Roselake

Roselake is a city of contrasts, with a large underclass and scattered upper-middle class. Many of its residents are former soldiers, widows, artisans, and displaced citizens from previous wars.

Run by a Mayor, and an appointed council of advisors, Roselakes's government is highly centralized in the Castle district. It emphazies military presence and law enforcement, often leaning on martial law in emergencies.

Roselake exports raw iron, weapons, medicinal herbs, and hand-carved trinkets. It imports luxury goods, processed food, and textiles. Much of the trade is tightly controlled or filtered through backdoor arrangements.

Roselake has rudimentary infrastructure in some districts (especially the slums), but the Castle district is better maintained. Bridges span the inner ravine, and cobblestone streets connect central areas. Watchtowers and gates serve as both defense and surveillance.

Darkgate

This brooding gateway to Roselake is a heavily fortified gatehouse bearing the scars of countless battles. Dark, towering walls and a constantly shifting guard presence create an atmosphere of vigilance and control. Street lamps cast an eerie glow on the cobblestone streets, and the ever-present threat of dangers lurking beyond the walls hangs heavy in the air. Here grim-faced guards, weary veterans, and a smattering of smugglers and black-market traders who operate in the shadows find a home they might not find anywhere else.

Ashen Wall

Ashen Wall is a closed off community just outside the city's walls. It's a dark place to live with a noticeable pall hanging over the area. Here one finds former guards and soldiers, many injured, families who have lost loved ones to past conflicts, and those who find solace in the sense of community fostered by shared hardship.

Southern Slums

The Southern Slums is a labyrinth of dilapidated buildings and overflowing refuse dumps. Poverty and desperation are etched on the faces of the inhabitants. Crime runs rampant, and a sense of hopelessness permeates the narrow, fetid alleys. Taverns overflowing with despair and makeshift gambling dens offer a fleeting escape from harsh reality. Those who live here are desperate laborers, orphans, petty criminals, and those who have fallen on hard times. A fierce sense of loyalty exists amongst some residents, forced to rely on each other for survival.

Grimtide Road

A desolate road leading away from Roselake into a countryside that could provide a better life for some. Ruined watchtowers stand as silent sentinels, remnants of a bygone era when the road was more heavily patrolled. Grimtide Road is a path for desperate smugglers, foolhardy adventurers, and those seeking refuge from the city's harsh realities. This place is called home by solitary hermits, smugglers shrouded in secrecy, and the occasional lost soul with a harrowing tale to tell.

Claygate

This a bustling marketplace located on the opposite side of the city from Darkgate. Merchants from neighboring towns hawk their wares, creating a vibrant cacophony of sounds and smells. Skilled artisans display their crafts, and farmers bring fresh produce from outlying areas. A sense of cautious optimism pervades, a testament to the Human spirit's ability to find pockets of prosperity even amidst adversity. Resourceful merchants, cunning artisans, hardworking farmers, and a smattering of hopeful dreamers seeking a better life in Roselake resides here.

Castle

Fairy Road

Fairy Road is a winding path leading out of Roselake towards a lush, forested area bordering the city limits. Legends whisper of fairies and other mythical creatures inhabiting these woods, a stark contrast to the harsh realities within the city walls. Inside the walls are homes and a few hostels and taverns. The Fairy Road is a popular destination for artists seeking inspiration and those yearning for a brief escape into nature's embrace. Dreamers, artists, herbalists who gather medicinal plants, and the occasional thrill-seeker hoping to catch a glimpse of a fabled creature come here and/or make this district their home.

The Cliff

This is sheer cliff face overlooking plains and farmlands. It is a place of both breathtaking beauty and chilling finality. The Cliff is a place of contemplation, where some residents go to seek solace or make difficult decisions. Not many live here. Most of who come here are visitors seeking a moment of introspection or a final escape from the burdens of life.

Defensive infrastructure

Skilled blacksmiths and armorers

Strategic trade routes

Herbal remedies and wild medicines from Fairy Road

Founded during a time of war, Roselake has always been a defensive outpost. It grew into a city through necessity and grief. Many of its streets are paved with bokes, figuratively and, some whisper, literally. Uprisings have occurred, especially in the slums. Ghost stories abound, and several areas are known for being "unquiet."

The Cliff: A place of legend, with memorials carved into the rock.

The Castle Armory: Stores historical weapons from multiple wars.

Darkgate's Wall: Contains graffiti layers dating back centuries.

The architecture is a mix of brutalist stone fortifications and medieval wood-and-brick tenements. Defensive first, practical second, aesthetic third.

Roselake is built in a basin of black rock, surrounded by low cliffs and high wind. A river once ran through the middle but now flows underground. The land outside is half-fertile farmland, half-wild woods.

Roselake is cold and wet most of the year, with thick mists in the morning and evening. Winters are long and cruel. Spring is short and fragrant, bringing wild flowers to the roadsides.

Iron and copper (nearby hills)

Herbs and fungi (from Fairy Road woodlands)

Wind energy (untapped but noted by scholars)

Clay and stone