Welcome to Fellport, my #City23 Project

I got caught up in the buzz surrounding #Dungeon23, and come to find out it offers variants! I've seen #Facility23, #NPC23, and #City23. Since I've been wanting to flesh out the main city in my current 5E campaign, #City23 jumped to the front of the line. And I figured I'd dust off the Den of Iniquity while I'm at it.

The initial #Dungeon23 post on Win Conditions lays down some ground rules. First, get something on paper (virtual or otherwise) every day. As Sean quotes his favorite creative advice: Have Something To Show For Your Time. It doesn't matter if it's a room name with "Empty Room" next to it - it's something.

Since I'll publish as I go, this will get messy. Unsub if you need to, as I'm sure we will see days with nothing more than "Enid's Apothecary: Burned and abandoned." As blog posts go, things like this may cause drowsiness. But as Sean says:

"The goal is the finish line. Just get to the finish line. Trust me." - Sean McCoy

Yes, Fellport sits at the heart of my current campaign. Yes, I can (and will) cheat because I have several locations named and roughly fleshed out in my head (and rarely on paper). Yes, my players may cheat by reading the descriptions, though I'll keep secrets to a minimum, and they're currently off trying to get themselves killed by ambushing the leader of an army of devils and demons IN HER STRONGHOLD. But I digress.

As a teaser, I thought I should share the hastily-scrawled map that I slapped together near the start of the campaign...

Yes, I scribbled it in a lined notebook. Sometimes we play things where they lie.

A Little Background

The history of the world of Beneterra comes to us through the lens of empire. Ionia conquered much of the continent and rewrote history to disavow and belittle any major civilization that came before it, though some still remember a time before the imperial armies took over. In recent years, Ionia has lost much of its edge after the fall of the Emperor and the reinstatement of the Senate. Much former glory and territory have left the Republic of Ionia through the endless squabbles between partisan camps in the Senate.

Fellport lay fairly close to the capital of Ionia, a city of trade fostered by the family who first settled there. Fellport became synonymous with lower classes of people and the unwanted non-human population, a parody of imperial purity and wealth. That attitude led Fellport to declare independence shortly after the Emperor's fall, installing a 5-person Council to guide the city's development, trade, and diplomacy. The former unwanted masses came together to build something wonderful and get rich while they were at it. Today Fellport stands as a jewel of diversity, welcoming all to her 16 tiered streets to make their own fortunes.

Fellport clings to the side of a steep and ancient crater, the base of which provides the deepest known harbor in the world. Her 16 levels boast a variety of shops and living conditions, from the endless cargo transfers at Dockside, through the bustling population of would-be magic-users on College Row, to the stately manors off the beaten path at Topside. The greater the distance from the harbor, the greater the general wealth and sophistication, though exceptions abound.

Beneterra exists squarely in the realm of High Fantasy, with teleportation available to the (rich) masses and franchises dedicated to magical inventors. Past empires await discovery, and cosmic secrets lurk in the wonders of modern magical technology.

As this project moves forward, I'll probably make an index post to keep track of all the entries. I'll also cross-link between entries as needed, so hopefully I'll end up with something resembling a #City23 wiki for Fellport. After that? Let's get something in the can before we entertain notions of grandeur, shall we?

Fellport Index

Since there won't be any kind of narrative flow to the entries, I decided to order points of interest by location. NPCs are mentioned within locations. As entries get added, I'll add links here.

EDIT 15Jan24: This list only contains posts for the #City23 portion of the Fellport project. For an index to all Fellport posts about the city and the world beyond, I'm maintaining a different list of links called The Fellport Almanac. Here are all the posts I've made with the #City23 tag, and here are all the posts I've made with the Fellport tag.

Outside Fellport

• Crystal Lake

Infrastructure

• The Lift - An elevator system running up and down the center of the city.
• The Ramps - Two series of sturdy switchback ramps run the height of the city.
• Cliffside Walk - This path atop the disused city wall provides spectacular sunsets.

Groups

• Constabilia Arcanum - The College's internal security force, also known as Caps.
• Deepspeakers - A group in league with the entity trapped under Fellport Harbor.
• Divinity Sanctum - Registered religions share worship space in the Mithraeum.
• The Dockworkers Union - A group dedicated to protecting member laborers.
• The Fellport Council - Five elected officials that run Fellport.
• The Fellport Watch - Responsible for security and city defense.
• The Free College of Collaborations Arcane - Known as The College. Teaches magic.
• Randir Greymantle - Conjuration professor. Heading off to explore the planes.
• Legio XIII Solmurus - The most famous Ionian legion, geared to resist magic.
• The Liftwardens' Guild - Provides staff, security, and maintenance for the Lift.
• Merchants' Chamber - Members pay dues and work together to improve trade in Fellport.
• Way of the Tankard - A monastic order founded by Zemion focusing on combat improvisation.
• Magnus Kay - Local orphan with bad direction sense now performs for parties.
• Vellix - Tabaxi who runs The Tankard Bar. She can swear in eight languages.

