Maerod
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Maerod is a predominantly human city that has evolved into an economic powerhouse over the years. It is located near the mouth of the river Pallas, which runs across a large portion of Eskalar. Its source is high in a distant mountain range almost clear across the continent, and while it has its rough spots it turns into a broad and lazily meandering waterway well before it reaches the sea (and Maerod). The gentle current allows for substantial two-way traffic, which is a large part of how Maerod was able to grow into such an economic powerhouse. With the ability to conduct trade both inland by river and by sea, the city has built itself into a major trade hub both for Eskalar and for regions beyond its shores. Merchants from all over come to Maerod for the unparalleled selection of exotic and unusual items available in its famed Mercantile Ward, and a number of well-known arcane practitioners have spent at least some time in the Scholar's Ward.
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Geography
As the Pallas reaches the coast, it forms a delta that contains fifteen large islands. These comprise the bulk of Maerod, though the city's shipwrights are effectively a semi-autonomous community located on the coast itself. Each of the city's ten High Councilors effectively control one of these larger islands, with the remaining five being devoted to the Market, Scholar's, Council, Foundry, and Justice wards. Just before the river splits, there is also the Gate district, which is dominated by a large bridge and is heavily patrolled by the city's First Legion. The Gate district is far enough from the major islands to almost be a separate community, as with the shipwrights. The Mercantile ward is located closest to the Gate, with the Council just below it and the Scholar's Ward below the latter, forming a rough I shape. The residential wards are arrayed around this I formation, with five on each side. The Foundry houses much of the city's manufacturing, and sits closer to the coast that the residential wards. A bridge links it to the shipwright district, but it's far enough from the other wards that water travel is the only way to reach it from another Ward. The Justice Ward (the housing the city's courthouse and jails) is somewhat isolated from the other wards, and sits at the very edge of the delta. No bridges connect to it; all transportation to and from the island is conducted via carefully-supervised riverboats or magical travel.
Government
As previously implied, the city is governed by ten High Councilors. Each is effectively governor of their own Ward, in addition to nominally sharing rulership of the other five Wards. Councilorship is in theory decided by democratic election among each Ward's residents, though bribery and election-rigging help ensure that Councilors almost invariably come from one or two closely interrelated (and extremely wealthy) families in a given Ward.
In reality, the truth is a little more complex. Even the most clueless of observers can see that having ten power-hungry individuals attempting to share power over the city's chief economic engines is a recipe for disaster, and so the Mercantile, Scholar's, Foundry and Justice Wards each have a Guild which oversees the day-to-day operations of their respective Ward. The Council ward is overseen by a bureaucracy that functions more or less as a Guild, but is more closely controlled by the Councilors. Budgets must still be approved by the Council, but all in all the Wards have a fair bit of autonomy considering they are in theory a single city. The overall effect is that the city-state of Maerod resembles a confederacy more than a single metropolis, and would likely devolve into the former if not for the structure of its twelve legions.
Military
With all this money flowing through the city, one might think they would have a mighty military to defend against outside threats. They do, on paper. However, in practice the twelve legions suffer from a serious case of divided loyalty.
The First and Second legions are the only two without strong ties to any specific Councilor, and they are both the largest and best-trained of the twelve. The First polices the city's waterways and makes up the bulk of the city's navy, while the Second focuses on policing the Mercantile, Council, Foundry, Scholar's and Justice Wards when the Guilds need assistance as well as comprising a major portion of the city's infantry. The Second has a higher concentration of spellcasters than any other legion, though oddly very few swordmages are present in Maerod.
In an effort to play up the city's diversity, the First and Second legions have a disproportionate number of demihumans in their ranks. The Second in particular houses many of the more exotic races, with more than a few Genasi among its squads. Some of the more cynical residents of Maerod point out that the First and Second are also the most likely to be called to fight, and so this keeps the human Legionnaires nice and safe while the nonhumans head to the front lines. Whether or not this is deliberate is up for debate.
The remaining ten legions are effectively the private military force of a given Ward (and thus its Councilor). Though they swear their oath to the City and are nominally just as responsible for its defense as the First or Second, they are disproportionately funded by the Ward which houses their barracks and are drawn primarily from its residents. Thus the 3rd through 12th are mostly concerned with protecting the interests of their respective territory, policing its streets and escorting the persons and property of the Ward's major houses. Legionnaires are generally selected for their loyalty as much as their skills, and so they tend to be less effective than the First and Second both in terms of ability and because they are plagued by the same political rivalries that hamper the city's upper echelons.
