Redhesle
The port city of Redhesle, a sprawling metropolis that caters to the interests and desires of all. It is said that the city itself can consume you with its wide variety of amenities and unique culture. Redhesle has everything one could ever need – art, commerce, science, and adventure – are all present in excess. If there were one complaint regarding Redhesle, it would be that there is simply too much for any one individual to consume in a single lifetime. Indeed, even the Elves – immortal as they are – struggle to unravel Redhesle’s secrets as the city is ever changing.
Those that are born in Redhesle, seldom ever leave and travel afar. Why would they? Everything is right here at home. However, for all it’s conveniences, not all would consider Redhesle to be perfect. The city has a dark side, she rewards only those with the ambition and guile to pursue its riches at whatever means necessary. Wealth is the life’s blood of Redhesle and those with it do what they must to ensure that they keep it. Truthfully, the rich and poor remain in a subtle but vicious war that permeates throughout the city. It does seldom occur that one can, through sacrifice and cunning, elevate themselves but often are few capable of paying the price. If there is one thing that can be said to have forsaken Redhesle – it’s “mercy”.
The city of Redhesle does little to hide the ever-present divide of its populace. The city is divided into three sections with a long river that leads deep in-land serving as a barrier between The Steppes and The Harrows. The Steppes are so named for the way they climb the mountain that overlooks the entire city of Redhesle. Buildings are cut into the side of the mountain. The Harrows are splayed out below, on the other side of the river. The Harbor makes up the last section of the city and spans across the river along the coast.
The Harrows – locally referred to as the Narrow Harrows – are a motley series of wooden structures that the poor and least fortunate call home. The dirt streets are cramped, and loud – in the rain none can escape the mud that inevitably gets dragged in people’s homes. All manner of humanity and animals range freely with little to no regard for their neighbors. Folk can be seen at night settling down with whatever garbage might keep them warm until dawn. The buildings are so close together that carts can barely fit down the passages some call “streets”. The buildings themselves are, indeed, so cramped that folk now merely attach extensions atop existing structures – often with whatever materials are available for construction. This causes various buildings to lean and twist every which way and gives the Harrows an off-putting appearance – like a field of anthills that are none the same height. In some areas, buildings can be seen leaning on each other for support – lest they tumble down into the streets below (which has happened). The city watch engages in little more than regularly doled abuse to the common folk to quell their boredom. The communities that live in the Harrows are a wide mix, as varied and awkward as the buildings in which they dwell.
The Steppes, by comparison, are spacious in excess. The architecture of the buildings is beautiful to behold, with swooping terraces, colorful stained-glass windows, life like statues and open green gardens that play home to exotic vegetation and rare caged beasts for the amusement of the homeowner. Merchants that peddle their wares in the Steppes don’t have makeshift stalls of wood and paint, but full buildings made of dwarven cut stone. The cobbled stone streets are lined on either side by sidewalks with large slabs of multicolored stone. Cheery music spills out into the street from bards playing for the enjoyment of the wealthy. Folk are often seen smiling and polite greetings are exchanged when running into a stranger or an acquaintance. Inside the illustrious buildings however a different sight can be seen. Men sitting at tables in serious conversations as the scent of exotic plants burning in their pipes fills the room – politics being played, money exchanging hands, deals being struck, and rivals being punished.
The Harbor functions as a place of union, a place where the two very different worlds meet in the pursuit of culture and business. Ships are always in, looking to ferry wares across the seas to faraway buyers or perhaps bringing in new stock for businesses. The Harbor bustles with life and humanity in relative comfort and ease – unlike the other sections of the city. Tavern doors are always swinging as folk come and go, merchants are always angling to make a sale. Here the city watch assigns the men committed to keeping the peace – here it matters. This, after all, is a place of business. Some areas, those closest to the Steppes, were fortunate enough to merit similar cobblestone passages. While others make do with hard packed dirt – so stomped down by the ever-present weight of feet that even in the rain, mud scarcely becomes an issue. The port itself has several large stone docks for large ships, kept above the water by large stone pillars that withstand the punishment of the waves. Other areas of the port have narrower, but still well built, wooden docks. The Harbor also is the home of several communal amenities - churches, libraries and government buildings are found in the Harbor.
