Ястребиное гнездо

Ястребиное Гнездно (Yasterbinoe Gnezdo) - столица преступного мира Хрумвира, город-метрополис, с огромным количеством жителей, является занозой в заднице для всех приверженцев закона и порядка. Влияние и значение Ястребиного Гнезда во внутренней политике всех городов Хрумвира, с некоторых пор и Белара, невозможно переоценить. Город занимает не только выгодные географическое расположение и мощную структуру управления, но и является местом, где сильные мира сего могут обратиться за услугами, к которым сами не готовы.

Вот что говорят об Ястребином Гнезде:

1) Дерек Толливер, паломник Латандера в своем опусе "Город тысячи пороков"

Гниющая помойная яма грехов. Крысиный лабиринт грязных переулков. Место, где смерть может прийти в любой момент. Где любой, кто хочет пережить ночь, должен спать с одним открытым глазом. Представьте себе кучу компоста и посыпьте ее красивыми золотыми блестками. Потом представьте что ее населяют всевозможные убийцы, воры, мошенники, бандиты и шлюхи. Представили? Теперь у вас есть общее представление о Ястребином гнезде. Я еще не проехал ворота, когда меня ограбили в первый раз. Так называемая стража ворот в открытую и с угрозами, забрала у меня десять золотых и мои сапоги после “таможенного досмотра”. Внутри было ничуть не лучше. Все мои чувства были сразу же атакованы. Глаза всюду натыкались на кучи гниющих отбросов и грязные лохмотья, которые здесь сходят за одежду, их все еще слепило солнце, вдобавок они слезились от пыли. Язык — потому что вездесущая пыль немедленно заскрипела на зубах, будто рот набит наждачной бумагой. Нос тоже забился пылью, но внутри стен сквозь нее пробивались миазмы гниения и нечистот. Про уши и говорить нечего. Здесь никто не разговаривал, все орали, причем в полную глотку. В многоголосом хоре лидировали ослы и верблюды. В меня мгновенно вцепилась толпа попрошаек. Всевозможные калеки, уроды и малолетки. После я обнаружил, что у меня украли кошелек и сняли часы.

2) Эстебан Оливейра, гильдмастер торгового дома Бранко в своих "Записках путешественника"

На краю пустыни, где песок омывают воды великой реки. Там великолепные минареты из слоновой кости и нефрита вздымаются в небеса. Это бурлящий котел народов, где нет пределов тому насколько кто-то может возвыситься благодаря своей предприимчивости. Освежающий волшебный бриз легко покачивает полупрозрачные газовые занавеси. В руке бокал освежающего вина со льдом. Рядом нежатся прекраснейшие женщины, которых только можно купить за деньги. С балкона открывается ошеломительный вид на пустыню, реку и соседние башни, на вершинах которых разбиты великолепные сады и куда не доносится шум и вонь города внизу. За порогом балкона стоят в ряд десятки вышколенных слуг, готовых удовлетворить любой твой каприз. После заката фейерверк, затем танцевальное выступление азат с суккубами и наконец охота в трущобах. В этом городе удовлетворят любой ваш каприз. Если у вас деньги и власть. Впрочем, как у меня.

## География

Расположенный на берегу Великой Реки Забвения, Ястребиное Гнездно являтеся крупнейшим городом на побережье реки. Жаркая пустыня и прохладная река влияют на город: песчаные вихри и речная прохлада ублажают внимание бедных и влиятельных жителей этого города. Средний часовой пояс (+0), редкие дожди, зловоние нечистот и явная власть могущественных Эль-Хаттов налагют свою тень на каждого гостя города.

### Районы

Город

A city the size of Absalom could not function as a single cohesive unit, thus it has been divided or split naturally over time into eleven distinct districts, each a city unto itself both in terms of sheer population and overall atmosphere, and each having its own district council to run its day-to-day affairs. From the high-class havens of the Petal and Ivy Districts to the dangerous and destitute districts of the Puddles and Precipice Quarter, Absalom's districts run the gamut of both the economic and social spectra. Additionally, austere monuments of historical and spiritual significance draw thousands of people to the Ascendant Court and Wise Quarter on a daily basis.†

### Greater Kortos

More than just a city, Absalom controls all the land on and around the Isle of Kortos (though much of the isle remains wilderness). Many places show the sign of Absalom's great age, from the ancient forest of the Immenwood, to the aging Aeon Towers of the Swardlands.

#### Cairnlands

*Main article: Cairnlands*
The Cairnlands are a wasted plateau surrounding the city of Absalom that are littered with the siege castles from thousands of years of failed invasions. These attract treasure hunters from around the world and are home to many creatures, brigands, and undead. The greatest of the siege castles is the Spire Nex, a mile-high spire located 10 miles north of the city.

