Oppara, Taldor’s shining capital atop the Black Cliffs of
the Mighty Porthmos, is an ancient and thriving city. Its majestic villas and
glittering towers stand watch over a sprawling settlement once plated in gold. At
Oppara’s height, it earned the nickname the Gilded City because of the many
roofs, spires, and domes that glittered with austere gold plating in the high
afternoon sun. The metal was long ago stripped away to pay for the empire’s
blunders, but it left behind a bustling, beautiful city beneath. Though the
rest of Taldor fades into ruin, Oppara is the example of what the empire once
what and what it could be again.
Oppara at a Glance
Most of Oppara’s buildings are made of stone. Whether it’s
the marbled halls of the Senate, the brick row houses in Canal Row, or the
granite facades in Seven Towers, the capital of Taldor is a solid example of
what extravagance and 6,000 years of history can do to a city’s design. The massive
Grand Bridge of the Empire emerges from the heart of Oppara to punch across the
sky over the River Porthmos, connecting Oppara with the river’s distant southern
shore. Its two harbors are always crammed with ships and the Mighty Porthmos is
so filled with river traffic that it’s sometimes difficult to spot patches of water
between the towering sailing ships and the flat-bottom travelling vessels from
upriver. Every street in Oppara is paved in either grandiose mosaic tile (in
the districts surrounding the Imperial Palace) or well-laid cobblestones. The streets
are lined with stone gutters that quickly siphon off the frequent summer rains
into Oppara’s expansive sewer system, and public fountains dot many of the larger
crossroads and squares throughout the capital. At night, the city is lit by
tens of thousands of lanterns, a task that keeps the enormous Lighters’ Guild
always on the lookout for new employees.
City Districts
Oppara is separated into 15 distinct districts, each with
its own unique flavor and atmosphere. A sixteenth district, called the
Grandbridge Vagabond Camp, falls under the jurisdiction of greater Oppara, but
due to both its location on the south shore of the River Porthmos across the
Grand Bridge of the Empire and its history of viciously beating back attempts
to raid or destroy it, most Opparan’s don’t consider it part of the city.
Aroden’s View: One
of the oldest districts in Oppara, Aroden’s view stands highest above the
capital. Its gardens, tree-lined avenues, and massive villas command
breathtaking views of the city as well as the river valley that stretches far
to the west.
Canal Row: Home
to merchants, ship captains, professors, Abadar’s Cathedral of Coins (area 18),
and more, Canal Row is Oppara’s trendy residential district for the wealthier
unbearded. So named for its tightly packed canal houses along the Central
Canal, this district is clean, brightly painted, and always busy.
Crownsgate: Named
after Oppara’s secondary gate (area 15), Crownsgate is a poor district, largely
filled with canal warehouses and factories. The side streets in this district
are largely of hard-packed earth, as many of the cobblestones that once paved
the district have long since been torn up and used elsewhere. Crownsgate is a
dangerous place at night, with cutthroats, purse-snatchers, prostitutes, and
hangers-on of the Brotherhood of Silence filling the back alleys with illicit
activities. The Brotherhood’s main chapterhouse is located here, and it’s
rumored that the large and influential thieves’ guild owns most of the
district.
Eastport: The
smaller of Oppara’s two ports, Eastport is split from larger Westport by the
massive spans and structures of the Grand Bridge of the Empire. Primarily used
to receive river traffic coming in from as far away as Sardis Tonwship in the
Porthmos Gap, this dock district is the poorer of the two. Most of Eastport’s
structures are made of wood, a fact that makes it stand out in Oppara almost
immediately, and the district has burned to the ground twice in the last one
hundred years – both times under mysterious circumstances.
Grandbridge: The
largest and most central district of the capital stretches the entire width of
Oppara just outside the two dock districts. Grandbridge is a mercantile
district of worldwide renown and is filled with warehouses, factories, shopping
squares, open-air markets, currency exchanges, and import/export firms. Where the
district touches the River Porthmos at the split span of the Grand Bridge of
the Empire is a large open square that on most days is filled with makeshift
stalls, tables, and tents – Oppara’s famed Gray Market.
