OCFE - Buildings

The Nine Hills of the Capital

The original plans for the Capital only included five hills, but like everything tied to the Nagar, it eventually was expanded to nine. The original five were all named for the purpose they were chose for. As later hills were added, they were also given names. There are plenty of other hills in the surrounding area, but only these nine are allowed to be part of the Capital. The rest are either in the region outside of the Capital urban area meant to be kept as open agricultural land, or their own villages.

The hills were a main consideration when choosing the location of the Capital. Not only did they provide advantageous spots to build on that would overlook the surrounding area, but all were mounts of granite and marble from the large layer in the areatht ocul be mined for materials to construct the city itself.

Palace Hill

The Palace Hill was the site chose to build the Emperor’s Palace for the ruling family of the Nagar. Itself, one of the nine wonders of the old world, was carved and shaped with magic out of a hill of marble. Now the residence of the Regent and family, it still maintains its roll as the household of the ruler of the city.

Palace

Epiphanus, R9, Household Manager for the Imperial Regent’s Estate and Holdings

Government Hill

The Government Hill was another of the original five hills. It was meant to be the site of the Senate which rules the city under the Emperor and other government buildings.

Senate Building

Under the regent, there are 100 senators that make the laws of the Capital and its lands. They follow the regent’s orders and craft the laws. They meet and discuss in the old Senate Building although this is usually just for the formalization of what has already been decided upon and written up. The regent, when he wants to outline policy, will address the Senate in this building.

City Council Building

The running of the city itself is taken care of by a city council and bureaucracy. Once policy has been set by the Regent, laws have been made by the Senate, the City Council carries it out, at least for inside the city limits and the surrounding lands. 

The Capital Government Tavern

In the fine tradition of Brava in having community taverns in the basements of their main government buildings, the Regents have decided to do the same. So now, there is what is technically a public tavern in the basement of the old Senate building. While they do not restrict access to the establishment, it is a fairly expensive tavern outside of the common person's means generally. However, senators and other bureaucrats do use it to drink and discuss business and it is a way to gain access to such people. This usually involves buying a round of drinks for whatever table that is being approached.

Pantheon Hill

The third hill named was the Pantheon Hill which is where the city's pantheon would be built. It would sit at the top of the hill and be tall enough to be be seen throughout the city, but not take up all the area of the hill. The rest would be reserved for the temples and shrines to individual dieties.

The Pantheon

Aristander, High Priest of the Capital Pantheon, Senator of the Capital; Cleric 11

The Capital Pantheon. Certainly the largest Pantheon they have seen. The circle is lined with shrines of different sizes to all the gods and even some of their aspects nearby. Light comes in from the hole in the roof. The floor slopes down to the center drain. Entrances to the rooms in the walls and complex in the rear of the pantheon are in three of the cardinal directions with the other being the main entrance. Clerics are around to aid any who need it. Various people are there to pay their respects or talk to the priest. Small holes or fires exist to place or burn requests of the gods while there is also a slot for money donations.

The Temple of the Oracle

Buried in among the other temples and shrines in the shadow of this fairly large building is now a burned shell. A few workers sort through the charred remains and carry things away. All avoid the hole that is the entrance to the stairs below the temple. Two others in robes are obivously in charge.

Porphanes C3

Sorus C3

The Temple to Deondercles

The Temple to Kessner

Estate Hill

Estate hill was the hill reserved for the personal estates of the ruling families of the Nagar. Originally reserved for only those families who were eligible to become emperor, they later became the rulers of Capital who became the the rulers of the Empire. As fortunes rose and fell, others would enter or lose their estates on the hill. If a family was eliminated or forced out due to a particularly villainous reason, it would be customary to raise the estate and allow the new owners to build a new one, allowing for some much needed revisions.

Horattii Estate

Gaetan Horatti, Aristocrat 6 

Tabor, advisor, Wizard 6

Rhoona Estate

Senator Stendahl Rhoona W 8

Very fancy and large estate on the hill above the city with a view of the Senate. Inside the wall are several buildings. The Senator will meet them in the event building. Up the porch with six guards into the foyer, away from the ballroom past stairs into a sitting room where the Senator, Draco and a wizard will be waiting. A couple of servants serve all three.

