The Promenade
Historical Overview
Founding
Founded in the first decade of the Age of Rule, The Promenade is the seat of one of the original major noble houses, House Prominere. One of the last of the Nine Founders to receive territory, Dennic I was sent by Vestria herself to establish a city at the entrance to the Coquet Heights, and provide a place of rest for those taking the dangerous path to the capital from eastern Anhara. The road from The Promenade to the Vestral Downs is bordered on one side by tempestuous mountains and the primordial forest of Vestria's Glade, and on the other by cliffs along the sea as well as dangerous swamps, making the city a welcome sight for the traveler.Growth
As one of the capitals of an original noble house, The Promenade's status as a waystation along a dangerous route would inevitably prove to be an insufficient industry for its growing population. Coupled with the infertility of the salty marshes surrounding the city, whaling proved to be the best solution to the twin issues of few economic options and a low food supply. In those days, whales were abundant along the shore, and their streams of water could be easily seen from the city. The early Lords Prominere put the rabble to work constructing docks out over the water for harvesting the carcasses of whales, and began formally organizing a system for hunting the creatures. Coastal whales were relatively small, compared to those hunted today, and fleets of flatboats manned by peasants could set out, accompanied by a barge, and hunt with harpoons and spears. These would eventually evolve into the whaling fleets seen today. (See The Promenade's Whaling Industry) The formalizing of the whaling industry led to prosperity for the city, and an exportation for which The Promenade is famed. However, there can be too much of a good thing, and as personal enterprise gave way to formal industries, people would inevitably fall through the economy's cracks. Thus, the city's first gangs appeared, both in the form of criminals and the Longshoremen's Guild. The first capitalized upon those missed by the economic growth, particularly the untrained laborers of the Seaside, and eventually the families of those who crewed the longer whaling voyages, thus establishing control over neighborhoods through exploitation. The latter grew up amongst the butchers, stevedores, and saltworkers, organizing them for ostensibly their own benefit, but really the profit of the Guild's leadership.Decline
As the coastal whales were hunted to extinction around the time of The Crossing Over, the industry faced a choice. The Promenade could either suffer unmitigated economic downturn for all, or limit the disaster through experimenting with longer whaling voyages. They chose the latter, and whaling fleets began constructing motherships, which would continuously operate at sea. These vessels are replenished with supplies by flatboats which cycle between the city and the ships in shifts of months at a time, and are owned by the city's major whaling companies in cooperation with local gangs. This change left out many members of the Seaside, and allowed for gangs to capitalize on the growing poverty by providing safety, at a price. The long voyages at sea also offered the gangs the chance to extort sailors' families, seizing some of the funds sent home, and relishing in the lack of hearty men to defend the city. As the gangs grew, and the economy shrunk, an unholy alliance between the wealthy of the Landside and the gangs of the Seaside made this new reality permanent, and there were few defenders left for the poor of The Promenade. While the gangs have enriched themselves, the divisions in the city have grown more disparate. Those of the wealthy Landside, who make their money through dividends from the long-distance whaling companies, kickbacks from gangs, or the few non-nautical industries in the city, live in a luxury starkly opposed to the Seaside. There, warehouses lie crumbling and vacant, anti-whaling cultists of Murk do battle with gangs, who also fight amongst themselves, and immigrants from the Litoric Islands struggle for a peaceful life. All these factions fight for survival as the poorest die in their crumbling homes. Meanwhile, the Lords Prominere sit in their palace atop the Rise and exist in ignorant bliss, assured by their advisors that all is well.Gangs
See Gangs of the PromenadeDistricts
Seaside
Calettina
Calettina is the most visibly distinctive district of the Seaside portion of the city. Here, a community of expatriates from the Litoric Islands has slowly grown over time into a distinctive melding of Anharan and Islander culture. While they did not all arrive at once, the first wave of immigrants came to The Promenade as the island of Caletta saw increased raids by the Nemura's Cay Pirates, hence the district's name of "little Caletta." As life in the Litoric Islands was disrupted by the Northern Tribes during the Frozen Wars, Calettina saw increased immigration from other areas of the Islands."It was like coming home, and a most pleasant surprise, for they had brought a little piece of the Islands right into one of Anhara's major cities." - Marcolo Matei, Wide Blue BeyondThe architecture and ambience of Calettina reflects the foreign traditions of its residents. Like on the island of Caletta, the homes in this district feature open windows, natural light, and courtyards shared between neighbors. While this reflects the fashion of the motherland for residents of Calettina, it also reflects their values, as the waters around the pilings of the piers upon which the structures rest are kept impeccably clean, in stark contrast to the rest of the Seaside. In further contrast with the rest of the city, the people of Calettina have a sense of community and self-reliance which can only be born from the experience of immigration. This allows them to rise above many of the issues of violence and poverty which exist in other parts of the Seaside.
