The city If lies near the center of
the lands of Gull, which comprise much of the Northwest of the Continent of
Auros, resting above the Long Sea. The
Pyron Mountains (in which lies the peak of Neera, home to the Ancient Gold
Dragon Kenya) rest along Gull’s southeastern edge. If lies within the Basin of the River
Still. The Island of If lies in the city’s
center, within the River Still. The
River Still is the major river of the Northern half of Gull, and empties into
the Channel of Alb, which divides Gull from the Island of Albion.
The City of If has a rather peculiar
political organization. Unlike most of
the Lands of Gull, which are kingdoms or lordships, If is organized as a
democracy. Ownership of others is
illegal there as well, and thus it is known as a Free State. Every
year, the people of If participate in an election. The residents of each street meet in a public
building, and select a fellow resident to represent them in the City Parliament. The members of Parliament select a Prime
member, to serve as leader of the body and oversee sessions.
The Parliament of If makes no
military decisions, for there is no military.
Instead of a standing army, If relies upon the individuals known as the
Twelve Protectors. These are twelve very
powerful beings who have made it their duty to ensure the safety of the city,
and to intercede in case of any grave injustices. The Twelve do not intercede in governing
affairs, merely keep the peace and protect the city. This organization has lasted for about 500
years. While some of the Twelve have
held their position since the founding of the Order, others have, from time to
time, given up their position when a candidate of sufficient ability has
presented him or herself. New replacing
members of the Twelve are chosen only through unanimous consent of the Twelve,
and must submit themselves to a series of tests administered by the Twelve, which
are known only to those who have been members.
That said, almost all the members of the Twelve seem functionally immortal,
in one way or another.
The city is surrounded by a wall
about its outer boroughs, with 12 gates to match the Twelve Protectors. Each of the gates has a large gatehouse,
which serves as an abode of one of the Twelve, which they may live in and
staff, although many of the Twelve keep abodes elsewhere in the city. Gates 12, 3, 6, and 9 are orientated to the
North, West, South, and East, respectively, with the intermediary gates being
equally positioned along the wall. There
are tunnels and bridges within the wall that allow the passage of waterways
into and out of the city.
The members of the Twelve Protectors
at this time are as follows:
1) Elanara, The Faerie Queen:
Quite possibly the eldest being on the council, although with Lucien the
most recent to join, Elanara is a Fey royal visiting from Faerie, and whose 50
years spent as a member of the Twelve counts for her as little more than a
holiday. The true extent of her power is unknown, but there are residents among
the city, particularly elves, who view her as akin to a god.
2) Lucien, The Red Wizard: Clean
shaven, and with bright red hair, Lucien is a slim, tall wizard who dresses in
red and appears much younger than his considerable magical abilities imply. He is the consort of Elanara, and has been
since before the pair joined the Twelve over 50 years ago. It is believed it is her magic that has
allowed him to survive this long, although it is possible he has, through
arcane rites, managed such a feat on his own.
3) Neblin, The Wizard of the Tree:
Neblin is a curious, seemingly wizened yet spry gnome wizard, who has
lived for a very, very long time, and gone quite mad, although that madness has
not seemed to affect his abilities any. The
surest way to win his friendship is with the gift of a rare or unique
spoon. He is obsessed with spoons, and
collects them constantly, occasionally disappearing from the city for a period
of about a week, whereupon his return he is suddenly bereft of them, only to begin
collecting them anew. These absences are
frowned upon by much of the city and the Parliament. However, as Neblin is better than any at
solving any mysterious crimes that occur, these periodic lapses of duty are
tolerated. No one knows why he is called
the Wizard of the Tree, other than that is what he calls himself; the reason
behind the title has never been given, and when questioned on it Neblin grows irritated
and evasive. He has been on the council for
100 years, and seems to have had a prior friendship with Lucien. He also appears quite skilled at the Bardic
arts. He plays the flute.
4) Shana the Wood Elf Druid: Shana
is a Wood Elf of great age and Druidic power.
Though it would seem strange to have a Druid serving within the bounds
of a city, Her Gate lies near a forest, and often she can be found passing
through that domain, protecting travelers and warding off dangers before they
can even reach the city. These woods are
known as Shana’s Wood. She has been a
member of the Twelve since its founding.
5) Hagen, an Adult Copper Dragon:
When appearing in humanoid form, he prefers not to in any way hide his
nature, and so always appears in a way not dissimilar from a dragonborn or a
half-dragon. Oddly, this means he is the most often mistaken of the
dragons on the Twelve for something other than a dragon, for his is the
appearance most like another species of creature, and so he often find himself
at the receiving end of disrespect and even violence, a situation that Brent is
not actually disturbed by (Although he does show mercy in any such conflicts
that arise). The youngest of the dragons on the Twelve, he is
nevertheless still a founding member.
6) Ulfgar, The Dwarf Machinist:
A Mountain Dwarf of rare age, yet still of hearty build, Ulfgar is
tinkerer and engineer with a variety of skills amassed over the course of his
long life. He is adept at magic and
skilled at building things. He commands
a variety of Golems and Shield Guardians who serve If as a practical police
force. He is also responsible, often
working with Lucien, in building a variety of technological marvels that greatly
benefit the city. A member of the 12 for
150 years, he is responsible for the introduction of indoor plumbing to much of
If.
