The Drift

General Stats

Population: Up to about 25,000 inhabitants or visitors, 50% Tricoral Alliance, 30% Perluxian,  15% Prim’terran, 5% Other  

Government: Bureaucracy

Power Centers: 

• Sea Baron/Queen of The Drift- Ash'lorath Orianna (Mori'accaia (Sea Elf)) (Exiled Formerly) 
  • Zeddes Nezarsath (Triton) (Former, Assassinated)
• Stormwatch Commander- Naiv'ala Issaħar (Mor'accai / sea elf) (Acting Commander)  
  
  • Kovos Anavath (Triton) (Former, Deceased)
• Tricoral Ambassadors
  • Nalzas Tanaxath (Kingdom of Scaler (Triton))
  • Qithana Tel’nosse (Silverschool) (Sashtha’tire Ascendency (Mori’accaia/sea elf))
  • Vara Racca (Sovereignty of Edric’mer (Merfolk))
• Hierarchy Ambassador
  • Vicram of Pearlhome (Terrasian (Human))
• Prim’terran Ambassador- Molud, Son of Kuzrod Grushin (Orc) 
• Visperin Ambassador- Third Senator Tevix Qammis of House Rekish, Spawn of Drash out of Rishini.
• Pier Master
  • Mogryn Zagosnath (Tritan)
• Minister of Trade
  • Annalai Re’ehto (Reefspear) (Mori’accaia/sea elf)

Commerce: Almost any goods or service are readily available. Primary trade goods are from Prim’terra, Perluxia, and Merid Sea.

Founded: Rones of 4422 EB, during the first ever Halcon Days (the 11th through the 14th)

Major Local Organizations: 

• Tidal Council (Made up of representatives of each power center)
• Trade Association of The Drift
• Temple of Eadro
• Temple of Deep Sashelas
• Keepers of Kelpgrove
•  

Wards and Districts:

• Coralspire Keep
  • Northtier - (Perluxia Diplomats)
  • Southtier - (Prim’terran Diplomats)
  • Westtier - (Visperin Diplomats)
  • Subtier - (Tricoral Diplomats and other aquatics)
• Anchortown District
• Dunnage District
• Iniron District
• Baron’s Perch
• Templetac Row
• Kelpgrove
• The Swell
• The Keelhaul

Description: (Architecture, Layout, Persona)

Architecture

While travelling the tranquil Merid Sea, there are an assortment of island settlements a ship can make port in, but perhaps the most interesting is the trade-city of The Drift. Upon approach, the first thing a newcomer might notice is that The Drift is not on any island or other landmass, but instead, was built on the sea itself. What floats on the surface is largely an amalgamation of abandoned ships and other transports that have been combined and repurposed. Then newer portions were built directly off of these structures with specially treated wood from a variety of sources. Some of which was brought up from the Sea Forests of Aquaria along the seafloor. As you pull into one of the many harbors of The Drift, you might begin to notice something more going under the water. All of the constructed portions of the city are tethered to a massive coral reef floating just below the surface. This reef was specially grown by the aquatic races of the Tricoral Alliance. The reef offers stability to The Drift, while the surface structures prevent the reef from sinking. Coral towers spring up out of the city like massive colorful stalagmites while other, smaller and much sharper coral spikes grow in a circle around the city. Much like a pink and purple protective fence, they serve to limit access to the ports to where and when the city chooses. The reef also provides homes, and other important accommodations to the aquatic races who live and work here, while the surface’s wooden buildings house the air breathing races of the continents. This creates a dual existence for the city, for instance you could approach a particular stall that belongs to a fish vendor and look behind the counter to see a ramp descending into the water. Moments later the triton, sea elf, or merfolk who run the stall would rise from below and travel up the ramp bringing the goods you requested with him. In a lot of ways there is a whole other city below what you see, living among the coral just under the surface.

Layout

At the center most part of the city is a circular portion open to the water. It is here the massive coral stalagmites jutt up like towers. The hues of blue, pink, and purple are vibrant in the sun, and are covered in portions by wooden additions built around them. These buildings and walkways help supplement the natural halls and chambers grown into the three largest spires. As a whole, this area is known as (1)Coralspire Keep, and each spire is where diplomats from various regions are housed. They are named for the relative direction of the diplomat’s homelands in relation to each other. Northtier is where Perluxian representatives live, Southtier is for Prim’terrans, Westier was originally a common area but has been renamed and repurposed for Visperins, and the subsea levels below the keep are for Tricoral Alliance ambassadors as well as those from other aquatic nations. 

