Angtris (city of)

Angtris sits on a hilltop overlooking the Hawk Bane River falls. The town flows down the hill and expands westward to a curved inlet of the river, a natural harbor offering shelter before the falls. to the south, the town extends down the hill and then wraps around the cliffs to reach the ocean harbor below. A canal and a set of locks down the cliff connect the two harbors. Roads wind up the hills and around down to the harbor. Three tunnels are also cut through the hillside for quick access between the docks. The city itself is comprised of various districts:

Council

The top of the hill comprises the halls of government. The major guilds meet here as does the governing council. No one lives here, though the major guilds usually have functionaries present at all hours.

Temple

All the gods, except the Dark One, at least have a shrine here. Most have their main temple here as well, though there are a few exceptions.

Ardath has her main temple in the Martial district
Ardaious and Telgen have their temples in the University quarter
Misha has her temple in the Halls of the Dead
Barthos has his temple in the Merchant quarter
Mercen just has a shrine here

University

The Mage guild maintains a school here to train those interested in learning magic. The rest of the district is comprised of sages personal quarters, classrooms and some lecture halls. Anywhere from 100 to 200 students are enrolled here at a time. Sages not teaching, spend their time researching there personal interest or at the behest of others. The library is well stocked and well guarded.

Cliff top

A few smaller hills run along the top of the ridge before it slopes down to the shore. The view is spectacular and the price for estates here reflect it.

Martial

The city watch, army, and navies have training facilities in Angtris.

Court - the barracks of the City Watch, their training yard and the prison. it is at the base of the hill next to the University and Clifftop districts
South Barracks and West Barracks - quarters for the army located near the south and west gates to the city
RiverGuard - the harbor and barracks for the river based navy
OceanGuard - the harbor and barracks for the ocean based navy

Merchant

Comprising most of the city area. This district is further divided into quarters for various trades. it has multiple markets, inns, taverns, and many residences for varying sizes and quality.

Oceanside

comprising the ocean harbor facilities, warehouses and some taverns. This district extends up the side of the cliffs as the route from the rest of the city is through a series of switchbacks. Stairs provide quick access for pedestrians and the roads are normally only used for cargo wagons. The switchbacks are mainly populated by hostels for sailors and warehouses.

Riverside

comprising the river harbor facilities and some warehouses, taverns, and inns

Southside

residental quarters for the laborers and poorer inhabitants of the city.

Halls of the Dead

The cemetary for the cities inhabitants.

Breezeward

Walls extend from the southern end of the ocean harbor to the western end of the River harbor. West of the river harbor is the tanneries, furriers, and other trades deemed too foul smelling to reside inside the walls. The Mage guild maintains some building here for the more questionable (dangerous) experiments.

Outside

Other areas outside the walls have formed as communities for the poor or those seeking low cost buildings. These quarters are not allowed to expand close to the trade roads but are not otherwise patrolled or visited by the authorities unless absolutely required.

Government

Angtris is ruled by a council of the guilds. There are several commerce oriented guilds giving merchants and trader the strongest influence in the government. The goals of the council are to:

maintain and increase trade opportunities
Protect the citizenry and the trade routes (part of the first goal)
Foster innovation and learning within the guilds and the university (to produce more trade goods/opportunities)

Defences

The river prevents assaults from the North.
The ocean harbor has a garrison and gates can be closed to block the tunnels, stairs and switchbacks.
The river harbor has a garrison and patrol boats to defend against invasions across the bay or down the river.
The southern and western walls are thirty feet tall and five feet thick. Towers are spaced intermittently with crossbows stored for ready access. Ballista are mounted on the top of the gatehouses guarding the trade roads.

Industry & Trade

Import and Export

Angtris is the doorway for all trade up the Hawk Bane tributary system. A trade between the river kingdoms and the rest of the world must pass through Angtris

Furs

The southern forest are well populated with deer, foxes, and bears.

Cotton

Roughly have the western fields are devoted to growing cotton. The process of growing and converting the plant to cloth is labor intensive but the result is highly valued.

Infrastructure

Shipping

River Port

The upper harbor is a natural lagoon formed at the bend of the Hawk Bane River. It contains docks and shipwrights to build, maintain, and care for the boats that travel the Hawk Bane. Emergency docks are located outside the lagoon for ships that can fail to turn into the harbor. Tow ropes and ox teams can pull ships from these docks into the main harbor, for a price.

Ocean Port

The lower harbor is used for all ocean vessels. Shipwrights and repairs are available here as well.

Canal and Locks

A gated canal runs from the river port to the eastern edge of the city. From there a series of 11 vertical locks can lower ships down to the lower harbor. As most river boats are not suited to the ocean, this is primarily used by city barges.

