Anyhow, without further ado here is a brief introduction to the city and guilds of Ramliya, the City of Whispers.
Travelling through the Rustside Valley is a long and arduous affair. The Sendarian border princes and marcher lords are in constant competition with each other and the line between legitimate soldiers and bandits is blurred as they undertake raids on the surrounding territory, all while strange beasts lurk in the snow-capped carmine hills and mountains that tower on either side of the valley. Despite the dangers there is a constant flow of merchant and pilgrim traffic through the pass travelling to and from the City of Whispers - Ramliya.
Emerging from Rustside Valley, travellers are confronted with the Ironfield. Jagged pieces of metal thrust up from the barren ground like blades but few are large enough to block the view of the City of Whispers in the distance. Crossing during storms is not recommended. The city itself resembles a twisted metal termite mound the size of a small mountain, with broken metal fingers stretching up towards the sky. A whispering wind can be heard emanating from the vast edifice in the distance and at night its metal shell is pockmarked with the lights and fires of those living within.
Signs of civilisation appear as one approaches - first the scavenger teams are seen in the Ironfield, picking through the detritus and rust for pure metal and valuable artefacts; then the small, fortified encampments and crude manufactories of those who are either unable or unwilling to enter the city proper; finally the gates come into view, with their vast, dark portals sitting at the top of earthen ramps reinforced with metal struts. There are 12 ramps in total, each bristling with fortifications and controlled by one of the major guilds in the city.
The interior of the city resembles a series of dim cathedral-vaults clustered around the main support struts of the spires and the air is filled with susurrating whispers caused by the wind worming its way through cracks and rents in the superstructure. Height equals wealth in Ramliya and the wealthiest members of the city live high up in the 'Spires' where the air is thin and chills to the bone, for only they can afford to pay the Worshipful Company of Footmen to port fuel and goods up the vast heights and retain mages to seal the frost away from their homes.
The less wealthy inhabit the mid-section of the city, known as the 'Belt', and it is here that most of the city's industry and agriculture is centred - halls of looms that weave silken strands sit alongside furnace chambers that smelt and cast metals alloyed with the peculiar substances found in the lower reaches of the city, while swathes of nutrient-water filled trenches stretch out in layers from the sides of the spire to grow whatever crops the Lurks have sown and ancient machines churn out reprocessed organic food-sludge from recycled waste.
The cramped, dark sepulchres at or below ground level are reserved for the city's poor, who still take employment and trades within the city proper. The 'Warrens', as they are known, are a claustrophobic network of tunnels and bunkers beneath the city that gradually lead down into the 'Underspire'. Effluence and run-off from the city above seeps through the Warrens, leading to a higher rate of mutation than normal, but it continues into the depths below, known as the Neath. No one know what lies down in the dark caverns but expeditions that have returned bear wondrous finds of ancient artefacts and materials, if they come back at all.
Clannish and insular, the Weavers claim vast reaches of the city that are out of the way of many inhabitants. It is here that their Spinners, bloated, pale and ever-hungry, coat the halls and passages with fine silken strands and lair deep in the darkness. Entrance to these areas is prohibited and any interlopers are captured and wrapped in silk before being gingerly placed upon iron altars for the Spinners to feast on at their leisure.
While the Honourable House of the Spinneret has had a long and fruitful relationship with the Iron Caravan, who earns great riches from silk shipments, they find the intrusions of the Guild of Reclaimers into their sacred spaces insulting. The Society of the Twisted Braid, who steal eggs and bodies and even kidnap live Weavers and Spinners if possible, is their greatest enemy.
SLANG: Weavers.
WANTS: To protect their sacred places; to keep the silk flowing; to remain accepted by non-mutants.
DOESN'T WANT: The Society of the Twisted Braid to steal away more of their people; any harm to come to the Spinners; intruders to escape.
LEADER: Clutch-of-Twelve, an old albino Weaver with sorcerous talents.
ALLIES: The Iron Caravan.
ENEMIES: The Guild of Reclaimers; The Society of the Twisted Braid.
The Society makes its home in the Warrens, squirrelled away in a complex known to locals as 'The Gut'. From here the mages and alchemists that make up its members distil and breed new forms of fungi and algae that can survive in dark and humid conditions, among other things. Their services are also contracted by the citizens of the Spire to create new strains of crops, animals and servants that are resistant to the harsh conditions. They also maintain the strange machines in the Belt and Warrens that continue to reconstitute nutritious, if bland, sludge.
The Society is regarded with a mixture of gratitude and fear, for while it provides vital foodstuffs to the city at large, it is also responsible for disappearances among the population of the Belt and the Warrens and strange creatures have been seen in the Warrens near the Gut... The Steelsmith Company has often fought these peculiar, twisted beasts and holds no love for the Society, often raiding their territory in the Warrens in retaliation. Likewise the Guild of Reclaimers encounters strange creatures in their expeditions to the Neath, and several parties have reported being attacked by plague-masked gangs in the employ of the Society who have attempted to abduct with Reclaimer guildsmen and steal their findings. The Society regards the Weavers as worthy of study but holds no particular ill-will towards them, a feeling which is not reciprocated by the Weavers.
On the other hand, they have a healthy relationship with the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers, who rely on distillations of Society fungi and algae to make their potent brews, and the Way of the Winding Road, who have proven to be valuable research partners into the arcane arts.
SLANG: Lurks.
WANTS: New specimens; to uncover the secrets held within flesh; to placate the masses with gifts of sustenance.