Bridges extend from the Coralspire Keep in three directions, each connecting to one of The Drift’s major districts. The oldest of which is (2)Anchortown, and this district contains some of the first boats and ships pulled together for the framework of the city.  There are magically sealed sublevels that, as rumor has it, have been lost and forgotten about during all of the expansions. Leaving some locals to tell tall stories about buried secrets and treasures, or hideaways for criminal organisations being among the labyrinth of passages buried by progress.

Next is the (3)Dunnage District, which contains a mix of residential areas for air-breathers, and warehouses for rent to store the trade goods of travellers while they wait on deals or for transfer to different ships. It also houses the Office of the Trade Association for the city which manages economic affairs.

If anything would be considered the bow or “front” of The Drift by the locals, it’s the (4)Iniron District. While shops and taverns appear in both Dunnage and Anchortown, those here are considered much higher quality and likewise more expensive.  It also contains the Tidal Council Hall where diplomats come to meet with the Sea Baron, or when city meetings are held. At the tip of Iniron is an elevated portion resembling the front of a massive ship. This is (5)Baron’s Perch and is the home and office of the highest ranking individual in The Drift, the Sea Baron.

From an overhead view, like from the balconies of the coral spires, The Drift appears similar in form to a massive sea turtle. If we were to fully embrace the sea turtle idea, though locals disapprove of the analogy, the three previous districts make up the shell and front legs, while the Baron’s Perch matches the turtle's tail, despite being considered “the front” of the city. The “legs” on either side of Iniron District are (6)Templetac Row and (7)Kelpgrove.

Templetac Row, as the name suggests, houses a variety of religious buildings. The largest being dedicated to Eadro and Deep Sashelas, the primary deities of the Tricoral alliance. Several smaller institutions popped over the years to accommodate other races. Scattered in between are schools and libraries which support those who live on The Drift and visitors alike.

The Kelpgrove is also considered a religious district, but it's primary inhabitants are called the Keepers of the Kelpgrove. Roughly equivalent to the Sylv’ari nation’s Stewards of the Green, they are an organisation of druids. The district is a respite for anyone intune with the natural world. The druids here are also responsible for the outer security of The Drift. The edges of the reef have shardspires that rise out of the water in a circle around the city. These provide a natural barrier preventing unwanted ships from docking. The druids can blow special conch horns that cause the shardspires to grow out or recede as protection is needed, and they usually leave open the way to the docks at each district. If the city were attacked though, they could close these off within minutes.

The “head” of the turtle, and ironically considered the stern or “back” of the city by locals is (8)The Swell. It’s a fortress where the city's military, the Stormwatch, is housed. Though they have offices in each district, the vast majority operate from here. The Stormwatch soldiers also man various ballistae around the city. They can launch coralsteel shards as siege ammunition with destructive accuracy at any ships that threaten the city from beyond the protective shardspire barrier.

Tethered from here, but kept separate by retractable bridges, is an artificial island structure called (9)the Keelhull, and is a prison for those sentenced the harshest punishments .Lesser violators are kept in district cells. Those sent here who are air-breathers are placed in small coral chambers that are lowered deep below the surface of the sea. The special design of the coral allows for the filtration of air but should they try to escape the criminal will likely drown before making it to the surface. Those of the aquatic variety are treated in the reverse and hoisted into the sky in hanging cells that allow them to stay moist enough not to suffer permanent complications, but are never allowed to be comfortable. Should they escape they are high enough that even a fall into the sea could be crippling. Added that to the fact shardspires grow beneath the chambers waiting to impale those who try their luck.

In the water between the districts that are cordoned off from the docks are  kelp and algae gardens set up in netted layers from the surface down called the (10)Seafarms. They compliment the fish brought in to sustain the inhabitants and sell to travelers. Local aquatics run these farms much like farmland around continental settlements.

Persona

The Drift is home to a wide variety of races from an assortment of homelands. Trade is the lifeblood of its economy and the locals enjoy less laws and restrictions when compared to the continents or aquatic lands below.  The Tidal Council, headed up by the Sea Baron, determines the laws independent from any specific nation and this helps The Drift to thrive, but also invites criminal organizations to run operations through here. Of those that do come, none have a full grip on the city though. That belongs to the unofficial “Queen of The Drift”, a sea elf both feared and loved by the locals. She arguably has as much influence on the politics of the city as the Sea Baron. The influence and network of contacts the Queen has, allowed her to gain a seat on the Tidal Council despite not having any official title.

