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The Guilded Cage

Setting, part 1

The World

Varia, blessed by the glory bestowed upon it by Ameil the Divine Light, extends from the Golden Shores of the west most reaches of the western continent all the way to the rocky cliffs that provide a sharp, craggy ending to the eastern continent. Separating the two continents is the Stormbreak Sea which creates a choppy, dangerous crossing for any ships wishing to risk the passage. Considering the Holy Empire spans both continents, however, it is not an uncommon challenge to be accepted and the best captains are usually veterans with 10+ crossings under their belt-- but less than one out of four captains live long enough to attain that level of expertise.

The Eastern Continent is home to the Holy Empire, an Elven-led Theocratic Monarchy in which an Elven emperor ascends to the throne by divine providence after the death of the prior Emperor or Empress. The great deity Ameil (pronounced Ah-may-ehl) is the be-all, end-all of their society, and the divine entity selects the ruler every Elven generation. The past seven rulers of the empire have always followed a male/female rotation with four males and three females. The current Emperor, Thravys Ohlnoryah is well over twelve hundred and, in a few hundred more years it is anticipated that a female ruler will succeed him.

Near the beginning of Thravys' tenure as Emperor he set forth an edict of exploration, sending hundreds of ships into the Stormbreak Sea. While scarcely half of them made it to the western continent, it was enough to instigate a divine decree that the lands be claimed in the name of the Divine Light; unfortunately there was another kingdom already prospering there and a lengthy war was the result. In the end, the kingdom, whose name is all but lost to history, was defeated and the elves founded a new city state to rule over the continent, adding it to the divine lands of Ameil. Over the course of the next century, the elves claimed what they could and destroyed what they couldn't, crushing all opposition under the divine heel of the great Ameil.

Now, more than half a millennia later, holy city state of St Almar stands as a shining beacon of righteousness and law-- a bastion of faith in an otherwise barbaric and chaotic continent. As the only lasting city on the western side of the Stormbreak Sea, the entirety of the population pays homage to the divine deity Amiel as thanks for their good fortune and continued success. Almar is hundreds of leagues from the nearest permanent settlement and likely thousands from another city protected by divine providence.

For the past several centuries, the Holy Temple of the Divine Light has held sway over the Theocracy-led community and in that time the population has prospered-- so long as they be Elves or Humans; the other races have not fared nearly as well. Many years past there was a great war as invaders from the west destroyed the previous civilization inhabiting the lands and absorbed them into their vast civilization. The great empire of the east continues to interact via trade an passage through St Almar's grandiose docks, but the people of the city are otherwise on their own.

Elves and Humans fill in the highest niche of the populace. While St Almar was founded on the destroyed capital city of a human kingdom, the Humans have intergrated well into the culture of the elves who defeated them; their superior numbers and more pragmatic approach to life means that they have come a long way toward equality in the several hundred years since. Gnomes, Dwarves, and Halflings, who had once been widely accepted within the Human kingdom have fallen greatly since they did not mesh as well, and so they suffer from second-class citizen status. Worse off were the humanoids and Beast-kin. Those monstrous humanoid and the humanoid animals who were 'tolerated' in the best of times in the old kingdom are now seen as little more than fodder and trash by most of the upper class.

Despite the melting pot of races, cultures, and backgrounds present in St Almar, all are expected to toe-the-line when it comes to accepted norms. All residents are expected to pay homage to Amiel whether they themselves are followers or not, and lesser religions are looked upon with outward distain and, in some cases, outright hostility. Even so, there are many nooks and crannies within the sprawling city where those of other faiths may practice, away from the prying eyes of the Theocracy.

St Almar is separated into four distinct quarters: City Center, Residential Quarter, Business Quarter, and The Docks. Although travel between quarters is easy enough, certain "less savory elements" are kept out of higher class areas. Each quarter is further divided into districts, some of which cater to specific populations while excluding others. The quarters and their respective districts are detailed as follows:

The City Center is at the heart of St Almar, and includes The Holy Temple of the Divine Light, an enormous, sprawling landmark which looks to have once been a castle. The City Center is mostly an administrative district but also houses the majority of the great holy sites within the city, along with its judicial buildings and residents for the wealthiest and most influential members of its population. Its four districts include the Religious District, the Administrative District, The Justice District, and the Manor Houses. A small mid-city wall separates the Manors from the rest of the quarter and many of the individual manors also have small walls surrounding them as well.

