helsportcitydistricts

The City Districts in General

It is helpful to the player to know just what goes on in his city. So to further that goal we now turn to the discussion of the city environs itself. In general you will spend large amounts of time inside the walled sections of the city and be concerned with mundane matters, but it helps if you know a little about what your environment is. Firstly the city is massively built. The walled sections are four stories high and wide enough at the top for chariots to roll along. Think Great Wallof China. Visible from almost any point in the city is the seven stories Arena that occupies the center area of the city. It used to be able to seat the entire city at once for both entertainments and for the yearly meeting of all citizens that conducted the city's election of officers. Now it is bowl of obsidian and is the prime place of employment for most of the citizens who are constantly working to mine the stone for trade. If you are thinking of knocking over the walls take into consideration that they are made of granite. There are many types of buildings of various sizes and builds. Stucco buildings, and half-timber buildings are very common. Despite manyof these structures still bearing signs of war damage, they are over constructed and still quite new. To the average serf newly arrived, most dwellings will seem impossibly fine and large despite the damaged condition.

Another wonder of Helsport is the fact that it has an actual plumbing and sewer system. Almost all of the structures inside the city having running water, and also incredibly, toilets that flush. In general each street has manhole covers which allow access to the city sewer system and there is currently much activity being centered on cleaning them out and ensuring the proper functioning of this vast public work. The roads are cobblestones made of granite that enables efficient travel and movement around the city even during the winter snows. Another amazement in Helsport is the streetlighting system. Even in the poorest districts, there are naptha feed lights of gnomish manufacture. Unfortunately many do not work right now due to several breaks in the pipes that bring the naptha to each individual light. Also problematic is the fact the Lamplighter Guild is many members short and physically unable to light the city even on the longest nights. Too many lamps too few people.You will find many abandoned buildings especially in the Slum district. You probably can take over any unoccupied dwelling, but you will run the risk of losing title to it if the city ever does get its records back in order. You will find many of the more important buildings severely damaged due to the Great Destruction, but since they were well built most still serve as centers of activity. You will also note that some buildings are strangely abandoned. In most cases, especially in the Trader's district, this is due to the post Destruction plague which ran rampant through the city. Structures that were visited by the plague have large black stripes painted on the doorways, or if there are no doors, on the shutters of each structure. You will also see much slip-shodwork done to temporarily repair buildings. One thing you will find strange is the absence of horses,or of drawn vehicles. This is also the result of the plague. By order of theHigh Sage, cortege was forbidden when it was found that draught animals and their vehicles were spreading the plague. When you venture out into the city you will be one of many pedestrians. For most common goods such as food or pottery or firewood, you will need to go only to the local square markets that spring up daily at the intersections of roads in the Slum district. If you require more substantive items however you will be forced to travel to theTraders district. Big deal you say?

This fortress has its own walls and towers. Dominates the city as the tallest structure and might as well be on Mars because that is likely as close as you will ever get to it. Rumor has it that the Chamberlain is Crown Prince Otto of Hess, the Renegade Heir to the Issligi Imperial Throne. Also rumored is the existence of the Mages guild inside the Citadel under the watchful eye of Atlan Miskovar. In general if you do go to the gray buildings of the Citadel you are entering dreaded territory. Another place you are unlikelyto visit is the Nobles district. It has no access to the other districts for a reason. The nobles live in a fortress like area. To the South is an entrance to the Botanical district. To theNorth is a gated entrance to Miskovar'sCitadel. And in the center of the eastern wall is a controlled entrance to the Religious district. The Gated area is the former home of theBlack Rangers that was nick named Little Ellis Island by former players. In general rumor has it that there are fantastic townhousesand estates each with private house guards. In addition there is common knowledge that the military barracks of the Army of Helsport was formerly housed here.Otherwise,the Nobility district is also an area that will likely go unknown to the mundane citizen in Helsport.

The area is a large forest with semi wild animals. Everyone knows that the city's primary water supply is located here as a lake in the middle of district. Rumor has it that there are noble vacation houses or huntinglodges located here as well. In general the district is a large green unknownarea. It has two entrances. On the East is a gated entrance to the Traders district, and to the North is a double towered entrance to the Nobles district. A few players have managed to get to this area, and most have found it dangerous both because of beasts and human beings.

