Dragon Warriors

Ward of Longmarket

Longmarket was once the largest open space in the city - quite literally the long market place of the city. But over time more and more buildings encroached until today, the remaining market square only occupies a relatively small section of this ward. It is a working to middle class area - buildings tend to be of simple wooden and brick construction but relatively modern. The Monastery of the Sacred Mother in the care of the Blue Friars owns most of the housing within this ward, but sets rents relatively low. Traditionally the Monk's income came from the brewing of cider and a cider brewery they own still stands near the Monastery, although they now employ others to deal with the brewing. The Company of Clothiers, Tailors, and Fullers have their Guild Hall in this ward, and a significant number of guild members have their shops and homes within the ward. The Holy Tomb Church contains an ancient sarcophagus that is claimed to have been used to hold the body of saviour Gatanedes immediately after his matyrdom - the claim is generally accepted in Albion and other northern Kingdoms, although similar claims are made of a sarcophagus in a church in the mountains of Molasaria, and the Tamorian Church of the New Selentine Empire claims both of these are false, and that the saviour was never held in any sort of sarcophagi, but was simply wrapped in a simple shroud in their possession. It would flirt with heresy to suggest it, but a very well informed person might wonder at the similarity of the sarcophagus of the Holy Tomb and those found in the pyramid tombs of Zhenir. Of the inns and taverns of the city, The Crumpled Horn found in Longmarket has a specific reputation for being the best place to try spirits and wines drawn from foreign lands, if somebody has the money to pay for them. It even has a special dispensation from the King to import a dozen bottles of the otherwise forbidden Chaubrettan Brandy each year.

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Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

What about organized crime? Anything on the city culture?

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And so the show begins!!!
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Organised crime will come up when I get to the ward where it tends to be coordinated from - because of the order I am doing this in, that will be one of the later wards, but we're not that far from it now.

And at the moment I'm really doing the gross geography more than other things. Once that is done, I'll be addressing things that aren't strictly bound to streets.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Great job documenting and designing the city, it's a useful campaign resource.

Just one small nitpick (apologies in advance) - I find that the term 'road' is used somewhat anachronistically when naming the city streets. Historically the term would only really apply to major thoroughfares connecting settlements, rather than the paths and streets of the settlement itself.

I think it would feel more 'authentic' if you swapped out 'road' with other terms instead - lane, row, passage, turn, rise, path, way, wind, etc. More often than not the street name would simply be the most prominent business or building on the street, or linked to some older purpose the area once had - 'Hawkers Mews' or 'Wolfs Grove' (which might have originally been Aethelwulf's Grove).

Other than that, keep up the good work!

Thanks - I'll look into that when I next start work on the map again.I welcome suggestions like that.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Ward of Argent Hill

The Ward of Argent Hill is a community of successful merchants and tradesmen of various sorts. Money lenders are found scattered throughout the ward, but these are not the normal pawn shops and loan sharks that offer their services to the poor and desperate but those who make the commerce of a major city possible. The small hill that gives the ward its name is still visible to those who look for it, surrounded by Silver Circle Road, and somebody familiar with fortifications would likely suspect that it may in fact be the mound of an ancient fortress that once sat on this site. Historians say that this fortress and silver mines near it were the earliest known settlements in this area, predating the city that the Selentines built.

The Worshipful Order of Saint Wythan, otherwise known as the Knights Capellar built their first Chapter House in Albion in this ward - and it has, so far, remained the only one in Ellesland. While they are respected by most, some worry at the presence of this new and powerful force in the City and the Kingdom. The Order is known to control great wealth and operates a true bank from the Chapter House. There are stories of great wealth within its wall, but though quite ornate in design it is quite obviously a fortress in its own right. It lies at the base of the hill, and the Knights Capellar are known to be interested in buying up all the real estate on the hill in order to build an greater building - this may be why their current Chapter House does not have the normal eight sided structure of their Chapels and Chapter Houses in other major cities - it may merely be intended to eventually be an outbuilding.

The Five Magi Inn and Tavern that is near the Chapter House is treated by the Capellars as their local haunt, but remains open to all. It is a high quality establishment more renowned for its food than its drinking or atmosphere. The other notable inn in Argent Hill is officially known as The Faithful Hound but most refer to it as The Dead Dog because of a story associated with its history. It has many dark corners and small tables that makes it a popular place for private meetings which require discretion.

The Church of Saint Deniol is often visited by people simply wanting to see the ornate gargoyles covering its walls. Many churches have a few such carvings, but Saint Deniol's takes it to extreme with grotesque and gruesome images that make many uncomfortable to see. This may be why its Churchyard is less full and more ordered than many in the city.