Other Items of Interest

• The Adventures of Cochrane Ironcalf - A series of 53 books (so far) spanning 180 years.
• Bastion Helm - Area effect mental protection and shiny protective headgear in one.
• Dagger of Null Magic - An early experiment with Orichalcum that suppresses magic.
• Divining Dirk - A dagger that points at the closest gold. Or emerald. Or whatever.
• Door Plaque - A custom metal sign that blends in and enhances locks.
• The Dread Helm - Mind flayer artifact of nightmares. Very cursed.
• Frog Lily - A nasty little druidic single-use item that calls a plague of frogs.
• Glowing Dust - Imagine a light spell spread across a handful of dust.
• Mist Rapier - A fey weapon that slowly summons fog to hide itself.
• Multispout - Attached to a bottle, it adds 6 more extradimensional liquid storage spaces.
• Orichalcum - An anti-magic metallic alchemical paint which can alter bronze.
• Pentadamus Diadem - This headpiece stores the essences of all 5 types of gem dragons.
• Platinum Geode - A protective pendant given to dwarven nobility.
• Quizzing Glass - A monocle that translates written text. Overuse causes headaches.
• Redmoon Restorative Lozenges - Throat-soothing candies from The Crystal Beaker.
• Scutum Solis - A magic-resisting Ionian "sun shield" used by troops of the Legio Solmurus.
• Silver Spear - Hangs in the Caps office as a reminder to Weather The Storm.
• Sorcerer's Secret - A large bracer that safely holds 4 wands and keeps the wearer's hands free.

The Harbor (and Beyond)

• The Grey Rover - A driftwood-colored pirate ship captained by Oya Stormqueen.

Level 1: Dockside

• Pud'n - Food stall run by Pud'n the half-orc chef.
• The Red Rudder - Good, cheap bar and "secret" casino run by Jasper Sondal-Nesmith.
• The Sly Spider - Ship repair by Bez, the retired (and cursed?) spider climbing thief.
• Water's Edge Warehouses - Storage space for rent, run by Silas Greenbough.

Level 2: Hempenway

• The Rusty Anchor - Dive bar popular with sailors and dockworkers.
• Sails & Lines - Industrial ropery and sailmaker, currently run by Amos Dowd.
• Trident Salvage - Part workshop for cargo recovery, part curio museum, run by Shaan.

Level 3: Arena Boulevard

• The Bounty Below - Sushi and seafood plus biology lessons by Braggi "The Returned".
• The Grand Odeon - The old arena, now an indoor performance space, run by Bert DeSilva.
• Rampart Cookie Bar - Look for their cookie carts around town. Run by Quilia Ven.
• The Sacred Squid - Upscale eatery and bar run by Damla Balik, Azeron, and Fianna Vita.
• Sticks and Stones - Tools and weapons, plus an experimental showroom by Ben.
• The Tankard Bar - A plainly-decorated bar owned by The Way of the Tankard. Run by Vellix.

Level 4: Tallglass Avenue

• Talltown - The Giant's Quarter takes up the Cliffside half of Level 4.
• Wildside Emporium - Thea Willowstaff's shop trading in unreliable magic items.
• Fellport Glassworks - Industrial bottles and panes, run by Chief Artisan Thaddeous Reed.
• Highwater House - Provides housing for anyone under Aurelia Stonecairn's guidance.

Level 5: 

• The Crystal Beaker - A run-down alchemy shop with new owner Tilly Redmoon.
• The Forgotten Flat - A magically-hidden bolthole in an alley, built by Krannock Steelshanks.
• Encounter: Demon on the Docks - An escaped Wastrilith heads for the harbor.

Level 6: Rainbow Road / The Millway

• Healing Draughts - A tiny hole-in-the-wall potion shop run by Tamar the Healer.
• Hues of Life - Heart of the Artists' Quarter, run by Lynn Sanders, the Monk of Paint.
• Imperial Mills - Grinds enough grain to feed everyone in Fellport. Run by Florian Amicus.

Level 7: The Goldway

• The Pennypint Pub - Home of The Penny Chestnut, run by Doyle and Pinkie Wingate.

Level 8: Diplomat's Row / Midmarket

• The Underground - A subterranean shopping complex, converted from a smuggler's hideout. Owned by Duncan McKinsey.
• The Sorcerer's Secret - Wands and accessories by Lydianna "The Whip".
• Steinkellar Bar - Club, bar, celebrities, and private functions by Karanog Dawngold.

Level 9: Council Plaza

• The Council House - Fellport's first mansion, repurposed as the seat of the city's government.
• Sariel - Wood elven woman who has served the house since before the city's independence.

Level 11: Upper Campus Lane

• The Dipped Pen - Premier shop for spellbooks, inks, and paper by Lucius Modesto.

Level 13:

• Rings & Things - Purveyor of jewelry both magical and mundane by Ashley Macmillan.

Level 14: 

• Dragonskull Brewing - A brewery, distillery, taproom, and bar run by Adam Dreggar.
• Hytt & Nyss Investigations - The premier detective agency, run by Hytt and Nyss.
• Restful Spirits - A high-end liquor store and tasting parlor, run by Orin, a dwarven healer.

Level 15: Greenmarket Parkway

• Highgarden - A public green space maintained by Wyatt and his menagerie.
• Burberry & Haviland - The best tailors in Fellport, run by Tamal Haviland.
• The Perfect Pint - Upscale bar run by Bran & Jane Casey.
• Penny's Prognostications - Highly-rated fortunes told by the enigmatic Penny Portico.

Level 16: Topside Row

• Topside Gate - The main entry gate into Fellport.
• The Garden Manor - Headquarters of the Garden Manor Society, run by Emma Gardner.
• Elvenhall - Official Embassy to Alfinwald on the grounds of The Garden Manor.