Silvershield

The Free City of Silvershield is powerful nation located in north western Banrios, dominated by the eponymous metropolis of Silvershield. A melting pot of many races, religions, and cultures, Silvershield is the overall wealthiest city in the world, being placed on multiple trade routes and the main port used to set sail to the Ring of Shendali.

## History

The city of Silvershield was the northernmost of the human city states that emerged on the west coast of Banrios. Located on the river Silverwater, Silvershield's fertile soils allowed it to prosper early, and a large river island that provides a good location for an early defensible position. Harassment from bandits and monsters caused surrounding villages to be abandoned and flee to Silvershield, causing its population to boom and its borders to grow.

The guilds began to form soon after; without any clear leadership, trades began to band together to protect their positions in society. The first guild to form was The People's Militia, who tried to establish a martial law in the city. However, they were met with resistance, with guilds forming to oppose this control; the Builder's Guild formed and refused to repair damaged fortifications after riots and raids, and the Farming Association stopped providing food to the Militia. The Militia quickly lost power, with an internal power struggle leading to the assassination of the first leader General Garon Lindtback and the rise of General Selis Halfbriar. General Halfbriar appealed to the guilds to end the violence, and renamed The People's Militia to the Silvershield City Watch. The guildmasters met and signed the Silverwater Pact, declaring that every 5 years, the people of the city would vote for the 8 guilds they would like on the Council of Guildmasters, and securing the position of the Scholars Arcanum, a group of wizards who had been advising the guilds on matters of magic and helping defend the city from threats force along could not vanquish, as the permanent ninth guild on the council.

The city states all along the coast had been constantly assailed by various threats, particularly raiders and monsters from the Wilderlands. Many of the city states along a region known as 'The Violet Coast' united for their own self-preservation, forming the Cities of the Violet Coast, and invited Silvershield to join, but the city decided to remain independences. The two nations became sour with each other, with minor border conflicts and trade sanctions placed upon each other. However, Silvershield would flourished in its independence, having to build a second wall around the first to accommodate for its constant expansion. It was at this point where Silvershield became the largest city in the world, surpassing the land area and population of any other.

Another feather was added to Silvershield's cap after Banrios made contact with Niwhan; Silvershield had already been negotiating with and forming alliances with various small states in the Southern Desert, which included the small trading town of Tajiers as a rest point for merchants sailing around the coast. With Tajiers' trading boom leading it to dominating the region and consolidating power, Silvershield was able to effectively negotiate trading rights with the newly emerged nation and got premium access to goods for Niwhan. Silvershield's fame across Banrios carried its name to the governments across Niwhan and its own specific deals were brokered, and Silvershield flourished from trade with the nations of the Niwhan.

Silvershield, rich from trade, wished to grow. A small kingdom, still young, had formed from the lordships between Silvershield and The Holy Queendom of Stannirheim; the Kingdom of Alidreen. Dismissed as weak and vulnerable, representatives of Silvershield and Stannirheim met to discuss a unified assault, and thus the War of Alidreen was declared. Silvershield's offensive was largely ineffective, only able to occupy Falkenshire, Venlinshire, and Lowcoast. The forces of Silvershield sieged Evenkeep, but the siege was broken after Alidreen forces reclaimed Venlinshire by pushing west from Southmoor and resupplied Evenkeep. Silvershield morale plummeted and they were pushed back, with the Stannirheim army retreating not long after. Silvershield acknowledged that having Alidreen as an enemy would limit its trade with Stannirheim and northern Veldris severely, and thus a peace treaty was signed; the war is now viewed as a futile waste of life and time, with the only notable result being the kingdom of Alidreen being viewed as a major power in Banrios, having survived a war on two fronts.

The end of the War of Alidreen is frequently viewed as the start of a period of great peace and prosperity across Banrios. For once in its long history, no wars were fought on the continent. Developments in arcane and scientific studies, accelerated due to the first reappearances of the Warforged, led to an age of wonder, and Silvershield was at the heart of it; engineers, researchers, and mages flocked to the city, forming new guilds such as the Guild of Machinists, and bringing their inventions to the populace. Attempting to find a more efficient trade route to the east of Banrios, ships set sail into the Western Ocean from Silvershield, with little idea of the history they'd make.

