Meuclont, The Web

Meuclont is a large city atop a floating island in the vast skies of Meuclont county, an expanse of sky that is within the greater kingdom of Krithia. While not the kingdom's capital or even largest city, Meuclont is by far one of the most famous locations in the world. Also known as the Web, it is a refuge for those seeking work, adventure, or new lives.

First Impressions

From a distance, Meuclont appears to be a great shimmering tower of copper and brass. The sun gleams off its various towers and buildings to create the illusion of a beautiful city of class and nobility. As the city comes into view, however, thick plumes of smoke can be seen rising from the buildings as if it is trying to escape. The towers do indeed gleam. They also seem to move on their own accord. Massive gears and clockwork devices hug most of the buildings, constantly spinning and turning, occasionally skipping a peg or stopping for a full rotation.
On most days, heavy rain falls over the city. When it does not rain, thick mists cling low to the buildings. Clouds seem to gravitate towards the city, but nobody knows entirely why. Most scientists agree the vast quantities of Warp Pearls might cause strange weather patterns. The city is usually warm and humid, even on colder months. It gives the impression of a rainforest made of copper and glass rather than trees.
Upon docking, the famous sound of the city can be heard. Over the sounds of dozens of merchants dragging their wares through the city, whores selling themselves for copper, and a city’s worth of coughing, yelling, and laughing, over the noise rises the sound of thousands of cables moving and straining. The zipping of steel on steel, twanging of metal, and a neverending groan are heard deep beneath the city. Occasionally, one can hear in the distance a loud snap followed by a thunderous crash.

The Great Cables of Meuclont

These famous cables act as long-range energy transfers. They are attached to various pieces of clockwork machines and transfer their kinetic energy to far away places. Thus, these cables are always moving, strained to their limits. Those not accustomed to Meuclont get the feeling that the whole city might snap and fall into oblivion. This is not the case, however. While it is true some cables occasionally snap, the Great Web of Meuclont does not directly support any one building.

Life

Walking around the commons of Meuclont, one would be wise to watch your step and keep an eye from above. Many simply toss their waste into allies, and streets in poorer districts, and expect it to find its ways into the sewer system. Walking through Meuclont you will be bombarded with the sales of tonics, the music of performers playing for coin, whispers of gossip, and the howling of news criers selling newsprints.
The lower you go into Meuclont, the harder it is to live. In the Towers, the most of the working is done through paperwork. Managing their resources or wares, paying employees, and occasionally hiring workers for various projects. Food and luxury items are brought in by cable carts in most towers. It is entirely possible to not leave one for your entire life. There are in fact stories of crime lords or nobles keeping beautiful daughters locked in their towers until they are old enough to marry, then using them as diplomatic tools. When a family or organization loses its tower, then the towers are acquired by the city and auctioned. The prices of these towers range from hundreds of thousands of gold to millions. After purchase, the tower is usually gutted, then slowly rebuilt piece by piece. A tower never falls, but they do change, usually once every five years or so.
In the Pristine, most workers are bureaucrats, merchants, or craftsman. They live in large pyramid-like homes and walk or ride to work every day. Life here is comfortable and rarely dangerous. However, most things are expensive here, which leads to weekend shopping trips to the Trade Halls.
The Commons contains the most people by far. The citizens of this level usually work with their hands. The most prominent job is mining and construction. Beneath the city are vast mining tunnels. Meuclont is set atop a massive source of metal and Warp Pearls, and that is it's primary export. The miners travel down on large elevators and work for most of the day. Then it is to the tavern. The Commons support many dozens of taverns, each one with its own unique ambiance and customers. Every night they are packed to the brim. Children here spend their time playing in the interconnected buildings that make up the Commons. This can be dangerous for them, but it is rare to find a single child. Most form small gangs that find little hideouts. Some of these groups grow into actual criminal gangs but most simply move on to the mines or construction. In the home, most houses have small gardens which they support with lamps or livestock. Finding a full-grown cow in someone's home is not uncommon, and some complain about livestock wandering into their home. Everything is handmade and hand fixed, no purchasing of clothing when it can simply be made.
In the Jungles, life is sustained with crime, begging, or scrounging. Any work done is most likely illegal. As a child in the Jungles, you must be careful every day. Orphans are common here but rarely seen. From a young age, they learn that hiding is the best way to survive. Slavers occasionally seek to find young children to sell out of the city. Thus, any child who grows into an adult in the Jungles is untrusting, skilled, and clever. These people usually take over small parts of the Jungles to keep them safe. The Jungles has territory owned by various criminal lords, some of which reside in the Towers.
Throughout the city, plumbing is available. Fresh water is pumped into the city from the air. Heavy rains give the city plenty of water, but also causes leaking on nearly all levels of the city. The lower parts of the city are harder to find clean water, however. Most need to be boiled before being used. Fire is another commodity that is difficult to find. Wood and coal can be expensive. Luckily, there are heat vents that run through the city. Some are hot enough to cook on while others are cool enough to simply keep someone warm. When a home can get a supply of wood for fire, the smoke and steam rise into large communal chimneys. These chimneys channel towards the edge of the city and release their smoke. This causes a veil of smoke to rise from the city in colder months.
When someone passes in Meuclont, they are given a proper funeral if their relatives can afford it. This is quite expensive, so most bodies are cremated. In the Jungles, bodies are often left to rot, but occasionally a corpse if thrown over the edge of the city through secret tunnels. This is primarily done to dispose of bodies of a particularly sensitive nature with haste.

