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SANCTUARY

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The City of Second Chances

• Tone: An eclectically cosmopolitan and meddlesome bastion of commerce that, rather arrogantly, considers itself the centre of the known multiverse.
• Timeframe: -2500 to present. Founded in year 0, Sanctuarian Calendar. It is not entirely clear how this calendar maps onto other Calendars including the Chamber Philosophick’s own Universal Calendar. The modern city is estimated to be around 2500 years old but the remnants of the old city predate this significantly.
• Artifice: High
• Region: the name of the region the nation resides in.
• Capital: Sanctuary (~1,850,000, city proper)
• Notable Settlements: Badruun (~230,000, Shard half a day below Sanctuary), Astrid Heights (~80,000; low-rent 'burb on a Shardlet a ferry ride away from Sanctuary); Songton (~30,000, Shardlet near Sanctuary; tenderloin district), Apexa (~10,000; Shardlet half a day above Sanctuary with very exclusive residences)
• Government: Meritocratic / Oligarchic Democracy
• Ruler: Chamber Prime, headed by the Lady who has the casting vote and the Right of Veto in times of emergency.
• Races: Human (50%), Ælves (7%), Merren (3%), Other (40%) TODO: detail "Other"
• Languages: 'Tweenish (all), Luuzian (a refined pastime amonst Sanctuary's upper classes), dozens of other non-native languages.
• Religions: Church of the Holy Unification; Cult of Luuz; various realm-specific practices.
• Coinage: Sanctuary is not very rich in metals, but does sometimes melt down other currencies and recast them into Plates (10gp), Wheels (5gp), Coins (1gp), Discs (1sp), and Rounds (1cp) (the names are deliberately manufactured due to language barriers). However, the vast majority of flowing coinage is foreign and exchanged via physical weight and purity as well as perceived value based upon origin. Exchangers are very common throughout the city, and money changing is a comfortable cottage industry. Counting Houses also exist, providing a secure banking facility and issuing scrips, called Writs, which can be exchanged for hard currency at other Counting Houses; forgery is carefully guarded against by experts.

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Synopsis

Sanctuary is a bustling inter-planar trading city where the many factions and entities of Esoterica ply their trades on neutral ground. Anyone found guilty of threatening the sanctity of Sanctuary’s neutrality is entombed in Wicallen’s Pillar for 333 years. After serving their sentence, the near-mindless, shattered wrecks that emerge are put to labour on public works. Only one person has ever emerged from the Pillar with their mind (more or less) intact and she now governs the city with an iron hand.

Sanctuary is neither a particularly dystopian nor utopian place: in some respects the city is a extremely enlightened (when compared to typical fantasy societies), whilst in other respects it is viciously, and dangerously, draconian. Like all big cities, it has its wonders and, like all big cities, it has its problems.

The inhabitants of Sanctuary are extremely idealistic and hold the Three Pacts (that Expression, of Tolerance and of Neutrality) extremely dearly. Anyone threatening or belittling these ideals is guaranteed to make enemies fast. Whilst these ideals sound...err...idealistic, residents of Sanctuary often take these ideals to the extreme with most of the troubles that beset the city are usually a result of such behaviour.

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Magic

This page provides further information on the more common magical practices in Sanctuary. The city is increadibly diverse and it's usually possible to find at least one practitioner of each art, although some practitioners may not want to be (or appreaciate being) found.

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Details

Physical Description

From afar Sanctuary appears as a gigantic, stepped pyramid of four sides, similar in design to those found in the Jungle Kingdoms of Luuz - in fact the design and detail is so similar that some scholars speculate an ancient link between Sanctuary and the Luuzians.

A diverse architectural array of buildings sprout from the steps and sides of the great pyramid. Most of these places incorporate parts of the original architecture of Sanctuary, or make use of fallen stone from now collapsed buildings. In some places the original buildings still stand and much of Innerside remains untouched by the city’s modern architects.

The apex of Sanctuary contains the Lady’s tower and the Chamber Prime. As a general rule the upper steps are more salubrious whilst the lower steps given over to industry, warehousing and tenements. The districts of Innerside are extremely varied and an incautious traveller can quickly find themselves in more dangerous neighbourhoods (even in the upper steps). Rumours persist of magically sealed regions of Innerside that remain unmapped or too dangerous to colonise.

