Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

PH
Things to do in Ironridge

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PH

Things to do in Lysoria

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A hopeful alliance to add to Ne’haer’s territory, Hyran is governed by yet another noble House, The Marthels. Though Hyran is technically considered a large estate, most look at it as a very expansive village or small town due to the number of settlers around it. It sees its fair share of visitors and has shops and resting spots for travelers as well as its own military to protect themselves from local threats, mainly the Ironridge and their quiet, yet useless advances. However, the House of Marthel doesn’t wish to dabble in the affairs of politics. Their rural life out in the forests contains their peace and happiness and they do not wish to jeopardize this by taking on other's burdens. Hyran continues to trade with Ne’haer in exchange for a proper education for their citizens and employment opportunities. The House Marthel understand there is not much coin to be made in their lands except off the material they export.

Hyran, on the inside, appears much as a realm under quick and considerable development as more and more of the populous grows into the shoes of an efficient engineering class. Hyran is filled with tall walls, sturdy and well-maintained fortifications, and impenetrable townships surrounded by difficult terrain operable only by its people. This is, of course, significant to its history - one of being invaded, sought after, and assaulted arc after arc.

The people of the realm are known for their sturdiness, quite sensibly, and their undying determination. Hyren, as they are called, are an insightful and energetic group. Many of their towns are populated with ridiculous shacks and local restaurants, innovation in the simple things a core to the territory and its people.

On the coast of the region, there are swaths of colorful fishing towns, inter-exchanging with the more rural hunters and farmers of the more populous interior. Hyran as a region is growing only more inter-connected, and as a result of their centralization, the fabric of the inter-woven communities has slowly begun to change and expand. What this means for their nobility and regional alliances, is still yet uncertain.
Things to do in Hyran

• Looking to be certified as a world-class engineer? Consider learning within the Walled City, one of the Western world's foremost centers of industrial learning!
• Seeking a coat with a long kill count? Check out Dandy Lions for furs only found on vicious predators.
• If you're in need of self-inflicted pragmatism, Castle Volkov is sure to install any who enter with generations of anti-noble sentiments, upon witnessing the generally dysfunctional court of nobility.
• For anyone looking for West Idalosian mall-life, the Rook acts as a leading center for both businesses and the paranoid, with all of your shopping done safely away from any impending foreign armies.
• The Fat Cat, simply put, is one of the jewels of Hyran and must be... slept in. While you're there, don't forget to eat in the fanciful open-aired restaurant Serendipity.

• The Rook - The Rook is a massive white brick fortress allegedly built by the Immortals, which hosts a large quantity of businesses inside of its walls, acting similarly to a market but with few stalls and more permanent businesses. The Rook sits on the fringes of Hyran's capital township, and acts both as a place of bartering and buying as well as a tourist attraction.
• The Eye - On the western coast of Hyran is a large fishing and tailoring settlement known as Hailen, known for its bright mixture of colored homes and pleasant winds, but additionally an 'Oracle' within Hyran. The Eye, the establishment in which she operates, is said to have mystical properties - and any who come to see the Oracle, Meena, are typically touched in 'supernatural ways'. As a result, the establishment is near-constantly flowing into the streets with wealthy and curious patrons, though the scholarly minds of Hyran have denounced the woman and her craft as drivel.

• The Fat Cat - The Fat Cat is the largest tavern in Hyran, located between Castle Volkov and the township. It typically acts as a location for noble visitors, business partners and prominent engineers, and thus maintains incredibly high standards despite its density. The interior, and exterior, of the building are both largely black in color - making it unique and instantly notable upon seeing it from afar. Inside, the dark theme continues, with dim lighting and the occasional performance from melancholic singers.
• Serendipity - A classy dining establishment located on the west end of the Fat Cat, Serendipity is a place typically reserved for fanciful dinners between nobles and other aristocratic individuals. They primarily serve rare or well-cooked meats with an ensemble of locally farmed fruits and vegetables.

