56 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
56 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
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Mast
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Mast is the hub of the kingdom, even though it is not the
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capitol. It sits centrally between all important cities and
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strongholds, and it is placed centrally on the river, so that it can
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catch ships incoming from the whale coast and outgoing to the eastern
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mountains. Mast is the largest city in the kingdom, due to the economic
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influence, but it is not the grandest (mainly because Throne won't let
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that happen).
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The Royal Trading Company's headquarters is here in Mast, though
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most of the high-ranking officials inside the Company reside <20> and
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operate out of <20> Throne, where they can more easily influence the
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corrupt and greedy King Braddock. Regardless, here in Mast, the Royal
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Trading Company flexes a lot of muscle. They exert control over the
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Navy that is quartered here, as well as the local thieves guilds. The
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only thing that keeps the Royal Trading Company even remotely in check
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in Mast is the fact that the commander of the local garrison, Lord
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Reinhardt, an old soldier and cavalry man, is firmly set against the
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control of the Company in the area, and he is openly opposing their
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activities <20> both in, and outside, of his official duties with the
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Garrison and the Courts.
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Mast is also a major location on the tournament circuit in the
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Western Kingdom; every spring, they host a joust and tournament in
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front of the fortress gates. The prizes range from a set of custom
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sword and armor, to a piece of land in the outlying areas, etc.
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Being a center for commerce and travel, Mast is a huge hotbed of
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thief activity. There are no less than ten local thieves guilds, some
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of them having a mafia-like central authority derived from their
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bloodline or point of origin; others are cutthroat bands, some are
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religiously oriented or focused on a given sub-race (much akin to the
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Aryan Nation). But none are to be trifled with; they are all extremely
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dangerous <20> even if only when provoked, most are easily provoked.
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Alliances between them are frequent, but fragile, and generally short-
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lasting. The only constant among them, generally, is their ties to the
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Royal Trading Company. The Trading company will use the local crime
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groups to enforce their will without dirtying their hands officially;
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everything from the looting of navy ships, to the assassination of
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troublesome local officials, are handled by crime groups who are
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unaware of their puppeteer status underneath the Royal Trading Company.
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As for the people of Mast itself, Mast is one of the most
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racially diverse cities in the kingdom, if not the most. People from
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all locations and walks of life are drawn here; and half the time,
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those who come here looking for money and a better life, stay here.
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Despite the large number of crime groups, and the corrupt nature of the
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Trading Company who controls most of the town, the people of Mast have
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a generally peaceful existence. Lord Reinhardt and his men do a good
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job of keeping everything under control, while the Trading Company
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ensures that most Mast residents' biggest worry is the amount of tax
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they pay on a loaf of bread at the baker's shop.
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Mast is host to the biggest open bazaar in the kingdom, situated
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almost directly next to the docs. The saying in Mast is, <20>If you can't
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buy it at the bazaar, a god-fearing man doesn't need it.<2E> And, for the
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most part, that's the truth. Seafood peddlers pull their boats directly
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into the wharf, and some sell straight off the boat. It is similar for
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all merchants.
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