The peaceful era crumbled with the declaration of the Second Northern War. Silvershield remained neutral, supplying weapons, armour, and other resources to both sides of the conflict. The coffers of Silvershield swelled once more, and just in time; refugees from both sides of the conflict came to the city, seeking safety and opportunity. The Outer Wall was built, to accommodate for the massive influx of people. Then the Midnight Crescent return; after 7 years at sea, it had returned to Silvershield, bringing news of a land far to the west. Named the Ring of Shendali (Shendia for short) by the sailors, Silvershield saw wealth in the lust, green jungles, and sent fleets of ships of colonists to establish the colony of Buckler, becoming the first nation of Banrios or Niwhan to colonise the archipelago. The major powers of both continents implored Silvershield to aid them in their own colonisation efforts; groups of colonists travelled from far and wide to set sail from Silvershield on crews who had become accustomed to the voyage. Silvershield's colony of Buckler cemented its influence in the Ring of Shendali, and the city state reaped the riches of the tropics.

Silvershield is currently in a state of balance; the colonial panic after the New Olcliff Massacre and the nearly empty treasuries of both the Holy Queendom of Stannirheim and the Imperium of Veldris has caused previously busy trade routes to quieten down. Additionally, internal threats have caused large amounts of money to be used to keep Silvershield itself safe. However, the city still prospers in its wealth and the skill of its artisans.

## Provinces

The 'provinces' of Silvershield are not provinces in the tradition sense; being a city state, the provinces of Silvershield are the various wards of Silvershield

### The Academy District

The Academy District is the location of many of Eldaron's greatest academic institutes. Many scholars live in the ward, and thus, multiple commercial enterprises can also be found in the district to provide for the scholars. It is one of the safest wards in Silvershield, simply for the reason that muggers and thieves quickly learnt that attempting to steal from wizards can have a variety of nasty consequences.

#### Notable Locations

* Silvershield Academy of Weave Studies: The most prestigious magic school in Banrios, the Academy of Weave Studies has a reputation of excellence. Many of the greatest wizards of Banrios' history studied at the Academy, which teaches all schools of magic with equal reverence.
* Silvershield Institute of Archaeology: The Silvershield Institute of Archaeology is the centre of archaeology in Eldaron. The quality and care of the Silvershield Institute of Archaeology's excavations are excellent, which has led to them collecting a wide variety of artefacts and cultural relics of peoples lost from Banrios and Niwhan, particularly the elusive Bygones. A particularly successful research group focus on calamities that have destroyed these lost cultures, although they have met some resistance when some of the people of these 'lost' cultures show up at their doorstep and ask for artefacts that represent their heritage back. The Institute is always happy to repatriate, on the conditional that they are compensated for their efforts to find the artefacts in the first place.
* Silvershield College of Musical and Theatrical Arts: The Silvershield College of Musical and Theatrical Arts is as interested in the theory as well as the practice of poetry, music, and theatre. Favouring traditional fields, it has only recently started providing courses on modern disciplines, such as metal music (which originated in the Holy Queendom of Stannirheim) and musical theatre (which rose to prominence in the south of the Imperium of Veldris).
* Silvershield University of Law and Political Science: The University of Law and Political Science is a controversial location, with many of its more prominent scholars being viewed as threats to power in various nations; in particularly, papers criticising the governing of the Imperium of Veldris has led to any scholar associated with the University being banned from entering the empire.
* Hemmel Bardoon Institute of Arcane and Scientific Research: The Hemmel Bardoon Institute is one of the oldest research institutes in the world, being founded by prominent wizard and former professor of Divination at the Silvershield Academy of Weave Studies Hemmel Bardoon. Due to the nature of the research conducted there, the Institute is very private and access is heavily limited. The building is a large black cube, with a curved glass roof. The upper floors tend to be administrative offices, such as the office of the Chancellor, Archmage Cedric B. D. (Bartholomew Darius) Haggick-Foxenhold IV PhD, the Twenty-Third Baron of Santor of the Violet Coast. Below the surface are where many of the labs are located, with all scientific and arcane disciplines have their place, from necromancy to chronomancy, from arcanobiology to metaphysics.

### The Docks

Being located on the coast of the Western Ocean and the estuary of the Silverwater, Silvershield's dock district is a bustling ward full of ships, sailors, and goods being moved into and out of the city. Aside from the actual harbour, the Docks has many small, cheap residents, and a wide variety of inns.

#### Notable Locations

* The Dockgate: A large gate that separates the Docks from the rest of the city. As it would be unfeasible to continue the Outer Wall into the sea, the Dockgate was built to control all access into and out of the dock. Actually a series of small gates all located along a section of the Inner Wall, there is no way into the rest of the city without passing through it, as a method to prevent invasion by sea and to control the flow of goods into the city.
* The Fractured Conch: The most famous of the inns located in the Docks, the Fractured Conch is located on a pier jutting out into the sea. The tavern has a seedy reputation, allowing any sort of pirate or other criminal in its doors.

