Alternate Lunar Empire

[John Biles]

Pavis

Founded by the mysterious Pavis, thought to have been the Champion of the Man Rune, this city flourished for a time, then was sacked by its enemies during the fall of the Second Age.  Forty years ago, a princeling came and refounded the city, though most of it still lies in ruins.  Twenty years ago, the Blue Moon Empire conquered it, both to control the Zola Fel for trade purposes but also as part of their plans to crusade against Fonrit and to revive Genert.

A revived Genert will marry the Blue Goddess and fill the cosmic hole to be created if Ernalda is finally slain.

New Pavis and Pavis County are governed by Sor-Eel (Moon, Death, Movement), a relative of the famous Jar-Eel who has less power but also a much lower harmonious body count.  He is a Rune Lord of Yarnafal Tarnils and may be illuminated, though he claims not to be; the Empire is wary of illumination and he likes his career.  He is an Eel Hsunchen and enjoys transforming and swimming in the Zola Fel an hour each day as his form of exercise when not on campaign.  Much of his time is occupied in 'mystic shit', relating to the Genert and Crusade plans, so day to day administration falls to his overworked Vice-Governor Cornelius Falco (Fire, Stasis, Harmony), who is not a Falcon Hsunchen but a normal Dara Happan.  Any question as to which vice he governs will shorten your lifespan.  He is constantly busy and tired, and would rather be running logistics somewhere.  But he's stuck.  He's too good for Sor-Eel to ever give him up.  He was challenged several times by Count Solanthos and many suspect that Sor-Eel set up Solanthos' death to avoid any risk of losing Cornelius.  Falco is either not illuminated or hides it ludicrously well; many suspect illumination would kill him because relaxing would cause him to finally collapse.

Much of Falco's time is eaten up settling disputes between clans and between city folk and the clans of Pavis County.  The rest is dealing with disputes between Impeerial Praxians and the city or clans or each other.

The city mostly governs itself, though the Empire may interfere and does have people doing certain things like collecting the taxes on loot taken from the Big Rubble.

6000 people now dwell where 3500 dwelt forty years ago when New Pavis was reborn.  The result is that some old buildings have been destroyed, replaced with insula of the kind common in Pelorian cities.  But other parts of the city remain in the 1580s (or even older). 

Pavis has five social classes.  The legal highest is the Imperials - any citizen of the Empire.  The second highest is Citizens of Pavis - those who are lay initiates of Pavis.  They were the highest before the Imperials came.  The third highest is 'Cousins'.  People from the Zola Fel Valley who are not initiates of Pavis.  Any other free person who enters is a 'foreigner'.  Below them are the slaves, who all belong to Imperials, Cousins, or Foreigners - Pavisites do not enslave anyone who has the Man Rune.

Dwarves count as Citizens if they live in Pavis, being part of the Cult of Flintnail, associated with Pavis.  The city depends on them heavily, even more now as the Island Project continues.  (The Island Project is the construction of Insula in the city by converting old buildings.)  

Temple Hill is the oldest intact part of Pavis.  At its peak and stretching down into the interior of the hill is the Temple of Pavis.  Only Sog City and Aronit are older and still largely the same in all of Glorantha.  (Sheng Seleris' 'renovating' Kralorelan cities to bits of rubble greatly reduced the competition.)  The Temple is shaped like the Man Rune - you enter through the 'right arm'.  Most of the place is open only to priests, rune lords and people too secret for me to tell you, but the head forms the main worship area where all citizens of Pavis may come and worship.  It is well known to be bigger on the inside than it should be, though some of this is just levels built into the hill.  Rumor has it that the inside is half into the Hero Plane and half-out, facilitating entering the Hero Plane.  It is a certainty that if you know how, you can ente Pavis in its full glory, its legend in the Hero Plane, though only a few know for sure.  Pavis himself dwells within the Temple, definitely inside the Hero Plane.

One day, he will come out, the citizens believe.  And then a new age of glory will begin.  When the Great Bell, silent since his departure, save for ringing thrice to welcome Dorasor to Pavis and thrice to welcome the Moonson, rings eight times, once for each day of a week plus the first day of the next, then Pavis will return and a new Golden Age will begin.  (Many assumed Catticus would be angry to be no more honored than Dorasor, but to everyone's surprise, he was happy for a week!  No one is sure why but they were not going to argue with the Moonson.)  The Lesser Bells play a song written by Catticus on Godsday, along with a dozen different sacred Pavisite tunes.

Adjacent to Temple Hill is High Hill, where the wealthy of Pavis live.  Permanent breezes bring cool air in from the river and blow the city's funk away.  This is a mix of the Old Money, pre-conquest Pavisites, and New Money, wealthy Imperials.  Homes here are larger than the rest of the city but smaller than they would own elsewhere as there is only so much space in Pavis; so they build upwards.  Having a roof garden and a water catchment pool for swimming is common.  Many of these buildings are six to eight stories tall.  The homes ring circular streets all on the same level, with periodic roads up and down the hill; at the peak is the Grand Mansion - owned by the Governor.  Jar-Eel is a periodic guest here.  The Vice Governor has a mansion on the first ring down; it has been repainted and refaced to look like a Dara Happan Hanging Garden on the outside.  Puttering about this is possibly his only form of 'fun' activity.  Half the city finds it beautiful and inspiring; the other half gnash teeth about the amount of water this uses.

A Word About Water:  No one goes thirsty in Pavis - water is piped out of the river to great fountains where anyone can collect water.  But unless you are rich, you have to haul it yourself and that means only the wealthy can afford fancy gardens.  Not that most Pavisites have enough *space* for such.  The farm district, however is a special case.

 

There is more to come but I decided to post it before I lose it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Biles]

North of Temple Hill is the Temple District.  This is home to the main government buildings and holy buildings.  This district gradually slopes downhill to the northernmost districts. 

