Riddleport

Riddleport is the third-largest city in Varisia and its northernmost port. The city is a haven for pirates and sea-faring brigands. Teeming with criminals and rogues of all kinds, Riddleport is full of potential danger and hard-to-avoid intrigue. Also known as the City of Cyphers, Riddleport takes its name from the Cyphergate, a giant stone arch spanning the natural cove around which the city is built, covered on both sides with ancient Thassilonian symbols whose exact meaning remains unknown. Riddleport's blind-eye approach to crime has led to a population largely skewed toward scoundrels, outcasts, and cutthroats who fill its harbor and dockside brothels. Despite the relative danger of the city, scholars and academics are also fairly common, as the mysterious and massive Cyphergate presents a seemingly endless supply of research material for those interested in Thassilonian relics. This unlikely combination—pirate haven and academic outpost—gives Riddleport a character found nowhere else in Varisia: dangerous and intellectually alive at the same time. Riddleport also sports a sizable tiefling population, the largest in all of Varisia and one of the largest in all of Avistan. The city's historical role as a base for pirates harassing Chelish shipping has meant generations of contact—and conflict—with the Chelish mainland, and infernal ancestry has followed those connections northward over the centuries.

Government

The Overlord

The titular head of the Riddleport government is the self-appointed Overlord of Riddleport, a position traditionally held for life. Riddleport's current overlord is a former pirate captain named Gaston Cromarcky. Since the city's founding, Riddleport has been ruled by a series of pirate lords, buccaneers, and other unsavory sailors in a bloody cycle of betrayal and violent coups. Overlord Cromarcky has maintained his rule over Riddleport for three decades by entrenching himself in a wholly new manner, creating a military force loyal to his coin. Ship captains who wish to trade with the city pay the Overlord a stiff protection fee in order to fly the Riddleport flag; this guarantees that their ships will not be molested by any pirate who calls the City of Cyphers home. The pirate Skel Grumach, captain of the Easy Virtue, serves as Cromarcky's right hand on the waters outside Riddleport, unofficially hunting down rogue pirates in addition to merchant ships sailing under foreign flags. This arrangement has brought in a certain amount of trade, mainly from bold merchants out of Magnimar, and led to a rise in the general standard of living. Cromarcky is also a partner in three of the city's largest gambling halls located in the Free-Coin District: the Dragon's Hoard, the Watercress, and the House of Nabin. As of late, there have been rumors that Cromarcky's funds are beginning to run low, and that he soon will no longer be able to pay his Gendarmes. His greatest political rival, the crimelord Elias Tammerhawk, has begun to test the Overlord's authority in various arenas, hoping to position himself as natural successor when the time comes.

The Gendarmes

Under Cromarcky's rule, life in Riddleport has become more stable than ever before. Open street warfare between rival gangs is a rarity now, and the gendarmes have made it safe enough for brave or desperate merchants from Magnimar to bring in trade. The Gendarmes number 250 soldiers, barracked at the Devil's Fork military district, which guards the northern approach to the city. In the southern draw is Shoreleave, the city's fortress-prison compound, backed up against the rocky ridge and said to extend underneath in tunnels mined out by prisoners sentenced to hard labor. General Anton Mescher, Overlord Cromarcky's right-hand man, oversees Shoreleave efficiently and fairly, and is one of the few people in power in Riddleport who isn't seeking to gain more. The Gendarmes enforce Riddleport's few laws, which amount primarily to: don't attack ships under Riddleport's flag, don't interfere with Overlord business, and don't make enough public noise to embarrass the city. Everything else is largely negotiable.

The Criminal Council

Cromarcky rules over the city with the consent and help of several powerful figures. When the time comes to choose a new Overlord, he will be drawn from this group. Each of these figures controls a different economic sector of the city's criminal infrastructure, and each maintains their own small army of contacts, enforcers, fences, loan sharks, and specialists.

