Podróbka

City of Hope

**Podróbka** (pronounced /podrobkɑː/), also known as the "City of Hope". This border city of Obietnica, has become a place for travellers attempting to cross the harsh tundra. Here they gather all the supplies they need to venture in search of treasure within the cold and unforgiving frontier. Led by Lady Ogień, the city has done well, despite their harsh conditions, and their unfortunate weakness to attacks from *"Beasts"*.

## Description

### Geography

The city is built on the edge of Lake Lustro, a lake that is frozen at most times of the year. The rest is mostly plains and sparse woodland, fighting for survival in the cold. The rocky shore of the lake attracts the wild animals that the inhabitants hunt. It also produces a type of kelp called turquoise strunowy that has become a local delicacy. However, most travellers never manage to take a liking to the taste.

From here, on especially clear nights and with a strong southerly wind, will people be able to witness the Aesentia Borealis in any sense. Some long term residents may be able to regale you with tales of it's magnificence.

### Architecture

The city is not very rich. Most of the buildings are simple wood and stone creations with slate roofs. The most impressive creations are the docks to the lake which have managed to survive the constant freezing and thawing throughout the year.

## Society

### Demographics

The people who live within Podróbka have been toughened by their environment. They are very unwilling to give aid to to others without promise of some reward, and if it doesn't seem that they are, you might want to keep a keener eye out. Most people who live there have a natural propensity against the cold and, with the lake nearby, Tritons are not an uncommon sight. But there are also many wood elves who know the land well enough to try and take people out on excursions into the tundra or to the city of Vitryme.

## History

### Introduction of *Red Deus*

The introduction of *Red Deus* was slightly untoward for the time. It took 350 years for it to make an appearance on the streets of Podróbka and even then it wasn't supposed to be. At the time it was still Venerage's policy to only supply *Red Deus* to countries that were providing Conamar with something in return. But seemingly a large supply of the elixir was misplaced and wound up on the streets of Podróbka. The people there have had many strong cases for addiction and were one of the first to change their economy to heavily focus on Vial Echoes. However, it wasn't officially recognised as a currency until 873 - Red Era in the country of Obietnica.

### The Beast Scourge

The Beast Scourge in it's early stages had posed many strange and terrifying dangers to the city of Podróbka. Their most significant occurrence was an incursion of a troop of Yeti, led by what is now believed to be a "Yeti". This incursion of beasts luckily was repelled by the now famous folk hero, Aesira the Allegiant.

However the current issue is that the city is being attacked and very few of the Hunters of Conamar are trained for tundra survival, and especially combat in that environment. This however has created a new job for some citizens unafraid to get their hands dirty retrieving the dead bodies of the Hunters and taking any *Red Deus* on their persons or in their veins. These workers are known as Carian Wolves.