Major Temples include:

• The Seven Sailors
• Issaries and Etryes (sharing a temple)
• Argan Argar (with shrines to shrines to Kyger Litor, Zorak Zoran, and Xiola Umbar)
• Chalanna Arroy
• The Temple of Knowledge:  Lankhor Mhy and Irripi Ontor
• Orlanth
• Temple of the Unknown Gods (this holy place is used by minor groups for their ceremonies; the city takes care of it)
• Lokarnos

 

• The Hall of Pavis sits at the base of Temple Hill; it is where the city administration takes place; Vice-Governor Cornelius Falco has an office here, as does the Mayor, Byrgga Scissortongue.  Much of the City government is located here.  If you have to deal with local bureaucrats, this is the place to go.
• The Guild Hall is also found in this district; it is where the major merchants of the city coordinate their business.  Sometimes they hire adventurers for various missions.  There are also individual guilds for specific trades, each represented in the Guild of Pavis. 
• The Ernalda Ruins used to be a temple and the first thing the Empire did was to burn it.  There are rumors of a hidden underground temple and every so often, the ruins have to be cleared of Earth element creatures.
• The Pavis Library:  Adjacent to and connected to the Knowledge Temple.  Scholars can rent study rooms here by the hour, day, week, or season as available. 
• The Temple of Lokarnos is also the Teamster's Guild; they control wagon transport in the city of Pavis.  They used to also function as the Pavis Mint but now Pavis uses imperial coinage. 

Downtown is the physically lowest neighborhood of New Pavis which is not underground (Dwarf Town).  This is where caravans usually enter the city and do business - it is a collection of caravanaseries, inns, taverns, warehouses, and the Import Market, where the city's merchants do business with importers and exporters (caravans and people from the countryside.  Praxians who trade in bulk have to do business in Badside due to past incidents.  Rain often runs down into the district during Sea and Storm Season... when there is rain.  Adventurers will find it easiest to get accommodations here.

• One of the key moments in becoming used to Pavis is walking into Marollo's Escort Service and being disappointed that it is not what you thought.  Located in the SE corner of the district, it provides guards for caravans and helps connect adventurers and people looking for bodyguards or extra manpower for a raid into the Big Rubble or anywhere else in the Zola Fell.  Kevan Landtaster (who will never explain his nickname ever, though he does have the Earth rune) is used to people making this error and can point you to any brothel in town.  He'll even sell you a brochure for a few coppers.  He is the front desk man.  Marollo (Moon, Death, Movement) himself is a retired 20 year veteran of the 22nd and remains proud of his service and ensures former soldiers get the best pay when working for him.  You can hire him but you had best be prepared to pay very well.  When Cornelius Falco needs discreet adventurers, he turns to Marollo to find them.
• Heartland Imports sells goods from the Empire at much higher prices than you would pay in, say, Holay.  But if you want Imperial goods, this is the place to go.  Boris Maxim is an initiate of Etryes and a skilled businessman from Darjin.  Oil of Holay, the latest Wind Novel, Pelandan philosophical scrolls, Imtherian cheeses, mysterious blue crystal weapons, he has it all.  Boris also has an odd taste for snake, alligator, and various bog fish and periodically hires people to head down river to get them for him. 
• Jorjar the Quick, Jo-Tarran Longsword, and Derenx the Handsome are a trio of adventurers who bought out a former importer and turned his warehouse/house into their mansion.  They can be hired through Marollo's Escort Service and sometimes invite other adventures to dine with them - it's a sign of having made it.  All three are from Ralios.  Jorjar is tall, skinny, and green-haired (cut short); he wears leather and fights with javelins, or twin shortswords if forced into melee.  He is a rather frivolous person and the other two don't let him manage his own money.  Jo-Tarran Longsword is an initiate of Vinga and is the heavy fighter, wearing heavy armor and fighting with a big axe, though she is also skilled with javelins.  She is a pragmatist when calm and passionate in battle.  Derenx the Handsome is middling in height with short black hair and fancy, expensive clothing.  He practices 'The Flare School of Sorcery', wielding fire and air magiics.  He loves to talk without saying anything much.
• Honest Hermosius’ Used Weapons:   Honest Hermosius will happily buy unwanted, extra weapons and never asks whose corpse you took them off.  His stock for sale ranges from 'barely used' to 'this will explode like the destruction of the Spike the next time it is used'.  He pays 1/4 the standard value of the weapon and sells for half price.  He is Pelandan and loves arguing philosophy and will talk to customers for hours if his wife isn't around to stop him.  
• Petunia the Clerk runs Petunia's Skald Studio.  She is noted for having a rare sub-rune of Air - Music.  She performed with Catticus when he did his famous concert at Moonbroth.  An initiate of Donadar, she runs the city's music service - if you need singers or musicians, you come to her.  This includes singing messengers.  For a fee, you can record a wind novel here and the best ones from the Empire can be bought here.  Petunia is also noted for the 'Pavis Suite', a collection of songs about the different districts of Pavis. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Biles]

Riverside is located on the eastern side of New Pavis, which faces the river.  It is occupied by fisherfolk who use the docks which line the river here and live in Riverside; their families stay in the city all  the time.  There is no gate; rather, two oxen pulled cargo elevators boost you and your catch to the top of the wall, then you move your catch to the other elevator and ride it down.  Imperial tax collectors operate the elevator - your fee is your tax, based on the weight of your catch.  Nori Longbeard is a Dwarf who uses the Truth rune to identify and weigh all fish.  The city's dwarves get a 10% cut of the fee/tax.