Harbor tunnels

Three tunnels cut through the hillside from the Riverside district to Oceanside. The tunnels are slightly angled with small sets of stairs spaced intermittently. They are also just wide enough for two men to wall side by side. They are the property of the Porter's guild and only their members and the Watch can use them. Anyone wishing to move goods between the two harbors must pay the canal fee, the porters to move it through the tunnels, or drive it on a wagon through the streets.

Public Health

Houses of Healing

The priests of Daipheni maintain at least one house of healing in all districts except Outside and the Halls of the Dead

Sewers

Drains have been built beneath the Council, Temple, University, and Cliff top districts. The rest have gutters to hopefully carry the refuse away. The Martial and Merchant districts pay the Laborer's guild to ensure these are kept clear

Cemetary

The Halls of the Dead is filled with mausoleums and grave sites. The dead are normally cremated and the ashes laid in various courtyards. The wealthy families have purchased a private building in which their dead can be laid to rest whole or cremated at the family's discretion.

Assets

Angtris produces art and sells knowledge. Its only other source of income is importing and exporting goods from the Hawk Bane river kingdoms to the rest of the world. It collects a small tax on the goods in fees and makes it money through the volume of the trade. While the river kingdoms may resent Angtris' taxes, they recognize there are no cheaper alternatives and Angtris' military power discourages armed conflict when disputes arise.

Guilds and Factions

City Guilds:

The following guilds represent and govern the majority of the citizens of Angtris. Some are more prestigious than others but all confer status and privilage to their members.

Mage - represents wizards and the Angtris School of Magic
Shipwrights - represents industries associated with building and maintain ships (both river and ocean)
Maritime - represents the captains and owners of river boats and ocean ships
Metalworkers - represents armorers, weaponsmiths, blacksmiths, and any other non-precious metal workers
Artisan - gold and silver smiths, jewelers, as well as sculptors and artists
Craftsman - all trades that produce goods except the metal workers and foods or beverages.
Hospitality - inns, taverns, brewers, distilleries, and all food preparation professions.
Porters - includes all dockworkers and those who run and maintain the canal and locks.
Laborers - builders and day-laborers. The carpenters and Masons get priority

Demi-guilds:

These are not guilds per-se but are groups that the councils concedes should have influence in the governance. Each group is allowed to elect/appoint a councilor to represent them

Temples
City Watch - comprise all military forces of Angtris except its navy
Naval - river and ocean navies. They are charged with protecting shipping in and around Angtris.
Landed nobility
University - The Angtris University is a collection of sages, scholars, and masters of various studies. They offer instruction and tutoring to those willing to pay (usually families of merchants and nobles)

Teritorial Representative

These are not guilds and do not get to vote. They represent the province owing fealty to Angtris but not part of the city proper. Each representative is chosen by a council of the leaders of that region

South Forest
Western Farmsteads

History

Angtris was founded on the hills overlooking the great falls. Originally, the harbor below and the river lagoon were separate villages governed by the same lord. As commerce grew, the settlements expanded and eventually merged. Trade was always the major source of income with the city producing just enough food to sustain itself. However, any transportation of goods between the river kingdoms and the ocean trade routes had to pass through Angtris' ports. The merchants eventually joined together to petition the king for changes. At first, the king was wary of this group but an earlier leader, David Redbloom, wisely used the guild's influence to provide counsel and advise beneficial to the crown and only occasionally asked for favors. The king grew to trust the merchant guild as their requests were helpful to both him and his small kingdom. Later guild leaders followed the first guild master's example. Eventually, more guilds formed, following the example of the merchants. They held their own courts and resolved disputes among themselves, bothering the king only in the gravest of matters. The crown enjoyed the easing of its responsibilities and settled into overseeing diplomacy and leaving most of the day to day governance to the guilds. After a few more centuries, King Godfrey got into a dispute with the King of Do'thelum. The dispute escalated and the two kingdoms were on the verge of going to war. The guilds did not want the war and saw it as nothing more than personal vanity of the part of king Godfrey. They sent emissaries to Do'thelum and negotiated a peace, conditional only upon an apology from king Godfrey. When Godfrey refused, the guilds bribed the kings guards and seized control of the palace. King Godfrey was forced to abdicate and the guildmasters took over. They did not want any one man's passions to risk them or the city in the future so they decided to continue to govern as a council. The average citizen of Angtris notice no difference in the governance of the kingdom. Since then, new guilds have been added and council voices given to elements of the populace the guilds felt they needed to hear from, both for council and to maintain order.

Type

Large city

Population

150,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Angtrisian

Included Locations

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