All twelve of the legions are well-equipped and fairly well-trained, but only the First and Second can be said to have an edge over other cities' troops. They may be elite (and larger than the others), but the weakness and divided loyalty of the other legions leaves Maerod reliant on its economic prowess as much as military might for its defense. The Council has well-placed agents in most other cities, able to draw upon significant reserves of wealth to influence key decisions to ensure that Maerod's interests are served. While not as prolific as Kalon or Tumnos' operatives, Maerodian spies choose their battles carefully and are usually successful when they do. Humans make up the bulk of Maerod's population, though a number of dwarves have made their home in the Foundry and shipwright districts despite their distance from their traditional home. Many of the dwarves here have not come by choice; rather they or their ancestors dishonored their clan and sought out Maerod as a way to earn a living in relative anonymity.
A number of Genasi make their home in the Mercantile ward, as their exotic nature only helps them stand out in an area full of unusual denizens and wares. There are also a fair number of individuals of elven heritage scattered throughout the city, with Drow concentrated in the Foundry and Eladrin making up a significant minority of the Scholar's Ward.
Halflings make up a number of the city's merchants, frequently running caravans or trading vessels. While a number of families are independent, many of the larger and wealthier halfling clans owe some measure of fealty to a given Ward. While some begrudge this dependence, the free caravan escorts and additional financial backing are a benefit some find hard to ignore.
It's also an open secret that Doppelgangers are highly sought after by the Second Legion, the Council and the various ruling houses. Their ability to insinuate themselves into a population and rapidly change identities allows them to command a high price for their services. Most are put to work as operatives abroad, with a handler from within the city ensuring they remain on task and adequately compensated. A number, however, are used by the Councilors to spy on one-another and in the Second Legion's own counterespionage and undercover operations.
The other races are also represented in smaller numbers, mainly within the Mercantile Ward. The Justice Guild also employs a number of Warforged guards in its jails, as their lack of requirement for sleep allows the prisoners to be constantly watched.
Adventurers in Maerod
The ten legions belonging to each Ward are weak, and they know it even if they don't publicly admit it. Thus, mercenaries and wandering adventurers are frequently employed when a given Councilor has a task they want performed reliably and at arm's length. Each of the ruling houses maintains a few inns and taverns throughout the Mercantile Ward, and the proprietors generally receive a finder's fee when they find a group of outsiders that successfully get the job done. A group of adventurers that establishes itself as reliable operators will find themselves courted by multiple houses (overtly or indirectly, depending on the nature of the contract offered), and may even receive requests to raid the same priority target that another house wants escorted.
All in all, it's risky to take too many contracts in Maerod in a short period. Doing so risks being drawn into one of the many power struggles taking place in the city, and the Second Legion is all too eager to make an example of outsiders engaged in skullduggery even if they never find out who their ultimate employer was.
The Second Legion also occasionally employs outsiders in its efforts to limit the flow of dangerous or truly evil commodities through the Mercantile Ward. Once a group of freelancers is sufficiently vetted, they may be employed as undercover operatives (or as cat's paws to draw out the criminal they want dealt with).
When Maerod does employ the 13th Legion, it is almost always to help deal with an external threat. Freelancers are the method of choice for internal disputes, and so one must always be careful when approaching Maerod from the surrounding forest in case a particular group of mercenaries has been light on work recently... One can find pretty much anything in the Mercantile Ward. Both mundane and magical items are readily available, though generally high-level items are sold in hidden and well-guarded emporiums. One can also find items of a less legal nature, though these are even more difficult to find than a shop selling powerful magic items. Either way, a Streetwise check is required to find anything beyond Heroic tier, though well-known adventurers may have an easier time discovering their location. Likewise, being in good stead with the Second Legion or one of the Councilors may make it easier to gain access to higher-level gear.
For Research or Rituals, one is best to head to the Scholar's Ward. There, one can find the city's sprawling libraries and colleges. Dealing with the Arcanists or Priesthood can be a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare, especially when trying to acquire powerful rituals or recipes, but a successful Diplomacy check (and possibly a few extra coins) can make the process easier. In addition to the Arcance and Divine-oriented colleges, one can find a number of sprawling parks home to a few druids and other Primal casters that attempt to teach the virtues of balance between nature and civilization. Much of their audience consists of doe-eyed and rebellious nobles' brats, so they are initially skeptical of individuals that approach them but will respect those who demonstrate that they are no mere dabbler or misguided child going through a phase.
While one can easily find watercraft to rent in order to traverse the city more easily than by walking, if one wishes to actually purchase a vehicle the Foundry is your best bet. Here one can find any number of smiths and wrights, with much of the work bearing overt Dwarven or Drow stylizations in their construction. Interspersed among the manufacturing facilities are a number of working-class taverns, and the Foundry is known for is lively (and often violent) nightlife. Just be careful where you tread after hours, as there is no shortage of footpads and grifters ready to relieve an unwitting traveler of their valuables. On the other hand, subduing and bringing in a particularly troublesome gang is a surefire way to win respect with the Second Legion, and so there's more than one adventuring band out there with a story of "rat-baiting" in Maerod's Foundry.