Dangers of Meuclont

While Meuclont is not the most dangerous city, it is one where you need to watch your back and clutch your pocket. Clockwork craft is common in this city, and with craft come automatons. Due to the unreliable nature of their power source, Warp Pearls, automatons sometimes go mad or gain sentience. Some flee to the depths and become dangerous murderers. These automatons are referred to as Rippers. Rippers primarily lurk in the depths of the jungles, but Ripper attacks are known throughout the city. Most Rippers are crazed Clock Guards or Cable Spiders.
Another danger of Meuclont are thieves. Many people scrape to get by in the city, so thievery is not uncommon. However, some will not stop at your purse given the chance. Roaming bands of thugs can be deadly to encounter. Some thieves are simply murderers who wander the streets, seeking a kill, though there is a good chance they are mad. Meuclont is built atop a large supply of Warp Pearls. This causes the occasional mutation. Mutants usually hide in the Jungles, unless they can hide their mutations well. The mutations can cause many effects and can drive some mad. This madness is dangerous. It leads to serial killers with strange abilities.
The final danger is the city itself. Sometimes a cable breaks, causing death and destruction. Tunnels and buildings collapsing is rare, but it is a danger nonetheless.

Districts of Meuclont

When one travels through the city, they find that it is seemingly built sideways. Large stairs reach to levels of the city above, and unreliable elevators drop you deeper into the Undercity. Getting around in Meuclont is impossible without years of experience, or a detailed map. Though, those with maps tend to become lost just as often as those without. The deeper you head into the city, the more cables you see. Eventually, you will reach a level of the city that appears to be made entirely of cable. This is where the criminals hide and the poor live without taxation. This level of the city is referred to as the Jungles or Deep Web.

The Jungles

The buildings of Meuclont are primarily made of a cheap concrete from the mines near the base of the city, in a location known as the Jungles. The Jungles are structured more like a sewer system then a part of the city, with tunnels of stone housing poor families. Some buildings actually hang from ancient, inert cables. It is illegal to live in these homes, but nobody comes down to uphold the law. The Jungles contain the most cables of any part of the city, and it is impossible to escape them. The moisture of Meuclont runs down into the Jungles and forms into rivers of muck. This layer is the most dangerous part of Meuclont, with criminals and clockwork spiders as primary threats. The cables of this place are dangerous as well because they can snap at any given time. A snapping cable has been known to destroy entire homes and split a full-grown cow in two. There are three layers to the jungles, which act as districts within this part of the city. Upper, Lower, and the Mining levels

Upper Jungles

The upper Jungles is the most populated of the Jungles. The people that live here are among the poorest of the city while still paying taxes and rent. This portion of the city is entirely run by criminal organizations. Rent and protection money are bundled together by gangs who battle for control over this part of the city. Law enforcement rarely comes to this part of the city unless there is a political reason or the battles between criminals becomes dangerous.

