Nicodranas

The easternmost city of the Menagerie Coast, Nicodranas (meaning "gathering of colors" in Draconic) sits close to the Dwendalian Empire’s southern border. The proximity to the empire has made Nicodranas as an embassy state between the two powers, and the city hosts most diplomatic relations between the Clovis Concord and the Dwendalian Empire. The second-largest city of the coast, Nicodranas is similar to its larger sister city, Port Damali. Although it lacks the bustle of the unofficial capital, Nicodranas is preferred by travelers who dislike the crowds and rapid pace of Port Damali.
A lighthouse of the Wildmother overlooks the docks of the Restless Wharf, where traders and sailors maneuver their goods in and out of the harbor. Many of the local businesses are connected with either the ruling Uludan family or the entrepreneurial mage Yussa Errenis in the Tidepeak Tower, creating an additional level of competition. Those with coin to spend eventually find themselves drawn to the delights of the Opal Archways, where dens of indulgence are plentiful, though they are always under the supervision of the local Zhelezo guard.

The Nearest Escape

Sitting just beyond the southern borders of the empire, Nicodranas has been nicknamed “the Escape” for many who seek to enjoy the simple pleasures of the tropics—but also because other folk come here to flee from the dreary realities of daily life in the city’s plentiful gambling houses. Some successful Dwendalian merchants have even gained the Cerberus Assembly’s approval to relocate to Nicodranas.

Demographics

68% humans, 13% halflings, 8% dwarves, 10% other races

Government

Nicodranas is currently led by Marquis Zhafe Uludan, a powerful guildmaster who is related to Lord Athesias Uludan, a respected member of the Cerberus Assembly. This connection has enabled Zhafe’s family line to maintain the tenuous truce between the empire and the Clovis Concord, including the controlled trade and travel between borders. The Zhelezo who guard the city intermingle with assigned Dwendalian sentries, though the overlapping jurisdiction occasionally causes conflict.

Defences

A respectable army remains stationed within Nicodranas to dissuade empire foolishness. Zhelezo mingle with small squads of imperial Crownsguard. Powerful nobles and diplomats also keep hired swords and guards.

Crime

The awkward intersection of Dwendalian and concord law makes Nicodranas an especially dangerous place to delve into criminal activity. Both factions are competitive in their enforcement of the laws, so the local criminals are extremely cautious to avoid attention. However, many things considered unlawful within the empire are carefully regulated but nonetheless legal here, giving Nicodranas the dubious honor of being the safest place in Wildemount to indulge in one’s vices.
The Myriad is quiet here but unquestionably present, manipulating the black market to maneuver their contraband throughout both the Clovis Concord and the Dwendalian Empire.

Industry & Trade

The Dwendalian Empire is Nicodranas’s primary foreign trade partner, and Nicodranas is renowned as a city where foreign travelers can find respite and entertainment.

Guilds and Factions

The port is home to many places of worship, though temples to the gods approved by the empire are kept to the north side of the city, separated from those of banned gods. The Dwendalian Empire has a strong presence among high society. The Myriad is very quiet but unquestionably present.

Geography

This vivid, lively port city is built below the mouth of the Wuyun Valley, where the Cyrios Mountains form the southeastern border of the Dwendalian Empire. The districts within the city vary in architecture and atmosphere, meshing colorful Menagerie pavilions with the gothic, brooding Dwendalian aesthetics as the cultures clash and mingle. Divided into four loose regions, each section is further divided by the lifestyles of the denizens based on which side of the valley they hail from.
The Restless Wharf marks the eastern end of the city’s shoreline, with a number of docks, warehouses, and a massive shipping bay run by the Glisteners Guild, a privately owned subsidiary of the Uludan family. Many ships are guided into port by the Mother’s Lighthouse, a colossal lighthouse carved in the image of Melora. In perpetual competition with the Open Quay docks, the Restless Wharf is filled with cheap entertainment, pamphlets for services, and false promises of competitive prices. The dock yard in the wharf has managed to keep a tight hold on repair supplies coming into the city, leaving the Open Quay starved for materials.
On the western side of the city, the Open Quay is privately owned by Yussa Errenis, a wealthy merchant mage who purchased the land two centuries ago after most of it burned down. He ignored offers to sell the land to the Uludan Family, and instead built an affordable bastion of rentable business space out of spite for the monopolizing family. Considerably seedier than the Restless Wharf, the Open Quay is known for the merchants’ loyalty to Yussa and the diversity of work found throughout the area.
The Opal Archways, a loop of eleven stone arches placed seemingly at random, were created when Nicodranas was founded centuries ago to mark the edges of the city, before it expanded far beyond its original boundaries. Now the Archways are markers for the lively social center of the city, glowing with multicolored torches and incense at dusk when music and evening commerce fill the streets. Housing is quite expensive in this vibrant district, so only nobles, well-off merchants, and political figures can afford to call the Archways home. It’s also common for foreign diplomats and moneylenders to own a part-time leisure home within the area.
The Skew encompasses the residential sprawl of the city, a colorful collection of mismatched homesteads whose varying heights and sizes create a jagged skyline. The streets are safer the closer to the Archways they are, but at night the lack of well-lit walkways makes it dangerous to walk through this region alone.

Alternative Name(s)

The Escape

Type

Large city

Population

31,900

Location under

Menagerie Coast

Owning Organization

Clovis Concord