7) Orsina, The Tiefling Sorceress:
A maroon-skinned beauty, with rams horns, like many of the members of
the Twelve she appears to be much younger than she is. She has been a member of the Twelve for 300
years, and her continued presence there has created a large Tiefling community
within If, as many Tieflings have sought the city out as a refuge against
persecution elsewhere. With Orsina’s
presence, they know they can count on equal treatment there.
8)
Karla, Halfling Cleric of the
Ancestors: Perhaps the only member
of the Twelve who is a native of If, Karla went out adventuring a little over a
century ago. When she returned 35 years
later, she submitted to the gauntlet to replace a previous Halfling on the
council. Like many Halfings of Gull, she
holds that there is a special afterlife to which Halfings go, forming a special
land beyond this one from which the ancestors look down upon their descendants
and seek to aid those who give worship to them.
Karla is of normal height for a Halfling, and mostly keeps to her
Gatehouse and the Ancestral Temple built nearby. While she is getting to be quite old for a
Halfling, her Clerical powers are undiminished.
She spends much of her time teaching other Halflings in the worship of
the Ancestors.
9) Silva, an Ancient Silver Dragon: Like many other Silver
dragons, Silva appears most often in humanoid form while moving among the
city. She often appears as a very tall woman, with silvery skin and
jet-black hair, in a long flowing silver robe. Occasionally, silver wings
sprout from her back, and she flies about the city not unlike a demon or a
harpy, where her keen eyesight and hearing allows her to spot any altercations
that may be happening below. Though Silva is not yet an ancient dragon,
she has nevertheless spent her time among humanoids learning and mastering
arcane magic, both as a wizard and a sorcereress. She is one of the
founding members of the Twelve.
10)
Carina Aum, Human Paladin of
Oomphalos: Oomphalos is a god who represents the center of all
things. In addition to training in the arts of Paladin, Carina has skills
as a Monk of Oomphalos as well. Her Gatehouse is in part a temple to
Oomphalos, though people passing through are not required to make donations
(though many do). Carina uses a modest apartment upon the top level of
the Gatehouse as her quarters. Carina is recognizable for her great
height and blue woad hair, which she dyes, for blue is the color most sacred to
Oomphalos. Carina came to join the Council following the completion of her
adventures about a hundred years ago, and was drawn there due to the Island of
If reminding her of the World Navel, upon which Oomphalos can be found sitting.
She often can be found patrolling the city, wearing her simple, woad-dyed
Monk's attire. She is the most open and outgoing of the Twelve.
11)
Grog the Barbarian: Grog is a great, monstrous Half-Orog Fighter. Standing nearly 8 feet in height, with skin
as tough as armor, and covered in magical adornments won in quests across the
continents, he can fight entire armies and emerge victorious. He has settled into his gate house with his
young Half-Orc wife, and is now the father of 12 children, although 6 have
already gone off in search of adventure.
He has been among the twelve for
72 years.
12) Bruun the Ancient Bronze Dragon:
Like many dragons that choose to live among mortal creatures, Bruun
takes the appearance of a humanoid when not alone. He often appears as an aged old man with a
long beard, tall enough to most likely be human, although his features are indistinct
between elf and man. The eldest of the
Dragons of the Twelve, he has trained also as a Bard and Wizard. He often plays the lute, but is also skilled
as well at the harp and harpsichord. He
has been a member of the Twelve since its founding.
At about the center of If, there is
an island in the River Still, known as the Island of If. It is on this Island that the major government
and religious structures of the city are housed, as well as select houses of
the wealthiest residents. To maintain
some separation between the elected parliament and the Power of the Twelve
Protectors, a Member of the Twelve may not set foot upon the Island without a
formal invitation from the Parliament.
On a stone square by the banks of
the River Still, near the Island of If, there stands the Tower of If. This Tower has stood there since well before
the Founding of the Twelve Protectors.
It is formed from four separate, square towers, arranged along the corners
of a square, curving towards each other until they join together as a single
structure, thinning as it rises higher and higher. There are no visible doors along the bottom,
but in the center between the bases there is a circle made from different colored
stone. If a person stands upon there,
they may request entrance, and will be teleported to a similar circle on the
first layer of the tower directly above them.
There is a great open area inside the tower, with an opening in the
middle on all four sides, shortly after the base first joins together, that is
several stories in height. From higher parts
of the city, it can be observed that a garden grows upon this level.
The Tower of If is inhabited by The Wizard Flem. Though not a Member of the Twelve Protectors,
it is believed he was involved in their formation, so as to insure the
protection of the city in which he built his Tower. He is seen by some as the city’s private
benefactor, although he holds no elected post, and whatever activities he
pursues are shrouded in secrecy. His
appearance and race are not commonly known, as he tends, if he walks among the
city or takes visitors, to alter and disguise his appearance, though he seems
to be one of the taller races, with skin the color of aged paper. He is often bearded, and, if that is not part
of a common disguise, it is reasoned he is most likely human, although none
know for sure.
One of the major draws to the City
of If is the Pyramid of Art, a structure built mostly underground, with only
the tip of its pyramid structure rising above ground. Once entering the pyramid, a series of steps
takes one down into great architectural spaces, in which some of the finest
artworks from all across Auros and beyond are on exhibit. The Pyramid of Art is run not by the
Parliament or the Twelve Protectors, but by an elite counsel of merchants known
as the Iffian Traders Guild.
