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The Guide to Endless.

Posted by Urban PlannerFor group 0
Urban Planner
GM, 3 posts
Wed 18 Oct 2017
at 18:14
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The Guide to Endless

Endless
A sprawling city of over a billion residents, built and rebuilt countless times upon older sections which have been mostly forgotten.  Space is the greatest commodity, held as precious even more so than gold or jewels.

In response to the overcrowding on the surface, the dwarves built deep, while the elves built grand spires reaching to the stars.  Each race as a whole found ways to live in the great city, barely surviving or thriving through the days.

There have always been rumors of those who have gone beyond the great walls of the city, but nobody has ever heard of any of these legends returning from the great beyond.  Only the elite soldiers at the wall, bloodsworn to the Endless Dynsasty itself, know the secrets of the wall, and perhaps what lay beyond.

For the rest of us, the city presents enough secrets and mysteries that can be explored.



Territory
The city of Endless is divided into various districts, each with their own political power within the city as a whole.


The Dynastic Estate AKA The Center of the City
The monarchs who have overall control over the city have reigned from here for generations.  Even when a family falls from power and is replaced by another rival family, this new family becomes the new holder of the Dynastic Estate.  In an overcrowded land where the obvious indication of wealth is the amount of space owned, the Dynastic Estate is the uncontested king.  Vast parklands sit quiet between and surrounding sprawling estates, each protected by a second Wall around this golden egg.  Although significantly smaller in size and built with many gates to allow visitors and guests of the ruling dynasty, it too is well guarded by members of the Elite Wall Guard.

The Major 12 Districts AKA The Elite Districts
The richest and most powerful nobles govern the 12 strongest of the districts.  Some of these districts have extreme laws which greatly favor those whom have earned the favour of the nobility.  With military units of their own, some of these districts have built walls of their own and are essentially cities within the endless city.  Others have different protections.
Details of each of the Major 12 Territories will be listed below.

The Common Territories AKA The Sprawl
The vastly overcrowded and slightly run-down lands between and beyond the Major 12 Districts comprise the vast majority of the common folk living their everyday lives.  These lands have the most freedom from the rules imposed by the powerful families, so most are content with their lot in life.  Mostly.

The Underground District AKA The Dark Districts
The realms underneath the surface of the city are vast in size, and arguably stronger than anything the surface citizens would like to admit, but ancient oaths exist between the Underground leaders and the Dynastic Estate.  Officially, they hold no political power in the city, but unofficially, the leaders have the ear of the monarchs.

The Protected Borderlands AKA The Wall
The elite keepers of the wall are the fewest in number, and they have no authority to enact laws or influence matters outside their immediate territory.  However, the leaders of the Wall have the uncontested veto authority on any law or policy which could affect the Wall.



Social Structure
Endless has a ruling dynastic family which governs overall authority over the Endless city.  The head of the family holds the title of monarch, and holds the throne for no more than 25 years from the day of Ascension.  Once the 25 years have passed, or the death of the monarch, the title passes to his or her next of kin as recognized by the 12 Noble Families.

The dynasty's power comes from three primary sources.
 1. The Elite Wall Guard
 2. The Treasury
 3. The Blood Oath

Noble Families
Under the Monarch, multiple noble families hold various day-to-day positions of authority.  The most powerful 12 families each hold substantial power as the direct advisors to the throne as well as the authority to mete out judicial decrees over any matter that does not conflict with the monarch's laws.

Hundreds of minor noble families owe fealty to one or another of the greater nobles in a complicated web of loyalties.

The Guilds
Many hundreds if not thousands of guilds exist in the Endless city that work to keep the city alive, from masons to glass makers to actors.  Multiple guilds even cover the same industries, such as to generate competition and greatness.

Officially, guilds have no authority or power outside addressing their own members.  Unofficially, the guilds have made their presence known and weild considerable authority in various parts of the endless city to rival the noble houses.  Guilds have their own rules to fit their people, but all guilds agree on the universal concept of "The Contract."