• The heart of Riverside is the Fish Market, in the northwest corner of the district, adjacent to Downtown.  Like all of Riverside, it stinks of fish but anything you can catch in the Zola Fel - Striped mullets, sea trout, perch, spiked and speckled dace, largemouth bass, beautiful shiners, stonerollers, suckers, and chubs. - can be found here. Oysters and other shellfish can be had, but since they had to be hauled the length of the Zola Fel from Corflu, you will pay two to three times the 'real' value.
• The longest, greatest feud in Riverside is between Chang's Finest Fish Dinners and Beauvoir's Fish Palace. Located just east of the Fish Market, they have sat on opposite sides of the road since Chang and Beauvoir moved here from Kralorela and Seshnela respectively in 1581. Stuck with the same selection of fish, they complement it with the typical sauces and other foods of their homeland; each is a double business - one side is a tavern and the other side sells full dinners to take home or consume on site. Archetypical of this is that each has a long Fisherman's Stew which has been cooking since 1581, which is their only 'local' dish and they constantly fight over whose is better. A decade ago, Chang commissioned Petunia the Clerk to do a song about his, so then Beauvoir had her do one and they became so ubiquitous that both songs are now banned in the Empire. Beauvoir is also famous for his one beef dish (Beef Beauvoir) - beef and bacon stew with good red wine added as it cooks, along with onion, garlic, tomato, thyme, bay, carrots, and tomato. Chang's most famous dish is sliced, barely cooked perch, on a bed of thick wheat noodles with a ginger sauce, peppers, mushrooms, and greens.
• Teelo Nori's Soup Kitchen has the third famous Fisherman's Stew, which has been cooking in the same magical pot of plenty since the Empire took over. It is found in the ground floor of an eight story insula - each floor above the ground level is dedicated to one of the Seven Sailors. The ground floor employs some of the residents in various kinds of shops - a barber, a scriptorium, a blacksmith, and so on; the rest are on the Imperial Dole and get their food via the soup kitchen. No one goes hungry if they come but sometimes the soup runs thin and they serve seven-sided flatbread topped with a tomato sauce with cheese over it. When possible, anchovies or pieces of other fish are embedded in the cheese.
• The Temple of Zola Fel is the only major temple outside the Temple District - it sits on the banks of the river, flanked by the docks. Anyone planning a long river trip would be wise to come here and get blessed. It has never been sacked, not even by Jaldon as the river butchered his men when they tried.
• Filbar's Fine Swordsmanship is located over a fish butchery run by his brother Hinbar. After a decade as a caravan guard, Filbar retired. He is a good teacher, but his 'practice room' smells like fish and only those used to it can stand to train with him.
• Fish Jam is a place where the husband and wife team Melchor and Arianna make Asreth, a preservative goo in which you suspend fish or other meats, and this keeps it good for a very long time. They call it 'fish jam' in an effort to make it more palatable.

 

 

 

 

 

[John Biles]

The Sun Court

The Sun Court is a miniature city inside a city.  it's roughly circular, turned 45 degrees to the rest of the city so its roads run northwest-southeast and northeast-southwest.  There is a plaza with wells in the center of the district, and at the center of the plaza is a round sun dome, smaller than most of the surviving ones elsewhere, affiliated with the Sun County Dome.  Baron Alexandros (Fire, Truth, Movement) leads the Sun Court as the appointed Lieutenant of the leader of the Sun County Sun Dome, Count Banashi Keen Eyes; Baron Alexandros lives in the Sun Dome of the Sun Court and is its highest priest.

The Sun Dome of Pavis is a round building surrounded by a plaza with four wells; roads run out of it northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast, the Rays.  Dawn Road runs northeast, Noon Road runs northwest, Twilight Road runs southwest, and Night Road runs southeast.  Ring roads which are circular connect the four roads; the outside ring road connects the district to the rest of the city.  Downtown is north of the Sun Court, Temple Hill is to the eeast, Farmer's District to the south, and the West Gate of Pavis connects to the outer ring road in the middle of its western side.

This district is notable for its red, yellow, and black color schemes, the presence of the oldest insula in the city, and for having zero inns or taverns - visitors either stay with their contacts or in the temple and visitors from the rest of the city do not casually visit.  (That being said, several guilds are based here and deal with people all over the city.) 

• The Metalworking Guild, led by Kalf Haldeson (Fire, Harmony, Truth), is based in this district.  Kalf is an expert at keeping a fractious guild together, aided by the constant need of the Sun Court and the rest of the city for the fruit of their labors. 
• Hucipites commands one of the Battles of the 22nd Legion and is an Initiate of Yelmalio - He is well known as a master of the Pike, which he wields with supernatural grace and speed; he is known to be celibate and abstain from meat during Fire Season; he is known to have a third geas but not what it is.  Not known to non-members.  He possesses an entire insula and lives in the nicest apartment.  Yelmalions and kin of his soldiers fill the other apartments.
• The Eiskoli are a prominent family of the district who now hold the job of 'Commisary' to the Temple; their job is to handle trade between Sundomers and the rest of the Pavis, both in the city and between Sun County and Pavis.  The Bacal, who held this job for a century, are now mostly dead; the Eiskoli claim they had nothing to do with it and it seemed like a string of accidents and duels, but... The Eiskoli are closer to the Empire than the Bacal had been.  Some blame the Empire.
• The Temple of Uleria is popular with people from all over the city and is *just* inside the district along Noon Road where it hits the Outer Ring.  Unlike the rest of the city, it has both a tavern and a restaurant inside it, all part of the holy ceremonies and quests, they say.  It also provides an excuse to pretend that you were not there for sex at all. 
• Whole Beasts Stable knows how to take care of herdbeasts.  It mainly caters to non-Praxians as most Praxians walk into the city.  (This will be explained later.)  This does include herdmen. 

