New Sanctuary
Never has there been a city so desperately needed and so deeply despised by its neighbors than New Sanctuary.
New Sanctuary was born from a very simple necessity - food. The high lords of Melanthris had closed their doors to the farming communities of the Lakeside Elves due to the virulent Wrack pandemic sweeping the region. Fearing the sickness taking root among the lakeside peasantry they were forced to find an alternative path forward. That took the form of an agreement with Ghal Pelor. Ghal Pelor would send settlers and establish a farming city which would sell exclusively to Melanthris. In exchange, the elven lords would not only send revenue into Ghal Pelor's treasure but it would give them access to something they've never had before... a port.
The leadership in Ghal Pelor quickly took to the idea. They knew full well the advantage having port city would offer them; not to mention a precious foothold on the western side of the continent. Melanthris sweetened the deal and offered to provide protection for the farming colony as well which saved the city from having to fund a military outpost as well. Though the elves tried to cloak their desperation in typical aloof and arrogant fashion the effort proved to be a thin veil at best. Ghal Pelor seized on the opportunity and made sure to bleed the high lords of Melanthris deeply. The wealth they gathered from the elven nobles would be funneled toward forming the New Sanctuary Expedition and paying for the Westbound Star Company to lead it.
The expedition was forced to begin only a few short weeks before winter but such was the urgency of the elves (backed by enormous wealth) that caution was sidelined in favor of expediency. Their path took them through the Farmlands of Ghal Pelor and past Ackley, home to Ackley Ales brewery, through the plains and into the swampy region near Lake Bask and Becklinberg. The traveled through Frial and skirted along the edge of the Rylan Woods before finally passing through the Lakesiders' territory and to the plot of land granted to them by Melanthris. The journey itself took close close to eight months and all along the way these brave settlers faced nearly insurmountable peril as well as controversy.
Not all welcomed the coming of the New Sanctuary caravan. Early in their travels they clashed repeatedly with a tribe of Kobolds who were eventually exterminated to the last. Rumors of a small township under the power of powerful mind-controlling magic circulate around Ghal Pelor and speak of the Westbound Star scouts slaying their way through the problem. Agents of the Black Thorn Society are said to have infiltrated the ranks of the expedition early on; refusing to allow such a power to move into one of their territories unchecked. Druidic cults fought against their arrival with bitter tenacity knowing that these settlers would bring with them all the unnatural threats that come with civilization. The Lakeside elves were the most reluctant, knowing that they were being replaced by their masters and left to suffer the Wrack alone.
Despite it all the bold volunteers survived the journey and reached their new home. While the land itself proved fertile and welcoming a number of setbacks have plagued the young settlement's early months. Chief among them being the Black Thorn Society. It's suspected that the criminal organization's influence runs deep in the community and may possible run all the way up to the ruling council itself though none have dared to make such an accusation public, yet. Whether motivated by long standing grudge or simply by profit, the Black Thorns continue to cause problems. Shipments of supplies inbound from Frial, Fountain Head (New Sanctuary's unofficial sister-city) and Ghal Pelor are regularly robbed or vanish entirely. Merchants with suspected Black Thorn ties often price gouge them for basic supplies or persuade other businessmen to avoid the settlement entirely.
Tension within the growing city are on the rise as well. The Gnomish demographic has been on edge since the leadership voted to take in a community of Fae survivors who came from the Konning Castle Anomaly. The gnome leader, Rias Timblewick left the leadership council in protest and for a time he and his people even abandoned the caravan. Thanks to Berenger Coldren's scouting party the gnomes eventually rejoined but still their animosity runs deep and they are not the only ones. A small but vocal portion of the population is deeply uncomfortable with the fae presence here. It has led to worksite stoppages, vandalizing, and heated arguments. These fears are not without merit as some fae have been overhead talking about grim terrors such as the return of the Queen's Shadow Court and the rise of a new monarch in the east. Or worse still, that one of the Konning Sisters should be crowned as the new The Autumn Queen.