Fort Hill

Although the Capital has never had walls as it was meant to be in the center of the Empire which kept it safe, it did need some security. One hill was designated for the Imperial Keep. This would be a garrison for troops, safe haven for the Emperor, and storage for food for the city. Although until the fall of the Empire, no war reached the Capital, it did face the occasional local threat such as monsters, assassins, or riots. It was after the Empire fell it became of great use and was the main defensive point when the Capital was being traded between the fragments of the Empire afterwards as a symbol of authority.

The Imperial Keep

University Hill

Almost as soon as the Capital was built, there was a call for a center of learning and knowledge. Thus the first hill to be named after the original five was for University Hill. A university was formed and the hill was given over to it with funds to create colleges of law and magic and a library for the Emperor and Senate.

The University Tower

In typical fashion of the Empire building a capital, the initial construction of the Imperial University was a large tower complex. This complex originally held the library, the administration, teaching rooms, and all living spaces for the professors and students. Over the centuries it has been expanded and built upon and now is solely the library, often still called the Imperial Library which holds not only books but also other items of note and history. The University Library is a power unto itself even in the greater world.

The grand tower complex is a series of ten connected towers. Once central tower on the very top of the hill surrounded by nine other towers surrounding it. Each tower is connected to the central library at the base and at the height of nine stories. Teh interior space between the towers has since been filled in with more construction making the entire complex now effectively one building.

Dagmar , f, wizard 6, 30’s - library officer

Melnoc , m , wizard 6, late 20’s - library officer

Merchant Hill

As the Capital filled out and grew in size, those of means decided that if they could not live on the Estate Hill, they would build on a new hill. As many of these were merchants along with minor nobles, the hill became known as Merchant Hill. Here are the less prestigious estates and homes of those that can afford to move out of the city in general to the top of a hill.

Borso’s Estate

Stark Club

Tomb Hill

As the reign of the first Emperor to rule from Capital began to come to an end, the plan for his tomb was discussed and planned for this hill. Instead, the emperor at the time, not wanting to flood the hill with ever greater tombs from all the clans of Nagar, decided for a mausoleum. It would be a great tomb that would house all the ruling emperors in equality. It was built and he was laid to rest there as were all the other Emperors until the Eternal Emperor. For his own reason, he built his own tomb to be equal to the Imperial Mausoleum even though he had no plans on ever dying.

Imperial Mausoleum

After the Capital was built, all the Emperors up to the Eternal Emperor were buried here. The tomb remained undisturbed except for a few rare events, until the fall of the Empire. Then first forces taking over the city as well as other taking advantage of the chaos emptied it of the Emperor’s bodies as well as the items and even individual tombs they were buried in. With the Regenty, these items were collected, purchased back, and restored to the mausoleum as much as possible. There are still items missing and although many are feared destroyed, the Regency still seeks the return of all they can get.

Eternal Emperor’s Tomb

Regent’s Mausoleum

Following the tradition of the Emperors being buried in a communal mausoleum, the new Regent decided to do the same for himself and those that follow him. 

Water Hill

Imperial Fountain

Central Plaza

The Central Plaza is a large circular plaza at the intersection of four major roads, three of them being the main gates of the city, and the fourth going to the city's Pantheon. It was quite literally the center of the old empire. When the capital was founded, this spot was designated as the center of the capital and all distances would be measured from this spot. Here the White Stone was placed in a shrine in the middle of the plaza and a monument to that.

The White Stone Monument

The White Stone Monument is a circular public fountain that is in the Center of the Capital’s Central Plaza. It serves as a public fountain which supplies water to this part of the city and any others in the plaza. In the center is the monument which is a large stone spire. Inside the spire is a vault that holds the White Stone, which is a block of white granite that is said to have Nagar’s inscription declaring this land his and his descendants. When the Capital was formed, it was set in this place to be the center of the Empire of the Nargari. Over the centuries, the monument and fountain were built and it was moved inside to the vault where it is only observe during certain city holidays and festivals.

