Helletown Settlement in Tanaheim | World Anvil
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Helletown

The largest town on the edge of the Eye of Hellenox. A classic lake town with a well traveled port.

Government

The government is made up of elected members of parliament who reside at the Muskfin Keep.  These officials elect three prime ministers who handle much of the foreign diplomacy and adjudicate trade deals amongst the many businesses of the city and the flow of East to West trade.  These prime ministers reside at Crestfin Keep and they employ several cabinet members, many of whom remain secret and are members of the secret societies and guilds.

Infrastructure

19. Presavarius University - a prestigious school devoted to the arcane arts. It is funded heavily by the Assembly of the Weave. The Current headmaster is Corvaroth Heth, an Air Genasi woman who is favorable to the Assembly.
22. Issletoff's Armor - A smithy run by a dwarven man named Arc Issletoff.
18. Mistworld Tavern - This strange building that straddles the wall and tower on the Southern side of the city just north of the Novus Docks. As you approach the outside it looks like the front of an old worn down Eigerlands bar. The front windows are blackened with a dark paint and the heavy oak door in the front is painted a dark cherry red. The wood of the front wall and the ornately detailed porch are stained a dark grey color or it could be that the wood is so old it may be petrified. On closer inspection the dark color hides hundreds of old sigils and runes carved by superstitious passersby who are afraid of the area. As you enter the air cools a bit down to 62 degrees F and the air smells almost fragrant. Hints of Lilac and elderberry can be found swirled amidst the smells of whiskey and pipeweed. The room beyond the small hallway leading to the front door is much larger than it should be. The first half of it looks much like the outer wall, dark ironwood floors and a wide rectangular bar made of a rich mahoghany. It is ringed with stools and a firbolg man stands behind it, an experienced bartender. The center of the room looks out of focus for some reason. As you approach you can see a light mist swirling across an invisible barrier giving the other side of the room a strange purple tint. Passing through the barrier is quite easy and gives a light prickle across the skin. The other side of this room is strangely a bit brighter, colors a bit sharper and more saturated. Or is it your imagination.
[DM Note: this bar straddles a strange breakdown between realms. Entering the interior you pass into a small pocket of the Fae Realms. The walls between the planes are very weak in this area of the city. For the last 300 years though this bar has been stable and there have been no crossings. It has the added benefit of being scry proof and teleportation proof. No one can eavesdrop on you even magically here.]
Owner is an Drow named Illiane Mastwell. The bartender is a Firbolg man named Consarnit and the servers are a green elven woman named Mallaria and a Tielfling man named Quisinart.
9. H'Chost Amphitheater - An ancient theater still in use for plays, comedies and musical acts. The event coordinator is a green elven man named Hilius Perranox.
12. Arch Temple to Hellenox - The ancient remnant of the first temple to Hellenox which is now over 3,000 years old. There is an interior sanctum that has remained unchanged for all of that time. The clerics of Hellenox only are permitted here. The rest of the buildings and grounds have changed over the years. Repaired or added to, some areas were destroyed and rebuilt. Most of the stonework is impressively old. The current High cleric here is Brother Elkhof the Abstract he is an older human man. His longest serving priest is Sister Porta the grey.
13. Library of Crestfin Keep - One of the largest libraries in the Eigerlands it holds untold millenia of secrets in it's scattered interior. The current librarian is an elven woman named Rudbekia hirta.
14. Crestfin Keep - This large stone building has huge wooden beams within creating large arched hallways. The upper floors hold dozens of offices and apartments used by the Prime Ministers and their cabinets and staff.
23. Matchi's Tavern Inn - A working man's Tavern it has reasonably priced drinks and basic tavern food. In the center of the tavern stands an enormous brass and iron horn that one has to stand on the second floor to blow. If a patron can make a noise loud enough to shake the tavern they drink for free. The owner is a dark haired dwarven man named Joba, the current bartender is a human woman named Elsta moraine.
The Pelican's Gullet Tavern - Located just north of the Novus Docks on the southern side of the city this tavern is built of dark rough hewn lumber.  A fairly small tavern with a common room that measures about 40' by 40' it makes up for this by being four stories tall.  The upper levels have dark wooden crossbeams in front of robin's egg blue plaster walls.  An awakened Pelican named Alva runs the day to day of the tavern.  He swears the previous owner left it to him in his will.  He employs a manager, a surly dwarven woman by the name of Kaza Drummel and a talkative gnome bartender called Hightower.
Darkthorne Tavern - Located near the Eastern Wall not far from the University sits a wide stone building with a peaked wooden tower built on the top.  The Wooden tower is constructed to look like a black dragon talon sticking out of the roof of the building.  Suspended from the ceiling of the common room is a large glass globe that plays a battle inside on a loop.  A massive black dragon and a wizard riding a strange stone tablet do battle in the middle of a hurricane.  The building is owned and operated by a drow woman named Mahli O'Mallis.  Her bartender is a human woman named Fisivel Lantern.
Muskfin Keep - The muskfin family is said to be one of the great houses of old.  Before the days of the Five families that run much of Penthaheim and the Eigerlands there were dozens of powerful houses.  These days a half elven man named Orchibald Muskfin looks after the large stone keep. It is located within the olde imperium district and is a tall dark grey stone structure with many gothic elements to it's architecture. 
Akerian Tower - The headquarters of the Assembly of the Weave in the city.
5. Toshi's Magic Cap - A shoppe devoted to magic items and oddities. From the interior of the shoppe it looks almost quaint and childish but if the special phrase is given to Toshi he will lead prospective buyers to the back room where dozens of dangerous black market weapons can be perused. The operator is a wizard named Hollatosh Toshi, he is a Halfling man with a Kobold tail. Where the tail comes from is a strange story and not something he usually likes to talk about. He speaks highly of the Assembly of the weave when strangers are present but secretly he hates them and works to subvert their objectives whenever possible.
24. The Knowhere Bazaar - A large shopping center encompassing several streets in the outer District. Some of the vendors are Kessel Varch a human man food vendor, Wulcha Moss an elderly Green elven man who sells plants and herbs, Corba Koba a half dwarven man with a greenish cast to his skin who sells clockwork gadgets. Bebrap Omis a halfling woman who sells clothing and other knit craft items.
The Final Solution Potions Shop - Located in the Calerius District, this potions shop is the premier alchemical shoppe in the city.  It is run by the Earth genasi woman known as the Jade Tiger.  She wears expensive dark brown robes with gold accents.  Her skin is a dull green jade like color with spiky emerald crystals for hair. 
The Troll's Ear - Buyers and sellers of strange and wondrous artifacts and monster parts.

