Hargorath


 * World famous river trade port
 * Government: Capitalist Oligarchy - Draconic Council
 * Races: Most
 * Places of Interest:
 * Draconic Quorum
 * The Mystic Citadel
 * Hargorath Docks
 * Beggar’s Quarter (AKA: Religious Quarter)
 * The Golden Blade
 * Mel’s Magnificent Mansion of Magical Mayhem and Maelstrom Mercantile (aka: Mmmmmmm)
 * Tavern of the Drunken Monkey

Hargorath rests upon the windswept river basin of the Wild Lands. It is a massive trade port servicing the rivers of the region. There are two iconic structures that rise above all others. One is the Draconic Quorum, the other is the Mystic Citadel.

The quorum rises higher, built atop one of the few mountains within the city. From its top the draconic council commands a view for long leagues. It is an ancient structure of whose origins have been lost to the ravages of time. It was the first structure of the city however, and the rest of the city grew up around it.

The Mystic Citadel was forged within the last hundred years by the Mages' Guild. The guild had already established a very successful college within the city at the time and was looking to expand. The city denied their requests for more land directly next to the already sizable college and dorms, so the mages built upward rather than outward. They built to the maximum height that the draconic council would allow, and to this day almost burst from the seams requiring more space for their practice.

Between these two towers is a flurry of tightly constructed buildings of stone and wood, strengthened against hard winters and built upward more than outward to accommodate for limited space. The city has grown much in the last three centuries and space has become a problem. Only the richest can afford houses. The common people mostly can afford smaller apartment style rooms.

Along the northern border of Hargorath flows the Firewater River. It is one of the longest running navigable rivers known to the trading world, stretching from the coastline to the far eastern reaches of the continent. Towns and trade ports have sprouted up all across this river and its many forks and children.

From the river three rings of stone walls each towering nearly two hundred feet high stretch across the landscape. Each has the Quorum at its center and act like layers of an onion. The center layer is the Corporate and Council District, home to the more reputable guild halls and the draconic council. There are also two mercenary companies that have their halls within these walls. The second layer is the middle class district, where most of the citizens live and go about their daily business.

The third wall is a sham. It is the longest and least kept wall, more as a deterrent for wildlife than any actual military force. This is home to the common folk and lesser businesses. Smithcrafters and forges are in plenty and this industrial area often has its air saturated with filth and garbage. Many joke about the water being a poison commonly tapped by assassins.

Along the eastern most side of the Common district is the Beggars' Quarter. Here, temples of nearly every faith have been erected to help with the homeless, travelers, and those who hold honor and pride over wealth. It is a part of the city that is the most exposed, its walls unkempt and its guards inept or corrupt or both. Here the faiths use their own forces of paladins, templar, and clerics to maintain order as best they can, though religious feuds often break out.

Outside the third wall, a number of hovels and shanties crop up from time to time, but are often dismantled or burned by the city guard. The Draconic Council has decreed that the city should not grow beyond three districts lest it become too unwieldy. Exceptions are made for farmers, who till the land for miles around the lush river basin during the warmer seasons. These farms are often provided protection by the city but it is known that should the city ever come under siege these farmers would be given a place within the city walls to be defended and compensated for lost crops as a result.

The northern side of town is all docks, mirroring the wealth levels of the city's districts. Greed and corruption fuel this port and with every law being bent to the turn of a coin. Contrary to popular belief the city of Hargorath does enforce some of its laws, specifically with regards to gambling or the trading of slaves and necrotic magics. Additionally, any business conducted within city limits is taxable, and the dragons are very good at collecting. The city limits end at the river, however. And so a black market has erupted on the open waters of the river, trading everything and anything that can be found in the great world.

Much of the business conducted by this Black Market is tolerated by the Draconic Council, but not approved. They could assert their authority over the waters but the existence of this loop-hole in their laws has vastly improved business and trade within the legitimate markets. Still, the council keeps tabs on what happens, and more than one mercenary contract has popped up in response to a grudge or two.