Alaghon, City-State of the Korma Kingdom and Jewel of the Moonstone Depths

The city of
Alaghon stands as the single largest point of civilization within the Seren
Peninsula. Technically, Alaghon stands as an independent city-state with its
own lords, nobility, and government. However, it is a commonly known secret
that Alaghon’s “independence” is granted by the grace of King Sandon of the
Korma Kingdom, Alaghon’s strategic position as the gate of the continent, and
Alaghon’s compliance with all Korma Kingdom’s laws.

            \_

\_

## Population Density

            Roughly
80,000 folks reside in the city or within the 10-mile “lands of entitlement”
over which the city exerts “economic eminence.” Within Alaghon, all manner of
people live and work, from Prostilvist to Gothressea and Riegil to Taladas.
Most civilized or “free-willed” folks make themselves present in Alaghon.

·
**Humans-**
45,600 (57%)

·
**Dwarves-**
8,800 (11%)

·
**Elves-**
6,400 (8%)

·
**Halflings-**
5,600 (7%)

·
**Half-elves-**
4,800 (6%)

·
**Gnomes-**
3,200 (4%)

·
**Half-Orc-**
3,200 (4%)

·
**Dragonborn-**
1,200 (1.5%)

·
**Tiefling-**
1,200 (1.5%)

## Government

Currently ruled by a Council of
Four, four lords who have been elected by the Parliament of Peers, an ostensibly
democratic collection of people from all walks of life. In reality, the Peers
elect fellow Peers and the positions have become largely hereditary. Currently,
the Council of Fours is as follows:

·
Master of Council, Lord Dillard Portyr- a portly
man enjoying the comforts of his title and position. Speaks little, if at all,
and goes with the flow on all decisions.

·
Lord Torlin Silvershield- a gaunt, handsome man,
leader of the local temple of Gond and the Tinkerer’s guild. A shrewd,
calculating individual working for the betterment of the Patriars.

·
Lord Abdel Adrien- Leader of the
Mercenary-Police known as the Flaming Fists. The man has a long and varied
history within and without the city.

·
Lady Belynn Stelmane- a powerful politician,
Lady Stelmane had recently suffered a "stroke," (in reality she had been seized by a Mind Flayer) and exerted less control
over the council because of it. Thanks to a group of passing heroes known as the Shield of Orlane, she has now been freed of the Mind Flayer and has begun recovering from her "stroke."

Below the Council of Four is the
Parliament of Peers, a council that directs day-to-day operation of the city
and decides what issues need to be settled by the Council of Four. The
parliament is dominated by the Patriars; noble houses of families with great
wealth and station. In total, there are about 34 patriar families within Alaghon.
The parliament does have roughly 12 non-patriar members, everyone guild leaders
or heroes of the city. The talk of the street has been focused on Jasmal "Ofsan," a recently promted and very secretive patriar being supported and sponsored by the recovering Lady Stelmane. Jasmal is a current member of the Shield of Orlane, and is currently away on ratcatcher business.

## Military Organizations

To police the twenty districts that
form Alaghon, there are two distinct, long-standing police forces within the
city; the Watch and the Flaming Fists.

### The Watch

The official police force of
Alaghon, and technically the only one. However, the Watch only polices the
Upper City, leaving the Lower City to the Flaming Fists & the Outer City to
its lawlessness. Roughly 1,000 members strong, 1/3 (333 members) is always on
duty patrolling the walls and streets of the Upper City.

·
Oversars: 2

·
Highswords: 6

·
Commandal: 12

·
Havilar: 24

·
Sword: 48

·
Vigilar: 96

·
Sarmar: 192

·
Shield: 620

Oversars: Esme Bormul & Nainarv
Shattershield

·
Esme Bormul- Female human commander

o
5’6”, muscular build, attractive face, 38 years
old, cropped wavy grey hair, brown eyes, tanned skin, provocative piercing in
left eyebrow.

o
Good at diffusing tension, quick to trust,
always a story to tell, loves discovering mysteries, zealously worships Old
Gods

o
Straight, Married, two kids

·
Nainarv Shattershield- male dwarf commander

o
3’7”, muscular build, plain face, 166 years old,
lengthy auburn hair shaved on left side of head, rough skin like gold, missing
left ear, scarred over

o
Always ready to help others, example of modesty,
misses home clan and wife, trains every morning with Esme Bormul

o
Straight, married, four kids, having an affair.

### The Flaming Fists:

Originally formed as a mercenary
battalion, the Flaming Fists exist almost exclusively as Alaghon’s unofficial
Military and Lower City Police Force. Numbering 4,000 members strong, roughly
half of that is within the city at any given time. The other half is out
holding fortifications on other continents or on active campaigns to fulfill
contracts. 2,000 members are housed within the Seatower and the Wyrm’s Rock,
patrolling the Lower City. According to the contract, the Flaming Fist’s also
are responsible for the Outer City and the “Lands of Entitlement,” but their
patrols are stretched thin patrolling the Lower City and Docks.

