Ebon Gloom

The current view in Roscara reflects most of the world, in the aristocratic circles they prefer to think of themselves as a forward-thinking, ultra-modern, fashionable, youthful, fast set of people that, represent the height of all things fashionable and modern. To be wealthy and unseen means nothing and wealth without the weight of your peer's approval is to be disgraced. TO those who have everything the hardest objective is the approval of those around them. To find a good match, to be the best of the best as the most sociable, up to date and desired man or woman in society.

Those just under the aristocratic nobility likewise seek to reach ever upward and elevate their position by selling off both their sons and daughters in respectable matches. Families spend more money than a poor common layman could earn in a lifetime in a single season simply to be seen as fashionable at the right parties, wearing the right clothes, invited to the right tea, and be able to yawn at the right exhibit at the seasonable pleasure gardens. To any who can afford to spend money, it is seen as a fashionable affair.

Young ladies of the upper crust are meant to be chased, innocent, delicate, and talented while young lords are to be dashing, strong, and clever. Though through the advancement of writing and the interest in magic more and more of the youth seek to break the mold every year to live lives outside the norm society sets for them

Meanwhile, the middle working-class seeks innovation and revolution, hoping for political, societal, and economic change that might relieve them from downtrodden lives stuck with the lot they were given. Education continues to offer more and more the ability to free themselves from the scales of the working bondage and the popularization of the steam press offers not only the expedited transfer of ideas but also spell pamphlets as a digestible way for those who can not afford magical schooling to get their hands on useful magic.

One thing both wealthy and working-class alike share is one of the most popular spaces, pleasure gardens, a sort of fairground, and a place to see and be seen within the upper-middle class. While the aristocracy may traverse the grounds multiple times per week, a poor family may be able to for just once or twice a year.

At the very bottom of society rests a world of poverty, crime, womanizing, and gambling. A wild, violent, but energetic scene strangely enjoyed by the upper class who seem to vacation in the romanticized world of those far beneath their feet. Here crime runs rampant, and as long as it remains away from those who “matter’ none particularly care.

More diverse than one might imagine, Roscara collects people from all over the world. Different races and backgrounds mix into an eclectic and vibrant melting pot of culture in each city throughout the country but especially in Witchwell.

While one might find Orcs, elves, humans, and dwarves of every race and creed at the same table the only creatures one will not find readily available are those who possess innate magics in their person. During the wars of 1235- 1309 BE (roughly 820 years before the current date) when magic mysteriously became a sacristy many creatures with innate magic were killed and their bodies processed into a substance called Hollinacrim. Since this time it is believed that creatures such as these are officially extinct, whereas they are in truth thriving hidden among society as they pretend to be just like any other nonmagical creature. Only the higher members of the Ministry and government know otherwise, as well as experienced mages and those with a reason to know. To most people of Roscara these creatures are nothing but fairytales and history just like the dodo.





Introduction to Witchwell
Witchwell is a magnificent shining city that stands as the capital of Roscara. From the north the great Eltrie Run brings water to the bordering Kinderterre Basin, a great saltwater lake that is seen as the lifeblood of Roscara, creating brackish water in the calm Sleeping Bay in the cities south. With a growing population of over 1.2 million bodies, the city is separated into 10 distinct districts to house its inhabitants. To the wealthy, the city is filled with charm, gardens, adventure, and opportunity while to poverty-stricken the air smells ripe with human waste, trash, and brackish water.

Blackring
A trade district just below Feyforge, Blackring is where money and corruption flow more frequently than wine. Patrolled by city guards and the Black Ring Traders it is a fine place for any to attempt their fortunes. Though trade is not the only thing this district has to offer as gambling parlors, men's clubs, casinos, and opera houses stand alongside high-end bordellos filled with only the finest of all things.

The Black Ring Traders are a notable gang who traverses not only the Blackring district but Feyforge as well. They are comprised of primarily boisterous aristocratic youths with far too much time and not enough sense. However, where this the case for every member the organization would have died out long ago. Behind the veneer of dual happy hooligans in silk knee-breeches, the organizational structure of the Black Ring Traders begins with one Evan Greywell, a prominent figure in Witchwell’s Parlament. A man in his late sixties, Lord Greywell is known for his discerning eye, quick wit, and refusal to bend. It is under the Greywell name the responsibilities of the Black Ring Traders head is passed down from generation to generation. While from the outside looking in they appear to be nothing more than a gang seeking to sew their wild oats, in reality, Lord Greywell directs their conflict to areas he sees need to be attended to, including procuring trade goods into the city and distributing illicit materials where they do not belong.