The Residential Quarter takes up the northern side of St Almar and consists of the vast majority of homes found within the city, except for the most upper and lowest of classes. Divided into four districts separated primarily by wealth, the richer, nicer districts are further west while those devoted to the poorest residents are further east. The upper class residential district is inhabited by the well-to-do business men of St Almar and sits snugly against the west city wall, just north of the Business Quarter. The standard residential district takes up much of the northern part of the city and butts up against the majority of the northern city wall. The poor district is easily the size of the first two districts together and covers what portions of the northern wall that the standard district doesn't, but also extends part way down the western wall. The slums take up the rest of the western wall and stretches down toward the southern wall, butting up against the docks. It is also separated from the rest of the residential district by walls, which keeps the poorly-received humanoids from randomly passing into areas with more "sensitive" sensibilities.

The Business Quarter is located in the western and south-western portion of St Almar; it is the primary place for most commerce to occur and is where the more genteel merchants ply their trade. Aside from the City Center, it is also the most organized of all quarters, despite its districts tending to blend together. The four districts tend to occupy similar stretches and streets but can be loosely divided into the Service District, the Tradesman's District, the Craftsman's District, and the Pits. The Service District includes inns, taverns, barbers, surgeons, and scholars; the Tradesman's District deals with those businesses involving skillsets and knowledge; the Craftsman's District is devoted to those who create or build; finally, the Pits focus on unskilled labor, which sometimes includes utilizing the city's bountiful humanoid population for less savory jobs at abysmal pay.

Finally, the Docks, which take up the southeastern portion of the town have three distinct districts: the wharf, dockside, and the warehouses. The wharf is where most activity takes place involving moving of cargo and processing fishing catches. The Dockside is a miniature business and hospitality district which caters to visiting crewmen (and facilitates illicit activity far away from the prying eyes of the Lawgivers of Norr

By necessity, the underprivileged have formed their own unions and secret societies, but such gatherings are usually frowned upon by the upper class, and what the upper class dislikes usually end up as illegal. Still, the fellowship and mutual protection offered by such an arrangement means most consider the danger well-worth the risk. Either way, such groups either work ardently to be open-enough and loyal-enough to the faithful to be tolerated, or else strive fervently to remain undetected.

Religion in St Almar

While the Holy Temple of Amiel is the 'one true religion' within St Almar, there are several other faiths, though none are as well accepted, and many are outright banned. As the primary faith, the Holy Temple of Amiel ('The Temple' for short) provides guidance and blessings for the day-to-day operations of the city. In addition, The Temple also serves as the governing body with the High Priest serving as the de factor Governor of St Almar. The Lawgivers of Norr ('The Lawgivers' for short) tend to be the policing and enforcement group in town and include in their numbers the guardsmen and judicial workers. Any other faiths are considered cults or rebels and are illegal.

Ameil, the Divine Light

The Holy Temple of Ameil, the Divine Light is the widely followed religious house with the vast majority of the population paying homage (or at least lip service) to Ameil. As the patron deity of St Almar, The Divine Light is the be-all-end-all of worship and all state-sanctioned holidays, festivals and events include prayer to the city's chosen Deity. Considered both benevolent and critical, just and compassionate, most followers think of their deity in an almost parental capacity.

Ameil is often depicted as an Elf, though is just as often shown to be a Human, and may be depicted as either male or female; the gender-neutral Elven society places little significance on sexual identity and their deity is usually presented in an androgynous way with most official artwork being done as the opposite of the current ruling monarch (since the current ruler is an Emperor, artwork for the past millennia have been either androgynous or female in presentation). Ameil the Divine Light is the Deity of the Glory, Protection, Sun and War. Followers may be of any alignment or race but only non-Chaotic Elves or Human can be members of the clergy. Ameil's preferred weapon is the Rapier.

Norr, the Rule-Bringer

Lawgivers of Norr, The Rule-Bringer is the only other 'official' faith within St Almar, though he is not worshipped in quite the same way. Faithful followers of Norr act as the peace-keeping and enforcement arm for St Almar, serving as guardsmen, investigators, barristers, judges, and jailors. Presented far more as a stand-offish guardian than a caring patron, most worshippers pray to Norr for guidance rather than assistance.

