Emon City of Friendship
Emon stands defiantly against all who would threaten
Tal’Dorei and its people. It is the cultural heart of human
civilization on this continent, and as the republic’s capital,
Emon is a nexus of politics, justice, business, industry, and
education within the realm.
Encircled by 60-foot-high walls that stretch from the
eastern fields to the western shore, Emon is accessible only
through its heavily-patrolled gates and by skyship, the
denizens of the city are generally well protected from outside
attackers and sieges. A well-trained force of guards
known as the Arms of Emon enforces the laws of the land
from the Military District. Dense farms and farm communities
surround the northeastern boundary of the city,
while large slums cap the northern and southern landscape
outside of the city walls.
While classically the heart of a human empire, Emon
boasts a diverse populace, with citizens of nearly all races
from all of Exandria’s many nations, thriving on the new
innovations and ideas of its diverse citizenry. Tal’Dorei’s
tight alliances with the elven nation of Syngorn and the
dwarven hold of Kraghammer invited some of those
nations’ greatest artisans inside Emon’s walls, and their
friends and families soon followed until Emon was home
to a significant minority of elves and dwarves. Under the
rule of Zan Tal’Dorei, Emon developed into a city whose
people valued innovation and collaboration, especially
in small, cohesive groups—virtues that some historians
believe has given rise to the prominence of the modern
adventuring party.
While Emon is becoming more commercial and the
use of gold as currency has been ubiquitous throughout
Tal’Dorei’s history, many communities within the city are
still close-knit enough to use the barter system. During
“The Emerald Outpost is proof that we of Syngorn
should mistrust humans; not because of their
treachery, but because of their greed, and the way
grasping commerce seeps into the heart and spirit
like a slow, sweet poison.”—
Captain Maina Rusalla
the reign of Drassig, the humans of Emon adopted a
dwarven oath called rudraz, an intimate promise between
two people to repay a deed or trade. Though the rudraz is
not a contract, the dwarves believed that an oathbreaker
would be forever barred from passing beyond the Brightguard
Gates of Hilmaire (hill-MORE-uh the gates that
allow dwarves to pass to the afterlife. Humans in Emon
treat the rudraz more lightly, often using it to seal matters
of business or politics rather than personal promises, but
breaking this oath still carries massive social repercussions—
few look kindly upon a person with the epithet
“Oathbreaker.”
Prejudice
Though the people of Emon have come a long way since
the human supremacy of Drassig’s rule, prejudice and
discrimination still burns like a lingering fever. Overt
racism is most common in the Upper and Lower Slums,
where gentrification threatens to eradicate the culture
of one of Emon’s oldest immigrant districts. The scholarly
elite of the Erudite Quarter and the nobility of the
Cloudtop District like to pretend they are too enlightened
to succumb to bigotry, their wealth and power
allows them to leave their own prejudices unexamined.
While elves and dwarves are fully welcomed into human
society for their stereotypical characteristics (elven
beauty and arcane talent, dwarven honesty and metallurgical
prowess), tieflings, half-orcs, and dragonborn rarely
rise to Emon’s highest societal ranks.
Rebirth
Emon is still recovering from its destruction at the talons
of the Chroma Conclave and Thordak’s subsequent
occupation, rebuilding the districts most marred from
the short-lived reign of the Cinder King. Thanks to the
Clasp’s underground networks and established hierarchies,
Emonian society and culture was able to bounce
back more swiftly than any other major settlement in
Tal’Dorei. Because the last Sovereign relinquished his
power, without heirs, before he was killed by Thordak, the
Council of Tal’Dorei was able to transition their nation
from an imperial power to a republic without war or
insurrection.
However, the swiftness of Emon’s rebirth has put the
Council of Emon in a precarious position. Not only are
they socially indebted to a criminal faction, the Council
now owes vast amounts of gold to mages in the service of
the Alabaster Lyceum. These Lyceum conjurers created
thousands of tons of stone and steel, and each of their
transmuters rebuilt at the rate of one hundred laborers—
and the Council cannot afford to pay them for their
service, even with Thordak’s reclaimed treasure hoard.
