Imports:
wood (Inspaa), weopons (Trigol)
Ruler:
Lord Rameus
cod'dracon
Religious
guide: Senesherab Archbishop
of Old Red
Church of the Dragon | Habour | Encounters | Inhabitants |
Market | Temple of Charissa | Thaumaturges Guild | Magician schools |
The city of Old Red is located on the northern coast of Relmor Bay and is formally part of the Kingdom of Nyrond. It is a port city of Tiamat and hence has great shipyards and many docks. The city is surrounded by large walls of red clay hardened into stone. There are five towers connecting the walls, which form a pentagon. Each tower has a great dragonhead upon it. Ship building is the main profession of Old Red and many other trades that support it prosper. These include carpentry, fishing, navigation, astrology, and sailmaking. You will also find many herbalists and foodstuff sellers that privide ship supplies.
Old Red is a city of laws. Its rulers believe in having a strict set of societal rules that can allow for some social movement, the cream of society wil rise to the top and the rabble will be controlled and channeled into productive work. They force this rule of law through fear and some degree of oppression. Only living sacrifices are accepted by the god, although most often animals, on special occaisons sacrifices will be human and often virgin women.
Sacrific either takes place in church or by the sea. A great zigurat extends out of the water in the harbour. Sacrifices are chained there. The top half of a tunnel leading directly under the church is also visible in the bay.
Old Red employs many anti avian spells that affect non-dragons. Birds will not fly in the skies within 30 miles of Old Red. Avians of low IQ or under 10 HD will be terrified of the skies. The city is aware of any flighted approach from 30 miles distance. Old Red also employs terror through dreams. Dwellers will dream of the sleeping dragon awakening and hunting them or going on a rampage of carnage and destruction. Such rampages are filled with the bloody deaths of hundreds of people as well as the destruction of the cities. The dreams give the people of old Red and its visitors ample fear and reason to keep the dragon asleep. Consequently sacrifices are usually bountiful. It is said that one gives a lamb to act as proxy for ones self. Attending church is mandatory in the city. Not attending church is tantamount to trying to wake the dragon. Those caught not attending will be demonized by the clerics and tarred and feathered by the populous. When the chruch bells ring at 11pm, all must go. The town is searched for stragelers by the templars.
Church Templars are virginal women priestesses. They are always bald and tatooed with a spectral dragon. They are lawful evil and act as lawkeepers and sentencers. Sentences in Old Red usually involve slavery or forced labour. Also, as added penalty for some transgressions, the name of the transgressor is written on the wall in the church in front of the sleeping dragon - thus, if the dragon wakes, she will know who has been bad.
Old Red is a social place. In the
markets many
bonfires will be found surrounded by freemen, commoners, merchants, and
visitors who are listening to stories told by a local Lord and drinking
a few mugs of ale the lord has provided. Such things usually go on in
the
evening or night. In taverns it is common for almost everyone to be
involved
in group conversation. Church law actually requires the nobility of the
town to socialize with the townsfolk.
Places:
The Red Scale of Apsu (Nobles' Inn)
The Great Worm (quiet inn, upper quality)
Lines of Port (low quality, sailors inn)
The shipyards
The harbour
-----Guarded
port with chains, sacrificial zigurat,
tunnel
Ships
in port:
Corania
(Rhenee ship, named after a sea hag killed
by hero Agrin Koli)
The
Blue Draco (Lord Rameus's personal warship)
Dreadnaught
(Lady Amesaba's racing galley)
The
Claw (Church warship)
The
Horns of Nyrond (one of the King's warships)
The
Black Draco (Archbishop's Warship)
Mesyldene
(Greyhawkian trading galley, lg)
The
Breathweapon (Church warship)
Diancova
(House su'Marshalla med galley)
Ris
Harun "Joy of my spouse" (House Nur'alsu)
The
Dahn (House Enbisu'karrum)
The
Jhove (House Enbisu'karrum)
The
Creet (House Enbisu'karrum)
The market:
many
bonfire will be going, nobles provide drinks
and tell stories
Temple of the
Prophet Charrissa Al'vere
-----Charissa's
paintings and frescoes are visible
here. The greatest depicts a scene of the worlds destruction as Tiamat
awakes and rises out of the earth. The dragon's spine is the
hellfurnace
mountain range. Scores of peole are dying and cities are split in two.
