Qi, City of Guilds

The largest city in the Steadfast and Beyond, with over 500,000 people from a variety of Races. It is home to many adventuring guilds, libraries, and large markets. It is also often used as a neutral site for the kingdoms and other city states to meet and discuss treaties and other things. This has lead to there being many Treaties of Qi, and usually these treaties are enforced by the Qi Association of Adventuring Guilds (QAAG). Which means that adventurers are often hired to enforce treaties. This can be anything settling land disputes, to sanctioned assassinations of royalty, but usually something more mundane like land disputes, collecting repropocity payments, or even acting as spies. 
Qi is also an interesting city since it is quite small considering its population only a few miles across (you can talk across it in about an hour). But the central parts of the city, and the market areas, are multi. Basically there are streets that are built several stories above the street below and held up with massive pillars that double as staircases to get up (and animal or magic driven elevators). These levels basically feel like another street with buildings that are freestanding just that their foundation was built up.
The city is protected by The Order of the Griffin⁣ , making it one of the safest cities in the Steadfast. The Order is in charge of the city guard (your usual city guard) and is made up of adventurers, who were invited by other members to join.
A lesser known but not secret thing is that Qi is one of the few major cities that is connected to the Underdark. There is a small Drow city (Rilauven) about 10 miles away that is often used as the entry point to the Underdark for many adventurers. This has lead to a surprising number of Drow living in Qi in the sections that are built in the Underdark.

History

The city was built on ruins following the Great Magical Awakening. The ruins were expanded from a few levels to the much larger ones it was known for before the Invasion of Mauril.

The Battle of Qi/Invasion of Mauril

When Mauril von Tealia began his conquest on the Corobron Coast, on 21 Aris 1133, he put most of his effort into Qi. The city that led to his downfall. Due to the level of spells utilized and the many dragons involved, much of the city was laid to ruins. With the Library and council halls being completely destroyed, the guild hall falling to the underdark, and many of the levels greatly damaged beyond repair. The university was badly hit, but not destroyed, leaving the university district to be the most intact of all of the districts. Areas of high magic users tended to survive more.
As a result of this battle several guilds were completely lost, along with about 230,000 lives. But compared to the other major cities it faired much better.
Over the next 20 years the city was redesigned and rebuilt to be able to handle almost any attack. And though the permenant shield around the city offers a high degree of protection, the leaders thought to build even stronger platforms and add advanced enchantments.

Demographics

Humans are the most common single race (about 200,000) but many elves, dwarves, half-elfs, and other humanoids call it home.

Government

Ruled by the Round Table Alliance and Protectorate of Qi
ORGANIZATION CHART NOT AVAILABLE

Defences

After the battle of Qi, Sorin Argiir established a permanent Argiir Sphere of Denial. Which prevents anyone from entering the city who is not a member of a guild, or is granted entry. Those who manage to sneak past are easier to track and find due to the magic.

Industry & Trade

Since the attack on Qi, the city has quickly rebounded and resumed being the center of the world for trade, and to a lesser extent other planes. Much of the economy is based on adventurers and the guilds, though other lucrative markets exist as well.

Infrastructure

Following the attack on the city in 1133, the city began to rebuild with more platforms to allow for higher density. The result is a series of 8 platforms rising up to over 1200 feet above the ground. The city's space is also broken up into 7 zones, these along with the platform number help to define where a thing is. Not all platforms span into all zones, P0 and P4 are the only platorms that span all zones.
The rebuilt platforms are made though a process of enchanting the stone to either float freely (in the case of the highest ones) or to be stuck in place and ignore outside forces acting on it. This was made possible through the use of skyships to hold the base stones for each level. When possible they are then enforced with pillars from the level bellow. But by keeping the platforms somewhat seperated designers think the complete collapse like what happened during the Invasion of Maurilis unlikely to occur again. To prevent tamerping the base stones are protected by a variety of magic.
Qi core is about 2 miles across

Zones

1. Centre West
2. Centre East
3. Harbour
4. East River
5. University
6. Old Market
7. Guild

Centre on its own includes both Centre East and West

P0

Ground Level, all zones

P1

200 Feet, Old Market, Guild, East River, Centre East

P2

350 Feet, University, Centre, East River

P3

500 Feet, Centre, Guild, Old Market

P4

600, main platform, All zones

P5

800 Feet, East River, Harbour

P6

950 Feet, Centre, Guild

P7

1100 Feet, Harbour, Guild

P8

1200 Feet, University, Centre West

Districts

The city has many districts, most are on a single level and zone. But several do span large areas of the city. And most are accessible to anyone and the only reason you know you are in a different one would be the signs change. But some of the districts do require permission to access.

Guild District

This is by far the district the city is most well known for. As its name suggests it is where most of the guilds reside. It spans Platforms P3 and P4, in the Guild Zone, as well as the area around the QAAG headquarters.

Theatre

Located on P4 in the East River Zone. You will find many theatres and art venues. If a bard is playing a concert they will likely being playing here. Notable Places

The Planar Theatre

The largest theatre and concert hall in all of Qi, and possibly Aushudore. Run by Lord Patrovis Nero, Bard 12. This theatre is known for its nightly shows that can range from a mundane, but skillful, musical performances and shows, all the way to performances that rely on high level illusion magic to make possible.

University

Home to the Main Campus of the University of Qi. Which houses one of the largest libraries in the known multiverse, after being rebuilt following the attack on Qi. Access is limited to students and faculty of the University, as well as those who have paid for access to the library.

Embassy District

This area houses various embassys from around Aushudore, as well as few from other planes. But what most people care about are the Portal and Teleportation Centre of Qi.

Sky Port

The sky port spans the Harbour Zones P4 and P5, and a bit of the P4 Old Market, and is the largest skyport in the world.

Assets

Shops

Cloak and Dagger

Run by Armen a surprisingly charismatic dwarf, this shop specializes in adventuring gear and is popular among the Qi adventurers, although it can be kind of pricey but everything there is high quality

Just for You Armorer and Tailor

  Owned and run by female half-elf Valisya Stond, she is older about 60 or so but high energy and happy to help. She primarily does the light armor/tailor work and enchanting. Her assistant Karwick Sess(a somewhat grumpy older gnome) handles the heavier stuff but is pretty good at making a dress if needed.

Spellunking

A renowned magic shop, located near one of the entrances to the underdark (one of the elevators near the university district on the lower level). Run by a talkative, although kind of nervous around people, Tiefling Kennah Eshegro.

Guilds and Factions

Qi is know as the city of Guilds for a reason, almost everything revolves around them. As such there are 5 major factions that control the guilds and powers of the city, through the Round Table Alliance. These are the University of Qi, QAAG, Trade and Transport Association of Qi, Qi Art and Artisan Collective, and the Talsir Quorum.
Each of these organizations gets seats on the council, as well as manages related guilds. The University is in charge of guilds that deal with exploration and magic, although some of those guilds are licensed under both the univeristy and QAAG. This is not uncommon especially for large guilds or highly talented guilds. Guilds are categorized as either Adamantine,Platinum, and Gold. These rankings are decided by the council, and come with certain privilages. Guilds that are just starting out, are given the status of provisional/silver. Copper is sometimes used to refer to unofficial guilds.

Adamantine

These are the most powerful and influencial guilds in Qi.

Plannar Order

Under the Univeristy and QAAG

Shimmer Cloaks

Adventuring Guild

Bronze Ford

Adventuring Guild

Order of the Glaive

Fighter Guild

Stormlight

Adventuring Guild

Darkened Otter

Wizards guild.

Bardic Inspiration

Art Guild

Zeplin Captains Guild

Trade Guild

Platinum Guilds

Gold Guilds

Natural Resources

Most major cities on Aushudore were build at the intersection of 2 leylines, and that allowed them to harness large quantities of magic. Qi on the other hand had many leylines, intersecting at several points. Then following the planar shift, several more minor leylines came into proximity to Qi and were adjusted. Qi also sits at the intersection of several Planar Leylines that keeps is position stable between several planes. There are additional leylines on each of the coterminous planes.
In total there a 4 Major leylines, 7 Minor, and 5 Planar. Material Plane Lines

Abjuration (Major)

Positive Energy (Major)

Arcane (Major)

Divine (Major)

Leylines on other Planes

Primal (Elemtnal Sea, Astral Sea)

Illusion (Feywild, )

Arcane (Feywild, Shadowfell)

Enchantment (Plane of Fire)

Cold (Elemental Sea)

Fire (Plane of Fire)

Negative (Shadowfell, Astral Sea)

There are efforts to get additional planar leylines as some have been occationally detected. The current focus of this research has been establishing a planar leyline between here and another material plane. As Kalash has done such a thing, and is the major way Kalyntar Empire is ahead of Qi.

Planar

The planar leylines tie the city to the other planes making inter planar travel very safe, and keeps the the time in sync around Qi. These intersect at the local leyline intersections and allow some energy to flow between the planes.

Elemental Sea

Feywild (Aushudore)

Astral Sea

Shadowfell (Aushudore)

Fire

These allow for stable gates between these planes. As well as the easy creation of gates that pass through these planes to other planes.

Nodes

There are 7 nodes in the city, where the leylines intersect they are each given a name. And at each one stands an Eather Generator that captures the magical energy for use throughout the city. The names are for either the planar leyline passing through or the person that created the nexus at the node.

Fey : Positive, Primal

Sea : Cold, Negative

Astral : Positive, Negative, Arcane (Both)

Shadow : Negative, Primal

Fire : Fire, Enchantment

Sorin: created as result of his casting of the Dome. 3 Leylines (Abjuration, Arcane (Major), Primal)

Univeristy: Arcane, Divine

Maps

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  Planar Era Qi

• 

  Qi

  This is the map of the city of Qi, this map (and the city with some changes) are based on the city of the same name from Numenera

Type

Large city

Population

400,000

Location under

Corobron Coast

Included Locations

• 221 North Embassy Zone
• Fish Eye Tavern and Inn
• Library of Qi
• Main Campus of the University of Qi
• The Rigary Estate

Ruling/Owning Rank

Lord Protectorate of Qi

Owning Organization

Round Table Alliance

Related Reports (Primary)

• Session 27 Report
• Session 3 Summary
• Session 4 Report
• Session 5: Into the Dark
• Session 8: The Return of Argiir
• Session 9: Searching for clues

Related Reports (Secondary)

• Session 10: We Be Pirates
• Session 7: Return to the Surface

Related Historical Events

• 1132 PGW
  Session 9
• 1132 PGW
  Session 8