Cursed Blood, part 4 - The City of Basarab
Cursed BloodCursed Blood is the codename for a Castlevania inspired setting of psychoactive horror.
When we set out to play the game that became Cursed Blood, we were originally going to play a game called Miserable Secrets by Rose Bailey, which suggets a setting deeply inspired by noir, with investigation being a core part of the rules. Although we moved away from playing that game after group discussion, I wanted to keep lots of ideas that I found so cool and interesting about those rules and that setting. I also wanted to build a "lore-heavy" setting as a bit of departure from the gonzo, anything goes stuff my group has bene doing over the past couple of years.
Wanting a consistent lore coupled with investigation led me to think I wanted to confine this campaign somewhat. I came up with what I felt was an interesting idea - a free city in this world so heavily dominated by vampires, keep free largely by the physics of two vampire forces nearby acting on each other. This city represented an armistice zone and could also serve as a zone for proxy war between the two.
I've already written at length about the Larkhills, one of these opposed Vampire aristocrats. The other, the sorceress Cassandros, ruling over her perch at Thessaly's Cradle, will come later.
Basarab #
The free city of Basarab exists in a state of tension between the twin Vampire powers of the Larkhill Estate and Thessaly's Cradle. It sits near the banks of a great river that carries goods all across the land. As such, you may find all sorts in Basarab. The very rich and the very poor both find something to appreciate in the freedom and opportunities that Basarab presents.
Landmarks #
The Seat of Government is a large medieval castle at the center of the city. Some ancient king of men once sat there but now it is home to a city council famous for long periods of debate and inaction. Many in the city whisper that they are merely puppets, divided between the Baron Larkhill and Thessaly. Even the reformists are treated with disdain by the cynical population of Basarab.
Newtown is houses that have been constructed in the past few decades. Whereas much of the Town center is oblique layered brick structures, Newtown is mainly wood structures that vary from shanty to nice little house.
Bachton is the southeastern section of Basarab - it is a series of taverns, transient housing, a small section of river docking. Bachton adjoins Newtown to the North and the Town Center to the west. Backton is generally referred to as the Infernal Quarter, despite the fact that is it not a quarter of the city. It obtained this nickname during a series of fires in a black powder warehouse, but has maintained it due to it’s “hellish” reputation amongst the upper class.
The mysterious underworld information broker known as the Spider holds court at one of the many sailor/laborer taverns that border the river, the Crooked Fish. This just happens to be built around one of the obelisks mentioned in Mysterious Architecture - due to the unchecked growth of the Infernal Quarter and the decades of poor fire prevention, there is lots of cheap, newly built architecture, and space is at a premium.
The Park of Great Works is a mammoth green space sitting in the Northern half of Basarab. A the center of the park are austere, manicured Gothic gardens that the city maintains at great cost. As you move out from the center, you will increasingly find patches of dark untamed forest or brambles. There is statuary scattered throughout the Park, many of it strange, unclaimed, or ancient.
At the base of a statue of the First Mayor, there is a hidden doorway that can be opened by any of the Gilded, which leads down into the lodge. The lodge contains all the basic necessities - two rooms for sleeping, a common area stocked with preserves, beer, and of course, a Phantom Library.
The Phantom Library is a cask of bright red nano machines in the shape of a beautiful wasp. A Gilded holds the cask up to his face and receives the injection in his forehead. They will be mentally transported to the Phantom Library. The library contains an engram of Orne that replicates their personality.
Mysterious Architecture Scattered throughout Basarab are monoliths of stone. Standing 15 feet tall and several feet wide, they can be removed by the determined but it is far more common to simply build around them and work these towers into the construction. They have tapered tops and strange sigils carved into them. No one knows their significance. Most of the residents are, in fact, blind to them.
Notable Characters of Basarab #
Lord Councilor Jonathan Stance has had a seat on the town council of Basarab for nearly 20 years. What horror has he found in his basement that leads him to reach out to the underworld for help?
The Spider wears a black cloak and runs a gang of child thieves/blackmailers known as the Webring. She is alternately a revolutionary, a thief, an idealist, and a murderer. Nothing is beneath her in her quest to free the spirits of mankind from the boot of the Ascended.
Orne is the mercurial librarian of the Gilded. They know nearly everything and will answer nearly every question, given that the person asking is an Gilded in good standing. Of course, they believe in the Great Transfusion that is Coming without reservation.