Aphenor
# Aphenor
| Population | ~15000 |
| Founded | 228 years ago |
| Leader | Speaker Portia Tuveren |
Aphenor is the capital city of the Estian compact. It was built after the empire fell, as a new capital city for the emerged nation. The city is built in concentric rings, centered at Council Hall. It was built as a compromise between the parties to the Estian Compact when they could not decide on where the capital would be, as a unifying symbol of the new nation.
Most houses are made from bricks, although the inner tier has its fair share of houses made from greystone or even marble. The houses outside the city walls are mostly wooden.
# Council Hall
Council Hall is the location of the central Estian government. Scribes and politicians walk its marble corridors. The Council Chambers themselves is at the very center of the city. The Chambers seats the councillors and their aides, as well as a sizable audience. The towers of the Council Hall looks over the entire city. The council was modelled on the Teccan Senate, which ruled under the Emperor before the dissolution of the Empire. The major difference from the Teccan Senate is of course the lack of a monarch above the council, instead having executive power themselves. The total number of councilmembers have fluctuated over the years, but has generally been between 20 and 30 members. A new seat can be established by a two-thirds vote of the council, either for a settlement that has grown big enough to warrant representation in the government, or as a reward to a noble family.
The Speaker is the closest thing the Estian Compact has to a King, but the speaker is far less powerful, as they need to at least half the councilmembers to vote with them on major decisions. Each Speaker is chosen for a five-year term (no term limits) by the other members of the Council, in a process called Conclave.
Some of the councillors represent the cities and towns within the Compact, some are inherited through the noble families (the speaker is usually chosen from among these), others have positions within the government. The Speaker nominates people to the governmental posts, and they are approved by a vote of the council.
The cities and villages that send representatives to the council are free to choose who they want to send themselves. Some have elections, other are still feudal and are represented by their lord. Councilmembers from far away seats sometimes prefer to send an envoy to vote in their stead (communicating with Sending) while they conduct their business from home.
# Current Members of the Council
The first section of the table are inherited noble seats. The second part are the representatives from around the islands. The last part are the government officials.
| Member | Constituency | Description | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duchess Portia Tuveren | Speaker, House Tuveren | F Human | |
| Count Roscoe Beckett | House Beckett | M Human | |
| Count Lucian Blaise | House Blaise | M Halfling | |
| Baron Caspian Arbrintirel | House Arbrintirel | M Half-elf | |
| Baroness Miranda Keswick | House Keswick | F Human | |
| Lady Salome Cassaro | House Cassaro | F Aasimar | |
| Lord Balduin Villencourt | House Villencourt | M Halfling | |
| Countess Catherine Beckett | Aphenor | F Human | |
| Count Aurius Dawnstar | Greystone | M Human | 2 votes |
| Jarl Stremel Greatbraid | Myrknes | M Dwarf | |
| Lord Jerome Delacroix | Uniting Archipelago | Halfling | Elected |
| Michael nan Cohornae | Cottenhorn | M Half-elf | Elected |
| Damien Alvaro | Tembridge | M Gnome | Elected |
| Adoniel nan Kiniden | Kiniden | F Elf | Elected |
| Aurora Mortero | Whitport | F Human | Elected |
| Chieftain Phoenix Dusk | Turquoise Islands | M Tabaxi | Elected |
| Lord Lysander Breckenridge | Marshal of the Army | M Human | |
| Lady Constance Arbrintirel | Admiral of the Fleet | F Half-elf | |
| Veramell | Grand Emissary | F Kalashtar | |
| Lady Calliope Beckett | Lord Treasurer | F Human | |
| Melchior Renzone | Chief Justice | M Gnome | |
| Grumbel Stonechisel | Archbishop | M Dwarf | |
| Archmage Hedwig Crimion | Archmage of the Council Archive | F Tiefling | |
| Lord Achilles Cassaro | Spymaster | M Human |
# Inner Tier
The closer you live to Council Hall, the higher your status. The houses of the innermost tier of the city is almost exclusively for nobles, wealthy merchants, and the members of the council. The grandest house, just opposite the Council Hall, belongs to Speaker Portia Tuveren, the highest ranking member of the council. The wall that goes around the inner tier is not as tall as the outer wall. Most organizations also have an institution here. The Pilgrim Knights have a small station here, and the Archivist Council has one of its bigger libraries here. The FTC only keeps a minor delegation.
# Old Oak Hotel
The most popular tavern in the Inner Tier is the Old Oak Hotel, whose garden is a secluded oasis in the busy city. Many deals have been struck in the Oak's garden - not all of them legal. Guests here can expect to pay 20gp per night. While expensive, guests are pampered throughout their stay by a small army of servants.
Theodoros Vistel (CN Silver Dragonborn): The Old Oak's concierge. Legendary for his connections throughout the city. If he can't get something, it doesn't exist in the city.
