Sanctuary (City)

Sanctuary is a large, slightly raised island in the middle of a huge lake named The Water Wall. The city on top of the island, which shares the island’s name, sprawls across every inch of the island. Sanctuary was the first settlement in the new world and as such is the largest and most densely populated city in New Terra. The population of Sanctuary is mostly human, although other races are not wholly uncommon in the city.

### Sanctuary's Chapters

In the early days of New Terra, just after The Relocation, Sanctuary’s naturally defensible position made it an ideal place for a settlement. The Water Wall was an excellent natural defence against monsters, bandit groups and people who had been driven mad by The Relocation, a condition that came to be known as *Teleportation Sickness*. The only real concerns were food and shelter, as well as establishing a new way of life. A council of four were elected by the settlement’s members to make decisions about the township. Most people in Sanctuary were in favor of the council and those who were not either accepted the will of the majority or took their chances away from the island. In order to effectively lead and grow Sanctuary, the council split the populous in to five chapters: the Ruler's Chapter, the Military Chapter, the Trader's Chapter, the Worker's Chapter and the Hunter's Chapter.

#### Ruler's Chapter

The Ruler's Chapter initially consisted of only the four founding council members:

**Eshbis 'The Wise'**

* An elderly female dragonborn who was once the leader of her clan in Tymanther. Commonly accepted as being the leader of the founding council, Eshbis' leadership is commonly accepted as being a key factor of Sanctuary's success in New Terra. Given that Eshbis was old at the time of The Relocation, and hasn't seemed to age since then, it is obvious that she lengthens her life somehow.
* Her personal guard are known as Eshbis' Eight; eight people from eight different races. They carry no weapons and wield no magic; however, their martial arts training has made their whole body a honed and dangerous instrument of death.

**Momed 'The Powerful'**

* An intelligent and very powerful human male wizard. Nobody is exactly sure how old Momed is, but he was elderly at the time of The Relocation and that was 79 years ago. No doubt he prolongs his lifespan with his powerful magic.
* Momed's personal guard are known as The Mage's Blade, an elite group of 6 magic users who protect Momed at all times. The Mage's Blade wear black cloaks with deep hoods that cover them from head to toe. Their faces are hidden behind white carved masks that depict various different animals.

**Utreag 'The Builder'**

* A dwarven paladin turned mason in his twilight years, Utreag was responsible for designing much of Sanctuary city. Utreag is a paladin of Thor and as such, the worship of Thor is common in Sanctuary.
* Utreag's personal guard are known as The Dwarf's Hammer and consists of 3 dwarven paladins of Thor who attend Utreag at all times. Although they are highly proficient at combat, they are perhaps more proficient at drinking, which they often do to excess. The saying, "Utreag must have been here" is a common proverb throughout Sanctuary when the drink runs dry.

**Ashryn 'The Bold'**

* Ashryn is a formidable military strategist and a highly skilled elven archer. She leads Sanctuary's Military (aka 'The Branded'). Ashryn can usually be found drilling soldiers in the military grounds.
* Ahryn's is the only member of the founding council to not have a personal guard. She joking refers to the quiver of arrows by her hip as "her protectors".

These four led the people in creating a safe and prosperous city, full of tradesmen, merchants, hospitality and adventurers. Not only that, but they helped to tame most of New Terra, aiding new settlements and ventures. Over the years, and as more people flocked to the safety of Sanctuary, others joined the ruling council. Some looked after diplomacy with other settlements, others registered and kept track of official guilds that had popped up in sanctuary, and still others led projects to establish trade routes, farms and lumber yards. The four founding council members remained at the centre of it all though, essentially becoming the ruling quadarchy of Sanctuary and the surrounding lands.

