Tales in the City of Ghosts
Ah, Corvis. City of Ghosts, they call it. Merchants that plied the Black River and Dragons Tounge founded the city almost nine hundred years ago, right at the edge of a natural harbor where the rivers meet. These pioneers believed that trade from the rivers would drive the growth of a city, and they were right. They had a rough time of it at first, but soon the city was growing faster than a swamp rat pup. Today about 10,000 people call it home, and more arrive every day. Corvis is an island of civilization in the roughest part of Lower Cygnar. The next closest major city is Point Bourne, over twenty leagues to the west. Further still upstream is the infamous Five Fingers.Most of the folk in Corvis are human, but ye do see some elvenkind and dwarves passing through. If ye need a smiths services therell be some fine dwarven shops in the armorers bourg. If ye need to find some muscle, therell be thugs for hire at the waterfront. Therell be trouble there for ye too if ye arent careful- the river folk are a tough lot. Keep to the merchants bourg at night, where the Watch is always close at hand. Corvis has seen folk tougher than you floating in the harbor.
Being built in a swamp and such, space is precious, and the folks of Corvis tend to build up rather than across. Down at street level, lost in the persistent mists, are the rough stone structures of Old Corvis. Built on top of them are the elegant spires of New Corvis-home to the merchant elite. In between are shops and homes of the regular folk, and its all connected by a maze of ramps, bridges, canals, and tunnels that would drive even a dwarven engineer mad!
Ye may wish to hire a guide, friend, for youll soon find yourself lost without one. Corvis is a maze, and thats just what youll find above ground. The original city, laid down centuries ago, has long since been swallowed by the swamp. Its now a maze of catacombs, and is home to naught but hooligans and worse, I hear. If ye have a brain in that knobby head of yours, stay out of the Undercity.
So, are ye wondering why they call Corvis the City of Ghosts? They say that Old Corvis is haunted by the ghosts of the first settlers, many who died in the early days. Many folk believe that anyone who drowns in the canals or the harbor is doomed to walk the city for eternity, unable to pass on to the afterlife. The dead are also said to walk about openly in the Undercity, which is one more reason to stay out, if ye ask me. Any way you look at it, theres nary a soul in Corvis who hasnt seen a ghost at one time or another-or so they claim. Stay here long enough, and I wager youll see one too.
In fact, the Longest Night is fast approaching, lad. As ye know, once every year or so an eclipse blackens the skies of all Faerun. Well, here in Corvis, the eclipse has always ushered in out largest festival, a grand all-night party the likes of which youve never seen. The streets will be full of revelers, and spirits too if you believe the locals.
There it is lad, a bit of Corvis lore for ye. I hope is serves ye well. Keep your wits about ye, and stay away from the waterfront at night if ye want to avoid seeing yer own guts!