<div align="center"><span class="bbc_u"><strong><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Laelith - the reclaimed city</span></strong></span></div><br/><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/nOJMLpF.jpg)<br/><div style="text-align: right;">http://i.imgur.com/nOJMLpF.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/nOJMLpF.jpg)<br/>^^^  full sized image ^^^</div><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/iqWFmYI.jpg)</div><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Location -</strong></span>Northern coast of Mara.  West of the Faded Lands, within visual sight of the edges of the grey wastes.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>History -</strong></span>When the grey mists began to clear a few decades ago, and the deadly magic that kept the Faded Lands hidden away weakened, explorers set out on boats.  One of the first things they found was the ruins of a massive and ancient city, abandoned and falling into the jungle.  This ruin was the remains of what was once known as Laelith the Holy City.  Laelith became a jumping off point for any exploration furthter into the continent of Mara over the next two decades, and treasure seekers, scholars, wizards, and everyone else flocked to this new city.  They built up new towers and buildings in the ancient ruins, often using stones that had been cut a millenia before, yet still bore carvings as if it had somehow been untouched by time.  What the scholars have so far discovered about the city is not enough to fill in the gaps, but they hope that with every new ruin uncovered, with any scroll of ancient lore, with any new day the secrets of Laelith will finally reveal themselves.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Current Role -  </strong></span>Trade center.  Often called 'the last stop of true civilization' and 'the gateway to the faded lands.'   It is the place where people leave for further ocean voyages or land travel around Mara.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Population - </strong></span>Around 11,000 - but due to the transient nature of the city, it's hard to tell.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Layout</strong></span>- Laelith is divided into four basic sections.  The northern and southern ruins, the northern city, and the southern farms.   Now obviously the layout is much more complicated then that, but often people refer to the north east part of the city as simply 'the city,' the south east part as 'the farms,' and the western half of the ruined city as 'the ruins.'  The Laelith defenders have been working hard over the last few decades to reclaim more and more of the ruins and convert it into terraced farm land that sits inside the cities massive walls.  Eventually if the population grows much more, there will need to be an outspreading into the other sections of buildings for people to live as well.   Currently Laelith imports much of it's food from the faded lands, though about one third of the food in the city is locally grown or is from domesticated animals that have grazing land north and south of the city walls.<br/><br/>Laelith lies on a massive slope.  The eastern most end of the slope touches the water of the ocean itself, and the city rises upwards to the west.  Bifurcating the city is a river that flows out to the sea, and is passable by barges and smaller ships.  As  one travels further to the west, the walls of the canyon rise higher and higher.    Much of the land around Laelith has been devastated, and the jungle that grows thick and wild has never fully encroached upon the city or it's limits.  Though historians, scholars, and mages are hard pressed to guess why that is.<br/><br/>There are countless tunnels and sewers beneath the city, and t he Laelith guard has done much to try to make them safe with new gates and bars, keeping any wild beasts out of the re-settled parts of the city.  There are docks on the north and south side of the city facing the ocean, and the northern section hosts a vibrant and ever changing market as well.  If you're looking to buy or sell, the north side dock market is the palce to go.<br/><br/><br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Guilds -</strong></span><br/><strong>Laelith Defenders</strong>- this is the collection of individuals that make Laelith the reclaimed city work.  Primarily they are guardsmen and farmers.  However usually these two roles are interchangeable depending on need.  Each member of the defenders is required to serve time in the southern fields, as their crops feed the city, and they earn good money doing it.  