HAN'HAARSTAN

The Floating City

Tone: Ersatz city of pirates, smugglers, boat people, and knaves.
Timeframe: -3000 to present
Artifice: Standard, but "acquired" items of all artifice levels can be found. Sky-ship production is High verging on Advanced
Region: Tears of Vrylakos
Capital: Han’Haarstan (~3,000,000)
Notable Settlements: None (city-state)
Government: Hereditary Tribunal
Ruler: varies by house
Races: Human (80%), Merren (10%), Other (10%)
Languages: Vrylakian
Religions: Tearic Pantheon
Coinage: Coins from almost everywhere you can imagine, traded by a combination of weight and perceived value.

Synopsis

Nothing is constant or for sure in Han’Haarstan. Known as the Floating City, Han’Haarstan lacks a true Shard to serve as its foundation and is instead assembled from tied-off houseboats, quays, piers anchored to tiny shardlets, and barge houses. There is less than two square miles of solid land in the entire metropolis. Living in a city where nothing is permanently placed, and all but the largest of floating buildings sways with the flow of the 'Tween, the natives of this perhaps unique city are a flexible and mercurial folk.

The clannish native people owe fealty to the Sky-Kings, the titular heads of the many ruling families. Each clan member swears fealty to his family's recognized King, who in turn rules jointly with the other Sky-Kings. In theory all Sky-Kings are equal, in practice political clout stems from money, arms, and blackmail. Ostensibly a nation based on trade, this is but a polite fiction in many cases. Often the native sky-cutters ply the 'Tween looking for easy pickings rather than honest profit.

However the art of crafting Sky-ships is particularly valuable to the Han'Haarstani due to their unusual accommodations, and the local shipwrights are renowned for their cleverness and the quality of their vessels. They make a tidy fortune building very individualistic Sky-ships from imported materials for both local and foreign clientèle, and live like lords. Haarstani ships are considered extremely desirable, and there is a lucrative market for them throughout the 'Tween.

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Magic

Winding: There is a strong tradition of Winding among the Sky-Kings courts and families.

Alchemists have a small but profitable presence here. Concoctions used to treat and laminate wood are a specialty much used by the shipwrights. Also, the famous alchemically brewed Sky-brandy is made in Han'Haarstan; in addition to the normal alcoholic properties of brandy, Sky-brandy grants significant resistance to pain for the duration of its buzz. For each pint imbided the drinker must make a CON roll at -1; if they succeed they gain no benefit from the Sky-brandy as their metabolism shakes off the effects; however if they fail the roll they gain a cumulative +2 PD boost and suffer a cumulative -1 DEX penalty until they sober up. Characters with LS: Immunity to Alcohol or Immunity to Poisons gain no benefit from Sky-brandy.

Crypticism was once very much en vogue in Han'Haarstan, but was displaced by Winding many centuries ago. Nevertheless a few die-hard families still practice what they call the "Auldairt" (AWLD-AYERT). The total number of practitioners is less than a hundred, and only a handful are actual Masters who tend to guard their secrets tightly.

Various Priests of the Pentatra reside in Han'Haarstan in a sprawling complex near the heart of the shifting city. A few minor temples to other gods have invested representatives maintaining them as well.

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Details

Twin Dancer Style: The Han’Haarstani as a people are mercurial and easily insulted but also often quick to forget. However, almost all are very ready with a blade and often by the time their anger has passed the cause of it is dead or wounded. It is considered not only prudent, but enjoyable to engage in weapons training while in port and many styles of fighting find their way to this tumultuous city, but the favored technique is the native Han’Haarstani Twin Dancer style.

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Adventure Seeds

Ship of Dreams: the famed shipwright Varus Baryll has crafted a new Sky-ship of indescribable awesomeness. Beautifully designed, furbished with only the finest of accouterments, and fast as a ship of its class can be. It's a vision to behold and a treasure for whoever ends up possessing it. However, its not for sale. Instead Baryll offers it as a reward to whomever brings him the heads of the captain, first and second mates, quartermaster, and master of arms of the pirate vessel The Skurvy Stoop which is at large. The pirates are responsible for slaying Baryll's eldest son several years ago and he longs for vengeance. The ship remains unnamed, awaiting its new owner's moniker, but the locals have taken to calling it Baryll's Revenge.

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