### East Hemley

East Hemley is one of the larger residential wards in the city of Silvershield, being built specifically to provide housing for the artisans of West Hemley. The streets are similar to that of the Old Town, being narrow and cobbled. However, the houses are slightly larger, and many who live there are proud of their home. The Hemley Link Road cuts through the centre of the ward, connecting it to the heart of West Hemley.

#### Notable Locations

* The Little Mountains: Many dwarves live in the Little Mountains. The people there are known for being gruff, but reliable once one has proven their friendship. The community is very close knit, with most people knowing the names of everyone on their road and the roads that neighbour it.

### The Green

The Green is a park like no other; almost being a controlled wildness within the city. Parts of the park are covered with thick woodland, while it descends into wetland and rough beaches as it approaches the Silverwater. The central area of the park is predominantly open grassland, usually lawns, with paths criss-crossing across.

#### Notable Locations

* The Farming Association's Guild Hall: Informally known as the Guildbarn, the Farming Association' guild hall is located in the central grasslands of the Green. To make it look more natural, ivy was grown across the walls, and verdant hedges and flowerbeds decorate the surroundings.
* The Silvershield Botanical Garden: Funded by the Farming Association and ran by the Silvershield Academy of Weave Studies, plants from across all of Eldaron, even including a few extraplanar plants, are grown and studied. The gardens includes multiple greenhouses, some field laboratories, and an arboretum. It is not open to the public, as it can manage solely off of private funding and there are worries about potential abuse of the plants grown there.

### Isle of Spires

In the centre of the city, on the river island that the city original formed around, is the Isle of Spires. It is the main administrative district of the city, full of government buildings, offices, and notable landmarks. Permanently guarded by the Council Guard, the ward is arguably the safest in the city, due to its particular importance. It gets its name from the large number of tall, usually spired, buildings, with the limited space forcing the buildings to extend upwards.

#### Notable Locations

* The Speaker's Spire: The seat of government in Silvershield, the Speaker's Spire is where the Council of Guildmasters meet to discuss the governance of the city. The spire comes with a magical sound system, allowing for any major decisions or emergency broadcasts made to be heard across the entire city.
* The Alley of Others: The Alley of Others is where the embassies of all foreign nations in Silvershield are located.
* The Messenger's Guild Guildhall: The only guildhall located on the Isle of Spires, the Messenger's Guild guildhall is located on the Alley of Others, to allow for efficient communication between ambassadors and the Council of Guildmasters. Additionally, the central location of the Isle of Spires makes it a useful for the Messenger's Guild to be located, as they are never too far away from any of the other guildhalls or anywhere in the city in general.
* The Silvershield Clocktower: The tallest building in Banrios, the Silvershield Clocktower is famed for its reliability; it is operated by a combination of artificers from the Guild of Machinists and The Savants of Ymrall, a group of chronurgy wizards, leading to unmatched precision in keeping track of time. It has contributed to Silvershield's reputation as the great maritime hub of Banrios, with the clocktower being valued for its aid in navigation.

### Leatherback Road

Named after the long, wide road that stretches through the ward, Leatherback Road is the centre for entertainment and hospitality in Silvershield. Located along the riverside, the ward is known for its bustling nightlife, its popularity with tourists, and its vibrant atmosphere. Leatherback Road has a wide assortment of shops and attractions, from quaint riverside coffee ships to boisterous taverns, and shady gambling dens to luxurious spas.

#### Notable Locations

* The Traveller's Rest: A large, luxury hotel owned by The Hostess, that also acts as the guild hall for the Innkeeper's Consortium. One of the tallest buildings in Silvershield, the Traveller's Rest is arches over Leatherback Road itself, occupying a large area on both sides of the street. The hotel has almost any amenity a guest could dream of: stables, spas, multiple restaurants (with specialties in cuisine from across both Banrios and Niwhan), gyms, pools, and even equipment maintenance for their adventuring clientele.
* The Balthazar Club: The Balthazar Club is a place of unmatched splendour yet possesses a reputation of unmatched wickedness; the vast casino floor hides a labyrinth of tunnels below, where many who cannot overcome their debts are rumoured to have vanished. The perfumed air and glittering décor are a testament to the ruin that has been caused in the Balthazar Club's halls.
* The Guildhall of the Entertainer's Guild: Colloquially called the 'Madhouse', the Entertainer's Guild is a colourful building that provides for the entertainers of the city. Lower floors are dedicated to practice rooms for the various musicians, actors, and street performers of the city, while the upper floors are full of offices where the many festivals and events hosted by the guild are planned.
* The Cook's Guildhall: Along the riverside, the Cook's Guildhall can be found. The guild negotiates trade deals on behalf of the restaurants of Silvershield in order to have ingredients brought in.