Locations of Note

The Spider's Nest: The spider's nest is a tavern in the jungles. When someone refers to the Spider's Nest, they could either by talking about the main tavern itself or the collection of recreational buildings all owned by the same person. The tavern is the most well known, but there is also a brothel, a gambling den, an auction house, and a small market. These buildings surround a central courtyard that is overgrown and unkept. This bar has a reputation of being a less than reputable establishment. Gangsters, bounty hunters, and criminals drink, buy, and sell here. The only way to reach the Spiders Nest is to pass through a series of thin passageways the width of one person. This makes it impossible to bring any large goods into the square but makes it easily defendable from attacks of any kind. Mapped out, the Spiders Nest does indeed take the form of a web with its thin, maze-like passageways.
The tavern itself serves cheap alcohol and decently cooked chicken, pigeon, and rat meat. Mostly in stews, but sometimes there is enough to order a proper leg or breast of a foul.
Jungle Market Square: This is a market for many of the denizens of the Upper Jungles. This market is a dedicated series of halls and passageways where merchants sell various goods ranging from live birds, handcrafted furniture, and even weapons. Most merchants sell from rugs, without stalls. In the densest part of this marketplace has merchants shoulder to shoulder trying to keep an eye out for customers and thieves alike. Walking through this marketplace is tricky. Dodging customers and stepping over merchants. Often, there will only be a foot or two of room to walk through.
Madame Heil's Orphanage: One of the largest buildings in the Jungles, Madame Heil's Orphanage is home to hundreds of orphans from the Jungles. Madame Heil, a large Vadathan woman, is one of the most well-respected people in the Upper Jungles. The orphanage she runs is protected by nearly every criminal organization because most of the criminals there grew up in the Orphanage. She can be described as harsh, tough, and protective. She will smack one of her children without hesitation, but will personally seek out the perfect role model for that child. Whether this is a businessman or a crime lord, she does not care about the morality. Only if that child will utilize its skills. Of course, not every child gets this treatment, but they do quickly learn that Madame Heil is not cruel, only harsh. She truly does care for her children.

Lower Jungles

Also known as Wyrd Meuclont. The lower commons is technically full of homeless. There is no real property in the Lower Jungles. According to city records, it is nothing but sewer, runoff, and maintenance tunnels. In reality, there are many of the least fortunate of Meuclont that live here. The deformed, homeless, gnarled, and wanted criminals hide in this portion of the Jungles. There are no authorities that come to this part of the city, but Inquisitors do find themselves in this district often while hunting Fae. The Lower Jungles is home to most of the wyrd in Meuclont. Puppeteers, alchemists, and others who dabble in magic hide in this part of the city.

Locations of Note

Meuclont's Circus: Meuclont's Circus is not so much of a singular place, as it is a group or event. There is a large group of Gnarled, Fae, and Deformed individuals who have decided to live and protect each other. They travel from place to place in the Lower Jungles setting up in empty areas beneath the city. They perform feats of amazement for money, charging high amounts of money for admittance into the secret performances. Mercenaries and other militant organizations come to these circus performances looking for potential soldiers to recruit. This is the true purpose of performing, to find work or a permanent home. Gnarled and Fae looking for a home constantly come and go from this circus.
Stew Lair: Mother Stew is a powerful Witch who lives in the Lower Jungles. Her Lair is known as the Stew Lair. To reach this lair, you must starve yourself until you are weakened by the lack of food. Then, you must cast yourself into the sewage and let yourself drift. If you are lucky, Mother Stew or one of her Fae will fish you out of the sewage. If you survive the trip, then you will be greeted by the strange place known as Stew Lair.
The Stew Lair appears to be a series of tunnels and passages filled with various liquids and stews. Miles long tunnels stretch throughout filled with perfectly edible beef stew, strange concoctions which can do anything from changing your hair color to give you strange powers, and deadly poisons. Cauldrons of various shapes and sizes pocket the Lair, filled with similar liquids. Mother Stew drifts in a black cauldron through her Lair when she is not prowling the Lower Jungles. Her Fae, people with dripping liquid-like flesh, tend the Lair in her absence.
Black Markets: Deep in the Lower Jungles is a hidden network of merchants and scoundrels who trade and sell all sorts of wyrd, illegal, and rare goods. They buy and trade in secret locations around the Lower Jungles. Different Markets have different goods. Such as rare poisons, firearms, wyrd trinkets, or illegal clockwork.

Mining Levels

Beneath the Lower Jungles is a layer of the city known as the Mining Levels. It is where the entrances to the hollow mine are kept. All but a handful of secret passageways to this level is blocked off or protected by automatons. This is because the various mining companies do not wish the criminals and homeless of the Jungles to enter. The easiest way to enter is to take an elevator from the commons straight to the mining level, but only employees of the mining companies are able to use them.

Locations of Note

Hollow Mines: The hollow mines is the title of the series of mines which make up the vast and unpredictable tunnels below.
Entry Points: The Entry Points for the mines are a series of gates which are guarded by both people and automatons. Technically, anyone can pass through, but the guards who man the stations usually require a fee.
The Pick and Pearl: The Pick and Pearl is a tavern and inn that is built just inside the mines. Its primary customers are miners who, for whatever reason, cannot or will not return to the surface for the night. They also serve food, but it is only slightly better than the food served at the Way Stations.

