The Avriel Sector
The city of Athart has four different sectors, though only three are actually within the walled township. The fourth sector is the 'Avriel' sector. It lies east of the walled city, among the towering rock formations of the 'Forest of Stone'. It is mostly made up of dwellings for the winged Avriel, their homes carved into the tops of these rock formations. Some are grand affairs, claimed by the wealthy and influential. Some are little more than smoothed-out caves
(like what you will be starting with as an Avriel PC), with only a few amenities.
There are some structures of a more community purpose as well. These sit at the tops of true "table" formations, accommodating structures the size of castles. These include the Temple of Glory, which serves not only as the royal living quarters, but also the center for all political meetings, diplomatic or otherwise. There is an art museum, an extensive crafting complex, and many martial training halls, though much of this involves training 'in-flight' as well.
There is also an academy of sorts, where the official doctrine of Avriel history is taught, along with numerous skills. The sciences are not a large focus of the Avriel mind, but mathematics is a sufficiently fundamental need for all races. The Avriel have recently discovered the existence of magic, as a result of being victims of it when they tried to capture a small group of humans in the jungle a few years ago. As a result, they are eager to capture anyone possessing this ability, so they might "persuade" the individual to share his knowledge. And they have a prison facility in their sector to hold such a target.
The Pit of Reflection
If you check the
Map Page, you will see a dark spot in the upper right hand corner. This location is not technically a part of what is within the boundary of the Avriel sector, but as it only serves
Avriel purposes, most humans think of it as part of their sector. This is
'The Pit of Reflection'. The name comes not only from the forced opportunity for a rebellious human to "reflect" back on where his attitude has gotten him, but from a more sinister source as well.
And while, by nature, water is not sinister, it has the capacity to be used in a sinister way. And the
reflection of horrified, begging faces on the surface of that water is the darker meaning of the name. The walls of this pit are lined with cells. And while some might feel that the closer to the ground the cell is, the more lenient the prisoner's status must be, this is not so. It is true that a person breaking the lock on his cell will have less of a climb
(or fall) to reach the ground. But counter to this is the fact that he will then have more of a climb. And this assumes he has the means to get through the screen and guards at the top.
But even this is not the source of the darker translation. It is not the realization of how high a climb one will have to make that brings horror to the faces of prisoners in the Pit of Reflection. It is the sound of rushing water that brings it. A single prisoner escaping will simply be dispatched by the guards stationed there. But a large enough break-out, or the stubborn resistance of one with valuable information will bring the water rushing in. Those on the ground floor are the first to drown. But it is slow, as they use the tiny windows as hand holds to prolong the inevitable, their pitiful voices crying out for mercy from the guards, or cooperation from the stubborn target. It takes a truly hard man to listen to a dozen brothers drown for his cause. All the while, suffering no pain himself. And then there is still the second level...
The Pit is not that far from the Windfall River, which plunges off the edge of the plateau to bring scenic refreshment to the city of Athart. Little do most citizens know that it is also the means of slow death to those brothers that have gone missing as a result of their outspoken words of rebellion. It is a small matter to unblock the side channel that allows the water to fill the Pit. And once this cooperation has been obtained, the bailing-out of the huge pit is cruel, back-breaking work to fill the weeks for those "fortunate" enough to escape drowning.
The longer the prisoner resists, the more die, and the longer those who live suffer.
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The Human Sector
With little to create landmarks among the repetitively humble buildings, this section is where all the humans have their dwellings. This is the area occupying the northernmost portion of the walled city. It's southern boundary is defined by the walled channel allowing for the passage of the Windfall River. Walls likewise define its eastern boundary, leaving a narrow expanse beyond, which extends to the forested base of the plateau; and it's northern boundary, leaving a somewhat wider, unforested area that allows a view of the farmlands to the north.
There are only a few buildings that rise from the rows of cookie-cutter homes in this area. There is the aforementioned Temple of the Many, with its three diamond-shaped spires. There are the large homes of two human families that have managed to gain favor with the Avriel. Both of these structures are against the north oblique wall, and have an Overguard tower adjoining them beyond that wall. This is more for these families' protection than it is for surveillance. Between them is one of two storehouses, one for material items and one for foodstuffs, the second being directly in front of the first.
To the east of this second storehouse is a Distribution Center, where these goods can be collected by those with authorized tickets. It is not difficult to obtain a ticket for anything on hand, in good supply, but it noteworthy how consistently difficult it is for those out of favor to obtain more than the barest amount of goods of any kind.
