Fantasy Core RPG
© Jerry Harris 2013
(This link will take you to the
Fantasy Core Index.)
This is Shang-tu.
Everything is for sale.
While Shang-tu is the last outpost in the West of the
Empire, it is a large metropolis. It is
a thriving center of commerce with fishing, farming, herding, logging, mining,
and foreign trade industries. She sits
in a perfectly aligned square footprint, surrounded by high walls and towers. Within are a multitude of businesses, shops,
and residences. In the rear of the city
is the Emerald Hill. Around its base are
the city’s main temple and several high-class residences. Higher up, another high wall encloses a game
preserve. There in center, at its
highest point, is a majestic emerald pagoda.
The Governor’s Palace surveys all.
The city borders So Lake (well patrolled by military ships)
that feeds busy Yang River traffic into the heart of the Empire. Most of the surrounding terrain is arable
grasslands with many farming villages. A
highly visible landmark in the area is Mount Tien and its mountain range. The mountain is considered holy and stands
slightly apart from the rest of the range.
An important monastery and temple is located there. There are a few mining and logging villages
around the lesser peaks.
The city is divided roughly into four different wards,
though there are some characteristics common to all. The wards are all walled off from one
another, but only the Governor’s Ward is restricted. There are great bells at the gates and around
the city that are rung at sunset. The
city gates are closed and a curfew is enforced, with night watchmen patrolling
the streets. The only exceptions to the
curfew are festival days, such as New Years and the Emperor’s birthday. Fireworks and fairs are present throughout
the city for those events.
Foreigners and those without Identity Documents are not
allowed in the city. One can petition
the Bureaucracy for documents at the gates, but it will take upwards of a week
and cost a handsome fee. Identity Docs
can also be purchased at various temples in the villages, but at an increased
cost. Foreigners, usually merchants,
require even more paperwork. There is a
thriving hostel business outside the gates of the city to accommodate those who
cannot enter. The Governor and his
Ministers have the ability to issue temporary documents to anyone they choose.
This may be a Medieval level society and there is a slum
area, but Shang-tu is a city of fairly modern sanitation and upkeep. All parts of the city have access to the
sewer system, hot bath houses, healers, neighborhood temples, fountains,
well-stocked local markets, constables, and fire towers and fire brigades. Likewise, the ethnic makeup of the city is
about 90% Han (the indigenous people) and 10% Manchu (the Empire’s rulers of
foreign origin). While the Manchu’s hold
most of the positions of power and the wealth, they generally maintain a low
profile, and the Han people in the city seldom feel any oppression. This city is not the norm in the Empire,
which is mostly very segregated and varies widely in municipal services.
The city is surrounded by high, sturdy walls and towers,
well manned. However, it should be noted
that Shang-tu is primarily defended by the reputation of the Empire and its
armies. It would not withstand a
determined siege on its own. The nearest
cities are far too far away to be of any immediate help. While there are internal walls and a high
wall around the Governor’s palace, there is no actual fortress keep. There are stockpiled emergency supplies and
plenty of water is available inside the city, but the city defenses would not
last long enough to use them. Shang-tu
is a civilized place, but it is far on the fringes of the Empire, and very much
a tempting target for potential foreign enemies.
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