Friday, May 24, 2013

Warlords of Lingusia X: The City Port of Yllmar


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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