## Commerce and Guilds

The city of Alaghon is a city of
commerce, not of agriculture. Though there are farms within the “lands of
entitlement,” they are a mere drop in the bucket of what the city consumes.
However, their continental imports and manufactured goods are traded
internationally and domestically for the food and resources they need to
produce their goods.

As part of their commercial
production, there are roughly 24 chartered guilds spread throughout the three
cities of Alaghon. Each holds dominion over an aspect of life.

## Food & Lodging

There are 11 well-known inns,
taverns, feast halls, and café’s throughout the city.

·
The Oasis- Little Riegil District’s most
prominent inn and tavern

·
Blade & Stars- Eastway District’s inn
and tavern with “Enchanted” shield

·
Blushing Mermaid- Heapside District’s inn
and tavern full of shady patrons, lots of fights

·
Elfsong Tavern- Eastway District’s inn
and tavern haunted by an elvish ghost singer

·
Helm & Cloak- Temple District’s
high-end inn and tavern run by former adventurers

·
Tavern of Horrors- Eastway District’s
newest inn and tavern, run by Snivelly Infamous

·
Low Lantern- Brampton District’s ship
tavern with “Lady Captain”

·
Splurging Sturgeon- Heapside District’s
fish feast hall, lots of different fish-based dishes

·
Three Old Kegs- Temple District’s dwarven
operated inn and tavern with secret keg hideaway

·
Smiling Boar- Bloomridge District’s café
with a peaceful veranda and chessboard tables

·
Undercellar- Wide District’s tavern
converted from secret tunnels. Guild operated, with connections to smuggling
routes

## Chessboard, Alaghonian Thieves’ Guild

In the dark alleys of Alaghon,
rumors abound of a Thieves’ Guild known s the Chessboard. Run by various
kingpins in control of districts, called Kings, there is a rumor of a shadowy
figure known as Nine-Fingers, the Queen of the Chessboard. However, nobody beyond
crackpots and drunkards believes her to be real. Most believe that the Queen is
a front to distract the police as to who actually runs the Chessboard.

Each King runs their district
independently, only coordinating when required by circumstance or when the
Queen makes her appearance.

The Chessboard works in a “favor
for a favor” fashion. Pay isn’t the coin of the Chessboard, debts are. The
Chessboard’s influence is strongest in the lawless Outer City, with strong
influence in the corrupt Upper City, and little, if any, control in the
well-regulated Lower City.

### Chessboard Ranks

#### 5- Queen (Guild master)

            The current
Queen is known as Nine-fingers, to those who know she exists. Nine-fingers does
her best to stay in the shadows, manipulating her agents to maintain control,
keep the peace, and maximize profits. She is protected by what is known as the
Lady’s Court. Composed of 2 accomplished wizards and 4 skilled warrior-rogues, all
women.  Nine-fingers has aspirations for
the Chessboard, she hopes to outdo and over take the bloodier, more chaotic
Shattered Dagger organization based in Auliere.

### Chessboard Districts

            Every
district within Alaghon that the Chessboard can gain influence, they have
gained influence. Each district is under the direct purview of their King, who
meet perhaps once or twice a year to share coordination. Beyond that, the
districts are self-contained cells.

#### Tumbledown District

Under the command of King Mironwe
Falavaul, a male half-elf thief. Goes by the name He goes by Falavir Monwevaul
when serving as bartender in “The Brown Chalice,” formerly the “Golden
Chalice.” Because the bar is in the Outer City, though only technically, the
tavern is not required to have rooms for rent, and so they don’t.

##### King Mironwe Falavaul

             Male half-elf thief. Cropped, straight black
hair and cyan eyes, with silky black skin. Shorter than most (5’0”) with an
average build. Looks young but has some experience (47 years old).

            Mironwe is
a selfish, pessimistic man who has climbed through the ranks by being smarter
than the other members. Because of his brushes with death, Mironwe eats
everything likes its his last meal, because for him it could be. Has a pet dog
named Jack, works as a guard dog in the “Brown Chalice” tavern.

            He is
straight, single, and worships the god of war (chaotic neutral).

### Known members of the Chessboard

#### Acton of the Wide

Elderly human fence in The Wide. Liverspots
and heavy wrinkles cover his tanned skin, with a long white beard being the
only hair on his head. His brown eyes are always watching the people around him
to spot new deals.

A soft-spoken individual, Acton is
always willing to make a deal. He strives to hold as much coin as possible but
can be overconfident to a fault. His simple brown robes bely his wealth gained
from his small out-of-the-way stall in Alaghon’s Wide District.