Emalee's Bath House is among the best quality of such establishments providing public baths and private within its walls, as well as a variety of other services.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Ward of Bridgewater

Various bridges have crossed the river here since at least time of the Selentine Empire, and this has shaped this ward. Many buildings serve as small warehouses for materials brought into the city over the bridge, and the last remnants of the city docks lie within this ward. The River Baths are the cheapest place in the city for people to bathe - indeed, bathing is free and a small charge is made only for those who wish to pay for the use of a towel. The baths are sex segregated but both the male and female sides are overseen by Sisters from the Order of Saint Ashanax who take the opportunity to assess the health of those they are watching and refer those they see as needing medical help to their convent in Groverest. The Princess of Braeburg inn tends to serve the small number of sailors who still bring ships upriver as far as Ongus to anchor in the river, or use the one dock that remains. It is known that the city authorities would like to extend the river dock and a recent fire that wiped out a slaughter yard near the bridge is regarded as suspicious by those who think that it would be convenient to the city authorities if this whole district was burned out. It is considered notable that the King himself joined efforts to fight that fire and containing it to a relatively small area.

The Worshipful Company of Barber Surgeons have their guild hall in this ward, and their proximity to the graveyard of the Church of Saint Calfanda's is the last resting place of those whose bodies are studied by the students of that guild. There are stories of unquiet dead associated with that graveyard, and of catacombs beneath it.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Ward of Docksides

The ward of Docksides used to be the docks and port of the City of Ongus, up until twenty years ago when a devastating fire destroyed most of its area in a single night. Silting in the river had made navigation increasingly difficult over the years so a decision was taken to build a new port for the city - Ongus Port - about five miles to the south and to redevelop Docksides. But so far no redevelopment has occurred. Instead it has become a slum area, almost a shanty town of crude cottages and unmade roads where the poorest of the poor makes their homes. There is relatively little crime in Docksides because people have very little to steal from each other, and there is a relatively strong community spirit. But the people do not much like outsiders.

The Three Shovels inn and tavern is the centre of the community for most people, and many small businesses are run out of small cottages, but the majority of residents of the ward work as labourers and similar in the city at large. in the southern end of the ward, there is an area unaffected by the fires which is dominated by the butchers trade. The Worshipful Company of Butchers and Poulters and the Company of Dyers and Ink Makers both have their Guild Hall there.

While no docks remain in Dockside, small sail boats and rowboats are pulled up along the shoreline at night and some people go out in them to fish or to participate in the transfer of smaller items between Ongus Port and the city during the day.



Detail of Slums:

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Ward of Southgate

The Ward of Southgate takes its name from the southern gate of the city that lies near its southwest corner. It is a working class community, with very little crime making it a popular place for merchants to set up their businesses.

The School of the Immaculate Saint Sandii (N1) is found in the northeast corner of the ward in the shadow of the City Walls. This is Ongus only high quality school for girls - there are a number of boys schools, but the idea that girls could benefit from a complete education is still considered novel by many. Saint Sandii's is utterly dedicated to the principles that girls can be just as well educated as boys and the school is run on very similar lines to the most successful boys' schools in the city. It has taken to sending some of its best girls to the University of Cantorbridge to demand admittance, so far with limited success (where it has happened, it has been made clear that an exception has been made, and no precedent is being set, but the 'exceptions' are growing each year. It is not the only unusual school in the district - a Dame School run by one Mistress Marta sits in the centre of the ward and is one place where bright but poor children have a reasonable chance of finding an education (see Friends or Foes, p38, for details of Mistress Marta). Directly opposite the Dame School (N26) stands Saint Lucart's Church(N28) - a singular establishment in Ongus.

Though it has all the features of a church and even provides services because it must, Saint Lucart's is actually the Ongus headquarters of the Crooked Rooks - the closest thing to a stereotypical 'Guild of Thieves' to exist in the city. The general response of citizens of Ongus to the suggestion that such a guild exists is 'stuff and nonsense'. Exact details of the Rooks are unclear, but the very well informed understand that their leaders take the names of gemstones, and that Southgate is so free of crime, because the rooks do not tolerate those who foul their own beds. The area between Saint Lucart's Church and the City Wall is the rookery, where honest men only go for good reason, and the city watch virtually never at all.

The Fighting Cocks Inn (N16) has regular cockfights as befits its name and is one of the most violent taverns in Ongus, but many wealthy men travel to it for the sport.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Ward of Southside

A prosperous middle class community, Southside is largely residential. Some shops and businesses are run out of homes, but many from this district work elsewhere in the city.

The Monastery of Saint Ambrosius is renowned for the wines it sells - the order of which it is part maintains vineyards all over Chaubrette, Kurland and Algandy, and many monks from these nations spend time there. These monks tend towards zealotry and active opposition towards what they see as unnatural practices - including any practice of Magic, or any religion outside of the true faith. In Ongus where such things are tolerated by most, they are fairly circumspect but any practitioners of the arts should be careful around these monks.

The Worshipful Fellowship of Brewers, Vintners, Distillers and Cider Makers have their Guild Hall in this district.

Parkland next to Saint Fredara's Church has recently been designated for use as a cemetery. This is causing some controversy and complaint.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide