City Site: Yllmar
Population:
approximately 152, 000 urban residents; another 100,000 rural population
Demographics: Humans 133,760
Elves 8,208
Dwarves 5,803
Halflings 1,820
Half
elves 910
Gnomes 728
Half
orcs 268
Orcs 139
Naga 182
Other 200
Rulership:
King Malin Tarmas III, queen Sirtes Arinir-Tarmas
Coinage: standard
coinage of the Middle Kingdoms
Religion:
Chief god of the city is Naril, followed by temples to Phonatas, Khovaris,
Warenos, Hodon, and Zingar. There are local secret cults to Set, Belphegor and
Unarak. Shandrigar has a shrine along the waterfront. The mysterious temple of
Etah can be found near the city gates. There are two dozen minor cults in the
city, neither recognized nor approved by the state religion of Naril or the
king. There is also a Temple of Death in the Old City Necropolis.
Standing Militia: 32,000 troops can be mustered
from local and county forces as needed; standing garrison of 2,400 men in the
city, with 1,000 men assigned to city watch.
Areas of Yllmar:
The Gorgon’s Respite
This is a famous adventurer’s tavern and inn, run by Stados the Dwarf. The tavern is reviled
by the Servants of the Shroud, who have tried to burn it down on two occasions,
but Strados keeps four guards on staff at all times. He runs the tavern because
he can, as he made a killing a decade ago while pillaging the Caverns of Chaos,
and has no need of further wealth. Beneath the Respite is a small dungeon he
has been working on as a side project for several years, including a secret
passage in to the sewer region. Strados has a gorgon’s head in his private
collection in this dungeon, that of the lady Graethys, who was sister to the
high priestess of Phaedra (and the reason the Servants of the Shroud despise
him so). Strados himself is curiously immune to petrification, although he has
a stone hand to show how it almost got him after he slew Graethys. Strados also
often employs local adventurers for curiosity quests, sending them out to
retrieve ancient trophies for his dungeon of curiosities.
The Royal Crown Inn
This venerable establishment is managed by the merchant lord Arados, who
took the name from an ancient franchise that functioned long ago in the era of
the Hyrkanian Empire. Arados charges steep prices and his customers expect it.
He offers consorts and has a clean private bath house. He also runs a service
of hired blades on the side for those needing protection on the fly. The Royal
Crown Inn is popular among foreign merchants and locals looking for a treat.
There is a dress code, and anyone underdressed is evicted or required to pay
for proper garb.
The Northern Star
This is a famous rowdy tavern and inn, run by lady Terimishka Thay (a
sylvan elf) and serves as a front for the Nightfire Thieve’s Guild. Beneath the
Northern Star is one of the chief hideouts for the guild, providing a safe
house for thieves on the lam. Terimishka Thay collects monthly dues as well,
and serves as the chief book keeper for the guild.
Port District
Yllmar has the largest port in the Middle North, with foreign quarters
for Belladas, Autrengard and the Middle Kingdoms alongside a large shipyard, an
extensive warehouse district and an impressive indoor bazaar. Although the
region is fairly temperate, the fierce winter storms make the indoor nature of
the bazaar appealing to foreign merchants from the warmer southern climes. The
Port Master is Yom Scaddor, an older man of pure Yllmarian
descent who is professed to be immune to bribes, although he is on the take
from the nightfire Thieve’s Guild and several smuggling rings.
The Sea
Palace
The Sea Palace is an immense and ancient fortress on top of King’s Hill,
overlooking the entire bay and city. This is a two-thousand year old castle,
and is said to contain dungeons seven levels deep in to the earth. The king
lives here, surrounded by his garrisons and attendants. A private road leaves
the northern section of the fortress and goes straight to the Royal Hunting
Grounds.
Thrane’s Bath and Smokes
Tjis opium den and and bath house is run by the half-troll Thrane. The complex is a place of
meeting for many unscrupulous souls, but is higher end and often used by nobles
and merchant lords as well.
The Ember District
This is the shanty town of the east quarter, stretching from the docks
to the perimeter of the city. Ember is called such for the many times it has
burned to the ground, leaving only charred embers. This is a maze of buildings
used for thievery and shady deals, and also contains the bulk of the poor
populace’s housing as well as being the center of the kobold plague.
The Temple District
Centered around and radiating out from the Temple of Naril, over two
dozen lesser temples and shrines can be found here, dedicated to a myriad
variety of gods.
The Sewers
Emptying out in to the bay, the sewers are an ancient construct of
Yllmar from its oldest days. A special group commissioned by the king called
the “City Drainage and Waterworks Engineering Guild” is in charge of the
sewers. They are partially handymen and custodians, mixed with dedicated
professional soldiers, since the sewers are so notoriously deadly. That said,
they take pride in their job, since Yllmar’s sewer system dramatically reduces
disease and contaminated water issues in the city proper.The sewers are
partially flooded, but some key details can be found, as follows:
- The Temple
of Unarak can be found in the sewers
- Several
entrances to the sewers connect to both the Underworld and to the dungeons
beneath the Sea Palace
- A massive
warren of kobolds led by the kobold known as the “Fisher King” is located
here
- A key
passage to the dark elf city of Goz’hadra
leads from the sewers
Old City Necropolis
Most of the Necropolis is located on the Island of Old Yllmar, nestled
about a quarter mile out in the bay, where the ruins of the old lower city can
be found, where they were long ago engulfed in the deluge. The island has
turned in to a popular burial ground, and the many abandoned buildings and
structures have been refurbished in to catacombs and tombs. There is still a
small village on the island, although most who dwell there make a living on the
necropolis, or stand watch against any undead incursions.
Chateau Dumarin
This coastal keep, located a mile west of Yllmar is managed by the
mysterious Lady Silaernas, the gorgon who is the high priestess of Phaedra and
second in command of the Servants of the Shroud. Few know much of her; she is
believed by most to be a reclusive, aging widow with a fondness for statuary.
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