The frescoe is actually a map of oerth as ewll. The tail depicts the
path
of the nomads after the Reign of Colorless Fire. Others depict hellish
terrain, the Gates of Hell, and some of its denizens including Asmodeus
with his scepter. There is one depicting scores of women being raped by
dragons. It is called "Creation". New initiates rae accepted here. The
Temple also depicts Charissa's damnation at the hands of Tiamats child.
Her punishment for breaking with the dragon and forgiving her sister
for
not obeying familial responsibilities. The two laws of the church are
written
here:
Obey familial responsibilities.
Inhabitants
Lady Amesaba Ereschuna
Noble
with familial ties to the Duke of Urnst.
Wanted to become a Templar but was turned down.
Has
many investments in church and some believe
she has a personal agenda.
House su'Marshalla
Trading
House. Rich. Ran the trade with the Amedo
Jungle for the Overking before seccession.
Has
nine daughters and no sons. Each owns large
amounts of property.
House Nur'alsu
Rich
benefactor of City. Good name. Old shipbuilding
house. In recent decades has owned 70% of the fihing market while the
other
30% is composed of townsfolk fisheries.
Owns
the rights to most dockspace (rents out)
not owned by church. Son is Captain of militia.
House Enbisu'karrum
Shipbuilding
& trading house. Very big.
Owns
many ships that its built. Large recruitment
in city and abraod for engineers.
Owns
largest boatwright facilities. Contacts
in Urnst, Rel Mord, Greyhawk City, & Keoland.
Employs
the most thaumaturges in Old Red. Second
largest magician's guild.
House su'Nant
Cloudshipbuilding
house. Very big. Great reputation.
Has
built cloudships for every reigning kingship
for seven generations. House Matron is chief diplomat for Old Red and
main
negotiator for city contracts. Owns the cities largest libraries and
second
largest boatwright facilities. Owns the largest magician's guild in
Nyrond
(no Archmage however) as well as great power in the Thaumaturgical
Society
of Old Red.
House Inglorian
Known
for its great magic user lineage. (None
of note currently). Third largest shipbuilding house. Only crafts
medium
and large galleys. Builds unparralelled navigational equipment both
magical
and non-magical. Largest collection of navigational maps and star
charts
in Nyrond. Reputed to have navigational charts for other planes and
'other'
seas. Maintains a small magician's guild (no archmage). House is noted
for its sages on boatcraft, navigation, and astrology. Very popular
among
learned thaumaturges. Ingold Inglorian, an ancestor of the current
house,
aided in the capture and subdual of many of the Old Red dragons.
House Itbeen
Up
and coming trading house. Too small to compete
with Urnstian Houses but boosts from the church have aided it.
Evon Susnut
Runs
the netmakers complex. Many local fisherman
are indebted to the Susnut line.
Rumours
he runs racketeering.
Rameus cod'dracon
Legendary
line of dragon hunters. His line was
selected by Overking to run Old Red after taming the dragons of the
high
seas as admiral of the Aerdian Fleet. His line joined with Enmerkar to
blockade the Aerdian Navy during seccession. Friend of King Gilgamesh.
The
Dragonheads
Atop the towers are great stone dragonheads enchanted by the clerics
and magic users of the city. They are fonts of magical energy that are
used as weapons in times of attack. Each one shares from a common
source
and as a whole they can do
Dragon's Breath (Flame Strike at 23rd lvl)x5/wk
Dragon's Wisper (Gust of Wind at 23rd lvl)x5/wk
Dragon's Lightning (Chain Lightning at 18th lvl)x3/wk
Dragon's Gas (Gas Breath at 18th lvl)x3/wk
Dragon's Tears (Makes 10 gallons of type V acid per week, constant)