Welcome to the City of Autumncross

Autumncross is a populous and diverse city, situated on two intersecting main roads, set in a high-fantasy universe on Shards. Here you can find anything you want... what's it worth to ya?

The population is primarily humanoid, as a mix of folk from all over the world ply their trade or pass by on this or that far-flung quest. There are cozy middle-class neighborhoods filled with shops, cafes, and merchant homes. There are also shady spots in town where one can procure all sorts of curiosities, as well as worn and tumbledown neighborhoods where the poor reside.

Most of the year, Autumncross is unremarkable. Autumn, predictably, is another story. The city fathers left hundreds of old growth deciduous trees along the streets and in parks scattered across the land, and in the fall the city becomes a riot of color.

Navigating Autumncross

Autumncross is a sprawling city, with an older walled city at its heart and residential neighborhoods extending outside the walls along major roads in all directions. The River Blackwater cuts through the old walled city and meanders north. View the interactive map here.

Districts in the Walled City

• The East Quarter

  A mix of shops and residential spaces, The East Quarter is where well-to-do merchants rub elbows with nobility. Here you can find a number of specialty shops, including magical items and services. The Pantomime Horse, Golden Grains, and Darrigan's Coffin is located here.

• The University Quarter

  Home to Aetherspire University, a vast, prestigious school of magic. At Aetherspire, students can specialize in a number of magical arts. University Quarter is artsy and collegiate, catering to a wide mix of students, faculty, and alumni. The Lance Theater is located here, as well as art galleries and museums.

• The Gilded Row

  Decadence, thy name is The Gilded Row. Gambling-houses, dance halls, taverns, brothels--if it can be bought and sold, you can have it here.

• Tradecross

  Originally named Traders' Crossroad, but over time people took to calling it Tradecross. Right on one of the intersecting trade roads that give Autumncross its name, Tradecross is an endless bazaar of goods from all over the continent. It's a heady mix of color and scent, and it's easy to get lost in the interminable rows of market booths. The Dame of Flame is in Tradecross, near the main road.

• The Park

  This district was originally known as The South Quarter, but over time folk took to calling it The Park, due to its abundance of trees. A leafy, artsy district, filled with luxury shops and custom makers, shaded walks and beautiful, ancient architecture. The Glen and The Park are the oldest parts of the city. At its heart, The Park looks like a beautifully preserved relic of a bygone age.

• The Glen

  Originally titled Grimmold Glen after one of the city founders, in modern days the quarter is simply known as The Glen. A leisure district overall, but the inns, taverns, cafes and eateries are interspersed with one of the best collections of bookshops in the known world.

Districts Outside the Walled City

• Westgate

  The oldest neighborhoods outside the Walled City. Modestly wealthy merchants rub elbows with the wastrel seventh sons of nobility here, as completely unchecked urban sprawl resulted in a crazy symbol of keeping up with the Joneses, reminiscent of a tumble of old but carefully looked-after gilded books. It doesn't make sense architecturally, stylistically, or logically, but it is, and it's a wildly beautiful chaos of cultural symbols of wealth and power.

• Haygate

  One of the oldest residential areas outside the Walled City. You'll find most of the proprietors of the Gilded Row live here, enjoying luxurious townhomes well away from their lucrative dens of iniquity. The Eastern side of Haygate is a labyrinth of warehouses, where trade goods are bought, sold, and stored. It's not exactly shady, but beyond the entrances of the warehouses, surveillance can be thin. It's proven a popular secondary location for plenty of ne'er-do-wells.

• Woodside

  Residential neighborhoods for the more adventurous folk, running right up to where Autumncross ends in the vast forest. Keep an eye on your goods here; thieves and bandits love those woods, not to mention wild animals.

• The Kitchen

  Looking for unusual food items, like herbs, mushrooms, meats and cheeses? Seeking incredibly rare plants? Want the kind of coffee and tea that will make your eyes roll back in your head? The Kitchen is full of oddities that might not be approved to pass into the Walled City.

• Riverside

  An artsy district of Woodside, on the edge of the Blackwater river. Galleries, studios, a small theater, and cheap housing for the bohemian and avant garde. You'll find tailors here innovating fashion, playwrights and poets drinking wine and arguing philosophy with University students, and carefully masked desperate poverty everywhere.

• Newtown

  The newest part of the city, furthest from the center. Farmfolk at the edges, with extremely cheap (and terrible) flophouses and taverns available to house and feed the working grunts of Autumncross. It's a living.

Governance

Autumncross is governed by wealthy members of the Merchant class. Five high-ranking members of the Merchant Guild in the city serve as the majority of the city council, while the highest-ranking member of the Gaming Guild, Tavernkeepers Guild, Arcane Guild, and Makers Guild holding a single seat respectively. The Headmaster of Aetherspire University also serves in a non-voting advisory role. Smaller guilds and associations vie for the ear of these council members, with varying degrees of success. The council uses tax levies to care for the city's infrastructure and pay the Autumncross City Guard. Parts of wealthy neighborhoods may employ their own security in addition to the City Guard, and do so with their own gold.

A note here - the Merchant Guild controls the city to make profits and to preserve their favorite luxurious dens of sin. They may turn a blind eye to some criminal activity, but things that threaten their livelihoods or create an environment that drives away wealthy tourists will be met with an iron fist. The City Guard protects you when it protects them.

Magic in the City Limits

The Arcane Guild keeps a close eye on rogue magic use, and investigators from the Guild are often employed by the City Guard in criminal cases. Magical transportation in and out of the entire city is impossible, thanks to the Guild's wards. You can apparate and Dimension Door as much as you like once you're inside the city's protections, but the wards begin several miles away from the boundaries of the Outer City. Certain types of magic use will trigger alarms and bring the po-po down on you, but as long as you're not physically harming people or making undead things, you should be fine.

Getting Started in Autumncross

Read the FAQ here.

Autumncross is a high-fantasy-style world (think traditional Dungeons and Dragons and The Forgotten Realms), with low tech and high magic. That said, there's really no limit to the kinds of character you can play here. Due to the nature of the city, all sorts of different races and classes of people coexist, which means princes can rub elbows with cheesemongers at the local tavern, and elves and half-orcs might take the stage together for a play at the theater directed by a were-bear. It's weird. It's wild. It's Fantasy Vegas.

Player Conduct Within Autumncross

All typical rules of ooc decorum are observed here. Treat other players as you would like to be treated. Please keep public OOC chatter to a minimum. Magic use and combat are allowed, with a gentle reminder that the way to win at an rpg is to tell a good story with your fellow players. Dice and character stats may be used but aren't required.