There are two small pairs of taverns and gambling houses, near the storehouses, as well as a Coordination Center, where all logistical concerns are handled. Citizens go to this small, three-domed building to receive job offers (or "directives", in the case of obliged (slave) service), to register for any documentation the Avriel demand, and to arrange housing, medical aid, or any other such services. The actual medical center abuts the southern boundary, where the river snakes an "S"- turn through town. A bathhouse is incorporated into this fairly large structure as well, since fresh water is a regular need for both. The water is provided by means of a waterwheel like the one serving the grinding mill across the way in the Commercial Sector.
The "Low" School
Lastly, there is a small school tucked under and beside the western bridge into the same Commercial Sector. The Avriel contemptuously refer to this as "the Low School". Nothing is taught there beyond the basic "3-Rs", a few sciences that the Avriel see no threat in, including medical sciences, and a bevy of slave-oriented skills, of a mostly physical, geological or agricultural nature. There are also many crafting skills taught here. But if one seeks weapon training, he will have to go elsewhere. First, he will have to learn from whom such training is available, and then still have to convince this potential teacher that he is trustworthy. And all of this has to be done with the constant threat of betrayal from some third party, seeking the favor of the Avriel.
The only weaponry skill allowed to be trained at the school is the effective operation of catapults. There are a number of batteries encircling the bay, giving ample reach to any target fool enough to sail into Windshear Harbor with hostile intent. And since these are not weapons that can be hidden and carried around town, the Avriel have no objection to citizens receiving this training. It has apparently gone unnoticed, by the Avriel, that if the bases of these weapons allowed a sufficient turning radius, their "Forest of Stone" could be targeted by many of them.
The only humans allowed formal weapon training are the slavers, and any they choose to recruit. This is watched very closely by the Avriel, with particular focus on archery, which is, understandably, the one weapon style they see as the biggest threat to them. However, they can not deny its need in the case of an invasion. So, while it is allowed to be taught, if only by selected instructors, they keep a very tight hold on the weapons themselves. In the case of an invasion, bows and arrows are handed out to those with registered skills, but they must be returned afterwards. Naturally, a number of these weapons have been accounted as "lost" and "ruined" in past conflicts. The Avriel have always trusted the slavers - their allies - to verify the accounting of such details. This may someday come back to haunt them...
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The Commercial Sector
This is by far the most vibrant part of the city of Athart. This is where most of the manufacturing and sales of goods occurs. This is where nearly all the cafes, contests, shops and dens of drugs and sin are located. This is where spontaneous entertainment spills into the streets from the better clubs and public theaters. This often takes the form of fistfights, which quickly become the focus of wagering. Music, color, dance, aromas and erotica burst upon the senses from all directions at once. Many are presented as free samples to entice the appetite for more.
Even the Avriel spend time relaxing in this quarter. There is a degree of tension when they show up. But they are usually left alone, as no one wants to escalate a good time into an incident. There has lately been an increase in the number of humans that even appear to go out of their way to make them feel welcome. Some of the target Avriel respond to this amity with arrogance, as though this deference is simply their right, and implies no obligation to be courteous in return. There always seems to be at least one human nearby who quickly takes aside any of his fellows that look to become angry as a result, and quells the escalation before it begins.
These men all have the look of well-dressed merchants, and many of them are. But if one was to check closely, he would find that these peacemakers all share an emblem inside their jackets. It is designed to appear as a stitch to repair a tear in the shirt or vest over their heart. It actually IS such a stitch, but serves as an identifying mark as well. Often, they simply want to prevent an incident from occurring, just for peace' sake. But many other agendas are served, by allowing the Avriel to get an ever-increasing sense of immunity from retribution, as well.
These men know that "the day will come". This phrase has been repeated in their ears by representatives of other factions, and they pass it along to the simple citizens with no affiliations, to assuage the outrage that builds slowly, daily, irrevocably toward rebellion. These men know that foreign trade goes beyond the slave block, and they want to maintain the peace in these other regards. And it is not as if everyone walking the streets of Athart is a slave or slave-owner. Most of those involved in the trade are either members of the Slave Traders themselves, or foreigners visiting for the express purpose of procuring slaves to be taken with them when they leave. Many of the more rebellious slaves are sold cheaply, to serve short life sentences as galley slaves on their ships.
The Presentation Stage
At the very southern end of the Commercial Sector is the Slave Presentation Stage - a kind name for what is nothing more than an auction block. There a variety of ways in which slaves are sold here. Sometimes, merchants are already waiting for a shipload of doomed men and women to arrive, who may already have been paid for. Other times, a number of slaves will have been amassed in town and brought there to present to prospective buyers upon their arrival. Sometimes a merchant only wants one or two, with specific skills, and has a number to choose from. Or the Slave Master may set some aside just for him. Other times, the buyer does not need high levels of skills and will purchase the entire block.
