Avignon

Avignon is a huge town that stands upon the western shores of the STRAITS OF URSAL, just north of the Lithanian River. Three separate sets of walls guard the city and divide it into distinct districts. The harbor houses so many vessels that it is called “the forest of Avignon.” It, too, is guarded by fortifications. Heavy chains reside just under the surface, attached to underwater pylons. They create channels through which only experienced captains can bring their ships. Almost every vessel requires some type of guide to get them to port.

Government

The city falls under the role of the Bishop of Avignon.  He has many duties so recently Honorius II the current Bishop, has appointed MILO URNET as GOVERNOR OF AVIGNON.  There is also a MAYOR OF AVIGNON that is selected by the local guilds, but he is more an ambassador for the guilds to the Bishop, than an actual administrator.  He does however rank as the commander of the local levies in time of military need.

Defences

Avignon fields an array of colorful troops. The city guard falls out in scale mail, with helms and shields. There is a contingent of crossbowmen with them. The GOVERNOR OF AVIGNON commands a troop of heavy infantry and some light cavalry.  Each of the three districts must contribute men or gold to hire men in times of need. Often the ranks of these contingents are filled with all manner of brigands, freebooters, and other mercenaries. The most colorful of all the troops are the BISHOP'S USSARS, four large troops of mounted lancers. Each troop adorns itself in a different color, red, blue, green, or yellow. They are well armed and highly competitive for various honors and dignities. Their helms bear feathers of various creatures.

Industry & Trade

This is the greatest trade hub in Aihrde.  Industry and transportation are evident everywhere in the City.  Raw goods pour into Avignon, and its skilled craftsmen turn them into finished goods that go back out to the world.

Infrastructure

The City is in a rebuilding phase following the devestation of Unklar.  The 1st district is largely restored and efforts are moving forward in the 2nd district, but more slowly.
The Port and River districts are in good shape as they are largely funded and managed by the business interests that use them.

Districts

The city is organized into three districts and several sprawling interconnected communities. Each district is called the 1st, 2nd and 3rd.  Two of the other communities are loosely referred to as districts but are not recognized by the mayor and city, the port quarter, also called the 4th District, and the River District, also called the 5th District.
In the 1st District, that located in the south-eastern part of the town, overlooking the river, are the nobles, wealthy merchants, knights, priests, and the bishop. Here the streets are cobbled, the houses made of stone and marble. It is clean and well patrolled by the city guard.
In the 2nd District, located along the coast, north of the 1st, are the merchants, guild houses, and a host of houses where tradesmen and craftsmen dwell. It is far more crowded here. The houses are a mixture of old and new, jumbled together on narrow streets, some of which are cobbled, but most are not. The captain of the guard, CASTUS, lives in the 2nd District and pays heed to the calls of his neighbors.
In the 3rd District, which surrounds the other two like a hedge, are the vast hordes of commoners and freemen. They live as their means dictate, working as hard as they desire. The streets are made of dirt and the houses are remnants of the old city. Many of the houses there, indeed whole neighborhoods, are still abandoned, giving testament to the size of Avignon in years past. They serve as refuges for desperate folk and are dangerous hives of bars, brothels, opium dens, etc.
There are outlying communities as well. The port quarter of Avignon is larger than any in the world, being home to hundreds of ships great and small. The River District, along the north bank of the LITHANIAN RIVER, offers merchants easier access to markets than they would find in the city itself. There has recently been a petition from those permanent residents of the River District to be incorporated into the town. Upon the pylons of the ancient URSAL BRIDGE are small towns, built up around the barge way points and sprawled around the inner city’s 3 districts are hosts of neighborhoods, shanty towns and communities. The city itself is a thriving community where anything is possible. Passing from district to district can be achieved with a few coins. Carriage services offer weary travelers transport to anywhere in town. The thieves guild, Muddles Inc., has its main den hall in the 2nd District, as do other groups and cults. Merchants sell wares of any description:  armor, weaponry, clothes, wine, food, and so on. Exotic monsters can be found in the slave pits as can human servants. The jumbled streets and tall thin houses make for a strange otherworldly setting for the uninitiated. Within the walls of Avignon lies a world within a world.

Guilds and Factions

Every type of merchant and craftsman has a guild.  One must be a member to trade here.

Type

City

Location under

Avignon

Owner/Ruler

Honorius II

Ruling/Owning Rank

Bishop of Avignon

Owning Organization

Bishopric of Avignon