Thornbarge
Thornbarge is the only city within the boundaries of Helmforge. It represents the political, economic and cultural center of the entire realm. It's an extremely advanced city, whose architecture is designed to impress and awe. Huge steel, glass and concrete buildings fill the city, some seeming to defy gravity with their sheer size; others too slender to look stable. The engineering of the city is impressive, to say the least, and houses major buildings such as the Spire, the Porthouse Dome, Parliament House, various guild halls, churches, and more.
Pollution is at a minimum, but as in all major population centers, unavoidable. The emphasis on large spaces and lots of foliage has significantly amended the problem. In the center of the city is a wide space known as the Spire Gardens, or the Parklands, a wide circle of low hills dominated by trees and intermittent grassy fields. At heart of the gardens stands the imperious tower of Spire, and below it, the Temple of Lords.
The Helmforge River runs through the city, but has been diverted into two smaller rivers; one channeled into the Parklands to form the West-Wall Moat, which marks the original wall of the now long gone fortress that used to be the heart of the city. The other is diverted into a man-made stream that winds through the parkland itself on the Eastern side. The two diverted streams re converge in the southern parkland and follow a straight channel before exiting the city.
Transport within the city is guided by monorail, known as the High Rail, a network of raised trams that stop at designated platforms, avoiding congestion from the pedestrian-only streets within the city walls. The streets are broad, vestigial of a time when ground vehicles were once a major mode of transport. Since the banning of such vehicles, the city has established much more space to build markets and plant tree rows, an important element to the cultural, and physical health of the city. Suburban transport is guided by a bullet-train network known as the Low Rail, which is underground within the city walls, hugging the underside of the ground level city platform; this service stops at Thornbarge Central, the largest railway station in Helmforge, and one a few that connect the interior and exterior of the city.
Despite this regal, metropolitan impression, Thornbarge proudly remains the economic center for the realm, whose market streets by day are filled with shoppers and people exploring the wares of countless merchants and vendors. The Spire, situated in the core of the city, is also a major attraction for pilgrims and tourists alike.
Ground Level has been opened up in several areas, stripped down streets and alleys provide pedestrian access to all areas of the lower level of the city. Larger openings, some as large as city blocks, provide ventilation and light into the lower level, as well as space for large high-rise buildings to protrude from below ground level. Some of the wider pedestrian streets have also been replaced by seamless glass plating for more light, while maintaining city accessibility.
SubLevel 1 and below
Deep beneath Helmforge lay ancient structures and buildings that were buried under the new city at the dawn Arzekiel and Xavier's reign. The newly opened avenues and multi-level streets can be accessed from various points within the ground-level city. Beneath the bridges and gangways of the SubLevel 1 streets, black abyss shrouds the depths. The area is an ultra-modern development, featuring many tourist destinations, shopping sectors and Guild-halls. A whole city block has been removed from ground level, and a dome has been erected. In this massive space, free-floating platforms have been populated by forestation, and many hanging regions also fill the space between walkways and bridges. Inside the dome, gardens and small forests are suspended in midair by a form of gravity manipulation, a technology taken from the ancient realms of Paradeen. Below this area, lower development is taking place to be extended to the lowest possible levels of the city. Transport has been arranged as a two-ring system, identical to the HighRail monorail system found in the upper city. The LowRail bullet-train network that connects the Ground Level of the city remains intact, hugging the underside of the large man-made platform that acts as the floor of Ground Level. Many excavation sites are conducted in secrecy on the lower levels by the city guard (an indication that the city below may be regularly refitted and maintained), as well as searches for artefacts and relic technology. In the deeper levels are rumors of havens for old- god worshippers, criminals and underground guilds, including the infamous Thieves Guild, Assassins Guild etc. The area beneath the Porthouse Dome is completely sealed off on the SubLevels, a guarded region that houses the massive generators needed to provide high-output energy to the Dome and the city. Because of this structure, and in combination with the massive stone and steel barricades that hold up the city, magic and other power sources cannot be detected from the surface, or from a distance. At the bottom of the old city, on the sixth level, is the dry riverbed of the original Helmforge river-moat. Estimations from rogue explorers indicate that the city's full capacity was well over the entire current population of the realm of Helmforge. Surprisingly, the sewage system of Helmforge does not connect into the old city, but is carried away to distant subterranean cleansing tanks outside the city limits via large metal pipes and machine-pumps, giving the ceiling of the GroundLevel city platform a very industrial presence. Each level reaches an average depth of around 100 metres, giving the undercity an average overall depth of 600 metres.
