Docroft
"...The Most Beautiful of Melodies is the Neverending Flow of Coin! Don't You Agree?"
Docroft, also known as the City of Trade & Troubadours, is a port city at the mouth of the Delilva on the Shatterskerry-Shore. Docroft, despite the presence of Arkhal and Coastburn is considered by many to be civilization's farthest reach. Although once a bustling city, in the days prior to the Ten Black Nights of Gloom and Gallows (abreviated to T.B.N.G.G) in 137 AC, the Scornthorne Uprising (abreviated to S.U) in 12-9 AC and the Calamity some years after, the city would suffer greatly at the hands of Armgus Orm. The resulting disaster would allow that catastrophe to nearly decimate the city, with it having only a fraction of its former populace.
Demographics
Docroft is a large city with a population of 21,210 as of 32 PC. Many races are represented among its citizens, including Humans (43%), Dwarves (24%), Halflings (16%), Half-elves (5%), Elves (2%), and other races (10%).
Government
Docroft is ruled by Grande Voivode Ashton I Evenwood, known by the locals as the Lord Minstrel.
Defences
As of 10 Ac, Docroft had an army of 300 spearmen and a navy of 19 ships. The ships were each armed with 70 archers.
Docroft boasts great city walls that are considered by many to be its greatest defense against invaders, especially during the years when little military force could be mustered. The walls of the city stand 20 feet (6.1 meters) high in some places. They unfortunately have many gaps in them after the fall of the noble family during the Ten Black Nights of Gloom and Gallows.
For many years leading up to the mid–4th century AC, Docroft's city guard comprised a militia force just over a hundred strong, though a local clan of dwarves led by Hulmar Harrowblood pledged 100 of his men as help to the city for some time.
The Dokrovite army also known as the Greencloak Constabulary, doubles as the city guard and is kept at a steady number of five thousand trained men wearing halfplate and carrying numerous weapons including a polearm and sword. The Greencloak Constabulary earned their name from, and are easily identified by, their sea-green cloaks and matching armbands, the emerald Sea-Liyone badges they wear. As of 32 PC the decorated veteran Halduhr Harrowblood serve as the Hammer-Warden while Hartram Dolkuhr serve as the general of the army, before being demoted the captain of the City Guard.
Pavel Nikolai Popov is admiral in charge of Docroft's navy - While it is small, consisting of between twelve and twenty ships of varying sizes, it is continuously being upgraded and operated with great efficacy. The ships are given powerful names, such as the two warships known as The Thunderer or The Sahaguin Express, and the three cruisers, Kikimora Dawn, Dusk Bruxa and Twilight Striga. Old ships are sold when they become too outdated.
Adventurers are welcome to hire on as mercenaries for the ruling nobles and as long-range troubleshooters when threats arise from the Isenfornsea, Docroft Depths, Njorskarmarkr, or Coastburn (Kostbrynt) The Voivode has also proven amenable to hiring entire mercenary armies from Murov if they felt suitably threatened.
Industry & Trade
Docroft is known as a stopping point for caravans conducting overland trade across the trade routes and trails of the Shatterskerry-Shore.
The city sits at or near the intersection of every major trade artery in Mekrashovs far north, making it a critical lynchpin in the tzardom's economy. Various independent merchant and trade guilds allowed Docroft heavily influence the supply of goods to all of Mekrad, and it is the farthest stop north for most merchants traveling into the trecharous northern seas. The city is mostly a hub for goods travelling into or out of Mekrad, although the city's deep water harbour allowed the construction of vessels that are large for the area. As a result, Docroft always enjoyed the largest fishing fleet, the best boats, a safe harbour, the most skilled sailors and fishers, and consequently the greatest catches. It thrives off and dominates the local fishing industry more than any of its neighbouring cities. The city has the most readily accessible illicit markets in Northern Mekrad.
Farming, fishing and hunting
Outside the walls of Docroft are vast farmlands stretching out south-, and westward. While they may not be as well-off as Dokrovite within the city's walls, they were well-enough taken care of to stay content, and produce enough low-cost food for their city-folk brethren. Although much of the farmlands were ravaged in the war of Scornthorne Uprising and the Calamity shortly after, a large influx of Human and Halfling settlers from the south prevented the collapse of local agriculture.Mercenarism
Due to the large number of trade costers located in town, Docroft is a good place for mercenaries and other men-at-arms to find work as caravan guards, both over land and by sea. As such, many sellswords come in town looking for work.Guilds and Factions
The Jesters, Fools, and Harlequins Guild
This guild represent those who work in the comedic entertainment industry. They have a mix of many colours.Brotherhood of Carpenters and Shipwrights
This guild represent those who conduct the business of building construction, repair, and maintenance in the city and its fleet. Carpenters, dockmen, shipwrights and sailors are found in their ranks. Their colours are green and blue.The Taverners, Innkeepers, and Provisioners
This guild represents those who work in inns, taverns, and provisioner's shops. Their colours are green and white.History
In 137 AC, Docroft was overtaken by the despicable Armgus Orm in a coup, disguised as a pesants revolt. The peasants declared that the Grande Voivode's rule was outdated and that he did not represent their interests, feeling that it was time for a "new government", in truth it was a dwarven powergrab sponsored by the dwarven lords in Kostbrynt. It came to be known as the Ten Black Nights of Gloom and Gallows. All members of its ruling family, the Evenwoods, were killed except for _____ who escaped. The citizens were whiped into a frenzy, by Armgus and encouraged to search every street and building of the city, to hunt down the ruling class, in the end only a handful managed to survive the first two nights. however, initial survivial after capture was only fleeting. Trials wherein the rich aristocracy of Docroft were persecuted and were given a choice between death and exile. Armgus forced the Grande Voivode Harold Varujan Evenwood to go to exile, where he would have to walk across the ice-frozen channel that separated Docroft and Coastburn. Harold, along with presumably everybody else who tried the exile option, fell under the ice and froze to death. the rest of the family including his wife, children and allies were hung shortly ahter Due to the city's remoteness, isolation and the dwarves insatiable greed and terrible management the citizens of Docroft suffered without external aid for six years under oppression.
