Witherburn
Manor Ward
The Manor Ward is one of the wards that were not badly destroyed. This was where the nobles of the city used to live and so it holds locations such as Bloodstone Manor and Blackthorn Manor. The walls that surrounded this ward have been destroyed and so it is open to outside incursion. The Manor Ward is located to the side of Temple Hill to the south and extends outside of the city with many mansions resting outside of the city. There are also locations such as Bloodstone Square where public executions were held and Bloodstone Manor where the family that owned the executioner lived. Blackthorn Manor is also here on the outskirts of the city however it is now the headquarters of the Frostwalkers
The Slums
The Slums and the docks are the same things with filth lying everywhere the only area not disgusting is Market Square one of the main areas of the city. The rest of the Slums are just like any other. Tall structures rickety half-collapsed buildings and bridges between buildings because the streets are too disgusting to walk. Most of the ward has collapsed leaving only clusters of buildings and two locations of note Beggers Run and Beggers Palace. Beggers Run is where criminals could try their hand at freedom by surviving one or more challenges. If he won he would be thrown on the streets with nothing if he lost he would die.
Beggers Palace is where the Beggar King used to rule until he was executed by the last Blackthorn ruler. The Beggers Palace is a street that has several tall buildings and a bathhouse under which the palace really lies but much of it has collapsed.
Stone Ward
This is the next largest ward after the Outer City and about as large as the Slums. This was where the middle class lived. The stone ward is in the middle of the city and borders all the other wards. Running throw it is Market street straight the Witherburns markets. The Stone Ward is divided into several quarters all given a specific craft of the city. There were 5 in total. There are few landmarks here except for the occasional noble manner however there is also the clock tower which stands in the centre of the city and still works without fail seemingly not destroyed by the elements or Odera. The market of Witherburn is the largest square in the city and has many colourful stalls now practically destroyed. However, it is not empty for often a strange wagon from a stranger land sometimes appears with an old man how can trade the strangest of items before disappearing.
Flower Ward
This is where the cities park is and Blackthorn Castle standing on Temple Hill. There are four large parks here and in the glory days of Witherburn each was enchanted to show a different season with Blackthorn castle in the centre, however, now the enchantment is broken and only snow and winter remain. Blackthorn castle itself is a shadow of its former glory.
The Flower Ward has many interesting locations such as Blackthorn Castle, Temple Hill or the Four Parks.
The Outer City
This part is mostly ruined. Razed to the ground by Odera during the siege of Witherburn. Now the streets are filled with rubble and strewn with corpses of dead adventurers killed by the rulers of this ward a coven of Bher Hags that dwell in the Three Bladed Windmill.
Mage Ward
This is one of the smallest wards as it used to contain a library rivalled only by that in the City of Claws in its glory days. This is surrounded by schools and universities along with several towers to the wizards of the city their tomes of knowledge stolen long ago. However, there is still a guardian in the library. A pair of fallen sphinxes in service to the Elder Evils, sealed away during the time of the Blackthorns by an unknown mage however they escaped soon after the fall of the city released by Odera. Another location is Tower Square where a strange device has been built. This seems to be a way to measure time and is one of the greatest treasures of the city.
Knight Ward
This is the smallest of the wards and it is where the honoured dead are buried and here there are a few dozen mausoleums scattered with the largest being a grave for the silver knights. The Silver Knights were entombed here because they helped the Blackthorns take the city they also left a silver fire which according to legend can reawaken the knights.
The House of Ice
The House of Ice is the largest manor house outside of the city and it has stood empty for many years however during the fall of Witherburn the noble family of the Iceflame held the manor and were said to be mad. They were great spellcasters one becoming an archmage. However, near the House of Ice, an old village stood and sometimes folk would disappear never to be seen again. When Odera attacked the lord of the house was cursed by her and became a large bloated thing and locked in the large dungeon beneath the house. The mother became a High Fey and was placed in a coffin lined with iron and silver. She was then dumped in a river. Finally, there were three sons. The Eldest became a Dullahan in an endless search for his head. The middle son decided to join Odera and tried to become a lich failing he became a Boneclaw instead and was Oderas pet. In the end the youngest child, a girl was given to Othirl and no one knows what became of her.
Government
Witherburn has no government to speak of and those that "live" in the city tend to work alone and none of the original government survives.
Defences
Like everything in the city this is ruined, its walls have holes, the watchtower crumbles and the garrison empty only a few warriors remain that desperately face the cities monsters and factions.
Industry & Trade
None Existence.
Infrastructure
After the city was destroyed almost all infrastructure to speak of was destroyed. Everything that is left in the city is destroyed or damaged beyond repair however there are still a few things that are left standing.
Assets
Almost nothing as it would only be equipment Odera did not find.
Guilds and Factions
During the present day, there are four factions in Witherburn the first are the Frostwalkers as Witherburn was their vassal before they were destroyed and now they want to claim the city as their own. It has now become a ritual to send young Frostwalkers to slay monsters and they have a small base of operations in a manor house outside the city.
The second faction is a clan of evil Wereravens in the old mage ward of the city. Sent by Wolfric Voidgazer to gather the magical knowledge of the city and to spy on the Frostwalkers. They are in the process of moving their operations to Aril Le Tharda.
The third faction are the Shard Runners a group of smugglers working under the Dremer how use Witherburns docks to bring in ships and to more their goods onto land before taking them through the sewers and up into the mountains where they are transported through the upper reaches of the Underdark before coming to Aril Le Tharda. Their headquarters are in the Beggar Kings Palace.
The last faction is the largest but not the most powerful they are called the Blood Fangs. Originally a group of mercenaries they fought against Odera when she attacked the city and were the only ones to escape the city and they managed to bring with them hundreds of civilians. The civilians then fled up the mountains with the Blood Fangs to their keep which belonged to their leader a Damphir slain by Odera in the siege. Now for the past 30 years, this order of the Bloodhunters have been trying to rid the city of monsters and training the citizens that decided to stay how have built up a small village up in the mountains and are allied with the Frostwalkers.
These are not the only ones interested in Witherburn and not the only ones that can have an effect on the city. There are also a coven of Behur Hags along with several goblinoids tribes and 1 orc king has a fort up in the mountains and an old fire giant blacksmith just to name a few.
History
The city of Witherburn was not ancient. It was settled in 1876 A.G.F by an avatar of the Elder Evils Thun-Kalator Lord of Graves, King of the Ancient Dead and the Lord of Flies. His avatar settled Witherburn and ruled for around 150 years before he was sealed away by a minor noble family of Witherburn named the Blackthorns and they sealed him deep in the catacombs of the city. so Thun-Kalator could not just make another avatar. The Blackthorn family became the rulers of the city and the city prospered under their rule becoming the southern capital of the Winter Lands.
The fall of the Elders Evil began and the Blackthorn family ventured into the catacombs to slay Thun-Kalators avatar however they never did deem it too dangerous to risk setting him loose as he could turn the tide of the war and so they told everyone they had killed him. Witherburn was a great help in defeating the Eldar Evils and when the demon invasion came they suffered minor damage and helped the Frostwalker Caln reclaim their land. After the war, Witherburn was almost destroyed by the Cult of Death as Edward Blackthorn how didn't want them in the city almost caused a revolution but was avoided through Edwards sister. After the fall of the Cult of Death Edward became the new king and a few years later his sister died and she was the brains behind his throne as he destroyed Witherburns glory making them easy picking for Odera.
Tourism
No one except adventurers
Architecture
Witherburn is mostly ruined. The Outer City is just a field of rubble while the Slums and docks are on the verge of collapse with the Stone Ward being just foundation and sometimes walls.
Geography
Parts of Witherburn rest on a bedrock foundation making tall structures fairly useless and viable to collapse this has also made sewers and catacombs quite close to the surface and while they don't go deep they can spread for miles outside of the city and resembles more of a labyrinth. Witherburn itself rests on fairly flat ground except for Temple Hill a very large hill riseing over 400 feet above sea level it is the tallest structure in the city because it has every temple in Witherburn ever constructed or at least it was before Blackthorn Castle was built over it. The old tempels are buried by magical and mundane means. Finally the shoreline is fairly flat with many places to land an invasion.
Natural Resources
Witherburns main resource was the abundance of fish and ore found in the sea and mountains respectively.
Type
City
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments