Fike
The Largest city of The Ward
Surrounded by hilly farmland, Fike is the most populated of the north-eastern cities. Located on the most fertile ground of The Ward, it is the producer of fresh produce for itself and its sister city of Often. Its abundance is largely due to this hills surrounding the city which bear a great deal of the force from Greatwinds. However its abundant resources also make it a frequent target of its rival city, Hoss.
# Overview
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Main Opportunity | Fike is plentiful with resources. It has a thriving economy from with its neighbor Often, and foreign trade. It is a place where one can easily find work and home within the north. |
| Main Challenge | Due to its plenty, it is a target for bandits and its rival city of Hoss. It faces frequent attacks and hardship at the hands of others. |
| Climate | Temperate/Continental |
| Cuisine | Farmed goods, fish, wild game, Stormdew |
| Export | Produce, Alcohol, Iron |
| Size | Large |
| Outer Villages | Many |
| City Leader | Archon Adalith Percy |
| Primary Language(s) | Common |
| Majority Racial Group(s) | None |
| Majority Religion(s) | Monotheistic worship of Adrathar, Father of the Wind |
# Major Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distinguishing Features | Costal |
| Architecture | Timber Frame, Half-metal roofs where the metal side faces The Storm Horizon, many-floored buildings shared by multiple families and/or businesses |
| Color(s) | Orange and Yellow |
| Symbolism | The Ferric Alphabet symbol for Fiber |
| Defenses | Walls, Navy, The North Honor |
# People Groups
| Group | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nobility | Social Class | The upper crust of the city’s society. Not as refined as foreign nobility, but obviously more well off than the rest of society. Comprised of the Archon, their supporting council, successful business owners, merchants, and families of long standing wealth. |
| Commoners | Social Class | The general populace. Known as a pragmatic and unpretentious people. They are shipwrights, soldiers, smiths, shop keeps, and many other things of the like. The community that exists amongst them is very close, friendly, but not welcoming to outsiders. |
| Peasantry | Social Class | Those of lesser means. Builders, dockworkers, Stormdew gatherers, miners, and most abundantly: farmers. Despite their financial struggles, there is still a beauty to their simple lives. Some struggle to the point of homelessness, but as long as they do not push help away, they can get by. The community that exists amongst them is very close, friendly, but not welcoming to outsiders. |
| Warriors of The Ramshorn | Guild | A guild of brave and honorable viking warriors. Dispatched from Often to protect the city of Fike. Their mission is to defend The North Honor, and fight for the greater good of Zol. Their leader within Fike is Eurance Kyth, second only to the guild leader, Mjelldorn Harms. Eurance is a Stormblessed Goliath woman who is one of the blessed with amazing strength and endurance. |
| Acolytes of Adrathar | Clergy | Members of The Church of Winds. Those who dedicate themselves to the service of Adrathar. |
| Threp Gang | Criminal | A loosely organized gang of cut-purses and cut throats, run by a scummy human man known as Old Marsen. |
| The Dockrats | Criminal | The city’s most notable group of criminals. This gang is well organized by Austag Hanes, a young, but clever Dwarf man. Known for their rivalry with The Threp Gang and The Ramshorn. |
| Stormblessed | Misc. | Individuals who prove themselves to be the most worthy during The Enduring, and are blessed with power by Adrathar. These individuals receive the utmost respect from their community. They are usually a little on the atypical side personality wise. |
# Goods and Services
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Yarms | Keep | The city’s main keep |
| Fike Convergence | Teleportation Circle | The city’s main teleportation circle. Located within the keep. |
| Pigarden Markets | Market | The inner city’s market district. |
| The Scrafemark | Market | The outer city’s market. Known to be busy, dirty, and filled with small time criminals |
| The Spinning Helm | Tavern | A large, inner city, dockside tavern that is popular with many. |
| The Scabbard | Tavern | A dingy, inner city bar located near Copper Gate. Known for its associations with The Dockrats |
| The Inn of the North | Tavern | A tavern located on the edges of Lost Road, popular with travellers coming and going from the west. |
| Pappy’s | Tavern | A very small basement tavern known for its associations with the Threp gang |
# Authority
Ruled by Archon Adalith Percy, a half elf man that is largely disliked by his subjects. The Archon of Fike is rumored to be corrupt and has his pockets lined by local gangs and other shady groups. Regardless of his status, he is supported by his own military and by Often through The North Honor. These resources give him reasonable hold over the large and chaotic northern city.
# Laws
The city enforces its own laws
| Law | Severity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Murder | High | If one kills outside of self defense, or does not have governmental permission. It is a great criminal act |
| Void Worship | High | One cannot conduct worship of the Void Gods |
| Detrimental Necromancy | High | Necromantic magic that does not heal is considered a great crime. |
| Slavery | High | Owning slaves is an illegal practice, based in passages from the scriptures of Adrathar, Father of the Wind |
| Thievery | Medium/High | Theft, breaking and entering, forgery, fraud, etc. is punished in respect to the severity of the crime |
| Assault | Medium/High | Harming another without due cause in any manner is punished in respect to the severity of the harm done |
| Draconic Communion | Medium/High | Allying with a dragon, be it metallic, chromatic, or otherwise is a severe crime within the city. This does exclude lesser dragons like drakes and faerie dragons, as well as Dragonborn individuals. Note this laws does include the worship of Ayamot. |
| Sacrilege Usage of the Ferric Alphabet | Medium/High | Using the Ferric Alphabet for Iron Light is seen as a severe crime. Within The Ward the Ferric Alphabet are holy symbols not intended for the hands of mortal tampering. This law bans the usage of Apparatum and the presence of Warforged. |
| Cognitive Enchantment | Medium | Manipulating another person’s mind via Enchantment (School) without governmental permission is a crime |
| Slander | Low | Harming the reputation of a staple business or highborn house that would cause financial harm is punishable by a fine |
# Modern Importance
In modern day, it is the staple of The Ward. It is the largest city, and most of the regions exports that are sent to foreign kingdoms come from it.
# Historical Importance
During The Dragon War, Fike was the stage for the final weeks of the war. Most of The Ward’s cities had been destroyed. Of the remaining three, it was the only city with the farmland to sustain the kingdom. If its infrastructure were lost, it would spell doom for The Ward. All those who fought under The North Honor gave their all to protect it.
# Other Things of Note
- Many call Fike the Driftwood city. This is because the ocean currents carry storm-thrown driftwood from The Storm Isles to its shores in great piles.