Your Nemesis
2013-08-03, 05:32 PM
It’s a ruin.
This is your first thought as Stormreach comes into view: The city has
been destroyed by some terrible disaster. You see crumbling walls and squat,
shattered towers. Then a moment later, you realize how far you still are from
the city, and you notice the smaller structures clustered around those broken
foundations. These ruins must be the work of the giants, buildings that fell
long before humans came to this land.
It might not be a ruin, but Stormreach is a ramshackle city. As you draw
closer, you see that the buildings are an astonishing assortment of architectural
styles and materials. Some of the inhabitants have constructed their homes using
stone quarried from the ruins themselves; others are partially built from driftwood
or the hulls of broken ships. The Flamic architecture of Thrane stands next
to a thatched hut that would seem more at home in the Shadow Marches. The
city is a tapestry, hinting at the diverse range of people that have settled here.
From what you can see, Stormreach is spread over a wide area, flowing
down along a river valley. Barges and passenger skiffs drift between the
harbor and the depths of the city. Vegetation-covered cliffs surround the valley
with a curtain of lush green.
As a boomtown devoted to extracting Xen’drik’s riches, Stormreach
will never be mistaken for a capital city or a paragon of architectural splendor.
The climate seems agreeable, though (at least between storms), and the
place holds an air of ancient mystery. You can see why so many choose to stay
in Stormreach long after their expeditions have staggered out of Xen’drik’s
interior and returned to civilization.
As you stagger down the gangplank, the first things you notice are the various recruiting booths along the waterfront, each bearing the colors of a different faction, each trying to attract attention at the top of their lungs. Agents of the Dragonmarked Houses rub shoulders with recruiters working for the various adventuring guilds based in the city. Adding to the throng are the men (and women) who work the bum boats, all trying to get to their craft at once. It is utter chaos.
This is your first thought as Stormreach comes into view: The city has
been destroyed by some terrible disaster. You see crumbling walls and squat,
shattered towers. Then a moment later, you realize how far you still are from
the city, and you notice the smaller structures clustered around those broken
foundations. These ruins must be the work of the giants, buildings that fell
long before humans came to this land.
It might not be a ruin, but Stormreach is a ramshackle city. As you draw
closer, you see that the buildings are an astonishing assortment of architectural
styles and materials. Some of the inhabitants have constructed their homes using
stone quarried from the ruins themselves; others are partially built from driftwood
or the hulls of broken ships. The Flamic architecture of Thrane stands next
to a thatched hut that would seem more at home in the Shadow Marches. The
city is a tapestry, hinting at the diverse range of people that have settled here.
From what you can see, Stormreach is spread over a wide area, flowing
down along a river valley. Barges and passenger skiffs drift between the
harbor and the depths of the city. Vegetation-covered cliffs surround the valley
with a curtain of lush green.
As a boomtown devoted to extracting Xen’drik’s riches, Stormreach
will never be mistaken for a capital city or a paragon of architectural splendor.
The climate seems agreeable, though (at least between storms), and the
place holds an air of ancient mystery. You can see why so many choose to stay
in Stormreach long after their expeditions have staggered out of Xen’drik’s
interior and returned to civilization.
As you stagger down the gangplank, the first things you notice are the various recruiting booths along the waterfront, each bearing the colors of a different faction, each trying to attract attention at the top of their lungs. Agents of the Dragonmarked Houses rub shoulders with recruiters working for the various adventuring guilds based in the city. Adding to the throng are the men (and women) who work the bum boats, all trying to get to their craft at once. It is utter chaos.