Cluj - The Heart of Transylvania

Worldbuilding: Cluj-Napoca [Linda Turunen, 1800846]

After the Re-Enchantment when many places in the world were overtaken by the supernatural beings that once roamed them, much of Transylvania, which had embraced its rich tapestry of myths and legends, did not suffer the same casualties. The supernatural still held power there even before the Re-Enchantment, in forms of stories, celebrations and traditions, so the merging of the old and new went smoother. Many old locations and places of power were still around and well kept, which helped to integrate those who found themselves in otherwise changed world.

## Overview

Cluj-Napoca, or Cluj as it’s most commonly known, is the starting location for players who chose to begin their journey in Romania. While the city is little ways off from the main Silk Road, it is a major city and a large part of the population lives there. It is also the tech hub of the region, and well connected by the slow, but reliable, railways that run through the treacherous forests of Transylvania and connect the city to the rest of the world.

The effects of the climate change have not been as major in Cluj as in some other parts of Europe. The central location shielded the city from the worst, and the active efforts to keep the air and the surrounding nature clean helped to prevent it further. As it stands now, Cluj has the cleanest air in European Union and moving outside without filtration gear is for the most parts still possible. The river running through the city has dried up and the city receives majority of its water and electricity from a nearby lake. Rationing has been started for both. Temperatures can rise up to high 40s during summer and snow has become a rarity.

## Notable Locations

* **The Underground** - now home to the Alchemists, the local branch providing the supply of Disenchanters to the city above. The Underground is a network of tunnels, basements and secret rooms connecting churches to homes to various locations outside the city limit. The network houses several laboratories, both magical and scientific and a routes for people and items to be transported around unnoticed.
* **TechFest** - an area of the city named after a convention held before the Re-Enchantment, it spans the city’s multiple university buildings. It houses several workshops and lecture halls, shops and apartments for those who contribute to the technological advancement and improvement of the world ravaged by the climate change.
* **The Streets** - Cluj has a vibrant arts scene that embraces both the traditional and the progressive, and nowhere is it seen as clearly as on the streets of Cluj. There are festivals held every month, buskers, peddlers and artists selling their crafts. During the nights most roads, especially ones at the outskirts of the city, are taken over by illegal road races and gangs settling their disputes, while the many nocturnal beings roam among them.
* **The Hoia-Baciu** - is a forest to the west of Cluj, just outside the city borders. It was rumoured to be haunted even before the Re-Enchantment, so strong was it’s connection to the supernatural. In the heart of the forest is a circular clearing, a center of immense magical power that is thought to be a gateway or a portal to somewhere else. Old ruins have also started popping up from below the roots of the knotted and twisted trees of the forest.
* **Lake Tarnița** - Farther away from the city, the lake and the dam provide drinking water and electricity to the city. The lake is now a well guarded and fortified location because since the Re-Enchantment all sorts of monsters have started emerging from its depths. It is of such importance for the wellbeing of Cluj that it must be well kept, despite the dangers that swim in its dark blue waters.

## Player Opportunities

Cluj has opportunities for all kinds of players. It is a major hub with dozens of quests and NPCs, and a starting storyline that introduces the player to the game mechanics and lore, taking them through levels 1-5.

### The Gifted

The Gifted can find opportunities to embrace their newfound talents and learn from the numerous places of power in- and around the city, like the Hoia-Bacita. Those who wish to suppress and control their abilities can find their way to the winding underground ex-smuggling routes now taken over by the drug trade, or alternatively they can brave the booming tech district and summits to find new innovations and experiments to help cope with their unstable talents.

### The Humans

TechFest is where the paths of many players will cross, but it is mainly populated by the humans that were left to live in this new world populated with beings of great power without any powers or supernatural abilities of their own. TechFest, “Empowering Communities For The Future”, is where programmers, inventors, academics, people with big ideas and ambitions come and share their thoughts and skills. TechFest used to be a four day festival, hosting speakers from all around the world, but now, with the internet being down and sharing information being so much more difficult, it has become a permanent feature in the city.

### The Supernatural

Many in Romania found themselves changing after the Re-Enchantment, and even more found themselves waking up in their graves, coming back alive. If the player starting in Cluj wishes to play a werewolf, vampire or a fey they have the option to play as a local variant:

* **Pricolici**, an undead werewolf of massive size. They have red hair, grey eyes and wolf like appearance. They possess the ability to turn into a large wolf at will.
* **Strigoi**, can be a living or an undead creature. Living strigoi are witches who possess supernatural powers which include the power to leave their bodies in spirit-form or the ability to shapeshift to animals. An undead Strigoi is a vampiric spirit of great strength and traditional ghost-like abilities. Both can drain the life-force of their opponents.
* **Sânziene**, female fae creatures, humanoid in shape with flower-like characteristics. They possess magical powers, with abilities to charm and affect other people’s thoughts and emotions with their voice.