The Commons

The layer above the Jungles tends to be constructed of wood. This location is called the Commons and it houses most of the city. The commons stack four levels high, each one similar to the others, though the higher the level, the better the housing and the conditions. Buildings are built in such a way that they connect and weave together. It is possible to travel the entirety of this level of the city and never actually leave a building. Even homes are built interconnected, with massive hallways leading from one home to an other. The poorer homes simply set up curtains instead of doors or walls, while more affluent families construct walls and doors for extra security. In this section of the city, it is not uncommon to set up stores and organizations in locations only accessible by traversing through several homes and other buildings. Throughout the Commons, large metal support beams are found. These are used as landmarks to orient travelers, each one is given a number and letter. These supports are set like a grid and are the only portion of the Commons that follows order. Because of the close quarter's nature of the Commons, disease spreads like wildfire. This can cause entire sections of the commons to be locked off from the public. There are five sub districts within the Commons. They are not layers like the jungles, more like a bubble which overlaps several floors. The areas of the Commons which do not fall into the bubble like districts are called dead zones. These areas are too far away from the center of a district to make it economical to purchase land, so they are full of empty buildings and empty warehouses. The six sub-districts have no proper names, but have slang words given to them. These slang terms are the Market, the Hive, Paradise, Inferno, Purgatory, and the Ring.

The Market

The Market is home to most of the merchants, traders, and shop owners in Meuclont. It is a place where the homes have walls, and some have doors. Stores, Inns, taverns, and any other location that a visitor to Meuclont would need are found in this sub-district. This district is lower-middle class. Throughout this part of Meuclont bother merchants and thieves will be after your money. Stalls are set up along the walls of the passageways, and this is a place that contains some permanent shops in Meuclont.

Locations of Note

The Gentleman's trade: The Gentleman's trade is a large store in the Market. It is in a permanent building which has existed as this store for over a decade under its owner, Isidorus Sura. This is an adventurers store. The goods it sells are delivered from two clockwork workshops and a variety of other craftsmen in the Hive which provide goods such as Rope, crossbows, weaponry, maps, armor, and other legal goods useful for those seeking to make discoveries. Isidorus also purchases trinkets and old maps from adventurers who have no need of them. With these, he sells in an auction on the second floor of his establishment. The third floor is where Isidorus and his wife live. These Auctions are held monthly and can sell many trinkets from far off lands, strange maps, and other oddities. This is a wholly legitimate establishment, though sometimes a wyrd artifact will find its way through. The building itself is guarded by a powerful automaton which is controlled by both Isidorus and his wife.
The Market Square: The Market square is a constant bustle of activity. It is a large, open section of Meuclont where one can see the skies above and the gleaming towers of Meuclont. A breathtaking sight for those that are not used to it, especially at night when the Square is lit by dozens of balloon lanterns. On the streets of this square is tended grass and trees, and many merchants with stalls selling crafts and supplies. The square does not limit itself to just the open area as several blocks around the space contain stores and traveling merchant stalls as well. Music constantly plays in this area as if it was a festival and the merchants attempt to gain attention by decorating their stalls which makes the market square quite colorful year round.
Grandpa Scar's: Grandpa Scar's is a popular tavern and inn run by an Ohanzee man who asks people to call him Gramps or Scar. He is an old man covered head to toe in scars, which he gained mostly from harming himself, but he does have a few good stories. This establishment sells Ohanzee delicacies, which are very spicy and too potent for most. But for those that have a taste for the spice call it a favorite. The inn has a very stereotypical Ohanzee style. Draping cloth, pillow seats, burning incense, and Ohanzee musicians if available. True Ohanzee either dislike the inn or love it as a welcome satire of their home.

The Hive

The hive is called this because it seems to always be abustle with activity. Apprentices, deliverymen, and messengers are rushing to and fro in order to complete crafts on time. The Hive is a center for craftsmen and tinkerers in Meuclont. The majority of the people who live in the hive either work as or for craftsmen for anything from clockwork machinery to furniture. To those unaccustomed to this part of town, it can be overwhelming.

