Greengate

Greengate is the last permanent settlement before The Gleaming City itself, and is another hub of commerce and trade along the Godswollen River. It is located at the exit from the Stonesky Drainage to The Verdant Gorge.
The external gate is an imposing structure carved and built into the cliff face around the Godwsollen River. Over a thousand years, the waters of the river have been channelled and guided through a long series of dams, sluices, canals and aqueducts that make up the underground stretches of the river. Internally, the settlement is dominated by the vast reservoir that controls the volume of water from the river through the gate.
The Greengate has long been under the control of Lord Mallius and the Merchantry of the Torrent. The people who live there are some of Mallius' most devout followers and his influence has meant a strong reverence for death, and a dogmatic attitude towards the conservation and management of the dead. There is a permanent outpost of the Usokufa within the Greengate, and many young members of the community hope to become Gatherers or Embalmers or find some other way to serve Mallius directly.

Mallius' motifs abound through the city, not just in the many visible shrines to him. The artwork and architecture of the city incorporates much symbolism of death, such as skeletons and skulls carved into the rocky walls. Additionally, the workforce is augmented through the liberal use of Bodyservants. These are usually left in menial positions such as labour or sanitation, but even so are visible throughout the Greengate.

A bar in the Greengate by Midjourney

Visitors may be initially put off by such macabre elements, and for some this can be very difficult to overcome. However, the locals are surprisingly hospitable and welcoming, and the many avenues for entertainment and recuperation to be found along the wharfs of the Reservoir are a welcome respite for travellers weary of the scorching heat above ground.

Demographics

The population is not that large, with only a few thousand permanent residents. Most are the pale-skinned Stoneskians, but there is a sizeable contingent of The Flaming Brand barracked in the walls of the Greengate, and many of these are clearly Mortugurran, with even a few Xiramondians from even further into The Desolation of Ghul Drazul.

Government

The families of the Greengate are nearly all followers of Mallius, having maintained their Tithe Binding with him for many generations. On nearly every major intersection of the wharves and tunnels across Greengate there are small shrines to Mallius where the denizens must perform their worship multiple times a day. Many will also have private shrines to the Lord in their homes.
Whenever thre are births within the community, there is a formal Renewal of the Tithe, where the population is visited by one of the Illuminators of the Gleaming City. This ensures new births are included and the tally of phsycial and metphysical tithes kept up to date.
Even after the Stonesky Riots which saw the upheaval of power structures across the Stonesky, and a radical shift in power and tithing to Impetine and Porculso, the people of the Greengate have retained their loyalty and tithes to Mallius.

Industry & Trade

Hospitality

The numbers of iternerant visitors is in constant flux. Nearly half the population is made up of these travelling merchants and pilgrims. They include Roving Vintners from the Shimmerlands, goblinkin from The Dawncrags, and emmiseries from even further afield, such as the Protectorates, the Empire of Novalucca or Merchants of The Icerunners Guild.
As a result, hospitality is one of the largest industries within Greengate. The banks of the Reservoir are filled with hostels, restaurants and bars - most of them are small, family-run businesses.

Trade and logistics

The second industry is those who manage the warehouses, locks, tariffs and other complex logistics of controlling the flow of goods and people through the gate itself. The Merchantry of the Torrent controls all flow of goods through the gate, and the bureaucracy has a strong and permanent presence in the town.

The dead

Greengate also contains the second largest outpost of Usokufa, second only the Mortuary with the The Gleaming City itself. The relative cool of the underground reaches, aided by the constant flow of waters, allows many of the dead brought down river by the Gatherers to be held here in stasis before transport to the city itself.

Masonry

Like other areas of the Stonesky, Stone and marble masonry is mined and refined within the tunnels that branch out from the Greengate. The massive blocks are barged to The Gleaming City to satisfy the Lord's constant demand for growth and refurbishment.

Districts

The primary underground feature of the Greengate is the massive reservoir of waters collected by the infux of the Godswollen River. The town itself is carved into the walls of the reservoir, with wide wharfs and promenades along its perimeter.

The Greengate Reservoir by Midjourney

The Gate itself is a series of sluices that overflow and send the waters onward into the Verdant Gorge. This exit is flanked by a well maintained set of water locks allowing for the passage of barges up and down the river.

Founders

• Mallius

Location under

Stonesky Drainage

Owner/Ruler

Mallius

Owning Organization

Lords of Fire