DOESN'T WANT: Their creations viewed by lesser people; others to find secrets in the Neath; unmanaged mutation among its members.
LEADER: Academician Yulian Antonov, a freakishly tall and pale human often seen encased in a strange suit covered in capillary tubes and cannulae.
ALLIES: The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers; The Way of the Winding Road.
ENEMIES: The Steelsmith Company; The Guild of Reclaimers; The Honourable House of the Spinneret.
The Way of the Winding Road makes its headquarters in the Spires, where they use their magical talents to insulate themselves from the biting cold and thin air. These skills are utilised by the wealthy inhabitants of the Spires and it is common for a mage of the Way to be employed as a tutor in most noble houses.
The Way also cultivates good relationships with the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers, who are able to supply them with food and drink fine enough to be presentable among noble society high up in the Spires. However, the Way of the Winding Road also sends representatives to the Society of the Twisted Braid to aid them in their alchemical and magical experiments. In exchange, members of the Way are permitted to pass through the Warrens unmolested. The Most Honourable Company of Chandlers are the only real opposition to the Way of the Winding Road, as they dislike having another provider of light and heat in the city, let along perpetual magical sources of the same.
SLANG: Wanderers.
WANTS: Unmolested passage to the Neath; to maintain their status among high society; magical artefacts.
DOESN'T WANT: Other organised mage groups; magical items leaving the city.
LEADER: Archmage Viltok, a young halfling who is rumoured to sport several mutations. They wear a veil in public.
ALLIES: The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers; the Society of the Twisted Braid.
ENEMIES: The Most Honourable Company of Chandlers.
LEADER: Arch-Sommelier Akna, a statuesque woman from the far south who wears robes stained a deep purple with wine.
 |
| Credit, Karl Björkman |
Travelling through the Rustside Valley is a long and arduous affair. The Sendarian border princes and marcher lords are in constant competition with each other and the line between legitimate soldiers and bandits is blurred as they undertake raids on the surrounding territory, all while strange beasts lurk in the snow-capped carmine hills and mountains that tower on either side of the valley. Despite the dangers there is a constant flow of merchant and pilgrim traffic through the pass travelling to and from the City of Whispers - Ramliya.
Emerging from Rustside Valley, travellers are confronted with the Ironfield. Jagged pieces of metal thrust up from the barren ground like blades but few are large enough to block the view of the City of Whispers in the distance. Crossing during storms is not recommended. The city itself resembles a twisted metal termite mound the size of a small mountain, with broken metal fingers stretching up towards the sky. A whispering wind can be heard emanating from the vast edifice in the distance and at night its metal shell is pockmarked with the lights and fires of those living within.
Signs of civilisation appear as one approaches - first the scavenger teams are seen in the Ironfield, picking through the detritus and rust for pure metal and valuable artefacts; then the small, fortified encampments and crude manufactories of those who are either unable or unwilling to enter the city proper; finally the gates come into view, with their vast, dark portals sitting at the top of earthen ramps reinforced with metal struts. There are 12 ramps in total, each bristling with fortifications and controlled by one of the major guilds in the city.
 |
| Credit, Shane Cook |
The interior of the city resembles a series of dim cathedral-vaults clustered around the main support struts of the spires and the air is filled with susurrating whispers caused by the wind worming its way through cracks and rents in the superstructure. Height equals wealth in Ramliya and the wealthiest members of the city live high up in the 'Spires' where the air is thin and chills to the bone, for only they can afford to pay the Worshipful Company of Footmen to port fuel and goods up the vast heights and retain mages to seal the frost away from their homes.
The less wealthy inhabit the mid-section of the city, known as the 'Belt', and it is here that most of the city's industry and agriculture is centred - halls of looms that weave silken strands sit alongside furnace chambers that smelt and cast metals alloyed with the peculiar substances found in the lower reaches of the city, while swathes of nutrient-water filled trenches stretch out in layers from the sides of the spire to grow whatever crops the Lurks have sown and ancient machines churn out reprocessed organic food-sludge from recycled waste.
The cramped, dark sepulchres at or below ground level are reserved for the city's poor, who still take employment and trades within the city proper. The 'Warrens', as they are known, are a claustrophobic network of tunnels and bunkers beneath the city that gradually lead down into the 'Underspire'. Effluence and run-off from the city above seeps through the Warrens, leading to a higher rate of mutation than normal, but it continues into the depths below, known as the Neath. No one know what lies down in the dark caverns but expeditions that have returned bear wondrous finds of ancient artefacts and materials, if they come back at all.
 |
| Credit, Finnian MacManus |
The Guilds
Ramliya is governed by the Council of Thirteen, which is formed from representatives of the Guilds Major, the 12 most powerful and wealthy guilds in the city, and an emissary from the Mournhold, the headquarters of the Grey Halls of Yenta. There are dozens of Guilds Minor who swear loyalty to one of the Guilds Major and most of the people living in the city will be a member of one guild or another, at least in the middle section of the city. Each Guild has its own allies but all seek to obtain absolute power in Ramliya, which their constant infighting renders out of reach.
 |
| Credit, Octavio Cordova |
The Grey Halls
The number one power in Ramliya - the tendrils of the Grey Halls are woven into almost every facet of the City of Whispers. They maintain the status quo between the Guilds by drip feeding enough information (gathered by their vast intelligence network of humans and cats) to rival Guilds to cause infighting and the hampering of various schemes without giving an overall advantage. In council votes the Grey Halls often act as a tie-breaker, though no-one knows which side of a given vote they are likely to come down on.
