Dominion City
The city of Dominion is built right into the side of Dominion Mountain. The only approach to this walled city is from the south west. The city layout means it is probably the best defended city in the Wildlands. The city is built on a system of concentric part-circles, with each circle being protected by a wall. Each circle also has only one gate from the outside, again adding to the city's defenses. Each entrance from ring to ring is through a corridor, flanked by guard towers and walls, making a killing zone at each point.
The city is split into 4 rings. The Lord's Ring is where the castle of Lord Bard Bearaxe is to be found. There is a large open killing ground around this castle perimeter and no one is allowed entry to this area unless escorted by guards from the garrison. People who enter the Lord's Ring without an escort risk swift retribution.
The second ring is known as the Upper Ring and this area houses the more wealthy of the population, including large portions of the substantial dwarven populace. There are some craftsmen here, especially dwarven artisans of master status, but mostly this area is residential. This area is where the population would retreat to if the Lower and Middle Rings were lost in the event of attack.
The Middle Ring of the city is home to the city Garrison, and the vast majority of the craftsmen of the city. It is also home to the guildhalls. This ring is full of shops and trades and many humans and dwarven merchants and craftsmen can be found here. The Garrison protects the entrance up to the Upper Ring and entry into that ring is forbidden unless one is a citizen of the Upper Ring, or one has very good reason to be going there. Entry to the Upper Ring is by pass only. The Garrison district is a fully fortified camp and is where the soldiers of the Lord's army are trained and housed.
The Lower Ring holds the lower classes of people: the peasants, labourers, miners, warehousemen and the like. There is even a large community of slaves housed in this ring. Dominating the lower levels of the city is the mighty Arena, where gladiatorial games are held on a regular basis. Criminals and professional fighters make up the games, seeking to gain fame and fortune, or merely to stay alive. The main temple of Mar is here and this is a focal point of the whole city.
The Lower Ring is also home to the area known as the Adventurers Quarter. All manner of things may be bought and sold here, including some lesser magical trinkets. This quarter is also home to the temple of Hex. Most foreign travellers are encouraged to stay in the Adventurers Quarter - the guards don't like them wandering around the city.
The Lower Ring has large numbers of warehouses where the ores and minerals mined in the local mountains are stored and smelted down into various alloys. This area of the city is awash with dwarven craftsmen who oversee most of the mining and smelting operations.
Lord Bard Bearaxe is the dictatorial leader of this city and the state. He runs the place with a strong but fair arm. His soldiers double as city guards and city patrols. They police the city and enforce its rules.
Due to the beliefs of Lord Bearaxe in the laws of Mar, there is a strange law in the city (and indeed the whole of Dominion state) which states that any person accused of a crime may demand to fight for justice. They will then enter a fight - which is typically not to the death, but which maybe if the crime is serious enough - with the appointed champion of the local representative of Lord Bearaxe. If the defendant beats the champion in melee combat, they are allowed to go free. The precise rules of the melee are not set out anywhere so the likelyhood of this being a good choice for a suspected criminal depends entirely on the nature of the local representative of Lord Bearaxe. In the city itself, each patrol has the power to put forth a champion to fight any miscreant found doing stuff they shouldn't be. If the patrol leader deems the criminal to be particularly strong, they will take them to their superiors. It has been known for famous and powerful criminals to be taken all the way to the top to fight Lord Bearaxe himself, which has always been to the death. No one has ever survived such a trial.
The high priest of the god Mar in Dominion City is Jedd. He is a man who is strongly devoted to his city and his leige, Lord Bearaxe. The two are cut from the same cloth. Jedd will only raise people from the dead if it can be proved they died in battle - and only then if sufficient compensation is paid to the church's coffers.
The high priest of the god Hex, in the adventurers' quarter is a secretive man whose name is not known to the populace and who never sees anyone but his inner circle of priests. The temple is available for blessings and curses, but these are purchased through the lesser priests. Even travelling priests of Hex are not permitted to learn the identity of the High Priest and are very unlikely to be allowed to speak with him.
Type
City
Population
25,000
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler