This city of about 20,000 people is the second-largest in the entire Duchy of Raskot, and largest settlement in the Barony of Cascun, County of Idrissi, and the southern duchy. It boasts the largest port in the southern duchy upon the Gulf of Bazón. It is also the northern terminus of a major trade route that extends southward through the inland town of Fleri, along a major road through the southern counties, and eventually to the port city of Grazzja upon the Bay of Tredica, gateway to the southern ocean. The flow of both people and goods along that route is quite brisk.

Being quite far from the capital City of Raskot, and not particularly close to the home county of the current Duke and Duchess, the laws here are written and enforced rather differently. Laws around business are more extensive and nuanced than they are in the capital, though less mature than those in the famously enterprising Vrothian Republic some distance to the east. From a legal standpoint, this is possibly the best place in the entire duchy to be a commoner in an urban setting, though it is still quite far from ideal. While there are in general more protections than even commoners in the capital enjoy, there are quite different risks to negotiate. But most would still make the trade to live here.

While the city does not guarantee freedom of worship or religion for its people, it is the most tolerant of non-official faiths when compared to any other settlement in the entire duchy. In addition to the state religion that reveres Naënta, one can also find prominent locations dedicated to at least five other deities in or near the city walls.

Parteca sits upon a relatively arid (by Raskotian standards) stretch of shore where palms are a common sight. The city and surrounding settlements have built up extensive expertise in cultivating the palms and harvesting their useful products, edible and otherwise. If the duchy could be said to have a “palm belt,” Parteca would be its capital city, roughly in the middle of its west-to-east range along the gulf coast. It was the rarity of these products outside the area that brought many people to trade with the locals, and arguably what bootstrapped the city from a collection of villages into a large town and now into a vibrant and dynamic walled city. Many people have made their fortune here, and that promise continues to draw people who see opportunity for themselves. The trade in palm products is still steady and reliable, though now it is largely overshadowed by other diverse economic activities that have developed over the decades.

Map of the City of Parteca

A neighborhood built by those who came here from elsewhere, built their fortunes here, and decided to stay. While not as bustling as the districts on either side, the area is not without its businesses. Most of them try to attract prestigious clientele through cachet and exclusivity, higher quality and exotic novelty. A fair number succeed, if they can clear the steep monetary barriers to entry. Of course, the presence of money attracts a charlatan or two, and the merchant prince is much less likely to notice a couple of golden raja missing than the common laborer.

A shop selling beautiful and functional objects that are enchanted with magic, some peculiar and rare substances useful mostly to the magically-inclined, and some magical consumables. Kadakh (tuskenfolk, loxodon) shopkeeper Gebroloz Rom tries to select goods that attract clientele that he would consider enviable.

The newest section of town was hastily built out in response to the growing needs of the businesses that operate here and the workers they employ. It may have started as a well-intentioned grid of streets but the people built it faster than the planners could regulate it. Many who traveled to the city seeking work ended up in this neighborhood, which has turned into a study in juxtaposed contrasts, works in progress, and dreams unfulfilled. One need not walk very far to go from the neat residences of the moderately prosperous to the shared houses of the struggling to the squalid shacks of the absolutely destitute. This is the most diverse area of the city in terms of population, activities, and the enforcement of laws. It is a very dynamic and innovative place where boundaries are regularly streched and frequently eschewed altogether; some regard it as one step short of anarchy. If there is something to be found or done cheaply in the city, then you are most likely to find it here. But even cheap can come at a steep price sometimes.

A market square that spans the Dromos Chalkinos, the main road through the district, bustling at all hours of day and night. The larger northen section is reserved for transaction of goods, with priority given to foodstuffs and other perishables during daylight hours. The broad and squat wooden building at the north end serves as a center of administration for the marketplace, a meeting place for assemblies, and an auction block. The smaller southern section is reserved for selling of services, and some of the space is set aside for individuals and community groups to attract attention to their causes. A meeting hall stands at the southern end in case those negotiations are best done away from potentially prying eyes and ears.

While not the premier place in the city that one goes to obtain fine metalwork for domestic and occupational use, it is a place where those of modest means can obtain such items of reasonable quality. It is tucked away on a side street but its slightly obscure location does not seem to pull the bottom line in the wrong direction. Goblin proprietor Stobzuzz makes a few things himself, and knows some local experts who can make what he can’t.