Sanctuary sits in a region of the Tween where green, violet and purple winds predominate. As a result, Sanctuary is bathed in an eternal twilight; occasionally punctuated by the pseudo-sunlight of the Chamber Arcane’s mobile, floating alchemickal sun-globes. However, despite the low light levels, certain plants manage to survive on Sanctuary and some scholars have suggested that the presence of above average concentration of ‘green’ Tween currents is a factor in this.

Founding of Sanctuary

Sanctuary was founded amongst the remnants of a much older city by former Xauphinelle slaves who had escaped enslavement following a minor revolt in Farshal. Amongst the ruins of the ancient city the Founders discovered antiquated lore and a gate to the realm now known as Garden. Garden, as it must have once done in the past, provided Sanctuary’s newest residents with a much needed source of food and water. For 300 years Sanctuary was little more than the way station for pirates and revolutionaries, who used Sanctuary as a staging post for launching raids upon Xauphinellian slavers and many of Sanctuary’s great tales stem from this period.

In the year 333, Sanctuarian Calendar, the great Pirate King Zebinar united the various bickering and disparate factions that lurked in Sanctuary’s ruins, setting the city on its course to becoming the Jewel of the Multiverse. Zebinar was himself a former slave and this is where the Sanctuary gets its moniker as the City of Second Chances. Some of the loot was used to employ mercenaries and thrill seekers to map out the dangerous and haunted corridors of Sanctuary’s innerside, which resulted in the discovery of the Seven Gates.

In the year 333, Zebinar initiated the most audacious programme of piracy ever seen by the Multiverse. The loot was used to rebuild Sanctuary so that it might become a proper and more respectable settlement. This date is often considered the proper founding of Sanctuary as it represents the transition of a chaotic and wayward pirates cove into a city proper. As a result, the number 333 – which is associated with significant events - features heavily in just about every aspect of Sanctuarian life; from architecture to poetry.

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Politics and Government

Government

The City of Sanctuary is governed by the Chamber Prime a council composed of one chancellor from each of the Lower Chambers and the Lady. The Chamber Prime governs and takes decisions based on the votes of its members; with the Lady holding the casting vote should a stalemate be reached. The Lady also possesses the Right of Vito which she may use during times of emergency to temporarily rescind power from the various councils.

Occasionally, when the council feels that it is appropriate or politic to do so, certain matters will be put to the public vote. Only citizens of Sanctuary may vote in such referendums.

The Lower Chambers are renowned for their constant bickering, politicking and undermining of each other. Such behaviour usually delays motions being passed as the Chambers manoeuvre against each other, trying to gain the most benefit from the motion. During times of trouble, the Chambers tend to be more united in their outlook but old habits die hard and a certain degree political manipulation still goes on. The reputation of the Lower Chambers is well known and there are many factions that seek to play the Chambers off against each other for their own benefit.

Residency and Citizenship

Residency is awarded to any who own property within Sanctuary. Residency does not convey any decision making powers to the individual in question, but they do benefit from the protection and privileges awarded to those who live within the city. Residency is not hereditary and even the children of Sanctuarian Residents must own property before being awarded residency.

Citizenship conveys greater privileges and, more importantly, allows an individual to vote in the various public referendums. With the exception of the Chamber Geographick, one must also be a resident to join the Lower Chambers. Anyone can become a Citizen of Sanctuary, so long as they have sufficient funds. This is because Sanctuarian Citizenship must be bought. The privileges accorded to, and an individual’s voting influence, is tied to two things: wealth and Aark. Each year, a Citizen must determine how much, above the minimum amount eligible for Citizenship, they wish to donate to the public coffers. The more they donate, the more privileges and voting power is accorded to them. Aark is more complex but is best described as a measure of social worth. There is an entire department within the Administratum of the Chamber Prime whose purpose is to measure and track each Citizen’s Aark. Each citizen has an Aark score that measures how well they uphold the Three Pacts. Quite simply, the greater one’s Aark, the more privileges and voting power one has.

