GOLDEN ROCK LN Large city Corruption +8; Crime +6; Economy +10; Law +2; Lore +1; Society -1 Qualities boom town, financial, massive underground, organized crime, prosperous Danger +30 DEMOGRAPHICS Government Plutarchy Population 25,000 (Over city: Mostly humans. Under City: Mostly dwarves. Other races also.) Noteable NPCs Faelfwine of Seg (Priest of Seg) Hrognar (Under-City Union Head) Travis (Redmarch Merchant's Guild Head) DESCRIPTION Golden Rock was founded on the large amount of gold that could be found in the hills of this area. It grew to large sizes both above and below ground as the gold veins kept going deeper. The miners dug too deep some say and hit a entrance to the Deep. Many of the lower tunnels are now sealed to prevent the beasts of the Deep from reaching the surface. The Under-city Union was formed to prevent the entire under-city and its residence from being sealed off from the over world by the Merchant council when the Deep was first breached. As a result many mine shafts are accessible and still yield gold and valuable minerals to this day bringing riches and trade to the city. The black walls rise out of the hills with roads from all directions ending at Golden Rock's gates. Two councils rule the city. One are the merchant guilds who govern the surface city, the other is the union leaders who govern the under-city. Gold is power in Golden Rock. LOCATIONS Blackarch Bazar This sprawling complex on the surface of the city is where traders, merchants, vendors, and entrepreneurs sell and make goods. There are three levels with the first being raw materials such as magical components, lumber, coal, ore, and labor. The second level sells manufactured goods and prepared commodities including tools, weapons, parts, meals, and armor. The top layer sells luxuries and services with everything from mercenaries to jewelry for sale here. Each layer is supported by iron arches and pillars and has a open to the air layout. Breach Chasm A large underground cavern divided by a deep chasm that is one of the only places that the breach into the Deep could not be sealed. Instead the chasm is guarded and fortified against attack from the Deep beasts. Occasionally expeditions are sent from here into the Deep to scout. Entrance to the Under-City A massive 500ft wide ramp that leads into the dimly illuminated carved-stone under-city where the miners and supporting workers toil to bring more gold to surface all the while being vigilant against another breach into the Deep. Merchant Council's Promenade A ring of the five merchant guilds' buildings whose leaders collectively rule the city. Each guild tries to display its power with ornate architecture and intricate details on the buildings to appear more powerful than the other. A gazebo in the middle of this ring of buildings is where the guild heads meet to discuss policy and business. Temple of Seg This massive three domed temple is one part library and one part place of worship. An army of scribes works in shifts all day every day to calculate grand equations or record massive amounts of knowledge in a short period of time. Over 1000 scribes at a time are working in unison to complete a single task with incredible speed. One scribe may write a single rune in a lengthy spell on a hundred scrolls which are then passed to another scribe who does the same to another rune. No one scribe usually has any idea what role they play but the method promotes secrecy and speed. GROUPS/FACTIONS Durg Crime Ring A organized crime ring that is known for smuggling items and sometimes even people in and out of the city all while avoiding the taxes and tariffs. The organization has been known to use the passages thought sealed into the Deep to conduct business without interference by guards. Redmarch Merchant Guild The largest and most powerful of the merchant guilds in Golden Rock. Travis, the guild head is often considered a king. The Guild however is not a government organization and outside of Golden Rock usually only maintains a small guild building in other cities that it operates in. The Under City Union A union of workers and miners that grew powerful enough to essentially form a government that rules the under-city of Golden Rock. At times corrupt but more often just the organization's goals all are a means to do two things: get the best price for each ounce of gold, and keep the under-city from falling to the Deep. The Worshipers of Seg The priests, scribes, and librarians of Seg all work in isolation of the problems faced by the rest of Golden Rock. The world must be recorded and the shelves filled.