IT IS THE YEAR 1432.
We bring ourselves to a far away planet - one that is, I must confess, quite similar to Earth, and yet, is not quite the same. I'm just as much of an alien to it as you are, and as such, I can educate you little about the world. But I do know one place in that planet, one which I can tell you a lot about...
Welcome to the city of Ensalas.
One of the youngest cities of the world during the time of writing - 1432, if I recall correctly - Ensalas is a burgeoning city-state located on the Deuvine Coast, at the very easternmost edge of the Fioran Empire's borders. Its dominion is focused on the city itself, but it is distanced from the Empire by a few kilometers of plains and countryside - a perfect spot for villas, farms, or hideouts.
It had come into existence only a few centuries ago, around the twelfth century, following the aftermath of the Empire's holy wars against the barbaric Eastern Kingdoms. The Empire had won much loot. Spices, gold and many more unimaginable treasures had to be brought back to the homeland, and they all had gone through a nameless coastal village which we now know as Ensalas. People began settling there, in hopes of making their fortune as trade moved between the Empire and other kingdoms through the city. In recognition of this, the city was granted its own government, a tribute to the many merchants who had helped build the city from the ground up. The merchants were allowed to select a prince of their own choosing, and they chose from among them Girolamo Riari, one of the first merchants to have brought back goods from the east.
Girolamo had helped accelerate the city's prosperity even further. Enjoying the support of his comrades, he employed trade policies which had further attracted people of all walks and wallets of life to settle in the city, be they from the Empire or from the East. Merchants, mercenaries, missionaries - everyone had something they wanted to do in Ensalas. The generations after him did their very best to continue to advocate for this brilliance, winning the city's autonomy from the Empire. Ensalas had grown to become a regional power, frightening even the nearby, expansive noble duchies, and concerning the Emperor himself over the city and its princes' rebellious attitudes.
But then came the fifteenth century. The beginning of the century had brought with it the worst news - the emergence of The Demise - a plague that had wiped out more than half of the 120,000 citizens of the city. The Demise had starved the city of its trade and had severely weakened it. Worst of all - it had wiped out the main Riari line, causing it to fall to the secondary line, at the hands of a young Matteo Riari, a boy who had never been groomed to lead. Matteo had begun leading Ensalas on a shaky journey to restoration only last year.
A weak, sickly boy, he resigned lacked both the authority and the courage to carry out proper decisions. A distant Emperor watched in anticipation as he watched the Prince loosen his grip over his city. The Emperor had a strong desire to restore proper imperial rule over this strategic, prosperous city again, instead of simply allowing Ensalas to enjoy so much autonomy. But it is not only the Empire that seems to cause much concern - the poor administration of the Prince and his court has caused a lot more trouble as well.
The sea and land routes around the city had not been guarded well since The Demise, and as a result, bandits and pirates troubled traders aplenty. The fears of a renewed plague had not abated - instead, it seems more and more likely. Many merchants from the East who had now settled in the city have started preaching their heretic faith, creating significant tensions. It is also clear that there is now a growing disparity between the lowborn merchants (who grow richer) and the nobility (who grow more impoverished due to a weakening Prince). And to top it all off - with the end of the Prince's first year, he is now preparing to choose his Princely Council - a group of fifteen merchants - amid increasing rumors of his sickness worsening. There is no doubt the Prince will rely on his Council - he is almost too eager to simply resign his duties to them.
The city of Ensalas is plagued with uncertainty now. But what will you do? As a family or a guild - a collective of people, the very basis on which this city runs - what will you do? Who will you fight for? How will you do it? The possibilities are endless. Will you be a true and loyal servant to your Prince, or will you try and seize power for yourself? Will you be an icon of piety, a true savior in this time of distress, or will you take advantage of this chaos to make a profit? We shall see.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
MAP
LEGEND
1. The Princely Palace: This is where the Prince, his family and his advisors live. It is also where the Princely Council convenes, and is the center of defense and political matters in the city. It is a heavily guarded citadel and very luxurious. Access is restricted to all save for the Prince, advisors, family, diplomats and members of the Princely Council.
2. The Gold Quarter: This is where the nobility of the city live, as well as its significant government officials. Extensions of the government are spread out here - barracks, guardhouses, armories, jails - this is also heavily guarded, and quite an affluent area to be in.
3. The Silver Quarter: This is where the affluent merchants of the city live. You will also find banks and shops in this area. It has an average presence of guards, and it is severely lacking in some areas. Several merchants tend to take... precautions of their own. Quite luxurious, and some may believe it to be more so than the Gold Quarter.
4. The Assembly Ground: A big, sprawling ground that is generally a sprawling marketplace for most of the week. It is also home to Gianni's Rest - the city's biggest sanctuary to the patron saint. People generally convene here every Sunday, at the end of the week, to listen to announcements or matters of the state. They also tend to visit the sanctuary once every week before they begin their jobs - the most common day is Monday.
5. The Docks: A place bursting with activity as ships enter and exit the city. Not heavily guarded, but full of tax inspectors both legitimate and illegitimate. Not particularly affluent, but full of traders and fishermen.
6. The Maw: The largest district of all, home to countless homes and minor shops. Poorly guarded, not affluent at all. The Inner Maw is unguarded, full of crime and quite frightening, if I do say so myself - it is where the underworld begins in the city.
7. Outer Ensalas: A shanty town with a few taverns for worn out travelers here and there - unguarded, save for the entry points of the city, and the poorest district of all, as well as the most barren.
REGISTRAR OF FAMILIES
- The Riaris (TBD)
- The Fioras (TBD)
SIGNUPS
- Code: Select all
[size=120][b]FAMILY / GUILD FORM[/B][/size]
[size=85]For convenience purposes, we will call family / guild a "collective" in this form[/size]
[I]BASIC DATA[/I]
[b]COLLECTIVE'S NAME:[/B]
[B]COLLECTIVE'S CREST (IF ANY):[/B]
[B]COLLECTIVE'S DESCRIPTION:[/B]
[B]COLLECTIVE'S HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:[/B]
[I]MATERIAL DATA[/I]
[B]COLLECTIVE'S ASSETS:[/B]
[B]COLLECTIVE'S MAIN BUSINESSES / MONEYMAKING VENTURES:[/B]
[B]COLLECTIVE'S LOCATION:[/B]
[I]PERSON DATA (RECREATE FOR EACH PERSON)[/I]
[B]COLLECTIVE MEMBER NAMES, DESCRIPTIONS, APPEARANCE (1):[/B]
[B]COLLECTIVE MEMBER NAMES, DESCRIPTIONS, APPEARANCE (2):[/B]
[B]COLLECTIVE MEMBER NAMES, DESCRIPTIONS, APPEARANCE (3):[/B]
[size=85]#bumbum[/size]
But yeah, a bubonic plague.