"Lord Prominere has issued a writ, ordering the city guard to isolate the leeches of Calettina, lest they spy for the enemy." - Podspot Herald, 42AMThe differences between the people of Calettina and their neighbors have led to varying levels of discord. Unpopularity has spiked at times of increased conflict between Anhara and the Litoric Islands, with the greatest violence coinciding with The Waterspout War. However, while conflict brings prosecution to Calettina, it also brings wealth. Expatriates within Calettina often serve as brokers between naval mercenaries in the Litoric Islands, and the leaders of noble houses in Anhara, who generally lack navies of their own, as well as go-betweens for smugglers avoiding the official trade center of Port Castellion.
The Spine
The Spine is the main thoroughfare of the Seaside portion of The Promenade, and home to most of the artisans, shops, and relatively wealthier members of the lower class. While the businesses and homes of this upper-lower class are located atop the docks of the Spine, those of the poorest of the poor are located below. There, the flatboat owners lucky enough to moor under the Spine, rather than a lesser district, linger around shops hoping to get a coin or two to run packages to the canal system or about the Seaside.Dogshead
"Aye, another brawl between Badgers and those hired thugs from the Islands. Better get on up there before those mercenaries lick our boys." - An Annoyed Sergeant of the GuardFrom Dogshead launch the great whaling fleets of the Promenade, and it is here that the sailors assemble before heading out to the armada. It is also in Dogshead where an entirely different breed of sailor prepares, the mercenary. With the burgeoning population of Calettina come inevitable contacts between The Promenade and the skilled sailors of the Litoric Islands, something that has come to fix the ever-present naval issue of noble houses. Unlike the army, the navy in Anhara is highly centralized under The Rostrum, and thus, to conduct wars with other houses, mercenaries are necessary. As wars are ever-present, so too is profit for the people of Dogshead, and for the Badgers, to whom they give tribute.
The Portion
"Oy ya runt, run back and tell the lads they pay their tab n'matter who's runnin for'um" - A Bartender Frustrated with some StevedoresThe Portion is the inevitable by-product of a culture of old salts, hardworking stevedores, and poverty. Here, named for the free portions of drinks received by sailors from whaling companies upon their return to port, the men of the Seaside delve into a sea of alcohol. Firewater from the distilleries, beer brewed in the villages within House Prominere's territory, and wine imported from the Vinelands, all disappear like clockwork when rowdy men return from the sea. Alcohol also flows across Runner Row to the men of the docks, providing a constant stream of revenue to the Badgers.
Headwater
"Eel! Fresh caught Quilled Eel! You won't find a better deal at any other cart!" - Street vendors heckle passersby with, invariably, seafoodHeadwater is the last, and largest, neighborhood within the Spine. It is here that most of the stereotypical buying and selling associated with the mercantile district of a city takes place, however it does so under the ever-watchful gaze of the Badgers. Headwater also acts as one of the main points of entry to the canal system of the Landside, and it is here that many of the flatboat couriers, merchants, and artisans of the Seaside organize their shipments.
Eastdock
The Eastdock, to the east of the Spine, is under the control of the Cutlass Crew, one of the four major gangs in the Seaside, and their smaller constituent gangs. Here, the residents generally fair better than their western counterparts, as the Cutlasses gain most of their income from the whaling and alcohol industries rather than pure extortion. Many of the citizens of the Eastdock are employed in the Greater Saltworks, factories in the whaling-based districts, as well as owning some independent whaling ships, thus allowing for a relatively higher standard of living than much of the Seaside. However, as the coastal whales have been largely hunted to extinction, the area has seen a downturn, and many industrial buildings have fallen into disrepair.Firewater
"Firewater is the lifeblood of every whaler, with too little they're out of control, and with too much they're out of control, but such is the nature of the trade." - Isobard Quickquill, Whale Whale Whale, What Have We Here?The northeastern-most neighborhood in the Eastdock, Firewater is also the wealthiest, as it is home to the Promenade's distillery district, hence its name. Here, the wooden docks have largely been reinforced with brick, becoming more of a mole, and in turn destroying the area's Underdeck. While the loss of Firewater's Underdeck coincided with the rise of the distilling industry, it also led to the poorest residents, those who resided on flatboats, leaving for other neighborhoods, particularly Butchers' Row. As flatboats make up the majority of any whaling armada, this meant that Firewater would be tied to the distilling industry alone. While the loss of whaling in the Firewater district forced many of the original residents out, it also allowed for one of the most unique styles in the city. Firewater is immediately distinct from the rest of the Seaside, as its professional atmosphere and higher-quality construction leaves it as the cleanest area outside of Calettina. However, the growth of Firewater's most famous distilleries, Armada Brewing and Dark Oak Distilling, have led to conflict between the rival Hogs and the Brewery Street Boys.
