Bandar Philia
Well now, you've surely been to Bandar Philia - a well-traveled elf like you probably knows it from before Corellum even existed, and has certainly been there since. But I suppose I don't have anything else going on and you're paying for the ale, so I'll tell you about her.
Ah, Bandar Philia. Corellians call it the other capital, or the Big Rivers, or the Artwork. Some call it 'that pit', while others call it the great mixer. But the people who live there call it BP. I can't say I'm one of them any more, I've been away too long, but she never quite leaves you. She worms her way into your soul, and the only question is how does she twist it?
When she got a hold of my soul, she woke up the little bit of talent I had and breathed life into it. She brought me to the old manors, repurposed to display the art of masters old and new, to tease me with the beauty they created. She sent me wandering down Painter's Alley, where scores of artists gather and continuously update the surroundings with their individual and collective visions. She brought me to River Square, where I joined the others honing their craft, drawing landscapes, boats, or tourists, trying to scrounge enough commissions to feed themselves.
For me, then, it was a place of wonder. But for others, those days turned dark and cold. My oldest friend went to the city with me, and when she grabbed his soul, she twisted it into something frightening. It started with drink - we all drank heavily back then, searching for inspiration in a bottle of wine, but it consumed him. He never found that inspiration, and kept chasing it. He visited the herbalists and alchemists, looking for something, and growing more bitter every time he failed to find it. Eventually, he ran out of money, and was in no shape to even labor at the docks. He fled, one step ahead of a local loan shark, and I never saw him again. I hope he went back to the village, but I fear he ended up in the sewer, dead from a slit throat or too much booze, and no matter which it was.
That's what BP means to me - those extremes of inspiration and despair. The politics, the centers of learning, the criminal underbelly, they all combine to be a place that is frighteningly beautiful, and the place that will distill you to your essence. You may just not like what you turn out to be.
Demographics
| Species | Population |
|---|---|
| Human | 53,286 |
| Elf | 14,697 |
| Dwarf | 12,554 |
| Nelwyn | 10,897 |
| Daikini | 10,632 |
| Orcan | 9,092 |
| Gnome | 8,772 |
| Tiefling | 4,239 |
| Other | 2,403 |
Government
The Duke of Bandar Philia has complete authority in the city, although practically a number of functions are delegated to the city council. The council is made up of some of the minor nobles and representatives from the merchant houses and clergy. The council sets tax rates, passes laws, and generally keeps the city running. The Duke likes it this way, because it allows him to devote more time to leisure activities, and he can always override any decisions and blame things on the council. More than once, the Duke has stepped in and reversed decisions of the council in order to stop unrest, even executing members of the council to underscore how they were responsible for the bad policies. This has kept him well loved in the city while still benefitting from some poor treatment of the citizens.
The code of laws for the city is very detailed and complex, especially with respect to taxes and fees. The Code of Bonae forms the backbone of the city laws, and following that will keep people out of most trouble. The complexity of the tax code leads to tourists often paying much more than their share, and there is a degree of corruption among the tax collectors because of it. The large amount of trade in the city makes the city quite wealthy, and so individual citizens who have learned how to avoid many of the taxes and fees pay less in general than in most of Corellum.
Defences
Industry & Trade
Agriculture from surrounding villages is enough to sustain the city and provide for some minor trading with other areas. The most important trade goods produced are magic items, such as potions and scrolls, produced by the various religious orders and the Mysterium. These are primarily disposable items, although some more powerful items can be found and bartered for.
Due to its placement at the conjunction of the Viridian and Silverbeard Rivers, it also functions as a trading junction for many different cities and towns. Almost any kind of good can be found, as can buyers. With some of the wealthiest people in the hemisphere, there is no better place to buy and sell the most exotic of items.