But all slaves are cleaned up, healed of any damage suffered in their capture and/or transport, and made as presentable as possible. There are a number of chambers and cells, behind the stage structure, where the slaves go through treatments of all sorts to emphasize their assets. These double as living quarters for those awaiting an impending presentation, as well as the guards who keep the presentations running smoothly. There are training facilities as well. These focus entirely on the skills that prospective buyers have expressed interest in acquiring. Weapon training is one of these focuses as well. The weapons are kept strict track of, and stored in an "armory" deep inside the Bastion, a castle-like structure at the far south end of the harbor.
The stage is the first structure north of the harbor, so that slaves will not be seen in town before they are made as attractive and presentable as possible. There is a tunnel through the ground level of the Bastion, and slaves are taken directly from the ships through this tunnel to the cells and chambers behind the stage. This keeps them largely out of the public eye, until all the detriments of extended sea voyages in filthy holds can be eliminated as much as possible.
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The Harbor Sector
At the very southern end of the town, behind a wall that separates it from the rest of the town, for additional security from invasion, sits Windshear Harbor. There are three divisions of vessels accommodated by the harbor; slave ships, Merchantmen, and single-masters or longboat size. The harbor is always busy loading, unloading or both. It has a number of storage facilities, many in combination with replenishable cold sources or drying chambers. Much of the harvest of both the orchards to the south and the farmlands to the north are shipped out, either as fare for the crew or as purchased goods.
There are a number of training classrooms, where maritime skills are taught both to free citizens and slaves. There are also numerous rooms for short-term rental. These vary in size and quality, and are often provided free to influential visitors; as are courtesans, for whom this duty is often part of their training. The classrooms provide training in cartography, astronomy, shipwright design and construction, oil, tar and resin blending, the intricacies of packing and loading, ledgering and logistics, coopering, and everything else from learning to weave sail cloth to learning all the different kinds of knots and hitches needed for the various tie-downs on board.
And after class, there are a bevy of taverns for evening entertainment - or daily entertainment, for some - which have need of a different variety of entertainment skills. There are also a number of holding cells for those who get carried away with their revelries. These cells are used for those who get into trouble in the other parts of the city as well.
There is an additional section of wall dividing the harbor from the rest of the city in the event that hostile vessels should somehow gain berth and grab control of the harbor. The wall will then serve as a firewall for the city's defenders against those disembarking from the ships. It also gives a fire break so that the docks can be set ablaze, as a last measure of defense, without causing too much risk to the city. Many of the buildings in front of Windshear Bastion are also made of stone, to serve as a firebreak before the Bastion.
Windshear Bastion
This is a three-story, castle-like, stone structure running the length of the harbor. It's northern end serves as the eastern end of the secondary wall dividing the harbor from the city. The roof of the Bastion is crenelated to give a tactical advantage to occupying archers. It is primarily intended to be a storage and training facility, and many of the small structures out front go unused, or are shifted to additional housing. But, in the event of hostilities, it serves truly as a castle, complete with small catapults on the top.
Whether the city is the initial focus of an attack, or the harbor is, Windshear Bastion is a fortress of defense and a base from which to mount sorties. It also contains the main armory for weapon distribution. It has a secret hatch that allows booby trap rafts to be sent down hidden ramps under the docks to ignite enemy ships or any other liability needing to be eliminated in the harbor.
The top floor can only be accessed by the Avriel, as it has no stairs or hatches. However, there are a few wooden ladders stored on the top, as well as rolled-up rope ladders, so humans do not always have to be flown up. There are a number of the same type of "Overguard" towers atop the Bastion, as well as just having the crenelated wall. So, the Avriel have a commanding edge against land bound invaders. For all the common tension between humans and avriel, they come together in defense against common enemies without hesitation.
The Bastion itself was built on the advice of the Ban'Drahl family, who have a strong connection to the Athartian Slave traders. It was mostly built with the family's own slave labor force. There are a number of tunnels in the bowels of the place. They connect to the ramp tunnels that reach the water line, and can't be seen unless one dives below water level. The Avriel know about the hidden ramps, but they have always been loathe to investigate confining, under-water areas. As a result, they are unaware of the extent of the tunnel system. While they are not that extensive, they do connect with tunnels to various locations in and out of town, enabling the smuggling of goods, weapons, or people in or out of the city. Of course, such a favor usually incurs a debt with either the Ban'Drahl family, or the Slavers, which is rarely a good thing.