Imperial Square: Home
to Grand Princes of the empire since Oppara’s founding, Imperial Square is
named after the exquisitely tiled, open-air square that surrounds the Imperial
Palace on all sides for several blocks in all directions. Many members of the
royalty keep apartments here to stay close to the Grand Prince, and this
wealthy district is largely comprised of a cottage industry built around
supplying the palace with everything it needs. As such, some of the best places
to shop for food, clothing, arms, and equipment can be found here.
Jadrishar Island: The
headquarters of the Taldan Imperial Navy occupies the entirety of this island
district. Located just off the west coast of Oppara with full views of all
river traffic, Jadrishar Island is surrounded by thick, blackened stone walls. Its
one gate on the south side of the island is a fortress unto itself, and anyone
travelling through it passes beneath dozens of murder holes, traverses
well-marked pits and traps, and notices the arrow slits that line the inside. Taldor’s
Imperial Naval College is also located on the island, and the empire’s finest
ship captains train here for 4 years before earning a commission as a lieutenant
on one of Taldor’s capital ships. The River Guard also maintains an academy
here, but it’s small, not well regarded, and significantly underfunded compared
to the rest of the navy. Large, well-guarded docks line the southern shore of
the island, and dozens of Taldor’s largest warships can always be found at
anchor here.
Lionsgate: As the
main gate of the city, Lionsgate (area 14) itself is a breathtaking structure,
comprised of two enormous stone towers topped by 50-foot-tall animated statues
of roaring lions. Though they spend most of the day roaring silently, at noon
at Oathday both lions let loose a bone-jarring roar that echoes across the capital.
The district that grew around the dramatic gate is hedged in by the two
branches of Central Canal (areas 16 and 17) and is largely a market district. Home
to traders, importers, and manufacturers, Lionsgate is a noisy district during
the day, ringing with the calls of barkers and the clang of smithies, and smelling
of boiled leather and butchers’ blocks. Most of the traders here live in small
apartments above their workspace, and though the district is comprised largely
of ornately carved stone houses, they are all tightly packed together and line
narrow paved streets.
Memorial Park: Almost
no one lives here, as over the years the empire turned this canal-front
district into a memorial to every hero of Taldor, real or imagined. The Statue
Garden of Porthmos can be found here along the canal, as can the Monument to
the Armies of Exploration, the Memorial Arch of Grand Prince Jalrune, the
Shining Obelisk, the Serpent Column, and many smaller shrines to long-forgotten
warriors of Old Taldor.
The Narrows: The
poorest district of Oppara is also the most dangerous. Even Oppara’s
constabulary avoids this district unless marching on it in force. Constructed entirely
of rickety wood houses with makeshift shingles and poor planning, the Narrows
is a tightly packed den of disease and squalor. The permanent structures here
lean and bow into one another and entire houses are frequently known to simply
give out and crash into a narrow alley. When walking down one of the Narrows’
tiny streets, it’s not uncommon to be cast in perpetual shadow as the rooftops
of opposite buildings lean dangerously along the way, in many cases touching
those on the opposite side of the street. The Narrows’ rooftops are clattered
with makeshift tent houses, trash piles, and bodies, and only the bravest of
climbers (or most desperate) even attempt to traverse the Narrows this way. The
streets are muddy, filth-ridden pits, and the stench of the place is often
unbearable. The entire district is controlled by a variety of gangs and rogue
guilds, and the Brotherhood of Silence is said to maintain a small chapterhouse
here. The nearby district of Canal Row has repeatedly asked Oppara Prefecture’s
governor to build a wall between the two districts, but the funds to do so have
yet to manifest.
Senate’s Hill: Immediately
adjacent to Imperial Square, Senate’s Hill is home to the lavish marbled and
columned halls of the Senate. Astride the same street as the Imperial Palace,
the Senators like to believe that this serves as a reminder to the Grand Prince
that while he rules the country, they manage the bureaucracy. This district is
a wealthy one, surrounding the majestic senate building with coffee houses,
inns, shops, tailors – anything a member of Taldor’s senatorial class could
possibly want. Many of the Senators, especially those who represent more
distant prefectures of the empire, keep small villas and apartments here.
