Dungeons and Dragons RPG Settlement - Glantri City

The Principalities of Glantri

Settlement Overview - Glantri City

Unique Settlement Laws

Military

Organisations

Travel Routes

Tour Start

The nocturnal point of view, presented by Sir Boris Gorevitch-Woszlany, famous socialite

The fog is thick and the distant clamor of the city slowly dies out in the night. The reflection of the golden glow of a magical street lamp on the oily surface of the canal is cut by a passing gondola’s bow. At the rear of the boat, a lonely figure slowly pushes on its pole, whistling in the night. Finally the ghostly gondolier stops under a street lamp next to a narrow marble stair on Manor Row. The bell on Alexander Plaza eerily rings twice as half a dozen men furtively walk out from the dark. One after another, they cautiously step down and board the narrow, swaying boat. The night is cold and the passengers pull their cloaks around them. Moments later, the gondola slowly leaves, gliding quietly on the waterway.

One of the men sitting at the front leans over to his neighbor. “It looks as though we are all here for the same reason.”

“So it seems,” answers the other, “and eager to learn more about this strange city. I was at the Tower of Sighs yesterday. Have you been there?”

“I have,” says the first, and looks perplexedly up and down the canal and at the gondola. “What an odd way to tour a city,” he continues. “Frankly, I’m cold, and poling along the canals of this city just to see old houses does not exactly appeal to me.”

“I agree. You’d think they’d provide some guide to explain what all these monuments are,” replies the second. “Nor am I sure how safe this trip is. Have you any idea of what may lurk in these waters?”

“Well, I never leave without my little companion here,” whispers the man, tapping on the wand that bulges under his cloak.

A voice – smooth, aristocratic, and a little amused – rises from the rear: “My dear, you’ve no reason at all to fear for your safety. You are my guests, and absolutely safe; you can put your trust in me!”

All six passengers turn back and realize the gondolier is missing. In his place now stands an elegant young man, wearing an elegant suit of silk set off with pearls, white gloves and a red cloak. Behind him, the pole continues pushing the gondola—all by itself. “I do apologize for appearing before you in this manner, but a little discretion was necessary. And I hope you don’t mind my little trick with the pole. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Sir Boris, representing Prince Morphail here in Glantri. It is my pleasure to guide you through our charming city.”

“As you’ve noticed, a striking feature of Glantri City is the fact there are hardly any streets. Instead, we have many canals. They lead to the rivers south of the city, the Isoile and Vesubia. So we sail along between the buildings, comfortably seated, enjoying our ride. The city has over three hundred fifty professional gondoliers, most of them working during the day. Their fees start at 1 copper piece per ride in the West Side to 1 dc in the Citadel and Nobles’ Quarters on more comfortable gondolas. There are even some adorably elegant boats capable of serving tea and pastries during a ride. How lovely, with their silk curtains and velvet cushions… Of course, the wealthier citizens have their own gondolas.

“Glantri is city of 39,200 residents, if we include both suburbs and the city itself. On the other side of the Isoile River are a few farms and, immediately after, a long series of rolling hills. On the other side of the Vesubian River lie marshes for several hundred yards, beyond which the land dries up. Many fanners live there; they bring their produce to the city every day. There is little room to spare within the defensive walls of the city, so many inhabitants have built their homes outside, on the north and west sides of the walls, forming the suburbs. Beyond are a large number of small villages and farms, boring places, if you ask me.

“The walls and defensive towers around the city form a two mile arc and extend to the rivers, but stop there. The city authorities found that battlements would ruin the view from the city on its river side. Of course, the canal entrances can be secured with a series of watergates. When winter comes, the river usually freezes, which leaves the south of the city unprotected. But the Great School of Magic usually sends its most talented students to raise magical walls there. In spring, when the ice breaks, the walls are dispelled and the beauty of the scene is restored.

“Meanwhile, the poorer people travel on ice skates; sometimes the wealthier do so as well, but only for amusement. Even in frozen weather, the gondoliers are still in business: they mount their vessels on skates and have them pulled by horses, dogs, sails or even magic. The most famous winter gondolier is Prinz Jaggar’s, which uses a tamed white dragon. Truly, the man has style.

“You probably wonder where the water in the canals comes from, since it flows toward the rivers. Well, this is actually very simple. An engineer from the Architect’s Cadre opened several small gates to the plane of water and so supplied the city with an endless source. No one now knows where the gates are, since they lie at the bottom of various canals, underneath ten or twenty feet of murky waters.

“One more detail: the water in the Citadel Quarter never freezes, except on Manor Row and on the School Channel. Perhaps some of the gates are there, supplying warmer waters. This is fortunate, as it’s best for this vital part of the city to be better protected against thieves or creatures of evil intent.

“Notice the number of towers and the way the houses are built in Glantri. All the buildings compete in elegance, with their balconies, graceful galleries for boarding gondolas, statues and gargoyles at the corners, high slanted roofs, turrets and pinnacles. Stained glass is very popular because of the color and the privacy it offers the occupants. Of course, the tower is a sign of high social standing; they are usually inhabited by a powerful user of magic, or a master in the art of alchemy or arcane lore. Many of these towers are covered with layers of bronze, brass, or, in the case of the Parliament, with thin sheets of gold and silver. When the sun rises over the city, the view can be breathtaking. Some of the older towers have a green hue because the brass has tarnished over the years, but once in a while the owners have the metal cleaned or changed.

“The city is divided in quarters that correspond to the general type of inhabitants dwelling there and what they do, such as the Citadel Quarter, for all that deals with government; there are also the Nobles’, Business, Entertainers’, Port, Middle Class, and West Side Quarters.”

