Greybank

Greybank

Construction and Location
When a town becomes famous enough that the name of the island on which it resides is forgotten, and the name of the town is used to refer to the area in its entirety, it implies many things about those who constructed and live in it.

Greybank is a steadily growing city built into the mountainside of the southern Jealous Sister, its boarders expanding north past Mirrorsheen Lake, east past the Little Brother River (encompassing the Dapplewood Forest), and south past the river again into the plains. It is composed of many spires, arches and walkways, and is built in three tiers around the mountain for support. The citizens prefer to build up rather than out, though the popularity of the city has caused expansion regardless.

The marshy lands on the north shore of Mirrorsheen are rumored to be the place where Changelings were originally created, formed from the clay and shaped by the lake’s water. The rumor goes on to say that somewhere in the area, guards from the royal family stand watch over the entrance to a cave that leads to the origin spring of the lake, where the magic can still create life. As such, the city is very possessive of the lake and its safety, and gives it a wide berth when contemplating future construction.

Past the lake lies the northern Jealous Sister, the twin mountain to the peak that Greybank is built upon. The city Council has postponed expansion past the marshy valley to keep the older Sister between the town and marauders from the open sea, however the aesthetic appeal of twin cities on twin mountains has swayed many Council votes in the past, leaving the future of the Sister in question.

From Lake Mirrorsheen’s waters flow the Twin Brothers, two rivers that encircle the main body of Greybank’s lower strata. The southern river, the Little Brother, starts as an underground river that emerges from the mountain to flow down and around the city. The Big Brother completes the circuit in the north and flows into the sea, with convenient currents pulling the water south past the main port, offering an easy path for inland merchants to transport their goods to the main harbour.

The overwhelming aesthetic of the city is sleek, white spires carved from marble or bleached stone, depending on the district. Walkways between the towers provide space for gardens, shops and homes as well as convenient paths for pedestrians and riders. Specialty bridges are marked for carriage passage, and thin, elegant and enchanted glasswork arches provide an exhilarating (and somewhat dangerous) option for the firm-footed, as long as they travel single file.

Aqueducts are able to be seen throughout the city, both covered and open, to transport water through each tier. A system of pipes run through the mountain to provide several public well pumps, feeding the higher aqueducts. Archimedes Screws churned by windmills feed ponds and wells at lower levels for the higher ones to tap into, and a specialised group of members taken from local guilds monitor the system and handle repairs. Special lodgings are provided for this trades group in Midway.

Economy/Trade
Greybank is widely considered the financial lynchpin of the current age. Any noteworthy merchant house maintains, at the very least, a warehouse in this prosperous city. Not much in the political scene has changed for Greybank in the past hundred years, though they are known to be financially responsible for bankrolling the fledgling nation of Darguun while also supporting the remnants of the Bel-Turaath Empire; a show of wealth that brought them attention (good and bad) across Heagan.

As a port city, Greybank takes in goods from all along the coast and the Eastern Continent. The markets boast items that cannot be found in many other cities, and is famous for an abundance of expensive and/or hard-to-find objects. Silks, fruit, magical items, slaves, gold, art and sculpture, expertly crafted weapons, and the rarest jewels and spices all make their appearance on the docks.

The city has an open trade agreement with every country boasting a coastline or merchant vessel (save the Silver Flame due to their stance on Shapeshifters). They have a special arrangement with Darguun that involves sending ships north up the coast to pick up smuggled goods from the Kalashtar and Silver Flame lands, as their foodstuffs and chefs are highly prized both in Greybank and Balic.

While a large portion of food is grown in the surrounding plains, wetlands, or hunted for in the woods, Greybank prefers to use its status as a trade hub to sate its gourmet appetite.

The island itself does not offer much of unique interest to trading partners, though many of the artisans of Greybank command high prices for their works. Much of the financial prosperity the city enjoys is directly brought about by the taxes on merchants, and of course, the counting houses. The services offered tend to lean more to the intangible; diplomats, diplomancers, spies and courtesans from the court or fresh from the Vanth Academy looking to sell their skills.

