This is a settings that I've been working on for years. Its a living project, constantly evolving. I won't retcon stuff outright, but be aware that the window (Pathfinder2e) into the world (Granmont) is a cloudy and imperfect one. As this is a robust setting that has had a lot of worldbuilding put into it there a wealth of resources at https://www.worldanvil.com/w/granmont-dauten96 for your perusal if interested. At a minimum, players will need to be familiar with the content of this document.
Granmont Think Fantasy Paris, on the cusp of the French Revolution, in the mountains. Fantasy tropes juxtaposed with modern urbanity. Bridge Trolls doing graffiti. Gang turf wars settled with pistols at dawn. Wizards eschew towers for skyscraper penthouses. City Watch as Modern Police. Role of Church/Religion in a world with verifiably real gods. Horse-drawn coaches provide public transportation.
Technologically at the level of gas street-lights, railways, and firearms with magic filling in the rest. Mutual distrust between the social classes. Commoners distrust nobles, who distrust clergy, etc.
The setting is mature and includes drugs, homelessness, sex-work, and violence (often simultaneously) but this is not necessarily a focus of the adventure.
Factions The Beaumont family – Chief operators of the Milieu, the organized criminal underworld. Control the city through legal ventures (mining, refining, real-estate) and illegal (smuggling, extortion, racketeering, and even human trafficking)
The Labossier family – Secondary operators of the Milieu, owners of the Racetrack with connections with the Bookkeeper, Atheletes, and Investor’s Guilds
The Three Great Houses – Camus, Veillaux, and Delvaux. Responsible for managing the Security Commission, Agency of Operations, and Department of Infrastructure respectively
Church of the Golden Flame – Responsible for operating the judicial system. Trials are abjugated by judge(s) with clear biases towards aristocrats and against commoners.
City Watch – 3 arms. Surety (Detectives), Gendarmerie (SWAT), and Marchausse (Guards)
Chamber of Guilds – Association of all 40 of Granmont’s bonded Guilds, which collectively wield significant political power. Each guild has a great degree of latitude in making and enforcing policy related to their domain.
Districts Camino (Financial “nouvou riche”/yuppie district. Think midtown Manhatten/Wall Street) | Carrier (Spiritual and Judicial heart of the city, site of the gothic Cathedral district) | Oaktops (Artistic heart of Granmont, site of the Theatre and Casino. Hipster-vibes) | Skirts (Colorful, if a bit rough district. Think New Orleans’ spirit) | Foundry (Beaumont-owned district, resembles 1920 Chicago Packingtown) | Wall (Park district) | University (College and surroundings) | Bluffs (Slum/tent-city in the mountain) | Falls (Trailhead into mountain. Hunting/Fishing) | Stamps (Warehouse district) | Vale (Stables, Inns, and the Racetrack Laurel (Where major nobles live)
Inspirations Ankh Morpork (citizen culture / survival instinct mixed with “watch the dumpster fire”) | Kamurocho (depth / scale + diverse eccentricity) | Sinclaire’s The Jungle (late-stage-capitalism) | Revolution-era Paris (“Let them eat cake”; Les Misérables, A Tale of Two Cities, etc)