Riddleport, City of Cyphers
The third largest city in all Varisia, Riddleport is also the most notorious. Once a secret pirate haven, Riddleport has grown over the last three centuries into a port city in its own right. At first it served as a den of piracy, but over time the city has expanded into a true settlement, the frontier’s frontier, the Northernmost outpost on the lonely strip known as the Lost Coast. Yet while Riddleport has grown into a proper city, it remains true to its roots—you can get rich quick in Riddleport if you’ve got skill and a bit of luck. Yet, for every Riddleport success story, there are a dozen nameless bodies buried in potters’ fields or tossed to the hungry denizens of the sea.
Riddleport's Demographics
Population : 13300 (77% human, 7% dwarf, 5% half-elf, 4% half-orc, 3% tiefling, 2% halfling, 1% gnome, 1% other)
As the high amount of half-elves, half-orcs and even tieflings shows, the lawless city of Riddleport is an haven for all sort of outcasts from all over Goralion. In a city without strong establishment, even people who would be mistrusted in other lands can make their own way. Of course, like the introduction paragraph mentioned, the city can also be very unforgiving to those who fail.
Current Events
At the start of the game, two events are the talk of the town. The first is the manifestation of the Blot, a strange and ominous shadow in the sky that looks like nothing so much as a cloud of darkness. The Blot captured the interest of Riddleport’s citizens when it first manifested, but that was months ago—now, after the strange cloud hasn’t done anything particularly dramatic for so long, most folk have grown accustomed to it. Most—but not all ; some, such as the Order of Cyphers, remain concerned by the strange cloud, and worry that it may be the harbinger of something worse.
The other event is a gambling tournament called “Cheat the Devil and Take His Gold.” Held at the recently reopened Gold Goblin Gambling Hall, talk of the tourney has spread throughout the town of Riddleport and has even reached some taverns in cities as far as Magnimar or even Korvosa. Excitement for the tournament has been building for a month, and now that the day is finally here, people from all over are flocking to take part. The somewhat restrictive entrance fee ironically makes it not possible for many of Riddleport’s own citizens to attend, but in the case of each PC who takes a Second Darkness Campaign Trait, that 1 gp entrance fee has been paid, either by an interested party or by yourself (this expense does not come from your starting cash).
[Sblock=Power groups and points of interest]
Pirate captains: As the founders of the city, the pirates are the traditional power in Riddleport. Various captains would fight and betray one another for the title of overlord and leadership of the city. This changed thirty years ago when the former pirate Gaston Cromarcky became Overlord. Instead of calling on fellow pirates for support, he hired many mercenaries from land-based groups to keep the order in the city. To pay for such new expenses, the overlord runs a sort of official protection racket. No pirate wishing to dock in the city can attack a ship flying the Riddleport flag. The price for such protection is extremely high however, so the Riddleport's pirates still have plenty of targets. As such, while the pirates are still a force to be reckon with at sea, their power in the city proper has shifted to the permanent residents, like the Overlord and the criminal groups. Overlord Cromarcky resides in his heavily guarded compound on an island in the middle of the Velashu river.
Gendarmes: They are the armed forces payed by Overlord Gaston Cromarcky to keep a semblance order in the city. They consist mostly of mercenaries with little links to piracy. While they do a better job keeping the streets safe then the pirates ever did, the Gendarmes have been know to turn a blind eye to quite a few criminal activities. Their barracks, the Devil's Folk, are nestled in the hills in the northern part of the city and serve as both training ground and prison for the city.
Cyphergate: The enigmatic Cyphergate looms large over Riddleport’s harbor, a constant reminder of the transience of life and even civilization, since no record has ever been found of who may have raised this architectural wonder. The arch rises 350 feet above the water at high tide, secured by the rocky crags on either side of the harbor mouth—its diameter is exactly 700 feet. It is of an unidentifiable stone of nearly supernatural hardness that resists almost all efforts at defacing or marking, and as with most Thassilonian monuments, it has weathered the passage of years amazingly well. Most scholars believe that the runes on the arch have no meaning, and are decorative. Magical attempts to decipher the runes have supported this theory, yet the Order of Cyphers believes that this simply points to the runes’ mystic nature, that even magic cannot decipher their meaning or the Cyphergate’s true purpose. Cracking this code has become the primary goal of the Order, yet they are no closer to solving it today than they were when their order was founded.
The Order of Cyphers: A group of wizards, sorcerers and scholars dedicated to deciphering the secret and use of the Cyphergate and other Thassilonian ruins, the Order of Cyphers is the rising power in Riddleport. Their ways are mysterious and a lot of the more traditional inhabitant of Riddleport mistrust them. The order is lead by Elias Tammerhawk, a accomplished wizard that some say might be poised to become the next Overlord. The Cypher Lodge, their headquarter, overlooks the southern cliffs of the city and offers an excellent view of the Cyphergate. It also holds the most complete library in northern Varisia.