#### Diobel

*Main article: Diobel*
Diobel, the smaller of the two settlements, is a bustling port town located on the western coast of Kortos. The town is a center of trade in its own right, acting as a hub for fishermen, traders and smugglers wishing to bring illicit goods into the City at the Center of the World via overland caravan instead of through the closely watched harbor of Absalom proper. Because of its important position as an alternative shipping route into the city, control of Diobel is very valuable and rising factions wishing to gain power in Absalom can often be seen first across the Isle in Diobel. The city is currently ruled by Scion Lord Avid of House Arnsen, a rival and childhood friend of Absalom's own Lord Gyr.

#### Escadar

*Main article: Escadar*
Escadar is a vital military town located on the Isle of Erran off Kortos's northern shore. Originally founded as a shipyard and warehouse to aid Absalom against naval blockades, the town quickly grew as workers and naval officers moved to Erran. Beyond its continuing function as a reserve navy for times of siege, the fair-sized military base operates throughout the Inner Sea and as far south as the Obari Ocean in constant efforts to hamper piracy in the region. Escadar's governing body, the Lesser Council of retired ship captains and young relatives of members of the Absalom Grand Council, has also been known to grant letters of marque to civilian ships committed to fighting piracy in the waters around the Isle of Kortos itself.

### Shadow Absalom

Every major city on Golarion has its dark mirror opposite on the Plane of Shadow, and none are greater than Shadow Absalom. Inhabited by fetchlings, various other humanoid races, and intelligent undead, the city is a thriving community of both natives from and visitors to the Shadow. The mirror opposite of the Ascendant Court holds a permanent portal to the Material Plane, making Shadow Absalom a popular destination to those trapped on this plane. The city is ruled by Argrinyxia the Shifting Lady of Ebon Scales, a powerful umbral dragon.

## Economy

Absalom's great wealth is driven by trade, so the city's rulers strive to craft policies favorable to commerce (and their own interests), but otherwise take a relatively laissez-faire approach to regulation. Taxes in the city are very light, although Siege Taxes during wartime may be significantly higher. There are no property taxes, although the city charges for access to roads, sanitation, and other public infrastructure. Modest taxes on foreign merchants, fees for pilots through the Flotsam Graveyard, and docking fees, are generally sufficient to supply the city's needs.

Absalom's economy can be divided into three basic parts: craftsmen, who manufacture goods; traders, who buy and sell physical goods; and laborers, who provide services. While craftsmen and laborers are organized into guilds that provide legal and illegal products and services, traders are prohibited from organizing to prevent collusion and price-fixing. The city's laws require that goods to be sold must be owned by a single merchant, who may operate a single commercial outlet for them. Absalom's currency consists of pennies, silver weights, crests, gold measures, and platinum sphinxes.

The city is a major hub for commerce on the Inner Sea, and its most common trading partners include the cities of Almas, Cassomir, Katheer, Niswan, Okeno, Oppara, Oregent, Ostenso, and Sothis. However, Absalom has varying relations with and regulations concerning trade with them. For example, Almas views Absalom's ships as unwelcome bullies, while Vudrani traders from Niswan are celebrated, and ships from Oregent must prove they carry only glassware and silverware or face a 100% tariff. Other ships come from all over the world, as far away as Tian Xia. Absalom acts as a hub for these countries and disseminates these goods to ships on their way to other ports across the Inner Sea.

Due to Absalom's size and scale, beasts of burden are important elements of the city's commerce and transport. Regular bench-wagons allow commoners to ride around town for a copper, and halfling porters with dog travois can be hired for a similar price. Horses are rare on the Isle of Kortos, since the centaur tribes regard them as invaders and the harpies like to eat them. Consequently, the most prominent beast of burden is the camel; farmers use them for agriculture, drovers use them to pull wagons and chariots, and many district guards field a camel cavalry. Camel barding is more commonly available than barding for horses in the city. After camels, axe beaks are most common mount and beast of burden, faster and better able to defend themselves than camels. Dogs, lizards, elephants, and monstrous centipedes are also found; before the establishment of Hackamore House, much saddle and tack had to be custom made or ordered from dozens of shops due to the diversity of animals used in the city.

### Exports

Even though goods from across the world are traded in Absalom, it also has several important exports that originate in and around the Isle of Kortos. Lumber is harvested in the Immenwood and brought via the Deluge River to Diobel or overland to Otari. Diobel's shallow harbor also has plentiful oyster beds and are considered some of the finest in the Inner Sea region. Iron is mined in the Isle of Kortos' interior (most notably in the dwarven settlement of Galizhur) and supples Absalom's countless craftspeople that sell their goods across Golarion. Finally, various skymetals are harvested by Low Azlanti on the ocean floor or harvested in the Diobel Hills. Absalom is also famous for its shellfish: oysters, clams, scallops, crabs, and lobster.

