Rexxentrum

Rexxentrum is the capital of the Dwendalian Empire, a massive city north of Zadash.

City description
Rexxentrum is a massive city full of eclectic buildings of various sizes, built on top of a hilly landscape.

It is the largest city in Wildemount and a center of many kinds for the empire: the political seat of power; the heart of arcane study; and a cultural hub. Not unlike in Rosohna, the wealthiest denizens live in the center of the city, while poorer people and families live towards the edges, some outside the protection of Rexxentrum's walls. It is a colorful city, of cobblestones and arcane lanterns, of connected rooftops and street performers; but it is also a city with a heavy military presence.

Points of interest
The Cryptic Collection: A minor magical relics shop and apothecary located at the end of an alleyway between two large warehouses in the Court of Colors. It is made of weathered wood, with a tiled roof. From the roof hang a number of wind chimes and metal charms. Within are a number of moss-covered cages holding small animals. There are also hollowed bone musical instruments for sale. There are a number of strange smells throughout the shop, including those of mold, old leather, and soil. It is owned by Keona the Keen, a long-fingered half-elf woman in her fifties.

The Tangles
The Tangles is the semicircular region southwest of the Shimmer Ward. It is the oldest portion of Rexxentrum and its small streets are unplanned and resemble a tangle when seen from above. It is now a working class residential area and the location of much of the general commerce of the city.


 * Vigil's Circle: Vigil's Circle is marked by a network of ring-like streets that surround it. It is a circular marketplace, filled with shops and industries.
 * The garment district: A portion of Vigil's Circle where textile wholesalers, retailers, and importers are located, as well as tailors. The Mighty Nein commissioned cold-weather clothing for their trip to Aeor here.
 * Thaydeen's Endless Emporium of Enchanted Eccentricities: A two-story cylindrical building, surrounded by a set of dark maroon velvet curtains trimmed in gold rope that open at the arched doorway. The interior is full of knickknacks and minor magical items. It is owned by Dimble Thaydeen.
 * Tower of Writ: The primary house of worship for Erathis within the city, it appears as a small fortress of gray rock from which the Prime Arbiter delivers his judgments. It is surrounded by the road along which the shops of Vigil's Circle lie.
 * Claykeep Prison: The main prison of Rexxentrum, located next to the Tower of Writ.
 * Chantry of the Dawn A massive, beautiful cathedral located near the district wall just south of the Shimmer Ward. This cathedral serves as a temple to Pelor. It dates back to ancient times, and the city of Rexxentrum was founded around it.

The Court of Colors
The Court of Colors is one of Rexxentrum's three main plazas, and keeping with its district is a complex and lively tangle of streets full of trade and art.
 * Library of The Cobalt Soul: A cerulean-colored building with four multi-level domed towers of polished stone, this library contains teleportation circles to Cobalt branches in Zadash, Port Damali, Tal'Dorei, and Vasselheim. It is situated in the Court of Colors, west of the Chantry of the Dawn.

Platinum Veranda
A plaza in the northwestern part of the Tangles, it is the location of many luxurious homes, and a site for entertainment. It also holds the Dragon Seat, Rexxentrum's main temple to Bahamut.

The Shimmer Ward
The Shimmer Ward is the central pentagonal portion of the city, walled in towering pale stone. Its main gate of heavy steel is on its southern side. The nobility and other wealthy residents live here; many of the homes are walled and contain beautiful gardens.
 * Camarouth Cottage: Located on the southwestern side of the Shimmer Ward near the main gates, the Cottage is a two story inn made of pale yellow stone, with a thatched roof. It is a luxurious inn with well-kept windowsill gardens, and each room has a balcony overlooking the Shimmer Ward. The lobby has high ceilings and is made of cherry wood. Interior lighting is provided by two iron chandeliers, which hold arcane light. There is a dining hall to the right of the main desk, and the staircase to the second floor is to the left.
 * Silvered Sunset Oasis: A high-end bathhouse providing baths, massages, pedicures, haircuts, and facials.

Academy Grounds
Located in the northwest of the Shimmer Ward, the Soltryce Academy has walkways and ivory halls which rise above the surrounding homes, guild halls, and walls of the Ward. The campus is heavily guarded, with carefully manicured grounds.

