Attmoore (Beachblush Setting)
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Attmoore[edit]
Both a city and a sovereign nation in its own right: Attmoore (At•more) is a sprawling underwater sanctuary for the aquatic species of the world. While a couple of ocean settlements have been discovered in other parts of the world (and explorers theorize that their may be more), Attmoore is by far the largest and most populous. With a population of approximately 70 000 residents, almost none of whom fall into the standard above-world demographics: As far as permanent citizens, the city has a very unique spread of races from the ocean, among the more common races (approximately 20-30% each), one can find Sea Elves, Triton and Merfolk with a fair regularity, in the lower percentages of the demographic range (approximately 5-10% each), lie various humanoid-aquatic hybrids, Cecaelias, and Sahuagin, there are a smattering of other races mixed between these. Permanent above ground races are estimated to be in the low to mid triple digits, among these numbers, however is an additional group of explorers and merchants who can add another few dozen at any given time.
Attmoore is protected by a massive ring of arcane fences, which create a protective barrier against the strong currents of the surrounding ocean (which act as a natural defense outside the ring), this ring is called the Halting Reef. While the waters in the city are calm, they still can't be breathed in by land-folk, and the immense pressure of being at the bottom of the ocean still effect creatures who haven't been conditioned through generations of living in the depths. It is for this reason that there is only one way for land-folk to reach the city, the Sinking Bell (often referred to as just "the Bell") is a massive, bell shaped submersible Gondola that acts as a moving hotel for those travelling to and from the city (see "The Sinking Bell" for more information), which deposits its passengers in a special medical station which offers various magical items to aid those who want to visit but don't want their lungs to explode. For either a rental or a purchase, this station sells both "rings of protection from pressure" (100GP to buy or 10GP a day to rent, these rings take up an attunement slot), and a herb called Drowners' Dream, which, when consumed, sprout gills in the user for approximately 24 hours at a time, Drowners' Dream costs 7GP a day (and is usually purchased in bulk at the beginning of a trip to save having to go back to the station every day) and lasts indefinitely until consumed.
History and Architecture[edit]
The sea is home to as many if not more varied races and people as the surface, but for a long time, at least on the surface, it was thought to be impossible to create permanent settlements there, a combination of strong underwater currents, fragile and constantly shifting sand, and crushing darkness meant that for a long time, neither the peoples of the land nor the sea were ever able to establish a long lasting habitat. This changed with the advent of a group known as the Sundry, a group of 10 mages and artificers from different aquatic races, who were brought together in their desire to create a unified city to bring all the varied and eclectic people of the sea under one banner and put a cease to the endless territorial squabbles of the then prominent gang-like schools. Their mission began approximately 1000 years ago, but it wouldn't be completed in one life time, over generations, the idea of the Halting Reef would be born and take shape. Ultimately, it wouldn't be until 500 years after the group's inception that the Halting Reef would be completed, a mission handed down to the children of the original Sundry, and to their children after that. The Halting Reef is seen by almost all to be the greatest arcane achievement in history, and a testament to the power both of the arcane, and of persistent work and a unified goal.
From an architectural standpoint, the city consists of many dome and bubble shaped buildings, largely made out of different pearlescent materials ranging from blues to dark pinks to white, gold and black in the richer areas. The city can be highly disorienting for land-folk as many of the buildings float in the water, kept in place only by thick chains mooring them to the ground below. This additional dimension of space to navigate isn't a problem for the citizens, who only need to swim there, but many travelers find themselves getting lost easily. There is a method to the madness of the city, however. The city is divided loosely into 25 districts, there are 12 on the ground, circling at approximately even intervals inside the Halting Reef, and another 12 placed above them in between the vertical clearances of each other. This way, should a disaster occur that causes any districts to ever sink or float away from where they should be, they miss the surrounding districts. In the center of the city, equidistant from all the other districts, is the Hub. A megalopolis housing almost all the the government buildings, as well as most restaurants, hotels, and other amenities. Dotting the water in the city are orbs of golden light, illuminating the pitch black darkness of the surrounding waters and giving the city a glow that is is both tranquil and vaguely ominous in equal measure, these lights are most common in the Hub, where they create enough light to replicate a late afternoon sun, in the more residential areas they more closely mimic a sunset.