As one might expect with such a system, there is an extreme variation between the wealthy Citizens of the Upper Tiers, who are able to shape Sanctuary’s future and never need fear if the city watch will turn up on time and those who inhabit boroughs such as Hangside and don’t even hold residency.

Visitors should beware: those who do not hold residency within Sanctuary have little or no rights, even in cases when they are clearly the victim.

The Captain’s Council

As one might expect, it is significantly less difficult to govern and administer a city or nation than to govern the conduct and behaviour of captains and ship crews when they are in freespace, outside the jurisdiction of political bodies such as the Chamber Prime.

The Captain’s Council was set up by Orienne Dawn in 1034 SC (Sanctuary Calendar), to enforce certain codes of conduct (as documented in the Captain’s Charter) and to take action against those that violate the Captain’s Charter.

Weighing in at three hundred and thirty-three volumes, the Captain’s Charter is quite possibly one of the most complex pieces of legal documentation ever written. In truth, most captains on the council rarely refer to it, using common sense and a vague notion of intent instead. Each volume covers a particular area of conduct and, amongst its many volumes are codes of conduct for salvage, privateering, care of ship crew, care of captured crew, treatment of officers and even duelling.

Whilst the council has no power within Sanctuary, it is an extremely influential body because of the reliance of Sanctuary upon trade. The influence of the Captain’s Council is something that is resented by other political bodies and the twelve captains on the council usually take precautions when out and about in Sanctuary.

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Crime and Punishment

Jurisdiction

• The City Watch is responsible for preventing criminal undertakings and apprehending those suspected of committing crimes within the City of Sanctuary. Whilst the City Watch’s remit extends to the dockside, it does not extend onto the Ships themselves: jurisdiction here falls to the Captain’s Council.
• The Captain’s Council is responsible for ensuring crews uphold the Captain’s Charter and it’s remit extends to any act carried out within neutral Tweenspace or on a ship deck (when docked).
• Those suspected of violating the Captain’s Charter are tried and punished by the Captain’s Council. Whilst the council is usually fair and incorruptible in such matters, its punishments are often severe.
• Those suspected of criminal undertakings within the Watch’s jurisdiction are presented to the Judicators who pass judgement upon the accused (see section below).

Crime

• Minor Crimes: examples of minor crimes include small thefts, general thuggery and forgery
• Major Crimes: examples of major crimes include murder, fraud, serious thefts
• High Crimes: Examples of high crimes are Treason, killing a Judicator and attempting to weaken the Chamber Prime.
• Laws of particular note to travellers & visitors:
  • The rationale behind several of Sanctuary’s laws has been lost in the midst of time. One of these laws is the prohibition on unsheathing or readying of weapons other than knives in public areas. Some scholars believe that the law have dated from the era when Sanctuary was a pirate’s cove, prone to 'violent argument'. The suggestion is that since knives were used for eating, the settlers were allowed to unsheathe them. All visitors should ensure that blades are sheathed and other weapons are carried as obviously unready manner as possible.

Judicators & Judgement

Judicators are Sanctuary’s roaming judges: they have no premises but roam the streets of Sanctuary dispatching judgement upon the guilty as they see fit or holding court when the City Watch presents an suspect to them. When presented to a Judicator, the accused party is given the opportunity to plead their innocence whilst the Judicator listens and considers the case of the accused. All Judications take place within a public space (whatever happens to be the most convenient at the time).

There is a degree of theatre involved and, whilst the Judicator will often question witnesses, they are just as likely to call upon the crowd that has gathered for their opinions on the suspect’s pleas. Only Residents or Citizens may offer up evidence as witnesses and only Citizens may offer their opinions when asked by the Judicator. Violatign these rules is a crime in itself. The Judicator passes their judgement, determining punishment if they find the accused to be guilty.

Whilst many Judicators take their role seriously, there are those who will abuse the power, use it to their advantage or simply exploit the theatrics. Unsurprisingly, Judicators are universally feared and loathed throughout Sanctuary, especially the more infamous ones.

Punishment

Punishment in Sanctuary is similar to many places, with more severe punishments being meted out for more serious crimes although this does depend on the Judicator: some Judicators have been known to place a death sentence on an inhabitant guilty of a minor crime simply because they felt like it.