The Candles
Located on the north and northeastern ends of the Shimmer Ward, the Candles are eight staggering towers encircling Castle Ungebroch, each unique in its design and structure, where the eight chief members of the Cerberus Assembly reside. These spires were built by the original Cerberus Assembly members, per their own preferences, but have undergone considerable alterations over the years by various successors, creating a somewhat incongruous and even unsettling appearance.

Castle Ungebroch Terrace
Castle Ungebroch is the seat of King Bertrand Dwendal. The castle terrace includes several military outposts, and the castle itself is a building of dark-colored stone, multiple towers, and large stained glass windows.

The Mudtop Ward
The northern impoverished neighborhood. Here, unlike the rest of the city, the streets are not cobblestoned and therefore become mud in the fairly frequent rainfall. It is a cold neighborhood and disease is common, but some healers and priests frequent the area to help those who live there.


 * Grim Shelf Tavern: A tiny, skeezy dive bar.
 * King's Cut Butchery: A very large butcher shop located between Cy's Toppers hat store and a seller of fine pottery in the Mudtop Ward. Underneath it is the Stone Coffin, a secret fighting pit.

The Mosaic Ward
The southern portion of the city holds the Mosaic Ward, a residential area of ""colorful banners and small fences."" The district is a hotbed of crime and violence, policed with varying interest by the local Crownsguard. This has led to the rise of vigilantes, who attempt to protect the poorer citizens who are most frequently the victims of crime in the Mosaic Ward.

Demographics
Rexxentrum is the largest city on the continent. In the year 835 PD, it has a population of 205,200, more than that of Port Damali and Zadash combined. A majority of the population is human (81%), but there are many dwarves (8%) and halflings (6%) as well.

Factions

 * Cerberus Assembly: This organization has most of its members centered in Rexxentrum with others scattered through the continent.
 * The Cobalt Soul: Has an Archive in the city, and one of the two current High Curators of the order is headquartered here.

Background
Rexxentrum was founded in 514 PD, and due to its advantageous location, quickly became the seat of power for the growing Dwendalian Empire.

Before Campaign 2
Caleb Widogast studied in Rexxentrum at the Soltryce Academy in the late 810s PD.

Campaign 2 Arc 4: Swords and Angels
The Mighty Nein and Pumat Sol traveled to Rexxentrum from Zadash by way of the circle at the Valley Archive, after Pumat successfully determined via Scry that the Angel of Irons cult was there. At the time of their arrival, the city was preparing for a Kryn Dynasty attack. Jester, with Caleb's knowledge, was able to further narrow down their location to the Chantry of the Dawn. On their way to the temple, the party encountered members of the Aurora Watch who had burrowed beneath the city with purple worms, but Fjord was able to convince them that they too were here on business on behalf of the Bright Queen and continue to the cathedral.

At the Chantry of the Dawn, the Mighty Nein battled members of the Angel of Irons, including the Laughing Hand, Obann and the still-controlled Yasha.Caduceus was able to dispel the mark of control and free Yasha, but Obann was able to control Nott and lead her downstairs to the basement. After a brief rest, the party continued downstairs, where Yasha told them that Obann was planning to break the shackles of the fane beneath the cathedral. The Mighty Nein dispelled the control on Nott, and entered combat with Obann and Jourrael. During the fight, Obann repeatedly controlled members of the Mighty Nein and attempted to start the ritual, but was thwarted and eventually defeated. However, upon his defeat at the hands of Yasha, Obann was transformed into a new, horrific creature by Tharizdun. The Mighty Nein, this time assisted by the Caedogeist, were able to kill Obann the Punished, and return upstairs, where Pumat was badly injured but had held off further assaults, with assistance from the Righteous Brand and the Cobalt Soul.

The Mighty Nein were then brought to Castle Ungebroch to speak before the king and Prime Arbiter about what they knew. There, they learned Allura had intervened both with the Bright Queen and King Dwendal on their behalf, informing them of the Angel of Irons cult's true purpose. The party was questioned about their time in Xhorhas, and following Beau's testimony, the king, with influence from Ludinus Da'leth, tasked them with brokering peace talks. As the Mighty Nein left the throne room, Trent Ikithon approached them, and addressed Caleb as "Bren".