#### Military Chapter

The Military Chapter initially constituted little more than a local militia. They kept the island safe from invading outsiders, humanoid or otherwise. The chapter included all sorts of people, from battle-hardened veterans to adventurers who, although they had no formal military training, could handle a bow, a blade or wield magic. Over the years, and under the leadership of Ashryn, the military became more formally structured. Sections of the military split off to include the following divisions:

**The City Watch**

* Sanctuary's City Watch patrol the island city, keeping the law. Because Sanctuary is a relatively safe, law-abiding city, the City Watch mainly handle minor disputes between merchants or civilians.
* Their light blue and white tabards make them easy to pick out from the crowd.

**Wild Outpost**

* The dense forests and unusually high number of monsters in Deep Wood meant that it was never colonised by New Terra, despite several attempts. As such, the wooded island remains wild and unexplored. At night, the howls and screeches of monsters can be heard coming from Deep Wood and parents tell their children stories of the evil that lurks in the dark forest, an evil that is held back only by the courageous men of Wild Outpost.
* Wild Outpost is New Terra’s first defense against the eastern island of Deep Wood. Establish in the year 9, a garrison of Sanctuary’s military sits on the eastern bank of the river, guarding the only bridge to Deep Wood. On the western bank, two towers doorstop the bridge's large, iron gatehouse. Each half of the bridge acts like a draw bridge that can be raised and lowered, the two halves meeting in the middle of the river. This bridge, the only of its kind in New Terra, was designed by the gnome artificer Saxi Zion, who went on to design much of Zion Farm. The bridge is kept raised throughout the day, only lowering once a week to allow the guardsmen in the gate towers to change shifts with the garrison. Each watch tower by the gate has a huge ballista mounted on the roof, a deterrent to more intelligent beasts and a powerful weapon against monsters foolish enough to wander within range. That isn't to say that monsters haven't tried to breach the gates of Wild Outpost. Ogres, Owlbears, Gnolls and even Wyverns have been known to attempt to cross the bridge. So far though, the soldiers at Wild Outpost have stopped them all in their tracks.

**Sanctuary Army**

* Sanctuary's army are colloquially referred to as The Branded due to the magical rune engrave on the back of their right hand, which signifys their commitment to Sanctuary's law. Over the years, divisions of the military were sent to other settlements as they became larger or needed specific aid, in order to help protect and keep the peace in those townships. These settlements included the northern towns of Port Mast, Zion Farm and North Cove, Hullabeck in the west and Mort Mine in the South. These divisions eventually became permanent fixtures of these towns and no longer held official associations with Sanctuary. However, these towns haven’t forgotten that Sanctuary sent aid when they needed it the most, and are fiercely loyal to New Terra's capital.

#### Trader's Chapter

The Traders Chapter, along with the Workers Chapter, is the largest of the chapters in Sanctuary and includes merchants, artists and guildsmen; all manner of folk producing or selling items or services. Several guilds exist in Sanctuary:

**Mages Guild**

* Although magic is less common in New Terra than it was in Faerûn, there are still enough magic users in Sanctuary to warrant a guild. Momed 'The Powerful' established the guild in the early days of Sanctuary as a place for magic users to congregate and support one another. Momed stepped down as guild leader in the Year 35, to allow fresh ideas to foster. Now, the former Red Wizard Zaálder Féir heads the guild and works closely with Momed with the goal of understanding how and why The Relocation occurred.

**Merchant's League**

* The Merchant's League is an organization based in Sanctuary that promotes safety on the trade routes throughout New Terra. They often employ members of the Adventurer's Guild to guard trading caravans.
* In recent times, the Merchant's League has become increasingly more political. They advocate for a place on the council and ultimately wish to eliminate trading tariffs between New Terran towns.

**Silvered Tongues**

* Performers such as bards, actors and other who perform for a living will find their home among the Silvered Tongues.This guild promotes entertainment events and matches members with complementary talents to form troupes.

**Silent Sail**

* The Silent Sail is an underground group of smugglers operating out of Port Mast, seeking to undercut the more legitimate traders and merchants. Although their existence is no secret, Sanctuary's City Watch have been unable to snuff them out.