As you enter the area from the Slum district you will see the only non fortified section of the city. The outer wall connecting the Slums and Religious acted as a dam for the magma that covered the Religious area during its destruction. The magma eventually forced the wall to topple over into the Slum district, so in order to enter theReligious district you must scramble up first the rubble of the collapsed wall and then onto the magma covered city district. What you will see when you are in this district?Basically a wide area religiousdistrictmap

bounded by the city outerwall and the Arena. Otherwise you will see very little. The temples were collectively buried in place and as such,are possible places of treasure. Unfortunately there is a fairly strong and constant patrolling of the area by the Templars of Hel. As a brief aside, Miskovar tolerated other religions in Helsport, but allowed only one religion, i.e.,the worship of Hel. The other temples were permitted, but were often small and understaffed. The three largest temples in the district were devoted to Hel and her threedaughters, Sleet, Snow, and Stumbling Block. There also was a very large statue of Hel formerly astride the temple of Hel that was visible as alight house ten nautical miles from shore. Think Colossusof Rhodes.

The Arena . This area is now a large bowl of obsidian that is currently mined for trade.Some of the workers here are citizens who travel daily from the Slum district into theArena, while others are surviving slaves and convicts. Work here is brutal, and profitable. It is administered by the High Sage from theTraders district. Rumor has it that the Arena is never quite. At night, the sounds of work can still be heard, though no person works there afterdark. If you do work here be forewarned taking obsidian for yourself is universally viewed as a great offense and should you be found to have any, you will be lucky to get out of the city before the watch arrests you.

The Slum District, Or Home Sweet Home
This is likely the place you will spend most of your time. The general area is fairly populated, but 15,000 people spread fairly thin in a city meant for 100,000. So while not a ghost town, it is fairly private. There are several ways of finding a dwelling. You can simply seize one, or even get one legally by petition to the Board of housing. As said before you can live quite well simply by staying in the Slum district, but since you are an adventurer, you will more likely seek broad horizons. Keep in mind the city patrols are irregular both in makeup and reliability. The closer to the Government district you are the more populated the area, but as you move away from there to the Religious district, population levels tend to drop off dramatically. Are there monsters about? If you get a dwelling, besides making it habitable, you will also want to fortify it. Keep in mind, Lothanderites have become rife in the government and the screening of immigrants has become much more lax thanit was in the past. You would be advised to keep an eye on your fellow neighbors. In general you will want to provide a home base similar to the type of encampment you would make if you were encamped in the wilderness next to an under ground dungeon.

The Government District
govermentdistrictmap This district is by far one of the most opulent districts.The buildings here tend to be of granite and were designed to impress foreign dignitaries and frighten newly immigrated serfs and citizens.You will becomefamiliar withseveral buildings. Likely you will visit the White Griffin, the chief hostelry in the city. Another place you willvisit is the Government Building. In here you will find the various departments that dispense the various bits of paper you will grow to hate. Another area you may visit is the long dilapidated row of buildings known as Government Row. You can often get your pieces of paper more efficiently here, but their actual authenticity can be suspect. A place you would want to avoid is the White Tower. This large tower serves as the primary prison for the city and also serves as the home for the judicial ministers. Be warned however that currently most criminal matters are investigated by a Naval tribunal, or in worse cases by direct consultation with the High Sage. Another complex you will see but likely be unable, or unwilling to enter, is BardsCollege. Known as University of Hel, this area had, or possibly still has one of the largest libraries in history. On the downside, rumor has it that many of the faculty were mindflayers. It is noteworthy that this area of buildings, especially the university belltower, was the scene of intense fighting. To the north lies the entrance to the Slum districtand to the South lays the entrance to the Traders district.

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	The City Districts The City Districts in General It is helpful to the player to know just what goes on in his city. So to further that goal we now turn to the discussion of the city environs itself. In general you will spend large amounts of time inside the walled sections of the city and be concerned with mundane matters, but it helps if you know a little about what your environment is. Firstly the city is massively built. The walled sections are four stories high and wide enough at the top for chariots to roll along. Think Great Wallof China. Visible from almost any point in the city is the seven stories Arena that occupies the center area of the city. It used to be able to seat the entire city at once for both entertainments and for the yearly meeting of all citizens that conducted the city's election of officers. Now it is bowl of obsidian and is the prime place of employment for most of the citizens who are constantly working to mine the stone for trade. If you are thinking of knocking over the walls take into consideration that they are made of granite. There are many types of buildings of various sizes and builds. Stucco buildings, and half-timber buildings are very common. Despite manyof these structures still bearing signs of war damage, they are over constructed and still quite new. To the average serf newly arrived, most dwellings will seem impossibly fine and large despite the damaged condition. Another wonder of Helsport is the fact that it has an actual plumbing and sewer system. Almost all of the structures inside the city having running water, and also incredibly, toilets that flush. In general each street has manhole covers which allow access to the city sewer system and there is currently much activity being centered on cleaning them out and ensuring the proper functioning of this vast public work. The roads are cobblestones made of granite that enables efficient travel and movement around the city even during the winter snows. Another amazement in Helsport is the streetlighting system. Even in the poorest districts, there are naptha feed lights of gnomish manufacture. Unfortunately many do not work right now due to several breaks in the pipes that bring the naptha to each individual light. Also problematic is the fact the Lamplighter Guild is many members short and physically unable to light the city even on the longest nights. Too many lamps too few people.You will find many abandoned buildings especially in the Slum district. You probably can take over any unoccupied dwelling, but you will run the risk of losing title to it if the city ever does get its records back in order. You will find many of the more important buildings severely damaged due to the Great Destruction, but since they were well built most still serve as centers of activity. You will also note that some buildings are strangely abandoned. In most cases, especially in the Trader's district, this is due to the post Destruction plague which ran rampant through the city. Structures that were visited by the plague have large black stripes painted on the doorways, or if there are no doors, on the shutters of each structure. You will also see much slip-shodwork done to temporarily repair buildings. One thing you will find strange is the absence of horses,or of drawn vehicles. This is also the result of the plague. By order of theHigh Sage, cortege was forbidden when it was found that draught animals and their vehicles were spreading the plague. When you venture out into the city you will be one of many pedestrians. For most common goods such as food or pottery or firewood, you will need to go only to the local square markets that spring up daily at the intersections of roads in the Slum district. If you require more substantive items however you will be forced to travel to theTraders district. Big deal you say?


