Green Dragon Inn

Regen - Human Fighter 8, The Owner and proprietor, Human Fighter

Retired adventurer from Brava who ended up in Capital twenty years ago after a green dragon killed some of his party. He spent his portion of the dragon’s treasure on this inn which he has been running ever since.

The inn mainly provides service to the merchants, adventurers, and nobles who fancy themselves adventurers. The rooms are posh and comfortable and have all the amenities that somebody with lots of money and traveling on the road might want. He has a well stocked kitchen and wine cellar and can provide most items his customer would ask for. He also has baths and a small stable. Any services or goods a customer might want that he does not have, he has contracts and buyers who can bring such to the inn for a price. There are a small dining room, bar, and private room for use.

The inn itself is five stories tall. The main floor is the entrance, dining room, bar, and Reggen’s private quarters. Higher floors have a variety of rooms, from the fairly small but table with seating, washbasin, soft bed, and plenty of room for gear to a suite for a large group. There is a stable with small courtyard behind for keeping horses and even a wagon or two. The basement has the baths, private meeting room, and an entrance to the catacombs under the city with a large, heavy locked and barred door.

Services

Small room for two.

Large room for two.

Small suite

Large suite for eight with common room

Meals

Drinks

SE Inn

SW Inn

NW Inn

Capitalian Way

Forum

The forum was originally the entire complex between the palace and government buildings. Now it mainly refers to the central plaza between the two and the end of the Capitalian Way which is semicircular in shape with nine empty plinths stationed around on which speakers can talk. Originally, it was the place of official government announcements and with the Regency, it regained that function. All day and all night, a person is meant to be on the central plinth delivering a combination of government announcements, news, and current events. They typically have a set list they must repeat every half hour, but beyond that they may answer questions or discuss what they wish so long as it is news, on upcoming events, or about the city.

The other forum plinths may be used by others as they wish, although during daylight, if there are too many speakers they are scheduled by the Forum Administrator. Many bards come here to either recite stories or songs they have made up or been paid to say, or just for practice. For this reason, many bards come to the forum to listen and get caught up on events from across the world as the news from such usually filters through the forum fairly quickly. Sages also will speak on their subjects as advertisements of their services. Between the administrator, his aids, other bards, and those who like to pay attention to such things, going to the forum and asking around is a good way to find who might have rare knowledge on strange topics.

It is also a fairly well used meeting place. It is central and there is always at least one bard saying city announcements as well as two guards. Other city guards on patrols end up at the forum to report and find out news on what is going on in the city. Although neither food nor drink are allowed in the forum proper, this constant flow of people means there is usually food and drink vendors just on the other side of the line and officially standing at the end of the Capitalian Way.

Forum Administrator

Gnoll Sausage Seller

Imperial Treasury

This building is a small keep where all the money paid to or out for the city cycles through. During the day, guards carrying money are coming and going. At night, there is still a large contingent of soldiers in the locked up keep, although some orders do come through as deals are made. Wealth and items owned by the city that are not directly related to its history or a city position are also stored here. Specie is also melted down and turned into coin or trade bars in a foundry that acts as the mint.

It is one of the most secure fortified positions in the city. Magics were used in its construction at the height of the empire to make sure the keep was secure and impervious to magic. The walls and foundation are impervious to magic. Alarms and traps also protect its contents. Some of the traps take multiple people acting in unison to deactivate.

Captain of the Treasury

Slave Market

Although slaves have not been sold here for centuries since the Regency was formed and outlawed slavery, the building still serves as a marketplace for labor. Many of the government projects are run out of here and it also runs a service to help people looking for work or needing workers. They keep a list of tradesmen and other skilled labor for a small fee. It is considered not even professional if not listed here with the city. Foremen and task masters come here to arrange for large jobs not in the city and even in other regions if a large amount of temporary labor is needed.

