[A2Z] A is for Almarand, the stone that stalks

Almarand is a whispered denizen of the area around the bottom of the Walk. Attacking only on the dark of the moons, even armored and armed warriors have been taken by the creature. However it only ever takes one victim a night, leaving no witnesses and few traces. Two months ago a boastful warrior armed with a magically ensorcelled blade boasted that she would slay the beast and managed to convince the authorities, civil and criminal, to clear the road surrounding the Walk on the night of the dark. For the first time a cry was heard, but it was fierce and inhuman. In the mornings light all the was found was bloodstains and chips of rock. A sizable reward for the recovery of the magical blade, and a somewhat smaller one for the capture or destruction of the creature, has since been raised.

This completes the initial stage of my A2Z of Bridgeport write up - now I need to make it up into a document and start layout.

[A2Z] Z is for Zagyg's Throne

Zagyg's Throne is the throne of the Harbor-King, named for the man who turned the Guilds against Lich who manipulated them. A rather unimpressive chair, much of its value comes from the defensive magic worked into it, warning its user of imminent teleportation, while offering to delay the incoming travelers.

[A2Z] Y is for Ye Olde Den O' Lust

Ye Olde Den O' Lust is one of the most famous or infamous brothels in Bridgeport, where any taste can be catered to, for the right price. Occupying one of the upper regions of the Underport, the Olde Den (as it is known) is almost a landmark of the town, and caters to many of the different groups in the city. Rumors of additional service provided, up to disposal of bodies, have never been proven.

[A2Z] X is for Xandura

Xandura is the unofficial spokesperson for the wizards of the Walk. While not the most powerful magically, her peoples skills are much better than the other mages. Her ability to deflect the inquiries of the Magister of the Hidden Light has earned her the respect of most of the wizards, and those who do not respect her tend not to last long for a variety of reasons. Her regal appearance, political skill and rich connections to various merchant houses make her a force to be reckoned with.

[A2Z] W is for the Walk

The Walk is the district encompassing the dwellings of the nobility and the 25 most powerful wizards living in the city. The district is centered on the hill overlooking the port, with the Harbor-Kings dwelling at the top of the hill. No house may be taller than his rather squat and unprepossessing house, resulting in the tallest houses being nearest the base of the hill, which is predominately the territory of wizards and their towers. The interesting side effect for the others of the Walk, those trying to sneak into the Walk must avoid the ire of these mages, and given the sheer amount of wealth and magic items contained in the houses of the Walk this gives all but the most overconfident thieves pause.

[A2Z] V is for Verenthus

Verenthus is the Gibbet Lord of Bridgeport, a massive treant who has been bound as the city's executioner for the last 300 years. Once a week the towering walking tree leaves the depths of the Great Mire to march to the Tower of the Lawgiver down the grand Venue, the gibbet cages swinging from his branches, some even still bearing raving convicts. Verenthus stops his march for no man or beast, so a bell is rung ahead of the behemoth in an effort to limit the number of fatalities.

[A2Z] U is for the Underport

Underport is the conglomeration of some of the oldest parts of the city, built over again and again over centuries. Tying into the New Day Sewers in spots, and preventing the sewers to reach areas of the Warrens, the Underport has been built upon to the point that the street is a full story lower than the walks and entrances of the building around them, and are prone to flooding due to storm surges. Underport serves as both a history of the origins of the city and a festering canker in it. Some of the seedier businesses in the city occupy flats in this area, places like illegal fences, strange brothels and bookstores that specialize in questionable or illegal materials.

[A2Z] T is for Tower of the Lawgiver

The Tower of the Lawgiver is the municipal heart of Bridgeport, housing most of the bureaucratic offices for the city, with the exception of the harbor services and the fortified mansion of the Harbor-King. As a result more sermons in more congregations have railed against this den of iniquity and vice then even the flesh bazaar that are the brothels of the Warren. Bribery, graft and embezzlement are not just common, but the way business is conducted in the halls of the Tower, with even the pretense of hiding this having been discarded under the last Harbor-King.

The current Harbor-King, Scolelar, has publicly made his views known that the Tower needs to cleansed of the the corruption in it. While the common people of Bridgeport like the idea most have adopted a wait and see attitude, as other reformers have come and gone before with no changes.