Locations of Note

The Dollhouse: The Dollhouse began as a small shop that made and sold toys for children, but over the years it gained more employees, more funding, and a greater vision. Today, it is one of the largest clockwork workshops in Meuclont. It is owned by a Gnome woman names Shilia, who commands nearly two dozen employees with a high-pitched raspy voice. Shilia is not the original owner, she took over when her father died. The Dollhouse takes commisions for a multitude of clockwork devices and will invent machinery for the right price. Unfortunately, there is usually a large waiting list for its wares. Between commisions, the establishment sells clocks and simple automaton toys to make money.
Black Bone Finger: This smithy is named this from an experience from the owner, a Krithian man names Dreasable Urisk. Dreasable traveled to Embraw during the war to learn how to smith like a master Embray smith. The smiths that he found was willing to teach him the craft, but his apprentices did not appreciate it. After he learned the basics, the Smith told the apprentices to ceremonially burn his knuckles, as is the tradition. However, when the apprentices placed the hot metal to his hands, they forced him down and did not remove the iron. The master Smith did not stop them, seeing this as an opportunity for Dreasable to face conflict and grow. This experience burned his middle finger to the core and blackened the bone. Despite this, Dreasable learned the craft and surpassed his master.
Now, the smithy runs with nine apprentices. The main exports from this smithy are weapons, armor, and metal decorations. The weapons that Dreasable creates are always fine, and always have a story or inspiration to them. A sword with inspiration from a forest might have trees drawn into the hardening or have a natural looking handle.
The Broken Stool: The Broken Stool is a tavern which is famous for its unique look. Every table, chair, and other pieces of furniture are all crafted from different materials and different styles. A wooden table might have a metal chair, glass stool, and a wicker couch surrounding it. The Tavern serves a myriad of drinks and serves krithian food on plates of different make with mismatched eating utensils.

Paradise

The so-called Paradise is a place of leisure and relaxation. A favorite among tourists, this sub-district is filled with con-men and thieves. Stree performers, street vendors of exotic foods, parks, and places of leisure are commonplace here. At night, this district shines with various lights and at day performers and beggars seek a living.

Locations of Note

Moonlit Meadow: The Moonlit Meadow is a popular theatre. There are a few reoccurring performers in this theatre, but the most famous and mysterious is the woman known as the Voice of the Viel. She is a woman whom no-one knows her true name or even what she looks like, save for the owner. The truth is she is a Fae. When her witch was slain many years ago, she decided to sing to make a living. Her form appears to be a fish-like woman with intriquite designs on her scales. Her music is melodious and beautiful, but not spectacular. Her appeal is the mystery.
Tunnels of Terror: The tunnels of Terror is a tourist attraction of Meuclont created a handful of years ago. It is a rail that runs through a series of tunnels in Meuclont. Customers pay a small fee to ride on the carts on this rail system, where they are shown several clockwork puppets shows about different folk tales made to scare. It is a favorite among young lovers, though recently it has been dangerous to use as criminals have been hiding in the tunnels.
Dream Maker: Dream Maker is a store in Paradise. It sales tools and toys for prestidigitation. Unfortunately, due to the nature of magic tricks, it is nearly always being watched by the Inquisition.

Purgatory

Purgatory is the slang term for the largest sub-district in the Commons. It has the highest density of population. Those who live here either work in the mines or travel to other parts of the city to work. This sub-district was given the name Purgatory because of the general attitude of work, go to a tavern, then go to sleep and do it all again. Homeless people joke they would rather stay homeless than be stuck in the monotony of purgatory.

Locations of Note

The Drain: The Drain is one of the many taverns in Purgatory. It is packed most nights because the food and drink are fairly cheap. The tavern is run by a retired miner who lost his leg in an accident by the name of Johnathan Repuh. John keeps track of the comings and goings of his tavern, and he makes sure he knows of any influential events. This makes him a valuable resource for those not familiar with the area.
The Empty Hall: There are plenty of vacant living areas in Meuclont, but the Empty Hall is likely the most famous. By all accounts, it should have about a dozen families living in the labyrinthine walls. However, these halls are empty. The reasoning is vague, simply no-one wishes to live in the halls. Some claim it to be haunted, others call it cursed. Strange sounds can be heard within, but no one has been hurt by any hauntings. There is a theory that someone has a reason to keep people out, but who and why is unknown.
The Stockings: The Stockings is a series of halls owned by a landlord who sells rent for very cheap and does not limit the number of people per living block. This has led to an overpopulation of tenants in these halls. Two or three families live in a room and some even sleep in the halls themselves. People constantly come and go from the Stockings. Leaving when they can afford to and coming when they need a cheaper place to live.

Inferno

Inferno is named for the large amount of heat this sub-district generates. It is home to many smelters and metal refineries which process the materials from the mines. Those who live here generally work in these refineries or work in the mines themselves. Because of the high amount of smoke and exhaust, this sub-district is left open to the air, only one tower is built in this part of the city.