A business district couldn’t ask for more: proximity to the docks and the major roads as well as those who hold the levers of power in the city. Anyone who wants to make money and appear respectable while doing it tries to establish a storefront or an office in this area. While there is no shortage of dealing between businesses and the public, far more interesting and consequential transactions occur between businesses that deal mostly with other businesses. Warehouses are more common towards the docks, offices more common away from it. Associations of businesses have also sprung up here to address issues important to them – and also to maneuver for advantage if they can.

The home of the City Watch and the prisoners they have taken into custody is Immediately adjacent to Magnate’s Green and only a short walk away from City Hall upon Pjazza Bondi. Many of the locals describe the building as almost pleasant to look at from the outside. This opinion is tempered somewhat by the knowledge of the many windowless cells below ground level where scofflaws may reside against their will for varying lengths of time.

This grand edifice of fifty precisely-spaced columns under an asymmetric but aesthetically-sloped roof honors Naënta. It is consistently one of the most comfortable buildings year-round in the city, thanks to its carefully-chosen angles that protect from the sun and well-placed openings that encourage natural ventilation. Up to 500 people can attend services inside, and a significant fraction of the city’s residents could crowd into the square alongside it. Though it does not share a square with any government buildings, it is the largest center of worship of any sort within the walls of the city. Human man Reverend Isaac Corso manages the spiritual needs of a flock that changes considerably from month to month and sometimes day to day as people move through this important trading hub of a city.

On the waterfront a short walk away from the westernmost dock is a stone building with a ponderous façade that lends some gravitas to the activities and items inside. The business community of the city recognize the importance of keeping records, so this hall serves not only as the archive of those records but also a space of worship devoted to Ara, Scribe of Scribes. Those who work here have been working on the problem of how to store more records in less space, locating them quickly, and easily putting them back where they should be. They pursue both magical and mundane means to their ends, but even in their experiments they are careful to ensure that no records are damaged or lost. Beiro (crow-folk, kenku) female Librarian Thorve organizes both records and people here.

The eastern gate to the city is flanked by two marble statues of regal-looking figures, erected not long after the Count of Idrissi swore fealty to the Duke of Raskot. The neighborhood around the gate on both sides of the wall is home to some of the most powerful and entrenched local interests as well as most of the artistic and cultural establishments within the city. The main road leading east from Pjazza Bondi, Triq ad-Duka, passes through the neighborhood and the gate itself as it winds its way towards more settlements along the gulf coast.

A shop selling all manner of magical gewgaws and tchotchkes, as long as they are substantially peaceful and non-antagonistic in their application. Shalaevar Omarona, an elven woman, arranges the merchandise enchantingly.

On the waterfront the Sisters of Danmis maintain a place for worship and a meeting place for the pursuit and appreciation of the performing arts, with a heavy emphasis on dance an and those modes of expression best-suited to accompany it. Upon each equinox they present a large public performance in the square adjacent to the sanctuary; they insist that no person should be turned away from enjoying the performance on account of money or lack thereof. Choreographer Yasmeen Drago is the human high priestess who guides the people individually and collectively, physically and spiritually.

Most of the public square adjacent to the sanctuary is paved with cobblestones, slightly smoothed by the passage of so many feet for so many years. The center of the square has a stage raised about one hand above its surroundings, made of long planks of worked and polished palm stem. In the center of the stage and flush to it is a slab of pale marble streaked with golden flecks, inlaid with a design of dancers surrounding a golden flame.

Palms have been cultivated near here for centuries, and an area to the west of the city – almost as big as the area inside the city walls – boasts the biggest concentration of palm plantations and the widest usage of palm produce in the duchy. Many of them are happy to sell their produce directly to those who take the effort to visit, but the customer must haul their own purchases away. The main road through the area, Triq tal-Frondi, takes its name from the trees so prominently featured here.

An assembly of farmers, academics, and occasional eccentrics trying to improve upon existing uses of palms and palm products, and dream up a few new ones here and there. The current director is a gnome man named Shulnert Blensmi who knows just enough magic to scale and descend the trees safely and quickly while looking like he’s engaging in far riskier behavior.

When they come to visit, the magnate and entourage reside in this walled and guarded estate that very few of common blood have ever visited. It is roughly a rectangular two-story structure built of pale stone with evenly-spaced windows all around; this much is easily observed. The appearance of the interior and the business conducted within its walls are matters of speculation. Many believe that the palace guards are some of the highest-paid folk in the city, because nobody has yet managed to bribe, swindle, or fast-talk them into spilling secrets or out of performing their assigned duties.