The Farmer's Quarter

Before Nomads were expelled from the city, this area was where Nomads camped.  Once they got kicked out, some of the farmers who farmed close to the city built homes here for protection.  Now this area has become a giant experiment, aided by Imperial Elves - The insulas being built / already built have big bases and progressively smaller floors as they rise with a belt of food, spices, or even grapes being grown on each level on the walkway around each floor; water is piped up by dwarven machines and runs down the building, irrigating the crops and providing fresh water for residents.  Some buildings also have food grown inside in water tanks fed by the system. There are also ground level fields where hay and oats are cultivated for animals.  Enough food is grown to feed 500 people; not even close to enough to feed the city, especially now, but enough to help in a siege situation and there is talk of reclaiming some of the Rubble in like manner.  Elves, Dwarves and Men work here together in a way all knows would have pleased Pavis and Paviis' cult and that of Zola Fel are deeply involved in this.  Earth Priestesses from the Paps are involved as well.

• The Temple of Storm Bull - One of the remaining traces from when Nomads occupied this area.  The Empire does not like Chaos but is not as pre-occupied with it as the Orlanthi.  But here in Prax, the shadow of Chaos is all around and the Empire supports this cult while also trying to keep its staff mostly outside the city hunting Chaos.
• Located as close to the West Gate as geography permits, The Temple of Eiritha and Waha sits on a small hill that looks like a miniature version of Tada's High Tumulus with Eiitha's temple inside the hill.  It too is a remnant of the camping days, of better times when the city first flourished; the Empire is pressuring the temple to ty and bing Waha and Eiritha into the Changing Way.  They have not succeeded yet.
• Bob's Bison Burgers are made with real Bison; it was founded by a veteran of Moonbroth, Bobarius, a Pelandan.  Every so often, Bison clan try to destroy the place, so now a force of four Sables guards it because they are paid but more importantly because they find it hilarious.  When asked where he got the word 'burger', Bob spews a thick spray of Pelandan literary references and philosophical arguments and somehow proves his burgers are perfect because they are round.  Some think he may be illuminated, but how would you tell?  Bob's 'burgers' consist of two hemisphere shaped wheat buns with sesame seeds embedded in the rounded parts with various sauces smeared on the flat parts with layers of cheese, bison meat ground up and held together by magic or maybe fats, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and mushrooms.  If you want the 'Full Bisos Burger with Cheese' anyway.  It comes with red sauce and potato wedges on the sides.  Sometimes, when mushrooms are in season, he sells mushrooms stuffed with wheat rice, ground bison, peppers, and whatever veggies are handy.
• Bowmaster Surrak Shonar is of unknown origins, though most think he is a Westerner.  He is a lay member of the Cult of Pavis and a master bowman who has a large shooting gallery where he uses moving paper targets to train archers at reasonable rates.  Many think he knows some degree of sorcery.  He has a formidable grudge against the Pralorelans but this is rather like having a grudge against large lakes when you live in Prax.
• The Hobo's Rest is where you stay if you have too much pride to go to Rivertown and stay with Teelo Nori's people.  You can pay cash or work an eight hour shift in the 'fields' to pay for it.  There is an endless soup which some claim goes back to when Pavis still walked the streets, though the Hobo's Rest was built in the 1590s.  It tastes like it.  It's better than sleeping in a gutter; the rats are more polite. 
• The Stomp and Brew is a winery with a connected tavern that also sells a few simple dishes (Fisherman's Stew, Eritha is Only Sleeping, Oilseed Mush) to go with the wine.  It grows its own grapes. 
• Ul-Khan Sitzmag Bluemoon (Moon, Beast, Movement) commands a Battle of Antelope Lancers from the Hungry Plateau, Imperial Sables.  He and his personal guard dwell in an insula which produces Antelope foods.  He has a True Animal Antelope companion, Swiftwind, who loves to run at high speed - and is very good at it.  He faces a grim fate - within the next ten years, he will perish at the hands of an enemy and his skull will become a drinking cup.  Not knowing who will do it has made him paranoid and hampered his effectiveness. 

 

 

[John Biles]

Oldtown

Oldtown is the oldest part of New Pavis; it has the fewest insula and the most two story buildings with a family living in the top floor and their business on the ground floor.  It also has the most famous Inn in the Zola Fel valley - Gimpy's and one of only two Geo's Inns outside Sartar.  It is the poorest district and has many green buildings due to the green paint market being flooded due to a caravan screwing up and only hauling green paint to Pavis.

• You might reasonably wonder why Banaryos, Commander of the Silver Shields Battle of the 22nd Legion, has a house in Oldtown.  The answer is that it was cheap and he is a miser of a man.  He pays his soldiers the proper pay as the law dictates, but his personal expenses are minimized.  He probably does not *actually* have a big room full of coins he swims in but it seems reasonable to many.  The Silver Shields are theoretically heavy infantry but actually they are light infantry armed with shields and long spears, able to double as a phalanx but also to manuever quickly.  Banaryos is a Pelandan Rune Lord of Yanafal Tarnils. 
• Silibar's Fancies has allegedly Loksalmi food and the whole place is decorated like a Loksalmi harem.  (Scholars would dispute there are any harems in Loksalm, but that's a good way to get thrown out.)  Dishes of note:  egg and tomato omelettes, Sorgal Kar - a pork and onion stew, cooked in white wine with 'secret spices', one of which is heavy use of paprika, Layer 'Cake' - this is not a cake, it's layers of cheese, bread, zucchini, and bacon.  However, the biggest draw is the gambling games.  Fortunes are won and lost every night.
• Moonlighter's is basically an Officer's Club for Imperial Officers; it has rooms for let where many officers stay before finding permanent quarters when freshly assigned to the city.  It mainly cooks foods from the Imperial Heartland.  However, it also has a Detective Agency run by Sophie, a Pelandan Sorceress who owns thee club and her muscle, Davos.  They prioritize Imperial cases, but will take jobs from anyone who can pay.
• The Chicken House is both a brothel and an a chicken restaurant.  Old Mother Goose, a troll, runs the place, which has humans, trolls, elves, and dwarves on tap, though no one has any idea how she got dwarves to sign up for this.  The place is under protection of Valeria and those on the dole can get their meat ration here once a week.  It's not clear how she gets so many big chickens, with twice the meat of a normal Pavis chicken but no one wants to stop it happening.
• Magic Needle Clothes repairs clothing cheaply and can make new clothing by special order; it is known to have at least five actual magic needles and can supply you at twice the speed of any other tailor in the city.  The quality level is decent.
• Gimpy's is arguably the most famous inn in the entire empire, a hangout for adventurers, rumored to have a secret tunnel into the Big Rubble that runs under the wall.  Like many establishments in Pavis, it has a permanent stew - a variant of fishermen's stew.  However, it is always cooking in a magical pot that adds spices to it and keeps it perfectly warm.  You can rent storage space for items here if you don't want to take them into the rubble; if you miss payments for too long, however, Gimpy will auction your belongings; this happens on the first day of each week.  Those looking to hire adventurers come here first.
• Geo's Inn - opened when Dorasor came here; rumor has it that every Geo's is magically linked.  It is clear the staff are god-talkers of Geo himself and get magic from it and eating here feeds power to the hero-cult of Geo.  This may be why the food is so good and the beer always fresh and strong.  Heler-in-Bed, Ox-Tongue Stew, and Raisin buns are always on the menu; expect Orlanthi cooking
• The Pavis Salt Monopoly has its offices and warehouse here.  It moved here after its old location exploded and taking over some buildings here was cheap.  It's a good location for distributing salt across the city, though.  A side effect is that a one block radius around it smells like sea breezes.

