Westcrown: City of Nine Stars's page
12 posts. Alias of Molech.
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Meanwhile, Whisper looks for the burning eyes she saw in the alley back from where you came but sees nothing. Nonetheless, the trickles of shadow and mist, the bends and weaves of darkness, the damp muffling of all sound and light, well, one may feel as those though very same eyes are hiding right behind you, and one may never know.
Nine of them, perhaps like Westcrown was once "The City of Nine Stars," get their bearings in the Shadow Plane reflection of today's Westcrown: "The City of Twilight."
The half-blind Gnome speaks out in direction, as inauspiciously as that sounds to everyone, "Look out for the stone head of an angel representing Shelyn. Should be in the eaves of a two-story house along the canal." Only a moment later, several of them see what has to be the structure Nita Cobbles assures them ought to be a good place to hide: Two stories tall, crenelated with busts of the beatific goddesses' facade, yet with perfect rows and columns of mithril needles piercing face and head, and Shelyn's visage on each one a frown of stern melancholy rather than pastoral beauty. A row of Shelyn heads decorated like Hellraiser Pinhead. The place to hide from HellKnights.
Like Cobbles, Bobbles and Bows cartography shop a few doors down -- at least on the Material Plane Westcrown, this structure is long rather than wide, its center entrance a vaulted door that is both stories high, and itself arched by an alabaster statue not of Shelyn, as per the crenelations, but rather The Midnight Lord, Zon Kuthon.
The sound of footfalls and startled Armigers is not too far behind. They sound as disoriented and disturbed of the atmosphere as Nita Cobbles, Janiven Keyes, and the rest. But behind them a stern, more confident voice calls: "Stand fast, little Armigers, this is The Shadow Plane; we have left our world. We will not find our quarry here; it is beyond your abilities. Shanwen, Contractor Scriptus of Asmodeus will bring you home, where you better pray to all Nine Hells that information can be gleaned from the prisoners we do have."
Standing at the tall door to a sanctuary of the Cenobite Zon Kuthon, the nine of you wonder what to do. And who can answer what questions.
Westcrown, The City of Nine Stars, has long suffered from a nighttime curse of Shadows. For nearly 100 years the formerly glorious port-town has been much more aptly nicknamed, 'The City of Twilight.' In Westcrown all the days are short, are overcast. For 100 years. And at nightfall ephemeral Shadow Creatures appear in the streets and parks, alleys and squares, claiming living souls for blackness and death.
Three Lord Mayors have been appointed in this century of twilight; at least the first two strove to improve Westcrown. But for the past twenty-odd years, current Lord Mayor and GrandCount, Aberian Arvanxi, has allowed the city to fall deeper and deeper into disrepair and despair.
Crime is up.
Trade is down.
A curfew that the second mayor (Dargentu Vheed) instituted temporarily at the nascence of his tenure has now lasted for generations -- with no new dawn seeming on the horizon.
Vizio's Tavern
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Renzio listens through the door from the private room wherein his new allies discuss Lady Felina Imvius, outward to the common room. Lady Sascar Tilernos has left Vizio's Tavern, and so has Rance Lucca of The Devildrome.
But the new Duxotar of Westcrown's Dottari, Lord Iltus Mhartis, drinking straight from his pitcher of wine, is still there and getting louder. Renzio easily overhears him fire Stiglor from the ranks of the Dottari, and a silent pause as those in the common room react to such a bold decision. Lord Iltus doesn't slur his words as he pronounces that Stiglor is unfit to represent Westcrown's wardens and, indeed is too uncouth to live among polite society. In his mind's eye, Renzio can picture the Duxotar removing the badge of office from Stiglor's shoulder, and hear Stiglor's heavy boots stomp out of Vizio's Tavern.
A happier sounding Lord Iltus Mhartis is easily overheard next, as even the Baroness Delor Aulamaxa and her party are silent, as the Duxotar elevates the young Dottari girl who entered Vizio's Tavern a moment before to the ranks of the Dottari officers-- the Durotas. "Savois Tiri, as I, Lord Iltus Mhartis, Duxotar of Westcrown's Dottari put this badge on your shoulder, I promote you to the rank of Durotas. May your tenure in this post be met with glory and honor, and may you continue to prove your worth to Me, to Westcrown, and to Her Infernal Majestrix." Renzio, on his side of the door, does not witness whether the Duxotar gives a pinch on the new officer's bottom.
After the announcement it is much more difficult to overhear Lord Duxotar, Iltus Mhartis in conversation with his two present Durotas, Saria Roccin and Savois Tiri.
A moment or two after the whole tavern erupts in cheer for the famous diva's announcement, Talia pays attention to what Lord Lodros Mhartis is telling Harbormaster Casarus Vitallain.
"I intend to personally lead a team into the wretched sewers underneath Westcrown and eradicate this chaotic Xvart menace and his little sewer-worms. What does it call himself "King Whitechin"; his little blue scalp needs a public execution -- and I know the people would be happy at the stringing-up of ears from his little Xvart, Gremlin and Kobold sycophants.
"The Dottari are overwhelmed with the changes my Lord Father is administering as Duxotar, so as the Harbormaster of Westcrown, I want you to select competent members from among your 'Condottari' to follow me in the sewers. Acceptable Condottari will be individuals who are familiar with the sewer system and have fighting experience -- especially against stunted little Xvarts, Kobolds and Gremlins.
"You have twelve days in which to select a team for my approval."
I have put the link to our new Council of Thieves, Obsidian Portal Wiki!
The Front Page isn't likely to be a suseful though I think that's the page you go to if you're just looking it up without following the link.
But for our use, the WIKI is what will be most beneficial.
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In the Wiki, under 'Cheliax Noble Houses' -- under "House Arvanxi" -- you can find information on Duxotar, Lord Iltus Mhartis as well as his eldest son, Lord Lodros Mhartis. (House Mhartis is a small House beholden to House Arvanxi, thus, it's in the House Arvanxi page.) Here is a direct link.
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On to Lady Sascar Tilernos -- where your Skill check was higher -- she is detailed under Other Houses in Westcrown.
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Finally, in the Wiki under Parego Spera is info on people and places in the Parego Spera district of Westcrown. (Your checks weren't so good, here.) And under Westcrown are people and, um, 'things' in Westcrown bigger than just one District (such as the Harbormaster and Dottari).
But Baroness Delour, ever the charismatic performer despite being several years beyond the prime of her attractiveness, draws all the attention of Vizio’s Tavern to herself again by boisterously making an announcement for all to hear:
”I’m pleased to announce that our magnanimous Lord Mayor, GrandCount Aberian Arvanxi, is once again funding the great director, Robahl Nonan, in the production of a new performance – ”The Trials of Larazod!” at the newly rebuilt Nightshade Theater.”
”Hunt the cannibal Witch – seek-and-destroy the insane serial killer, before she feeds again!”
It’s a squeaky child’s voice, and it's from just outside the window near your table. Turning your head outside you indeed see a few kids playing at ’Hide-and-Hunt Irimeian,’ the Witch from decades ago. Sure enough, next to you all a small boy appears from his hiding spot, apparently behind your table, and conspicuously pokes his head out of the window to see if his playmates see him. They do.
The boy, like most children, is completely oblivious to the adult world, and you specifically, even though you are practically sharing the same few feet of space next to the window. ”Hey, you can’t hide inside, it’s out-of-bounds!” And the boy next to you quickly ducks under your table to hide again. He finally looks at one of you, ”Shhh, don’t tell ‘em I’m here; I’m the Witch, Irimeian.” But the other children now poke their heads into Vizio’s Tavern, looking not at you and your table but rather their friend under your table. ”Found you, Irimeian! You cheated; you hid inside!”
And the boy, rudely ignoring your very existence again, darts out from under your table to begin gracelessly climbing out the window to join his friends. ”It’s only cheating if you get caught!”
”Yeah, and you got caught.”
”I don’t want to be Irimeian The Witch, again, I want to be Gorthoklek this time.”
”No, *I’m* Gorthoklek – my dad met him once so I get to be Gorthoklek!”
”Your dad never met Gorthoklek!”
”Yes he did!”
And the children’s play continues out of hearing down the street as they get ready for one more round of Hide-and-Hunt Irimeian the cannibal Witch before curfew.