Avery Slyeg — Directs most of the major smuggling operations within the city. Operates from his inn, the River Runner. Said to have agents in two dozen cities throughout the Inner Sea region.
Varnal "Split Face" Knocmar — Master of Riddleport's beggars and pickpockets. Runs street intelligence networks. Known for going to great lengths to disguise his cleft palate.
Boss Croat — An obese dromaar who controls the trade in illicit substances and other contraband. Known for keeping entirely half-orc minions and operating from a fortified compound in the Leeward District.
Clegg Zincher — Owns Zincher's Arena and numerous other fighting venues, controlling all gambling on those bouts. Also runs most of the organized manual labor in Riddleport, giving him the power to organize strikes and industrial sabotage.
Elias Tammerhawk — Speaker of the Order of Cyphers for two consecutive eight-year terms. An accomplished wizard and the most dangerous potential successor to the Overlord's seat. Currently testing Cromarcky's authority openly.
Shorafa Pamodae — High priestess of the temple of Calistria and effective head of Riddleport's "hospitality industry." The city's foremost information broker. A tiefling rarely seen without her snakeskin whip.
Ziphras — A wererat and gang leader who operates out of the Rotgut District. Commands a network of lycanthropic scouts and informants throughout the city's slums.

Relationships and External Politics

Riddleport maintains an uneasy relationship with the rest of Varisia. Magnimar views the city as a necessary evil—bold Magnimari merchants trade there because profit demands it, not because they trust anyone they meet. Korvosa barely acknowledges the city's existence officially, though Korvosan ships sometimes fly Riddleport flags to avoid piracy on the return journey. The Shoanti of the surrounding Velashu Uplands and Storval Plateau regard Riddleport with varying levels of hostility depending on the quah, and the city's historical association with Chelish pirates has colored relations with multiple coastal communities for generations. The Order of Cyphers maintains scholarly correspondence with the Pathfinder Society and with academic institutions in Absalom, making Riddleport a surprising node in Avistan's intellectual network despite its reputation.

Industry & Trade

Riddleport runs with the blood and booze of countless bar brawls, and it jingles to the tune of coins sliding from greasy purse to greasy palm. It's a city of pirates, smugglers, gamblers, those who seek to make names for themselves, and those who wish to become invisible. It is a place where fortunes are shaped with the turn of a card, and good deeds rarely rewarded with anything but a knife in the back. The city's primary economic engines are piracy and protection fees (controlled by the Overlord), the arena and labor guilds (Zincher), smuggling and the black market (Slyeg), gambling (the Free-Coin District halls and the Gold Goblin), the hospitality industry (Shorafa Pamodae), drug trade (Boss Croat), and the specialized manufacture of the Gas Forges, which produce unique goods—including adamantine weapons and armor—unavailable anywhere else on the Lost Coast.

Districts

Riddleport is divided into a total of nine separate districts, although two of them—Lubbertown and the Boneyard—technically lie outside of the Overlord's jurisdiction.

Wharf District

This rough-and-tumble district lies hard on the edge of the very docks of the city and is where much of the city's day-to-day action of commerce and thievery occurs. Nearest the docks are a series of warehouses and cheap grog houses where merchant and pirate crews mingle in a haze of rum-soaked commerce and violence. The Gold Goblin Gambling Hall and Zincher's Arena both anchor this district, making it the most consistently active part of the city regardless of the hour.

Leeward District

The city's largest district, Leeward is built into the protecting curve of the city's eastern ridge, where it is sheltered from the worst of the winter winds. The majority of the city's population resides in the tall tenements of this district, and most buildings have a shop at street level where standard goods and services can be obtained. The House of the Silken Veil rises here: an octagonal pyramid topped by a blood-red steeple, its walls once of white marble but now grimed and stained by years of salt air and the pollutants of the Gas Forges. The silken curtains that cover its three wide, inviting entrances are always freshly laundered and do little to mask the scent of exotic incenses that waft from within.

Windward District

This affluent section of Riddleport consists of sturdy timber structures built upon the slopes of the city's western ridgeline. It gains its name from the warm summer breezes that come in off the gulf. Winding paths with steps cut into the bare stone provide egress through this steep district, and most buildings are several stories high with numerous balconies, many connected by narrow bridges. This district houses most of the city's scholars and sages, and about 80% of the cyphermages make their homes here among these wind-blown tenements.

