Wasserschloss

## Description

Wasserschloss is a major city in the Taler Valley within the Confederation of Haystan. It is the capital of the Duchy of Three-Water. It is the biggest port and shipyard on the Taler-See and through this is the one of the most influential cities of the region.

The city is spread across the tree main islands, connected via bridges but the rivers are brimming with ships of all sizes, some transporting people and material from one district to another while others are traders shipping trade goods between towns.

### Inseli

The district of Inseli is the oldest part of the city. It is home to the old barons mansion which was renovated and today houses the city-council. A advisory body to the Duke of Three Water; Reik ab'm Tal. Inseli is considered the cultural heart of the city with theatres, restaurants, high-end shops and the mansions and homes of the wealthy. Most of the buildings here are built in the High-Haystan Sytle, characterised by its high rooms, beautiful pillars, grand windows and colourful roofs. The streets are well kept with threes and lawn integrated into the city, contributing to the cities lively and healthy atmosphere.

Enveloped by a small but formidable wall, Inseli, together with Seestadt, is well protected against threats both on the water and on land. The bridges Westbrück and Ostbrück, connecting Inseli with Weststadt and Brückstadt respectively are great solid stone bridges. The middle of the bridges houses two towers, and the bridge between them consists of two heavy wood drawbridges. If big ships want to cross the bridges or the city is being attacked, these middle drawbridges can be raised.

*Some points of Interest:*

* “Baron's Mansion” - Government Building
* "Old Stockades" - Dungeon
* "The Merchant's Anvil" - Tavern

### Seestadt

Seestadt, also known as Castle-Town, is the fortified military and ducal district of Wasserschloss. It's high walls surround it on all sides, guarding against attacks on land and water, though in times of peace the gates are usually open, allowing citizens to travel through to reach their destination.

Within Seestadt the citadel and the ducal palace is located here, usually locked to the public. Here, in the palace the Duke and their family are housed and though their home is guarded and off limits to the public, the ducal family is known to invite people to their home and mingle with the rest of the population regularly.

On the walls of Seestadt is a battery of 120 cannons of various sizes. Most point towards the Taler-See, guarding against any naval attack but some point to the bridges and rivers around Wasserschloss. It is primarily Seestadt which guards the vital Nebrr-River and Erster-River against bandits, pirates or other malicious people.

*Some points of Interest:*

* “Ducal Palace” - Government Building

### Weststadt

Weststadt is built on the north-eastern tip of the Krumm Island. It is the manufactory of the city, producing tools, weapons, building material and especially ships. Its coasts are lined with shipyards and ports and legions of shipwrights, port workers, sailors and blacksmiths find work and home here, tending to the many ships that maintain the prosperity of Wasserschloss as a whole.

Weststadt is guarded by a simple but effective stone wall to the west, separating it from the rest of the farmland on Krumm Island. Unlike Inseli or Seestadt, Weststadt is not guarded from attacks from the sea, relying on the cannons from Seestadt to guard them from hostile ships.

*Some points of Interest:*

* “The Azer's Mace” - Blacksmith

### Oststadt

Oststadt is built on the north-west of the Big Island. It is the newest district of Wasserschloss. The land was given to Grand Magister Zula vom Pier of the Shimmerhand Association, a mage born in Wassershloss upon her request to establish a academy within Wasserschloss. The construction of Oststadt was jointly funded by Duke Reik ab'm Tal, the Shimmerhand Association and Grand Magister Zula vom Pier herself.

The district itself closely emulates the High-Haystan Sytle of Inseli, where Grand Magister Zula vom Pier was originally from and the wide streets are filled with trees, lawns, flowers, benches, fountains, cafes and libraries and at the very north-western tip of the district is the Wasserschloss Academy.

The district is walled off to the east and south by stone walls reinforced by magic wards. Crossing through its gates will dispel any magic for a few seconds as a measure against infiltrators. To the sea and rivers, Oststadt has built stone embarkments a few meters above the water. Here parks and promenades are built and many students and artists often come visit here to watch the ships go by. Neubrück connecting Oststadt to Seestadt is a wonder of magical engineering. The main middle part of the bridge is carved out of one solid slab of rock and when a ship wants to cross, the entire slab can be lifted several meters into the air by great magic crystals, located in the towers at either end of the slab.

*Some points of Interest:*

* “Wasserschloss Academy” - Magic School

### Brückstadt

Brückstadt lies to the south of Wasserschloss and is spread across both the Krumm Island and the Big Island, connected by the Stadtbrück in the middle. Stadtbrück unlike the other bridges is not a drawbridge, instead it is a great elevated stone arch, allowing most ships to pass through its middle, though making crossing the bridge with carts very difficult.

Brückstadt is what many would call the commons district but the people of Wasserschloss would reject that notion. While it is true that most of the cities middleclass citizens live in Brückstadt, the districts are open and people find homes and work all over the city and Brückstadt, while not built in the fancy High-Haystan Sytle is beautiful nonetheless, having wooden buildings on stone constructions, decorated with paintings and carvings of folk legends and heroes. With clothing lines spun between the buildings, flags hanging from roofs and trees and taverns around each corner, Brückstadt is vibrant, lively and the object of many poems, parsing the citizens of Brückstadt for their honesty, generosity, positivity and immediacy to life.

*Some points of Interest:*

* “The Golden Wench” - Tavern
* "Uzza's" - General Store

### Krumm Island and Big Island

While most of these two islands aren't strictly part of the city, being outside the walls many consider the farmers tilting their fields here just as much part of Wassershloss as a Brückstädtler cutting timber in the south for the shipyards in Weststadt.

Most important to the security of Wassershloss and its rivers however are the Burgbrück and the Rosenbrück. Two stone bridges, acting as much as small castles as the do as bridges. The whole bridge is topped by a small stone castle. Access to the bridge can be closed off via a set of drop gates. The bridge is low enough to make passage with bigger ships impossible and to block access for smaller ships, a heavy chain is spun from one end of the bridge to the other beneath the water and a set of two cannons is pointing outwards. These two bridge castles are staffed by a small crew of guardsman at all times and is the first line of defence. If attacked, the guards can light a signal fire on the roof of the castle, alerting the city proper.