The Inner City

Sorry, this is a day late as I was in London yesterday to see the Cheapside Hoard.

Sharoban's Inner City is the oldest part of the city proper. It was founded soon after the original fort was constructed. The original settlers were from the Jorvin Empire, sent to establish a stronger presence for Otto the Fat. Otto, who was always more interested in how much revenue was coming in to his exchequer than in the lives of his subjects, used the settlers to ensure that tax revenues flowed westward; even though his charter was the Empire's sole contribution to Sharoban's final location and form. This core of settlers was supplemented by builders, carpenters and other craftsmen the Six hired to help build the fort as well as their families. Jurgen the Canny, who went onto to serve as Sharoban's seneschal, organised the first iteration of what would become the Inner City.

Whilst the first houses were wattle and daub, once the castle was complete the process of upgrading to wood and stone began. Here the Six showed their gratitude for the help they had received and bankrolled most of the process, buying in wood and stone from east and west, as well as insisting on paying for a palisade to protect the new town. For reasons that were not immediately apparent this stockade was erected some distance from the actual buildings and it was only when newcomers settled in Sharoban that it became apparent that the Six had foreseen the arrival of the Temple of Merida and the Benevolent Spice Guild as well as others. The area within the palisade filled over the next thirty years until it was full, triggering the birth of what is known as the Outer City.

Today the buildings in Inner City are stone, though their roofs are mostly made of thatch. The four main streets lead to the east, west and south gates, and up to the castle; meeting at the Market Square which is the main meeting and business place in Sharoban. It is also bordered by the Temple of Merida, which is currently a building site as the new temple is built around the original. The current renewal project is part of the plan to boost the number of worshippers and pilgrims the temple receives but Natalia Foxborn, the current high priestess, claims she received a vision from the Guardian Maiden and is acting on her command. This explanation has been accepted, but the families displaced by the construction work have yet to be compensated, and there are rumours of a legal suit being brought.

The Firebird is the oldest and largest pub in the city; and has a reputation for trouble, for brawls, magical mischief and political sedition. The Firebird was used by Henry the Savage's plot to claim the Jorvin throne. The cellars beneath the inn are in fact larger than they appear, spilling out under the neighbouring buildings, and connect up to tunnels extending down from the castle. These are said to be the escape route used by the notorious bandit leader Adam the Bear when he fled the Wind Strikers' custody, and are known to be the way the sorceress Nyssa Blackfingers used to inveigle her way inside when she attempted to free the Ice Walker. Both events occurred over fifty years ago and it is not clear if the tunnels have been put to further use or have been blocked off.

Away from the Market Square the streets become narrow, crooked, and dark, houses and shops packed tightly together and marked with the grey stone and heavy, dark wood used in their construction. Most are respectable businesses, here despite everything, you will find the offices of the Benevolent Spice Guild, the workshop of the jeweller Albina the Emerald and the scribe works, where contracts, accounts and sheafs of poetry are copied by a small pool of dedicated scriveners.

It also harbours an unsavoury side, however. There are gambling dens and brothels close to the wall; whilst the Hunter's cellar harbours a fighting pit that is known by the authorities; albeit only for its more acceptable bouts. The true nature of the fights there and the small shrine to Baluz the Umbral Lord of violence and pain are very much covert.

The wall surrounding the Inner City has its own secrets. When the process of converting it to stone was underway a body was buried in the foundations. The only reason anybody knows about this is that the mute spirit of the murder victim haunts the wall to this day. The case remains unsolved. In addition, a significant amount of treasure went missing during the wall's construction and was never recovered. There is a theory, in some circles, that the thief hid it within the wall, meaning to the loot later. This never occurred and the Ruling Council decreed that anyone caught tampering with the wall's composition would be flayed in the Market Square. As this decree has never been lifted, the wall is still off limits except for repairs, and the mystery remains.

Next up: more on the Inner City.

The City of Sharoban

The city of Sharoban is a mishmash of wood and stone, with the latter slowly replacing the former as the current Council which rules the city makes serious headway in their project to improve the city's defences. Everywhere stockades are dismantled to be replaced with stone walls. The new temple of Merida rises in the New City, half completed by the cult that serves the Guardian Maiden.

The city is divided into four distinct areas; the Castle, the Inner City, the Outer City, and the Shanties. Each section has its own identity, heraldic symbol and challenges. This week we look at Sharoban's castle.

The Castle sits in the middle of the city and was converted to stone a long time ago. The keep sits high upon an artificial motte; created by the Six's followers when the original fort was founded. This part of the Castle serves as the centre of government in the city, as well as providing the city's court and the living quarters of the Six's descendants, most of whom serve on the Council.