**Rat Pack**

* Very little information can be confirmed about the Rat Pack. What is known for sure is that they are a group of thieves, assassins and bandit with some sort of connection to the Bandit King. Sanctuary's City Watch were unsuccessful in even finding this group of cut-throats, let alone stomping them out. If rumors are to be believed, a party of five adventurers eliminated the gang.

Trade networks now exists all throughout New Terra, with lumber being floated down The Wound from Hullabeck, food stuffs being imported from Zion Farm and many metals and gems being brought up in great armored wagons drawn by Guard Drakes from Mort Mine. Even the swampy town of Tunstead exports clay bricks used in many of the residential houses in Sanctuary.

#### Worker's Chapter

The Workers Chapter provided skilled labor such as metalwork or woodwork, as well as unskilled labor such as farming. Unlike in Faerûn, workers are well respected members of society in Sanctuary, with many of the roads, sewer systems and other infrastructure of the city being built off the sweat of their collective brows. It is a testament to these people that Sanctuary was built so well and so quickly, over the 79 years since The Relocation. Utreag 'The Builder' has overseen this chapter since its inception.

#### Hunter's Chapter

The Hunter’s Chapter was an unusual yet especially important group of adventurers whose primary goal was to protect the island settlement from monsters. Hunters were primarily made up of adventurers, pirates, thieves and cut-throats; any person who could wield a weapon or magic and had little to no regard for their own personal safety. Because of their nefarious nature, Hunters were viewed by the general population of Sanctuary as reckless and dangerous, only tolerated for the invaluable service they provided. As New Terra steadily became safer, with the extermination of the more brazen monsters, groups of Hunters would accept contracts to clear land for new settlements, explore uncharted lands and collect valuable, hard to get resources. Initially, the Hunter’s Chapter was largely unstructured and left to their own devices, operating in small groups and accepting contracts for coin. However, after Yulis Black and the Black Invasion of the year 43, the Hunter’s Chapter was the first and only chapter to be dissolved. In its place the Adventurers Guild was established.

#### End of Chapters?

Initially, the five chapters were a convenient way to organise people in order to build, defend and supply sanctuary. However, after twenty years passed and New Terra became safer, more organised and self-sufficient, the council decreed that chapters were no longer needed, or indeed useful. However, the chapters had become a part of the citizen’s life in Sanctuary. People’s identities and sense of self were strongly tied to the chapter that they belonged to, and the chapters that their parents belonged to. There was even the tradition of Tyr’s Moon Festival, that was celebrated each year during the first full moon: fourteen-year-old boys and girls would choose their chapter on this night, marking the start of their chapter training and transition in to adulthood. And so, although chapters are no longer formally recognised or enforced, the citizens of Sanctuary still, to this day, choose their own chapter membership.

### Adventurer's Guild

The Adventurer’s Guild is a regulated organisation that accepts contracts from the public, such as hunting down a troublesome monster (humanoid or otherwise), protecting workers in a dangerous part of New Terra, or even acting as body guards to a wealthy merchant. Essentially, any job that someone is willing to pay for, the Adventurers Guild can accommodate. Since the Black Invasion, all adventurers must be members of the guild and operate only under the guild’s supervision. Unlike the Hunter’s chapter of old, the Adventurers Guild has a reputation for providing good, honest work. Rather than being made up of cutthroats and vagabonds, Adventurers Guild members are well trained professionals.

All adventurers undergo basic training to ensure a solid standard of combat skills. After basic training, adventurers are placed in one of  four classes: Green Class is the entry level class of adventurer, taking care of minor, mostly safe contracts; Blue Class are more experienced adventurers who can independently handle contracts that most likely have some element of danger; Gold Class adventurers are very experienced, highly capable guild members who can take care of all but the most dangerous contracts and; Platinum Class is reserved for elite individuals who have showed a proficiency for adventuring that most never come close to. Only six adventurers have been placed in Plantinum Class, to this day. These adventurers are only used for the most dangerous and critical missions, often coming from the founding council themselves. Only two adventurers are currently in the Platinum Class, Uxis ‘The Blind’ and Geshan ‘The Great’. Most adventurers are within the Green or Blue classes, with less than a quarter in Gold Class.