This pair of green spaces in the heart of the city border the inner castle and are only a very brief walk from other well-known landmarks. The larger northwestern park sports more trees and shade, and its northernmost corner offers mostly-unobstructed views of the bustling docks and the gulf. Many a business deal has been consummated there by day, and more than one tryst by night. The smaller southeastern park is roughly divided into three; each section is carefully manicured according to the wishes of the magnate, the magnate’s spouse, and the magnate’s consort respectively.

The largest shipyard of the Royal Navy outside of the capital city sits on the coast about a league east of the city, easily reached by traveling the Triq id-Duka and following the sign at the fork in the road. The path is well-traveled by laborers, sailors, and the occasional officer. Civilians are at least tolerated in most places around the shipyard, though there are some heavily-guarded areas reserved for military use only. In addition to the usual facilities for building and repairing ships, there are also barracks, offices, and other quarters for keeping the crew at the ready. Admiral Gwennys Grimtoe, a dwarven woman, directs the Southern Fleet from here; a bevy of subordinate officers ensure that only truly important matters and people reach her.

Long before there was a duchy, a county, or even a city, there was a village on the coast of the gulf named Mizara Though none of its original buildings remain, many of the descendants of those settlers live and work in this district. Over time those folks adjusted to the city’s role as a hub for trade and commerce, but not all of them necessarily accepted it. Here can be found the most established families of the area, with the deepest knowledge of its history and traditions – and a healthy dose of skepticism for the city’s permissive approach towards commerce and culture. The locals do their best to keep the general character of the place from looking like a shanty town, and for the most part they have succeeded. Some resent those who live and work in Brass Valley, others merely pity them.

Two major roads run through the area. It was perhaps deliberately obtuse for the locals to name the newer road, Triq id-Duka, after the duke in the historical dialect of the area, and the older road, Dromos Palios, in the historical dialect of the current ruling noble house of the duchy.

Upon a broad beach not far outside the eastern wall of the city stands a weathered but sturdy-looking wooden building, assembled carefully out of many worked logs that could have been pier pilings or ship’s masts. Inside is a space dedicated to Zmeyana, Lady of the Waves, decorated judiciously with those creatures and plants that left the ocean and never returned, such as urchins, stars, kelp, and all manner of sea shells. Nearly a hundred people could gather at once, if they were on sufficiently friendly terms with each other. The north side of the building, parallel to the water line, has broad double doors that are left open during all but the most inclement weather. A roughly circular altar built from the bones of some of the largest sea creatures sits on the beach just outside the double doors. Slender and tall for a halfling, Brother Fridolin Button handles the ebb and flow of both the faithful and the questioning.

The oldest hearth honoring Merciful Qhetia is rumored to have been in the same location for centuries, tolerably close to the beach. Despite being a relatively minor sect among the faiths of the duchy, the local Keepers of the Hearth have seen a slow but steady rise in attendance, especially among those skeptical of or disillusioned with the business interests of the city. Its location outside the walls seems to suit the faithful both physically and spiritually. The familiar circular layout of the main sanctuary is constructed out of thoughtfully-stacked logs of local palms. Dragonborn Sister Gampheath Zofnys and gnome Brother Merfan Halkand keep the flame alight.

The Sisters of Danmis established this bastion in 803 E.P. about two miles east of the city walls, and a quarter mile from the shore. It houses over twenty of the more zealous followers of the Lady of Light. Commander Nazanin Balaporia, a shorter and sturdier human woman, organizes and directs the judicious application of force and forces, with the assistance of Lieutenant Clovia Grumio, a taller and thinner human woman.

These lands haven’t had a queen in quite a while, so some guess that the Queen in Queensport refers to Serene and Terrible Zmeyana. Some of what arrives here, both by land and by sea, actually stays within the city, but most of it passes through on the way to somewhere else. It is not enough for the port to merely operate by daylight. Some decades ago the harbor master ordered construction of lighthouses atop the ends of the city walls. They also ordered lights maintained at all ship berths, docks, quays, wharfs, and upon major roads connecting thereto, from shortly before sunset until shortly after sunrise. As a result, there is always something that needs doing in this area at any time of day or night. The business interests have tempered some of the more outrageous behaviors of visiting sailors, but will never be able to stamp it out entirely.

If it is to be bought or sold, and its next stop is far away, then it most likely changes hands within sight of the gate that helped to name the district. The statues that adorn the gate depict sturdy people with geometric features performing feats of strength-oriented labor. The Dromos Vareli passes through the gate, and is the main route for traders to move their goods into or out of the city by land.

