Catcher's Rest

"Lots of folk consider it a holy place, but some pretty chapel don't cover up the smell." -Local

Catcher’s Rest stands as Everwealth’s most revered city of faith, its skyline dominated by towering steeples, gilded chapels, and the ethereal glow of the First Altar. Built upon an ancient battlefield where holy men once clashed, it has since become a sanctuary of devotion, pilgrimage, and quiet dread. The streets hum with the chants of priests, the whispers of merchants, and the clatter of fishermen hauling in the day’s catch, but beneath its pious veneer lies a city bound by duty, tradition, and the ever-watchful gaze of The Knights of All-Faith.. The devout and desperate alike flock here seeking redemption, miracles, or absolution, some leave enlightened, while others vanish into the shadows of Silent Row. While the Church claims dominion over Catcher’s Rest, ensuring its coffers overflow with tithes and its relics remain untouched, the city's lifeblood is trade. Timber from Moonpine Forest, fish from Lough Icewind, and religious artifacts fill its markets, while inns, taverns, and artisans thrive on the endless tide of weary travelers. Yet, despite its wealth, the city is not without its hardships. Those who toil beneath its holy light often do so for meager coin, while whispers of corruption, secretive inquisition, and the quiet workings of the Gray Flame remind all that even the purest sanctuaries cast long shadows.

Demographics

The population of Catcher’s Rest is predominantly Humans and Dwarfish as Everwealth mostly is, it includes a notable minority of Elfese and Halflings, particularly among the scholarly and artistic communities. Devils and Half-Giants also, while rare, are not unheard of due to the city’s reputation as a religious hub welcoming those seeking redemption, escape from segregation, or spiritual guidance. Wealth divides are stark, Knights, clerics, and church officials live in relative opulence, while the lower classes labor in fishing, forestry, or service industries, scraping by on meager wages.

Government

The city is ruled by the Everwealthy standard Governor, their elected mayor, the guards and the duchy. But in-tandem here with The First Altar, the supreme authority of The Knights of All-Faith, a coalition of clerics, paladins, and ecclesiastical officials. Ostensibly benevolent, the Church enforces strict laws against heresy and blasphemy in their order and worshippertswhile collecting heavy tithes to maintain its vast network of parishes and religious missions. While The First Altar is technically a theocracy isoplated within their order, it maintains a sort-of council of merchants and artisans to handle economic affairs, though this body operates under the Church’s scrutiny and control.

Defences

Catcher’s Rest is fortified with stone walls and watchtowers, its bridges designed to be raised in case of attack. The Knights of All-Faith serve as both spiritual protectors and the city’s military force, their well-trained paladins ensuring swift and ruthless justice.

Industry & Trade

The city thrives on fishing, lumber, and religious tourism. Exports include finely crafted Moonpine wood, dried and smoked fish, and illuminated manuscripts. Imports consist of luxury goods, exotic foods, and magickal reagents for Church rituals.

Infrastructure

Catcher’s Rest is a labyrinth of cobbled streets and arched bridges spanning numerous river channels, its thatched-roof houses leaning precariously over the waterways. Stone aqueducts, watermills, and public fountains provide clean water, while wooden docks along the rivers bustle with fishing boats and timber barges. The Moonpine Market sprawls across the central district and all around the city, a vibrant hub of trade where woodworkers, fishmongers, and traveling merchants peddle their wares. Churches and chapels dominate the skyline, their ornate spires casting long shadows over the crowded streets. Water Logistics, a dedicated division of the Faithbound operates a specialized convoy known as the Glacier Line, responsible for ensuring fresh shipments from Lough Icewind reach Catcher’s Rest without tampering, delay, or drought. These water trains are seen as sacred extensions of the Chapel’s will, guarded by both Clerics and Paladins alike. The city maintains a fortified aquifer vault, inscribed with divine glyphs, where Lough Icewind’s water is held in reserve. Access is restricted and supervised, as ration disputes in times of delay have led to violent outbursts in the past.

