[Information] The City of Julianople

[Lentil Sponge]

Map Key Plot Relevant Buildings (Highlighted in Gold) J9 The Dead Mermaid Casino Major Buildings (Highlighted in Red) A1 Entrance to the Mt. Julian Mines D4 The Imperial Treasury D5 The Imperial Palace F9 The Great Lighthouse G5 The Meditation Gardens of Heaven H8 The Merchant's Guild and City Treasury M5 The Grand Temple of Sophi M8 The Great Barracks P6 The University of Julianople P10 Talonta Island Prison Q5 The Tower of The Three Sisters R6 The Hippodrome Notable Small Buildings (Highlighted in Blue) A8 The Imperial Observatory and Soothsayers B1 The Black Dog Brothel B3 Elmen & Co. Jewellers C2 Dwarfholme Ironworks E7 The Western Docks Constabulary F1 The First Post Public House F4 The Imperial Winery F8 The Last Drop Tavern G3 Westside All Girl's Academy G7 The Best Tavern H6 The High Road Papermakers I4 The Drunken Mermaid Distillery I8 The Hidden Inn J2 The Dragon River Herbalist's J8 The City House of Records L7 The Riverside Brewery M3 The Eight Dragon Inn M6 Obane, Miller & Grox Legal N4 High Gallows Tavern O2 The Old Smith O5 The Goblintown Bank O8 3rd & 18th School for Boys P2 Julianople Common Tannery P7 Madame Tabor's Elven Massage Parlour Q6 Eastside Constabulary and Jailhouse R5 The Gladiatorial Weaponsmith S2 The Tired Nag Inn

The City of Julianople Julianople is a huge city. Built on the coast and the mouth of a river, in its prime it was one of the wealthiest cities in the world. However, over time, all that wealth and power has frittered away into the hands of especially powerful and especially corrupt individuals, leaving the city itself very poor. Much of its old wealth came from Mt. Julian to the north-west, which is where the city gets its name. Despite the incredibly hot climate, with how tall Mt Julian is one can expect to see snow and frost at its peak. Deep within there are many metals, including copper, iron, tin and gold. However, disrepair has meant that said mines are crawling with monsters. The north-western part of town is the historic centre, and the oldest buildings in the city are here. The western side of the city had the mountain, so it also had the wealth. The Citadel, in its centre, is possibly the only place left where one can truly say there is law and order, though it is tightly controlled by the Imperial forces and few go in or go out. On the southern coast is the historic Merchant's District, full of ports, inns, brothels and casinos. Organised crime tore through these streets and turned the once properous Merchant's District into a dangerous place indeed. Across the river are the poorer quarters of the east side. While the west side traditionally was mining and trade, the east primarily existed to feed the west. This goes someway to explain why there is such resentment between east and west. More than once, someone has rallied the people into a revolt to form their own city. None have been successful for long. To try and keep the people content, there were colleges and entertainment districts, but all this did was attract yet more gangsters. The divide between west and east is not just economic, but religious too, though more information about that can be found below. Outside the city to its north, running the farms and the mills, are a group of small shanty towns. The northern riverbank is the last thing one will see before the endless desert surrounding Julianople begins. It is a lush fertile combination of jungle and marshland. Citrus foods, fine spices, rice and wheat are all common foods in Julianople as a result of the hard-working farmers of the north. The north is, however, also prone to frequent flooding and incursions of bandits from the deserts or wild animal attacks. The city itself feels safe, behind its large walls, and it sometimes forgets that if the farms fail, the city fails. Outside the city borders, the jungle and swamps give way to deserts. And beyond is another story entirely. There are three major seasons in Julianople - when the winds turn, they bring the Rainy Season. Floods and constant downpours are abound. But then afterwards, there is a long Summer Season, when the rains fade and the humidity becomes a baking dry heat. In this time, the fruits and crops grow, and afterwards is the Harvest Season, when it is cool enough and the food is ripe enough for picking.

Tilly One-Eye Gansog and the Dead Mermaid's Casino Tilly One-Eye Gansog is many things, but a woman to be trifled with she is not. Formidable, dangerous and mixed in with multiple illegal activities, she rose through the ranks of the criminal underworld to become one of its more feared figures... unfortunately, not the most, which she often forgets. She has found herself in possession of an ornate chest. No one knows what is in it, aside from Tilly herself. She has asked a party of newcomers to the city to escort it to the buyers of the chest, the owners of the Eight Dragon Inn. Clearly, that did not go so well... The Dead Mermaid's Casino is the largest casino in the city, thanks to its placement right by the docks. Across both the west and the east, many people flock to the Dead Mermaid. If nothing else, people often go because the city guard so rarely do. Here, patrons play many games, though there is also a plethora of activities that they partake in, legal or otherwise. In one corner there is burlesque, where risque jokes are told and risque dances are done. In another, a wrestling ring allows anyone to test their strength and for friends to settle squabbles. And, for the right price, there are bedrooms for people to spend the night with Tilly's more pretty staff or cellars to watch animals and men fight for sport... There are many mini-games available for the players to play during downtime to help them gain extra earnings beyond simply their own Profession or Perform rolls. Further details will come about once the game begins proper.