#### Adventurer's of note

**Uxis 'The Blind'** is a powerful human mage, particularly skilled in evocation magic. Uxis earned her place in the Platinum Class defending Wild Outpost from a huge Purple Worm. Despite the humongous creature devouring half of the gatehouse and the soldiers within, Uxis managed to banish the beast to another plane, preventing the hideous creature from wreaking destruction on New Terra. Despite being blind and covering her eyes with cloth, Uxis' magic has given her perfectly sufficient sight.

**Geshan ‘The Great’** is a Platinum Class Tabaxi warrior of much renown; his claim to fame is that he has never refused a challenge to single combat and he has never been beaten. He wields an emerald encrusted longsword named 'Gleam', a weapon of great beauty, balance and unsurpassed craftsmanship. Geshan's parents were both Hunter's who fought under Yulis Black in the infamous Black Invasion. Ever since his parents dishonored the family name, Geshan has been fighting to reclaim it. Geshan is usually accompanied by his apprentice named "Happy", the 13 year old tabaxi boy who idolizes Geshan.

**Khufu** and **Khepri** were a brother and sister duo, both Platinum Class warriors. It is very possible that their family was the only Jackalfolk teleported during The Relocation, as no others have been seen on New Terra. Twins to Jackalfolk farmers and born in New Terra, the two were given to the Brotherhood of Those Who Smile in the Face of Death, in the hopes that they would become great warriors for Osiris. Their martial prowess was evident at a very young age and by the time the two were grown, they were given one of the highest honours of the brotherhood: they were named wielders of Osiris' khopeshes. Ordinarily, only one wielder was ever named at a time; however, because the two lived and fought as one, an exception was made. When they came of age, they were sent to join the Hunter's Chapter, to bring honour and glory to the brotherhood. They sided with Sanctuary during the Black Invasion and were awarded Platinum class when the Adventurer's Guild replaced the Hunter's Chapter. The two are presumed dead, and the khopeshes lost, after being sent in to Deep Wood by Majoric Paladann Sr, after he received a vision from Osiris that glory awaited in Deep Wood.

**Mirdak Heavyhoof** is a Minotaur beserker who was awarded the Platinum Class badge in his retirement. For the last 20 years Mirdak has assessed and trained new recruits in Sanctuary's Adventurer's Guild, but many tales are told of Mirdak's exploits while he was active in the Hunter's Chapter. It is said that he wrestled trolls for sport, letting them live if they proved worthy foes or slaying them mercilessly if he decided they were weak. Elderly ex-Hunters who claim to have seen the Minotaur fight say that he flew in to a wild rage, where tooth nor blade could harm him. Mirdak is most well known for saving the life of Eshbis 'The Wise' in a fight against a Chimera, knocking Eshbis out of the way and fighting the hideous beast over her unconscious body. Mirdak is well past his prime now but he is still a formidable opponent in the training yards, whipping recruits in to shape with a wooden training axe and a, some might say melodramatic, battle cry.

The final adventurer to be awarded the Platinum Class rank was awarded it posthumously. An **unknown minstrel** fought against Gnolls in the very first battle of Sanctuary, in the Year 1. This unknown man selfishly rushed to the children and cast a protective dome over them, protecting them from the vicious Gnolls. Then, with the horrific battle raging around him, he sang to the children to sooth them. After the battle was done, the minstrel disappeared in to the crowd and was never heard of again. Some say he was modest and wanted no fame, others say that he left Sanctuary and spent the rest of his days in Port Mast. Either way, when the Adventurer's Guild was first established, the unknown minstrels likeness was the first to be set in stone at the front gate with the plaque underneath the statue reading, "Heroism is not slaying your enemies, it is protecting those who can not protect themselves".