Norr, like Ameil can be depicted as either male or female but, unlike Ameil, the deity is usually shown based on the role fulfilled. When shown in a guardian or enforcer capacity, Norr is often presented as a masculine deity, but a female when fulfilling a judiciary or solicitory one. This duality in gender role often also extends to followers, with more guards being male than female and more court-centric roles filled by female than male. Norr can be presented as any race, though, despite many humanoids owning idols of Norr in their own race it is considered profane for the deity to be presented as anything aside from Elven, Human, or Demihuman. Norr, The Rule-Bringer is the Deity of Community, Domination, Inquisition and Law. Followers may be of any non-chaotic alignment or race but only Lawful individuals may be members of the clergy. Norr's preferred weapon is the War hammer.

Holus, The Fallen

Although the kingdom which occupied the eastern continent before the arrival of the Holy Empire has been wiped out there are occasional lingering ruins and monuments to what stood before, and that includes the occasional hushed whispers and references to their deity, Holus. Also known occasionally as "The Fallen", Holus was a peaceful god who provided great blessings unto his people, limiting the need for war and conflict. Sadly, this is often referenced by his remaining followers as to why the great nation of the western continent fell. Those followers who remain worship Holus in secret and call themselves "The Militia", a loosely-knit group with the goal of one day breaking free of the regime which has claimed their ancestral lands in its iron-clad grasp.

Holus is depicted as a man with pure white hair; his race and skin tone (or fur-color, for that matter) is as varied as those who followed him. Holus, the Fallen is the Deity of Good, Plants (or Animals), Healing, and Protection. Followers may be of any alignment and any race; none are turned away. Followers choose one of two sects: Holus the Shepherd (Animal domain) or Holus the Farmer (Plant domain). If worshipped as Holus the Shepherd his chosen weapon is the quarterstaff; if worshipped as Holus the Farmer his chosen weapon is the pitchfork.

Loghul, The Profane

As the most prominent cult within St Almar, the Cult of Loghul, referred to specifically a "The Profane" are often spoken of in hushed whispers and as the villains of stories told to children to get them to behave. Presented as 'what will go wrong when you turn your back on the divine', Loghul is the moral of any story in which he is featured. Sometimes considered a wretched husk of a pathetic man grasping for power beyond his reach, and just-as-often shown as a villain who will do anything to get what he wants, he is universally reviled by all followers of Ameil.

Loghul is always depicted as a horrific and repulsive lich, usually of Elven origin. While not specifically hailed as evil, his honorific of "The Profane" describes the general outlook to his approach to the world and lack of respect for all things just and proper. Often regarded as a being which seeks knowledge and power at the expense of civility, propriety and even the limits of life itself he is seen as a tempter who leads men to their spiritual doom through promises of power and fulfilling of wishes. Loghul the Profane is the Deity of Magic, Secrets, Knowledge, and Death. Followers of Loghul are generally despised by all 'proper' people in St Almar, but they can be from any walk of life, any race, and any social background. Loghul's chosen weapon is the scythe.

Waha, The Laughing Dog/God

Although not precisely an organized religion, followers of one final deity occasionally find a reason to make a home in the underbelly of St Almar. Rather than claim a specific methodology, the casual nature of Waha's followers mean that they have adopted the name 'The Dis-Order' as a parody to the names the other faithful give to their own groups. Waha, the Laughing Dog/God is a lesser deity but is still powerful enough to garner a following. Although he is often depicted as distant and fickle, Waha is still considered the most likely out of all divine beings to take an interest in mortal affairs-- if for no reason other than for his own amusement. Another survivor of the cultural destruction of the western kingdom at the hands of the Holy Empire, Waha was one of dozens of deities worshipped by the Beast-kin and yet, for some inexplicable reason, he managed to continue existing despite the Elves' otherwise unmitigated success at cleansing the pantheon... most presume it is due to the infectious way his legacy meshed with the dogma of others, showing up time and time again as a chaotic influence in stories beyond measure.

Waha, the Laughing Dog/God is always depicted as a male Coyote Beast-Kin (though some stories tell of him occasionally taking a female form-- usually for laughs at the expense of a specific target) whose garb is as mutable as the moon phase but he is always shown as wearing a cloak made of a patchwork of fabrics and colors, earning him the nickname "The Patchwork God/Dog", which also describes his followers, who may come from any race, class, region, or creed. His domains consist of Chaos, Trickery and Luck. His favored weapon is his barbed tongue and cutting wit (or, more specifically, his clerics get "Improvised Weapon" as a free weapon proficiency).