The Mournhold is the seat of power for the cult of Yenta, Goddess of Silence, and stands at the peak of the highest accessible spire in the city. The air is so thin that some pilgrims expire from lack of breath and hypothermia; other pilgrims will move them to the sides of the paths and adorn them with prayer scrolls and icons of the faith. Rumours abound of secret temples in hidden places deep beneath the city or in ancient spires not visited for generations. The Reticent Pope, who leads the cult, is also the subject of many rumours as they have never been seen, even by many cult members.
SLANG: Greymanes.
WANTS: To maintain the status quo; secrets and rumours; good relations with the cats; memories.
DOESN'T WANT: Powerful Guilds; unknown actors in the city; a war between the crows and the cats; its secrets uncovered.
LEADER: The Reticent Pope, if they even exist.
ALLIES: None.
ENEMIES: None.
The Mournhold is the seat of power for the cult of Yenta, Goddess of Silence, and stands at the peak of the highest accessible spire in the city. The air is so thin that some pilgrims expire from lack of breath and hypothermia; other pilgrims will move them to the sides of the paths and adorn them with prayer scrolls and icons of the faith. Rumours abound of secret temples in hidden places deep beneath the city or in ancient spires not visited for generations. The Reticent Pope, who leads the cult, is also the subject of many rumours as they have never been seen, even by many cult members.
SLANG: Greymanes.
WANTS: To maintain the status quo; secrets and rumours; good relations with the cats; memories.
DOESN'T WANT: Powerful Guilds; unknown actors in the city; a war between the crows and the cats; its secrets uncovered.
LEADER: The Reticent Pope, if they even exist.
ALLIES: None.
ENEMIES: None.
 |
| Credit, Eric Guerrero |
The Worshipful Company of Footmen
Ramliya resembles a mountain of metal more than it does a conventional city. Even though there are stairways, access tunnels and even a few working elevators it is a serious endeavour to move anything larger than a backpack through the city given that most movement is vertical. Beasts of burden will also often refuse to enter the city, given its dark, noisy and cramped conditions. The Worshipful Company of Footmen fit this niche with hardy and tough porter gangs who ferry goods up and down the spire. The wealthy citizens in the Spires contract the guild to ferry the vast quantities of fuel needed to heat their homes.
As well as porting goods around the city, Guild members are often hired as guides by visitors to the city given that they know all the nooks and crannies as well as the quickest and safest way from one place to another. Allies of the Footmen include the the Iron Caravan and the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers, who bring goods to and from the city and provide Guild members with strong brew, respectively.
Recently there have been conflicts with the Steelsmith Company, who have been producing greater amounts of heavy-lifting automata, and the the Revered Guild of Architects, who have reactivated several large elevators in the Belt. A mutual dislike exists with the Guild of Reclaimers, who seek to create accurate maps of the city.
SLANG: Goats.
WANTS: A monopoly on moving goods; a continuous flow of goods in and out of the city; strong drink and calorie-dense food.
DOESN'T WANT: Easy access through the city; automation and machinery doing the heavy lifting; accurate mapping.
LEADER: Mikelo Pan, a musclebound, bullheaded human who can often be found carousing in various taverns in the Belt.
ALLIES: The Iron Caravan; The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers.
ENEMIES: The Steelsmith Company; The Revered Guild of Architects; The Guild of Reclaimers.
As well as porting goods around the city, Guild members are often hired as guides by visitors to the city given that they know all the nooks and crannies as well as the quickest and safest way from one place to another. Allies of the Footmen include the the Iron Caravan and the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers, who bring goods to and from the city and provide Guild members with strong brew, respectively.
Recently there have been conflicts with the Steelsmith Company, who have been producing greater amounts of heavy-lifting automata, and the the Revered Guild of Architects, who have reactivated several large elevators in the Belt. A mutual dislike exists with the Guild of Reclaimers, who seek to create accurate maps of the city.
SLANG: Goats.
WANTS: A monopoly on moving goods; a continuous flow of goods in and out of the city; strong drink and calorie-dense food.
DOESN'T WANT: Easy access through the city; automation and machinery doing the heavy lifting; accurate mapping.
LEADER: Mikelo Pan, a musclebound, bullheaded human who can often be found carousing in various taverns in the Belt.
ALLIES: The Iron Caravan; The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers.
ENEMIES: The Steelsmith Company; The Revered Guild of Architects; The Guild of Reclaimers.
 |
| Credit, Sabbas Apterus |
The Honourable House of the Spinneret
There are many hidden and dark places in the City of Whispers. Ancient vaults, decrepit spires and cavernous, gloom filled cathedrals are scattered around the superstructure and few have ever been mapped, save by the Weavers. These Beast-Men are far from shunned in Ramliya and are in fact honoured for their role in exporting reams of valuable silk and bringing great wealth to the city, provided that they keep their faces veiled in the company of non-Beast-Men.Clannish and insular, the Weavers claim vast reaches of the city that are out of the way of many inhabitants. It is here that their Spinners, bloated, pale and ever-hungry, coat the halls and passages with fine silken strands and lair deep in the darkness. Entrance to these areas is prohibited and any interlopers are captured and wrapped in silk before being gingerly placed upon iron altars for the Spinners to feast on at their leisure.