Dwarfside

This district is accessed via a building in the Temple District.  It is entirely underground.  It is known to connect via a tunnel to the Temple of Flintnail in the Rubble but outsiders never get to use that tunnel or even see it.

Most humans never get past Dwarf District Sales, a shop which operates in the building above ground; you can hire dwarf engineers and workers or buy Dwarven products.  Human employees handle the haggling. 

As for what is down the staircase, only the Dwarves and their human frontmen know.  There are definitely forges, alchemy labs, a library, sorcery labs and mines.  And places to live, eat, and sleep.

Pavis Dwarves are thought to only use traditional dwarf food as a trail ration and eat normal food; there is definitely a restaurant called Peg-Leg Pete's.  Or possibly that's an elaborate joke on outsiders.  They do buy a lot of pork and wheat, though. 

Badside

A bridge connects New Pavis to the far side of the Zola Fel, which runs though the middle of the Big Rubble.  Along the northern side of Pavis, up against the wall on a natural hill squats the slum known as Badside; the poorest riff-raff live here, along with camping nomads.  A lot of butchering and meat-aging happens here where the stink will not wreck the city and where offal can be tossed in the river when Zola Fel's priests are not looking.  There is rumored to be a Temple of Lanbril here.  The notorious Blood Knives, a street gang, operate here.  There is also a bar/gambling den/brothel known as the Whore's Luck which draws many people who do not wish to be recognized.  It is also noted for having good Hidden Treasure - A variety of kinds of pastries which have jam, jellies, or preserves inside it.  Lhankor Mhy's Hidden Treasure is the most famous - it looks like a tiny book with date or fig jelly inside it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Biles]

The Big Rubble

Zebraside

The main way into the Big Rubble, Old Pavis, is the People's Gate, which links the Farmer's Quarter to Zebraside, a small neighborhood of people who are connected to the Zebra Riders; there's huge zebra pens just south of the buildings. 

• The Striped Barrel is the main pub of Zebraside, noted for it's skillet dish, Skillet Glee - fried meat mixed with mush (potato, wheat, or corn, depending on time of year), sugar, bacon bits, and shredded peppers, and for its trashcan punch, a mix of whatever booze they could find cheap.
• Mac's Zebra Rental - Mac is a dwarf, who will rent you zebras; under stress, he begins yelling about discount mattresses, then tries to pretend he has never even heard of mattresses.  Real men sleep on the floor. 
• Zecariah's Zebra Mercenaries For Hire - You can hire zebra riders as guards for a caravan and other jobs here.

Big Grazing

This is mostly open grassland, exploited by the zebra riders as an open buffet for their mounts.  it is dotted with little clusters of ruins but most of it is just grassy; near the middle lies the 'Devil's Playground', haunted by monstrous insects and brambles.  It may or may not be haunted by Chaos creatures at night.  There is a long, thin island in the Zola Fel on the eastern side of the Big Grazing, said to be home to a band of ogres.  Two hills in the northern end of the Big Grazing hold old forts and Yelmalio Hill at the southern end holds a wrecked citadel of that cult.  Beyond that, the Garden of the Elves begins. 

In the southwest corner stands a Dragonewt Temple.  Unfortunately, it's full of feral Dragonewts who are a menace to anyone in the Rubble; people keep calling on the governor to do something but Imperial Dragonewts want them left alone and for now, he's listening to them.

 

 

[John Biles]

The Garden

This is a mixture of forest, meadow, and open forest controlled by elves; it fills the southwestern region of the Big Rubble, with easy access from any point along its northern border... if you want to be quickly spotted by Elves.  Hippogriff Gate allows access to the Garden as well, and it repels Elves, though anything worth having has probably already been looted.  But if you want to try stealth, it's the way to go.  Newtlings dominate the arroyo the Zola Fel flows through and they can also help you infiltrate if rewarded.  And because the Elves worship Yelmalio as the cold sun who sustained them in the Great Darkness, the Sun County leaders can give you passes.  Or you can try to forge them.

So why go into an Elven area they will kill you for entering?  There are several things to see.

There's an Elven Mother Tree; kill it and it will wreck the cooperation of the local Elves by silencing their magical speech network.  The downside is that they will go even more homocidal on you in despair and rage.  The trolls will pay well to get a chance to eat it.

Many exotic trees grow here, useful for making enchanted wood items from staves to beds to arrows and bows.  But even more than that, magical herbs dot the forest.

