Sturben
Sturben, the second city of Borca, wears its disrepute like a comfortable cloak. Long maligned as Levkarest’s unfashionable shadow, this riverside settlement has grown into a haven for those disillusioned by aristocratic games, courtly poisons, and the silken suffocations of Borca’s high society. With its crooked streets, smoke-stained spires, and scent of strong spirits and stronger opinions, Sturben is gritty, vibrant, and real—a city of survival rather than splendor.
Sturben is Borca without the lace and lies—a rough, honest, smoke-stained city that rejects pretense in favor of grit, trade, and independence. Here, the common folk breathe more freely, even if the air smells of iron and spilled wine. It is a city of second chances, guarded hearts, and sharp tongues—where survival isn’t a mask, it’s a lifestyle.
Demographics
Sturben has become a refuge for the misfit, the misjudged, and the merely practical. Here, failed nobles reinvent themselves as tavern-owners, alchemists find sanctuary from Borcan moral scrutiny, and artists paint without fear of poisoned critics. While still under Ivana’s influence, Sturben thrives on its distance—both geographically and philosophically—from Levkarest.
- Fashion is plain but personal, with layers and workwear replacing ostentatious garb.
- Speech is blunt, sarcasm is currency, and nobility is viewed with open suspicion.
- Theatres, wine-houses, and print-shops fill the backstreets, giving rise to a bohemian subculture of cynical poets and firebrand playwrights.
Government
Though technically loyal to Borca’s central authority, Sturben governs itself in practice through a patchwork of guilds, merchant houses, and elected syndics. These figures care little for etiquette and everything for trade, order, and autonomy.
- The Grain Guild, Sturben Brewers’ Circle, and Teamsters’ Coalition wield more influence than any baroness or courtier.
- The city is quietly watched by Ivana Boritsi’s agents, though most operate subtly to avoid antagonizing the city’s fragile peace.
- Street justice and duel arbitration are common. In Sturben, disputes are often settled in back alleys, not drawing rooms.
Points of interest
- The Hogshead Clock: An enormous, soot-blackened public clock at the center of town, rumored to keep irregular time when death approaches.
- Wormglass Hall: An alchemist-run inn and laboratory that offers shelter, healing, and experimental solutions.
- The Gall: A notorious tavern-theatre where plays mocking Borcan nobility draw both laughter and knife-wielding critics.
- Sturben Baths: Carved into the riverbed itself, these ancient, crumbling public baths are places of gossip, relaxation—and clandestine meetings.
Architecture
Sturben clings to the banks of the Vuchar River, its lower quarters half-sunken and prone to fog, while the upper terraces rise into brickwork warrens and leaning towers. The architecture lacks the elegance of Levkarest, favoring function over form, though the occasional crumbling manor hints at former glory.
- Red-tiled roofs and dark shutters dominate, with narrow alleys crisscrossing between leaning buildings.
- Smoke from forges and distilleries curls through the streets.
- The Old Docks are decayed but busy—Sturben is a working port, with barges and flat-bottomed boats ferrying goods and rumors alike.
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