[A2Z] S if for Secrets of the Seawalls

The Secrets of the Seawalls is a collective title for the strange and occasionally useful objects found by the brave, or foolish, adventurers who plumb the depths of these massive edifices. Everything from strange music making floating spheres to the Habor-King's blade of office have been brought to light, and most, in the great tradition of Bridgeport, have been sold to the highest bidder. Amongst the more powerful guild families and the noble houses, the possession of a Secret of the Seawalls are a status item, and the mages of the city have found that some items have uses in their laboratories. This has spawned a small market for recovered items, and a larger market in forgeries and thefts of existing items. The upside as the civic government finds it is that the greater dangers of recovering the items from the bowels of the seawalls tends to limit the number of "practicing" adventurers in the city, without requiring the disposal of bodies.

[A2Z] R is for the Rock and Rhaum

The Rock
The Rock is a strange spire of stone that is home away from home for the dwarves of Bridgeport. Rising up from below Bridgeport, and made of a stone not native to the area, the Rock is an island of order in a city of chaos. However only those of dwarven blood or proven friendship with stout race are ever allowed inside, and consequently legends of great wealth hidden inside circulate. What is known is the quality of the metalwork that is released from inside is breath taking,as are the prices.

Rhaum
Rhaum is the agricultural center that feeds the city of Bridgeport, collecting the produce of the rich surrounding farmland. The merchants of the town have become almost as rich as the guild leader families of Bridgeport itself by providing for the never ending hunger of the city. Strange stories of cults and obscene practices abound among the poor as they look on the fat, soups farmers in contempt, and maybe some stories are true.

[A2Z] Q if for Quint's Pub

Quint's Pub has become a landmark where the Bridge district meets the Sailors district, with the enormous shark head mounted above the entrance staring out at the harbor. Owned and occasionally operated by Quint, once an adventurer who retired to a life of fishing that he retired from after losing most of an arm to the huge shark whose head graces the door, Quint's is a mecca for those who take their living from the sea. Virtually any sort of sailor can be found here, though the prices tend to limit it to the officers of the ships of the harbor. Even sailors who will not be staying in the Sailors district make it a point to stop at Quints, as so much gossip and information for the brotherhood of sailors passes through its door.

[A2Z] P is for Patrician Josef of Traer

Patrician Josef is the leader of the Traerian religion in Bridgeport and speaks for the Street of Worship in mundane matters with the civil government. As the leader of the largest congregation in the city, Josef has considerable power, putting him on par with guild leaders, and his word carries great weight.

However in the last month a bedraggled street preacher has been making accusations about the Patrician in his daily street sermons. Strangely no action has been taken against him as he performs miracles after each sermon.

[A2Z] O is for the Organization

The Organization is the organized crime syndicate that has massive control over much of the vice in Bridgeport. In stark contrast to the civil government of the city, the Organization is known for a rather rigorous level of honesty. While this should not be confused for a gentle nature, the ruling council of the Organization has made it abundantly well known that cheating and stealing from the "family" is not acceptable. Those ambitious individuals in the group are encouraged to expand the vices catered to, the range controlled, and protect the "family". The reach and power of the Organization is complimented by a reasonable relationship with the Harbor-King. While quite content to flaunt the usual laws of the land, special circumstances have cropped up to cause surprising cooperation, such as the cleansing of the worshiper's of the Dark God Tz'Anchul from the lower wharf area 5 years ago.

(The Organization is a mafia inspired organized crime group with a twisted but stringent code of honor. Blending elements from the Godfather with the traditional thieves and smuggling groups of fantasy)

[A2Z] N is for the New Day Sewers

The New Day Sewers were once a point of pride for citizens and slaves of Bridgeport, but have not aged gracefully, in recent years becoming overrun by vermin of the criminal and animal sort. Part of a citywide program to improve and beautify the city, and built with masters guidance the sewers were planned to be the unseen heart of the project. While completely successful at removing the sight of filth and refuse from the streets of much of Bridgeport, it also became an artery for illegal commerce and travel in less than a fortnight. Consisting of a spiderweb of tunnels under most of the city, all manner of beast can be found in the dark spaces. Amongst the people of the Warrens there are rumors that the builders used existing tunnels and hidden rooms to save money, meaning no known map of the true extents of the tunnels remain unknown to this day.

