Riverport

Overview

Industry, integrity, prosperity.

Riverport (art by next_mars)

This is the Riverport's motto, and what (some) of its citizens live by. A seedy, glowing underbelly of neon lights, jazz halls, casinos, and grimy alleyways filled with drug dealers and prostitutes contrasts against the bright uptown filled with restaurants and inventors' workshops from across Arcadia. Arcadia's shipyard is the busiest in the nation, and welcomes merchants from all over the Isles. Factories on the outskirts belch smoke and mass-produce goods requisitioned by the King and his dukes and duchesses.

---

History

When the Azure Empress tried to colonize Arcadia, a long and bloody war was fought. During this war, the humble seaside village of Riverport was occupied by the Empress' soldiers. They built it up to be a supply hub for their vessels during the war. Refineries were built to process ore from the nearby foothills. After the war subsided, control was re-established by the Arcadians. They migrated in droves to the city due to its advanced infrastructure (canals, plumbing, and harbors).

During the shaky founding of the Kingdom of Arcadia, a merchant council of the richest war profiteers – comprised of Mani and Arcadians alike – took command of the city. Despite the King’s efforts Riverport has remained largely independent and lacks governmental oversight. Order is kept by riches rather than rules.

---

City Districts

The city is divided into five distinct districts. Central to the city is The Exchange, where all business, commerce, and trade takes place. All roads from the Harbors lead here. Sprawling in the northern part of the city are the The Terrace, which forms the aristocratic part of the city. Rich and wealthy nobles live there.

The outskirts of town are called the Outskirts. When Riverport was occupied during the war, the Outskirts are where the Mani soldiers built refineries to process ore from the nearby mountains and forge weaponry. The refineries are grimy, smoke-billowing factories.

Finally, the city’s call to fame is its District of Delights: an entertainer’s paradise inhabited by gambling dens, dance troupes, bards, whorehouses, and speakeasy-like lounges. Looking for a good time? Look no further. The District of Delights has something for everyone. The edges of the Delights are generally more wealthy due to tourists and aristocrats pouring money into the area.

Location Overviews:

The Exchange

The Exchange is a massive market. At the center of a bustling square is a tall, carved stone. There lies the city motto: Industry, integrity, prosperity. The endless hawking of wares and jingle of coin fills the air in the Exchange.

The District of Delights

The dark alleys of the pleasure district, Den of Delinquency, District of Delights, Delights, or just the city 'Lights are filled with jovial tunes. Bards, dancers, singers, musicians, and all number of entertainers call it home. Bright neon signs spell out names of restaurants and bars.

These buildings can be found in the District of Delights:

• Bars

• Taverns

• Whorehouses

• Casinos

• Gambling dens

• Speakeasies

• Luxury lounges

• Outdoor theatres

• Inns

• Restaurants of all kinds

• Cramped alleyways

People found in the District of Delights include:

• Business owners

  • Tavern- and inn-keepers

  • Restaurant owners

  • Chefs

  • Artisans

  • Matron mothers of whorehouses and their indentured girls

• Street vendors

• Entertainers

• Bards

• Dancers

• Troubadours

• Upper class nobles wearing masks (to hide their identity)

• Lower class working men drinking at bars

The Harbor

Riverport has many barnacle-encrusted piers that jab out to sea from various harbors.

Each harbor is owned by a different kingpin who sits on the Merchant Council. Because Riverport is the center of ocean trade in Arcadia there is a lot of money to be made at the docks. The Merchant Council’s henchmen keep their riches from being shared too readily.

Paths from every harbor lead to the center of Riverport, The Exchange.

The harbors and docks are a dangerous place. To walk through them at night is to see:

Spotting roaming gangs at night by the harbors is not uncommon. Guards turn a blind eye to their scuffles, which leave men dead on the street. Seasoned travelers will notice the glint of knives tucked into sailors’ belts, lead pipes hanging like swords from hips of bruisers outside bars, axe handles studded with rusty nails jutting from rucksacks, and here and there, the oily gleam of a real sword wrapped in leather scrap. The harbors are a rough place.

Outskirts

The outskirts of town are home to several refineries which process ore from the river and nearby mines. The refineries are used to smelt iron, copper, and other metals to serve projects all over the realm. These include weaponry, armor, and the construction of the King’s Railroad.

Additionally, transient and homeless people without any draka gather outside the city walls. They make homes in old warehouses or in tents tucked in the shadow of Riverport’s walls.

The Terraces

The Terraces are the tall buildings on the wealthy side of town where the aristocrats live. The wealthiest live furthest from the hustle and bustle of the city in buildings of ever-increasing heights; hence the name the “Terraces”. The taller a building, the more structurally sound (and more expensive to build). The size of one’s home is an indication of wealth and status.

---

The Streets

The streets of Riverport can be a dangerous place after dark. Gangs and illicit activity take over when the sun goes down, and the town guard accept bribes to look the other way. This quick excerpt about Riverport sums up a walk through the District of Delights at night:

Streetlamps cast bright yellow circles on the ground. Neon signs flashed over and over. Spend your draka here, spend it there, make it rain down from the sky! Dance until the sun comes up!

Open bars and taverns were filled with laughing, charming nobles dressed in the latest fashions. Carriages and chariots rolled past. Marvelous buildings painted blue and gold lined every street. The drinking parlors of the elite were rich and luxurious with blue carpets, chandeliers, soaring pillars, and luscious flowers. Speakeasies, whorehouses, bars, and taverns of the lower class were quaint wooden structures with cozy interiors.

Riverport had a lot to offer.