Council member Rehele Odred has taken it upon herself to circumvent at least one of these threats for the sake of New Sanctuary's survival. She has spearheaded the construction of Port Sanctuary and a merchant navy. She knows that the Black Thorn influence does not reach all the way to Far Harbor and hopes that a vibrant shipping business will bring funds directly to the city's treasure without the parasitic siphoning of the criminals. To date, the foundations of the Port settlement have been laid and the first ship, The Paradise Lost, is already bringing in revenue via a partnership with Tully Logistics and Freight.
Unlike the many other nations of Tairos the ultimate fate of this new city is entirely in the hands of its citizens rather than armies, alliances, or millennia-old infrastructures. Whether New Sanctuary finds a place on the maps of Tairos or vanished to ruin like so many others have is yet to be seen. Though, judging by the tenacity of those who call this place home the tales of New Sanctuary's heroes will long be told.
Demographics
The largest group of residents are Human but the general demographic is mixed and includes dwarves, elves, halflings, and gnomes, A pocket of approximately 600 fae make up the total population as well. This is the only known community of Fae is all of Tairos and few outside of the high lords of Melanthris, the leadership of Ghal Pelor and the local merchants know about them yet.
Government
The settlement is run by the Provisional Council of New Sanctuary. They are a ruling body made up of most of the leaders from the original Caravan as well as some new faces. Those occupying a seat on the council are doing so temporarily while the settlement and her port colony are being built. Once fully established each of the communities that make up New Sanctuary will have the opportunity to vote on whom they wish to represent them in the council. This vote is planned to reoccur every three years.
Defences
New Sanctuary relies heavily on the armies of Melanthris to patrol the area for large threats such as bandit organizations, warlords, and marauding monsters. However; smaller threats often go unnoticed and must be answered by the settlement's own martial forces. The original scouting parties for the caravan have been repurposed into marshals in service to the lawmakers of New Sanctuary. They are tight-knit groups who often perform more surgical strikes against potential threats rather than presenting as an armed military force.
Industry & Trade
Selling food to Melanthris is the city's primary source of income but the Provisional Council under Rehele Odred's initiative are pushing for more commercial trade. While some smaller contracts do occur between them and eastern interests they are small at best. The largest potential opportunity at present is with Far Harbor and the many coastal communities along the ocean's edge.
Infrastructure
The Dwarves and Gnomes brought with them considerable equipment and supplies to lay the foundation for basic infrastructure quickly. Windmills, sewers, roads, furnaces, and the groundwork for the Port Sanctuary were all underway within the first weeks of breaking ground.
Guilds and Factions
Many. The leaders of the Provisional Council each came from a faction that makes up part of the city's current population. Perhaps the two most influential are elves loyal to the High Lords of Melanthris and Enreika Daggramar's workers who are all part of the oppressively powerful Labor Union of Ghal Pelor. The Fae are their own insular faction unto themselves too. There's also the League of Free Ports, an organization that represents the interests of the coastal communities nearby. They're a small faction and formed as a reaction to word of the caravan's arrival but they are always looking to poach skilled individuals from New Sanctuary into supporting their interests instead.
Lastly, the Black Thorn Society. A growing number of agents are finding their way into the city or being turned to the their will as these agents target regular citizens. The organization has clashed several times with the settlement's scouts and is likely holding a grudge though the opportunity to profit cannot be discounted either. It is likely that someone in the city has been given the rank of Thorn Lord and is conducting operations from within. Based on the targets the Black Thorns are hitting and their ability to be one step ahead of the marshals this individual is like close to the leadership itself. Or even a member of the Provisional Council itself.
Architecture
Neo-Balmoran (common in Ghal Pelor. The blending of old Balmoran aesthetics with construction techniques favored by gnomish or dwarven engineers. Both methods serve to update the older style into something new and generally less bulky than the original due to advanced construction methods. It does not approach the aesthetically elegant and often fragile look of elven architecture which is often built with magical means. Instead, the gables and glasswork favored by gnomes comes together with the thick decorative columns and stonework of dwarven heritage and marries with the balmorans pointed pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses to produce something entirely unique.
Geography
Mostly flatland in the immediate vicinity with the forests of Rylan Woods near to the north.
Natural Resources
fertile land, access to timber, fish from Lake Lunarch and access to the ocean
Comments