It also contains Alara's Tower, a somewhat ungainly addition that rises from the side of the keep, connected by a short stone span. The tower serves as the home of Alara, the last remaining member of the Six, whose longevity is starting to take its toll on her mind.

The bailey is uncommonly large, originally as a consequence of  providing refuge to merchant caravans. Today the bailey contains the Ice Walker's prison, the House of Fools and the headquarters of the Wind Strikers.

The first of these takes the form of a tall tower, carved with protective sigils. Nobody enters or leaves and the sole occupant is Sir Albrecht. One of the original Six, now several centuries old, Albrecht plays unwilling host to the spirit of the Ice Walker, an immense winter spirit that attacked Sharoban fifteen years after the founding. Whilst the spirit was defeated its power had to be contained. Albrecht offered to take the burden and agreed to be caged whilst the spirit persisted. Today little remains of the knight's mind, he roams the tower restlessly, muttering in a cold voice.

The House of Fools was founded by the Six for people who were determined to take to the road and earn their living as  a sell sword. It takes the form of a small school that trains Fools in basic combat or magic. In order to graduate from the House, the Fools must complete six tasks of the Fool Master's choosing. These frequently involve aiding the Wind Strikers, spying on merchants and other luminaries in the city, or undertaking short quests for the Council. In short the Fools often act as the city's special agents and spies, something that continues after they leave. Many of the 'letters home' are actually well observed reports on what is happening in the western and eastern kingdoms.

The current Fool Master is Nalla Light Fingers, sixth descendant of the original Nalla. A strong minded woman she treats each of the Fools as if they were her own flesh and blood, fostering their curiousity but also teaching them caution in a number of ways, some of them highly unorthodox. The Fools learn that even their beds may not be safe from Nalla's tricks. More than one has discovered that she has loosened the frame so much it collapses when they climb in, or woken in the middle of the bailey because she has arranged to have their bed moved during the night. In the most extreme case a student woke up on a caravan heading east with only a small note from the Fool Master explaining it was time for him to experience the big, wide world and not be cooped up in Sharoban.

Despite these tricks her students are surprisingly loyal and the 'letters home' tradition continues.

The Wind Strikers headquarters is a long, low building with a stable on the ground floor and the dormitories and meeting rooms above. Marked with the Strikers' scimitar symbol it serves as their home and centre of operations. There are usually fifty Strikers in residence, with a further one hundred out on the steppes.

The Wind Strikers' commander is Petrov, a young tribesman of a nearby nomad tribe. He joined the Strikers after an incident with the chief's son which saw him banished and the son hastily married off to another tribe, far, far away. Petrov does not discuss the incident, preferring to focus on his duties.

Next week we'll look at the Inner City.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my new blog, Sharoban; Building the World.

This blog is initially dedicated to pure setting creation of a fantasy city, Sharoban, and its environs. Afterwards, the focus will expand to explore other places in the world. Whilst I've approached this as an exercise for Roleplaying, the reason for the focus on setting is that I want it to be more approachable and flexible than it would be if I were tying it to a roleplaying game system. This approach will allow me to treat it as I would any other fictional world.

So what is Sharoban?

The city was founded by six former adventurers and sell swords who made their fortunes on the battlefields and in the courts of the western kingdoms, and decided to retire from their nomadic lifestyle. They approached Otto the Fat, Lord of the Jorvin Empire and all its domains, to offer assistance with  problems he was having with the eastern border.  Eventually they received permission to found a city in his name out on the steppes. Local stories say Sharoban sits further east than any of them envisaged and that the location was chosen by Merida, the Guardian Maiden, at the behest of the local spring spirit. Few dispute this idea, especially not the local clergy of  Merida who are currently building a grand temple in her honour, and are always grateful for donations.

The result was that the Six founded less of a guard for the empire's eastern border and more of stand alone state, with only the loosest ties to the Emperor. A culture of rugged independence has developed over the past century and a half, and the links to the west have slowly declined. Partly this is because the Empire's attention was diverted elsewhere, and because the Six's descendants have purposefully eroded them, paying only what might be considered a 'peppercorn' tribute to the current incumbent of the Sapphire Throne.

Today, Sharoban guards the trade route between the western kingdoms and the lands to the east. Silk, furs, wine and spices travel the road every day, through one of the wildest areas in the world. Sharoban acts not only as a place to stop over, trade and rest but also provides patrols and escorts in the form of the Wind Strikers; a force of highly mobile cavalry. They act to defend the road from threats, whether bandits and nomadic tribes or hobgoblins and giants. Very occasionally more dangerous foes appear but since the Ice Walker's rampage nothing more serious than young dragons have threatened either city or road.

Next up: a discussion of the city itself.