Infrastructure
Sewer system
The Bandar Philia sewer system is extensive and critical to keeping the city clean. The sewer is 10 feet below the city, mostly below the level of the Viridian River. It has wide but short passages, with regular grates above for waste to enter the sewers. The water flowing through mostly comes from the river, diluting the sewage dumped in from the town. The gates from the river keep the flow fairly low, but they can be opened fully to allow the sewers to be flushed out. The outlet comes into the lake below the water line, although there is a definite indication from the surface where the outlet is located thanks to the large amounts of algae that grow around it.
The sewer was carved into the rock underneath the city through magic, then finished with mundane masonry work. The brickwork is regularly inspected and maintained. Algae covers most of the surfaces, and the most obvious sign of recent maintenance is any area clear of algae. Most passages consist of a channel down the middle, about three feet deep, with narrow ledges on the sides. The arched ceiling only rises about four feet above the water in the center, leaving only about three feet of clearance while on the side ledges. Because of this, almost all maintenance work is done by Dwarves, Nelwyn, and Kobolds.
Side passages allow for dumping from other areas. These are normally cut into the side walls of the tunnels, and slope upwards rapidly. Raw sewage will flow down to mix in with the water flowing through. These side chambers are supposed to be maintained by the owners of the buildings that dump into them, and they are not as likely to be maintained as other areas. There is no accurate map of the various side chambers, and improper use of the rooms have been found in the past. When a chamber has been used for other purposes, such as living space for unwanted denizens, the river gates can be fully opened to flush them out. This is rare - for the most part, encroaching beasts are ignored, and flushing the system is only done in exceptional cases.
Roads
The major roads are all paved in cobblestone, while smaller roads are often coated in gravel or left as packed dirt. Boardwalks are in use in many areas for smaller thoroughfares where wagons are not able to pass. The major roads connect the four districts and the bridges across the Silverbeard. Major buildings, such as the various temples and government buildings, all have a cobblestone road, either a direct major road or one that connects to a major road. The quality of roads in other areas directly correlates to the wealth of the people living there.
Mills
Several water mills are set up on both sides of the Viridian, where the surrounding farms can easily bring grain. Some wind mills exist in the outer reaches of the city to be closer to the farms for use in the smaller villages, but grain for sale is generally brought to the water mills. The water mills have docks for barges that bring the grain.
Assets
The treasury of the duchy is located in the Ducal palace. The treasury is substantial, containing platinum, gold, silver, and electrum bars as well as cut and uncut gemstones. The total amount is unknown outside of the royal family and the duke.
The city has a massive collection of art, the value of which is on the same order as the rumored value of the treasury. New artwork is being created regularly, and is quickly bought up. With the amount being produced, most would expect a steady increase in the displayed artwork, but this has not been the case. Some is purchased and sent out of the city, but this does not seem to be enough to account for everything that has been taken out of circulation. It is rumored that there must be a storehouse of valuable art, and it is often the subject of criminal plans, even though there is no evidence of where it might be located.
Guilds and Factions
The Mysterium
The Mysterium is the largest school of wizardry on the continent. The tall tower in the Plains District can be seen from anywhere in the city, and is often a tourist destination. Outsiders are not allowed in, however, and the interior of the tower is unknown to all but initiates in the school.
Religious orders
Bandar Philia has representatives of most of the Deities in town. All of the Gods, Lords, and Fathers are represented. All of the mothers, except Hiems, and all of the Anarchs, except Zorin, have a presence as well. While it remains mostly hidden, Oditio absolutely has a presence in the city, and there are rumors that Diabolus has a cult operating in the city.
Tourism
Tourism is a huge part of the economy of Bandar Philia. For any that travel beyond their own local areas, they are more likely to visit the city than all other cities in western Helion combined. The city is home to members of every sapient species in Helion, which makes it attractive for members of those species when traveling away from home. The reasons for visiting vary greatly, and it is not uncommon for a visit to become long term residency.
