viernes, 31 de mayo de 2019
North of Sethra, close to the border with the Dite empire,
sprawling across a valley of blazing-hot sand, is one of the most incredible
and wondrous cities in all of Arcadia: the great desert metropolis of Katapesh.
Within its sandstone walls, anything one wishes can be bought, sold, or traded—for
the right price. Katapesh is a city of organized chaos where cash is king and
commerce is the highest god.
Through all of the trials and tribulations Katapesh has
weathered, from its beginnings as the “Golden City” to the bustling metropolis of
today, it has retained its mercantile importance no matter who or what has
occupied it. Some believe that it is Katapesh’s divine purpose to one day
become the greatest center of commerce in all of Arcadia
The city holds more than 200,000 souls, and each one wants
to sell you something. At first glance it appears there are more businesses
than residences in Katapesh, because so many merchants sleep in their shops, as
they are there most hours of the day anyway, and it provides a deterrent to
thieves.
Thievery isn’t as big a problem as one might expect in Katapesh.
Crammed full of stores, stalls, tents, warehouses, hawkers, and purchasers as
it is, the teeming city seems a thieves’ paradise. The edicts of the
Pactmasters, however, make it clear that anyone interfering with trade in the
city faces death—or worse. While the occasional petty theft is to be expected,
organized or chronic crime threatens to disrupt a merchant’s everyday business.
The Pactmasters come down hard on those who endanger the city’s economy (sometimes
using constructs powered by the souls of slaves, called aluum, when necessary),
and ignore everyone else.
While the Pactmasters maintain control over the city, day-to-day
business and governance is left to Pactbroker Hashim ibn Sayyid. Ibn Sayyid has a reputation for upholding the
Pactmasters’ judgments and enacting their laws, whatever his personal feelings.
Some suspect ibn Sayyid has a personal agenda that will someday come to light,
but for now he enjoys a stable and respected position. Ibn Sayyid also presides
over the merchant council, which makes decisions about Katapesh’s trade
policies and ensures the market remains free. In practice, the merchant council
rarely interferes in citizens’ daily lives; their attitude is laissez-faire, if
not downright apathetic. The Nightstalls garner the most attention in Katapesh.
The bazaars there sell items that are more than unusual— they’re immoral,
addictive, or ephemeral. The Nightstalls is where one can buy a dragon’s
tongue, feathers from a couatl’s wing, drugs and poisons of all kinds, or a
devil’s regret.
Crime and Punishment in Katapesh
Before
considering breaking any of the laws of Katapesh, one should be familiar with
the penalties. Of course, with the right attitude and a handful of coins, the
Zephyr Guard may just let the offending party off with a warning.
Murder of guild member, Zephyr Guard,
or government official: Execution
Murder of unaffiliated person: 6 months imprisonment, 100 gp fine,
and official warning
Assault of guild member, Zephyr
Guard, or government official: 1 year imprisonment
Assault of unaffiliated person: 1 gp
Destruction of Property: Fine equal to the value of the property,
or slavery (time varies)
Tax Evasion: Fine equal to the unpaid taxes and 6
months imprisonment
Theft: Loss of a hand, branding, and 25 gp
fine, or death (second offense)
Unsanctioned sale prices: Fine equal to the value of the item,
official warning, and/or loss of guild membership
Disorderly conduct: 5 gp
Recent rumors of Katapesh
- During a
clear and cold night, many people witnessed a star falling from the
sky and landing in the nearby desert.
- The nearby
tombs of the city have been looted by Grave Robbers. Family members
of the deceased are asking for help to stop them.
- The water
in a well in the slum district have turned blood red.
- The people
of the northern mountains have been peaceful towards the caravan traders for a
long time. Recently however, they have blocked the mountain pass. Now the
traders have to travel through new and dangerous parts of the wastelands to
find a new route to the west.
- Some
children and young boys had gone missing in the slums, close to the old house
of a fallen merchant.
- Some claim
that a new group of criminals (theft and assassins) are forming under the old
tunnels below the city, and their leader is called "the red cloak".
