Zadash

Built around a trio of spiky peaks, Zadash is a large city south of Rexxentrum in the Dwendalian Empire.

History
This city was once the capital of the Julous Dominion, the last empire to be conquered by the Dwendalian Empire. It was brought under Dwendalian rule at some point nearly two centuries before 826 P.D. As opposed to erasing Dominion society, the Dwendalian Empire instead merged their own way of life, laws, and rules with those of the people of Zadash and adjusted as they saw fit.

Demographics
Size-wise, Zadash is comparable to the metropolis of Port Damali, though where Zadash was tall, Port Damali was more spread out. Most of the populace that was seen by the Mighty Nein beyond the city walls consisted of humans, with the occasional halfling and dwarf.

Layout
The outer walls of Zadash form a sort of triangular shape

The Pentamarket is in the central western portion of the city.

The East and West Outersteads, are found on the outer cusps of the city, and extend through the cities slums and beyond to border the outside of the main wall.

In the northern portion of the city lies the Tri-Spire.

In the southeastern quadrant of the city was the King's Hall, which was devoted to the military and crown's guard garrison.

The Interstead Sprawl formed a central connecting ring around and through all the other areas of the city, this area was where the more middle-class individuals resided and generally helped to hold the city together.

Architecture
The architecture and building were designed to rise and almost seem to curve towards the streets when looking up at.

Outer Walls
Around the southern walls of the city, crop workers wearing heavy shawls and head coverings harvested various vegetables and crops from the fields surrounding the city. Closer to the city, the fields gave way to ramshackle communities of tent cities and hovel towns outside the protective bulwarks of the city walls. The city walls themselves were 15 feet high and formed a somewhat triangular perimeter outline around the city. The walls were made of thick basic stonework and masonry. Near the southern gate, the foot traffic grew heavier and led to a 15-foot-wide portcullis that was being held aloft by large chains. Two pairs of Crownsguards flanked each side of the entry gate, keeping a silent watch.

Beyond the City Gates
The buildings flanking the street nearest to the gate were quite destitute, though the buildings began to graduate into a standard village feel further along the street.

Beyond the outer walls, the city looked to have a number of perimeter walls that had arches between them. The gaps formed by these arches, which were around 15-20 feet in length, but 40 foot wide, had small tunnel built through them. The tops of these large separation barriers like tunnels were what looks to be carts that move on their own along these wall tops. On the outskirts of the city proper, there were folk on the streets that sat on the sides peddling handcrafted wears and whatever they could muster to try and make ends meet.

Pentamarket
The Pentamarket is central to Zadash, with a number of streets bisecting it. These streets naturally carve a pentagonal shape and the interior between them has since become the center of most merchant business. There was kind of a bazaar set up in the center of the district, where cart, tents, and buildings were set up, all day, every day as an open market.

Though the Pentamarket had a variety contained a variety of shops it didn't have high value goods. Some of the business that could be found in the market included small dumpling establishments, simple glassware shops, and a blacksmith shop that made simple repairs.

Cresting into fall, carts filled with mulled wine and confectionaries could be found in the market.

Invulnerable Vagrant ​​​​
This large building of stained wood with green-gold velvet hanging on the outside was magically warded and was thus seen by the Mighty Nein to be untouched by the elements.

In each of the doors to this establishment were slits of glass that revealed a warm lit interior glowing from the inside out. Above these doors, carved delicately into a wood placard, was the name of the establishment.

The interior of the building was quite warm and was lit all throughout by lanterns that floated in the air. These slowly gyrating lanterns contained candles within them which flickered together as though a wind was blowing over their flames.

The inside of the chamber had a long table with a few small books laid out, and on a velvet raised platform looked to have been a long rapier, jeweled and gorgeous. On the back wall there was a shelf filled with books upon books. In front of this shelf was a desk.

The proprietor of this establishment was a firbolg named Enchanter Pumat Sol, who ran it with the help of his three magically manifested duplicates. The proprietor insisted that this establishment required cleanliness of its visitors, forcibly cleaning Caleb when he was judged to be insufficiently clean. Pumat Sol ran a business for profit that dealt in the sale, trade, craft and enchantment of magic and magic based items. Although they had an assortment of all manner of items, Caleb had suspected that the shop dealt with mostly used items.