Murkhead
"Waves swamped a number of flatboats, heading out to the fleet. It is said to be the work of the whale-loving cultists of Murk, we pray Meda's Light will deliver us from their nagging." - Podspot HeraldMurkhead is the smallest neighborhood of the Eastdocks, but is nonetheless one of the most infamous. Here, no gang can truly exert practical control, as Murkhead is renowned as the home of a cult of worshipers of Murk, one of the Obscure Ones, said to rule the darkest depths of the oceans. The residents of Murkhead make up a strange segment of the population, not just for their worship, but for their protests against the lifeblood of the Promenade, the whaling industry. To them, whales are key components of Murk's realm, particularly the massive Toothed Whale, hunted in the deep ocean after the decline in coastal whale populations.
Tryworks
"Vats as tall as an Etan and as wide, even, as a Prominere stand stinking with the boiling blubber of whales, occasionally spraying passersby." - Isobard Quickquill, Whale Whale Whale, What Have We Here?South of Murkhead are the Tryworks, immediately noticeable by their stench. Here, in large iron pots, blubber from whales hauled into the Gallows is boiled into whale oil. This occurs in factories along the main street, and is the main source of employment for most in the neighborhood, particularly women who's husbands are away on whaling vessels. Most of those who work in the Tryworks live there as well, and are under the control of the Cutlass Crew. However, as the coastal whales have been largely hunted to extinction, the area has seen a downturn, and many industrial buildings have fallen into disrepair. Whale oil from the Tryworks is used for everything from candles and lamps, to soap and the prevention of corrosion, to a condiment. See The Promenade's Whaling Industry
Butchers' Row
"Having slipped in a pool of blood emanating from a whale larger than a Meridian tower, I became a true Crimson Quill in every sense of the term." - Isobard Quickquill, Whale Whale Whale, What Have We Here?Like with the Tryworks, Butchers' Row is first revealed to the visitor by their senses, as the smell of whale carcasses and the cooking of their meat permeates the neighborhood. Here, chunks of meat brought from the Gallows are further divided up, and often hung out along the street to be cured. However, air-curing is for the small business, and most of the residents of Butchers' Row work in the brining factories, where the whale meat is preserved in brine, corned, or otherwise preserved for sale throughout the Seaside or to ships. Many of those workers have since been turned out of the job, as while the whales caught are larger than ever, the long journeys required to hunt them mean infrequent work for Butchers' Row. This area of the Eastdocks are under the control of the Cleavers.
Gallows
"After the carcass is suspended in the air by a crane, tie it to the deck by its tail, and begin flaying in sections of two to three feet. For Clawed Whales and larger, use crampons." - Pike Manual of PracticeWhen approaching the Promenade from the east, the first thing to catch the traveler's eye are the Gallows. Along the waterfront of this neighborhood hang the carcasses of whales of all varieties, hoisted from the decks of hauling ships to be prepared for processing. However, while the whales are visibly striking while suspended above the water, they are there for a relatively short time. The cranes then rotate to hold the whale just off the surface of the dock, while men on scaffolding flense the whale as it rotates. This involves using long staffs with curved metal blades to carve along the whale as it spins, slicing off sections, which fall onto the dock. Flensing is a messy process, covering the streets and canals along the Gallows' waterfront with blood and gore, making it a rather undesirable neighborhood. However, the Seaside is an undesirable part of town, and the Gallows provide some of the best employment in the district. The results of the flensing are shipped off by flatboat to Butchers' Row or the Tryworks for processing and selling. Today though, more and more of the Gallows cranes hang empty, as while those whales who are brought back to the city are larger than ever, they are also fewer in number.
Runner Row
Dirty urchins scamperin' about? Mothers left in peace? You'd think the city was carefree lookin' at this place.Runner Row is a small neighborhood, connecting the whaling-focused areas to the rest of the city. On its east are the Tryworks and Butchers' Row, and its west connects the Eastdock to the Spine. Runner Row is mostly residential in nature, home to those not directly involved in work at some of the industries to its east, mostly the families of those sailors who are steadily employed, rather than work on a per-voyage basis. Overall a pleasant place to live compared to the rest of the Eastdocks, as Runner Row lacks the overt attack on the senses shared by its neighbors. It is named for the children in the neighborhood, who are paid by stevedores and factory workers to run to the Portion for alcohol, thus avoiding blame themselves for missed tabs, and allowing them to fit drinking into their short breaks.