Religion
Religious followings with the vast endless city vary greatly.  Officially, the overarcing law on religion is simple.
"The people may worship as they please provided the laws of the city remain intact."

Unofficially, certain cults have gained support from various powerful people, and those are given considerable leeway in their actions.

The Church of the Adamant Wall - With such a potent symbol of power, the creation of a religious order worshipping the wall was inevitable.  Their followers can be found in every territory of Endless, but the most devout are those in the shadow of the wall itself.

Gods & Goddesses
As various cults and churches have spread throughout the endless city, so too have gods and goddesses in various forms.  The gods exist, and they provide divine power to their followers, but they are more amorphous as entities than in traditional realms.

**Players may design gods and cults that fit their story to include Domain combinations that make sense for the story.**



Assassination as a Profession
Of the various types of guilds operating in the Endless City, none are as feared as those of the assassin guilds.  Officially, they are illegal, and anyone caught as an assassin likely faces death in return.

However...

Unofficially, assassination is a lucrative and thriving business in Endless.  Multiple Assassination Guilds exist, and some families are known to contract exclusively with one or another of these guilds enough that they are badly disguised personal guards.

The Cheshire's Ghost
One of the older Assassin's guilds has picked up the name of the Cheshire's Ghost.  Nobody knows when this particular guild began operating and taking contracts, but the name is enough to inspire cold chills in numerous noble families and powerful businessmen alike.  Rumor has it that this guild even has ties all the way to the top.  Their services are expensive, but their skills are worth it.  Quite a few rival guilds or enraged nobles would love to eliminate this guild, but none have succeeded as of yet.

The headquarters is located in the vast Sprawl, but Guild-owned safehouses exist in nearly all the districts as well as Underground.  Each location has been warded against scrying at great expense.

The Guild leadership is kept secret from the general members of the guild, save for a single spokesman (or woman) to serve as the Voice of the Guild Council.  Members of the Guild pay 15% of their wages as a tithe to the guild, which is higher than the standard rate of 5-10%, but few survive long with complaints.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:49, Sat 04 Nov 2017.
Urban Planner
GM, 33 posts
Thu 9 Nov 2017
at 14:20
  • msg #2

The Guide to Endless

Noble Houses

Ruling Dynasty
One family or another has claimed the role of the Ruling Dynasty for as long as memories go, and even longer in the official records locked tight in secret vaults.  The current Ruling Dynasty, House Vitraeus, came to power during a time of plague and famine nearly 100 years ago.  The prior family had squandered much of the city's wealth on grand balls, parades, and other frivolous and unneccesary things when people struggled to eat.  House Vitraeus led a successful coup with the support of six other Great Houses and the popular support of a good percentage of the Guilds in Endless.

100 years is not a long time as some races go, but House Vitraeus spearheaded efforts from Wall to Wall to wipe out the plague and rebuild a transportation infrastructure that had fallen into disrepair, thus allowing the food to go where it was needed.  For the most part, the citizens welcomed the new Dynasty with open hearts.

But no Great House is without blemish.  Some of the Houses called Vitraeus too cruel, for certain parts of the great Sprawl were wiped out and firebombed during the eradication of the plague.  Certain loud-spoken and influencial leaders amongst House Vitraeus's enemies were silenced, either through bribes, blackmail, or death.  But this sort of activity was fairly common-place amongst the nobles, and common folk were well enough to let things go.

House Vitraeus holds the power of the Blood Oath, the secret of which remains the most closely guarded secret of the Wall.

Major NPCs
Aldebrande Vitraeus - Overall King of Endless.  With the death of his father due to sickness, Aldebrande became the 5th Vitraeus Monarch.  At only 20 years of age, this human looks to the future of Endless, not always giving the past its rightful due.  For that, he has yet to solidify his hold on the other Houses.

