Plopsapolis

**Plosapolis** is one of the most industrialised cities in Sahul. It is the seat of power for the Laiscuit League, a confederation of several independent trade cities. Famous for its redbrick houses, relaxing parks, and sooth filled skyline, the city harbours some of the richest merchants north of Scorch Gate. Through the middle of the city a massive river flows, called the Gnice, which is also used as one of the main transport highways.

Most of the inhabitants are gnome merchants and craftsman, who also form the upper echelons of Plopsapolis society. Lower down the social ladder are halflings, humans, and elves, who usually come to the city to work in one of the many factories or to work for a local guild. While they aren't despised they will face difficulty once they encroach unto gnome territory. At the bottom of Plopsapolis society are the gnolls and moon elves, who are usually kept as manual labourers and serves. Local laws usually say gnome instead of people, and the locals use this as an excuse to mistreat these races stating that they don't apply to none-Gnomes, which local peacekeeping forces often agree on.

## Description

The buildings of Plopsapolis are made out of red bricks, with a wooden frame in front that can be painted and adjusted to the owner's tastes and needs. Store-owners might add a half rounded section to the front of their house so people can better look into the store, and the rich might add a sitting area where they can go and relax. Most buildings have a box-like shape and many houses are build in rows to maximise room efficiency. The centre of the city is home to the lower classes and immigrants. These people either work for the industrial sectors of the city or perform the lowliest tasks of society. The rich life on the outskirts of the city on large private estates. These estates often come with mansions, exotic blooming gardens, and a private housekeeping staff.

One of the most icon buildings of the cities skyline is known as Jacob's Tower and is the main guildhall of the MacMenzies guild. It is a giant 4 sided tower with a giant clock on the top. This clock has a glass background with the head office of the guild master behind it. From this room he can watch over the city's skyline far into the horizon.

## Infrastructure

Plopsapolis is one the of the few cities with city-wide cobblestone covered roads, and the main streets are wide enough to allow three Dire Wombat drawn carts through and have space to spare to walk and set up shops. These streets are lit at night by makanium lanterns, inscribed with runes that make them light up when moonlight touches them.

The Gnice, which flows through the middle of town, is mostly crossed with the use of cast iron bridges. These bridges are beautifully decorated with scenes of boodies playing in the grass and koalas sleeping soundly in their trees, and often feature statues of famous captains of industry that have helped sponsor the construction of said bridge.

## Defence

Unlike most cities does Plopsapolis not have any functionally walls around its borders. The maintenance for these walls ceased shortly after the unification of the Rim which brought about more than a century of peace. When the Metal Wars broke out it was discussed if renewal of the walls would be a wise decision, but the Plopers believed that the costs of maintaining and expanding such an defensive structure outshine the benefits that it would provide. Instead the city has chosen for a series of specially fortified barracks from which guards can quickly be deployed into the many different boroughs of the city at moments notice. These barracks come equipped with a large belltower which provides both a vantage point for archers and a place from where to quickly chime an alarm city wide.

## Economy

The skyline of Plopsapolis is dotted with factory pipes bellowing dark smog into the sky. Most of these belong to the processing factories inside of the city. These factories either refine the raw makanium with the help of steam-fuelled grinders or create cast iron for the increasing demands for new bridges across the continent. The Plopers are world renowned traders, and many come to the Plosapolian goods exchange market to trade interesting goods for their own, taking them with them again on their travels across Sahul.

Plopsapolis is home to a collection of merchant guilds fighting for economical and political dominance over each other. Some fight this battle through corporate sabotage and politics, while others use their funds to finance artists that put out a good word for them, increasing public opinion.

The most celebrated and despised of these guilds is known as the MacMenzies Merchant Guild, an resource acquisition and researching guild that has developed many of the technological marvels throughout the city. Some outsiders claim that the MacMenzies is responsible for the subjugation of lesser races and that they put those races to work in their mines as slaves. The MacMenzies denies that they have anything to do with these barbarous acts.