Imperial Bazaar

Adventurers Guild

Imperial Baths

The Statue of the Emperor

At the intersection of the Capitalian Way and the West Gate Road stands the Statue of the Emperor. A sixty foot tall iron statue said to be of the last Emperor of the Empire. It holds an orb of rule in one hand and a sword in another to show the Emperor’s control and might over the world. Rumor and legend says that it is an iron golem that can only be commanded by the Emperor of the Empire. It does detect as magic and also seems impervious to harm. It stands off center on a plinth facing away from the Imperial Palace to the center of the plaza.

 The plinth is damaged and legend has it that one of the forces that had taken over the Capital after the fall of the Empire sought to fell the statue and tried to do so by destroying the rock it stood on. They had managed to get underneath one foot but had to give up the work to sleep. The next morning, the statue had moved to be on firm ground once again.

Dock Street

Nymph’s Kiss Inn

Capital Ship Yards

Herred Senneb Fighter 6

Herred inherited the ship yards from his family. They make good money building ships as well as buying and selling both in Capital and Athlon.

The ship yards takes up a large part of Dock Street on the shore side. There are dry and wet docks not only for building ships, but more often doing the upkeep and repairs on those already built.

Borso’s Mercantile Warehouses

Fesserli Rogue 9

Fesserli works for Borso in making sure that the warehouses remain secure. He even lives in an apartment in the upper story. He also handles most of the record keeping as to what goes in and out. He has a couple of foreman helpers and a number of twenty or so men who do the heavy work in moving the goods.

These are the warehouses of Borso Mercantile on the city side of dock street. Ships come in and deposit their goods here at the docks. From there they go to the the marker or off on other ships.

Dock market

Gemmen

A Capital native and well entrenched in the political scene and the White faction. They have the confidence and loyalty of a great deal of the dock workers, and use what power they get from using it to make things better for them.

The dock market does most of the initial sales and trades from ships coming in. Goods are unloaded, taxes, put into warehouses, and up for auction. Once sold they are delivered to the new owners. Likewise, goods going to ships get stored in the dock markets warehouses until they are moved or purchased by a trader.

Ulnborn Clan Estate

Zopros Ulnborn R6

Near the docks yet still walled estate of some standing. The gates lay open, people go in and out. A good number of people are around doing business including darker skinned members of the Spice Kingdoms. The main building will suit and Zopros (which sounds like some strange attempt at a Southerner trying to make something that sounds alike Bravan name.) will meet in the greeting room with several others from the household.

University Street

Inn

Tavern

Tavern

Tavern

Tavern

Bookmaker

Papermaker

Bookseller

Sage

Professor’s Estate

River Road

Inn

Tavern

flophouse

Witch’s Road

This street is the location of a higher than usual amount of magical businesses. Many buyers and sellers of magic items work here as well as those that make the items. 

Acquisition Lawyer

Barco - Wizard 5

Barco is a wizard and lawyer that deals with high cost transactions, especially magic items. He also acts as a broker for the finding and selling of magic items. He has a large collection of buyers and sellers as well as connections to ask around to see if anybody is interested. He can then write up the paperwork for such a transaction if desired. He can also deal with art and other trades of high cost items that don’t deal with tax law such as imported and exported goods.

His fee for services is typically 2% of the final sale. 

Spell component shop

Alchemist

Wizard

The Tower of Abramenzenzan

Merceo Kreptus - Wizard 12, Current resident

After the Regency had taken over, the third Regent was ready to try and do more to restore the old Capital to its former glory. He started gathering wizards to replace the lights, heated baths, and running water that had been supplied to the normal citizens in the Capital’s glory days. The mage Abramenzenzan answered his call. Formerly a court wizard for the court of Mezzazerzan, he grew tired of the court and looked upon this restoration as a project that would outlast himself. He took over the project and did much to replace the magic that had been lost to the city. In return, the city paid to have his tower made, itself a fine example of what magic can do when applied to a building.

The tower is tall for the Capital at over three hundred feet and 23 stories. The bottom 13 stories being square forty by forty feet and the next nine being round and 30 feet in diameter. The top has a 20 foot round domed room made out of glass. There are hot an cold overfilling cisterns in the top of the building and lights that can be turned on every floor. It is said to be impervious to natural disasters as well as magical attacks.