Some of the items that were available for sales and trade included:


 * A Fantastic Haversack
 * Ink used in the ritualistic design and presentation of arcane symbols, scribes and glyphs
 * Ink enchanted for various uses in manifestation.
 * Stacks of parchment and paper
 * Greater healing potion: 200gp/ vial
 * Basic/ General Healing potion: 50gp/ vial

Hearth of the Allhammer
Located on the northern side of the Pentamarket, this shrine to the Allhammer was a domed iron structure that was slightly rusty due to lack of upkeep. Its interior had a beautiful heavy anvil used for crafting.

Sparkhammer Smithing
Operated by Yannick Dumel, and Jan, this blacksmithy forged intricate items and had rows and racks of various pieces of armor and weapons on display on the inside.

Lodge of the Eclipse
A tavern where nightime shows would be performed on a stage it had.

The Leaky Tap
The Leaky Tap is a moderately-sized tavern owned by Claudia Sheed, a friend of Bryce Feelid.

Helping run the tavern was a plump white dragonborn barkeep named Wessik the Trim.

Interior
A simple but very large tavern, there was space enough for at least a dozen tables. While it lacked décor, it seemed to have charm with a rather ratty looking band in a corner that played mostly on key. The tavern was three stories tall, and it had a raftered ceiling that was twelve feet up.

A brief spiral staircase towards the far back of the tavern led to a small landing before progressing up to a second floor. There was another staircase further down the hall.

Office
On the staircase landing, there was a single doorway without signage that led into Claudia Sheed's office. The interior of this office was simple and contained a desk with a chair, a few books and ledgers, scattered papers, and an ink quill. A single window at the back of the room looked out into an alley.

Kitchen and Cellars
Towards the back of the establishment, near the kitchen and pantry area, was a set of stairs leading down into one of the tavern's cellars. This cellar contained large wooden barrels, casks of untapped ale, and a few unopened crates. This area was used by the Knights of Requital as a meeting place.

The tavern also had a second cellar for wine.

Clientele
Most of the patrons that frequented this tavern wore somewhat dusty destitute clothing that looks to be torn and ragged at the edges. Some the patrons could well have been farm hands based on their appearance.

Card Players
Two men were sitting at a table playing "Parker", and discussing how the quality of alcohol seems to be diminishing, and such thing as the rising prices of irons coming down from the Druvenlode, one of the large mining cities in the Dwendalian Empire.

Although these men looked better dressed better than the common riffraff, they didn't look to be particularly well off and seemed to be dressing up beyond their station.

The first of these players was an older man in his 50s, with pattern baldness curling back his head into a curled mush of brown hair that graying hair on the outskirts. His partially bloodshot eyes were a deep brown. He was wearing a billowing shirt of a nicer silk, though smelled heavily of alcohol and dirt.

The other player was a much younger man that had a scraggly mustache that he seemed to have been growing from childhood and just let it go. He has a button up high collar and a loose cravat.

Jester seeing them joined for a game of "Quick Queen's Call". Luck not being on her side she attempted to cheat with the help of Caleb and Nott. The older man noticing that she had been cheating by replacing cards with ones in her sleeves, he told her that he wouldn't report her but did take the gold she had put into the pot, and proceeded to leave with the other man.

Half-elf Band
This three-member half-elf band was seen playing in the tavern.

Their members included a half-elven boy who had the sides of his head shaven. He played a double set of drums with a leather strap.

Tri-Spires
This area gets its name from the three massive towers that loom high over the rest of the city. All different in design, these towers could be seen at some distance from Zadash. A round wall encases the interior of this elite portion of the city. These walls were made of solid marble and look more decorative than designed to be a military buttress of any kind. Two portcullis entrances allow access to this district, one of which opens in the direction of the Pentamarket. These entryways seemed to be magically enchanted, dispelling illusions within a certain distance. Two crownsguard with spears and shields stood guarding each of these entrances.

When Caleb and Jester first attempted to enter the Tri-Spires through the gate at the Pentamarket, one of these guards named Reeve escorted Jester into the Tri-Spire. After another guard came to replace the one that left, Caleb attempted to have Frumpkin enter the district as well. One of these guards, trying to keep what seemed like a stray cat out of this elite district, kicked Frumpkin to death. Caleb, frustrated in his attempt to enter the first gate in disguise, tried a secondary gate with no luck.