Locations of Note:

Kreal Tower: Technically part of the tower district, the base of this tower is built in the center of Inferno. It is owned by the Kreal family who owns several of the metal refineries in Meuclont as well as a small island warehouse. The Kreals export their metal all around Krithia and also have a supply line to the Storm Pirates. The tower itself is built like a fortress with sturdy stone walls and traps that can be activated. The family uses mercenaries to protect them and their holdings.
Meuclont Foundry: The largest foundry in Meuclont and is owned by the Kreal family. The foundry smelts down the metals from the mines into steel, copper, and tin. The Foundry uses the cheapest labor it can find, often hiring gnarled and ex-criminals. It is a dangerous job working in the foundry, as dozens die per year from accidents. Strangely, when metal is tainted by blood it is shipped off elsewhere in secret.
Polishing House: The polishing house is an establishment that purchases raw warp Pearls, and removes any impurities from them. They polish the pearls to remove any dirt, stone, or gem stuck in or on the pearls. It is a delicate job, and it takes a keen eye and patience. The pearls are shipped all across Krithia. Often, this store hires mercenaries or adventurers to protect shipments.

The Ring

The Ring is the name for four sub-districts that surround Meuclont. The north, east, west, and southern docks. All around Meuclont ships come in to deliver goods, so docks cover all four sides of the city. The homes here are mostly owned by sailors or deckhands. This part of the city is also home to the highest amount of inns.

Locations of Note

The wingless Ostrich: The Wingless Ostrich is an inn near the eastern side of the docks. It is famous for its ostrich steaks. This tavern is also a famous spot for many sailors and traders staying in Meuclont temporarily. The Inn has thick sturdy wooden doors with reinforced locks, comfortable beds, and glass windows. The glass windows are a rare treat for many of the buildings in Meuclont.
Secret Dock: There is a dock owned by a crime lord named Vincent Warc. There is nothing out of the ordinary about this dock. It charges a fair price and accepts almost any ship. However, this particular dock covers a secret. Beneath the extended wooden dock, lies a retractable bridge that is hidden from view. This is the Secret Dock. Ships that know about it secretly smuggle illegal goods into and out of Meuclont through this hidden dock.

The Pristine

Above the commons is a section of government buildings, churches, rich homes and the bases of towers for the nobles. This part of the city is called the Pristine. The buildings are constructed like pyramids, with stone or copper walls. Great streets pass through this area which are used by carts which grant faster passage through the city. Some of these streets pass over bridges or vents, where you can see vast spaces beneath you. These roads are used by everyone, and commonly provide stairs and lifts to lower parts of the Meuclont. The Pristine houses three subdistricts. These are Hammer Song, Scribers Valley, and The Golden Streets.

The Hammer Song

The Hammer Song is a subdistrict named for the sounds of tinkering and working from the higher end craftsmen. This sub-district has clockwork craftsmen the same as the Hive, except these craftsmen of the Hammer Song are artists who perfect their craft. The Hammer Song is home to artists of all kinds and is decorated by the same artists. Musicians perform on the streets, statues fill the streets and great paintings are sprawled onto the buildings.

Locations of Note

The Marksman: The Marksman is a workshop and store that specializes in the crafting and modification of crossbows. The owner of this store, a man named Elsid, used to craft firearms for the Krithian Military. However, it is illegal to make and sell firearms without being associated with the military. When Elsid retired, he still needed to make a living. So, he converted his expertise to crossbows. Rumors say he still works on firearms, but no evidence can be found.
Whizlers Waffle Shop: This restaurant is owned and operated by a single Gnome, named Whizler. It is a fascinating restaurant full of whirling and spinning clockwork devices which serves one purpose. To make and serve breakfast. When someone enters, they punch a button and place in the required coinage into a machine. A number appears on a cog, which represents their seat number. After approximately 10 minutes, breakfast is plopped onto the table. This is a popular place for fun outings, but it is also frequented by those who do not want their conversations overheard.
The Surgery: The Surgery is a small business kept afloat by its ridiculous prices. They charge a small fortune to create and fit a new clockwork, Unfortunately, most who need this service cannot afford it. However, they do install limbs on some people, in return for immoral "favors".
Tazz's Toy Shop: This toy shop is actually a front for illegal clockwork tools. Tazz crafts toys, yes, but mostly he builds gadgets and gizmo's that he sells to assassins, mercenaries, and criminals.

The Scribers Valley

The Scribers Valley is home to most of the Judges of Meuclont, those who run numbers for businesses, scribes, and many other people with what could be considered office jobs.

