Hlee
A gray white haze rises large above the brown rocky cliffs. "Clouds of Hlee!" Captain Chance calls down. As you get closer you see the brown cliffs supporting a bustling metropolis. Upon a high, large mesa sprawls the vast city. Sandstone and granite walls rise, thick and sturdy, repelling any mere ideas of taking. Cylindrical towers with elliptical tops open to the sky run every thousand feet, the troughs dipping almost halfway down. Hexagonal towers run every few hundred feet, peaked tiled roofs fanning like splayed wings. On the wall five chariots run abreast carrying soldiers within. Outside the wall tented stations survey the high plain, horse riders in formation spanning into the far distance. Districts must be as large as counties.
The city has undergone periods of rebuilding and reorganizing. Old City was where Echelon and Holylight as well as parts of Cityside are now.
Mini-castle towers called Bastions rule the Longwall, the outer, robust wall of the city. They act as fortified watch towers and barracks.
Rules, Restriction & Regulations
Laws keep people safe. The main laws that travelers from outside might break are listed below. Note that no list is exhaustive.- No weapons allowed without a permit. Adventurers must gain permits to carry weapons on their person.
- No magic of any kind without a specific permit. Many times magic is used to the detriment of others. To acquire a permit, ask the nearest Lombarch Guard who will take you to an office to process paperwork.
- No arcane magic outside of Hallowcrick Halls. Fairly straightforward. There no exceptions to this, bar very, very rare and special circumstances.
- No entry to Lort'yid without permission. Proper paperwork must be shown to gain entry to the Throne's domain.
Demographics
Apex
- Humans are the prevalent race in Hlee. About 6 out of 10 will be human.
Uncommon
- Elves and Deadlanders comprise 2 out of every 10 inhabitants.
Pockets
- Half-elf comprise the largest section of the lesser demographics. They use the city as a sort of middle ground for any of the other races with whom they are on good terms. Many meetings take place in the lavish Echelon of the Half-elf city-lords who act as judicators. There is tension between the clannish Half-elves from Lochish and the gentrified city-lords of Hlee.
- Tieflings are the second majority of the Pocket demographic. There are little sects that keep to themselves. The unscrupulous hide away in the slums, but the good work as scribes and accountants in the city's Echelon district, especially Half-elves who see a spurned kindred spirit in them. Their ghettos are known as Little Hells.
- Tenku form another Pocket, living in slums mostly and working as hands for the Green Legion.
- Aarakocra gravitate to professions such as Lombarch Guard.
Rare
- Gnomes and Halflings are rather rare in Hlee. The mix of heat and the vastness of the city deter most smaller folk from the city. The ones that do live here, however have a small section of the Green League and Alysi'it respectively. Halflings are more likely to be found in the city than Gnomes however.
Very Rare
- Dwarf rarely frequent the city due to distance and the fact they have outposts in Deep Golog nearby. Those that do live here prefer the Undercity.
- Half-orc are also rare. They mix-in well with humans, though some have never seen an orc.
Transient
- Nomads, wanderers, Monks of the Seven Peaks.
Districts
Three main sections, called "levels", exist in the city. The topmost being the most popular and the bottom being the least. Inside these are several districts that are separated by high walls and fortifications. A whole lifetime may be lived inside each district, and plenty of people do.
Overcity
The Green Leagues
This 5 square mile forest is maintained and cultivated by the Green Legion. They are a special set of rangers who tend the Royal Wood and stock the streams and pastures with plenty of animals. Quiet rumors speak of a druid who lives in the heart in some inaccessible cave, but that is just folktalk.Huntsmen Lodging
Lodging of the Green Legion, complete with its own inn and taverns.Lòrt'yid
The seat of the Gilaxsten power. The fortress and manor and keep all sit upon a manmade hill, well fortified. In the days of old this hill was just a field of bones. The name is derived from old Evorian dialect meaning "lord's place/home." The streets are excellently made, shrubs and groomed trees dot the green grass. Benches mark every so often the road. The Garden of Champions is here in the western side.The Echelon
The area surrounding the Seat of Humanity. Well walled off from other districts and home to nobles, rich merchants, and the lofty. Most of the Great Houses of Hlee are here.Cityside
The chiefly residential district, though intermingles with the merchant's district in areas.Holylight
The main temple and church district. The grand cathedral is here as well as many shrines and temples to other gods. Clerics and paladins may be found here.Hallowcrick Halls
The name given to the district of erudition and knowledge, particularly arcane knowledge. Mordet Spire, the college of divination, rises above the other tall towers and floating buildings.Platinum Plateau
The best merchant district with grand prices and rare goods. Much of anything legal can be purchased here, for the correct price.Gold Guild
The second best district for merchants. Boasts high security and better prices while still maintaining quality. Doesn't offer as much as the Platinum district, however.Silver Center