	The Citadel This fortress has its own walls and towers. Dominates the city as the tallest structure and might as well be on Mars because that is likely as close as you will ever get to it. Rumor has it that the Chamberlain is Crown Prince Otto of Hess, the Renegade Heir to the Issligi Imperial Throne. Also rumored is the existence of the Mages guild inside the Citadel under the watchful eye of Atlan Miskovar. In general if you do go to the gray buildings of the Citadel you are entering dreaded territory. Another place you are unlikelyto visit is the Nobles district. It has no access to the other districts for a reason. The nobles live in a fortress like area. To the South is an entrance to the Botanical district. To theNorth is a gated entrance to Miskovar'sCitadel. And in the center of the eastern wall is a controlled entrance to the Religious district. The Gated area is the former home of theBlack Rangers that was nick named Little Ellis Island by former players. In general rumor has it that there are fantastic townhousesand estates each with private house guards. In addition there is common knowledge that the military barracks of the Army of Helsport was formerly housed here.Otherwise,the Nobility district is also an area that will likely go unknown to the mundane citizen in Helsport. Botanical district The area is a large forest with semi wild animals. Everyone knows that the city's primary water supply is located here as a lake in the middle of district. Rumor has it that there are noble vacation houses or huntinglodges located here as well. In general the district is a large green unknownarea. It has two entrances. On the East is a gated entrance to the Traders district, and to the North is a double towered entrance to the Nobles district. A few players have managed to get to this area, and most have found it dangerous both because of beasts and human beings. Religious district. As you enter the area from the Slum district you will see the only non fortified section of the city. The outer wall connecting the Slums and Religious acted as a dam for the magma that covered the Religious area during its destruction. The magma eventually forced the wall to topple over into the Slum district, so in order to enter theReligious district you must scramble up first the rubble of the collapsed wall and then onto the magma covered city district. What you will see when you are in this district?Basically a wide area bounded by the city outerwall and the Arena. Otherwise you will see very little. The temples were collectively buried in place and as such,are possible places of treasure. Unfortunately there is a fairly strong and constant patrolling of the area by the Templars of Hel. As a brief aside, Miskovar tolerated other religions in Helsport, but allowed only one religion, i.e.,the worship of Hel. The other temples were permitted, but were often small and understaffed. The three largest temples in the district were devoted to Hel and her threedaughters, Sleet, Snow, and Stumbling Block. There also was a very large statue of Hel formerly astride the temple of Hel that was visible as alight house ten nautical miles from shore. Think Colossusof Rhodes. The Arena . This area is now a large bowl of obsidian that is currently mined for trade.Some of the workers here are citizens who travel daily from the Slum district into theArena, while others are surviving slaves and convicts. Work here is brutal, and profitable. It is administered by the High Sage from theTraders district. Rumor has it that the Arena is never quite. At night, the sounds of work can still be heard, though no person works there afterdark. If you do work here be forewarned taking obsidian for yourself is universally viewed as a great offense and should you be found to have any, you will be lucky to get out of the city before the watch arrests you. The Slum District, Or Home Sweet Home This is likely the place you will spend most of your time. The general area is fairly populated, but 15,000 people spread fairly thin in a city meant for 100,000. So while not a ghost town, it is fairly private. There are several ways of finding a dwelling. You can simply seize one, or even get one legally by petition to the Board of housing. As said before you can live quite well simply by staying in the Slum district, but since you are an adventurer, you will more likely seek broad horizons. Keep in mind the city patrols are irregular both in makeup and reliability. The closer to the Government district you are the more populated the area, but as you move away from there to the Religious district, population levels tend to drop off dramatically. Are there monsters about? If you get a dwelling, besides making it habitable, you will also want to fortify it. Keep in mind, Lothanderites have become rife in the government and the screening of immigrants has become much more lax thanit was in the past. You would be advised to keep an eye on your fellow neighbors. In general you will want to provide a home base similar to the type of encampment you would make if you were encamped in the wilderness next to an under ground dungeon. The Government District This district is by far one of the most opulent districts.The buildings here tend to be of granite and were