One can identify a member of the Traders through a thick black tattooed ring encircling their left forearm. One ring denotes basic membership, while smaller concentric rings above the first indicate rank.


Catfair
A fine place for the discerning shopper or middle-class resident to make themselves at home. Catfair holds many cafes, shops, and clean gardens for the residents to find exactly what they need without ever leaving the confines of their idyllic homes. Snuggled up beside Greysong Palace, Feyforge, and the Ghostsong, Catfair may not be as fine in stature but it is a perfectly respectable place filled with perfectly respectable people.


Docks Ward
Nestled between the West district and Eltrie Run, Docks Ward could best be described as a home for warehouses. It is here that shipments from north of Witchwell travel down Eltrie Run and are processed to head out to Kinderterre Basin or be used and traded in Witchwell itself. Those looking to travel inland or to northern Roscara may find themselves waiting in the Sleeping Bay before paying the toll to travel into the mouth of Eltrie Run.

Feyforge
Feyforge is a lavish upper-class district filled with imposing manor houses, sprawling grounds, and high-end boutiques. Here one may promenade along Star Alley, a grassy parkway surrounding a long man-made rectangular pond. Or stop by Madam LaManon’s boutique to acquire new dresses for the season. Security in Feyforge is high as the residents pay the city guard for their attention and protection. Though they do also benefit from the high security of Greysong Palace whose sprawling gardens and manicured grounds stand as the crown jewel of Feyforge and perhaps even the whole of Witchwell.

Ghostsong
A serene and learned place Ghostsong not only is known as the home of the Ministry, but also houses Witchwell’s prestigious university, parliamentary buildings, and the extensive La Grotte Athenaeum. Many who reside in Ghostsong are keepers of knowledge, caretakers for the facilities, or students. Though the members of parliament tend to reside within Catfair or Feyforge depending on their ranking and funds. Ghostsong boasts lavish gardens kept quiet and far away from the bustle of the city where students and scholars alike may, in the rare times it is not raining in Witchwell, enjoy the fresh air with their studies.

Gloomfield
With a city as large as Witchwell it is only appropriate that their docks and trading be vast. Gloomfield offers room for tradesmen of all types, travelers to the city, newcomers, passers-through, and those who simply come to pawn off their goods. As a mix of homes built atop themselves above crowded streets, crowded open-air markets, shops for the everyman, inns, pubs, establishments of all types, and warehouses galore, Gloomfield feels like another city all on its own. If a person needs anything at all they may find it in Gloomfield.

Lostwell
While not a prestigious place, Lostwell can offer something many places can not, community. By far the largest of all Witchwell's districts many of the everyday folks that fall between the cracks of society, too poor to be of importance, too straight-laced to be noticed, have found themselves calling Lostwell their home. Here in the outskirts of Witchwell, located between the city's outer walls, the strong currents of the Eltrie Run, and the haunted dark forest to the north, residents have found a need to take care of their own. Often taking the law into their own hands here the disgruntled and highly taxed downtrodden have found ways of making ends meet. While the air is clean, the sharp looks outsiders get can truly sour a mood. The residents of Lostwell never seem to leave the streets dark at night choosing to light them with gas lanterns at any expense, nor let their children out after dark.

Nightmire
Beneath the city streets, in the twisting tunnels meant to vent the downpouring rain from Witchwell, hides nightmire. The residents here are the poorest, hardly able to afford much at all let alone a ticket to living on the streets above. Here the walls are wet with slime and the ever-dark twisting tunnels are fraught with danger. Due to the runoff from illegal and unlicenced alchemy laboratories, Nightmire deals with its fair share of Primordial ooze’s that form and grow in the more horrid and untraversed areas. Nightmire spans many areas across Witchwell and while not all are connected they are all considered part of this “district.” The shining gem of Nightmire is Blackthorn Market, which resides inside a large, abandoned cistern. The residents have created a floating market in which any legal or illegal goods or services may be acquired for the right price.

