Negav's Lower Tier
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The Lower Tier of Negav can be considered Negavs' outer ring. It spans between the Great Wall and the inner walls, which separates this tier from the Middle Tier region. In times of crisis, it may even somewhat serve as part of Negav's defenses for the better situated people living deeper inside the city, as the tight streets and alleyways form mazes that will confuse anyone unfamiliar with them, as well as natural choke-points that would make it impossible for large groups or creatures to traverse them safely.
As the name suggests, the Lower Tier consists mostly of people of a low to medium class standing, although in Felaryan terms, that is still a relatively good life. The outer walls and heavy defenses, not to mention the presence of the Isolon eye, covering Negav and a large area around its walls, provide excellent protection against the dangers of the jungle, and grant what one would consider a relatively regimented life. For the Negavian citizens, life quality is simple but sufficient. Most citizens live in houses built from clay and Takrit, a stone that is being mined deep underneath in the Negavian quarries, and serves as Negav's main building material. Cheap and readily available, the dense sedimentary stone features a quality and properties mostly resembling that of sandstone. Even though brick buildings can frequently be seen, especially close to the inner walls, many homes are made of less durable materials, such as wood, or even woven cloth for the poorest ones.
Most buildings are squeezed in-between two others, and are typically tall and streets narrow as space has always been a major problem in Negav. The price of a home is relatively expensive, forcing many less fortunate people to live on the streets, or underground. Some of the Negavian Middle Tier merchants make a small fortune by buying houses and renting them to the poorer afterwards, leading to a sharp separation of luxury and income even in the outer ring. Parts of the city are nearly falling apart with crime and neglect while on others, hired guards patrol clean and tranquil streets, checking on anyone that doesn't look like they belong to there.
The Lower Tier is frequently visited by virtually anyone who dares to set foot on Felarya via the Dimensional Gate just outside the city gates. Traveling merchants seeking to peddle their wares and adventurers who caught wind of Felarya's rumored treasures and wonders all find temporary residence in this Tier. In some districts, it is believed that the number of outsiders actually often surpasses the number of actual Negavian citizens. As Negav's Lower Tier stands open to anyone who is able to endure the Isolon Eyes warding powers, it is notoriously overcrowded.
Contents
Quarters
The Lower Tier can be divided into four general sections, each of them having their own districts, population type and functionality within the city.
- The northern quarter is pretty much built around the Victory main gate and Avenue of Heroes, which leads to the Middle and Higher tiers of Negav. Being the largest district, it stretches all the way from Ascarlin Gate in the west to Mumansi Gate in the east and takes up close to a third of the Lower Tier's space all by itself while barely housing a 13th of its population. It is focused on economy and military, with both the largest amount of military barracks, as well as guilds, taverns, inns and even a tourism center. It is relatively safe and peaceful, with most of its crime being tavern brawls and occasional theft, but nothing city guards can't get under control. Most buildings have some sort of function revolving around travel or trade, with their owners usually living either in the floor above or in the basement underneath.
People living in the northern quarter rely on the large community of adventurers and explorers who meet and congregate here for their livelihood, and most shops are being designed to capitalize on them. During daytime, one may experience the thriving pulse of the city, merchants selling and buying everyday items alongside adventuring gear, survival packages and even some magical artifacts here and there. Small talk, laughter and appraising of wares is heard throughout the city landscape, an ever-noisy place the likes of nekos have to get used to first. During nighttime, the outer ring lies in darkness with only the major streets being illuminated by magitech lamp posts, and light that shines through the windows of the many taverns and Inns that are still open during the late hours. The streets are mostly silent, even though a constant noise of blabbering can still be heard around the main roads.
