Aian
Population: 30,000
Governance:
Independent City-State; Ruled by an elected senate
Corebook
Information: Known by some as the City of Merchants
and by others as the City of Beggars, Aian is only tenuously part of Milave,
maintaining as much independence as it can. The city-state has a population of
perhaps 30,000. Ruled by an elected senate, Aian is one of the prominent
republics in the Steadfast. As its monikers suggest, it is a city of commerce
and trade, a gateway between the Steadfast and the lands to the south. Its
markets are filled with exotic goods, and wealthy merchant clans maintain
burgeoning warehouses here.
The Aian saying “Those not rich are poor” is used to justify avarice and
ruthless business practices. In other words, if you don't fight to get all you
can, you’ll have nothing. The saying is also a fair assessment of the city’s
class structure. Those who are not wealthy merchants, clerks, accountants,
salesmen, or caravan drivers are extremely poor, working for scraps as laborers,
bearers, or porters—or worse, without employment at all, living as beggars and
thieves.
Rumor has it that the Amber Papacy does not believe in democracy, and that
agents of the Order of Truth work against Aian in the shadows of the city. If
this gossip is true, the agents likely work with the Beggar Queen and her
network of spies. She hates the oligarch council and the merchants who elect
them. No one knows much about the Beggar Queen herself, but she has three
lieutenants that are biomechanical hybrids with the ability to become invisible
and kill with a touch, ensuring that her power remains unchallenged.
Regions of Aian
Aian is a city divided. On the one hand, there is the
city of merchants brimming with wealth and opportunity. Aian’s proximity to the
lands of The Beyond grants it a
thriving economy and markets filled with exotic goods rarely available
elsewhere. For those lucky enough to enjoy the splendor, Aian is a beautiful
city with few parallels. But not all its citizen are so fortunate. The less
fortunate know Aian as the city of beggars. Beyond the beautiful markets of the
kept city lies meandering slums and rampant poverty.
This divide is not simply financial, but physical as
well. Aian is built within ancient structures called the fallen spires. It looks
as if a hallow glass spire with a ribbon of gold swirling around it had fallen
ages past. No one knows its original purpose, or even its original shape, but living
within affords many benefits. Regardless of weather conditions, those within
the spire are kept at an ideal temperature. There is always a gentle of breeze
within which carries with it a fragrance that few can agree upon but all
acknowledge is pleasant and frequently changing. Those within the spires are
said to reside in The Kept City, a
term occasionally used in derision (it is also called the Inner city, denoting that it is within
the spires).
Outside the Kept
city, lays the aptly named Unkept
City. As the pun suggests, the Outer
City is dirty and dangerous. Here, poverty is widespread. The moniker is
fitting in another manner as well. While the Kept city is organized and clean,
the Unkept city slums are a maze of hidden paths, poorly built huts, and
meandering dirt roads. Far from the sheltered existence of the privileged few,
those from the Unkept city are proudly independent, tough, and resilient.
Aian Society
The
main factor that determines social standing in Aian is wealth. In principle,
even a citizen born in abject poverty could achieve wealth and influence
through hard work, natural talent, and a great deal of wit. In practice, wealth
tends to remain in the hands of the few. Dreaming of grand riches almost always
remains just that, naïve dreams of the idealistic.
The
city of Aian is ruled by an elected Senate of 11 counselors, one to represent
each region of the city. While anyone could be elected provided they obtained
the votes needed, in reality, only the wealthy have any real chance to succeed.
The Unkept city has four regions granting them 4 counselors while the Kept city
has seven; thus most decisions tend to favor the wealthy regions. As a result,
those representing the lower classes of Aian society rarely get their voices
heard. These powerful oligarchs currently
rule the city, but for how much longer? Interests from within the city - and
without - are striving to change the status quo.
The
wealthy of Aian enjoy a lifestyle far above what any of the masses could dream
of. Among “the kept” – as the affluent are called – the most influential are
the five great families. High society in Aian is a constant political struggle
between the noble families. Each family has their own motivations- some are
selfish, others might even be called virtuous.
Regardless of their motivations and intra-family feuds, the families can
find common ground in opposing those that threaten their influence in
Aian.
Most
commoners of Aian are usually too preoccupied trying to get by to get involved
in the complex politics of their city. This does not mean that they are not
aware that the deck is stacked against them, simply that they do have the time
or means to do anything about it. Despite their greatest efforts many of Aian’s
“unkept” fall into debt and poverty eventually.
The outer city is littered with beggars and thieves; slums and
shantytowns. Underground criminal networks thrive in these areas. Some seek
their own power while others seek to unseat the powerful oligarchs and the rich
merchants who elected them.
The mutants and visitants are
some of Aian’s most disenfranchised. While the “unkept” masses may naively hold
out hopes for a rags-to-riches fantasy, those with obvious physical mutations
or extraterrestrial origins have no such hopes. These individuals tend to form
tight insular communities which protect one another and are weary of outsiders.
Their suspicious natures are justified. Even while the Angulan Knights have a
charter to uphold justice regardless of class or religious differences; they do
not aid these lowly people. In fact, they may be some of their greatest
persecutors. The knights are dedicated to the advancement of the human race,
but they simply abhor mutants and barely tolerate visitants.
Slavery
is legal in Aian, as it is throughout the steadfast. Enslavement is not based
on racial, religious, or cultural difference. Rather slaves are taken from
conquered enemies or their descendants and are considered property. Typically
only the nobles own slaves, but as property, they can be bought and sold to
anyone wealthy enough to afford the price. Sometimes criminals are consigned to
enslavement. More recently, temporary enslavement has become a commonplace
sentence for those who cannot pay their debts. Some desperate individuals even
sell themselves into slavery, giving up their own freedom to ensure their
family’s survival. Slaves toil as manual laborers, house servants, and guards.
