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Overview

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Highbridge is located on the last major fork of the Green River.  It is the most diverse city in The Riding in many respects.  Its thriving barge industry supports the transportation of grain like many of the other river cities.  Due Due to its location, it supports far greater amounts of traffic related to logging and livestock.  As the first major city on the trade route leading from Darkstone, it is also where iron, precious metals and forged weapons are first were traditionally traded into The Riding.  A substantial banking industry existsexisted, second only to Greenmouth, in order to finance trade.  And, as raw materials such as timber and metals are cheaper here as compared elsewhere in The Riding, it is also the manufacturing and industrial hub for almost all goods other than cloth.

Recent events, most importantly the capture of the city by The Hate Incarnate and the reemergence of the Ancient Dominion of the Unending Lands, have ended all of the caravan traffic leading eastward into Orcish lands and much of the traffic moving westward into the remaining portions of The Riding controlled by the Empire of Polonia.

Population

The population of Highbridge 68518054 is approximately 20,000 people.  The people of Highbridge are a fair mix of the races typically found in The Riding with equal representation of Humans, half-Orcs, and half-Elves.

Government

Current

The city is currently current government is subject to the whims of The Hate Incarnate. They seem to care little for ruling and are primarily interested only in their religious dictates being met. These dictates primarily are:

• No worship but that of Lathander or Amaunator.
• Everyone outside to prostrate themselves as sunrise. Bells ring and horns blow five minutes before sunrise. 
• Submission to the whims and desires of the Hate Incarnate members.

In the absence of many of the basic structures of traditional government, concerned citizenry, seeming with implicit permission of The Hate Incarnate has formed a city council consists of leading citizens including: Harbuck the Mayor (also the Head Constable),  Kelmen Longbottom (placed on the council due to the influence of his aunt), Yancey Figbottom, and Haelaeya (known be skilled in collecting and keeping secrets).

Formerly

Until 165 AFE, the city was administered by a Polonian governor supported by as many of two hundred legionnaires and a similar number of administrators.  The governor tends tended to be extremely strict in matters regarding discipline, lawfulness, and management of resources in order to support trade and industry within the city.  There is was little need for a prison as the governor has instituted punishments for most crimes to be hanging, loss of limb, or lashes.  There is was little tolerance for crime, although the majority of judgments seem seemed to hold native folk of the Riding responsible rather than Polonians when there are were subjective decisions to be made.

Although taxation within the city is under the purview of the Governor, taxation and security in The Docks is was often managed by the Southern Mercantile Company.  The current Chancellor of the area containing Highbridge was recently appointed and is particularly notorious for oppressive and arbitrarily enforced taxation policies as well as for encouraging brutality by the Company security throughout the taxation district.  

Prominent Citizens

Hate Incarnate

• Brother Pelliton
• Faldric the Archer

Polonians

Until 165 AFE, prominent Polonian citizens included:

• Governor Adelaide du Eagleroost - The Polonian Governor of Highbridge.  She is installed in the tower on Baron's isle and is responsible for the governance of the city.
• Chancellor Gascard de Gravenford - The Southern Mercantile Company's Chancellor in the Highbridge Administrative District, His quarters are located in the Docks.
• Master Nicolas du Ravenscroft, Gascard's chief lieutenant and heads up day-to-day operations on the Docks.
• Herbert de Harecove, Gascard's head clerk and responsible for handling most paperwork on the Docks.
• Captain Warrane du Houndstrail, oversees the City Constabulary and captains the Legionnaires installed in the city, stationed in the Baron's Grounds.
• Jacques de Lambfield, Exalted Priest of Tiamat and the Governor's primary advisor.

Riding Folk

• Constable Harbuck, the Riding Chief Constable, the City Constabulary is located in the Narrows adjacent to Top Butcher.
• High Priests Imdurr and Lymura, the head priests of Amaunator, located in Morningglow Temple in Temple Park.

Geography

The city itself is divided into a handful of different sections.

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The Farthing Yards got their name either because citizens looking for work would be hired for small jobs for farthings or because the farthing was the most typical coin used in transactions in the open markets located here rather than the higher priced transactions that took place in the Merchant's Quarter or elsewhere.

Now, the Farthing Yards is filled to oveflowing with huts and temporary housing for refugees from Overtown and points farther east.

The Old City

The Old City is surrounded by centuries-old, high, stone walls.  The primary gate into the Old City is the Iron Gate at the northeast corner.  Before the construction of the Farthing Yards and the Docks, the Trade Road passed in front of the walls of the Old City and the Iron Gate was the primary entrance.  Now, a newer, lower, outer, stone wall connects the Docks and the Farthing Yards to the city and a small postern gate connects the Merchant's Quarter to the Farthing Yards. To exit Highbridge from the Old City, people first exist via the Iron Gate or Postern Gate and then through either through the Farthing Gate or Baron's Gate.

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East of the park is upscale merchants and housing.  Most of the Polonians can be found in this area.  The area is named the Garden District because the city has planted trees, bushes and other flowers on either side of the streets or in stone planters on corners.  Many of the nicer homes have small lawns or gardens also.

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The Docks are dominated by warehouses and shipping companies.  Inns and taverns that cater to the rougher elements working the river trade abound.  The single largest building in the Docks is had been used by the Southern Mercantile Company to manage their trade in the area.  Unlike the rest of the town that is patrolled exclusively by Legionnaires, the Docks are also subject to Company security.  

Overtown

On the other side of the Green River from the Old City is Overtown. Overtown tends to be a little rougher than the proper city of Highbridge. All the elements of the city can be found here: inns, taverns, merchants and shops. The Polonians tend not to patrol Overtown very often. Instead, in cases where there is sufficient trouble, a squad or more or Legionnaires will make an incursion and attempt to stomp out any undesirable elements.  

Overtown

Landmarks

The High Bridge

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The previous version of the bridge, made of wood and supported by stone pilings, was recently destroyed by an explosion rumored to have been set by The Resistance. The Polonians are building - the occupiers of the city at the time - built a newer, stronger bridge.  

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