Midnight
The de facto capital of sea trade in the northern provinces of Primus, Midnight was named for the black stone shore on which it is built. With wealth from tariffs and harbor fees, the Lords of Midnight furnish their city with grand displays of wealth and power. These juxtapose harshly with the slums of the city's northern districts. This severe class divide, even more than its importance for commerce, is the city's legacy.
Demographics
As with most settlements in the realms, people of all species and origins can be found here. But there are still two major demographics in the city: the very rich and the very poor.
The very rich comprise the Lords of Midnight and their underlings; the judges, sheriffs, military leaders, merchants, and guild heads who live in the Lords' pockets. The rest of the city falls in the second category, and comprises the city's workforce.
Government
The city is divided between the Thieves' Guild and the four Lords of Midnight. The personal "security force" of any one lord amounts to a small army, and nearly all of the coin in the city finds its way into their coffers by one channel or another.
Defences
Midnight is surrounded by thick, black stone walls. At intervals, these walls support watchtowers. The city has only one major gate, on its southwest side, which is guarded by a well-armed gatehouse and heavy gates.
Industry & Trade
The city makes its living on sea trade. Since the only other way to transport goods in or out of the northern provinces is to cross the famously hostile mountain passes, the Lords of Midnight can charge exorbitant rates for the privilege of mooring in Midnight Harbour. However, it is well-known that the Lords grant much fairer rates to their friends and sycophants. Those who have penetrated these inner circles work hard to keep the fees high for outsiders, to increase their advantage.
Infrastructure
Midnight Harbour occupies most of the city's southern district, and only a single gate in the southwest wall leads out of the city. Several unofficial means of travel exist, but this bottleneck allows the lords to tightly control land traffic into and out of the city.
Districts
The Harbour District comprises the city's southern edge and the few blocks beyond it, containing shipping warehouses, docks, and a few markets. Few of the goods which arrive in the city are actually sold here, as most residents are too poor to buy them, and the city's very rich do not purchase through markets.
High Town, or "snob hill" as the working class calls it, is a fortified rise above the harbour district, and contains the residences of several Lords and city officials. It also contains accommodations for visiting diplomats and merchant lords, as well as the city's few cultural installations such as the Midnight Museum. The district is appallingly clean and well-appointed compared to other areas.
Old Town comprises the rest of the city, stretching back to the northern walls. This is where the common folk of midnight live and work, and where most of the city's markets, guildhouses, and other common ameneties stand. The Thieves' Guildhouse is located in this quarter, though few outside the guild itself know exactly where.
Guilds and Factions
In addition to the usual merchants' collectives and smithing unions, it's common knowledge that the city is home to both an anti-plutocratic Midnight City Thieves' Guild and an Assassins' Guild. The organizers and headquarters of both these illicit organizations are unknown.
History
Hundreds of years ago, Midnight was a more cheerful, equitable town. But as so often happens, it couldn't last. The town was devastated by a hurricane which shut down the harbor for several years and sent money flowing from the city like blood from a wound. It was following this disaster that the Lords of Midnight formed, originally a merchant coalition promising to bring work and wealth back to the city. They succeeded... but not in the way the populace anticipated.
Maps
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Midnight
Alternative Name(s)
The Black City
Type
Large city
Characters in Location
Related Reports (Primary)
Related Reports (Secondary)