# Temple of Heimdall
A grand marble temple to the city's patron deity, Heimdall. High Priest Grumbel Stonechisel leads services here when his duties other duties as councillor and head of the Compact's churches to Heimdall.
# Temple of Freya
This temple to Freya also serves as the Pilgrim Knights' embassy. All branches of the Knights are represented here. The temple also operates a combined hospital and orphanage in the Outer Tier.
# The Buckliss Theater
Home of a theater company called the Buckliss Company in the patronage of House Beckett, especially Lady Catherine, who can be seen attending many plays from her owner's box.
Alexandra Ashridge (human bard, CG): The playwright in charge of the Buckliss Company. Skilled writer who has written some of the most popular comedies, including the Shipwright's Daughter and the Lady of Cheese.
# Covington's Wife
The premier brothel in Aphenor. Named after Loretta Covington, whose husband Alastair killed the great painter Dominic Talonis in a duel after he painted Loretta with moonmint flowers in her hair, a sign of being a prostitute. That very portrait now hangs by the entrance to the brothel. The bottom floor houses a bar, where prospective clients can watch the ladies and gentlemen of pleasure who work here. The bar can also supply whitemiss infused drinks for those who require it. The price of the services here vary, from 10gp to several hundred gp per night.
Madame Thalie Windfield (half-elf, CN): Proprietor with a fierce reputation for protecting her girls and boys.
'Nessa' (human, CG): High-price prostitute. Knows much about the noble men (and some women) of the city.
'Grizzly' (half-elf, NG): Popular among both male and female visitors.
'Sparkle' (tabaxi, CN): Rust-furred tabaxi who wears plenty of faux jewelry in her.
# Outer Tier
This is where the majority of the city's commerce is made. Merchants trade in cloth, spices and other wares from the Estian Islands and beyond are traded here. Blacksmiths and other artisans ply their trade.
The outer wall is patrolled by the City Watch, a force numbering about 600 swords. The watch also guard several gates in the walls. The City Watch are commanded by Lord Jahael Kart (LE Human), who takes his orders from Speaker Tuveren.
# The Dryad's Rest
A rundown bar in the city's outer tier. It gets its name from an old statue of a dryad that stands in front of it. The bar itself serves cheap ale and grog for its rough clientele.
However, the bar has a secret. If you speak the password ('the fire laurel is in bloom') to the barkeep, you are let through to an hidden upstairs lush garden bar, nestled between two buildings and shielded from prying eyes and ears with magic. From this city escape, the Clippers operate, an unscrupulous thieves guild that deals in all sort of crime, from simple breaking and entering to assassination, all for the right prize.
All members of the Clippers refer to each other only by their nicknames, which usually refer to some part of their skill set or personality.
Jonathan 'Enigma' Fowler (human master thief (opens new window), CN): Leader of the Clippers. Keeps his two bodyguards, a pair of tiefling twins named 'Red' and 'Blue' (confusingly, Red is the blue one, and Blue is the red one). Started by clipping coins (hence the name of the gang) when he was a spice merchant. When he realized he could make far more gold from a life of crime, his spice shop mysteriously burnt to the ground, allowing him to collect on his insurance, twice.
Feniel 'Demon' Malasar (F elven warlock of the fiend (opens new window), NE): Second in command of the Clippers, and their most magically skilled member. Has a pact with a Rakshasa named Donymodhas, and does his bidding in Aphenor. Has an imp familiar.
Ivy 'Nightshade' Raspwort (halfling assassin (opens new window), CE): The clipper's best assassin. Prefers to use poison, either in her victim's food or delivered via a pair of ornate stiletto daggers she always keeps close. More than a little sadistic, preferring to let her victims suffer.
Anna 'Duchess' Breckenridge (human, CN): Technically minor nobility, something her gang-members never lets her forget. Usually works the upstairs bar, where the liquor is of markedly higher quality than downstairs.
Aelo 'Crooner' nan Estiae (half-elf bard, CN): Provides entertainment at the Dryad's Rest, but his magical talents come in handy when the gang is putting together a team for a larger heist.
Bruz (goblin, CN): Barkeep and bouncer, all in one. Keeps a loaded crossbow under the bar for particularly annoying customers.
# Harbor
While not quite as bustling as the harbor in Greystone, there is still significant traffic on the waters outside Aphenor. Some merchant captains prefer to sell their goods here, as the FTC in Greystone can be difficult to deal with.
# Navy Headquarters
A large shipyard where state-of-the-art warships are constructed and maintained.
# Outskirts
Not everyone can afford to live inside the walls. Small farms and homesteads litter the landscape around Aphenor.
About a days march from Aphenor is the fortress of Fenwatch. This is the base for the Estian army, led by Marshal Lysander Breckenridge.