Allarthon

CharacterMind your business and don't be noticed; the truth is not important, survival is. Whatever you do, don't be caught. Every berk has the chance of turning the tides of power. Just watch out for 'them' though. 'They' are everywhere, like the barmies. Trust no one, not even yourself.

RulerMayor Feirrel (Pl/male human/T5/Signer/LE) tries, with help from a town council, to maintain the place in Carceri and not to let it slide to the Abyss, due to the constant anarchist surges. It is true that he maintains a personal army to keep things going, but what else could be expected in Carceri?

Behind the throneThe Revolutionary League is always waiting for opportunities to topple the power. They're surprised to see just how many times they arise, but soon discover that the citizens won't stick together long enough to get anything done, sometimes not even a riot.

Feirrel and the council have accepted the proposal of a famous alienist (kind of barmy scholars, not mages), Dr. Simmon Bacamart (Pl/human male/LN), to create a sanitarium in Allarthon, called the Green House. Despite the alienist's disinterest in power, the thugs that serve as guards, make everyone a lot more peery of being scragged as a barmy.

DescriptionAllarthon is in the first of Carceri's layers, somewhat isolated from the vast bogs and mindless gehreleths, having been built by human immigrants centuries past. The town sure ain't a big one, but has enough size to be of notice to travelers.

Charisma and the drive for the station made Feirrel mayor, but he came to discover how unwelcome this could be. All his efforts are moves towards preventing the town from sliding into the Abyss and subsequently into Pandemonium. For this he permitted the alienist to enter, and funds him to keep the barmies out of the way.

Townspeople were used to the regular chaos of speeches and riots, but were amazed by the stranger presence. Surpassing their natural paranoia, they came to accept him as a stalwart of sanity and righteousness. This makes the alienist's job a lot easier, of course.

Until he scragged a cutter that everyone thought was alright. Most dismissed this as they thought he just seemed so. However, one of them decided to protest and organized a riot to release his friend. He ended up befriending Simmon, as he noticed that he could enjoy a good measure of power in this position. The alienist, however, only watched him, scanning for signs of barminess. Eventually he found them and the friend was taken too.

Now people are on their toes. While some think that the alienist scrags those that don't agree with him, others come to realize that nobody is trustworthy, as all of them can be recognized as a barmy. Simmon is obsessed with his work and believes heart and soul in it. He is always looking for personality disturbances in people, even though the Green House got too full, necessitating the construction of many extra quarters. Endlessly trying to discover the true reason for insanity, he may develop strange theories indeed.

MilitiaTwo militias operate in the city: the mayor's police and the alienist's thugs that, at his orders, scrag barmies. Both are almost impossible to deal with and quite violent and a berk's better keeping himself out of attention.

ServicesDr. Simmon offers asylum to lunatics of all sorts for free, however taking them back is an entirely different problem. Regular services are provided, but weapons and anything that may require traveling is scarce here. The only one interested in helping strangers, and even then for a price, is the mage Porfirium (Pl/male tiefling/Godsmen/CN).

Local NewsDr. Simmon noticed the ever increasing numbers of insane (almost 25% of the population) and has come up with a new theory. He intents to release all barmies and lock up for study the supposedly sane still in the city. No one else knows of this plan yet. The mayor is worried, but his hands are tied. Bacamart already took to the Green House five people from the council and he himself might well be next. He doesn't want to confront anyone in the open, with rumors of anarchist coups everywhere.

Note: This work inspired by The Alienist by the Brazilian famous writer Machado de Assis.