Greatwell

Greatwell stood at the edge of The Wharf Of Berthiergus on the Wound. Boasting a population just over 2,000, at this time, Greatwell was one of the few major Pressonian towns in the Summer Land to survive the War of the Burning Plains in 965 AT. Like most Pressonian settlements in the Summer Land, Greatwell was managed by a Mydon Prince—Prince Orsilochus "Lochi" Castellanos Tomydon. However, Prince Castellanos was rarely seen in Greatwell, preferring to live a lavish lifestyle in Presson's Enclave proper. Enes Castellanos Tomydon, the town's steward, presided in Prince Castellanos' absence. Enes was Lochi's cousin.

As a major settlement along the north shores of the Wound, connecting Central Omerian towns and cities to the Summer Land and ultimately northern Omeria, Greatwell's greatest strength was trade. Nearly half of the buildings in the city were dedicated to imports and exports. Warehouses cluttered the bustling docks district. Merchant houses from all over Omeria staked their claim in the Commerce Ward. Naturally, Greatwell was rife with corruption. But as the old saying goes, "the only incorruptible Pressonian is a dead Pressonian." And with corruption came crime. Despite the stern Epochal laws that govern the settlements of the Summer Land, major criminal organizations such as the Black Rose Clan had turned Greatwell into a formidable profit center fed by black market trade.

Greatwell employed 20 full-time guards led by four veteran commanders. It could call forth a militia of 100 able-bodied commoners if required. The trade houses had their own mercenary groups to protect their interests but would lend a hand to Greatwell's defense when the need arose. Nearly all of the guards were also on the payroll of one or more of the criminal organizations in town. Overall, Greatwell was a peaceful community but it did have its troubles. Greatwell suffered from "the dreg effect" that plagued all of the Summer Land. Strange creatures, leftovers of the countless wars that had wracked the Enclave since its inception, stalked the forests and foothills on all fronts. And with the monster-filled ruins of great charred cities pocking the landscape, danger was prevalent.

(These and the following details cover Greatwell in the late Age of Triumphs, circa 1045AT.)

Locations in Town
Oddly, Greatwell did not possess an outer wall. Its greatest defenses were the harbor at its western edge and the Slope, the massive depression upon which the town was built. At the top of the hill sat Castellanos Palace, the unoccupied fortress of the absent Prince. By law, only the Prince, the Prince's family, and his chosen servants could live within the Palace walls. Therefore, the Steward-Prince Enes Castellanos lived just west of the fortress in his own manor home.

Excluding Castellanos Palace, Greatwell was divided into five distinct districts, none of which had terribly original names. The districts were the Docks, Commerce Ward, Market Ward, Noble Ward, and the Common District. At the southwestern edge of the Common District was a large park named Mydon Greens. Crop and livestock fields surrounded the town to the north, east, and south.

The Docks
The largest ward in Greatwell was its bustling docks that overlooked the wine-colored waters of the Wound. There was a popular Omerian idiom: "I couldn't even find him/her/it in Greatwell docks." Basically, if they weren't in Greatwell Docks, they were probably lost as it can feel, at times, that half of Central Omeria's population could be found in the Docks.

The Worthless Lady
Dirty, loud, and always crowded, the Worthless Lady was Greatwell's most popular drinking establishment. It sat at the edge of the water, its front stained by salt. The Lady had no rear entrance as the eastern end of the tavern had its back against the Slope. Human Amas Laskakos owned the Lady was often as drunk as her patrons. Fortunately, her six daughters did a good job of keeping everyone drunk and fed.

Commerce Ward
The three great mercantile houses of Presson's Enclave had trade fortresses in Greatwell's Commerce Ward. House Barbakis was the largest trade house, as it was headquartered in Greatwell. Representing the interests of the Summer Land with Barbakis were Houses Lorride and Manelli. Alongside the three local mercantile houses, four more important foreign mercantile guilds owned trade houses in Greatwell: House Shaw of Knotside, Ugash-so-Loqari of Ugash, House Ziga of Arruqueta, and the Secrets of the Righteous from Odonburg.

House Barbarkis
The Barbarkis clan predated even Greatwell, although it didn't hit its stride until most of the larger Pressonian mercantile houses were destroyed during the War of the Burning Plains. Fleeing Presson's Enclave proper, Barbarkis reestablished itself in Greatwell during the Ashen Summer of 966 AT. With what little funds they had, they built the Temple of Ilwyn and fought to encourage trade back to the Summer Land. Their efforts paid off, and they were the largest trade house in all of the Summer Land, rivaling even Old Manelli, the only other house that survived the dragons.