Minor criminals are usually offered to opportunity to work the period of their sentence as an operative for the Chamber Geographick.

Punishments for more severe crimes include imprisonment and hanging but Judicators often devise their own punishments. Those found guilty of high crimes are always interred within Wicallen’s Pillar for 333 years.

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People, Customs and Society

Sanctuary is an extremely cosmopolitan city and some of the more commonly found races in Sanctuary include: Human, Luuzian, Aelves, Merren

Customs & Superstitions

• Sanctuarians associated the number 333 with significant events (both positive and negative) and the number features heavily in the more creative and artistic aspects of Sanctuarian life.
• Sanctuarians never shake hands. The custom arises because of the enchantment that lies over Sanctuary: any deal, verbal or otherwise, is sealed with a handshake and the parties bound to whatever it was they agreed.
• Although most people of Sanctuary speak the common tongue, it is considered functional and crass by the social elite, who prefer to converse (usually quite badly) in Luuzian. Anyone wishing to move in the circles of the social elite will need to be sufficiently fluent in Luuzian.
• Anyone wishing to traverse Hangside is strongly advised to learn ‘the Hang’: a bizarre language dominated by slang and formed from the amalgamation of the mother tongues of Hangside’s diverse peoples.

Social Class

To be frank, social privileges and services are accorded to those inhabitants of Sanctuary who can afford it. The more one voluntarily contributes to Sanctuary’s coffers, the better service one can expect. This is simply the way of things in Sanctuary and the civilians of the city are unlikely to be able to comprehend why anyone would do things otherwise: as far as your average civilian is concerned, if they invest more in Sanctuary, they are contributing more to its services and so why shouldn’t the city watch prioritise them over their neighbour who invests less?

The reality of the situation is that there is a huge population of have-nots in Sanctuary who cannot afford to purchase residency or citizenship and the social divide between those who merely live in Sanctuary and those who are citizens is marked. For most, the poverty of places such as Hangside, is out of sight and, therefore, out of mind.

However, the inhabitants of Sanctuary are not entirely without conscience and a number of charitable organisations exists purely to serve the will of their god / goddess or for the betterment of living things. The wealthy of Sanctuary are also keen to prove their charity and, whilst their public works and charitable programmes aren’t always carried out for the right reasons, they do have a positive effect on the lives of others. Notable organisations include: the Open Hand, who take orphans from Hangside and educate them in the ways of magic; the Navigators Guild, which draws much of it’s intake from the City’s poorer regions and Sheildmaidens, an ancient order or priestesses who used to care for the injured on the battlefield but now offer healing, food and blessings to the disadvantaged.

There are also, of course, those who have little or no sympathy for their fellows and are out to exploit, take and cheat their way to obtain whatever it is that they currently want.

Social Issues

Like many large cities, Sanctuary is beset with a number of social issues:

• Social Divide: there is a massive social divide between the inhabitants of Hangside, who merely live in Sanctuary and the Wealthy Citizenry of the Second and Third Tiers. Usually these differences simmer under the surface of Sanctuary, but occasionally they explode into frenzied riots like the Handside Food Riots of 1150 SC. There are factions that fuel the resentment of Sanctuary’s have-nots to further their own agenda.
• Salvery: Sanctuarians do not tolerate slavery although, strangely, this intolerance does not extend to the Spirit-powered archanickal devices (known as Enjinns) that are proliferate through Sanctuary. There are some who campaign for the abolition of Enjinns but, whether through ignorance or perceived necessity, such campaigns have proved unsuccessful in changing the general mindset of Sanctuarians.
• Treatment of Aelves: Grudges run deep in Sanctuary and the shadow of Xauphinell's legacy still looms over the lives of many Aelves, who are often unfairly subject to ill-treatment as a result. As a result, many Aelven communities in Sanctuary are subtly, but substantially, fortified against intrusion.

Notable Festivals

• Founders Day: On the 333 day of each year, Sanctuarians Celebrate Founders Day. Historically, the festival was a time for family and friends although in recent times it has become infamous for the three hours of the day which start at midday. During these three hours all trade laws are relaxed and people may buy and sell anything perfectly legally, although every trade must be declared and is taxed accordingly.
• Hangside Steeplechase: the steeplechase takes place twice a year and involves participants racing from one part of Hangside to another by whatever means they can. Participants are known as ‘Runners’ and they are scored by a panel of judges on the following: speed, risk and style. The judging panel is, of course, totally corrupt and one’s score is usually less a result of skill but rather one of petty vengeances and currying favour.