While the Honourable House of the Spinneret has had a long and fruitful relationship with the Iron Caravan, who earns great riches from silk shipments, they find the intrusions of the Guild of Reclaimers into their sacred spaces insulting. The Society of the Twisted Braid, who steal eggs and bodies and even kidnap live Weavers and Spinners if possible, is their greatest enemy.
SLANG: Weavers.
WANTS: To protect their sacred places; to keep the silk flowing; to remain accepted by non-mutants.
DOESN'T WANT: The Society of the Twisted Braid to steal away more of their people; any harm to come to the Spinners; intruders to escape.
LEADER: Clutch-of-Twelve, an old albino Weaver with sorcerous talents.
ALLIES: The Iron Caravan.
ENEMIES: The Guild of Reclaimers; The Society of the Twisted Braid.
 |
| Credit, Jeff Brown |
The Society of the Twisted Braid
Food is always a concern in the City of Whispers. The barren, metal-leached soil of the Ironfield withers and kills all but the hardiest plants and the depths of the Belt and the Warrens are too dark to support conventional crops. Spans of external platforms that catch the sun's light are reasonably common in the Spires and upper Belt, but keeping their contents safe from the cold air and harsh wind and enriched with fertile soil from other lands is enormously expensive. The Society of the Twisted Braid is Ramliya's answer to this scarcity.The Society makes its home in the Warrens, squirrelled away in a complex known to locals as 'The Gut'. From here the mages and alchemists that make up its members distil and breed new forms of fungi and algae that can survive in dark and humid conditions, among other things. Their services are also contracted by the citizens of the Spire to create new strains of crops, animals and servants that are resistant to the harsh conditions. They also maintain the strange machines in the Belt and Warrens that continue to reconstitute nutritious, if bland, sludge.
The Society is regarded with a mixture of gratitude and fear, for while it provides vital foodstuffs to the city at large, it is also responsible for disappearances among the population of the Belt and the Warrens and strange creatures have been seen in the Warrens near the Gut... The Steelsmith Company has often fought these peculiar, twisted beasts and holds no love for the Society, often raiding their territory in the Warrens in retaliation. Likewise the Guild of Reclaimers encounters strange creatures in their expeditions to the Neath, and several parties have reported being attacked by plague-masked gangs in the employ of the Society who have attempted to abduct with Reclaimer guildsmen and steal their findings. The Society regards the Weavers as worthy of study but holds no particular ill-will towards them, a feeling which is not reciprocated by the Weavers.
On the other hand, they have a healthy relationship with the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers, who rely on distillations of Society fungi and algae to make their potent brews, and the Way of the Winding Road, who have proven to be valuable research partners into the arcane arts.
SLANG: Lurks.
WANTS: New specimens; to uncover the secrets held within flesh; to placate the masses with gifts of sustenance.
DOESN'T WANT: Their creations viewed by lesser people; others to find secrets in the Neath; unmanaged mutation among its members.
LEADER: Academician Yulian Antonov, a freakishly tall and pale human often seen encased in a strange suit covered in capillary tubes and cannulae.
ALLIES: The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers; The Way of the Winding Road.
ENEMIES: The Steelsmith Company; The Guild of Reclaimers; The Honourable House of the Spinneret.
 |
| Credit, Andre Meister |
The Guild of Reclaimers
The Warrens stretch for an untold distance beneath the city, with some almost being cities unto themselves. Yet there are still tunnels and caverns that lie deeper, and the Neath holds treasure and peril in equal measure. The Guild of Reclaimers mount expedition into the night-dark places beneath the city in search of artefacts and relics from the city's distant past and even a moderately successful expedition can bring enormous wealth. There are no shortage of guild recruits and volunteers for these
The guild also takes efforts to map and chart the lost regions of Ramliya, whether this is a nest of tunnels in the Warrens or the forgotten wing of a spire. This often brings them into conflict with the Worshipful Company of Footmen, who seek to keep knowledge of the hidden paths around the city for their own use. Guild expeditions can also be found in the reaches of the Ironfield, where occasionally old structures are unearthed or exposed.
In addition to their conflicts with the Footmen, the Guild of Reclaimers also faces opponents among the Honourable House of the Spinneret who resent their intrusions into what they claim as their sacred places. The guild has also faced attacks from the Society of the Twisted Braid, who have kidnapped a number of members and stolen finds returning from the Neath. In contrast, the guild has strong allies among the The Most Honourable Company of Chandlers and The Most Learned Guild of Historians, who provide the lights needed for expeditions and prize recovered artefacts, respectively.
SLANG: Moles.
WANTS: To map the city and Neath; to recover artefacts from the past.
DOESN'T WANT: Access to the city restricted; to be beaten to the finds.
LEADER: Veer Balodis, a wiry, scarred woman who carries an ancient rifle that sears the skin from her enemies' bones.
ALLIES: The Most Honourable Company of Chandlers; The Most Learned Guild of Historians.
ENEMIES: The Worshipful Company of Footmen; The Honourable House of the Spinneret; The Society of the Twisted Braid.
 |
| Credit, Sergey Vasnev |
The Iron Caravan
Ramliya consumes a voracious amount of food, wood and flesh. In return it disgorges a stream of silk, metalwork and magical and historical artefacts. The Iron Caravan is the ever-laden vehicle by which these things travel. The caravan's huge, muscular pack-beasts and iron automatons are a common sight on the Ironfield roads and caravanserais of the Ugishi riverlands. They can even be found as far away as Amon-Klar or Yoon-Suin.