But each farmer is also expected to be trained and skilled in both melee combat and some form of ranged combat.  Exception may be made for those with magical talent who join the guild.  The guild is run by a democracy that each recognized member gets a vote at their guild meetings.  The guild is currently lead by a scarred veteran named Glovan Barrelbreaker.<br/><br/><strong>Trade Union</strong>- The trade union includes merchants, dock workers, and all support staff that handles transport into or out of Laelith.  They use mafia like tactics to keep outside merchants from gaining a foot hold inside the walls of the city, charging high prices for the right to do trading safely.  Likewise, any sale that takes place inside the walls is expected to include a member of the union.  Private sales happen, but woe betide a sale that goes down between two private individuals that don't have the permission of the union.  The one exception is that the Trade Union knows better than to hassle any member of the other unions, especially the protectors.  Because even merchants need to eat.  The trade union is run by a collective of the town's wealthiest merchants.<br/><br/><strong>Mages collective</strong>- While the term mage implies arcane spell casting, the collective allows study in their library to any spellcaster regardless of class, race, or creed.  They deal well in high end magical items and often buy artifacts from a previous age.  Leadership of the collective is not advertised, and the rumor is that whoever does lead this guild wishes his or her identity to be kept secret.<br/><strong><br/>Explorers guild</strong>- A mercenary band, while this guild might be the smallest in Laelith, it's possibly the most well known.  This guild is a loose organization of individuals that are interested in exploration of the old world, and now use Laelith as their jumping off point to explore the wilds.  They have a large guild hall for adventurers to meet others, find and post jobs, and also introduce potential buyers or sellers from the other guilds for the adventurer in need.  Every year at summer solstice, they hold an election for 'guild speaker'.   Any adventurer who has been a paid member for a full year or more gets a vote.  For the week leading up to solstice the candidates for speaker petition members and try to win votes.  The current speaker is an old dwarf who's held the position for three years running named Torgar Graniteskull.<br/><br/><strong>The Cabal</strong>- Little is known about the motivations of the Cabal outside of the members.  They wear pins of steel about their uniforms that show a clutched fist to identify themselves, and they seem to be interested in the running of the city.  They often show up to make or break deals between citizens, guide merchants to new locations in markets, and otherwise preform mysterious and inscrutable actions.  Their tampering has led to fortunes being made or lost in the city, and those who oppose them usually vanish or end up rather brutally murdered, sometimes quite publically.  Yet their members seem to be above the law, and the Laelith Defenders often look very poorly upon members of the Cabal.  Though everyone know better than to speak too poorly of the cabal, for they have ears everywhere and no one knows what will cause a visit from their members.  If there is any organization in the Cabal, it is not publically known.<br/><br/><strong>Agents of the Council</strong>- This is the governing body of Laelith, but only by default.  It is an extension of the Malkin council from Malkin city back in the faded lands, though it claims that it owes nothing to that group.  Petty bureaucrats, they seem to know everything that happens in the city.  If anything needs to get done, and it's not handled by the other guilds, the agents do it.  It is led by a rotating council of seven, each member a different race.<br/><br/><strong>High Lord Protector</strong>- Technically, High Lord Protector Restisesk Mettlerak, the dragonborn warrior, is the leader of Laelith.  She is tasked with the protection and defense and all rule of the city.  But in truth her position is only viable because of the support of all the other guilds.  She likewise delegates much responsibility and thus power, down to the guilds.  However her say is final in all matters... unless the guilds decide that she has become too much trouble.  In reality she is a balance, keeping power out of the other guilds by shifting it to others whenever needed.  She is the relief valve that keeps the guilds from cold war with each other, the final decision maker, and quite often, a scapegoat for the ills of the city.   