Heliogabalus
Second-largest city in the Bloodstone Lands and the largest in Damara, Heliogabalus has long been Damara's center of power and trade. Like large cities elsewhere in the Forgotten Realms, Heliogabalus is a place of many textures. The guilds are here: Tightpurse (the Damaran thieves' guild), the merchants guild, and the various trade guilds. Here also may be found the lures of the underworld, easy to contact in the many darkened taverns.
Until the reign of Zhengyi, Heliogabalus enjoyed the singular status of being a separate province of Damara. When the provinces were proclaimed independent, Dimian Ree moved his seat of power from Morovar to Heliogabalus, and annexed the city into Morov's realm.
The people of Heliogabalus raised no objections to Ree's actions. Independent, and loyal to no one outside their respective guilds, the people here rarely object to anything unless it interferes with day-to-day business.
Heliogabalus has its finger on the pulse of Damara's economy. Astride every trade route of road and waterway, Heliogabalus will always have a dominant role in the region's politics, even if the official seat of power moves to Bloodstone Village. The merchants' power, bolstered by their ties to foreign lands, cannot be threatened by proclamation of a new capital city. If the new baron expects his Kingdom of Bloodstone to succeed, he will have to coax the powerful guildmasters of Heliogabalus into his fold.
Heliogabalus is broken into several districts. Each district has its own guardhouse, magistrates and administration, all of whom technically report to the Mayor (a position which has been vacant since Baron Ree moved here). Due to the city’s charter, the administration buildings of each district are staffed by the guilds who have headquarters in that district, leaving much of the city in the hands of the guilds, not the Baron.
The Inner Districts
Palace Hill: the former King's Castle, ambassadorial homes, garrisons and barracks Bricktop: Home to the Merchant's Guild, the hin neighborhood of the Burrows, and Dwarftown. The Hill: Wealthy district Northrow: Inside Northgate, Northrow is residential, but hosts the Red-Light District of Redtorch South End: Inside Southgate, South End is home to the Mage's Guild and Elventown Old Quarter: The oldest part of the city, run down. Most anyone who could afford to moved out. Home to "The Palace", and The Nest. Only people with no choice wander the Old Quarter at night.Between the Walls
King Virdin's predecessor Feldrin III completed work on the King's Wall in answer to the overcrowded conditions of Heliogabalus. Except for the King's Reserve a large wooded area set aside for the King, the plan was to collapse the Old Wall and allow the districts to expand, but that never happened. Two districts have grown up between the walls. The Foreign Quarter: Located between Northgate and the King's Wall. Home of the Mercenaries' Guild and the Pit, a small indoor arena. The Farmer's Quarter: Located between Southgate and the King's Wall, the farmer's district is mostly residential, holding the families who work the fields around Heliogabalus who don't have their own farmsteads.
Type
Metropolis
Population
44,000
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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