Istelle Vitraeus ni Calla - This half-elf was a childhood friend of Aldebrande, having been betrothed to the future king when both were less than 5 years old.  She is beautiful, and her voice is said to bring even dwarves to tears when she sings, but Istelle is a shrewd and a perfect partner for the young King.

Robert Vitraeus - Uncle to the young King, and loyal beyond measure to his family.  Robert is the senior counsilor to Aldebrande, and the mastermind behind many of the intricate ties that still bind the egos of the noble families to the ruling dynasty in the hopes another coup will never happen.



Great Houses

House Silvermane

Silvermane is one of the oldest families around, their bloodline made famous and wealthy by their masterful craftsmanship of jewelry. As their name suggests in the old times they mainly dealt in Silver, but nowadays they control much of the trade of all precious metals. But the genius what lies behind their endurance as a name is a way the family has mastered the art of tactical marriage alliances, the first notable one is when the family seemed to marry down to a family of lowly landowners, whom unbeknownst to themselves were sitting on top of large silver mine. With that, The family acquired raw material that allowed them to undercut their competition, and either marry or buy their competition.

Old habits die hard, and the sad truth is that nothing lasts forever and the mines that once served as the lifeblood of their trade are running out, and few unfortunately unprofitable business deals, or marriages as they are, have made the aging patriarch of the family realize the inevitable: He is unable to sustain the large family and keep them under his control, and they are heading towards bankruptcy. It did not help that his scheme to marry off his youngest daughter to one of the great houses has foiled due to her disobedience and actions that would greatly soil the name Silvermane. It was much easier for him to convince everyone that she had died from an unknown illness, then become laughing stock for having a deviant as a child.

As Silvermane is an old and ailing house, it is staunchly conservative when it comes to politics. While they have a reputation as Rich and Powerful family, they are also seen ruthless and business-minded with little care for common folk. Many see them as the very definition of greed, and that is not far from the truth. While jewelry trade is their bread and butter, all males of the family are expected to pursue businesses and bring profit to the family. Females in other hand are used as tools for marriage pacts, but this does not mean they are treated badly, as they are highly educated and trained in what someone would see as art of hostile takeover of the family they marry in to. The women of Silvermane are experts of seduction and manipulation and their part is equally important to the men in keeping the family together.

Those people who are unable to turn a profit, or otherwise fall out of favor with the Patriarch of the family are often quickly ousted. While the preferred method of the family is to send unwanted members of the family to work administrating their far-off holdings, for the worst offenders of the family meet an untimely and unfortunate end. A number of accidental deaths the family has suffered have made some of the people think the bloodline as cursed, but those who know the inner workings of the Silvermanes know better.

The family is extremely patriarchal, the head of the house choosing his successor from the dozens of members of the family. For many of the patriarchs of the family in their final years, the only joy they seem to have in life is watching their children, cousins and other relatives fight with each other. Many of the would-be successors use a variety of means that are highly illegal or immoral to dispose or put their rivals out of favor, but as long as they maintain a good public face, and bring results and profits, they are worthy.

Current Noteable members of the family:

Argon Silvermane, Patriarch of the family who is currently in his 60ies who rarely appears in public due to suffering from gout. A shrewd businessman who hired assassins 40 years ago to dispatch his rival in order to become the next head of the house. While many people considering him to be one foot out of the door to the afterlife, he has kept his keen intelligence and sharp tongue, his age only made him less and less impatient for nonsense when only results matter.

Demiscus Silvermane, Oldest son and currently the favored person to become the next Patriarch. He is in charge of the jewel crafting business of the family and is a renowned silversmith himself. He is also famous for holding elaborate parties and auctions for his latest work. He has his father's ruthless nature, and while an intelligent person, he is no match for his father, not even when he is not in his prime.

Lyren Silvermane, Argon's nephew who is in charge of the Silverblades, family's own personal mercenary force that is in charge of guarding their holdings. Lyren is a dashing young man whose looks are equally matched to his swordsmanship. Lyren is one of the most sought-after bachelors in the city, but his duties keep him from marriage, but this does not stop him from having affairs with women, especially from married ones from both his and other noble families. If Lyren was not in charge of the Silverblades, he would be dead by now. Argon has not moved to punish his nephew as he finds the chaos he causes amusing.

