Rivertown

Written by Drakerp2

Crossroads Bed & Breakfast was built almost a millennium ago, just a stop along an empty road for weary travelers to rest. After some time, a farm was built next to it, and then another, and another; soon it became a village, then a city, and now Crossroads Bed & Breakfast is at the center of the largest trade hub on Prime: Rivertown.

While Rivertown does have a duke, his role as appointed by the queen is to lead The Ember Phalanx, and is a cunning military tactician who does not care about nor enjoy politics. Instead, Archmage Verlirian handles all the day to day activities, be it cutting the ribbon on a new pier or helping settle a land dispute. Verlirian is widely seen as the actual leader of Rivertown, a fact that causes no qualms to the duke who finds it quite preferable.

The Elven mage Verlirian traveled through what was then Crossroads on his way to the capital several times. During his many stays, he realized the geographic potential of the town, as well as a love for its friendly people. He soon decided that he would build his mage tower at its center. Verlirian is now on the Magisters' Council but still cares deeply for every one of the citizens of Rivertown, and is known to help solve even simple problems such as lost pets and thievery. If ever in trouble or in need, the people of Rivertown can count on Verlirian to come to their aid.

However, Velirian is not Rivertown's only defense, The Ember Phalanx is just as important. Thanks to the Embers, Rivertown is one of the best defended cities in the entire Cosmos, as the Embers are one of the most ruthless fighting forces to ever exist. Granted, until the recent uprising, most did not realize how powerful the Embers truly were.

THE EMBER PHALANX

"That night, that one horrifying night. It was Monoegye, Terragon 17, 11062 QY. We had all been told lies and falsities, every person a different one. Whatever the reasons, there were thousands of us that night ready to ransack Rivertown. It seemed like the plan was going without a hitch, we were nearing the walls and had not been seen. Or so we thought. Out of nowhere - over the course of what could not have been more than 5 seconds - several hundred torches blazed to life along the front of the wall, each of them on the back of heavily armed warriors with terrifyingly large shields. Shields that they banged on the ground all at once, sending a massive echo that may well have been heard in the capital. The young fellow next to me fainted - not sure what happened to him after that, many people were lost that day - and the bloodbath that ensued, well, it was indescribable. If you dropped your weapons, or ran away, the Embers let you go. I saw one of them stop mid-swing when a guy dropped his mace. Alas, nobody ran, nobody dropped their weapons. I will never forget the horrors I saw that night, yet the Embers that watched over me in that cell seemed ready to do it again. I can only hope that all this chaos can come to an end."
-Grogfist's Journals Volume IV: A Night in Embers

The Ember Phalanx, more commonly known as the Embers, is like any other fighting force in that there are many legends and heroic tales of their deeds. These tales are things like slaying a gargantuan beast of legend as a training exercise, or marching straight into hell to rescue a captured member of the Queens' Court. The difference is that for the Embers, the tales are true. To those that truly grasp the vigor of the Embers, there is little question in that they are one of the most powerful forces in the entire Cosmos. Some even argue that they are the most powerful force in the Cosmos, although that is more debated.

The Embers are indeed highly trained, but they are also aided by their equipment. They are fully equipped with adamantine platemail bolted together with mithril joints and covered with mobility enchantments; the signature craftsmanship of the Tailorweave Blacksmith, the armorer for the Embers. They also carry tower shields, exotic and difficult to use, but with their rigorous training the Embers are unstoppable sentinels that halt armies in their tracks.

Geography

Rivertown has blossomed into the trade hub it is due to the three major rivers that rest near it. The first river is the Salast, spanning from the coast of Kasan far to the west and across half the continent before looping around right next to Rivertown, and ending shortly thereafter. The second river is The Royal Straight, of which the northernmost point lies at the capital, and stretches all the way to Prime's southern coast. The third and final river is the Plassnilly, which feeds into the unending tempest - A massive lake near the center of Prime containing an extremely severe storm that predates modern records - thus connecting Rivertown to the eastern coast of Prime.

Points of Interest

Seelenshire

{Seal-in-shire}
The town of Seelenshire was constructed long ago, when Rivertown was just a small farming village with a newly settled archmage. Seelenshire never grew beyond its wall, and despite Rivertown reaching its wall and growing around it, the mayor insisted that Seelenshire was still its own town. Eventually, it just became a part of tradition, and even though nobody in Seelenshire or Rivertown cares if it is a part of the greater Rivertown or not, it makes for a fine gimmick.

Listalnay Park

{List-ol-nay}
Listalnay Park is a quiet and peaceful place, often visited by mages to study. The park is similar to a library in that if anyone makes too much noise, they are shushed or asked to leave. In the center of the park is the Hall of Queens, an open-air museum with exquisitely detailed statues of every queen from the Morgray lineage in heroic poses, as well as Rivertown's teleportation circle.

The Rivertown Merchant District

The Rivertown Merchant District is the center for all inland trade on Prime; a bustling marketplace in which can be found nearly every item imaginable. Adventurers and heroes come from every corner of the Cosmos to shop for rare and powerful magical goods and services. In trade as well as magic, the Rivertown Merchant District is rivaled only by Kasan's Trade District; the difference being that while Rivertown's selection is a smaller, all the goods are wrought legitimately.

The Queen's Golden Fields

Extending far beyond the borders of Rivertown, the many farms of the Golden Fields supply wheat to dozens of small villages, the capital, and many others. While all the wheat is of the utmost quality - being the most fertile land on Prime - the best of the harvests is sent to The Bakery of Gold, just inside Rivertown's northeastern wall.

