Turk Mannion
2013-02-15, 01:58 PM
After days of difficult travel, skirting the thin strip of land between the Hellfurnaces and Jerlea Bay, you find yourself in the city of Cauldron. Though small in comparison to the great metropolises of Greyhawk or Dyvers, Cauldron provides a thriving trade center in a region known for chaos. As you move thorough the city, you see that the town’s buildings are tightly packed together and build from volcanic rock and wood. Cobblestone roads form concentric circles around a small lake of cold water, which fills the volcano’s basin. A 50’ fortified wall of black malachite encircles the city, along the outer rim of the volcano. The districts near the upper rim tend to be occupied by upper class families and elite merchants. As you get lower toward the center of town and the central lake, you see shoddier homes, dark alleys and the distinct odor of sewage draining into the lake.
Your reasons for travel to the city are diverse and varied, but the city does provide a bit of an oasis in the often chaotic region. As the sun begins to sink below the walls of the volcano, you find yourself at the Tipped Tankard Tavern, along Ash Avenue and just across the street from Crater Lake. A large man in a beer-stained apron is cleaning the top of a battered and abused bartop, little more than several planks laid across empty barrels. Several tables are placed haphazardly around the room, with booths, deep in shadow, lining the walls. You see several flyers tacked to the walls, seeking assistance in resolving some recent kidnapping activity and offering a small reward.
You may either arrive separately or together, however you like. If together, you can assume you have met earlier in the day on the road and decided to finish your journey as a group for safety.
Cauldron
The city of Cauldron is located in the caldera of a long-dormant volcano, surrounded by mountains (to the north and south) and jungles (to the east and west). The city has a population of approximately 10,000 humanoids (79% of which are humans). Its economy is based upon the mines and plantations surrounding the city; most of its food and textiles come from trade with the neighboring cities of Redgorge, Hollowsky, and Sasserine.
History
The human presence in Cauldron began about 700 years ago. At this time, a powerful mage named Surabar Spellmason led a small army inland from the recently founded city of Sasserine. He founded Redgorge, and later Cauldron -- but first, he fought to rid the region of an ancient demonic taint. The events of this battle are re-enacted every year at the Demonskar Ball.
After Spellmason confirmed that the extinct volcano posed no danger to settlers, the settlement of Cauldron thrived, since its caldera provided both natural defenses and a supply of fresh water. Precious metals were discovered beneath the surface, attracting communities of gnomes (who founded Jhadrizune) and dwarves (who build the Malachite Fortress). These communities mostly departed in the last 200 years, for reasons unknown.
Politics and Society
Cauldron is an electorate. All citizens who own land (or who can successfully petition their equivalent value to the city) are eligible to vote. The current elected leader is Lord Mayor Severen Navalant; he works with a council of noblemen to govern and administer the city.
Cauldron's aristocracy is composed of a handful of independently wealthy families who trace their lineage to the foundation of the city (they are called the First Families), and a number of nouveau riche entrepeneurs and merchants. The city's prosperous middle class is composed mostly of merchants, while the lower classes work as peasants, labourers, or mercenaries.
Geography
The city is defined by a series of concentric thoroughfares at various heights. The highest and broadest street is Obsidian Avenue, followed by Magma Avenue, Lava Avenue, and finally Ash Avenue, which encircles Crater Lake. The general social class of the inhabitants decreases as one moves closer to the centre of the city. Since most of Cauldron's side streets are stepped, or paved at steep angles, the city is not friendly to horses or other livestock.
Your reasons for travel to the city are diverse and varied, but the city does provide a bit of an oasis in the often chaotic region. As the sun begins to sink below the walls of the volcano, you find yourself at the Tipped Tankard Tavern, along Ash Avenue and just across the street from Crater Lake. A large man in a beer-stained apron is cleaning the top of a battered and abused bartop, little more than several planks laid across empty barrels. Several tables are placed haphazardly around the room, with booths, deep in shadow, lining the walls. You see several flyers tacked to the walls, seeking assistance in resolving some recent kidnapping activity and offering a small reward.
You may either arrive separately or together, however you like. If together, you can assume you have met earlier in the day on the road and decided to finish your journey as a group for safety.
Cauldron
The city of Cauldron is located in the caldera of a long-dormant volcano, surrounded by mountains (to the north and south) and jungles (to the east and west). The city has a population of approximately 10,000 humanoids (79% of which are humans). Its economy is based upon the mines and plantations surrounding the city; most of its food and textiles come from trade with the neighboring cities of Redgorge, Hollowsky, and Sasserine.
History
The human presence in Cauldron began about 700 years ago. At this time, a powerful mage named Surabar Spellmason led a small army inland from the recently founded city of Sasserine. He founded Redgorge, and later Cauldron -- but first, he fought to rid the region of an ancient demonic taint. The events of this battle are re-enacted every year at the Demonskar Ball.
After Spellmason confirmed that the extinct volcano posed no danger to settlers, the settlement of Cauldron thrived, since its caldera provided both natural defenses and a supply of fresh water. Precious metals were discovered beneath the surface, attracting communities of gnomes (who founded Jhadrizune) and dwarves (who build the Malachite Fortress). These communities mostly departed in the last 200 years, for reasons unknown.
Politics and Society
Cauldron is an electorate. All citizens who own land (or who can successfully petition their equivalent value to the city) are eligible to vote. The current elected leader is Lord Mayor Severen Navalant; he works with a council of noblemen to govern and administer the city.
Cauldron's aristocracy is composed of a handful of independently wealthy families who trace their lineage to the foundation of the city (they are called the First Families), and a number of nouveau riche entrepeneurs and merchants. The city's prosperous middle class is composed mostly of merchants, while the lower classes work as peasants, labourers, or mercenaries.
Geography
The city is defined by a series of concentric thoroughfares at various heights. The highest and broadest street is Obsidian Avenue, followed by Magma Avenue, Lava Avenue, and finally Ash Avenue, which encircles Crater Lake. The general social class of the inhabitants decreases as one moves closer to the centre of the city. Since most of Cauldron's side streets are stepped, or paved at steep angles, the city is not friendly to horses or other livestock.