Campaign Guide

About Marhaven

Races

Marhaven is a highly integrated city. Virtually all known races can be found there, at least to some degree. Humans, with their unparalleled adaptability, are the dominant race. Elves, especially aquatic elves, form a large part of the city's stable population. Gnomes, with their love of magic and gadgetry, helped to design and maintain many of the systems that keep Marhaven afloat and in one place. Wavecrest gnomes (Stormwrack) are the most common variety. Half orcs and half elves tend to find the diversity of Marhaven comforting, as there is none of the prejudice or scorn that these half-breeds often experience in their home lands. Most Marhaven half-elves have aquatic elf parentage (Stormwrack).

Other races are also present in Marhaven, but in reduced numbers owing to either the race's lack of affinity for the sea or just general reticence. Player characters can, however, choose any of the following races in addition to those above:

Dwarf
Seacliff Dwarf (Stormwrack)
Halfling
Shoal Halfling (Stormwrack)
Aventi (Stormwrack)
Darfellan (Stormwrack)
Raptoran (Races of the Wild)
Illumian (Races of Destiny)
Elan (Expanded Psionics Handbook)
Xeph (Expanded Psionics Handbook)

If someone has a burning desire to play another race, such as one of the Eberron races or some other one I’ve left out, we can talk about it. Mostly it’s just a matter of coming up with a backstory that explains the character’s presence in Marhaven. Any race with a level adjustment of +2 or more is not likely to get approved unless it's joining a higher-level party

Character Classes

Marhaven can support almost any profession a character may choose to pursue. The unique conditions of life in Marhaven affect the way some classes operate. Some variant classes are particularly well suited to the city's unusual environment and are recommended for those seeking to begin a new career.

Martial Classes

Skilled fighters can find work anywhere, and this holds true in Marhaven as well as the mainland realms. A traditional fighter's heavy armor is often seen as a liability for local adventuring, though, because a fighter in plate armor with a greatsword has a difficult time maneuvering on small ships and will sink like an anchor if tipped into the water. It is not uncommon for fighters to eschew metal armor and heavy weapons in favor of studded leather or chain shirts and one-handed weapons or even light weapons.

Many who aspire to martial prowess take up the swashbuckler class (Complete Warrior). Swashbucklers are nimble but deadly fighters who depend on panache and skill instead of brute force and heavy armor. Some take the uncommon path of the hexblade (also Complete Warrior), combining martial prowess with arcane spellcasting ability. Samurai (Complete Warrior) from the Jade Islands are sometimes seen in town, usually on some mission for their shogun. As with other fighter classes, samurai often choose lighter armor than is customary under normal circumstances as a concession to the likelihood of having to operate on board ships or in the water.

Because their abilities do not rely on heavy armor or weapons, monks can operate quite effectively in Marhaven and several monastic orders have a presence in the city. Barbarians from the warrior clans of Noordia occasionally stop in Marhaven for a time, as do totem barbarians (Unearthed Arcana) from Ursair. Both find that their nature skills and superior balance serve them well once they adjust to the urban setting.

Traditional rangers and paladins, as described in the Player's Handbook, do not exist in this world. Adventurers who wish to pursue those paths can work toward Ranger or Paladin as a prestige class (Unearthed Arcana variants).

Specialist Classes

The specialist classes are well represented in Marhaven. Traditional rogues thrive in a transient population and bards can always find a fresh audience to enthrall with their performing skills.

Marhaven is also rich in the variant specialist classes. Some of the merchant guilds train and employ ninjas, stealthy warriors who excel at infiltration and deliver devastating surprise attacks against unwary foes. Scouts, with their expertise in swift movement and combat on unsteady surfaces, find they can use their skills to great advantage on an adventuring ship. The prevalence of magic, which often accompanies adventuring groups, has led to the development of a society of spellthieves, rogues with the ability to turn an opponent's magical powers against them. (All of these classes are in Complete Adventurer.)

