Ank Moran
Ank Moran is a vertical masterpiece of gothic marble and sleek obsidian. The city is tiered by status, with the Ivory Heights housing the sprawling University of Wizards and government manors. Below lies the Gilded Quarter, where shops cater to the needs of wealthy adventurers. At the base are the Bone Yards, a massive industrial sprawl of graveyards and factories where the unliving labor in eerie, coordinated silence for their living masters.
Ank Moran
- Population
- 85,000
- Rule
- High Dean Malchor
- Wealth
- Extravagant
- Defence
- High
Overview
Ank Moran is a vertical masterpiece of gothic marble and sleek obsidian. The city is tiered by status, with the Ivory Heights housing the sprawling University of Wizards and government manors. Below lies the Gilded Quarter, where shops cater to the needs of wealthy adventurers. At the base are the Bone Yards, a massive industrial sprawl of graveyards and factories where the unliving labor in eerie, coordinated silence for their living masters.
Atmosphere
The air carries a faint scent of formaldehyde and expensive incense. Grand marble facades are often marred by the rhythmic, mechanical scraping of skeletal workers. While the elite enjoy a life of leisure and study, the commoners walk the streets with a hurried, downward gaze, avoiding eye contact with the silent, porcelain masked undead that perform every menial task in the city.
Culture
The Keepers of the Veil, The Silent Watcher
- Human
- Elf
- Tiefling
- Undead (Socially Subservient)
Economy
Arcane Research, Manufacturing, Death Rites
Pre-programmed Servants, Void Salt
Fine Silks, Exotic Spices, Casket Timber
Geography
Ways in and out
Places to see
- The Whispering WellA deep shaft in the Bone Yards where discarded bone fragments are tossed. People claim that if you listen long enough, the fragments call out your name.
- The Gilded PlazaThe center of the adventurer quarter, featuring a fountain that flows with enchanted, glowing water. It is the only place where sunlight feels warm.
Power
2 factionsGovernment
Trouble
- New Problem
Factions
- The Ascendant OrderArcane Ruling ClassThe wizards who run the University and the city government. They view themselves as the ultimate stewards of humanity, justified in any action that furthers their research.GoalsTo achieve total immortality for the living elite by draining the remaining life force of the labor population.Allies
The Grave Guard
RivalsThe Hallowed Breath
- The Hallowed BreathUnderground RevolutionariesA mix of disgruntled commoners, radical clerics, and 'awakened' undead who believe that Ank Moran is a cancer on the natural order of life and death.GoalsTo destroy the necromantic leyline and allow every undead in the city to finally die.Allies
Brother Thad
RivalsThe Ascendant Order
Defences
The Great Obsidian Wall, Automated Ballistae Towers, Warding Glyphs
Law and order
People and places
9 entriesRuler of Ank MoranHigh Dean Malchor Human Male
A man in his late sixties wearing layers of shimmering silk. He constantly wipes his hands with a handkerchief and avoids touching anything directly. His eyes are bloodshot and yellowed from arcane burnout.
Necromancer for HireSilas Thorne Tiefling Male
Wears a heavy iron mask that covers the upper half of his face. He smells like wet earth and lavender. His movements are stiff and precise, almost like the creatures he creates.
ShopkeeperElena Vance Human Female
A sturdy woman with grey-streaked hair and soot-stained hands. She always carries a heavy iron key ring at her belt and speaks in a low, gravelly whisper that demands attention.
Priest of the Silent WatcherBrother Thad Human Male
A thin man with a nervous twitch in his left eye. He wears tattered grey robes and his hands are raw from constant ritual washing. He flinches whenever he hears the sound of bone hitting stone.
General Adventuring GoodsThe Iron Sieve Kept by Elena Vance
A cramped, dusty shop in the Gilded Quarter packed with relics from across the continent. The shelves are organized with military precision. Elena Vance knows the history of every item she sells and will not tolerate window shoppers who lack a heavy coin purse.
General StoreNew Shop General StoreNew Shop TavernThe Silent Flagon Kept by Bram the Mute
A dim, low-ceilinged tavern where the patrons speak in hushed tones. The servers are skeletons in clean linen shirts who never spill a drop. It is the only place in the city where the living can find a moment of peace from the constant noise of construction.
Central Government / Power SourceThe Great Mausoleum Run by High Dean Malchor
A colossal structure of white marble that pulses with a faint purple light at night. It serves as both the city hall and the primary facility for processing the dead. The air around it is significantly colder than the rest of the city.
Events
Lately
- The Grain RiotA shipment of food was found to be infested with rot, leading to a clash between starving commoners and the Grave Guard.
- Malchor's EdictThe High Dean has ordered all living residents to submit to a spiritual 'census' which many believe is a precursor to an early harvest.
Calendar
- Winter SolsticeThe Night of the Silent WalkAll labor ceases for one night as the dead are paraded through the Ivory Heights to be ceremonially rebranded with new arcane sigils.The twist · GM only
History
Founded on a necromantic convergence, Ank Moran was intended to be a utopia where no living person had to toil. This dream was realized through the Risen Labor Edict, which allowed citizens to trade their remains for perpetual family tax breaks. However, as the dead began to outnumber the living, the city shifted from a place of leisure into a paranoid police state where the elite maintain control through arcane dominance.
- The Founding EraThe Archmage DiscoveryArchmage Malchor senior discovered a massive necro-leyline beneath the cliffs. He built the first mausoleum that would eventually become the foundation of the Ivory Heights. He proved that souls could be detached from bodies while leaving the muscle memory intact, providing a source of tireless, obedient labor that never required food or sleep.
- The Silver PlagueThe Great HarvestA mysterious wasting sickness decimated the merchant class. While the University claimed they fought to save every soul, the city records show a suspicious surge in labor production during the height of the epidemic. Rumors persist that the wizards allowed the plague to spread simply to bolster the workforce for the construction of the Great Obsidian Wall.
Secrets
1 secret · 3 rumours- Secret 1 · GM only
Rumours
Plot hooks
2- 1The Singing SkeletonA labor skeleton assigned to Elena Vance has started singing a complex opera. Malchor wants it destroyed immediately, but Elena wants to know why it knows her mother's favorite song.
Investigation · Starts with Elena Vance · Reward: A masterwork ghost-touch dagger.
- 2The Stolen SoulSilas Thorne hires the party to break into the University to retrieve a soul-gem. He claims it contains his sister. The gem is actually the key to the city's main defense ward.
Recovery · Starts with Silas Thorne · Reward: 1,000 gold pieces and a favor from the Tiefling.
Media
0 imagesNo images yet.
Turn Ank Moran into a sheet
A high-res, share-ready sheet you can post or print.