Deep beneath Helmforge lay ancient structures and buildings that were buried under the new city at the dawn Arzekiel and Xavier's reign. The newly opened avenues and multi-level streets can be accessed from various points within the ground-level city. Beneath the bridges and gangways of the SubLevel 1 streets, black abyss shrouds the depths. The area is an ultra-modern development, featuring many tourist destinations, shopping sectors and Guild-halls. A whole city block has been removed from ground level, and a dome has been erected. In this massive space, free-floating platforms have been populated by forestation, and many hanging regions also fill the space between walkways and bridges. Inside the dome, gardens and small forests are suspended in midair by a form of gravity manipulation, a technology taken from the ancient realms of Paradeen. Below this area, lower development is taking place to be extended to the lowest possible levels of the city. Transport has been arranged as a two-ring system, identical to the HighRail monorail system found in the upper city. The LowRail bullet-train network that connects the Ground Level of the city remains intact, hugging the underside of the large man-made platform that acts as the floor of Ground Level. Many excavation sites are conducted in secrecy on the lower levels by the city guard (an indication that the city below may be regularly refitted and maintained), as well as searches for artefacts and relic technology. In the deeper levels are rumors of havens for old- god worshippers, criminals and underground guilds, including the infamous Thieves Guild, Assassins Guild etc. The area beneath the Porthouse Dome is completely sealed off on the SubLevels, a guarded region that houses the massive generators needed to provide high-output energy to the Dome and the city. Because of this structure, and in combination with the massive stone and steel barricades that hold up the city, magic and other power sources cannot be detected from the surface, or from a distance. At the bottom of the old city, on the sixth level, is the dry riverbed of the original Helmforge river-moat. Estimations from rogue explorers indicate that the city's full capacity was well over the entire current population of the realm of Helmforge. Surprisingly, the sewage system of Helmforge does not connect into the old city, but is carried away to distant subterranean cleansing tanks outside the city limits via large metal pipes and machine-pumps, giving the ceiling of the GroundLevel city platform a very industrial presence. Each level reaches an average depth of around 100 metres, giving the undercity an average overall depth of 600 metres.
Government
Government is formed by the leaders of the Gods Xavier and Arzekiel.
Taxation(?)
Defences
Tall walls form the rings of the city with large gatehouses hugging the main roads in each of the cardinal directions. The interior gatehouses are largely unoccupied, though the stations on the outermost walls are kept fully manned and well stocked and provisioned.
Districts
Thornbarge is constructed in concentric circles surrounding the Spire dividing the city into three distinct areas. Roads are laid out within these rings in an organised fashion, with main roads running through the city from the north, south, east and west directly to the Spire, further dividing the rings into quadrants. There are numerous market and residential areas dotted throughout these districts, as well as a few dedicated districts focused on louder and more unpleasant industrial productions.
The Porthouse Dome
A monumental structure in the city of Thornbarge, the titanic Porthouse Dome serves as the 'Transport Hub' for teleportation technology, which is widely shared among various realms as a means of communication, diplomacy and, transport. Floating Gardens Dome
Covering an entire block of the city and made from a single, enormous pane of Helom glass, the Gardens of Thornbarge are an arcane and technological marvel. Contained with the dome are luscious gardens and small forests, all growing on their own floating platelet of earth and suspended in mid air by a form of gravity manipulation taken from ancient Paradeen. The very floor of the gardens themselves is situated in Sub-Level 2, allowing the trees within to stretch as high as they will. Some of these floating garden beds are so vast that it can take the better part of an hour simply to walk from one end to the other whilst others are as small as an everyday plant pot, yet all provide the base for the constantly flowering and constantly green gardens. In order to preserve the floating gardens, permanent pathways have been erected using large sheets of Helom glass suspended in mid air using the same form of gravity manipulation between various platforms situated around the walls of the dome, and the larger gardens and forests. These seamless sheets of glass are wide enough for five people to walk abreast. To allay the danger of falling, powerful spells have been woven into the glass. Spells which, by some measure of ingenuity, physically and mentally prevent visitors from leaving the pathways of glass at any time except for at designated points, such as to step onto platforms or other paths.