Seven Towers: Named
for five crumbling towers arrayed in a star shape around two central pillars,
this district is built on top of the ruins of the original Azlanti town (area
4) that once looked over this region. While most of the ruins themselves are
gone, there are dozens of interconnected vaults and dungeon complexes beneath
Seven Towers, most of which the government long ago sealed – for what purpose,
they didn’t say. The residents of the district, most of whom hail from Taldor’s
senatorial class, spread rumors that the dead walk the evening streets of Seven
Towers and that the towers themselves sometimes hum with a strange and
vertigo-inducing energy.
Westpark: The
wealthiest district of Oppara is also its best guarded. The royalty that call
Westpark home long ago constructed enormous walled villas and sprawling
fenced-in estates to keep the riff-raff out. The constabulary maintains several
stations here and can be found patrolling the district at all times of the day
or night. When the Lighters’ Guild begins its evening ritual of lighting the
streets of the capital, its members always start in Westpark and do so before
the sun has set.
Westport: The
larger of Oppara’s two ports, Westport services all international traffic, as
well as Taldan Imperial Navy supply traffic. Westport’s waterfront is crammed
full of inns, bars, pubs, brothels, gambling houses, drug dens, moneylenders –
anything a sailor coming in to port might need. The docks themselves are well
guarded and lit at night, a duty the Westport Harbormaster takes very
seriously. Long ago the constabulary made it clear they couldn’t keep the rest
of the city safe at night and watch over Westport, so the Harbormaster formed
the Porthmos Militia, a ragtag band of cutthroats, former privateers,
ex-soldiers, and thugs, and set them to the task of keeping watch on the
capital’s largest port at night. Suffice to say, crime is almost nonexistent in
the evening hours, though folks travelling this district under the cover of
darkness do best to avoid any entanglements with the militia.
Important Sites
Several of the more important locations in Oppara are
detailed below.
Basilica of the Last
Man: Golarion’s oldest temple to Aroden, the Basilica of the Last Man (area
3) is a constant reminder of Aroden’s death and the decline of Taldor. Aroden’s
clergy still maintains a presence here, though they are but a shadow of what
they once were. The basilica is an enormous domed building built on a hill in
Aroden’s View. Its blue-painted dome is a familiar landmark for returning
Opparans, as are the four 250-foot-tall fluted pillars that frame the four
corners of the basilica’s grounds.
Brotherhood of
Silence Chapterhouse: One of the largest and most influential thieves’
guilds throughout the Inner Sea region, the Brotherhood of Silence is based in
Oppara’s Crownsgate district. Their main chapterhouse is a nondescript black
marble building with darkened windows and two armed and armored men guarding
the front door. The Brotherhood of Silence has chapterhouses in every major
city in the region – though none are as obvious as their home in Oppara.
Grand Bridge of the
Empire: Built 3,000 years ago to more efficiently cross the wide River
Porthmos, the Grand Bridge of the Empire (area 12) is an impressive
architectural achievement. The Grand Bridge is a cantilever bridge set upon
enormous stone piles sunk deep into the Porthmos. The rest of the span is made
of magically strengthened mithral steel forged in the dwarven fires of Maheto
and hauled over the Tandak Plains to Oppara. The span’s surface is delicately
crafted mosaic tile laid across a foundation of thin granite sheets. The bridge
stretches 8,314 feet across the Porthmos, with 150 feet of clearance for ships
of all kinds to pass beneath. It took more than 200 years to complete the
project, at enormous cost to the empire – a cost that many Taldan scholars
believe was the impetus for Taldor’s invasion and establishment of Andoran as a
vassal state the year before the project was completed. On the Opparan side of
the river, the bridge begins as a split causeway that abuts both shores of the
Central Canal before climbing to the bridge’s full height and shooting out
across the river. The opposite bank washes against steep cliffs, so the bridge
runs straight to its terminus in the Grandbridge Vagabond Camp.