The Bakery of Gold

The Bakery of Gold is not just known throughout Prime, but all the planes. Its prices, while outrageously expensive, are seen by most as well worth it. The bakery makes the indisputably best baked goods in the entire Cosmos, and while it does have access to the very best wheat - the highest quality harvest from The Queen's Golden Fields - the bakery has a secret that puts it above all others. A secret which has been unsuccessfully sought out by many. As a practitioner of the culinary arts getting invited to work at the bakery is the highest honor, showing true mastery of one's art. The bakery has people from all over the planes working within its walls: from elementals, to angels, and even a devil; these bakers are the very best - possibly to ever live - in each of their specialties.

The Rivertown Graveyard

The Rivertown Graveyard has been around for nearly two centuries, and has amassed thousands of burials. Two years ago, a mist rolled in, but nobody knows why. Many speculate necromancy or other foul magic, accusing Barthelor - the devil working at The Bakery of Gold - but there is no evidence to these claims, and he is the target of many false rumors. As of yet, the dead have stayed in the ground. Of course, no one has seen the staff in several weeks, and the Ember Phalanx has heavily fortified the wall between the graveyard and the city.

The Queen's Flagships

The Queen's Twin Flagships are the fastest ships ever made. This is due to their wind crystals, extremely rare and powerful magic items that allow the captain of a ship to control the weather and create optimal conditions no matter what direction the ship goes. Some people even rumor that the flagships are capable of flight and planer shifting, but they have not seen much use as of yet.

Places to Stay

The Seelenshire Inn

The Seelenshire Inn serves all travelers: from sailors, to adventurers, to merchants. The Inn has had comfortable service at reasonable rates for several centuries, and it was the second inn to be built in the region. One will often see advertisements with their slogan: "We put the Inn in Seelenshire."

The Old Mill

Centuries ago, the first grain mill of what would later become Rivertown was built on this inn's very spot. While none of the original five grain mills still stand, The Old Mill serves as homage to that long ago time. The inn primarily serves adventurers stopping through on their way to other destinations, but also has historians come in on a semi-frequent basis.

The Weary Sailor

Just as its name says, The Weary Sailor caters almost exclusively to sailors that port at Rivertown on their way to other destinations. Its comfortable lodging has become very popular among sailors who do not own a house in Rivertown.

Stone Hearth Hotel

Stone Hearth Hotel specializes in long term stays. When someone is moving to the city or a person is visiting a sick family member, Stone Hearth Hotel will accommodate their every need. Stone Hearth uses weekly fees - requiring a minimum of two weeks payed up front - but is the best deal if planning on staying long term.

R.O.A.C. Temporary Housing

The Rivertown Office for Adventurer Certification uses this building for housing people who run into difficulties while getting licensed; this could be due to anything from having a criminal record, to not being born on Prime. In any case, the R.O.A.C. provides free lodging to applicants while they review their case.

Crossroads Bed & Breakfast

Crossroads now serves as a meeting spot for many. It is the place of choice when heroes have a reunion after a decade apart, a person of important status hosts a celebration, or any other major event. While its unchanged price of 1 gold piece per night may seem cheap or easy to attain, Crossroads has enough demand that it is able to choose who can and cannot stay within its walls, and only accepts the most distinguished of guests.

VERLIRIAN

In Rivertown's early days, ships would end their journeys at Rivertown and unload their cargo, which would then be loaded onto another boat to finish the journey. This process slowed shipping down immensely, and provided Verlirian an opportunity to put his mark on the world and earn a seat on The Magisters' Council. This opportunity was the clearing of a canal. Verlirian sought to connect the Salast River and The Royal Straight. Over the course of 6 long weeks he moved all the dirt and stone that took up what is now Verlirian's Pass, and used it to create The Upper Fork: the jutting landmass that Rivertown Shipping Co. is built on. The citizens of Rivertown were so impressed they named the entire canal after Verlirian, despite his protests.

Several months later, Verlirian attempted another project. Using what he learned from the last one, he connected The Royal Straight to Plassnilly River. While not that difficult of a task for Verlirian - especially after the first canal - it changed trade on Prime forever. The Canal, now called The Golden Pass, made it so that for the first time a boat could sail from one coast of Prime to the other without having to go all the way around the top or bottom of the continent. Ships no longer had to unload and reload cargo, and a business could hire one crew to go the entire way across Prime.

Despite his achievements, some still disputed Verlirian's claim as the transmutation seat of The Magisters' Council, saying he had not transmuted anything in either project, just moved dirt. Almost a century after Verlirian made his first two Canals, the owner of the Rivertown Shipping Co. came to Verlirian with a proposal: part challenge and part request, the owner suggested Verlirian turn the entire southern portion Listalnay park into water in one single spell. Verlirian accepted the challenge, and granted the request. In a single spell, he transformed all the earth within the desired area into water. It was as if the canal had always existed. This act ended any debate over Verlirians position on the Magister's Council, and is recognized as one of the most powerful spells cast in recent history.

Guilds
Verlirian has worked hard to keep guilds out of Rivertown. He does not wish any of the disputes, controversies, or bureaucracy associated with having guilds.

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Organizations
There are several large organisations that are based in Rivertown. The first and foremost is The Ember Phalanx. Rivertown Shipping Co. is the second, managing more active trade routes than any other organisation. The third is The Rivertown Office for Adventurer Certification - more commonly known as the R.O.A.C. - one of the few places where one can get an adventuring license allowing for use of contract boards throughout Prime.

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Alternative Names
In maps and texts predating ~10500QY the location was known simply as Crossroads.

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