Oregent

Oregent

(City)

Nation

Andoran

Region

Darkmoon Vale

Size

Large city

Population

22,700

Demographics

17,993 Humans, 2,043 dwarves, 1,135 halflings, 681 elves, 400 aiuvarins, 254 gnomes, 200 half-orcs, 54 other

Government

Council

Alignment

Lawful neutral

Demonym

Oregentans

Adjective

Oregentan

Leader

Magistrate Elsbet Regere

Source: Andoran, Birthplace of Freedom, pg(s). 19-20

Oregent (pronounced OHR-eh-gehnt) is a city in central Andoran located south of Darkmoon Vale. It is home to the Lumber Consortium, and acts as a gateway for traffic both to and from the Vale.

History

The massive earthquakes of 3980 AR known as the Rending that struck the region caused widespread damage in Oregent. The region continues to suffer from small shocks to this day, with damage evident on many of the town's structures.

For centuries, the Lumber Consortium has been preying upon Oregent and its surrounding communities. The Consortium first used its considerable economic and political influence to drive local landowners into debt, then buy them out, and finally convert the communities into "mill towns" where the Consortium is the only major employer. People are then forced to work for near-starvation wages in the lumber processing facilities, and are trapped in debt cycle that is hard to escape from.

Geography

Oregent is the largest inland city in Andoran and is located south of the town of Olfden. It has defensive walls on three sides, with the fourth side protected by the Arthrosh River. Its proximity to a silver mine and several streams allows the city's tradesmen access to the raw materials required for the settlement's production of glass and silver goods. The city contains numerous bell towers used to warn of earthquakes and to send coded messages or warnings.

Due to the rapacious business practices of the Consortium (see History above), Oregent is now largely a collection of cramped shacks between towering buildings and is overrun by squatters.

Oregent can be divided into six neighborhoods, each with its own function and character.

Lumber Lodges

During the lumber harvest, Oregent is filled with hundreds of outside laborers looking for work as loggers and haulers. They are housed in decrepit, soot-covered stone buildings in the Lumber Lodges, located in the northeastern corner of the city. In exchange for a few coppers a night, the workers receive a hard bed and a scant breakfast of gruel and coffee.

Lumberyards

This neighborhood is the literal lumberyards of the Lumber Consortium, and is walled off from the rest of the city in its southwestern corner. It contains many warehouses used for processing, curing, and storing the wood, although the majority of the lumber simply is kept in large stacks in the open. The Lumberyards are overseen by the scarred gavel, Cedrog Deadknuckle, who leads a group of thugs named the Toothknockers. They constantly patrol the area with their vicious dogs, and unleash the beasts on anyone who is caught trespassing.

Old Quarter Square

The Old Quarter Square neighborhood centers around a cobblestone square that surrounds a crooked bell tower in the city's northwestern corner. The merchants of the city set up their wares here during the week, transforming the square into a maze of pushcarts and wagons known as the Stone Market.

Oregent Base

Oregent Base is a military barracks for a small troop of Golden Legionnaires that protect Oregent that is located in the north-central part of the city. The Legionnaires are commanded by Captain Pras Windstill, who reports directly to Magistrate Regere. The neighborhood was first built during the early years of Chelish rule to maintain the northern border, lead attacks on threats in Darkmoon Vale and the Aspodell Mountains, and provide for the defense of the city.

Smelting Yards

While lumber processing may be Oregent's prime industry, it also has a significant ore and metalworking industry. Ore refining, metalworking, and glassworking all take place in the Smelting Yards neighborhood, in the northeastern corner of the city, allowing some citizens to make a decent living. Many of the shops and factories are equipped with scavenged items from ancient dwarven settlements in the nearby Five Kings Range.

The Squats

The Squats in the largest residential neighborhood in Oregent, and is located in the southwestern corner of the city. Few Oregentans own a home, as the Consortium prefers to rent them plots of land on which they can build a dwelling. The company reserves the right to evict their tenants at a moment's notice, which has led to most of the Squat's inhabitants to keep all their valuables in easily moved chests.

Government

The Lumber Consortium virtually controls the local Oregent government, even though they do not actually hold elected office. Because of its incredible importance to the Andoren economy, Oregent also has considerable political influence in the national government.The government of Oregent considers the city a friend to Darkmoon Vale and its settlements to the north. Both people and information pass through the city as they travel through the region, much of the latter being altered by the Lumber Consortium in order to reflect the company in a positive manner.

Oregent is large enough to qualify for its own councilor, a position currently held by former Lumber Consortium gavel Droagan Spites. Due to the suspicious nature of his election, however, the People's Council appointed Elsbet Regere, a paladin of Iomedae and a member of the Eagle Knights, as the city's magistrate, ordering her to investigate the matter. This appointment has greatly angered the heads of the Consortium, and the increasing tensions between the national and local government keep everyone on edge.

Economy

Oregent is home to the headquarters of the Lumber Consortium, along with and much of its industrial facilities. The city is also known for its production of glassware and silverware.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.