New in Westcrown:
1) The Lord Mayor, Grand-Count Aberian Arvanxi, has recently promoted Lord Iltus Mhartis as ‘Duxotar’ of Westcrown’s Wardens, The Dottari, for being his favored nephew (either unaware or uncaring of Lord Iltus’ alcoholism and ineptitude – or both). Lord Iltus Mhartis’ incompetence as Duxotar of the Westcrown Dottari (‘Wardens of Westcrown’) has meant that street crime is on the rise, and also that subordinate Dottari officers run the city guard instead of the beer-bellied dilettante.
2) The Lord Mayor, Grand-Count Aberian Arvanxi’s latest waste of money on local theater by using vast amounts of city revenue, has been to rebuild The Nightshade Theater -- and another large chunk of the city’s money to pay producer Robahl Nonan a gross fee in order to put on a grand show at The Nightshade’s opening. (In the past Aberian Arvanxi has paid several producers and players for operas – and has in the not-too distant past paid to build Robahl Nonan’s private theater, The Limehouse.)
3) The Bastards of Erebus
The past several weeks has seen a gang of thugs, thieves and murderers start a string of violent crimes: The Bastards of Erebus. At first it was just break-ins and street robberies. It has escalated quickly. Five nights ago saw The Bastards of Erebus commit their first murder. They leave poorly constructed wooden coins (or chips or tokens) with the Symbol of Mammon on site as their calling card. The local Dottari have been grossly inept at stopping them so far.
4) A Vigilante calling ‘herself’ “Bluehood” is newly hunting and killing the Shadow Creatures that stalk the streets after dusk. Bluehood is quickly gaining celebrity from Westcrown’s common citizens.
5) A chaotic Xvart named King Whitechin lords over his Raxivort-worshipping kobolds, goblins and xvarts, has established himself in the sewers underneath Westcrown. As his Abyssal patron is the god of freed slaves (of vile Graz’zt), King Whitechin is becoming a nuisance to the lawful slave-owning nobility of Westcrown.
6) Westcrown’s Children have selectively revealed their existence and intentions to various citizens, doing good deeds, in order to grow support.
7) (Secret): Many members of House Arvanxi are currently out of Westcrown these days. For a variety of individual reasons: Lady Dressarosa is in Korvosa promoting House Arvanxi after their recent upheaval; Lord Magnius is in Macini guarding Mister Garriden Hemlock, esquire, as he studies legal precedent to support a power-play for House Arvanxi; Lady Lillith`a Arvanxi is in the House Thrune Royal Court working with The Devil Nuns; and at least a few members just wanted to put distance between themselves and their ineffectual, incompetent House Patriarch (perhaps to allow Aberian’s enemies to bring him down!). In any case, recently, Aberian Arvanxi has fewer House allies close to him.
Westcrown, The City of Nine Stars, has long suffered from a nighttime curse of Shadows. For nearly 100 years the formerly glorious port-town has been much more aptly nicknamed, 'The City of Twilight.' In Westcrown all the days are short and overcast, for 100 years. And at nightfall ephemeral Shadow Creatures appear in the streets and parks, alleys and squares, claiming living souls for blackness and death.
Three Lord Mayors have been appointed in this century of twilight; at least the first two strove to improve Westcrown. But for the past twenty-odd years, current Lord Mayor and GrandCount, Aberian Arvanxi, has allowed the city to fall deeper and deeper into disrepair and despair.
Crime is up.
Trade is down.
A curfew that the second mayor (Dargentu Vheed) instituted temporarily at the nascence of his tenure has now lasted for generations -- with no new dawn seeming on the horizon.
It has been 100 years since House Thrune, together with Asmodeus, cast down Aroden and took her rightful place as absolute ruler of Cheliax. 100 years since Westcrown was the capital of Cheliax. 100 years since the grand Arodennama statue in Westcrown cracked asunder and lost its divine luster.
While House Thrune rules Cheliax from her mighty Citadel, she allows her loyal vassals to manage the year-to-year affairs of the old city. House Arvanxi is most loyal to Thrune and therefore currently has the right to administer Westcrown through her patriarch, Grand-Count Aberian Arvanxi, the Lord Mayor.
Four other Noble Houses in Westcrown have also shown great loyalty to Thrune, and have therefore been rewarded with additional management responsibilities over the old city. Should Arvanxi show any disloyalty, one of these shall be ready to wear the mantle of responsibility for Westcrown: (alphabetically)
House Drovenge,
House Oberigo,
House Phandros,
House Salisfer,
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