The Far City, Farland
Table of Contents
Areas of Interest
- 1 Grand Arena
- 2 Palace of Wrath
- 3 Great Temple of Vornoth (formerly sacred to Neltak)
- 4 Old Senate Building (ruined)
- 5 Plaza del Venalicum (main square)
- 6 Munician Wall
- 7 Insulum and Great Gates of Sum
- 8 Siligian Bay (A great Chain can be stretched across to block access)
- 9 Hobgoblin Barracks
- 10 Orc Barracks
- 11 Plaza del Fur
- 12 Baths of Lenus
- 13 Ferrian Gate
- 14 Merchants Guild
- 15 Artisans Guild
- 16 Rich Quarter
- 17 Imperial Tombs
- 18 Circus Maximus
- 19 Farlandic Legions Barracks
- 20 Arch of Victory
General Information About the City (Metropolis)
Who Rules: The Lord of Wrath, captain of the Lords of Sin and Emperor of Farland and its client Kingdoms.
Money Limit: 75,000
Other Power Centers: The Lord of Wrath is advised by his five Cancellors. The two most politically powerful Cancellors are War Hoth Lord Pirg, a mysterious creature of indeterminate race, and General Sumus Crassi, a ruthless human politician.
Rotgut the Wise, the head of the church of Vornoth in the city wields great power and even the Lord of Anger sometimes defers to his judgements.
The assassin's guild, called the College of Blood, has its nefarious hand in many dealings in the city and controls much power, primarily because people are afraid to cross them.
Khadufel the Southerner, mage of the freelance group The Eye, has begun to maneuver politically to gain power and renown in the city. Although he has not yet made a true name for himself in the city, tales of the Southerner are beginning to be whispered in parlors and dining halls throughout the city.
Population: About 100,000-150,000. The population is mostly human, but a good many dark folk, including orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins, also make the city their home. Estimates indicate that as much as 20% of the population are slaves.
Major Products: The Far City imports more than it exports, but it does produce pottery, textiles, weaponry, and metal goods. The City serves as the focal point of distribution for goods coming through the port, and as such its primary export is really its own culture.
Armed Forces: The Far City is one of the most militant communities on the continent. The Emperor keeps one entire hobgoblin legion there, the first legion, called The Hawk Legion. This legion keeps order in the street, but everyone knows that their primary purpose is to intimidate possible political rivals. The Imperial bodyguard, called the Crimson Lion Guard, is also garrisoned in the city, although they are never far from the Emperor.
The City: The Far City, called Gurz-Goi by it's inhabitants who speak Blackspeech, is the capital of the Kingdom of Farland. It is dominated by the three hills, the Grandis Hill in the Northwest corner of the City, the Carinas Hill in the Northeast corner, and the Dominium Hill in the center of the city. The famous Sendus River flows through the city. It's roads are generally wide and well-constructed; their names invariable begin with the Farlandish prefix "Wia" meaning way. So the main causeway, which crosses the Insulum and runs to the Palace of Wrath, is called by the human populace the Wia Publius, named after the founder of the Far City; Dark folk call it the Wia Burzgluk ("the way to death"). Wherever more than two streets meet, a square, called a Plaza, is located. Each Plaza has its own name and character. Businesses of all types and character can be found in the Far City, and there is a thriving black-market. It is illegal to buy or carry weapons in the city without the proper papers, and the black-market will gladly supply these-for a hefty price.
Magic is common in the Far City. People are used to paying for the spells that directly impact their lives and professions. A roofer may have great knowledge of the feather fall spell, and a craftsman certainly knows about mending. Most people are aware of the dangers of mind-affecting spells such as charm person, and many can recognize their effects. These spells are often used to assure servile loyalty and to prevent slave revolts. Courts of law often employ zone of truth, and collecting taxes is much easier with lie-detecting spells. Road building and other civil projects are often expedited by move earth spells, and the defenses of the Far City were partly constructed using wall of stone. Houses are commonly alarmed and trapped with magic. Damaging and pain inducing spells combined with healing spells are used with hideous effect by the Emperor's royal torturers.