River District

This section of town runs along the banks of the Velashu River and consists primarily of shops and mills. Riddleport's atrophied trade items are crafted in this district. The waste produced by the district's tanners and fishmongers and the fact that many of the city's sewage gutters converge here have earned the place the unofficial name of "Reek District." The Publican House—a temple of Cayden Cailean disguised as a tavern—stands here, marked by a sign of a dented ale mug and open to all comers except Cyphermages.

Free-Coin District

Overlord Cromarcky's three grand gamehalls are located in this part of the city along the northwestern shore of the Velashu River. In recent years, the gambling hall business in Riddleport has seen a sudden surge in popularity, and game halls are now among the city's greatest sources of revenue. This recent expansion to the city serves as the demesne of three of Riddleport's newest and grandest gamehalls—the Dragon's Hoard, the Watercress, and the House of Nabin. All three are at least partially owned by Overlord Cromarcky, which likely explains the district's exclusivity from competition and unique tax-free status.

Rotgut District

The slums of Riddleport are a truly depressing and dangerous place to be. Easily the poorest section in the city proper, Rotgut also hosts the highest crime rate and the most brothels and alehouses per capita. It lies along the city's eastern side against the ridge. Ziphras and his wererat gang hold effective dominion here, and the gendarmes patrol only the main thoroughfares and only during daylight hours.

The Devil's Fork

Riddleport's military district is nestled into the draws formed by the rocky ridgeline that guards the city's east and north sides. The Fork guards the northern approach to the city. Within the draws are a stableyard and barracks for the city's 250 gendarmes and a small force of light cavalry. In the southern draw is Shoreleave, the city's fortress-prison compound, backed up against the rocky ridge and said to extend underneath in tunnels mined out by prisoners sentenced to hard labor.

Lubbertown

Reflecting Riddleport's early days as a purely nautical destination, this shanty town of tents and simple dwellings sprung up outside the gates and beyond the official reach of the overlord's taxes. Known derisively as Lubbertown for the fact that most of its inhabitants arrive at the city by land rather than by sea, the district is not patrolled by the gendarmes and has developed its own social order, informal system of laws, and distribution of goods and employment. Many of the city's criminal organizations train and recruit their lowliest operatives among the vice of Lubbertown.

The Boneyard

This deceptively named place actually serves as the city's dump and ship's graveyard. Its name is derived from the many old hulks and collections of ships' ribs that protrude from the swampy ground. The whole area is a partially flooded salt marsh that is generally two or three feet deep, although some hidden patches of quicksand are much deeper. Monstrous cockroaches, swamp barracuda, and—it is whispered—wererats infest this area.

Guilds and Factions

Religion

Although not a particularly pious lot, the people of Riddleport know better than to trust in luck alone. Thus, a number of unruly congregations flourish in the City of Cyphers, the largest being dedicated to deities sympathetic to sailors, gamblers, criminals, and free spirits of all walks.

Cayden Cailean — God of alcohol, bravery, and freedom. The Publican House is his temple and is one of the most genuinely beloved institutions in the city.
Calistria — Goddess of trickery, lust, and revenge. The House of the Silken Veil is her temple. Her followers encourage vendettas and oversee the city's hospitality industry. Several hired killers are known for quoting her holy poems before setting about their work.
Besmara — The Pirate Queen, primarily worshipped among sailors and buccaneers. Her temple, derisively known as the Fish Bowl, makes regular blood sacrifices to assure safe and profitable voyages.
Desna — Worshipped quietly among Varisian travelers who find themselves in the city, though she has no formal temple here.