Lyssa the Black Widow, Lyren's sister is an infamous and unnaturally beautiful woman who has been married off three times, and all of her husbands have died under mysterious circumstances, but there has never been evidence to pinpoint the crimes on her. Regardless of this, it has made it extremely hard for her to be married off due to her reputation. Instead, Argon has made Lyssa mentor to many of the would-be brides of the family.



Minor Houses

Briarwood Tower is one of shining examples of elven architecture.  A marvel of glass and iron that makes surrounding industrial district more livable just by existing.  The Briarwoods made their fortune through the paper industry.  Carefully culling Elvan woods into useful and renewable product.  These days the Briarwoods are an institution--not one of the major lords but call them "minor" at your peril.  Entrenched in the politics and economics of the city, they never put on airs or sought higher seats, but trying to uproot the Briars would be far more trouble than any serious contender would wish to undertake.

At least until recently.

Atreus Briarwood ran the company and family the with an iron fist for 300 years.  He was an institution unto himself.  Cautious, careful, and callous in equal measure the grand patriarch of the Briarwoods steered the family towards unprecedented wealth and quiet influence throughout the whole of Endless--to the detriment of his immediate family and relations.  Most of the generations after him saw him as a monster.  The dragon in the tower, spitting fire and acid in equal measure.  Until his death of old age some twenty years ago, no one dared raise their voice against him.

Naturally, with some 400 years of life, at his death there were upwards of fifty potential candidates to take lead of the company and family...and naturally, none of the liked each other.  The resulting succession wars were the quiet talk of high society for years.  Every couple of months, some new scandal, a death, an arrest, a reveal of some deviance in the papers.  It would have been truly awful, had it not occurred among the low elite--separated from the common folk and high noble alike--now it was just interesting.

About fifteen years ago, the "quiet" succession war came to a bloody end when the least likely candidate--Abraxes Briarwood, Atreus' youngest son--somehow convinced the rest the heirs to kill each other off all at once (the "Crimson Gala" the papers called it).  And took his rightful place as the head of the Briarwood estate.  Unfortunately the family's fortune and standing took massive hits in the power struggle and Abraxes was forced to take far more aggressive and overt actions to shore up the company's leaking assets.

That made him enemies...well, more enemies.

Abraxes died earlier this year, along with his wife.  The papers are very cagey about just what happened but they strongly insinuate that old Atreus's paranoia came down upon Abraxes all at once, and he killed both his wife of a century and himself in a fit of madness.  they loudly wonder if the family is cursed.

(Details about various noble houses will be added here.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:24, Tue 14 Nov 2017.
Urban Planner
GM, 34 posts
Thu 9 Nov 2017
at 14:21
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The Guide to Endless

Guilds and Societies


The Cleansed

The Cleansed is a clandestine monastic order sponsored by multiple religions and is itself simply devoted to all Lawful dieties.  Essentially, the Lawful religions (good, evil or neither) all agree it's morally repugnant (good perspective) or wasteful (evil perspective) or both (neutral perspective) for these small children to either be left to starve or worse, killed to ensure the client who took out the hit.  So they have held their collective breath and established this joint order.

The Cleansed will, no questions asked, accept any infant or child of six years or less (by human standards) into its care.  The name comes from the fact that the Order will, through compartmentalized information, secret arts and intense discipline, completely destroy all record of who that child actually is or was.  The child will in turn be raised as one of them.  Thus all members of the order are "cleansed" of any outside affiliations.  It's not ideal, but it's the only way to get ruthless assassins to even consider surrendering these children rather than killing them.  An heir no one can identify who doesn't know he or she is an heir is no heir at all, and children who have no idea who their parents were don't come looking for revenge when they grow up either.

But why would anyone go to the trouble?

