Kesh

Kesh is an independent city and trading port located on the island of Kassoth.

Description

Settled on the banks of the Dero Sound on the western edge of the island of Kassoth, the city of Kesh is known as a safe harbor for ships entering or exiting the Achinad Sea. Its numerous taverns and inns make it popular among sailors, and its bustling lumber industry have proved vital for many vessels in need of repair. The city itself is built on the outskirts of the Techeryan Jungle which takes up the majority of the island; the Keshite's closely-guarded knowledge of how to process and build with the jungle's ebonwood trees have made them famous for their swift and self-healing ships.

Bayside

A bustling series of moorings and dockside inns make up the immediate coast around the Dero Sound. Bayside tends to be rough and rowdy, as hundreds of sailors every day pass through the taverns and bars to blow off steam. Several small market stalls selling goods not available under the laws of the Pentarchy operate here, and a number of underground fighting arenas secretly operate in defiance of Keshite law.

• Order of the Doleful Aspect sanctuary: A hidden base of operations utilized by the Order of the Doleful Aspect and administered by Garen of Font-Pelier. It was here that Lethe got his arcaltium ring enchanted, and his party was tasked with destroying the Planespires.
• Underground fighting pit: A secret fight club that allows fights to the death. Bashir Baztab once held the champion title before being defeated by Precision Merchantel.

Midtown

Located further inland, Midtown attempts to present a more reputable appearance, catering to the less bawdy and rambunctious of its passing clientele. Several respectable and upper-class taverns and inns operate here, and about half of its buildings are constructed of ebonwood. It is also here that a large portion of the city's permanent residents live.

• Painted Corridor: A string of ebonwood buildings that leads from the main road out of Bayside to Oldfort Plaza. As part of a conscious effort to increase the city's presentation, a number of businesses were given financial incentive to rebuild their storefronts out of ebonwood to show off the city's most famous feature. However an unforeseen side effect was the dark black wood gave a dreary appearance, and so mural artists were encouraged to paint the buildings that lined the Corridor. The end result was a dazzling array of colorful murals that welcome visitors to the city.
• The Carmine Candle: A venerable, long-running tavern painted bright red, run by a respected businesswoman and member of the city council named Adora Delligé. It is known to provide very high-end escorts.
• The Crow and Hornet: A rival bawdyhouse opened directly across the street from the Carmine Candle. Its owner Spivvey Colden has an intense rivalry with Adora Delligé.
• Port of Call: A respectable tavern and hostel owned by a bearded halfling named Dabo Meach; he is often mistaken for a dwarf.

Oldfort Plaza

Once a Räsgardic fort before the city was abandoned by the Empire, Oldfort Plaza is both the political and economic center of the town. The courtyard was transformed into a public square, with several businesses build up on either side of the fort's walls. The keep is utilized as both a town hall for the city's council to meet, as well as barracks for the city Peacekeepers.

• Oldcedar's Anvil: A smithy operated by the firbolg blacksmith Xaroxes Oldcedar. Oldcedar also served as the city's religious leader as a priest of the Everforge, the city's patron deity. He gives free smithing lessons on occasion.
• The Punishing Pit: An arena that was once used to force prisoners to fight to the death for entertainment, the Punishing Pit kept its name and general purpose, but it is now used as a symbol of the city's unity. As violence is banned within the city limits, the arena serves as a way to solve disputes physically or as simply an outlet for aggression. Once weekly it opens and anyone is allowed to enter on the condition that all fighters are willing. Fights are only fought to first blood by law.

Timber Ward

The Timber Ward is the industrial center of Kesh, located on the south side of the city. It is where lumber refining and carpentry work is done, both of ebonwood and more common timbers. It has its own set of docks for the mooring of ships needing repair, as well as for receiving fresh imports of ebonwood from Wellerstown.

• Green Apple Livery: A small livery stable offering horses for travelers heading out of town along the Lumber Road.

History

The city was originally founded as a Räsgardic colony and military outpost, both to keep an eye on the Corsairs of Kassoth and as an attempt to harness the ebonwood trees. The settlement was initially named Derokesh as a portmanteau of the fort's military commander Colonel Wolfgang Dero, and Kesh which was the Arideian name of the island. Initial lumber operations proved ineffectual due to the ebonwood's strange qualities, and soon Colonel Dero began taking his frustration out on the city's settlers. Dero proved to be notoriously cruel, instituting a series of increasingly draconian laws with punishments varying from flogging to execution to forced deathmatches in the aptly-named Punishing Pit. After three years, the people of of the city rose up against Dero, executing him and throwing his body into the harbor which was then ironically named after him. After discovering correspondence in Dero's office that revealed the Empire had officially abandoned the colony a mere six months after its founding, the inhabitants of the city declared themselves an independent city-state, taking on the name Kesh.
While independent, the city was little more than a footnote for seventy years until a wealthy clothing magnate from Einstap named Burton Weller arrived in town, having somehow discovered the secret of making a sealant that would allow construction using ebonwood. Weller and the new industry revitalized the city which rapidly transformed into a moderate economic power. While he was not a native Keshite, Weller considered himself a patriot of the city and donated several ebonwood ships to the town's navy, as well as providing the sealant to construct more for a nominal fee. However, the exact formula to create the sealant remains a closely-guarded secret known only to him. In recent years Weller has become a recluse, remaining in his manor and refusing to leave. While still a member of the city council, he has not been seen in over four years, and what little correspondence is done through a series of middlemen and couriers.

Notable People

• Burton R. Weller: A reclusive lumber tycoon whose company helped to build the city
• Xaroxes Oldcedar: A skilled firbolg blacksmith and priest of the Everforge
• Adora Delligé: Madam and owner of the Carmine Candle, and member of the city council
• Tegan Stormchapel: A gruff goliath woman who serves as the captain of the Peacekeepers
• Garen of Font-Pelier: Seneschal of the Order of the Doleful Aspect's sanctuary in Kesh
• Ciana: A follower of the Guardian and a member of the Order of the Doleful Aspect
• Bashir Baztab: A cocky goliath who was the champion of the underground fighting pits before being unseated by Precision Merchantel

Factions

• Peacekeepers: The city watch of Kesh. They are equipped with ebonwood armor and poison-tipped spears and darts that can cause instant paralysis.
• Order of the Doleful Aspect: The secretive order of knights maintains a hidden sanctuary in the city.
• Weller Logging Company: A company owned by Burton R. Weller which monopolizes the majority of the ebonwood lumber industry.

Full Name:
Kesh
Also Known As:
Derokesh (formerly)
Leader:
Self-appointed city council
Current Leader(s):
Burton Weller 
Adora Delligé
Tegan Stormchapel
Xaroxes Oldcedar
Population:
3,000
Affiliation:
Independent city-state
Continent:
Eigentica
Region:
Inganna Archipelago
Districts:

• Bayside
• Midtown
• Oldfort Plaza
• Timber Ward

Points of Interest:

• Painted Corridor
• Doleful Aspect Sanctuary