Third best option for bartering and purchasing without going under. Good security and proper quality, though there isn't much uniqueness to every item. No magical items, and those that are are expensive.Saroadym
Hlee is known for its massive gates and outer fortifications. The Saroadym Gates are no exception. This strong and boastful gauntlet provide ample security against would-be invaders. It is guarded by the formidable Saroadym Guard.Elysian Barracks
These barracks are the training ground for the standing army in and around Hlee. It's a wide, flat area with different sections for simulate different fighting scenarios. Wizards and clerics often alter the landscape to provide variety of training.Alys'it
Also called King's Gold, Alys'it is district of ranches and a vast, open field where a good majority of livestock are held. Anyone may rent out a section of the land or pay a smaller fee to allow their cows, sheep, goats, etc. to roam the free range of the area. This area boasts an incredible 10 square miles facilitated by Green Legion-trained staff known as Gold Legion.Undercity
Hlee boasts two underlayers of the city. Each are unique in their own way, and also more dangerous. The Grand Stairs may refer to several sites in Hlee where grand sets of stairs descend. The aptly named Undercity is not as unscrupulous as might be surmised, though there is a considerable presence of crime here. Many respectable people live here, and there is plenty of fire and magical light. Several large stairwells and lifts take inhabitants to the above city. The perfectly named thoroughfare Joyful Lane begins here and winds along beautiful houses with plants kept alive by artificial lights. Joyful Lane continues below. There are darker sides of the Undercity, and it is said the Synoid house their operations in these shady corners.Green Light
The largest of the Undercity's districts, the Green Light is a residential district that houses nobles, merchants, and the rich who prefer darkness to light. The green lights that give the district its name came from a family of wood elves who called themselves "night elves" and wishes to see, but not for the sun. The lighting became endeared by visitors who settled and so grew it.Bronze Brigade
The main merchant district in Undercity. It boasts good wares for good prices, even boasts magical items, however the guards are supposedly in league with the Synoid, the thieves' guild in the city.Light Warrens
The district for poorer, working, or transient residents of Undercity. Tents and shacks intersperse ramshackle houses. Disease has small bursts of life before the clerics and nurses quiet them.Hopeward
The district concerning health and religion. This is home to clerics and nurses and some paladins who seek to fulfill their oaths fighting villains, bandits, and thieves.Lightveil
Some consider the name a misnomer, others fitting. This shaded district is home to unscrupulous sorts. The Synoid's headquarters is supposedly here.Highrock
The old mines and tunnels that lead further down. Excavation is no longer allowed in Undercity, so these abandoned mines-turned-shanty-towns house cheap and lazy laborers.Joyful Lane (Undercity)
The avenues that starts at all the Grand Stairs combine before winding through Undercity to The Far Downs and further still. Wondrously, Joyful Lane is always free from debris and incursions. It is a river to its people and so no one opposes it.The Far Downs
The Far Downs, often called "the Downs," is several hundred feet below the lowest point in Undercity, held up by speleothem pillars reinforced with metal. Here, the true unscrupulous deeds are done. There are hardly any guard posts here. The main lane, Joyful Lane runs straight through the city to an entrance of the Underdark. This lane is kept particularly clean and free of debris and ruffians as it is often used to adventure down below.En-trance
The welcoming district of the Far Downs. So called for its bewitching aura that charms many visitors into staying, though this is merely a myth.Headway Lane
Whereas Joyful Lane is a hopeful and kind journey, Headway Lane offers no solace. Instead many a brigand and thief and highwayman come to steal. Populated by miserable sorts who only seek tomorrow's existence.Miner's Row
The surprisingly populated and upkept district that houses the miners and other workers. Tight security holds over the buildings and tunnels here. Plenty of inns, taverns, etc. are here.Endv'it
Known as the crime capital of Evoria, Endv'it contains the worst of the worst crime offenders. It is a jail-town that is constantly being overrun and barely quelled.Far Gate
The last district in Hlee. It leads to the Farside Stairs that take miners and adventurers to the underdark. Most never return.Joyful Lane (The Downs)
The graceful avenue that runs from the En-trance through the Far Downs to Endv'it and Far Gate. It is free of debris, even in the Far Downs, and ferociously guarded. Even those in the Downs know it is their only source of provisions and resources.Guilds and Factions
Lombarch Guard. Main guards of city. Perjoratively referred to as "silverbacks."
Saroadym Guard. Guards of the grand Saroadym Gates.
Anular. The mage guards who specialize in magic deterrence. Formidable to any magic user with their ability to detect, guard against, and dispel almost any magic.
Green Legion. Those who protect and attend to the Green League.
Keepëré. The guards of the king, specialized and mysterious soldiers.
The Synoid. The main and largest thieves' guild with somewhere in the Undercity.
Hammerstrike. Guild of smiths headquartered in the the Metalwork section of the northern Elysium Barracks district.
