Saradross
City of Struggle
Saradross isn't an easy place to be, and an even harder place to live. Nowhere is the class divide more clearly defined than in this city, where it is more accurate to say that two cities share a river. The White River, named before the industrial boom of the Sixth Godsbirth, is now the most polluted stretch of water in all of Crudilex, and it is that toxic waste that separates East End from West End. The city is rife with problems, strife, and crime, much of which the powers that be, namely the politicians and the Thieves' Guild, have no interest in resolving.
Saradross is a place ripe for adventure and intrigue, but tread carefully, as those in power are only interested in what profit they can make from newcomers. There's a saying among its citizens: "Saradross is the place where altruism goes to die."
Battlemaps set in this location
Labormen Street
Saradross is well known for its skyline, dominated by huge smokestacks that fill the sky with black clouds hanging over the city at all times. Factories with endlessly churning chimneys dominate Labormen Street more than anywhere else in Saradross. Goods are produced, packaged, canned, or filled into barrels to be shipped out all over the world. Everything from weapons of war to crude fuel, electric power, and even rolled cigarettes is made here.
Work never stops on Labormen. Its employees labor at all hours, well into the night, only pausing for the kind cry of the lunch whistle echoing through the air. The soot-covered faces of the hard-working men who give the street its name are seen everywhere, doing what needs to be done to eke out a life on West End.
Oku Row
During the industrial boom of the last century, thousands of people from across the plane immigrated to Saradross in pursuit of a better life, often clustering with those they knew. Thus, Oku Row came into existence, a small town nestled in the heart of a sprawling city, now famous for its culture, art, festivals, and, largest of all, its food. Before the Sixth Godsbirth, food could scarcely be produced in Saradross due to filthy water and a lack of fresh ingredients, relying on nearby Hark farmlands to produce everything. But when Oku immigrants came to the city, they brought with them traditions in agriculture never tried before in Saradross.
The new techniques launched a quick reliance on Oku Row by the city at large, especially during the recent Colloran Civil War, where Saradross was caught between sides and food became scarce. Today, without a doubt, Oku
Row becomes the busiest place in the city when the lunch whistles blow on Labormen Street. Crowds flock to the stalls and eateries before returning to hours of hard factory work. Rows of vendors compete fiercely for the attention of the people, and behind the stalls, world-class restaurants have become the latest fashion among East End nobility. Fine dining and entertainment delight tourists and visiting dignitaries.
Yet, as with all things in Saradross, where there is coin, there is crime. The gang lords tread carefully when crossing the White River, especially given Oku Row’s proximity to the protected pageantry of the Parliament building. Nonetheless, they exert their influence, muscling vendors and restaurateurs and hitting deliveries from caravans and airships.
Federalist Parliamentary Building
The Parliament Circle stands as the crown of Hark, its marble statues towering high above. The surrounding roads bustle with politicians and bureaucrats, all working diligently to manage the ever-expanding wealth and influence generated by Saradross’s industry. The main street once bore witness to fierce fighting during the Royalist–Federalist conflict. Though the ruined mechs and tanks have long since been cleared away and the buildings repaired, it doesn’t take long to find a statue with a missing arm or bullet holes still embedded in the walls.
The transfer of power to the Federalists has made Saradross a symbolic stronghold. Controlling and restoring the city has been a priority for the Federalist Parliament over the past thirty years. Still, the bloody conflict has left deep scars on the city and to this day, people continue to find spent shell casings in the gutters.
Sanroko Railway Bridge
Through the center of the city, cutting it right down the middle from the west to the eastern extremes, is a bridge built massive and high above the city. This gigantic bridge was the awesome feat of engineering needed to allow the great fortress train Sanroko to cross with its titanic tonnage. The bridge has a legacy in the city as an icon of freedom after the part the train it was built for played in liberating the workers of the city, whose forced labor was used to build a horrible machine of death: the Relentless Witness.
The Sanroko Cross national train's maiden trip through Crudilex and its arrival in the city during the end of the Civil War should have been seen as an omen. With the great fortress train came the president and his federalists, assaulting the city to reach Labormen Street and commandeer the flagship Relentless Witness, which he intended to use to destroy not just the royalists but anyone
who dared to challenge the new republic he was forming. What happened that day is contentious, but at the end both President Infante and his wife, the Queen Somnastra of the Royalists, were dead, and the airship that was designed to conquer the world was buried in the side of a mountain.
King Nolan Station
Once the old castle of the Copperwheel, built during the Fifth Godsbirth by King Nolan, this structure remained largely unused until the industrial boom. Today, it serves as a bustling travel hub, linking trolley cars, trains, airships, and the latest addition: the Sanroko-II Crossnational—a towering, fifteen-story, five-car train that spans thousands of miles across Crudilex. The station has been expanded and rebuilt to accommodate the immense Sanroko, transforming it into a central nexus for travel throughout the world. Visitors from all across the Plains of Avarice pass through in every season.
Trolleys ferry travelers from the station to the river port, passing by the parks and restaurants of the East End and returning every thirty minutes. In the evenings, they are lifted by mechanical winches into neat stacks on the station’s upper levels. Airships dock at these upper levels as
well, where they can deliver cargo to the city or deposit it cleanly onto the Sanroko-II itself. Streetcars pass through the breezeway below or park in the station’s large indoor parking structure, the first of its kind. The whole of the station is a feat of design genesis, linking together multiple modes of travel in one seamless hub, making the city of Saradross the true crossroads of the world.
Carnevale dei Dolori
Once the dark theater of the mad sorcerer Brendlid, the Carnevale dei Dolori is a midnight carnival that can only be visited between witching hour and dawn. This traveling show of wonder and horror appears and vanishes at irregular intervals across the lands of Hark. Some say the entire carnival is a hive of phantoms, manifesting in places where they are most likely to attract mortals and tempt them with Occult offerings, luring the unwary into pacts or kidnapping them into the Covens.
The strange shows and games are more mysterious than dangerous, toying with the powers of the unknown and the unseen. Performers warn guests at the entrance that they will witness things they’ve never seen and may not understand and that it is up to them how deep into the Carnevale dei Dolori they are willing to explore. Some who enter never return, as the entire gathering vanishes before dawn arrives.
The Lair
At the heart of Reach Road stands a cathedral, once the sacred halls of the Church of Glitter Gold, now a place where no sane person dares to tread. Known as The Lair, it is home to monsters that prey on the destitute inhabitants of the West End. These beasts prowl the night, hunting anyone foolish enough to wander the streets alone or venture too close to their den.
The territory of The Lair is vast, with thousands of people residing in its shadow. The true terror lies in the unsettling thought: what if the majority of the population in the surrounding houses are beasts themselves, hiding their nature from the world beyond? The horror that grips the hearts of many is the fear of discovering that their trusted neighbors, friends, or even family members might be among those who change with each solstice. It is believed that the creatures of The Lair can control their forms, yet those who escape an encounter with one may remain blissfully unaware of the curse that lies within them.
Lantern Street
In West End, there is a twisting alley called Lantern Street, steeped in multicolored lights from hanging mosaic lanterns and street lamps. The area is a point of extreme superstition among the poor people of West End. It is said to be haunted by countless dead, the souls of the lost whose bodies were looted and never allowed to rest until they find their stolen belongings.
These wayward haunts are said to float through walls and torment the living, begging for their possessions to be returned. Lantern Street, with its narrow, winding side streets, is adorned with thousands of lanterns at night. Local legend claims the lights will subdue, confuse, or repel the haunts, forcing them to wander up and down the alleys rather than intrude into homes, where they would otherwise ransack the possessions of those inside.
The Lamplighter Revue
A particular fear surrounds a curse whispered about in the alleys, known to locals as the Lamplighter Revue. They say that if you become lost in the winding, deliberately confusing lanes and stumble upon a simple red door glowing beneath a red lantern, you must knock—only once. You must not leave before you do, as the passage leading to the doorway is never the same. When one’s gaze drifts from the path, it disappears entirely. Inside, a robed figure with an obscured face will peek out and whisper the way back to the main street.
Each evening, silent figures gather to light the old lanterns of the alleyway, then return to the red door of the Lamplighter Revue. These strangers appear every night, speaking only in hushed pleasantries. When asked about the Revue, they always respond the same:
"Sadly, the Revue is members only. But you may inquire for a position as a lamplighter with King Nolan."
But King Nolan has been dead for nearly a hundred years.
The Run
The Run comprises the southern stretch of the White River, named for the numerous runoff pipes filtering from the sewers and waterways beneath the city that spill into the disgusting riverwater that flows out of the city. Framed by large stone walls that drop forty feet from street level, this chasm is a vital conduit for smuggling illegal and stolen goods out of Saradross. The river pours into The Run, where riverboats await to transport their illicit cargo far from Hark unseen for the right price.
The Diotenic Church
Once the seat of Colloran power, the Royalist culture is deeply rooted in the religion of Dioten, the god of law and punishment. The Diotenic Church in Saradross is no exception, as it lobbies vigorously in the parliamentary halls for publicly mandated prayer, subjects of taboo, and the required tithing of thirty percent of all laborer earnings. While the church once wielded absolute power in Collora, the people of Saradross are generally non-religious, though this did not stop the Church from attempting to impose its will. Today, the church is a shadow of its former influence. The relationship between the religion of Collora and the army that once oppressed the city is too strong. Though the church is now attempting to separate itself from that history, the faithful of Dioten have dwindled every day since the end of the recent civil war.