## Government

*Main article: Government of Absalom*
Absalom is ruled by the Grand Council which is chaired by the primarch, a position currently held by Lord Gyr of House Gixx. The Council has twelve high seats (including the primarch's) and a variable number of low seats. Most of the city's administrative positions are filled by members of the Council, the more sought after titles going to members of the High Council. The position of primarch is held for life and decided upon by the High Council. It has additional privileges unique to the position granting the holder considerable power over the Council, and by corollary, the City at the Center of the World itself. Much of the day-to-day administration are handled by the district councils of Absalom. The district councils are headed by a nomarch, who is appointed by the Low Council with the approval of the primarch.

### Military & law enforcement

Absalom is defended by a complicated web of military and law enforcement organizations, each of which has differing mandates. The First Guard serves as Absalom's army. They man the city's walls, gates, and forts and protect it from external threats. The Starwatch is a military, intelligence, and law enforcement organization headquartered at Starwatch Keep outside the city. They enforce the Grand Council's decrees, investigate crimes that cross district lines, and look into misconduct by the city's other military and law enforcement groups. Absalom's Navy is the largest of the military branches and protects the city from attacks by sea and also oversees the hippocampus-mounted Wave Riders. Finally, the various district guards or watches investigate crimes committed only within the various districts of the city.

## History

The busy harbor of Absalom.

*Main article: History of Absalom*
Founded in 1 AR by the god Aroden when he raised the *Starstone* from the depths of the Inner Sea, there is nothing ordinary about Absalom's history even from its very first day in existence. Its whole-cloth creation allowed for a quick inhabitation and Aroden tasked the best and bravest from throughout Inner Sea region to protect the *Starstone* and prevent any from moving it.

But given Absalom's tactical position in the middle of countless trade routes and its undeniable influence, many ambitious nations or greedy warlords have set their sights upon the walls of the city over the millennia, and the guarding of the city and the *Starstone* within has never been easy. For the past four millennia, the city has been besieged by one army after another, in an attempt to bring Absalom to its knees and wrest control of it from all others. Despite the relentless onslaught, the city has never fallen. Relics of these ongoing wars still litter the plains of the Isle of Kortos surrounding the city (known as the Cairnlands) and sunken warships clutter the harbor.

## Inhabitants

Another view of the port of Absalom.

*For a complete list, please see Category:Absalom/Inhabitants, Houses of Absalom*
More so than anywhere else on Golarion, Absalom plays home to every conceivable type of inhabitant. While primarily a human settlement, members of all races, religions and homelands can be seen in (and under) the streets of the City in the Center of the World. The specific demographics of each individual district vary greatly, but there are few (if any) peoples who are not represented somewhere within the city, even the mysterious gillmen of ancient Azlant and travelers from other planes.

The earliest inhabitants of Absalom were wise and brave nobles, merchants and adventurers from the lands nearest to the Isle of Kortos, thus the influence of the nations of Andoran, Cheliax, Osirion, Qadira, Taldor and Thuvia remain most pronounced in the city to this day. Due to influence of nearby Osirion and Qadira, many of the city's inhabitants speak Kelish or Osiriani in addition to Taldane.

Halflings are the second largest racial group in the city after the humans making Absalom one of the main halfling settlements in the Inner Sea region. Halflings from many countries come to Absalom joining the indigenous community. The main halfling districts are The Coins, Eastgate and the Foreign Quarter; few halflings live or travel to the Puddles where the height of the water can be dangerous for them.

Elves are relatively uncommon in Absalom, mostly consisting of adventurers or outcasts; more common are their half-elven descendants, many of whom can be found around the Pleasure Salon of Calistria.

Many of Absalom's residents organize themselves into houses, which are similar to clans organized by national origin.

## Religion

The most common faiths in Absalom are, of course, those of the four ascended gods: Aroden, Norgorber, Cayden Cailean and Iomedae. In addition to these churches, temples and shrines to Abadar, Nethys, Sarenrae, Calistria, Irori and Shelyn can be found throughout the metropolis. Absalom is also the only civilized city where the worship of Norgorber is tolerated.

With this variety of religious institutions all on one place, many services and items are offered. Some of these items include *cathedral pit stones* and *whisper safes*.

## Symbols

Absalom's many centuries of immigration have provided it with a dizzying array of guilds, houses, religious and martial orders, and other organizations, each with their own symbols. Absalom as a whole, however, has a number of common symbols. The city's colors are golden yellow (for the *Starstone*) and green (for the sea and the island's lush pastures). Absalom's mascots are the hippocampus, representing the island's naval power and Sea Cavalry, and the mother-sphinx, imported from Osirion. Absalom's mother-sphinx is typically presented as a winged lion with a female human head and upper body, and occasionally shown pregnant, astride a wave, or with human hands holding a scale and scepter or scroll. The city's motto is "Ex Prothex", which is interpreted to mean "From the First" or "First Among Equals". Absalom's hybrid nature and long history are reflected some of the in the foreign names for it: the Patchwork City, or the City of Buried Treasures.