Dontor
City of a Thousand Eyes
Dontor, the Ever-Watching City, famous for its grand court that sits right on the edge of Beauwatch in a fashion that some would argue is either courageous or cocky. It is one of the largest cities in Natura Nihil, perhaps even larger than prosperous Rothmouth. Dontor is not afraid to flaunt its wealth, and it shows it through the massive monument dedicated to its leader and head of the Order of Red Robes, who is known simply as Maximilian.
Dontor is surrounded by a manmade moat around the stone walls, in which elaborate magical sigils have been carved as as a safeguard. Unfortunately, some of these safeguards have been disrupted as they were created and maintained by the different clerical groups in Dontor, which have begun struggling for power inside the affluent city.
When Dontor became coloquiallized as "the Everwatching City", those who started that nickname were more or less literal. Everywhere one turns in Dontor, there always seems to be at least one eye built out of mosaics keeping watch on you. While some are out for the world to see to dissuade crime, others are hidden amongst the flowers that somehow grow prosperously in the urban landscape. However, it's also possible that aside from the constantly-staring stone, those who gave the city its name could have been referring to the the heavy-handed force guards always going on rounds throughout the city, leaving very little room for streetcrime. Or, perhaps, the could be speaking of the Order of Red Robes themselves.
The Order of Red Robes
Within the city walls of Dontor, the Order of Red Robes operates less as a ruling force but rather a judicial system with Maximilian as the head. The Order is a mysterious group to the common citizen in Dontor, and some have mixed opinions on their trustworthiness, though the general consensus is that they are a just and fair jury. The nerves of more suspicious civilians are often calmed knowing that the sheriff of Dontor, Ulblyn Stonebridge, has no ties to the Order of Red Robes.
A member of the Order of Red Robes is easily recognizable, though they are rarely spotted outside of the courtroom. They are always shrouded in identical crimson robes that hides most of their physique to keep them anonymous, though members are allowed to arrage their robes in different styles or even wrap a part of the robe like a scarf around the neck. Unlike their robes, each member of the Order has a unique white mask. Some have veils, some are in the shape of skulls, some have carvings or decorations on top of their masks, etcetera, but the mask must cover the entirety of their face. Typically these masks seem to be made of a very finely carved marble to make them thin and delicate despite being stone. A few members masks have veins of gold across them in a cracked pattern.
As far as the public is concerned, the Order of Red Robes's job is to act as a jury during trails that occur in the grand court.
The Grand Court
These court hearings are a well-known and beloved event to citizens of Dontor. Much like the gladiator fights of ancient Rome, onlookers are welcomed to gather into a cresent of a colosseum that faces the edge of Beauwatch, probably the closest the average citizen is allowed to go near the edge of the island. There, the trial is held in the bowl of the colosseum with the jury of Order members onlooking from the first and closest row to the ground floor, Maximilian often sitting in the exact center of the crescent they form. In the end, it is ultimately the Order of Red Robes who decide the verdict of the defendant. For petty criminals, they often get off with a small sentence to jail, a fine, or community service of some kind. The most horrendous of criminals, however, suffer a much worse fate.
Executioner's Rock
Executioner's Rock is the fate of the worst criminals known to Dontor and all of Natura Nihil. Many consider it a fate worse than death, and some have even argued that this form of capital punishment is too cruel to continue being in practice. Despite the moral arguments, though, an event on Executioner's Rock always draws the biggest crowd of onlookers.
When a prisoner or criminal is sentenced to Executioner's Rock, they are escorted to a small floating island that has broken off of Beauwatch, only around 100 square feet. It is on this rock that the Executioner arrives. Some argue that it's Maximilian in another uniform, others say its more than one person acting as the Executioner, and a few even claim that the Executioner isn't a member of the Order at all. The Executioner is a large imposing figure, though they always stand too far away to make out any other physical traits such as race or gender. In typical Executioner fashion, they were mostly black with a heavy cowl over their head.
The Executioner does not kill the criminal. They carry no weapon with them. Instead, they very simply cast a spell on the convicted person before gently pushing them off of Executioner's Rock. From there, the audience can see the criminal slowly and gently begin floating down to the dead, rotting earth below.