Their living conditions can vary greatly depending on which family they work
for and what type of labor they are tasked to perform. Typically slaves live in
the house they serve in conditions significantly better than those found
amongst the poor and destitute. On rare occasions, a particularly talented
slave may earn the respect of the family she serves; granting them freedom and
a place within their house for their loyalty.
Regions of The Unkept City (aka the outer city)
1. The
Frore
2. Ashen
Plaza
3. Spectral
Precinct
4. Eastern
Quarter
Regions of the Kept City (aka the inner city)
1. Ceylon
Strand
2. Nautilus
Riverfront
3. Sanctum
Ward
4. Agoratech
Market
5. Serenity
Sire
6. Meabrooks
7. University
Enclave
Region Descriptions
The Frore
This is the main marketplace of the outer city, featuring
many outdoor stalls and shops. Its low prices and practical wares make it a
popular location for the Unkept of Aian. It is easy to find good deals on food,
mundane items, and adventuring items. On very rare occasions, a lucky
adventurer might find a rare item at an exceptionally good price.
Interesting Locations: Drody’s
Tavern and Lodge
Ashen Plaza
This region is mostly residential homes and warehouses. Guards,
hired hands, laborers and low income workers make their homes here.
Interesting Locations: Asser
Levy Bath-House and Bordello
The
Greasy Spoon (restaurant)
The
Queb and the Cavot (Tavern)
Spectral Precinct
Spectral precinct is a maze of meandering paths and
hidden passageways. This overpopulated shantytown is home to poorest of Aian’s
citizens. Beggars and thieves are common and walking the streets can be
extremely dangerous. Many of Aian’s poorest residence have clear and visible
mutations. Often times, they are debilitating and occasionally they are
dangerous.
Interesting Locations: Order
of Truth Benefaction
Tottie’s
Tavern
Eastern Quarter
Spectral precinct is a largely residential home to many
poor laborers and porters. A fairly sizable insular community of Lattimors make
this their home. Recently, a few shops and a tavern have opened up which cater
to these visitants. Their presence is not without conflict; Angulan Knights who
go out to enact their charter do not take kindly to any alien race.
Interesting Locations: The
Quarter Canteen (Tavern)
The Rose
(Cathouse)
Drour’s
Watering Hole (Tavern – Lattimor Friendly)
Ceylon Strand
Located in the inner city along the waterfront, Ceylon
Strand is filled with many open air markets sporting the latest exotic imports.
Shops frequently sell rare and unique spices, foods, and clothing. The
restaurants in this area are some the best in the Steadfast, infused with
distinctive flavors and inspired by distant cuisines.
Key Locations: The
Ceylon Peer
A Savory
Saunter (restaurant)
Ara’s
Tavern
The
Fishing House (restaurant)
Taste
of the Beyond (restaurant)
Nautilus Riverfront
This inner city region contains Aian best and only beach.
The sand that makes up the beach is made of smoothed out glass and clear
crystal shards. It has the same texture as normal sand, but appears pale blue
and sparkles brilliantly in the sun. Nautilus is a prized as a wonderful
location to relax along the beach during a nice sunny day. Thanks to the unique
properties of the fallen spires, this beach is used year round, although the
river is only warm enough to swim in during the heat of the summer months. The
beaches are a popular place to see glams perform and, if impressed, place your
offer for their services. Various shops line the streets of this region where
one can find all manner of items for sale.
Key Locations: The
Vape’s Edge (Weapon’s Shop)
Gi’s
Armor and Defense Shop (Armor Shop)
Sanctum Ward
The ward is the center of political life in Aian. Home to
some the cities best architecture, Sanctum Ward is a sight to behold. Most
buildings here are held by city’s Senate, the Guilds, the Order of Truth, or
the Angulan Knights. The ward also has
various high class establishments that cater to the local senators and clergymen.
Key Locations: Town
Hall
Guild
Hall
Aian
Senate Building
Angulan
Knights - Aian Charter
Sanctuary (Bathhouse and Bordello)
SynthSilver
Spoon (Restaurant)
Agoratech Market
Agoratech is a market brimming with all manner of
technology and machinations. Street venders in this area sell all manner of
adventuring items, common items, and the occasional rare and special items. If
you’re looking for a curious device or materials to make an interesting
artifact, you might want to check the markets in Agoratech.
Interesting Locations: Mazen
and Malia’s Machinations
Aenelm’s
Shop of Curiosities
Gylas
Tonics and Philters
The
Tinkerer’s Taint
Serenity Sire
This residential area is home to many of Aian’s most
prodigious and noble families. Among expansive modern estates built recently
are older mansions build within structures that remained intact from the fallen
spires. These colossal artifacts are both beautiful and often incomprehensible,
even to those who now make their homes within.
Interesting Locations: The
Crystal Rose (Burlesque Lounge)
The
Safehaven (Tavern)
Meabrooks
This area of the inner city is home to many of Aian’s
merchant class. This mostly residential
neighborhood is filled with modern homes and beautiful gardens.
Interesting Locations: The Aian
Botanical Gardens
The
Fine Thread (Fine Clothing Store)
University Enclave
Founded by the prodigious Sir Arthour of the Fraiser
family, Aian University has become a beacon of enlightenment. The university is
famous for its unparalleled library on ancient artifacts and cyphers, largely
the accumulated life’s work of Sir Arthour himself. In addition to finding the
leading authority in numenera, you’ll find respected professors in the fields
of geology, botany, astronomy, and biology.
Interesting Locations: The
Fraiser Estate
Aian
University (multiple buildings)
Botany,
Geology, Biology, Astronomy, and Numenera Departments
Library