She has a dedicated group of guards that are very loyal, and she often sends out on her own tasks and desires.<br/><br/><br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Buying and selling in Laelith</strong></span><br/><br/>The people of Laelith are used to the subtle art of barter. A merchant with an indifferent attitude usually charges 5–10% over market rates for his goods. This price can be lowered by modifying his attitude to friendly or better (or, at the DM’s discretion, by good roleplaying). The following are a selection of some of (but certainly not all of) the city’s better-known vendors.<br/><br/><strong>Alchemical Supplies</strong><br/>The Pestle: run by a family of expatriate Ar Kanton Dwarves.<br/><strong><br/>Antiquities</strong><br/>Black Iron: specializes in recently recovered artifacts.<br/>Von Ruthvek’s Splendors of the Old World: oddities from across Mara.<br/><br/><strong>Arcane Spellcasting and Magic Items</strong><br/>The Citadel of the Twelve: up to 5th-level spells, 16,000 gp limit on items; prices adjusted 5% in favor of the citadel, dropped only for official members of the Mages Collective or PCs in service to the collective.<br/>Von Ruthvek’s Splendors of the South: limited selection of magic goods, 12,000 gp limit.<br/><br/><strong>Clothing</strong><br/>Far Davandi: owned by a famous Elven designer from Malkin city, sells traveling clothes “with flair.”<br/><br/><strong>Divine Spellcasting and Healing</strong><br/>House Jorasco Enclave: up to 5th-level cleric spells, primarily healing.<br/><br/><strong>Exotic Beasts</strong><br/>Tooth and Nail: a half elven-owned business specializing in the wild beasts of the land.<br/><br/><strong>Entertainment</strong><br/>Big Bronau’s Boat: a riverboat casino at permanent anchor.<br/>The Chapterhouse: a theater which puts on elaborate plays and receives heavy funding from the Cabal.<br/>The Red Ring: Weekly arena combat, taking place in the ruins and with a moving location.<br/>Shadows: Laelith's most popular and extravagant brothel, run by one of the few known changelings, Madam Tess.<br/><br/><strong>Expedition Gear</strong><br/>Forgotten Places: maps and cartography; due to the Traveler’s Curse (see below), maps are of limited value and use.<br/>Havulak Prospecting: reputable source for basic goods.<br/>The Thrifty Traveler: offers a 5% discount on goods, but doesn’t provide as broad a selection as Havulak (25% chance of being out of stock of any desired item).<br/><br/><strong>Food and Shelter</strong><br/>The Black Wrack: a rowdy tavern catering to a dangerous crowd.<br/>The Chapterhouse: standard fare, standard lodgings, discount to actors, musicians, or players in their theater.<br/>The Ship’s Cat: small inn providing excellent services for travelers with familiars or animal companions.<br/><br/><strong>Inquisitives</strong><br/>The Enclave: this large outpost provides a host of services for those seeking something found or seeking to avoid being found.<br/>Sunsorrow Acquisitions and Services:  Alana'sorel Sunsorrows (player character) shop.  One part private detective, one part adventurer's shop, one part antiquity dealer.<br/><br/><br/><strong>Weapons and Armor</strong><br/>Black Iron: buys and sells weapons and armor of all sizes; goods with up to a +2 enhancement bonus are usually available.<br/>Defenders Forge: large smithy tied to the dwarven city of Ar Kanton, produces goods for the Laelith Defenders; focuses on quantity as opposed to quality, but +1 goods are generally available; higher-value weapons could be crafted by making necessary arrangements with the Citadel of the Twelve.<br/><br/><br/><strong>Brothels</strong><br/>Kirin's Cat House: An upscale brothel with all the major amenities including baths, rooms for the night, and magical wards at the doors to check for cleanliness and diseases.<br/>Studs and Mares: A more working class blue collar brothel, specializing in catering to those with a bit of a taste for more rough sex.  Run by Madame Stormhammer, they feature 'larger' races or very well hung studs.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">dm notes</div><div class="spoiler_body">http://www.myth-weavers.com/generate_town.php?do=town&amp;size=6&amp;seed=972721&amp;poltype=autocracy&amp;econtype=tcentre&amp;miltype=warzone&amp;settype=border&amp;aligntype=chaos (http://www.myth-weavers.com/generate_town.php?do=town&amp;size=6&amp;seed=972721&amp;poltype=autocracy&amp;econtype=tcentre&amp;miltype=warzone&amp;settype=border&amp;aligntype=chaos)<br/>For future reference</div></div>