#### “Quinn”

Lysander’s old contact in the
Chessboard, mid-40’s male human with fair skin, grey eyes, close cropped black
hair, and a tribal tattoo on forearm. Hidden underneath his clothes are a
series of scars across his back, gained from lashings in his youth, as is his
average build.

Sarcastic to a fault, Quinn will still
stand by his friends where he can. He has a young estranged daughter he wants
to reconcile with, but to do that he needs to leave the guild and take an
honest job, something he absolutely does not want to do. Equipped with a very nice
rapier, long brown duster coat, traveler’s clothes, and a floppy hat.

Knight on the Black Gate Chessboard
(Operator in Thieves’ Guild)

#### Oswald “Oz” Graves

Lysander’s old errand boy, a very young
(~12) human boy with blond hair and green eyes. His fair skin is covered in
grime, with a rail thin and shorter than expected body because of lack of food.

Because of his time in the Outer
City, Oz stays silent unless spoken to and scavenges food out of trash at every
opportunity. Armed with ratty brown pants and tunic, a hole-spotted cloak, a
simple dagger, and a young pet mouse named Chester.

A Bishop on the Black Gate
Chessboard, under Quinn’s guidance, he is unquestioningly loyal to the
Chessboard because they helped give him a home.

## Alaghon districts

The various districts of Alaghon each have their own feel
and culture.

### Tumbledown

Dead end slums out of Cliffgate.

Two apothecaries

·
Dozing Table-Benson & Allyra run the place.

·
Edwena’s-owned and operated by Liara, a woman
killed recently and replaced by a shapeshifting devil. In trouble with the
Tumbledown Chessboard because of actual Liara’s debts to the Chessboard. Looking
for rat catchers to help her get the Thieves’ Guild to back off.

### Black Gate

            Outer City
district just on the other side of the Upper City. Lysander’s home turf, though
a lot of people don’t like him since he’s a bad con man.

            Has the
Cracked Goblet, a poor tavern run by Lysander’s old enemy Daryll Burdon and a
popular watering hole for “Quinn.”

## Known NPCs of Alaghon

            The various
common folks without attachments to any other organizations. Ongoing list.

### Ferris Keldan

 Lysander’s childhood friend, fellow conman, male
elf

Rudy tan skin, autumn-leaf orange
hair, earthy brown hair pulled in a ponytail, small piercing scar on clavicle,
young-looking, thin

Nervous, always has his back to the
wall, fallen on hard times without Lysander to back him up, shuffles cards to
relax, coughs when lies, loves gambling, impulsive but tempered by bad
experiences

Pack of cards, 2 hidden daggers,
small rucksack with supplies for emergencies.

### Cecilia Macrobyn

 Lysander’s Merchant’s Guild contact, female
dwarf

Fair skinned with hints of tan,
black hair in dreadlocks with ancestral stones, gold-flecked brown eyes, hints
of wrinkles on the edges, stout

Disapproval of Lysander’s past
professions, tight-lipped, loves money, distrustful of new faces, runs a shop,
mid-range member of Trader’s Guild

Fine aristocratic clothing,
jewelry, & necklace

### Daryll Burdon

Quinn’s buddy, Lysander’s rival,
human male

Tanned skin, dirty blond hair, dull
brown eyes, squat face, burly body type, tall-ish (~6’0”), mid-30’s

Quick to anger, hates Lysander for
losing lots of money in the fateful game, no patience for brawls, loves
his tavern (the Cracked Goblet, poor tavern in Blackgate District), protects
his girls,

Pawn on Chessboard (Asset in
Thieves’ Guild)

### Cassius Stone

Lysander’s contact in the Watch,
human male

Dark red hair, pale freckled skin,
dark blue eyes, scarred

Believes in “Justice,” though his
definition can be fluid, sells information to the Chessboard to see retribution
exacted, balances duty, justice, and double life

Scale mail, longsword, shield,
heavy crossbow, chess piece, hidden pocket in armor

Serves as Sarmar assigned to Black
Dragon Gate in Watch, and is a Pawn on Chessboard.

### Ninaren

            You know
who she is. A survivor of the Siege of Orlane, she is now a drunk mercenary
captain in the Tears of Alyndra, working for Lady Stelmane, and the Mind Flayer
who controlled her before that.

#### Tears of Alyndra

            Run by
Ninaren, in honor of her dead sister Alyndra. Ninaren gathered thugs,
sellswords, and bruisers interested in making coin, whoever asks. Currently
employed as agents and messengers for Lady Stelmane, for which they are paid
handsomely.

            After
Ninaren’s failure and near-death experience in Orlane, she has abandoned all
code or faith. Now, the only thing of value to her is coin, and drinks.

            The Tears
is a small mercenary group; currently a competent and loyal second in command
and six hired blades work for her.