Summary of Surkona
Knight’s Quarter — this stone district contains many houses dedicated to fighting schools, knightly orders, and garrisons for the Branded Shield and Legions of the Dawn. It has an old keep which belongs to a group of paladins, the Order of the Dove, a stocky embassy belonging to Kal Engrez, as well as the city’s mercenary guild and the attached ecclesiastical office of mercenary licensing. The road outwards leads to the Cavalera, a hub of horse racing, ranches, and fairgrounds.
Gilded Quarter — an industrial sector which contains many workshops, warehouses, guild halls, and trade schools. Of particular note is the Bards’ College, set near the Cortege. The road out leads to the University of St. Luciana, which is known for classes on the natural sciences, theology, business, and arcana.
The Harbor — A muddy riot of fisheries and dock houses alongside maritime companies, including foreign interests from distant Konōshima and Ajderha. Most of its ships are in poor condition except for a ship simply titled “The Ferry,” crewed by grim but reliable folk who make round trips to Southport, a town on the other side of the Bay of Surkona.
The Banner Court — A colorful district of shops and storefronts as well as venues for rest, food, and entertainment, all decorated with banners and tapestries. It and the harbor contain temples and neighborhoods to much of Surkona’s (primarily konōshiman and orisano) immigrant population. A path out of the Banner Court leads to the Skyport, a tower staffed by gnomish traders with jurisdiction over the airship trade.
Rooktown — The broadest and oldest part of Surkona, Rooktown gets its name from the many rook familiars who perch atop neighborhoods of wood and stone houses festooned with gardens and chicken coops. Largely a middle-class area, it is known for its “witch houses,” a handful of orchards and parks, and a rocky landmark that is allegedly a slumbering Galeb Duhr.
The Cortège — A tiered community of Surkona’s wealthy, which contains several mansions and estates to wealthy merchants, traders, and a local archmage of the College of War. It contains a museum, an art gallery, a prestigious winery, and various other high-class businesses, among which the upper class mingles.
The Temple District — The heart of the city, dominated by the Grand Cathedral. The district contains a hospital as well as the Royal Library of Surkona, and various offices for the pigeondrake roost, the College of Flames and the College of War, administrative houses attached to the church, and the city bank. Beyond that it features numerous parks and monuments to the city’s art and history, many of which are sites of offering or prayer at chapels to the Saints.