Some members of the Council have already caved to
pressure from factions within the Clasp and the Lyceum,
and turn a blind eye to the crime and magical abuse
that run rampant throughout the city. The fragile new
republic already threatens to collapse under the cost of
its creation.
Crime
Hundreds of tunnels run beneath Emon, the forgotten
remnants of paved-over neighborhoods and secret passageways
made by thieves’ guilds during the reign of
Drassig. These tunnels are now home to the Clasp’s secret
headquarters, where all manner of thieves, killers, fences,
and spies are gathered underneath their banner. The Clasp
and its leaders are detailed on pg. 34.
Some petty criminals look up to the Clasp, committing
ambitious crimes in hopes of gaining the Spirelings’ attention.
Though politicians and commoners alike are grateful
to the Clasp for their role in rebuilding their city, this
unsavory “auditioning” has once again soured their reputation
among the city watch.
Demographics
68% Human, 7% Dwarven, 6% Elven, 19% Other
Government
Tal'dorei uses a council system to run the city and the overall nation. Each city or town that is ruled by Tal'dorei has it's own smaller three-person council, consisting of a Master of Commerce, a Master of Defence, and a Master of Law (some cities have a fourth position, Master of Arcana, if there's a major magical presence or guild in the town). Each of these smaller councils is voted in by their respective cities and they then vote for who goes on the Tal'dorei council, which acts to both run Emon but also rule the whole of Tal'dorei. Each member of city councils sit in a position for 12 years before their position is up for a vote, they can serve for 2 full terms before being disallowed from running. The votes are kept on a rotation so as to not replace the whole governance of a city at once. The members of the Tal'dorei council may sit in a position for 6 years before their position is put up for a vote, also keeping them in rotation so that the government isn't ever replaced all at once. They are also restricted to 2 terms in an office.
Defences
There are a variety of defenses for the city including a 60ft tall wall surrounding the entirety of the perimeter of the city a local standing army and city guard numbering in the thousands. There's also additional armor for the wealthy of Emon in the form of better-trained guards and addition 100ft tall walls surrounding the Cloudtop District in the center of the city. Also to make invading forces and fires harder to spread between districts there are additional walls spanning from the outer wall all the way to the inner wall of the Cloudtop, with plenty of arches and openings that can quickly be closed by dropping portcullises.
Industry & Trade
Due to it's proximity to the water the majority of people of Emon make their living as fisherman and traders along the port. Others use the proximity of the fertile farmlands and livestock to work textiles and make beautiful clothing and cloth items. When it comes to selling for profit, all those that can afford a stall head to Abadar's Promenade to set up shop and huck their wares.
Infrastructure
Emon is a truly massive city, somewhat like Venis with canals water from a river flowing through the city toward to ocean. They're used to provide fresh water to the general populous.
Guilds and Factions
There are many different and varied guilds and factions within Emon. Several dozen fishermen's guilds exist, all competing peacefully for dock space and fishing rights.
The Arcana Pansophical holds it's headquarters within the Cloudtop
The Alabaster Luceum is the largest and most accomplished institute of arcane study on the continent and it calls the Erudite Quarter it's home.
Geography
Emon is not a tourist destination for its climate—the city
is more temperate and prone to rain showers than most—
but those who call it home swear they wouldn’t trade their
rain for all the sun in Kymal. The city is blessed with cool
summers and warm winters, thanks to its proximity to
the cool Ozmit Sea. Though snow rarely falls on the city
itself, it relies on springtime snowmelt from the Cliffkeep
Mountains to fill its reservoirs throughout the year. Emon
is, in almost all senses, a city fated by water; were there
anyone powerful enough to starve its farms and reservoirs,
the city would be theirs.
Maps
-
Emon, City of Fellowship
Emon, City of Fellowship -
The Bladeshimmer Shoreline
Type
Metropolis
Population
287,550
Location under
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