• Mushroom Circles - Correctly gathered and preserved alive, you can plant them elsewhere to facilitate entering the Hero Plane
• Ear Fungus - From an Elf's point of view, this is a hearing aid for a tree; properly prepared, you can make a paste that, smeared on your ears, lets you tap that network and augments your normal hearing  It grows on the side of trees and vaguely resembles a grey ear.
• Scorpion's Tail:  A red and black flower; ground up and added to red wine, it becomes a paste that can be smeared on a blade or arrow, inducing agony in those you injure.
• Eagle Wings - A white flower that aids healing when made into a tea.
• Treasure Fruit is a purple fruit which resembles a plum; when eaten, it cycles through a series of tastes, from cherries to dates to pumpkin.  if you like fruit, it's very pleasant. 
• Elf Cherry Trees produce beautiful cherries in every season save for Dark Season.  But the bigger value is the leaves.  They are edible and tasty and stay fresh for a season once picked - anything wrapped in them *also stays fresh* until the leaf goes bad. 
• Elf Apples, in addition to being tasty, help you stay healthy.  This property remains if they become sauce, jam, jelly, juice, or preserves.
• Tiny Yelmalio is a yellow flower whose petals resemble sun rays in shape.  They can be made into a pain reliever; the Elves carefully cultivate them and trade them to the Sun County folk for things they want and can't make themselves, like metal weapons. 

There are various buried caches of Old Pavis artifacts, saved in case they need to be traded for something useful or to bribe people to do things / go away if they can't be killed.

Surviving Underground Structures dot the area, now buried under new growth.  They contain both wealth and danger.  The Temple of Uleria will pay well if an old Ulerian facility can be found and all surviving artifacts returned to them.  Locating these requires a good map, magic, or talking to a ghost.

The Huntlands

Much of the far side of the Big Rubble is the Huntlands, marked by wild animals, both tasty and predators, by bands of broo, and by patches of light forest mixed with grassland.  Human, troll, and broo hunters compete; at times newtlings climb out of the arroyo to hunt as well.  Gorp, jack'o'bears, dragonsnails, baboons, and gargoyles all roam the Huntlands and at night, vampires sometimes surface.  Many sleep in caves in the cliff which holds salt mines and dangerous caves (see below).

The old Griffin Gate opens into the Huntlannds; the grass and greenery are fresh because it rains around the gate twice as often as most of the northern valley; no one knows why. 

The Pavis Salt Monopoly maintains salt mining here, though it is dangerous due to human, broo, and troll marauders.  A group of Blue Moon worshiping trolls act as muscle.  The mines are set into a two hundred foot cliff that runs half the length of the Huntlands, gradually dwindling at each end.  The most famous part of the mines is the Salt Cathedral of Asrelia, where the miners worship. 

The Blind King's Hill, home to an intact palace, has been the grave of many an adventurer, though at this point, you have to go several levels under it to find unplundered areas, though monsters slowly drift up into the higher levels if no one wipes them out. 

The North Quarry was once a quarry and now is a large pond full of flourishing fish.  A small portion of Pavis' fishermen come here to fish and the Temple of Flintnail now sits on the shore.  The temple itself is only for members, but a long deal with the Fisherman's Guild means they happily sell food to fishermen and store their boats at night for a cut of the fish.  You can even sleep in the courtyard if, like a dwarf, you enjoy sleeping on stone.  Divers can enter old flooded mines cut into the sides if they can breathe water.

Long ago, someone carved out the easten side of the arroyo of the Zola Fel to create a sunken area through which the waters of the Zola Fel flow, the Puzzle Canal.  It is well known to be magical and to cause strange visions when sailed; many think it is meant to cause Illumination or is a puzzle hiding some great treasure.  The most lucky find first and second age artifacts; the least fortunate are found by sympathic newtlings who tend to them as they rave about 'cone people', 'the great purple monolith', 'a flaming lidless eye', 'the man with no back', tiny mites who climb into your ear and try to eat your brain if you put your ear to a door, 'the red right hand' and claim to have found vast wealth which turns out to be shiny pebbles.  it is rumored that those with the right secrets can use it to travel to other waterways. 

The Stone Circle is a circle of 17 menhirs vaguely shaped like terrified giant humans 25 feet tall.  Rumor has it that they did this to themselves to escape some horror during the Great Darkness and now they're kind of stuck.  Spirits love the circle and are easier to summon here.  One of the menhirs has human sized bite-marks; rumor has it that Jaldon Goldentooth tried to eat it for reasons unknown. 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Biles]

Manside

The area directly south of New Pavis, beyond the hill which holds Zebraside, is Manside, much of which is the largest continuous area of ruins, known as the Main Ruins.

• The Real City is the most intact part of the ruins and is home to clans of humans aided by dwarves.  They all pay fealty to Gomoranx the Wise.  This area is a lot like an actual town save for periodic monster attacks.  The Old Pavis Temple helps to protect and unify the Real City; the one in New Pavis is connected to it by a tunnel.
• Downtown is in fairly good shape but humans only live on the fringes - too many monsters.  Somewhere inside it at any given time is a moving tower, well warded; no one is sure if it has living inhabitants.
• Along the river is a cluster of buildings known as Oldtown.  Some have tumbled into the arroyo.  An old sewer system still drains into the Zola Fel, though water only enters the old sewers when it rains; many strange things dwell down there. 
• Small-Town is a region of buildings built for dwarves, and some of it now is home to bandit gangs.

One of the Twin Hills southwest of the Main Ruins is home to a fort where the Mani clan has held out for centuries.  They remain somewhat isolated but happy today.

Zebra Fort sits on the eastern side of the Zola Fel but the raiders who live there control the northern most bridge across the river and hold the area of the Main Ruins around said bridge.