History

The town of Riddleport was founded in the 45th century AR as a hideout for pirates attacking Chelaxian shipping in and out of Korvosa. Since that time it has grown to become a true settlement in its own right. The first official pirate overlord was Captain Cabriem Maskyr, who took control of the settlement in 4558 AR. Since its founding, the city was ruled by a succession of pirate lords in a bloody cycle of betrayal and violent coups, each overlord holding power only until a stronger captain killed them. Gaston Cromarcky ascended to his position by killing the previous overlord in 4680 AR—Riddleport's usual transfer of power—but soon implemented a major change. Instead of relying on the support of various fractious pirate crews and captains, Cromarcky used the gold hoarded by the previous overlord to hire land-based mercenaries and enforcers who had no local allegiances. This innovation broke the cycle. For the first time, the Overlord's power did not depend on the loyalty of people who might kill him for a promotion. In increasing numbers, all manner of sages, scholars, and wizardly types have flocked to the city, drawn by the presence of the Order of Cyphers. This scholastic organization is dedicated to deciphering the mysteries of ancient Thassilon's monuments—in particular, the vexing Cyphergate. The locals find the influx of philosophers and scholars aggravating and find their soft-spoken ways infuriating, but the Order of Cyphers does not interfere with the day-to-day skullduggery of Riddleport's citizens. Furthermore, Overlord Cromarcky has openly welcomed the order to Riddleport, likely because the addition of many skilled wizards can only increase the city's defensive options.

Points of interest

The Cyphergate

The enigmatic Cyphergate looms large over Riddleport's harbor, a constant reminder of the transience of life and even civilization, since no record has ever been found of who may have raised this architectural wonder. The arch rises 350 feet above the water at high tide, secured by the rocky crags on either side of the harbor mouth—its diameter is exactly 700 feet. It is of an unidentifiable stone of nearly supernatural hardness that resists almost all efforts at defacing or marking, and as with most Thassilonian monuments, it has weathered the passage of years amazingly well. Because its height is exactly half of the arch's width, it is believed by many that the arch is but one half of a larger ring, the second half of which is buried within the rocks and silt of the harbor bottom. The origins of the Cyphergate are widely thought to be Thassilonian, as the monument is built from unrecognizable stone and is decorated with mysterious runes, similar to other magically preserved carvings throughout the Varisian countryside.

The Cypher Lodge

This lodge is the headquarters of the vaunted Order of Cyphers, a society of skilled wizards and sages who have dedicated themselves to unraveling the secrets of ancient Thassilon—in particular, the purpose of the Cyphergate. The lodge is open to all cyphermages for a monthly room-and-board fee, a fee that grants access to its extensive libraries as well as a host of learned scholars. To non-cyphermages, a day's room and board (and access to the libraries) costs a much heftier 20 gp. Nevertheless, its guest rooms are almost always full.

The Gas Forges

Wealth endlessly changes hands in Riddleport via the rare adamantine-smelting trade of the Gas Forges. These remarkable industrial structures are the only forges in all of Varisia capable of burning hot enough to smelt and forge certain rare metals, including adamantine. The rancid-smelling oil that fuels the city's streetlamps is a byproduct of the Gas Works operations. Their smoke has visibly stained buildings throughout the Leeward District over the decades.

Zincher's Arena

This massive stone structure dominates the Wharf District. Brutal contests of strength and combat prowess between slaves, criminals, professional gladiators, and captured wild beasts and monsters are held here for the public's entertainment, but so are formal duels by members of the city's elite who wish to settle feuds in a public spectacle. The latter are much rarer, as such duel challenges are seldom issued—assassinations and poisonings are so much more efficient—and even more rarely accepted for the same reasons. However, such events draw by far the largest crowds.

The Publican House

A raucous tavern of clapboard and shingles, marked by the sign of a dented ale mug, open to all comers with one exception: the words "No Cyphermages" are painted in bright red letters above the bar in several languages. The building is in fact a temple to Cayden Cailean, overseen by High Publican Arnando Rolf, a bear of a man never seen without a notched sword at his hip. Celebrations of drink happen every afternoon and evening, including tests of strength, stamina, and dexterity that serve as the venue's signature entertainment.

Riddleport Light

Built on a lonely crag at the terminus of Riddleport's eastern ridge, this beacon tower provides guidance to the safety of the harbor and away from the treacherous rocks just to the east of the harbor mouth. It can only be reached by a narrow winding stairway. It has been occupied over the years by a number of different groups and individuals, but is currently the home of a reclusive sorcerer named Gebediah Krix who, rumor holds, consorts with fiends from the Great Beyond. Krix is courteous enough to make sure the beacon is lit each night, so the powers-that-be elect not to try and dislodge his occupation of the tower.

