An ongoing project to map a Neolithic proto-MEgalopolis, one ward/god at a time. This particular post closes out the city's Breadbasket, poetically known as Traders Wake due to the two major canal basins and grain market. Here is where the tendrils of the city's extensive reach gather the blood they have leached from the land, and here the denizens suck at its acrid teats for sustenance.
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| The Destruction of Sodom Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) |
37. The Ocean Lord (The Wharves)
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| How the Ocean Lord appeared in the Unlucky ones campaign. Original image by Jaan Van Eede |
- Image/icon/idol: an armoured prince or warrior riding a whale; a beatific woman in billowing robes
- Followers:the ocean is sufficiently far from the city for it to be almost mythological, with sailors arriving on canal boats rather than ocean going vessels. But they do arrive, and they seek absolution for their sins at sea, protection (and insurance) against the ocean's wrath, and status within the city through marriages to those born here. Those with desire to escape the confines of the City are often to be found marvelling at the glorious temple to the Ocean Lord, dreaming o water as far as the eye can see.
- Priests divide the duties of their god into three orders, as follows:
- The Inspectorate wear blue robes and white turbans, with acolytes naked from the waist up. They record all goods arriving at the wharves (dedicated to overseas goods) and ensure accurate records are forwarded to the temple of literature
- The Underwriters spent their apprenticeship at the Temple of Literature (60), and now sell the favour of the Ocean Lord with respect to cargos and individual crew members. Work closely with the Inspectorate to tack the flow of goods to and from overseas vassalls.
- The Children of the Sea maintain the city's only orphanage, ostensibly to account for those infants abandoned by sailors or the lovers of sailors. In reality it caters for every one of the city's unwanted pregnancies that survives to term. Children raised in the orphanage typically grow up to become priests (the least desirable orders such as Faharra (6) or Sekyalmek (7) recruit here) or else stowaway aboard the barges leaving the city, in the hopes of one day reaching the sea. Few make it.
- Notes: the wharves handle a lot of cargo by day, but by night no vessel is permitted to dock, let alone unload. This is enforced by detachments of the Solar Guard accompanied by Priests of the Inspectorate. Though less lively than the Salt Docks (36), the Wharves have their fair share of boarding-houses and decadence.
- 2d6 acolytes of the Inspectorate, boarding an inbound barge laden with tribute
- 1d4 senior Inspector-Priests attending a huge barge laden with tribute
- 2d4 disgruntled claimants surrounding an Underwriter
- The palanquin of an Eastern Noble, born aloft by four huge, copper-skinned warriors
- An acolyte of the inspectorate, carrying a complex message (verbal) to the Temple of Literature (60)
- Orderly queue of captains lining up behind an underwriter flanked by two guards, each seeking to insure their outbound cargoes
The Wharves, specific encounters by nightThe Stables, specific encounters by day
- 2d4 Solar Guards patrolling the docks
- Someone carrying a newborn baby to the steps of the temple of the Children of the Sea
- 1d6 sex workers: it's a quiet night and they're bored
- 1d8 blue-skinned southerners heading towards th Salt Docks for entertainment
- 2d6 youths (Orphans of the Sea) heading to the Salt Docks for acts of violence
- 1d6 Priests of Pulukhu, (22), repairing a lock-gate at night to avoid crowds
38. He Who Distributes the Grain (The Donkey Stables)
- Image/icon/idol: The head of a donkey or a statue of a drunken man riding a donkey.
- Followers: children brought gifts by the donkey, drunks, donkey racers
- Priests donkey herders distributing grain around the city. Progressively drunker and more asinine as they increase in seniority, growing ears
- Notes: Strong ties to Temple of Bread, Granaries and Brewer Priests
- A drunken parade of 1d6 priests and 2d4 donkeys, all high on barleywine.
- 3d4 donkeys racing through the lanes, cheered on by a crowd of 5d20 gamblers.
- Obese priest drunk, dozing in the back of a donkey struggling to bear its masters bulk, grain sacks leaving a trail through the lanes. The priest has the ears of an ass.
- Donkey headed man in the robes of a priest, frustrated by his 3d6 donkeys not cooperating.
- 1d8 acolytes loading manure onto a priest of Faharra’s sled
- Donkey lapping up a puddle of barleywine pooling about a broken flagon.