The caravan's merchants bring not only coin and goods but also rumours and tales from city to city, often acting as an impromptu postal service when the Grey Halls are not available to ferry messages. By spreading stories of the City of Whispers they also ensure the influx of willing migrants to the city; unwilling migrants are often purchased in Ugishi slave markets for work in the foundries of the Belt or mines in the Ironfield and Warrens.
Their role in procuring fresh bodies for work in the forges and mines means that the Iron Caravan and Steelsmith Company are close allies; in return the company provides the caravan with iron automatons capable of lifting huge loads of goods and crushing bandits with ease. Likewise they also strike a good trade with the Guild of Reclaimers and the Honourable House of the Spinneret - Ramliyan artefacts and silk always fetch a good price. The caravan's relationship with the Society of the Twisted Braid is also a fruitful one - in exchange for alchemically engineered beats of burden, the caravan procures rare alchemical materials from foreign lands for the Lurks.
On the other hand, the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers dislikes having foreign liquor competing with their own brews in the Belt markets and the Most Honourable Company of Chandlers wishes to maintain their monopoly on light sources by preventing imports of oil and tallow.
SLANG: Clinkers.
WANTS: A steady flow of commerce; rumours from foreign lands; new and interesting wares.
DOESN'T WANT: A Guild war; goods smuggled into Ramliya without tax and excise paid; a population drop on Izoa.
LEADER: Tradelord* Stien Sonnen, a grossly fat halfling who is carried around on a gilded palanquin by filigreed automatons who constantly sing in dulcet tones.
ALLIES: The Steelsmith Company; the Guild of Reclaimers; the Honourable House of the Spinneret; the Society of the Twisted Braid.
ENEMIES: The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers; the Most Honourable Company of Chandlers.
*His full title is technically Tradelord Stien Goldhoarder Fortune-beloved Merchant-Prince Sonnen the Shockingly Obese.
The caravan's merchants bring not only coin and goods but also rumours and tales from city to city, often acting as an impromptu postal service when the Grey Halls are not available to ferry messages. By spreading stories of the City of Whispers they also ensure the influx of willing migrants to the city; unwilling migrants are often purchased in Ugishi slave markets for work in the foundries of the Belt or mines in the Ironfield and Warrens.
Their role in procuring fresh bodies for work in the forges and mines means that the Iron Caravan and Steelsmith Company are close allies; in return the company provides the caravan with iron automatons capable of lifting huge loads of goods and crushing bandits with ease. Likewise they also strike a good trade with the Guild of Reclaimers and the Honourable House of the Spinneret - Ramliyan artefacts and silk always fetch a good price. The caravan's relationship with the Society of the Twisted Braid is also a fruitful one - in exchange for alchemically engineered beats of burden, the caravan procures rare alchemical materials from foreign lands for the Lurks.
On the other hand, the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers dislikes having foreign liquor competing with their own brews in the Belt markets and the Most Honourable Company of Chandlers wishes to maintain their monopoly on light sources by preventing imports of oil and tallow.
SLANG: Clinkers.
WANTS: A steady flow of commerce; rumours from foreign lands; new and interesting wares.
DOESN'T WANT: A Guild war; goods smuggled into Ramliya without tax and excise paid; a population drop on Izoa.
LEADER: Tradelord* Stien Sonnen, a grossly fat halfling who is carried around on a gilded palanquin by filigreed automatons who constantly sing in dulcet tones.
ALLIES: The Steelsmith Company; the Guild of Reclaimers; the Honourable House of the Spinneret; the Society of the Twisted Braid.
ENEMIES: The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers; the Most Honourable Company of Chandlers.
*His full title is technically Tradelord Stien Goldhoarder Fortune-beloved Merchant-Prince Sonnen the Shockingly Obese.
 |
| Credit, Johannes Palmblad |
The Steelsmith Company
If there's one thing Ramliya has a lot of, it's metal. Strangely durable, corrosion-resistant and light, Whisper-Steel is prized by smiths all over Izoa and Oloris. Its creation is a secret closely guarded by the Steelsmith Company, who rule swathes of the Belt and the Ironfield with their clanking, bizarre automata and well-armed house auxiliaries. The Company is able to fund itself through sales of fine weapons, armour and constructs, as well as hired muscle and metallurgic know-how, to foreign buyers, which in turn allows them to fund expeditions into the Warrens and the Neath in search of ancient technology.
It is hard to avoid the Company's presence in the Belt - its vast foundries stand emblazoned with the hammer and sword emblem and heavy lifting automata cart huge loads down to the cities gates. Guild militia patrol the region, frequently throwing their weight around against rival guilds if they feel they can get away with it or herding hapless slaves along work lines with cracks of their whips. Their influence is heavily concentrated here, however, and it is rare to spot a Company member outside of this region of the city.
The Company has close ties with the Iron Caravan, providing them with guards and pack automata for their long voyages to foreign lands in exchange for regular shipments of slaves to put to work in the foundries and forges. Likewise their skill in crafting brute automata capable of lifting extraordinary loads has endeared them to the Revered Guild of Architects, who they regularly assist in excavating old ruins and renovating various passages around the city.
The Company's arrogance and willingness to throw its weight around, however, has earned it few other friends. The Worshipful Company of Footmen resent the threat that the Steelsmith's heavy-lifting automata represent to their traditional business; the Society of the Twisted Braid, on the other hand, holds no real malice towards the Steelsmith Company but they nonetheless find it amusing when their alchemical horrors fall upon a patrol of the arrogant Belters.
