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.