Midaneus

Map of Midaneus

## Overview

The City of Midaneus (mid-DAY-nee-us) is a coastal desert city that kisses the Great Desert past its East Gate, in the continent of Surtmere. Dockworkers and stevedores find steady work as fleets of trade vessels come to haul crates of spice, grain, and geodes the size of a human fist! Numerous bards around the world have told tales of how a part of their hearts gets left behind every time they leave. It is themed very much like Marrakesh in present-day Morocco, but with some more wealth infused to near fantastical levels of affluence.

Elsewhere around the globe, the city of Midaneus is called both "The Jewel of Om'Kraan" as well as the "City of Death." It is here where scholars and sages come to visit the vast necropoli and conduct their research into history, medicine, and lore about the falls of various noble houses from Elf, Dwarf, and Human ancestries.

Of note is a particular regional phenomenon that lies a few weeks travel away: The Glass Sea. It is an immense sheet of natural glass that has coated a town-sized swath of the Great Desert. Nearby are the massive bones of what some scholars agree may have been an Adult Red Dragon!

### Brightmane Arms & Armor

A long-standing franchise that has a store in each of the capital cities of Om'Kraan, the Midaneus branch of Brightmane Arms & Armor is run by a dark-skinned dwarf named Duncan Brightmane. There is a clearly visible holy symbol dedicated to Temperance that is etched in a shiny black metal inlay into a marble countertop, implying that the Brightmane clan of dwarves may have strong family ties to the Forge domain of clerics therein.

Adventurers from far and wide know that gear from Brightmane has a trusted reputation for being better in quality than common gear.

### South Docks

Here is where the overwhelming majority of waterborne shipments of various merchandise and sundry enter the City of Midaneus. Many of the merchant ships, cargo ships, and trade guild vessels that carry resources specifically to support The Imperial Alliance in Midaneus are provided armed escort by the I.M.F. Frazetta (Imperial Majesty Frigate) and the I.M.F. King Kirby, of The Chariot’s Naval Fleet.

### Slums

Some may argue that the common folk have a tough lot, but in the various slums and ghettos of Midaneus, a street urchin may scoff at that notion.

A popular name mentioned in The Slums of Midaneus is "The Pauper King." It is said that he watches over the people who have less means than the nobility or the guilds, and is a popular figure in local folklore. There has been more than one occasion that, under the Pauper King's auspices, one shall never go hungry so long as they put in their fair share of work to keep the community safe.

Less protected, however, are the various shanty towns arranged outside of the city's walls and along the main roads to and from the city. Though still influenced by the Pauper King, ne'er-do-wells in the shanty towns know some reports may slip through the cracks there.

### The Courthouse

Here is where most criminals are tried by a judge in a bench trial to determine their innocence or guilt.

The paladins and clerics of the Order of Judgment usually preside over civil and criminal trials, while solicitors and prosecutors and advocates from the other judiciary factions of The Arcana debate legal matters.

Occasionally, the Scales of Justice are called in to preserve the peace at trial by force, serving grudgingly as bailiffs. It is no secret that the Scales of Justice are famous for playing "hardball," and would much rather serve the various courthouses as bounty hunters or even investigators of major crimes.

Located within these hallowed halls are elaborate shrines dedicated to both Justice and Judgment, erected and consecrated in the spirit of a fruitful and lasting collaboration.

### The Magic Item Brokerage Firm

In the northern slums of Midaneus, there is an old shop that claims to sell magic items to any adventurer for the right price. Underneath the wooden sign is a holy symbol of The Devil, painted with care.

The Devil oversees every transaction from the moment the accord is struck to the moment terms have been fulfilled. True to their reputation, The Devil may try to take advantage of the consumer, but at least it is better than negotiating with an Archfey Lord.

### The Pinnacle Inn

The Pinnacle Inn is more of a spiffy bed and breakfast establishment, with a nice Mediterranean design to the decor than one would expect from an inn. Here is where The Rough Riders currently stay while in the city of Midaneus. Breakfast is served every morning promptly at 9 am. It is run by a happily married couple that has settled in the city several years ago. Friedrich (male human) tends the bar & café, while his husband Eldin (male human) sees to the guest accommodations.