Districts and Population
Greybank is divided into three tiers that form up against, and partially into, the southern Jealous Sister. The lowest level is known as Porthaven (locals simply call it “Cradle”), the central layer is “the Midway”, and the top tier is affectionately referred to as “Crown”. It is common tradition for new merchants who seek to carve out a place for themselves in Greybank to “make the climb from Cradle to Crown”; a march along the Hailstone Road that passes straight through the layers of the city, and ends at the castle occupied by the royal family. In times long past, such matters would be handled directly by the royal house, but now the Council oversees these requests – to continue the spirit of the ritual, the Council’s office is also located on Crown.

Porthaven – The Cradle of Greybank
Cradle is made up of four districts: Harbour, Warehouse, Merchant, and The Sprawl.

The Warehouse district is in the West, connected by several main roads and harbour access. The Harbour district goes from the docks up to where it meets Merchant in the center. The Merchant district comprises the middle of the strata up to the defensive wall and gate to Midway, and features a vast open-air market. The Sprawl contains lower-class housing and runs East into the slums, which while technically part of the city, are unmapped due to constant tear-down and reconstruction.

The Hailstone Road is the main path that leads straight from the dockyards, passes through the various strata and districts of Greybank, and ends at the Royal Palace in Crown. Named after the tiny flecks and shards of ice that are often shaken loose from merchant wagons bearing food, the Hailstone is almost always being repaired or fixed due to heavy traffic.

The Harbour and Merchant quarters command most of the attention, and a bustle of colourful locals and foreigners can be found with the freshest and newest merchandise in these areas – many merchants who are less financially fortunate never climb beyond the Gloaming Gate that marks the entrance to Midway, unable to find a foothold with the shops above. The open air markets are a perfect option for those unable to contract with a retailer, or those too small to consider trying.

Midway – The Ever-Changing Heart of the City
Built back into the mountain, Midway was constructed on four main tiers with streets leading up the mountain at a slant. The three districts of Midway are Lakeside, Central, and Firelight – most of the population of Greybank calls some part of the Midway home, though it has the fewest council seats. Census information is normally taken here once every three years, though the number of registered Changelings and Doppelgangers is always wildly in flux from year to year, and those presumed dead or missing will sometimes make guest appearances for the census takers.

Lakeside
The west-most district, the key feature is the massive man-made lake that supplies much of the water to Midway and Crown. Several restaurants and gambling establishments have jostled each other for waterfront property, including the famous Silver Spire. A large bridge connects the north and south sides of the lake, leading to the housing for those responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the aqueducts and other water transportation systems. This district is comprised mostly of middle-class citizens, and is known for the large outdoor arena where battles, circuses, and other live shows are held.

Central
This arrowhead shaped district contains the Opera House, many fine restaurants, merchants of all sorts, well-regulated chance houses, comfortable inns, a Museum of Oddities, and an art gallery. Those who are middle class to just below lordling status are likely to live in the Central District, with the more expensive housing furthest up the strata. Nestled on the east side is the well-known Coin-Kisser’s Row, a street containing no fewer than 10 registered counting houses.

Population in Central, and much of Midway in general, is predominantly Changeling and Human/Elven, or of mixed race, though any race is welcomed provided they have the coin for lodging.

The middle-class housing area of Central is commonly densely packed towering homes and towers, often with the largest connected to each other via walkway above the streets. Such towers claim several families per floor, with each owner having up to three separate rooms in their dwelling, though it is not uncommon for the better-off to simply purchase an entire floor a building to themselves.

The Jade Park is a popular place for families to visit, with an artificial island surrounded by a moat. There are several inns and many independently owned restaurants on the island, making it a popular place to exchange vows or other signs of affection. Its proximity to the arena in Lakeside also brings in visitors before and after the sport takes place.

Firelight
Also known as the Red District, Firelight’s less-than-savory reputation is up for debate. Home to the lowest income members of the citizenry, it also has the highest concentration of chance houses in the city and acts as a base of operations for many of the shadier guilds and groups in Greybank. Rumor has it that identities can be bought, stolen, or sold here.

