Creative Exercise - The City

[Crothian]

The higher then average level of magic is not without risk though. The last twenty years has seen an increase of Sorcerers and other innate spell casters. This has caused lots of worry among the scholars ands wizards because they don't know presicsely what the cause is, but fear it might be them. They also don't know in what others ways the magic could be effecting things. Some people blame the crystals instead.

 

[domino]

Once every three years, the water from the falls runs bright green. This lasts only for one day, but anyone who drinks the tainted water falls violently ill, and if already in poor physical health can die from the effects. It occurs with enough regularity that people can save water to last them through the day.

An effort to track the origin of the green water takes them to a point up the river about 16 miles from the city, where the water just slowly turns green. The effect dissapates about 12 miles downstream of the city.

Those who have tasted and survived the effects say that the water tastes cloyingly sweet.

 

[Fieari]

The crystals which are the town's main export are not mined directly from the rock, and do not ocure naturally anywhere in the world. They are a synthetic creation formed much like modern day artificial diamonds, except using a variety of substances other than carbon. The exact ingredients are a well kept secret by the guild masters who regulate the creation and sale of these stones, using cartel tactics to ensure they maintain their monopoly on the creation process, allowing them to control prices worldwide.

 

[danbuter]

The Soots is home to numerous street gangs, who supply drugs and illegal goods to people. They get their goods from an unknown source.

 

[Crothian]

There is a huge difference between the wealthy and the poor. There are a few key families that control much of the wealth of the city and little of it gets down to the poor. Rising from middle class to upper class is very difficult and the rich families have been to ruin people who try it.

 

[SALADIN THE JUST]

Fieary, you will note in an earlier contribution wherein it states that the crystals are harvested from the rocky surface behind the waterfall in particular times of the year...your contribution runs contrary to a feature already established regarding the origin of the crystals for the city...

 

[SALADIN THE JUST]

Contribution:

Mining and stone masonry are well established and influential industries given that the City is set in a largely mountainous and hilly region of the realm. The Guild of Masons and Miners is a very wealthy and powerful entity among the movers and shakers of the City.

 

[domino]

The reason for the Soots and their poor situation is simple. It's their own fault. Normal residents usually avoid this place citing it as low and swarthy. But that's because it IS low and swarthy. But it's low and swarthy because normal people don't go there.

And this is for the same reason that it has been denied guild status. One of the members of the Elder Council, Hugo Mecurius, wants that land. He plans to incite rebellion into a riot, when the Watch and Guard will move in, and pacify the population. He'll then use that as justification to the rest of the Council, to move in, and beautify the area, and displace the current residents and workers, thus allowing him access to whatever his goal was all this time.

While he did not bring the drugs to the area, he certainly helps to support the trade, as it works well into his plan, and gives him another excuse to move against that area.

 

[der_kluge]

At least twice in the city's past, Sahuagin from the river have attacked, but while both attacks caused heavy casualties, and completely caught the city by surprise, the attacks were repelled.

 

[Fieari]

I did read that, but I thought I was clarifying matters a bit more... minerals are mined, then manufactured into the crystals. Is that still contradictory?