Winetha

This city is almost as impregnable as Roland, with sea cliffs behind it and massive stone sea walls ringing the city below. Winetha is built along a long and narrow bay. It is overcrowded, for many have fled here from less safe lands.

Winetha boasts a large mages' guild and fine libraries and archives, protected by preservational spells against the corroding effect of damp, salty air. Most remarkable of all the signs of magecraft here are the legendary Coral Towers, flanking the sea gates which give access to the city harbor. These 100' tall, 80' diameter towers are crafted from roseate corals of the outlying Asperd Isles, melded by spellcraft and rendered as tough as steel. Continual light spells in great glass domes atop them are important beacons for ships, since the coastal currents here are strong, especially at times when Luna is full and the tides are high. Beneath the brilliant glow from the domes, wizards keep watch over the seas, aided by priests of Procan.

Winetha's mages meddle with almost everything in this city. Their alchemists have developed oils which protect bow strings against sea air, so that the longbowmen of the city are effective defenders. The sea gate system can be commanded to open and close by using the right command words (known only to the harbormaster mages), and so on.

Lakaster is certainly the most powerful of the 60 or so wizards of the city. He is no absolute ruler as Delglath is, for he must always submit his plans and proposals to the Council of Wizards here. They rarely oppose them, since few are politically inclined. And so long as Lakaster's plans don't stop them from pursuing their own arcane researches, they don't really care what he does. However, there are certainly tensions within the council concerning Lakaster's plan to trade artifacts with Delglath. The wizards fear Delglath, and they don't want Lakaster to become overwhelmingly powerful. Most hope that Delglath will never agree to the trade, but a few are concocting plans to attack Delglath's outlying troops and settlements with summoned monsters and servants to force Lakaster to abandon his alliance. That, in turn, might provoke Delglath to march on Winetha—and some of the wizards believe that the city could be defended against him. Others are not so sure.

Visitors to Winetha are carefully checked these days. An entry fee of 5 gp is payable per person, and a pass to the city is given entitling the bearer to stay for one week. The purpose of visiting, and where one intends to stay, must be divulged. And it is possible a member of the Town Guard may call to check up on the visitor.

Regularly visiting sea vessels and merchants are known to the guards at the gates, and newcomers are usually interrogated carefully and thoroughly. The town has a considerable number of eccentrics and unusual delights, though visitors are warned that the Picked Eeel Saveloys are not for those with sensitive stomachs.