The City State of Winterfall
The City-State of Winterfall sprang from the keep of a retired adventuring wizard named Torsen who decided to share the knowledge he acquired traveling the world by founding a school of magic in the tower of the necromancer he and his companions had defeated so many years ago.
Since the keep was built high on one of the main mountain passes between the Eastern Kingdoms of the Elves and the Western free lands of man, Winterfall soon expanded as mages from around the world came to study with one of the most renown adventuring mages in the world who had shown an incredible aptitude for a wide array of magic. Commoners and merchants alike followed and began to put down roots in the city since it soon became a major trade route and safe haven for those traveling between the east and west.
As the city grew, the need to fortify it became more and more apparent, so Torsen consulted with several of those he had adventured with and soon the city became one of the most defensible cities in the world. This was achieved through many different means, such as walling the various wards from each other to contain any army that successfully makes its way into the city itself as well as strategically placed walls and towers on the mountain pass roads leading up the city.
Each of these wards has a giant statue in its center, depicting one of Torsen’s adventuring companions. Legends state that these “Founders Statues” can be animated by powerful magic in the event of a siege against the city, further adding to the city’s already potent defenses. However, no one currently living in the city has ever seen the statues come to life and many believe it is nothing more than legend designed to frighten those who would move against the city.
Since the early days, life in the city has revolved around Torsen’s School of Magic located in the Mages Ward, which is the heart of the city. It is also here that the Tower of the High Council is located and where the majority of Winterfall’s government activity takes place. Due to this, during most days the four large gates that allow access from the Temple and High Wards are constantly packed with people coming and going, conducting their daily business or bringing complaints to the Council for review.
This ward also houses Winterfall’s primary source of fresh water as a large, underground spring has created a large pool of water that dominates a large portion of the ward. This water also floods the city’s sewers, flushing all waste out of the city and down the vast waterfall which gives the city its name.
It is also in this ward where the statue of Torsen himself stands, looking out from the courtyard of the school onto the rest of the city with his raven familiar, Midnight, on his shoulder.
The Temple and High Wards flank the Crafters Ward where the majority of the city’s craftsmen ply their trades. Need a suit of armor, a sword sharpened, or some research done on an obscure artifact? This ward is where you will find the armorer, weapon smith, or sage needed to do that work. The water from the spring is easily accessible in this ward as there are two large pools on each end and most of the ward itself stands on what can only be described as a massive carved stone bridge that it is rumored to have taken nearly thirty mages to create. Many of the craftsmen take advantage of the easy access to fresh water to assist with the creation of their goods. The statue in this ward is Ralor the dwarven armor smith that adventured with Torsen back in the days of the founding of Winterfall which stands directly in the middle of the bridge.
As its name suggests, the Temple Ward is where most of the worship of Percens’ deities takes place. Every major deity worshipped in the world has a temple of one form or another here, even those normally shunned by other cities. Torsen felt religion was a major part of daily life for the people of Percens and didn’t feel that just because your beliefs didn’t match his that you should be denied a place of worship. This attitude has surprisingly fostered an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance. Inter-religion violence of any sort in this ward is not tolerated. In the center of this ward is the Grove dedicated to Tauze, God of Nature. This is also where you will find the statue of Torsen’s loyal friend, Maruvian, a druid who followed the ways of the church of Tauze.
The High Ward is home to Winterfall’s wealthy citizens, ranging from rich merchants to influential High Council members and high ranking officials from the school of magic. The homes here and grand and well-appointed with wide avenues separating their large compounds. As with the other wards the lone exception to this is one of the cities many guard houses which are strategically placed to assist with the defense of the ward in case of siege. Their scattered locations also allow for quick response by the city guard should an event warrant their intervention. Near the guard house stands the statue of Fulian, supplier and advisor to Torsen and his adventuring companions back in the days when they ventured into the unexplored sections of the world. Fulian also played a pivotal part in the founding of Winterfall as he was the first merchant to send caravans to the city. By exploiting Winterfall’s location atop one of most accessible mountain passes in the Northern part of the world Fulian became one of the richest and most powerful merchants in the world and his family still plays a large part in the day-to-day governance of Winterfall.
The outer wards consist of the Commons West, The Market Ward and the Commons East. The Commons East and West are typically just referred to as The Commons and house the majority of Winterfall’s inhabitants. The outskirts of the Commons, those areas closest to the city walls at the eastern and western ends of mountain pass that city is built upon consists mostly of lean-tos and temporary shelters built by Winterfall’s beggars and poor. These give way to more permanent housing as one moves further into The Commons and toward the inner walls that separate the outer wards from the inner wards. This is where Winterfall’s common folk live. Everyone from porters and low level city guard to butchers and bakers make their home here.
The Commons East host a statue of Eshar, the holy warrior woman who traveled with Torsen from his early days as an adept wizard, while the Commons West is home to the statue of Korug, the swordsman who also ventured far and wide in Torsen’s troupe of adventurers. Both Eshar and Korug were known for protecting the weak and helping the common folk they encountered whenever they could so it is only appropriate that they stand guard over the commoners of Winterfall.
The Market Ward is where the city’s marketplace is located. This is where the city’s common goods can be purchased. A bustling center of activity both day and night, the marketplace is where one can go to get rations for their next adventure, get the latest gossip on what’s going on in the Council Tower, or information from the less than savory side of Winterfall’s society. This is also where the majority of the city’s inns and taverns are found, so it is usually where visiting adventurers from outside the city stay as they are passing through on the way to their next conquest. Like its neighboring Crafters Ward, the Market Ward sits upon a great stone bridge that spans the waters that have bubbled up from the spring in the Mages Ward and falls down the mountain side on the southern side of the ward. Surprisingly enough, the statue found in this ward is of Finkle Lightfoot, the Halfling cutpurse that spent time with Torsen’s band of companions during their adventuring days.
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