Overview
Industry, integrity, prosperity.
This is the Riverport's motto, and what (some) of its citizens live by. A seedy, glowing underbelly of neon lights, jazz halls, casinos, and grimy alleyways filled with drug dealers and prostitutes contrasts against the bright uptown filled with restaurants and inventors' workshops from across Arcadia. Arcadia's shipyard is the busiest in the nation, and welcomes merchants from all over the Isles. Factories on the outskirts belch smoke and mass-produce goods requisitioned by the King and his dukes and duchesses.
History
When the Azure Empress tried to colonize Arcadia, a long and bloody war was fought. During this war, the humble seaside village of Riverport was occupied by the Empress' soldiers. They built it up to be a supply hub for their vessels during the war. Refineries were built to process ore from the nearby foothills. After the war subsided, control was re-established by the Arcadians. They migrated in droves to the city due to its advanced infrastructure (canals, plumbing, and harbors).
During the shaky founding of the Kingdom of Arcadia, a merchant council of the richest war profiteers – comprised of Mani and Arcadians alike – took command of the city. Despite the King’s efforts Riverport has remained largely independent and lacks governmental oversight. Order is kept by riches rather than rules.
City Districts
The city is divided into five distinct districts. Central to the city is The Exchange, where all business, commerce, and trade takes place. All roads from the Harbors lead here. Sprawling in the northern part of the city are the The Terrace, which forms the aristocratic part of the city. Rich and wealthy nobles live there.
The outskirts of town are called the Outskirts. When Riverport was occupied during the war, the Outskirts are where the Mani soldiers built refineries to process ore from the nearby mountains and forge weaponry. The refineries are grimy, smoke-billowing factories.
Finally, the city’s call to fame is its District of Delights: an entertainer’s paradise inhabited by gambling dens, dance troupes, bards, whorehouses, and speakeasy-like lounges. Looking for a good time? Look no further. The District of Delights has something for everyone. The edges of the Delights are generally more wealthy due to tourists and aristocrats pouring money into the area.
Location Overviews:
The Exchange
The District of Delights
The Harbor
Outskirts
The Terraces
The Streets
The streets of Riverport can be a dangerous place after dark. Gangs and illicit activity take over when the sun goes down, and the town guard accept bribes to look the other way. This quick excerpt about Riverport sums up a walk through the District of Delights at night:
Streetlamps cast bright yellow circles on the ground. Neon signs flashed over and over. Spend your draka here, spend it there, make it rain down from the sky! Dance until the sun comes up!
Open bars and taverns were filled with laughing, charming nobles dressed in the latest fashions. Carriages and chariots rolled past. Marvelous buildings painted blue and gold lined every street. The drinking parlors of the elite were rich and luxurious with blue carpets, chandeliers, soaring pillars, and luscious flowers. Speakeasies, whorehouses, bars, and taverns of the lower class were quaint wooden structures with cozy interiors.
Riverport had a lot to offer.
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