The Mighty Nein were escorted to Camarouth Cottage and discussed their next steps. The following day, they met with Ludinus and were taken to see the Luxon beacon at Vergesson Sanatorium outside the city, where Caleb again encountered Trent, as well as Eadwulf Grieve. After verifying it was a genuine beacon and returning to the city, the party went to the Cryptic Collection on Ludinus's recommendation, and decided to spend a few days in Rexxentrum before returning to Rosohna.

During their downtime, much of the party did research at the Cobalt Soul archive. Caleb visited Astrid for the first time since his youth, and learned from her what had happened after his break upon killing his parents. Beau, Fjord, and Yasha all entered fighting matches at the Stone Coffin fighting pit, with Yasha taunting her opponent until she was knocked unconscious. After a visit to the spa the next morning, the party left for Rosohna.

Campaign 2 Arc 5: Family Ties
The Mighty Nein traveled to Rexxentrum to speak with Vess DeRogna about a job offer she had made them while at sea.She explained it was as an escort to travel to Eiselcross, to the ruins of Aeor. As the party had left Veth behind in Nicodranas with her family, they asked to think upon it. As they left her tower, a messenger approached Caleb bearing an invitation for dinner at Trent's tower the following evening.

The party picked up Veth from Nicodranas and returned back the next day. Beau asked Yudala Fon for more information on Eiselcross and the Eyes of Nine, and much of the rest of the party began making cold weather preparations before going to dinner at Trent's tower. At dinner, which Astrid and Eadwulf also attended, Trent implied he had freed Caleb from the Sanatorium, and offered Caleb his seat on the Assembly when he died. Caleb turned him down, and, as the party left, invited Astrid and Eadwulf for a drink, but they declined. That night, Caleb cast Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower for the first time. The Mighty Nein left for Zadash the next morning.

After discovering that Mollymauk Tealeaf's grave was empty and that he appeared to be traveling north, the party returned to Rexxentrum to ask Vess if they could leave sooner, and finalized their preparations before the trip to Eiselcross.

Campaign 2 Arc 6: Weird Magic
The Mighty Nein traveled to Rexxentrum after leaving Eiselcross, to check in with the Cobalt Soul and to acquire some amulets to better hide themselves from the Tombtakers. There, Yudala and Dairon both informed Beau that Archivist Zeenoth had been arrested for taking bribes from her father, and apologized to Beau on how she had been treated. That night, Caduceus dreamed of a forest of flesh overtaking the Blooming Grove, Yasha dreamed of Kord, and Beau and Caleb dreamed of the red eyes, as they had several nights before.

The following day, Caleb met with Astrid at the beer hall to ask about acquiring some amulets. There, she also informed him that Ludinus had had her and Eadwulf track the Mighty Nein in Eiselcross, though they lost their trail; that Ludinus was aware of Vess's demise; and additionally urged Caleb to take the opportunity to strike against Trent. When Astrid left, Beau trailed her and found her briefly break down in a nearby alleyway before continuing on. Caleb then created the tower for Beau and Yasha to have their date while the rest slept in a cheap inn. The Mighty Nein met with Astrid at the Soltryce Academy the next morning, where she provided them with information about the Vergesson Sanatorium and where they might acquire amulets. The Mighty Nein teleported to the Sanatorium later that day.

After their defeat of the Somnovem, the Mighty Nein, sans Caduceus and Veth, who had remained with their respective families, returned to Rexxentrum to turn Trent over to the Cobalt Soul. While there, Ludinus approached Caleb and asked him if he wished to take Trent's place on the Cerberus Assembly, but Caleb declined, and the position went to Astrid.

After Campaign 2
Caleb settled in a small cottage in Rexxentrum and became a teacher at the Soltryce Academy, as well as took on private pupils. Beau and Yasha made their home in Zadash, but Beau frequently traveled to Rexxentrum via the Cobalt Soul teleportation circles as part of her work.

Trivia

 * "Rexxentrum" is likely derived from Reichszentrum, German for "center of the empire". Alternatively (or additionally) it might be based on Rex and centrum, Latin for "king" and "center" respectively. Either way it likely owes its origin to the Proto-Indo-European *huregs, which is the reconstructed origin of numerous other cognates, such as the Celtic ri and the Sanskrit raja (both also meaning "king" or "ruler.")
 * Rexxentrum is stated to be about twice the size of Emon, but has a slightly smaller population.
 * "Ungebroch", the name of King Dwendal's castle, is close to the German word for "unbroken", which Matt stated to be the case.