SLANG: Swords.
WANTS: New and interesting examples of ancient technology; bodies to put to work.
DOESN'T WANT: Rivals in the Belt; interruptions to production; the secrets of Whisper-Steel to be leaked.
LEADER: Zi, an unknown being encased in a metal sarcophagus mounted to a mobile armature.
ALLIES: The Iron Caravan; the Revered Guild of Architects.
ENEMIES: The Worshipful Company of Footmen; the Society of the Twisted Braid.
It is hard to avoid the Company's presence in the Belt - its vast foundries stand emblazoned with the hammer and sword emblem and heavy lifting automata cart huge loads down to the cities gates. Guild militia patrol the region, frequently throwing their weight around against rival guilds if they feel they can get away with it or herding hapless slaves along work lines with cracks of their whips. Their influence is heavily concentrated here, however, and it is rare to spot a Company member outside of this region of the city.
The Company has close ties with the Iron Caravan, providing them with guards and pack automata for their long voyages to foreign lands in exchange for regular shipments of slaves to put to work in the foundries and forges. Likewise their skill in crafting brute automata capable of lifting extraordinary loads has endeared them to the Revered Guild of Architects, who they regularly assist in excavating old ruins and renovating various passages around the city.
The Company's arrogance and willingness to throw its weight around, however, has earned it few other friends. The Worshipful Company of Footmen resent the threat that the Steelsmith's heavy-lifting automata represent to their traditional business; the Society of the Twisted Braid, on the other hand, holds no real malice towards the Steelsmith Company but they nonetheless find it amusing when their alchemical horrors fall upon a patrol of the arrogant Belters.
SLANG: Swords.
WANTS: New and interesting examples of ancient technology; bodies to put to work.
DOESN'T WANT: Rivals in the Belt; interruptions to production; the secrets of Whisper-Steel to be leaked.
LEADER: Zi, an unknown being encased in a metal sarcophagus mounted to a mobile armature.
ALLIES: The Iron Caravan; the Revered Guild of Architects.
ENEMIES: The Worshipful Company of Footmen; the Society of the Twisted Braid.
 |
| Credit, Rustam Hasanov |
The Revered Guild of Inkmakers
Many who hear of the Revered Guild of Inkmakers' privileged position in Ramliya are somewhat incredulous. A small guild of inkmakers occupying a seat at the Council of Thirteen alongside the most powerful organisations in the city? Surely that must be nonsense. It is the truth, however, though the Guild's presence is more of a historical accident than anything else. In Ramliya's distant past the Grey Halls of Yenta suffered a schism between the orthodox followers of the Silent Goddess and numerous heterodox disciples, who claimed that the secrets of the world were protected by a great cypher. As befitting their numbers and power, the heretics obtained a position on the Council.
To aid their efforts at deciphering this code, the heretics required vast reams of parchment and ink, and gradually their fervent beliefs fell by the wayside to be replaced by the arts of such ink- and paper-making. These arts still bring them great wealth and some scholars of the Revered Guild maintain the old ways of their forebears, making them excellent analysts and polymath sages. The secrets that the Guild have uncovered, though nothing compared to the Grey Halls, allow them to maintain their position on the Council, especially when combined with their inoffensive nature and moderate influence in Council discussions. And someone needs to take the minutes at Council meetings...
SLANG: Blots.
WANTS: Secrets; alchemical ingredients; rare woods.
DOESN'T WANT: To be disturbed; smudges.
LEADER: Scribe-Master Cai Su, an elderly dwarf who produces wondrous moving calligraphy.
ALLIES: None, though they are friendly with the Way of the Winding Road and the Most Learned Guild of Historians.
ENEMIES: None.
To aid their efforts at deciphering this code, the heretics required vast reams of parchment and ink, and gradually their fervent beliefs fell by the wayside to be replaced by the arts of such ink- and paper-making. These arts still bring them great wealth and some scholars of the Revered Guild maintain the old ways of their forebears, making them excellent analysts and polymath sages. The secrets that the Guild have uncovered, though nothing compared to the Grey Halls, allow them to maintain their position on the Council, especially when combined with their inoffensive nature and moderate influence in Council discussions. And someone needs to take the minutes at Council meetings...
SLANG: Blots.
WANTS: Secrets; alchemical ingredients; rare woods.
DOESN'T WANT: To be disturbed; smudges.
LEADER: Scribe-Master Cai Su, an elderly dwarf who produces wondrous moving calligraphy.
ALLIES: None, though they are friendly with the Way of the Winding Road and the Most Learned Guild of Historians.
ENEMIES: None.
 |
| Credit, Daniel LoBosco |
The Way of the Winding Road
The depths of Ramliya hold mysteries both technological and magical. It is the latter that interests the Way of the Winding Road, a reclusive order who seek to hoard magical artefacts from the city's ancient past. The mages of the Way are known for their affinity with shadows and divination, which they use to plot their paths into the Neath in search of artefacts, though these methods are never foolproof in such treacherous depths.The Way of the Winding Road makes its headquarters in the Spires, where they use their magical talents to insulate themselves from the biting cold and thin air. These skills are utilised by the wealthy inhabitants of the Spires and it is common for a mage of the Way to be employed as a tutor in most noble houses.