Beyond the internal politics, the city inhabitants consider The Drift to be a small nation to itself. Often with a loyalty to each other that exceed the loyalty to their own homelands. Surprising relationships spawn from this. Like elves and orcs, for example, being trusted business partners. This complex mixture of culture produces vibrate celebrations and an assortment of holidays and festivals seen no where else in the world. All in all The Drift is considered by many to be the most vibrant and free place in Somnia.

Lore:

Near the end of the second age of light, the Epoch of the Builders, the races of a pre-Hierarchy Perluxia were sending exploratory expeditions to Prim’terra and settling on the islands that peppered the Merid Sea. The Tricoral Alliance was already well established by this time, but not necessarily trusting of the surface races. It was the sea elves of the Sashtha’tire Ascendency who gradually convinced their partner nations of the Sovereignty of Edric’mer (Merfolk) and the Kingdom of Scaler (Tritons) that the best way to monitor the air breathers activity on the oceans, was to open diplomatic relations with them. The earliest talks were unproductive as neither side felt comfortable on the others home terrain. So the Tricoral Alliance began work on building a floating city that could house both air-breathers and the aquatic alike. Something that could be truly neutral ground. 

The merfolk began salvaging the raw materials from sunken ships, while the sea elves boarded ships that were functional but abandoned on the open sea. Together they combined these resources, while the Tritons brought additional water proof wood from the Sea Forests in their kingdom. As the frame for what would become The Drift was formed, druids of all three nations worked together to grow the great reef that would become its heart and home for the aquatics who would inhabit it.

In their haste to put it together though, they did not always inspect all of the sunken or recovered ships before adding them to the fledgling city. This adds to the many myths about hidden treasure or traps buried in forgotten chambers between the surface level and the coral levels of the aquatics.

District Details:

Templetac Row

This roughly southwest portion of the city is primarily for religious structures such as temples and shrines. The largest and most central building is the esteemed Temple of Eadro, which might not seem large compared to the grand temples of the continents, but that is only when looking at just the surface. It extends just as far beneath the sea level to accommodate the merid people, especially merfolk as they believe Eadro to be their creator. While the primary temples consist of sea deities, such as Deep Sashelas, Manannan mac Lir, and Umberlee, there are establishments representing continental faiths as well. Prominent ones from Perluxia include Fharlaghn, Pelor, Corellon Larethian, Olidammara, Wee-Jas, Boccob, and St. Cuthbert. Those from Prim’terra include Gruumsh, Luthic, Syranita, Celestian, and Quorlin.

Notable Locations:

The Calm Before the Storm Tavern (Recently Destroyed)

Location: On New Goldengrove Road, in the central portion of Iniron District surrounded by hidden alleys and government offices. The street outside is paved with decorative flagstones.

Description: The inn is a large timber and brick building, with a small walled yard and garden. Accommodations consist of several large rooms with beds and feather mattresses.

Innkeeper: A young male mori’accaia (sea elf) named Dune. He is a retired travelling cartographer, and keeps a collection of maps of distant lands.

The Jury Rigg Inn

Location: On Low Barge Street in Anchortown, surrounded by shanty homes, across the street is a blacksmith called the Steambildge.

Description: The inn is a single storey timber and brick building, with a red tile roof. Accommodations consist of several large rooms with beds and straw mattresses. A small private bathhouse is available to guests.

Innkeeper: The innkeeper is a short male dwarf named Vyncis Broadhammer. He secretly leads a small gang of thugs and murderers.

The Steambildge (Blacksmith)

Location: In Anchortown on Low Barge Street, across from the Jury Rig Inn.

Description: A large brick structure, with a chimney that constantly spews out steam. One of the few on the surface that uses only steamforges to craft with.

Shopkeep: Old Chug, a four-armed sahuagin who was exiled from the Saltclaw Horde, Many locals avoid him, but travelers who have visited find his work affordable and well crafted.

The Sapphire Hammer (Tavern)

Location: InIron

The Wench's Lower Decks (Inn/Brothel)

Location: Anchortown

Notable NPCs: