Description
Nicodranas is the northernmost port city in the Kingdom Reza Flames. The city has colorful rooftops and towers vary in height and design, giving an eclectic visual of a jumble of cultures having built this space without unified vision.
The city exterior wall has many gates and archways with portcullises that are held up by a chain mechanism beyond the wall. Towards the coastline, the walls slowly diminish in steps and extend out into the ocean. The walls beyond the exterior were once grey, but through the years of accumulating seagull excrement they became light grey with white patterns.
- The Skew: An area of Nicodranas where most of the riffraff and the common folk live. It is the cheaper, more affordable residential area of town.
Docks
The docks on the eastern and western sides of the city are the Restless Wharf and the Open Quay. Far below the waves are broken and long silt-covered remnants of ships that have sunk in this harbor. There are dozens of ships in the middle of the harbor, and many more are anchored within the docks.
Restless Wharf
On the eastern side of the city's docks is the Restless Wharf, a busy dockyard that runs a very tight ship and seems to be filled with elements of cheap entertainment. Alongside the docks are warehouses, small huts, buildings and cranes. The cranes are made of wood, cord and rope, differing in size from 10 to 30 feet. They are often used, loading and off-loading various materials from the trade ships that are making their way into the harbor or loading up to leave. There are two or three larger guild buildings that are hubs of information for those that are coming from the docks. Walking around the docks are dockmasters gathering information of who is entering or exiting with their ships, making sure that everything is being handled.
- The House of Mercenaries: a unassuming house serving as the command center of the mercenaries in nicodranas.
- The Wayfarer's Cove: is one of the three main shipping yards of Nicodranas.
- The Wharf Load: is one of the larger center parts of the dock that juts out into the harbor a good hundred feet. There is a central dock house where a lot of the business is conducted. Inside are a handful of folks that are filing out big leather books, ledgers, and receipt books of various people traveling through. There is a table with a bunch of papers rolled out, charting maps and large assembled lists of previous excursions. This is the place where the Wharfmaster works.
- Meandering Treasures: a place someone could sell items. They tend to pay, maybe not top change, but quickly. Deezma is the proprietor of this shop.
Skyport
The project for the skyport construction started in 1134 AD, but the construction was accelerated in late 1136 AD after the destruction of
Crackskull Pass by
Tromokratis, the skyport allow the city to easily communicate and trade with the hobgoblin empire, and to safely transport goods over the crystal ocean.
Skyships travel avoids the inherent dangers of a journey by land or sea, and is more readily available than teleportation magic. These beautiful airships range in size but generally are the same size as a merchant coaster. Skyships are held aloft and guided with the help of three or more enchanted crystals, which are installed along the hull or topside of the ship.
Skyships are reserved for goods and individuals who want to circumvent the slow speed or danger of an ocean voyage and can afford the exorbitant cost of air travel. No commoner can afford to charter a skyship, and the lower classes of Toriel generally see air travel as just another way for the wealthy elite to lord their superiority over the poor. Others, however, see the majestic craft as aspirational and long to become rich enough to afford one, or skilled enough to pilot one.
Cities connected to the skyport network, few skyships in service will deviate from the dedicated shipping routes between these major cities.
Open Quay
The Open Quay is located on the western side of the docks. It is a little bit smaller and seems to be less organized.
Opal Archways District
The Opal Archways district of Nicodranas is the oldest district of the town. It is where the wealthier merchants and clientele seem to congregate. Nicodranas originally comprised only this district before it expanded outwards over time. There are eleven 15-foot tall stone archways marking this district. It has a gradual arch with a large gem embedded at its zenith. Along the street are poles that hold oil lanterns that give a faint flickering firelight through the dark cobblestoned streets. Further in the district they give way to much more vibrant, magical baubles that hover about ten feet above in the air. The folks in this district appear to be well-dressed nobles, wearing a crushed silk-type clothing that is bright blues and purples, and jewelry of all sorts of gems and colors. There are various street buskers and performers on the roads.
- Lavish Chateau: An esteemed hotel where the Ruby of the Sea performs.
- Leaping Frog: A renowed brothel mainly visited by nobles and aristocrates.
- Wingduke Demesne: is where the Wingduke of the city lives, along with a handful of diplomats. It is a gaudy palace of an estate, with towers up to five stories tall, two at the front and one larger one in the back. It is a large building that is draped with white silk. It has a dull brass and orange-yellow stone with a sandstone base with about 40 rooms within the establishment. A lot of money has gone into its construction. It's not in the best of upkeep. There are about 20 or more guards keeping an eye on the vicinity. The Wingduke is the head of the city and looks over Nicodranas.
- Nicodranas' Vault: A large bank overly protected by the local guard after a group of bandits tried to rob it.
Society
Law
The Magpies are quiet here but unquestionably present, manipulating the black market to maneuver their contraband throughout both the hobgoblin empire and Tana's empire.
The city boasts a military force. Use the Guard Arrival Times table to determine how long it takes for guards to arrive at a location after a crime or similar incident is reported.
Defenses
A respectable army remains stationed within Nicodranas to dissuade foolishness from its commercial relationship. Powerful nobles and diplomats also keep hired swords and guards.
Demographics
With a population of 31,900 by the year 1134 AD, Nicodranas is the largest city in the Kingdom Reza Flames. The racial breakdown of the city is 68% dragonborns, 13% humans, 8% elves, and 10% other races.
Adventure hook
Characters looking to relax in Nicodranas might stumble into an adventure involving the Magpies, Tana's empire, or the
Church of Waukeen.
Vine Shine (Low Level)
. Overnight, heavy vines grow over the lighthouse of the Wild Mother, and anyone who cuts their way through to investigate the sacred place doesn't return. The characters are hired to investigate and find an infestation of vine blights in the temple. How did the blights come to be? Are they part of a plan to corrupt the lighthouse for dark purposes, or are they a priest's experiment gone terribly wrong?
Chaos Companions (High Level).
While the characters visit the city, they witness a noble drop dead as a slaad tadpole bursts from her chest. More nobles die in the same way as the characters investigate. They eventually discover that the victims all visited the same brothel, an establishment run by a death slaad in disguise with several slaad bouncers.
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