POVERO

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ewancummins
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POVERO

Post by ewancummins »

POVERO

City of the Glass Bay.
City of sails.
City of the merchant princes.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg12 ... mjoeo3.png


In two centuries, Povero grew from a poor fishing town to a burgeoning center of international trade.
No curtain wall guards the city, nor constrains its further growth. One story has it that the city fathers tore down the teetering old limestone walls twenty years ago, after a visiting cannoneer demonstrated his weaponry against the barrier to dramatic effect. But rather than invest in many of the newfangled weapons, the city council ordered the walls taken apart to pave the southern end of the long Bay Road.

Whether or not it really contains old wall stones, the Bay Road runs paved from the crossroads where it connects with the long hard-earth strip of the Great East-West Road. The Road marks the north edge of the city.
Urban farms and little villages absorbed into the spreading cityscape fill much of the northern expanse of the city.

Closer to the waterline, ShoreStreet runs east to west.
South of Shore Street, the villas, roadhouses, vineyards, and small farms of the city periphery give way to denser blocks of buildings, some three stories high. The houses stand closest together near the waterline, forming a mass of masonry and timber broken by broad access roads that connect to the quays.

A visitor in Povero can hardly miss the flower boxes under painted sills, vines clinging to stucco walls, squares of red tile roofs, and the hilltop gardens and palazzos of the rich.
Only the old fishing quarter looks shabby and rundown.

Povero draws sailors, peddlers , freighters, pilgrims, and other travelers year round, but the summer trading season sees the highest volume of traffic.

YOUR PARTY has arrived at the crossroads at the city rim in late summer, as warm weather cools and the early harvest wagons start rolling into market.

No one prevents you from entering. Without a proper wall, the city guards in the roadside strong-houses do not collect a toll on pedestrian traffic. There is, however, a toll collected on wagons and a " watering tax" laid on horses, donkeys, etc.

Povero awaits!

But first, pay tolls and tariffs on mounts and beasts of burden.
(Or perhaps try to enter from a side lane, across somebody's pasture, field, or vineyard, thus avoiding payment).
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: POVERO

Post by steveflam »

Gertie looks at Tom, her brother, as they surmise how to enter Povero. "Okay if you want to go in and pay or whatever, that's fine by me big brother. I'm going to wait, and sneak into the town.

Why should I pay to enter? Hope I can fish inside."
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alhoon
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Re: POVERO

Post by alhoon »

Fild looks up and down the big, big city.
"Jolly, that's a big one" he says without making a comment on how to proceed.
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VAN
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Re: POVERO

Post by VAN »

Tom just smiles.

"You already know my reply to this little sister. You guys can do as you please, we will meet inside later."

Whistling to his labrador GEm says:

"Come boy."
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Adam
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Re: POVERO

Post by Adam »

Alfonse looks between his faithful mule, Gerta, and his companions. "What do you think, Gerta? Shall we try and sneak into the city?"

The mule gives a non-commital "BREEYAAAHH" of response, and the mage nods, wiping his bangs out of his eyes. "Right, that's what I was thinking. But then again, I'm not the master of stealth that you are. Maybe we'd best just pay the toll."

He gives the mule a tug and walks toward the gate. "Shall we meet at the first tavern inside the gate, then? I'm sure it won't be COMPLETELY flea infested..."
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: POVERO

Post by ewancummins »

THOSE WHO PAY, or who have no animals for which to pay:

The guards at the roadside station collect the water tax on the animals. Pedestrians, they wave through without demanding money and after only a cursory examination.

LOCAL HISTORY, APPRAISAL, or LOOTING NWP success yields the information
VIEW CONTENT:
that POVERO enjoys a reputation as an " open city" , something that attracts a lot of business. For much the same reason, it is known as a likely place to fence hot goods from elsewhere.
Passing through the road check point, you step onto the paved southern extent of the Bay a Road, which runs ahead of you downhill all the way through the old part of the city to the waters that gleam beyond the plazas and densely clustered buildings of the civic and market districts.

The first inn you find stands hard by the checkpoint, on the right side of the paved road. The signboard of the two story stucco walled, tile roofed building depicts a fat man in the dun robes of a mendicant cleric and a girl in servant's clothing. The man appears to be goosing her while balancing a jug in his other hand.

