Docandragh » Khourane » Ber Falaïa » Ber Falaïa (city)
Arms of Ber FalaïaArms of Ber Falaïa

Ber Falaïa (Small City): Conventional, nonstandard; AL CG; 20,000 gp limit; Assets 7,590,000 gp; Population 7,587; Khinasi (96% human, 2% halfling, 1% dwarf, 1% other races).
Authority Figures:
Important Characters:
Organizations:
Ber Falaïa is the capital city of Khourane. The wizard's sanctuary, al-Azuk, is just outside the great city.
The city is a level 4 fortification.

[top]The Districts of the City

City of Ber FalaïaCity of Ber Falaïa

The city can roughly be described by five districts, the Old City, the Merchant's Quarter, the New City, the Warehouse District, and the Common Quarter. The city comprises 124.4 acres, so each block is roughly 1.6 acres and is full of buildings, minor roads, streets, and alleys.

[top]The Old City

The Old City contains 19 blocks divided into the Emira's palace (4 blocks) the Civil District (5 blocks), the Noble Estates (4 blocks), and the Guilder's Row (6 blocks).
The Emira's Palace Aïn Defla (4 blocks) sits atop a hill in the city facing the Inlet of Samih, from a vantage of 120 feet above the water, protected by cliffs. It contains one block of parkland containing a formal Khinasi garden and a citrus orchard. Two blocks contain the royal residence. One block contains a guard barracks, guard houses for duty, an armory, and military staff offices. Three foot thick walls surround the palace grounds. The wall is whitewashed and gives off a fine appearance. An iron gate provides access to the courtyard. One enters through the orchards, past the gardens, and then into the royal residence.
The Noble Estates (4 blocks) line the cliff wall of the old city. Town houses with green lawns, citrus trees, marble fountains and artistic flourishes easily identify this area as the noble estates. Everyone is well dressed and the roads are wide to accommodate two carriages to pass one another. On each side of the road sides a single fine estate. Behind one side lies the ocean cliff, behind the other, the civic district. All of the buildings here are noble estates. Each adorned by banners and displays of arms.
The Civic District (5 blocks) contains four blocks of government buildings, and a block containing the complex for the Shield of Halaïa. The al-Majlis is the noble council, though it translates more as gathering place. It has a fine building at the center of one block. Another main building is the courthouse. The city, province, and realm are all governed from this district, full of courtiers, officials, scribes, servants, and occasionally foreign dignitaries. The Emira, Kalilah bint Farid el-Mashil, and the Supreme Hierarch, Tihara min Buseri are the main officials here, both esteemed and respected in this district.
Guilder's Row (6 blocks) contains mostly the residences of the cities best merchants and guild leaders, but there are also fine services, fine foods, fine trades, and a fine inn here as well. The market constitutes about a block's worth of space in this district. The rest are fine residences that are only slightly less opulent than the noble estates. The merchants who dwell here lack the political power of the nobles, but their social status and wealth grant them access to the same social circles.

[top]The Merchant's Quarter

The Merchant's Quarter contains 14 blocks divided into the Market District, the Traveler's District, and Craft District.
The Market District (5 blocks) sits close to the water and contains a large open courtyard surrounded by shops in which tents and wagons are set up in the morning for the smaller vendors. As you move away from this central market, shops line the streets with average trades and services. Some fine trades and services can be had on the streets as well, but they are uncommon. Occasionally, a larger structure dominates the street. These guildhalls are the meeting and organizational places for the various merchant and craft guilds. About three blocks are filled with markets, while another is mostly middle class residences, and a block is dedicated to the complex of the Nuridan Temple of Sarma. The temple of Sarma attracts worshipers here and in the New City.
The Traveler's District (4 blocks) runs along the borders to the Warehouse District, but still resides within the city walls. Adjacent to the temple of Sarma, one block contains a park which provides some respite from the busy activities of the city. One block contains entertainments including theaters, taverns, inns, and brothels. Most of the businesses here are average, but about a third are fine. A few are rougher and probabaly qualify as poor quality. Two blocks here contain inns and rentals for temporary residents in the city. Some average food and services are available here as well.
The Craft District (5 blocks) runs closest to the Old City. Two blocks contain the heavy crafts and industry of the town. A single block of average residences is here as well as two blocks of poor residences inhabited by laborers and workers. The crafts themselves are typical, 80% average, 10% fine, and 10% poor, but the services and food as well as a few trades cater to the local residents and are 50% average and 50% poor.
=== The New City ===
The New City contains 13 blocks divided into the Tradesmen's District, the Visitor's District, and a district known as The Forty.
The Tradesmen's District (4 blocks) contains two blocks of markets and two blocks of middle class residences. These include lower quality fine trades (80% quality and cost) and average trades, services, and foods. Some exotic trades are found here as well. Some high quality poor trades (masterwork) are found here.
The Visitor's District (4 blocks) contains two blocks of entertainment and two blocks of travelers services. This ward is of a slightly lower quality than the Traveler's District. There are no fine foods or services, about two thirds are average, and fully a third are poor.
The Forty (6 blocks) contains five blocks of worker's residences, lower class, but respectable. Food and services tend to be poor, while trades tend to be poor or average of inferior quality. one block in this district is a military block containing the garrison for the walls and providing city guard duties in the New City and the Merchant's Quarter.

[top]The Warehouse District

The Warehouse District contains 17 blocks divided into The Docks, The Red Lantern, and the al-Jabhah.
The Docks (8 blocks) contains four blocks of docks on the waterfront and four blocks of warehouses behind the docks. The smell of fish is potent here as are the sounds of ship's crews loading and unloading goods. The buildings here are in poor repair and most of the trades, services, and food are poor, though about a third are average, or poor of excellent quality. Crime here is a problem, though this is not the most dangerous neighborhood in the city.
The "Red Lantern" (4 blocks) contains two blocks of travelers services, one block of entertainments, and one block of parkland. The proportion of taverns to inns is slightly higher here than in either the Visitor's District or the Traveler's District. Brothels, gambling, and other vices are more open and available.
The al-Jabhah (5 blocks) is a residential neighborhood which works out to about two blocks of slums and three blocks of working class homes. The people who live here are largely fishermen, dock workers, and those who provide goods and services to their neighbors.

[top]The Common Quarter

The Common Quarter contains 9 blocks divided into the Wall's Shadow and The Shanty.
The Wall's Shadow (5 blocks) is a neighborhood containing four blocks of workers dwellings and one block of slums. There are some poor services and food here as well.
The Shanty (4 blocks) is the most dangerous district in the city. Three blocks contain worker's dwellings and one block is slums. This is where it is easiest to fence stolen goods and to find dealers in illegal goods and services. Vermin and squalor are all too common here. Beggars prey on those entering the east gate.

[top]Power in the City

In the Old City, the Emira and the Shield of Halaïa are uncontested authorities.
In the New City and the Merchant's Quarter, the Emira and the Shield share power with the mercantile interests of the Dragonsea Coster, who probabaly is the most important power center here. A smaller interest also reflecting trade is the Nuridan Temple of Sarma, but the temple of Sarma is the weakest of these power centers.
Outside the city walls, the city lets the people fend for themselves, and they have turned to strong men able to keep some order. Some are leaders of the guilds who function here, some are criminals, but most of them ultimately answer to a boss known as Nusayr al-Muntahi. He provides law and order, such as it is outside the city and manages the trade guilds that operate outside of the city walls.

[top]History of the City

Eighty years ago, the city fell to rioting and disorders as revolution swept the city. The disorders culminated in a fire in the old city that destroyed much there including the Emir's Palace.

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