- The western quarter, stretching from the Ascarlin Gate in the north to Red tail Gate in the west, is notable for being the poorest surface area to live in. A single military barrack was once built to keep the district and its many alleyways under control, but nowadays it is mostly guarded off and isolated from the rest of the town as constant attacks and harassment by local gangs and organizations have led to a de-facto loss of control over this part of the town. Being close to the traffic-heavy northern district, there are literally checkpoints one has to pass through to enter or leave this part of Negav, something that is otherwise only seen when moving one whole Tier up or down. In a way, the western district is a Tier in itself, where disorder and lawlessness cannot be fought anymore, but merely contained. For instance, the traveling gate of the district was disabled long ago as the rest of Negav was becoming wary of having so many criminals potentially at their doorsteps. The structure now stands derelict and covered in graffiti, a monument to the authorities' powerlessness to bring the area under control. The district is heavily connected to the underground of Negav, and it’s probably not a coincidence that the Pit, arguably the poorest area of all Negav, is situated roughly underneath its center.
The western district is the home of the poor and the destitute, as well as many criminals and unsavory people looking to escape the law. It also houses a higher density of non-human beings than in other parts of the city. The streets are very dangerous, and constant fights between gangs and law enforcers are a daily fact of life that has claimed countless victims on both sides, and even more caught in the crossfire. Pretty much every block of the western district is under the control of a different cartel or gang, from small bands of several street thugs to large organized crime syndicates. There are secret pacts and invisible moving lines between them, often the only thing standing between a tense peace and a bloody street war. Many of the smaller gangs have some kind of connections to bigger ones, and often operate with at least their tacit permission. A black market for all kinds of goods is thriving throughout the district and can be seen as its main economy. If you know the right person or the right door to knock on and you have the money, you can acquire virtually anything you need there.
- The southern quarter is located between Red Tail Gate in the west and Mercenary Gate in the east. It houses the pumping heart of Negav's basic society, the common workers and townsfolk. It’s an industrious and busy district, where one can find everything a thriving city needs to exist in a moderate state of luxury, from common barbers, to shoemakers, clothiers and other manufacturers. Lot of small scale industries can be found here, especially when you move east, toward the Great Foundry. Located at and around Mercenary Lane, the industrial complex of Negav is relatively small compared to the town’s overall size. Magitech and thriving off-world trade, as well as the necessity of safe living space caused Negav to have most of its goods coming from outside, and the industries that are present in the city are cramped into rather small fabrication halls or underground. Still, the buildings look larger than average with multiple floors, but they house all necessary gear, machines and personnel with remarkable efficiency. There is simply no wasted space there and every square inch(?) has its use to ensure production of goods, mostly machinery and magitech furniture.
The industrial complex of Negav is the most well protected area in the Lower Tier. Because of the Watchers’ Gate proximity and in order to prevent sabotage of the city’s defenses, an entire military complex and numerous city guard stations were set up along the walls. They now serve mainly to protect the Great Foundry and the buildings nearby and to keep any unauthorized person away. The government enforces a tight net of control to ensure a minimal amount of corruption and to prevent workers from trying to make a living by supplying the western district's black markets. The entire area can be set on lock-down very fast in case someone important is missing. In order to ensure a swift and efficient circulation of goods, the entire industrial complex was conveniently built around one of the traveling gate.
Other than that, there are simple worker barracks built around, especially near the edges of the district. Living quarters are affordable for those with a reasonable employment and crime rates are kept in check, although slightly above average for the Lower Tier, mostly because of the Cremona Maze. It's a network of many narrow alleys, weathered buildings, twisted passages and tunnels. It's considered a dangerous and violent place where rival gangs frequently engage each others for the control of a street or a block. The city’s authorities are making a lot of efforts to cleanse the place of its crime, but it remains persistent, and coming across the gruesome discovery of a corpse lying in the street in the morning, the result of two rival gangs settling scores during the night, is sadly not uncommon. Most Negavians know better than to take a stroll in those dangerous alleys.
Life, however, is generally not too bad in the southern district. Many hard-working citizens manage to build prosperous lives and, outside of Cremona Maze, security is considered good. Entertainment to the common citizen is given in the form of small theaters and libraries featuring novels and fantasy literature from Felarya and other worlds. But the biggest place to entertain the masses is without a doubt the Jaslow arena. Located in the district with the most citizen of its Tier, the arena is a magnet of everyday life entertainment and a lot of merchandise can be bought in or around the arena. Having enough bread and games, the people around the arena are for the most part satisfied, and are looked at with jealousy and ill-will by those who are fated to live in the misery of the neighboring western district.
- The eastern sector of Negav, set in-between Mumansi Gate in the north and the Great Foundry in the south, is almost a pure housing district where the better off citizens live in. It looks very similar to the Middle Tier, even though it naturally isn't as well protected nor as spacious. Many of the people living here tend to have good chances of eventually moving into the next Tier. This section mostly contains everyday shops such as bakeries and clothiers, with little to no other industries. People living here can be considered lower middle class, who can afford their own homes, even though some shacks can be seen here and there. Guards regularly patrol the tranquil streets, especially on the southern end that borders poorest districts. They are comparatively highly paid and usually live in this district as well, causing them to be motivated enough to keep their streets clean. To most realistically thinking long term citizen, the eastern sector is what they want to call home eventually, and many of those that work in the southern(?) industrial complex sooner or later save up enough money to move to this place.
The Gates of Negav
There are two entrances to Negav. The Victory gate in the north is the main one. It crosses the large Asianas bridge across the Motamo river and lead to the dimensional gate, the Motamo docks, and the Inn of heroes further north. The gate is very heavily defended, with massive guard towers standing on each sides, full of soldiers armed to the teeth and manning several heavy cannons. Less visible but perhaps even more efficient are all manner of detection devices and identification spells, to ensure that nothing sneaks in that isn't welcome. The massive gates can be sealed off in an emergency, with massive reinforced doors able to close very quickly. The bridge and the road leading to the dimensional portal are always crowded, even by night, by travelers and people selling all sort of wares and trying to take advantages of new arrivals.
In contrast, the Watchers gate in the south sees much less traffic as it leads directly to some farmlands and to the wilderness of Dridder forest further south. It's even better defended than the Victory gate against giant predators though, as they typically represent the only menace on that side of the walls. Very large cannons are pointed toward the jungle, ready to fire the second a target is spotted and to obliterate it.
Adventurer Guild
The Guild is housed in a long, low building with a distinctive red peaked roof. Inside are shops selling equipment, a bar and meeting lounge and various offices of specialist Adventurers. The Guild was set up by a group of seasoned adventurers who were concerned with the high death rate among people outside of Negav. They created the Guild to impart the knowledge of the oldest Adventurers on Felarya. There are various ranks of these "Masters". The highest level include some adventurers that are over 100 years old! Ranking is determined by age and/or distance traveled from Negav. The Adventurers Guild is a well respected institution, known to build some of the best survival gear, often modified to be more effective in Felarya.
Jaslow Arena
Once forbidden by the rulers of Negav, the Jaslow Arena's activity remained clandestine for years, under the command of the now defunct Amundis Jaslow, former head of one of the big criminal group in Negav. The Arena started from a a hidden room with a pit under a tavern and thrived, growing bigger and bigger. It became popular to the point where the authorities thought closing it would cause too much of a backlash and decided to legalize its existence. Now directed by Amundis' s daughter Faydea Jaslow, the arena is today one of the most popular venues in Negav. The Arena itself comprises a wide open-air circular fighting area, with walls all around. These "walls" are more series of arches, set in levels, stacked on top of each other, where the crowds sit to watch the spectacles. Aside from this, walkways connect to a smaller seating area with a glass floor that literally hangs over the arena - only the richest are able to get a seat in this observation deck. The arena also has an extensive underground area, with training rooms, a healing complex and a holding center for animals . There are many scheduled fights, though the arena is open to booking in off hours. It's the scheduled fights that really bring in the crowds. These are usually either ranked fights between the best arena fighter teams, or "novelty" matches that usually involve monsters or beasts of some kind. Some duels take place there as well, and when two people decide they want to publicly settle their score, they sometimes do it here. The spectacles the Jaslow Arena provides aren't nearly as violent and cruel as they used to be in the past, but the fight are still brutal, merciless and dangerous. During the novelty matches some inexperienced fighters occasionally get swallowed by the "beast of the day", and are only rescued by the beast handler if the crowd think they deserved it.