Brinepool
"This used to be the cutting edge of the city, now Brinepool is left behind, just full of homes and an industry that's been absorbed by others. Nice food though" - Isobard Quickquill, Whale Whale Whale, What Have We Here?While Butchers' Row prepares much of the whale meat for local consumption, the Brinepool is where the two major industries of the Seaside come together. Here, the salt from the Greater and Lesser Saltworks is processed. Promenade Salt is often exported as a product in and of itself, however, the best of it is used to preserve the finest whale products for transport to the nobles of the Coquet Heights. Though the neighborhood is named for its most well-known industry, the Brinepool is largely residential, as the growth of the whaling industry's prominence super-seceded that of salt, and much of the brining was moved to Butchers' Row. Brinepool is home to many of the stevedores who work on the Seaside's entrance to the canal system.
Westdock
The Westdock is the poorest district in the Seaside, besides the Underdeck. Here, the residents are under the control of the Redmarks and their constituent gangs, brutal criminals who take much of their income from the local population. The Redmarks' territory also includes the Lesser Saltworks, where many of the Westdock's residents work. However, as the name implies, the Lesser Saltworks are much less productive than their eastern counterpart. Thus, many of the male residents of the Westdock are forced to seek employment on whaling ships, taking them away from the city and forcing them to send much of their pay home, another source of income for the Redmarks.Oldlaunch
Good luck making it through there, you can hardly see the Moorings for all those bruisers in the way.Sitting just outside of the Moorings, Oldlaunch was where, in the early days of The Promenade, armadas of flatboats would row past watchtowers, out to sea, at the first sighting of a coastal whale's spray. Now, like much of the Seaside, the whaling trade has reduced with the coastal whales' population, and more and more men spend long journeys in the far reaches of the sea. Oldlaunch's modern population is endemic of this change, as it houses the roughest of the city's gang members, living outside of the Moorings to be on hand for their captains.
Almsbank
"Crustier, grimier, dirtier urchins have never before been seen, I think. Perfectly pleasant chaps, no less, you'd hardly know they were wannabe thugs." - Isobard Quickquill, Whale Whale Whale, What Have We Here?While Oldlaunch houses the strongest, most cutthroat gang members in the city, Almsbank holds the least amongst the hangers-on. Here, in rundown buildings from a more prosperous era, are those who beg and grovel at the feet of the gang captains. Unlike in the Eastdock or the Spine, work in the Westdock is not within any particular industry, rather it comes from the hand of the ruling Redmarks. Almsbank in particular is under the control of the Paupers, the closest thing to a schoolmaster to be found in the district, and the main pathway to future employment for the youth of the neighborhood.
Mendicants' Mess
"Children as young as five are trained to be able to reach into the pockets of a practice coat, which is suspended from a hook with a bell. He must train until he no longer rings it." - Isobard Quickquill, The Criminal's ChronicleMendicants' Mess has forever been a thorn in the side of the more prosperous Spine, as it connects the Westdock to the Headwater neighborhood. Here, beggars from the Mess are allowed to spill over onto the streets of the Seaside's more respectable businesses, before returning to the Mess with any potential alms. However, those from Mendicants' Mess are often trained in a more efficient method of gaining coin, pickpocketing. This trade is governed by the Molls, a constituent gang of the Redmarks, much to the chagrin of the Spine's Badgers.
Workhouse
You heard the bell! Collection time! Don't make this harder than it has to be.Employment in the Westdock is far from consistent, but if a resident is lucky enough to have employment in a whaling fleet, they have the benefit of some money to send back home to their family. This is far from the economic salvation it may seem though, and while the families of crewmembers are better off, extortion by the Redmarks is common. To make this more efficient, the Redmarks herd the families of whaling crews into the Workhouse, under the guise of providing for them while their husbands, fathers, or sons are away. While this does provide marginally better housing than that afforded to many other residents of the Westdock, it allows the gangs to both protect and collect from those they know to have money. This makes residency in the Workhouse both a blessing and a curse.
Bargeside
"For a city with so much crime, you would expect these flatboat couriers to just steal the goods, but no. Evidentially some gangster studied economics." - Isobard Quickquill, Whale Whale Whale, What Have We Here?When whaling fleets return from their ever-lengthier voyages, they inevitably return with maintenance issues irreparable at sea. These problems are taken to the woodworkers, coopers, seamstresses and other tradespeople of Bargeside. Named for the large flatboats which ship products to the neighborhood, Bargeside has become a catch-all for one of the few areas of the Seaside where truly skilled laborers still reside. However, as is a common theme, those with the most talent have moved away to the Landside in recent years, though there is no lack of business when it comes to things that need repairing on the docks.