The Stables, specific encounters by nightThe Temple of Prosperity, specific encounters by day
- A donkey-headed man leading the dance of the beggar-prince (19): 1d6 drummers, 1d6 youths operating a dragon-puppet, 1d6 smaller children mill about requesting alms and picking pockets.
- Party of 1d10 acolytes of the donkey-rider, 1d10 acolytes of the brewer-god (42), 1d10 ordinary denizens all drinking beer and wine. Someone is hitting a drum to no particular rhythm.
- 2d10 giant rats
- 1d100 ordinary sized rats
- Black robed priest of Faharra, collecting donkey shit
- The donkey rider himself, looking surprisingly similar to He Who Prospers. His expression is smug, his donkey is sarcastic. They are heading towards the Temple of Prosperity, where they will dematerialise. Able (and willing) to answer questions about the nature of reality but not much else.
39. He Who Prospers (The Temple of Prosperity)
- Image/icon/idol: a fat, jovial man hands laden with beads and grapes. Sometimes riding a fish.
- Followers: Everyone, bust especially aspirational denizens of the ladders and families of the artisans
- Priests plump old men surrounded by fresh fruit, trading blessings for riches. Young acolytes carrying baskets of fruit from shrine to shrine
- Notes: Gangster greengrocers. The streets are immaculately swept and cleaned by night, revelry is not permitted here.
- Well-dressed denizen, accompanied by four guards armed with clubs. Actually a servant of a noble household (garden city, palace of the warriors) collecting the twice-weekly fruit ration
- Family of an artisan-priest, laden with conspicuous gold jewelry, looking to increase their fortune with a tribute to to He-Who-Prospers
- 1d10 Acolytes from the wharves (37) or the Salt Docks (36) carrying baskets of fruit to the Temple of Prosperity
- A smug, fat man on a rug surrounded by wooden bowls of fruit. Six mute guards with obsidian blades surround him. Looking for people willing to get their hands dirty.
- 1d6 Solar Guards clashing with a crowd of 3d6 people dissatisfied with the quality of the fruit today
- Persistent whispers from the passers-by that the Golden One (100) manifested at the Temple of Prosperity and may yet appear again
The Temple of Prosperity, specific encounters by nightThe Temple of Bread, specific encounters by day
- 1d6 charladies from the ever-hearth (20), sweeping the streets clean
- 1d8 giant flying foxes, hoping to pick up some scraps, One of them can talk.
- 1d10 heavies with clubs, employed by a prospering priest. they want you out of the ward. Now.
- A Priest of He-Who-Prospers being carried in a litter to the Temples of Pleasure
- The sound of raucous merry-making from behind the walled garden of a shrine to prosperity
- A priest of Faharra, on a mission to deliver justice to a Priest of He-Who-Prospers
40. The Temple of Bread
- Image/icon/idol: the circular flatbread, the ballot stick
- Followers: Everyone who depends on the bread ration for sustenance.
- Priests master bakers and judges of the lower orders. Sullen.
- Notes: while ballots are distributed and drawn by the lucky gecko, it is the Bread-Priests who assign the punishments and rewards at the Temple of Bread.
- 1d100 people on the verge of a riot: the bread is stale
- 1d100 surrounding the steps of a bakery shrine: the priests are throwing free bread to the crowd!
- Old person wailing that their ballots have been stolen
- Public execution: once a week a ballot is drawn and the owner is executed.
- Public ennoblement: once a week a ballot is drawn and that individual is given the mark of a noble family (in reality, they join the household as servants)
- 1d6 litters of 10d20 freshly baked loaves, covered with an ornately embroidered spider-silk cloth. Each carried by four baker-boys (burly acolytes of the Bread Priests)
- Bread Court: 1d100 people surrounding a denizen charged with a crime. The Bread-Priest will hear evidence until they are bored, then deliver a verdict. 1d6 Solar Guards will see that any sentence is enforced immediately.
- Drunken donkey-priest (38) leading 2d4 donkeys to the flour mill. Sacks laden with grain.
The Temple of Bread, specific encounters by night
- A starving beggar, asleep in the streets
- 1d6 baker-boys, spoiling for a fight
- The Rat King (17) accompanied by 1d6 giant rats & 1d4 Rat Priests on a diplomatic mission to collect crumbs for his children
- 1d100 rats
- A ballot, abandoned on the ground. Very rare to see such a thing.
- Abandoned basket of stale bread
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