The city is known as a den of corruption and lawlessness. There is no ruling body that governs the city but instead is separated by districts that are controlled and taxed by whatever local gang happens to have deposed the previous. There is a tenuous relationship between the different sector heads, their mutual benefit being the glue that binds everything together. As the city continues to make a profit off the souls of the men and women lost in the endless streets and alleys, violence and bloodshed can be avoided. In Ubrucia it is all about profit.
Ubrucia is known world-wide for its production of the drug but also for the nature of the men and women who populate its streets. If you have a vice, Ubrucia has the cure you seek as long as that cure isn't hope. Thieves, assassins, prostitutes, slaves, fighters, and a variable cornocopia of other personalities and professions can be found here. One of the major features is the infamous fighting pit inside the center of the city. Quite possibly inspired by the pits in the
Empire, this acts a form of entertainment for Ubrekians.
Almost everyone in Ubrucia is poor, addicted to some sort of drug or vice, or escaping something. The destitute make up the majority of the population, but it is the Red Serpents who control everything.
There are five main sectors which are heralded by five different gangs. The territories are the north, south, east, and west with the final gang taking control over the center. The outlying gangs do not matter so much as the territory exchanges hands almost on a monthly, and sometimes weekly, basis. The center is controlled by the Red Serpents and they act as the judges of the city. As the self-appointed arbiters they are able to pardon and punish as they see fit. As mentioned before, however, Ubrucia is rather lawless. Violence is common in the streets and there is usually a sense of self-policing that happens in the territories. Some may plead to whatever gang may have power there to exact revenge on an aggressor while another may visit them in person, hammer in tow.
Flanked by sheer cliffs from it's south, west, and east (two to four hundred feet high in some areas) and it's close proximity to the Burning Scar make Ubrucia a tactically superior location against any invading armies, be they of noble or nefarious pursuit. While it's position on a cliff face overlooking the southern seas make it a strategically viable position for both Rebeorynn and the Empire, the natural defenses of the city do not make it a viable goal for either country.
The largest manufacturer of Grave Dust, those with an entrepreneurial spirit and flexible morals can find some deals to be made here. It is also possible to find man at arms and hit-men here for whatever the cold heart desires. Slavery is also prevalent here, the general attitude of the city allowing a free market to form.
Drugs, murder-for-hire, legal prostitution, gambling dens, slavery, and violent sport are the assets in which keep Ubrucia running.
Best with mountainous terrain on both sides and the Dread Cliffs to its south, Ubrucia sits in a highly defensible position. There is a cavern system that runs through the mountains and the cliffs with some paths leading to the narrow straight below it. The city uses a series of pulleys and large containers to bring water from below. There are some areas of Ubrucia, far removed from the decadent lifestyle the city represents, that is quite beautiful. Fresh air wafts over the city from the ocean and a blue horizon comes to greet those who look, dreaming of a way out and better days, seeing only through their Darksight.
Access to a cavern system where a specific fungus grows, colloquially known as Deaths' Cap. This fungus is used, with other chemical and natural ingredients, to create the highly potent and addictive substance known as , or just Dust.
Oooh I love this. I would have loved to read more about the different guilds/gangs in the city though.
I will certainly make a new article for the Red Serpents at a later time as they are integral. The other gangs are just typical street gangs, but I may add some flavor text for them. Bring the city more to *life*, haha. Glad you enjoyed it! :)