Silkhook
Farmland stands beside sprawling villas in a mix of wealthy and workmen alike. In Silkhook one may find the freshest produce, the finest horses, and poor but happy residents who lead simple, serviceable occupations. As the gentry has found their place in the countryside area of Silkhook many have taken up jobs inside their sprawling country estates. Unlike Lostwell, here one may traverse the streets without worry or care. To the east lies sprawling fruiting orchards, wheat fields, and vegetable gardens. Many of the cottages in this area hold a higher market value simply because of the location’s aesthetic nature.

Trollshade
While Lostwell finds itself filled with community, the truly lost find themselves in Trollshade. A rough and tumble place where the law turns a blind eye only those who can hold their worth dare to travel through Trollshade during the day. Let alone at night. Less desirable denizens fill the many tavern corners, murder is not an uncommon crime, and in the center of it all is the Beast Hunters Guild. Not to be confused with any actual offshoot of the governing body of Roscara, the Guild always seems to have a use and a payment for particularly nasty beasties one may drag in from the northern woods.

West District
The West district is by far the newest district for Witchwell, as Redalya expands its trade it finds itself in need of housing for new residents who have yet to fit into the many other areas of the city, as well as warehouses for new goods and real estate for new services. There have been whisperings of potential farming expansions for the West District, but just as many musings that it may become a barracks for soldiers who choose Witchwell as their home after the war. One thing is for sure, as a district in flux only time will tell what it will become.



Blackthorn Market
Blackthorn market, or "the floating garden" is seen by many to be a dangerous and necessary place. While it has been raided by city guards several times in the past it continues to pop back up again. Rather than spending resources on attempting to stop something that refuses to die, the city has begun to plunder any buyers heading in or out of Nightmire itself in an effort to dissuade the residents of the upper city to visit the market. While the risk is great, there are many ways in and out that the city guard has yet to discover leaving their efforts a distinctly uninteresting nuisance to those who call Blackthorn their place of business.

Blackthorn, and in effect Nightmire, is run by the "King Under the Hill" who holds court in abject mockery of the gentry above.

Bloodthorn Forest
Located just north of Witchwell the Bloodhorn forest is a massive expanse of twisting old-growth trees. Even in the dead of winter, their canopy seeks to blot out the meager sun Redalya has to offer. It is in Bloodthorn that Witchwell castle stands crumbling and abandoned. Many say this is the cause of the strange creatures that can be found roaming there, though historians comment the forest was a place of deep mystery and misfortune before even the crazed witches of old. Even still, it is not wise for any to tread beyond the treeline if only because one wouldn't want to lose the path and find themselves amongst the trees after dark.

It is surmised that the monstrous beast dens found within the Bloodthorn Forest hold many treasures that can be claimed by those brave or stupid enough to traverse these creatures' territories. However, it is ill-advised for any to attempt doing so, and if it is insisted upon it is highly suggested to not attempt doing so alone.

The Ministry
The Ministry is a policing and governing force focused around the control of magic within Witchewell and all of Roscara, where the city guard will deal with everyday crimes those with a magical nature are met with the Ministry. This is where some of the most powerful spellcasters in all of the country come to work as while the Ministry policies magic they are also allowed access to rare and forbidden magical opportunities.

All those who wish to cast combative spells under the law are required to have a "license to cast "from the Ministry, however, they are not all-knowing so many who can not afford the yearly dues for the privilege of magic do their best to circumvent this law. It is clear to those without privilege that the cost of a license is simply another way to push down the poor.



Sometimes players want to have a permanent location that can be played publicly and is made into a channel on the discord RP server. This can be a manor home in which they host parties, a tavern, a whorehouse, or even a ship. From a section of land in which their shifting pack meets, to a hunting lodge in the woods you can find all player-owned public locations here. Locations owned by players need not remain within the country borders of Roscara and can be homes, cities, or even kingdoms that pertain to a player's character.






Want your own? Contact Kruhee or a moderator with the answers to the questions below.

1) What is the location called?
2) Where can the location be found?
3) What is the location’s primary purpose?
4) What character owns the location?
5) Please describe the location’s appearance. This can be as long as you like but must be at least 50 words long. Keep in mind that the larger an area the more details will be required. Players may, if they so choose, additionally provide visual aids such as maps or drawings of the area.