History
Established long ago by proto-Evorians around the end of the second era, though Pelor's Cathedral predates all else on the plateau. Fell into disrepair around the third era. Towards the end of the third era, Evorians rebuilt it, bit by bit after overthrowing their dragon overlords. The city waxed and waned, before finally rising again during the Clannish Wars of the fourth era. Sylvain Gilaxsten abetted the recent rise of Hlee into the unified capital of Evoria.
Points of interest
Pelor's Grand Cathedral
This unique columned plaza is not exactly what the average person thinks of when they think "cathedral." It is open to the air and sun with some rooms along the outskirts. Its obvious features are the thousands of columns every few feet at varying heights. These columns are arranged in circular sections all leading to a central altar where sacrifices and duties are performed. Garden of Champions
Set adjacent to the main plaza this sprawling complex honors the The 24 Champions who helped Sylvain Gilaxsten unite Evoria. All twenty-four champions have an equal amount of land in the park complex, signifying their equality in the organization. Each section has aspects of their respective homes and statues of fierce battle stances in each. These are tended year-round for their honor. Undercity Stairs
The stairs down to the Undercity are a marvel when first beholden. The stairs step down light by magic lights and bright candles before the walls open in arches overlooking the shadowed Undercity. Many lights shine brightly so it gives the impression of a dusky evening rather than a true sunless city.
This unique columned plaza is not exactly what the average person thinks of when they think "cathedral." It is open to the air and sun with some rooms along the outskirts. Its obvious features are the thousands of columns every few feet at varying heights. These columns are arranged in circular sections all leading to a central altar where sacrifices and duties are performed. Garden of Champions
Set adjacent to the main plaza this sprawling complex honors the The 24 Champions who helped Sylvain Gilaxsten unite Evoria. All twenty-four champions have an equal amount of land in the park complex, signifying their equality in the organization. Each section has aspects of their respective homes and statues of fierce battle stances in each. These are tended year-round for their honor. Undercity Stairs
The stairs down to the Undercity are a marvel when first beholden. The stairs step down light by magic lights and bright candles before the walls open in arches overlooking the shadowed Undercity. Many lights shine brightly so it gives the impression of a dusky evening rather than a true sunless city.
Tourism
Religious
Plenty of tourists flock to Hlee for its religious significance. With the canonized saintdom of Sham'arine Zaladar many who heard of her works make pilgrimage every 119 years to the grand Pelor Cathedral, though many come every twenty years. The last major pilgrimage was 4E 2594, the next one in 4E 2713. Many also come to view the second largest church of Chauntea (largest being in Yym). Many farmers of Elysia come to pay their wishes sometime during the growing season. Goods & Services
Hlee boasts plenty of inns, bars, warehouses, brothels, and magical services. The bars are host to famous, or infamous, bar crawls where groups of usually younger people gather and drink at a slew of the bars. Brothels are multi-racial. Magical services are found in Hallowcrick Halls where divination college Mordet Spire run by Morteccia, a human-born, elf-raised wizard. Sites & Attractions
The fields of Elysia are best observed during the autumnal months (Ereautumn, Midautumn, Aftautumn). The waving fields of gold are picturesque.
Plenty of tourists flock to Hlee for its religious significance. With the canonized saintdom of Sham'arine Zaladar many who heard of her works make pilgrimage every 119 years to the grand Pelor Cathedral, though many come every twenty years. The last major pilgrimage was 4E 2594, the next one in 4E 2713. Many also come to view the second largest church of Chauntea (largest being in Yym). Many farmers of Elysia come to pay their wishes sometime during the growing season. Goods & Services
Hlee boasts plenty of inns, bars, warehouses, brothels, and magical services. The bars are host to famous, or infamous, bar crawls where groups of usually younger people gather and drink at a slew of the bars. Brothels are multi-racial. Magical services are found in Hallowcrick Halls where divination college Mordet Spire run by Morteccia, a human-born, elf-raised wizard. Sites & Attractions
The fields of Elysia are best observed during the autumnal months (Ereautumn, Midautumn, Aftautumn). The waving fields of gold are picturesque.
Architecture
There are no high towers inside the city, only along the wall. There are no tall buildings either, except Mordet Spire in Hallowcrick Halls.
Geography
Hlee is located on a high plateau known as Deluga Plateau supported by sheer cliffs. The massive and inhospitable Deadlands lie to its north and the outskirt deserts surround the west, north, and east. The south of Hlee, at the southern start of the Delugan Ramp, marks the edge of the delicious and fertile plains called Elysia where massive eye-long fields wave.
Natural Resources
There are currently mining projects ongoing for gold and other precious metals. This is done by the Craghammers in the Far Down.
Founding Date
(1st) 2E 2682, (2nd) 3E 7101
Alternative Name(s)
Kingly City, King's City, City of Rulers, City of Blessed Humanity
Type
Capital
Population
870,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Hleean
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Related Tradition (Primary)
Characters in Location
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