Crown – The Watchful Eye
At the end of the Hailstone Road lies Crown, the topmost strata of Greybank. Roadways and aqueducts form the shape of a gigantic pentagram that focuses and amplifies magical power, while the outer rings are segmented into 24 pieces that represent the hours of the day. The central pillar of the Royal House casts a shadow across the strata as the day proceeds, alerting those coming to dock at the airship port the time of their arrival to the City of Change.

Crown is split into the most districts of any other strata, boasting five in total as detailed below. The population breakdown in Crown is overwhelmingly to the side of Changelings, Doppelgangers, and Elves. The few Devas that reside in Greybank generally spend their time in Crown as well as visiting nobles from other lands who have seasonal estates in the upper strata.

The Royal House Crest of Greybank is a Luna moth with wings spread, normally depicted in gold on a black background, but is also commonly seen embroidered in silver on a royal blue field, such as on their diplomatic flags abroad. The Eastern Continent is familiar with the standard moth motif with an elaborate crown added between the feelers, and a sun and moon to each side beneath the wings.

The five Districts of Crown are: Sky (airship docks), Sage (Vanth Academy), Scale (government buildings), Silk (merchant), and Song (entertainment). In the center is the neutral Spire of the Royal House.

Sky
The equivalent of the Harbour District in Cradle for those of absurd means; Sky is where the airships from around the world will stop to unload and trade cargo and passengers. Due to the expense involved in running an airship, and the limited space available this high up the mountain for docking, only the most affluent of merchants or noble families can boast Greybank as their port-of-call.

A portion of the mountain has been hollowed out to create a hanger bay for these floating behemoths, and every pain has been taken to make the dockyards every bit as ostentatious as the rest of the strata.

Sage
Home to the famous Vanth Academy for the Spoken Arts, the Sage District is a collection of campuses located next to the Silk District, once removed from Sky. In addition to Vanth, Sage boasts two magical colleges, a prep school for nobles, and the Crown Institute for the Arts. The Crown Institute focuses around teaching dance, art, writing and music, with minor courses available in culinary arts, fashion design / textiles, and acting.

Scale
Devoted to administration buildings and housing for local and visiting officials, Scale offers access to the courthouses, the Palace of the Council, and the various wings of the government including the diplomatic arm of the staff. The Crystal Gardens are located here – a world famous glass-domed building housing wonders of artifice and artificial flora. It is also where the “Map of the Civilized World”, a massive globe fifteen feet across is located, with glass oceans, ruby cities, and rivers etched in silver.

Silk
The best of the best is found in Silk; only the highest quality goods from top guild-inducted merchants are allowed to be sold in the shops on the highest strata. Bizarre, rare, deadly and pointlessly ostentatious objects make their way into the hands of collectors or visiting foreigners, with custom orders for the unobtainable made every day. It is at the textile shops in Silk that the flowing robes and accessories are crafted for the rich to show off their fashion sense and coin – a labeled clothing piece from a merchant in this district is at least worth its weight in silver.

Song
World-famous musicians, actors, playwrights, painters, chefs, and artisans are called to Song to perform their skills for the aristocracy. Flower beds and hanging baskets line every street, giving a further air of whimsy to what is arguably the most meticulously decorated district in all of Greybank. Pennants and banners hang from streetlamps, and fountains bubble at most road crossings. The opera house and Starlight Theatre could be said to be the largest attractions, though restaurants and specialty shops such as The Golden Goblet bring in enthusiasts steadily.

Spire
The home of the Royal House, the massive Spire sits in the center of Crown to observe it and all of Greybank. Relatively little is known of the royal family since they rarely appear in public and have delegated most work to the Council, though the main foyer and first few rooms are open to the public on certain holidays. It is rumored that the King and Queen are undead or are simply being replaced over time, as no news of their passing has reached the ears of its citizens for over 300 years. Wearing the same face means little in the City of Change.