The Golden Menagerie
Owned by a retired monster hunter named Vakran Gold, a man broad of shoulders with a huge mustache and an eyepatch. He is an eclectic figure, hardly ever seen at the Menagerie which carries his name, as he is generally out on expeditions seeking rare and dangerous beasts with his party of adventurers. He captures and studies them, and on occasion brings them back here to the Golden Menagerie.
In the East End of Saradross, it is often said that opulence leads to boredom, and boredom is cured by intrigue. This could very well be the motto at the entrance of the Golden Menagerie. The zoo is filled with exotic creatures collected from far-off lands. The beasts are put on display for those with the coin to pay for entry. Occasionally they are lent out for important research or as part of a breeding program to save endangered monsters that most would rather see removed from the face of Crudilex forever.
A rumor has been circulating through the noble circles of the city. Those who love to gossip have been saying that the mysterious Covens have some relationship to Vakran Gold and have even been quietly bankrolling his expeditions to the farthest reaches of the world to learn about monsters outside of their purview. Most of the people in Saradross are very suspicious of the occult, as its relationship with the werewolves is clear as day. It would be quite the scandal for one of Saradross’s most respected adventurers to be working with the Covens indeed.
Sparrowspot Theater
A large building set at the back of a luxurious garden and park, its high columns and stark red-and-white façade form an unmistakable silhouette. Every surface is embossed with relief designs, telling a million stories of the stage.
The world-famous Sparrowspot Theater is a venue beloved by actors and bards alike. While not as widely known among general audiences as some other venues, it is the place many performers dream of reaching in order to train under masters of the craft. The most renowned thespians from around the world come here to teach after reaching the pinnacle of their careers, passing down generations of knowledge.
The theater is also home to the Sparrowspot Revue, arguably the world's only arcane bard orchestra. Each performer is a trained magic user who channels enchantments through their music, delighting and entrancing audiences with a blend of song and spellcraft. They use illusions and subtle magical manipulations to fully immerse the viewer in the experience.
Grave street
The city of Saradross may be small, but its population continues to grow year by year. Grave street was once an honorable graveyard celebrating the noble people of Crudilex, the area is now completely built over. The tombs, graves, and statues that tell the stories of that past still stand, yet they are overshadowed by bridges, roadways, houses, and hostels. The living have transformed this space into a bustling community, ignoring the dead beneath their feet.
However, whispers circulate of a figure who haunts these salted streets. A grim specter, who does not allow those that disrespect the dead go unnoticed. Nearly every week, bodies are discovered, brutalized, with their arms crossed over their chests and their hearts cut out. The citizens have come to refer to this murderer as the Ghost of Grave Street. Despite their pleas for safety, the Constabulary remains unmoved to help. Not a single clue has surfaced, and the killings show no signs of slowing down.
The Harlot’s Veil Thieves' Guild
Mysterious and elusive, the Thieves' Guild of Saradross, known as the Harlot's Veil, has held dominion over West End for over a century. Established more than one hundred years ago, they have outlasted many of Saradross's kings and lords, becoming, in the eyes of many, the true power in the city. Even the Federalist Parliament knows to tread carefully when dealing with the guild. Politicians can never be sure which hired guard or seemingly honorable constable owes a favor to the Veil or themselves is a member in disguise. The guild’s influence seeps into every corner of Saradross, with an intricate web of loyalty and fear that is difficult for its enemies to see, let alone escape.
Thoclast Gyromanics
Tinkered, mastered, remastered, and improved, the Thoclast Gyromanics Company calls Saradross its home. Specializing in Tho-cell electrical technological advancements in domestic, industrial, military, and policing applications, the company has shaped much of the weaponry used throughout Saradross and developed automotives that operate without the much-sought-after manabattery power. These machines now fill the streets, although primarily in the East End, as their prices are prohibitively expensive.
Thoclast's inventions have significantly influenced the modern world and are prolific across the plane, but nowhere more than in Saradross. The company owns half of all the factories on Labormen Street, and its upper management enjoys a lifestyle unparalleled even in lavish cities like Grand Nostridan or Roa. With no end to their prosperity in sight, many believe the head of Thoclast may one day own the entire city. That notion does not seem far-fetched, as wealth and weaponry translate directly to power in Saradross.
Tho Coil Array
The Tho Coil is not a brand-new technology; it was among the first innovations implemented by Thoclast Gyromanics. However, its use for purposes beyond functioning as a defensive siege weapon is a more recent development. The coil consists of a tumbler filled with static tho sand, which is rotated to generate a steady stream of power. This energy is then sent into the coil and transmitted harmlessly through the air to buildings equipped with specialized lightning rods that catch and reroute the power.
Two such coils exist in Saradross. One is located on Labormen Street, powering various factories that require an extra boost in production. This energy had previously been almost exclusively harnessed by the Blackiron Frigate Yard to accelerate the construction of ships for the Federalist Revolution.