Maskyr's Island

Named for Cabriem Maskyr, the pirate captain who became Riddleport's first overlord, this islet in the center of the Velashu River holds Overlord Cromarcky's citadel, estate, and most of the city's administration buildings. Several docks provide access to the island, all heavily guarded by gendarmes. The Overlord does not accept visitors lightly.

The House of the Silken Veil

This structure is the headquarters for Riddleport's hospitality industry, an industry that includes prostitutes, alehouses, escorts, dancers, and even—it is rumored—exotic assassins. The House of the Silken Veil serves another purpose as well: it is a temple of Calistria. Temple workers circulate through the streets and squares of the Leeward District. The high priestess of this temple is Shorafa Pamodae, a leather-clad woman seldom seen without her snakeskin whip coiled about a shoulder.

Riddleport Hall (The Crownless Company)

Tucked into a narrow block of the Leeward District behind a sign that reads simply "Duskveil Import & Salvage," Riddleport Hall is the local guildhall of the Crownless Company, and it looks like anything but one. The building is heavy quarried stone—square-cornered and fire-resistant, mortared thick enough to absorb the city's constant damp—with a gated entrance, shuttered windows, and at least two subterranean passages that members know about and one that nobody mentions aloud. The ground floor operates as a functioning salvage brokerage by day, filling its purpose as cover with smoke, low lanterns, a permanent smell of salt and old leather, and a central board crowded with contracts ranging from relic recovery to bounties marked in careful, anonymous script as "no questions asked." Those who know the right phrase at the door are admitted to the hall proper: a warren of trophy vaults, sparring rooms, an archive of past hunts stretching back to the Company's founding, and a locked upper sanctum belonging to the hall's Delegated Master, the half-elf illusionist Kelvhan Duskveil—a man whose origin story changes depending on who is telling it and whose Black Book, a shifting ledger of contracts, rumors, and leverage, is considered by those who know of it to be either the most dangerous document in Riddleport or the most dangerous document in Varisia, depending on the week.

Architecture

Most of Riddleport's buildings are composed of wood—logs or planks—with multiple floors and steep, high-peaked roofs of wooden shingles. They are built in close quarters, and in some cases their wooden upper floors sag and lean together from the constantly sodden conditions. Stone fireplaces ward off the bitter winter cold and the chill that lingers in the fog-laden streets for much of the year, save for in high summer. During this two-month period, warmer air currents from the south bring a muggy, oppressive heat along with great black mosquitoes that breed in the nearby marshes. The major streets of Riddleport are cobbled, often becoming rain-slick cataracts during the wet seasons. Side streets tend to be relegated to muddy tracks swift to turn into stinking morasses of sucking mud and filth. Riddleport doesn't have much of a sewage system, and relies mainly on gutters along street edges to carry refuse to the river and harbor. One feature unique to the major streets is the frequent oil lamps mounted on iron poles that provide beacons of light in the benighted mists. These are set in sturdy hurricane lamps and burn thick, rancid oil from barrel-shaped reservoirs at the lamppost base—a byproduct and innovation of the Gas Works. These wavering lights give off illumination equal to a torch in even the foulest weather but are not well-tended; just over a third of them are out on any given night, in need of repairs or refueling.

Geography

Riddleport is located on the northwestern coast of Varisia, where the mouth of the Velashu River forms a natural cove off the Varisian Gulf. Placed between two large rocky bluffs, each over 300 feet in height, the city occupies both banks of the river. The majority of the city is situated on the eastern bank, nestled behind the outer rim of the Calphiak Mountains, which cuts it off from hilly tidal swamps to the east. The Velashu finds its way through canyoned walls from the Velashu Uplands. Roads lead out of town to both the north and east, but they are poorly maintained, as most traffic in and out of the city is by boat.

Founding Date

4558 AR

Alternative Name(s)

City of Cyphers

Type

Large city

Population

13,300

Included Locations

Owner/Ruler

Gaston Cromarcky

Characters in Location

Related Reports (Primary)

Related Reports (Secondary)