The Cleansed are not publicly known.  Only the assassin guilds and some other select groups who take contracts to kill people know they exist.  They have contracts with these groups that for every two children they provide who turn out to be good candidates, the Guild will be awarded with one of their trained operatives, who are very useful to these groups.  The urban landscape is hardly an obstacle to these mystical acrobats, and their ability to fight without weapons, common staffs, and with easily concealed, exotic weapons, along with their non-dependence on armor, makes them wonderful bodyguards, spies, and yes, assassins for certain targets who you cannot get remotely close to with a phial of poison or a dagger.

The Cleansed are trained to serve.  Most wind up with a Guild, though a few are kept in the Order past adulthood to help process and "cleanse" newcomers.  They aren't technically slaves, but their devotion and conditioning makes them uncomfortably close.


(Details on various guilds and other societies will be posted here.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:35, Tue 14 Nov 2017.
Urban Planner
GM, 35 posts
Thu 9 Nov 2017
at 14:23
  • msg #4

The Guide to Endless

Cults, Dieties, and Religions


Maraketh
God of blood.

He is a spiteful, disinterested God who only wants to be left alone. He is widely revered and worshipped by people who wish for good health, children, and revenge. These are believed to be his primary areas of interest. His priests all have a second job. Most are healers, especially midwifes, butchers, and a few are assassins.

Maraketh never makes his wishes known, but there are two things he prohibits for certain. First, no one speaks for him; many self proclaimed prophets have claimed to know his will and found themselves bleeding from the eyes. Second, never betray those to whom you are bound by blood. Family, including by marriage, is sacred to him.

His priests provide healing and counsel without ever claiming to know his will (if they don't want to have a stroke). Some have created a slightly more detailed, but still permissive, religion based on his known tenants and the Prophet Triumvirate. (more on Maraketh's history if you want)

Worshippers hope to receive blessings of health, fertility, and safety by sacrificing blood. Righteous avengers sacrifice to him to aid their bloody vengeance.

Maraketh is not a jealous god. A believer can freely belong to his religion and any other.



Arrogus
Forever in Chains

LE God of Pain, Despair, Eternity, and Cycles

Worshipers: Sadists, Masochists, Hopeless
Domains: Death, Destruction, Evil, Healing, Law
Subdomains: Torture, Kyton, Ressurection, Slavery, Murder, Undead
Favored Weapon: Spiked chain
Symbol: Skull chained to a wheel from its eyesockets
Sacred Animal: Rat
Sacred Colors: Black, Purple, Silver

Forever in Chains does not offer universal truth or hope of a happy afterlife. Life is an endless cycle of life and death where the metaphysical wheel grinds on and on endlessly without mercy or care. Life is full of suffering and Darkness. To endure that pain is to grow stronger for it and to face that darkness without fear is to live to fullest. Joy and happiness are petty illusions. The world is ugly and hopeless.
Everyone is equal in the eyes of Arrogus, and a small minority of people are drawn to him because of that aspect. In a world that is hostile towards them and find justification for their anger and rebellion against the establishment in him.

Arrogus is a voracious and ever hungry god who feeds off from the misery of the world and because of that, he is a demanding deity who grants spells to his faithful only in exchange for the suffering they experience or deal. Even if he is God of Pain, he is not opposed to the pleasure or healing, as they are part of tempering one's body and readying them for even greater experiences. Demented Surgeons and Sadistic Healers best represent this aspect of him, and while people who take in part sadomasochistic sexual experiences are as representative of him, they have partly marred his reputation by making him look like the god of deviants.

The first step to becoming a faithful of Arrogus is to die and experience a rebirth. For many, this is a figurative death of one losing hope the point that to come out of that despair is like becoming a new person. Those considered lucky among the faith are the ones who experience a literal death. This is called the First Death, and it is held in as high regard as ones Birthday.