Silken Terrace
This district was where the elite of the city lived and worked, and thus most of its money ended up here. Only those of a very specific visual presentation and purpose are allowed entry into this area.

Seemingly magically engineered to be picturesque perfect, beautiful courtyard parks of grasses, trees and bushes filled butterflies filled the interior of this district. Statuesque structures decorated a beautifully laid cobblestone road. On the corners of the roads, stood tall lanterns containing very faintly ever-burning flames, between which were long, white, silken banners. The homesteads were of different styles of construction from all across this continent and beyond.

Jester referred to the Tri-Spires as the "snooty district of the city".

Triumph Chime
One of the towers, closest to the Pillow Trove, that give the Tri-Spire its name is a building that looked to have at one point been an old temple that had been completely hollowed out. Re-purposed it looked like a glitzy casino, and was filled with all sorts of bars, gambling halls, inn rooms, a brothel, and everything one could need to entertain oneself.

Simultaneously historically awe-inspiring and gaudy, each floor of this structure seemed to be of slightly altered stone of different colors, which were covered on the outside in braided brightly-colored banners of silk.

Chastity’s Nook
Located in the southern quarter of the Silken Terrace one could find an establishment that had a selection of books dealing with pulp fiction and shitty smut.

Pillow Trove
The Pillow Trove was the biggest inn in Zadash and served expensive clientele.

A luxurious inn, it had a cylindrical appearance in the front which turned into a blocky building in the back. The pillars that held up its various walled intersections were of a gold and deep purple coloration.

Interior
Filled with the scents of scented candles and various lavender-type smells. There's was a beautiful semi-circle desk, and a human woman, probably in her mid-20s, with straight jet black hair that dangled past her shoulders. The inn had three tiers of rooms:
 * General Suite - 10gp per night
 * Lordly Suite - 20gp per night
 * Diplomatic Invitational Suite - 50gp per night

Patrons

 * A rather bounding obese merchant in his late 40s or so, what was sniffling and rubbing his nose. He was dressed really well, though perhaps in a size too small, as he seemed to be trying to reclaim a presentation of a younger self and he hasn't quite come to terms with the fact that he's hitting that age.
 * Jester rented out one night in one of the General Suites on number 12 on the second floor, the third door on the left. Her room was a beautiful small room, well decorated and had a nice queen-size canopy bed and a dresser with a mirror.

Hall of Erudition
The Soltryce Academy’s academy in the city.

The Archive of the Cobalt Soul
Build of of a main road that make up the western edge of the Pentamarket, this library, maintained by the Cobalt Soul, contained more of the rarer tomes and elaborate writing within the city. Heavily watched, access within required special approval, and those that were granted access were escorted and watched while they perused the interior. Additional rules required that visitors not take anything from within the library.

As a landmark seen from a distance, the archive had a tall tapering tower that curves off at the very top to be a very dome-like pinnacle. Flanking the sides of this tower were three smaller spires.

The stonework of the main tower appeared to have a smooth concrete looking texture. In the morning sunlight, the tower shone brightly and revealed intricate carvings on the various tiers that spiraled down the tower. Two guards dresses in blue and gray ceremonial robes, similar but more jeweled and intricate than those seen on Xenoth, guarded the only entrance, a double door into this tower.

Visitors

 * A human in his late 30s. He has a cluster of small pieces of parchment that are folded and wadded into his arms as he left the Archive.
 * A human that was well dressed. She looked stoic and well off. She wore a high collared buttoned up blouse two small pockets in the front, an ankle length dress, had very nice shoes, and had a satchel that hung over her left shoulder and fell off on the right side of the body. Nott followed this women as she made her way through the city and attempted to rob her using Mage Hand.

Platinum House
This shrine to the Platinum Dragon was a beautiful white building with blue tapestries on its outside. The white had a mirror-like reflective quality, which during the day made the building give off a sort of glow like a beacon. This building served for both worship and meditation and held sermons usually around noon.

Apple Tree Tutor Village
Owned and provided by the Soltryce Academy, these three long buildings were where, for a moderate price, children and adults of a less affluent lifestyle could come and learn basic teachings.

The head tutor there is an overworked and relatively stressed out individual named Mikael Drom. He was a very nice fellow, eager to help; however, the system had been difficult for him to endure.

