Aureate is the home of the Alar. It is built high upon a steep mountain range hidden deep within The Dim Peaks. In its earlier days Aureate was largely inaccessible to anyone without wings; but as the city prospered, its population and thus demand for supplies increased, making trade a necessity. This forced the Alar to improve some of the mountain passes, improving access to its lower levels. Only approved merchants are allowed to travel these passes, under the watchful eye of the Sky Wardens. Lifts, cranes and bridges are used to transport goods up through the many levels of the city.

In spite of its altitude, the climate in Aureate is pleasant. This is thanks to warm air currents reaching the city from the tropical and cloud forests to the south-west. As well as warmth, these currents bring with them a thick white mist which often shrouds the base of the city.

While the climate may be suitable, the city of Aureate is too rocky for farming. Instead they forage for fruits, berries and wild vegetables in the surrounding forests and valleys, supplemented by a number of carefully-tended forest gardens in the woods close to the city. These same forests furnish the Alar with wood, reeds and hemp for crafts, and they also mine the surrounding peaks for ores and building materials.

The cuisine of Aureate is simple and mostly vegetarian. Staple foods include oca, eggs, sweet potatoes, goat’s milk, honey and every variety of tropical fruit. They have a fondness for sweet beverages, preferring honey-sweetened tea and sweet honey wine.

• Aureate’s architecture is hierarchical. The most important buildings are situated near the top of the peaks, while the less significant structures appear lower down. Lady Alarina’s temple is, naturally, the very highest building in the city.
• Most buildings are constructed from a combination of limestone, adobe blocks, marble and granite. In the evening, these stones reflect the evening sun, casting a warm, golden glow over the city - hence the name Aureate.
• Although the peaks of Aureate are steep, they are not the tallest in the area, typically topping out at less than 2000m (below the region’s tree-line).

Brokers Vale is one of the bigger cities on the continent of Orbani. It’s a coastal city, founded by the stranded crew of a wrecked galleon. Over time the city expanded into a multicultural centre of commerce, due to its excellent location and good relations with the neighbouring regions. It’s a lively and rich city welcoming to all kinds of cultures and people.

Even though Brokers Vale is in a sense a beautiful city it is crowded, and, for some, a tough place to live. The Vale offers many opportunities for the honest, working sort, but its riches also attract all kinds of scum. And although some city districts are considered safe, wandering the streets alone during the night isn’t advisable, and a visitor had better be watching their pouch.

Brokers Vale is unique, in that it has always invested in building and maintaining good and prosperous relations with the neighbouring people. At its famous markets you will find food, livestock, raw materials, exotic spices, fabrics, magic talismans from all over the continent, as well as prostitutes, drugs, and swords for hire. Brokers Vale offers many possibilities, but it is not a city of high morals.

• Brokers Vale is an oligarchic city-state. Central political structures are absent. Instead the merchant class and an appointed court have considerable power.
• Important decisions are treated like small referenda, where only the powerful (read: rich) have a vote.
• The Vale does not have a written law. Those who are brought to trial in Brokers Vale are completely in the hands of the court.
• Brokers Vale is cut up into districts: The Inner city (the oldest district), the harbour, The Flooding District, Bills Isle (situated in the estuary), Brokers Hill (luxurious residential area), and more.