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Trade

Overview

Due to the incredible diversity of coinage and the desire to trade with just about anyone for just about anything, trade and commerce is conducted in Sanctuary using Two means: coinage by weight (and quality) and bartering.

Sanctuary accepts most coinage but they must be gold, silver of copper. Price is determined by the weight of a standard quality coin. Haggling is expected (it is considered the height of bad manners to accept the first price one is given) and the interpretation of a ‘standard quality’ coin is extremely varied: when haggling one will invariably find that, at some point, the questionable quality of ones coinage (even if it’s patently top quality solid gold) will be raised. Haggling is an art form – and something of a sport - in Sanctuary, with the masters of this art being accorded much respect.

For those who do not possess gold, silver or copper, there are other means to trade within Sanctuary and most traders engage in both bartering and coin-based commerce. One can barter anything in Sanctuary: from goods to services and even Aark. However, visitors should beware – Sanctuary is shrouded in a magical geas: all deals are finalised with a handshake and, once made, both parties are magically bound to fulfil their end of the bargain. The undisputed masters of such contracts are Cazians, who excel at pinning the buyer down to a specific course of action whilst leaving their end of the bargain open to more liberal interpretation. The handshake that is used to seal a deal is of no particular form: a mere clasping of hands will suffice and one of the Cazian’s favoured tactics is to trick an unsuspecting buyer into touching hands with them in a seemingly innocent, but magically binding manner.

Commodities

Anything can be bought an sold in Sanctuary, mostly legitimately, but not always. There are three classifications of commodity in Sanctuary:

• Legal: Legal commodities make up the majority of Sanctuary’s vast marketplace and are best described as everything that isn’t Licensed or Illegal. Examples include: food, clothing, armour, most archanickal devices.
• Licensed: A seller must possess a license from the Administratum to sell these goods. They typically include items that are potentially dangerous or just very taxable. Examples include weapons, intoxicants, less dangerous drugs and some of the more dangerous arcanickal devices.
• Illegal: The major illegal commodities include slaves, poisons, dangerous drugs and intoxicants, various paraphernalia required for the practice of dark magics or worship of dark gods.

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Diplomatic Relations

• Due to a shared history and close proximity, The Chamber Prime maintains good relations with the Nine in The Tears of Vrylakos. The only exception to this rule is Xauphinelle which, whilst in reality Sanctuary has few qualms about trading with such a nation, it has the good diplomatic sense to loudly and publicly deride the nation as often as possible. Such double standards have not won the City-State many friends among Velsephay.
• The Seven Gates of Hanram’s Bazaar is a double edged sword for Sanctuary: whilst the gates bring opportunity, they also make the city vulnerable to attack from within. Therefore, Sanctuary’s extensive diplomatic service (part of the Chamber Geographick) invest significant effort in maintaining relations with those nations on the other side of the gates.
• Sanctuary has become concerned with the activities of Imperium of Irth but has so far failed to penetrate the near-paranoid level of security that surrounds this nation. The Chamber Prime is currently campaigning within the Union for a trade embargo against Irth and, if rumours are true, it may even be considering outlawing Irthians from setting foot upon the City.
• Sanctuary has severed all contact with Cazia and will neither trade with Cazia nor its allies.

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Boroughs and Locations of Interest

Visitors to Sanctuary should refer to Olov's Guide for more information about the City's locations of interest.

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Adventure Seeds

• Strange Laws: A wealthy Aelven merchant has been severely wounded in a very public area by a culprit who is well-known and was witnessed in the act by several reliable people. However, the culprit is boastful and unrepentant about the act because - according to some obscure and ancient law - the specific timing, circumstances and weapon used in the attack meant that he hasn’t actually broken Sanctuarian law. The PCs are tasked to bring him to justice but, more importantly, to ensure that others do not hear of this strange exception to normal law. The Authorities fear that, if the clause became publicly known, a spate of racial violence may follow…

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