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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FloatingDisc" data-source="post: 4354752" data-attributes="member: 72222">Lacerda City - Where the adventure begins...The adventure will begin in the capital of a borderlands city-state named Lacerda. Lacerda City is a thriving cultural melting pot sitting on the border of the dragon desert and the jungle kingdoms of the goblins. The capital stands on a man-made island in a lake, really just a wide-point in the Lacerda River, and is connected to the shores by a series of wooden and stone bridges, that are themselves inhabited by Lacerda City's poorest denizens. The far shores are populated with fishermen and farmers. The city itself is home to innumerable merchants, traders and noble families, and almost anything for sale in Arca Terra can be found in Lacerda. Bejewelled nobles of every species swarm through the streets born in litters and on wagons, while slaves (mostly human and goblinoid) hurry to and fro at their masters' behest. Scimitar-weilding guards keep the peace, when they're not too busy extorting shopkeepers and foreigners. The body of water in the middle of which the city stands is named Faruta Lake, and is home to countless varieties of fish, as well as immense man-eating eels. Brave hunter take to the water in small skiffs and canoes, hunting the giant eels with spears. Fishermen prefer the relative safety of the shore, from where they cast nets. Trade ships come up the river from the human kingdoms to the south, east and west, finding births amidst the tangled web of bridges and docks that connect Lacerda city with the mainland. Above the skyline juts a crudely built wooden tower where gnomish zeppelins dock form the four corners of the continent. Lacerda is ruled from an immense and oppulent palace by Prince Darukan. There is constant scheming and treachery in the dangerous streets of the capital. There are a number of customs that foreigners are expected to observe when visiting Lacerda City. Some are for practical or economic reasons, rather than cultural. Men, and sometimes women, of means are expected to own a pet. The most common are monkeys, ferrets and parrots, though other, more exotic creaures are occasionally sported by nobles. These include various varieties of small dogs and cats. Anyone that is not a slave is permitted to carry weapons, though a recent trend has seen some nobles leaving their traditional swords at home and employing one or two bodyguards instead. Nonetheless, the numerous weaponsmiths in the city are kept in steady business ensuring young nobles are up-to-date with the latest jewel-encrusted, gilt-coated scimitars, rapiers and short swords. It is common for young and able-bodied Lacerdans to participate in regular hunts on the Faruta Lake. Parties of nobles, usually accompanied by bodyguards, trackers and hunters, occassionally enter the deep jungle, seeking rarer trophies. A Foreigner's first Impression of Lacerda City...The palace had haunted my dreams as long as I could remember. A place of glistening azure water courses, towering stone columns topped with the figures of saints, and everywhere, gilt. The wild, baroque splendour of Lacerda, I'd heard it described as. Nobles, merchants, courtiers, courtesans and slaves hurried everywhere. Monkeys and ferrets, some pets and some wild, scurried between them, or perched atop the shoulders of people and statues alike. And finally I was here. The gondola I'd commissioned eased between a couple of its sister vessels and bumped gently into the sagging wooden dock. The pole-man leapt across and tethered the gondola quickly and expertly, then extended his hand to help me up. I paid the man in golden coins, and plucked a few grapes from the bunch I was eating from and gave them to the monkey perched on his shoulder. I paused before setting off for the court to take in the scene... A steady flow of traders and other men and women of business filled the narrow streets, going in and out of the various shop fronts set into the yellow-stone walls of the small city. All around was the gleaming azure Faruta lake, and in the distance, the jungle-covered far shore, a sprawling nest of docks and shanties. Above me, criss-crossing ropes hung with un-lit lanterns were strung between the shops and warehouses. Colourful parrots perched there, occassionally decorating the street below, as well as passer-bys, with their effluent. Everyone, both men and women, were clad in brightly-coloured silks, and decorated with gold, silver, bronze and precious stones. Even the slaves wore gleaming golden hoops through their noses, cheeks or ears, often studded with gems. I supposed that these passed for brands here in Lacerda. I stepped into a main thoroughfare, saw that it led in a straight line towards the centre of the city, and, almost certainly, the palace. I could make out what must be the local watch, clad in dark blue silks and white sashes, with white turbans wound about their dark faces. The blue robes almost certainly concealed some sort of armour. Curved swords in golden scabbards were tucked into the sashes, and they walked with an air of arrogance and self-importance. </blockquote>

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