King’s Hall
This massive single 20-foot tall single-story structure of bronze and cobalt acts as the central courthouse of the city. It had long thin windows about every 15-feet. The crownsguard presence around this structure was quite large, with at least ten watching the front as general sentries.

Interior
There were two round tables with curved benches along their sides, with crown's guards and civilians conversing. Beyond this are were two hallway entrances that lead further into the King' Hall.

Taskboard
A ten-foot by five-foot, heavy piece of wooden board stood about four feet from the main entrance to the right. Clearly labeled it had the words 'Task Board' pressed into the top of the wood. It had many dozens of nails, some of which were used to staple a number of pieces of parchment which contained paying work that could be taken on. On one side of the Task Board, it had an engraved brass-bronze material that stated that, “all job inquiries are to be taken to Herald of the Hall Voloshin ”.
 * 'Help wanted for general construction work in reinforcing buildings that were crumbling.'
 * 'Help wanted to help shoo away parts of the Outersteads that are encroaching upon the farmlands on the outside of the wall.'
 * “Seeking and paying for any information on Myriad activity in the city."
 * “Reward for information on rebel gatherings and anti-Crown rhetoric.”
 * “Proof of others’ worship of heretical gods paid in gold.”
 * “Looking for work for the glory of our King Bertrand . Good pay and adventurous living as a soldier of the Righteous Brand . Seek Leopold Wanstiker at the Marrow Keep, in the Signet Wall.”
 * “Roving beast in need of extermination. Must be trained sellsword with experience.”

Roving Beast Task
A supposed creature was holed up in a sewer nexus right on where the Interstead Sprawl meets with the outer wall of the Tri-Spires. The flow of sewage had been backing up and strange noises from cleaners had been heard. A few crown's guards investigating found a masses of small congealed nests of sewage slime and webbing but ran away before investigating further. Individuals have been going missing, including two of the three parties that had previously attempted this task. The job specifics were to find what was creating the disturbances, kill it, and to back with proof of the kill it. The reward for doing so was 700 gold pieces.

Writ of Lawmaste Intent
Accepting a task, one would receive a writ of Lawmaster intent which both granted unimpeded entrance to a location of where a job is supposed to take place and would enable those whose names were written within to collect the funds promised when proof of tasks completed were presented.

Signet Wall
The area where the military stays and most of the Crownsguard was held up. One could apparently find work there.

Marrow Keep
Those seeking good pay and an adventurous living as a soldier of the Righteous Brand could join up at the Marrow Keep, after speaking with Leopold Wanstiker.

Sewers
As per the writ of Lawmaster's intent, that the Mighty Nein received at the King's Hall, the party made their way to the corner of Ruen Road and Dumist. The intersection was made of cobblestone and was located about two blocks away from the outer wall of the Tri-spire.

Off to the eastern side of the intersection, behind a lantern pole, was a cover that led to the sewer network. The sewer covers were essentially an open drain with a latch and a metal pole attached to it to prevent anyone entering.

All the sewer covers in the city are latched and locked, requiring a key kept by the crown’s guard. The measure was taken to prevent folks from wandering down into the sewers. The area near this cover was guarded by a pair of crownsguard, one of which approached the party and unlocked it so that the Mighty Nein could descend into the sewer. One they had entered the guard promptly relocked the cover.

Once the latched was opened it revealed a foot and a half square down which the party could descend down. Below each manhole was a series of metallic bars that act as a sort of ladder rung down 15 feet to the sewer floor. The sewer tunnels themselves were about 10 feet in height and around 15 feet across from side to side. The walls of these tunnels were made of slick stones which curved slightly down towards the floor, while this curvature continued and rounding off the top of these tunnels. The middle of the floor had a small ditch basin that, with the mild decline of the sewers served to move water and waste through the city and away from the Tri-Spire.

The sewers were dark except for the few beams of light that made their way down from the sewer covers. The tunnels had a strong stagnant smell of waste products, whatever waste has rotted and congealed, bacteria-filled liquid and water. In some places, clusters of waste had combined with sticks and whatever else has washed down here, and have to begun to build up blockages which were around a foot or two across. The air in the sewers had a humid warmness to it.