## Locations of note

### Districts

Sanctuary is divided in to the following districts:

**The City Centre**

* This district houses official, political and diplomatic buildings, as well as the houses of the more wealthy members of Sanctuary. This district is the home of the council chambers, a modest building that is used by the founding council members to meet and discuss matters of political importance. Eshbis 'The Wise' can be found here most days, tending to the administration of the city or meeting with citizens of Sanctuary to discuss their problems or ideas. The large Bell Tower and adjoining Guild of the Bell are also found in this district.

**The North Dock**

* Located on the northern shores of Sanctuary Island, the North Dock is mostly constituted of docklands and warehouses where incoming goods from North Cove and Hullabeck are stored. There are also many rowdy inns and brothels within this district, where sailors and river workers frequent. The Merchant's Legion has their guild house in this district.

**The Market District**

* To the east of the City Centre are all manner of markets, stalls and shops. Locals purchase anything from foodstuffs and household items to weapons and adventuring gear. Adventurers looking for potions and magical items can find many useful things in this district. Merchants who have been successful enough to own a store, rather than a stall, often live above their shops.

**Bridge District**

* This district stretches from the City Centre to the only bridge in and out of Sanctuary, named Utreag's Pass (after Utreag 'The Builder'). The gatehouse doubles as a garrison for the City Watch, who monitor the people who enter the city via the bridge. The Bridge District also house all of Sanctuary's military operations, such as the Tempus Lodge, which featured barracks, mess halls, armories, and training grounds for The Branded. Taverns and stores have also opened up in this district in order to service the soldiers.

**The Nest**

* Most citizens of Sanctuary live in The Nest, the residential district which fills almost all of the southern half of the island. This district is mostly houses, but also has taverns and smaller houses interspersed throughout.
* **The Adventurer's Guild** is in the north-western part The Nest, bordering the Bridge District.
* **The Whispering Frog Tavern** is a popular place for adventurer's to drink between contracts.
* **The Spinning Coin Inn** is The Nest's local casino; one of only two in all of Sanctuary (the other being Heads/Tails in the city centre). This establishment is owned by Maxine 'Money' Keenseeker, a successful business woman with a take-no-shit attitude.

### Bell tower

After Sanctuary was established and the wooden palisades were constructed around the settlement, Eshbish would ring a bell each dusk to signal the closing of the gates. The gates were not opened for any reason during the nights, for fear of monster attacks. As Sanctuary became a larger city and the wooden palisades were replaced by tall stone walls, a bell tower was constructed and a large, copper bell was forged to signal the closing of the gates. The Guild of the Bell, sometimes referred to as Dawn Bringers, became responsible for not only ringing the bell at dusk, but also maintaining the bell tower and the huge bell within. Fairly quickly, the Guild of the Bell became somewhat religious, and to this day followers believe that the ringing of the bell itself secures the protection of Selûne, goddess of the moon, during the night. Worshippers leave offerings of milk and wine at the bell tower and often pray under the moonlight.

#### Silence of the Bell

The bell has rung every single night since Sanctuary was settled, all except one. One wintry night in the Year 23 the sun set and no bell was tolled. Some suggested that the Bell Ringers were bewitched by Sharto prevent them from fulfilling their duty. The Branded were ordered to double patrols that night, and many of the citizens of Sanctuary took up torches and whatever weapons they could find, and stood vigilant throughout the night, ready to defend the city should some evil descend that night. When a full red moon rose that night, many lamented that the end had come, that Selûne would not protect them because the bell had not tolled. However, the night came and went without incident. It wasn’t until 20 years later, when Yulis Black invaded North Cove, that people began to whisper that the evil tiefling was born under a full red moon, on the night the bell did not toll. Some believe that she was not the only evil loosed on Sanctuary that night.

The bell has rung every dusk since that day, not missing a single night. The gates to Sanctuary no longer close at night; however, some say that a day will come when the bell will not toll again and great tragedy and loss will befall Sanctuary. Every year on the anniversary of the night the bell did not ring (Alturiak 16th), the bells are tolled every hour on the hour. This night has come to be known as "Silent Night" and both celebrates Selûne's protection and wards against Shar.