• Dandy Lions - Dandy Lions, a fur and pelt seller within the Rook, is a large seller of exotic pelts and rare fur clothing. They were initially named due to their extravagant Constellion coats, which propelled the outfitter to national prominence. Now, they typically work with elite hunters who find and slay the more dangerous mammals of Western Idalos, crafting their remains into handsome attire for the wealthy.
• Pig Parchment - Pig Parchment is a leatherworking establishment located near the Rook, within Hyran. They sell furniture, armor, clothing, and other things as well as offering repairs and maintenance on any leather based gear. Pig Parchment is not typically known for any unique innovations, though they are a rare example of a 'franchise', as there are several businesses of the same name within Hyran due to creative differences between brothers.

• Castle Volkov - Castle Volkov, the seat of Hyran and House Marthel, is a large fortress within the eastern interior of the region. As it is not surrounded by any considerable castle-town or city of governance, it mostly hosts the relatively few members of House Marthel, as well as their servants, chambermaids, slaves, militiamen and advisors (as well as their families). Castle Volkov serves more as an administrative capital than anything else, and while it does preside over the township of Hyran, the true economic center of the realm lays further to the west.
• The Walled City - The Walled City is one of the largest engineering education centers in Western Idalos, and is a secluded compound that spans across several smaller rivers, with short bridges inter-connecting the areas of developed grassland, and a large set of walls surrounding each of the many points of this large enclave. In total, more than a thousand engineers are educated within the Walled City at any one time, with many laborers and university-aspirants dwelling in small townships outside of the walls, seeking work at the hands of the entrepreneurs that emerge from this place. This is - certainly - the educational heart of Hyran, and a great economic bulwark for the realm.

Considered by some to be a smuggler's town for drunken pirates, the realities of living in Bayward can be quite different to what most expect. After pirates took back the city of Bayward from Ne'haer, Crux Dregoon settled himself in the head seat of a council. While Bayward can be a rough and dangerous place, especially with the unhidden drug industry that brings in most of the town's income, it may not be quite as lawless as one might expect at first glance. For all that, though, Bayward and Ne'haer seem to have a never-ending struggle for power in the region.

The scent of sea and salt is intense inside along the old docks and twisted streets of Bayward. The sun shines brightly over the dilapidated buildings and into the dusty streets, which are littered with drunks, whores, and market stalls.

Wrapped around the Mahogany Bay like an eel coiling around its prey, Bayward is a crescent-shaped city boasting a substantial (but transient) population of pirates, traders, beggars and layabouts. It is a veritable hotbed of capitalism, crime and carousing.

Still, the place is not without its charms. The call of the sea mingling with the cry of the gulls gives a feeling of coming home to one’s proper place in the world. Long, white beaches glow in the day’s light. The feel of the breeze and the taste of the air are like lost memories brought back from long ago. Many seafarers are glad to call Bayward their port.
Things to do in Bayward

• If you're thirsty, head down to one of the many pubs, such as the Black Dove or the Anglers Alley. Start a brawl for laughs.
• On a date? Try the Widow's Walk for the finest dining available - they've got candles in wine bottles, even! Or, you could take a romantic stroll down Haverton's Pier and look at the stars. The beach is also a nice place to walk, but look out for broken bottles.
• Go swimming or fishing in Cessandra's Oasis, and enjoy the cool shade of trees.
• Head to the Trader's Market to pick up goods, window shop (or, rather, stall shop), sell things, or just get jostled by the crowd.
• Gamble away your day's wages with a trip down of the Anglers Alley, or just get guttered in the Hold.
• Low self-esteem? Feel better about yourself and your station in life with just one trip under deck of The Mad Queen.
• Shop for exotic potions and herbs at Shook's Apothecary.
• Look for a position aboard a pirate ship - or even a legit ship, if you're desperate. There are plenty of willing employers, and lots of captains with low standards. Or, if you're of sufficient funds, think about purchasing a ship of your own and hiring a crew!