Boneyards
"The young Lady Pike was seen at the Forwins' Ball with a lovely whalebone broach of the family crest, which reliable sources say fetched a very pretty price in the Boneyards." - Podspot HeraldWhile whale meat and oil are major products in the Seaside, nothing is more visibly striking than the bones left over by these massive creatures. In the Boneyards, the skeletal remains of the whales are cleaned up and resized for shipment to cities which can afford such luxury, particularly to the west, in the rest of the Coquet Heights. Valued for its similarity to the striking white of Meridia's towers, whale bone is often crafted into jewelry or furniture by artisans in The Promenade before being exported. In the olden days, when whaling was at its height, whale bone was a crucial building material and could be seen throughout even the Seaside. However, as the coastal whales have died out and catches grow more infrequent, any bone left over is worth more if its shipped away and sold.
Castworks
These bigger whales are great for business. The more aggressive they get, the more repair work there is.Like with the Bargeside, an industry based on the seas inevitably spawns others in its wake, and such is the case in the Castworks. Here, copper, iron, and bronze from the meager but steady deposits in the nearest mountains of the Coquet Heights are refined and moulded to the use of the sailing industry, or the city at large. As this supply is very important to the Lord Prominere's soldiers, the Castworks is nominally under the control of the Redmarks, but they take a very light hand. Work in this district has thus continued largely unhampered by the downturn in whaling, nor the rise in poverty, as metals always have a place in weapons of war.
Lordgarden
"From what records I can find, it seems the last time a Lord or Lady Prominere set foot in the entirety of the Seaside, was when they abandoned Lordgarden." - Isobard Quickquill, Whale Whale Whale, What Have We Here?The last of the neighborhoods of the Westdock, Lordgarden is one of the original parts of the Seaside. Here, the noble family of House Prominere maintained a luxurious seaside garden during the earlier days of the city, when life was simpler. However, like so much of the Seaside, it fell into disuse. First, the rise of the whaling industry necessitated its conversion to housing for flatboat owners, before their expulsion to the Underdeck, so they may swiftly assemble at the Oldlaunch upon the spotting of a whale. However, today it is rather desolate, and home to some of the most vulnerable in the Seaside. Orphans, widows, and criminals not even employed by the gangs reside here, and often the only way out is to seek employment, for women, in the bathhouses of East Wade, or, if a lucky man, in the crews of passing ships.
The Moorings
"The Captains are in agreement, an' the verdict is death, for the violatin' of the Neutrality Clause of the Yardarm Pact." - The Right Noble ExecutionerThe Moorings is the smallest district of the Seaside, and more of a structure than an area of the city. Its located in the Westdock, and consists of three ancient warships from the Litoric Islands moored together, being kept afloat by the city's gangs as a neutral headquarters and meeting ground. Here, each gang controls a deck of a ship for the use of their leaders, and no violence is allowed onboard, as its neutrality has been strictly respected since the Yardarm Pact ended constant gang warfare.
The Underdeck
"The Cutout Boys seem to have a loose control over the Underdeck, but I have my suspicions, unverified, that they have organized some sort of shadowy Smugglers Guild down there." - Isobard Quickquill, The Criminal's ChronicleThe Underdeck is the least understood segment of the city, and is more a direction than a district per say. To go to the Underdeck is to go below the topside, the surface of the Seaside portion of the city. Here, the traditional flatboats, upon which the most disparate members of society live, use to ferry goods for merchants, and, if lucky, occasionally row out to help in a whale hunt. However, these flatboats remain the greatest connection to the ancient traditions of the city, when whale hunts took place near the shore, and were a community activity that would feed families for months. Those times, however, are mostly past, and none but the oldest salts still tell of them. While most of the activity in this portion of the city takes place board flatboats, there are some structures constructed among the piles of the docks. These are generally seedy establishments, where most of the crime unregulated by the gangs take place. The Cutout Boys loosely regulate this district, but generally receive payment from the taverns and whorehouses that dot the Underdeck, though some say they focus on more nefarious trades.
Landside
Inflow
Named for the path of the canal, which flows into the city from the Seaside in this district, the Inflow was originally a lively hub of markets, warehouses, and festivals. Now, with the whaling downturn, and growing poverty in The Promenade, residents have little reason to celebrate holidays, nor goods to sell at market. The Inflow, however, is slowly coming back to life under a new demographic. Here, those of talent, who fled the Seaside for a better life, are trying to make a living, and with them comes a new sense of community, but glaring inequality.Tidepool
"The circles of proper society were shocked to learn upon the Exchange's annual report, that real-estate in the Tidepool neighborhood is being bought up by merchants from the Seaside. Ghastly news for those who want to preserve landed civilization!" - Podspot HeraldAt the entrance to the Inflow, where in days of old, goods entered the city from the canals, is Tidepool. Formerly the home of a bustling warehouse district, where merchants in the many markets kept there goods, and traders organized their stocks for export, it is now the home of those skilled workers fleeing the dying Seaside. Any upstart artisan of talent began working their way into the Tidepool when whaling began to dry up, and have begun to build a bustling community despite the social rigidity of the haughtier half of the city. While Tidepool's ancient warehouses still exist, many have been slowly repurposed into apartments for those lucky enough to move their family with them, and small exclaves of the Seaside's neighborhoods now exist within Tidepool.
