Arbor : City of Verdancy & Necromancy

Part of the Jazel Empire, Arbor is a city deeply connected to the cycle of life and death, where nature and the supernatural coexist in a delicate balance. The city is lush and overgrown, with buildings entwined by vines and roots, and the air is thick with the scent of earth and greenery. Arbor's citizens are introspective and reverent, with a strong sense of community and responsibility towards the environment. They are pragmatic, understanding that decay is as much a part of life as growth, and they do not shy away from the darker aspects of nature. The city has an almost mystical aura, where the boundary between the living and the dead is blurred, and the people are known for their wisdom and depth of character.

Arbor, the breadbasket of the Jazel Empire, is a vast, verdant city where agriculture, necromancy, and healing magic are seamlessly integrated. It is one of the most prosperous cities in the empire, ensuring food security and maintaining strong trade ties. Arbor is built on layers of cultivated terraces, greenhouses, and necromantically-enhanced compost fields, creating a stunning visual of life and decay in balance.

The full interactive map of the city can be viewed here.

Below is a simplified City View:

Arbor is broken into 7 districts, each with a unique primary industry and style. The nature of each district draws a distinct group of professions or interests, shaping the very landscape itself.

The Core of Life and Growth: The city’s beating heart, filled with lush gardens, great farms, and research centers for agricultural advancement.

• The Verdant Grove: A massive enchanted park where sacred plants grow, and druids conduct rituals to maintain balance.
• Hall of Growth: The governing seat of the House of Growth, where Patriarch Thorne Verdant resides and oversees Arbor’s sustainability.
• The Eternal Market: A bustling agriculture and potion market, where rare herbs, enchanted seeds, and magical food are traded.

Living buildings with tree-grown walls, vines weaving through archways, and glowing fungal lanterns.

The Breadbasket of Arbor: Expansive terraced farmland, greenhouses, and living soil laboratories maintained by farmers and workers.

• The Stacked Farms: Multi-tiered hanging gardens and greenhouses, each layer dedicated to a different type of crop.
• Harvest Hall: A grand hall where seasonal festivals are held to celebrate the bounty of Arbor.
• The Gilded Granary: A colossal enchanted storage facility that preserves food indefinitely through Verdancy magic.

Wooden and stone farmhouses with rooftop gardens, aqueducts flowing through the city, and windmills enchanted to disperse beneficial pollen.

The Trade Hub of Arbor: Where merchants and foreign traders gather to buy, sell, and transport goods.

• The Verdant Gate: The main entrance to Arbor, flanked by massive, enchanted wooden gates covered in living ivy.
• The Green Exchange: A grand trading post where contracts for grain, herbs, and magical ingredients are finalized.
• The Caravan Quarter: Housing for travelers, merchants, and emissaries bringing goods in and out of Arbor.

Market stalls shaded by leaf-woven canopies, grand trade halls made of stone and enchanted wood, and roads paved with smooth, overgrown cobblestone.

Sacred Ground for the Dead: The district where necromantic practices are perfected, focusing on ethical undead labor, spiritual guidance, and compost magic.

• The Bone Gardens: A cemetery that recycles life energy, using animated skeleton workers to turn decomposed material into fertile soil.
• The Whispering Mausoleum: A temple dedicated to ancestor spirits, where rituals to communicate with the dead take place.
• Flesh & Soil Alchemy Labs: Facilities where necromancers and herbalists work together to create regenerative plant-based medicine.

Structures of pale stone entwined with dark ivy. Many buildings appear old yet alive, constantly regenerating through necromantic energy.

The Center of Healing and Rejuvenation: The district where Arbor’s greatest healers practice their craft, fusing Verdancy and Necromantic healing.

• The Lifewell Sanctum: A grand temple where REDACTED and other healers tend to the sick.
• The Whispering Orchard: A grove where healing fruits and regenerative herbs grow.
• The Sanctuary Baths: Large natural springs infused with healing magic, attracting nobles and the wounded from all over the Jazel Empire.

White stone buildings covered in soft moss, healing fountains, and open-air courtyards for patient recovery.

The Underbelly of Arbor: A hidden, twisting underground district where illegal necromantic relics, contraband plants, and rare alchemical substances are traded.

• The Rotfang Den: Overseer REDACTED hidden headquarters, where forbidden necromantic research is conducted.
• The Guttervine Tunnels: REDACTED
• The Hollow Market: REDACTED

Cracked stone streets, dimly lit by glowing mushrooms, hidden doors that open only with the right ritual words.

The Heights is Arbor’s wealthiest and most prestigious residential district, home to nobles, merchant elites, skilled artisans, and scholars. However, because of Arbor’s immense agricultural wealth, even lower-ranking citizens here live comfortably, making it one of the most economically diverse 'wealthy' districts in the Jazel Empire.

• Emerald Row: A district lined with workshops, boutiques, and luxury goods markets. Home to wealthy farmers, traders, and influential agricultural guilds. Specializes in rare alchemical ingredients, enchanted foods, and botanical art.
• The Sky Terraces: The highest tier of The Heights, only accessible via enchanted bridges and skywalks. Home to wealthiest merchants, influential nobles, and foreign dignitaries. Features gravity-defying gardens sustained by Verdancy magic.
• The Golden Orchards: A well-maintained public garden district, where prosperous artisans, scholars, and traders reside. Includes open-air theaters, public libraries, and lecture halls dedicated to botany, necromantic studies, and agricultural sciences.

The Heights is built on elevated terraces, interwoven gardens, and hanging mansions connected by arched bridges, enchanted elevators, and cascading waterfalls. Unlike most cities, where wealth disparity is stark, the Heights represents an unusual balance of wealth distribution, allowing middle-class artisans and traders to live alongside nobility.

Arbor is the primary provider of food, medicinal herbs, and plant-based materials. Their expertise in verdancy magic allows for year-round cultivation and the growth of rare and magical plants.

This includes a range of industries from funerary services to necromantic research and development. Arbor also has a strong business in creating undead labor forces for tasks that require durability and endurance.

Arbor’s focus on growth includes sustainable waste management practices, transforming refuse into fertile soil or even reanimated materials.

Arbor is a city of prosperity and tension, where traditional magic, industrial progress, and necromantic practices compete for dominance. Each faction holds a vital role in the city's balance, but their conflicting visions for the future of Arbor threaten to unravel its delicate harmony.

The House of Growth is the most powerful political, magical, and economic force in Arbor. As the house of the dominant magic in Arbor, they wield unparalleled authority in the city.

The Mage’s Guild represents the old magical order, maintaining control over enchanted agriculture, healing magic, and traditional necromantic rites. They believe magic is the foundation of Arbor’s success and vehemently oppose Necro-Tech and industrial farming. While powerful, they are slowly losing their grip as innovation spreads.

The Laborer’s Union fights for fair wages, mechanized farming, and worker independence from magical aristocracies. They see technology as a path to liberation, challenging the Mage’s Guild and House of Growth’s monopoly over labor and food production. Their push for Necro-Tech automation is both revolutionary and dangerous, with many fearing that unchecked industrialization could disrupt the city’s fragile ecosystem.

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Beneath Arbor’s prosperous surface lies REDACTED

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