### Oghma Library

The founding council established Oghma Library in the Year 9 as a place to collect, and make available to the public, knowledge about both New Terra and Faerûn. In the beginning books and scrolls were a very rare thing; however, due to the hard work of priests of Oghma and other scribes and authors, the library has steadily been filling with knowledge from the old world and the new.

In the Year 15, an extension to the library added a theater where bards and performers entertain crowds of people in a more formal setting than the local inns offer. The Silvered Tongues set up their guild house across the street from the theater.

## Religion

The main faiths in Sanctuary are those of Selûne, Tempus and Thor with Oghma, Osiris and Mystra also being worshiped to a lesser extent. Many survivors of The Relocation maintained their faith and believe that the Gods of Faerûn still hold power in New Terra. Conversely, some have abandoned their faith, either believing that the old Gods abandoned them, have no power here or that this new world has its own God that are yet to be discovered. That being said, Clerics believe that they still channel their magic through their Gods

Selûne, also known as Our Lady of Silver, the Moonmaiden, and the Night White Lady, is the goddess of the moon. In New Terra, she has also taken on the mantle of a protector, with many followers believing that she protects Sanctuary during the night. The Bell Tower houses a large shrine to Selûne, where worshipers leave offerings of milk.

Tempus, also known as the Lord of Battles, is the god of war. His dogma is primarily concerned with honorable battle, forbidding cowardice and encouraging the use of force of arms to settle disputes. Ahryn 'The Bold' is a follower of Tempus and her popularity is most likely one reason that the worshgip of Tempus is common among Sanctuary's military and the Adventurer's Guild. The Tempus Lodge, within the Bridge District, doubles as both a temple to the Lord of Battle and a barracks, mess hall, armory, and training grounds for the military.

Thor is the god of thunder and another warrrior god. Utreag 'The Builder' is a paladin of Thor and built a temple to thunder god in the Year 23. Since then, Thor has been a popular god of warriors and adventurers, particularly the louder and more boisterous warriors who also enjoy good food and drink. Paladins of Thor value goodness, bravery and a swagger.

## People of Note (Sanctuary)

### Eshbis 'The Wise'

Dragonborn woman, elderly and kind, 'leader' of the Founding Council.

### Momed 'The Powerful'

Human male wizard, elderly and aloof, member of the Founding Council. Founder and former head of Sanctuary's Mage's Guild.

### Utreag 'The Builder'

Dwarven male paladin of Thor, member of the Founding Council. Designed and built much of Sanctuary.

### Ashryn 'The Bold'

Elven female archer, member of the Founding Council. Leader of Sanctuary's Military (aka 'The Branded').

### Uxis 'The Blind'

Powerful human mage and Platinum Class adventurer. Despite being blind and covering her eyes with cloth, Uxis' magic has given her perfectly sufficient sight.

### Geshan ‘The Great’

Tabaxi warrior and Platinum Class adventurer. Never refused a challenge to single combat and never defeated. He wields an emerald encrusted longsword named 'Gleam', a weapon of great beauty, balance and unsurpassed craftsmanship. Geshan's parents were both Hunter's who fought under Yulis Black in the infamous Black Invasion. Ever since his parents dishonored the family name, Geshan has been fighting to reclaim it. Geshan is usually accompanied by his apprentice named

### "Happy"

13 year old tabaxi boy, squire to Geshan.

### Khufu and Khepri

Brother and sister Jackalfolk twins, both Platinum Class warriors. Wielders of Osiris' khopeshes; however, both are presumed dead and the khopeshes lost, after being sent in to Deep Wood by Majoric Paladann Sr, after he received a vision from Osiris that glory awaited in Deep Wood.

### Mirdak Heavyhoof

Minotaur beserker who was awarded the Platinum Class badge upon his retirement. Mirdak assesses and trained new recruits in Sanctuary's Adventurer's Guild, a well as running the guild. Mirdak is well past his prime now but he is still a formidable opponent in the training yards.

### "Scribble"

Young female human writer. Was working for an adventuring group, recording their adventures.