A monumental structure in the city of Thornbarge, the titanic Porthouse Dome serves as the 'Transport Hub' for teleportation technology, which is widely shared among various realms as a means of communication, diplomacy and, transport. Floating Gardens Dome
Covering an entire block of the city and made from a single, enormous pane of Helom glass, the Gardens of Thornbarge are an arcane and technological marvel. Contained with the dome are luscious gardens and small forests, all growing on their own floating platelet of earth and suspended in mid air by a form of gravity manipulation taken from ancient Paradeen. The very floor of the gardens themselves is situated in Sub-Level 2, allowing the trees within to stretch as high as they will. Some of these floating garden beds are so vast that it can take the better part of an hour simply to walk from one end to the other whilst others are as small as an everyday plant pot, yet all provide the base for the constantly flowering and constantly green gardens. In order to preserve the floating gardens, permanent pathways have been erected using large sheets of Helom glass suspended in mid air using the same form of gravity manipulation between various platforms situated around the walls of the dome, and the larger gardens and forests. These seamless sheets of glass are wide enough for five people to walk abreast. To allay the danger of falling, powerful spells have been woven into the glass. Spells which, by some measure of ingenuity, physically and mentally prevent visitors from leaving the pathways of glass at any time except for at designated points, such as to step onto platforms or other paths.
Guilds and Factions
Mages Guild & Academy
The new Mages Guild Hall and Academy rises among the buildings of Thornbarge from SubLevel 1, making use of a large block-wide opening in the structure of the Ground Level city platform. The building supports five towers that resemble minarets, each in turn supporting upward-stretched domes constructed in a spiral pattern, each tower descending in height from the initial tower. These towers form a ring around the central dome, a vast dome-like glass building that is significantly higher than it is long. Each of the towers' domes is tinted slightly at its base to resemble the colours of the elements; Earth (lowest), Water (second lowest), Fire (middle), Air (second highest), Life (green - highest). Surrounding the Mages Guild Hall and Academy on Sublevel 1 are gardens, making the area aesthetically pleasing to tourists and incorporating a natural element of style found commonly alongside technological prowess of the city. In the heart of the central building stands a wide rotunda, a circular hall devoted to twin statues depicting the Lords of the city. Within the Guild, it is widely held that the Lords are the masters of all magic and power, and that all powers are subject to the Lords' whim. Magic is lumped together as Greater Powers, and psychic abilities or other powers are considered Lesser Powers. Adventurer's Guild
Something something people go out and do stuff Thieves' Guild
Something something steal stuff something something honour amongst thieves Assassin's Guild
Something something paid murderers something something Dark Brotherhood
The new Mages Guild Hall and Academy rises among the buildings of Thornbarge from SubLevel 1, making use of a large block-wide opening in the structure of the Ground Level city platform. The building supports five towers that resemble minarets, each in turn supporting upward-stretched domes constructed in a spiral pattern, each tower descending in height from the initial tower. These towers form a ring around the central dome, a vast dome-like glass building that is significantly higher than it is long. Each of the towers' domes is tinted slightly at its base to resemble the colours of the elements; Earth (lowest), Water (second lowest), Fire (middle), Air (second highest), Life (green - highest). Surrounding the Mages Guild Hall and Academy on Sublevel 1 are gardens, making the area aesthetically pleasing to tourists and incorporating a natural element of style found commonly alongside technological prowess of the city. In the heart of the central building stands a wide rotunda, a circular hall devoted to twin statues depicting the Lords of the city. Within the Guild, it is widely held that the Lords are the masters of all magic and power, and that all powers are subject to the Lords' whim. Magic is lumped together as Greater Powers, and psychic abilities or other powers are considered Lesser Powers. Adventurer's Guild
Something something people go out and do stuff Thieves' Guild
Something something steal stuff something something honour amongst thieves Assassin's Guild
Something something paid murderers something something Dark Brotherhood
History
History recalls little of Thornbarge before its current leaders took power, save that the ancient fortress that now forms its walls was one of many great structures of the region, and the last to survive the 'Dark Age' intact. The truth is that Thornbarge was a fortress-city, a mere spot on the maps of mighty kingdoms of old. During the Age of Enlightenment (an era of great prosperity) the region including Thornbarge achieved technological prowess that has still not been fully recovered. After the Dark Age, a period of strife, famine and holy war that immediately followed the Age of Enlightenment, the city was left in ruin. In one hundred years the city had still not recovered, and was sealed off from the surface and its memory intentionally buried. In later years a new city was built around the Spire, and many of its populace still don't know about the ancient city sleeping below the ground.
As the newer Thornbarge grew, other cities in the realm were de-constructed, citing a need for resources and a general lack of need. It was eventually named the capitol of Helmforge around 600 years ago, when it became the largest of the cities that had remained.
Architecture
Most of the city is constructed from steel, glass and concrete, forming fluid, sinuous structures that often look far too delicate to support themselves. Indeed, few of them can, for magic is used liberally to aid in construction to allow for much more aesthetically pleasing designs. Floating structures and soaring spires punctuate the city above and below ground.
Geography
Thornbarge sits at the center of many kilometers of farmland. Rivers flow through the plains and the city, allowing easy water transport.
Natural Resources
Block: Artificial farmland
Type
Capital
Included Locations
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