Ishaela Parts I and II (Past Chronicle 2015 & 2016)

City of North Reach - by T.A. Saunders ©2015 v1.0

Industrial District

Bennett's Weapon Emporium

If it shoots something, stabs something, cuts something or smashes something, it's quite likely Bennett Belmore probably sells it. A veteran from the Three Way War, the former soldier for the Republic Army just couldn't stomach civilian life, or taking orders from Chancellor Cayne, so he opted for the middle ground of buying and selling the weapons he loves so much.

The unremarkable two story building is also a front for fencing illegal weaponry, mostly for the Robber-Barons of the Reach thieves guild, but he has been known to work with anybody not directly affiliated with the Chancellor. This of course, includes the rival thieves guild, theRiverway Rogues (who he charges staggering prices to, out of respect to the Robber-Barons), and of course adventurers, who bring him all the best toys.

The City Watch and the constables leave Bennett and his thinly veiled ‘legitimate business' alone, for the same reason most of the thieves are left alone; many of them are former veterans of the war as well, that had fallen on hard times, or in good old Bennett's case, couldn't suffer the arrogance of the Chancellor Cayne.

Campbell & Muirdale Skyworks

The epicenter of Quivyn's aeroplane manufacturing, the Skyworks is as modern and innovative a factory as the world has ever seen, with clockwork assembly lines, precision part casting, and a host of engineers working constantly to improve their designs. While the Skyworks was made primarily to bring air superiority to the Quivyn war machine, against less maneuverable airships, domestic shipping aeroplanes have been a post-war result of this grand invention.

While not exactly shunning the use of magic, much of what Theodore Muirdale and Kevin Campbell create is decidedly ‘magic-light,' having only elemental fire heat elements for the engines, and some of the aeroplanes are fit with Radiance or less likely, Witchfire weapons.

The factory employs nearly a quarter of North Reach's 25,000 people in some capacity, or contracts them, making it the staple business of the capital. Because of this, there is also a great deal of pride in the aeroplanes the people of North Reach build; more than one Shei has been punched out in a bar brawl, for insulting them for being ‘noisy.'

North Reach Shipworks

If the Skyworks represent the most advanced processes of manufacturing Quivyn has to offer, then the Shipworks stand as the representation of traditional, hand-made ship building. Each seafaring vessel made here, is individually designed, and assembled by hand, by a team of thirty shipwrights, many of whom are either members of, or married into the Esterwood family.

The Esterwoods began the business in Sengaard, making vessels for the King-Priest's Royal Navy, but with the advent of the Three Way War, the family pitched in with Lord-General Tucker, took twenty of their best ships, and sailed him, his soldiers and as many civilians as they could pack in their vessels, in a mass exodus. When North Reach was founded, in 1352 AC, the Shipworks was one of the first buildings to go up, and the first to start providing goods and services to the people of North Reach.

Esterwood-made vessels are highly sought after by old sea dogs, clandestine pirates, merchant shippers and navies across Ishaela alike. Given the moon is covered in 70% water, and both aeroplanes and airships cost thousands of gold more to purchase, sailing remains the primary mode of transportation between continents for most Ishaelians. This, heedless of their admittedly slow manufacturing process, gives the North Reach Shipworks a steady flow of business.

Sela's Steam Rides

 Perhaps one of the first steam-powered vehicle dealers on Ishaela, Sela Izella Lee, daughter of the famous Hazjid assassin, Alexandre Lee, designs, fabricates, and builds all the steam-cycles, steam-buggies, sedans and roadsters herself, with her business partner, a Dwarf by the name of Michath Gungadirk, of Clan Kuergan, and their small staff of fifteen people.

While some automation and use of sorcery is necessary, Sela's custom vehicles are made with the sort of craftsmanship one would expect from an Esterwood seafaring vessel, with a fair bit of efficiency brought on by golemized automation. The sprawling, single level property houses several ready-made vehicles, prototypes and replacement parts, as well as garages where the vehicles are worked upon.

Still something of a novelty on Ishaela, the steam-powered vehicles come at a premium cost, especially for the quality of the manufacture. Some of Sela's best work has sold for costs higher than a standard issue Republic aeroplane. With that cost however, comes both quality and the assurance that nobody will have one just like it, anywhere.