Daybreak, City of

City of Daybreak

City size: Metropolis

Population: 15,000

Government: Theocracy

Bodies of Water: The Crystal River and its three tributaries, which flows south, down from the ice-capped peaks of the Worldscythe Mountains

Hills and Mountains: Gentle Hills

Overall Terrain: Forested

Subsistence: Forestry, mining, trade, livestock

Dominant Race: Elves.

Secondary Races: Shifters, Dwarves

Districts: Temple/government, Market, Residential, trade.

Tech level: Italian Renaissance

General Overview:

The City of Daybreak sits a week's travel on horseback from the foot of the Worldscythe Mountains (as well as its much larger sister city, Angelusia), which serve as a natural barrier between the frozen tundras of Reimgard and the more temperate region that makes up the nation of Ambrion. On the surface, it is no different from its other eight sister cities that comprise the nine independent city states that serve as hubs for the client villages dotted throughout the countryside. The city boasts any and every kind of business, from simple shopkeepers selling generalized goods to specialized weapon and armor smiths who craft custom items for those with enough coin to pay for them. The city is, like its eight counterparts, governed by the theocratic Paladin order known as the Order of the Dawn, under the progressive vision of the Half-Orc warrior Voltung Bladetusk. As regimented as the Order is, the city is thus divided into several individual districts, each with its own specific function and purpose in ensuring that Daybreak remains the thriving metropolis that it has become.

The Temple district also doubles as the administrative district, due to the offices of both religious leaders and government leaders being one and the same. Worship of any member of Amadonia's ruling pantheon is permitted, though bureaucratic chicanery from the bureaucrats of the city has resulted in Izarra's faith being effectively barred from practicing, which is a major point of contention between the Order of the Dawn and the Order of the Crimson Blade, whose differing viewpoints often clash despite having similar overall goals for their followers.

The Mercantile District lies within the northwestern corner of the city, and his home to the Crystal Star, a storefront that serves as the centerpoint of the marketplace where the majority of Daybreak's citizens do their shopping. The Crystal Star is, however, also the base of operations for the Velvet Touch thieves guild, run by Darin Duskblade, a notorious assassin who survives in the city only because of the fact that he also has his fingers in every economic venture the city undertakes. Were his delicate network of trade deals and business holdings to collapse, he insists, economic chaos would engulf the population.

The Residential District is, as one would expect, the place wherein the bulk of Daybreak's citizenry make their homes. This district is the only one to be divided between itself into two unofficial subdistricts, one inhabited exclusively by Shifters, and the other by the Elves and Dwarves that reside therein. As a result of the enforced segregation of Shifters into one specific area of the city, animosity between them and the Elves runs hot, threatening to boil over into full revolt given the right conditions.

The Industrial District

The name of this district is somewhat innacurate, as it is not a district, per se, but the nexus at which the other districts of the city meet and interact. All manner of businesses can be found in the Industrial district, most prominently the mariners who rent boats that travelers use to traverse the Crystal River from Angelusia and other cities along the three tributaries that form as one within Daybreak's walls.

Other businesses are equally prominent such as weapon and armor smiths, various riverside taverns and inns frequented by travelers from the regions north of the city, and even such simple trades as herbalism and the sale of general goods.

Well Known Locations:

The Crystal Star, as mentioned above a large general goods store that also serves as the front for the local thieves guild, the Velvet Touch.

The Warrior's Path guildhall. The Fighter's Guild: Designed as a way to train young hopefuls in the ways of combat, the fighter's guild caters to all comers who prove they are serious about learning the ways of sword and shield. Those who wish to join the guild can do so either by paying their own way in the form of tuition, or by being sponsored by either a member of the guild or an Order of the Dawn paladin, who can use temple funds to pay that tuition. Those who graduate are given their choice of assignment within one of the nine major city states of Ambrion, with most students choosing to stay within the city walls. Those that leave are usually the ones who embark on a life of adventure.

The Brotherhood of the Stars Guildhall: The Mage Guild, located in between the central and eastern tributaries of the informal Residential District, where the magical energies of the immediate area are at their strongest, is the chief rival of the fighter's guild mainly due to a belief that magic is more versatile and useful than sword play or knowledge regarding weapons. Guarded by a contingent of Eldritch Knights called the Spellswords, the guild takes on recruits in one of two ways: Either someone shows enough intelligence and magical knowledge to earn a place within the guild's collegium in the case of wizards, or they can petition for entry and sponsorship by a guild member in the case of sorcerers. In addition to their rivalry with the fighter's guild, there exists an internal rivalry between wizards and sorcerers, with the sorcerers believing their inherent magic makes them personally blessed by Atara, the Goddess of Magic and Time. Magical duels between students are harshly punished when conducted outside the guild framework used to handle such things, however, so open violence against students is relatively rare.

The Sunrise Sanctum: The most prominent temple within Daybreak's city walls, this building also doubles as the chief administrative building of the city, employing hundreds of people from low-level bureucrats to the High Marshal Voltung Bladetusk himself, who ostensibly determines how the laws of Daybreak are enforced. In reality, the Synod (ruling council) largely ignore his authority due to his unfortunate circumstance of being born a Half-Orc. The haughty and prejudiced views of some of the elves on the Synod have made his efforts at reform of the city's laws a quagmire of paperwork and red tape. As Bladetusk is a soldier and not a politician, his over the table views are in direct contrast to all but a select few members of the Synod.

Flint and Musket Crafting: This specialty smith, run by a man known only as Lockheed by the populous, is the only establishment within Daybreak's walls that manufactures muskets and firearms. Recently opened, Lockheed is convinced that one day his new invention will change the course of not only Ambrion's history, but warfare itself.

The Collegium: The building known colloquially as The Collegium is the place to go within the city for those looking for an education in the ways of storytelling, oratory, and music. More formally known as the Collegium of the Blessed Crown, the building's students and faculty pay special homage to Atara, the patron of bards as well as most other arcane spellcasters.

The Jovial Deva: A tavern of middling quality that served as the initial foundation of Daybreak's infrastructure, the Jovial Deva has been around since the city was first built as a riverside fishing village. Fairly unremarkable in comparison to other locations within the city, even other taverns, the proprietors enjoy frequent custom both from residents of the city and travelers passing through, mainly due to the barman's honest reputation in regards to his customers.

The Arcane Resonance Amphitheater:

The Arcane Resonance is the premier location for entertainment of the theatrical or musical variety in the city of Daybreak. Run and founded by an extended branch of the Arkhaven family of Denbora, the Arcane Resonance provides entertainment to any and all who can pay the rather exorbitant admission fee. Though the Arcane Resonance remains the most prominent and reputed entertainment venue, several others have begun to gain attention as well, competing for the attention of the citizenry. As such, a rivalry of sorts has begun to form between the Arcane Resonance proprietors and the proprietors of the other six establishments spotted throughout Daybreak.