The Way also cultivates good relationships with the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers, who are able to supply them with food and drink fine enough to be presentable among noble society high up in the Spires. However, the Way of the Winding Road also sends representatives to the Society of the Twisted Braid to aid them in their alchemical and magical experiments. In exchange, members of the Way are permitted to pass through the Warrens unmolested. The Most Honourable Company of Chandlers are the only real opposition to the Way of the Winding Road, as they dislike having another provider of light and heat in the city, let along perpetual magical sources of the same.
SLANG: Wanderers.
WANTS: Unmolested passage to the Neath; to maintain their status among high society; magical artefacts.
DOESN'T WANT: Other organised mage groups; magical items leaving the city.
LEADER: Archmage Viltok, a young halfling who is rumoured to sport several mutations. They wear a veil in public.
ALLIES: The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers; the Society of the Twisted Braid.
ENEMIES: The Most Honourable Company of Chandlers.
 |
| Credit, Bej Dak |
The Worshipful Guild of Victuallers
A city the size of Ramliya requires a lot of food and drink to keep its people healthy, happy and living. Unfortunately mountains of metal have certain inherent issues in growing food and finding water sources. While the Society of the Twisted Braid has the question of food and basic drink covered, the life of the average Ramliyan would be terribly boring if all they had to live on was algae-bread and distilled water to live on. That's where the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers comes in.
Making their home in the Spires, the Worshipful Guild of Victuallers produces and procures the finer things in life... for a handsome price, of course. The Worshipful Guild works closely with the Society of the Twisted Braid to produce potent strains of alcohol producing algae and fungi - different grades are served at different levels of the city - and they come down hard on those who try to produce rival breweries and distilleries. They also distil various drugs and elixirs for recreational and professional use along with importing intoxicants from all around Izoa and Oloris.
The Worshipful Guild also has its own gardens in the Spires where they grow some of the only crops that receive natural light in the city. These gardens are closely guarded crystal edens, perfectly climate controlled and warded by the Way of the Winding Road, and the rarest of them produce unique plants and fruits that grow only in these tiny, fragile ecosystems.
The Worshipful Company of Footmen assist them in moving their goods through the city in order for regular shipments of liquor. Their only real enemy is the Iron Caravan, who often brings back cheap foreign booze and cuts into profits.
SLANG: Spiriters.
WANTS: Decadence and luxury; new and improved intoxicants.
DOESN'T WANT: Rival brewers and distillers; riff-raff 'exploring' their secret gardens.
LEADER: Arch-Sommelier Akna, a statuesque woman from the far south who wears robes stained a deep purple with wine.
ALLIES: The Society of the Twisting Braid; the Way of the Winding Road; the Worshipful Company of Footmen.
ENEMIES: The Iron Caravan.
 |
| Credit, Thomas Shirley |
The Most Honourable Company of Chandlers
Ramliya's chambered innards vary in size from vaulted steel cathedrals to cramped iron coffins. The only common denominator between them is the singular lack of direct light. While the compartments near the exterior are able to get by with opening up holes to the outer shell, even they are in need of light when night falls. The Most Honourable Company of Chandlers tunnel beneath their sump-fortresses in the Warrens and drink deep into the earth to fulfil this vital need of the City Whispers.
Pyros, as they are known, are often smelled before they are seen, preceded by a miasma of petrochemical vapours and brimstone smoke. Some patrol all around the city, maintaining huge lanterns and heaters in communal areas to the smaller lanterns that light narrower yet commonly used corridors and bulkheads. Others are spotted in the Warren or the Neath, marking sites for future digs and taps of what they call 'Heatblood'. This strange substance is refined and distilled to power the lights and heat sources of the city, but some whisper that long-term exposure can wreak terrible effects and changes on the body.
Few would consider getting on the wrong side of the Most Honourable Company of Chandlers, for few wish to be trapped in a tomb of cold, dark metal. The only Guild known to cross them are the Iron Caravan, with whom the Most Honourable Company have been embroiled in a vicious feud over imports of oil and tallow from abroad. The Way of the Winding Road also scorn the Most Honourable Company, heating their holds with sorcerous power.
The Guild of Reclaimers have proven their closest allies and the two Guilds have formed a profitable arrangement in exploring the Neath.
SLANG: Pyros.
WANTS: New sources of Heatblood; to light the darkness.
DOESN'T WANT: Impure fuels being brought into the city; to feel the cold.
LEADER: Illuminator Raagios, a huge figure always dressed in armour plates, the gaps from which light and smoke bleed out.
ALLIES: The Guild of Reclaimers.
ENEMIES: The Iron Caravan; the Way of the Winding Road.
Pyros, as they are known, are often smelled before they are seen, preceded by a miasma of petrochemical vapours and brimstone smoke. Some patrol all around the city, maintaining huge lanterns and heaters in communal areas to the smaller lanterns that light narrower yet commonly used corridors and bulkheads. Others are spotted in the Warren or the Neath, marking sites for future digs and taps of what they call 'Heatblood'. This strange substance is refined and distilled to power the lights and heat sources of the city, but some whisper that long-term exposure can wreak terrible effects and changes on the body.
Few would consider getting on the wrong side of the Most Honourable Company of Chandlers, for few wish to be trapped in a tomb of cold, dark metal. The only Guild known to cross them are the Iron Caravan, with whom the Most Honourable Company have been embroiled in a vicious feud over imports of oil and tallow from abroad. The Way of the Winding Road also scorn the Most Honourable Company, heating their holds with sorcerous power.