House of the Immortal
Son: Once the second-oldest temple to Aroden (the first being the Basilica
of the Last Man, also in Oppara), the House of the Immortal Son has, since the
death of Aroden, been Taldor’s most opulent and expensive opera house. It is a
large, windowless, cylindrical building made of polished marble and granite and
surrounded by thick, finely carved pillars. Built in the earliest traditional
styles of the Azlanti, the opera house lacks windows (visitors are meant to
look up, not out) and its roof is a complicated piece of stone statuary that
replicates the holy symbol of Aroden, a winged eye gazing forever toward the
heaven.
Imperial Palace: The
home of Taldor’s Grand Prince since the empire’s founding, the Imperial Palace
(area 2) is a magnificent and ancient structure. Taldor’s first Grand Prince
didn’t believe that the palace should be cut off from the people, so rather
than surround it in heavy walls he ordered heavy walls be built for the city
itself, and stipulated that the blocks surrounding the palace be kept clear in
city planning. Today, the palace is a simple granite building, rectangular in
shape, four stories high and surrounded on all sides by a large open square.
The Taldan Phalanx and Taldan Horse maintain a strong presence here, marching
across the square daily and constantly guarding the entrances to the palace.
Kitharodian Academy: Of
Taldor’s two famed bardic colleges, the Kith (area 13) is the larger of the
two. Located in Canal Row, it sits astride the northern cliffs of Oppara and
has an impressive view of the Porthmos River valley as it winds its way north.
Its spires, towers, domes, and pillars are nearly as breathtaking as its melodic
symphonies. The Kith allows anyone to attend their performances, and it’s not
uncommon for the Grand Prince to rub shoulders with the Unbearded on campus.
Memorial Arch of
Prince Jalrune: The memorial to Taldor’s assassinated Grand Prince, this
arch (area 7) spans Central Canal in Memorial Park. The arch bears an engraved
pictorial history of Emperor Jalrune, starting with his fabled birth in the
Dragonscar on the Memorial Park side and stretching throughout his life to his
crowning at the top of the arch and his assassination at the end of the arch at
the Canal Row side. Interestingly, his assassins are portrayed plain and
faceless, which goes against the common view of the people that he was murdered
by Qadiran agents.
Oppara Arena: The
roar of the crowd and the stench of blood coat the oldest arena (area 10) in
the Inner Sea. Located in Grandbridge, the arena can fit 20,000 citizens and
runs daily gladiatorial battles and slave fights, and can even be flooded to
simulate naval engagements. One copper piece gets you access, and it’s not
uncommon for the royalty and senatorial classes to feed those in attendance.
Rhapsodic College: The
smaller of the two bardic colleges in Oppara, Rhapsodic College (area 11) is
tucked away in the clutter of Westport. A few small buildings surrounding a
performance and practice hall are all this school is comprised of, but despite
its size it’s well-regarded as Oppara’s best-kept secret. The Kith might produce
more trained bards every year, but the Rhapsodic College produces the best. The
courts of Cheliax, Osirion, Katapesh, and many countries beyond the Inner Sea
employ graduates of Rhapsodic College as their primary musicians and
storytellers.
The Senate: Much
larger than even the Imperial Palace, the Senate (area 1) is built of
white-marbled halls and surrounded on all sides by columns. At night, huge
lanterns are lit around its foundation so that the entire hall glows white. One
hundred steps lead to the Senate’s main entrance, and the prevailing wisdom
among the senators is that each step reminds them that they live only to serve
the empire. Most members of the Senate use the rear entrance.
The Serpent Column: Originating
in the ancient Azlanti settlement that pre-dated Oppara, the Serpent Column
(area 8) is the heart of Memorial Park. The column is actually two columns,
built side by side and then twisted together as if by the hands of a giant. It
rests on a green-hued stone foundation and is harder than steel. It shows no
sign of its age, and its smooth surface is unmarred by carvings or design.