• Trader's Market - A bazaar like none other, the Trader's Market is where anything and everything from across Idalos can be found. Even in the daylight, merchants hawk black market goods that would otherwise be illegal elsewhere. Nothing is unattainable for the right price, but that doesn't make searching it out safe.
• Shipyards - While Ne'haer is better known for its reputable and skilled shipwrights, Bayward's own specialize in weaponry and ships for battle. There are a few repair services, but often the Shipyards are known to be just as much of a black market for sea vessels as the Trader's Market is for everything else.
• Haverton Pier - A tourist type attraction if ever there was one. The Pier extends out into the bay, lined with stalls and stands, before stretching into lantern lights and seating. It’s a lovely place to see the stars, or to take your date for a walk.
• Cessandra’s Oasis - Go swimming or fishing in Cessandra's Oasis, a beautiful little cove hidden in the bay away from the main hub of the city, surrounded by the cooling shade of palm trees and white sand.

• The Widow's Walk - Fine dining at its lowest. The Walk is what Bayward can consider fine dining, provided you’ve never dined anywhere in the world ever. Rats can often be seen scurrying across the floor.
• The Hold - Bayward's only decent place to stay. The hold offers rooms for all walks of life, and can also order up company from The Mad Queen. There is a small tavern on the ground floor, which has become a bit of a meeting place for locals (I’ll meet you at the Hold for a drop of brew?)
• Angler's Alley - An entire street devoted to gambling and gaming. The shops here are open faced, offering cards and dice and all sorts of ways to loose your nel.
• Black Dove Tavern - A less than savoury establishment, offering both alcohol and drugs to help its patrons relax. The Dove also offers up pleasures of the flesh, but is no Mad Queen. Partake in these pleasures at your own risk.

• The Mad Queen - Low self-esteem? Feel better about yourself and your station in life with just one trip under deck of The Mad Queen. A brothel built into the bowels of a once famously feared pirate ship.
• Rutger's House of Pain - Located in the Mahogany Harbor itself, this large floating structure isn't a house so much as a huge arena built from the retired hull of a once-beautiful galleon. This is a place of entertainment where vicious pit fights between both gladiators and free people are bet on and watched over copious amount of alcohol and drugs.
• The Medicine Hut - With so many ways to get hurt in Bayward, one would think there'd be plenty of places to get patched up. Most of them are questionable, but the Medicine Hut is run by an ex-Order of the Anduith and a Sev'ryn, the pair both reliable and knowledgeable regardless of their questionable pasts.
• Ue's Smithy - The best smith in town, Ue and his young daughter Clara are well-respected in Bayward. Clara is an ornery child, but already quite the savvy negotiator, while her father Ue makes blades that have no rival in all of Western Idalos.
• Shook's Apothecary - The term apothecary is used loosely about Shook's, for one can buy whatever medicine or drug of choice they're looking for at market price. Shook's is known to have things nowhere else could possibly have, and it's rumored if he doesn't have what you're looking for, he's willing to make something custom for a price.

• Miss Scyrene's School - To Be Developed

PH

Things to do in Yurrova

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Millstone has quite a large population, however, they do not intend to expand their walls or numbers as Ne’haer did. This town is governed by the Lord and/or Lady that is elected into the political seat. Residing in this town are a number of wealthy individuals that are able to trade well beyond Ne’haer and even hire their own military. Though it’s small, the military within this town is enough to keep it safe from outside enemies. The town itself focuses on a number of things, though the center of their skills revolve around crafting items like clothes, jewelry, weapons, and armor. This town is not lacking entertainment, nor shops or rest spots for travelers. They do tend to raise prices for things rather high and if one isn’t too careful, they may end up getting ripped off. A number of people come to settle in Millstone, most of those people being nobles from the Kingdom of Rynmere. If they don’t settle, they may tend to buy housing in the town. There are a number of large, finely built houses that sit empty due to this.