They are the center of art for Corellum, and the entirety of the hemisphere. A number of old manors have been converted to museums, and current manors often have public galleries where people can view the personal collections of various nobles ('public' can vary substantially). Beyond the museums and galleries, two unique attractions stand out. The first is Painter's Alley, which winds through the Plains District. The walls of the alley were long ago taken over by street painters, when a mural painted there pleased the Duke, and ordered that the art be allowed to stand. More artists began to paint additions, and it became traditional to allow any artwork on the walls to remain. As the walls filled up, artists began to paint over each other, incorporating bits and pieces to create new wholes. Currently, something new can be seen on any given day, and the entire alley tends to change within a year. The only piece that does not change is a small section of the original mural that pleased the long dead Duke - the small part of the mural was one that showed the Duke's son as he rode off to the war where he died heroically. The artists will repair that section, but otherwise leave it be.
The second attraction is River Square, in the Palace District. This has become a destination for artists to hone their craft, with ample views available for landscapes and architectural studies. As more tourists have visited, many of the artists have turned to sketching visitors for payment. A typical sketch will run 1-3 Kings (gold pieces), although colored paintings can run as high as 10 Kings. A single commission can keep an artist fed and sheltered for a fortnight, and only the best get more than one or two commissions in such a time. The various artists are engaged in a delicate balancing act - charging too little will eventually result in the artist not being able to afford basic necessities like food, shelter, and art supplies, while charging too much drives away customers. Haggling is expected, and being willing to move on to another artist is key to getting the best deal.
In addition to being a center for art, Bandar Philia also has a vibrant theater and music scene. It is not as renowned as some other cities, but still well thought of.
Architecture
Bandar Philia has built up over centuries with a wide variety of species and religions present, leading to a very eclectic architectural style. Close to the river, they tend to have rectangular floor pans with symmetrical facades, often emphasizing openness. Balconies with iron railings, stucco walls and red tile roofs, and lush gardens are common.
Gothic architecture, emphasizing height and intricate details, covers the largest swath of the city, especially the various temples. As the city was experiencing substantial growth circa 400 Af., the newly built temples were competing for granduer. They are still some of the most impressive buildings in all of Corellum.
After Bandar Philia became part of Corellum, it went through further rapid expansion. This time, most of the new buildings were in the Corellian style, which emphasized brick and stone masonry, multiple wings in larger buildings, decorative carvings of heraldic symbols, and geometric designs in both buildings and surrounding grounds. Dormer windows, turrets, and gables are also common.
Other architectural styles exist alongside these, ranging from Brutalism to incredibly delicate structures that appear to only be possible with magic.
Geography
Bandar Philia sits at the intersection where the Silverbeard River joins the Viridian and forms Lake Baradin. The land there is mostly flat plain, although hills rise to the west of the city and there are a few higher spots on the western side of the city itself. Fresh water is drawn from the Silverbeard or underground aquifers, as the Veridian is slow moving enough that it does not clean itself efficiently. People have settled on the south side of the Viridian, and trying to use the river there for water has lead to some outbreaks of disease.
Lake Baradin is a destination for leisure activity. Pleasure boats are on the lake year round, although particularly thick in spring and fall when the weather is ideal. There are dozens of tiny islands just large enough for a few dozen people to gather, and six islands large enough to have had permanent structures built. Several of those structures are high end inns, with stunning views of the lake or city. To the west and southwest of the lake, densely packed trees come almost to the waters edge, while most of the rest of the lake has sandy beaches. The Silverbeard river comes in much faster than the Viridian, and has some small waterfalls within sight of the lake. One particular island holds a retreat for the Duke, with views of the city, the incoming waterfalls, and the forest all combining to make the retreat a favorite of the King when they come to town.
Natural Resources
The primary natural resources are agriculture. Farms spread out to the east of the city, on both sides of the Viridian. Cattle and sheep graze in the grassy hills to the west of the city. Small villages provide the farmed goods as part of their tax obligations to the city.
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