Criminal groups: In a lawless city like Riddleport, the thieves, smugglers, cutthroats and other scoundrels hold a lot of sway. This ranges from small groups of pick pockets banding together to full fledged criminal associations headed by a criminal boss. One of the most notorious of these is Clegg Zincher who own the infamous Zincher's Arena where desperate men fight monsters or each other for the entertainment of the clients. Other crimes lords include Boss Croat, a fat half-orc who apparently controls drug traffic, and Shorafa Pamodae, the dark and alluring tiefling priestess of Calistria who controls the 'hospitality' business from her House of the Silken Veil. Outside the city, clans of Varisian Sczarni like to take as victims the travellers coming or leaving.
Gold Goblin Gambling Hall: Once a high profile venue and shining diamond of the bustling Wharf District, this run-down gambling hall has been recently rebuilt and is the site for the upcoming “Cheat the Devil and Take His Gold” gambling tournament.
Gas Forges: The second most know feature of Riddleport (after the massive Cyphergate) is the dwarf operated Gas Forges. The gas forges stand out as a tall metal and stone structure in the middle of a city mostly build out of wood. Long ago, some dwarves discovered rare gas deposits in mines below the city. The industrious dwarves knew that they could use that gas to heat forges to an incredibly high temperature which now allows them to smelt even the hardest metals, like adamantine. To this days, dwarves control the extraction of the gases as well as the forging operations. The day to day operations aren't glamorous however. All the toxic compounds that the forging processes release are taxing even on the hardy dwarves. Many of the gas forge's workers die before they can benefit from their (albeit high) pay. The gas forges are owned by a consortium of rich dwarves that stay in faraway Janherhoff.[/Sblock]
[Sblock=Deities in Riddleport]Although not a particularly pious lot, the people of Riddleport know better than to trust in luck alone. Thus, a number of unruly congregations flourish in the City of Cyphers, the largest being dedicated to deities sympathetic to sailors, gamblers, criminals, and free spirits of all walks.
Besmara: Although primarily worshiped among the Shackles far to the south, the Pirate Queen is the goddess of pirates, strife, and sea serpents. Thus, her faith suits the scallywags and seafarers of Riddleport well. Her temple, derisively known as the Fish Bowl, makes regular blood sacrifices to assure safe and profitable voyages.
Calistria: The fickle goddess of trickery, lust, and revenge maintains a particularly healthy following in Riddleport. Her temple, the House of the Silken Veil, encourages her flock’s vendettas and oversees the city’s “hospitality” industry. Several thugs and assassins are known for quoting Calistria’s collection of holy poems, Blood for Wine, before setting about their grim work.
Cayden Cailean: From the raucous Publican’s House, the clergy of Cayden Cailean, god of alcohol, bravery, and freedom, welcome nearly all comers and hearten those who seek to live lives free of laws and restrictions. The church of the Drunken Hero is known for helping newcomers find homes within the city and encouraging legitimate trade—especially the import of exotic wines and brews.
Desna: The most blessed and cursed deity in Riddleport, the butterfly-winged goddess of travelers, luck, and the stars watches over gamblers, navigators on ships, and those seeking fortune and new beginnings. Although her faith does not support an actual temple within the City of Cyphers, nearly every gambling den in the city bears a statue in her image and several wandering priests—particularly of Varisian descent— do her work.
Gozreh: Although no temple in Riddleport bears the symbol of the Wind and the Waves, few sailors don’t in some way pay respects to the god of nature. Many docks bear small shrines so departing seafarers can offer last-minute sacrifices, and wandering clerics and druids of Gozreh sell blessings and prayers for their god’s distraction.[/Sblock]
[Sblock= Riddleport Slang]
Abbess: A priestess or whore of Calistria
Bridge Monkey: Someone from Magnimar
Capp: A trusted lieutenant or henchman
Cattle: A group of Varisians
Cow: A Varisian
Church Work: Any lengthy job that is slow to finish or is otherwise drudgery
Dog Biter: A large rat, small child, or halfling
Earth Bath: An unmarked grave
Easy Lad: A male prostitute
Fancyboy/Fancygirl: A cyphermage (sometimes an elf )
Gendarme: A city guard
Grog-Blossom: A facial pimple, or an unsavory person
Hushman: A hired killer, generally one kept on semipermanent retainer
Kiss: To stab someone—“Kissed the snickersnak” is a phrase used to mean “Got murdered”
Laced Mutton: A prostitute (gender neutral)
Leaky: Someone who can’t keep a secret (“Don’t tell him about the heist—he’s leaky!”)
Lumber: A passenger on a ship (typically an unwanted or unwelcome passenger)
Pigeon: A person targeted by a criminal to be the victim of a crime, or a person that visits a prostitute
Pigmeat: A dead body, or someone who is about to become dead
Pump-Sucker: A dwarf (particularly one who works at the Gas Forges)
Quickwife: A female prostitute
Rathole: The mouth (especially a mouth that belongs to someone who is saying unwelcome things)
Rotgut: Liquor (particularly foul-tasting liquor)
Sideshow: A tiefling
Snickersnak: A small knife that can be easily hidden on a person’s body
Soaker: A priest of Cayden Cailean
Soggy Plum: A drunk
Whisker: A wererat[/Sblock]
