Rouen

Rouen is a sprawling coastal town defined by its paradoxes. Massive black rosebushes and sharp brambles choke every public garden, while pale, white-eyed butterflies flutter in silent clouds above the cobblestones. The town serves as a fortress-haven for outcasts who trade their service for protection. Dominating the skyline is the Chateau de Papilion, a pale stone palace sitting atop the central hill where the ever-blooming ironwood tree glows with a faint, ghostly light.

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Town

Rouen

A sanctuary of shadows behind a wall of thorns.

TypeTown

Population8,500

WealthHigh

GovernmentAutocratic Duchy

ReadinessExcellent

“Eerie and melancholic with a lingering scent of sweet roses.”

Gallery

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Connections

Geography

RegionThe Weeping Coast

ClimateDamp and temperate with frequent sea mists.

TerrainRugged coastal cliffs and sprawling bramble-choked plains.

Travel Links

The Salt Road to the northThe Siren Strait shipping lanesThe Briar Path into the interior

Culture

A radical acceptance of the unwanted paired with a stoic compliance to the Tithe.

Races

HumansTieflingsChangelings

Religions

The Weaver of ThornsThe Pale Wing

Arts & Entertainment

Performance poetry and the weaving of intricate thorn-silk garments.

History

Originally the seat of the noble de Sorely family, Rouen was a standard merchant port until the mysterious disappearance of Lord Raphael. His foster daughter, Amiliea, took the mantle of Duchess and reshaped the town into a fortified refuge. She replaced the traditional guard with the Thorn-Guard and established the Tithe. Under her ageless rule, the town has prospered in isolation, becoming a place where the law is as sharp as the thorns surrounding it.

The Golden AgeThe Planting of the IronwoodLord Raphael planted the magical tree to symbolize eternal growth for his people.

The Shadow ShiftThe Great VanishingLord Raphael disappeared overnight and the first white-eyed butterflies were seen in the gardens.

Current EraThe First TitheDuchess Amiliea declared the seasonal sacrifice of citizens in exchange for absolute town safety.

Government

LeaderDuchess Amiliea de Papilion

Autocratic Duchy

Key Laws

The Seasonal Tithe of citizens is mandatory and final.Violence against another resident is punished by the Briar Cage.No one may enter the Chateau gardens without a silver invitation.

Problems

The Unchosen disappearances.

People are vanishing outside of the official Tithe counts, causing whispers of a hungry shadow.

Economy

Industries

Thorn-silk weavingBlack rose wine brewingShipbuilding

Scarcity

Fresh spring water

Wealth LevelHigh

Exports

Rose-petal wineIridescent silk textiles

Imports

GrainsLivestockRefined metals

Defenses

ReadinessExcellent

Fortifications

The Great Briar WallCoastal Ballista BatteriesChateau Gatehouse

The Thorn-Guard(450 soldiers)

Elite warriors wearing black lacquered armor and wielding serrated polearms.

Law & Order

crime Level: Very Low
enforcement: Strict and omnipresent patrolling by the Thorn-Guard.
typical Punishment: Being locked in a cage of living thorns for several days.

Amelia de Papilian

NPC

Cleric of Bone 9 / Bard of Lore 3

She wears dresses made of butterfly wings and never seems to age.

Silas Thorne

NPC

Lead Gardener

His skin is covered in scars from tending the black roses.

Captain Vane

NPC

Guard Captain

A tall man with a permanent scowl and a missing left eye.

Mistress Elara

NPC

Tavern Owner

She changes her hair color to match the daily sunset.

The Thistle and Thread

Shop

Tailor

A boutique filled with fabrics that seem to move on their own.

The Blind Butterfly

Tavern

Sailors and weary outcasts seeking a quiet drink.

A dim, cozy cellar tavern where the walls are covered in preserved insects.

The Rose-Keepers

Faction

Civic Guild

A group of druid-gardeners who serve the Duchess directly.

The Silent Wing

Faction

Underground Resistance

A hidden network of citizens who communicate through secret marks.

The Ironwood Tree

Point of Interest

A massive, indestructible tree with metallic bark and glowing blossoms.

The Briar Gate

Point of Interest

The only entrance to the town, made of living, woven thorns.

The Butterfly Grotto

Point of Interest

A sea cave where the white-eyed butterflies spawn in thousands.

Calendar of Events

Last day of Autumn

The Night of the Tithe

The Duchess selects the citizens who will enter the Chateau never to return.

One of the selected is always a plant by the Silent Wing.

Secrets

The Tithe feeds the ironwood tree to keep the Duchess immortal.

LocalRed veins appearing in the tree's white bark.

Raphael de Sorely is alive but transformed into the tree's roots.

RegionalMuffled voices heard beneath the Chateau's floorboards.

Rumors

The white-eyed butterflies are the souls of those taken in the Tithe.

The Duchess hasn't slept in fifty years.

There is a way to kill the roses, but it requires the blood of a king.

Plot Hooks

The Missing Tithe-Selected

A young girl was chosen for the Tithe but vanished before the Guard arrived.

InvestigationBarnaby RootA bag of rare black pearls.

The Ironwood's Cry

Monsters are emerging from the brambles, seemingly agitated by the tree.

CombatSilas ThorneAn Ironwood-reinforced shield.

A Royal Invitation

The Duchess has invited the party to dinner, but the invitation is stained with blood.

InfiltrationCaptain VaneA pardon for any crimes committed in the town.

Visual sheet

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