Merceo is the current in a long list of wizards that have purchased and taken over the tower after Abramenzenzan. Himself using the same workrooms that the original owner to create new spells and magic items for rich clients.

Journeyman Road

Master’s Road

East Gate Road

The East Gate

Inn

Tavern

South Gate Road

The South Gate

Inn 

tavern

West Gate Road

The West Gate

Inn 

Tavern

The Talking Fountain of the Minotaur

A little ways from the West Gate is a fountain with a statue of a minotaur. Legend has it that the statue has been known to talk and impart wisdom to those in need. The fountain itself does not detect as magic. Even the water it supplies comes from the cities cisterns. It also is many centuries old and even as good stone, shows its age. So legend are widely seen as just that. However, it has become a thing for young magic-users to go and place magic mouth spells on the statue so it appears to talk when the odd situations chose to set off the spells occur.

The Fort Gate Road

The Fort Gate

Inn

Tavern

Saloon

Deity Path

Temple of Graddo

Charcoal Road

Norbert’s Forge

Norbert - Dwarven Cleric 12

Norbert has created his forge here to explore the workings of making weapons and armor. He can make magical arms and armor as well and sells them for a good price. He has several other helpers who also follow his deity. They all live in spartan living quarters attached to the forge as they spend their lives making things. They can often be found up and working at night and welcome others to enter, watch, and have a drink of the beer they are drinking.

City Forge

These are the city forges that make arms and armor for the guards and mercenaries that it employs. A large complex is dedicated just to making wire and chain mail. Others forge metal into armor, shields, and swords. There are an assortment of water driven trip hammers and other machines to aid the forge. They do not sell to anybody other than the city and those employed by the city without a special permit from the government.

Armorer

Sword Maker

Santiago Fighter 6

Santiago is one of the best sword makers in the city. He does not just make the best swords for use in combat and tournaments, but also takes pride into also making them works of art.

His forge is an unassuming building with a simple sign and and open front to the forge when working. He lives in the back by himself.

He has an assortment of swords, daggers, and a few other weapons for immediate sale also.

The Catacombs

The Night Market

Madame Guina’s Saloon

Madam Guina

The nicer place to stay if you are staying in the night market. State rooms are available. Companions are also available as well as their rooms. The ground floor is a saloon with food, drink, and entertainment, usually some bards or dancers. Occasional plays or other entertainment as a guest might pay for.

Saphire Inn

Not much more than a drinking establishment crossed with a flop house. The rooms are mostly shared and hold eight people each in bunks that do not leave much room otherwise. They are otherwise fairly cheap as is the alcohol and drugs.

Hinkel’s Shop

Hinkel

Hinkel is an old wizard who deals with magic and alchemical supplies. He supports both those that might not be able to get what they need above ground either due to their reputation or that of the items they desire. While he is a wizard and alchemist of some skill, he mostly just runs items from the backdoor of shops on the surface back down underground. Likewise buys items that can be sold to people in the day market.

Merion’s Goldsmith

Merlon - 

Goldsmith and jeweler. Pawns the same. Main business is acting as a fence for stolen goods. 

Pays half price for works of art and stolen goods.

Can melt down metals (except for mithril) and recut gems for 5% of the final value.

Lycon’s Shop

Lycon

Sells general goods including weapons. This could be considered a standard adventurers supply store complete with theives tools and other less savory items. Some alchemical items also that might be used for dungeon dwelling. Items can be retrieved from the surface and back in the Night Market for sale when desired in a matter of minutes to hours depending on how rare it might be.

Dymas’

Dymas

Not much more than a bar to the street with standing room only. Drinks during the day and food also at night.

The Black Store

The Four Shrines

At the end of each hall is a shrine that takes up the back wall. Ugodo Mo for assassins, Spion for spying, Yu-Jin for wealth, and Lubat for duels and death. These act as shrines to each. Those wishing to pay their respects can do so as one could at any shrine. Those wishing to hire somebody dealing with these can pray loudly or leave a written note and offering. The rules are slightly different for each shrine. Those looking for work also gather around and pray loudly so others might hear. These can be for the most desperate of the desperate.