designed to impress foreign dignitaries and frighten newly immigrated serfs and citizens.You will becomefamiliar withseveral buildings. Likely you will visit the White Griffin, the chief hostelry in the city. Another place you willvisit is the Government Building. In here you will find the various departments that dispense the various bits of paper you will grow to hate. Another area you may visit is the long dilapidated row of buildings known as Government Row. You can often get your pieces of paper more efficiently here, but their actual authenticity can be suspect. A place you would want to avoid is the White Tower. This large tower serves as the primary prison for the city and also serves as the home for the judicial ministers. Be warned however that currently most criminal matters are investigated by a Naval tribunal, or in worse cases by direct consultation with the High Sage. Another complex you will see but likely be unable, or unwilling to enter, is BardsCollege. Known as University of Hel, this area had, or possibly still has one of the largest libraries in history. On the downside, rumor has it that many of the faculty were mindflayers. It is noteworthy that this area of buildings, especially the university belltower, was the scene of intense fighting. To the north lies the entrance to the Slum districtand to the South lays the entrance to the Traders district. The Traders District This is the district where all trading takes place. You will find warehouses, custom houses, and government trading buildings. In its prime massive quantities of goods and services flowed into and out of this district. The guild houses also are found here. If you have a trade or desire a trade this is where you would go. The way things are now is that limited activity takes place. The ironwood market and the new obsidian market are the most resurgent. The Miners guild and Foresters Guild have the most members and are the most active. The Mariners Guild still has many members however the bulk of its members currently work for and with the Naval command due to the shortage of skilled seafarers. If you enter the Traders district you should be here on business, or to put it bluntly you must either be buying or selling. Also be careful that you are where you should be. If for example your permits state you are going to the fish monger market do not be questioned by the watch of the city in the goldsmiths' market. In general you must advertise your intentions to trade in the city broadsheet. To do so you should go to the Government building and request and pay for your advertisement. In general one of the trading houses,or more rarely a guild house will issue you a letter of invitation. If it is extended by a trading house you are generally expected to buy from that company.You do not have to buy from them, but if you fail to do so you run the riskof being black balled from further invitations,since a tradinghouseor guild pays a fee to the city to purchase your permit.If for some reason a deal is not made, standard practice requires you to pay for the cost of the permit. An example of fees is approximately 2 or 3 c.p.'s for a barter with a fish monger, ranging to several thousand g.p.s for a shipbuilder. So if you plan to conduct trading, be sure you are willing to afford the purchase price of the goods you seek, or can afford the penalty of not buying anything should the purchase price seem too high. If you choose to start a new type of enterprise be forewarned that you do not infringe upon the existing franchises of the existing guilds. Also be aware that by starting a new and original enterprise you will besubject to mercurial city laws as the regulation of your enterprise develops. Also be aware that except for religious tithes,the average citizen pays no tax. If you become a founder of a trading house you will be paying many taxes, and if you are not careful, your adventures will become more political and less physical in nature. The Naval District This is another of those areas you are unlikely to visit in detail. In general it is a large shipyard, and combination barracks and siege tower. Here is where the fleet and its private dock are located. In general you must either be a member of the navy, or a member of the mariners'guild. While not as mysterious as the Citadel or Nobles districts, much of what goes on here is generally unknown to the average citizen. Also absent are many of the rumors associated with the other unknown areas. There is much power here since it holds the most cohesive military force, but upto the present, this force has been reluctant to assert much influence against the city. Below is the original map, with some color enhancements. From top left is the Citadel, directly below it is the Nobles District, and below that is the Botanical District, to the right is the Traders District, all the way on the bottom right is the Naval District. Abovethe Traders District is the Arena and the Governmental District. The largest section is the Slums District, and back to the top left is the ReligiousDistrict. The single building to the right is Ellis Station. As you can tell a section of the original map was missing and i have not had time to finish it, nor has Greg sent me the rest of it!.