Holidays/Celebration
An energetic and eccentric city, it enjoys many festivals and holy days; as the culture in the city is newly sprung (Changelings and Doppelgangers often prefer to live according the customs of the race they are imitating), it has borrowed many celebrations from other lands. Many religions are practiced openly with minimal conflict or fear of persecution, to the extent that the religion does not interfere with public safety. Aside from the usual solstice days and religious holidays there are several unique events that residents enjoy.

Day of Heroes
A popular hero from folklore or history is chosen after polling 1000 residents, and the citizens of Greybank are encouraged to imitate them in every aspect from dawn to  dusk, culminating in feasts and revels in their honor. Trinkets and charms are often sold in markets to commemorate their service, public plays are held depicting their exploits, and bards sing stories of their adventures in parks, streets and public houses.

The Opening of the Vaults (Merchant’s Day)
The day of Greybank’s founding is celebrated by the ceremonial Opening of the Vaults, where merchants and citizens alike will display (and occasionally offer for sale) some of their grand collections. If one is looking to procure a rare item, this is the day to visit the city. The fee imposed on merchants for selling in public places such as streets, parks and the docks is waived for the day and great displays are held in the Opera House in Midway, and the Palace of the Council in Crown. The royal spire’s foyer is opened to the public on this day as well, for a rare glimpse at one of the collections of the royal house that rotates each year. Those with fewer scruples use this day to test their skills and be put through the initiation rites for various shady guilds.

Winterborn Masquerade Ball
Held in the dead of winter, the central park and public gardens surrounding the Royal Spire of Crown are roped off and warded with innumerable spells against the cold. After one month of preparation, the area is re-opened for the Winterborn Ball; an elaborate invitation-only masquerade held by the Council for the elite of Greybank. This day is designated as a public holiday, so many organizations in the other strata hold their own parties at this time.

Sundown
For the last 100 years, the people of Greybank have celebrated the fall of Rajaat with a multicultural festival on the day of his demise. While it is not a day of rest, nor sanctioned by the Council, it is widely popular in the lower and middle strata. It encourages members of all races to feast and drink together, and contains a moment of silence at the end of the night to remember those lost in the Purges.

Culture and Fashion
Greybank is a city that is often affected by the whimsical change of fashion. Beauty comes in many shapes and sizes – uniqueness is highly praised and sought after. The standard of beauty, like much in the city, is ever-evolving and shifting as Changelings and Doppelgangers possess the ability to look however they wish; this makes it so that the usual traits that would make one “beautiful” in other races don’t share the same appeal to most of their species.

In the pursuit of uniqueness, many residents of Greybank wear elaborate outfits and/or makeup, the level of which will depend on their skill and finances. The upper-class will flaunt their power by showing off with elaborate face paint, headdresses, gowns, suits, jewellery and armor, normally centering on a particular theme or colour scheme (Changelings will often alter their skin colour over using makeup).

Greybank businesses tend to enforce strict dress codes to combat this, often choosing an ideal employee and having the others copy them in body as well as attitude for a sense of uniformity. Due to this many find the city of Changelings and Doppelgangers too eerie for their tastes as one will often see the same face multiple times in the same area.

History of the Shapechanger
Before the establishment of Greybank Changelings and Doppelgangers were primarily nomadic in nature, adopting the cities of other races as their own without ever truly settling down for fear of people

finding out their true nature. Due to being unable to hold a position in society for long unless established as an adventurer, nomad, or through nefarious means, wealth became increasingly important in their culture, often dictating the path of many years-worth of effort. Collecting and hoarding objects of value (or perceived value) was commonplace in an attempt to move up the ladder to buy freedom, titles and comfortable living. Consequently one of the most common surnames among Shapechangers is “Freeman”, the title given to those that paid off their debt of serfdom to their lord.

After the establishment of their city on the islands off the coast of Heagan, the practice of collecting objects and seeking wealth continued, bolstered by companionship of their own kind. Some may collect something as simple as feathers from rare birds to magical weapons, hats, dresses, or even intangible things such as secrets. It is this predilection for gathering wealth and items that earned Shapechangers the reputation of being thieves, as not all followed the path of law to obtain their collections.

