New Sydonia
Founded by the remnants of Old Sydonia after their exodus from Dragon's End following the Doom of Sydonia, New Sydonia came to be the dominant kingdom of Arlyss after the conquest of the continent following the war of the elves. Sydonian society has integrated most of the sentient races of Arlyss and has at least a presence on every landmass but Dragon's end.
Full History
Major cities
Dragonwatch: capital of the kingdom of New Sydonia. A massive metropolis surrounded by farmsteads, the city is home to 300,000 Sydonian citizens. As the geographic and spiritual center of the kingdom, Dragonwatch is home to the Parliament of Sydonia, the royal palace, the headquarters of the Sydonian army, the arcanatorium and the royal manufactory. The official faith of the kingdom is the Church of Woden, but countless other faiths keep temples or shrines in the city. Southport: The gateway to the southern seas, Southport is the largest port city in Arlyss. Goods from the Marble Isle and across the western sea flow through here and into the kingdom of Sydonia. Arlenport: The only port city in the north, Arlenport exports furs, ores, weapons, armor and other goods from the northern trade into the kingdom through the port city of seawatch. Seawatch: Home to a garrison of 50,000 soldiers ready to defend the kingdom against elven attack, Seawatch also serves as the receiving point for goods from Arlenport into the kingdom.Military
The Sydonian military consists of 4 branches: the royal army, the order of Woden, the arcanatorium, and the manufactorium. The army consists of the fighting men and women of Sydonia, backed up by mages from the arcanatorium and war clerics from the order of Woden. The manufactory is made up of Sydonia's royal artificers who produce the weapons and war engines of Sydonia. Army service was once compulsory, but a bill was passed in the house of nobles ending this practice. Provisions were made for a draft should the need arise. Service in the army is open to all citizens of Sydonia (men and women). The arcanatorium consists of schools relating to each school of magic (except necromancy, which is illegal) and the war-wizards' school. Those who graduate from the war-wizards' school go on to serve in the army, while those who graduate from their perspective schools dedicate themselves to magical research and teaching new students. The order of Woden is the official divine order of the Sydonian military, training clerics and paladins to serve in the army. They are sometimes supported by the Order of Sol, who dedicate themselves to the destruction of the undead (and as such often deploy to the badlands). The manufactorium governs the invention and manufacture of Sydonia's weapons and war engines. Students of the manufactory learn the principles of artifice and go on to become inventors, engineers, and scientists. Members of the manufactory rarely serve the military directly, but engineers are sometimes attached with companies of soldiers to support war engines. The artillery batteries of Seawatch employ a handful of engineers for maintenance.Government
The government of Sydonia is made up of 3 branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. The Executive branch is led by the Prime Minister (currently Lord Aemar Rixon), who serves at the behest of the King. He is the official head of government, ensuring the proper execution of the law. The legislative branch consists of the house of nobles, with members from the nobility appointed by the King to serve at his behest. They suggest, deliberate on, and pass new laws of the kingdom. They are led by the Lord Speaker of the House of Nobles (currently Lord Blackwood). The judiciary branch consists of the courts of law of the kingdom. They enforce the laws of Sydonia as outlined by the royal charter of laws. The courts are run by the Church of Tiw.Justice
The city watch is known as the Constabulary and consists of the Constables charged with keeping the peace and the Investigators charged with investigating crimes. They are led by Chief Constable Godwin Merrell. They only have a presence in Dragonwatch. The cities of southport and arlenport have their own city guard, and seawatch is policed by the army. Sheriffs are appointed to police the countryside. Dragonwatch is home many criminal gangs.Points of Interest in Dragonwatch
Noble District and west end
The noble district is home to the royal palace and the three royal noble houses (from whose ranks the kings of Sydonia have ruled for centuries). Each estate consists of several mansions, gardens, and barracks for house guards. The royal gardens are the largest source of foliage in the city, and are maintained by a large crew of gardeners who work day and night to maintain them. House Dunkeld Estate: Home to the oldest noble family in Sydonia, whose roots go as far back as Old Sydonia. House Dunkeld now owns several shipping companies run by its patriarch Eadwald Dunkeld. House Godwin Estate: Home to the wealthiest noble family in Sydonia, house Godwin first brokered trade agreements with the Dwarves of Kal'Ein after the founding of Dragonwatch. They own several gold mines to the south of Dragonwatch and are currently led by Matriarch Aelswith Godwin. House Ascania Estate: Home to the Ascania family, Dragonwatch's pre-eminent military family. The men of house Ascania have served as generals, officers, and knights of the realm for generations. They are also entwined with the church of Woden, having had multiple High Priests of Woden in the family. They are currently led by Patriarch Osmund Ascania. The Royal Palace: Home to the royal family and the court of King Edmund IV. This lavish mansion was built from the original castle Dragonwatch, from which the Sydonians orchestrated the war against the chromatic dragons after arriving in central Arlyss. Though several wings have been added in the centuries since that war, the king still holds court in the grand chamber of the original castle. Since the establishment of Parliament, the king's role in the daily affairs of the kingdom have lessened. He has taken to organizing grand balls and lavish parties while the prime minister and house of nobles toil away in Parliament. The City Barracks: Nestled between the noble district and the merchant district, the city barracks is home to the army of Sydonia. The fighting men and women of Sydonia stationed in the capital train and plan Sydonia's defenses here. General Wulfric Sharpe (leader of the Sydonian army) keeps a modest home within the barracks. Parliament: Here the house of nobles preside over the laws of Sydonia, led by lord speaker Alrich Blackwood. The Parliamentarian: An upscale tavern frequented largely by members of parliament and students of the Arcanatorium. The parliamentarian also serves as a social club for members of parliament and has strict dress code (formal wear required, mages' robes permitted). The tavern largely sells wine and liquor (and, upon demand, elvish whisky). Run by a former parliamentary assistant named Godric Stone, who purchased the tavern from its former owner (an eccentric gnomish mage named Archibald Zapspark) and turned it into the Parliamentarian. The Constabulary: Home to the city watch, led by Chief Constable Godwin Merrell. The constabulary trains constables and inspectors and serves as headquarters for the watch. The courts: Across the street from the constabulary are the many courts of the Church of Tiw, where judges preside over cases both criminal and civil. Church of Woden: Both a temple to Woden and the headquarters for the church's role in government affairs. Here, knights, warrior monks and clerics are trained to serve the Sydonian military while the high priest of Woden oversees affairs of a spiritual nature. He advises both the king and parliament, and all matters of war must be approved by him.Merchant District
Here the merchant class of Dragonwatch live and do business (most living above or below their own shops). Shops selling a vast variety of wares can be found here, as well as taverns, inns and restaurants. Coin street is known far and wide as the best place to shop in all the realm. Temple of Tiw: Temple to the god of war and justice. Home to the clerics of Tiw, who serve as judges in the courts of Dragonwatch. The order of Tiw is a knightly order formed from the ranks of the monks of Tiw. High Priest Alvin Ramsey. The King's Coin Alehouse: The most popular tavern in the merchant district, the king's coin alehouse sits across from the Arcanatorium and the temple of Tiw and is a favorite among young students of both. Though less affordable than the dragon's hoard down the street, the king's coin serves some of the best food and ale in the city. Run by an older halfling couple (Odo Stoutgrass and his wife Lilly). The Dragon's hoard inn: Home to many adventurers, mercenaries and travelers, the dragon's hoard inn is a rowdy establishment that serves cheap food and drink and provides questionable living accommodations. The Dragon's hoard makes up for its lacking services with some of the finest entertainment in the city. Due to its reputation as an "adventurer inn," the dragon's hoard is often frequented by people seeking stories of fame and fortune or news from the wide world. The inn's proprietor (a half-elf man named Ælfræd) collects tales of woe, fortune and opportunity and posts potential "jobs" for adventurers and mercenaries on a cork board at the back of the inn.Craft District
