More about Phoenicia

I have a lot more I want to talk about this city state!

Phoenicia, although named after the real life Canaanite nation of the same name, is nothing like the same city state.  Named after the legend of the Phoenix, Phoenicia is a place about beginnings rather than endings. Settled by a majority of Vedan refugees that escaped invasion by moving North and away from the invaders path; Pheonicia is a mixture of Vedic and Known World (Hellenic) culture.  The Vedans brought with them their religions and their beliefs.  But they also brought with them Psionics.

 

Like a Phoenix, Vedic culture was reborn.  Although, it's mixed with Known World culture, there is a big contribution of Vedic Culture.  Phoenicia is the center of government for the Phoenix Valley.  Located on a fertile plain between two ranges of hills, it's a city like no other.  Phoenicia is an important traderoute along the Silk Road and the Spice Route.  With the Silk Road leading into the Eastern Realms, and the Spice Route leading back to the Vedans' ancestral lands; Phoenicia's ties to the Known World allow the city to be an important trade route on the East.

 

shots by jacob of the falls, published under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Through the valley flowed the river Sardis, which plunges down a cataract waterfall before emptying into the sea.  Once, Phoenix came here and staked a claim and founded a tiny trading outpost.  That was many generations ago, and now Centuries later the city of Pheonix is divided across the Sardis River into the North Upper City and the North Lower City, the South Upper City and the South Lower City.  The city practically surrounds the cataract.  With refugees from invasions coming in nine hundred years after the city was founded, the city had blistered almost half it's current population.  With the invasion of Helenes two hundred years ago, Phoenix has become the Known World's eastern most city with an unusual culture and a door way along the Silk Road.  Now, the people have perfected their government into a Republican form of government when the last of the Scions of Phoenix was killed during the Hellenic invasion.

Morgiana the Clever by Genzo [http://genzoman.deviantart.com/gallery/11977572?offset=96#/d1m9f7x]

Now the city is under the wise rule of the Senate and the House of Representatives.  The Senate is charged with foreign affairs and is made up of the Aristocracy of the city.  The House is charged with domestic affairs of the city and is made up of the Middle Class of the city.

Besides being renowned as the capital of the Metacreativity Discipline, Phoenicia is renowned with the finest forges in the region as well as the finest crystal craftsmen.  It is also renowned as the source of glyss -- a substance created by infusing glass with vaporized copper.   Thanks to the fact that the hills surrounding Phoenicia still produces about one hundred talents of malachite, chalcocite, and tetrahedrite a year.  Phoenicia has to import tin in order to make bronze, and it also has to import iron from the mountains that are one hundred miles to the North.

However, the silk and spice trade brings in silks and spices.  Spices such as cinnamon, pepper, tumeric, and saffron come into the land along the trade routes.  Spice shops are really popular in Phoenicia, since there are large bags in which people can buy their supplies.

Taken by judepics.  Republished according to the terms of the CC-BY-SA license.

As a result, nearly any tool, weapon, or other metal and crystalline weapon can be found and crafted here.  and the quality of their alloys and castings are quite unsurpassed in the Eastern part of the Known World.  As a result, Phoenicia has a large population of craftsmen working in the Crafts District of the city -- located in the Southern Lower City.  Also, an influx of guilds from the Known World had come into Phoenicia.  As a result, the House has passed laws that limit the Mercantile nature of the guilds and to promote free trade.

Phoencia's Statistics

NG large city

Corruption +0; Crime +2; Economy +5; Law +2; Lore +5; Society +2

Qualities academic, holy site, prosperous, strategic location, tourist attraction

Danger +10

Demographics

Government republic

Population 18,000 (14,000 humans; 1,000 dwarves; 1,000 halflings; 500 elves; 1,500 other)

Notable NPCs

Captain of the Guard Jiranda Hollis (LN female human fighter 5)

High Priest Fallor Pollux (LG male human cleric 10)

Lord Mayor Alton Ralderac (N male human aristocrat 4)

Marketplace

Base Value 12,800 gp; Purchase Limit 75,000 gp; Spellcasting 9th

Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; Major Items 2d4