The Shining Obelisk: The
memorial to General Arnisant (area 6) stands nearly 100 feet tall and is coated
in a thin sheen of brass. The name ARNISANT is carved in big block letters
across its base, and it shines brightly in the mid-day sun.
Statue Garden of
Porthmos: Taldor’s famed General of the 1st Army of Exploration
is celebrated in this one-block-diameter statuary garden (area 5). Every statue
represents one of Porthmos’ famed victories in the Verduran Forest and along
the length of the Sellen River to Severarches. Since the garden was constructed
nearly 1,500 years after General Porthmos’ death, there are many scholars who
question the accuracy of some of the depictions.
White Hall: The
headquarters of Oppara’s constabulary, White Hall (area 9) is a four-story
marble structure in Grandbridge. Oppara’s constables have a long and proud
tradition and prowl most of Oppara day and night. Several smaller stations are
scattered throughout the city so a citizen, in most cases, won’t have to travel
far to get help. White Hall houses two schools to train constables: the Lion
Academy for mundane students and the Crown Circle for those bent toward arcane
pursuits. The locals call White Hall the Screaming Pillars for what happens to
an Unbearded when he’s dragged there, on charges real or imagined.
Citizens of Oppara
Some of Oppara’s most famous, infamous, and important
denizens are detailed below.
Dominicus Rell: This
man is the head of the secretive Shadow Schools of the mysterious Lion Blades.
An imposing man of Azlanti ancestry, his multi-colored eyes stare blankly at
any who speak to him, causing most people to feel incredibly uncomfortable in
his presence. He is said to have the ear of the Grand Prince himself, and many
believe that it is Rell who trains the Ulfen Guard to protect their sovereign.
Father Basri: Maybe
the last Archbishop of Aroden left on Golarion, the incredibly old half-elf
Father Basri can still remember a time when Aroden personally spoke to him
through a prayer. The sadness of his patron’s death and the years since have
weighed heavily on his shoulders, and he walks with a stooped back, leaning
heavily on a cane. Father Basri is responsible for maintaining the Basilica of
the Last Man and its Arodenite artifacts and holy relics, and it was his
ingenious idea to transform the holy site into a tourist destination that kept
the Basilica from being turned into something more reserved, such as the House
of the Immortal Son. Lately, Father Basri has told his small flock that he
believes Aroden will return in their lifetimes, but many see this as the
ramblings of a very old and broken man.
Harbormaster
Hallador: The Boss of Westport, as he’s known, may be an unbearded, but he
holds almost as much power as any member of the senatorial class. He controls
arguably one of the busiest ports on the Inner Sea, and his impatience with the
government is legendary. When the constabulary said they couldn’t do enough to
stop the crime waves in nighttime Westport, Boss Hallador formed his own
militia. When the Imperial Palace ruled that all ships from Qadira be turned
away, Boss Hallador gave them crown-and-lion flags to fly as they approached
the River Porthmos. He walks a thin line, and there are grumblings that he may
soon be replaced – a choice that could send Westport into strikes, riots, or
worse.
Senator Karthis: The
leader of the opposition party in Oppara, Karthis hails from Zimar Prefecture
and is the Senate’s largest supporter of heating up the cold war with Qadira.
Many times he’s stood on the steps of the Senate and described the horrors
visited upon his ancestors during the Grand Campaign, rallying the people to
demand that the Phalanx march south and burn Katheer to the ground.
The Masked Marquis: The
head of the Brotherhood of Silence is one of Golarion’s best-kept secrets.
Though he is seen frequently in and around the chapterhouse in Crownsgate, many
believe he is in fact several different people, and cite the fact that he’s
sometimes fat, other times tall, and occasionally female.
Princess Eutropia: The
daughter and only living child of Grand Prince Stavian III calls Seven Towers
her home. Taldor has long been ruled under the tradition of the primogeniture,
but the princess opposes its continuation and is currently building support
among the Senate for her usurpation of the throne upon her father’s death. Many
believe this will send Taldor into a long civil war it can ill afford, but the
Princess believes otherwise and sees her ascension as just the sort of change Taldor
needs to be great again.
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