Sneerwell

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

Sneerwell

Type	Small City
Government	Democracy Formerly Monarchy
Location	Tanquam, Isonhound
Inhabiting Race	Human

About

Sneerwell was a distinct city separated into four districts: a residential district, and service district, an agricultural island district, and later a magic district. Within the residential district, there were still some common services such as taverns, stores, and even an arena. The residential district, unlike most cities in Quelmar, also had their poor, wealthy, and merchant classes all living within relative proximity of each other. Within a ten minute walk, one could be from McFlair Manor to the poor housing.

Automatons

Because Sneerwell was home to Pendergras Industries, Sneerwell was often times the guinea pig of Colin Pendergras' various machinations. One of the most famous city-wide policies was the usage of automatic warmachines called "Automs" which patrolled the streets with the city forces and could be directed to attack, capture, or otherwise keep the peace. The city was in control of nearly 100 automatons, and half of them had a rune inside of them that could cause them to go haywire and beat/torture anyone who broke the slightest rule.

The rune first came to light when the Automs were stationed on Agriculture Isle (see below) and began to attack the Orc servants on the island. This led to a strike by the servants, leaving Sneerwell with no source of food for almost a month straight, only disrupted when the Chimera attacked.

This extremist rune was put in by Tanist Darius Bellwater as a safety mechanism if the city were to undergo a coupe, and later removed upon discovery after Darius' death.

Agriculture Isle

A tradition held onto for nearly 300 years is the Agriculture district of Quelmar. A public secret, Quelmar struck a deal with a tribe of orcs who attacked the city in the year 421 PR, and instead of taking their lives, they forced them into indentured servitude, living on an island in the lake on which Sneerwell was founded. The Agriculture Isle system provided food and luxuries for the sneerwell population for many years until the Chimera attack of 692 PR. During the attack, the Orcs fled for their lives, stealing boats and attempting to swim the lake. Many of them drowned, but a faction of them did make it away. After this, Sneerwell began to hire out and pay citizens to tend to the croplands, keeping Agriculture Isle a foundation of the city without any of the slavery.

Street Names

• Gambler's Alley
• New Whitestone Street
• Thief's Alley
• Mace Close
• Ferry Alley
• Ring Lane
• Lower Executioner's Rise
• Crystaltome Lane
• High Avenue
• Slate Circus

Laws

Laws in Sneerwell are categorized into four tiers of increasing severity.

• Crimes Against the Lords, including the king.
• Crimes Against the City
• Crimes Against the Gods
• Crimes Against the Citizens, the least severe crimes.

History

The Great Case for Secession

After King Andrew's death, the town held a memorial at its new dedicated Pendergras Park, which included a statue of Andrew erected in his honor. At the memorial, the king's son Samuel Pendergras showed up to pay his respects, appearing in public for the first time since fleeing the city a decade earlier. The appearance of the king's son suddenly threw new light onto who should succeed Andrew. It was assumed that his daughter would take the throne, but Sam was now back in the city and presumably the heir by blood. In the meantime, the king's brother Colin had staked a claim, stating that the children were unfit to rule due to their lack of experience.

While the three Pendergras made their cases, the King's hand Montane Capella had dug up the history books, showing that his family had ties to the monarchy before the Pendergras, and that if the family continued to feud, he had both the experience and the royal blood necessary to take the throne. As the royals feuded, the head of the treasury Darius Bellwater had plans to abolish the monarchy entirely and take the city back to the parliamentary democracy that stood interim in the years between the Capella and Pendergras monarchies.

Ultimately, Montane had used his new right-hand man Zugs McFlair to sabotage the evidence the other four parties had for their claim in order to make the most solid case for ruling. Sitting before Sneerwell's all powerful Judge Jerome, Montane was given the royal succession in a case that nearly the entire city watched unfold.

Unleashing the Chimera

As it became known by the city that King Andrew was killed by magical potions, Montane started a small anti-magic campaign, strictly to cover his own back from other conspirators that might try to replicate the assassination. Working with Zugs, Montane fueled the anti-magic fire by secretly planting a magical bomb in the city market place underneath one of the city's most popular spellbook booths. The plan succeeded, and public support for a city wide Anti-Magic field allowed for Montane and the mage's guild to work together and "protect the city".

Montane had found through the royal library that the city held three liches dormant in their burial shelter. Montane knew that an anti-magic field the size of a city would require great magic, and put forward a search for the liches' phylacteries in order to strike a deal. In return for bringing them their phylactery, Montane needed the liches to put up the shield.

This animation shows the before and after of the Chimera battle which devastated the city.

The Battle of E Core Arena

Unknown to them, however, a powerful creature laid dormant under the city, and his imprisonment was only kept in place by magic. Once the anti-magic shield field went live, the Mutated Chimera emerged from underground, taking the city by storm. Using the anarchy to their advantage, the liches also began to ransack the city and turn on Sneerwell. For nearly a whole day, the city forces struggled to keep up with the hellish destruction the chimera and hte liches wrought. It took the combined efforts of every party that was previously at each other's throats for succession. Together, the city's many forces worked with Sick of this Shit to destroy the chimera. Now celebrating their teamwork, the city was at peace. The surviving lich, Asaug, would later flee to the Tovag.

Within months, however, the attack on the city by the Mutated Chimera would lead to Montane's greatest secret being revealed to the public. He was of vampiric blood, a race known as a Dhampir, and (if he wasn't removed from office) could in theory rule forever. Sticking to his family's nobility and honor, Montane stepped down from the throne. As they were only just rekindling their siblinghood, the two Pendergras siblings agreed to let Colin become king in Montane's absence.

Ith Attacks

In 700 PR, Sneerwell was one of dozens of populations destroyed as a result of it's heavily forested terrain. The dragon Ith began a raging attack on the forests as vengeance after discovering that Tiamat and the Dragons were defeated in The Holy War. On one unfortunate day, he swooped over the forests surrounding Sneerwell and began a raging fire that consumed the city, which was mostly wooden constructions.

Souvenirs were sold in Sneerwell which were tiny fossilized fragments of the original Sneerwell city pulled from its wreckage after the destruction.

Rebuilding the Democracy

After no surviving Pendergras were around in the aftermath of Ith's destruction, Alpane Capella and his immortal son once again seized the opportunity to lead the people of Sneerwell to the right path. A figurehead known as "John Doe" runs as president of the new Democracy. It's common knowledge, however, that John Doe is a front who follows the orders of Montane more than he does the requests of the people. Not to say Montane's orders aren't for the people, but the dictator has a tighter rule over Sneerwell. Since then, it has been moderately prosperous in the rebuilding of the city.

A Map of Sneerwell circa 693 PR.

Notable Locations

A Map of Sneerwell circa 826 PR

Areas are keyed based on map to the right.

• The Capella Manor (4)
  • Later called the McFlair Manor after being purchased by Zugs McFlair in 692 PR
• City Market Center (2)
• E. Core Arena (3)
• Sneerville Tri-School (18)
• Snapship Park (20)
• City Infirmary (21)
• The Citadel of Nusuma, the City Palace (7)
• Taverns (10)
  • Harper's Hall
  • The Drunken Minstrel
  • The Crimson Purse
  • The Wandering Jester
• Pendergras Industries (11)
• Multirelical Pantheon Worship Center (13)
• Fighter's Guild (14)
• The Mage's Guild (unpictured)
• The "Poo Portal" in the sewers (unpictured, under the city)
• The Padlock Gang
  • A thief's guild run by Montane also located in the sewers.