Being a town that is small in size compared to its neighbors, the privilege of living here tends to be somewhat exclusive. Besides the nobility and the wealthiest business owners, the only people that live in the town proper are those who work for the nobility and business owners. In this way, access and privilege is distributed by the strict control of a select few. This allows the city to function almost as a sanctuary from the surrounding region. Within its stone walls one will find expensive restaurants, fine goods, skilled tradesmen and women, and a well trained, well fed, and well paid private military- The Millstone Battalion. The streets are clean and gardens abound, providing a pleasant fragrance to the air. In many ways, it is a private paradise, and is often used as a place for nobility to escape the troubles of life elsewhere.

But Millstone is not simply a locked away sanctuary. It is also a place of immense opportunity for anyone with the right skills. Nobles will be nobles, and the nature of the upper class has not changed despite being moved about to different places in Idalos. There are many noble houses in Millstone, and all of them vy for power, prestige, and wealth. Almost every noble in Millstone is on constant lookout for remarkable individuals to serve as vassals- a job that can pay very well for one who knows how to earn their keep. Still, such opportunities are not given to everyone. The poor and the beggars of Millstone live in shantytowns outside the walls, a place known by locals as The Outer Ring, entering when they can to find work or hoping to catch the eye- and the purse- of a sympathetic noble of philanthropic merchant. Some nobles actively oppose the exclusive nature of their city by offering work and housing to this lower class. Others see it as a great opportunity to find help for less scrupulous needs. In the end it boils down to this: In Millstone, everyone is either a pawn or a player, and all would do well to keep that in mind.

Things to do in Millstone

• Visit any of the numerous fine dining establishments- if you have the coin!
• Take a walk around The Endless Gardens, the finest and best maintained collection of flora in the region, situated in the center of the city and spanning thirty lush acres.
• Stop in at The King’s Court: Millstones most popular tavern, complete with musical entertainment!
• Looking to earn some coin? Head on over to The Headhunter, home of the Millstone Finders Association and keeper of many a contract.

• The Temple of Chamadarst - A temple dedicated to the most popular deity in the rich city, this place is home to the priesthood of Chamadarst and serves as a popular meeting place. Well funded and filled with many small rooms and catacombs, many disputes are settled and contracts are penned here, away from the prying eyes of legitimate authorities. In Millstone, the term “Temple Contract” has even been coined to refer to an agreement made in secret.
• The Endless Gardens - Occupying the center of the city, the gardens are a 30 acre plot of land that houses a vast array of flora from all over Idalos, some grown in the open and some in specialized greenhouses, even housing an underground exhibit containing certain species of flora not amenable with sunlight. A not insignificant portion of city taxes go toward the upkeep and expansion of the gardens, and it is one of the primary employers of particularly skilled botanists not just in the region but the continent. A single, stone path runs from the entrance into the front of the garden before breaking off into many paths, swirling and interconnecting throughout for easy access.

• The King's Court - A large, two floored tavern built amphitheater style with a stage for performers of all kinds, The Court is the most popular tavern in the city for good reason. One can seldom enter without being treated to either the musical stylings of a local artist or an amusing act from a performer or troupe. Many would call the food and drink secondary, and The Court is often used as a destination for dates or a place to break the ice in negotiations.
• The Royal Coffers - One of the finest restaurants in the city, this establishment is one of the few in Millstone that can boast being a good value, even with the inflated prices. None have ever reported dissatisfaction, or anything less than true bliss, after a meal at The Coffers.
• Georges Place - Quaint in name only, Georges is one of the finest inns in the region, boasting rooms bigger than the houses of most commonfolk and the finest amenities.
• The Pit - For those beyond the walls who need a place to stay that doesn’t cost a cycles salary, there is The Pit. Offering food, drink, and boarding with the rare promise of safety and security thanks to a staff of brutish bouncers. The Pit takes its name from the real source of its popularity and income amongst locals- the fight club that operates out of the actual sinkhole behind the inn.
• Crazy Jacks - The only place to eat outside the walls, if rumors are to be trusted. A one man establishment operating out of a small shack, the owner and namesake is said to be a savant in the kitchen who fell out of favor with the nobility after once being the finest chef in Millstone. Nobody can figure out the secret to his seemingly simple and even common dishes, he is simply superior. If you can bring him the proper ingredients for a fine meal, it is said that he’ll be eternally grateful- though still not free.

• Millstone Exports - The aptly named company has a near monopoly on the export industry, handling the majority of shipments leaving the city, either by caravan or boat. Once a small upstart, the then small business grew rapidly into the juggernaut it is now by aggressively claiming contracts and gradually absorbing the crews and clientele of competitors. Now nearly uncontested and well armed, the only shipping companies that stand in their way are either well funded, bold, or just plain stupid.
• The Steele Advantage - Run by Joseph Steele, a renowned local smith and armorer, this is the place to be if you’re in search of quality weapons and armor. Steele is even available for custom jobs if the price is right.
• Edasha's Cauldron - The best known alchemical shop in Millstone, commonly associated with their invigorating potions and substances, largely trading in aphrodisiacs and vitality potions. For those with the extra coin, however, a whole world of possibilities, both ethical and un, is revealed.
• Lotsa Stuff - Somewhere between a well organized heap of junk, a thrift store, and a barterers dream, Lotsa is the prime spot outside the walls to get what you need. Nel is rarely even considered here, however. The proprietors of this establishment are more apt to make a trade than a sale. Everything here is for sale and if you can’t haggle, you will be taken. However, for those silver tongued individuals, much can be had.
• Drei's Remedies - The only medical establishment in the outer ring that is clean enough to be legitimate, Drei’s offers affordable medical care for a fair price. Patrons of this business need only mind the endless eccentricities of their physician, whom many speculate has a brain addled by overstepping, too many of his own drugs, or some combination of the two.
• The Headhunter - Home of the famed Millstone Finders Association, The Headhunter is an unassuming place, making its home in a small meeting hall. Here, lining the walls, one will find contract requests from nobility, some anonymous and some not. These requests vary wildly, from small trinkets, to very specific requests for captured flora and fauna, to artifacts and more. One does not need to be a "finder" to take a contract, but rather success in fulfilling contracts earns you a place amongst them. Anyone can accept a contract, but will first be warned that returning to Millstone without your quarry is a dubious idea at best.

• The High Table - The town hall of Millstone proper and the place where the Lord of Millstone holds court. Citizens may come here to voice concerns, levy legal charges, or simply seek to win favor in the eyes of the nobility.
• The Tutors Guild - A dedicated guild of educators with a broad array of skills to draw from, most of the nobility of Millstone employ at least one member. The Guild Hall houses Millstones largest library, open to the public free of charge. This guild is notable for its willingness to employ mages to teach those so inclined, though they maintain a strict policy of not permitting initiation by their members.
• Last Call - What appears to be a simple tavern on the outskirts of the outer ring of the city is, in fact, the defacto town hall. Though there is no true hierarchy of government here, prominent figures in the community will often meet here to decide the direction of those loyal to them, as well as furthering their designs to infiltrate the city and take the upper crust down a notch or ten. Individuals may come here after dark to raise issues for discussion, as well as seeking assistance, direction, or even employment from leaders in the community.
  
  Huge credit to Han for the work on this write up.

PH

Things to do in Cycres

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PH

Things to do in Treth

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• Moseke's Landing - Details Forthcoming
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• Old Sow's Ear - Details Forthcoming
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• Treth's General Goods - Details Forthcoming
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• Treth's Community School - Details Forthcoming
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