In addition to changing their appearance, it is common for Shapechanger mages to take a “Grey name” upon the initiation of their studies – a pseudonym that they can be recognized by without any of the power of their true name. This practice is also popular in Thay and parts of Balic as a defensive measure against rival casters.

Allies, Pets, and Companions
As they are well-aware of their reputation, Greybank takes an active political stance to pro-actively protect the rights of its citizens and those it considers threatened. After the Purges they helped finance the fledgling nation of Darguun to bring together the survivors of those who lost their lands and kin to Rajaat’s generals, and have cut diplomatic ties with the Silver Flame due to their stance on Shifters and those afflicted with the curse of Lycanthropy and its sub-classes. Fiercely protective of those under the stigma of being able to shift their form, diplomats from Greybank have been known to become embroiled in unusual situations where no citizen of the town itself was involved, for personal reasons.

With a deep fascination for those that share their ability to alter shape, Changelings and Doppelgangers seek out companions and pets who share the gift. While common staples such as cats, dogs, horses and birds as usual pets, those with the means will often be seen with more exotic animals. Currently, popular pets include the mage-bred pygmy mimic, grey parrots, songbirds, and the ink-producing zartail.

Greybank Underworld
The City of Change boasts much for the enterprising criminal; the abundance of wealth and rare treasures makes it a haven for the skilled pickpocket who can avoid the Darguuni muscle hired by lordlings who don’t use the rare Vaults. Identity theft, sale and purchase are common amongst Changelings and Doppelgangers who trade lives like playing cards. The Thieves Guild of Balic trains their most promising members in Midway and Cradle, and can easily be found for contract work if you know where to look - The Cabinet of Faces slinks through the shadows, stealing the memories that allow them to perfect the guises they wear during the day - The Grasping Hand, lord of The Tyrants, rules his compatriots from the murk in the shifting streets of Cradle - The Vault Hunters stalk Lock and Key through the streets, waiting for a chance to steal them away – Welcome to the true face of the city.

The Vaults
The Changelings and Doppelgangers of Greybank have long claimed a special relation to the nearby lake; one legend even states that they were formed from the clay at the bottom by The Traveler on his eternal journey. The clay is a highly protected resource for its ability to absorb and take enchantments, and is guarded heavily by enforcers for this reason.

The Vaults form the protection for that from which the city derives its name; impenetrable rooms that guard all manner of currencies, precious and magic items, and even people for short periods of time. A highly guarded sequence of rituals enchants the vaults with the ability to ward off physical, metaphysical, and magical intrusion, and allows the Vaults themselves to be shaped by the will of a Doppelganger or Changeling from the correct bloodline that touches it. Blood of the chosen house is added to the mixture while it is being formed, acting as a key to unlocking the Vault’s secrets.

These enchanted spaces are located in approximately the same area under the mountain (though portals to each exist) and they can be moved individually should the need arise. A look underneath the hall housing these Vaults would reveal enormous clockwork mechanisms set to alter the positions and locations of each one, as well as the creatures set to guard them. The hall is only accessible by those who have the ability to open one of the Vaults, as the doorway is made of the same material as the vaults themselves. Should a family line die out, access cannot be regained, and it will be moved deeper into the mountain to make way for the construction of a new one – there are only a set number that are active at any given time, though what that exact number is remains a mystery.

Kept under Lock and Key
As the creation of a Vault requires a sacrifice, a certain house has made it a business to offer the “services” of paired children who find their way to them through one of their fronts (usually by the hand of slavers or as orphans). Once purchased, the first child is given to the ritual, and their sibling is designated as a Key. Paired to each Key is a Lock, a guardian to watch directly over their charge and enforce their owner’s will – usually Keys are made blind, deaf and mute to prevent secrets from getting out, though sometimes they escape their captors.

