Noble District's representative nobility is the Lidu family. With the end of the Teraknian family line over 100 years ago, the Lidus became the oldest noble family in the city. The family patriarch, Worrin Lidu, is a kind-hearted noble who may be too gentle and forgiving to succeed in Sasserine as a successful noble. His major concern today seems to be the reconciliation of the churches of Wee Jas and Kord.
Sasserine's History
No district is more aware of Sasserine's history than the citizens of Noble District. The city was founded over 700 years ago, in the year -124 CY by pilgrims from the north. This group was led by a visionary cleric of Wee Jas named Sasserine who died on the island now known as Ancestor Island in the heroic act of defending the pilgrims from a black dragon named Zelkarune. Sasserine's lover, a man named Teraknian, founded the city in her honor. Over the next several centuries the city experienced phenomenal growth, during which a line of rulers descended from Teraknian ruled Sasserine in conjunction with advice from the churches of Wee Jas and Kord. In the year of 480 CY, Lord Mayor Orren Teraknian ruled the city - a rule that allowed for no shades of gray. For the first time in centuries, the church of Wee Jas was stripped of its power as fabricated charges of devil-worshiping saw to the arrest, imprisonment, and even execution of its faithful. Just as Orren's rule became unbearable, a great fleet of ships arrived - representatives of the Hold of the Sea Princes to the north. Promising an end to Orren's cruel rule, the invaders were aided in their assault of the city from within as the citizens rose up in rebellion. Orren Teraknian was overthrown and the Sea Princes claimed Sasserine as their own. Over the century to come, Sasserine's resources were savaged. The Sea Princes kept Sasserine a secret from the rest of the world, hoping to hide the valuable port from invaders by destroying any references to it they could find. Spies infiltrated cartographer's guilds and libraries throughout the world, altering maps and sea charts with magic. Ship captains who knew the route to the city were bought off or murdered. Sasserine suffered in these 100 years, but the underlying spirit of her citizens did not die. Their prayers were finally answered in 584 CY, when the Scarlet Brotherhood assassinated nearly all of the Sea Princes. The resulting turmoil threw Sasserine into chaos. Without the support of their homeland, the leaders of the city were overthrown in a fortnight. In the decade since their freedom, the people of Sasserine have rebuilt their city with astonishing success.
City Watch
The Noble's Watch are masters of subtlety. They do not patrol the streets of Noble District openly, as the local citizens have long since made clear their distaste for seeing guards in public places. As a result, the Noble's Watch do their job undercover, posing as travelers, entertainers, merchants, or even petty nobles as the case demands. Newcomers to Sasserine seeking a place to ply criminal acts may be tempted by the seeming lack of guards in this district, but the Noble's Watch wastes no time dealing with crime as it appears. This, combined with the fact that anyone nearby could be the law, makes Noble District one of the safest in Sasserine.
Citizens
If you're from Noble District, you're not necessarily the member of a minor noble house, although if you're not, you probably have friends or associates who are. You may be from the middle class, in which case your family serves one of the noble families in some regard. Or your family could be involved in the arcanist scene, in which case you are no stranger to magic. Finally, you may be a student at the House of the Dragon, recently graduated (or worse, flunked out) from higher education. Citizens of Noble District are clean, cultured, and eschew physical labor, preferring to hire muscle or use magic to take care of tough jobs. You likely worship Wee Jas. If you worship Kord, you keep your faith secret. If you're a specialist wizard, you've probably chosen conjuration, enchantment, illusion, or necromancy as your field. Other specialist wizards are not unheard of, but those who opt to specialize as evokers or transmuters are often thought of as blowhards with something to prove.
Academy Graduate [General]
You attended one of several academies in this district, during which you were schooled in the finer arts of being an aristocrat.
Prerequisite: 1st level only
District: Noble
Benefit: Pick any three Charisma- or Intelligence-based skills. These three skills are always considered class skills for you.
In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (nobility and royalty) checks, and may use these skills untrained.
Knack for Magic [General]
Magic is not that mysterious to you, and its gifts have made your life a little easier.
District: Noble
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Spellcraft skill checks. In addition, you have an innate talent for magic, granting you the following spell-like abilities as a 1st-level caster: 1/day - detect magic, light, and prestidigitation.
Dawn Council?
Witchwwardens?
Notable NPCs
Annah Teranaki (female human): Annah is the shrill and aging high-priestess of the temple of Wee Jas. A recent scandal involving her protege Embril Aloustinai in the city of Cauldron has tarnished the church's reputation.
Kiva Willowtop (female halfling): Kiva is the mistress of the Cartographer's Guild.
Lux Seoni (human female): Lux is the mysterious (and somewhat frightening) mistress of Witchwarden Tower.
Nylaria Absalee (human female): Nylaria, the manager of the Sasserine Opera House, is a huge woman who takes advantage of her ample frame to display outlandish dresses and hair styles. She fancies herself everyone's friend, even though the feeling is not always mutual.
Worrin Lidu (human male): Lord of Lidu Manor and representative of Noble District on the Dawn Council, many worry that Worrin has grown too soft in his advancing years to be an effective leader.
Zebula Meravanchi (human male): Zebula is a minor noble whose family's interests run to the decadent and extreme ends of entertainment.