Spellcasters

Both arcane and divine spellcasters are common in the city and among the crews of the passing ships. The special properties of Marhaven influence spellcasters as much as they do fighters and rogues.

Traditional wizards and sorcerors, like traditional fighters, can thrive anywhere and Marhaven is no exception. However, the dominating presence of water and air gives rise to a trend away from generalized arcane wizardry and toward the elementally-inspired discipline of the wu jen (Complete Arcane). Wu jen who study in Marhaven almost invariably take water or air as their chosen element and are exceptionally powerful when using spells attuned to that element.

Traditional clerics fulfill their expected roles in Marhaven. As with fighters, clerics often forgo heavy armor in favor of more suitable protection. Priests in Marhaven have a tendency to identify very strongly with their deities; many work outside the church bureaucracy as favored souls (Complete Divine). The favored soul operates much as a divine sorcerer, learning a limited variety of spells but casting them more often and supplementing them with special abilities unavailable to traditional clerics.

Because of the city’s powerful connection to wind and water there is a thriving and robust community of shugenja (Complete Divine). The shugenja derive divine power from harmony with the elements rather than from any particular deity. They belong to monastic-style orders where they receive their training. Every shugenja chooses a specific element in which to specialize, and like the wu jen is more powerful when using magic attuned to that element. Marhaven’s unique relationship to nature also attracts a good number of druids who are drawn by the closeness of powerful natural forces.

Familiars and Animal Companions

Many of the traditional familiar animals are not available in Marhaven because the species simply doesn't live in that area. The bat, hawk, lizard, owl, raven, snake, toad, and weasel cannot be found in Marhaven but would be available if the spellcaster travels to a suitable locale first. Cats and rats are readily available and convey their normal special abilities to their master. In addition, a mage summoning a familiar in Marhaven may choose one of the following:

• Albatross -- Master gains a +1 bonus on Spot checks
• Eel -- Master gains a +3 bonus on Escape Artist checks
• Fish Owl -- Master gains +3 on Spot checks in shadows
• Octopus -- Master gains +3 on Grapple checks
• Parrot -- Master gains +3 on Apraise checks. The parrot can speak one language of the Master's choice as a supernatural ability.
• Sea snake -- Master gains +3 on Bluff checks

Druids and (prestige) rangers who seek an animal companion will run into similar issues. There is a list of alternate animal companions on page 50 of Stormwrack.

Psionic Classes

For those adventurers with the necessary talent, Marhaven offers training in all of the psionic classes.

Psions are the most common psionic class, with no particular affinity among the various disciplines. Soulknives find themselves well equipped to operate in the environment, much the way that swashbucklers do as compared to heavily armored fighters. Psychic warriors experience the same downsides as normal fighters regarding heavy armor and weapons, but often find that their psionic abilities can help to compensate. Wilders seem drawn to Marhaven by the city's primal connection to nature. (All classes in the Expanded Psionics Handbook.)

Alignment

While there is considerable variety in individuals, the general population and society of Marhaven is overwhelmingly neutral. Both lawful and chaotic types can find appeal in the concept of a floating community divorced from land and countries. Certain events in the city’s history have led to an unfriendly attitude toward openly evil people but nobody is foolish enough to think that evil doesn’t exist in the darker places of the city.

Religion

Citizens of Marhaven are acutely aware of how dependent they are on the mercies of nature, particularly the weather and the sea, so it may not be surprising to learn that most pay homage to a deity. Largely because of the city’s strong ties to the Noordian culture, the most popular deities are those of the Noordian pantheon. Deities commonly worshipped in Marhaven (with alignment, domains, and favored weapon) are:

• Aegir (NG: Air, Protection, Good, Healing, Seafolk; longbow): Goddess of medicine, the sky and the moon. Often chosen by favored souls and traditional clerics.
• Njord (NG: Ocean, Good, Sun, War, Animal; trident): God of the ocean and sun, including sea animals and plants. Njord is worshiped by sailors, shipwrights and fishermen as well as marines and naval officers.
• Braga (CN: Community, Chaos, Luck; rapier): The god of wine, music, revelry, poetry, and eloquence. Often worshiped by bards, rogues, artists, and performers of all types. Craftsmen and swashbucklers pay homage to Braga because of his association with skill and artistry.
• Frey (CN: Weather, Travel, Luck; short sword): The god of weather and travel, Frey is admired by sailors and travelers of all types.
• Freya (CG: Love, Good, Wisdom, Magic; shortbow): Sister to Frey, Freya’s name is often invoked during marriage ceremonies and births, and her clerics routinely bless new houses to confer good fortune onto the occupants.
• Holle (NE: Death, Fate, Evil, Fear; scythe): Goddess of the Underworld, Holle presides over the dead and the undead above, in, and below the waters. A sailor who drowns is often said to have embraced Holle.
• Loki (CE: Trickery, Chaos, Revenge, Fire; sling): Divine prankster and promoter of chaos, Loki plays tricks on the other gods and sometimes on his priests if they take themselves too seriously. His pranks tend to be more hurtful than playful. Most of Loki’s devotees are rogues or other specialists.
• Tyr (LG: Justice, War, Good, Strength, Law; warhammer): Favored by martial characters, Tyr is the god of honor, courage, and loyalty. Chieftains of Noordian clans often wield huge mauls in his honor.
• Raan (LE: Destruction, Evil, Law, Water; great spear): Sworn enemy of Njord, Raan brings disaster and death to those who fail to respect her. She is often associated with sea monsters, hags, and natural disasters.

The Noordian pantheon is not universally adopted. Non-humans generally worship the normal deities for their race, either in addition to or instead of the established gods. The nations of Arthania lean heavily toward the traditional Player’s Handbook deities and some nations, such as Belain and Ursair, have their own religious practices that are specific to those cultures.

Government

Marhaven uses a system of government designed by Joril, grandson of the founder Hendrick the Bronze, that combines elements of an inherited monarchy with a represented republic. The system has been tweaked over the years but remains essentially the same as the original.

The policy branch of government, which sets law for the city, is an elected City Council. Council members serve individual 6-year terms, at the end of which the member can run for reelection against any challengers. The actual number of council seats is variable and by custom has grown with the population. Officially any citizen in good standing has the right to run for a council seat, but in practice the council members tend to come from the leadership of the merchant and trade guilds that run commerce in the city.

The executive branch, which is charged with enforcement of law and tax collection, is run by a Lord Mayor who is the official head of state. Each Lord Mayor appoints a Viceroy, who assists the Lord Mayor in daily operations and assumes the office of Lord Mayor upon the mayor's death or resignation. The appointed viceroy must be confirmed by a vote of the city council, but this is generally a formality because so far all of the nominees have been descendants of the line of Hendrick the Bronze – no council has dared to deprive an heir of Hendrick his right to the lead spot.

The executive branch is organized into ministries focused on specific aspects of city life. The Ministry of Engineering builds and maintains all of the physical structures of the city itself, primarily the decks and bridges and public buildings. The Ministry of Order maintains the navy, the city watch, and the volunteer fire brigades that keep order within the city. The Ministry of Revenues collects taxes, including special levies to fund expansions when needed. The head of each ministry is appointed by the Lord Mayor and approved by the city council. The bureaucracy of each ministry is managed by the ministers.

The current Lord Mayor is Ander III. He is popular with the citizens because his policies have been pushing the city government to work more efficiently and with more input from the citizens. He is less popular with the council, who regard him as dangerously independent and populist. His appointed Viceroy is his son Orin, who took office upon coming of age three years ago. The current Ministers are all experienced leaders chosen by Ander who have held their positions 10 or more years. All of the current council members have held office for at least two terms; three of them will come up for reelection in the next 12 months.

To be a citizen of Marhaven, a person must meet the following criteria:

1. Age 17, or the recognized age of adulthood for nonhumans.
2. No criminal record in any nation recognized by Marhaven.
3. Must reside within the city limits of Marhaven including Marhaven Below.