### Old Town

Winding, cramped streets separate the terraces and courtyards of the Old Town. One of the larger wards, the small buildings and rough reputation have lead it to being a lower class ward, jokingly referred to a "the refined gentleman's Slugger's Crook" by members of high society. Like Slugger's Crook, crime is rife in the Old Town, although instead of unorganised violent gangs, the Old Town is dominated by the influence of organised crime families such as the Challio family.

#### Notable Locations

* Quarryhall: A protected building due to its age and historical importance, Quarryhall is the guild hall of the Miner's Guild. Made of various polished stones, it almost blends in with the cobbles of the streets of the ward.
* The People's Watch Community Outreach Post: Despite being a ward with high crime rates, the People's Watch own offices and a small constabulary in the Old Town, due to its position near the centre of the city.
* The Chipped Challice: Owned by the Challio family, the Chipped Chalice is a seedy bar that, on first impression, one would guess was only visited by those affiliated with the Challio family. And while it is certainly popular with those affiliated with the Challio family and those doing business with them, the Chipped Challice was home to Infamous Strangers, the first breakout rock band in Eldaron.

### Openfield

A relic of bureaucracy, Openfield is the formal designation of the large area between the Inner and Outer Walls. Most of Openfield is, as the name suggests, farmland and pastures.

### The Outskirts

The Outskirts is a new ward that is currently under construction. The ward is being built to provide housing for Silvershield's ever growing population, and is located in a ring around the Inner Wall. It was deemed by the Council of Guildmasters to be the most suitable place for new housing, although there was strong opposition from the City Watch due to concerns that it would increase traffic at the inner wall gates and that building housing directly next to the inner wall compromised the security of all the wards inside the wall.

### Slugger's Crook

Slugger's Crook was intended to be a secondary commercial district, on the other side of the city to Trovemarket. However, the plans fell through quickly as migrants who could not afford anywhere else within the Inner Wall to live built their own houses there, taking up all the space. The city stopped investing in the area, and Slugger's Crook ended up as a shanty town. It is largely left alone by the City Watch, as too many of their own have been killed by the gangs there. Although there are many gangs in Slugger's Crook, there are two main gangs who fight for control of most of the area: The Rat Kings, a group mainly composed of thieves and muggers who see themselves as friends of the common folk and defenders of Slugger's Crook, and the Stabtwisters, a group of particularly violent extortionists, kidnappers, and murderers who's name comes from their signature torture technique.

#### Notable Locations

* Fool's Gold: Originally the "Argentum Court Market Hub", it was one of the few buildings constructed for the ward's original purpose, but the interior was never finished. The guilds, particularly the Merchant's Guild who owned it, viewed it as an investment sure-fire to be profitable, instead being a huge loss, thus the insulting name it is now known by. It acts like a community hub in Slugger's Crook, being unofficially policed by the Rat Kings, being used for housing, small stores, shrines, and much more.

### The Swords

The Swords is a ward that is rarely visited by civilians, instead being dominated by the city's martial presence. The ward's name comes from what can be seen on the waist of all it's regulars, although a wide variety of armaments can be found here. It is popular with adventurers as a place to prepare for their next expeditions.

#### Notable Locations

* The Gate Guard Headquarters: A large compound that acts as barracks and training ground for the Gate Guard. It is functionally a military base, as the Gate Guard acts as Silvershield's army. However, it also contains areas for training customs officers and the Silvershield Navy.
* The Reserve Armoury: The Reserve Armoury is, as name suggests, the armoury for Silvershield Reserves, as well as having offices used as its headquarters. The Reserve Armoury is also used by other departments of the Silvershield City Watch when they have use of the additional armourments.
* The People's Watchhouse: The archaic moniker hides how the People's Watchhouse is not one, but many buildings forming a sprawling complex. It has many offices, having to deal with the public much more than the other departments.
* The Icosahedron: With a peculiar shape, the Icosahedron is the base of operations for most of the Silent Shield. It contains the Silvershield Agency of Intelligence headquarters, who have spies all across Eldaron feeding the city/country intel. They also run their elite tactic training deep in the building, as well as having a bunker where the overall management of the City Watch is carried out.
* The Smith's Guild Hall: The guildhall of the smith's guild is located in The Swords due to their close relationship to the smith's guild. The sounds of metal against metal and roaring flames never cease.
* The Bloody Quill: A tavern which was popular with members of the League, it expanded and was eventually bought by the League, becoming their guild hall. The name refers to how the contracts signed in the guildhall tend to lead to blood being spilt. Above the tavern floor, there are private rooms where contracts can be negotiated.
* Silvershield Prison: Surrounded by the City Watch department offices, Silvershield Prison is a building of incredibly high security; constantly patrols, magical wards, 3-feet thick reinforced stone walls, very few people have ever escaped from the prison.