House Barbarkis was lead by human Keti Barbarkis, a square-faced woman known for wielding a huge mace she'd named Anna. A veteran of the Attack of Regrets and the bloody Battle of the Labyrinth, Keti preferred peace to war. Regardless, she made it clear that any assault on Barbarkis would be met with a swift and violent response.

Market Ward
Stuck between the Docks and the roads leading out of town, Market Ward was likely the second most populated district in Greatwell. Vendors from all over Omeria set up shop and lived in Greatwell Market Ward, giving the oh-so-human town some much-needed diversity. Any mundane items locals and travelers sought could be found at a stall in Market Ward.

Likewise, Market Ward had its fair share of magic dealers. Dinzer entrepreneurs from the Secrets of the Righteous mercantile house offered common magic items. Rumour had it that they would even sell emerald Odonburgite if the price was right.

Temple of General Ilwyn
At the easternmost end of the Noble Ward was the Temple of Ilwyn, the God of Summer. Human Filip Philsen maintained the temple. Although the temple was "open to all", most Greatwell Pressonians believe it to be "owned" by the Barbarkises.

Something of a sweet relief from the times before the Burning, church service was no longer required by Epochal law. However, most Pressonians attended sunset prayer within the temple (the rich) or in the courtyard in front of the temple (the poor). Many of the Greatwell Pressonian young refused service, however, having adopted the atheist attitudes common throughout Central Omeria.

Nobles Ward
The wealthy of Greatwell lived in the neighborhood to the west of Palace Castellanos in Nobles Ward. Noble Ward sat atop a flat, wide cairn of white rock overgrown with lily-vine. Although no wall surrounded the ward, the steep climb of the cairn made entry difficult.

Pressonian Museum of History
The huge museum at the front of the noble's ward was a recent addition, built under the patronage of the Barkises and the supervision of the dragonborn Qiu Xiang, the caretaker and founder. It contained archeological artifacts and displays on various aspects of Pressonian and Omerian history and creatures.

Common District
The southern half of Greatwell held the middle and lower class homes of the Greatwell Pressonians. Roughly half of Greatwell's population lived within this district. Generally, the closer to the docks the home, the poorer the conditions. Unlike the Noble Ward, the Common Ward was somewhat self-sufficient. It had its own shops, a couple of inns, and even a small volunteer militia force of commoners. Dragonborn Sargeant Gao-shi oversaw the Common District militia. Often light on resources—and respect from his peers within the town guard—Gao-shi relied on the help of adventurers when there was trouble.

Town Denizens
Nearly 85% of Greatwell's population were human, with two-thirds of those being of Pressonian descent and the remainder a mix of Ditimayan and Knotsider. A fair number of Qolan refugees called Greatwell their home; they were the ones who brought the Black Rose Clan to Greatwell. The remainder of the population was divided among the other humanoid races of Omeria. Forest gnomes were particularly prevalent, as were Anorian elves.

Qiu Xiang
Qiu Xiang, a dragonborn, was a retired adventurer and former paladin of the Four Generals. He was also the owner/curator of the Pressonian History Museum. Although he believed himself to be one of the wisest creatures alive, Qiu constantly feared that someone or something was out to deceive him. During the War of the Burning Plains, Qiu was a celebrated hero. One of the so-called Children of Tostrasz, Qiu turned against his brethren to aid the Pressonians. Sadly, Qiu had since fallen from grace.

Sargeant Gao-shi
Gao-shi, the leader of the Common District militia, was disliked by most Greatwell Pressonians for two reasons. First, he was a dragonborn. And although Epochal Law dictated that "no man is his father", suspicions pervaded regardless. Second, Gao-shi was incorruptible. His bond was to the people of Greatwell, no matter how much they despised him. For this, he struggled with resources and assistance when needed. Fortunately, Gao-shi was scrappy and recognized the value in hiring adventurers.