Troll Stronglands

Trolls like to tell you they control the largest section of the Rubble, but actually, the Main Ruins dwarfs it.  Four major clans and many minor ones dwell in Trollside, competing with each other in a local Trollball league and raiding/trading/eating with everyone else.  It's all dark trolls, cave trolls and trollkin, including the Right Bastards, an all trollkin clan.  They dwell in buildings they have rigged so other trolls... and humans... and elves... can't fit into it. 

• The district of Riverside connects to the Garden via the Troll Bridge.  Elf/Troll control goes back and forth and Riverside is a frequent battlefield.  Non-Elves can negotiate safe passage - this requires about 100 pounds of wood/plants or 50 pounds of meat as a bribe.  The Riverside district always smells of salt and fish; the trolls do go down in the arroyo and grab fish sometimes.
• Temple Hill holds the ruins of many temples; the troll ones all still function and all of those, plus some others, are inside a troll fort.  But there is still loot to be had.  The Temple Clan, the strongest of the four major clans, controls Temple Hill. 
• The Breaker 109ers controll the Troll Break, where trolls breached the walls and keep guard over it; this is a good place to come trade with the trolls.
• The Mashers are known for their use of a cache of dwarf-made hammers that break stone and flesh with equal proficiency.  And *trees*.  They really hate the Elves.
• The Pushers and Shovers are known to be a theological joke that got out of hand and now favor unarmed combat and using terrain to their advantage.    The highest prestige members are those who have knocked someone down a staircase/off a cliff or forced a foe to choke on something inedible (inedible to a non-Troll). 
• The Arena - it's not clear what this oval area with rows of seats was originally, but it is now a trollball stadium.  The current champions are the Zorani Smashers, the team of the Temple Clan. 

 

 

[John Biles]

Pavis Adventures

• The Secret 13 Spices:   Bob's Bison Burgers' owner, Bob, has heard that a secret second age cooking text can be found in a tomb recently breached by adventurers who then got driven off before they can loot.  The tomb is under a restaurant ruins in Downtown.  The text is real, but the breaching of the tomb means it's guarded by the old restaurant mascot spirits - bust out your memories of when fast food brands in the real world had whole micro-story universe and let the PCs take down the most annoying creatures (looking at you, Hamburgler).
• The Dead Can't Be Deadbeats:  Goldfang's Grotto in Riverside is known for its exotic entertainments - Pentan Tiger Tamers, Liu's Amazing Lungfish Choir, Seshnelan Firesword Eaters, Egan Burger and his Talking Mannequins, and so on.  Unfortnately, the Swordfish Fighters ran up a huge tab, then ran off to the Rubble and died.  The lone survivor babbled about a green building near Wyvern Gate and Gorp, then fled the city.  The only way to settle the tab is to hire the party to find what is left of the Swordfish Fighters and bring back enough of their possessions to be hocked to pay their tab.
• The Nairum Must Go Through:  An Imperial Officer stationed at Moonbroth wants some Nairum, a fish sauce made in Badside by Praxians from local fish.  You just have to go into a slum full of people who want to roll you, pick it up and haul it to Moonbroth.  Simple, right?
• The Secret Elven Herbs:  Sequel to the Secret 13 Spices.  Bob needs you to raid the Garden for 3 secret herbs he needs to make the ultimate burger.
• Tale As Old as Time:  Gambling at Gimpy's went well for you - you got a treasure map in the pot!  it shows a location in Oldtown where the now missing Six Arrows hid a cache of treasure.  Time to get it before they research it.
• Sports Day:  Thurkan Thumper, instructor in mace and maul, offers free tickets and free training to the adventurers to escort him to a Trollball game; once at the troll lands, everything is good but lots of things interpret the PCs and Thurkan as food during the trip.
• The Helm of Lokadaemon has been lost for centuries and may have been made by him, not worn by him.  Nonetheless, it's worth quite a bit if it's real.  You just have to sneak onto Temple Hill, get into the tunnels under Orlanth's temple and find it.  Assuming, mind you, that the drunk guy who saw it wasn't lying.  Also, expect a giant murder-ram wearing it right now.
• Tome Diving:  Basar is a priest of Lankhor Mhy.  He wants to find a second age set of scrolls which are now at the bottom of the quarry lake.  So he wants you to escort him there and join him in diving for it.  
• Midnight Love Run:  Tomar offers you a treasure map (to a cache in Downtown) if you will help him sneak out of his house in Riverside at 1 AM, sneak through the streets to the Temple of Uleria, wait for him, then get him home without his wife catching him.  Surely none of the street gangs of the city will be out that late, right?  But just in case...
• The Rinliddi Falcon:  Stolen from the 22nd Legion a few weeks after the sack of Pavis, Ul-Khan Sitzmag Bluemoon believes he knows where it is and that it can avert his dark fate.  You just have to sneak into Small-Town and get it off the bandits who now have it before they lose it in turn.  There may be rival groups after the golden statue as well.
• The Potato Hon-Eel:  Nothing irritates the governor more than the annual Dark Season street gang contest in which each gang carves a potato into the image of Hon-Eel, then seat it on a toy throne and try to steal each other's Potato Goddesses.  Whoever steals the most of them becomes the dominant gang.  Sor-Eel wants you to steal them all so he can enchant them to wreak vengeance on the gangs for mocking his family.  (This can also be run with the PCs working for one of the gangs!)
•  

[John Biles]

Prax Adventure Ideas:

• Stampede:  While visiting the Pol Joni, the group is raided by angry Bison clanners, who trigger a stampede of the Pol Joni herds that threatens to wipe out both groups.
• Cattle Cavalcade:  The Imperial Army buys cows in Boldhome and needs them escorted to Pavis.  Extra hands (the PCs) are welcome and well paid because everyone and their impala will be trying to steal as many cattle as possible.  Boldhome to Svenstown is the easy leg.  Then Svenstown to Moonbroth, where you will drop off 10% of the herd with Imperials there, then the hard part - Moonbroth to Pavis, where everyone and their baboon will try to steal cattle, including spirits. 
• Hender's Secret:  You have a map which once was held by Lankhor Mhy priests which shows a secret God Learner facility in the ruins from when the GL studied it.  You just have to evade Little Sister's agents and whatever the GL left behind to get rich with potent magics.
• Live From Moonbroth II:  Petunia the Clerk and Emperor Catticus are going to perform at Moonbroth and Merinta Reborn, using magic to look like both of them are in both places at once.  Petunia wants you to bodyguard her on her trip there and back - you get to fend off body thieves (who use magic to produce nude images of people), overeager fans, rivals and an ogre who wants to eat someone famous instead of having to prey on random adventurers.  A good chance to impress Catticus.  Or earn his wrath if you blow it.
• The Grand Tour:  Maximus Darius (Air Hamony Illusion), a Dara Happan Wind Novel author, wants a grand tour of Prax so he can get ideas for his next series.  He has never left the Imperial Heartland; he will meet you in Boldhome and wants to 'see it all'.  He will need as much protecting as a five year old in a blender factory.  But he pays well!
• The Biggie Chip:  Segvadus the Sculptor wants a chip of the Biggie Stone and will pay by the pound.  You just have to sneak past imperial trolls to do it.

 

 

[John Biles]

The Garhound Marriage Contest, in this AU:

Once a year, anyone from a Lightbringer friendly cult may compete to become Year King of Garhound, married to the local Priestess of Pella the Potter in a year marriiage.  This involves having an easy life doing ceremonial and religious and marital duties and heroquests.  The contests have changed somewhat since the days when Ernalda was allowed to be worshiped.

First, you have what is basically a fashion walk; wear your best outfit, show off for the crowd of women; they approve a winner; you get points equal to your placing (the person with the least points wins the contest).  A goddess deserves a charming husband.

Secondly, you have to make three kinds of pots; expert potters, male and female, will judge you.  Pella's groom must be able to work with her.

Thirdly, you must fix a broken door; this stands in for everything men do around the house.

Fourth, you must show your worth as a husband-protector - this ranges from fighting pro gladiators to fighting convicted criminals to possibly fighting monsters if any are handy.

Finally, all of you have a giant mudwrestling fight to entertain the ladies.  The mud which is washed off the winner turns into magical clay they can keep even if they lose the overall contest.  It's considered a very good omen if the winner of this also wins the overall contest.

The second, third, and fourth place entrants overall all get a large 8 gallon container which renders its contents as light as a feather.

Previous champions can enter again.

 

 

 

[John Biles]

The first version of this somehow disappeared instead of being posted.

Zola Fel Valley Adventure Ideas:

• Bog Raiders:  Boris Maxim of Heartland Imports has a love of bog foods.  So he's sent you to the bogs of the Zora fell to get swamp mushrooms, swamp onions, alligators, and the heads of Swamp Jack'o'bears.
• Southbound and Turtles All The Way Down:   The governor of Corflu wants 100 bottles of Indagos Sparkling Blue, but he has to have it quickly - there's not time to go through the bureaucracy in Pavis to get it down river.  So they got this giant turtle (don't ask) and clothing for you to pass as Turtle Hsunchen (you will be credible heroes with a half-shell) so you can just go down river without being inspected and get it to Corflu in time.  (The wine is hidden inside the giant turtle's shell.)
• The inn Six Mystery:  Someone broke into Master Render's quarters at an Inn Six in Sun County.  (Master Render was a Rat Hsunchen Monk, traveling in search of enlightenment through hitting people).  You must clear your own names and find out who did it before Sun County arrests everyone as they didn't want you here anyway.
• Appease Lililicour:  Lillicour is a nymph who is interrupting river traffic; killing her will make a huge mess, so you need to find a way to get her to stop making trouble without death.
• Porcelain Smuggling:  A risky but profitable business; you pick it up near Corflu from a  Kralorelan ship and haul it to Pavis to a contact in Riverside.  One of the biggest problems is that Karshtkids love the taste of Porcelain and lurk in the pickup area.  That's the known hazard.  So do Imperial Customs officers. Then you just have to haul delicate breakables a very long ways secretly.
• The Adventure Guides:  Count Rous' nephew Caro is 19 and has some battle training but no experience.  He wants to go on an adventure in the Big Rubble and the Count will pay you to escort him and *keep him alive*.  You have to go pick him up from the Grantlands.
• Missionary Man:  Astart Rastalor is a member of the 22nd legion and a God-Talker of Elmal Horsefriend.  Once again, he has gotten arrested for heresy in Sun County as he tried to convert people.  His commander wants him busted out and is willing to pay so he can lock up Astart himself for breaking orders.
• The Swamp Riddler:  Riddlers pop up like plague outbreaks.  Sun County officials haul them to the New Bog and stake them out to be eaten by local wildlife (or by the Morokanth hiding there).  Unfortunately, Riddler Anna Londinnadottir has returned as a swamp monster made of muck and monster bones and now whoever knows fear experiences involuntary illumination at her touch.  Or so the Sun County officials trying to hire you to deal with her claim.

 

[John Biles]

Pulu - a sport of Sartar and Prax and the Zola Fel

Pulu is a mountriding, hammer, and ball sport.  You need a very large, flat field and two teams of seven mounts each.  It is an ancient sport rediscovered by the founders of the Elmal Horsefriend cult but it has become the most popular Imperial import into Prax.

Each team has a goal; if the ball passes through your goal posts, your enemies score a point.  The long-shafted hammers are used to hit the ball.  You can only ride ahead of the ball at a sufficient distance to ensure you don't crash into whoever last hit the ball and is chasing it to hit it again; you can ride up alongside and this is very common.  First team to score 7 points wins.

Every cavalry battle of the 22nd Legion has a pulu team, and the Praxians are beginning to play against them and each other, especially the Sables.

Pavis games typically happen in the fields north of Badside.