The Lowlands was a lot of things in Terrenum. It was a cultural and ethnic melting pot. It was a region perpetually confused about its identity. It was forever overshadowed by its neighbors. However, when people thought of trade, they thought of Gallant - the heart of the Lowlands and arguably the largest single city on the continent.
Those who live in this city for an extended length of time know it as River City. Its name was officially changed by the church (at some nebulous point in the past) in order to honor the heroes of the land. Since then, its name was shortened simply to Gallant.
Gallant's geological advantages are significant. The city sits at the mouth of an elaborately carved estuary which provides it with a significant natural breakwater for shipping. Its river is fed by the many tributaries from the Highlands to the West. The rich arable land throughout the Lowlands are perfect for farming communities. Since most bodies of water lead to Gallant, this makes the city a natural trading hub.
Gallant is not without its flaws. Sanitation has been a considerable issue. The standard of living continues to improve with the implementation of advanced plumbing and sanitary technologies, however, this is an ongoing process. Additionally, the Church of Our Goddess maintains a strong presence in the city and are able to aid in matters of spirit and health; their churches often double as clinics across Terrenum.
The city was never as cleanly planned out as some of its neighbors. Its patterns of growth can be marked by the ever-expanding patterns of walls from the initial settlement. The newer areas are, of course, typically much more modern and better planned. Some of the inner walls were removed to repurpose the materials and create more space. As a result, the defenses and layout of the city as a whole seem eclectic and arbitrary. It is also a fairly spread-out city lacking in buildings taller than two stories. The tallest structures in Gallant, aside from its formidable walls and attached guard houses, are the central keep, the main church and the warehouses at the docks.
The wealthier districts are located near the main keep (the most defensible position in the city, being as it is behind many concentric layers of walls) and near the outer layers of walls. The slums and lower-income housing tend to be between the two, where the buildings and infrastructure lack the careful planning of new construction and have yet to be rebuilt to modern standards.
People in the Lowlands lack a unified cultural identity in part because of Caerbea, far to the South. The region has long been a tributary to the powerful city state. Thanks to a powerful military patrolling its territory and a remarkably relaxed set of governing laws for its vassals, most citizens of the Lowlands enjoy a relatively safe and uninhibited existence. While a "noble" class does exist to some degree, the Caerbean tendency toward meritocracy and emphasis on strength and trade has enabled an odd Capitalist approach to life in the region. Since Caerbea ostensibly owns the land, the "upper class" tend to be successful businessmen instead of hereditary nobility.
The primary reason that the Lowlands does not outproduce its neighbors in food is simply because of their dependency on walls. In the earlier days of Terrenum, most settlements needed formidable defenses not from their rivals but instead from monsters. Caerbean military presence and a sprawling industry of adventuring guilds have markedly reduced the threat of monsters to the point that new farms are being built without walls. However, this level of safety is fairly recent and habits die hard.
As part of the terms of their vassalage, no governing entity in the Lowlands is allowed to have a standing army. Mercenary and adventuring guilds, however, are encouraged. While this system has its problems (and the issues are many), it does effectively decentralize and reduce the military potential of the region.
Here is where you come in...
How you ended up here is of little concern. The important part is that you, adventurer, work for a guild named the Shield Brethren of River City. You carry a copper token stylized with the guild's standard; a shield over a river feeding into a greater body of water. Despite its name, the guild is neither religious nor unisex - however, the influence of the Church of Our Goddess is ever present and the vast majority of its members are male.
You find yourself in the heart of the city bordering the slums and the lower class residential areas toward the outer walls. Rent is much cheaper here and the smell isn't so bad. There is a modest amount of coin in your pocket and you, for whatever reason, have yet to find your own home and therefore stay at the guild barracks for now. Your livelihood depends on completing tasks for the guild master.
Today, at about mid-day, a runner finds you wherever you are in the city. You are informed that the Guild Master has a special task for you. During this time of turmoil, so soon after Iron Harbor was attacked, you can well imagine what tasks you might be sent to accomplish! Not only that, but you may be able to meet the guild's illusive headmaster for the first time.
What will you do next, adventurer?