The Guild of Reclaimers have proven their closest allies and the two Guilds have formed a profitable arrangement in exploring the Neath.
SLANG: Pyros.
WANTS: New sources of Heatblood; to light the darkness.
DOESN'T WANT: Impure fuels being brought into the city; to feel the cold.
LEADER: Illuminator Raagios, a huge figure always dressed in armour plates, the gaps from which light and smoke bleed out.
ALLIES: The Guild of Reclaimers.
ENEMIES: The Iron Caravan; the Way of the Winding Road.
 |
| Credit, Adrien Amilhat |
The Revered Guild of Architects
The City of Whispers is old. Very old. Aching groans and squeals are a constant accompaniment to its incessant whispering and collapses, while rare, are lethal. It is a testament to the Revered Guild of Architects that collapses do not occur more often. Evidence of their work can be found from the Warrens to the Spires and without their efforts it is likely that much of Ramliya would be uninhabitable.
The Revered Guild practice their trade from an immaculate fortress-palace built in the Belt, and Guild representatives are much in demand across Izoa for their skills in producing masterful homes and fortresses. It is not uncommon to see a Master Architect moving through the streets of Ramliya, attended to by furiously scribbling Journeymen and chalk-wielding Apprentices as they plan further expansions and reinforcements. A strategic alliance with the Steelsmith Company ensures the supply of heavy lifting automata and work gangs, as well as ready amounts of strong building material.
The Revered Guild also makes efforts to reactivate useful parts of the city that it comes across. A recent example of this are the large mass conveyance elevators in the Belt, which have allowed for even larger amounts of people and goods to be moved easily between city levels. This has caused some upset in the Worshipful Company of Footmen, who consider the movement of goods around the city their monopoly by custom. However, their delving into the ancient structures of the city has found them supporters in the Most Learned Guild of Historians, who are always eager for more knowledge of the past.
SLANG: Hammerers.
WANTS: To maintain the city and its environs; to build Ramliya back to its former glory.
DOESN'T WANT: Cave ins and collapses; Substantial alterations made without their input.
LEADER: Caracco Sanicios, a dwarf who wears a strange harness with metallic prehensile tendrils that allow her to climb with extraordinary ease.
ALLIES: The Steelsmith Company; the Most Learned Guild of Historians.
ENEMIES: The Worshipful Company of Footmen.
The Revered Guild practice their trade from an immaculate fortress-palace built in the Belt, and Guild representatives are much in demand across Izoa for their skills in producing masterful homes and fortresses. It is not uncommon to see a Master Architect moving through the streets of Ramliya, attended to by furiously scribbling Journeymen and chalk-wielding Apprentices as they plan further expansions and reinforcements. A strategic alliance with the Steelsmith Company ensures the supply of heavy lifting automata and work gangs, as well as ready amounts of strong building material.
The Revered Guild also makes efforts to reactivate useful parts of the city that it comes across. A recent example of this are the large mass conveyance elevators in the Belt, which have allowed for even larger amounts of people and goods to be moved easily between city levels. This has caused some upset in the Worshipful Company of Footmen, who consider the movement of goods around the city their monopoly by custom. However, their delving into the ancient structures of the city has found them supporters in the Most Learned Guild of Historians, who are always eager for more knowledge of the past.
SLANG: Hammerers.
WANTS: To maintain the city and its environs; to build Ramliya back to its former glory.
DOESN'T WANT: Cave ins and collapses; Substantial alterations made without their input.
LEADER: Caracco Sanicios, a dwarf who wears a strange harness with metallic prehensile tendrils that allow her to climb with extraordinary ease.
ALLIES: The Steelsmith Company; the Most Learned Guild of Historians.
ENEMIES: The Worshipful Company of Footmen.
 |
| Credit, Ann Ann |
The Most Learned Guild of Historians
As the the Revered Guild of Architects can attest, the City of Whispers is ancient, older than even the Kothen Imperium which was shattered centuries ago. The Most Learned Guild of Historians are dedicated to discovering and archiving the hidden mysteries of the ancient city. Their Explorator-Scribes are sometimes seen heading through the Warrens to the Neath and groups of parchment-laden scholars trudge around the Belt and Spires taking meticulous notes and following up on theories and leads.
The Most Learned Guild has proven to be an excellent, if somewhat contradictory, source of knowledge regarding Ramliya's origins and the operation of its arcane workings. This has naturally led to close ties to the Guild of Reclaimers, who supply them with various wonders recovered by their expeditions to the Neath, and the Revered Guild of Architects, whose work often uncovers new and unknown areas of the city for study.
As a seemingly peaceful organisation of academics, the Most Learned Guild has no real enemies. Only fools cross them, however, as while the ranks of the Explorator-Scribes who venture into the Neath are small in number, every one of them is a hard-bitten and canny warrior and adventurer.
SLANG: Scrolls.
WANTS: Artefacts and ancient things to study; a fuller understanding of Ramliya's origins.
DOESN'T WANT: Facts to be hidden (from them); uneducated types poking about in things they should be warier of.
LEADER: Chief Historiographer Eshkhan Tufenkian, an old orc who spends much of his time piecing together various theories and strands of thought into a self-proclaimed magnum opus that will reveal the truth of the city's origins.
ALLIES: The Guild of Reclaimers; the Revered Guild of Architects.
ENEMIES: None.
No comments:
Post a Comment