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View Full Version : [City] Rose Harbour



The_New_Guy
2005-07-02, 05:55 AM
Alright, I've got a name. And I've got a base idea. But this is my first shot at this, so I'm stealing the placeholder layout from Glyphstone, since he rocks and whatnot. Blah.

Background Information: Nobody likes coming to Rose Harbour. Oh sure, the name makes it seem like it might be a nice place to visit. Trust us. We've been there. And it's not named for the flower, or the smell. Rose just happens to be one of the prominant families in the city. Before that it was called... well, no one really cared enough to name the place before that.

Mind you, for a city of its size, Rose Harbour is not the worst place to live. Sure, it's located in one of the coldest, wettest, most unpleasantest places imaginable, but it's a valuable stop over for traders travelling betyween the continents. Because the harbour is sheltered from the worst weather the ocean has to offer an enormous amount of cargo passes through the city. Or by the city, rather. Furthermore, it is the main port of call for ships heading towards the lucrative fishery (which is why much of the waterfront stinks of rotting fish) and for hunters and traders travelling to regions further north (though why in the name of the gods anyone in their right mind would want to head north from this place is beyond me). People travelling across the fair sized island (to several large gold mines, or to harvest its vast fields of timber) or who are in the shipbuilding business often use Rose Harbour as a base of operations. Thus, although it might not be the happiest place on earth, it is among the more wealthy cities of its size.

Introduction: The first thing you truly note about Rose Harbour has absolutely nothing to do with the city itself. As you walk along the wide road that has been used to carry loads too important (or too unimportant) to ship by boat up and down the coast for the past few centuries, you notice that, quite frankly, you're freezing. It's the middle of May, and here you are ankle deep in wet, slushy snow. Joy. Meanwhile, your cloak is soaked from the near constant drizzle, and the sky is grey - well, it's been that way since you landed on this blasted island, but it's times like this your really notice it. The next thing that hits you is the stench of rotting fish. Technically, it was probably the first thing that struck you, since you noticed the cold and slush and rain long before you where anywhere near the city, but why split hairs when you're miserable. Then finally, out of the fog you see them. They're legendary on this island. The white, alabaster walls of the city. At least twenty five feet high and with towers that climb even higher, they seem, for a moment anyway, to disperse the winter, the grey and the gloom. As you approach your eyes confirm what the legends say - the walls really do seem to be made of one solid piece of stone, and as you set your hand upon it you notice it feels like polished marble. The gates too seem to be equal to the walls - elegantly wrought from wood and iron in a fanciful manner that suggests scenes of dragon-slaying and other heroic acts. The towers, on the other hand, seem different. Although fashioned from the same stone as the walls, they are set recessed behind them, and even from this distance you can see that they are not made of smooth stone.

The gate-watch speaks to you in a thick accent that you can barely tell from common, asking you to state your business in the city and what not. Apparently a band of theives have been troubling merchants, and the city watch has been asked to try and keep tabs on peoples coming and goings. Of course, once he's satisfied (and it takes awhile with the language barrier), he's all smiles and welcoming, even reccomending that you stay at some inn or another (you never quite picked out the name - something about secrets). Then the masterful gates open, and in you go.

Stats: Coming Soon*

Physical Description: Coming Soon*

Arts and Culture: Coming Soon*

Economics: Coming Soon*

Religion: Coming Soon*

Government: Coming Soon*

Crime: Coming Soon*

The Monument: Coming Soon*

Power Struggles: Coming Soon*

Adventure Hooks: Coming Soon*