Starkhaven is the biggest remaining town of Heldred Falls – a land so old it forgot about it's own origins. Only the authorities know about the past and everyone else trying to find out is declared a rebel against the Winterrath Treaty which proclaimed peace two centuries ago. There are twelve cities left, scattered across the deserted land and connected by routes of airships. You can travel by carriage as well, it is cheaper but much more dangerous as the outcasts, fugitives and/or rebels roam the paths. The industry has almost killed everything outside the cities which are seperated by walls and armies from the surrounding areas, it is neither easy to enter nor to leave.
Starkhaven has three parts – the eastern Ambassador's Palace and its surrounding villa quarters where the high society lives, protected from dirt and rabble by a glass dome – it has its own air refreshing system, so the environment is clean and there are many gardens, expensive cafés and everything nobility needs to survive. Here you can find the university and the best hospital for mechatronic operations of Heldred Falls – if you have the money, it won't be a problem to get a new leg, a modified arm or even some new mechanical organs here. Needless to say this so-called 'Dome Quarter' is as well protected as the city walls.
The second part is the Working Quarter. This is wherre everyone from the higher to low middle class lives and works in shops, factories, on the market or what ever else is needed. It is the biggest part of the city and multifaceted, one can find almost everything here.
The third part is in the western part of the city – and underneath. The poor live here in slums growing larger each year or even in the sewers trying to make a living. Patrols of the guard are taking out all the corpses they can find once in a week, aside from that just keeping the so-called 'Condemned' at low to prevent riots. Though not only the poor live here but also people that do not wish to be found.
In Starkhaven, the biggest town, you can find everything. If you don't want to or can't work outside the walls as a miner digging for resources, you can also sell yourself or one of your children, there always is demand for either thralls or just company which will never leave, or you join the growing crowd of people calling themselves adventurers – those people leave the metropoles to explore the land, look for new resources or another place to live. Only a few ever came back and those who did for the most part have interesting stories to tell. Some even left once again...
What will you do? Try to make a living on the streets of Starkhaven, leave to discover new landscapes or drown yourself in all the luxury one could ever dream of? May your journey begin …
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