The city is a hot-bed of politics. Inter-guild and faction squabbling makes the city a dangerous place, both figuratively and literally. Assassination, although illegal, is an ever-present danger, and those who cross the Emperor or his minions are apt to disappear in the dead of night. Someone with ambition is bound to come to the notice of the city's powerful personages, and a powerful person who has avoided both betrayal and assassination for a period of time is a person-or creature-to be feared.
The mass of citizens in the Far City live in misery, especially since the Lord of Anger long ago disbanded the Public Dole; starvation is rampant, and the poor are seen as deserving of their fate, because they are too weak or too unambitious to help themselves. It is said that they simply do not want to work, although a true look at the economy shows that little work is available. The poor are kept from revolt by the iron-like control of the Hawk Legion and the perpetual distraction of the gladiatorial blood sports in the Grand Arena.
Laws
The Twenty Precepts in force in the kingdom of Farland are enforced in the Far City, and usually they are followed to the letter. Additionally, any number of other arbitrary laws are in force, and it generally takes a lawyer to even begin to figure out which law is applicable and where it applies.
Important Dates for the City (Many are approximations)
4515 F.R.-- Beckair Publius founds the Far City
5700-- Farland invades Zeland, beginning the Wars of Empire
5727-- King Maximus Maro of Farland declares himself the first Emperor
5738-Emperor Maximus dies of plague. A civil war ensues.
5739-Zeland rebels. Farland withdraws its troops from Lorindon to squelch the threat. The plague breaks out again and causes widespread famine. Thousands die.
5960-A large force of evil attacks Farland from the Deadlands, beginning the Wars of Sorrow. Emperor Lucius fights them to a standstill at the border.
5961-The fortified city of Borderhold is established.
5969-The Borderhold is taken and destroyed. The evil army invades Northern Farland.
5973-The Farlandish city of Lompeia is destroyed.
5975-Zeland and Orland rebel. The evil armies besiege the Far City.
5979-Zeland and Orland secede from the empire.
5985-A small army of elves, led by their King Baranthir, journeys to Farland to offer their aid, advice, and magic.
5989-The army of evil is defeated outside the Far City.
5990-Farland, with aid from the elves, raises a large army from all corners of the Kingdom. The dwarves also send troops from Wawmar.
5999-The army of Farland attacks and destroys the evil army encamped in the Deadlands.
6003-Farland, the elves, and dwarves invade the Wintervale and in the huge Battle of Sorrow defeat and annihilate the last of the evil armies. However, on their way back through the Trollheim Heights Pass, a force of trolls and other monsters treacherously ambushes them. Baranthir falls in the ambush, alongside Emperor Marcus I. The trolls are destroyed. The Pass is renamed the Pass of Doom.
6020-The Borderhold is refounded. The Farlandish Empire ends. Henceforth it is known as the Kingdom of Farland, and its kings are known as High Kings because most of the other countries eventually become subordinate allies or are forced to pay tribute.
6862-- The fleet of the Far City, at the behest of Daven, engages the ships of the Corsair Robert the Blue and completely destroys his fleet. During the returning voyage, half of the fleet of Farland is lost due to a raging storm.
7013-The order of the Far Knights is founded by Sir Lucius Zeno.
7090-The then leader of the Far Knights, the paladin Rothian Ganorus, as well as many members of the Cadre of the Wise, set out to explore the Deadlands and investigate the resurgence of evil there. They never return.
7115-- The kingdom of Farland continues to grow in power and expands trade with the other kingdoms.
7143-The Eastern alliance, led by Farland, sends troops into Kelerak. After a minor skirmish, Kelerak agrees to pay tribute to Farland.
7797-- The Dark Conquest begins. Farland is beset from the north and west.
7803-- In a brilliant strategic move, the Lord of Anger attacks from the Isle of Night and besieges the Far City. The hero Lord Gwyn Darius makes a last ditch effort to sail to the nameless city and kill the Evil One but is not heard from again.
7805-- The Far City falls. The Lord of Anger kills all the senators and disbands the senate.
7810-- The Lord of Anger disbands the public dole.
7950-- The first great rebellion of the citizens of the Far City takes place.
7951-- The rebellion ends in a massacre that decimates the population of the city.
8018-- The traitor Hoth Kanus attempts to invade the Far City with his legion but is eventually killed.