Locations of Note

Important note: except where a wall is shown, the transition between neighborhoods is gradual, not sharp. When traveling from the rich Hill area to the affluent Bricktop neighborhood, all the traveler notices is that the dwellings slowly become less costly, slowly become smaller. Continuing on toward the Merchant District, the traveler will slowly see more and more businesses along the street, until they gradually crowd out residences altogether.

Neighbourhoods of Note

Citadel Quarter – “The most fabulous district of Glantri City, the Citadel Quarter, contains the glorious buildings from whence the nation is ruled. It is usually restricted to nobles, government retainers, guards and students. Other visitors must have a written pass from one of the three city gate constables, or from the Port Authorities. Local gondoliers will ask for passes before allowing unknown visitors aboard. They might refuse the visitor (or alert the next patrol), but bribery sometimes works. Any unauthorized visitor caught here is immediately taken to the Tower of Sighs for questioning.

“Armed gondolas regularly patrol these canals during the day. This area is under a curfew during night hours. No guards will then be found, but a powerful creature of darkness watches over this area of the city, especially the Citadel and the Tower of Sighs.”

Nobles Quarter - “Noble families reside in ‘The Rim,’ the eastern side of the city. Most own their mansions there. Newcomers can rent residences, but the prices are outrageous and there is often a waiting list. This area of the city is the richest and the most ostentatious. There are a few luxury inns and tea parlors, but the most common shops here are jewelers, goldsmiths, and rich cabinet makers who specialize in the construction of various items according to the (expensive) fantasies of nobles living here.”

Business Quarter - “Most of the city business is conducted in the Business Quarter, south of the Parliament. You shouldn’t miss the Open Market, where you can get all materials necessary for the craft as well as petty purchases such as food, clothing and various services. In the marketplace, you will find tamed monsters, finely carved woods and metals to become the receptacles of magical powers, spell and potion components by the pound, blank spell books, scrolls ready to be inscribed, anything you need. All around this place are shops with bizarre and obscure secrets for sale, even shops with magically dweomered items, if you know how to ask. Silk, gold, services, people, information and exotic delights – all are here to satisfy one’s demands. Truly, this is the busiest site in our city.”

Entertainers Quarter - “For my part, I find the Entertainers’ Quarter, in die south part of the city, much more interesting. There, you will enjoy anything from boisterous taverns to the most select inns, spectacles in the streets involving troubadours, actors, acrobats, wrestlers, animal and monster handlers, as well as exotic spellcasting in die streets. Most travelers go diere first in order to find a place to sleep. Taverns are usually busy and one might not necessarily find a room on the first try. Once a proper inn is found and the room paid for in advance, the traveler is free to enjoy die activities, and die great choice of food or drinks in this quarter.

“Avoid rooms on Actors’ Lane, because it is a noisy place until late at night. Princes’ Way is quieter at night, but early in the morning gondola traffic will start, with much yelling and bickering between gondoliers going back and forth to Towerbridge Plaza. Avoid especially the intersection between Kash Flow and Princes’ Way, for the foulest of languages may wake you up at dawn.”

Port Quarter - “Farther west comes the port area. Oh, dear, dear… The people here are incredibly rude and not very helpful unless you have some alcohol or money on hand. This area contains mostly warehouses and grain silos, river barges’ and gondolas’ repair docks, and so forth. It is very busy during the day, and totally deserted at night, save for the Port Authorities’ patrols in charge of the warehouse security.

“People run around with carts of merchandises back and forth from barges to gondolas and warehouses. The river merchants, farmers and travelers often arrive through East or West Port from the Isoile River and unload passengers and goods on any of the three main docks. The merchandise is then stored in the warehouses, or ferried toward Back Canal or directly onto a freight gondola. Most of the gondola traffic leaves through Boldavian Channel, Teamsters’ Waterway and Back Canal.

“Only passenger gondolas are allowed on Actors’ Lane after sunrise to avoid causing more traffic congestion. Port Authorities normally supervise the local activities and will watch out for visitors; these will be directed to the Port Authorities to pay the entrance fee and get information on where to go.”

Middle Class Quarter - “The Middle Class Quarter is the part of the city where most of the population lives. It is located in the north and center area of the city. There you will find all the people and talent behind the art of wizardry, such as sages, alchemists, scribes, librarians, paper makers, and ink specialists. Truly, it is the domain of the Glantrian Intellectual class.

“House rents are more acceptable here, ranging from 1 dc per month for a small tenement to 100 dc monthly for a family tower. The area is relatively quiet allowing intellectuals to study. One of the most serious offenses here is disturbing the peace during the night. Fines can go from 10 dc to a couple of days at the Tower of Sighs.

“People not owning shops in this area leave during the day to work in other places of the city, for instance as servants of the Noble Quarter, retainers of the Citadel Quarter, shop owners in the Business area, and so on. Gondolas are extremely busy here in the morning or late in the afternoon. The rest of the day remains quiet.”

West Side Quarter - “In the west of the city lies the saddest area of all. It is a run-down district that used to be a nobles’ quarter. But, the ground is not too firm here and the houses have a tendency to sink slowly. Only the poorest live here now – as do shady characters. The canals are narrower and darker, and the smell becomes atrocious in summer. The houses are very old and do not have pipe drains leading directly to the rivers like in the other quarters. People just dump their refuse out the windows into the canals. Never stand under an open window, for one never knows what may fall out. In the very center of this area is a dreaded place called the Beggars’ Court. Never enter this place, for you might not be able to leave.”

Tour Conclusion

“Well, now, the gondola will stop at the place whence you came. It is now time for me to retire. We are having a reception tomorrow night. Please come and visit us: You will be most welcome!”

The gondola suddenly enters an area of thick fog and the sound of flapping wings can be heard near the boat. When the fog rises again, no one stands at the bow, and the pole continues pushing all by itself.

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