Districts

• The First Altar: The heart of the city, an immense cathedral with soaring stained-glass windows and an aura of magickal radiance, home to the Church’s highest order.
• Moonpine Quarter: Named for its proximity to the surrounding forest, this district houses lumberyards, carpentry shops, and modest homes for laborers.
• Pilgrim’s Crossing: A bustling area filled with inns, taverns, and shops catering to travelers, adorned with colorful banners and religious iconography.
• The Scriptorium: A secluded enclave housed in complex chambers beneath the First Altar, where scribes and scholars preserve sacred texts and conduct research into theology and magick.
• The Silent Row: The city’s prison and interrogation complex, a grim, fortified section hidden behind high walls.

Assets

The city boasts vast timber stores from the nearby Moonpine Forest, rich fisheries, and a treasury overflowing with tithes. Relics and magickal artifacts stored in the First Altar are considered priceless. A thriving lake-shipping industry

Guilds and Factions

• The Knights of All-Faith: A powerful religious order, allegedly, with a heavy hand in controlling the Church and the city’s governance.

• The Guild of Luminaries: Artisans specializing in stained-glass windows and intricate religious carvings.

• The Pilgrim’s Way: A guild of merchants and innkeepers profiting from the city’s endless stream of visitors.

• The Gray Flame: A shadowy faction rumored to handle the Church’s darker dealings, from assassinations to securing forbidden artifacts.

History

Founded centuries ago on the ruins of an ancient battleground of holy men, Catcher’s Rest rose to prominence after the construction of the First Altar, said to be divinely inspired. Over time, it became the spiritual center of Everwealth, attracting pilgrims from across the Three Lands. However, whispers persist of dark rituals and secret purges carried out in the city’s early days to secure the Church’s dominance.

Points of interest

• The First Altar: A colossal cathedral whose magickal light never dims, even at night.

• Moonpine Market: A vibrant trading hub for wood, fish, and religious artifacts.

• The Bridge of Tears: An ancient stone bridge said to weep blood on holy days, a reminder of the city’s darker past.

Tourism

Pilgrims flock to Catcher’s Rest to seek blessings, witness relics, or partake in Church-sponsored festivals. Wealthy nobles visit for the opulent art and sacred music performed within the First Altar, while adventurers seek treasure in the city’s crypts and nearby ruins. Inns and taverns range from humble accommodations to luxurious sanctuaries catering to visiting dignitaries.

Architecture

Thatch-roofed homes line narrow canals, their stone bases carved with intricate reliefs depicting religious scenes. Churches dominate the skyline with towering spires and stained-glass windows, while the First Altar gleams with golden embellishments. Bridges are adorned with statues of saints and carved wards against evil, blending beauty with practicality.

Geography

Nestled amid sprawling rivers and bordered by the Moonpine Forest, Catcher’s Rest is a city of waterways, its canals winding through densely packed districts. Beyond its walls, fertile plains roll towards distant hills, while the forest looms to the west. While Catcher’s Rest sits far from the southern icefields, its lifeblood flows from them—quite literally. Water shipments from Lough Icewind arrive weekly via armored caravans and river-fed routes, stored in sanctified cisterns beneath the Chapel and rationed according to spiritual merit and civil need. Without these deliveries, the city’s growing population would rapidly outpace its water reserves.

Climate

The city enjoys a temperate climate with misty mornings, cool breezes, and frequent rain... Yet despite its warmth and swelling humidity, the city is not self-sufficient in water. Most of its supply is reliant on steady imports from the glacial wells of Lough Icewind to the far north, whose mineral-rich purity is said to “bless the lips it touches,” a phrase commonly repeated by Clerics during ration distribution. Winters are mild, but dampness clings to the air year-round, lending the city a constant aura of melancholy.

Natural Resources

The nearby Moonpine Forest provides abundant timber, while the rivers teem with fish. These resources sustain the city’s industries and feed its people, though over-harvesting is a growing concern.

Alternative Name(s)

'The City of Altars', 'The Faithful Crossing', 'The Holy Channels'.

Population

Approximately 40,000 folk, with an influx of thousands of itinerant pilgrims, clerics, and merchants year-round.

Inhabitant Demonym

'Catchers', 'Faithful', 'Fishermen'.

Owning Organization

The Monarchy