Magehaven
As you step within the city walls, the scent of freshly baked bread and the faint sound of clanging steel are the first things to hit your senses. The streets of the city are cobbled, packed with wood and stone buildings that are two stories at most. Small fields of flowers and freshly-cut grass dot the landscape. Above, the clouds are faintly blurred by the illusory magic, and reaching up toward the sky you see five towers spaced around the city. Directly ahead, toward the heart of town, is the largest; a massive work of winding stone, reaching hundreds of feet into the air. At the top, glowing brightly like a lighthouse, is a white, radiant sphere that seems to hover unaided. Walking through the cobbled streets, passing the vine-covered brick walls, you begin to see all manner of creatures--goblin children run past two firbolg women as they put up laundry. A tiefling salesman stands atop a cart, selling sausages to a busy market square as an orc lumbers past. You draw looks of suspicion and disapproval from those you pass--including the dozen or so armed individuals who patrol the town in a simple brown uniform. Again, among the guards, you see one patrol with a hobgoblin man and two human women, and one patrol composed entirely or orcs. Nowhere in the town do you see or hear a hint of runes, robes, or spellcasters.A small city amid the flat north of the New Worlds, Magehaven is one of the best-kept secrets in the world; a place for those who wish to live free of curses and magic. Hidden by powerful illusions established hundreds of years ago, the city is is made to look like ordinary farming fields with enchantments in the surrounding area heavily suggesting that people pass around that particular area. The city itself exists within a modified Anti-Magic Field centered atop Keystone Tower, redirecting the natural magical energies to fuel the illusion. As a result, Magehaven has developed high, defensible walls and a powerful city guard in which citizens rotate responsibility. Its secrecy from the outside world is key to its survival, and every denizen of the town must be sworn to keep its secret. Magehaven was founded twenty-one years ago by an elven Wild Mage named Erskine Rendel. Having realized the destructive potential of his powers, he set out to build a place for all people who wish to escape the burdens of magic. All peoples and professions are welcome to Magehaven--no matter what kind of lives they lived in the outside world--so long as they follow the city creed. The only people allowed to travel freely in and out of Magehaven are the Seekers -- citizens whose duty is to travel the world in search of fellow creatures cursed by magic, and bring them back to Magehaven where they can live their lives in peace. No magic items or spells work within the city; the people live entirely mundane lives. Erskine Rendel serves as the day-to-day mayor from the Tower, but the city has monthly townhalls that makes decisions and inducts new members. Magehaven has a powerful sense of community and hospitality to one another, but not to outsiders. Only an apocalyptic event would draw Erskine and his people away from the city's protections. Types of inhabitants: Cursed, Wild Magic Sorcerer, Shadow Sorcerers, Werewolves/were-beasts, sentient monsters seeking refuge. Demographics: A walled city of approximately 5000 people of various races. Approximately 200 soldiers at any time. City Creed The laws of any other land do not apply in Magehaven. All refugees are welcome so long as they follow the law of the city and contribute in the farms or town. Do Not Leave. The city walls are well-protected, and leaving without permission is tantamount to treason. Do Not Harm. To harm another citizen of Magehaven runs the risk of imprisonment and death. Most of the citizenry is adept with weaponry anyway. Contribute to Welfare. You must earn your keep in order for the city to survive. Most citizens are farmers, shepherds, shopkeepers, skilled craftsmen, guards, etc. Defend These Lands. All able-bodied citizens of Magehaven are expected to be able to fight in case the town comes under attack. Perform No Magic. The central basis of the city. You shouldn't be able to, anyway, unless the protections go awry. The citizens of Magehaven tend to be guarded, but kind. An air of kinship permeates the air, combined with a somber understanding of the self-imposed exile.
Founding Date
1163
Type
City
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