Here the craftsmen of Dragonwatch live and ply their trades. Also sometimes referred to as "Dwarftown" for the high population of dwarves living here. Its proximity to the manufactorium ensures that the artificers of Dragonwatch are always well supplied. The beardless dwarf: A quiet, modest tavern run by a dwarf named Magdin Longbeard. The name of the tavern refers to an incident in which Magdin's beard was burned off by a black powder explosion during his days in the manufactorium. Magdin chose to retire after the incident, and opened the tavern to serve his fellow craftsmen. The Manufactorium: Home to Sydonia's artificers. Here, artificers are trained and work in the manufactorium designing and producing new inventions for the kingdom. Thick clouds of black smoke can always be seen erupting from tall chimneys (smokestacks) and the smell of sulfur and charcoal is ever present.The slums
Once home to a small wood that housed an elven embassy during the dragon war, the woods were slowly cut down and replaced by cheap housing when Sydonian expansion pushed the city ever closer to overpopulation. Much of the housing here is nothing more than shacks, and streets were never paved. Here, Sydonia's poor and downtrodden found homes where they could. Eventually, much of the population here was replaced by those deemed "lesser" by Sydonian society (half-breeds, integrated elves, and foreigners). All Faiths Temple: From the husk of the old elven embassy, priests of all faiths built shrines to their gods so the people of the slums could come and pray. Over time, more and more shrines were erected and the original structure was expanded to include a second "temple." Riverstone Tavern: A raucous tavern run by a human named Hawke. As a former barrow boy, Hawke runs a tight ship and keeps the peace within his tavern. When fights break out, he makes sure only those involved are hurt and keeps them from killing each other inside his tavern (what they do on the street outside is their business). Serves the finest elvish whiskey smuggled by the Gweryn Rydd, as well as cheap ale and a small collection of wines (red and white...ish). The riverstone is sometimes frequented by adventurous members of Sydonian society who wish to partake in the quaint charms of the less fortunate (and also because it serves the best roast chicken in the city).The Arcanatorium
Here the mages of Sydonia study the arcane arts. At the war wizards' college, mages destined for military service train to become war-wizards. Those who do not choose military service are separated by the school of magic in which they specialize. Vast libraries of arcane lore, as well as the histories of the world, are contained within the arcanatorium. Each school of magic is led by an archmage, and the arcanatorium is overseen by High Wizard Thorun Rivers. A small bard's college was founded 30 years ago to teach bardic magic.The docks and market
The market: a large open-air market where the common folk of Dragonwatch purchase goods and the craftsmen of the craft district sell their wares not fit for Coin street. The Thirsty Goblin inn and tavern: Run by a half-orc named Thorok Goldtooth, the thirsty inn is frequented by market-goers and other travelers. A modest inn and tavern, the thirsty goblin caters to common folk who wish to stray from the rowdy dragon's hoard inn. The Lakeway inn: A lavish inn on lakeway lane near Parliament and the Constabulary run by Aldred Blackstone. Often frequented by foreign dignitaries and other upper-class travelers. Temple of Thunnor: A temple dedicated to the god of thunder Thunnor. Royal Shipyards: Here the royal shipwrights build and maintain ships for the king's navy. Dunkeld shipyards: Shipyards for the Dunkeld shipping company, providing shipwright services to other companies and ship captains as well (for a modest fee). The Black Barnacle Inn: A hole in the wall inn right on the banks of the Avron river. Run by a retired ship captain named Harkon The Black. Stabbings and shootings are as frequent here as food poisoning (which happens frequently from bad lake clams and mussels). Dragonwatch cemetary: Sitting outside the city walls on the western side of the city (by the docks), this cemetary has housed the dead of the city for centuries.Maps
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Dragonwatch
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