APPRAISAL, ARTISTIC ABILITY, or LOOTING success :
VIEW CONTENT:
This painting is better made than the typical signboard, with good lines, careful attention to detail, and a nice color palette. Upon close examination, you may notice what looks like a light varnish, which detracts a little from the clarity of the image but may preserve the pigments from the elements. Whoever made this sign was a trained limner. It might be worth a modest sum to a collector, but it would be chancy for a thief to swipe it and fence it locally, as it's easy to identify.
Literate travelers may read the letters incised in the stone arch of the main doorway:

THE FRISKY FRIAR
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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alhoon
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Re: POVERO

Post by alhoon »

Fild reads the sign to the rest of the group that are with him.
"Let's get inside and wait for the others." He takes a look at the thieves. "And let's behave for the time. We don't know who's who here. Let's keep our hands to our pockets to avoid running afoul of the local gangs or law enforcement."
"You truly see what a person is made of, when you begin to slice into them" - Semirhage
"I am not mad, no matter what you're implying." - Litalia
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VAN
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Re: POVERO

Post by VAN »

Tom smiles.

"Don't worry Fild, we are just travellers that came here seeking another opportunity in this city we will not plan to start with wrong foot with the authorities. And you know me enough to know that pickpocket isn't my thing. I cannot guarantee for Gertie though."

Tom glances his sister.

"She is the one that gets in trouble more often!"
- The first 2 Feats a wizard should take are "point blank shot" and "Precise shot"!
- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
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alhoon
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Re: POVERO

Post by alhoon »

Fild snorts amused. "It's not the authorities that can't keep tab on who's entering the city that concern me, Tom. It's more of who controls the streets of the slums since it's not those lazy guards."
"You truly see what a person is made of, when you begin to slice into them" - Semirhage
"I am not mad, no matter what you're implying." - Litalia
My DMGuild work!
steveflam
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Re: POVERO

Post by steveflam »

Gertie hums a litttle tune, smiling at her brother and Fild "Not a pickpocket either, brother. I obtain objects through skill and finesse during the night time hours."

She sticks her tongue out at Tom.
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Re: POVERO

Post by Varrus the Ethical »

Povero, Crossroads

Titus paid little notice to the cart rolling beneath him. A flock of migratory geese flying in a perfect chevron flew overhead, the point of the chevron pointed towards Povero.

He didn't need to be a high speaker to know that the Speaker of Storms was telling him he was headed the right direction.

The cart stopped, drawing Titus' attention back to the world of men.

"This I think is where you get off, Speaker," says Sergio, the farmer kind enough to let Titus ride in his cart. "I must pay these guards, but I think they will let you go on foot."

Titus recovers his headdress, its small fringe of colorful songbird feathers still fresh as the day the High Speaker formally voiced Titus. Planting it on his head, he turns to Sergio. "I will cover the tax, good man. As appreciation for conveying me safely to Povero."

Sergio chuckled, deepening the sun-browned wrinkles on his face. "Much appreciated, Speaker. I hope you find what you are looking for in Povero."

Titus points to the birds in the sky. "With His Guidance, that is all but certain. May you find good fortune at Povero's grain markets.

Titus jumps of the cart, and approaches the guards.

"I'd like to cover the tax for that cart over there," Titus points back at Sergio. "Would you gentlemen prefer silver, or a reading of the Speaker's word?"
"Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it."

George R.R. Martin.
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Re: POVERO

Post by ewancummins »

The guard sergeant shakes his head
"We have to take coin for the water tax. City law."
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: POVERO

Post by Varrus the Ethical »

Titus nods.

"Another time, then."

He digs into his purse and produces the required silver.

"Shall this do?"
"Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it."

George R.R. Martin.
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Re: POVERO

Post by ewancummins »

TITUS

Varrus the Ethical wrote:Titus nods.

"Another time, then."

He digs into his purse and produces the required silver.

"Shall this do?"
The guard sergeant counts the money.
"Yes."
His men perform a hasty inspection of the wagon. Finding nothing like obvious contraband, they wave it through. And Titus, too.

Sergio bids Titus farewell and departs for the Market District, which lies south down the Bay Road.

Standing the street, Titus sees that the traffic of pedestrians, beasts of burden, and carts has begun to increase.
Looking about, he sees a number of houses and shops on either side of the masonry-paved avenue.Most of the businesses appear to be the sort that cater to travellers: inns, osterleries, wainwrights and farriers, hardtack bakeries, horse doctors, water sellers, money changers, and so on.

The fabled market plazas and luxury shops must be located in some other part of the city.

The nearest inn bears a colorful signboard depicting a clerical looking figure.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: POVERO

Post by Adam »

THE FRISKY FRIAR

Alfonse cocks an eyebrow at the bawdy sign. "Oh, what sort of trouble could we possibly get into, here?" he says to his companions. "Give me a minute to stable the mule, and I'll join you in the common room. Try not to get arrested before then, hmm?"
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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