Fashion Traditions
Dontor does not have a strict dress code, but there are strong fashion trends that most of citizens of Dontor follow, especially the wealthy aristocrats.
The most noticable fashion trend of Dontor are that most people of Dontor will be seen wearing small glasses (sunglasses or regular glasses). They are usually perfectly around, but interesting shapes like hexagons, crescents, and stars, or even multiple lenses, are considered very fashionable and considered almost avant-garde. The stranger the lenses, the more high-fashion they are.
While this is less of a fashion trend and more of a standard, Dontor citizens typically wear their hair cropped and short unless it violates a cultural tradition.
Clerical Factions
Within the city of Dontor, crime is and has been at an all-time low. However, in what the City of a Thousand Eyes lacks in crime, it is full of strife between the clerical factions. Despite the gods of these temples all being family, the clerics cannot seem to get along. Officials have thrown their hands up at the situation, unable to find a satisfactory solution that would satisfy all temples. The outrage between temples has gotten so bad that the protective seals the clerics were maintaining around the city have fallen. The animosity between temples has become so bad that people are unsure if the relationships between them could ever be repaired—and they are unsure if the quarreling temples will drag the rest of Dontor down with them.
The main temples in contention are the temples of Helm and Augury. The Melmite Temple has been attempting to stretch its wings, gain new followers, and establish the dominion of the relatively young god in this new land. Meanwhile, the temple of Augury has been trying to control the Helmite temple as a mother would a child—since Augury is the mother of Helm. Thus, the bickering began. The temple of Helm claims that the temple of Augury is being too controlling, and the temple of Augury asserts that the temple of Helm needs their parental guidance.
Meanwhile, the underground temple of Shar has been going under the radar of most people and officials but has begun to stir up troubles for Dontor’s guard.
Overall, the city of Dontor has to face the difficult decision on whether or not these temples are a benefit to their growing society, or if they merely weigh down the city with their internal strife.
Temple of Helm
The temple of Helm sits near the gates of Dontor to act as many guards of the city are worshipers of Helm and reside there. The large pentagonal buildings is jammed among the lower-class houses to serve as a hub of protection from outside threats. The temple is made of rough hewn stone with the guarding brick wall that surrounds the city beginning from this temple. This building often serves as a landmark as its unique cupolas roof is easily spotting among the other buildings. The inside is simple with a large main worship and training area and a handful of other rooms adjoining to the main space. The main rotunda features a large statue carved of the same stone that the walls are made out of depicting Helm himself, a full suit of armor standing victoriously with his halberd held aloft, a single arrow pierced deep into his chestplate.
This temple is known for its devotion to its god, Helm, through its lengthy prayer services and vigils and sworn order of guards that keep watch at the entrance of the temple. Those who come to the temple of Helm, warrior or not, are often seeking guidance from the tactician god.
Temple of Augury
The Temple of Augury is located very close to the Grand Court as Augury is the goddess of judgement. As such, she is held as the greatest goddess in Dontor, even worshiped by the Order of the Red Robes. Augury's temple is built in an ellipse, a very similar shape to the Grand Court, though unlike the expansive space in the court, the temple of Augury has a labyrinthian interior and vaulted ceilings that often confuses those who are unfamiliar with the many halls. The temple is built from smooth, refined stone with an exterior wall that is beautifully painted with the imagery of scrolls and swords. This temple has no guards watching the entrance.
The Temple of Augury is well known for its great collection of wisdom and most visitors come seeking this ancient knowledge, though they are famously hard to find. It seems as though only the clerics and temple staff is able to navigate the complicated temple well enough to find it. The temple is also well-known for its confessionals. People from the average folk to the darkest criminal have come inside Augury's hallowed halls to share their guilt without punishment, instead recieving guidance on how to atone for their misdeeds. Thus, criminals will often seek shelter from the strict guards and Red Robes members within Augury's walls for the protection from the clergy.
Demographics
Human (63%), Tiefling (10%), Gnome (7%), Tabaxi (5%), Half-Orc (4%), Halfling (3%), Half-Elf (3%), Elf (2%), Dragonborn (1%), Dwarf (1%)
Defenses
The capital is surrounded by a moat and magical constructs and wards. 459 trained warriors serve in the capital's defense, and a militia of 5,745 can be mustered in case of attack.
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