Whitecrest

A bustling seaside metropolis, Whitecrest's salt stained palisades encircle the banks of Galecrest Bay. The capitol of the citystate of the same name, it holds a strategic position as the center of trade for the whole of **Aushura**. As the only safe port for leagues around with a natural shelter from stormy seas, sheer cliffs, and rocky shoals, the city is many sailors' favorite place to make berth.

## Geography

Perched upon the higher cliff at the northern end of the bay, Alamarque Fortress stands as a proud beacon of hope overlooking city, farmland, and forest alike. Beyond the immense wall that surrounds the great city of Whitecrest, farmsteads and smaller hamlets dot the landscape to the north and east. To the south, between the city walls and the sprawling forest, shantytowns make up the refugee camps that cling to the safety of the city like a barnacle on a whale.

### Districts

Initially a mere fortress built upon a cliffside, the great city of Whitecrest has gone through a thousand evolutions since its creation. With each one, the city grows ever larger and more diverse. Today, Whitecrest is broken up into a series of communities that descend from Alamarque Fortress to encircle the bay.

#### Shura

A sprawling shantytown of tents and semi-permanent structures, Shura is a mosaic of different cultures that have all come to Whitecrest to find a better life. Called such after too many locals commented how the entirety of Aushura has taken up residence on their doorstep, the name quickly stuck. Unfortunately, most of the refugees that have come to the city in recent days have found that what little space there was for those displaced from their homes has already been taken up. Left to make what shelter they could against the outside of the city's walls, those who dwell here do so out of necessity rather than choice.

### Greater Whitecrest

Sweeping plains span the north and east sides of the city, dominated by small farming villages and meager hamlets. The true lifeblood of Whitecrest, the crops provided by the many farmsteads that dot the landscape allow the citystate to maintain a military rivalling that of **Droaq**. At the end of the harvest season, the small townships across Whitecrest put on celebrations that range from a communal feasts to week long faires. Travelers come from far and wide to take part in the nationwide celebrations.

The treacherous seaside cliffs along the coastline are not so impregnible as they seem at first glance, however. Peppered throughout their brine soaked faces lie hidden caves that only the most cunning of captains know how to navigate. Those brave or foolhardy enough to delve into such caverns are as likely to find long forgotten fortunes as they are an untimely demise.

### Greenteeth Woodlands

Tales of the deep, dark forest where strange beasts dwell have surrounded the Greenteeth Woods for as long as parents have told tales to children to keep them in line. While many are fanciful stories, just as many speak of creatures that truly do lurk within its vast expanse. Mere miles away from the southern wall of Whitecrest, it stretches nearly immeasurable leagues to the foot of the Bleakback Mountains. Caravans, traveling minstrels, and adventurers alike make their way through its many roads, but woe be the fool who steps off the beaten path. Those who do rarely find their way out of the forest again.