Citizens have the right to vote in elections, to hold office, to engage in commerce without any further licensing from the government, and to file suit in Marhaven courts against others who threaten the life or property of the citizen. Anyone born of parents who are Marhaven citizens gains citizenship automatically upon meeting the criteria above; others must apply for citizenship with the Ministry of Order, who generally do a basic investigation and then either grant or deny citizenship based on the results. It is extremely rare for someone who meets the criteria to be denied. Citizens are also expected to fulfill a short list of duties, the primary ones being to offer no protection to outlaws and to provide reasonable assistance to the city watch when requested.

City Law

Marhaven's laws are based in common sense. Murder, rape, theft, arson, and other similar crimes are punishable by death. Minor offenses that do little lasting harm are punished by fines and forced restitution to the victim of the crime. Because space is precious there are no prisons in Marhaven; criminals whose offense merits more than a fine but less than death are expelled from the city, either for a given amount of time or for life. In cases where exile is violated, Marhaven pays the Warden of Eldmoor to take the criminal as a prisoner on that island.

There are a few special rules that newcomers, especially adventurers, need to be aware of:

• Use of divination or enchantment spells on an unwilling recipient is a misdemeanor punishable by fine.
• Noncitizens who engage in commerce (other than casual barter or sale of personal property or services between individuals) must have a license and are subject to a higher tax rate than citizens.
• Use of the area dispel magic spell on any of the city decks is a serious offense that results in a 5,000gp fine for the first offense and expulsion after that. This law exists because the decks are enchanted with resist fire that could be temporarily bypassed by the dispel magic, allowing a fire to be set or to spread.
  

Layout

The center platform, part of the original rebuilt structure, is dedicated to vital centralized functions. The city hall and administrative offices are there, along with major temples of Njord and Aegir and the city's first school, which is now a university. At the center is a large open marketplace that doubles as a public assembly point. The rest of the city is divided into sectors by function.

The Housing Sector is the single largest portion of the city, encompassing 15 decks in the south and southeast wedges of the hexagonal pattern. A typical Marhaven home is 30 feet by 50 feet and has two or three floors, each floor being divided into two independent apartments. Thus a typical home is shared by four to six families. Newer deck sections contain larger buldings housing as many as 16 families, making the most efficient use of space possible. Even with this population density, however, overcrowding is still a major problem. The waterways between decks in the housing sector are lined with barges that act as detached floating homes for additional families. Schools, temples, parks, entertainment buildings and city watch stations are spread throughout the housing sector for the use of the citizens.

The Farm Sector occupies 10 decks in the north part of the city. These decks have been built with large sunken sections 2-3 feet deep that are filled with soil shipped in from the mainland. A complex layered structure of stones and sand at the bottom filter the seawater, providing a constant supply of fresh water for growing crops and fruit trees. Farmers raise vegetables and fruits for sale in the markets and care for livestock waiting to be taken to the slaughterhouses. These items supplement the seafood that makes up a Marhaven citizen's primary diet. The farm sector is also where the majority of the water towers stand, collecting rainwater for use by the people.

On the outer ring at the northeast and southwest of the city are the docks. Each dock can support as many as 30 merchant ships at once. Just in from the docks themselves are the decks of the warehouse sectors, where massive warehouse buildings store items waiting to be taken in to market or loaded on a ship to go out. The city's emergency food stores are also kept in the warehouse sectors.

The Service Sector covers three decks on the west side. Its main tenants are the offices of the trade and merchant guilds, but the sector also houses sages, libraries, some newer city offices, and tradesmen of higher social status.

Most craftsmen live and work in the Trade Sector. The four decks of the trade sector were originally docks, but as the city grew and added outer rings the dock function necessarily moved outward, leaving warehouse and office space to be converted to new purposes. The trade sector is therefore ideally placed between the northeast warehouse sector and the main marketplace in the center deck.

