Independent City, Known for its Black Market
Score: 263 | 03/05/20 |
This is a city of paranoia, though some might say for good
reason. Long ago, in a titanic fall from grace, a member of its
Council of Wizards fell to the corrupting influence of the Ynfernael
and opened a portal to that blighted realm. Otherworldly
monsters poured forth in a massive tide, threatening the western
regions of Terrinoth. Unwilling to allow the forces of darkness
to gain a foothold, the Daqan Lords delivered a swift and
brutal response. Whole families of sorcerers were eradicated in a
brutal purge to force the portal closed. Those who were allowed
to live did so under careful, unceasing watch.
MARKETPLACE
Nerekhall’s marketplace is only a shadow of the like
found in Tamalir and other trading hubs, but it nonetheless
draws a variety of merchants offering diverse
goods. Some say that enchanted objects, forbidden
texts, and other curiosities dredged from Nerekhall’s catacombs
are available to buyers who ask the right questions;
of course, merchants dealing in such contraband
are understandably wary, lest they draw the attentions
of the Ironbound.
TOWN SQUARE
Nerekhall’s town square is the center of life in the city,
where townsfolk can hear proclamations, gather for festivities,
and witness public executions. This last event
is always a big draw, as Nerekhall’s magistrates make a
great show of executing any practitioner of dark magic,
both to deter other would-be dabblers and to uphold
the public image that Nerekhall has moved past its dark
history.
THE ACADEMY
The Academy is Nerekhall’s center of learning. A far
cry from the University of Greyhaven, the Academy
instructs in mundane matters. While students learn a
number of subjects that touch on the topic of magic—
from history, to philosophy, to theology and other natural
sciences—they receive no instruction in the mystical
arts themselves. The Academy is the destination for the
youth of the nobility without the aptitude for study in
Greyhaven, and even draws the occasional scholar from
outside the city. Rumors suggest that the Academy
provides a convenient cover story for those who would
come to Nerekhall in search of the forbidden, but these
are just rumors.
THE IRON TOWER
The imposing edifice of the Iron Tower rises above the
city’s High Quarter. Reinforced with iron walls and
inscribed with warding runes, the tower is designed
to withstand attacks both mundane and magical. The
responsibility for guarding against corruption in the
city lies foremost with the wizards of the tower, some of
whom also hold the position of city magistrate. Among
other defenses, the artificers are the caretakers and creators
of the Ironbound.