East Wade
"The Whalestream Baths, though I have a name for it not fit for paper. It's more of a gilded brothel really, and poor mothers cover their ears to its ill nature, lest their daughters stay trapped in the Seaside forever." - Isobard Quickquill, Whale Whale Whale, What Have We Here?While neighboring Tidepool is where many of the Seaside's most skilled laborers fled, East Wade is home to those of the fewest means. Here, the most vulnerable families, mostly from Lordgarden, sent their daughters to work in the bathhouses of East Wade. While life in East Wade would not be an easy one, nor be without the same sorts of exploitation as was felt at the hands of the Redmarks, the services provided by this recreational area of the city would give these refugees from the Seaside a better chance. East Wade, however, serves only the middling merchants, and while its bahthouses, taverns, and inns are a world away from the crumbling Seaside, they pale in comparison to those of West Wade, and only the servants who prove to be best may move to the West.
Rushmall
"A lucky find for an up-and-comer today, as while having a wine cellar constructed for his new home, one Mr. Davenmore of North Shrubrow St. dug right into an ancient warehouse under the old market!" - Podspot HeraldRushmall is what remains of the once bustling market district spanning from the Inlet's lake to the Sieve. Now, while it retains many of its stalls along the waterfront, the market city-within-a-city, rivalling even the Marcian Markets of Port Castellion, is mostly gone. In its place stand the homes and offices of minor shipping, accounting, insurance, and innumerable other firms trying to claw their way to prominence in The Promenade. Dotted along this rather quaint neighborhood are some hints of what used to be, from stone plazas, to ancient fountains topped in statuary harkening back to the days when The Promenade was a true community, but now just an architectural compliment to the offices of businessmen.
Pikes' Park
"Pikes' Park was a welcome change from the squalor I had spent months in while researching the Seaside, yet gangs never escape you in The Promenade, as it seems even within The Harbor's lovely walls, clandestine business takes place" - Isobard Quickquill, Decadence of the Upper HalfPikes' Park is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in the city, particularly as one heads south, towards the Rise, as it was named for House Pike, a landed minor house from the ancient days of The Promenade. House Pike grew from the old title of Pike, bestowed upon the leader of the whaling armada, who traditionally threw the first harpoon upon the start of the Sprayspot Festival, the old inauguration of the whaling season. As this festival has lost much of its original meaning, and is rarely celebrated outside of the Seaside due to the end of coastal whaling, House Pike, too, has drifted from their roots. Now the administrators of the Pike & Sons Co., the family reclines upon their wealth, which is reflected in the neighborhood that bears their name. Pikes' Park reflects the decadence of even those residents of the Landside who are not the richest of the rich, as their homes are massive constructs, full of luxury and imported material. In the south of Pikes' Park, at the base of the Rise, is The Harbor, the sprawling family complex, host of many of the most illustrious events, from parties to business deals, in The Promenade.
The Exchange
Home to one of the birthplaces of corporations in Anhara, the Exchange is a sprawling district of companies, banks, merchants, and a source of disdain for those of the Seaside. Here, The Promenade's economic disparity is furthered, as what was originally an organizational center for whaling expeditions, has since grown to house the wealthiest in the region.Banksdale
"The Honorable Windston Silver of Meridia has ruled in favor of House Swann, finding M&T Trust does not violate the Bank of Anhara monopoly legislation, a truly just ruling indeed." - Podspot HeraldThe Bank of Anhara, the nation's first banking organization, founded by House Semillon , has few competitors. However, Merchants' & Traders' Trust, run by House Swann, has long been the preferred choice for lower-class merchants and business owners. In Banksdale, it got its start, and has since spearheaded the development of the district, allowing it to stave off the poverty that has crippled so many districts within The Promenade. Nonetheless, House Swann faces fierce competition, and the Longshoremen's Guild has crept into Banksdale. Generally known to be a front for the gang leadership of the Seaside, the Guild has brought their unscrupulous practices to the tree-lined streets of this otherwise prosperous neighborhood, making it the newest battlefield between decadence and decay in The Promenade.
Exchange Center
"Those with whom I spoke before taking the ship from Meridia to The Promenade seemed to be under the impression those merchants at the Exchange were Cothrum himself. Never have I heard more pompous words with less actual meaning than here." - Isobard Quickquill, Decadence of the Upper HalfExchange Center is home to, unsurprisingly, The Exchange. This commanding structure plays host to the bureaucracy of The Promenade's city government and guard, as well as the Exchange Floor. Here, merchants hustle about like ants, discussing and trading stocks in the city's companies, a relatively nascent practice in Anhara, spread by the Exchange's founder, Girolamo Pisano. Pisano, an immigrant to Calettina, took the Litoric practice of plankholders, those who purchased planks of a ship to share in the risk of a merchant voyage, and adapted it to fit first the whaling industry, and then the other trades within the city. However, Pisano was strongly against gangs, but since his death the Exchange has been inundated with the blood money of the Seaside's less-savory residents. Dotted around the Exchange, making up the rest of the Center, are the offices of the biggest companies in the city, most prominently Pike & Sons Co., Deepquest Whaling, other honest businesses, and assorted fronts for gang activity.
Sieve
The Sieve used to be the center of The Promenade's early community, where the incoming goods on the canal were sorted and dispensed to wherever the city needed them. Here, all classes were blended together, from the ruling family upon the Rise, to the merchants of the Exchange, and the artisans and laborers of the less affluent neighborhoods. In modern times, it still retains its practical functions, but the rising disparity has left the Sieve as a small island of laborers within a much greater sea of a rising merchant class.The Factor
"This is, frankly, the first area of the city where there seemed to be some respect for history, as the Fortress actually featured a meager attempt at a museum of industry. Sadly, it does infact seem to be the birthplace of that bothersome Exchange." - Isobard Quickquill, Decadence of the Upper HalfThe Factor is a small neighborhood, mostly consisting of Fort Shallowmoor, but one with a crucial economic history for the city. It was here that the complex commercial dealings which now take place at the Exchange developed. Within the walls of the fort was, in the early days of the city, storage for the more valuable trading goods and a secure location for factors, merchants acting as agents for larger sellers, under the watchful eyes of the guards. This system of factorage was the prototype of the reduced-liability companies which have allowed, at least the wealthy, residents of The Promenade to prosper.
West Wade
"A most upsetting event at the Tresled Mare, as a clearly deranged man from the Eastdeck burst in, disturbing some most esteemed gentleman, claiming his sister was being held there against her will. The established has apologized for the disturbance." - Podspot HeraldWest Wade is the older, wealthier, and more decadent brother to East Wade. Here, the most exclusive bathhouses, social clubs, and other recreational facilities cater to an intriguing cast of characters. West Wade is the exploitation capital of The Promenade to which the poor women of East Wade, and thus the Seaside, hope to escape to as their seemingly sole exit from crippling poverty. However, it is not what the sometimes-idyllic stories make it out to be, and West Wade plays host to the uninterrupted debaucheries of the ruling class.
First Point
By order of Arneld III, Lord Prominere, the 19th of Churus is to be a public festival held in honor of the visit and work of Isobard Quickquill.Firstpoint was home to the original center of The Promenade, and still maintains that ancient theme to this day. Here, most celebrations take place, but unlike in ancient times, they are generally limited to the wealthy. While most of the structures there are residential, they are sparse, and Firstpoint largely consists of squares with fountains, or open grass fields for public use.
Outflow
The Outflow was where goods traveled from the Landside to the docks on the old canal system, and while it still retains that original use, its character has changed greatly over the years. Now the home to up-and-coming segments of the population, rather than the old laborers who used to work along the shores of the canal, the Outflow plays host to gang members trying to play at civilizing, a burgeoning middle class of clerical workers, and a wide variety of inns for travelers coming to the Coquet Heights from the east of Anhara.Newblood
"The Exchange's annual report today also showed a fourfold increase in purchases of imported building materials, indicating the expected housing boom in Newblood" - Podspot HeraldNewblood, located close at hand to the Exchange, is home to a growing new class within The Promenade. Here, the middlemen and staff of the ever-expanding offices of the Landside's business community live, carving out a life for themselves between the overbearing decadence of the district's traditional denizens, and the crippling poverty of their Seaside neighbors. Newblood is a pleasant community of cobbled, tree-lined streets, constant construction projects, and new apartment buildings which act as a starting point for housing the aspiring businessmen.