Locations of Note

The Final Portrait: The Final Portrait is an artist studio which paints portraits of those who would pay for it. The artist, Samuel, also makes money by forging legal documents. This began when he discovered the formula for the ink used by the government. This was an accident, he swears he was making black paint. However, he saw an opportunity in the ink.
The Print: This is a printing house in the Scribers Valley. It contains only 10 printers, and each print can take up to half an hour a print. But, it runs constantly. The print usually prints off official letters, new laws, and important information which must be shared. One of the printers is available for hire, but it is expensive.

The Golden Streets

This subdistrict is the market area for the Pristine. It sells high-end crafts and imported goods from all over the world. It is a far safer and cleaner market than the others in Meuclont.

Locations of Note

Lost Trinkets: This is a strange store in the Golden Streets. It is run by a cultist of Kinath, but that secret is kept well. The items for sale are knickknacks and pieces of jewelry. However, the items sold here have all, at some point, been lost in the Reflected Sky. Not even the owner truly knows how these objects appear on the shelves, but he knows not to question it. He decides the price for each item individually but is willing to trade in knowledge if able.
True Exotic Goods: This store is only open once every few months to a few years. This is because the owner of the store travels the world, and rumors say other worlds as well, looking for goods to bring home an sell. The store sells trinkets, jewelry, pieces of furniture, and other non-perishable goods that are strange and exotic looking. Each item has a story, and the owner insists on telling it before each purchase.

The Towers

Finally, above this Pristine is the Towers. Home for the richest and oldest families and organizations. Criminal lords, noble scions, and merchants who have retired are common denizens of this place. Travel between towers is tedious most of the time. Even adjacent towers can take hours to walk down one tower, and up another. Because of this, some business partners, friends, or noble families construct bridges between their towers. Looking up into the Towers, great copper structures stretch far into the sky, connected by a network of bridges and cable cars. Many assassins are thankful for these bridges and cables, using them for quick getaways. These towers are like large mansions, some are even self-sufficient. They house large amounts of servants, families, sometimes gardens or outdoor pools. No tower is completely smooth. Each has at least two or three rooms constructed outside of the main tower. They are primarily crafted of glass and bronze, but decorated very differently from each other. The effect causes a beautiful but confusing silhouette.

Government

At the top of the legal food chain is the Count, Maynard Will Beaumont. He sets the laws of the city along with his vast number of advisers. Beneath the Count, are the judges. Each judge, four in total, has a force of guards which work directly for them as well as a prison. The Judges are usually corrupt and are often assassinated. The guards under the judges do not work together, and usually, have different methods and ideas on how to handle the populace. The judges act as the law, any decision they make is law. The only exception is when the Count steps in, which he rarely does. The Judges truly run the city. Currently, the judges are Aloysius Stokes, Robert Aldithley, Eldon Pelham, and Lavinia Griswold.
Aloysius spent time as a soldier and treats his guard as a military force. They are trained for combat and are willing to take lethal measures. This guard is called the House Guard. The House Guards prison is a terrible place to be, with a low survival rate.
Robert was a noble who bought his way into being a judge. His guard, the Bureaucratic Defense, is used primarily to legitimize contracts and punish those who do not follow. Robert’s Prison is a comfortable place as far as prisons go. But you must follow exact orders, or you will be exported to the Ebony Abyss mining company.
Eldon’s guard is primarily engineers. He believes that a construct guard cannot be corrupt, and primarily uses automatons. These automatons, known as the Clock Guard are designed to follow the law to the letter and are willing to exterminate crime with lethal means. Eldon’s prison is mostly used as a factory for his Clock Guard, but the few prisoners kept there are treated well. Until they are used as tests for the automatons.
Lavinia is the only female judge, and in fact is the first female judge. She was raised under a crime lord father who kept her locked away for most of her life. This has given her a cold but stern outlook on life. She detests killing, preferring to throw people into her prison. Lavinia’s prison is the largest. Lavinia often replenishes her guard from hand-picked prisoners, and she personally tours her prison once a month.
The standard laws apply in Meuclont. Murder, theft, rape, kidnapping and so forth are all illegal. Aside from that, Meuclont uses a permit system to control its craftsmen. All craftsmen need a permit in order to sell their craft. This permit can be expensive and requires a payment to keep it. There are dozens of different permits, but the most expensive is an engineering permit. Crafting of firearms is illegal, but not the sale. These rules create a rift between the lawful rich and the criminal poor. A craftsman who cannot afford the permit must work in secret, and becomes a criminal. But a craftsman who can afford the permit must charge more for goods than usual. This causes most poor people to seek cheaper illegal craftsmen, while the legal craftsman works only for the affluent.