While not an official organ of any government, a guild of locals skilled in the arts of estimation offer their services to both buyers and sellers, individuals and organizations. They wish to help establish reasonable ranges of prices for the exchange of goods. They also work with estimating labor associated with particular goods (e.g. moving furniture or installing machinery). They do not advise on transactions where no goods change hands, and they try not to render opinions on non-functional goods such as works of art.

Concerned businessfolk offer their services in ensuring that the goods they are asked to examine match their representation or documentation, in a variety of qualitative and quantitative facets. They like to reinforce that a lot of commerce is based upon trust, transparency, integrity, and ethical behaviors; practicing those values will be better for all participants in the long run. They also maintain records of many of the inspections they have done over the years, as well as complaints after the deal has been done, in the hopes that less ethical businessfolk will reform their behaviors, suffer damaging consequences, or lose future opportunities.

If it is to be bought or sold, and its final destination is in or near the city, it most likely changes hands for the last time in this broad district that covers much of the southeast inside the wall. Competition for selling space is quite lively, but the merchants are careful to leave plenty of room for both people and vehicles to pass through, not only on the main roads and streets but also among the numerous smaller plazas and squares. After sundown, most folk pack their wares away, and the more permanent storefronts that remain open attract what business remains.

As long as the sun shines on the city, there shall be at least one local merchant here selling their home-grown local produce. The Grower’s League is particularly active in trying to regulate sellers here.

Standing ninety cubits tall at the eastern end of the wall around the city, this pale lighthouse bears a mosaic design of a tree limb wrapped around it, turning counterclockwise as it ascends, with gently curved branches splitting off and sprouting numerous slender oblong leaves with occasional small, dark oval fruits. Sitting atop the lantern room is a cylindrical form wrapped mostly in green tiles, except for one prominent horizontal stripe in yellow. A ring of three wide rectangular windows sits below the top floor, with two windows looking mostly out to sea and one looking inwards towards the city. Centered below each rectangular window are several narrower windows at evenly-spaced heights, their staggered arrangement suggesting stairs winding around the inside of the lighthouse in the direction indicated by the tree limb mosaic on the outside.

Standing ninety cubits tall at the western end of the wall around the city, this pale lighthouse is decorated with a mosaic design of a tree limb wrapped around it, turning clockwise as it ascends, sporting broad, loabed leaves in darker green, and occasional round fruits in brighter green. Atop the lantern room is a conical form wrapped in red tiles, with a few thick vertical white stripes. The windows are identical in size, shape, and placement to its fraternal twin at the other end of the city wall, but wound in the opposite direction.

City Hall sits upon this square named for the first mayor of the city appointed by a Raskotian noble. The building itself is one of the most recognizable in the city, as it is built almost entirely from expensive imported rose-colored granite, carved into very blocky and geometric shapes with straight lines and sharp angles.

The Bureau of Light is charged with ensuring that the docks at Queensport can be used at all hours of the day and night. The organization is part artisan’s guild, part law enforcement agency, and very well-connected to the ebb and flow of trade through the city. Reiman (leopardfolk, tabaxi) woman Director Lodra Zusket juggles the schedules, risks, and rewards.

A high society club that appreciates pretty gardens and pretty people holding pretty events within them. A few of the city’s more powerful and influential people rub shoulders at events hosted by this group. Many members are from the oldest and most affluent families in the city. Every year, approximately a month after the spring equinox, the Society holds the Pageant of the Palms wherein they crown a Palm King and Palm Queen. (It is rumored that being rich, pretty, and well-connected helps, though this has never been officially confirmed or denied.) The current Chair of the Society’s Board of Councilors is a human man, Matteo Levanzin.

This association of local farmers try to ensure that there is a level playing field among all farmers who come to sell, whether they bring locally-grown produce or goods shipped from afar. They have recently established rules in the name of preserving business opportunities for smaller farmers by discouraging and penalizing vendors who do not take off at least one day out of every seven at Pjazza tal-Bdiewa.

Magnate Ruzar Ittar

Baron of Cascun since 836 E.P.

Baroness Nina Gatto

Baron’s spouse

Censina Tolossenti

Baron’s acknowledged consort

Mayor Fawstina Talavera

Appointed by Magnate Ruzar Ittar in 851 E.P.

Captain Varist Scolaro

Captain of the City Watch, appointed by former mayer Thomas Utrana in 844 E.P.

Harbor Master Carla Gambin

Minding berths and traffic at Queensport