First Death of Arrogus's faithful often leaves the person unfeeling and cold, where they seek out extreme ways to "feel again", most using self-mortification to remind themselves that they are still alive. Many also enjoy dealing pain as much as receiving it, if not even more. These kinds of people seek employment as Prison Guards, Torturers, and Mercenaries where they can freely feed their needs and practice their faith.

Arrogus has no centralized structure of faith. While there is no correct way of worshiping Forever in Chains, the most common form is a pair whose relationship lies somewhere between Master and a Slave, and Teacher and Apprentice. Such relationships are built on trust and consent as it allows for a more enduring partnership, and often evolve into romantic bonds.

The faith is very ritualistic that includes masochistic rituals ranging from bondage to self-cutting. Particularly powerful Clerics summon Arrogus's servitors, Kytons, to experiment upon their flesh and allow them to craft themselves into more pleasing forms for their God. While the faith is against tradition and morals, they follow the simple law of stronger beings having dominion over the weaker ones, and those who wish to rise above their position should be ready to fight, and even kill for it, and for the strong to defend their status when weaklings dare to threaten theirs. Marriage is common for the faithful and is extremely sacred. Instead of rings, the Arrogus's faithful exchange leather collars.

Origins of Arrogus are debated. Some say he was an angel who took interest in suffering from mortals or was being born out of suffering and despair of mortals. Whichever is the case, the common event in mythos is that other gods became wary and even afraid of Arrogus and jailed him deep within the core of the world, wrapping him in chains that were to hold him in place forever. While his bindings remain strong, the cracks within the earth have allowed him to influence the world above and communicate with mortals in vivid nightmares and dark whispers. While the chains still hold, his faithful believe that in due time their god will become strong enough to free himself from his bindings and exact vengeance against the gods. He is often depicted as a masculine figure completely wrapped in chains with a single bright glowing red eye piercing through the mummification of chains.


(Details for various groups to be listed here.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:39, Tue 14 Nov 2017.
Urban Planner
GM, 84 posts
Tue 12 Dec 2023
at 19:26
  • msg #5

The Guide to Endless

The Underground Communities - AKA The downtrodden

Calling the Underground Communities home, a unique society thrives beneath the surface, hidden from the prying eyes of other city-dwellers. Here, poverty is an ever-present companion, and survival is not a choice but a constant struggle against the unforgiving currents of adversity. Tabaxi, Harengon, Kenku, and other animal-like races are united by their common beastial heritage. These groups have formed a clandestine community hidden within the labyrinthine depths of the city, in the rooftops of abandoned buildings, behind the walls of busy market districts. Constantly on the move, they never stick to the same streets for longer than a week or two.

Members of this community are found in a patchwork of makeshift homes, hidden alcoves, and dimly lit marketplaces where the air is thick with the scent of desperation. Ramshackle structures form a precarious labyrinth, reflecting the resilience and resourcefulness of those who call this hidden world home. The animal-like denizens, often marginalized and overlooked by other members of society, forge a tight-knit community born out of necessity.

In the flickering glow of stolen lanterns, merchants peddle meager goods while street performers, adorned with feathers and furs, try to eke out a living with their talents. The impoverished inhabitants engage in a daily dance of survival, where alliances are formed not out of choice but out of the shared struggle for existence. This community is one in which cunning and adaptability are the ultimate currencies, and where the lines between camaraderie and competition blur in the pursuit of sustenance. Despite the hardships, a resilient spirit pervades this community. Tales of survival and defiance echo through the narrow passages, as the denizens of this district find solace in their shared experiences. They may be consigned to the shadows, but their struggle for survival has bred a tenacity that refuses to be extinguished.

In this clandestine world, alliances forged in the crucible of adversity often extend beyond the boundaries of race. Tabaxi, Harengon, and Kenku learn to rely on each other, their bonds stronger than the poverty that seeks to define them. They navigate the treacherous currents of the dark districts, knowing that in unity lies their strength. For these resilient beings, survival is not just a matter of enduring; it's about thriving despite the odds and silently weaving their own tapestry of existence in the fabric of the city they call home.
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