobos of the city.

Chandler became entranced by the organization of the Guild and how they moved nearly unseen through the city selling information and protecting the downtrodden of the city with a viciousness his father would have been proud of.

The young man, found that he excelled in the organization and reach it's pinnacle in eleven short years.  He has brought unprecedented success to the Guild because of his past as a noble and his understanding of that society.  And while he has his detractors, mostly from not growing up poor, he is shrewd and likable and just.  While crossing the Guild is still a mistake, he has softened the harder edges and made it clear that any citizen of Jarlsburg make seek refuge amongst the Guild.

His most profitable and promising partnership has been in feeding information directly to the Minister of the South, Jesska Apple.  He has taken her as his lover and he laughs that one day, years ago he sought her seat on the Oleander Council.

Chandler Montpelier, Follet IX wouldn't trade his position with anyone, even his father at this point in his life.  And that's good for the poor, the Hobos and especially for Jarlsburg.

A to Z Challenge: E is for Elder, the Southern Quarter of Jarlsburg

The great city of Jarlsburg is split into four Quarters, with the Elder being the Southern one.
Elder is home to several neighborhoods, including Fromm (home to many Lonian cheese makers), Geode (a large continent of gnomish immigrants), McClure (owned primarily by the Angus M. Connor Company and leased to it's workers), and Gritt (an orcish neighborhood where outsiders should tread carefully).

Fromm and Geode are the oldest sections, both being settled within the first decade of the city being handed over to the Oleander Council.  In fact the Lonian immigrants proudly proclaim that the city invited them to settle, in an attempt to bring true culture to the place.

The Angus M. Connor Company opened which manufacturers toys, trinkets, and tricks, opened the Jarlsburg division seventy-one years ago and bought up or built large sections of homes for it's workers, who it leases the homes to.  While many balk at the tactic, there is a waiting list to join the Connor company and McClure has become known for it's private school that is only open to it's employees.

Gritt just came to be over the decades as multiple orc clans found that their own company was slightly less annoying as the company of non-orcs.  While many view it as slum, it is simply a reflection of orcish culture and there are many marvels to behold if you know where to look.  The most well known orc in the Gritt is Doctor Bok, a shaman who became famous two decades ago when his medicine saved the life of the Prime Minister Belladonna Malifaux's life when she was a child.  To this day, people from far and wide brave the Gritt for his medicines.

Amidst all of this hustle and bustle is the disturbing legend of the Wight of Elder, a malign spirit that has haunted the neighborhood for well over one-hundred years.  Legends say that Wight is the vengeful spirit of Serah Duvall, a midwife who was burnt at the stake after several Lonian infants disappeared one summer.  Yolanda maintained her innocence even while being burnt alive, which proved true, as a group of zendrian slavers were discovered to be preying upon the area.

Since then the Wight is said to appear several times each year and hundreds of deaths are attributed to her.  Local lore suggest that she may be driven off by nailing a giant slug (7" to 10" in length) to your door.  The Angus M. Connor Company has a division that nets a tidy profit each year from breeding these creatures.  The slugs, meanwhile have bred other folk lore that suggests gigantic rogue slugs prowl the back alleys.

A to Z Challenge: D is for the Dwarves' Shame

Jarlsburg is a medieval fantasy city of my creation that is the location of for Pathfinder and DnD Next games I have run in the past.  This A to Z is my effort to better introduce others to the locale and continue to flesh it out while the game is on hiatus.

Nearly two-hundred years ago, Jarl Morgo Flameheart handed what had been the capital of the Dwarven Confederacy for the previous six-hundred years over to the Mayors of all four villages in the Oleander Valley.  Morgo's terms were that the Mayors and their descendants on the future Oleander Council would sign the pact that handed the city to them lock, stock, and barrel.
After that the Jarl led most of his people back to their ancestral home, Starmetal, leaving only as single dwarven embassy in the Twin Rivers region, the Seminary at Golen Hall in the Duchy of St. Cuthbert.

While rumors swirl that the Plaza of Remembrance hides some terrible secret, the truth is that the dwarves toiled very thoroughly before they handed Jarlsburg over to make sure no one could ever again enter the Dwarves' Shame, the vaults below the city, with all entrances being sealed in adamantine and the liberal use of diabolical traps.  This is because the largest provision of the pact is that no one may ever enter the Shame below the city for any reason, ever.

What is known about the pact, is that the dwarves of Jarlsburg had brought a great shame to their race and that their legendary leader, Dremmel Stonepillar stepped down as Jarl and became an exile to atone for his people's sins against their god, Moradin.

The trouble while  Dremmel was away from Jarlsburg, defending the Stonemill Hills against a crusade by the elves of the Heartlands.  The Stonemill Hills had been the site of seven crusades by the elves because they held that the area was sacred to elven history and accused the dwarves of profaning it with their mining.  However, this latest attack used magic the dwarves had never encountered causing the death of General Dora Westrock and Dremmel's only son, Brock.  This forced Dremmel to leave the city and his grieving wife, Scylla to take charge at the Hills.  Sadly, Dremmel underestimated the Scylla's grief at the death of their only son which lead her down an unspeakable path of vengeance.

As always Scylla was Regent in her husband's absence and sent secret envoys to the drow city of Xi'Nuln and solicited the aid of Queen Bafte Jeel'zin as an ally in the war of against the elves.  Scylla promised dwarven war engines and a huge cache of mithril weapons for the crow if they aided in the total extermination of the Heartland elves.

When Dremmel inevitably discovered the drow aid and his wife's treachery, he withdrew all of his dwarves and surrendered the Stonemill Hills the elven crusaders.  When he returned to Jarlsburg he discovered his wife was dead from poisoning.

It was then that the Jarl appealed to Moradin for forgiveness for his family's sins and accepted exile willingly, but his god required that his children leave the tainted place and never return.

Dremmel's final act was to negotiate the handing over of his capital and to watch as his people returned to their ancestral home, and then he began his exile.

A to Z Challenge: C is for Coppertown

Jarlsburg is a medieval fantasy city of my creation that is the location of for Pathfinder and DnD Next games I have run in the past.  This A to Z is my effort to better introduce others to the locale and continue to flesh it out while the game is on hiatus.

Coppertown takes up nearly one quarter of Elder, the southern quarter of Jarlsburg.  The neighborhood was primarily founded by halfling refugees who fled Zukoslavia during the Volvode Wars over one hundred and fifty years ago.

The neighborhood's name comes from the decision of the refugees to smelt down their kibits (copper coins) from the Old Country and use them to cover their roofs.

Coppertown is still home to the majority of the halflings in the city and therefore is basically a matriarchal community.  Most halfling families are ruled by a Yaya, the oldest living woman who has married and bore children who is generally assisted by a Mimi, a much younger female relative who is also married with children.  When a Yaya chooses her Mimi, she essentially is declaring her line of succession within the family, which usually only changes if the Mimi dies before the Yaya.

When you look at most halfling families in Coppertown, usually they run some kind of business out of their home or the home of their Yaya and generally the men of the family are the public face and workforce.  However, behind the scenes, the women are truly running both the family business and they pride themselves on running "tight ships".

Because of the nature of their families and businesses being so closely intertwined, Coppertown is renowned for having the finest gossip in the city, wether it pertains to the lowliest beggar or the Prime Minister herself.   And that it truly, the greatest success of the halflings of Coppertowns they have managed to largely be left alone in their community because they always know the right thing about anyone decides to be become their enemy or have enough clout with a necessary ally to nullify the conflict.

While Coppertown is known for being one of the safest sections of the citym that is mostly due to it's community emphasizing peace and prosperity and being ever vigilant against crime and corruption.  While the City Watch patrols the community, the halfling have their own Sentinels to supplement each shift.  Also, Coppertown's family businesses are always looking out for their communities best interests.  While families within the community have their own feuds, being a halfling comes before personal prejudice.  And the final recipe for their safety is a complex and extensive agreement with the city's Thieve's Guild.  It's a poorly held secret that no Guildmaster of Thievery has ever reached the position without the support of Coppertown.

Key highlights of the neighborhood is Piko's Fineries, the city's premier jeweler; the Tree Home, one of Jarlsburg's most exclusive taverns which is an elaborate tree house; and the Yana's Grove, a carefully cultivated park in the center of Yeti which also serves as sacred ground for the halflings in their worship of Beory.  And the infamous Montauk House, which is home to the Caliban Club, the cities most prestigious secret society.

A to Z Challenge: B is for Blackimus Prime

Jarlsburg is a medieval fantasy city of my creation that is the location of for Pathfinder and DnD Next games I have run in the past.  This A to Z is my effort to better introduce others to the locale and continue to flesh it out while the game is on hiatus.

The worship of Blackimus Prime has been solely cultivated by the bard, Elron, the Prime's first and foremost disciple.  Elron began spreading his gospel nearly two decades ago throughout the nations near the Twin Rivers.  The bard claimed that Blackimus Prime fell from the sky one night, while Elron was camping and that his god dictated the gospel over the course of three days and nights before be ready to move on to the next world.

While Elron has roamed the Twin Rivers region, arguably he has found his greatest success in recruiting followers for the Prime in the city of Jarlsburg, which has become a de facto capital for the God of Empowerment.

The Prime's teachings emphasize fellowship, abandoning the material world, and freeing oneself from the bond's of fear, sadly this often seems to lead the followers into leaving their families, forcing many to view it as an insidious cult.

Accusations of being a cult are often compounded by the the majority of the membership choosing to wear violet britches and smocks with black hoods.  The style draws a great deal of attention to their membership and has led many to call them Black Hoods.

Blackimus Prime's clergy are distinguished by carrying small bucklers and are referred to as Black Shields.  While the public's opinion of the faith is mixed at best, several Shields have distinguished themselves in service to the Night Watch.

And while the Prime's role in the celestial order is still disputed he does grant his Clergy spells and the ability to repel undead.

Elron and his clergy have purchased nearly a dozen homes of varying size throughout the city and have established them as refuges for the Prime's followers.

It is rumored that the clergy encourage their membership to partake in "medicines" to aid in their worship of the Prime.  This rumor is rooted in the raid of a refuge recently by Ironcloaks.  While many of those staying there seemed to be under the influence of something, no charges were made due to the revelation that Commisioner Malta (a high ranking political position in the City Watch) is also a Shaman of the Prime.

Elron's gospel describes Blackimus Prime as a titanic golem who defends the downtrodden and leads
them to personal empowerment and to uphold justice.  While it seems that the faith reaches out to the disenfranchised, often it at by all appearances that many of the members maintain their faith for years and are dedicated at helping those less fortunate.

The Church of Blackimus Prime is a complex and still evolving phenomenon and while high level mortal members may have unrevealed plans, most of the Black Hoods and Black Shields simply feel they have been called by the Prime to empower unfortunate souls in need of a helping hand.

And even the most powerful member of the faith isn't fully aware of Elron's ultimate goals.

_____

So Blackimus Prime was created when one of my players made a Cleric in DnD Next and I asked what god he served.  Blackimus Prime was the answer.  His symbol was a mahogany shield and the faith seemed like an interesting subject to examine.  Sadly, the player evoked some racist overtones to his character and before I could deal with it, another player dueled him to the death (I say this because I was away from the table dealing with a subplot when the whole thing happened).  After some conversations with both players, the grouped moved on and the Cleric's player was content to make someone else.  However, I found the idea an interesting parallel, at least peripherally, to Scientology (and timely since a temple had just opened a few blocks from my store).

While the Prime's followers were highly scrutinized after the Ironcloak's found many members seemingly under mind altering drugs and the dead PC Cleric's sister began plotting revenge on his killer, I was also prepared to show positive points to the faith.

My goal was to let each individual player drawer their own conclusion to Blackimus Prime, since that is how I try to respect other's beliefs.  As a Christian who is Catholic, I see the good and the bad of what my heritage brings to my life and have no interest in providing answers, just asking questions.

Jarlsburg: An Introduction

For those who have been following the blog for awhile, you might remember the posts on Jarlsburg as the Ironcloaks game rolled on, but since I'm spotlighting it in this year's A to Z Challenge I figure some more information should be presented.

The city came into being on a whim, I was running a pick up Pathfinder game for three players and I decided on an urban setting in the middle of the Blood War.  I really enjoyed the Dwarven Jarl figures from MageKnight and and felt Jarlsburg channelled that, as well as had a germanic vibe which set well with my memories of Warhammer's the Old World.

I think that Pathfinder game lasted two sessions, but several months later I wanted to set up a DnD Next playtest game that would easily allow players to move in and out.  A game based on city guards made sense, which led me back to Jarlsburg.

Essentially Jarlsburg is my Lankhmar or Greyhawk, a free city ruled by an oligarchy of powerful personalities where the strange and unusual happen more often than not, but a small group of (hopefully) dedicated losers stand fast and hold the line and, more importantly, sweep away the evidence so the populace is mostly unaware that anything monstrous just occurred.