[A2Z] M is for Magister of the Hidden Light

The Magister of Hidden Light is the official title of the city's sanctioned witchfinder. Needless to say, his encounters with the various mages of the city are tense and stressful encounters.
As the head individual tasked with rooting out the worshipers of the Dark Gods from amongst a population that is alarmingly oblivious to the threat until it is confronted with it, the Magister was given authority to use any means he or she deems necessary to protect the general people. There is always terrible suspicion of misuse of this amazing power, as no one, not even the Harbor-King is above suspicion or reach. This has led to horrific purges, though the current Magister is a quiet retiring woman known for a keen eye and pale features.

[A2Z] L is for the Light Seawall and the Librarium

Light Seawall
Rising only 85 feet above the eastern entrance to the habor, the Light Seawall is so-called because of the flickering patterns of light on its side that appear at times. Made of a similar strange metal as the Dark Seawall and the core of the great bridge, the Light Seawall holds back the storm swells of the seasonal storms without the slightest problem.

Of much more of a problem has been the numerous religions and cults that have sprouted up around the strange lights. Everything from pacifistic cults that believed the light patterns were messages from a higher power to guide them to enlightenment to nihilistic doomsday religions that believed that the patterns were signals that the wickedness of Bridgeport need to be purged with fire and blood.

Librarium
The Librarium is the repository for knowledge in Bridgeport. Created over 175 years ago to maintain and record all the literature that passes through the city, the goal of the Librarium has been expanded and changed over the years. As various proscribed and debauched documents have been recovered when dark cults are discovered and ferreted out, a permanent storage location had to found. With funding from the Harbor-King of the time a special wing was added to the Librarium to serve as a repository for documents deemed too disruptive to be sold or allowed free.

[A2Z] K is for Knut and for the King of the Rats

Knut
Knut is the grizzled and stoic leader of the guards of the Stores. While not officially in charge of any group beyond his own men, in any matter that does not directly involve their employers interests even the other guards in the Stores will listen to Knut due to his repeated actions to improve and protect all the guards in the area. Knut is never seen without his magical falchion, a thick heavy cleaver blade with the rumored ability to protect its wielder from any sort of poison.

King of the Rats
The King of the Rats is a legend with two major stories tied to it. Inagio, the master cheesemaker, swears by all he holds dear that this mythical monster is active in the under-city realms of Bridgeport. Somehow manipulating and controlling the numerous rodents in the city, this being uses them to work towards some unknown goal.
Amongst the dregs of the Warrens, those too poor or crazy to have a place to sleep indoors, there is a tail of a strange beast that is occasionally seen, though those who have seen the creature usually disappear or are found gnawed to death a few days later. Described as a massive rat with a cluster of smaller rats attached to the tip of the massive rats tail, and all the rats have eyes that glow with an eerie green light.

[A2Z] J is for Johann DeGrapheneed

Lord Johann DeGrapheneed is the tall and gaunt unofficial leader of the non-magical inhabitants of the Walk, the home to the most powerful families and the wizards of Bridgeport. Known for his wisdom, patience, and uncanny knack for building groups through compromise Lord Johann is the spokesperson for the Walk when an overall consensus is needed, such as when issues arise with the Wizards of the Walk.

[A2Z] I is for Inagio

Inagio is the master cheesemaker of Bridgeport, maintaining a shop with over 5 journeymen and 20 apprentices and a burgeoning clientele amongst the most important people in the city. However he is also whispered about in rumors throughout the city for his fantastically stories of an ongoing "war" with an unseen enemy known as the Rat-king. The normally jovial figure who has been a fixture of the city for almost twenty years has become a nervous and paranoid shadow of his past self. What does he know?

[A2Z] H is for the Harbor-King

The Harbor-King is the official title of the lord of Bridgeport, arising from the Harbormaster who first drew the Ebon Blade forth into the realm of man and defeated the liche who was manipulating the city for its own weird pleasure. In theory the title is hereditary but in the 300 years it has existed it has passed peacefully less than a dozen times, usually do the great popularity of the holder among the masses and an impressive magical backing from the Walk.

As the final authority on all things involving the harbor, the Harbor-King literally has his hand wrapped around the heart of the city, an idea that has spawned innumerable assassination plots.

The current Harbor-King is Scolelar of the house of Adean, a man in his thirties with an iron hard determination to run the city as he feels it should run. This determination surprisingly has a major goal of improving the lot of the poorest of the city and reforming the civic government.