Ryze
The Steam Powered City of Industry
In the center of the city of steel, copper, and iron lies a tower, called Brass Taldora. The building is so tall it contains a third of the city’s population. It was originally built by a long dead organization of Arcanists in the early to mid First Age. These Arcanists, called The Circle of Ezer, were powerful conquerors of The Badlands. They built the megastructure atop geothermal vents to harness their kinetic and heat energy to use in their grand schemes. Fortunately for The Badlands, The Undari slayed The Circle of Ezer. Their complex lair was taken over by masses of nomadic tribes seeking refuge. One tribe in particular, Clan Yiniro was a very clever group of Gnomes who were able to unlock the secrets that made the tower function as a home. It was quickly filled by all who sought its resources and protection. When the tower was at capacity, the citizens began to build a town around its base that eventually grew into the city of Ryze.
Its industrious founding Gnomes created a vibrant community and became the majority population of the city. The citizens have built upon the base of Brass Taldora and expanded upon its complexity and ingenuity. Ryze has become the city of production within The Three Corners. If something is mass produced, it is likely made here.
# Overview
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Main Opportunity | Ryze and its people move like clockwork in its day to day operations. So much time and effort has gone into efficiency within the complex city (save for the simplification of civil planning regarding its streets). Finding work and home within Ryze is not nearly the challenge it is in most cities. There are endless opportunities to work in factories, workshops, shipping yards, and things of the like. They say if something can be built by the hand of mortals, they make it in Ryze |
| Main Challenge | The city is a twisted mass of metal pipes, iron catwalks, and dark narrow tunnels. Originally constructed by The Circle of Ezer, a sect of malicious arcanists. It was tamed and built upon by industrious business titans who brought money, expansion and population to the city. This rapid growth within a city originally made by dangerous magic practitioners has many dark things lurking in its twisted alleyways and secret tunnels. Swindlers, criminals, and things rumored to be left behind by The Circle of Ezer lurk in the forgotten, rusted corners of Ryze |
| Climate | Temperate/Dry |
| Cuisine | Cultivated Fruits, Farmed Goods, Flatbread and rice based meals |
| Export | A staggering variety of factory made goods |
| Size | Large |
| Outer Villages | Many |
| City Leader | High Lady Wezmira Greem |
| Primary Language(s) | Smallfolk, Common |
| Majority Racial Group(s) | Gnomes |
| Majority Religion(s) | Zolaen-Centric |
# Major Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distinguishing Features | Built in a shallow crater the city has a bowl-shape to its topography. Recognizable by its riverside location in the center of the Arcadian Planes. |
| Architecture | Iron piping, metal gantries, large cogs, billowing steam stacks, large paned windows, and dark brick give the city an inescapable industrial appearance |
| Color(s) | Purple, Grey, and Blue |
| Symbolism | A cog wheel with 9 teeth surrounded by a sun’s corona formed of 9 points |
| Defenses | Heavy artillery, airship fleet, sloped approach on all sides |
# People Groups
| Group | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nobility | Social Class | The high class members of the city. Those who own production lines, trade agreements, merchant operations, or are renowned Skillmasters. |
| Workers | Social Class | The vast majority. There is more work opportunities than people in the city, giving most people means to and end, assuming that they do not face some other struggle that prevents them from working. |
| Rustheelers | Social Class | The beggar class of the city. Named after the rust stains on the cuff of their pants. These individuals are few in numbers compared to most cities due to the abundance of available labor. If one is a Rustheel, they likely suffer from disease, disability, addiction, or are not within their working years. |
| Slaves | Social Class | Those charged with significant crimes who are forced to work and serve in recompense. |
| Skillmasters | Academic Station/Career Level | Individuals who are at the highest skill level of their respective craft, usually associated with artificery. These individuals lead workshop, run production lines, or teach at The Brass Hall |
| Apprentices | Academic Station/Career Level | Those who follow the teachings of Skillmasters. Either at a place of business, or within The Brass Hall. |
| Professors | Academic Station | Those who give lectures and lessons not regarding artificery at The Brass Hall |
| Students | Academic Station | Students, they do not have to be focused on artificery in their attendance of The Brass Hall |