Opposite the trade sector is the shop sector. Converted warehouse and office space from the southwest docks now provide housing and storefronts for a multitude of merchants and shopkeepers. As with the tradesmen, some of the more trendy shopowners have relocated to the service sector.

The Marhaven naval stations occupy two decks, one at the north end and one at the south. From these docks ships patrol the perimeter of the city, watching for pirates or other potentially hostile incoming traffic. Another outer deck is dedicated to the shipyard, where ships are built and repaired by the city's master shipwrights. The newest deck, on the western outer edge, is a dedicated hospitality deck. In response to the demand for short-term housing for visitors, merchants, and dignitaries, this deck contains eight large hotels and a small private dock network. The hospitality deck is premium space for those who can afford it; for those of modest means, there are lower priced inns and flophouses spread throughout the housing sector.

The final sector is not part of the deck structure at all. About 250 feet below the surface, the mountain stub that once supported the island of Marhaven now supports Marhaven Below, an undercity of living coral and shell. Marhaven Below was built by aquatic elves, who make up its largest population segment. About 5,000 of the sea elves live there, along with a few hundred merfolk and a small population of shoal halflings who moved there to escape the overcrowding topside.

A good indicator of social status in Marhaven is the location and size of one's home or office. The newer decks are more prestigious than the older ones, especially in the housing sector. The ultimate status symbol, short of living on the center deck, is to have a private single-family home on one of the newer housing decks.

History

Generations ago, when the first crude ships began to cross the Great Sea, a team of explorers came upon a tiny island sitting by itself in the middle of the vast, open waters. The island was no great paradise, but it did have three things that any long-haul sailor prizes: fresh water, fruit trees, and game.

Those three resources made the tiny island popular with the first explorers, who stopped there to replenish their supplies of food and water and to harvest wood to repair their ships. It wasn't long before someone saw the benefits in controlling such a strategically located property. Within 10 years of the first footfall, Hendrick Bronshelm of Noordia planted his family flag on the island and claimed it for his own. He named it Marhaven in honor of his father Mars Bronshelm, a Noordian chieftain who was executed for supporting the seated king in a palace coup.

Hendrick, known to history as Hendrick the Bronze, turned Marhaven into a home base for explorers and adventurers. He imported tools, supplies, and craftsmen from the surrounding nations and sold those goods and services to those with the gold to meet his price. A small community sprouted and grew.

The rapid growth of Marhaven was its founder’s undoing. His services made long-distance sea travel safer, which in turn led to an increase in exploration and commerce, which in turn increased the importance of the island. Soon the thrones of all the coastal nations coveted Hendrick’s domain.

His old home nation, Noordia, was the first to take action. Orthos, the same Noordian king who had executed Hendrick’s father, felt threatened by the spreading influence of the samurai. He dispatched an armada of warships, seized Marhaven, and used it as a base for an assault on the Jade Islands. Hendrick was slain in the invasion, but his son Bael survived. The samurai destroyed the Noordian forces in a bloody five-year war and in the process took control of Marhaven. The samurai withdrew from the island voluntarily, reinstalling Bael as the rightful Lord of Marhaven.

The peace would be short-lived. In his brief reign Orthos had made many enemies, chief among them being Kharaman, Sultan of the Saurian Alliance. Sensing weakness in his rival, Kharaman launched a brutal assault on Noordia. He, too, invaded Marhaven as the first step in his war plan. Bael was more prepared than his father had been, however. The Saurians held Marhaven for less than a year before guerilla forces commanded by Bael succeeded in driving them out. With their supply lines cut off, the Saurian forces had no choice but to withdraw from Noordia, but not before taking the head of the hated king Orthos.

The end of Orthos brought a period of relative peace and stability to the continents. Marhaven recovered and prospered under Bael’s leadership and then, after Bael's death, under his son Joril. By the time Joril was succeeded by his son Hendrick II, Marhaven had a navy that could rival any of the surrounding nations. Generations of peace and prosperity seemed assured.