Interestingly enough, the entrance to the arena is free. Magiocrats seem to believe the intense and sometimes gruesome spectacle provided is a good way to canalize the anger, agressivity and frustration of the Negavians people, and that the access to it should be encouraged, not hindered. More than the spectacle itself, Negavians are fond of all the characters involved, the personal drama, and challenges. Some famous names such as Vyand Nagaslayer, Stethros, Halig the bold etc.. make the heart of many negavians resonate with passion.
Hydromancer Guild
As Negav grew in size, so did the danger of various hazards such as fires. Firefighters were, at first, a loosely assembled group, made up of volunteers. It was led by the now defunct Hortlin Fisk who, interestingly enough, was also a mob boss. Under his control, the firefighter guild progressively turned into a shady and thriving group, suspected of actually starting more fires than it extinguished them and blackmailing the population. The group was dissolved in 1970 A.U. by the Ps'isol magiocrats, who wanted to "modernize" it. They took advantage of the unpopularity of the organization to create their own, comprised of certified hydromancers coming directly from the Isolon University of Magic. At first, their Vishmital rivals challenged the notion that mages should be in charge of firefighting but, after a few years of its activity, they had to reluctantly recognize the hydromancers guild was extremely efficient at extinguishing fires in record time.
Hydromancer vigiles, as they are called, are mages specialized into manipulating and controlling water, using the nearby Motamo river to draw moisture from it that they turn into water above the fire. The process is quick and require no more than a small team of well trained professionals. They are often completed by a Telekinesis adept in order to sweep away debris or prevent a structure from collapsing. They form today a very effective and solid force, well respected by the citizens for their courage.
Felaryan tourism Guild
The Felaryan tourist guild has been recently founded by a group of merchants with the desire to make Negav -and Felarya as a whole- looks more attractive to visitors in order to increase business. They are known for putting an outrageously positive spin on things, with double-meaning words and carefully crafted innuendos. Their various guides to Felarya are distributed in other worlds, depicting an almost heavenly world of "Savage and untamed beauties", and beckoning visitors to come here. Needless to say the guild have been attacked numerous times by angry visitors discovering a rather different reality after they arrived in Felarya. However, the leader of the guild and author of the main guides, Malki Greenbeard, is a true genius when it comes to manipulating, stretching and twisting words to their limits, and take extreme caution to never outright lies. His collaborators and friends say affectionately in private that he could beat a genie at their own game.
The Neko's Tail
A small bar located right between the Low and Middle Tiers. Seemingly only memorable for the rather lewd sign and the frequent shows by neko dancers. However, the bar is known in the underworld as a meeting place of various neko gangs, who plot crimes here for profit or to strike back at their human oppressors. It's also rumored that the barkeep can get nekos in touch with the illegal tinies market... for a hefty price.
Cremona maze
The Cremona maze is a poor district of Negav situated in the southern part of the city. It's a network of many narrow alleys, weathered building, twisted passages and tunnels. It's considered a dangerous and violent place where rival gangs frequently engage each others for the control of a street or a block.
Pileuda's Fried Glouteux
Not a single restaurant, but a chain of establishments very common in the Lower Tier and in the Underground. Who Pileuda is exactly is uncertain. She, however, has taken advantage of the incredible stupidity of Glouteux. Her employees man spiked pits right on the edge of the influence of the Isolon Eye . Glouteux are drawn in droves by swift neko runners and then led to tumble to their dooms. This mass hunting technique has led to a profitable industry as Glouteux is fried up and served speedily to hungry customers. It's not exactly healthy, but due to the healing factor, that matters little.
Citroise Smoothie Stands
Small and very common shops selling Citroise based-drinks. They are very popular across the city. Citroise smoothies are ever so refreshing and delicious !
- credits to Jaette-troll for the Adventurer Guild idea, the Neko's tail, Citroise Smoothie Stands, and Pileuda's Fried Glouteux, and for helping with the description of the Jaslow arena, and to Shady Knight and Amaroq for helping develop and rewrite the whole entry.