Steward-Prince Esen Castellanos Mydon
Cousin to Prince Orsilochus Castellanos Tomydon, human Enes Mydon watched over the town for the majority of the year. Whereas Lochi Castellanos saw Greatwell as a cesspit and beneath his talents, Enes desired nothing more than to rule as its governor—and did just that, tyrannically, one might add. Epochal Law prevented anyone other than the Mydon Princes from passing judgment on scofflaws. As such, Enes interpreted the law however he saw fit, using the corrupt guards to do his bidding. Often, criminals never saw a jail cell, beaten to a pulp or riddled with arrows before they arrived. Dangerously intelligent and an avid scholar of the Testaments of Otar, Esen was able to twist obscure laws to his purpose. Greatwell Pressonians who lacked the power to stand against the tyrant turned towards the Merchant Houses for protection. Enes, wise enough to steer clear of the whims of the Merchant Lords and Ladies, would step away from those who claimed association with the merchant houses, especially Barbakis, Lorride, and Manelli. "Enes insurance"—really, a form of extortion when you get down to it—usually cost a percentage of one's monthly earnings. Even the most straight-laced houses enjoyed reminding "uninsured" Greatwell Pressonians of the value of such an arrangement.

Zoe of the White Pillar
The human Otarian Monk Zoe was supposed to be the moral center of Greatwell. Of course, Zoe wss anything but. Not only did the man ooze with wickedness outwardly, he maintained a secret, depraved lifestyle as well. "Only a General may judge a man of the White Pillar" states the infamous, oft-contested, and frequently misinterpreted Epocal law. And while the majority of the Monks of the White Pillar guided themselves with their own moral compass, Zoe used the law to insulate his evil. While Esen Castellanos may have been a tyrant, he was nothing compared to Zoe. And at times, Esen had to protect Greatwell from Zoe's darkest desires. Fortunately, Zoe lived within the Palace and rarely exited.

Factions and Their Representatives
Greatwell was the commerce center of the Summer Land. And while it didn't boast the population that Presson's Enclave proper did, it was considered fast-growing. As such, many factions from all over Omeria hoped to exert influence over the port-town.

House Barbakis
The century-old House Barbakis maintained a tight grip over the financial stability of Greatwell. It's believed that for every silver that flowed through the city, two copper pieces fell into Barbakis hands. Barbakis wanted nothing more than to increase the overall influence and power of Greatwell. Keti Barbakis had aspirations of separating Greatwell from the Summer Land and Presson's Enclave, crowning herself the first queen of a new nation. Of course, this was not widely known.

Secrets of the Righteous
Odonburg was the largest and most powerful nation in all of Omeria. The Secrets of the Righteous—something of an ironic name—represented the interests of Odonburg and its wizards. In Greatwell, human Superior Ulune reported on the ebb-and-flow of commerce, power, and other happenings, especially those of a magical nature. The secondary function of the Righteous was to introduce Dinzer technology to the Greatwell Pressonians. Pressonians overall were a stubborn and conservative bunch, so the going was slow.

The White Pillar
The religious center of Presson's Enclave and the majority of the Summer Land, the Otari Monks of the White Pillar taught the ways of the Four Generals, the oldest religion in all of Omeria. The primary function of the White Pillar was to ensure the practice of the Epochal religion and the teachings within the Testaments of Otar. White Pillar monks also acted as arbiters, although, final judgments were always passed by Mydon Princes.

Although Zoe was the official head of the White Pillar in Greatwell, his subordinate, the human Sister Lydia acted as surrogate. Like the Steward-Prince, she kept Zoe's darkest proclivities out of the public eye.

Black Rose Clan
Originally from the ruined town of Qola, Black Rose Clan rose to prominence in Greatwell shortly after the War of the Burning Plains. An impressive criminal organization, Black Rose was careful to never extend itself beyond its means. The clan dealt extensively in black market goods, particularly white bloom. White bloom, a powerful depressant when smoked, was banned in the Tadju Confederacy across the Wound. Using Ugash-do-Loqari freighters, the Black Rose smuggled the goods to the south where they sold them to their contacts within the Crystal Toad, a Pressonian criminal organization headquartered in Castlegrasp.

The head of the Black Rose clan was the town's tanner, human Hamood al-Omar, the eponymous Black Rose.

The Tip of the Spear
Arruqueta, the second-largest city in Central Omeria, invested heavily in adventuring and tomb-plundering. In fact, it had its own government-sponsored adventuring guild titled the Tip of the Spear. In many ways, the Tip was less a guild than it was a criminal organization. Those who joined the Tip were rarely allowed to leave. And any who tried to run off with a discovered stash were usually found dead within a year, often at the hands of the guild's trusted assassin, the X.

The human Euklides Olabarri managed the Tip in Greatwell, a job he regretted taking. Because so many of the Tip's members were difficult to control, Olabarri spent most of his time padding the hands of the town guards and others to look the other way. Still, Olabarri's branch was by far the most profitable of all of the Tip's many branches.