And so it was for a time. Marhaven increased its economic and cultural might with each passing decade while maintaining a formidable defensive military. Marhaven’s ability to protect its docks from raiding pirates made it the premier marketplace in the world and a favorite neutral setting for diplomatic missions between its neighboring states.

The peace lasted 90 years before Noordia found itself invaded from the south by an army of orcs and goblinoids. Akhnar, the infamous sorceror and tyrannical lord of Mohlarcan, led the assault personally along with a company of fiendish commanders and sergeants. The conscript soldiers fought with the desperation of those with far more to fear than mere death in combat and even the mighty Noordian warrior clans were hard pressed to stand against the barrage of vile magic unleashed upon them.

Marhaven’s Viceroy, Hendrick III, opened the docks of Marhaven to refugees fleeing the bloodshed in Noordia while simultaneously rallying the northern realm’s allies. A carefully orchestrated counter attack launched from Marhaven cut off the supply lines from Mohlarcan, leaving the fell troops unfed and out of communication. Nessenese warmages working from Marhaven ships flattened the tower at Leothgard and burned the land around it while the dwarves of Tor Goldur decimated the routed invaders as they tried to flee across the mountains.

The victory proved costly for Noordia. Its King Drakor was slain by a tiefling assassin and both of his sons were lost in battle. With its royal house decimated, the surviving clan leaders of Noordia offered the throne to Hendrick in honor of his leadership in the war and his blood ties to their land. Hendrick accepted, leaving his office to his brother Melchior, and became King Hendrick I of Noordia.

Akhnar’s forces were destroyed, but the sorcerer himself had escaped into dungeons beneath the mountains. There, in hiding, he plotted his revenge. Five years to the day after Hendrick was crowned in Noordia, a lone warship bearing the flag of Mohlarcan sailed into Marhaven escorted by a number of colossal kraken. The sea beasts ripped the docks from their moorings and dragged defending ships down into the sea while Akhnar and a company of fiendish allies rained fireballs and worse down on the island. The Marhaven fleet overcame the kraken, albeit with heavy losses, and turned their attention to the sorcerer’s ship. Akhnar and his allies were outnumbered, but the sorcerer refused to surrender. Instead he conjured a typhoon of legendary power that scattered the fleet and what remained of the island’s marina and docks. A tremendous wave struck the island and the ground shook with frightening force. The land mass crumbled and the pieces sank into the water forever, along with the Akhnar and his ship.

All that remained of Marhaven was a handful of free-floating dock platforms and perhaps a dozen seaworthy ships. The people of Deep Elandrin rescued as many of the citizens as they could but more than half died in the attack, including Melchior and the entire city council. Hendrick offered the survivors land in Noordia and aid in building a new city, but the people were determined not to let the dead sorcerer have his victory.

Ander, son of Melchior, swore to rebuild the city despite the loss of its land base. He met with engineers from Nessen and Deep Elandrin, and together they devised a plan to build an island of wooden platforms to support a new Marhaven. The survivors admired Ander’s grit and vision and committed themselves to the effort, proclaiming him Lord Mayor of the the as yet unbuilt city. Using materials salvaged from the original docks and ships along with contributions from the mainland realms, they made Ander’s plan a reality.

The rebuilt Marhaven resembled a hexagonal barge several hundred feet across with docks radiating outward. As the population and economy recovered successive generations have expanded the original design so that Marhaven today is a multitiered floating complex of connected man-made isles. Arched bridges make it possible to travel within the city on foot or by rowboat. Massive anchors on miles of chain hold the complex in position and powerful magic protects the structure from storms and fires. As the population and commercial needs of the city have increased organized expansions have been undertaken, adding additional rings of platforms to the outside of the network, each ring larger than the previous one. The city currently supports 28,000 citizens on an area of roughly 26 million square feet. Overcrowding is still a major problem; the Lord Mayor and the council are feeling pressure to expand again.