The City of Slew

Slew is an independent city despite its proximity to Grayhaven and technically being in the Greenwold. It was built in the harbor that can be found between our farmland and the Starless Mire. It was set up years ago by a cadre of merchants who wanted to be independent of the taxes of the kingdom. At first it was just a few merchants in what could only charitably be called a town, but they were successful enough to amass enough wealth, business, and influence to maintain independence when they became large enough to be of interest. Gold is the rule of the city. If you have enough of it, you can do as you please. The city has grown out into the water on a series of magical floating foundations. There are walkways and bridges that connect these floating buildings, but no roadways, instead there are canals. And small boats are used in lieu of wagons. It is quite novel, but not always the most convenient.   Due to the merchant princes needing to prove their worth, the city is quite ornate and grand. Ornamentation is everywhere. It is also quite the melting pot as anyone is welcome so long as there is gold. Even drow can be found here. In fact, if you own any silk it was most likely sold by the drow to a merchant in Slew.   The Myconids, or mushroom people, are not denizens of Slew exactly, but they do live in the mire near Slew. They are quite intelligent and view themselves as the keepers of the swamp. I suspect they might be a large reason the city expanded into the harbor rather than the swamp. They tend to leave the city be and the city leaves them to their devices.   This great city on the edge of the swamp brings together merchants and peoples of all stripes, for better or worse. No city in the realm matches Slew for culture, food and music - and none matches it for greed or corruption.   Ostentatious wealth and abject poverty, outpouring hospitality and stultifying corruption, bog stench and perfume - Slew is a city of opposite extremes, and one of the liveliest locations in the Greenwold.   Built in the largest harbor in the Greenwold, Slew is a literal floating city - its numerous neighborhoods and wards divided by canals, kept above water level by omnipresent magic runestone.   The sprawling port city sits at the conflux where the mighty Windy River turns brackish, as it mingles with the Starless Mire at the edge of the Great Sea. A hub for refugees, exotic travelers, traders, and adventurers, Slew is the busiest trade destination in the Greenwold.   Known as “The Fragrant City” by some, even the crisp, salty air of the ocean cannot overcome the wafting winds from the Starless Mire that blow north year-round. Port fees and commerce taxes keep the wealthy oligarchs in power, an unofficial group referred to as the “Merchant Princes,” while poorer communities struggle to survive. Mystics from the lush swamps surrounding the low riverlands congregate in town, fueling the talismonger trade. The variety of cultures here create a varied blend of art and music - troubadours from all corners of the globe can be found in many of the drinking halls and dining tents of the city, and revelry is always the order of the day.