The Cabinet of Faces
Founded over 100 years ago by Nils Freeman and Zyx Naught, leadership has been passed to someone who simply calls themselves “Yuriel”, and though a relationship has been claimed by outsiders between him and the founder Nils, it has not been proven to be true, nor spoken of by

Yuriel himself. Their symbol is a smooth white mask with no mouth. While it is nothing but a whisper of a myth to all but the most well-connected or paranoid of Heagan, The Cabinet is a group of Changelings and Doppelgangers famous to those in the know for their collection of identities. Their goals, members, and chain of command are largely unknown. Six leaders rule over six second-in-commands known as Visages who oversee the lower ranks. A Visage will only be aware of their commander, and only a Face knows the identities of the other Faces. This remains true down through every level of the organization, leaving many near the bottom completely unaware that they work for the group at all. There are rumours that the Cabinet was founded by The Traveler, though this is unproven. There have been reports from reliable sources however, that from time to time a Face is spoken through by the Wandering God and a command will be issued to the group, though they are far from a religious organization.

The thing that differentiates them from other identity thieves is their utterly perfect imitations. The prized possession of this organization that allows them this is a vault located deep in the mountain that Greybank is built into. Originally called the Cabinet of Faces, the name was taken by the group and the location itself became known as the Vault of Memory, repository for the information that they collect and broker.

The Vault of Memory
As many of its cousins are, this vault is crafted from clay taken out of Lake Mirrorsheen and charged with arcane and eldritch energies, allowing a Changeling or Doppelganger to alter the shape of it at will. The inside of the vault is adorned with various trinkets of all shapes, sizes, and materials, each one holding a set of memories from a creature. In this way, the Cabinet members are able to slip into the life of the target. The trinkets are created by drawing out the memories of the target and forming them into a physical object that represents them – these memories are then lost to the one they were pulled from - at this point the victim is normally disposed of so that their place can be taken. The mechanics of this spell are known only to the six leaders of the Cabinet, and is only able to be reversed by returning the trinket to the target.

The memories can be obtained by grasping the trinket and speaking a trigger word – once absorbed the trinket vanishes until a spell to revert the memories to physical form is uttered. The trinkets can be used as many times as necessary, but the memories cannot be used by more than one member at once. The Cabinet have also been known to lend out these talismans to other people or organizations at times to whom they have affiliation.

The Tyrants

Unknown except to the Royal House of Greybank and the Cabinet, the Tyrants extend their reach through the kingdoms of the continent, placing their people in politically important positions to prevent a Purge of Doppelgangers and Changelings. Tangentially related to the Cabinet but favoring a more direct and often bloody method of operation, the Tyrants are led by eight creatures of mixed races, following the direction of one who styles themselves as Zen Freeman, known as “The Grasping Hand of Greybank”.

Unlike the Cabinet, the Tyrants use members of all races in their plans and schemes. Each Tyrant holds complete control over their agents in the part of the world in which they are assigned, and use their underlings as everything from assassins to information brokers. When called upon by the Royal House, the Tyrants also function as Greybank’s shock troops, with each member being highly trained in their area of expertise. They are frequent visitors to the Vault of Memory, and some factions offer identity theft, smearing, and fabrication services for a price.

The symbol of the Tyrants is a horned war helm, visor down, with crossed axes in the background.

Vault Hunters
A branch of the Thieves Guild from Balic made up of their most promising and skilled members, the Vault Hunters reside in Midway where they plan their heists. With tens of thousands of gold in bounty on their heads, they slide through the shadows and across the glass bridges of the city unseen to passersby and victims-in-waiting. An open invitation is extended to anyone who can surpass a 10,000 gold bounty, or prove that they have taken an item from a Vault, the Royal House, or one of the Council members of Crown.

Other than the magi who bend the eldritch energies to their will to make the Vaults themselves, the Hunters have the most knowledge surrounding their creation, maintenance, and security. Mainly targeting older Vaults that no longer have a Key, the Hunters are reportedly close to reaching a solution to the doors that stand in the way of their potential hoard, though some speculate that they have already found the secret.