Southquay
"I cannot express, dear reader, the relief with which I discovered Southquay. Alas, my reputation preceded me too well, and I found the laborers of Seaside told their brethren here of my expertise in handling Firewater." - Isobard Quickquill, Decadence of the Upper HalfSouthquay has retained much of its original qualities, and still serves as one of the few neighborhoods of manual laborers left on the Landside. Here, stevedores live and work on the docks of the Outflow, managing what goods flow to the port, as well as, increasingly, managing goods coming into the city from eastern Anhara at large. Their existence, however justified by their labor, is very much an anachronistic relic of times gone by, and eager eyes look upon the key real-estate that is Southquay, hoping to snatch it up. The community itself is ever-increasingly forced to choose between the grubby hands of their social betters, or siding with the unsavory Longshoremen's Guild for their own protection.
Redwaters
"Evidentially, those surprisingly cultured captains of men from the Moorings, have even more cultured overlords. They have cleverly disguised themselves as 'investors' and 'retired merchants' and hidden away in Redwaters, but were no less welcoming than their servants in the Seaside." - Isobard Quickquill, Decadence of the Upper HalfRedwaters is an ever-growing thorn in the side of The Promenade's government, and the site of increasing conflict with the city guard. Here, spitefully renamed to honor its new denizens, Redwaters plays host to the uppity, nouveau riche, higher echelons of gang leadership, part-retirement home and part-retreat. This change has not proved popular with the nobles, but the subtle bloodshed, not mentioned in respectable circles, has at least brought about a silver lining, forcing the city's leaders to reevaluate their stance on gang activity, and bolster the forces of law and order.
Saltwash
"Provisions are to be found at villages, generally separated by a ride of two or three days, before one can truly rest and replenish in The Promenade" - Merchants' Roadmap of the Coquet HeightsThe dangers within The Promenade are well known, but for a traveler attempting to get from eastern Anhara to the Coquet Heights overland, it is a safe haven in the midst of a murky and dangerous system of swamps. Saltwash houses innumerable inns, lodgings, taverns, and shops for the weary traveler after a long trip skirting around the edge of the Coquet Heights, dodging swamps, and avoiding the dark depths of the forest of Vestria's Grove. Here is rest for the weary, and as welcome a neighborhood as one can find in the city.
The Rise
Any Anharan city of interest has its own equivalent of the Rise, some sort of on high from which the ruling family can look down from, literally or metaphorically. In The Promenade, this is no different, and upon the Rise sits the towering Meridian-style palace of House Prominere, along with the essential Bellows. The structure is built atop the pool from which the city's waterfall springs, feeding into the canal system below, as it flows through the luxurious neighborhoods of North and South MistfallNorth Mistfall
"One less ancient house in North Mistfall, as the Lady Dowager's estate sells her former manor to Sir Harus Greely, formerly of the Exchange." - Podspot HeraldNorth Mistfall is the lesser of the two neighborhoods, but nonetheless home to some of the most luxurious and sprawling estates in the city. Here are the homes of the city's most ancient families, those who have historically pulled the strings in The Promenade. North Mistfall plays host to the manors of the city's bureaucratic leaders, those who traditionally give The Promenade its councilmen and mayors, knights and lesser advisers to the Lord Prominere.
South Mistfall
"As, dear reader, you are surely one of great intellect, you have noticed a trend throughout this tome. It comes to its peak in South Mistfall, where one evening's dinner, in the least of these stately homes, would feed half of the Seaside for a month." - Isobard Quickquill, Decadence of the Upper HalfSouth Mistfall has the prime position within the city, at the very base of the Rise, where the waterfall comes thundering down to begin the canal system. Here, in this place of prominence, the greatest of the city's noble blood reside in homes as old as The Promenade itself, built in the ancient style of Meridia's palatial villas. Decadence is on full display, as while the denizens of South Mistfall certainly contribute to the governance of The Promenade, the economic disparity so endemic to the city has its most visible roots here, from the gilded architecture to the exclusive parties.
Exterior
The path from the Vestral Downs to The Promenade is an essential one for the nation, but nonetheless a perilous journey for the unprepared. Juggling the tempestuous mountains along the west of the pass, the primordial forest at its base, or the salt-water swamps filling in amongst loose, low-lying ground on its west, travel is difficult. While these swamps are dangerous, none are more useful or important than the Saltworks outside the city.Greater & Lesser Saltworks
"Addendum; no matter how long you have visited The Promenade, never think yourself smarter than the Mire Thoroughfare, or you'll be in muck up to your belt." - Merchants' Roadmap of the Coquet HeightsThe Greater & Lesser Saltworks, to the south and north respectively, are dotted with shipwrecks, gang members, and downtrodden laborers. Here, the saltwater in the swamps is filtered through pools for condensing and separating into The Promenade's famous salt, used to preserve its other exports, or sold on its own. However, the Saltworks see constant fighting between gangs for their slow but steady source of income.
Founding Date
About 12 AR
Type
Large city
Inhabitant Demonym
Promineres
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Related Tradition (Primary)
Related Professions
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