Near the base of each of the ladder rungs were arrows pointing towards each of the directions where a tunnel continued on. Additionally, mirroring the tunnels, these arrows would fork and branch out in accordance with the directions they lead on into the sewers. The arrow to the right leads upward and then splits into 3 additional arrows. The arrow leading to the left is a solid arrow continuing down southwards. The Mighty Nein took the tunnel leading southwards.

South Passage
The tunnel continued on for about 100 feet or so before it curved slightly to the right, and which point it came to another series of rungs that lead up to the surface. At these rungs the markers showed a singular arrow pointing back north where the party had come from, and an arrow heading further southward that split into two.

There appeared to be no tracks, but near the grove where the water flowed, elements of where sludge had congealed over time along the edges had 4 inch marks that suggested that something had moved against the flow of water and waste and made it way higher, northward closer to towards the Tri-Spire.

Tasting The sludge it had hints of excrement, a faint hint of sulfur from things breaking down in the water, and hints of an iron like aftertaste of something oxidizing. This familiar taste seemed to be most likely from blood that had trickled down with the water from higher up in the sewer.

After taking in the information gathered from the sludge, the flow of water, and the taste of blood, the Mighty Nein decided to double back to the entrance they use to descended down into the sewers and to see where the path further north lead.

North Passage - T-Intersection
Following the sewers on its slight incline upwards, the party judged that they were just under the outer walls of the Tri-Spire. The tunnel curved upward a little to the right before coming to a T-intersection.

Giant Sewer Rats
This area contained more clusters of built up refuse where water would pool and flow around. These larger clusters of refuse began to move around, and when disturbed revealed be giant sewer rats. Their matted fur seemed to have overtime merged with the excrement, refuses and general within the sewers to create as sort of protective crusty outer shell.

These larger, bulbous, mutated rats had large fangs, stretched peach flesh, much of their interior was gray and beige from various stages of necrosis and infection. About a third or the body mass was made up of the refuse shell. The rats were snowblind, or due to infection were very nearsighted, or close to being blind.

When their flesh was cut into or pierced their bodies would release putrid clouds of poisonous gases that were contained within their necrotic bodies. When the ballooned forms of these rats were cut these noxious gases seemed to spread out in a 5-foot radius. Comparably, although some small amount of gas emerged from the forms of the rats when bludgeoned, it was not enough to harm those in the vicinity. Similarly, freezing or burning the rats prevented the spread of these gasses from spreading.

These gasses and the green liquid pouring out of their mouths seemed to have been built up and formed by the various bacteria these rats were infected with..

The Straight Tunnel
Water was trickling down this path.

The Left Tunnel
This tunnel continued on for around 40-50 feet before it curved back northward to run parallel to the straight path. Water was tricking down from this path as well.

The Right Tunnel
The entrance to this tunnel showed hints very faint thin silk cheesecloth like webbing material, which proved to be very flammable. There was no water flowing from the central ditch of this tunnel, which left it the dry and dust covered. The temperature seemed to drop and be little less humid from the lack of water.

The Mighty Nein headed down this tunnel.

First Web Barrier
A dense webbing barricade enclosed a portion of this tunnel 20 feet in. A small path on the right side of it left a five-foot space between it and the wall. This webbing had a large knot in it which suspended an enveloped dried out rat body a foot off the ground.

Second Web Barrier
Beyond this first barricade, there was another layer of webbing 15 to 20 feet further in. It looked to be even heavier than the previous wall and it completely blocked continued access down the tunnel, except for small one-foot wide sections along the upper part of the wall. Shifting slightly from a faint breeze were two larger clusters of webbing were being wrapped around dried out, decaying crownsguards with sunken and shallow cheeks, and curled back lips over their teeth.

Examining the bodies revealed heavy puncture marks, either right in the back of the neck or right under the front of the chin. These deep puncture marks were around two inches across on each side where the skin and flesh had bubbled and pushed away from the side.

These crownsguards wore bracers, chest plates, helmets, and each had similar longswords and a coin purse folded into their belt. Together these coin purses had 15 gold, 60 silver, and 20 copper pieces.

Third Web Barrier
Taking a stark left and then right curve, this tunnel led to another webbing barrier 20 feet in. This web contained three different figures and fourth that had been stuck to a wall right next to it. Approaching this barrier, the ground began to be more sticky with fallen bits of webbing strands, though not to the point when one's movement was impeded. When this webbing was carved into with non-magical means ones weapons would become caught.