Defences

Two Krithian warships are always stationed, circling around Meuclont. These are traded out every other day, making it continuously protected. Though, most of the danger of Meuclont comes from within. Several different police forces reside in Meuclont. These police forces are in a constant, cold war against the various criminal organizations in Meuclont.

Industry & Trade

The Commons and Pristine both have several docks for airships and blimps. The Commons have two levels of docks. The lower docks are used for trade and goods. Merchant and work ships dock here to load or unload goods and workers. The upper docks are primarily used for travel. They are much smaller than the lower docks and contain smaller ships for moving passengers in and out of the city. The Pristine docks are used by the wealthy who can afford its expense. This dock is also used for official reasons. From hundreds of other islands, merchants come and go every day. These merchants can be found in the Trade Halls. It is a location within the Commons which contains many stalls and shops. There is a saying about the Trade Halls, “If you cannot find what you are looking for here, then it has likely fallen into the Gutter.” Clockwork devices, exotic groceries, livestock, weapons, mercenaries, tools, training, sweets, clothing, and much much more are sold in the Trade Halls. It is full to the brim with pickpockets as well, so one must be careful when walking through the Trade Halls.
The Pristine has several specialty shops that make up its trade. Mostly artists or specialty craftsmen. These locations primarily work on commission, and rarely have any items for sale directly.
The Jungles has prominent trade as well. Though, the Gutter is a much more dangerous place. The Gutter is a series of tunnels within the Jungles which act as a black market. Drugs, illegal clockwork, surgery stations, illegal weapons and poisons, slaves, and other distasteful items are sold here. The Gutter is significantly quieter than the Trade Hall. Most deals are made in secret. No pickpockets are here, though there are those that would murder you for your purse.

Infrastructure

The primary source of income for the citizens of the city is the mines. If you are not mining the ore, you are working it, selling it, or shipping it. Other primary job makers are the robust black market, the docks, and luxury crafts for nobles.

History

Meuclont was originally founded as a mining colony on a small island. The Meuclont family purchased the island from another family, named Seyherd, before Meuclont county was founded. This trade was a foul deal. The price of the island was the safe return of the youngest daughter of the Seyherd family. She was held by the Meuclontsfor over a year and in that time she gave birth to a child. It was held as a bargaining chip to make sure the deal went through.
The island was not given a proper name at first. It was merely a mining town owned by Meuclont. However, once word spread that this island held a large amount of warp pearls, people began to flock to it. The small community of miners became a full town that was given the name Meuclont. Over the next fifty years, the town grew into a city.
Just at the cuff of becoming a full city, the Meuclonts were a hated family. They treated their miners like slaves and taxed heavily. The Meuclont family constructed the first tower from the excess money they had gained. They lived happily in this tower, feeling superior to the workers and commoners below. However, The Meuclont family made several enemies. Some miners pooled their resources and hired an assassin to destroy the Meuclonts. The assassin sent a Ripper through a window of the tower. This Ripper slaughtered the entire family, leaving the tower empty and the land unowned.
This sent a bit of a panic for the surrounding islands, as well as the city itself. Many nobles scrounged for control. The king declared the city to be neutral grounds until he could make an arrangement. He placed a temporary count in charge of the city, a trusted friend, and simply watched. Many noble families began to amass power within the city. They constructed tower after tower, building the city up higher. Several nobles hired miners to produce for them. This created many different mining companies which compete over the resources of the island.
During the first war, many refugees traveled to this city looking for work in the mines. This caused an influx of population from all over Krithia. Meuclont's resources and strategic location made it a poor choice to attack, thus it never actually saw any of the war. The many noble families within the city did benefit from it, however. Almost every noble family in the city grew in wealth and power. More towers rose, and some exchanged hands.
Now, Maynard Will Beaumont is the count of Meuclont. A representative of the Maynard Will Beaumont family that was given his title from a high stakes game of [Chicken Game].

Geography

Meuclont covers about 80% of the island that it sits on and digs into. The 20% of the land that is not used by the city is dedicated to farmland which grows rice. This rice is sold to Meuclont as a cheap source of food, but it cannot feed many.

Natural Resources

The primary resource comes from the deep mines under the city. Warp Pearls are an abundance in these mines, as are many metals and a few gems. The Warp Pearls are the primary source of wealth.

"Some come to Meuclont so they cannot be found. Some come to see its splendors. Me, I came here so I know the horrors that hide in plain view."

Jacob Mear, Explorer

Type

Large city

Population

100000

Location under

Krithia and the Noble Clouds

Included Locations

• The Hollow Mines

Owner/Ruler

Maynard Will Beaumont

People
The Porcelain Witch
Meuclont Spiders