The Park of the Sundry[edit]
The Hub was designed to serve as the backbone of the city, where all people from all districts could meet as equals, and no place exemplifies this spirit better than the Park of the Sundry, a mesmerizing patch of underwater plant life located in the very center of the city filled with kelp forests as tall as the eye can see, natural formations of coral in colors and quantities unheard of in the rest of the world, and a sanctuary for the animals of the sea to live life free from predation. At the center of the Park is a statue of the original members of the Sundry, gathered in a circle, as if casting the final incantation to bring the Halting Reef to life along with their descendants. The park stands as a true monument to the power of the shared vision of the city.
The in addition to its cultural value, the Park also holds most of the communal events of the city, and is host to a wide variety of venders at a market located near one of the entrances known as the Marillé Market, which sells everything from food to clothes, and if any merchants are in foreign goods and occasionally magic items.
The Sinking Bell[edit]
The Sinking Bell is the only official way for land-folk to get to Attmoore, a multiple story, bell shaped, moving hotel, that descends into the water from an elongated port via a system of gears and vertical tracks that lower it down without getting rid of the air inside. The hotel has two different prices for the types of stay:
Entry which costs 10 Gold per round trip, and gives you a small room with a bed and a shelf, and access to the lower floors, mess room for recreation, and a viewing port to see the ocean outside.
Elite which costs 30 Gold per round trip, includes a premium room complete with a queen sized bed, bath and water heater, shelves and a cupboard, all the lower floors, the dining hall, the theatre, and the Lounge (with accompanying bar service).
Regardless of which service you buy, you are given a travel brochure for Attmoore that gives a rundown of various sights to see and local customs (due to the nature of so many aquatic races not necessarily having the same extremities as land-folk, a small bow is usually preferred to handshaking), as well as a sending stone that reports to the Captain's control room, to report any complaints or possible security risks (the stones are returned upon exit). The journey to Attmoore takes about 2 days, assuming there are no problems on the way down.
Notable Attmooran NPCs[edit]
The Sundry: Revered heroes of the sea, the Sundry are a group of 10 individuals, all of different nautical races. The current rotation of the Sundry are almost all the descendants of the original group. With a few exceptions for the people who have no direct descendants. While this much is known, many of the specifics about the group remains hidden. The Sundry were public figures at one point, but when one of the original group was assassinated due to gang warfare outside of the city, for their own safety, the identity of all but one of the members ceased to be revealed in the future (this member was the first king of Attmoore, King Nautilus Arvastan) . While this appears to have worked (as far as the public is concerned, at least) it did cause a chink in the armor of their reputation. While they still work to bring the oceanic peoples together, and assist the city and the throne, they now do so covertly, reporting to the throne as a council of advisors.
Queen Nautila Arvastan: The current Queen of Attmoore, Queen Nautila Arvastan is the leader of Attmoore, and the only member of the Sundry who's identity is public. She is a middle aged Triton who has been ruling for about 30 years with her wife, Princess Revalia Arvastan. Queen Nautila is a triton of a lean but fit build, who maintains a certain grace about everything she does. Her ruling has had its moments of controversy, like marrying the captain of the guard, the disappearance of her first daughter and the general pushback that she received as the first Queen of Attmoore, but she has handled the pressure and come out of it all the better, earning her the nickname, "the Pearl of Attmoore". Through tough leadership, compassionate dedication to her country, and a perseverance to see her will enacted, she has become a highly lauded Queen. With that said, the disappearance and presumed death of her daughters only a few years apart, Princess Araminta and Princess Ysanyn, has weighed heavily on her, and she seems to have lost a degree of the vigor that she once had. While she still leads with her trademark tact, she now rarely appears at royal balls or other public events, keeps her speeches short and is generally more inclined towards reclusivity. It would be wrong to say that her subjects have lost faith in her leadership, but her more dour nature has caused some to wonder whether it would be best for her wife to take over.
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