### Templerow

The sounds of prayer ceaseless resonate through the boulevards and alleyways of Temple Row. In a questionable move, all of Silvershield's temples, churches, and shrines all in the same ward, leading to constant arguing (and often worse) between the many devout who regularly reside in the district. Not all the temples in the district will be listed below, but temples for all greater deities and most lesser ones can be found here.

#### Notable Locations

* The Temple of Kalix/Embassy of Kalixin to Silvershield:
### Trovemarket

Bordering the Docks, Trovemarket is the commercial hub of Silvershield. Some say that the sounds of gold changing hands never stops in Trovemarket.

#### Notable Locations

* Goldlord's Square: A large square home to the largest's market in Silvershield. The Goldlord's Market takes place every day, with the except of major feast days. Almost any good that can be legally sold can be found there, from fine wines, to handcrafted musical instruments, to even some magical items.
* The Merchant Guild's Guildhall: A tall, ornate building, the guildhall of the Merchant's Guild is located on the Goldlord's Square, comprising the entire west side of the plaza. The guildmaster, archaically known as the Goldlord, resides in the guildhall.
* Cheese?: On the edge of the ward, a cheese shop that also provides portrait services known as Cheese? exists. Ran by Rumple Stiltonskin, a mousefolk master cheesemaker, Cheese? is a family business. Wild magic sorcerer and general menace, Brie Fromage, son of Stiltonskin and herald of Ragnaroquefort, lives here. The Mother Cheese, a powerful artefact (and cheese) of Cheese Cheese, god of the mousefolk and cheese, is located in a sacred sanctum in the back of Cheese?.
* Trovemarket Branch, Silvershield Banking Company: The lead branch of the Silvershield Banking Company is located in Trovemarket. Only accepting of the wealthiest clients, the Trovemarket Branch also acts as an investment bank, investing in businesses, guild stocks, and property. Its vault is said to be impenetrable, said to be built to resist forced entry from even an ancient dragon.
* The Ruckus Rookery: A bird shop owned by a kenku called Ruckus. Selling a wide variety of avian species, it is well-known due to the unique currency accepted; as well as each bird costs money, Ruckus demands customers pay by giving him a new word for his vocabulary.

### Velvet Hill

Velvet Hill is located on a hill that borders the inner wall. It is one of the newer wards to be officially designated and is home to many of the wealthier citizens of Silvershield. The streets are brightly lit and the City Watch are constantly patrolling, causing many to say it is the safest district in Silvershield bar the Isle of Spires. Houses in the ward can be varied but almost all are quite large, well maintained, and possess at least a small garden, with the more expensive mansions covering swathes of land and being lavish in all regards.

#### Notable Locations

* Challio Manor: The Challio Manor is located in Velvet Hill. The crime family orchestrates all of their operations from the manor, as well as frequently hosting extravagant parties in order to influence major players in the city.

### West Hemley

West Hemley is the main artisanal district of the city. The buildings of this district come in two types; terraces of two-storey houses and large factories. The terrace houses are usually storefronts on the ground floor and then residences on the first floor, and are usually located on the outer rim of the ward. Deeper in the ward, large factories bellow out the smoke of towering chimney, making Silvershield the industrial powerhouse it is reputed to be. Many of the smaller artisan guilds are based in West Hemley.

#### Notable Locations

* The Potter's Guildhall: The Potter's Guild operate out of an old factory in the centre of the ward that they covered into offices. Still, the roaring fire of the kilns keep the guildhall lit all day and all night.
* The Machinist's Hall: A very recent development, the Machinist's Hall is one of the most technologically advanced places in Silvershield, and as such, has significant security for a guildhall. Clockmakers, artificers, and tinkers all come to the Machinist's Hall to utilise the precise fabrication machinery for their inventions, as well as to consult with the residing experts in advanced fields such as construct manufacture.