| Criminals | Criminal | Those who lurk within the narrow places of Ryze, conducting thievery, trade of contraband and other nefarious deeds. The state of criminal activity in modern day involves only moderate rivalry and infighting. Many claim it to be oddly civil for the most part. Most operations turn towards an individual called The Rust Queen as their crime lord. |
# Goods and Services
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Keep Likal | Keep | The city’s main keep |
| Ryze Station | Train Station | The city’s train station, notably located underground in the subterranean levels of Brass Taldora. It is the only city to have The Iron Tracks pass underneath it. |
| Ryze Convergence | Teleportation Circle | One of the city’s main teleportation circle. Located within the keep. |
| Brass Convergence | Teleportation Circle | One of the city’s main teleportation circle. Located within Brass Taldora. |
| Brass Taldora | Mega Structure | The massive tower at the city’s center. Its bottom layers consist of complex workshops and housing, its mid section is The Brass Hall, and its top floors are home to the nobility. However the tower does not only extend upwards, it descends deep underground as well containing the Train Station, Dungeon, warehouses and many strange mysteries. Myth and legend say much of the original structure, created by The Undari, has not yet been explored. Some claim tunnels extend from it heading all about the city, and that it even reaches The Underdark. |
| The Brass Hall | College | An institution of craftsmanship, and advanced arcane pursuits. This school focuses on Artificery, Discovery, and the advanced practice of Arcana. Part of the Arcanum under the umbrella of The University. Headed by Grandmaster Whiles Gennador |
| North Bowl | Industrial District | The region of inner city dedicated to the production of goods. |
| Forlorn Market | Market | A market district of general goods, filled with clouds of harmless steam that blow over from The North Bowl |
| Brass Alley | Market | A twisting mess of pipe-lined streets. Filled with sellers of cheap goods, and rare gizmos only found in Ryze |
| Viewmarket | Market | A market in the upper levels of Brass Taldora. Filled with the finest wares, and the best examples of craftsmanship in all of Laenwalde |
| The Metal Splinter | Tavern | A huge tavern on the border of The North and South Bowls, popular with many factory workers |
| De’mooneys | Tavern | A tavern adored by students |
| The Velsiteken Brewery | Tavern | The finest alehouse in the city, located in the top layers of Brass Taldora. |
| The Stackups | Dormitory | A tall building on the southeast corner of Brass Taldora used as student housing. Provides meal and bunk. |
# Authority
Overseen by High Lady Wezmira Greem, Ryze is a considerably organized city with respect to its chaotic appearance. Infrastructure is well placed, work is available, and crime is dealt with in a passable manner. Lots of this is attributed to its majority population of Gnomes. The city employs a reasonably present guard, but it is difficult to patrol such a complicated streetway.
# Laws
The city subscribes to the Laenwalde Laws
# Modern Importance
In modern day, Ryze is simply the place where things are made. Bottles, bandages, cannon balls, nails, pans, pipes, plates, string, tools, watches, wheels, and anything else you could name. This isn’t to say these aren’t also made elsewhere, merely there are many production lines in the city which create and ship-out these goods all over Zol.
# Historical Importance
Ryze was founded in Brass Taldora, the structure left behind by The Circle of Ezer. A group of dangerous arcanists who were defeated by The Undari. Over time it became a bastion of creation, production, and education thanks to the hard work of its many citizens and ruling powers.
It was also the city responsible for the creation of Heliodor, the floating city in the sky. Heliodor was constructed over many years outside the limits of Ryze. Many-a worker would commute to the construction site day in and day out to put together one of the great marvels of modern Zol.
# Other Things of Note
- Its inhabitants are known for their unmatched work ethic. While the sun is up, the gears of Ryze are turning. However when the sun goes down it is a much different story. The workers hang up their gloves and flood the taverns and streets. Every night feels like a sort of festival. People drink, dance and eat as if they were celebrating a good days work.
- Ryze is the Gnomish word for tower.
- The bridge between Ryze and Elysium Station is another one of the city’s famed feats of engineering. Fittingly named The Strait Bridge, is a long, thin bridge constructed of steel beams bent into supporting arches that repeat many, many times over along the whole span of The Arcadian Strait.
- Outside the city limits, where Heliodor was constructed lies a dangerous and strange slum called The Skaf. It is a sprawling nexus of scaffolding that was used to build Heliodor. It was abandoned after the flying city was created. Since then, bandits and rustheels have taken it over.