Web Nest
The entire floor and walls of this portion of the sewers was covered with layers of webbing. Due to the sheer amount of webbing that covered the are movement was hindered somewhat.

About 25 feet into this tunnel from the third barrier, this area had similar rungs that lead up to a latched cover, through which a faint wind and light was coming through from the surface.

There was a number of figures that were encased in webbing and attached to the walls, one of these was partially webbed up a foot off of the ground next to the rungs. Unlike the other bodies this halfling man, who claimed to be named Thed, did not have gray, lifeless, and drained flesh like the others.

After the various dead bodies were burnt, two sets of crownguard armor and their longswords were retrieved. There was also a full set of studded leather armor made up of a leather chest plate, leather armbands, and bracers, and then leg plates. This armor had a sea motif to it with shells pressed into it and a wave pattern on its edges. Among the bodies, there was also 85 gold, 210 silver, and 45 copper pieces.

At the far wall, a large cluster of webbing, that at first glance looked like a mass of three or four bodies, was jammed together, at this dead-end. After later examination, this cluster appeared to have been slowly pulsing egg sacs. Tiny, golfball-sized, white and blue spiders began to expand out and make their way up the sides of the wall though were presumably all burnt up by the party.

While exploring this nest a phase spider appeared and attacked the party.

Notable Corpses:

 * The body that was wearing the sea motif armor had tattoos across their body, some of which were of the names of different ships. The assumption was that this individual was once a sailor. Some of the names tattoed on their body included the Broken Howl on his back, the Midnight Lorry, the Shell Carrier, and the Pink Giver which Fjord recognizes. The Pink Giver had apparently had that name due to the wooden carving at the front bow of the ship that was of a mermaid with her arms extended that was gifting a human heart that was painted with this vibrant pink color.



The grate inside the district was unnattended.

'Basic Clothing Wears Company'
Caleb, in search of a cloak to conceal some of his shabby dress, stumbled upon a clothing shop that sold clothing made for utility. The shop mainly had pants, work shirts, gloves, and cloaks in the colors of either brown, black or grey.

Caleb bought himself a brown muted cloak for 2sp, and for the price of 1sp he bought a set of earmuffs and woolen cap for Nott.

Steam's Respite
This reasonably priced bathhouse was a very simple looking building, of deeply dark-stained vertical wood slats against heavy load-bearing columns at each major corner. This bathhouse allowed those of the fairer races to use their services.

The bathhouse had private rooms, as well as a common room that was less expensive at the cost of being less private. Use of the common chamber was priced at three silver pieces per person. The bathhouse also provided clothes washing and cleaning services for the price of one silver piece.

Interior
Its interior was fairly sizeable for its simple exterior. The entryway was flanked on each side with benches that were among small planters that contained low-light plants kept in the area to give a fresher scent. This entryway led to a small chair and a desk where an half-orc clerk, named Miss Rima, sat.

Leading from the entryway, a back chamber was provided for patrons to undressed. From this room, there was a doorway that opened into a central common hot spring bath that was dug out of the ground and had a rock perimeter to it. Among the steam and cloudy water was the smells of herbs and soaps. This water was every so often topped off with fresher warmer water.

Patrons

 * An older couple in their 70s that left when the Mighty Nein entered the common room.

Packwears Provisions
A smaller scale smithy that focused on making tools and such.

Umber Dungeon
The following crimes against the empire which will be met with imprisonment include:
 * Worship outside the approved idolatry

The Ossuary Gates
This was a multi-layered catacomb graveyard.

The Raven's Den
This shrine located in the center of the graveyard was dedicated to the The Matron of Ravens.

The Knights of Requital
This group of twenty held their meetings in one of the cellars of the Leaky Tap tavern. Keeping as secretive as possible, they discussed methods of changing the current political unhappiness in the city of Zadash and beyond.

While investigating why this group was meeting, Beau and Fjord joined and listened as members aired their grievances and argued for change.

Known Members

 * Dolan Thrym
 * Kara
 * Ulog

The Gentleman
Cautioning Jester from using this name out loud, Claudia Sheed mentions that a very specific man who wallows in the mire of the underbelly of the city goes by such a title.