Demographics, Technology and Magic Julianople was once a great city that has fallen into ruin. But this is not the first time this has happened. Due to its strategic location and wealth of natural resources, many empires have come to claim it, only for the city itself to somehow draw said invaders in and suck their wealth away from them. It can feel as if the criminality of Julianople itself is at once alive and a political entity, destroying many an empire in its wake to the benefit of its most corrupt individuals. The current rulers are an Elven family who continue to call themselves "Emperor" and "Empress". Crown Prince Undiara sits in the Imperial Palace, commanding the Citadel, but he knews that he has no power outside the Citadel walls and keeps himself locked away. As such, elves might receive some more preferential treatment in the less corrupt courthouses and exactly nowhere else. Almost every race in the world can be found somewhere in Julianople, though the further away one goes from the docks the more the individual races tend to stay in their own districts. Many give their own names to their streets, such as Goblintown in the east, Dwarfholme near the mountain, or Dragon Road where the kobolds live outside the city. The closer one gets to the docks, the more these races mingle. Humans thrive in Julianople as a result, as they are able to (and do) have offspring with most humanoid species. Generally, the technological level of Julianople is in the classical age, though with medieval melee weaponry. Gunpowder is just beginning to make its way into Julianople, though only the especially rich and especially well-travelled possess or even know it exists. The houses of the wealthy are made of marble, while the poorest live in homes of lumber and dried cement. The clothes worn vary from person to person, but generally the extreme heat and humidity makes wearing loose clothing a must when its not winter. Magic, on the other hand, is rare but well known. The University of Julianople is where most of the spellcasters in the city learnt their craft, though there are only a few. A wizard walking down a street will prompt gossip and will only happen every few weeks, but it's not a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Religion There are three primary religious sects within the city of Julianople. These have caused a lot of division between the people, all of whom are aggressive to what they perceive as non-believers. Their religious culture is diametrically opposed, though there is some overlap between the three. Few are sure of which the true pantheon is - no matter who the cleric is, there does seem to be someone responding. Most zealots of any particular religion will insist that anyone praying to another god is really praying to their own god and just keeps getting the name wrong.   There are two worlds. The world of mortals, where charismatic men and women rule and squabble for rulership. Then there is the world of the Heaven, where the gods themselves rule and squabble for rulership. Heaven, to the believer of The Heavenly Masters, is a bureaucratic chaotic morass of minor and major gods, each of whom fall in and out of favour. This is the religion of traders and travellers, and it incorporated a lot of gods and goddesses from other religions as it evolved, which can make it seem inconsistent at times. A believer in The Edict of The Heavenly Masters will worship a particular deity that controls an important aspect of their life, such as a blacksmith worshipping a fire god, but the only moral component to the religion is of self-mastery. Of encouraging contemplation and civility. As such, they tend not to clash with other religions, even if other religions clash with their customs. There are literally thousands of gods and goddesses in the Pantheon, including gods of beetles, specific rivers and the making of cheese, but this is a small list of the most important gods and goddesses, who impact everyone's every day life. The rulers of the gods. The Master of Heaven - This is not actually a God, but they also are. This is the most powerful deity, and they are at once a title bestowed onto an already existing god who has become the most popular, and also a god in of themselves. Specifically of the cycle of death and rebirth, and they are basically a dull bureaucrat with scales. However, they are also tasked with holding back the Swirling Light. Alignment: Lawful Neutral Favoured Weapon: Quarterstaff Domains: Life, Death, Repose, Nobility Sapphron - Usually depicted as a woman who meditates amongst tigers, Sapphron is the current Master of Heaven. She was once a mortal orc who had studied so much that she transcended the mortal realm. She is, surprisingly enough, something of a trickster, having fooled Archibarta into losing her status as Master of Heaven in a bet over grains of sand in the desert. Alignment: Lawful Good Favoured Weapon: Shortsword Domains: Knowledge, Trickery, Fur Alchibarta - The most recent former Master of Heaven, depicted as a twin-headed dragon. She had gotten the position through brute force, and is generally seen as a dangerous goddess to invoke. She is violent, bad-tempered and controls not just warring nations, but warring natures, such as storms and hurricances, and rules over every other god of battle or weather. Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Favoured Weapon: Axe Domains: Lightning, Storms, War, Destruction The Druid King - Fauna and flora are all under the purview of the Druid King. He is explicitly a ruler of gods, chosen by all the plants and animals of the world to be their neutral, unbiased ruler, for he is neither man nor god. He is depicted as a wizened old man made of leaves, and may be the first ever Master of Heaven if certain texts are anything to go by. Alignment: True Neutral Favoured Weapon: Spear Domains: Plant, Animal, Earth, Scalykind, Vermin Jeje - Depicted as either a girl covered in seaweed or an elephant, Jeje is specifically the Goddess of Madness... but of a particular kind of madness. Specifically, of the undiagnosed and undiagnosable mental states that allow those possessing it to see the world differently to others, or at least those who are able to master it. Alignment: Chaotic Good Favoured Weapon: Halberd Domains: Madness, Community, Self-Realization, Strength Erotes - Erotes is a fertility god depicted as a jolly dwarf with... tastefully, we shall call them "a large gift." He uses his large gift to help the Heavenly Master facilitate the giving of life, and also he controls many gods and goddesses of lust, love, family, fertility, diplomacy, crossroads, merchants and travellers. Alignment: Neutral Good Favoured Weapon: Longsword Domains: Charm, Lust, Luck, Co-Operation, Travel, Life The Swirling Light - Oddly enough, The Edict of The Heavenly Masters does not think of dark as inherently good. In fact, they believe that the Desert is evil. The Swirling Light is the desert's will, a swirling consuming void that eats everything. The Master of Heaven must hold it at bay, or it will swallow everything. Alignment: Neutral Evil Favoured Weapon: Flintlock Pistol Domains: Light, Evil, Sun   In the beginning, there was The One. A raging beast that devoured all of creation, the five worlds that existed before this one. But then, it fell asleep, and the Three Sisters came forth to extend its sleep. This religion is primarily worshipped in the east side of the city, and concerns itself with the passage of the seasons. Each Sister is in command of an individual season, and they are worshipped primarily during that season. Worship of the Three Sisters places a lot of emphasis on the moral character of the follower, with daily rituals and private prayer to maintain the order of the world. Dustaw - The Sister of the Summer. She warms the Slumbering One to keep him comfortable and sleepy. She appears as a dancer clad in pink and gold, and is energetic, warm and loving. She is the Goddess of the Sun, Light, Fire and Festivals. Alignment: Chaotic Good Favoured Weapon: Scimitar Domains: Community, Light, Fire, Sun, Revelry Otoma - The Sister of the Harvest. She plucks the Slumbering One's hide to keep him weak and not a threat. She appears as a warrior bearing mistletoe and a lance, and is both diligent yet highly aggressive. She is the Goddess of Fertility, War and the Harvest. Alignment: Neutral Good Favoured Weapon: Spear Domains: Law, Plant, Protection, Strength, War Monsuna - The Sister of the Rain. She washes the Slumbering One to keep him content and benign. She appears as a wise-woman with an amphora of water, and has a kindly, nurturing personality. She is the Goddess of the Weather, Water, the Night and Cleanliness. Alignment: Lawful Good Favoured Weapon: Hammer Domains: Water, Monsoons, Healing, Wind, Moon The Slumbering One - The great leviathan that is the world. We all live on his back, with his hair being the trees and the rivers being his veins. He is less worshipped, and more dedicated priests sing to him so that he may continue his rest. Of course, some more insane zealots want to see what the primordial universe is and think waking him up is a good idea. Alignment: Chaotic Evil Favoured Weapon: Domains: Earth, Storms, Death, Destruction, Evil   Deep in the bowels of the earth are dark, wicked spirits. They once tormented mortals and danced about them. However, a great woman emerged, half-dragon half-human, whose name was Sophi. She did not no one else could - she fell upon the wicked spirits and bound them into the earth. She became their prison, and her body became the world. Her hair are the plants. Her blood is the sea. Her broken bones are mountains. Thus, she left her mortal body and became the Goddess of Battle, Fertility, the Earth, Sex, Love and Water. However, she is not dead, and nor are the wicked spirits. To keep her alive, Sophi needs sacrifice, or the world will end. Most believe this sacrifice comes in the form of spiritual servitute - of quiet reflection and sacrifice to give away what they do not need to those who are in need. On holy days, one may engage in animal sacrifice, sacrificing food, or indulgant orgies to satiate Sophi' sexual aspect. Some particularly vicious zealots believe that she needs the blood and soul of mortals, and are willing to kill or die to save the world. Sophiites are a highly organised group, seeing their growing flock as a political as well as a religious movement. Worshippers of the Heavenly Masters do not particularly care about Sophiites, or at least the ones who don't engage in blood sacrifices - they believe in many gods, so what's one more? However, preachers of The Church of The Three Sisters insist that she is merely an aspect of the goddess Otama, and declare any worship of Sophi as heretical. Alignment: Chaotic Good Favoured Weapon: Unarmed Strike Domains: Earth, Water, Scalykind, Protection, War, Lust, Love, Water The world is a large place, and there are plenty of other religions in the world. If none of the above religions appeal to you or if there's a domain you're desperate to use, you can be a follower of a deity from another sourcebook; just let me know that that's the case and what the sourcebook is. Generally, there is one common underlying theme to every religion popular in Julianople - there's always at least one goddess holding back something that is pure evil. Though, of course, that could just be a coincidence...