Points of interest
Inns, Festhalls, & Taverns
- End of the Road: a rowdy yet respectable dockside place that serves as a tavern, an inn, and a gambling hall, that attract many adventurers, this large establishment is the center of gossip in Docroft.
- Urslana's Bosom: One of the taverns by the docks that serve fishermen, ran by Cossara Asovska, lovingly referred as "Mamochka", "Mama", or simply "Ma" by the locals circa 32 PC.
- The Saber's Solace: Among the most distinct of the many establishmets in Docroft, this rough tavern located near the gate and run by the Dragonborn Maneirah Yashann yrb Haldubar Yhl-Gamtikosh, a former Qyzhssary and noble woman, who fleed her death sentence in Duryad.
Shops & Businesses
- Gordmun's Fine Dwarven Craft: A dwarven smithy ran by Gordmun Gravelfist, one of the original inhabitants of Khaz Glittrum Kadrel before its fall and reclamation.
- Volyakov Steelworks : a smithy run by Casimir Volyakov.
- Pearl of Plenty Provisions: a modest shop, run for the semi-retired pirate Oleg, has all sorts of goods and supplies for adventurers, explorers and the like.
- Valko's House of Mastery: A martial arts training school and a social club for the Docroft navy and city guard
Temples, Shrines & Religious Sites
- Laughing Halls: the temple of Nimblebottom also known as the Hall of Laughter
Fortifications, Garrisons & Defenses
- Sorrowlost Keep: The seat of power of the city and home to Grande Voivode Ashton Evenwood
Landmarks
- Smirnoff's Sawmill: a lumber mill which process logs from milling efforts in the Saltwoods, run by MR.Filberg. It was named after and founded by the former sea Captain Sandan Smirnoff.
- Center Market: a bustling open-air marketplace in the middle of the city. The open market of Docroft attract many traders and merchants from Duryad, Prausterland and even Ashad, looking to buy local goods. It is the center of commerce, and an open-air market, surrounded by shops, temples, and other hives of mercantile activity.
- Riptide Dock: Docroft has a large and busy harbor that opens up into the Saphrolga River. The harbor is closed after sunset, after which no ships can tie up. Latecomers have to wait out in the river until sunrise.
- Sorrow Point Light: As of 32 PC, a small lighthouse on Sorrow Point, which is used by sailors on the Shatterskerry-Shore, and, at this time, Is manned by Prodan Zlatomir Sorgenstein.
- Seaglimpse Shipyards: The home and construction site of all Dokrovite vessels.
- Wonderhall Museum: Less of an attraction and more a building dedicated to the preservation of Dokrovite history, for the sake of posterity.
Other Notable Locations
- Eversong's Thunder-Fiddle College: One of fanciful bardic colleges was located in Docroft, favored by nobles and travling minstrels and troubadours from the higher echelons of society. Grande Voivode Ashton I "Grim" Evenwood spent some time building the school after being annointed to his ancestral family title. It was formed as a rival to the old College of Murov, mainly to piss of his old headmaster, Mirak Saelim.
Architecture
Docroft is mostly composed of stone buildings made by dwarves, that had an sturdy and practical appearance. The city also had an extensive network of catacombs, sewers, and secret passages that serves as sanitation, avenues for efficient troop movement, and covert meeting locales. Some of the deepest catacombs are connected to the Upperdark.
There were numerous stonemasons involved in the creation of the stone buildings, vaults, houses, and drains that comprised Docroft. This construction created "a thousand thousand" hiding places. This fact was especially true where the works of a dwarven stonemason covered up the older workings of a human craftsman. The secret passages and cubby holes created by such overlapping workmanship are popular places for children to play. Sometimes, the children run into monsters - never again to run through the city streets of Docroft. When a child went missing, adventuring companies are sent to investigate.
Geography
As of 10 AC, the city was split into western and eastern halves by the Saphire Creek, and these were connected by the bridges Harbour Cross, Cruelty Cross, and the Upstream Span. Other than the Desurtwar's Tower of the Arcane (his summer home), the city was dominated by two- and three-story buildings.
Docroft Flag
by
Valraun
The flag of the city and voivodeship of Docroft.
Founding Date
-632
Alternative Name(s)
Gavangrad, City of Trade & Troubadours
Type
Large city
Population
- ~83,550(pre-T.B.N.G.G) in -246 AC
- ~46,000 (post-T.B.N.G.G) in -138 AC
- ~29,184 (pre-S.U) in -12 AC
- ~22,671 (pre-calamity) in -5 AC
- 21,210 (post-calamity) in 32 PC
Inhabitant Demonym
Dokrovid/Dokrovite
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Comments