Noble District Locations
- Highwall House (Knowledge [geography] sage)
- Shrine of Lirr (goddess of poetry and art)
- Witchwarden Tower (arcanist's guild)
- Shrine of Lendor (god of time and study)
- Actor's Guildhall
- Shrine of Myhriss (goddess of love)
- High Market (general goods, exotic wares, jewelry, magic)
- The Pearl and the Parrot (tavern/inn)
- Imp's Folly (tavern/gaming hall)
- Musician's Guildhall
- Sasserine Opera House
- Coffinmaker's Guildhall
- Meravanchi Manor (minor noble)
- House of Lords (Knowledge [nobility and royalty] sage)
- Shrine of Lydia (goddess of music)
- Courtesan's Guildhall
- House of the Dragon (school and library)
- Lidu Manor (district representative)
- Instrument Maker's Guildhall
- Cartographer's Guildhall
- The Curious Chimera (bookstore)
- Thenalar Academy (finishing school)
- Cloudcrystal Academy (finishing school)
- Shrine of Boccob
- Noble Garrisson
- Callisto's Needle (tattoo parlor and Knowledge [the planes] sage)
- Blenak's Bazaar (magic shop and Knowledge [arcana] sage)
- Temple of Wee Jas
- The Crystal's Whisper (curio shop)
- Ancestor's Rest (inn)
- Whispers on the Wind (fortune teller)
- Sasserine Crematorium
- Scarlet Spire (tomb of Sasserine, city founder)
Boccob
(The Uncaring, Lord of All Magic, Archmage of the Deities)
N greater god of magic, knowledge, arcane knowledge, foresight, and balance
Boccob is known throughout the Flanaess, oversees the maintenance of magic's existence on Oerth, and is interested in the creation of new magic items and spells (he is said to have a copy of every magic item made by mortals). He sees that Oerth's magic is declining and will eventually fade away; he combats this effect and suspects that Tharizdun is responsible. He is distant from all other gods save his servant Zagyg. Shown in purple robes with shimmering runes of gold, Boccob carries the first staff of the magi; an eye within a pentagram is his symbol.
Domains: Knowledge, Magic, Mind, Oracle, Trickery
Weapon: quarterstaff
Lendor
(Prince of Time, Master of Tedium)
LN intermediate god of time, tedium, patience, and study
Lendor, the leader and progenitor of the Suel pantheon, is depicted as a white-haired and bearded older man. Largely withdrawn from the affairs of the world to care for larger issues, Lendor considers himself superior to other gods and especially to his children, as he has the ability to banish any of his children or undo their magic. A blow from his flaming sword Afterglow is said to be the force that started the flow of time at the dawn of the universe. His holy symbol is a crescent moon in front of a new moon surrounded by fourteen stars (sometimes less or more).
Domains: Knowledge, Law, Protection
Weapons: piercing and slashing weapons
Lirr
(Lady Poet, The Lorekeeper)
CG lesser goddess of poetry, prose, literature and art
Lirr is shown as a fresh-faced Oeridian woman with long black hair and dark blue eyes. Her symbol is an illustrated book, and she carries a tome with her that can show any poetry, prose, spell, or artwork ever created. She works favorably with any being that respects knowledge, learning, and the arts, but she opposes those that would destroy art and knowledge or hide it. Many Oeridian sorcerers and wizards worship Lirr, particularly those who despise Delleb's conservative and reclusive nature.
Domains: Chaos, Good, Knowledge, Magic, Travel
Weapons: rapier, shortspear
Lydia
NG lesser goddess of music, knowledge, and daylight
Lydia is a wise Suel goddess, shown as a dynamic older woman with white hair and clear blue eyes. Her symbol is a spray of colors from an open hand. She interacts with many other gods, exchanging information and songs. In some ways she is the converse of Pholtus, pressing for individual liberty so that others may see the light of truth without being blinded by it; this pleases Trithereon, who also strives for the freedom of the individual.
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Sun, Travel
Weapon: shortspear
Myhriss
(The Thrice-Kissed, Maid of Light and Dark)
NG lesser goddess of love, romance, and beauty
Myhriss is shown as a Flan woman just reaching adulthood, a garland of flowers in her hair, or else as a fair-skinned, dark-haired provocative beauty or a sun-blonde tanned woman of approachable prettiness. Her dark-haired form is associated with the whip, her other aspect favors the shortbow. She is friendly and affectionate toward all benign gods but avoids those who are hideous, crude, or hateful. Although Wee Jas dislikes her, Myhriss appreciates the vain Suel goddess for her obvious attractiveness.
Domains: Good, Healing, Protection
Weapons: shortbow, whip
Wee Jas
(The Witch Goddess, Ruby Sorceress, Stern Lady, Death's Guardian)
LN or LE intermediate goddess of death, magic, vanity, and law
Wee Jas is portrayed as a stunning woman dressed in a beautiful gown, wearing some piece of jewelry with a skull motif. She promotes the utilization of spells and magic items (though many of her Suel followers insist she favors the creation of such things). She gained her death aspect when the survivors of the Rain of Colorless Fire looked to their goddess of magic for assurance that the dead were being escorted to the afterworld. Her allies are the lawful Suel gods while the chaotic ones are her enemies (except Norebo, who is her lover despite their philosophical differences). She respects Boccob, dislikes the beauty goddess Myhriss, and ignores most other deities. Her symbol is a red skull, sometimes in front of a fireball.
Domains: Death, Domination, Law, Magic, Mind
Weapon: wizard weapons
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