Districts

  • Carcherius Docks - Larger docks used for large cargo.  Livestock, hay, straw, and larger crates and barrels.
  • Novus Docks - All purpose docks for passengers and small trade.
  • Old Imperium Docks - These are used by the trading companies and the more wealthy businesses
  • Bolatorre District - A Middle Class district zoned for residential and commerce.
  • New Imperium District - Largely reserved for government businesses and apartments for ministers.
  • Calerius District - Manor homes and many highly skilled artisans live here.
  • Masterson District - A wealthy commerce district.
  • Outer District - Most unskilled laborers and poorer residents live here. 
  • Hellenox District - The inner walls hold ancient domiciles and remnants of the previous age.  

Guilds and Factions

Society of the Jester - A group of wealthy individuals who sell their power and influence to the highest bidder.  The 2 trading companies often turn first to this group of wealthy socialites with inherited wealth.  They have no scruples and no allegiances to parliament or anyone else. 
Society of the Black Harbor - Several wealthy rogues and socialites who once were beggars and thieves on the streets of the city.  Now through either extensive lucrative adventuring or successful crime syndicates find their wealth and power now stands astride those of the commerce class.  Now they often use their power to foil the schemes of the rich and powerful using their old contacts within the under world.
League of the Gold Owl - One of the oldest organizations in the city, they exist to maintain the old order and the established families that run Helletowne. They detest the five families of Penthos and the 2 major trading companies.  Most of their influence it used to expunge both of these forces from the city and keep the coins flowing to the Helle families. 
The court of Vultures - This secretive order are a group of large business owners who bribe the levers of power to constantly allow for more and more trade to run through the ports.  Their current project is to develop the land west of the city to expand the docks.  That land is currently owned by many small but important farmers who help to feed the city.  
The order of Hellenox - the most secret of all of these societies, the order is devoted to returning the rule of the city to the church of Hellenox.  They are very much religious zealots who are angry with the trade wars dominating the city.

History

Helletown is an ancient site that grew into an important port city over the last millenia.  In the last age it was an entire community devoted to the old god Hellenox.  With the Waxing and waning of the last shardfall many things changed in the area.  When the last shardfall hit a conflict broke out between Hellenox and her followers with an invading army of Fae led by the strange Fae King named Cubback the Realm taker.  The fight was fierce and the addition of magic bursts created a strange effect in the area leading to many barriers being broken down and even small pockets of each realm changing places.  
In the end Hellenox won but at great cost to her and her followers.  Her strength was diminished and her church began to fade over the last 2,000 years.  The settlement grew into a busy port as commerce grew and boat traffic began to climb.  The port eventually grew into a mighty city but retained the old name.
Alternative Name(s)
The Eye
Type
Town
Population
6000
Inhabitant Demonym
Hellians
Location under
Included Locations
Characters in Location

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